what what what?

Here we go.

A few weeks ago, within the same week, several people mentioned my blog. My blog? The one I haven't written since September of last year? That one? Clearly, the universe was trying to tell me something. In fact, the universe has been yelling at me a lot lately. Some of it is actually getting through, too.

Enough of it has gotten through that I'm making some remarkable headway with writing:

1. I promised my critique group that I would compile and submit a chapbook of poems to several contests this summer. And I'm only slightly behind schedule. :)

2. I've completed 3 or 4 new poems for this chapbook -- some of which have been haunting me, unwritten, for years. One is probably in its 50th draft.

3. I have started morning pages again... and, get this... in A FANCY HANDMADE journal. (Not handmade by me, but by a real book-maker.) And I'm not scared of it or to write in it. How's that for progress? I believe my words are worth a fancy journal.


Granted, to make progress in one area means I'm slacking in others... I can't even think about everything I have to do for the litfest right now. But I got the garden hoed yesterday and today is a rainy inside day with a child recovering from a tonsillectomy. Everything will come together.

Me Time

Now that the bluster of the literary festival is over, perhaps I will catch up with me.

It went very well and I found the weekend rewarding... which is good when you spend all year working (volunteering) for a two day event.

At one point during the weekend, one man told the story of his son asking him if he wanted anything, what would he ask for. The man replied, "Time. More time."

"Don't you feel like you just don't have enough time to do everything?" he turned to me and asked.

But as I sat there and thought about it I realized I don't want more time. What I want is the ability to prioritize better. The last thing I need is more time to fill up. I need to use the time I have more wisely.

That's my new goal. Prioritize. Use the time I have wisely. I have control over that.

My First 5K

I ran my first 5K this morning at the Biltmore. (Race Page)

This was a part of my New Year's resolution to get in shape... the first time I've really tried since the twins were born 3.5 years ago. It also forced me to work at getting over my patella femural pain as well as get stronger....

Regardless, my goal was to finish under 30 minutes, something I was never able to accomplish in training for the race.

One of the perks of training in the mountains, however, is that when you finally get to run a flat course, you stand to amaze yourself.

I finished in 28:10.2!

Recently Read Books

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
The Power of One by Bryce Courtany
Clementine and The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Shadow Play by Charles Baxter
Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary
Dragon's Blood, Heart's Blood, and A Sending of Dragons by Jane Yolen
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Yes, I counted the books I read out loud to my daughter. I'd have to say my two favorites out of this batch were The Talented Clementine and Shadow Play. For very different reasons. Of course.

Public Apology about Shelfari Invitation

I can't get my flaming cheeks to stop.

I am so sorry about the Shelfari invitation that got sent out to my ENTIRE address book. There were two buttons: One under those few people in my address book who were already members... and one under the rest of my address book who were not members.... I intentionally did not invite those people who were not already members. Or so I thought. I did not think Shelfari would send to the second list when I clicked the list for the above group.

I was sent repeated reminders from the "service," so to avoid that happening to all of you, I have deleted my account.

I am mortified beyond belief.

Latest Accomplishment

My most recent accomplishment was re-designing a website for novelist Charles F. Price.

charlesfprice.com

I'm not done yet, but the basic site is up. Granted, I'm no professional and I just use Netscape Composer (a free wysiwyg) and the stripped down Adobe Elements to create graphics... but I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out.

Price's most recent book Where the Water-Dogs Laughed has just been nominated as one of the 6 potential books for the Together We Read program in Western North Carolina.

The other nominees are:

• My Old True Love by Sheila Kay Adams
• Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier
• Boone by Robert Morgan
• Anthology of Western North Carolina Poets by Together We Read
• The Hills Beyond by Thomas Wolfe

Voting Ballots are at local bookstores and libraries... and the public also may be able to vote on the TWR website, though that option is not available yet. The 2008 pick will be announced at their December 2 gathering as the final gala for Lee Smith's On Agate Hill.

The Books I've Read

In the last month I have read the following books:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 331 pages

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 627 pages

Signs in the Blood by Vicki Lane 370 pages

and part of How to be Your Own Literary Agent by Richard Curtis

about 200 pages of it

That adds up to 1,528 pages in a month!

I haven't gone on a reading binge like this for a while. 50 pages a day. Now then, I suppose I'd better stop and write something myself soon.

Next on the list:

Vengeance on the Sweetgrass by Charles Price

(a yet unpublished manuscript)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen