New Starts

Is it possible that I haven't posted since June? I've been walking around with hundreds of blog posts playing around in my head but the rush of summer has kept me from the keyboard (the exception being to obsessively load albums on my brand new IPod). Tonight, I decided to stop thinking about posting and write. So while I'm on shuffle mode listening to the crazy mix of Yo Yo Ma, Santana, Frank Sinatra, Green Day and the other 80 albums I've loaded on so far, I'll write-- and maybe dance a bit when the mood hits.

Right now I'm still feeling the buzz of my swimming high. I'm taking swimming classes at the Y every Tuesday evening. I'm not afraid of the water. I just never got around to actually learning how to swim. Well, I did start taking classes ten years ago but three classes in I felt this tremendous urge to throw up in the pool and seemed unable to handle a simple task like holding my breath. A pregnancy test put my dreams of becoming a swimmer on hold. And I always meant to go back but excuses kept popping up to silence desire.

This summer I put an end to the excuses. Not only did I sign up for a swim class but I enrolled at the Y as a member. This after swearing I'd never belong to another gym again. Who needs a gym when I can lace up my running shoes and head outside? Of course come winter blizzards, sub-zero wind chills, thunderstorms, and allergy season, I'm pretty much out of commission. I'm left staring out the window longingly with the dog. Now I can head to the gym with the whole family (free childcare-yeah!) and work out or simply to indulge my steam room and sauna addiction.

In five weeks I'll officially be a swimmer and the week after that I'll officially be a college student. Years ago, I used to keep a MUST DO List. The top three slots were- 1) Learn to Drive (this was fairly easy once I moved from the city to the country where everything is at least 25 minutes away) 2) Learn to swim (working on this one) and 3) Go Back to School (I'm weeks away from subjecting myself to midterms, papers, finals and MATH which I haven't done since 1985).

2009 is turning out to be an interesting year.

Project 365 #87

Skyscrapers

When Georgie was little this is what he used to call the contrails left by airplanes. How perfect a word!

Project 365 #86

Newborn Fawn

Right in a pile of grass in my neighbors yard a doe gave birth to this gorgeous creature. The baby was born sometime after 6pm and found in the morning. It was still too fragile to do more than to blink with those big eyes and sniff the air.

Sometimes a Writer Has to Plant

The other day, my little guy was taking a nap on the couch when my daughter arrived home from school. He'd been asleep less than ten minutes and it would have been the perfect moment to grab my laptop and head to my office for some quality writing but the outdoors beckoned.

Like the angel sitting on my shoulder, my daughter said, "Shouldn't you be taking this time to write?" She had a point. But another angel sat on the other shoulder pointing out the perfection of the day- not too hot, not too breezy, the ground was damp and I had seeds which needed to be in the ground.

As much as I enjoy writing, I enjoy getting my hands dirty. Plus, when I'm outside digging, planting, weeding and hauling the ideas sprout. Solutions to holes in my plot become apparent while transplanting. Relationships between characters become clearer when I'm deciding what vegetables compliment each other. Unnecessary scenes are easier to toss while on hands and knees weeding.

The best part is I get alone time and room to think because my family flees at the mere mention of yard work. I can barricade myself in my office threatening extreme torture to anyone daring to interrupt and I am assured of constant interruptions. Put me out in the yard clad in overalls, bandana, insect repellant and no one dares to intrude for fear I'll enlist them in weeding, clearing rocks, turning the compost or some equally terrifying task. I've devised dastardly yard chores designed to give me my creative solitude. That's why this writer just has to plant.

Project 365 #85

Traffic

Now this is my kind of traffic jam. The ladies couldn't wait to get across to their pasture.

Project 365 # 84

I'm a little behind in my posts and I know this is cheating a bit since I didn't take this photo today but I had to share. While driving to meet some friends, this balloon began its descent right in front of me. Somehow I managed to stay on the road and snap this shot.

Project 365 #83

Seedlings Emerge

I love planting radish seeds. They are instant gratification for the gardener. You pop them in the ground, wait two or three days and you have sprouts. These will be Plum Purple Radishes and some of them might actually make it into a salad or two. There is nothing more tasty than fresh radishes straight from the ground.