It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.
To visit the IWSG website, click here.
To become a member of the IWSG, click here.
Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex Cavanaugh are Diane Burton, J.H. Moncrieff,
Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard.
I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
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with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.
Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.
Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:
The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?
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Happy April, Everyone!
I hope all is well with you.
I live in Aurora, Colorado in the United States.
Our Governor Jared Polis has issued a stay-at-home order through April 11th.
He is considering extending the length of that order.
As of yesterday afternoon Colorado has 2,966 cases of covid-19 and 69 deaths.
Terry and I are doing well.
We are taking the stay-at-home order seriously,
because we are older and I have asthma.
Life continues normally inside our home,
but when we go out the door everything has changed.
I know the covid-19 pandemic is real, but it still feels unreal to me.
Terry and I are concerned, but we are focusing on
what we can do to keep ourselves healthy and positive.
My sister Barb shared a video which I found calming, reassuring and inspiring.
In the video Chris Hadfield, a retired Canadian astronaut,
gives people a guide to self-isolation.
This astronaut has lots of experience dealing with isolation under risky conditions.
Chris has flown two Space Shuttle missions
and has served as a commander of the International Space Mission.
His calm, down-to-earth manner and his reassuring, matter-of-fact guide
gave me a sense of purpose and direction for this difficult time.
I now have a plan to take care of my spaceship.
Take 2:05 minutes to view this inspiring video.
It's well worth your time.
An Astronaut's Guide to Self Isolation
by Chris Hadfield
What I have found necessary to my mental and physical health at this time
is to walk outside in the open space near our home.
I meander along my beloved Piney Creek listening to joyful birdsong
and watching the landscape blush and green with rebirth.
I'm taking lots of photos, but I can't share them right now.
I need a memory card attachment for my new computer,
and Amazon can't deliver it until late April.
This is a lesson in patience for impatient me!
I have an iPhone, but it can't match the capabilities of my little Canon.
Nevertheless, my iPhone sometimes captures a photo that lifts my spirits,
like the shot below taken near the spring equinox.
Hawk High Over Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
March 21, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
We ten authors shared our favorite middle-school-aged books.
It's a great list for antsy kids of all ages.
Perhaps you'll find one you can read aloud with your family.
Check out our post: Good Reads for Challenging Times.
Take care of your spaceship!
Be Safe and healthy!
Happy writing in April!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
Waiting for the Ferry to Tiverton
Grand Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada
July, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved