Tag: writing

How to Wild Swim

3pinkfish

It’s no secret how much I love to swim, how much I love the water. It takes me back to summer cottages when my Boppa would take us out to jump in the waves and float on our child-sized ET air mattresses.

But it’s also no secret, despite decades of lessons from when I was young up until last summer, that I’m not a great swimmer, my arms just aren’t up for it because of my cerebral palsy (shaking) no matter what I try. And last summer I realized I’d rather just enjoy being in water in ways that make me the happiest, not trying to be the swimmer I wasn’t meant to be.

So when I found this book in Toronto the other weekend at the BMV off Yonge St, a small DK hardcover called How to Wild Swim of course I bought it for the pictures alone.

There is so much joy in just being in the water. For me the crazy part is that although my shaking keeps my from swimming laps, being in any water relieves the pain in my arms that my shaking causes. Bath, pools, lakes and the ocean (oh, the ocean!) always do this for me. So why has it taken me decades to be grateful and embrace this rather then make myself feel inadequate when I can’t swim seriously? Being grateful is what works, what is, what brings me joy. It works for everything. An almost fifty year old working part-time in a bookstore? Absolutely yes! Almost fifty and finally getting published? Way to work on those dreams and never giving up! Differences in my house and family from what might be the ‘norm’ for people our age? Our home shows off our decades of happiness and our kids, oh how they make us laugh!

I’m lucky enough right now to be reading an advanced copy of Wreck by beloved Catherine Newman. It’s the sequel to last summer’s Sandwich and it’s every bit as wonderful. I realized in the bath last night that I was already on page forty and put it down, it’s not a long book and I don’t want to rush through it. She writes in a way that has you laughing while you heart hurts, smushing together joy and gratitude up against the heartaches that make it hard to breathe.

So many lines I want to collect like pebbles and keep in my pockets. To remember how everything is ok and everything is a mess. Beauty and joy and heartache and sadness and anxiety and swimming and sunshine and puppies with pneumonia! It’s all this life and it’s taken a while to figure it out but no lane swims for me. Wild swimming from now on will be the way to go.

Surprise

3pinkfish

I think being here today is a bit of a surprise but I’ve been thinking about this space lately, and how when I’m trying to write and it’s hard, coming here was always easier. A jumping off place. So here I am.

I also have a story to write about First off, since I last wrote, we got a second dog. We rescued Loki last October and he’ll be a year at the end of this month. He’s hilarious and is the perfect goof to Bingo serious nature.

Because Bingo is almost thirteen (this weekend) and Loki is crazy, we decided no big trips this summer. So last weekend Rory and I (who is recently graduated and will be going to UW this fall!) went to Toronto. We had the perfect trip, train, hotel, books, Shake Shack, swimming, Centre Island, Aunt Bonnie! The only downside was when Scott had to tell us that Loki was at the animal hospital because he was barely able to breath.

For a few weeks Loki had been on medication for Kennel Cough, which didn’t work because he had pneumonia, still does but is much better. I could go on about how scary is was, knowing Loki was hooked up to an IV and kept overnight. But the little’s guys home and on antibiotics and pain killers to try to keep him a little sleepy but that doesn’t really work. Our days are spent trying to keep him calm and from coughing.

I’m sitting in my office that now has a door that I got for my birthday. During covid, we put the old door somewhere else to make an office for Scott who was teaching at home. I didn’t really need a door before but now with a puppy, it definitely helps to have one.

So I’m working on my book, a novel told in stories that was my final project or the UofT writing program I finished this winter. I also have some exciting news to share very soon!

Look!

3pinkfish

So I began #1000wordsofsummer and it happened! A switch went off, the sun melted the clouds, my fingers raced. Whatever you want to say, I’ve been writing and it feels amazing.

I started reading from my ‘books I own before I buy more’ list and my first pick is Sue Miller’s Monogamy which Scott gave me last Christmas and I’m loving it! I can’t believe I haven’t read this woman before but better yet, her backlist is staggering. Good thing I got a gift certificate to my bookstore for my birthday so technically it doesn’t go against my summer plan.

School is over here in just over two weeks. Has it been everything we hoped and dreamed? Not even close. But it’s almost over and we couldn’t need to break and rest more. I am ready for it, for summer, for long days and sore hands and arms from writing and holding books up in front of my face even more than usual. For raddlers, and hammocks and trips to our outdoor pool. Long dog walks and lazy dinners. More good tv when the nights are too hot for much else and so much more time with family. My heart needs this and we have been teasing ourselves with it the past weeks with great weekends so that when the Sunday blues hit (the force is strong here) we talk about what we just did and that we are about to get two months just like it.

We are so close, the finish line is very much in sight with all the popsicles (or ice cream for Rory’s shop) waiting for us.

Now to do my third day of 1000 words.