Four Somethings {June}

Something Loved

Wednesday Night Trivia

Each Wednesday night Jay and I join other couples from our neighborhood to play live team trivia. The typically Smartinis roster includes 8 regulars, but on occasion we have others join us. The other team members have impressive professional and travel resumes, so we often do well.

While Jay has a good base knowledge, sports fall heavily on his shoulders. I’m typically the best for the assist in that category. While movies are my specialty, I’m hit or miss when it comes to the genres selected. Most of the time I either know the answer right away or have no clue. Rarely do I fall in the middle ground.

Ultimately, it’s not about winning or losing, but having a good time with friends. I won’t lie, though. I sure enjoy winning (or at least placing in the top 3), not to mention the gift card prizes that come with the honor.

Something Said

Are you Charlie’s sister?

My nephew’s birthday falls at the end of May, but due to the calendar arrangement, his party was the first weekend in June. While the boys played on the jungle gym, my niece and I enjoyed the swings.

(Above photo of me taken a few years ago, wondering why this feature wasn’t more accommodating to those of us with bountiful booty blessings.)

After snapping enough pics for social media, she rejoined the adults for chatter. I transitioned from the standard seated position on the swings to standing. Jay pushed me and then made his way down the line to the rest of the kids shouting “me next!”

The kid who’d take over my niece’s swing beside me asked if the birthday boy and I were siblings. I enjoyed it immensely and called my sister “mom” the rest of the night. She did not find it nearly as amusing as I.

Something Learned

The Foothills Voices project encourages me to think like a “real” writer, whatever that means. Several of the suggested reading titles are memoir/how-to-be-a-writer combo books – included Stephen King’s On Writing.

Last week, I finished Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. She suggests carrying around note cards to write down thoughts or ideas which come along through the day. I heard a similar suggestion on the Hope*Writers podcast, as I went back and listened to old episodes.

I already own index cards, thanks to an abandoned attempt at scripture memory last year, so I dug them out and got started. Turns out, I have a lot of ideas to capture! Most what I have written so far are quotes from books and podcasts, rather than original ideas. I’m hopeful, however, that this newly learned trick with help me organize my thoughts and writing topics more efficiently.

Something Read

I’m a hillbilly, a woman, and a poet, and I understood early on that nobody was going to listen to anything I had to say anyway, so I might as well just say what I wanted to.

This quote from Irene McKinney, West Virginia Poet Laureate opens the introduction to my most recent book find. Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia is a collection of works by over 100 authors from my region, as compiled by Sandra L. Ballard and Patricia L. Hudson.

The volume contains different styles of writing and is introducing me to new authors. I’ve added several books to my elibrary “want to read” list as a result of reading this book.

Once again I’m linking up with Heather, as we Share Four Somethings. You know you wanna join us! Head on over and link up!