2015

Story in Photos: Wyoming & The Black Hills 2015

November 17, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 1 Comment

What kind of a photographer takes two whole months to edit and post her own vacation photos?

[raises hand]

Me, that’s who.

Back in September, we road tripped out to South Dakota & Wyoming and had a lovely, wonderful time – and then promptly came home, went back to work in full force, started the agonizingly slow process of getting a driveway put in at our land, and forgot all about posting vacation photos. Whoops.

I’ll have to admit, it is kind of nice to look back just two months later and relive the moments. :)

So, photos:

Do you have a favorite vacation photo you look back at often, one that transports you back to that moment when you experienced it?

Word of the Year Check-In: Am I Creating?

July 7, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 6 Comments

Is it really the second week of July already? Yowsers.

It’s cliché to say that, I know. And serious writers are supposed to avoid clichés like the plague (see what I did there?). But all clichés had to start somewhere, and I imagine this one started when the first person in the world realized that the year was flying by faster than they intended it to – and by golly they felt the need to comment on it.

Clichés aside, it’s time for a mid-year check-in on whether or not I am living out my Word of the Year.

Am I Creating?

Yes. And No.

I’ve not made much progress on my novel since my critique class ended. Life has been full, which is part reason and part excuse. Between weekend duties for the day job and travel to visit family and a much-needed week of vacation where I tried not to touch a computer, there hasn’t been a lot of free time on the weekends to really submerge myself in the text. And I need to give it some large blocks of undivided attention. My critique class reinforced that I have some things to fix, and they are going to take time and steep reflection.

Based on this point alone, I would feel like I had failed my Word of the Year in the first half. But luckily, I know me and gave myself a little wiggle room in my definition. I chose “create” instead of “write” because I knew I would need some.

And I have created.

I have been diligently posting twice per week here on this blog all year long. Every Tuesday and Thursday, without fail (although sometimes in a very down-to-the-wire fashion), I have a sent a blog and little piece of writing or photography out into the world. It’s felt good to be consistent, to treat this blog like a job and to keep my promise to myself for once.

I’ve spent time in community with other writers and readers, mostly on the internet – but it still counts, right? I’ve created dialogues and met new people and have created a space where I can share – and where I can listen to others.

I’ve taken more photos – and better photos – than ever this year. In fact, I’m wrapping up my first ever corporate photoshoot this week – at my day job! Our company wanted new head shots for all 40 employees, and it just so happened that I have a camera and some growing photography chops. In addition to all those portraits, I also took some for Claire, did a family shoot with a friend, and in general grew less shy about pulling out my camera and snapping shots whenever I felt like it – even in public!

I’ve read a lot of books, written about some of them, and learned when to a quit a project that just isn’t working. I’ve written a few freelance articles, put together a Madison, WI city guide for Feast + West, and continued working on The Collaboreat.

It’s been a full year, and it might not seem like I’m making progress. But I have been creating.

Now if I could just take Ashley Brooks’s advice and focus on one thing at a time…

Here’s to creating in the second half of 2015. Will you CREATE with me?

Story in Review: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows & Mary Ann Shaffer

July 2, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 3 Comments

In the last several years, I’ve read The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows & Mary Ann Shaffer at least three times. And each time, I fall in love with the quirky ensemble of characters all over again.

Written entirely in letters back and forth between the dozen or so characters, the timeline follows an author, Juliet, who by chance comes in contact with a group of readers on the island of Guernsey. The story takes place as the island – and England – are rebuilding after World War II, and the novel touches on the years of hardship and horror that the people experience, but does so with sensitivity and an eye for beauty. The authors’ love for the written word shines through the pages, and in true novel form – there is a happy ending for all.

Favorite Quotes:

“I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to, or worse, something I can’t be silent with.” – p. 8

“Perhaps there is some secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” – p. 10

“No one in their right mind would take up clerking in a bookstore for the salary, and no one in his right mind would want to own one – the margin of profit is too small. So, it has to be a love of readers and reading that makes them do it – along with first dibs on the new books.” – p. 15

“She said the Queen doesn’t need to impress strangers, but I do.” – p. 17

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.” – p. 53

“I figure hunger makes you desperate when you wake to it every morning.” – p. 65

“I think you learn more if you are laughing at the same time.” – p. 89

“He’s the most un-hurrying person I’ve ever met.” – p. 167

“I did not want to spend my time reading about people who never was, doing things they never did.” – p. 71

What made this a good story? There are a myriad of characters, but you never confuse them – they are each painted with such a unique brush. Choosing to tell the story through letters gives the reader the actual words of the person saying them (er… writing them) and it helps to learn where each person is coming from and their motivations for how they live their lives. It’s also just a delightful tale: falling in love through a common joy found in a good book.

What could have made it a better story? While I love that the book is written in letters, it can be a bit tough as you dive in to keep straight who is writing to whom. This is possibly because I tend to skip the section headings and dive right into the letter, when really I should not. Perhaps a map at the beginning of the novel and a list of the principle characters and their relationship to Juliet would help.

Have you read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society? If so, what did you think?