An Alligator Went a Courtin'

A young gentleman caller has been sitting outside my deck all day,

pacing, and waiting and watching and making this deep

grunting/croaking sound...hoping his magical mate will appear.

It's mating season around these here parts, and apparently alligators are tireless in their mating habits. Every now and then I see a fearful bunny scurry past, always careful to look over his shoulder. But. He needn't worry, this gentleman caller has only one thing on his mind.

The birds and other beasts have been talking all day too. I think they wait in tense apprehension for this guy to get his gal. Early this morning, I watched the most magnificient blue heron fly overhead and then land on the far side of the pond. Does he know the plight of our pal?

As a writer? I know the pain of his plight! I've waited on a few shores myself. I've hit 'send' and sat there, staring at the blue screen, crossing my fingers and letting go. I try very hard to busy myself, take a load off, and forget what it is I'm waiting for. If the universe wants it, the universe gets it.

Many glimmers lately though, in my pond! My friend, Jame's book, Three Rivers Rising just launched this week. (BUY IT!) That waiting took forever. She's well on her way now, though. Ann Haywood Leal's Also Known as Harper (BUY THAT ONE TOO!) awaits her baby sister. And there are a few other very hopeful stories that will find their way into this little blog soon.

So, stay tuned, dear reader. More will be revealed. As I finish here, I'm hearing a second grunting voice answering out there in the the mud! That means...all good things DO come to those who wait! The universe never lets us down!

Have you ever had to spend your days in waiting? What on earth would make you wait with baited breath much like our friend in the pond?

The Resolution Police

But officer, it was so worth it! Okay, I didn't subscribe to the Resolution thing, so I wasn't really worrying about the New Year's Cops coming after me. Now my conscience is bothering me. I thought I was doing okay and didn't need a list of dos and don'ts. But.

Here it is the fourth day of the New Year, and I'm off the wagon.

Between today and yesterday, I said good bye to two of my three kids, and my third asked me for money to go buy ice cream. I handed over a ten, all the while telling myself 'no'  inside my head. But when he returned, I realized we were partners in crime! I couldn't find the icecream scoop fast enough.

I know, I know...I caved so quickly. I can rationalize anything. He bought Reeses! What?! It was plain vanilla, strawberry or chocolate when I grew up. Well, that's a lie. The drug store's soda fountain had chocolate chip mint, peach, strawberry, cherry vanilla too. (Boring!) Nobody ever thought of mixing candy into the ice cream. Us kids did that on our own. At any rate, once again, I digress.

Back to the writing and resolutions. 

Here's my plan for '09:

1. Say no to everything that has nothing to do with a) family and b)writing.

2. Market myself more. (I put this above writing this year, because I'm pretty clueless about it and I need to get public about that.)

3. Just write. Last year, I wrote a middle grade fiction novel between the months of October '07 and April '08. I began a young adult novel in July and finished it in November. I've never felt more satisfied. 

4. Meet with my new group more often, perhaps visiting new ways of accomplishing that.

5. Read more.

6. Have fun! (This is really numero uno...thus the ice cream.) 

See y'all at the SCBWI Convention in New York at the end of the month. I'm hoping for some inspiration to get that funky feeling out of the world of children's publishing. It's going to rebound...kids keep reading, so we've gotta keep writing. What else would we do, anyway? Like the ice cream, wild horses couldn't drag me away, that's for sure.