Busy, Busy, Busy
“It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” -- Henry David Thoreau
The two weeks between my last newsletter and this one went by so fast I almost didn’t realize it was time to send out another issue. Two weeks felt like one. I’ve had only enough time to reflect to realize exactly how much has happened in the last two weeks to make the time seem so short. I have, as it turns out, been very, very busy living—so busy living, in fact, that I haven’t had much time for thinking or reflecting.
Some highlights included:
horseback riding in Shenandoah
leading a National Independent Bookstore Day Bookstore Day bookstore crawl with The Littles
attending my nieces’ school musical
celebrating my dad’s birthday
helping a feisty box turtle safely across a busy road
taking Archie for his first (and second) walk of the season
enjoying a Cinco de Mayo meal with friends at a local Mexican restaurant
getting ice cream with colleagues after school.
Maybe I’ll have a chance to slow down for some introspection between this newsletter and the next. Here’s to hoping, anyway! Until then, I hope you’ll at least enjoy this update.
What I’m Working On
My Current Work-In-Progress: The Good Curse
NotMFA is currently on a break, and I’ve been using the time away from reading fellow writers’ submissions to try to get a bit more caught up on my own writing. Twice I’ve met up with one of my fellow NotMFA classmates to work on our projects together, and I’ve spent many an evening at home in the armchair with Archie, The Littles nearby, researching and writing. As of this writing, I’m at just over 61,000 words (though many are no doubt destined for deletion). The final word count will ideally land somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 words.
Through my contact with Gordon Harris, the historian in Ipswich, Mass., I’ve been able to virtually touch base with some additional experts, which has been very fun and exciting.
Did you know…?
Many factors contributed to the hysteria that culminated in the Salem witch trials, not the least of which was weather. Settlers in the colonies were grossly underprepared for the extreme cold North American winters would bring, believing the climate would be comparable to that of England, given the similar latitude. Exacerbating the situation was the fact that from 1550 to 1700, much of the northern hemisphere was in the icy grips of what has come to be known as The Little Ice Age. This period of extremely cold winters shortened the growing season, making food more scarce for the colonists and adding to the already incredible stress and discomfort of life in the colonies. It’s perhaps no coincidence the first warrants for arrests of accused witches came in February 1692, following a particularly frigid December and January. Sarah Good, the narrator and protagonist of my manuscript, was first interrogated on March 1, 1692.
Outdoor Writing
After nearly two decades out of the saddle, two weeks ago I spent a gorgeous morning horseback in the mountains on a buckskin named Diablo. My article about the experience was due this past Thursday, and will appear, along with my photos, in the June issue of Cooperative Living Magazine.
Weather-permitting, I plan to spend Thursday at the state arboretum with one of my favorite adventure buddies, also a talented photographer, exploring the grounds for a story due later this year.
Teacher Life
April 26 marked National Independent Bookstore Day, and thus also the Third Annual NEHS National Independent Bookstore Day Bookstore Crawl. Fifteen high school students, my 9-year-old niece, author and educator Lesley St. James, and I traipsed around downtown Richmond, visiting three local bookstores: bbgb books, Shelf Life Books, and Fountain Bookstore, fortified by treats from Minglewood Bake Shop and Proper Pie. We ended our day by paying our respects at Eliza Poe’s grave at historic St. John’s Church.
What I’m Reading
I’m still reading An Outbreak of Witchcraft: A Graphic Novel of the Salem Witch Trials, written by Deborah Noyes and illustrated by M. Duffy.
Links to My Latest
Read my latest piece, “Becoming a Nature Hero: An inside look at wildlife rescue and rehabilitation,” to learn how you can save wild lives right in your own neighborhood.
Archie and The Littles
Archie out for his first walk of the season on a gorgeous morning late last week
Archie looks up at me while we snuggle. Be still my beating heart…
The Littles take a break at our final bookshop, Fountain Bookstore, on National Independent Bookstore Day.
The Littles in their stroller at our first stop, Shelf Life Books, on National Independent Bookstore Day
What I Saw Outside
I was thrilled to spot this luna moth resting on a window beneath a covered porch following our horseback ride near Shenandoah National Park last week.
A view from the saddle on our recent horseback ride at Graves Mountain
An itty bitty bird’s nest that had served its purpose and been blown from a tree in our yard
I just love your posts ... and Archie and the Littles!
Did Fountain Bookstore move to a new location? I've heard rumors of that but haven't been down there to check it out. Your book crawl always sounds like so much fun--but it always falls on the same weekend as the National Science Bowl!