I’m guest blogging today on Lucy Monroe’s blog and talking about my world of Crainesians, feisty heroines and whatever you’d like to discuss. Won’t you join me?
It’s amazing the things you see if you’re open to them, to the possibilities around us at any given time.
Hubby and I took a drive through northern Arkansas this weekend. He was looking for fly fishing spots. I was along for the ride. It was an overcast day with the bare trees and dry grasses common to Winter. Even in the Ozarks, it was kind of dreary.
As we climbed higher in elevation, we noticed a lot of fog in the high valleys. The winding road grew steeper and in a short time, the fog turned to a fine frost which coated the tops of tall trees. Here the evergreens were sparse in number, leaving the forest looking like some bizarre Tim Burton world. Half frozen, half somber and somewhat menacing.
On we climbed, and with each mile gone the ice crept farther toward earth. Finally, it spread across the ground. Along the road, tall, feathery tufts of grass grew a good foot above the shorter stuff, their frosted tops bowing as if to some deity. Overall, the icy wonderland was ethereal and eerily beautiful. I could easily have spun a fantasy tale from the scene, complete with an ice witch and her frosty minions.
Another writer would probably see an ice fairy or a princess and happy woodland creatures. Me? I’m convinced the Ice Witch’s beauty would only camouflage her evil. Of course, I don’t care for the cold. It’s insidious and penetrates my bones too easily.
Tell me, how would you interpret the scene, or can you only envision my version now that you’ve read it?
There’s nothing like a house full of company to make you appreciate the quiet after they’re gone. All the same Hubby and I really enjoyed having our son, daughter, her boyfriend, my sister and nephew here for a few days.
I cooked and cleaned a lot, which means we also ate a lot. But that’s not all we did. We had a belated Christmas present opening, watched movies together, enjoyed old photos Hubby scanned into his handy-dandy new photo/slide/negative converter to digital gadget, some went horseback riding, did some trap shooting, and some of us enjoyed a spa evening. We packed those four days full!
My menus were well received as evidenced by the small amount of leftovers. Yay!
Since Tuesday, I’ve been stripping beds, doing laundry and as little cooking as I can get away with. We’re back to normal, except for the Christmas decorations which must be taken down this weekend. I love Christmas, but am sick of looking at the festive décor. I need normal again.
On the writing front, I didn’t expect to write while everyone was here, but it’s been a struggle to return to writing every day. Even so, I’m determined to get words on paper every day, be it a little or a lot. It really helps me to have a spreadsheet to track my progress on. Because of the built-in formulas, the daily page count to reach my yearly goal goes up and up if I don’t input any daily word count. It’s a great task master and reminder of the consequences of procrastination.
How do you stay on track with your life and goals? Do you have a daily To-Do List or many lists? Do you have sticky notes everywhere? I love to hear about the different methods others use to stay on track.
CAROL BURNSIDE / ANNIE RAYBURN 