Ever wake up and wonder how you got yourself into this situation?! You know you brought it on yourself, you chose deliberately, your instinct led and you followed, and yet here you are, overwhelmed and blown away and crazed. 10 days to go on the novel edit. 40? 50? pages more. 3 weeks in […]
Waiting Mode
You know that feeling when you’re waiting for it to begin? Waiting for the holiday, or waiting for an arrival (or departure) or a new start or a new adventure? Kind of a shivery excited, maybe no small amount of obsessing—imagining and scripting the scenarios or the place—a little nervous even if you’ve done it […]
Gratitude and the Holidays-bah!humbug! be gone…
Christmas! The “holidays!” New (and better!) Year! There’s a forced cheeriness about this time of year that has always inspired the opposite for me…my writer angsty side sees dead forest trees shedding needles in protest of being propped in water in living rooms with crap unearthed from the attic boxes winded onto it’s weary arms…yeah, […]
California Writing…Surfing to Nirvana, Baby!
It’s official, my car is a Californian! Am I? I haven’t wanted to jinx it by actually putting it out into the ether, but another ticked box this week on the road to buying that house near the seals in Moss Beach, wahoo! We’re scheduled (crossed fingers) to close escrow at the end of January, […]
Seals! Let’s live here!
One of the best things about having company is the joy of showing off this place, of reliving the experience of the new. Elise, as everyone knows, has an entirely unique take, passionate and aware in ways I’ll never be. She loves this earth as much as anyone I’ll ever meet. What a gift. I’m […]
Rain! and Realization.
Like a miracle, we were wakened by wet stuff beating down on the metal clad air conditioner so thoughtfully placed in the wall next to our bed in Faculty housing. As most everyone knows, California is in the midst of an historic 4-year drought…parched yellow grasses, trees shedding autumn leaves in August, exhortations to Conserve! […]
OWC Endings and Beginnings, Happy and Sad…
I graduated! As thrilled as I am to say that I’m now the proud owner of a Certificate in Novel Writing from the Stanford online writing program, more than any other graduation in my life I’ve much sadness, too. My fellow cohort members are remarkable artists, friends, supporters. These few dozen women (and Roy!) cheered […]
Yip, yip, yip, hoorah. Choice and such.
The downstairs neighbor quit her law practice because the two little ones couldn’t be without her (her words), over-coddled into an anxiety disorder (my diagnosis), so now I walk up the stairs past them when she dare go out and hear Yip!YIP!YIP!, close my door YIP!YIP!, cough YIP!YIP!, car drives by YIP!YIP!, any tiny noise […]
Rebound Relationship!
Here I am, emerging from the frenzy of a new love affair, trying to catch my breath. Immersed in the new relationship—swept off my feet by stimulating conversation, by surprising introductions to new pals, by soul-satisfying food and drink and scary-but-exciting forays—I can’t help but think now and again of my former love(s), our […]
On an Explore…
So, here we are. What an extraordinarily beautiful place, almost an assault on my sensibility. I seem to be in a constant state of awe, especially on our weekends road trips; the week days are for grounding-time, or at least an attempt at some kind of regularity and routine. If there could be such a […]
Gail Ansel 