23 Comments
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Stacy Bronec's avatar

"Writing is just a pasteurized thought process. If I make too much of it, it all spoils." Love. Great post, Tresta.

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Penny Chamberlin's avatar

If you designate a junk drawer, Ideally you won’t put junk in every drawer😊

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Tresta Payne's avatar

True!

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Amanda's avatar

My heart was with you while you were moving and I could see the exhaustion for you and Tim. You amaze me every single day with the love you pour into the deli and the people that work for you, even when you have nothing more to give. Love you, friend!

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Thank you Amanda. You always call out the best in me ; )

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Callie R. Feyen's avatar

Your office is amazing (as is your writing).

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Tresta Payne's avatar

It is a great place to think and stare and read and drink coffee. Just sayin ; )

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Callie R. Feyen's avatar

*scans flight prices*

:)

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Aimee Guest's avatar

Every. Time. Every time I read your writing I feel like there are words I could have written myself.

"For me, it feels like the work of my entire life has been to bring order to continual chaos, which is a vocation without end." It's what draws me to art and writing, moving chaos into some kind of order. And of course I just wrote recently about an unplanned writing break and the discomfort of finding a rhythm again. Here is something I've been noticing though...oh you know what? I'm going to go write you a long overdue letter and I'll tell you there!

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Yay!

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Kortney Garrison's avatar

Wowzers! That deck!

We once moved across the driveway. So we borrowed the neighbor's wheelbarrow and made the trip again and again.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

That is hilarious, Kortney! Sounds like a great children's book. I'll bet that was awful though. For weeks it felt like I kept saying, "one more load!" and then we would go back and find more stuff--I can't imagine how many wheelbarrow trips our move would have taken.

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Kortney Garrison's avatar

It wasn't all bad! https://www.flickr.com/photos/onedeepdrawer/5054735425/

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Megan Willome's avatar

How do I count the poignant metaphors in this piece?!

Love the wisdom that your consistency is in returning. May that be said of me and all of us.

And I get the value of place. We moved 2 miles, eight years ago, and I can't imagine how we could have survived without it.

Here's to Slowness.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

I always know you'll see the metaphors ; )

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Kathy Gallagher's avatar

As always, yum! You’re reading my mind, but putting it all in so much better words. KEEP WRITING!

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Danielle Avila's avatar

I did a slow move like this earlier this year and also felt the pain of prolonging it. I saw similar benefits to you as far as ruthlessly sorting through everything with no moving of junk from place to place but oof- I don't think I would do a "long" move again. I voted yes on the junk drawer while also being someone who said to my husband last week "every time I open this drawer it makes me angry." ;) Your porch looks amazing. Blessings on your season and space!

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Oh my gosh, the anger at the drawer...I get it. I soooo do not want to have a special space for junk I *may* need someday. But we live 30 minutes from the nearest store where I could pick up that random thing I might need, so it seems like I have to keep the junk.

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Penny Chamberlin's avatar

Call it an emergency drawer!

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Cindy Fox's avatar

Thank you for this! I always feel more encouraged and understood after reading your posts. Enjoy your new home!

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Tresta Payne's avatar

That’s all I could hope for, Cindy! Thank you.

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Jody L. Collins's avatar

WHAT?! look at that view. I'll be back for more details.

And you will never not be a writer, my friend. When the words come, they're jewels.

Especially these, "You may think you thrive in chaos. I have never ever thought that, but I hear people say it about themselves. But is that truly true? Do you thrive in chaos, or do you actually thrive in bringing order to chaos? For me, it feels like the work of my entire life has been to bring order to continual chaos, which is a vocation without end."

I've been thinking about my slow journey into writing rhyme and meter in poetry and the bottom line has been the discovery of order and beauty in the sound the words make.... Plus you have to be more intentional.

Definitely a metaphor there.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

You know I love this: “the discovery of order and beauty in the sound the words make” Yes.

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