Finding Muse

I had to laugh when I found out a little tidbit regarding my 15 year-old daughter.  We were all sitting in the kitchen talking about pencils.  We all have our favorite brand of mechanical pencils.  The weird thing was that all of the kids were at the table drawing in their "Doodle" journals.  They each took a spiral notebook and their choice of markers or colored pencils.  Each of them were doodling random drawings for fun.  It was kind of cute to see them all chatting nicely and doodling about nothing in particular.

I found these nice and thick spiral notebooks on clearance for $.50 each.  The covers are pretty neat too.  When I mentioned that it looked like a lot of fun, my 13 year-old daughter went to the storage area and gave me one too. 

"Here Mom you can do one too" she said to me.

Then we started talking about pencils when I asked whose packet of mechanical pencils were on the table. I mentioned my favorite brand, and the one that used to be their favorite too.  It's the Paper Mate Clearpoint Click pencil.  My 13 year-old daughter said she can get through a school year with just two of those pencils and refill leads.  My 15 year-old, who loved them for years, surprised me.

"I don't like those anymore.  I like the other kind and I like to use a different colored pencil every day," she said.

That's when I laughed.  I thought I was weird when I wrote, but hearing her really made me laugh.  I don't think either one of us would feel normal without a pen or pencil in our hands.  So in order to find her muse, she uses a different colored mechanical pencil every day. 

Sluggish Brain

I have discovered on my own, that not exercising truly affects my ability to write creatively.  I'm not able to push "worries" from my head, and concentrate on work.  So, in an effort to think better, I'm back on the treadmill.  The kids have been after me, and now I am after them to exercise.  Last night I had to laugh.

They invited me to do the Boxing VHS tape with them.  I backed out, knowing full well I need to work up to that sort of strain.  Funny thing is, they couldn't do it either.  I looked over at them, and the video was going through the warm-up, and they were just standing there.  I have to say it was pretty funny.  The last time I attempted to do that work-out I just about knocked myself out.  After they work up to 4 moves I just lose track of the sequence. 

The weather is rainy, cold, and dreary today.  Another reason to get off my rear and get motivated.