Literary Leggings

TRUTH: These are the coolest pants I will ever own.

(If you can't read them, its scenes from Shakespeare's "Hamlet")

My inner book nerd just exploded.

“Tis in my memory lock'd,

And you yourself shall keep the key of it.” 

I Keep A Copy of "The Shining" in My Freezer

"Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters." - Stephen King

Last week I drove from Minnesota to California, and one of the highlights of my road trip was spending a night at the infamous Stanley Hotel, the inspiration behind Stephen King's "The Shining." You can read about King's own visit here.

Although I am a fan of scary stories, I am pretty wimpy in real life, so I was a little nervous about attending the hotel's nightly ghost tour. But who can turn down an opportunity like that? Overall it was incredibly spooky and great fun. I won't spoil the details for those of you who plan on visiting someday.

I was also impressed and amused that the hotel had The Shining playing on a continuous loop on one of their tv channels. As a book nerd, getting to step into a literary giant like this was a dream (or nightmare, as King would probably prefer).

A storm was brewing right before the ghost tour!

Heeeeere's Dani!

Childhood Memories/Abandoned Playgrounds/Visiting Ghosts

Day 2 of California Bound: Eudora, KS

"Sundowners" Publication Announcement

So excited to announce that my poem "Sundowners" was accepted for publication this morning!!! Looking forward to seeing it in print this October! 

This poem came to me in the middle of the night while I was working at the hospital, shortly after I'd visited my grandmother with dementia. I had been contemplating her journey  and how it was different from so many of my patients. I quickly wrote the poem down on a sticky note (I frequently "lose" poems if I don't put them to paper immediately, which has caused many puddles on my bathroom floor since most of my inspiration occurs in the shower!). I shoved the poem in my pocket and didn't think about it again until laundry day. When I found the sticky again, I typed it up and sent it off to a lit journal. 

It's rare for a poem to come to me "whole" like that, and I have to say it's an amazing experience. Especially since this past year I'd taken a long break from writing poetry in order to concentrate on a novel; it feels incredibly rewarding returning to a form of art that I am so passionate about!

My grandparents. My amazing grandfather now single-handedly takes care of my grandmother, who relies on him for everything. But to be fair, she took care of him long before that :)

Strength/Struggle/Beauty

“One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. "You'd be destroying what makes it special," she said. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty.” - Jeannette Walls, "The Glass Castle"

Joshua Tree, California

Writing/Giving Back/Nursing

This week I had the pleasure of combing three of my loves; writing, giving back, and nursing.

At the end of April I helped organize a medical provider’s team to participate in a 5K to raise money for ovarian cancer awareness. The team fund-raised over $1600, and we also raised community awareness.

Side note: it was a LOT of fun even though I felt like I would die at the end. A small hill at the finish line of a 5K is just plain cruel!

I was asked to write an article highlighting the success of the team, and it was published in Mayo’s nursing journal. Kind of fun to see all my “worlds” come together in one little project!

My sister and me...can you guess if this is pre or post 5k? (be kind! haha)

Walk/Flowers/Memory

"We were together. I forget the rest." - Walt Whitman