What a strange summer this has turned out to be! With a husband suffering from shingles for the past six months, my day-to-day routines have been altered in ways too numerous to list. I find myself stopping whatever I'm doing in order to do something else right now . . . not because he demands it but because I try and simplify his life as much as possible. He lives in so much pain at present that it's only fair that I keep things going as smoothly as possible. Complicating matters is the fact that both of my in-laws are (literally) suffering from the ravages of old age and their son is constantly worried about them and their care. This is not helping him recover his own health any faster.
If I could be quite objective I would admit all of this is more or less a universal problem, but things have a way of becoming so personal one feels as if it is unique to the immediate situation.
At least I feel justified in only now and then posting on this blog. One would think it could be (and it actually is) a place to relieve some of the stress. However, considering my lack of organization, it is a wonder I even think of the blooming site.
Funny, though. When I really get started, it is fun. Sort of like having a conversation with an old friend!
So, now . . . I have the preliminaries out of the way . . . let's have a go at other subjects.
I have tried to do a few other things this summer. A few days now and then doing professional stuff keeps my head screwed on straight and that helps a lot. True, I've not done too many creative things or put too much thought into what I have undertaken up to recently but it's coming . . . it's coming.
At the Missouri Writers Guild conference in the spring, From Trash to Treasure took honorable mention in the best book category and I began negotiating with the publisher of High Hill Press concerning a position with the house.
Later in the summer I attended the Heartland Writer's Conference in Sikeston, MO, where my Trash to Treasure memoir won first place in their book contest. I caught up with some good friends and solidified the plans concerning a new juvenile division for High Hill Press to be called Sky High Tales with me as acquisitions editor.
During this time I was also attempting to polish up my latest book, a juvenile mystery to be entitled Junkyard Bones and I contributed a short story to the latest of OWInc.'s anthologies, Mysteries of the Ozarks, Vol III and a second story to what will eventually be Mysteries of the Ozarks, Vol IV.
During the past month or two I've been working at editing several manuscripts for the publisher so we should have several good possibilities coming up during the next year and I'll be on the outlook for more as time goes by.
Just last weekend I attended a brand-new conference in Hollister, MO. It was held at Ye Old Country Inn, recently restored by Janet Dailey, and she was nice enough to make herself available to the participants. In addition Dusty Richards, the well-known (and much decorated) western writer, Fred Pfister, the editor of the Ozarks Mountaineer magazine and Radine Trees Nehring, a writer of cozy mysteries, were featured speakers. It was well attended by both new and experienced writers and had lots of good information for all. To top it off, the regular quarterly Ozark Writer's League meeting was held at the tail end of the conference and I got to go for a change. Lucky, too, as a good friend, Pat Smith, was one of the two main speakers. She talked about social networking. The other, Deborah LeBlanc, was an extremely dynamic speaker who talked about working outside the box.
It was a good meeting and I got a lot out of it . . . not to mention the possibility of finding a couple of possible new authors for Sky High Tales . . . if it works out.
So in spite of illness and business I still find time to do the two things I most enjoy . . . reading and writing.
And the third thing for that matter . . . networking with friends and fellow writers.
So even though I'm dealing with a lot of 'stuff' here at home with sickly husband, grown children and grandchildren, I'm finding time to still stay with my writing business.
Just have a bit of trouble making time for blogging!
Showing posts with label writers conferences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writers conferences. Show all posts
Monday, August 22, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
In the Groove Again? Hmmm...
I'm hopeful that my readers get a bit of enjoyment out of reading about my chaotic life...when I finally get around to sharing bits and pieces of it! My apologies, but that's the only way I manage things lately.
Sometimes I think I need a camera anchored on the top of my head documenting my day-to-day existence. No one can believe the reality of my life. If I were to write an on-going story listing all the things that go on in this household, every editor I've ever encountered would laugh herself/himself silly and throw me out in the street so fast it would make my head spin. Of course, there are those who believe I'm dizzy anyway but I pay them no mind.
I've no intention of going over everything that's happened since the last post. Suffice it to say that I'm still waiting on the last piece of income tax info (damn the poky US government...and you don't want to know what I think of them) to come in. How many days do I have left? Yeah, that's what I thought. And I was told (automated, natch) that it would be here by the 7th of April. That should certainly leave plenty of time, right? Well, tonight is the bottom of the 11th and I've not seen hide nor hair of any documentation. GRRRR.
Darling Life Mate has been in and out of the hospital and is suffering (and I don't use the word lightly) from a severe case of the shingles. This has been ongoing for most of the past month and shows no sign of letting up. This man is the one who never gives in to pain of any sort, the person who once snapped a tendon in his calf completely in two and simply strapped his boots tight and kept on working through the summer as it repaired itself (there was nothing that would ease the pain at all). But this one has just about done him in.
My advice is: if you can afford it at all, go and get the inoculation to protect yourself. Shingles is a horrific problem. Anything that can bring my husband to his knees would kill a lesser person.
The yard (and I use the term loosely) has reverted to pasture and we've not yet pick up trash and sticks from the winter. We live in the country, forty acres, and there are trees and bushes everywhere. I've not raked the fallen walnuts or hickory nuts for the past couple of years due to the knee problem, so with all the trash everywhere there is no taking a mower over it without something being done about it first.
Oh, yeah, I can just see that happening, the two of us out there bending and picking up. Now and then I actually do feel like I'm more than a youngster these days.
The tax and the shingles were enough to ruin the month, without even mentioning a dozen other family issues, so I've been a wee bit busy, I'll admit. Then I turned over the calendar page and realized I had committed to a major writer's conference and it was almost on top of me.
Well, by golly, I decided, I wasn't missing it. And DLM insisted it would be all right if I went away and left him at home to suffer alone.
So, off I sped all the way to the other side of the state for three action-packed days of learning more about writing and net-working, only to discover that, even though I've been at it for quite a number of years, I'm doing everything wrong...well, at least the net-working.
For instance, this blog. Evidently, I'm really being a little too personal here and not showing my professional side to my readers. Urk. And all along I was hoping to pick up an editor here or there.
Oh, well, for the time being, until you are all caught up, I'm going to keep right on writing in manner I'm doing. I've got umpteen chapters to relate to my loyal readers before I can retire and go on to another subject, don't I? I haven't even got back to the trip to Paris and to the Czech Republic and that was waaaayyyy back in February! (Where does the time go? And I'm having so much fun!)
And I have to tell you all the wonderful stuff about the new book, Junkyard Bones. Oh, yeah, and try and get you to buy the old ones, too! Uh-oh, I forgot...I'm supposed to be more subtle about sales and not hit prospective customers over the head with it.
Sheesh...I try and try to learn. Oh, well, I get a little of it now and then.
I'm gonna do better soon, though. I swear it.
Sometimes I think I need a camera anchored on the top of my head documenting my day-to-day existence. No one can believe the reality of my life. If I were to write an on-going story listing all the things that go on in this household, every editor I've ever encountered would laugh herself/himself silly and throw me out in the street so fast it would make my head spin. Of course, there are those who believe I'm dizzy anyway but I pay them no mind.
I've no intention of going over everything that's happened since the last post. Suffice it to say that I'm still waiting on the last piece of income tax info (damn the poky US government...and you don't want to know what I think of them) to come in. How many days do I have left? Yeah, that's what I thought. And I was told (automated, natch) that it would be here by the 7th of April. That should certainly leave plenty of time, right? Well, tonight is the bottom of the 11th and I've not seen hide nor hair of any documentation. GRRRR.
Darling Life Mate has been in and out of the hospital and is suffering (and I don't use the word lightly) from a severe case of the shingles. This has been ongoing for most of the past month and shows no sign of letting up. This man is the one who never gives in to pain of any sort, the person who once snapped a tendon in his calf completely in two and simply strapped his boots tight and kept on working through the summer as it repaired itself (there was nothing that would ease the pain at all). But this one has just about done him in.
My advice is: if you can afford it at all, go and get the inoculation to protect yourself. Shingles is a horrific problem. Anything that can bring my husband to his knees would kill a lesser person.
The yard (and I use the term loosely) has reverted to pasture and we've not yet pick up trash and sticks from the winter. We live in the country, forty acres, and there are trees and bushes everywhere. I've not raked the fallen walnuts or hickory nuts for the past couple of years due to the knee problem, so with all the trash everywhere there is no taking a mower over it without something being done about it first.
Oh, yeah, I can just see that happening, the two of us out there bending and picking up. Now and then I actually do feel like I'm more than a youngster these days.
The tax and the shingles were enough to ruin the month, without even mentioning a dozen other family issues, so I've been a wee bit busy, I'll admit. Then I turned over the calendar page and realized I had committed to a major writer's conference and it was almost on top of me.
Well, by golly, I decided, I wasn't missing it. And DLM insisted it would be all right if I went away and left him at home to suffer alone.
So, off I sped all the way to the other side of the state for three action-packed days of learning more about writing and net-working, only to discover that, even though I've been at it for quite a number of years, I'm doing everything wrong...well, at least the net-working.
For instance, this blog. Evidently, I'm really being a little too personal here and not showing my professional side to my readers. Urk. And all along I was hoping to pick up an editor here or there.
Oh, well, for the time being, until you are all caught up, I'm going to keep right on writing in manner I'm doing. I've got umpteen chapters to relate to my loyal readers before I can retire and go on to another subject, don't I? I haven't even got back to the trip to Paris and to the Czech Republic and that was waaaayyyy back in February! (Where does the time go? And I'm having so much fun!)
And I have to tell you all the wonderful stuff about the new book, Junkyard Bones. Oh, yeah, and try and get you to buy the old ones, too! Uh-oh, I forgot...I'm supposed to be more subtle about sales and not hit prospective customers over the head with it.
Sheesh...I try and try to learn. Oh, well, I get a little of it now and then.
I'm gonna do better soon, though. I swear it.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Busy is Good (Right?)
Wow! Great weekend . . . with only one little drawback. A sick stomach that will NOT quit. It seems to be leftover from the flu stuff we all had last week. But I refuse to let it put me under again. I do not have the TIME!
Report on Saturday's meeting: good, good, good. Only thing that went wrong was no book sales but that was because there were about thirty other authors with tables all set up and selling. I was late getting there and spent all my time catching up with people I hadn't seen for months and didn't devote myself to my business. Gets me in trouble every time. Anyway . . .
Sometimes I'm a little cynical when it comes to workshops, etc. I've done this so many years it can get old. But not so Saturday. Things were fresh and new. Malena Lott, from over around Norman, OK, had an absolutely mesmerizing program and I came away with lots of new thoughts and perspectives. Great presentation and a wonderful person. Didn't get a whole lot of time to get acquainted but perhaps later. I'll look forward to running into her again. She has lots and lots to offer. If you write, better check her out.
Then I stayed for the panel discussion on self-publishing. While this is not an avenue I've pursued in the past I know plenty of authors who have. There have been good results and bad and it seems to be like a lot of things. It has to be thought out thoroughly and carefully done. The panelists know their business and had much to suggest. It seems to be a very valid approach.
The last presentation was by Mary Nida Smith and I was really looking forward to it because it was about blogging exclusively. But I simply couldn't stay that long as we had the music program at McDowell Saturday night and I had to drive fast to get home for that. I know Mary and it was too bad I had to miss her but she has a great web presence. We'll connect more there and I can milk her for all its worth. Ho.
Then the music was great, I did a (!) fantastic (!) job of belting out a couple of songs, did my 'dooty' as hostess, visited like mad, sold a copy or two of Trash to Treasure, took out my I-Pad and worked for awhile on a short story and, finally, couldn't put off running down any longer. So I bid 'farewell' early to all my friends and came home where I crashed about midnight.
Sunday morning we got up early and headed out for Miami where we spent unnecessary amounts of pennies in some slot machines. Later we ate a little lunch, came home, took a nap and called it a day.
What a weekend.
And all I really have to show for it is the upset stomach.
Well, yeah. Two paragraphs of a short story.
Report on Saturday's meeting: good, good, good. Only thing that went wrong was no book sales but that was because there were about thirty other authors with tables all set up and selling. I was late getting there and spent all my time catching up with people I hadn't seen for months and didn't devote myself to my business. Gets me in trouble every time. Anyway . . .
Sometimes I'm a little cynical when it comes to workshops, etc. I've done this so many years it can get old. But not so Saturday. Things were fresh and new. Malena Lott, from over around Norman, OK, had an absolutely mesmerizing program and I came away with lots of new thoughts and perspectives. Great presentation and a wonderful person. Didn't get a whole lot of time to get acquainted but perhaps later. I'll look forward to running into her again. She has lots and lots to offer. If you write, better check her out.
Then I stayed for the panel discussion on self-publishing. While this is not an avenue I've pursued in the past I know plenty of authors who have. There have been good results and bad and it seems to be like a lot of things. It has to be thought out thoroughly and carefully done. The panelists know their business and had much to suggest. It seems to be a very valid approach.
The last presentation was by Mary Nida Smith and I was really looking forward to it because it was about blogging exclusively. But I simply couldn't stay that long as we had the music program at McDowell Saturday night and I had to drive fast to get home for that. I know Mary and it was too bad I had to miss her but she has a great web presence. We'll connect more there and I can milk her for all its worth. Ho.
Then the music was great, I did a (!) fantastic (!) job of belting out a couple of songs, did my 'dooty' as hostess, visited like mad, sold a copy or two of Trash to Treasure, took out my I-Pad and worked for awhile on a short story and, finally, couldn't put off running down any longer. So I bid 'farewell' early to all my friends and came home where I crashed about midnight.
Sunday morning we got up early and headed out for Miami where we spent unnecessary amounts of pennies in some slot machines. Later we ate a little lunch, came home, took a nap and called it a day.
What a weekend.
And all I really have to show for it is the upset stomach.
Well, yeah. Two paragraphs of a short story.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Better Late Than Never
So much is going on in our house right now I can barely breathe. Between family, our business stuff, MFS conference responsibilities and all the bits and pieces of getting the new book out there I meet myself coming and going.
First thing in the morning is the coffee pot, natch. Next, turn on the computer. Run and make the bed. Get dressed. Check the e-mail. Drink my first cup and try and open my eyes a little wider. (I sleep later nowadays than I used to and I don't wake up fully for a looooonnnggg time.) Last night's dishes (no, I don't do them at night!).
Okay, to work. Back and forth to the computer to the dining table to the stuff piled on the desk to the computer to the table to the stuff piled on the desk to the shop to see if Ben wants some breakfast (he goes out but he doesn't seem to eat enough to keep a bird alive so I always have to try anyway) back to the computer, etc., etc., etc.
Last night Sandy and I drove to Lamar to watch the football game. Aaron made two touchdowns and ran most of the yardage for the third one but we lost by just a few points. Unfortunately, he managed to get a concussion so it ended the evening on a sour note. By the time we all got home and he was established at his dad's house and it was clear that everything was okay it was well after midnight, but do you think I could sleep late this morning? Nooooooo. I had to wake up early and worry, worry, worry about everything.
Write? Who has time to write? I wish I did. I love to write. I want to write.
I hear those tales from writers who tell everyone who listens that they never ever miss their daily stint. Well, I'm here to tell you, that they must miss out on a lot of stuff. Or maybe they're just more organized than I am.
But I ask you this: when you're in the middle of a story or an assignment and the nursing home calls because your in-law is having a panic attact or a meltdown of some sort, do you choose to sit there until your three hours are over or do you stop and let it wait until you find time? If your kid is receiving an award at 10 a.m. and that's when you have your writing time, do you say "Uh, oh! Can't make it?" and go on with your article?"
Maybe that's the difference between me and a really dedicated writer. I can't give up my 'real' life for the one I yearn for in my mind.
But that's okay. I have lots of rewards from both ends of things. And every now and then I actually get a book out on the market. . . whoopee!
So watch out for the latest. Probably about the end of October. From Trash to Treasure: the Evolution of An Ozarks Junkyard. You will be able to get it from Amazon. Check out the publisher at.
First thing in the morning is the coffee pot, natch. Next, turn on the computer. Run and make the bed. Get dressed. Check the e-mail. Drink my first cup and try and open my eyes a little wider. (I sleep later nowadays than I used to and I don't wake up fully for a looooonnnggg time.) Last night's dishes (no, I don't do them at night!).
Okay, to work. Back and forth to the computer to the dining table to the stuff piled on the desk to the computer to the table to the stuff piled on the desk to the shop to see if Ben wants some breakfast (he goes out but he doesn't seem to eat enough to keep a bird alive so I always have to try anyway) back to the computer, etc., etc., etc.
Last night Sandy and I drove to Lamar to watch the football game. Aaron made two touchdowns and ran most of the yardage for the third one but we lost by just a few points. Unfortunately, he managed to get a concussion so it ended the evening on a sour note. By the time we all got home and he was established at his dad's house and it was clear that everything was okay it was well after midnight, but do you think I could sleep late this morning? Nooooooo. I had to wake up early and worry, worry, worry about everything.
Write? Who has time to write? I wish I did. I love to write. I want to write.
I hear those tales from writers who tell everyone who listens that they never ever miss their daily stint. Well, I'm here to tell you, that they must miss out on a lot of stuff. Or maybe they're just more organized than I am.
But I ask you this: when you're in the middle of a story or an assignment and the nursing home calls because your in-law is having a panic attact or a meltdown of some sort, do you choose to sit there until your three hours are over or do you stop and let it wait until you find time? If your kid is receiving an award at 10 a.m. and that's when you have your writing time, do you say "Uh, oh! Can't make it?" and go on with your article?"
Maybe that's the difference between me and a really dedicated writer. I can't give up my 'real' life for the one I yearn for in my mind.
But that's okay. I have lots of rewards from both ends of things. And every now and then I actually get a book out on the market. . . whoopee!
So watch out for the latest. Probably about the end of October. From Trash to Treasure: the Evolution of An Ozarks Junkyard. You will be able to get it from Amazon. Check out the publisher at
Thursday, May 13, 2010
A Really Really Good Excuse for Procrastinating
Things are heating up around our house as I'm trying to prepare for knee surgery. I'm not finding a lot of spare time for extras while waiting as I'm suddenly loaded with a number of unexpected responsibilities. One of the grandsons is spending time here each day and requires supervision so I'm more confined than I had intended to be at this point and I'm never ever going to get caught up with the housework and necessary errands before the deadline.
School will be out soon and then there will be others around too. The college student is home so things are really going to town now but that's ok as I'm certainly enjoying her presence.
I've just finished a two week regimen of anti-biotics to I won't have to deal with any infections lurking in the shadows. I spent all day Monday at doctor's offices and hospital pre-admittance sessions, getting poked and pried and questioned until I thought my head would pop (not to mention various and sundry parts of my poor abused body). I wonder how people ever managed to have surgery done before they came up with all of this "necessary" stuff to do before you're even admitted into hospital?
And I'm waiting on the galleys of the Trash to Treasure book to get here so I can go over it and send it back to Lou before the deadline. Naturally, she is loaded with responsibilities also so there you are. (I must not even allow myself to think of the MFS conference in the fall...OMG...no, no, no.)
All of this is so my few readers can understand that I will not be writing for awhile. Please keep checking in and as soon as I'm up to it or find a few minutes I will post a note or two...who knows? I may even get a chance to do another short one BEFORE the surgery, which is on the 25 of May.
Anyway, wish me luck. I don't expect any problems at all. I've already had the right knee replaced (in November last year) with no difficulties so I'm not planning for any this time either. Give me six or eight weeks after the operation and I'll be running around all over the place again, flapping like a rooster who has just been decapitated.
So...keep your fingers crossed.
School will be out soon and then there will be others around too. The college student is home so things are really going to town now but that's ok as I'm certainly enjoying her presence.
I've just finished a two week regimen of anti-biotics to I won't have to deal with any infections lurking in the shadows. I spent all day Monday at doctor's offices and hospital pre-admittance sessions, getting poked and pried and questioned until I thought my head would pop (not to mention various and sundry parts of my poor abused body). I wonder how people ever managed to have surgery done before they came up with all of this "necessary" stuff to do before you're even admitted into hospital?
And I'm waiting on the galleys of the Trash to Treasure book to get here so I can go over it and send it back to Lou before the deadline. Naturally, she is loaded with responsibilities also so there you are. (I must not even allow myself to think of the MFS conference in the fall...OMG...no, no, no.)
All of this is so my few readers can understand that I will not be writing for awhile. Please keep checking in and as soon as I'm up to it or find a few minutes I will post a note or two...who knows? I may even get a chance to do another short one BEFORE the surgery, which is on the 25 of May.
Anyway, wish me luck. I don't expect any problems at all. I've already had the right knee replaced (in November last year) with no difficulties so I'm not planning for any this time either. Give me six or eight weeks after the operation and I'll be running around all over the place again, flapping like a rooster who has just been decapitated.
So...keep your fingers crossed.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Which Come First : the Chicken (housekeeping) or the Egg (writing)
Spring is my favorite time of the year and now that the taxes are done and the sun is shining on a regular basis I can really take the time to enjoy it. I took all the stuff into the accountant this morning and spent a couple of hours with him, walking out with only one small item to look up after I got home. Then I called him with the answer and filed the papers, heaved a sigh of relief and walked outdoors to admire my miles of golden daffodils.
For years I've allowed the jonquils to spread and the results are wonderful now. Of course there are the predators . . . first the husband and now the grandson. They despise anything that they aren't allowed to mow down and I have to watch Aaron like a hawk.
I threaten to put large rocks all over my yard until the green blades turn to brown and lean into the dirt. In fact Aaron begins making noise when the tiny plants first begin to peak their spears above the ground. "Ohhh, look," he will say. "It's going to be time to MOW!"
Someday I'm gonna kill that kid.
But spring has finally come and Easter Sunday is this weekend. The college-age granddaughter will be home for a short-short visit, Ben is feeling a bit better and life is good for the time being.
I registered today for the Arkansas SCBWI conference in Little Rock to be held the end of April. It didn't look as it I could take the time to go but turned out that I could and since I've got two juvenile books to pitch to agents and editors I'm really pleased to find I could make it after all. This has been such a lousy year in every other way and I've not had time or energy to market any of my writing (never mind that I've not even been able to produce anything new either) so I'm tickled to find something with this much promise.
It looks as if the adult non-fiction is going to be published in the near future if everything goes right so everyone keep fingers (and toes) crossed, please, and I will update you as soon as I hear anything. Keep in mind that the publishing world moves sloooowwwwllllyyyyyyy though so don't look for it too quickly.
In a moment of madness, I tore 'my corner' completely apart yesterday afternoon. Sort of a celebration of sorts for finishing the income tax. My chair and table and lamp are surrounded by desk, computer, another lamp, a spare upright bass fiddle that has sort of been swallowed up, and piles and piles and piles and piles of books, magazines, manuscripts, papers, clippings, etc., etc., etc. Since I was basically crippled about June last year with this blasted knee thing, my housekeeping on the whole got completely out of hand and 'my corner' has been completely neglected. I kept saying to Ben that I was going to get to it and suddenly I did.
I've burned a lot of stuff and now I have about 2/3 of the books stacked up neatly but I still have approximately 1/3 of the books left to make decisions about (do you know how hard it is for me to part with a book?) and about a half dozen shallow boxes filled with various and sundry papers, photos, clippings, etc.
I sort of wish I'd never started it but it needed to be done.
When I die they will just have to burn down the place and put me on the top. There isn't any other solution.
For years I've allowed the jonquils to spread and the results are wonderful now. Of course there are the predators . . . first the husband and now the grandson. They despise anything that they aren't allowed to mow down and I have to watch Aaron like a hawk.
I threaten to put large rocks all over my yard until the green blades turn to brown and lean into the dirt. In fact Aaron begins making noise when the tiny plants first begin to peak their spears above the ground. "Ohhh, look," he will say. "It's going to be time to MOW!"
Someday I'm gonna kill that kid.
But spring has finally come and Easter Sunday is this weekend. The college-age granddaughter will be home for a short-short visit, Ben is feeling a bit better and life is good for the time being.
I registered today for the Arkansas SCBWI conference in Little Rock to be held the end of April. It didn't look as it I could take the time to go but turned out that I could and since I've got two juvenile books to pitch to agents and editors I'm really pleased to find I could make it after all. This has been such a lousy year in every other way and I've not had time or energy to market any of my writing (never mind that I've not even been able to produce anything new either) so I'm tickled to find something with this much promise.
It looks as if the adult non-fiction is going to be published in the near future if everything goes right so everyone keep fingers (and toes) crossed, please, and I will update you as soon as I hear anything. Keep in mind that the publishing world moves sloooowwwwllllyyyyyyy though so don't look for it too quickly.
In a moment of madness, I tore 'my corner' completely apart yesterday afternoon. Sort of a celebration of sorts for finishing the income tax. My chair and table and lamp are surrounded by desk, computer, another lamp, a spare upright bass fiddle that has sort of been swallowed up, and piles and piles and piles and piles of books, magazines, manuscripts, papers, clippings, etc., etc., etc. Since I was basically crippled about June last year with this blasted knee thing, my housekeeping on the whole got completely out of hand and 'my corner' has been completely neglected. I kept saying to Ben that I was going to get to it and suddenly I did.
I've burned a lot of stuff and now I have about 2/3 of the books stacked up neatly but I still have approximately 1/3 of the books left to make decisions about (do you know how hard it is for me to part with a book?) and about a half dozen shallow boxes filled with various and sundry papers, photos, clippings, etc.
I sort of wish I'd never started it but it needed to be done.
When I die they will just have to burn down the place and put me on the top. There isn't any other solution.
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