Return to Top of Page
Menu
  • Close
  • About Us
  • Past Issues
  • Contributors
  • Donate
  • Opportunities
  • Staff
  • Submissions
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Search Website
Literary Mama
  • Current Issue
  • Archives
  • Departments
  • Blog

September 20, 2016 | Blog |  No comments

After Page One: Delight

By Ann Klotz

A guest post to motivate, encourage, and inspire…

~~~~~

A List of Summer Pleasures

Birds, who are rarely silent in Eagles Mere, waking me each morning.

The way the light comes in our window at dawn, soft and lacy from the leaves.

Noticing the lake’s mood first thing when I come downstairs.

Writing with a sharp pencil in my journal on the porch.

Grinding coffee in the evening, so the grinder doesn’t wake our son, who sleeps above the kitchen as I once did.

Plunging into the lake on a hot afternoon.

Cleaning out the lint basket of the ancient dryer and thinking about something I might write.

Hanging clothes on the line with clothespins. Still thinking.

Being in a canoe.

Sneaking to my desk to work on a piece.

Photo by Amanda Morris
Photo by Amanda Morris

Harvesting raspberries from the canes off the back steps.

Watching a storm move across the lake.

Noting my husband’s progress as he lights the corner cupboards in the dining room–then washing all the items that look dusty, once lit.

Doing jigsaw puzzles on the front porch with our friend, Kerro.

Sunflowers in tall vases.

Updating Duotrope.

Spotty cell phone coverage.

Hearing the satisfying thwack of tennis balls and the lighter tap of ping pong balls.

The laughter of children on the trampoline.

Expecting houseguests.

Picking up the mail at the Post Office.

Starting a new piece.

Reading my own book as my son reads his.

Savoring a word or phrase as I walk around the lake, pieces I’m working on tumbling in my head as I step and breathe and think.

The sound of rain on the roof and the smell of a storm.

Being the House Elf—this summer, the simplicity of keeping us fed and one step from squalor has not felt overwhelming.

Revising a piece I started in June.

Weather adages:  “Mist before 7; clear by 11” and “Count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder to know how many miles away the storm is.”

Sunday church at 8:00 a.m. with my sister.

The new kitten’s antics, especially her ability to climb the sliding screen door.

Dogs who are happy to nap with me on a sultry afternoon when I fall asleep before I’ve even opened the novel I’m reading.

Reading that novel later on the porch-swing.

The changing sky.

Backgammon and Monopoly and card games.

Cooking with friends in the kitchen and letting someone else clean up.

Local corn, served as many nights as possible.

Sliced tomatoes with mozzarella and basil.

Strawberry rhubarb anything.

Eating in the dining room, lit by candlesticks Grannie brought back from her grand tour of Europe in 1908.

Editing a piece one more time before pressing SUBMIT.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream from the Sweet Shop.

Smores!

Lighting citronella candles each evening.

Admiring the twinkle lights Seth has strung across the front porch.

Stars in the late July sky

The moon.

Time to write.

Late bedtimes.

Reading to my son at night.

Memories of other summers, long past.

What else?

~~~~~

Join our After Page One series. We’re looking for 300 to 500-word guest posts that motivate, inspire, and encourage other mama-writers, and we’d love to feature YOUR thoughts about getting started, getting back to a writing project, integrating writing with motherhood, reading, or having a positive attitude. The list is endless, but here are some questions that might help you get started. We’ll publish a short bio so readers can learn more about you and your projects. 

Tagged: Personal Narratives

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share This Page

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Copy Link

Recent Posts

  • Join the Literary Mama Team! June 29, 2022
  • Now Reading — June 2022 June 24, 2022
  • Meet the Staff: Blog Editor Crystal Rowe June 21, 2022
  • Where Are They Now? An Interview with LM Contributor Windy Lynn Harris June 17, 2022
  • 100 Words of Writing Advice from Brianna Avenia-Tapper, Profiles Editor June 14, 2022

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Don't miss out on Literary Mama news and updates

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS

© 2022 Literary Mama | Search Site | About Us | Staff | Submissions | Privacy Policy