Saturday Chores

Harriet hates doing "Saturday Chores". She's developed this opinion based on characters on Disney channel programs and books like 100 Ways to Bug Your Parents. So, her solution, to this dislike, for the last two weeks, has been to thoroughly clean the entire house on Friday afternoons, before I even get home from work. She knows, of course, that the house must be cleaned each week, but figures that by doing it all by herself, on Fridays, she can help us all avoid the dreaded "Saturday Chores." What a delightful and wonderful child, that one.

I'm smack in the midst of breaking a resolution to stay off the computer for 24 hours and get some reading done already. But it's okay, cuz I've read a lot today. I'll blog in my book and movie blog about some of the books I've been reading, and I've ordered two amazing new picture books for birthday gifts (but I can't say for whom!).

Suzette wasn't at our last writing group meeting, but she asked me to email her my "spiritual moment" essay, which I did. She marked it up, very thoughtfully, and sent it back to me as a PDF. In addition to having feedback and an audience, the best thing about writing group is that it's encouraging me to become more and more interested in and thoughtful about the writing process. I've been reading a lot of books about reading and writing. This reading, and the ensuing conversations, have led me to begin to develop a new sense of myself as a writer. They've led me to rewire some of my internal maps in ways that I think are leading me to become a more focused and stronger writer. For example, I've become certain that the two genres in which I will be able to create some quality (possibly publishable) writing, in the next year or so, are essays about teaching, and short stories or fiction for ten-year-olds.

Here's one funny irony about the role I see myself assuming as "a writer": I really want a funky, spicy, bohemian type of writer's notebook. I imagine this notebook to be full of sketches, new words, poem fragments, and quirky observations. But I also adore this new pearly white mac that has become my constant companion. And I'm far more comfortable typing out my thoughts, than I am writing them out long hand. Although, it must be said, I often have more developed and careful thinking when I'm writing long hand, because I'm forced to S--L--O--W D--O--W--N. Maybe I can have both. A funky writing notebook, and a stylish lap top. Both.

Jessie update: he's still with us, he's still being brave and strong, and the one thing I wished most for him, around Christmas time, he has been given: a positive male role model in the form of Mr. Chatter, my brilliant student teacher.