Spring is here! Bird song and daylight savings time have returned, whether we like it or not. I wanted to write a post about spring traditions that I follow, and I realized that I don’t have any! There’s always spring cleaning which isn’t necessarily so much a tradition as a necessity. It feels good to do a deep clean throughout the house, but we do that periodically throughout the year not just for spring. Next year, Eric and I plan to reschedule our 2020 trip to Japan to visit the cherry blossoms in March.
When I did some research about the spring equinox and some traditions that folks follow, the most interesting ones to me were:
- Adorn your space with bright colors, plants, and herbs that promote growth and healing.
- Plant seeds or garden as a ritual to honor this astrological event!
- Create new goals or projects: Many people like setting those in the new year, but it’s never too late! The Spring equinox is a time of balance and beginnings.
- Going outdoors: Sit and have a cup of tea or go for a walk. Historically, spring equinox is a great time to travel and explore. Roads once closed from snow are now open with a brand new world of growth awaiting you.
I’m attracted to the idea of celebrating all four seasons, not just the winter solstice. Now that I’ve started honoring winter, I plan to do that moving forward. I missed spring, but the summer solstice is only a few months away.
The Road So Far
Eric and I had the perfect honeymoon in St. Lucia in the west indies. You can find my latest photography work of the island on my photography website. I was very pleased with my new camera! I’m still getting used to shooting with it.
St. Lucia was the perfect tropical paradise. We learned that it was fought over many times by the British & the French, with the British winning overall in the end. I can’t say I blame them; who wouldn’t want a piece of such beauty? Hence its nickname: Helen of the West Indies. Because it was a British colony (still had Queen Elizabeth on the Eastern Caribbean Dollar!), it was easy for us to get around since everyone spoke English. Although the island is small, it is incredibly mountainous and therefore took longer to get around than expected due to the winding roads. The sights were amazing and exotic. We were there for twelve days and we did it ALL: touring Pigeon Island National Park, the local Friday night Street Party, horseback riding on the beach, a chocolate-making tour, visiting the Diamond Falls botanical gardens, snorkeling, and, of course, beach time.
I wanted to wear my wedding dress again and brought it with me. I paid photographer Alberta Henry for a photography shoot at the Sugar Beach – five-star resort we stayed at during the second week of our honeymoon. She did a fabulous job! It was so romantic even though it rained quite heavily at first, the sun came out for us to have a beautiful sunset photo. Eric was a good sport, although we were more nervous taking photos there than we were at our engagement shoot or the actual wedding! Ha. Being a model is hard.
We celebrated my 33rd birthday on the beach, a very rare occurrence for a January baby like myself growing up in landlocked states. I love winter and enjoy snow and cold weather (I find something to like about every seasons) but I definitely soaked up the sunshine and warmth this year! My day started off with a breakfast serenade by the resort staff and ended with a romantic, fancy dinner on our last night on the island. I’ll never forget it!
What Else?
Not just because I have to commute again, but mostly because NO ONE on my team is in the state of Colorado. So who exactly am I seeing when I go into the office? Good question. I’m seriously bummed about it. But work is work and I’m thankful for having a job. I’m also thankful that I have a great team and a flexible boss. Give it another three months and I’ll start feeling like I have the hang of things. Change takes time.
We made a brief trip to our house in Virginia, which was lovely. I really like our little home! We had to spend more time and money adding to it to make things more comfortable for our Airbnb. I had so much fun antiquing while I was there; the east coast is chock-full of treasure. Seriously, Rukersville, VA had the best antiques in the area near our house. I found a wing-backed chair, two dressers, several pieces of artwork, and some knick-knacks. Brand new items included a cheval mirror, picnic table, two more dining room chairs, and a Weber grill. All in all, the home is coming together. The last major piece of furniture I need is to replace our couch. It works for now, but we have several reviews that it’s too low and uncomfortable for people. Luckily, the charm of our house is being outdoors in the parks and resort area. So I plan to save the couch for a later purchase. Finally, in May, we’re having the porch and back deck repainted.
An added bonus of the trip was visiting my best friend, Kassi and her family, and I reunited with my childhood friend, Julie, whom I haven’t seen in over a decade!
OH! And Eric and I went on a date to the circus! Do Portugal international circus was in Harrisonburg, VA and we bought tickets. I loved it and found it very entertaining!
What I’ve Been Writing
I’ve begun to implement multi-perspectives into my book, deciding on four characters for now. Rei will continue to be the main character with the most page-time, but I think the reader will be interested in the other characters Solomon, Ash, and Liselle. I’ve had to redo a few of my earlier chapters – though I’m trying very hard to not go into revision-mode because the advice I follow (from my editor/friend, Ellen Rozek) is that you should finish it completely first. Otherwise you’ll be stuck in editing-mode. I’ve made it to chapter eleven, albeit hollow with more detail needed.
I had a good conversation with Ellen recently because I’m still stuck on a few things related to the ending of the book. She asked, “What do you want the overall theme to be? What do you want to leave the reader with?”
That’s the magic of working with Ellen. She’ll say something so striking and provoking that it shifts my perspective instantly. She always inspires my writing. After hearing that, the wheels have been churning in my head, but it’s still difficult for me to decide. With The Tower, I knew I wanted to leave the reader with a sense of hope (although this will be done over the course of two books). But with Nine Kingdoms, I’m torn. My natural instinct leans towards fostering hope for my reader. I tend to gravitate to books like that myself. But the cynical part of me is thinking about a darker, more tragic ending to the book. Nothing has been decided yet, but the decision needs to come soon. Another thought I’ve had is to write both endings and then see how I like them later, which would save me from having to choose now, but is ultimately more time and effort.
My plan to review any last minute query options for The Tower did not happen. My Dad gave me some good publishing links to check out and I need to look at them!
Three Favorite Reads
EEEEEEEK! I didn’t finish a single book this quarter!
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Three cheers for spring! Thanks for reading.
Lily K Borak 