Field Trip(s)
31 Mar 2009 Leave a Comment
in 24 Hours In . . ., Writers Write Tags: camping, writers, writing
Two weeks in a row, we’ve traveled to sights around San Antonio. I mentioned Fredricksburg in an earlier post. Here are a few photos of our day.
Cherry and Coco stand with astronomy enthusiasts and their telescope.
Eating ice cream and annoying her sister are Coco's favorite pastimes.
The girls enjoyed an after dinner ride at Po Pos.
Last weekend, we made an overnight camping trip to Lost Maples State Park. We had fun hiking and stargazing.
We took the path to the ponds.
Coco enjoyed the creek.
Cherry took some pictures.
Lilly studied her shadow in the water.
We saw a cardinal . . .
. . . and lots of other birds.
It was a terrific weekend. It was great to be away from the city.
This week, I . . .
27 Mar 2009 Leave a Comment
in A Zany Life, Writers Write Tags: family, writers, writing
- found a new place to write–Las Palapas, a Mexican Cafe. Big windows and constant coffee refills make it warm and friendly. No air conditioning turned to Siberian levels. A taco and coffee costs $2.49. That’s cheaper than a Venti at Starbucks.
- met with Cherry and Coco’s teachers. They are both wonderful. We are so lucky.
- planted veggies in the garden. More later in April’s Gardening Journal post.
- tried to climb Enchanted Rock, but the park was so crowded, we couldn’t get in.
- instead, we walked downtown Fredricksburg, ate ice-cream, drank local beer, talked to two men with giant telescopes, and ate fried chicken at Po Po’s on the way home.
- celebrated Bacon’s birthday by eating Symphony Brownies for breakfast, and giving him this shirt.
This photo appears courtesy of Cherry Crisp.
Magazines
24 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in Writers Write Tags: collage, creativity, Trusting Your Instincts, writers, writing
A few months ago, I redeemed an about-to-expire airline reward for a few magazine subscriptions.
Let me rephrase that . . . more than a few magazine subscriptions.
I’ve lost count of the total, but in the last two weeks, these have arrived in the mail: Lucky, Glamour, Marie Claire, Town and Country, Diabetes Forecast (I think I wrote the wrong code on that one), Ebony, All You, Sports Illustrated Kids, Time, Details, Redbook, Men’s Vogue, Travel and Leisure, and probably a few more I’ve forgotten. To top them off, my next door neighbor shares her gently used copies of Prevention, Oprah, The New Yorker, and Martha Stewart Living.
If this seems obsessive, relax. I’ve given up on trying to read them. Now, I only look at the pictures. Once upon a time, I was a magazine addict, but no more. I’m cured. Instead, I browse the glossies for inspiration, and then, cut and paste my finds into a collage. I have one for each character in my work.
In an age where every imaginable image can be found online, I find inspiration when I hold the hard copy in my hand.
Spring Breakage
15 Mar 2009 Leave a Comment
in A Zany Life, Writers Write Tags: camping, writers, writing
Sunday: Bacon took the girls fishing at a by-the-pound-catch-your-very-own-catfish place. They came home with 7 pounds of the most expensive fish ever purchased. While they were gone, I wrote a page.
Monday: I went shopping for a grill. I bought one, only to discover the heating element missing. Four stores and several empty boxes later, I found a complete package. Running to the check-out counter, I took it home to grill the fish.
Tuesday: I tried to write while the girls watched Peter Pan. After the umpteenth “I won’t grow up. I won’t grow up,” I went to Starbucks where I wrote four pages in subzero temperatures. Starbucks requires all coffee houses to maintain the same thermostat setting, nationwide. What might work for Phoenix’s 7% humidity, does not work for San Antonio’s 70%.
Air Conditioning + Humidity = Snow
Wednesday: The rain came. This is significant because:
- It hasn’t rained here in an annum.
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua was playing on our DVD player.
I went to Borders, where I wrote three pages. The bottom floor was covered with piles of stuff, not books, labeled with huge SALE signs. The store resembled K-Mart, but the coffee was good, and the employees were nice. They didn’t mind me hanging out all afternoon writing the next bestseller poised to save the publishing world from impending financial doom. I can dream can’t I?
Thursday: I was back at Siberian Starbucks. I wrote three pages. Bacon and the girls watched Remember the Titans.
Friday: The furnace went out. I waited all day for the HVAC man to show up. He did at 4:45 p.m., declaring it dead. I scavenged a space heater from the camper. Bacon pumped up an air mattress, and the girls had a sleepover on the floor of our bedroom. To think, we nixed a camp-out because of bad weather. We camped at home.
Total pages for the week: 11. The new heater will be installed on Tuesday.
The Cult of Done Manifesto
11 Mar 2009 Leave a Comment
in Aha!, Goals, Writers Write Tags: writers, writing
I didn’t make this up, but I think it is very cool. I hung the poster on the white board next to my desk. Go see the original post here.
Addendum: After clicking around on the Possibly related posts that appear below, it is important to note that they are computer generated. I am in no way affiliated with them, nor do I have any control over what appears. Apparently, the word cult conjures consummate weirdness.
crisp |krisp| adjective
