Here's a challenge: try counting gold finches and pine siskins at your feeder for Cornell's backyard bird count! They move in and away in waves at my feeder, tiny, mouse-sized birds: the goldfinches buffy golden and the siskins stripey golden--fluttering in, then pouf! the whole flock spooks. I think I had 25-30 siskins and 20-25 goldfinches today, and I know I had one redpoll, his red poll gleaming like a ruby in the late winter sunlight. Sometimes I look out and they are swarming on the ground like feathered maggots! Not a nice image I know, but what busy little creatures! A number of other visitors were ransacking suet and sunflower seed, jays, nuthatches, juncos, woodpeckers, etc.
When Fred and I skied this morning, we only saw a couple of chickadees in the woods. I wonder how big an area of woodlnd is represented at my feeder? After lunch I talked a willful and rebellious Katy into allowing herself to be captured for a ride, but but first she grabbed a mouthful of horse treats, turned tail and made me tromp up to the upper pasture after her. I think she has spring fever. We headed accross the road because Fred had seen the coyote hunters go up the hill. All winter Katy has been content to walk fairly sedately through the snow, but today she wanted to gallop! And I let her! This winter I've been riding bareback, surprised at how safe I feel, even at 55 and not exactly Olymic fitness level. It's warmer too, and a treat to grab a helmet, bridle, snag Katy or Star and go. Of course I have to take my noble steed to the picnic table for this shorty to get on without stirrups to help. I learned that when your horse stops, and she is not lifting her tail, she has a reason. Sure enough, there a the edge of the woodlot behind Jerry Smith's tunble down barn, were two deer. Then I spotted a pair of redtail hawks, but try to convince ole Fireball to stand still long enough for me to get my mini-binoculars on them. Ha! She did finally consent to go into her lovely, smooth jog. It's only taken her sixteen years to learn it. It was a treat to watch her roll in the snow afterwards.
I managed to write a synopsis (I hate and despise writint them) of my middle grade novel, Chestnut, compose a letter to go with it, and YIKES attach the manuscript. So there it will be on Michael's desk tomorrow morning. For better or worse. Well, I know it's been worse. Hopefully it is better now. So I guess it's also ready to send to Jill as well. Here goes.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Monday Morning
Trying to jot a few thoughts before lunch. Each day sorta goes in a whirl. I just screwed up my courage and called an agent that I sent my shipwreck story to back in December to let him know I would be submitting (how I hate that word) simultaneously to some other agents. Just a courtesy call, I didn't even need to talk with him, just leave the message. I hate that at 55 I am still fearful of calling people that I don't know. I used to get my older sister to call my best friend, Martha, because I was afraid somebody else in her family might answer. And why didn't I tell that lady in the grocery store exactly what I thought when she stated that the heap of white flour, sugar, and trans-fat she was buying was for her grandkids, then asked for three packs of cigarettes and gave the "cool" advertising gimmick card on the back to the young cashier?
What else did I accomplish this a.m.? Oh yeah, an email to my researcher in Pittsburgh who has invited me to have lunch when I go there to hear her talk and see The Horse exhibit at the Carnegie Museum at the end of the month. Yoga and a walk in the woods. And maybe a tiny breakthrough in a plot idea, although nothing on paper.
Library Sale to set up this afternoon. Well, it's a good cause, especially in this part of the state with its appalling illiteracy rate.
Oh, and I finished Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why this morning. It's an important and compelling read. I'll donate it to Whitesville Central School in memory of my cousin Peter. I don't believe we've had any suicides here (ever?) but that doesn't mean we should not be watching our kids (and friends and selves) and ready to act and reach out when people need emotional help.
What else did I accomplish this a.m.? Oh yeah, an email to my researcher in Pittsburgh who has invited me to have lunch when I go there to hear her talk and see The Horse exhibit at the Carnegie Museum at the end of the month. Yoga and a walk in the woods. And maybe a tiny breakthrough in a plot idea, although nothing on paper.
Library Sale to set up this afternoon. Well, it's a good cause, especially in this part of the state with its appalling illiteracy rate.
Oh, and I finished Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why this morning. It's an important and compelling read. I'll donate it to Whitesville Central School in memory of my cousin Peter. I don't believe we've had any suicides here (ever?) but that doesn't mean we should not be watching our kids (and friends and selves) and ready to act and reach out when people need emotional help.
Monday Morning
Trying to jot a few thoughts before lunch. Each day sorta goes in a whirl. I just screwed up my courage and called an agent that I sent my shipwreck story to back in December to let him know I would be submitting (how I hate that word) simultaneously to some other agents. Just a courtesy call, I didn't even need to talk with him, just leave the message. I hate that at 55 I am still fearful of calling people that I don't know. I used to get my older sister to call my best friend, Martha, because I was afraid somebody else in her family might answer. And why didn't I tell that lady in the grocery store exactly what I thought when she stated that the heap of white flour, sugar, and trans-fat she was buying was for her grandkids, then asked for three packs of cigarettes and gave the "cool" advertising gimmick card on the back to the young cashier?
What else did I accomplish this a.m.? Oh yeah, an email to my researcher in Pittsburgh who has invited me to have lunch when I go there to hear her talk and see The Horse exhibit at the Carnegie Museum at the end of the month. Yoga and a walk in the woods. And maybe a tiny breakthrough in a plot idea, although nothing on paper.
Library Sale to set up this afternoon. Well, it's a good cause, especially in this part of the state with its appalling illiteracy rate.
Oh, and I finished Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why this morning. It's an important and compelling read. I'll donate it to Whitesville Central School in memory of my cousin Peter. I don't believe we've had any suicides here (ever?) but that doesn't mean we should not be watching our kids (and friends and selves) and ready to act and reach out when people need emotional help.
What else did I accomplish this a.m.? Oh yeah, an email to my researcher in Pittsburgh who has invited me to have lunch when I go there to hear her talk and see The Horse exhibit at the Carnegie Museum at the end of the month. Yoga and a walk in the woods. And maybe a tiny breakthrough in a plot idea, although nothing on paper.
Library Sale to set up this afternoon. Well, it's a good cause, especially in this part of the state with its appalling illiteracy rate.
Oh, and I finished Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why this morning. It's an important and compelling read. I'll donate it to Whitesville Central School in memory of my cousin Peter. I don't believe we've had any suicides here (ever?) but that doesn't mean we should not be watching our kids (and friends and selves) and ready to act and reach out when people need emotional help.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Writing exercises and soap
I woke up a bit groggy this morning after getting home at midnight from my RACWI meeting (Rochester Area Children's Writers and Illustrator's). Sibby Falk did a great job leading us through some writing exercises. I'll bet her students really like her! We started with five things we are grateful for. Mine:
1. An idea that wakes me at five in the morning--complete with melody.
2. Crowds of winter birds at my feeder.
3. Phone calls from my kids.
4. Back rubs from my husband.
5. Two dogs and three cats surrounding me on the bed as I read and sip my a.m. coffee (brought to me by same wonderful husband).
A lot of us found writing the same line of dialog from four different points of view enlightening. (Kid, teen, adult, senior)
As I reached for the bar of soap this morning I thought about eccentricities. One of mine is that I love to use up a bar of soap. I can't throw away the sliver! I have to use it until it's gone like the moon! Then it's like a present to unwrap a beautiful new bar of soap. I especially love glycerin soap in natural fragrances. My great grandmother used to save all the slivers, soak them into a glob in a pan, let it harden and then cut into bars again. How thrifty! Of course she made her own soap. I remember the chunky yellow bars which we used at the camp in New Hampshire especially for washing after getting into poison ivy.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
February 3, 2009
Whoahhh!
I'm blogging, or is it slogging, clogging, logging, flogging, hogging, snogging . . . ? How much difference a couple of letters make in meaning. Just back from SCBWI Mid-winter- Manhattan (exciting and fun as always) and trying to get back into the groove with a list of to-dos for the day that fills up both sides of an entire index card. So far I've written one TQ note, filed my trove of new used books from Uncle Gordon's magic shop (D'Aulaire's Don't Count Your Chickens, Ernest Thompson Seton's The Arctic Prairies, and a few other gems), checked on what the heck it was that I said to the last agent I submitted material to, and now am actually working on "having more of an online presence" as advised by the bright, young Claudia Gabel (newly laid-off from Random House). She cheerfully told us that the good news is she has a cute boyfriend. She is pretty cute herself in all senses, new and old, of the word, so hopefully will soon be back in the publishing world, gainfully employed. Ah, so much to read and so little time . . . Richard Peck says, "We write by the light of every book we ever read . . ." Also, so much to write and so little time. Hello to all my writer/reader friends! I feel a bit intimidated with free-styling my thoughts into words pasted up for all the world to see, without a whole hell of a lot of revising. I hope there is a way to erase asinine statements! Guess this ignorant old-timer will find out all in good time. I need to go check off a few things at least on my day's list! Cheers!
I'm blogging, or is it slogging, clogging, logging, flogging, hogging, snogging . . . ? How much difference a couple of letters make in meaning. Just back from SCBWI Mid-winter- Manhattan (exciting and fun as always) and trying to get back into the groove with a list of to-dos for the day that fills up both sides of an entire index card. So far I've written one TQ note, filed my trove of new used books from Uncle Gordon's magic shop (D'Aulaire's Don't Count Your Chickens, Ernest Thompson Seton's The Arctic Prairies, and a few other gems), checked on what the heck it was that I said to the last agent I submitted material to, and now am actually working on "having more of an online presence" as advised by the bright, young Claudia Gabel (newly laid-off from Random House). She cheerfully told us that the good news is she has a cute boyfriend. She is pretty cute herself in all senses, new and old, of the word, so hopefully will soon be back in the publishing world, gainfully employed. Ah, so much to read and so little time . . . Richard Peck says, "We write by the light of every book we ever read . . ." Also, so much to write and so little time. Hello to all my writer/reader friends! I feel a bit intimidated with free-styling my thoughts into words pasted up for all the world to see, without a whole hell of a lot of revising. I hope there is a way to erase asinine statements! Guess this ignorant old-timer will find out all in good time. I need to go check off a few things at least on my day's list! Cheers!
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