Rinascimento

I like to pick a theme or word for a year.

For 2014 my word is "rinascimento" -- Italian for Renaissance.

I'm picking the word now because for me the year goes from Thanksgiving in one year to my birthday in the following January -- so it actually covers a 14-month period. That's a thematic year for me.

I was pretty happy when the word occurred to me a few weeks ago. I'm about two years into trying to learn Italian, through a combination of weekly lessons at the amazing Spectrum Languages in Irvine, Pimsleur tapes and reading the cycling coverage in La Gazzetta della Sport. So I wanted an Italian word, even though I haven't been to Italy since 2010.

The word is also appropriate because I'm recommitting to my novel, which has been lingering in my laptop for a LONG time now. So let's see what we can get going in the 418 days that remain in the year of the rinascimento.

First step - breakfast with my writing notebook at Pascal's Epicerie in Newport Beach. It's been my Friday morning start of the writing week for several years.