this woman’s work

This past weekend

Oct 31, 2004 Writing

We went out of town this weekend. We went to a lodge down south of here and stayed overnight. It was a short jaunt but much needed. The idea was that Brett would play with the children — hiking, hanging at the pool — while I wrote. Only I didn’t anticipate the way that I suddenly need to be with Madison pretty much all the time. Well, not all the time. Most of the time.

I hate being away from her for more than an hour or two all of a sudden. With Noah, I figured this was the nursing but since I no longer possess lactating breasts with super-powered baby-need indication abilities, it must actually be that elusive thing called attachment.

I’m running with it.

As regular readers of my blog know, I’m reexamining my writing commitment to get a better idea of where I am and where I want to go. I’m learning that even when I’m not writing (i.e., blowing off writing-work) that I still write a lot, which is good. I want to write more productively. I want to write with purpose if not a plan. Basically, I’m trying to channel my daily writing in a way where I’m moving forward and not just writing for myself. Like in this here blog.

I’m learning to watch myself as I write so I can get a better idea of my process because I think that this will help me be more clear in my writing goals. See, a lot of what I know about writing I have never articulated. When I’m reading more about writers and how they write, I’m also identifying those things in my own writing.

I hope to become a Really Fine Writer. And I know that Really Fine Writing is only partly stringing together words in a way that sounds nice. I really need to learn how to do this. I’m kind of putting myself in school for it.

However, this weekend I realized that the learning will be slow-going during this season of my life. I sat by the pool with my laptop but kept looking up to smile at my family splashing away. Then I left my green stenopad in the room to follow the three of them down to the lake.

As H. I. McDunnough (Nic Cage) said in Raising Arizona, “These were the happy days, the salad days as they say…”

Yes indeed.

Pictures from this weekend to prove it:
–Noah picked out these matching socks for the two of them. Please make note of Madison’s chubbilicious thighs!
–The children playing catch — well, actually roll on the campside tennis court.

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