Words from the Woodstove

O k, so most of you know that I've been passionate about writing in some shape or form for most of my life. When I was growing up, I loved to read other people's writing ( seriously... like every tween girl in the early 90s, The Babysitters Club series was my favorite). I've still got my beloved yet tattered 7th-grade (aka 1992) copy of To Kill A Mockingbird , one of my all-time favorite works. And even though its cover has been taped back together more times than I can count, I just can't bring myself to part with it. Did I also mention I have a thing for nostalgia? I loved to write poetry, fiction, essays, you name it. My 6th-grade teacher, Mrs. Donley, had us complete regular writing projects. Each month had a theme, and various elements you had to include, such as an essay about a historical figure or event; an interview-style write-up with someone famous related to that theme; a poem; letters to someone from that era we'd want to meet; and lots of others, but

Hey ya'll! It's been a busy few weeks in my world between big work projects, holiday happenings, a visit to Raleigh to visit my brother and his family (finally got to meet my newest niece!), a trip to Florida for a conference for work, and a fairly sizable snow storm for the south, so an earlier update didn't quite happen. But it's happening now! Progress on the 40-before-40 list has been happening in big waves, you guys. I'm super proud of myself for what I've achieved so far, and I can't wait to get busy with the rest of the list. A quick note for those keeping track: although I will officially turn 40 in September next year, my goal date for finishing the list isn't until December. I work for a camp for teenagers, and progress will slow down a bit during that awesomely chaotic time we call summer, so I've given myself an extension until the end of 2019. So, without further ado, here's what I've been working on lately: At the ove