Writing Nook

Yesterday, my husband and I spent several hours (It should have been only 15 mins., but he is thorough if he is nothing) assembling a desk and rearranging our bedroom. Our bedroom is sort an odd size (very large and roomy, but no large enough for a couch or huge recliner).

After the shareholders' meeting several weeks ago, we discussed the problematic layout of our house. We have a nice office in the basement. The problem with that is that it completely takes you out of the fold of things happening upstairs in the "real world".

If I am going to write this summer, I will need to be upstairs, but out of the way. So we spend Friday night creating a writing nook. We found a fabulous little desk and chair at World Market. I took an underutlitized lamp from another area, and now, I have a space.

Living for the Weekend

Every year I reach a point where I am ready for the school year to be over. Being a teacher is a tough job, but I dare say that it becomes dangerous for the exhausted, frazzled, stressed teacher to be in the classroom around the students, who seem to be catching their second wind.

I am ready for the school year to be over, but not for the usual reasons. I am ready because I want to dedicate more time to writing and research. I feel that I will be able to consume more information and expel more quality writing during those months. I find it depressing when I have to put down the magazine or book that I am reading to take up lecturing. I need time.

Let's face it. I am already living for the weekend. So here is to the weekend. Let it be uninterrupted, and Lord, if you are listening, please let the predicted snow and ice schedule for Monday and Tuesday come as scheduled with a fury. Amen.

A Chance to be Productive

I have another day off. No, not because of snow or the inauguration, but because strep throat has struck our house. I took my daughter yesterday to the doctor only to have my suspicions confirmed. The confirmation was followed with the speech that she needed to be on antibotics for 24 hours before returning to school. So, we are having pajama day number two (my daughters favorite days).

But this day does not come without its challenges. The furnance's thermostat is on the fritz, as it is only 66 degrees in the house this morning. I called the heating and cooling guys, and they assured me they would be right over (thank God, I still live in small-enough America).

The second challenge of the day will be taking down over Christmas decorations. Yes, I still have up the Christmas tree and village. Those will be packed away today. I like this time of year, so I tend to put up the decorations early and take down extremely late.

And I will have to allow time to watch the inauguration. Today, a new day dawns in American history. I love it.

Plus, I have papers to grade and many books to read.

Trip to Borders

Since I am off today, I decided to utilize my time by making a trip to Borders bookstore, one of my favorite places to hang out. (And if this writing career does not pan out, I think I will be looking for a job there.)

I was pleasantly surprised by the three shelves on the second for containing endless books of the topic of writing, publishing and markets. I was surprised by the number of Writer's Markets in stock. That either means there are many in my area that share my passion or from the number in stock, not many. But I cannot help but think that there are quite a few considered that they would not order too many in these economic times.

Shelfari

I thought I might take a minute to explain the bookshelf located at the very bottom of my blog page. Thanks to the Alice Pope blog, I joined shelfari. I am an avid reader and lover of books. I frequently find myself in the library wondering if I have read a particular book.

Yes, I have several notebooks with various reading lists scribbled in them, but you know how it is when you are leaving the house, those notebooks are suddenly as well hidden as Hoffa's body. I need help in getting these organized. And the good Lord knows that I have not even come close to listing them all. I still have the bookshelfs at my parents' house to inventory. But this website (http://www.shelfari.com/) does it all for you (organizing, that is), and makes it look like a bookshelf at Borders or Barnes and Nobel. It is wonderful.

I also find that it has inspired me to read more. Especially since I shared the shelf with co-workers. We are all reading more. Several little competitions have sprung up, like who can read the most books this month, who can write the most reviews, etc. We are having a lot of fun.

I have also considered starting a shelf for my daughter (6 years old) since she is really starting to read books on her own. I think she might like to see all the books that she has read over time. We could start with all those childrens' books I read to her.

So if you have the time, check it out. It just may inspire you.