Let's Hold Some Space in October: Finding Home 2.2

If you follow me on Twitter or visited my blog this week (and you're totally forgiven if you didn't do either of these things), you may have noticed that I quietly slipped in a little announcement... it's October, I have a weakness for writing challenges, and I'm participating in Write 31 Days again!

This year, I'm following along with the folks at Five Minute Friday for a series called Holding Space, in which I post five minute free writes around each theme, followed by an invitation to reflect on the topic or try a spiritual practice. Carving out moments of quiet and reflective conversation becomes more and more important to me as I move through this noisy world, and I'm hoping that this series will not just be good space for me, but for you too.

Also, like I do every single year, I almost backed out of this half a dozen times.

In the book The War of Art, Stephen Pressfield calls it The Resistance: it's that unseen force of self-sabotage that seems to conspire against all your efforts to do something that matters. I feel it when I stick my personal writing at the dead bottom of my to-do list, or when I hold off committing to a project until the very last second. This week, The Resistance looked like me rescheduling my 31 Days announcement twice.

I wrote it several weeks ago when I realized my idea had a solid shape. Because October is crazy and I know there are days I definitely won't have writing time, I've been writing and scheduling posts ahead. But somehow, half an hour before my announcement was supposed to go live on Monday, I bumped it ahead to Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday morning, I bumped it to the afternoon so I could tweak the graphics. Finally, I told my 1 winging inner critic brain to shut up and just let me post it.

Also, I am currently freaking out. Just a little bit.

The thing is, I try writing challenges all the time -- two years of #write31days, six or so years of November Poem-a-Day, one try at DrabDayMoMay -- and I NEVER hit every single day of the challenge. It's easier to do stuff quietly, not tell anyone about it, and then quietly forget and just go do something else.

NOT THIS YEAR. (she says every year. she means this year.)

Now that I've told you, Tiny Core of Awesome People Who Care Enough to Let Me in Your Inbox, I HAVE to do it, right? Right.

So here's to Holding Space for each other in October! Will you follow along? I'll tweet out new entries and try to post about it on Instagram periodically so none of us forget. And hopefully The Resistance won't shut me down. (currently accepting pep talks / words of affirmation / high fives / people who know me in person hassling me about sticking with this thing.)

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Okay, enough of that. In other news... 

HUTCHMOOT COMETH

One of my favorite weekends of the year is coming up quick! Yes, the ninth (NINTH!) Hutchmoot convenes October 4th in Franklin, TN. If you're gonna be there, please say hello when you see me wandering the halls trying to figure out where I'm supposed to be.

Chris and I are co-hosting TWO poetry open mics this year, AND if you were part of the Rabbit Reads Book Group in August, I'm organizing a casual lunch hangout to chat about Andy Crouch's book Culture Making. (Rumor has it the author may crash the party.) If you're Mooting with us next week and want to be in on this, hit reply and I'll share the details as they're confirmed. (read: once I find the Room of Requirement)

SILENCE THE STONES 2018

New England friends! Chris and I will be at Silence the Stones again this year October 27th at Trinity Church in Bolton, MA. It's like a mini Hutchmoot and it's so fun... readings, talks, art, and desserts! I will read something. I don't know what yet. Save the date!

Okay, this letter is long, but one last thing...
THINGS I LOVED IN SEPTEMBER

1) This book --

Anyone who has read Rebecca's writing ever knows she needed to write a book. She has a sharp mind, a poet's soul, a scientist's eye, and the most beautiful, tender heart. Also, she's an incredible writer who loves her readers with a love that radiates off every page. I'm so grateful to know her, and that she has a book out in the world. Buy one for you and one for everyrone you love at The Rabbit Room Store or Amazon.

2) Tis the season for making big pots of soup that somehow feed us for a week. On a particularly rainy blah day, I decided to give Portuguese chourico and kale soup a try. Definitely one for the winter rotation, I can tell. Now I know what to do with the beautiful bunches of kale I'm always tempted to bring home!

3) Paul Simon's In the Blue Light. I feel so lucky and grateful for the chance to see him on his farewell tour in June... and then to find out he was releasing a collection of reimagined classics! Rather than going for the well-known tracks, this collection is great songs that might be more overlooked, tweaked and updated. And somehow they all fit together.

4) A little late to the party, but we got a Wii U mostly to play Breath of the Wild. I'm hooked. But I can't play it much because I know I'll get sucked in for several hours and forget to make real life dinner.

That's it for this September's edition of Finding Home! Thanks for giving my words a little space in your inbox. As always, feel free to hit reply to share your comments, thoughts, questions, and 31 Days pep talks. ;) 

Peace,
~Jen / jenroseyokel.com