S’long February

On this day in 1983 the final episode of M*A*S*H aired with almost 106 million viewers. It retains the record for viewership of a season finale.

It’s the last day of the second month, but you probably knew that. Don’t worry, it is not my intention to come back once a month to give you a calendar update.

It is true that in my end of January post(s) I commented that I was not feeling the need, or pressure if you will, to post here on a regular basis. I’m not entirely sure that has changed.

Still, over the weekend I was motivated, inspired (convicted?) about the fact that I need a presence on the web.

I mean some of my favorite writers and creatives that I follow (Sean Dietrich, Austin Kleon, Steven Pressfield, James Clear) post regularly.

I’ll never be in their league(s). But will I be in any league if I’m not producing content on a regular basis?

That lead to the writing of a brilliant (no, I promise) post on Saturday which was then ceremoniously un-brilliantly deleted by accident on Sunday afternoon.

All that to say that I’m back. For now. Perhaps there will be brilliant writing. Perhaps not. Perhaps there will just be random collections of things I’m working on, or places I’m going, or things I think you should read.

What does this mean? I’m not going to speculate. I’m not going to make promises I can’t, or more likely, won’t keep.

I’ll just say that I’ll be here more than I have been and that sometimes I might have something worth reading.

Thanks for indulging me.

Here’s some other stuff.

THE 100 DAYS PROJECT

The 100 Day Project. Day 1 of Gnomes for the Holidays

For the second year in a row, I am participating in The 100 Days Project. It’s a challenge to spend 100 days in a row creating something. Last year’s drawings eventually lead to the publication of three children’s books in 2022. This year I’m going with a different theme, “Gnomes for the Holidays.” It’s already challenging to think of different things or costumes or themes, but I’m going to keep up with it. You can follow me on Instagram to see the posts.

Follow my entries for The 100 Days Project on Instagram.

In the meantime, my three books would make great additions to your Easter Baskets. They’re all available on Amazon.

 

THE ASBURY REVIVAL

Beginning with a chapel service on February 8, the eyes of much of the nation, and yes, the world, were focused on the small Town of Wilmore, Kentucky, where resides Asbury University, my alma mater…Asbury College at the time.

Much has been said about the Asbury revival…renewal…outpouring, and you’ve likely read or seen most of it. Here are some of the best posts to describe what happened, and what continues to happen.

How an ‘itchy sweater’ sparked a new Christian revival at a Kentucky university
NYPost

‘No Celebrities Except Jesus’: How Asbury Protected the Revival
Christianity Today


 

RANDOM THINGS FOR YOUR WEEK

Richmond’s Skinny Budget: Low Stakes Poker, High Stakes Rhetoric
Shaun Kenney at The Republican Standard
Senate Democrats want a brick wall; House Republicans are getting a little tired of beating their heads against it.

Do we really need this?

Dr. Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch stole Christmas!’ gets a sequel
Associated Press

I mean, the story doesn’t sound like a bad one. I’m just not sure I want a Dr. Seuss sequel that’s not written by Dr. Seuss. Still, I’ll likely check it out.

Top 50 Love Songs of All Time
Billboard

I went to this post to quibble with the selections because I figured it was written by one of those “Boomers are Idiots” goobers. But no, Billboard used the actual popularity of the songs to compile the list.

WHAT I’M READING


 

For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 27: 5

Five for the First, Last Friday – 01/27/2023

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

It’s the last Friday of the first month and I’ve come back to you now at the turning of the calendar.

Don’t worry if you don’t get that. It’s an obscure reference to THE MOVIES and that’s all you need to know to move on.

I’m not writing here much lately. You may have noticed.

This was not in the original plan. I don’t do resolutions, but I do make project lists. You may recall that my plan for January 1st was to sit with my project book and map out all the things I knew I wasn’t going to get to for the year whilst watching the Tournament of Roses Parade.

I had a plan for the blog.

I had the best of intentions. But I napped through most of the parade. I did eventually get my project notebook updated. I stare at those wonderful plans almost daily, I’m just not very good at getting started.

Apparently it’s not just me. Austin Kleon wrote in Instagram the other day:

I feel like this year can’t get started, somehow. And January is almost over…

I feel the same way. It’s not that I’ve not been busy, I’ve just not launched into all of those wonderful projects liked I’d planned.

So, excuse me if you will, today’s Five for Friday are mostly all about me. It’s like this was my own blog.

THE THREE WORDS

I wrote earlier this month that my Three words for 2023 are Pray, Prepare, Play.

PRAY: The last time I posted I mentioned that my church was beginning 21 Days of Prayer. Tomorrow is the last day of that and the last official prayer gathering for this round. It’s been an incredible time of gathering at 7:00 each weekday morning with a few hundred fellow believers.

I believe in prayer. I believe prayer changes things. I believe prayer changes me.

The challenge then is to continue the pattern after the gatherings are over.

As for the other two words, I’m working them. You could say I’m preparing to do some playing later in the year. I’m not ready to talk about those plans just yet. Stay tuned.

WRITING

In the earliest days of the prayer time, I realized, or perhaps was reminded of what I already knew, that I try to do too many things.

Yes, there is writing. Yes, I’m working on some new books and some new projects. But I’ve allowed myself the freedom to not think I need to post here every day.

It’s like Sean Dietrich said to a young writer yesterday who was struggling with what to write.

I think the problem is, you’re putting too much pressure on yourself. Pressure will constipate you, my friend. Pressure is the government cheese of the literary world.

All that to say that I’m not pressuring myself to write here every day. I’ll be here when I’m here.

KIRK CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL

Among the things I’ve been doing when not working on my project list is preparing for the Kirk Children’s Book Festival to be held Saturday, February 4 at Gayton Kirk Presbyterian Church in Richmond.

I’ll be there signing and reading my books.

If you’re in the RVA area, stop by…or is it STOP! BUY!

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO

The Academy Award nominees were announced this week (Variety). This isn’t about me other than to note that once again I was passed over by the Academy. This year due largely to also being passed over by the casting directors.

This year I’ve only seen one film with any nominations at all. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was nominated for best adapted screen play.

In years past, I’ve scrambled to catch the Best Picture nominees. That’s more difficult now that they’ve gone from five to ten nominees. I may see some before the ceremony. I can promise you I won’t see all of them.

Not only that, but I’m behind in my once established goal to see all of the Best Picture winners.

One day. Maybe.

Or not.

100 DAYS OF DO I REALLY HAVE TIME FOR THIS

Last year, I jumped on the bandwagon and participated in The 100 Days Project. It’s a challenge to create something every day for 100 days.

I did it with some original drawings. While it became a challenge to get something drawn and posted every day, it did become the inspiration for the animal drawings in the CAT and PIG series.

I plan to do the project again and it begins on February 22nd.

The tricky part for me is that’s also Ash Wednesday and I’ve been considering a separate (but equal?) posting for the season of Lent.

Too ambitious to run two major art projects at the same time? Perhaps. I have a little less than a month to decide.

While I’m deciding, you can take a look at

WHAT I’M READING

As of this date, I’m caught up with my Goodreads goal. I just finished a re-read of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King.

For a writer, it’s a good read every few years. And, as a friend said, it may be one of his scariest books.

But here’s what I’m also reading currently. No. Seriously.


It’s almost February. By this time next month we’ll know the prediction of that pesky rodent.

As always, I’ve got my finger on the recipe for Groundhog Stew.