This year I gave myself a special birthday present. For years I’ve been telling myself (and others have been encouraging me) to put some effort into developing my writing skills. I did a little research and found that Stanford offers continuing education classes in Creative Writing. So, for most of the summer I’ve been taking a course that encourages writers to practice writing every day. It’s been wonderful for a few reasons:

1. I’m writing again!
2. I’m learning and being pushed to write outside of my comfort zone.
3. I’m producing some things that I’d like to share.

So, from time to time I’ll share some of the things I’ve been working on.

For today, here is something I wrote a few days ago. We were supposed to write a solution to a problem. My situation is that my dedicated writing time is early in the morning before the rest of the family wakes up. My problem is that sometimes I like to sleep in, and I miss my writing window. So, this is my solution:

The Writer’s Solution to Sleeping In:

• It’s 5:30 am. The dogs know you should be waking up, but you aren’t. You are trying to sleep in, because yesterday was an extra-long day. They walk across the hardwood floor with extra pep in their step, knowing you will stir at the sound of their toe-nails clicking. For good measure, the big one will shake her collar tags. The little one will reach up with her tiny paws and gently scratch the side of the bed. You tell them to go away, and they leave you.
• It’s 5:33 am. The big one, Ebby, knows you are awake. She lays in her bed watching you. She slowly wags her tail. Thump, thump, thump on the hardwood floor.
• It’s 5:37 am. The little one (Penny) is back at the side of the bed. She can’t understand why you aren’t excited to have some “special time” with just us dogs. The kids are asleep. The husband is asleep, too. It’s our time.
• It’s 5:38 am. You have “slept-in” by 8 minutes. You feel so refreshed, you decide to take the dogs on a long walk. They really deserve it.
• It’s 5:42 am. You attach Ebby’s leash and walk out thru the garage door. Penny will walk leash-free because she is incompetent. She is too small and is constantly tripping or getting tangled up in her leash. And, she is a big scaredy-dog so she will stick close to you as you walk.
• It’s 5:43 am. You set out on the sidewalk together. The dogs are the perfect walking companions because they are silent. You start your day, every day, wordlessly. If Penny wanders a little too far away, you need only snap you fingers or whistle-softly. She will catch up.
• It’s 5:44 am. You will walk one block north, then turn left. Half-way down this block there is a small bridge. On the other side of the bridge there is a gravel path. You get to the path and head north again. In about ¼ of a mile you will cross a street and get back onto the gravel path. The path then veers to the right and follows the perimeter of a small pond. You will make one loop around the pond, and then head back home.
• Ebby is a mixed breed of unknown origins. By your approximation, she is part black lab and part beagle. When she was younger she was a dark, ebony color. Therefore, her previous owners named her Ebby. Now she has grey hair surrounding her eyes and along the sides of her muzzle. She is an old lady dog, and she is a very good dog. Ebby’s beagle tendencies manifest heavily during walking. She savors the scent of every blade of grass, leaf, and of course any spot where another dog might have left their scent. A walk with Ebby is akin to 25 minutes of stop and go traffic. Fortunately, you are not in a hurry. You are listening to the birds, breathing the fresh morning air, and watching for the top of the sun to rise over the Bridger Mountains. You are wearing shorts and a tank top and you are the perfect temperature. It’s a beautiful Montana morning, and it will be blazing hot by 10:00 am. You savor these cool moments. Besides, Ebby is happy and her tail is wagging like a propeller. You think this is cute and it makes you smile.
• Penny is some sort of Chihuahua/Terrier mix. She weighs 5 lbs. If “Dobby” the house elf was a small dog, he would look like Penny. Penny is an anxious dog and quick to frighten. But her confidence shines on your walk. She trots ahead, with her chest full and proud. Then she trots beside you to check-in. You have to stop walking to bend-over and give her a pet. Her shoulders are as tall as your ankles.
• It’s 6:05 am. You have arrived home. You deposit a bag of dog poop in the garbage can on the side of your house. You walk back through the garage and take off Ebby’s leash. The dogs race into the house for a drink, while you scoop their breakfast. You start your coffee and then peel 2 hard-boiled eggs. One for the dogs to share, and one for you with a little salt and pepper. You drop a slice of wheat bread into the toaster. When your coffee and toast are ready, you assemble your breakfast. The dogs have finished theirs and are back in bed, already. Must be nice to be a dog.
• 6:10 am. You sit down at your dining room table with your coffee, breakfast, lap top, journal, writing notebook, and a Pilot V5 extra fine black rollerball pen. You will write until the rest of the family wakes in about 2 hours. This is your time.