In which to reflect and blog. John and the boys are at a Yugioh sneak peak 45 minutes away. Someone had to stay home so the new puppy wouldn’t face hours in the crate. Since I had work to do (procrastination from yesterday) I made the ultimate sacrifice. Hmmm. Attending a Yugioh sneak peak vs. a quiet day reading (blogs and books), working and wrapping my soon to be 14 year old’s (tomorrow) birthday gifts with the loyalist of little dogs lying at my feet and keeping me company all the while (even waiting patiently for me to come out of the bathroom). Not much of a contest there.

What am I working on? Finishing the edits for Rethinking Creative Writing in Higher Ed, which I should have done yesterday but put off, as seems to be my practice these days. Overall, the editors liked what I sent, which was a huge relief, but they still have things they want me to change. Which is fine by me. Been working on it all week but I have a big revision on Chapter 3 to do today. The bigger the writing task, the more I procrastinate, it seems.

Keeping a list of what I’m working on. Three panels I’m on got accepted for AWP in DC this February ( I think that might be one more than officially allowed, but I’m not saying anything about it just yet) and one of them is called essentially, “What Do Writers Do All Day?” I decided to start keeping track so I can do some sort of data analysis and have something to say.

Also this summer: Wrote a conversational essay with poet Anna Leahy and fiction writer Cathy Day on teaching creative writing that was pure joy to write and, I think, will be fun to read wherever we can get it published. We’re shooting for AWP first.

Before I start the revision today (yes, more procrastination) I am going to fool around with a new course platform called Nixty, which I’m considering using in the fall. And, of course, I wrote this blog post. And did my weekly blog read (@ 250 posts).

Looking ahead: A 3 day trip to NWP Berkeley to start work on curating a new online project called Digital Is. Not completely sure what the work is going to be but I’m exited about it and will blog more when I know. Also, Friday, BargainsGaloreon64, Arkansas premiere yard saling event. Oh yeah, baby.

It’s been a rough couple weeks, house-selling, large check bouncing due to a technicality that sent our bank account into a tailspin that took over a week to work out, relentless 110 degree heat that engenders exhaustion in ways I never knew, and, worst of all, our brand new shelter puppy, Mario, was deathly ill (parvo–need I say more)and in puppy ICU which brought on 6 days of worry and hand-wringing.

So now, as I write this in the quiet of the afternoon with a sweet healed puppy at my side I am mostly just gratfeul.

It’s a wonderful feeling.

Bye, y’all
SV