Cat Skinner Club

Cat Skinner March 14, 2017

Reflections on Risk-Taking and Creativity

March madness is upon us in the form of the best snowstorm I’ve seen in ages. Last night we sent the kids to their nearby grandparents house, and they kept our mini-van complete with snow tires. We’ve got the Honda Civic with nearly bald tires, and so we are marooned. Not a single snow plow in sight, and it’s still coming down. Our home isn’t such a terrible place to be stuck. The fire is crackling. We took a break from work to start Season Two of The Expanse. The kettle is on and homemade, dairy-free strawberry ice cream is…

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Cat Skinner February 2, 2017

The Value of My Work

I took a big leap this week, and it feels weird. For months now, I’ve been meeting regularly with my writing group, an amazing bunch of women writers who are all exceptionally talented. Though they aren’t all published, they all have the chops to be, and we support each other by giving critical feedback on each other’s work, sharing resources, and encouragement. They have helped me feel more committed to my writing and they’ve helped me understand the value of my work. Not one, but two of my writing colleagues recently took a week to themselves to head to their…

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Cat Skinner January 21, 2017

Grown Up Play Dates

“When’s Nate coming over?” I heard this about fifty times in the span of an hour this morning, my four-year-old Noodle too excited about the pending arrival of his bestie to even manage a proper breakfast. His weekend uniform is always the same; it’s pajamas or bust. I’ve stopped trying to convince him that it’s proper to get dressed to run errands. For him, clothes are for school, and begrudgingly, for special occasions. Even then he insists on pjs underneath, and there’s always a Clark Kent style quick change if the outing runs too late for his sensitive tastes. I…

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Cat Skinner January 20, 2017

Inauguration Day

in·au·gu·ra·tion iˌnôɡ(y)əˈrāSH(ə)n/ noun the beginning or introduction of a system, policy, or period. “the inauguration of an independent prosecution service” 2. the formal admission of someone to office. “Truman’s second presidential inauguration” 3. a ceremony to mark the beginning of something. “the inauguration of the Modern Art Museum” Today is the end of an era. I can no longer sit up here in this little corner of my quiet room, distracting myself with a million things that aren’t my own voice. Work things, helping things, playful things, domestic things. They are important, of course, but they can’t replace my voice.…

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Cat Skinner November 25, 2016

A To-Do List For A Difficult Day

Anyone who knows me knows about my love/hate relationship with November. This year, I seem to have gone darker and deeper into the grey than ever before. I need vitamin B, or iron. I need a week off. There’s never enough sleep, never enough time. The leaves are hanging on longer because even they seem to know that I need the added brightness of their outrageous colours. The good news is, it’s nearly over. Here’s a to-do list for today. It will likely be extended to tomorrow as well. These are big days for me, these two. Big enough that…

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