February has the fewest days of all the months on the calendar, but manages to pack in several holidays. February 2 is Groundhog Day, today is Valentine’s Day, February 20 is both Presidents Day and National Love Your Pet Day. February gets Super Bowl Sunday, and the entire month is designated Responsible Pet Ownership Month.
It’s no secret that I love (L.O.V.E) my dogs, and all the pets I’ve had throughout my life, including not only dogs, but also horses, cats, and fish. I’m constantly telling the Littles they’re the best little dogs, and I constantly told Jack and Sadie they were the best dogs—and I believe it every time I say it. No matter which of my dogs I’m saying it to, it’s true.
In the spirit of National Love Your Pet Day (Valentine’s Day for pets!) and my love for animals, in particular my dogs, I share the below cartoon.
What I’m Working On
My Debut Novel: An Expected End
My publisher, Lynn, and I have done our second read-through up to chapter 54. The manuscript consists of 64 chapters, plus an epilogue, so we’re getting close to the next step of this (very long) process.
We’ve also narrowed the cover art down to two potential concepts, and my friend and cover artist is developing them. I can’t wait to see the results!
Outdoor Writing
A piece I’m working on about Virginia and Maryland state parks is due next week. I’ve been enjoying conducting interviews in person, over email, and over Zoom. Some of the experiences people have had in the parks are really incredible and inspiring. For those I’ve interviewed, the parks have played a role in everything from fostering friendships to self discovery, from health and wellness to conservation. I’m looking forward to distilling people’s stories into a single article.
Volunteering
Recently, I got a message from a friend I met when I used to volunteer at Richmond Animal League. Currently, she volunteers at Virginia Equine Welfare Society (VEWS), and wanted to know if I’d be interested in visiting the barn, getting to know the horses, and writing profiles of them.
Um, horses? And writing? Yes! Sign me up!
I’ve loved horses for as long as I can remember, and for several years when I was a kid, my family owned a few of our own. It’s been years, though, since I’ve been around them, and I’m eager for the experience again. In about a week and a half, I’ll be driving out to VEWS to meet the horses, and I can’t wait.
Teacher Life
I’ve shared two weeks of school with my second semester students, and so far, they are just as lovely as my first semester batch. I have enjoyed getting to know them, and now that we’re sufficiently comfortable with each other and understand expectations, we’re diving into Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. I’ve really been impressed with how well my students are reading the play, and how interested they are. It’s going to be an enjoyable semester.
What I’m Reading
I’m (still) reading Earl Swift’s Chesapeake Requiem. Surprised? I didn’t think so.
Writer Spotlights
Win an award? Have a new book coming out? Present at a conference? Publish an article? Want it shared in the “Writer Spotlights” section of an upcoming issue? I’d love to share your writerly news! Fill out this Google Form for a chance to be featured!
The Littles
Thursday, the Littles and I visited their “alma mater,” the Richmond SPCA, where we adopted them and where we completed a basic puppy training class with them. Below is our photo from the dog kissing/photo booth, a Valentine’s Day themed fundraiser for the shelter. Happy Valentine’s Day! Photo Credit: Brittany Rose
Over the weekend, we visited some new-to-us trails about 45 minutes from home. As you can see, the Littles enjoyed the adventure.
Soda and Nacho wait for me on their rock at a local trail. We cannot walk this trail without scaling this rock.
I handfeed Nacho and Soda their meals, and usually, they take their food from the heated blanket on the back of the couch (Yes, they’re spoiled. I’m totally okay with that.) On a recent morning, though, Matty was on the couch at breakfast time, and Nacho decided he’d eat his breakfast perched on his daddy’s shoulder.
Look What I Saw Outside
I stepped out of work last Tuesday afternoon to a beautiful sky.
Below are some fossils we found in the marl as we walked some nature trails over the weekend.
Links to My Latest
Writing
While the article I’m sharing this time around isn’t my latest (it’s actually a few years old), it’s timely, as February is Responsible Pet Ownership Month. This article I wrote for the AKC shares ways to celebrate Responsible Dog Ownership Month (which happens in September).
Literary Calendar
February
February 25, 2023 | 10:00 AM-4:00PM | “Teaching Literature for Liberation” | This in-person workshop will share new frameworks and lesson plans for teaching Vietnamese-American literature, particularly in secondary schools. Breakfast and lunch provided. Register online HERE.
March
March 8-11, 2023 | AWP Conference & Book Fair |
The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing. It includes thousands of attendees, hundreds of events and bookfair exhibitors, and four days of essential literary conversation and celebration. The AWP Conference & Bookfair has always been a place of connection, reunion, and joy, and we are excited to see the writing community come together again in Seattle, Washington in 2023. Register HERE.
June
June 1, 2023 | Virginia Outdoors Writers Association Writing and Photography Contests deadline |
The contest window for Virginia Outdoor Writers Association writing and photography contests will open soon. Contests are available for high school students, college students, and adult professionals and amateurs. The deadline for all contests is June 1, 2023.
Want your literary event to appear on the Literary Calendar in the next issue of my newsletter? I love to share book signings, writing conferences, literary festivals, workshops, classes, and readings. Just fill out this Google Form for a chance to be featured!