The First Story

This is the first story I will tell about my family tree.

A New Plan: Exciting News about Journaling Books

I have started to use these three books again in my own personal journaling, but realize they are woefully inadequate for my journaling needs. Although, they are fabulous for days I do not have the time, or the inclination to journal on multiple pages. I just have too much to say and there is not enough room in all three combined for my daily journaling. I will continue to use them, but I also want another resource--and that is where my story and explanation begin.

What's that saying? We make plans, God laughs.Well, this is no exception. 

Pardon me while I babble. I am so excited that words are hard to come by; consequently, I do not think I will be able to fully convey what I am really trying to say at the moment. I will try to explain this more tomorrow. Here goes nothing as I try to explain and tell you the exciting news.

I realized something yesterday and that was how I wanted paper copies of my journaling, bound in a book, so it's easier to carry and for review. I want to look on my bookcases and see my journaling there. Furthermore, I want to carry around four months of journaling with me. I want the feeling of a book in my hands, but not a hardcover book. I want it like a regular softcover paper book. It's less bulky and heavy that way. Moreover, I want a journaling template or form to use. Hence, this is another case of I am going to write and publish what I want and I bet you'll discover it is something you want as well. 

Also, I want to be able to keep my to do list and daily plans in my journal as well, so I need more, and am expecting more, out of my journaling. 

I started yesterday to write: "The 4-Month, 3-Pages Per Day Remembering Your Present Journal" and it is my goal to write it and publish it by Christmas so I/we can start using it at the beginning of the year (or any time we want since the pages/days are not dated). 

THE 3 BOOKS IN THE PHOTO AT THE TOP 

The 3 books in the photo at the beginning of this blog post are of my journaling books for you to use for 1-year, 5-years, and 10-years. Their titles are:

1 "The 1-Year Remembering Your Present Journal"
2 "The 5-Year Remembering Your Present Journal"

3 "The 10-Year Remembering Your Present Journal"

I use all three at once, but you can also use just one.

They are a wonderful way to journal. You'll get a great deal out of them if you want more of a guided journal. (Although, you can also ignore what it says and journal anything you want, which is what I do sometimes.) They are a wonderful way to capture your life on the page. 

You can find these three books here:
http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stacy+duplease+&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Astacy+duplease+ 

I will write more of an explanation tomorrow.

A Journaling Odyssey Memoir: My Life Story (#3)

This is my story. I hope it inspires you to capture your life on the page and to journal for yourself (and those closest to you).
I will turn the blog posts of my story into a book at the end of the year and in six month segments thereafter.
WORKING TITLE:
A Journaling Odyssey: The inspirational story and memoir of a journal keeper
YEARS IN THE MAKING
Ever since I can remember, I have journaled and I have wanted to write my story. Therefore, this memoir and life story is one that's been years in the making. The truth is that I can write from several angles in my life since a great deal has happened to me. Therefore, I will write about each of those angles one book at a time. What I mean my an 'angle' is a 'theme' in my life. I have decided not to share my story in a linear fashion, but with topics or angles that are a repeated theme in my life. That way, you can pick and choose what you want to read and what you think you might get the most out of and enjoy.
In case you're wondering if I have enough material to write several books based off my life experience, let me share a story with you.
One day eleven years ago, my Granny said after the latest life challenge I faced, "Dear, few my age have the life experience you do and you're only thirty."
'Ouch', was what I thought then and now. Nevertheless, I couldn't argue with her at the time and with what I have experienced since, I think the same statement from Granny still applies. You will get a sample of my stories in this first book and I will expand upon them in books hereafter.

THE THEME OF JOURNAL KEEPER
The theme of me being a journal keeper is consistent and is all-encompassing regarding my life. If you ever think of me, or try to picture me, picture a brunette using her tablet for her journaling in one hand and with a cup of coffee or tea in the other. This is what I do most of my time, after all. My head is usually angled downward as I do my mind wandering journaling, then as I follow it to something deeper.
Journal keeping is also part of who I am, as I mentioned earlier. I am a journal keeper pure and simple. Who am I? I am a journal keeper. What do I do? I journal.
I am single-minded and journaling is what I focus on most. This is why I will focus the theme of this series of blog posts on "A Journaling Odyssey: The inspirational story and memoir of a journal keeper."
Few activities bring my life more fulfillment or pleasure than journaling. Bible reading, Bible study, and prayer would be the only things that bring me a little more enjoyment.
When I get think of the theme of journal keeping in my life, I cannot help but chuckle a little. Nothing defines me more. It is who I am through and through. I am a journal keeper.
I also chuckle because for a while it was my goal to intentionally write the largest resource in the world about journaling. I think you will see how I have already succeeded, once I publish: "A JOURNALING ODYSSEY HANDBOOK 2016: A JOURNALING HOW-TO OF JOURNALING TIPS AND PROMPTS." However, in my blog, "A JOURNALING ODYSSEY," and in this memoir I will only add more material and will add more material each day. Therefore, this resource will only grow larger.
WHAT YOU CAN GET OUT OF THIS BLOG AND MEMOIR
Do you like to hear stories or read them... the personal stories kind?
Do you want to journal?
Do you already journal?
Do you want to leave a legacy?
Do you want to live a different kind of life--one less shallow and busy and live a life that is deeper and is full of meaning and gratitude?
Do you want to be inspired?
Do you want to look at yourself, the world, and everyone around you differently?
Do you want to want to live a purposeful and intentional life?
Do you want to live a life of meaning?
Do you want to learn about history?
Do you want to heal from a hurt?
Do you want to be more creative?
Do you want to stop taking people, things, and events for granted?
Do you want to capture the memories of a loved one who has died or will die and you dint want to forget them?
Do you want to learn the lessons of your life and apply them from your life?
Do you want to move forward as you remember the past but don't live there?
Do you want to count your blessings?
Do you want to live a life of satisfaction?
Do you want to live an examined life (one thought through)?
These are just a few reasons to read this blog or book. They are also some of the reasons for you to journal.
If I were you, I would wonder how can a blog post series, which will be turned into a memoir, do one of these things, let alone all of them. This is a blog post series about me being a journal keeper... sure. But, it is far more than that.
Now, I guess you are going to have to read all of the blog posts in this series to see if any or all of these claims is/are true.

JOURNALING TIPS AND LIFE PROMPTS ARE INCLUDED
I will include journaling tips and prompts in this blog post series. Therefore, you can get even more out of this blog post series and book. I will include them throughout each blog post and at the end, so make sure to read each blog post thoroughly.

A JOURNALING PROMPT
How would you define yourself?
Who are you?
What makes you tick?

JOURNALING MAKES ME TICK
When I think about what makes me tick, I picture the brunette with a tablet (a handheld computer) in one hand and coffee or tea in the other. When flashes of images of my life since I turned eighteen (twenty-three years ago), this is what I see most. Both have been my priority, after all. Coffee/tea and journaling are two pleasures in my life and I value each.
Journaling makes me tick because so much of this life is shallow living. Journaling invites me to go deeper and doesn't criticize me or look at me like I am strange if I do.
Journaling makes me tick because I use it as a spiritual practice. It brings me closer to the Lord and is how I speak to Him.
Journaling makes me tick because it has no rules and is one thing in this life that brings me total freedom. I can journal what I want, when I want, how I want.
Journaling makes me live a better life and makes me a better person, for it brings proper perspective.
Moreover, journaling helps me remember. I write about memories of the past, my life now, and where I hope life takes me in my journal.
There are several reasons journaling makes me tick, but this is a good start.

A JOURNALING PROMPT
Who you want to remember?Journal about them.

{Written on October 19, 2015, Monday, afternoon}

My Personal Mind Wandering Journaling and Journaling Prompts (#3b)

{Written on October 19, 2015, Monday, in the late afternoon, in my study}

JOURNALING PROMPT
I wrote these questions for myself, but I bet you can use them as well. This began as a personal mind wandering entry and it morphed from there. It is something I will use and I hope you will as well.
Each line and each question is a separate journaling prompt.
I need to ask myself who, what, where, when, why, how, what-if, and why not questions regarding my journaling (7 w's and an h questions).
I need to ask myself 7 w's and an h questions regarding my life.
I need to ask myself 7 w's and an h questions regarding each decade of my journaling life.
I need to ask myself 7 w's and an h questions regarding each five year period of my journaling life.
I need to ask myself 7 w's and an h questions regarding each year of my journaling life.
I need to ask myself 7 w's and an h questions regarding the last year and a month of my journaling life.
I journal to leave a legacy journal to remember.
What memories do I have of journaling?
I need to ask myself who, what, where, when, why, how, what-if, and why not questions regarding my journals (7 w's and an h questions).
I need to make lists about the memories of me journaling and my journals.
What is my ideal journal?
What is my ideal journaling?
What do I hope to get out of my journaling? This Week? This month? Over the next three months? The next six months? The next nine months? The next year? The next two years? Each year until a decade from now? Each decade?
How would I define journaling?
How would I define a journal?
How would I define my personal journaling?
What could journaling mean to me?
What does journaling mean to me?
What is my purpose for journaling?
I hope my journaling...

My Personal Journaling and a Journaling Prompt (#2)

JOURNALING IS WHO I AM, WHAT I DO, AND IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR ME
I became a journal keeper at the ripe old age of eight and haven't stopped since. Sure, there might be seasons in the past that I skipped journaling in the past, but I haven't skipped one week of journaling in over seven years. In the last sixteen years, I may have missed up to ten days of journaling, but no more. For the last seven years, I have journaled at least five days per week.
I say none of this to brag, but to let you know how serious I am about journaling and how it is my passion. Actually, journaling is more than that to me and it is far deeper. Journaling is a way of life. Ask me who I am and what I do and I will say: I am a full-time writer, where I journal and count my blessings.
The truth is, I have no idea how to live life without journaling. It is so meaningful to me. It has helped me live a far better, deeper, more grateful life where I do my best to take no one and nothing for granted as I live as purposefully and intentionally as possible.

STARTING OVER
You can find all of my previous writings about journaling {journaling introduction, how-to, tips, and prompts, along with my personal journaling} here at this blog:
http://rypstories.blogspot.com/
That blog will give you a great deal of information and insight about journaling.
However, I will start over here in this blog.
I am in a very different place in my life and want to start afresh.

HOUSEKEEPING
Every now and then, I will share a section I call "housekeeping." It's just a note of explanation of how to get the most out of this blog, an explanation, and/or what to expect. The next two sections are housekeeping sections.

"A JOURNALING ODYSSEY HANDBOOK: A JOURNALING HOW-TO OF JOURNALING TIPS AND PROMPTS"
With that being said, I will take all of the information from my old blog, and all of the new information from this blog on how to journal and share tips and prompts in a book I will compile from both starting at the beginning of the year. I will compile a handbook under that title and publish it in March or April 2016. Then, I will publish an additional supplement every six months. This will be an everything you ever wanted to know about journaling compilation at handbook. Also, in March or April of every year thereafter, I will publish several of these books (the handbook us the supplements) in one volume or book. This will also include how to write your memoir, autobiography, and life story. So, if you want to be inspired to capture your life on the page, stay tuned and keep reading this blog.

MY MEMOIRS AND SPECIFIC TOPICS
I will also publish once a year or more my personal stories (my memoir and life story) and also a book or more of specific topics (for instance: how to grieve the loss of your pet).
Phew. There. The housekeeping sections are done for now.

NANOWRIMO
Every November is a contest or competition where people all around the world write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. It's called National Novel Writing Month, but you can do the same and write a work of nonfiction, which is what I am doing.
My goal is to write 14,000 words per week between now and the end of November. Therefore, my goal is to journal 84,000 words for this competition, which I will start today.

JOURNALING PROMPT: MIND WANDERING, S.O.C., AND STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS JOURNALING
Mind Wandering Journaling is what I recommend the most to do with your journaling. As a matter of fact, I recommend doing this every day and every time you sit down to journal. Begin with this prompt each time.
WHAT TO DO: Write whatever comes to mind in your journal. Spend about ten minutes jotting down anything you think of. You may want to do this in list form at first.
Then from there see if there is anything you want to journal more about and go deeper.
Then, do precisely that. Keep re-reading what you wrote and expand upon any of the things you wrote as you have an additional thought about what you journal.
Review this throughout your day and keep expanding on your thoughts and going deeper and more expansive with each.
As new thoughts, memories, and ideas come to mind, add them as well.
Keep writing more and more about one to three items you shared.
EXPLANATION: This is called S.O.C. Writing or Stream of Consciousness Writing. I also call if Mind Wandering Journaling. This is how to get everything, everyone, every experience, every idea, every thought, every question, every emotion, and lesson learned captured on the page.
A PERSONAL NOTE ABOUT MIND WANDERING JOURNALING: I have personally found this the best way for me to capture everything on the page with just a sentence at first. Then, I expand one to three of those ideas into a paragraph. Then, I expand those into a page or more. Then, just add more thoughts as they come to mind and start this all over again. I, then, once a week look at each day's Mind Wandering and expand on it more and go deeper. Then, I do this once a month, once every three months, and once a year for a decade. Then, once a decade.
Also, if I don't know what to journal, and am blank, I review previous Mind Wanderings.
No journaling prompt brings me more material to capture on the page than this one.
This is the diamond in the rough and is the most important journaling I do.

{Written October 19, 2015, Monday morning}

NaNoWriMo and Writing Kara's Story

NANOWRIMO

I'm sure you are wondering what NaNoWriMo is... and if you know what it is, you probably wonder why I'm participating, after all, this looks like it is a work of nonfiction. I will answer both questions.

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and is a competition where people all around the world have gathered together to write a novel of 50,000 words in one month--and that month is November. I am taking part in this challenge in November, but in truth am starting to write the book now. Whatever my word count is at the end of October, I will add 50,000 words to that as my goal.

It isn't necessary to write fiction for NaNoWriMo; needless to say, I am using NaNoWriMo to write Kara's story. Consequently, between now and the end of November, I will be writing multiple blog posts per day. I will, however, spread them out and publish them for you to see once per day after today (10/12/2015).

"Moments with Kara" is Kara's story and is our story about her.

This is a temporary "book cover" of sorts. I will in time create a real one.

BLOG TO BOOK

Also, it is my goal to turn the blog posts of this blog into a book or two in time. Therefore, this blog will not be the final polished version of this material. Nor will this blog include as much material as the book(s). I just wanted to give you fair warning.

The blog to book posts will be geared for a few different books: a memoir or two, pet journaling (how to pet journal), how to turn your pet journal into a memoir, and pet loss and grief. The posts of this blog will turn into multiple books in time, but right now my main focus is a memoir and inspirational story about our rescued cancer cat, Little Bit. Kara Beara. Lady Kara. Baby Girl. Feisty One.

Over the next month, I will count the blessings of Kara and the faith and life lessons she taught me. So, stay tuned. This is actually the whole purpose of this blog. However, with Thanksgiving coming up, counting the blessings on Kara seems a fitting and appropriate tribute to the black and white purrbox.

Moments with Kara: Memories of Our Time with Kara to Write About and Share

Her sweet smell.
How she liked my scents.
Her soft, silky rootbeer colored fur, which looked black and white if not in direct sunlight.
How when she yawned she folded her ears down flat.
How she mewed and didn't meow.
No kitty belly. Concave. At first. Then, she developed a kitty belly while we stayed at dad's.
Having a kitty belly.
Walrus whiskers.
Kitten or cat? Or older.

Three Change on a Dime Moments

Why share the stories of "Moments with Kara?"
She gave us three distinct change on a dime moments where life as we knew it ceased to exist. Our lives were forever changed because of these moments.
1 On September 20, 2014 when she found us.
2 When we found out she had cancer... two types...
3 When we had her put to sleep on September 26, 2015.
{WRITE MORE}

Questions

Are there enough stories for a book of moments with Kara? Are they interesting enough anyone would want to read it? And are the lessons learned about life and faith applicable to more than just my simple life?

Books about the Grief and Loss of a Pet

I am a reader. I try to always have at least book I'm reading; however, it's usually several. I also like to have an idea as to what books to read for different topics, moods, experiences, answers, escapism, etc. A book is usually the cure for any and every problem, ailment, or challenge. (A book is also something meant to bring beauty into our lives--if it is well written.) Hence, if I am dealing with a problem or am curious about a topic, I always go to a book to start to find the answers.
After we put Kara to sleep on Saturday, I've searched for information about the grief and loss of a pet, usually a four-legged kiddo and family member to us humans. It was that I necessarily needed it, since I have dealt with a great deal of loss in my life. My experience has taught me how to grieve appropriately. But, I wondered about help with grief and loss from a pet for others. What books were there on the subject.
What amazed me was how little there are--and how there's even less for people of faith. I looked online and even went in to a bookstore to see what books there were on the subject. Online, I found a few--and bought every single one of them, mind you. I also bought a couple "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books about cats.
What rather amazed me was how in that bookstore there was not one for the grief and loss of a pet--or for infertility. Both challenges are ones the individual usually has to go through alone because few understand what they are going through. Why wasn't there a book about either?
I cannot help but wonder if this might be my calling--journaling about critters (animals) and writing books about them and how animals touch our lives and what we can learn from them about life and about faith. But, is this a topic that is too overly done? I wonder. Then, I remember my visit to the bookstore and find my answer. There was nothing to help with my situation.
Also, I haven't found a book on dealing with cancer in your pet.
Nor did I find a book about what animals mean (or could mean) to those who can't have children.
Nor have I found a good memoir about bring adopted by a feral cat--who has two types of cancer and the journey that ensued because of both.
Kara's story is a very unique one--and I learned from her veterinarian, Dr. G. how few would do what my husband I did for the cat. (Never mind what Kara did to and for us.)
Needless to say, I imagine I am going to share all of Kara's stories and our moments with Kara and see where this leads.
I have the education and experience to help walk with others through their grief--and also have 32+ years of journal keeping experience. I imagine I could be a great help to those who want to remember all of the stories of their pet--and those who want to deal with their grief and loss after the death of a pet--a four-legged furry loved one and kiddo.

Blog Journal, Blog Post Series, and Book

I decided I want to write a blog, a blog post series, and a book called,
"Moments with Kara: What a ferel cancer cat taught me about faith and life"
It will be about the blessing of Kara--from September 20, 2014 to the present and in the future.
I made this decision on this Saturday 09/26/2015 as we were waiting for the doc to bring Kara to us to see and hold as the doc put her to earthly sleep. It's really a no brainer. Of course this story needs telling and hearing.
But, how?
In October of every year is National Journal Writing Month (NaJoWriMo) and I have been trying to come up with a theme as I participate in the concentrated month. Moments with Kara seems like a pretty good theme if you ask me.
Also, in November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo or NaNo) and I will write "Moments with Kara" then as well.
I want to capture every memory, every moment, every blessing we have of Kara Beara. She deserves no less and I want to count the blessings of her for the rest of my life. They were numerous.
So, between now and the end of November, I should have a great deal on the page. Also, I have decided to make it a spiritual book, but will not make it an in your face Christian book. I want a larger audience to read it and be touched by her and our story.
///
An email I sent mom on 09/29/2015 at 905 a.m.:
Mom, I see you accepted my invite to the "Moments with Kara Private Blog." This is where I will write every single memory and blessing of Kara. I shared it with you so you can see what I share.
Then, I will do a public blog and blog post series, which I will turn into a book or several books. Inspirational Spiritual Animal Memoir and Devotional.
So, that's the plan I made this morning.
I hope you enjoy both blogs and the books. But, how could you not Gammy? Kara was your grandcritter, after all. And, she was and is quite special. Her and her big, bright, beautiful eyes and a heart larger than this world.
- S

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