Bothell vs San Luis Obispo

My sister called today; it snowed all afternoon in Bothell, Washington. It was a nice place to visit for Christmas, but I'm really glad I live in San Luis Obispo. I bet I'd get more writing and less riding done in Washington.

Debra

Laurie's Eggs

Hurray! The chickens are finally laying. I thought we'd bought some duds but just last week I heard that loud bawking that told me one thing. Eggs! After nearly two years of changing their water and litter weekly, lugging fifty pound sacks of lay crumbles out to the coop, and patching the holes in the chicken wire to keep out skunks and other predators we were finally rewarded.
This made me think of the long process of trying to get a book published.
Right now I'm sending out The Pharaohs' Cry to a new coop of agents. How long before I get that golden egg? How many pounds of feed will I have to buy or holes will I have to patch?

As my daughter teaches me daily, it is not the egg at the end that gives us the joy. She raised those hens from the time they were fluffy chicks, cuddling their downy feathers and adjusting the heat lamp to keep them warm. She was the one that put them out into the coop to fight their way amongst the pecking order of the hens. And it was she who laughed as they held their own in the yard.
Yeah it's not the egg at the end. We only end up eating it anyhow. It's the tending to and loving the chickens in your coop while you have them.

Debra gets her first poem published!

I got a poem published at Poetry.com. I didn't even know I could write a poem and I sent it in on a whim. I read the congratulations letter several times and I still didn't believe it. Are writers insecure or what?

The poem was based on a funny incident with my two nephews: Josh Baker and Kyle Murphy; and my friend Stephanie's three sons: James, Nick and Mathew Teaford.

Here's my first published work of poetry:

HOG DOG

Five young boys.

One black dog.

A DARK cave.

C-R-E-E-P in!

Look around.

Dog follows.

Dog BRUSHES leg.

What's that?

Dog.

Hog?

H-O-G!

R-U-N!

Five young boys.

One black dog.

Outside cave.

You Know You Are Too Busy When..

Laurie's thoughts:
Well I thought I had it all under control. I was getting the word out on the critique group, writing an hour before work every morning, going to the gym, quizzing my daughter on her anatomy class, and keeping up with the never ending pile of papers to grade and plans to make for the classroom. Then the other day I was writing hot and didn't want to stop. So I pushed it. I kept writing until I only had 15 minutes to shower, dress, and get out the door for school.
I heaved a sigh of relief when I pulled into the parking lot ten minutes before the bell. I checked my box, made coffee for the staff, dropped off my lunch, and was strolling to class when I noticed them.
My feet. One black shoe seemed awfully brown. I thought, Boy the grass must be extra sandy today. Then it hit me. That wasn't brown dirt on my black shoe. I'd put on two different shoes!
Of course, my fifth graders noticed immediately. They all walked in the door roaring with laughter and pointing at their goofy teacher.
Luckily my husband was home and was kind enough to bring the other black shoe.
He said, "You know you are too busy when?"
I completed his sentence. "Yeah, yeah. When you get to work with two different shoes on."