Gentle rain, here. I will brave the damp to go pick some
lily-of-the-valley, in a moment. I can see the tiny white bells from the second
floor window. Glad, also, for the violets which seem to be spreading
everywhere.
I woke at 2:30 a.m., thinking I was still revising a story
I’d put down hours before. I woke again at 6:30 in the morning, half an hour
later than I intended, planning to put that motivation into the hard copies and
the colored pencils I use when I revise stories. First I needed to cook oatmeal,
make coffee, walk a boy to the bus. Then I learned that Maurice Sendak died,
and I needed to listen to the stories on the radio.
But I did write a cover letter and print a hard copy of 1) story to send to The Sun magazine. Even though I am not good with the U.S. Post
Office. Stamping the SASE, now, and sending, today. Maybe alongside a stack of
packages I’ve sworn to mail soon?
2) A story published online this week, with 3) a second
connected post going online soon.
I am deep in the “wild revisions” of 4) a shorter story
and 5) one really long essay, trying to keep my paper copies straight as I
literally cut and rearrange pieces. Circles, slashes—so far it’s all in good
fun, and I don’t realize how out of control the process feels, until it’s 2:30
in the morning and I am bolt upright in bed. Remind me to finish these submissions before I start to revise
everything I’ve ever written…
What else can I tell you? I turned 50 on a quiet day, and my
family took me out for a night of Celtic singing and fabulous food. The kids
agreed to take off their hats and to stop insulting one another, mostly. My
friend Emily is helping me to tweak the website. I just interviewed to teach
high school kids for the summer. My house is a wreck. My garden is… not really
a garden yet. But the writing is going well.
So, most days I just want to scrawl the words “I am so
boring,” on my blog, on Facebook. Thanks for enduring, with my boring self! I
am working my way through the clothesline of submission goals, and maybe finding
work, too. Boring. But moving along.
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