Monday, June 23, 2008

Back In the Saddle

Today marks Day One of Stanford's online continuing education class on writing poetry.

I feel like a little kid on the first day of school . . . nervous, full of wonder, excited by possibility. I've done a few of these classes over the past four years and loved them. I need the discipline of a class (with deadlines) to engage in a writing practice. Stanford's Writer's Workshop classes give me the framework and structure to write along with the freedom to do it on my own time.

Every time I undertake one of these classes I grow as a writer. Thus far, each step has been visible primarily to me. Maybe this session marks will mark taking that more public step and sharing with a broader audience.

Longer term goals aside, today is the beginning of a new journey. I'm excited to be back on the path.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Home as a Theme . . . Mine, Specifically

NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) has gone monthly (versus annually). The theme this month is home. The requirements are a daily post, tied to the theme or not.

To kick off the month then, I'm sharing reflections on my current (physical) home. 10,000 square feet of land in Palo Alto. About 1800 square feet of house on aforementioned land. Yes, this is a 1950's sized space and, indeed, our Eichler is a mid-century modern structure.

We came to this house with favorite things. Our modern furniture (B&B Italia, Ligne Roset) fits well. The artwork is all contemporary and complements the space. The back of the house is all glass. It's strikingly beautiful and simple.

Not surprisingly, we lack storage space. I often miss a basement, attic and large closets. We're slowly downsizing and shedding to fit the house. I have refused to part with our many, many books. Our garage is part library.

Storage aside, the smallish, single-floor space is definitely liveable. Two kids, two dogs, two parents all fit snugly and, generally, happily.

Home is, for us, less about the structure and more about the life in it. More in the coming days and weeks on those aspects of our existence.