The invitation arrived yesterday. I thought I’d save it for later in the month as I usually do, for a writing day that feels thin, when I’m stretching for an idea. But like Terje, I’m so eager to get started that I plan to be one of the first to arrive. Look at that sky! Those flowers! Imagine the writing we could do at our fantasy writing “cabin in the woods.”
That’s a small cabin for the dozens of slicers who are going to join Leigh Anne, but we’ll make it work. Throw in a few deciduous trees and a water view on the other side of that crest, and you’ve got my ideal retreat landscape.
When you arrive, you’ll find me on the couch with my feet propped up, notebook in hand. I’ve been writing in spiral unlined Cachet notebooks from Daler Rowney for nearly twenty years, and only with the blue ink of a Precise V5 Rolling Ball pen, Fine or Extra Fine.
I’m also a dedicated letter writer these days, and I would never travel to a retreat without my letter-writing box. Don’t worry: I’ve got enough cards, postcards, stamps, stickers, and washi tape for you too! Plus a brand-new box of Uniball Vision Rollers in Black, the very best pen for letter writing.
I’ve already rummaged through the coffee mug cabinet and found my “just right” mug–not too small, not too big, not too wide, not too tall. I brought a box of my favorite tea, Pukka Chamomile Vanilla and Manuka Honey, so please help yourself. Just be prepared: it tastes a little more like fennel than any ingredients in the title.
As for food, Terje and I discovered there’s a chef, so we’ll just wait to see what snacks emerge from the kitchen.
When we’re lamenting the world, I’ll remind us of some words from Mariame Kaba that I frequently turn to: “Hope doesn’t preclude feeling sadness or frustration or anger or any other emotion that makes total sense. Hope isn’t an emotion, you know? Hope is not optimism. Hope is a discipline… we have to practice it every single day.”
I hope you’ll join us this month.
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My theme for Slice of Life 2022 is finding inspiration in the writing of others. Each day I plan to find my slice in someone else’s words or forms. Leigh Anne’s writing retreat invitation and Terje’s slice inspired me this morning.
the dirigible plum 
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