August and Everything After
Today is my last official day of vacation. I've still got the weekend, of course, before I go back to work on Monday, but today is the last day of extra time. Because the kids are getting sick of each other and were at each other's throats yesterday, Toad's got a friend coming over and I'm hoping that Birdy will play nicely by herself while I do laundry and clean and write and... panic.
Panic because my vacation to-do list is still very long. Panic because my summer to-do list is still very long. Panic because my summer writing to-do list is still very long.
Where has the summer gone? Birdy got her back-to-school haircut last night; Toad is up this weekend. Next week the kids both have Open Houses, thankfully on two different nights (two different school districts). We'll haul their school supplies in and meet their teachers and wonder about the movement of time with other stunned parents. This Sunday we're meeting friends at a park to get the kids together before school starts. We've got one last summer-fun activity on the calendar - a trip to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, a first for the kiddos.
I won't list the things we didn't do this summer.
I won't list the boring house stuff that's still on my list.
It has been a good writing summer even if I didn't get everything done. I read a ton of great books. I've been busy with the MNYA Writers critique group and I've done some beta reading. I attended a wonderful workshop last weekend put on by the Minnesota chapter of SCBWI. The topic was word choice and voice in YA and it was great to hear work by some pretty fantastic Minnesota talents. This week's retreat at Cragun's was wonderful and relaxing and productive.
CLOUD 9 is in better shape and in the hands of an editor at Entangled Publishing - no word on that yet. I've made progress on WAITING FOR THE SUN and, if I can stick to a schedule I'm putting together, I might be able to complete my first draft by the first day of school. I've got ideas for two more novels - the first based on a short story I started years ago and which came to me, complete, in a dream a few weeks ago. So cool.
I'm looking forward to fall: cooler temps, sweaters, hopefully an anniversary trip to the North Shore, renewed writing goals, but I'm a little sad that it's time to say goodbye to summer.
How's your summer been? Were you able to strike everything from your to-do list?
Panic because my vacation to-do list is still very long. Panic because my summer to-do list is still very long. Panic because my summer writing to-do list is still very long.
Where has the summer gone? Birdy got her back-to-school haircut last night; Toad is up this weekend. Next week the kids both have Open Houses, thankfully on two different nights (two different school districts). We'll haul their school supplies in and meet their teachers and wonder about the movement of time with other stunned parents. This Sunday we're meeting friends at a park to get the kids together before school starts. We've got one last summer-fun activity on the calendar - a trip to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, a first for the kiddos.
I won't list the things we didn't do this summer.
I won't list the boring house stuff that's still on my list.
It has been a good writing summer even if I didn't get everything done. I read a ton of great books. I've been busy with the MNYA Writers critique group and I've done some beta reading. I attended a wonderful workshop last weekend put on by the Minnesota chapter of SCBWI. The topic was word choice and voice in YA and it was great to hear work by some pretty fantastic Minnesota talents. This week's retreat at Cragun's was wonderful and relaxing and productive.
CLOUD 9 is in better shape and in the hands of an editor at Entangled Publishing - no word on that yet. I've made progress on WAITING FOR THE SUN and, if I can stick to a schedule I'm putting together, I might be able to complete my first draft by the first day of school. I've got ideas for two more novels - the first based on a short story I started years ago and which came to me, complete, in a dream a few weeks ago. So cool.
I'm looking forward to fall: cooler temps, sweaters, hopefully an anniversary trip to the North Shore, renewed writing goals, but I'm a little sad that it's time to say goodbye to summer.
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| The T-Dock, Cragun's Resort |
How's your summer been? Were you able to strike everything from your to-do list?