The Forseeable Future, Barring Divine Acts
"Well then that's all right, best-beloved-don't-you-see." Davy said to no one in particular, as he sat one computer down from me at the office.
I smiled, and thought, "No, I'm really not the only one who does that."
It's nice to have crazy people around. I need them.
But oh, my dears!--Such a flutter! Here's the drill...
Tonight: two sets of cousins, complete with two complements of Nuncles and Aunties, are coming for a cookout/croquet bash (yes, we really are the sort of family that plays croquet. Stop laughing; we're good at it! :-P) and possibly a go at the volleyball net. Anyway, there will be lots of frolicking on our back lawn, which is, mercifully, a capacious one.
Tomorrow: laundry and packing, but, though I am scrupulous about laundry before a trip, I like to play chicken with my packing. So... packing might begin before midnight tomorrow. Also errands, etc.
Sunday Morning: Church! Church, church, church! Nuff said.
Sunday Afternoon: we head off to Sandy Cove, a conference which is actually in Maryland--gasp!--where Dad and Mother are conducting a seminar all next week. I'm fuzzy on the details--what else is new?--but gather that this place is a sort of resort/quasi-hotel on the beach, a retreat center for homeschoolers. I shall be bringing my office laptop, and will begin the momentous, the stupendous, the guaranteed-laugh-a-minute, Faux Vacation For Five.
Not kidding. I will be writing quizzes and exams, Mom and Dad will be teaching, Burgee and Churdee will be playing, and the boys, plus Jessica, have promised to join us for the 4th at least. I have no idea what the place looks like or where I shall find a spot in which to work equably, and don't know whether or not internet access is provided. That's partly why I'm bothering to post all this. But don't sob; you have the High Queen back, and the sun is not dark in your eyes.
Will I like it? As to the place, I don't know. I expect it will be pretty and pleasant; many conference locations are. As to the people: how could I fail to enjoy a week with my dear ones? I'll have to wear corporate casual a lot, but that's good training for this fall. I shall be back on or around the 9th, in time to admire Nate's new puppy (whom he has already named "Samwise") and do a bridesmaid's outing with Tope, and all such manner of things. July is going to be a whirl! Charity and I are putting on a caregroup dinner, and I have my winter skirts to sew, and so forth. I probably shan't breathe again until August, by which time I will wake up and realize, "hullo, it must be about time for school."
By the way, O High Queen, you are cordially invited to the first Evening Stroll of the semester, which is set to commence upon the first-and-twentieth day of the Augustan month, and shall probably be proceeded by an afternoon of reading aloud. Which reminds me, Ben and Jonathan, do you think you could extend the invitation to Master Nathan? I haven't got his email address. And we'll have to ask Joemoe, if they do not lie who say that he is to be back with us this fall. What fun! Joemoe throws such a mean frisbee, but he's a wonderful teacher of the art of the "little white disc."
Oh, by the way... since this is a tying-up-ends type of ramble, I will here answer the question which several people have asked me, viz, am I writing much in the way of fiction or poetry this summer?
No, I am not. I have written absolutely nothing of that nature since a little before I came home. I'm sure my style has fallen off as a result, and I know I'm getting sloppy. Nevertheless, I can do nothing. I have no heart for it, and haven't for months now. Sometimes you have to just live, you know? Sometimes you have to just hurt, or joy, or be sick or well, before words to describe these things will come to you. When they come, they are perfect, because born of deep experience; but it's no use forcing them. They are like the Longaevi--utterly untamed.
Speaking of whom, they are out of their dress-up phase and into something worse. It is their opinion that they are "grown up" now, and ought to be treated like adults. Help! Perhaps a week at the sea will do them good...
I smiled, and thought, "No, I'm really not the only one who does that."
It's nice to have crazy people around. I need them.
But oh, my dears!--Such a flutter! Here's the drill...
Tonight: two sets of cousins, complete with two complements of Nuncles and Aunties, are coming for a cookout/croquet bash (yes, we really are the sort of family that plays croquet. Stop laughing; we're good at it! :-P) and possibly a go at the volleyball net. Anyway, there will be lots of frolicking on our back lawn, which is, mercifully, a capacious one.
Tomorrow: laundry and packing, but, though I am scrupulous about laundry before a trip, I like to play chicken with my packing. So... packing might begin before midnight tomorrow. Also errands, etc.
Sunday Morning: Church! Church, church, church! Nuff said.
Sunday Afternoon: we head off to Sandy Cove, a conference which is actually in Maryland--gasp!--where Dad and Mother are conducting a seminar all next week. I'm fuzzy on the details--what else is new?--but gather that this place is a sort of resort/quasi-hotel on the beach, a retreat center for homeschoolers. I shall be bringing my office laptop, and will begin the momentous, the stupendous, the guaranteed-laugh-a-minute, Faux Vacation For Five.
Not kidding. I will be writing quizzes and exams, Mom and Dad will be teaching, Burgee and Churdee will be playing, and the boys, plus Jessica, have promised to join us for the 4th at least. I have no idea what the place looks like or where I shall find a spot in which to work equably, and don't know whether or not internet access is provided. That's partly why I'm bothering to post all this. But don't sob; you have the High Queen back, and the sun is not dark in your eyes.
Will I like it? As to the place, I don't know. I expect it will be pretty and pleasant; many conference locations are. As to the people: how could I fail to enjoy a week with my dear ones? I'll have to wear corporate casual a lot, but that's good training for this fall. I shall be back on or around the 9th, in time to admire Nate's new puppy (whom he has already named "Samwise") and do a bridesmaid's outing with Tope, and all such manner of things. July is going to be a whirl! Charity and I are putting on a caregroup dinner, and I have my winter skirts to sew, and so forth. I probably shan't breathe again until August, by which time I will wake up and realize, "hullo, it must be about time for school."
By the way, O High Queen, you are cordially invited to the first Evening Stroll of the semester, which is set to commence upon the first-and-twentieth day of the Augustan month, and shall probably be proceeded by an afternoon of reading aloud. Which reminds me, Ben and Jonathan, do you think you could extend the invitation to Master Nathan? I haven't got his email address. And we'll have to ask Joemoe, if they do not lie who say that he is to be back with us this fall. What fun! Joemoe throws such a mean frisbee, but he's a wonderful teacher of the art of the "little white disc."
Oh, by the way... since this is a tying-up-ends type of ramble, I will here answer the question which several people have asked me, viz, am I writing much in the way of fiction or poetry this summer?
No, I am not. I have written absolutely nothing of that nature since a little before I came home. I'm sure my style has fallen off as a result, and I know I'm getting sloppy. Nevertheless, I can do nothing. I have no heart for it, and haven't for months now. Sometimes you have to just live, you know? Sometimes you have to just hurt, or joy, or be sick or well, before words to describe these things will come to you. When they come, they are perfect, because born of deep experience; but it's no use forcing them. They are like the Longaevi--utterly untamed.
Speaking of whom, they are out of their dress-up phase and into something worse. It is their opinion that they are "grown up" now, and ought to be treated like adults. Help! Perhaps a week at the sea will do them good...
posted by Praelucor at 5:43 PM
7 Comments:
Callooh! Callay! I chortle in my joy! The Walks have returned!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who's uninspired for poetry this summer. Let's all join the 10-year Great Books Club online and require one poem per month from each member. :-) Or something.
As for Muses, Jonathan, didn't we once establish that your Muse can multitask?
You've got to write, people! If we don't turn out excellent fiction, who will? :D Of course, I have written only about 9000 words of Erthe this entire past month and a half myself. I have mostly just been stewing things over. I would like to finish another 20 pages or so before the school year begins, but we'll see how it goes. :)
No, dear Sarah, we don't have to write. Not until we have something to say. You just had something a little sooner than the rest of us. :)
Writing requires ideas... and ideas are something that cannot be forced, fed by both education and experience. My problem is that if one's school year is packed with education and my summer with experience it frankly doesn't leave much TIME for writing. But writing flows out of a LIFE and time spent living and not writing at all is not time wasted...
Balance.
I suppose I am worthy of scolding. This summer I have written no poetry worth mentioning, and very little of Audrey. I've thought of it a great deal but I have honestly been so busy...
Speaking of which, my lovely older sister has just arrived and I've got to go!
Writing requires ideas... and ideas are something that cannot be forced, fed by both education and experience. My problem is that if one's school year is packed with education and my summer with experience it frankly doesn't leave much TIME for writing. But writing flows out of a LIFE and time spent living and not writing at all is not time wasted...
Balance.
I suppose I am worthy of scolding. This summer I have written no poetry worth mentioning, and very little of Audrey. I've thought of it a great deal but I have honestly been so busy...
Speaking of which, my lovely older sister has just arrived and I've got to go!
Writing requires ideas... and ideas are something that cannot be forced, fed by both education and experience. My problem is that if one's school year is packed with education and my summer with experience it frankly doesn't leave much TIME for writing. But writing flows out of a LIFE and time spent living and not writing at all is not time wasted...
Balance.
I suppose I am worthy of scolding. This summer I have written no poetry worth mentioning, and very little of Audrey. I've thought of it a great deal but I have honestly been so busy...
Speaking of which, my lovely older sister has just arrived and I've got to go!
Umm... I'm sorry... I'm posting from my parents' computer and I guess it's about as hyperactive as our dog :).
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