Saturday, April 16, 2011

Tip-toeing Thru the Tulips and Lots of Other Stuff


That's a photo of me posed in the tulip patch at Agassiz last Spring.  This year Spring is a little late so I haven't been out to see the tulips as yet.  But I've been wading through lots of other stuff, mainly writing tasks.

The editing on Shadow of the Lion is going well although I can see there'll be a couple more run-throughs before it's agent ready.  Mainly the cutting is what will be the most difficult task.  I'm chopping as much as I can for now but it's going to need more, for sure.  And that will be more difficult because it will be more of my precious words that go to the cutting room floor!

I'm also trying to catch up with travel writing and have just completed another story with two more ready to polish off this weekend.  Still a lot of ideas to work from and I have again fallen behind with blogging.

This week I had the privilege (again this year) of being part of the Human Library at Moscrop School.  This is an amazing concept born in the States because of bullying.  I think Moscrop is the only school here (or the first one) that has held this very worthwhile event.  A number of people of various life-styles are invited to participate as 'books' in the library.  My book title was "Living the Writer's Life" and "So You Want to be a Writer?"  I think next year (if they invite me) I'll add "Senior Citizen Solo Traveler".

There were all kinds of people from a woman cop, a trans-gendered person, gays, a guy living with HIV, a young man who was a swimming champ and ended up having open-heart surgery, someone with MS, a lesbian mom etc.  The school classes choose a 'book' to investigate and come to your table to chat.  They ask questions and you answer.  It's all designed to eliminate prejudices and misconceptions.
The event lasted all day from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm so it was a long day and rather tiring.  I got home just in time to head out to teach a night school class so I was pretty exhausted by the end of the day.

Then yesterday I had a tourism event which was fun although when I was heading out for it I had some misgivings and almost turned around and came home.  I have been feeling pressured and somewhat burned out lately with all the classes I teach, the hours of editing and trying to get new stuff written.  Yesterday I started out with the gym, waterfit and then a massage. After that I had a meeting with a woman about editing and publishing her book. I would have loved to stay home last night. But I went anyway and was glad I did. It was a tourism promo for Anaheim, Orange Country, California.  Lots of good snacks, endless wine and those California folk are so friendly.  I also had met a travel-writer friend of mine on the bus going there so that added to the fun.  It was held in the beautiful Seasons in the Park Restaurant in Queen Elizabeth Park, and although the weather was crappy and there wasn't a clear view of the mountains, it is still a beautiful place to be. All the cherry trees were in bloom and there were tulips and daffodils and hyacinths in the gardens making a very pretty sight in spite of the misty rain. 

Today there were more writer's events going on but I opted to stay home to do editing and  then I treated myself to lunch at a local restaurant.  Went and fetched my new passport and was thrilled to find my tax returns have been deposited in my account.  Wohoo!  Suddenly Europe seems a lot closer.





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