I have a lot of coffee stuff. A lot of coffee beans. Filters. A grinder. A couple French presses. A drip coffee machine. An espresso machine. A Keurig, and a travel K-cup machine that I take to conferences with me. I have scoops and a frother and syrups for lattes and miscellaneous other accouterments. There’s a basket which holds a lot of the stuff and I don’t even want to go into how many coffee mugs I have.
The point is, I’ve accumulated a lot of coffee paraphernalia. It’s something I love: Coffee. And I’ve spent this morning cleaning out, throwing out, organizing everything to make it all work a little better. I’ve soaked parts, re-washed a lot of pieces… Removing oils so there’s no rancidity and giving everything a fresh start. It is a new year, and all.
I’ve been doing a lot of this the last week or so. I’ve played in my home office, cleaning it out, organizing, trying to make it feel a little more conducive to writing and working rather than the catch all from the last few months.
All of this is maintenance for the brain and the spirit, too… This cleaning out of the cobwebs. This rearranging of spaces and places. I love fall. The changing of the leaves, school supplies, the weather cooling down, football season. But I love winter, too. Especially starting the day after Christmas. By New Year’s night the tree is down, the holiday stuff is in the garage and back in closets, and I’m ready to declutter and clean out and start over. Spring cleaning takes me 3-4 months. LOL… I have to start early!
But, something in this whole process, not only clears out my office and my house and my coffee basket, but it also cleans out my mind. It gives me somewhere fresh to start and gives me a great boost for wanting to write. It wasn’t that long ago that I went through a period of time where I didn’t want to write and wasn’t sure I would ever write again. That was only 3 years ago. so, time and movement helps, cleaning out, finding projects to get the creative gears churning. The trick though, it making it last through the year, through the dog days of summer when everything is heavy and laden with heat and humidity (ice coffee really helps, though).
For now though, I’m relishing this bit of maintenance, this bit of energy, this bit of spark… It makes the coffee taste better too. This is how I tend to celebrate and welcome the new year. Well, this and the last of the college football season 🙂
Yeah, I know. Pick your jaw up off the floor. This is the 4th day in a row for me blogging? I know I’m just as surprised as you, but hey, I’m trying.
So yeah, let’s talk music. I’m all over the place. Classical to screamin’ metal. I’m very particular and yet I’m not. I like the familiar, but I’ll try something new on and every now and then I’ll find something that doesn’t give me a headache.
I started going to live concerts when I was…young. 10 years old or so… I was hooked. I’ve been to every kind of show you could imagine. I’ve seen world renowned classical and jazz and gospel stars to the baddest bad boys of 80’s glam rock and everything in between. Some I’ve seen more than once, some I’d kill to see again.
Music plays a huge part in my writing, too. Both have been a part of me since I was a kid. I didn’t attend a normal high school but rather an arts high school and in the midst of us were the guys in local bands…long hair, smoking, leather, guitars, gravel laden voices, bad reputations. Oh. My. God. Though that was more than 20 years ago, I’m still obsessed with the bad ones, the naughty ones, the nothing but trouble on their minds ones.
And I saw enough concerts when RATT, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Poison, Cinderella, Kiss, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Guns ‘N Roses, Skid Row, etc… from the ages of 14 to 18 that… Yeah, I my head was filled with naughty, sex, hard rockin’ tattooed guys that… I never quite got over it.
So when I write, the music has to be there. And I’ve written books listening to different types of music. Usually one type or one particular artist or one particular album/song plays over and over until the book is finished. Music is also how I can write on multiple books at a time. Different genres of music put different ideas in my head and make me feel different emotions. I hope, when the books are done, that those pieces and parts have come together well.
For these latest releases, the most recent to the one coming at the end of the week, different music was listened to during the writing of…
Keep It Together was written with the help of the music by Miranda Lambert, primarily her latest album, Four the Record and the song, Mama’s Broken Heart…
And Trouble In The Making was helped along by Nickelback’s Feelin’ Way Too Damn Good…
I don’t have a choice but to write with music. It fuels the story. It fuels my thoughts and ideas and emotions. It sparks something that doesn’t let go until the last words are written. The books and scenes in my head are extensions of me and the music that I listen to, that I grew up with resonates in a way that is impossible for me to ignore. It goes much deeper than simply needing something to inspire. It flows through my veins like nothing else.
When the music is gone, it’s likely the stories will be too… Let’s hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon.
Do you have a favorite band of all time? What was our first concert? I’d love to know… And in exchange, I’ll be giving away a copy of Keep It Together or Trouble In The Making on Saturday to one of the commentors.
Sometimes I turn movies on in my office when I’m writing or editing or doing some of the busy work of the business. The movies I choose are often romantic comedies, or romantic drama. I need that bit of flight of fancy in the background. Sometimes the movies are about things I like and that make me happy…writing, books, cooking, coffee, crafts, history. Sometimes they are kick ass movies that I need for the jolt of extra energy in a way I can’t explain.
I like listening to dialogue, looking at scenery, facial expressions, body movement, hearing the soundtrack, see how the characters interact with one another their surroundings.
Today is one such day where I am revising and I need the distraction and that’s good. Music helps provide the same feeling when I’m writing.
My choices for today are:
You’ve Got Mail
No Reservations
The Wedding Date
Something’s Gotta Give
Stranger Than Fiction
Because I Said So
Music and Lyrics
Wonder Boys
Pride and Prejudice
and if there’s time, Notting Hill
When you just need a movie to watch, what do you choose?
I’m doing this kind of post today, a picture one because, well, it’s fairly easy and not taxing my brain. Most of my cells today are focused on Forever In Blue Jeans as I am in the final turn. I’ve come around the last bend and can see the checkered flag at the finish line. I will be pouring a lot of my time this week into getting this book done. I did think though that I should leave y’all with some images of things that have been inspiring me lately…
Oh and for those of you that missed the announcement on Twitter and Facebook, I did, infact, get one of these…
I love it. I really do. Did I need it? No. But I did want one. I got a coupon in the mail from Best Buy and bought it with that. Getting some $$ of it was, well, easier to swallow. I do enjoy it a lot. The coffee is not as strong as I am used to making, so the caffeine jolt isn’t very big for me in one cup. A cup of French press coffee has a serious punch to the system that drip coffee, no matter how it drips, can come close to. I do find myself a victim of the convenience and drink more than I should now in one day. I’m chalking that up to new and need to get my money’s worth out of it. At the same time, when I was using my French press regularly, it was one 12oz cup a day. Now with the Keurig it’s more like 2 7oz cups a day. Either way, no matter how I’m trying to justify it, I do love it and am grateful to all those that participated in my blog about it a couple of weeks ago. One thing I’ve discovered, is that it would be fun to have K-cup swap. Each person is going to like different flavors and varieties. I will use the Keurig more for flavored coffees than regular. I have bought the Cinnamon Roll, the Kahlua, and the Espresso Blend (used this one to make an iced caramel macchiato. Not as potent as from an espresso machine, but it did work well.) But, again, I can see a swap working out well for a group of people. Might have to see how one can make this into a blog thing…grin.
According to the World English Dictionary as cited on Dictionary.com, Porn, also called: Porno, publications or broadcasts that demonstrate an unhealthy or voyeuristic interest in a particular subject.
Well, okay. Unhealthy, I don’t know about that, but I’m sure there are cases to prove it. Voyeuristic, oh hell yes.
When the word porn is brought up, the majority of people will immediately think SEX. C’mon, didn’t your brain go there? Be honest, y’all…
But when I think porn, it’s not JUST sex that my brain automatically goes to…
There’s all kinds of porn, if you apply the dictionary definition. There’s…
Coffee porn… It’s been brought to my attention that I have an unhealthy addiction to all things coffee.
Food porn… Same with food, food blogs, kitchens, appliances, etc…
Shoe porn…I think I’m developing this one. It’s slow going, but, I think it’s in the works.
Book porn…well, this one goes without saying. HELLO!
Cupcake porn…this one goes without saying too.
Car porn…not me.
Sports porn…this could be me with certain sports (NASCAR, College Football, Golf). My son though, oh yes, completely and totally.
Clothes porn…again, I think I’m developing this one.
Trader Joe’s porn…goes without saying.
Real Estate porn…eh, not so much, but DH lately, yep.
Social media porn…some days, oh yes.
Blog porn…some days, oh yes, especially food blogs, organization blogs, etc…
Music porn…without a doubt this has been true of me since I was 12.
Office supply porn…you just have no idea.
Color porn…definitely.
Make-up porn…when I think about this, all I can think of is Dakota Cassidy and Bitch Slap Yellow!
And of course, any kind of sexual thing can be turned into porn…toys, floggers and whips, leather, nudity, etc… Y’all know that I love all these, too.
See, it’s not just about sex when the word porn is mentioned. At least not for me. If you look at my Tumblr, you’ll see that I have all kinds of things on there from male/male sex to coffee to cupcakes to BDSM to lingerie to awesome sayings to beautiful landscapes and architecture… It’s all porn to me, based on the definition from dictionary.com.
So, what’s on your porn list… What do you have a voyeuristic interest in? What could you spend HOURS or DAYS looking at?
I have a lot of coffee stuff. A lot of coffee beans. Filters. A grinder. A couple French presses. A drip coffee machine. An espresso machine. A Keurig, and a travel K-cup machine that I take to conferences with me. I have scoops and a frother and syrups for lattes and miscellaneous other accouterments. There’s a basket which holds a lot of the stuff and I don’t even want to go into how many coffee mugs I have.
According to the World English Dictionary as cited on Dictionary.com, Porn, also called: Porno, publications or broadcasts that demonstrate an unhealthy or voyeuristic interest in a particular subject. 
