Noticing the details

Chapter 4 of On Being a Writer, is about noticing the details and capturing them however you can.  The assignments this week are going to take me a week or more to do, but I think it will be a good thing.  I need to notice at least three details every day and record them however I can, if that is on paper or One Note or sticky notes or even advertising mailers.

Today is Christmas, so the details are abundant today.

1. The pile of wrapping paper with black and red and white and silver colors.
2. The lights on the Christmas tree.  The bubble lights that aren’t working, the big bulbs, the white twinkles.
3. The ornaments.  There’s a dog, and a Coca-Cola ornament.  There’s several hand painted and hand made ornaments.
4. The teenagers playing with their younger cousin in the back yard.  The laughter.
5. The smell of cinnamon on the ham.  The smell of yeasty bread.
6. The cherry pink salad and the homemade pumpkin pie.
7. The Christmas songs at church that sounded different without instruments.
8. The hugs of old acquaintances but not good friends.  I long for a good bear hug from a good friend.
9. The length and pressure of my hair.  I need a good haircut.  I know this seems trivial, but I’ve pulled my own hair today, at least three times!
10. The noise of the TV.  My MIL and her husband are quite deaf, and the TV volume makes up the difference.
11. The sadness of Little Bit’s face as she got left behind when Boo went to spend the night with the cousins.
12. The warmth.  It’s 45ish degrees at home.  It’s 75ish degrees in Louisiana.  It’s still a surprise.

I think that’s enough for right now.  I sense that this project will be similar to my Grateful Everyday project where I tried to keep a gratitude journal online everyday.  That’s okay.  This will be more detail oriented, with sights and sounds and smells and everything that I want to remember.  I am grateful for these things as well, but that is not the project I’m working on.

If I haven’t said it already, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Hugs,
Melinda