I've Said Farewell to Medium

 

Yes, it's true, I've parted ways with Medium.com. Okay, maybe that's a bit too strong. I haven't so much parted ways as I've opted out of the subscription service and won't be writing much on the site anymore. I don't want to say I won't be writing at all, as I'll end up making a liar out of myself. 

I began writing on Medium in 2018. It was a great place to write fiction, and there was a huge short-fiction community. I had a blast. But that all changed. There was a big change up in management, and those of us who wrote fiction saw a drastic drop in both views and monetization. I know it shouldn't be all about the money, but I went from earning an average of $30-$50 per month to less than $20 per year. That's not even enough to cover my subscription fee.

I will be leaving most of my work on the site, but I will be taking a lot of my stories and serials down, reworking them, and either publishing them as quick reads on Amazon or on my Ko-Fi site. Even if I only make a few pennies here and there, it's still more than they're making me on Medium.

Now, I'm not totally bashing Medium. They're still an amazing place for writers, but it's geared more toward non-fiction and opinion pieces. More power to those who write in that genre. I've done it, and it's not easy. 

I'm going to leave all my writing prompt posts on the site. You never know when someone might stray in and need something to write about. I'll also be leaving a few of my other posts, simply because they were posted in other people's publications. I would never pull something from their sites without letting them know first, and there are just way too many of them.

As I won't be posting on Medium anymore, I will be updating all my personal blogs a bit more. I'd like to say a lot more, but we all know that's not true. However, not having the pressure on me to be Medium worthy, I can let my creative side out a little more.

I haven't come up with a "posting" plan yet. I'm thinking that this blog will be for my fiction, poetry, and personal posts, and Graves Publications will be for all my writing-related posts and any other form of non-fiction I come up with.

Mystic Realms will be where I post about history and mythology. I'll always have a place in my heart for histories, mysteries, and mythologies. The ancient world was one of my earliest obsessions. And a lot of history has changed (thanks to archaeology) since I was a kid.

I'm not sure where I'm going to put my serial fiction. I have a short series started on Amazon, and I might do the same with some of my others. I haven't made up my mind on that one yet. I might just publish a few of them myself and sell them from my site. Can't do any worse than they're doing right now.

Though I'm still working on the final scene, I've already begun the journey. I hope you'll come along to see where this path takes us. If nothing else, it should be good for a laugh. 

Until next time,
Miss Chris!!!

The Portals of Lost Socks

 

"Master of the Portals" by Christine Graves via Leonardo AI

It was typical Sunday morning. I'd gotten out of bed and started my day. It was early and everyone else was still asleep, or so I had thought. I heard something in the laundry room, but I couldn't make out what it was. 

I went in to investigate, expecting to find my youngest child trying to hide from me or getting into something he shouldn't. But there was nothing nor anyone in the room. I chalked it up to not having my morning coffee and went on my way.

As the family began to stir, I got breakfast started and decided to do a load of laundry. I'd thrown a few things in the dryer the night before, mostly socks and undergarments, but never took them out to fold them.

I got one load started and pulled the other from the dryer. Nothing out of the norm, just threw them in a basket and took them to my room to fold. 

As I began to match up my socks, I realized that there were several that were missing. I always had a missing sock here and there, but this seemed different. Almost every single pair I'd thrown in the laundry the night before was missing its mate.

I barked at the kids, reminding them that they had to bring me ALL of their dirty clothes, to which they bellowed back that they had. I knew better. It sparked a full day of cleaning out closets, under beds, corners, and anywhere else I thought they may have left a lonely sock behind. To my dismay, we only found three.

At the end of the day, I got the kids bathed and off to bed. It was quiet in the house once again and I was set on enjoying a little of it before heading off to bed myself. 

As I sat in the silence, I heard something in my laundry room once again. I was sure my youngest had snuck out of bed and was into something he shouldn't be. I decided to sneak up on him and surprise him, but that's not what happened.

As I entered my laundry room, I noticed a tiny being digging through my dryer. I was stunned and a squeaky breath left my body. The sound jolted the being out of my dryer and I stood there staring at this creature before me. It looked like a tiny human, but had pointed ears and was wearing a red velvet cloak.

I could tell it was just as scared as I was, so I didn't make any sudden movements. We stood there for a few moments, then it reached out its hands to me. That's when I noticed it was holding most of my missing socks. 

"Forgive, please," it said in a tiny voice. "No hurt, please." The thought sent shivers down my spine.

"No, I won't hurt you if you promise not to hurt me," I whispered.

"Need socks," it said with its eyes turned down. "Need socks to go home."

I had no idea what it meant and it apparently realized this. It put most of the socks back in the dryer, except for one of my heavy woolen ones. The little creature held the sock up, closed its eyes, and began to chant in a language I'd never heard before.

The sock began to swirl and a portal formed in the center of my laundry room. I could see through the portal that a beautiful woodland lay on the other side. "Home," the creature said, pointing to the portal. 

I only nodded in silence, still to stunned to speak. 

"No come back," the creature said in a saddened voice. "No socks for to come back. I not mean bad for you. I go home now."

My heart felt as though it were being ripped from my chest. I watched as the little creature began to step through the portal.

"Wait," I exclaimed. The tiny creature stopped and looked back at me with apprehension in its eyes.

I slowly walked to the dryer and pulled the matching sock out and handed it to the creature. "You can come back and you can have all the old socks you want. All I ask is that you leave our newer and nicer socks alone."

The creature smiled and its eyes lit up. It stuck the sock in its cloak, bowed to me, then popped through the portal, which closed as soon as the being was through.

I wasn't sure if what I'd witnessed was real or if it was just an elaborate dream, as the next thing I remembered was waking up in my chair. 

My children are all grown up now and have children of their own. I live on my own and have a fairly good life. However, I still go out of my way to make sure I have extra socks and leave a few in the dryer for my little friend to come and go from their world into ours. I've never seen the creature since, but I'm always pulling socks out of my dryer and wonder where their mates have gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello, my lovelies. I know it's been a hot minute since I last wrote. Life has a weird way of getting away from us when we're not looking. 

The above story is from a prompt I received from Gemini AI. I use Gemini a lot and it helped me get out of my slump. I mean, it's helping me get out of my slump, I'm not there quite yet. But this helped.

The prompt was a "what if" prompt. Here's the whole prompt:

What if the reason you can never find the matching sock after doing laundry is because all lost socks are actually consumed by a tiny, velvet-cloaked being who uses them to weave portals to the past?

As odd as it sounds, this was exactly what I needed to get back into writing. Gemini wanted me to do a freewrite--only write for 5 to 10 minutes--however, once I started, I couldn't stop. It just flowed. I haven't felt that in several months. 

I'm hoping to get back into the swing of writing again, but I've got to find my rhythm again. I know I can't do that overnight, but this was a great way to start. Thank you Gemini. You're the best.

Everyday Writing Every Day

 

"Dear Diary" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

I'm working on a personal mission. I'm trying to write a post a day on at least one of my sites or publications across the line. I missed posting something on the first, but I did do a freewrite on my Penzu account, so I'm counting that one. 

I posted three posts on Medium between the 2nd and 4th. And here it is the 5th, and I'm doing a post here. It's not about writing something amazing, it's simply about doing some everyday writing every day.

I didn't write much between the middle of March and the first part of May. I had so much going on in my personal life that I just had to step away. The problem is that I'm having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. But I am trying.

One of the reasons I'm doing this is because I'm trying to keep the art of blogging--true blogging as it used to be--from fading into obscurity. I know I'm only one person, but it could happen. I miss those days. I've always loved blogging and still do today. 

I've heard it said a hundred times. In order to be a great writer, you must write something every day. I get it and can see how this could be true. But that's not what this is about. It's simply about writing for the sake of writing. Finding joy in the written word once again.

I'm having a particularly hard time tonight as I'm wiped out from my new job. I've always been one of those people who feel they need to throw themselves into a project, mind, body, and soul. And did that and more today. I might be the boss of my department, but I'm using muscles I forgot I had. (If you ever stay in a hotel, please thank your housekeeping staff. They work their butts off)

My brain is mush at the moment. I have the desire to write, but it's hard to focus. I'm exhausted. But it's a good exhaustion, if there is such a thing. Yes, my mind is numb and my body hurts, but I love knowing that I put 100% of myself into my job.

This post is going to be short, but at least I got one done. It's not a post for the masses; it's just a grouping of words that form an idea. It won't gain me a fan base or any paying leads, but that's okay. This is just me getting a few things off my mind and onto the page. It's off my mind, off my chest, and put to the side. Time to move on to the next.

This won't be the last post for this month, I'm sure. If I want this experiment to be successful, I need to make sure to post something every day. 

Until next time,
Miss Chris!!!

~~~*~~~*~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs three other blogs. Graves Publications, Library of the Mystic Realms, and Collected Keepsakes. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com  where she runs several publications. 

Soft Music and Ambiance

 

"The Coffee Shop" by Christine Graves via Leonardo AI

It's amazing what a little soft music and ambiance can do for the soul. I was sitting here trying to come up with something to write about and decided to jump onto YouTube for some soft music. I love videos that are just images with soft, instrumental music. I find it very relaxing.

I found one that showed an image of a cute little coffee shop (not the one pictured above) and some soft jazz. I love soft jazz. I thought, "Yep, this is the one". Little did I know I'd get swept up in the image itself and my mind would wander off into another dimension. 

As I stared at the picture, with what appeared to be a sweeping rain outside the windows, I got lost in a never-before-written story. In my mind, I ran that coffee shop and it was a cold and rainy night. A homeless gentleman entered the shop, simply to get out of the rain. There was something about him that told me he wasn't looking for a handout or was there to hurt me. He just wanted to get warm.

I offered him a cup of coffee and a muffin. Though at first, he declined, I convinced him to accept my offer. I told him to remove his wet coat and I'd throw it in the dryer (I'd, of course, live above the shop). I had some old clothes in the back room and found him a dry pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. 

I handed him the clothes, an old towel, and a bottle of hand soap. I showed him where the men's room was and let him go in and wash up. He explained that he couldn't pay me for the kindness, but I didn't care. I wasn't looking for any money, I just knew he needed someone to give him a chance.

When he came out of the restroom, he sat down and enjoyed his coffee and muffin. I poured him another cup and joined him. He told me his story. A veteran down on his luck, trying to find his way in society. I could hear the sadness in his voice.

I asked him what he did in the military and was surprised by his answer. He'd been a culinary specialist in the Navy. Then he told me what it was like cooking for hundreds of his fellow crewmen. I saw the gleam in his eye and the pride in his soul. 

He finished his coffee and thanked me for the muffin. I asked him where he'd be staying for the night and he said he was hoping I'd let him sleep in his car in my parking lot. I told him no. Instantly, his eyes dimmed and his shoulders dropped. 

He said he understood and thanked me for the coffee and muffin once again. As he stood to leave, I asked him to follow me out the back door. Out behind the coffee shop was a small building that had been converted into an apartment many years before. I'd often used it when family came to stay or if a friend just needed a place to sleep.

I let the gentleman know that there were pillows and blankets in the closet and the stuff to make coffee in the morning. He couldn't hide the shocked look on his face. He said he couldn't accept it as it was too much. I just smiled and reminded him that it was too wet and cold to sleep in a car. 

He finally accepted my offer and made his way to the apartment. I told him good night and locked up the shop. 

As I opened the next morning, the gentleman greeted me as he walked back from his car. He entered the shop and I poured him a cup of coffee. He smiled and thanked me, then asked me a curious question. He wanted to know what the pie of the day was. I'd never had a pie-of-the-day, but the idea sparked my attention. When I shared this piece of news with him, he offered to bake a couple of pies as payment for the room. I agreed.

The gentleman grabbed his coffee cup and headed for the kitchen area. As he rounded the corner...my cat jumped up on the desk and broke me out of my little trance. It was gone. The gentleman, the coffee shop, the pies...all gone. 

Oh well. It was all nothing more than a dream. Not a dream from sleep. Not a dream of success. Just a few moments in an image of a coffee shop filled with soft music and ambiance.

~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs three other blogs. Graves Publications, Library of the Mystic Realms, and Collected Keepsakes. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com  where she runs several publications. 

Christine is an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures and another that showcases her AI artwork called Pathways through the Past. 

Be sure to sign up for the Graves Publications newsletter to stay up with all the latest news. 

If You Believe, Anything is Possible

 

"Endless Possibilities" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

I did a post a few weeks ago about the feeling I've been getting about writing more about God. Though I'm not a very religious person, I do believe in God and I do see myself as a very spiritual person. 

Anyway, I keep getting a message telling me I need to bring Him into more of my writing and look to Him for more guidance. Then, something happened that brought it all together. 

Let me give you a little backstory. My great-niece, (she's 19), found out she was going to have a baby. Though the father isn't in the picture, her parents, (my nephew and niece-in-law) were ready to help her out any way they could. 

The baby's due date was late February/early March. We had planned on having the baby shower today, (January 26), but the Universe had other plans. Baby boy showed up on January 19th, a month and a half early. 

As you may expect, he's been in NICU since his birth. He's having issues breathing and he's still in critical condition. His mama has been discharged, but this poor girl is just numb. She's trying to put on a brave face, but you can tell all she wants to do is sit down and cry.

The family decided to go ahead with the baby shower. They felt it would be a nice distraction for the mama and help get her out of her funk. Then, my niece-in-law called me last night, crying. She asked me if I'd be willing to deliver the prayer at the beginning of the shower. The baby is struggling and it's almost more than either she or the mama can take. I didn't even hesitate before saying yes.

I woke up thinking about it. I wanted to make sure to say all the right things and not accidentally say something that would hurt someone's feelings. Without thinking, I was scrolling through social media and something popped up I wasn't expecting. It was a post about a Bible quote. Mark 9:23 says, "Everything is possible for he who believes".

Now, keep in mind, I'm not normally the kind of person who stops to watch these types of reels. However, something told me to watch this one. It hit me...hard. I started crying myself. Then, I knew I had the message I needed to pass along.

I went to the baby shower and gave the opening prayer. I made sure to bring up the verse and how I believed that all would be well. I must have hit the mark as I turned around and my niece-in-law was bawling her eyes out and little mama ran up to give me a hug. Auntie loves all her babies. 

Now, here's the kicker. It hit me that this verse doesn't just pertain to a tiny baby and my family members. It pertains to EVERYTHING!!!

I've been working hard to bring my dream to fruition. I'm not making a ton of money with my writing, but for some reason, I'm not sweating over it. In fact, I'm enjoying myself. Maybe it's because I've moved more into the old-school blogging thing, instead of the "writing for the masses" thing. I just feel better about it. And I believe in it. 

I wholeheartedly believe that I will make this happen. I may not make this happen in a couple of weeks, but I will make this happen. I've taken on the mantra, "I'm the only person who can stand in my way". And this is also something I truly believe.

Even if you're not a religious or spiritual person, most people believe that a positive attitude is key to making it in this world. If you don't believe in yourself, why would anyone else? If you believe you can achieve something, you can. However, it may not be exactly what you were expecting. Remember, even a little win is still a win.

If you believe in your own abilities, you will succeed. That doesn't mean it will be handed to you on a silver platter. You have to work hard and find your path. You have to set small goals in order to reach the big one. And you have to see your failures as learning curves. 

Yes, everything IS possible for those who believe. Do you believe?

Until next time,
Miss Chris!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs three other blogs. Graves Publications, Library of the Mystic Realms, and Collected Keepsakes. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com  where she runs several publications. 

Christine is an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures and another that showcases her AI artwork called Pathways through the Past. 

Be sure to sign up for the Graves Publications newsletter to stay up with all the latest news. 

Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours

 

Merry Christmas my beautiful friends. I hope this finds you all doing well. I'm feeling a little better since my last post. Sorry I threw a pity party out there for y'all. I was going through some feelings, hate that. However, I've managed to get myself back up and running.

I love Christmas, but this has been a tough year. I've had a car accident and had to get a new one. Car payments and higher priced insurance (because of the newer car, not the accident) have made things a little tight around here. And now I find out that my landlord may have to raise my rent because of higher insurance on the building. I'm sweating it, but I'm not going to let it get me down. I can't. I've got a granddaughter to raise and she needs to know that all things are possible, even if that means a few extras need to be let go.

However, I've managed to get most of my Christmas shopping done and I still have money left over. Nobody's getting anything fancy, but everyone will be happy. I've been doing a lot of crocheting in the past couple of weeks. I have 5 totes full of yarn and it's about time I put it to good use. I believe handmade gifts are way better than store-bought ones. 

I've also been fortunate enough to find little things that will make great stocking stuffers and have found a couple of gifts at thrift stores for those who have specialized collections. My son-in-law is a huge Star Wars fan and I found him a Star Wars beer stein for next to nothing. He'll be over the moon.

I wish I could buy everyone one fancy gifts, but that's not what this holiday is about. It's about giving from your heart, not your wallet. It's about telling those around you how much they mean to you. It's about coming together and filling your hearts with joy. 

Please, this holiday season, find a way to love with all your heart. Be kind to those around you and forgive those who have done your wrong. Even if you only do it for your own peace of mind. 

I wish you all a spendid and meaningful holiday season. 

Until next time,
Merry Christmas

~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures and another that showcases her AI artwork called Pathways through the Past. 

I Think My Brain is Broken

 

I think my brain may be broken. I'm having a hard time forcing myself to write anything. I've been so busy with all the holiday stuff, my full-time job, and the grandbaby's stuff at school, I haven't had the motivation to do any real writing.

I've been working on making some homemade Christmas gift tags, and I've had a ball putting them together, but it's been more of an excuse not to write than anything else. I keep telling myself that I'm doing it to help bring in a little extra money, but the truth is that once I've made those tags, I don't do anything else with them. I keep saying I'm going to put them on my online store, but I don't. I just put them in bags and set them off to the side.

I will say that I've been more interactive with the outside world lately. That may sound strange but I could be a shut-in tomorrow. It wouldn't take much for me to crawl inside my own little world and never come out. I've been that way for a long time. I never used to be. Before my first marriage, I was the life of the party. Now, almost 40 years and two marriages later, I am the proverbial homebody.

As much as I hate to admit it, I actually enjoy being home alone. It's quiet, it's peaceful, and I don't have to share the TV remote. I'm raising a grandchild, but she has her own things going on between school and her circle of friends. Fortunately, I know most of their parents and the kids have a habit of talking to each other on speakerphone, so I can hear everything that's being said. 

I go through this every so often. I'll be writing away, then...nothing. Everything I write sounds and feels forced. If I have to force it, it's not worth it. On the bright side, I've gone through this enough times to know that I will come out of it eventually and start to write again. I just can't say when.

I'm hoping that once the holidays are over, I'll get back to work. I have a few things I want to try, but I have to have my head clear in order to do so. I've already written and published one 30-minute read on Amazon and am planning on doing more. I'm going to try several different angles to see which one works best. I read that if you're going to do something along these lines, it's best to use pen names for each genre. I don't see me doing that. I'll just use my real name and hope for the best. If it works, cool. If not, at least I tried.

Okay, I think I'm done with my rant. I'm so glad I revamped this blog so I'd have a place to just write whatever comes to mind. I don't have to worry about SEO, or keywords, or even making sense. This is just a space where I can let my hair down and be myself. It's very cleansing. Get all the clutter out of the attic and make room for some new ideas. 

Remember, my friends, make time for your family. Hang out with friends. Step away from the daily grind and make some memories. We're only given so much time on this Earth. Be sure to enjoy every day of it.

Until next time,
Miss Chris!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures. 

A True Reason to be Thankful This Year

 

We're still a few days away from Thanksgiving and I'm over here thinking about the things I should be thankful for this year. It's been a hell of a ride and I really do have a lot to be grateful for. 

Okay, let me give you some perspective. In January, I will have been separated from husband #2 for two years. He left me. I was mortified. It took me a good six months just to be able to not burst out into tears around other people. I lived in the house we had shared...for a time. It was an inheritance from his mother, so I had no choice but to move. Another hard slap to the face. 

He'd left me with most of the bills and half of the money. I had to get help from various sources (I was also raising a grandchild), but I managed to find a place for the grandbaby and myself just before Thanksgiving. It was hard for me to get into the holiday mood. I was starting to get past the initial trauma, but it still hurt.

Just about a year ago, I cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner in my little apartment. Just me, the grandbaby, her mom, and her step-dad. It was an amazing dinner and we all had a wonderful time. It was the first time since my husband had left me that I actually felt thankful for anything. I still had the grandbaby. I still had my daughter and she had given me an amazing son-in-law. 

For the past year, I've worked my ass off trying to keep my head above water. My husband had taken the new car we'd just purchased together and left me with his piece-of-shit pickup. What's worse? He never made a payment on the car and I either had to make the payments or let it get repossessed and have that on my record as well as his. I paid that car off, even though I wasn't driving it, and added a few good marks to my credit report.

I finally saved up enough money to file for divorce. I didn't get an attorney, I just filed all the papers myself and even made sure he knew what I was doing. I'm not sure if he'd realized what he had done, or if he thought I was bluffing, but we were getting along pretty well. So, after I'd filed, I had him come over for dinner. I served him spaghetti for supper and divorce papers for dessert. Mmmm, yummy.

He signed the papers, then signed the title for the pickup and handed it over to me. It was still a piece of shit, but I had a clear title so I could sell it if I had to. I wanted a new car, but I didn't think I could do it on my own. Between trying to pay rent, pay the bills, and still put food on the table, I was barely getting by. Fast forward two months to the day we went to court for the divorce. 

I stopped at the bank on my way to the courthouse. I wanted to make sure I had enough cash on me to pay whatever was left on the divorce. However, the Universe had other ideas for me. Someone came out of the bank, obviously pissed off, and slammed into my driver's side door. The door wouldn't open and the window was shattered, and I was supposed to be in court in less than 15 minutes. 

I called my (now) ex and told him what happened. He got to the bank before the police did. He was pulling chunks of glass out of my door panel when the police finally arrived. I explained the situation as he took my information. Then, he sent us off to the courthouse, which was (thankfully) just across the street. 

We made it just in time and the judge signed off on our divorce. Still, I was now driving a piece of shit pickup with a door that didn't open and no window...and it was October. Brrrr. I spent a week driving that damn thing before I decided it was time to get a new car. 

A friend had me call her guy. She knew a guy who worked at a local dealership. And not one of those places with the cardboard signs written in black marker. Like, a real dealership with cars inside the showroom and the whole thing. I called him around 10am on a Friday morning and by the time I got off work that afternoon, I was on my way to sign for my new car. I was so proud of myself and so freaked out over what I had just done. I pulled up my big girl panties and did a thing. WTF???

So, here it is, a full year later. I'm still struggling, but I'm still here. I have a new car that I feel safe driving and don't worry about putting my grandchild in. We're warm, we're safe, and we're fed. And that right there is a lot. 

I'm thankful for the people I have around me, however many or few there may be. I'm thankful for the chance to be the person that I've become. And I'm thankful that I've been given another chance to prove to myself and the world that I will be okay.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures. 

A Month of Gratitude

"Being Grateful" by Christine Graves via Canva Pro

 

It's the month of November and I have a lot to be grateful for. There are days when it doesn't feel like it, but I do. I have to remember where I was even just a year ago and I've come a long way. I've spent the past year making my own way in this world while caring for my grandchild in the process. I know it sounds weird, but this really is the first time in my life I've had to do this all on my own.

Today, I'm grateful just to be here, typing this post out, being able to sit in my own home and play on a computer I paid for, with the help of the Internet I pay for each month. Does that sound bad? I hope not because that really is what I'm most grateful for. I'm grateful that I've had the drive to keep myself going even when I felt like throwing in the towel. 

I'm grateful that I've got a decent paying job and am able to afford a few small things. I don't go out to eat all the time and I've got to be careful with my spending habits, but I've been doing this for almost a year now. I just hope I can keep up the momentum. 

I'm grateful that I still have the power to get myself up each morning and get myself out the door. Trust me, it wouldn't take much for me to become a hermit and never come out of my cave. I don't have much of a filter anymore and it takes a lot for me to keep my mouth shut in certain situations. 

Finally, I'm grateful that I got to see the sunshine again today. I'm at the age now where I'm starting to see the obituaries of people I went to high school with. I know I could be next. I'm not getting any younger and though my health isn't horrible, I've had a few scares over the past couple of years. I'm so thankful that I'm still here to hug and kiss my grandbabies.

Throughout the month of November, I'll be posting about things I'm grateful for. I'm so thankful that I get to do this and I'm even more thankful for those of you who stop by to read my silly little things. I consider each of you a blessing.

I hope you have something to be grateful for today. May you all be blessed.

Until next time
Miss Chris

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Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures. 

God Wants Me to Write about Him

"Faith in God" by Christine Graves via Canva Pro

 

Okay, I know how weird that sounds, but it's true. I've had it on my heart for quite some time now that God wants me to do a blog about Him. I've tried to chalk it up to my overactive imagination, but I'm pretty sure it's really Him pushing me.

Here's the thing. I was raised a Protestant. I've been part of the Baptist faith, the Pentecostal faith, the Methodist faith, and even the Koinania faith (it's a non-denominational faith). I was raised to put all my faith in God and trust that whatever happened was God's will. I wasn't always happy with the outcome and God knows that. 

However, even with all the Christianity I've been a part of, I'm NOT a religious person. I believe in God, with my whole heart, but I think the term "organized religion" is a load of crap. God knows this too. I can't say He's happy about it, but He knows how I feel. I believe in God, not all the crap that comes with that term.

So, I've decided to listen to Him and start posting more about Him and how He works in my life. No, this isn't going to become a blog completely dedicated to God (sorry Lord), but I will be doing more posts about Him and His work in the world. I think we all could use a little help from God in the world today.

I'll be honest, I'm not exactly sure what I'll be writing about just yet, but I'm sure He'll tell me what he wants me to say. Anyway, I hope He does. I've got a few ideas. One of my very first stints as an online writer was a little blog called Finding the Father. I was pretty proud of it and I spent a lot of time bringing it to life. However, it was through a site called Webseed.com and they went belly-up and took my little blog with them. I was bummed.

I realize that most people don't want to have Christianity shoved down their throats, and I get that. I'm one of them. But I'm not looking to make this into that kind of place. I want the focus to be on God and His word. Not all the other BS that humans have woven into the mix. 

I hope you'll stop by in the coming weeks and see where I go with this. I promise I'll still have other things here, but I want to bring God into this and give Him a place to be heard. I just hope I can do Him justice. 

Until next time,
Miss Chris

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently writes for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's opened her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures. 

Freewriting for Ideas

"Deep in Thought" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

 

I'm so glad I found this blog once again. I like the idea of having a little space to just let my fingers dance across the keys and see what comes out. I've been working on trying to open up an online shop, but I keep distracting myself with details. I'm sabotaging myself, really. I do it all the time.

I've been using an AI generator to help me come up with ideas. I really like Gemini AI. It's helped me come up with some really cool ideas. Now, with that being said, I also have to admit that I don't like the idea of having AI write my pieces for me. Just doesn't feel right. As a writing prompt creator, I'm all for finding ideas to write about wherever you can find them. But to have an AI program write FOR ME? No, thank you.

In correlation with me opening up my own online shop, I'm also trying to revive my website, Collected Keepsakes. I've been trying to come up with ideas on the types of articles to write that has to do with collecting, collectibles, and collectors. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. It sucks. "Hey, get a niche site," they said. "It'll be fun," they said. "Oh, just go with what you know." I'm trying.

I've got to figure out how to combine my "collectibles" website with the idea of creativity. I've been in a very creative flow lately. Problem is that I'm trying to swing from writing a full-length novel, a short series of 30-minute reads, and keeping up my Medium sites, to trying to get stuff put together for my shop and getting the word out about it. My brain's turning to mush.

I've decided that I'm going to try and sell a few of the things I've got around my house. I have a whole jewelry box full of vintage Christmas brooches that I'll never wear. My mother collected them, so what better idea than to pass them along to other collectors and let something she thought of as beautiful, go to a new home. She would have loved that. I'll keep a few pieces that have special memories, but this is something she would have fully approved of.

I also have way more crafting supplies than I'll ever use. I get most of my crafting materials from second-hand stores, garage sales, and auctions. Plus, I used to work in a craft store and got 20% off everything, including clearance items. I may have gone a little overboard. That was 10 years ago and I still have totes and boxes full of stuff. Time to let some of it go. 

Maybe if I work on doing a specific post each week. I thought of doing a "Pinterest Find of the Week" and talk about finding ideas on how to make your own collectibles. I'll have to think on that a little deeper. I can show off crochet items, sewing projects, tips on making miniatures, or do a spotlight on different websites. Yeah, I'll have to think about that one.

I have a lot of ideas, but nothing solid. I do know that it's never going to happen unless I just do it. Stop coming up with reasons why I can't and just do it. Stop whining about not getting it done and fix it. I'm the only one standing in my way.

Okay, I'm done for now. I'm so happy I found my little blog again. It's not the blog I thought it would be when I started it 14 years ago, but it's still here. I'm still here.

Until next time,
Stay creative!!!

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Christine Graves has been writing online for nearly 30 years. She has written everything from fiction and poetry to reviews and ad campaigns. She runs two blogs, Graves Publications and Collected Keepsakes. She currently write for a platform called Medium.com and runs several publications through them. 

Christine is also an avid collector of vintage anything and an arts-and-crafts kinda gal. She is a sucker for a garage/yard sale, secondhand stores, and auctions. Because of this, she's in the process of opening up her first real online shop called Prairied Treasures.