Thursday, March 01, 2007

beware the ides

This is a picture of our son's gelding yesterday - the last day of February - when I went out to feed the horses their dinner. Note the black, snowthunder sky before sundown.

While March didn't come roaring in as fiercely as it could have, I'm banking on that "out like a lamb" thing at the end of the month. 'Cause, Baby, it's COLD outside.

I probably won't be blogging as much as I'd like for the next few weeks, primarily because I've committed myself to finishing a working draft of the new novel before my early April birthday. I'm also swamped by my work-from-home work, which is a good thing.

Today I picked up some Luci Tapahonso books, both for research and enjoyment. She's a Navajo poet and fiction writer, more well-known now than she was over a decade ago when I first heard of her via my NAU office mate, who was basing her doctoral thesis on Ms. Tapahanso. So far, what I've read is lovely, and I wish I'd looked into her books sooner.

One thing that's keeping me plugging away at this draft is the carrot-on-a-stick thought that I'll be able to get back to reading for pure enjoyment when I'm done (as opposed to reading for enjoyment while simultaneously feeling guilty for not reading for research).

Another think keeping me going is the fact that, by the time April arrives, the geldings will have shed the majority of their woolly mammoth haircoats, and the days will be getting long enough to canter off across the prairie after my husband gets home from work to watch the kids.

Until then, though, I need to focus on wining and dining my muse as much as possible. Wish me luck in keeping that finicky gal happy until the the draft's wrapped up.

4 comments:

  1. What a striking photo!!!

    I'm reading a book purely for "research" as it's something I wouldn't normally read. I'm not loving it. I think I can definitey write something that bad though. There is hope for me.

    It's so good to have goals. I met my goal of finishing the YA before the last of 2006. What a relief! Now of course I've gone and started something new.

    You can get that novel done by shedding season. You can do it!

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  2. Thanks for the Luci Tapahonso lead. Part of my aging is an increase in poetry reading. Is this a form of wisdom or just more evidence of a declivitous slope to the rest of my declining years?

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  3. Heidi: Thanks for the vote of confidence. :-D

    Ken: It's wisdom. Definitely wisdom. And "declivitous" - great word. I had to look it up. Now I have to find a way to drop it casually into everyday conversation. :-)

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  4. Anonymous12:47 PM

    Oh no! You can't stop blogging! What will I do with my days? How will we know the joys and glories of rural life?

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