Sunday Coffee Share

A Cup of Coffee and a Conversation

Camp Coffee from Last Week!

If we were having coffee I would tell you…today we had regular breakfast day plus one! My brother-in-law is visiting from Florida so we sat at the large table with the same waitress. On Friday, I made the trek to the airport to retrieve him. The traffic wasn’t as bad as I anticipated for Chicago rush hour.

Soup Sunday is back! Potato soup with homemade dinner rolls is what’s for dinner!

If we were having coffee I would tell you…I reconnected with a friend in the area at lunch on Wednesday. It was lovely to chat about art, books, and general life. We vowed to not let three years go by again before lunched the next time. I should be seeing her more often now since I (hope) to be back in book club together. I am rereading Martyr! by Kevah Akbar for the May meeting.

If we were having coffee I would tell you…I was able to get my haircut this week which always feels like a nice refresh. The app check-in works so well for me too. I only had to wait a few minutes in the shop which was a welcome change from the last few times. I always have a book and my notebook. People watching is a plus there too!

If we were having coffee I would tell you…I was able to help my son with his truck this week. It wouldn’t stay running and we had to have it towed. I wish that they would have given an estimate of 2 hours and then I would have been excited they got there in 1 hour and 40 minutes as opposed to the hour estimation they gave which was incorrect. It ended up being a small issue but a lot of running around for him made it stressful.

If we were having coffee I would tell you…This week was a lot of prep for the brother-in-law visiting for the guys to build the potting shed and my writing shed in the backyard. I do not swing a hammer but am in charge of all the food for the week. Many lists and trips to various stores filled in the week between writing and reading. I did have a few meetings this week which were mostly welcome. I do love talking to my writing friends.

If we were having coffee I would tell you…I hosted a readback feedback session in the community where I am a coordinator last Thursday. It went well and the conversation after the readings was great too. I love this low stakes feedback of hearing your own words repeated back to you. Some people do not do off the cuff feedback well and this format takes the pressure off. Using Zoom was an advantage because everyone could place their phrases in the chat.

If we were having coffee I would tell you…I attended Nancy Stohlman’s virtual retreat on Friday which was valuable to my Margot Project! The exercises helped me write two scenes for the book. I can revisit the exercises later for more writing! It was only 2 hours which was a nice chunk of time to focus.

If we were having coffee, I would recommend…

I have not been able to stop thinking about this post and the phrase “sunday is the woman I want to be”.

I read this small book yesterday and enjoyed the art of the sentences:

I am waiting for The Book Of Alchemy to come in at the library. I am eager to read it and respond to the prompts.

If we were having coffee I would tell you….a new 4-week session of the Trio begins May 25th! You can find the info here. There are only two spots left!

Here are some photos from this week:

If we were having coffee I would tell you…I received three rejections this week! I am doing the work, but I did have higher hopes for these pieces and was disappointed when they were not accepted.

If we were having coffee I would ask you…did you know that reading retreats are a thing? Several organizations that host events came up in my IG feed! I know that With Ease hosts amazing retreats in the UK.

The idea of a reading vacation with other readers sounds amazing to me. Some of the houses where the retreats are held have some of the most amazing chairs and places to read. The food looked great too. There were a few who hosted book fairs, trips to local bookstores and author events.

A friend I was texting with mentioned using her house for a retreat! We may take her up on that offer…

If we were having coffee I would tell you…have a wonderful week! May is around the corner! I am hoping the weather will even out a bit here in the Midwest. The fluctuation from 40 degrees to 80’s within 24 hours is frustrating. The gale force winds make my runs unpleasant. May will be filled with its own challenges but I am looking forward to them!

A little more about me: Tammy L. Evans is a writer, teacher, and runner living in a tiny house on a peninsula with her husband and adventure cat. Her location device is her loud laugh. She is a reader for Reckon Review. She is the creator and host of the THE BRADBURY TRIO COURSE. Her poetry has been published in The Storyteller, FoxGlove Journal, Story Hall, Blue Insights, The Partnered Pen, and others. Her fiction has been published in Gone Lawn, South Florida Poetry Journal, Cabinets of Heed, Spelk, Five on the Fifth, Clover and White, Fiction Berlin Kitchen, and others.