Camp NaNoWriMo Update

It's not going well. I have writer's block. I've plotted and planned and plotted and planned, and I just can't get any actual book text onto the page. I've only written poetry for National Poetry Month about half the days, too. It doesn't matter how much I want to write, as soon as I put hands on keyboard (or hit the voice-to-text button), I freeze.

I've tried visualizing. I've tried ritualizing. I've tried freewriting and prompts and exercising. I've changed location. I've changed direction. I've brainstormed. I've doodled. I've watched others for inspiration.

On the upside, my house is getting very clean. My computer is more organized. I've been diligently doing all the lowest-priority tasks on my list.

Procrastination is a--

I haven't even had the sense about me to put out my weekly reading posts. I'm a wreck.

But it's going to be okay. Every artist has dry spells. I know what's most likely behind mine, and I'm working on it. The brain is a fabulous liar, for better or worse.

For now, I'm going to keep going, and whatever gets on the page gets on the page.

Raise your pen with me to toast the artist's struggle.

I made a Linktree!

I made a Linktree to have all my most-important links in one place. Linktree is mostly for social media and its limited bio sizes. There is a subscribe button at the top, as well as a share button, in case you feel so inclined.

https://linktr.ee/bookboundwithkatie

Books I enjoyed this week 13-19 March 2023

There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom

There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar has been making the rounds on social media lately because of the title. I wanted to read it again because I didn’t remember it from more than thirty years ago, and I wanted to be prepared in the event someone waves it around as if it has anything to do with trans rights or transphobia. (Spoiler: it doesn't.) Or I thought I didn’t remember it. It turns out I do remember part of it, in particular one line that comes to me every single time I’m in a public restroom with a stranger! It’s funny how these things stick with you. The book is a redemption story of a boy who just can’t seem to help being bad. The second half of the book is especially wonderful, with an emotional ending.

We Are Totally Normal

We Are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia is a book about high school teenagers and their social lives. There is a good amount of LGBT+ representation, and it is handled as the totally normal thing it is (not intentionally quoting the title). There is a presence of descriptive sex, which I skipped over at my teen’s request. The main character has issues with sex that are not often talked about, and I think it’s good that it was represented here, though I wish it had been discussed more, especially to make it clear everything was fully consensual. There wasn’t any violation here, just people sometimes doing things they didn’t necessarily want to, but not with coercion or anything like that. Typical teen-brain decision making, I’d say. It wasn’t our favorite book, but it was not a bad book. I didn’t rate it down just because it wasn’t my cup of tea.

This was a light reading week because I had a lot on my plate, like getting ready for the St. Patrick's Day parade in my town. I did read a couple more books in one of the mystery series, but nothing new to report. I'm still ahead of schedule on my reading goal.

How are you doing on your reading goals this year? Is the excitement of the new year waning, or are you getting into a groove now that the holidays are far behind us, and the days are getting longer?

If you'd like to see everything I'm reading, you can find me on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/ktlasers

St. Patrick's Day 2023 in Ireland

Saint Patrick is one of the patron saints of Ireland, and his feast day is March 17, as I'm sure you know. If you live in the United States, you probably think of garish outfits and green foods and drinks and a lot of partying. It's not terribly different here, though I don't recall any green foods besides pastries. In fact, the costumes here are better, and nobody is embarrassed about donning even the most ridiculous pieces. Plus, it's a bank holiday!

My favorite costumes are the Saint Patrick costumes, with their tall bishop's hats and robes and often even a staff. You see every possibly shape of hat here in the colors of the Ireland flag, and many hats have attached red hair. A lot of people wear fake beards, mustaches and even eyebrows in that festive copper hue. Faces are painted, hair is dyed, shamrocks abound (but NEVER a four-leaf clover here!), and everyone pulls out their brightest green, white, and orange.

I've heard of a clown car, but never a leprechaun car

A tractor pulling a castle

I shared some pictures from the 2022 St. Patrick's Day parade in my town last year. This year I marched in it! Well, my daughter's sewing school marched, and I accompanied. We were near the front, so all the spectators were very energetic as we passed. We missed the bagpipes because they were too close behind us, but we got to see the rest of the parade as we wound our way through the crowd to our waiting family.

Bagpipes

If you get the chance to spend St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, don't pass it up. There are parades all over the country (you could even watch more than one!), and everything is swathed in vibrant decorations. Yes, it's busy, but it's so much fun!

A Year in Ireland

Today marks the anniversary of the day we moved to Ireland (well, the day we arrived in Ireland; we started our journey the day before). I have so much to say about the last year, but as I went back through my photos, I just wanted to reflect on those first days.

Since we arrived in Ireland on March 16, our introduction to our new home was quite chaotic and festive. We arrived at our house after 10pm, ordered Domino’s pizza delivery for midnight (it was the only place open), made our beds, and crashed. The next morning we went to the grocery store before the roads closed down, and then we walked up to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in our town. What a welcome to Ireland!

Please enjoy these photos from those first few weeks.

European robin

18th Century Spa, Leixlip

Maynooth Castle

Sheep everywhere (but not as much as Scotland!)

One of the many holy wells of Saint Brigid

Louisa Bridge, Leixlip

Wonderful Barn

Wonderful Barn

SO MANY CHOCOLATE EGGS

Grave of Arthur Guinness

Clondalkin Round Tower

Oughterard Round Tower

Maynooth University

Oughterard Cemetery

Rook