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Hey, folks, another week has come and gone. Be sure to checkout my yearly blog event. The Third Annual Golden Coffee Cup is on the horizon, my answer to the NANOWRIMO idea of writing a book in a month. Yes, I know some of you out there can do it, but I invite all NANOWRIMO folks to consider me the back-up plan. I think it's hard to make any goal and keep it. I think that half a novel in a month is beyond awesome! Post you goals on the Golden Coffee Cup page. Join me for wild ruckus, heartfelt inspiration, and a chance to win a real cup of coffee. Click here for goal-setting tips.

This is a busy fall for me, and I just ache for a slower pace in life. I'm going to confess the sad truth; I'm not exactly blazing forward with work right now unless you are a snail. I'm sure if we were all snails I'd be in the winners' circle.

I go to yoga every week and at the end we always do a balance series, often including tree pose. I'm always surprised how slowing the pace and breathing will inform the rest of my life. I was feeling a little down this week because freaking everyone races past me in the journey of creation. I see deserving authors start their journey and then move onto big contracts and then national awards, movie deals, and boatloads of readers. As I held my tree pose today, I began to think of all the kinds of trees out there. Some show big glory in the spring like the beautiful cherry trees. Evergreens have a steady beauty that last year round. But for me I love the white aspens and the glorious maples. They put on the big show in autumn. I connected that thought with who I am as a creator. I'm just at the end of the summer of my life and moving toward autumn. I feel within me the power of the sun stored up and starting to seep out into my leaves. My big show is just beginning. I have no words for the great surprise of these days.

Big shout out for my friend Kathi Appelt. Her book The Underneath was just nominated for the National Book Award! Kathi has created one of those books for the generations. Kudos and thanks to her. I'm predicting at the very least, a Newbery honor coming.

So it's time for doodle of the week! I call this one Girl and Tree.

Remember: ©Molly Blaisdell, all rights reserved. If you want to use my cool doodles, ask permission first. It is so wrong to take people's doodles without permission!

Time for action is now. It's never too late to do something. Carl Sandberg