Monday, November 23, 2009

National Gallery of Art

Monday, November 23, 2009
Waxing Moon
Uranus Retrograde
Cloudy and cold

I found it! I found my favorite molasses spice cookie recipe! And it was where I thought it should be, only farther down in the pile.

Yesterday was a tough day, a combination of frustrations both interior and exterior, and a particularly bad attack of the Doubt Demons. I was also frustrated because I sat down to write down the holiday gift list, and all the great ideas I had previously fled out the window.

I brainstormed with some fellow writers on Twitter because I’m frustrated by the pace of the Victorian-era Christmas story. After the brainstorming session, I decided to put it aside and work on something shorter and lighter that requires less research. If I’d started the Victorian-era story in summer (when I should have), it would have been fine, but I didn’t, and it’s just taking too long for the time frame I have left. I started a contemporary piece, and have written just over 2K on it. I’m about a third of the way done, so, if it keeps going at this pace, I can get it done and edited and designed and off to the printers by this weekend (only a week late) and still get it out only a couple of days late.

I’ve got a lot of correspondence to deal with today and errands. Plus, I need to write, prep for the Maine trip, and start packing up the stuff stored on the bunk beds before the December 3 furniture swap. And get UNDER the bunk beds and see what’s accumulated there.

I’ve got the baking pretty much sorted, although I may have to cut some of the recipes I want to try in the interest of time. I may start some of the baking next week. I want to get all the cookie platters out between the 12th and the 15th.

I’ve got to figure out which holiday parties to attend (and what to wear). One of the most important disciplines that’s hardest to hold sometimes during the holiday season, is to make sure I cut back on drinking. I like a drink as much as the next guy (and probably more). But I don’t like feeling drunk, and I don’t like the hangover. I don’t bounce back the way I did in my 20’s, and I can’t afford to lose the time or the writing productivity. I can’t write when I’m hungover. And the truth is, I really only enjoy the first drink anyway. I don’t NEED ten drinks to have a good time. I can have an even better time with one or two and then switch to water. I have just as much fun and I feel better the next day. Truthfully, I consider that part of my commitment to writing — not losing time because of hangovers.

Back to the page.

Devon