Monday, September 20, 2021

Goals

 

I had two surgeries in 2019 on my leg and spent the first few months of 2020 with crutches and a wound-vac. Ugh.  I'd been using a FitBit since 2014 and had never missed a 10,000 step day until then. My surgeon got to know me over our months together and when I finally got the ok to start walking without crutches, he said, "One hundred steps a day, Holly. You can add 100 more steps every day." LOL I loved that he got me. (I think he had a clue when after my first surgery I scolded him that he started an hour early and I hadn't got to 10,000 yet. LOL)

Over the last year, I worked to get back to my pre-surgery walking. I walked my way through the pandemic lockdowns and found my way back to a 10-15,000 step daily average. This month, one of my daughters and I started a Fall Frenzy walking challenge. I set my goals at 300K by November 15. I think I got this.

I thought about setting my goal for 500 kilometers, but opted to set it lower. Something that was a challenge, but wasn't unattainable. I prefer setting realistic goals. Things that push me, but are attainable.

Every New Year I set a word of the year because so many people pick a New Year goal and never meet it. One word...I can build a year around that. 2021's word was Patience. That's not my strongest suit, but I've made inroads as I continue to try to strengthen my weak leg.  


I've been reading AWOL on the Appalachian Trail. I'm hoping to hike a few segments of the trail in the next few years. But it sounds like a long walk. And as much as I like walking a good chunk of the year on a trail might not be my gig. I did a long up-and-die trail at Ricketts Glen this spring. Up and down were tough on my leg but I did it.

I was excited to discover this weekend part that a new Erie to Pittsburgh trail  was dedicated here in Erie.  The trail's not complete yet, but when it's done it'll be 270 miles. I'm really thinking that a month (or under) on a trail is doable for me. Especially since I could do it in segments near my home  (Pittsburgh is only a couple hours from Erie). So that's a new goal.  It will be a challenge, but I think doable.  If you read my books, you might suspect how much I love my hometown and this region! I've set most of my books in the Erie area (like my Hometown Hearts series...the last book, A Hometown Christmas came out last week!) and Briar Hill Road was set in Pittsburgh. I'm really looking forward to exploring my area in a new way!!

This is a longterm goal, but I'm sure you'll hear about it as I go along! 

In the meantime, if you want to check out Erie, the links to my Hometown Hearts series are below! Each book stands alone, so you can pick one up and not worry about missing info. 

Holly

Here's the list of the entire Hometown Hearts series!


Crib Notes: Hometown Hearts #1




A Special Kind of Different: Hometown Hearts #2





Homecoming: Hometown Hearts #3



 Suddenly a Father: Hometown Hearts #4


Something Borrowed: Hometown Hearts #5





Something Blue: Hometown Hearts #6 


Something Perfect: Hometown Hearts #7 





Something Unexpected: A Hometown Hearts short story 
Amazon

A Hometown Christmas: Hometown Hearts #8
Kindle 
Nook
AppleBooks
Kobo


 

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Monday, September 06, 2021

The Beauty of Broken Pieces


I unloaded the kiln today. It was like Christmas!! I had so many pieces turn out just the way I'd imaged they would. And some not so much. 

Two pieces I knew weren't going to be exactly the way I'd originally planned were my burdock leaves. They actual leaves grew at the end of the drive and were huge! I loved them. I've made a bunch of small tiles. I used some of the experiments to tile the slop sink in the studio. These were much bigger. Much bigger. I worried they would crack...and they did. The biggest leaf cracked clear through at the stem. I simply pushed the broken pieces together when I hung them and you can hardly tell. The smaller one had a partial crack there was no way to disguise. But I hung it anyway. I didn't try to disguise it. I thought it was beautiful despite the break...or maybe because of it. I am celebrating that break.

As I puttered around the studio examining the pieces and taking pics of all my new pieces, I mulled the two broken pieces. My first report in my college ceramics class was about Rob Barnard. He had a broken piece of pottery I loved.  You can read about it here.

I really think my two broken pieces are my favorites of the batch because they relate so much to what I do as a writer.

I can hear you thinking, "Really, Holly? Burdock leaves relate to writing?"

Yes. 

As a writer I've learned that everyone is a little broken. Some people's breaks are obvious. You can't disguise them. Some are hidden. Others who meet them might not notice. You might think they have it all together. And yet, there is a fine break right down their core and it impacts everything they do.

As a writer, those breaks in my characters are what makes them human...those breaks make them beautiful. And as a person, I realize the same applies to real people as well. There is such beauty in all our broken pieces.  I wish more people realized that.

Tomorrow's release, A Hometown Christmas, deals with two characters who have their broken pieces and ultimately the find that their breaks compliment each other. The heroine, Maeve, has a saying. "I can't save the world...but I can try." It's one of my favorite lines. One that I wrote without much thought and later realized how much I loved the sentiment.  I've tried to live that sentiment. This summer, the Minions practiced Random Acts of Kindness around the neighborhood. One of the neighbors collects frogs. They painted some and using ninja-like moves, secretly hid them in with the rest. They were so excited as they chatted about how surprised she'd be when she discovered the new frogs. I think Maeve would have approved.

Broken pieces. They make us beautiful. And random acts of kindness spreads that beauty. 

I hope you have a beautiful week! And if you have a moment, I hope you'll check out Maeve's story, A Hometown Christmas at Kindle, Nook, AppleBooks, Kobo.

Holly

PS There's a link to some of my pieces on my website, www.HollyJacobs.com The new pieces aren't up yet. I hope to have them loaded soon so check back often! 

PPS Here's the list of the entire Hometown Hearts series!


Crib Notes: Hometown Hearts #1




A Special Kind of Different: Hometown Hearts #2





Homecoming: Hometown Hearts #3



 Suddenly a Father: Hometown Hearts #4


Something Borrowed: Hometown Hearts #5





Something Blue: Hometown Hearts #6 


Something Perfect: Hometown Hearts #7 





Something Unexpected: A Hometown Hearts short story 
Amazon

A Hometown Christmas: Hometown Hearts #8
Kindle 
Nook
AppleBooks
Kobo


 

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