Day 1490:Title time

Although I've pretty much settled on a title for the book, I keep wondering if it's catchy enough.  Will it draw people in immediately when they see it on a shelf?  Perhaps.  All the chapters need titles also, because I've just been using the subjects as a label.  Today, I worked on creating short, clever titles that are engaging and humorous.  Of course, that task taps into my two greatest weaknesses as a writer.

My favorite title is for the field sanitation chapter: "Dig a Hole and Do What?"  It's not my creation though.  It was courtesy of my friend, Michele.  That's what she screeched when she asked me about going to the bathroom in the woods.  For the food chapter I have, "Cheese, Glorious Cheese,"  which works because lots of people say that when they sit down to lunch.  But then they get pretty academic.  For expedition behavior, it's "Outdoor citizenship."  Not bad, but not much zip.

Fifty degrees and a warm breeze.  Three and a half miles down today. Absolutely wonderful!

Day 1489: Fabric shopping

Four merry seamstresses spent the day buying fabrics for costumes for Aida.  Twenty-four yards of black and twenty-four yards of white for the minister's coats, plus lining fabric.  And that's just for one number with seventeen performers.  Next weekend, after the equipment seminar, the sweatshop will begin!

No writing today.  Instead, time with friends, a long walk outside and Sherlock Holmes.

Three of our Aida leads waiting while the general cast is dancing.

Shopping for fabric with Sandy, Jodie and Kathy

Day 1488: New principal!

Fantastic news today.  Our dear friend Darrin P. was hired as the new principal for Fredonia High School!  He is one of the most admired, respected and beloved teachers in the district.  As president of our union, he conducted business in a calm, rational and diplomatic manner.  He has a great sense of humor, is highly organized and above all, loves the students.  I couldn't be happier for him, our school and our community.

Still working on the hook for the book and related topics.  For the query, I need to explain the need for the book, why I'm the right person to write the book and my promotional platform.  Those are actually more manageable than the hook.  I've reworked the brief statement many times trying to create a snappy rhythm and vivid images while still conveying the central idea.  It's harder to write these short paragraphs that to write an entire page.  Keep going, keep working, be patient and persistent.

My beautiful nieces in my beautiful pool!  Oh, how luscious and inviting the pool looks. 

Summer, please hurry!

Day 1487: Condensing content

My focus today was on the characteristics of a good query letter.  The first task assigned by the book Bulletproof Book Proposals was to express the main idea of the book in twenty-five words or less.  It has to be an accurate catchy hook that will capture the editor's attention.  I made a list of about one hundred words and phrases to condense down into one or two sentences.  Tough job.  I have two sentences I'm working on.   "Quest, Fredonia's model backpacking program, offers teens seven days of boot-sucking mud and adventure.  Learn how one western New York school has become the leader in outdoor education by reconnecting teens with nature."

Very tired tonight.  And a bit impatient with this process.  After taking seven years to write a book, I certainly should be able to tolerate a few months of preparation and learning to begin the publishing process.  It's hard to sustain the energy without actually producing something measurable.

TBT

This is where I want to be!  

Aug 30, 2015

Day 1486: Football Fever

Michael poked a hornet's nest and suggested that football be eliminated from the high school sports offerings.  People are already going crazy.  Save Fredonia Football!  It's an important issue and it involves more than just the parents and players.  There's a tight community around the sport that intensely favor keeping the sport. While there are others who see it as far too dangerous for the students.  If a player were to die, as happened just a few years ago in Brocton, the entire district would be sued and every resident would pay.   In addition, repeated head trauma causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy.  Why does anyone risk that?  I'm glad he raised the issue because the entire community has a collective  responsibility to the students.  It will be a tough meeting to manage because emotions will be running high.

So where do I stand?  I understand the camaraderie among the families of players and I appreciate the value of teamwork to accomplish goals.  Games with rivals can be exciting, although I don't watch football because it's too boring.  I think eventually research will reveal that repeated head traumas from football tackles or soccer headers or cheerleading falls are far too dangerous for youths.  I would prefer to see adventure education that challenges kids to grow in courage and skills but is not competitive with other schools.  Rock climbing, kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking all offer a similar adrenaline rush and physical toning.  My prediction is that football will survive the battle this time, but within ten years, Fredonia and lots of other schools will abandon the sport as more evidence is gathered.

A great lunch at the Mustard Seed restaurant: Pulled pork sliders with sriracha slaw and homemade waffle chips.  

Day 1485: The big melt

Tonight I had a great talk with my mentor, Lee.  He's the person who created the Quest backpacking program and set up the organizational structure.  Without his vision and direction, it wouldn't exist.    He and his wife are spending the winter in Florida so we won't be able to get together for a couple months.  He was very excited to hear the news that I had finished the book and he loved the title.   There are a few chapters that he figures in prominently so I'll be sending those to him to examine.  I want to make sure he is happy with the stories I've told about him.

It smelled like spring today.  Forty-four degrees and rain.  Actually, it felt bit like backpacking weather and I love walking in warm rain.   Even though the sidewalks were icy, it was so refreshing. 

Ice sheets have slipped away.  Is that a bit of yellow-green on the willow in the distance?

Spring is coming!

Day 1484: Student leaders

We all love student leaders.  They make everything fun for campers and provide relief from supervisory duties for exhausted adults.   Everyone depends on them for fun, jokes, games, instruction and supervision. They are the backbone of our operation.  Today, we had our orientation meeting to cover lots of materials in preparation for the first classes next week. It was important to make our expectations and goals absolutely clear. We have lots of rookies this year and I suspect it was all a bit overwhelming to them.

Seventeen Fredonia upperclassmen were selected along with five students from Brocton and two from Silver Creek. We gave eleven freshmen the opportunity to be alternates.  In their letter, they were instructed to bring their health form and attend today's meeting, if they wanted to be considered for a position.  ONE freshman followed through.  ONE!   If five or ten had come, I would have explained that they would have to wait till the number of campers was verified, then come to classes.  After a few weeks of observations, we'd be able to assess their skills and perhaps invite a few to join the expedition.   But, there was only one, so I didn't even hesitate.   I welcomed Marcus to the team and the rest of the student leaders gave him a big round of applause.

Day 1483: Penelope celebrates

My dear Penelope friends have been my critics, cheerleaders and best supporters for over twenty-eight years.  They are more than friends.  Their insights made a huge impact on the quality of my writing and the book is far better because of them.

We hosted a spaghetti dinner with all the fixings to thank these amazing ladies and their hubbies.  Spaghetti, meatballs, sausage, fresh bread, salad, pie, cookies and plenty of wine.  What a great time! 

At our meeting this morning, they reviewed the concluding chapter and made smart suggestions for improvements.  I've never written the end of a book before so I needed as much help as possible.  Tomorrow, I'll be back at the research, but just for a few more days.  I've decided to give it my best shot and if I don't have a positive response by the time we get back from Scotland on June 5, I'm going pursue self-publication.  I can't wait a year or two to see it in hardback.  

Day 1482 Writer's Market

Instead of a computer search, I tackled the Writer's Market today.  It's an 890 page book that lists all the publishers along with their critical information like what types of books they publish, subjects, where to send queries, submission guidelines, royalties and lots more.  It also has articles on finding, managing and promoting written work.  I scanned a hundred pages of entries and found just a couple possibilities.   It's fairly easy because I go directly to publishers of non-fiction, read their topics and the philosophy of the company. I'll still have to investigate them further, but it's been helpful.

We made a lot of progress on costumes today.  The boxes of Joseph costumes yielded many usable pieces.  Plus, we cleaned up next to the rigging so that the space is clear of the repair of the beam. Our choreographer has a storehouse of costumes that she contributes when appropriate and the girls tried out a few today.  It's going to be a dazzling show!

There must have been twenty kids on site to work today.  Half pitched in to build seven new panels and skinned a few more.  The others worked with the costume crew labeling garment bags, cleaning out the prop room and backstage, pulling props and hanging costumes.
Me?  I wandered around taking photos, visited with Ellen, and generally avoided as many of those tedious tasks as I could.  Give me a coat to design and sew, shorten a skirt, build a set, paint a backdrop.  PLEASE!

Day 1481: Nothing like it

Another five hours combing websites in search of publishers yielded just one possibility.  That's discouraging, but there is good news.  I've read descriptions of thousands of books related to backpacking, middle school adventure education, environmental ed, experiential education, narrative nonfiction, outdoor activities and kids in nature.  There is not a single book out there like mine.  That's great in one respect because it fills a gap for middle school outdoor education programs.  The difficulty it raises lies in locating the right publisher for it.  Where does it fit?  Who will take a chance on it?

Next week, I will teach myself about query letters, book proposals, chapter summaries and cover letters.  I still need to revise a few chapter titles and put the whole book in one file.  One step at a time.  That's how I got this far and that's how I'll get this job done.  Never give up!

I took a big step today.  For seven and half years, I've held on to my unit binders.  Thousands of lessons and teaching materials.  Over thirty years of work in the trash.  I kept a small stack for Vince, but the rest of the paper is in the recycling.  I passed all of my electronic files on to Pat when I retired, but it was hard to let go of the binders that I depended on for so long.  It was way overdue.

Just half of the herd that raided the bird feeder today.

Day 1480: Bleary eyes

Writing is incredibly satisfying to me and I really miss it. I love crafting a beautiful phrase, explaining a concept or producing fluid dialogue.  Although the book was tons of work and time, the writing was a pleasure.  Tallying up word counts and chapters completed made me really happy.  This stage of five hours of research each day is miserable and doesn't produce much that's tangible.   After four days of work, I've found four plausible publishers.  Each day I've changed my search parameters and key words to refine the search.  Today's session was the most productive, but I'm beat.

The next job is to produce an agenda for the student leader meeting Monday.  We have lots of important topics to cover and very little time.  None of the freshmen have yet submitted their health form to qualify for the alternate list.  The deadline is Monday, so we'll see who follows through.  There are four boys we'd really like to take because they have great skills.  If they get temperamental or angry and rip up the letter, they'll miss out.

We got out for a walk at the college again.  The temperature was up in the twenties, but the wind was bitterly cold.  It's the second day of classes, the first Thursday class, so students were scrambling along the walks on their way to class and bus stops.  Later in the semester, the kids will be dragging along and campus won't be bustling.

Day 1479: Turkey herd

Really folks?  So many all at once?

Day 1478: VA Hospital

Each time we visit the VA Hospital in Buffalo, I leave shaken and depressed.   So many men, and a few women, old and young.  The people we see are mostly gray haired with that distinctive military bearing, although often bent over or limping.  Some are feeble, in wheelchairs or on gurneys, drawn and gray.  The younger ones are often missing limbs.  They served when called and now they need support and care.  The staff and doctors are doing what they can to address their needs, but the demands on the system are vast and growing.  It's so overwhelming.   I think every politician should be required to visit a VA facility for an entire day each month.  Maybe then they would begin to understand the long term effects of their policies.

I spent the afternoon reading about self-publishing and that was a bit depressing too.  I know I need a copy editor,  a cover designer and someone to format the whole book.  I will not release a book that isn't effectively designed, laid out and carefully proofread.  Putting a product out for public consumption is terrifying.  I'm giving myself at least two to four weeks for research before I even write a query.  It feels a bit like fall 2008 when I first began outlining the book.  It was this huge, scary project and so hard to start that I did very little but think during that first year.  Now, eight years later, that part is done and I'm turning to the next big, scary set of tasks.

Today, Mary found a vendor called Skye Island Tours. We booked a gentleman named Gus to take our crew on a day tour of the scenic spots on Isle of Skye.  Fantastic!  All we need now is the train and ferry tickets.

Day 1477: All booked!

Scotland is all booked!  Finding a decent hotel for seven people in four rooms was absolutely maddening!  Mary and I were on the phone looking at one hotel and she had a price that was half of what was on my screen on the same site.  What a ripoff!  She booked for everyone and we saved 50%!  We also found a site advertising jeep tours so we're going to investigate them for a day tour.

I also spent many hours reading three different websites for writer's guidelines.  Backpacker magazine does not publish books but it does sponsor some that have a third party publisher. They also take queries for articles which I may investigate later.  The NOLS website was also nebulous regarding publishing.  I'll send them a query also.  Then, I read the whole WEA website.  There I found out about certifications and a national seminar. Nothing on publishing books.  No problem, I've just begun. My eyes are tired now from all the close work.

It was super cold today so we stayed inside all day.  Sinclairville got about eighteen inches of snow, but we only got a couple.  I am tired of being cooped up and miss our long walks.

 

Day 1476: Skye plans

We slept 9.5 hours last night and finally feel better.  Steve's cold was not as severe, but he was still miserable.  He went off to a meeting in Jamestown very early and I had a lovely quiet morning.

Marie stopped by and informed me that she has ten kids lined up to backpack from Brocton! Wow!  She said Tim went around to the 8th grade homeroom wearing his backpack and the Quest t-shirt.  He answered questions and really encouraged the kids to participate.  Very proud of him!  It's a very exciting prospect.

Mary and I spent much of the day trying to line up accommodations in the Isle of Skye.  It's a very popular destination for the end of May so the prices are awful.  Plus, there are many bed and breakfasts, but they don't have four rooms.  Traveling with seven people is a bit of a problem for arranging hotels.  Transportation is tricky, too.  It's going to take lots of research and money to nail this down.  We did book our Glasgow rooms, so at least that's set.

Another blast of lake effect is on the way!

Day 1475: Dad's 90th birthday

I'm permitting myself to give in to exhaustion today and tomorrow before the next stage begins.  It was really difficult to drag myself out to rehearsal this morning, but I knew we had to get started on wardrobe.  We need an astonishing number of costumes since there are fifty cast members and each one requires several different outfits.  We pulled items from previous shows and I was surprised at how many usable items we have.  Still, we need hundreds more pieces.  Set construction will require far less lumber this year because the sets are simple and it's a good thing.  What they don't spend, we will.

Choreographer RoseAnn, Bob and Anna

I don't know their character's names yet.

Matt has the male lead this year.  I remember when we backpacked together and he sang the entire trip.  He and his friends made up crazy songs including one called "There are no bananas in the sky."

My dad's 90th birthday is today. He's been gone nearly twenty years now.  Last night when we were at the funeral home for a 94 year old lady, I couldn't help thinking how fortunate her family was to have her around for so long.  We would have loved to have our parents for years longer.  He's missed a lot in the past two decades and I'm sure he'd be proud of how his family turned out. 

Miss you, Dad!

Day 1474: Done!

My book is done!  At 10:15 this evening, I finished writing the conclusion.  It was a long haul today with a few important interruptions that actually helped stimulate the writing.  The temperature rose into the forties today, so we drove over to the college and hiked their nicely cleared sidewalks.  Just being outside was so refreshing after days of being cooped up.

At mid afternoon I drove to Forestville to get my hair done.  Every day, Sue's husband takes their dogs into the hills for a long walk.  The dogs love it and for him, the exercise makes a huge impact on his health.  It lowers blood pressure, improves mood and reduces stress.  And we talked about a long distance backpacking trip that our friend John H. is doing in the fall.  He's working at her school now and everyone loves him.  Then we were off to the funeral home to visit with friends who lost their mom and grandma.  She was 94 and they were so very fortunate to have her in their lives for so long. Their close knit family was all there and they were so grateful we came to pay our respects.  That made me think about how our community is bound together by friendships and shared experiences.

The entire day prompted thoughts about the extraordinary friendships we've formed over the life of Quest.  John's children were two of our most beloved student leaders and after they graduated, they became our friends. How lucky we've been to have these fine young people in our lives.  Anna, Pete, Alycia, Vince, Alissa, Ben, Amanda, Shane, Sean and so many more.  So those reflections contributed to the successful completion of the last few paragraphs.

It may seem strange that I am not leaping all over the house to rejoice.  Seven years of work on this book is coming to an end.  There's lots more to do to get it published, but I am incredibly satisfied with the product.  The universe must always find balance, it seems.  Major events in my life always seek counter measures.   My father died and Evan became valedictorian.  My mother died on our anniversary.  And on the day I finish my book, my son lost his job.  Just can't be too happy on a single day.   I'm not going worry about him because he has many high level skills and lots of experience.  My prediction is that he'll have a new job within a week.  But why today?

Putting those morose thoughts aside, I am extremely grateful to so many people for their assistance with this book.  Foremost among them is my husband.  He has constantly contributed his thoughts,  insights and experience to the content.  He's reviewed every chapter and made many suggestions.  Plus, he has patiently stayed away from the house for hours at a time each day for months so I could work.

I owe sincere thanks to Lee also because he was the one who created this program we love so much. He shared his vast knowledge and many materials with me.  I have a whole book shelf filled with books, binders and maps from him.

For the book, Penelope writers deserve a great deal of credit.  They read and critiqued nearly every chapter.  Without their thoughtful comments and encouragement, I don't know if it would have happened.
There were many more important contributions, too.  All the folks who sat for interviews, completed questionnaires, sent comments via email or Facebook, my family and friends.

Ahhh, gratitude, relief, joy and satisfaction.  That's how this moment feels.

The backyard feeding ground has been trampled completely by a dozen turkeys, eight deer, a half dozen squirrels and tons of birds. Good day.

Day 1473: Book club diversion

Yesterday I finished most of the content for the conclusion and I was eager to continue today.  However,  I was hosting book club tonight and had to devote my time to preparations.  So, I made very little progress and that's disappointing.  Tomorrow will be a marathon session to meet my goal.

Only five attended book club and the book, A Spool of Blue Thread by Ann Tyler, was another disappointment.  It didn't matter much because the company was lovely and the discussion thoughtful.  I would really like to read an engaging, important book for next month.

Sorry, no time or inclination for photos.  Too much to do.

Day 1472: EMS Honors

Ten different instructors with the Fredonia State sponsored EMT class were honored tonight for their many years of service.  Their dedication and loyal are remarkable.  The course has now moved to to Mayville, since Steve retired as the CIC (Certified Instructor Coordinator).  Together they trained thousands of EMTs who in turn offered care and service to many thousands of patients. 

Melodee was honored for thirty years of service to EMT instruction.

Since Julius was making the presentations, he did not prepare a plaque for himself,

but he also has given over thirty years of service.

Laurie was honored for over twenty years of service to EMT instruction

Tony was honored for over 30 years of service to EMT instruction

Steve was honored for 40 years of service to EMT instruction.

He began teaching in 1975 and then took over as CIC for the class in 1984.

They were all so devoted to caring for the community.

Their retirements are a terrible loss to the region.

Day 1471: State of the Union

Steve spent much of the afternoon out on the thruway at a multi vehicle accident caused by heavy snow and limited visibility.  One semi drove into the back of another and the cab was crushed pinning the driver inside.  It's a miracle he wasn't killed. It took rescuers ninety minutes to extract him.  Lots of cars then crashed into them and each other because of the icy roads.  What a mess.

At daybreak I awoke with my head full of ideas to put on paper so I couldn't go back to sleep.  I worked the whole day again and completed all of the substance.  Tomorrow, the plan is to review my notes again and see if there is anything I neglected to include, write two more concluding paragraphs and polish the language.  I'll let it sit and percolate for a bit on Thursday because I always need time to reconsider my choices.

We listened to the President's last State of the Union address.  I cheered throughout, but I'm a rabid democrat and I love Obama.  Apparently, the Republicans were a bit insulted.  They applauded only once, when the President mentioned the strength of our military forces.  Their reaction was to be expected since they have opposed him on every single point from day one.  I will miss him.

Day 1470: Snow day

Snow day!  Not that it affects me any more, but it helped cause I cancelled a few distracting events for the next two days so I could just keep working.  I spent about ten hours on the conclusion.  I reread about a dozen interviews, collected relevant comments and typed them.  Ben M's piece was absolutely perfect.  Next, I transcribed my interview with Margaret,  brainstormed and typed responses to all the questions that Penelope suggested yesterday and quizzed Steve on several, too.

I called Rob S. and asked him to come speak to our eighth graders about his experiences backpacking on the AT and the PCT.   He agreed to come on Feb. 11.  Hooray!  I read and downloaded several articles about his trips cause he plays a part in this chapter.  I cut a few pieces from the intro and pasted them into the conclusion, although I kind of regret that move.  I also polished the dialogue cause now I've found a way to link it to the rest of the content.  So, now it's a matter of sorting and selecting exactly what I want to include.  The one thing I wish I had done was to make a list of key points that I liked as I reread the whole manuscript back in October.  So, now my eyeballs have had it.  Tomorrow, I have another twelve hours to get these pieces in place.

First use of the snowblower this season!

Day 1469: Penelope friends

Several years ago, my friend Carol B. told me not to submit my manuscript unless it was my best work.  Today, she said I'm ready.  I followed her into her kitchen and told her that above all the comments I'd heard in the past few years, hers was the one that I kept foremost in my mind.  I knew all along that I could not submit something incomplete or unpolished.  I wrapped my arms around her and told her I loved her.  She said, "You know I haven't written much of anything since Fred died, but you've inspired me."

The group loved the introductory chapter.  In fact, I was blushing and near tears when I heard their praise for the chapter, the book, and my tenacity.  It's not something they do readily.   In fact, never.  Twenty-nine years we've been together and they are the most loyal and devoted group ever, not just to me but to each other and our creative processes.  This book never would have happened without their support, encouragement and critical eyes.

They helped me tremendously with the conclusion, too.   I had already decided yesterday to dump everything I wrote this past week.  It just didn't measure up and seemed too small considering the breadth of the project.  Their experiences informed their recommendations.  I wrote furiously as Sarah and Carolyn kept firing key questions at me.  Valerie always makes connections and thinks of concepts to explore.  Every observation was so insightful.  They want me to focus on the big picture, on what I've learned on my journey and why other teachers would want to do this.    

It's been an exhilarating day and a tumultuous week.  My cold is better, but I spent the day with a migraine.  Steve started sniffling tonight right on schedule.  But, those are small matters because my heart is nearly bursting.  Colin and April are happily settling in.  They have a new car, a new sofa and their furniture is arriving tomorrow.  They found a ramen shop, a coffee house and a Korean barbecue near Colin's work.  In a few days, my book will be done.  All is right in my world.

Day 1468: First crew work day

Twenty-two kids showed up to work backstage this morning.  Eager, energetic and fun, we got a ton accomplished both backstage and in the costume storage space. They dismantled an ancient screen and the last of pride rock left from the MS production.  Then they hauled out a half dozen risers to  transport to storage space at Wheelock.

In the costume department, we emptied the entire storage room.  The crew hung all the items that were returned to us from Forestville.  We sorted all the lose clothes and crammed them onto the racks.  We have an unbelievable amount of costumes for a small school.  Every era, every style, something for every show.  Kathy does not like to throw anything out.  Two pieces of junk she rejected I put in the trash can immediately and covered them with papers.  It's my least favorite day of musical prep, but now it's over.

It was nearly fifty degrees today and so we took a long walk through town.  The creek is wild and muddy, all the ice has been swept away.  Everything is about to change since an entire week of lake effect snow is predicted.  That's fine cause I must concentrate to complete my last chapter.

Day 1467: Putting Christmas to bed

The garlands are dismantled, packed and tucked away in the attic for another year and I only smashed one bulb.  Not bad considering all the various fragile components.  I vacuumed twice and hope there are no stray fragments of glass left in the carpet.

I made some progress on the conclusion.  It's a different approach, but consistent with the rest of my chapters.  I wrote a long dialogue between us upon our return from an expedition.  It's a very typical conversation we have over the hours, days and weeks following Quest.   We talk about the acts of courage we witnessed, things kids did to make us proud, the disappointments, the worries about the adults, the funny classic skits that we never tire of seeing.  I like it's rhythm, but I'm just not sure.  I'll take it to Penelope on Sunday and see what they think.

My voice is back to about eighty percent and the congestion is much improved.  It's a good thing cause there are only seven days left to finish my book!

Molly and her Christmas toy

Day 1466: Lottery winner!

An adorable 81 year old woman won a million dollars in the powerball lottery today and she bought her ticket at Fredonia Food Mart!  Channel four news happened to be at the store interviewing the owner when she came in to check her ticket.  The camera was rolling when Mark told her she was the big winner.  She was so excited she hugged everyone!  She has a huge family and a 90 year old husband.  Her plans for the money? A new roof!

We made all the final decisions on the student leaders yesterday and finished up the letters today.  They'll be mailed out tomorrow and then the fallout will come.  Some will rejoice, others will be disappointed and a few will tear up the letters in a rage.

My voice has been at 50% for two days and I'm buried in tissues.  There's too much to do to be sick!  Time to get well!

Day 1465: My little titmouse

Perky little titmice are so quick that it took many tries to get this shot.  They zip in to a feeder, pick up a seed and take off instantly to crack it on a tree branch.  They arrive in pairs around 10:00 am along with the blue jays, especially when it's sunny.  I so enjoy watching them.

Years ago, I had a colleague, an art teacher, who also loved titmice.  As a term of endearment, she always called her favored students her "little titmice."  At the time, I had never seen the birds, but now it seems a sweet thing to say to a cherished child.  I'm sure the kids thought it was weird, though, 

We talked a lot about the concluding chapter as we drove in to the retinologist's office again.  I want to keep it short, reflective and future-oriented.  Eight days left to meet my goal!

Day 1464: Chapter one done!

Writing was torturous today.  I started early and struggled all morning.  There was little left to do, but I just couldn't get it right.  It always helps to take a break, have a bite to eat and get some fresh air.  After a lovely long walk on icy paths, the crisp air cleared my head.  I knocked it out in forty-five minutes.

A new musical season is underway!  The first Aida rehearsal was held tonight and the staff took care of lots of routine details that are required.  It's fun to see the the excitement of new cast members, especially the eager freshmen.  Graciela has the starring role of Aida and she'll be sensational.  With this cast and an incredible crew, we have a great shot at winning the Kenney Award.

If I have a voice in the morning, I'll be shocked. When I was teaching, I got laryngitis every November and often in March. Talking all day, I couldn't save my voice, but now I go for many hours without speaking at all.

2016 cast of Aida

Day 1463: Day out

Despite a drippy nose and constant tickle in my throat, I spent the day out with my friend Rachel and felt revived when I got home.  It was helpful for my thought process cause I was able to knock out another page tonight.  The Brocton Supt. was extremely helpful.  With just three sentences for each question, he gave me exactly the comments I was hoping for in fresh, insightful language.  I should finish the chapter tomorrow and it will be ready to share with Penelope on Sunday.

Rachel asked me today if I will be able to let the book go.  Good question.  I responded quickly, "Oh, sure!" But it may be harder than I think.  The next phase will consume a great deal of time and energy, but the tasks will be new and challenging.  Anyway, on Wednesday, I tackle the last chapter!

January 1, 2016 

Inauguration Day for our friends, the Foleys

Two men who are ethical, kind, knowledgeable and compassionate will serve our communities.

How fortunate and grateful we are.

Congratulations and best wishes for long and successful terms in office!

Day 1462: The Abominable Bride

Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, is my absolute favorite thing on tv.  We've had to wait months for a new episode and the next series will not be released until 2017.  It is the only program I watch with my full attention.  It's intellectually tantalizing, darkly romantic and curious.  I love the language complexity and the speed of the banter between Holmes and every other character.  Only rarely can I figure out the mystery.  We watch the episodes multiple times to squeeze every detail and nuance from the story.

I've done all I can on the Triumphs chapter until responses come in from the school officials.  I combed through the text again today and made a few more modifications.  It's at 5.5 pages and I think I may expand it only one more page.  It's very satisfying to be so far along.

Even the concluding chapter is underway, though that is dependent on a few interviews.  All are complete except one, the young man who hiked the Appalachian Trail.  Twelve days left to meet my goal!

I had a terrible night with this cold.  Coughing, dripping, aching, tossing. Much of the day was the same, but I was still able to work.   Hope tonight will be better.

Day 1461: New year, new cold

Surprise!  I woke up with a cold.  Where did that come from, I thought.  No one in the family was ill while they were home.  I haven't been out that much.  Oh, yes.  The musical staff party.  I hugged every nearly guest as they came in and I remember one who was recovering from a miserable cold. I spent the day with a nose like a faucet that's been rubbed raw by coarse tissues.

Nevertheless, I plunged into my work, wrote off and on till 9:30 tonight and accomplished a great deal.  We restocked the groceries and I made a big pot of chili that will last a few days.

In the Triumphs chapter, I have finished Bismarck's story and nearly completed Maeghan's story.  The  new story on kids falling in the mud is done, too.  That's the bulk of the chapter.

At the end of the chapter, I have comments from the superintendent and a few others on the value of outdoor education.  I decided I need some remarks from Fredonia's school board president, the Brocton superintendent and the Cassadaga principal. The new Silver Creek superintendent will not take office till March 1 and we plan to meet with him to iron out all staff arrangements.  Maybe I can elicit some observations then.  I'm not even sure I will even keep those comments in this first chapter, but I need the comments, nevertheless.  So far, it's six pages and I'm thinking it will run no more than eight.  I really, really need feedback on this one.  It has not had the scrutiny that all other chapters have had.

We booked our flights to NYC for the Scotland trip today.  We'll be sitting in JFK for six hours, but we decided that it was far safer to arrive very early for the international flight than to take any chance of missing the flight.  Jet Blue only offers one other flight that day that arrives before our 8:40 departure time.  It will be fine and we'll have a great time no matter what.

Ten deer, grazing and munching at dusk.  In the background, you can see reflections of items in my office.  Only two days of snow cover and they arrived en masse to attack the bird feeders and tromp all over my lilies.

Day 1460: Tree down

The first significant snow storm blew in today and deposited a couple inches.  We're in for lots of lake effect since the lake is still quite warm.  I was happy to stay in all day to clean up from the holidays and write for hours.  Steve swept the steps and fed the birds, but only a few little juncos and blue jays braved the cold.

Taking down the tree was time consuming.  It took nearly three hours to remove all the ornaments, pack them away, vacuum carpets, walls and windowsills, then move the furniture back.  The hardest part is getting all that stuff back in the attic.  It brings out the worst in my husband since the tree box is so large and heavy.  Next year, I think we need a new, smaller tree that we can manage.  I'll tackle the garlands later in the week.

I spent much of the day working on the first chapter that's titled Triumphs Along the Trail.  Ideas have been percolating for weeks while I worked on other chapters.  Plus, I had already written three significant chunks.   Today, I wrote a whole new story about boot-sucking mud.  It's a composite of stories of three times when kids fell in the mud, had to retrieve lost boots and then others came to their assistance.   Neither Steve or I can remember who exactly was involved in those incidents, so I made up names and took the best dialogue from each event. It's the first time, I've created a composite  in the whole book.  I hope it's engaging enough to pull the audience in.  It's the section I'll take to Penelope next week and see what they think.

Yesterday, I transcribed a couple key interviews that I've done over the last few months.  They'll be critical in the conclusion.  I thought of a couple ways to link the beginning to the end that I hope will work.