It’s one of those weeks – some much running through my head and so little time to write about any of it. I sit here trying to write something for my weekly blog post and the choice is between spending time and energy researching and writing a killer post or going back out to the living room to be with my wife and our guests.
Energy, that’s the problem. I’ve been spending my time in other places this week, mostly with family. We have family visiting from out-of-town and in the evenings I’ve been spending time with them and weekends I’ve been the driver and tour guide. So now that pizza is done and evening’s entertainment is on the TV, I am sitting here staring at a page with little hope of writing.
I decided that I should take my own advice and “follow the energy.”
In this case that means return to living room to watch Lawrence Welk reruns and let my brain turn off.
This week our guests leave and I’ll get back to my writing activities. I have a few things I am thinking of writing about. Here’s a list what I am currently thinking about, let me know in the comments what you’d like to see me write about next week:
1. Today I saw an interesting play called, Homeward Bound, An Orphan Train Journey, at Tabard Theatre Company is about the orphan trains that took children from New York city to foster homes in the midwest and other parts of the country between 1853 and 1929. It’s an interesting part of American history I’ve just learned about. I should warn you, it was a two hanky play.
2. I found a great post on Self-Publishing I like to speak to: http://andreamalexander.com/2015/09/19/self-pub-discrimination-deserved-or-unfair/
3. I am still working on a post I’ve titled, “Fourth Dimensional Writing.” It’s in its third rewrite. I am thinking the fourth rewrite will get posted.
4. As a follow-up to my post, “How to Get Me to Read Your Blog,” I have some thoughts on, “How to Annoy Me with Your Blog.”
5. Then there’s this post about redwood trees that keeps running though my brain.
Yeah, likely I’ll write about cats next.
Till next week,
Andrew
Andrew's View of the Week 
When we were in Kansas last week, Andrew, we visited the Orphan Train Museum in Concordia. I don’t know if some of the displays and letters and stories with pictures there were part of the play you saw, but just being in the museum was a poignant mix of sorrow and joy.
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They had a talk back session after the play and we got to ask the director and playwright questions. Turns out that much of her research came from that museum. They had even taken some of the actors in the play out there to visit as part of their research. During the play they displayed photos on screens during scene changes. Many of those came from the museum. From what we were told, it sounded like they had a close relationship to the Orphan Train Museum during the writing and researching phase of the project.
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Lawrence Welk?! Andrew, it was our parents who liked this conductor. I think I’ll stick with the reruns of Mash. 😛
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Welk played a lot of songs I learned while taking piano lessons as a kid and he reminds me of my violin teacher and 7th grade orchestra conductor. Lots of memories for me.
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The sort of dilemma I find myself in all too much of the time. The sun is on the patio here and it promises a beautiful day, one of the last of summer, perhaps. I should be out there, with the short stories of DH Lawrence, or maybe a Richard Adams…
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There are times I think writing is really a winter sport…
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I always love reading about cats or pictures of cats. Also, I would be interested in your ideas of self publishing. Been thinking about that lately. But that story on the orphans on the train sounds very interesting. How about one of each? 🙂
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One of each? Well, maybe. So far it seems like a tie on most points, so I might just have to do one of each. 😉
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Yea! That’d be great! 🙂
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I vote for self publishing
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Yes, that is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately.
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All sound interesting Andrew, but my first choice would be Homeward Bound – I don’t know the whole story but will look it up – sounds sadly fascinating. Much of the history of our country (and the world) has that human sadness about it. It’s important those backstories are told and that we understand what others before us went through – there but for the grace of God …
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It’s a story of America that I didn’t know anything about, so it is something I am interested in writing about.
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Where do you find Lawrence Welk reruns? I’d love to see Bobby and Cissy dance again! And honestly, New Years Eve has never been the same….
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One of the local PBS stations replays it (KRCB, 22) and we record it on the DVR. They’ve released a few specials to DVD, but not many. If they ever release a DVD box set, I’d sell the car to buy it. 😉
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Redwoods are always good. But it would be fun to read ‘How to Annoy Me with your Blog’…
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I just might write about redwoods. However, there are days when I have a lot of material for “How to Annoy Me…”
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Hee hee!
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All good topics, Andrew. Even cats. I find myself responding often with, “But a dog….” Enjoy your company!
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Thanks. I’d write about dogs, but the cats wouldn’t be happy about that… 😉
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Do spend the time with your family and friends, that has to come first.
Redwood trees, I just love them and wish to see the real big ones you have in the States.
As to the ‘Orphan trains’ , I have read a book which was heart wrenching.
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I am lucky to live within an hour’s drive to some large redwood groves. I’d never heard of orphan trains here in America. It was a whole new history lesson for me.
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Whenever I get totally stressed and need to do a little regressive therapy, I find LW and go back to being 8 years old, sitting with my grandparents on a Saturday night when the biggest question for me to ponder was what kind of a bedtime snack did she have in mind for me. Yes, those really were the days my friend. Today, I’m 55 and the family knows that if dad is watching Lawrence Welk, it’s been a tough day and to tred lightly.
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I also find watching old ‘Adam-12’ and ‘Emergency’ shows to be relaxing and welcome trip down memory lane. The most common thought I have when watching Welk is, “Oh my, did I wear clothes like that?!?” Melts all other problems away.
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Emergency was the best and moved me towards my side career in emergency services. I have them all on dvd. Adam 12 was great too. Marty just died. Rip
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I saw the news about Marty, sad day.
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Oh, I like plays where I need to bring a couple of packs of tissues with me! I’m intrigued by the redwood tree blog and look forward to reading that when complete.
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This play needed at least half a box.
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