A Connection

Somewhere between my place and yours are avenues and terraces, highways and interstates. Hills and valleys, and maybe oceans, too. We are separated by states, some of us by countries, but also by lifetimes and lifestyles.

Distance.

We have mismatched backgrounds, careers, beliefs and value systems. You may like red, when I like blue. I'm a coffee and tea person, and you? You might enjoy beer and soda. I like to be inside, whereas you're outdoorsy. Our tastes are different, our styles, our preferences.

Difference.

Yet still, here we are, together again. We are drawn together, no? Within each other we find something we didn't know we were missing, a common ground despite the variances. A similar dream, a parallel path, something to relate to.

And suddenly, there's not so much between my place and yours.

Isn't this nice, this connection at the click of a button? Isn't it awesome how no distance is too far, no difference is too strong?

It All Comes Together

This is my favorite corner of the house. I love the way it looks, love its flow. Upon first glance, you'd never know how much work went into it. It was newly crafted - an addition, so to speak - when we extended the front wall of our house by four feet.

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Time and labor went into this space's foundational construction. Tools and measurement were involved; a discerning eye with vision. Eventually, it took its shape. Then doors and windows, each necessary filler, were added, too.

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The walls were next, and they needed warmth. There were moments of hesitation and doubt, when our chosen hue looked all wrong. But with faith and patience, we plowed ahead. And found the result we'd been hoping for.

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Flooring took outside help. We called on friends and professionals alike; each offered help in some way. They understood our desires, gave advice, sweated alongside us, helped the potential become reality.

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There was finish work, like sanding the rough edges from the ceiling beams, adding a bit of trim to cover those seams.

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It was all coming together. We could see its end.

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And then the real fun began, for me, with the final touches. It was my favorite part. Waiting for the right inspiration, for what pretties should go where. Some is functional, like the bench that both seats a visitor removing shoes, and holds daughters' games and puzzles. Some is aesthetic, with popping colors and subtle beauty. I like the contrast of old with new. I like that many items were repurposed, used in an unintended way. And how there are little pieces that pull it all together.

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It's my favorite corner.

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Kinda reminds me of writing.

Shall We Play a Game?

I like to brainstorm. You?

It's a simple way to kickstart creative thought, to exercise a writer's most important muscle.

And so let's play a game! Let's brainstorm as many greetings and salutations as we can.

What words or phrases do you use? What about your characters?

Get creative!



*A loud round of applause goes to the first person to correctly identify the movie from which I pulled the post title. (If my sister is reading: Jill, you don't count. :P ) ETA: I'm adding a hint. It's from the 80's. Think computers.