Kim's Ramblings

   Today as I bustle around the kitchen, I’m surrounded by some of my favorite aromas, vanilla, brown sugar, lemon, and yeast. Those aromas carry me back and I reflect on many hours spent with Mom, Grandma, and Granny in their kitchens, watching, absorbing, learning. Learning to bake, to create, to experiment, and to adjust as needed.    You see, neither of those women, so instrumental in my domestic education, practiced exact measurement. I’m pretty sure their measuring cups were being used to root plant cuttings or something. They used a dab of this, a scoop of that, a handful of something else. And it was delicious, without fail. They taught me to stir, observe, sample, and add a bit more of something to alter the consistency, flavor, etc. I was a Home Economics teacher’s nightmare, I’m sure.    For the most part, I still cook that way, especially on favorite dishes I’ve made countless times. I’m pretty sure I could make chocolate chip cookies ...

I wrote this poem about a childhood memory of baking with my grandmother. It won first place in a poetry contest at Arkansas Writers Conference in June. I hope you enjoy it. Memory in the Baking     The scent of vanilla and brown sugar draws me into the heart of my grandmother’s house – toasty warm, rowdy Grandmother straightens and turns from the stove her aproned fists clutching a bubbling pie – golden brown, perfect Giggling cousins sneak a spoon into the bowl as the stand-mixer whirrs and spins – creamy, gooey batter Excited voices and laughter rise and fall against the backdrop of music from a transistor radio – static, tinny country Hot water cascades into the deep sink building foamy mountains of suds – snow white, steamy The boisterous scene evaporates leaving me standing silent in my own kitchen – modern, empty, cold

       Writers Conferences are a great way to learn more about the craft of writing. I try to attend a few local conferences or workshops each year. And I always leave renewed, encouraged, and excited. Ideas and techniques are bouncing around in my brain, triggering more ideas. But it’s hard to focus on just one of the ideas, and even harder to keep that excitement in the days following the conference.         If you’ve recently attended a conference, class, or workshop, and want to capture that creative high, here are some tips you might try in the days following the event. • Write it down. Jot down every idea, no matter how vague, strange, or unlikely. You may not have time to think it through or plot it right now, but write down enough to remind you of the concept you were thinking of. Some of these ideas are junk, but some may be creative gold. Keep this list, and add to it as ideas pop up. • Use free writing to spill out as many ...

             On a recent random weekday, nowhere near any birthday or holiday, my dad gave me a gift that I can’t stop thinking about. He found a magazine photo of a place that I’ve expressed a desire to visit, a bucket-list place. He clipped the photo, placed it in a frame, and wrote the caption, “Why not now?”             I am beyond middle-age, but still several years from retirement. I’m of the generation that grew up believing you worked until you retired, then you traveled, chased your dreams, pursued hobbies, and volunteered for causes dear to your heart. He ought to know; he raised me.             But now, at his three-quarter-century mark, he’s changed his advice. You see, we aren’t guaranteed a certain number of years. And when you finally have the time, or the money, to go and do the things on that list, the...

(I originally wrote this post for THE WRITE WAY, the blog on the White County Creative Writers website. If you're interested in writing, definitely check out that website.) It’s November, and that means NaNoWriMo.  For those who don’t know, that’s National Novel Writing Month. If you’ve never heard of it, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that there’s an online community of writers who pledge to complete a novel in only thirty days. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But every year since 1999, thousands have proven that it can be done. The idea started small, but has continued to grow every year. Hundreds of those novels have gone on to be published by traditional publishers, while hundreds more have been self-published. The goal is a complete first draft, a minimum of 50,000 words in thirty days or less. That’s less than 2,000 words per day. Anyone can enter. There’s no entry fee, and it’s simple to participate. • Sign up on the website  nanowrimo.org • Describe your ...