1: Writer or Reader?

This week, I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Catholic Writers Conference Online.  I’m finding, once again, that all this networking with writers is stimulating me to buy books.  Some of them are as you’d expect, about writing and such.  But some of them are fiction.  Oh, how my heart soars with a good novel!  I love a good story.  Though I find myself reading a lot of nonfiction, fiction is where my heart is as a reader.

And I think the chances of me writing fiction are, well, nil.  (I’m not throwing down a challenge, mind you, just sharing where things are now.)

In any event, this book buying has me considering, once again, how linked the roles of writer and reader are for me (and for many others too, I think).

2: 1000 True Fans

On one of the forums at the Catholic Writers Conference this week, someone shared this link to an article about how, if you have 1000 True Fans, you can make a living doing your art.  Pretty interesting.  What do you think?

3: Reading the Catechism

I’m not far into the Catechism, which I started for Lent, but I’m already loving it!  I’m also reading the Compendium and The US Catholic Catechism for Adults as companions.  I thought, at first, that this imposing pile would be too much.  But the Catechism is broken into such bite-sized chunks and the US Catechism really is such a great resource to help guide me (just as so many of you mentioned!).

I never before considered just sitting down and reading the Catechism.  For one thing, LOOK AT IT.  See #1…I’m a novel gal at heart.  Here’s nonfiction taken to some extreme lengths, but it’s not bad.  It’s not inaccessibly written, which I did already know from referencing it, but which never ceases to amaze me.

I’m going to try to formulate more cohesive thoughts about it, and possibly even have my priest guest post, but…it might be a while.  I seem to have bigger ambitions than ability of late. 🙂

4: Spring is Coming

Here’s how I know:

  • Wasps are suddenly appearing, crawling and weaving drunkenly, on the windowsill by my desk, on the stairs, in the kitchen.
  • The smell of skunk is on the road and outside the house (though I hope not on the dogs…but the amount of barking seems to be directly proportional to the odds of them getting sprayed).
  • The sun’s heat, though faint, is at least melting some of the mountains of snow.
  • My calendar assures me that next Sunday is the much dreaded time change.

5: The Time Change

Oh yes, it’s that time of year.  Who are the people who think this is great again?  In the spring, there’s something to be said for the kids (in theory) sleeping in, but then there’s the whole other issue of fighting the kids to bed an hour earlier.  Then there’s the whole “what’s the REAL TIME?” discussion that takes place in my head for about two weeks.

6: In Other Places

This week, I had a chat with the lovely Lisa and the exquisite Elizabeth on the Faith & Family Livecast.  We talked spring cleaning and spiritual simplifying (so I was quiet a lot).

If you are a fan of my Mary Moment segments on Catholic Moments, then you should keep your ear tuned to the Catholic Foodie this week for a treat.

7: Leave the Room for 10 Minutes…

Jen Fulwiler of Conversion Diary hosts Quick Takes each week…be sure to visit her and see the rest of the round-up!