So This Is My Blog's Version Of Behind The Music On VH1 Except I'm Not A Glamorous Rock Star Chatting About Recording My Last Album, I'm A Curly-Haired 40-Something In Pajama Pants Writing About My Writing While Trying To Get Banana Bread Crumbs Out Of My Keyboard.

The lovely Jodi Pyle of Jodipyle.wordpress.com has asked me to participate in a blog hop (no, it's not a dance although I can't stop thinking about American Bandstand when I hear the term) about How I Write.  Bloggers are sharing some insights about their process and then tagging two others to share what they do on their own blogs.   I was extremely honored that Jodi tagged me because she's a great writer - a friend of Geoff's from college (Go Ravens, right?) that I've met through blogging.  Jodi's writing is beautiful.  Sometimes it's funny, sometimes nostalgic - but, it always makes me think and wish I could put words together as beautifully as she does.

Here are my answers to the questions on the How I Write blog hop.  On the edge of your seat, aren't you?

What am I working on?
Not eating so much bread, my posture and keeping our house plants alive.  But if you're interested in what I'm working on in the realm of writing, it's basically just my blog.  I also help edit some of what Geoff is working on and I write articles occasionally for one of his client's newsletters.  Recently, I penned a fascinating piece on a singer in a German choral group in Connecticut.

How does my writing differ from others of its genre?
Not sure.  I read a lot of blogs, but not very many like mine.  Mostly I'm into design or fashion blogs and some of them are really well written while others just make me realize that I will not be wearing overalls this season (I'd like to add that if you can remember Dexys Midnight Runners singing Come On Eileen you should NOT even consider wearing overalls).

I guess what may make my writing different is the perspective I bring.  Positively Minutiae is really just a glimpse a few days a week into the life of a mom of teenagers in her mid-forties who likes wine, has a sense of humor, does yoga, tries to look cute on a budget, adores her family, battles an addiction to candles, works to roll with the changes life brings, is consciously grateful and has lived through a pigeon infestation.

Why do I write what I do?
Because I'm too old to get a job writing for Saturday Night Live.  Also, because I want people to see that having a perspective of love, humor, acceptance and gratitude makes for a good life.  No matter what the universe throws at you.

How does my writing process work?
Quickly.  Because I come from an advertising background, I work fast.  I don't really plan ahead too much about what I'm going to write because I want my posts to have an unrefined freshness to them and also because I'm a bad planner.  I sit down at the island in our kitchen on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after the kids have all taken off for school and write.  It doesn't take me long to pen a post, maybe an hour or so, then I'll take a break for yoga and a shower.  Once clean and as energetically centered as I'm going to get for the day, I edit or completely rewrite what I'd written earlier.

I always include a picture of what I'm wearing (because clothes are fun) and it's the picture taking that sucks up most of my time.  My husband, Geoff, travels a lot so often I have to take my own pictures and I've been trying to use the timer on the real camera instead of photographing my clothes on the floor (which feels weird) or taking a selfie (which feels like I'm trying to be the 'cool mom').  Once I have a photo that kind of doesn't make me look like I'm having a stroke, I add it to my blog and hit 'Publish'.  Of course later, as I'm driving to the grocery store or back from lacrosse, I'll think of something I could have written that would have been 500 times better than what I'd actually posted.

So there's that.  Perhaps more than you wanted to know, but at least I'm not writing about how messy my house is right now.

Now I need to tag two other writers in the hope they'll share insight to their own process as well.  Thing is, I don't know a lot of other bloggers.  Although I do know a lot of other writers and really, really good writers at that.  Some I've known since high school - we had one heck of a Language Arts department - and others I've meet in college, work, am related to by marriage and/or blood, etc.  I'll just pick two because those are the rules but one I'm picking doesn't have a blog so he'll have to get creative.

Laura deMoye of Bucklebuttonzip.  A dear friend since high school I've reconnected with over the years through Facebook.  She writes a fashion blog that also includes other interesting tidbits about food and travel.  She's a lovely writer and has amazing style.

Mike Merschel.  Also from high school.  He's a legit writer at a BIG newspaper in Texas.  I love his writing - I regularly read his Facebook posts out loud to my family.  Not sure in what form he'll choose or even if he'll be able to take up the How I Write challenge, but he's creative so I'm sure he'll come up with something.

I'm wearing this:

I'm wearing booties today because I've decided to go sleeveless and when there is snow on the ground I think you choose exposed toes or arms.  Plus, I removed some red polish from my toes and somehow it's discolored the skin on my feet (even after a shower) and now they look inflamed.   I'd rather not have to explain that to people.

gratitude:  not having to come up with something to write about today, melting snow, yogic breathing,  coffee

thanks and love.