leahvidal

[leahvidal]

Footage of me out on a “run” today. I chose the hottest Texas day with high pollen and high mold to run outdoors. And, I survived!Kids joined me in case I needed CPR. I’m not completely mad...yet. Tune in tonight when I’ll debate whether it’s #justallergies or #coronavirus. #snail #theviewfromhere #myfrontporch #running #beerrun #specificallycoronarun #quarantinedaywhatever #texasheat #allergyseason #wereallmadhere #pollen #mold #snailsofinstagram #texashillcountry https://www.instagram.com/p/B-K5chGnlGj/?igshid=ku2q2kaxsxgb

[leahvidal]

The void is expanding. Since quarantining and social distancing became the buzz words of 2020, responsible folks all across the globe have found a new normal. The void is expanding. Instead of beginning the day with a trip to the gym, treadmills across the world are being dusted off and showered with infinite attention by those desperate to maintain not only a level of sanity but also their current pant size. The void is expanding. Rather than starting the morning routine with a quick drive through a local coffee shop to kickstart productivity, we are brewing a pot in our home kitchens and seeking that elusive jumpstart to a productive day. The motivation is fleeting and the coffee doesn’t taste the same. The void is expanding. Social media is bursting at the seams with users I haven’t seen an update from since mail came in the form of a snail. I imagine it has something to do with people looking for the latest report on the Corona Virus. You venture into Facebook, Twitter, even Instagram for a quick update only to be sucked in for awhile. And, now that this is the main connection to the outside world you find yourself commenting, maybe even posting (gasp)! The void is expanding. As a writer, my world is by definition mostly virtual. I write to an invisible audience. I post to an abyss. I share across the rabbit hole that is the internet. Then I sit back and do it all over again, never knowing how much interaction my stories will provide. Never specifically knowing the reader as a physical person. My words are sent floating across the waves of a never ending sea with no itinerary or final destination. These days, the more we practice social distancing, the larger that void seems to become. At least for me. It doesn’t quite make sense given it is my norm even if it’s not everyone else’s. And yet, I feel an overwhelming sense of “what’s the point?” whenever I sit down to write. Is it the same for you? Are artists now wondering what the point is in sending their art into the void? Are musicians wondering why bother to send their lyrics into the void? Are businesses pondering if it’s really worth it to promote their products and services to the void? https://www.instagram.com/p/B-DPd4vniYm/?igshid=70pryft7bu2a

[leahvidal]

Waited in the car while my kids ran in for milk. #wheresthemilk #coronavirus #covid_19 #lifewithteens #quarantine #shakingmyhead #againwheresthemilk #junkfood #haventhadabagelbitesince1992 https://www.instagram.com/p/B92MZNOHRwO/?igshid=74k3v1wchncs

[leahvidal]

Today, my daughter and I wrote and illustrated a short message of kindness. We may feel like all is out of our control, but a small act of compassion for our fellow neighbor is a choice worth making. Written by @littlemisswordy Illustrated by @nootnoot_liv #childrensstory #kindness #artistsoninstagram #creativity #elderlycare #coronavirus #covid_19 #storytelling #cartoon #comic #drawing #drawingkindness #quarantine #stayhome #neighbors #fear #hope #illustration #inspiration https://www.instagram.com/p/B90AcxUno44/?igshid=haen9ubg3do0

[leahvidal]

It was a dark and stormy night...when the Astros lost the World Series. It just wasn’t your night, Astros. Congratulations Nationals! #houstonastros #minutemaidpark #worldseries #mlb #houston #texas #baseball #americaspasttime #takemeouttotheballgame (at Houston Astros Minute Maid Stadium) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4RPnX9AgtX/?igshid=7yw1fu68xu35

[leahvidal]

I know [Umbridge] by reputation and I'm sure she's no Death Eater-" "She's foul enough to be one..." "Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. #deatheaters #harrypotter #prison #azkaban #prisonerofazkaban #halloween #pumpkin #pumpkincarving #halloweendecor #themostwonderfultimeoftheyear #tistheseason #favoritetimeofyear #fall #timeforanintervention #imoutofcontrol #umbridge https://www.instagram.com/p/B4NQZL5A7DY/?igshid=152v8z8tn3hm4

[leahvidal]

"Over every mountain is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley."

[leahvidal]

"Over every mountain is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley."

#travel #photography #parenting #inspiration

[leahvidal]

Coconut isn't ready for Monday. #sundayblues #coco #rhodesianridgeback #dogsofinstgram

[leahvidal]

Even Max and Coco are glued to #supergirl #labsofinstagram #rhodesianridgeback #sidebyside

[leahvidal]

#amwriting #withalittlehelpfrommyfriends #blacklabs #donotdisturb #novelinprogress

[leahvidal]

"Like a drifter, I continued to travel the aisles with no definitive direction to my journey. As I turned a corner I noticed a single book out-of-place. It wasn't the color that made it stand out or even its nondescript cover but the fact that it was the only book on the shelf not tucked in between others. Rather, its cover faced forward, propped against a row of titled spines. There was that pull again, that involuntary draw, that urgency to reach for it." - Leah Vidal More on the blog. Website in profile. #amwriting #bookstagram #pleasereadme #iwrotethisforyou #abookwithnoauthor

[leahvidal]

You said we couldn't get on the couch. There was no mention of recliners. #labsofinstagram #rhodesianridgeback #brotherlylove #lazyday

[leahvidal]

#thisisme #iamnotalone #same

[leahvidal]

#firstdayofsummer #summer #gymmotivation #flipflops #fitness

[leahvidal]

#firstdayofsummer #summer #flipflops #fitness #gymmotivation

[leahvidal]

The Two Sides Of It – Priscilla Leonard There was a girl who always said Her fate was very hard; From the one thing she wanted most She always was debarred. There always was a cloudy spot Nothing was ever quite just right, She used to always say and sigh. And yet her sister, strange to say, Whose lot was quite the same, Found something pleasant for herself In every day that came; Of course, things tangled up sometimes For just a little while; But nothing every stayed all wrong, She used to say and smile. So one girl sighed, and one girl smiled Through all their lives together; It didn’t come from luck or fate, From clear or cloudy weather. The reason lay within their hearts, And colored all outside; One chose to hope, and one chose to mope, And so they smiled and sighed. #poetry #attitude #perspective