Menopausal Mother

     Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall, hosted by Karen of Baking in A Tornado. Each month, several bloggers share posts on what would be seen if you were a fly on the wall in their homes. In my case, the fly went along on a road trip with me earlier this month.

     I recently returned from an adventure that proved to be one of the most entertaining weeks of my life. I'm not talking about a trip to Disney World or a vacation on a cruise ship. I'm talking about the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, a special conference held in Dayton, Ohio every two years for aspiring writers. This was my third EBWW conference, and I swear, they just keep getting better every time. The conference offers a multitude of classes on the craft of writing, along with the opportunity to network with other writers, editors and agents. There's also a whole slew of famous keynote speakers to inspire us on our writing journey as well.

     As much as I enjoyed helpful classes on topics such as the secrets to getting published in magazines, memoir boot camp, using humor in the dark places, and busting writer's block, to me, one of the most important aspects of the conference was the camaraderie among my writer friends. We booked hotel rooms side by side, ate all of our meals together and brainstormed ideas for books, blogs, and personal essay writing. These people are my tribe, the people who encourage me to keep going when I feel like quitting. Because of them, I'm back to working on my memoir---something I had put off for awhile during a long bout of writer's block.

     Rather than go into detail about the incredible energy and excitement I felt at the conference, I'd rather express the experience in a collection of photos taken at the event. Enjoy!

   

     I've written before about the odd little tchotchkes in my home---stuff that other people may see as a collection of junk, but to me, they're treasures. Each one carries a specific memory, and for that reason, I hang onto them. I'm not a hoarder (well, maybe when it comes to squirrel stuff I am, but....), and I DO try to keep my tchotchkes organized. Just the other day, I removed all of my pug-faced pillows and stored them in the closet so that they wouldn't clutter up my bedroom. Perhaps I should have donated them or tossed them out, but you never know when someone might be in dire need of a pug pillow.

     My home is full of amazing little items that make me smile whenever I happen to spot them on a table or shelf. Or when it's time to bring out the duster, because God knows, the more tchotchkes you have, the more dusting you'll do.....