ff The Cottage of Blog: February 2006

Friday, February 17, 2006

Answer to comments on retirement, yes or no

The Cottage of Blog

Oh yes, I have a plan.

I plan to be a full time writer and part time reader. I plan to find my niche in the literary community, which, I've realized, I haven't really found yet.

I plan to find my core. The person inside. I may garden, but it has never been a real interest of mine. I'll spend time playing with my dogs more, enjoying Socks in his and my golden years. (Socks is a horse)

I'd like to say I'd travel. that depends on finances.

But, to "play" at being a writer just isn't cutting it for me. And that's what I'm doing--have been doing. I'm not living my dream--or what's left of it.

Writing is rapidly becoming "to dream the impossible dream."

This is not a whine, but reality.

There's nothing in the world wrong with being a part time writer, or a writer who writes just for fun. But, that just wasn't my plan. There was a time I believed I had the talent to "make it." Maybe, lying dormant inside of me, I still do. Heck, you either have raw talent or don't. It's in the workin' that you bring it out. But, if I do have "it," "it" won't happen unless I make it happen. And, under the present set of job circumstances, I'm way too tired and stressed at night.

Now, maybe, if I exercised more, ate better--etc. Yeah, yeah. I know. I know. And I will try to do better. Honest.

But I digress. If I can find a way, I will retire at the end of this school year. If it's too scary, I'll wait until the end of next year. but, one way or the other, it will happen and soon.

From The Cottage of Blog, from Pat and her ghost writing collies. (We all watched the olympics and helped mom read a book.)

posted by Unknown at 11:33 PM 2 comments

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Retirement. Yes or No

The Cottage of Blog

Let's hear it for retirement. I'm seriously considering it.

I've heard of so many writers who are able to teach school, then go back home to a refreshing evening of writing. I used to be one them. Sad to say, I'm not that way any more. In fact, if I don't bow out, gracefully, I probably won't be able to be a serious writer. This is not a whine, but a statement of fact.
The glue some kid plastered my desk with today was that statement. No, not just one, but one of many.
It's time. I'm sad. In some ways, I feel like this is the greatest job in the world. In others, I feel like an utter, and complete, failure.

strangely enough, I'm not depressed over it. Anxiety ridden over the challenges of retirement--or rather, the funding of retirement.

If any of you are retired and have any thoughts on the matter, please feel free to communicate. I need all the help an advice I can get.

That's all for this evening from "The Cottage of Blog."

Pat and her ghost writers.

posted by Unknown at 10:45 PM 1 comments

Monday, February 13, 2006

Monday and back to my WIP

The Cottage of Blog

Well, it's Monday. I've started back on my regular WIP. Took the crisis scene and wrote about 8 pages. It ends in scene disaster. Pretty terrific, huh? Disaster and everything. Something is working.

Anyone out there watching the olympics? Cried when Michelle bowed out. I thought that was heartbreaking and very classy of her.

posted by Unknown at 7:31 PM 3 comments

Sunday, February 12, 2006

The Cottage of Blog

The Cottage of Blog

It's Sunday and I'm on day three of my Seattle Sutton Healthy Eating diet. Yes, I'm a fan. they prepare the meals then you can either pick it up or they deliver three/four days worth of meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. This morning half an English muffin, scrambled egg patty, turkey sausage and a piece of cheese--pineapple juice. Not bad either. Last night it was a fajita complete with avacato paste and a refried beans.
They come in two packages. Either 2000 calorie or 1200. You are supposed to drink 3 glasses of milk with that a day. Is 1200 too little? Yes. I went with the 2000 calorie. Not as much weight loss, so they say, but I know I can't handle the 1200. (even though they give you a list of food you can supplement. Whenever I try that, I make the wrong choices.)

I got back to writing last night. Three pages. Not too bad either. Why is it that I know the term "revolving door" but I can't remember it when I'm actually writing about one? NOW I remember the term. That happens all the time. While I'm writing, I can never remember the exact term I'm looking for, even though it's a household word.

Brainpower is amazing. It's also frustrating. It keeps you humble.

What I'm reading: The Stranger Besides Me by Anne Rule, the story of Ted Bundy. Seems Anne rule worked with Ted while they worked for a crisis center. He was the brilliant kid who didn't have it in him to kill anybody. As she states, she didn't think she was naive, he had better minds than hers fooled a lot longer. Wow.

Lillian Jackson Brauhn "The Cat Who Tailed a Thief" the delightful mystery series that stars that feline detective KOKO who solves the mysteries, if you're clever enough to deciphor his clues.

Agatha Christie, Spider's Web, adapted as a novel from the play. (was a BBC production several years ago)

Lisa Gardner's The Survivor's Club about three survivors of a rapist who become the prime suspect in his murder.

PH James A Mind to Murder A Dagliesh mystery

Sir Walter Scot Kenilworth about the tragic marriage and death of Amy Robsart the wife of Robert Dudley, Queen Elizabeth's favorite courtier

and while we're at it, Robert Lacy's The Earl of Essex, about Dudley's nephew who was a favorite of the elder queen adn about his rebellion and subsequent execution,

and no trip to the library for English history fascinations would be cfomplete without yet another version of Anne Bolyn.

and then there's the CD series of Anne Rice's Vampire Cronicles.

That should hunker me down for a while.

Take care. Another chapter is calling before I get dressed and tackle this house.

From the Cottage of Blog

Pat and her ghost writers: Alex, Annie, Roxi and Zuri.
The paws that refreshes.

posted by Unknown at 9:08 AM 2 comments

Friday, February 10, 2006

posted by Unknown at 5:56 PM 0 comments



Hi everyone. It's Friday--almost Valentine's Day.

I put up the two photos of the World's Trade Center for sheer nostaglic purposes. I miss them. No, I don't live nearby. I live in the Midwest. But my family lives in Brooklyn and could see the trade center from their window. Alas. No longer. Yes, they still can see the Statute of Liberty. May she stand forever, great lady that she is. She's beautiful. She's awesome. And, she's amazing to look at standing on the Owl Park Pier jutting out in lower New York Harbor. I miss her, and I miss my mother.

I know this is a cliche, but we never know how much we'll miss someone, until they're actually gone. Permanently. I've had people come and go out of my life. Some I've missed. Some I haven't. My mother and I were separated by half a country. (I wonder if that's why my heroine travels half way across the country to get away from her ex-husband--but that's another story) We talked a lot. Mainly about philosophy and books. She was constantly reading. Never stopped. That was an amazing feat, considering she was blind.

Imagine losing something so precious as your eyesight when you were an artist, a poet and a pianist. She had a braille typewriter which worked well for a while until arthritis kicked in, and she no longer could type. Then, she lost her will to "find an alternative." She delved into the Library for the Blind. New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, novels of now and yesterday. I think I left her last summer while she was reading Sons and Lovers. For the umpeenth time.

We disagreed on many things. But not about Russian novels. They are depressing. So why do we read them? Hmmm. To say "I just finished reading Tolstoy or Doestoyovski? I probably creamed the spelling, but I just didn't feel like looking it up. So sue me.)

I don't think I've ever cried so hard as when I read Anna Karenina. Even though they were both ungodly stupid. But beautiful, as the movie versions would have us believe. The ultimate sacrifice for love. But then, I always root for the baritone would-be lovers who are spurned for the tenors. I always think the baritones are so much better looking.

So what does this have to do with the World Trade Center or my mother? Uh, well nothing. Just the process of train of thought. It's like this. World Trade Center=New York City=JBrooklyn=Condo and mother=overcoming disability and reading depressing Russian novels. See how my mind works?

Right now I'm not depressed at all. I'm ready Dorothy Braun's delightful Cat Who "the Cat Who Tailed a Thief." Delightful. Uncanny. I wish I had her brain and imagination. Well, maybe not. I have my own.

Maybe I'll get back to writing again tomorrow. What a good idea. It's about time.

Love to all from

The Cottage of Blog and

Pat and her ghost writers, Alex, Annie, Roxi and Zuri.

Woof.

posted by Unknown at 5:21 PM 0 comments

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Thursday Love-hate relationship with writing the great American novel.



Good evening from the Cottage of Blog. The above photo is of one of the many gorges in Ithaca, NY. God's country. It's also a scene from my WIP. Can you say "flash flood, heroine and villain" all in the same sentence? LOL

I keep threatening to quit writing altogether, then I get home and do something stupid. Like write something. I think my muse and I must have a love-hate relationship.

I have nothing good to say about school today, except my voice is totally hoarse and two riots broke out. Enough said. Oh yeah, I did have some excellent papers that were turned in and some kids started to understand a concept. Good for them. Anyone who is not a musicologist and can talk about instrument transposition and enharmonics gets my vote.

Not much else to say. I'm afraid to get up off my keyboard, afraid I won't come back. And, horrors of horrors, it's seven o'clock, and I'm yawning.

From the Cottage of Blog

Pat

posted by Unknown at 6:59 PM 2 comments