As I described back in April (you can read the post here), I’m celebrating my 50th birthday with a year of activities, challenges, and FUN designed to honor this milestone. I’m calling it Cynthia’s Yearlong 50th Birthday Bash, and so far it’s been an incredible experience.
Here’s what I did in November to celebrate:
▪ Launch—November is National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). While I respect any writer who tackles this challenge, there is no way I could write a book that fast. Based on my memoir-in-progress, even a decade isn’t enough time. But in honor of NaNoWriMo, I launched my second big push to complete the third draft. My goal is to edit the first 100 pages and rewrite the second 100 pages. By the end of the year I should have 200 pages (or roughly two-thirds of a book). So far it’s going pretty well, but ask me again at the end of the year.
▪ Submission—This month I submitted to Sycamore Review for the Wabash Prize in Poetry and Nonfiction as well as to an anthology dealing with life during and beyond sadness.
▪ New Things—1) Danish kringle—delicious! If you can find one at Trader Joe’s, buy it. 2) A drink called The Honey Bee. Strong but yummy. 3) Visiting the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton for the first time to see an incredible mosaic exhibit in the Harrington Gallery. 4) Made vegan macaroni and cheese using cauliflower, and yes, it tasted surprisingly like the real thing. My daughter Katie gobbled it up and asked for more.
▪ Challenge—I took Katie to the Bankhead Theater to see LUMA: Theater of Light. I knew this would be a challenge for her (and therefore me) but my instincts told me she would love an event that told stories with lights and music rather than words. The Bankhead was packed and Katie was fighting off a cold, but we successfully attended the show. Yes, she got over-stimulated by all the moving lights, but we still managed to have ice cream sandwiches at CREAM before we visited the park for a vigorous post-show swing. All in all, the evening was a huge success.
▪ Fun—This month I carved pumpkins with Katie and Nate, the new man in my life, then the next day we all trick or treated. At long last Katie understands the process, so this year it felt like fun rather than work. We had a “star party” to view the night sky and full moon with Nate’s telescope. Katie and I went shoe shopping at the mall for some girl fun. We also spent a four-day weekend up at Sea Ranch for some much needed pre-holiday relaxation, and today we start a three-day Thanksgiving extravaganza with family, more family, and friends.
What new activities and challenges did you tackle this month? Leave a comment below and have a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend.
Until next time,
Cynthia Patton
