Easter Sunday was a glorious day, full of praise and worship, and family and friends. I had cooked a huge meal of roast, potatoes, carrots, green beans, homemade bread, and strawberry shortcake (with real whipping cream!). My parents were there and we watched my children hunt eggs filled with candy and money. You can see them in the picture, looking through their stash, and counting their money.

We then walked to a nearby school and flew kites. It was my daughter-in-law’s idea and it was so much fun! We hadn’t flown kites in forever and enjoyed the peace and relaxation it brought. You can’t be too close to those around you, because you don’t want your strings to tangle, so it left you alone with the kite and the wind. Lots of thinking time.

Of course, I immediately started thinking about new stories whirling in my mind. At one point, I laid down in the grass and watched my kite high above, and wondered what other kinds of things I could do to get my mind focused on stories. What kind of activities give your mind time to create?

• Kite flying
• Swinging on a porch swing or hammock
• Take a walk
• Ironing ( I know…yuck, you say. Well, I say yuck too!)
• Washing dishes
• Cleaning the closet
• Driving (this can be very dangerous…I’ve thought about stories while driving and then realize I don’t remember the last few miles of driving!)
• Playing tennis?
• Folding clothes
• Yoga (you get the added physical benefit)