O! FOR A MUSE OF FIRE!

"O! for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention!"
William Shakespeare 1564-1616 "King Henry the Fifth" Part II, chorus 1 - 1 (1598-1599)

I'm in a blue mood though the reasons why are complex and not even clear to me, and perhaps insignificant, maybe even 'childish'. Just one of those days (weeks?) I suppose. Actually, things are going well in many respects so I don't know why I feel so grouchy! Yesterday I spent five hours working on my Rimbun Dahan story. (That's the centre for contemporary and traditional art I visited in Malaysia. see www.rimbundahan.org). Today...in a few minutes...I'll be working on my novel again.

This morning I went to water fit. The sun is shining. Tonight my private workshop group meets here (the one I instruct which is a spin-off from my night school classes last semester). I just love my classes and the incredibly talented and interesting people I meet who come to them. And it's always a pleasure to help out someone who is just finding their voice and beginning to write. Besides the workshop, I have two other classes this Spring: "Prompting the Muse" and "Travel Writing". And of course I have my wonderful Memoir group on Thursday mornings, though it's a tiny group this time. Last night I went to my own critique group, Scribblers, though I didn't read. Since last week I feel unsettled, frustrated and even kind of ticked off because of a small turn-of-events to do with our planned retreat next month. Oh well, it will probably all blow over, once I get into a better mood.

I know once I get writing I will forget about everything else. Yesterday was excellent, finishing up the R.D. story, although I still need to do some editing. Now, hopefully, the Muse will co-operate when I return to the novel. No sense getting discouraged!

Anyway, off I went last night, all spiffied up in my new jeans with the sparkly bum-pockets, and new pink dancing shoes, super empowered because my writing day had been so successful, only to feel shot-down again. Aaargh! Maybe I'm just being childish
because part of it is all to do my my up-and-coming birthday celebration which was supposed to happen the weekend of the retreat, which, I thought, we'd celebrate with the traditional Gemini Party. Now, it seems, the plans are changed and I feel kind of let down. Long story, but it's thrown a bucket of cold water on my parade.

To add fuel to my snarky mood, when I got home last night I was outraged to receive an email from a cousin in U.S. that quoted some Republican senator in a tirade of the most obnoxious right wing racist propoganda against Latinos that I have ever heard. It disgusts me to think that sort of rhetoric is allowed to go on in the States. Putting up a wire fence across the U.S. Mexican border? Isn't that a bit like closing the barn door after the horse has already escaped? Give these people an amnesty and THEN take a good hard look at future immigration policies.
Oh, I wish I'd been in California to join the march! (Of course all this brought back so many memories of my Chilean friend, Anibal, who would have been completely livid about the state of affairs.)
Meanwhile, in Cuba, Fidel was making one of his famous lengthy May-day speeches while the Cuban people danced in the streets. But I shall not comment further on this as I didn't intend this blog to become a political rant against U.S. policies. (Instead, I shall go back to sorting out the somewhat similar state of events in Greece, 4th C. B.C.)

Ah well..back to the Muse...I have the rest of the week to enjoy my classes and as I'm not working any days this week, I have the whole day to write. How lucky is that?

I try to keep a decent schedule for myself. Usually starting at 11 a.m. and working through the afternoon is the best writing program for me. It gives me a bit of lee-way for getting house chores done and a minimal amount of procrastinating. Somewhere in between I'll stop for lunch (if I remember, as once I'm on a roll I'll keep on going for hours!) So today I've used up all the morning as I didn't get home from the pool and shopping until late. Which means I better sign off and leave this Pity Party. I hope to be in a better mood when I return, and have at least another chapter finished!

And, oh yes...off topic but still a big event in my life: I joined Weight Watchers last weekend.
And this week's entertainment news: I'm meeting my Havana Buddy at the L.Q. to listen to jazz after my class Wed. night. Cool! See? My life is really nothing to be grouchy about!

"An inveterate and incurable itch for writing besets many, and grows old in their sick hearts."
Juvenal (Decimus Junius Juvenales) AD 55 - 130 "Satires" VII - l 51