Today, the sun lathers our parking lot in spots of warmth as fall leaves blow and drop from open space. The evergreen trees on the horizon stand in chilly contrast to the other-colored trees, painted swathes of red, yellow, and orange. I just love autumn. The air is crisp; with a snap it invigorate my steps, works its way into my lungs, triggers memories, both real and imagined, of many seasons of harvest.

School is in full swing now. Sarah’s in her first year of soccer. Anna has begun singing for the Seattle Children’s Chorus. Christa is busy with PTA prez responsibilities. I am working and writing. We’ve been putting down roots in a new church community. We are moving from a place of constant transition into the solace of some routine and stability. In the midst of it, I am experiencing this odd sensation some refer to as contentment or (could it be?) peace. Weird, huh.

Last week I finished the application process for getting into a low-residency program for Master’s in Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing. The low-res programs are designed for working writers like me who have a “day-job” but want to pursue graduate level work and write more intentionally. If accepted to a program, I would be required to attend two conferences (residencies) a year which run from 7-10 days. In these workshops, there would be lectures, critical analysis, meeting with advisors/teachers, student reviews, and a lot of writing involved. In between the residencies, I would be working on my course-work from my home and corresponding with my teacher(s) online through email, forums, and manuscript submissions. The programs run for two years and upon completion, I would have my Master’s and would be able to teach creative writing at the university level. But that is a secondary goal for me. I am interested in “stepping up my game” and really refining my craft so that I can work towards publishing.

I’m pretty excited by the possibility. It is one of those life-long goals I’ve had which I am now stepping towards.

The schools I applied to (for this first-round, since acceptance is not guaranteed) are:

• Seattle Pacific University
• Pacific University (Oregon)
• Goddard College (Port Townsend, WA)
• Goucher College (Baltimore, MD)

I chose these schools because of their reputation within the “low-residency” arena, their creative nonfiction program, and, in the case of SPU, the focus on spirituality and writing. It will be interesting to see where this all leads…

Maybe by next autumn, I’ll be back in school again, too. Nice and crisp.