"Oh look, it's Drunken Toddler Woman With Vertigo!"
Yup, it's poolen ....sorry...pollem...polleN time.
And yes, that is exactly how I typed it.
And not just birch pollen is laying me low, it's cold and wet. It cranked right up to 46F/8C today.
Aloha.
I actually had a fire going in the wood stove. A fire to heat the house? In MAY?!?!?!?!
Although, this may be it for cold weather. It's supposed to hit 84F/29C on Thursday.
But you know what? If I close my eyes, and imagine myself on a beach, seagulls calling out over the swooshing surf...
HA!
I'm STILL cold and my eyes itch and I ache from the cold and I want a blankie!!
But, since I'm still in "civilian" mode? I can laze around like a cat in a sunbeam and whine. Maybe I'll go knock stuff off of the counter while I'm at it.
Many of my writer friends have contracts and deadlines. Can they stop and wimp out for days because of allergies? Pfffft. Nope.
Can they allow a rainy day smite their creative juices? Nope.
Can they feel lousy and just want to curl up in a ball? Yes.
Can they give themselves a bit of time to wallow, and then carry on? Yes.
But they still need to keep going.
But as Yoda said, when asked about his career as a writer, "there is no try. There is only do, or do not."
Yeah, this was totally taken from his memoirs, "Han Solo Shot First".
Squirrel!
Ahem...focus, Jennifer.
One dear friend has said, on many occasions, "treasure now".
What does she mean? She means enjoy the relative freedom I have as an un-contracted writer, because the days of twiddling my thumbs online will eventually come to a sharp end.
Is she regretting all that comes with a contracted obligation to turn a book in on time? Absolutely not. But it's just a different ballgame with bigger stakes. Her work is UTTERLY BRILLIANT, and she is gracious enough to answer my questions and be a fountain of wisdom, not to mention her willing encouragement of all kinds of writers who ask her all kinds of question.
*Her name is Lori Benton, and she's one of many truly gracious writers who have helped me along on my road to writerdom.
So yes, I can curl up on the couch and count the freckles on my right thumb (7), but I should treasure the idle time, because someday, it will be gone.
In its place will be something new and exiting, and something I will treasure for many different reasons.
And before I leave you, let me say this: my road to publication looks different than anyone else's. Believe me, I am FINE with that. I couldn't step into another writer's shoes, nor would I trade my adventures with anyone else. This road has my name on it, written by God's hand.
But for now, I need more tea...
Because 3 travel mugs of Earl Grey in one day is not enough.