The Perfect Hiding Place {Writing Prompt}

Like most kids, at nine years old, I had a best friend.  At the time, she was really the only friend I had, to be honest.  Every afternoon after school, I would go to her house to play.  Her house was my sanctuary. I could listen to New Kids on the Block. I could play video games. Her family lived on a coul de sac full of other kids from school, so we would get together and play kick ball, chase, soft ball, and other childhood favorites.

Things I couldn’t do at home.  Friends didn’t come to my house.  I wasn’t allowed to listen to anything but country music, or wear fun clothes.  The neighborhood kids were all much older.  Playing at my friend’s house was the only time I had to be a kid.

Then, my parents did the un-thinkable.  They ripped me away from my entire life, and we moved to a new town, a new school, and a new life.  What’s worse, we moved from a thriving, busy metropolitan out to farm country with the world’s smallest school district, biggest yards, and fewest neighbors.  

 

I wish my nook looked this awesome.

Moving away from my sanctuary was a hard adjustment for me.  I had nowhere to hide and be a kid again. I couldn’t make new friends in such a small town.  All of these kids had been friends since birth.  I was the weird kid, the outsider. I promised myself and my parents that I would go back home.  That I would leave the one-horse-town our new home resided in, and go back to the city.  I just needed time to pack.  I needed to “iron out the details.”  

Once, during recess, a boy in my class told me that if I just followed the railroad tracks, they would lead my straight out of town.  He said I couldn’t get lost if I just stayed by the railroad tracks.  I thought about it.  I road in the bus past those railroad tracks every day on my way home from school.  I could just never get the courage.  I was a very compassionate person, even at such a young age. Every time I thought I had the courage up to leave, I would realize my birthday was coming up, or Christmas, or Mothers day.  I thought to myself, “If I left now, it would hurt them too much to enjoy the holiday.  I’ll wait until it’s over.” 

Needless to say, I never ran away from home.  I mean, where would I have gone?  Instead, I created a safe haven for myself.  I created my own little world that no one ever knew about in the back of my closet-complete with a reading lamp, my journal, my favorite pillow, and a stack of books that could take me anywhere I wanted to go.    Just like that, I had found my sanctuary-my perfect hiding place.  I spent every afternoon in there doing homework, reading books, and writing.  I like to think that is where my love of writing came from.  

Best of all, no one else knew it ever existed until just now.

These days, I no longer have a special hiding place in my closet.  I'd love to have my own little nook, even as an adult.  Of course, now, I'd settle for a great writing nook hidden in my closet! 

While I don't think this was officially part of Mamma Kat's writer's workshop, I did find this writing prompt on her blog and it inspired me!

'Tis the Season...For Gift Making!

It's that time of year again! Well...not really. It's not Christmas time yet.  After all, it's supposed to be somewhere up in the 90's again here today. So no, it's definitely not the season...yet.

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However, if you're anything like me-and I hope some of you are-you'll realize that yesterday was exactly 6 months until Christmas.  That's right.  Yesterday was 6/25.  So the count down has officially begun!

I know, I know.    Everyone is sick of hearing about the holidays earlier and earlier each year.  I promise I'm not going to start singing Jingle Bells and break out the decorations just yet.  In fact, I usually don't truly get into the spirit of Christmas until December.  Sometimes. The thing is, though, that for the last 3 years, I have sworn I would have a hand-made Christmas. Unfortunately, between running and online crafty business and keeping my daughter occupied, that has yet to happen.  Sure, I end up with a few hand-made gifts to give out, but nothing extra-ordinary.

I realized last night, that if I truly want to do this, I've got to start early.  You know, like June! So, here I am, compiling lists of crafts and fun ideas for everyone on my Christmas list.  I thought it would be fun to share as I go for anyone else interested in a DIY holiday.

Will you join me in planning a DIY holiday? I would love to hear about your adventure in handmade gift making!

One Item Down, 56 More to Go.

That's right.  I just finished something else off of my Bucket List.

43. Take a road-trip across the country in our bus.

I guess it sort of depends on how technical you want to get though.  I mean, we did take a road trip camping in the bus.  Does it matter that the bus was being towed?

That's right.  That's a U-Haul towing our bus.  We towed it all the way from Washington to Texas.  I won't get into the gory details, but let's suffice it to say that during my absence from blogging, I was busy packing, driving across the country (again), and adjusting.

Of course, our current residence is very temporary, but it was still an adjustment.  I'm back in my childhood hometown, a place I never thought I'd return to for any extended period of time.  That itself is a post all on it's own, or maybe a book.   I haven't decided yet.

Any way, we did travel across the country, camping in our 1972 VW bus.  It's a sort of fun story, when you exclude the stress of moving and making it to town by a certain day.  I've joked a lot about becoming a "hippie" during my time in Washington, but honestly, none of the green living, crunchy lifestyle habits made me feel more like a hippie than traveling across the country, camping in this bus wherever we stopped, and not showering for four days!

It was pretty cool.  We sure attracted a lot of attention from passers-by, even had a few friendly conversations.  After all, when strangers see you step out of a bus that's being towed by a 26' U-Haul trailer, questions are bound to come up.

I'm not going to cross this one off of my list just yet, as much as I'd like to.  After all, we didn't drive the bus.  Plus, I'd like to leave that one staring at me a little longer to encourage a trip East, just for fun this time instead of necessity.

So, here it is, staring at me and just waiting to be crossed off for real next time:
43. Take a road-trip across the country in our bus.