Writer's Survival Kit ~ Kid Made

My 8 year-old daughter made this survival kit for me at my desk.  It's a piece of paper, with 2 pockets glued to the front, filled with wintergreen lifesaver candy and tootsie roll pops!  It's attached inside my roll top desk with poster putty.  The arrival of November 1st is closer than I want it to be.  I am actually starting to doubt myself and I should not be.  NaNoWriMo month - hear I come!

Confessions from a Journal Junkie

In the process of cleaning up the bedroom, I decided to clean out my nightstand.  My night stand has a drawer and a cupboard underneath.  I have not yet tackled the drawer on account of what I found in the bottom half.  I have to confess - I'm a journal junkie!

In my nightstand I found:

~ 25 unused journals of various styles

~ 1 completed journal

~ 2 unused prayer journals (I have a 3rd in my desk I am using)

and I also found:

~ 3 World War II, autographed, books with real stories, not read yet

~ 1 paperback Christmas book by Catherine Palmer

Oh, and that's not all the journals I have.  On top of the night stand I have a basket with 2 notebooks for note taking, and one journal.  I also have a travel journal, camping journal, gardening journal, journals to write about each child and who will receive those journals when they graduate, a homemade gift journal, a journal to record books I have read, a journal to write everything I borrow from the library (they do not keep track anymore at the library), a journal I wrote when my mother was in and out of the hospital, and many more.  Yep.  I'm a journal junkie. 

The funny thing is that my current every day journal is a plain spiral notebook, and the ones in my nightstand are hardcovers or moleskin covers.  I'm beginning to wonder if I feel they are too nice to write in.  I guess I better not ask for journals this Christmas. 

I have also encouraged the kids to write in journals.  One daughter journals about her volunteer jobs and horse riding, and another journals about her dog.  I also encouraged my 13 year-old daughter to write during her jaw surgery recovery, when she could only eat liquids.

Although I have taken my journaling to high level, I don't regret keeping them.