Yeah, like anyone follows this LJ any more, or remembers who it is. *g*

Still, rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I've only been stuck in the belly of fan fiction. I am so in trouble for playing this much hooky ... But hey! I've updated my writerly website thingie: http://www.gm-atwater.com/

It's still utterly pointless, but all things being relevant, I'm planning on using my summer time (betwixt the gazillion, healthy, productive, physical things that keep me off my computer) to get back to writing, or more rightly, revising the hell out of Morgan the grouchy dragon slayer. Oh, I am such a bad writer! So ... if you notice me loafing, feel free to poke me with a sharp stick. No, really!

SUNDAY JAN 25 - This morning was again rather grey, but birdsong rang from the garden, and I opened the bedroom window for a little time to enjoy it. After a perfectly delicious shower (the one American habit I miss, as the English seem to prefer baths) I begged off a cup of morning tea to take a walk. ( MORE! )

SATURDAY JAN 24 - Monday morning dawned rather grey, but the day soon cleared to dazzling sunshine. I abandoned the idea of going to watch a Nursery sheepdog trial (dogs under the age of 3 years) mainly because it worked out as impractical use of my last fully free day in the UK. What with the drive to and from Huddersfield, not to mention making poor Sylvia stand around and be bored! ;-) ( MORE! )

FRIDAY JAN 23 - Another grey, drizzly morning, but I took a bath and we headed off towards York. We parked at a park & ride just outside the city, and caught a bus to the city center. A wise move, as I later realize upon seeing York's streets. ( MORE! )

THURSDAY, Jan 22 - We awoke to chucking down rain after a stormy night (interesting to listen to shipping weather on the drive home last night) but after a stop at the shops, we braved the yuk and headed out for Derbyshire. We followed part of the route we'd done to Cousin Paul's in Staffordshire, but up atop the moors, we turned off into the Peaks National Park area. ( MORE! )

WEDNESDAY, JAN 21 - The morning was thick and grey with rain, and wet snow clung to the shrouded hills, but I went for a short walk into the tiny village of Grasmere. Rather than go very far into the town proper, I took a turn on a woodland path beside the river. ( MORE! )

TUESDAY, JAN 20 - Today, we awoke to frost and ice under sunny skies. Amidst the unexpected chill, we packed to head for the Lakes District. I think Sylvia considered driving over the Yorkshire moors, but we could see snow on top and instead took to the motorways. ( MORE! )

MONDAY, JAN 19 - Morning was damp and thoroughly English, an earlier rain giving way to sullen drizzle occasionally shot through with sodden snowflakes. We went first to the shops for boots for Sylvia, and sundries are we headed off for the day's adventure. ( MORE! )

SUNDAY, JAN 18 - Again I woke up about 8 a.m,, after staying up rather late last night with chit-chat, wine, and whiskey-filled chocolates. This morning, Sylvia treated me to a delicious real English breakfast: fried egg (no over easy or over medium, just fried) bacon, sausage, fried mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and tea and toast. Made with my almost-5-pound bread, thankyouverymuch. ;-) ( MORE! )

SATURDAY, JAN 17 - I had a good night's sleep, woke up briefly in the early AM but went back to sleep and didn't wake up until about 8 a.m. After yesterday's gallivanting, I took a lazy morning with Becky, having toast and tea and lying about the house, relaxing. I met the lady of the house and her grown daughter, who'd brought her two cute kids, and we had a lovely chat around the kitchen table. What other vacation plan could see me so delightfully immersed right into the culture I'd come to visit? ( MORE! )

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009 - I boarded a wee little sports car of a plane at Reno at 9:15, and takeoff was on time. Presumably due to the plane's small size, we flew a very low flight path over the Sierra Nevadas, maybe 18,000 feet. Lake Tahoe hung momentarily at eye-level before we ascended to level flight and turned east over the lake. Such a beautiful, clear sunny day! ( MORE! )

Yesterday we said goodbye to our old dog, Dolly, at 11 and a half years old. In late June she was diagnosed with lymphoma, and the vet gave her 2-to-3 months to live.

The tough old thing stuck it out for five and half. ( The Rest )

Where, oh where, did the past year and three months go?

( It just ... went. Like a Kleenex snatched out the car window. )

So, I've actually completed my second novel. Yup, it's done, and I didn't even rush over here to blow bugles and beat drums about it. ( More Here )

Sometimes I want to write just to feel the words flow, to capture a thought like bugs in amber to turn and hold to the light. Sometimes I want to simply let ideas take wing and shape words into things no one has seen before. Sometimes, oh sometimes it's like a hunger that clutches and cries, and I can feel words batting in gossamer-winged legions against the shutters of my mind.

Aye, but I also know that once words take shape, there is alway, always the work of it, the slaving and shaving and struggle of it. And that's the hardest part to endure.

~ P.S. No, I'm not dead, merely resting. *G*

This morning when I woke up, my first conscious thought was of ... dragons.

Weird, you say.

No, good. Really, really good! Good enough that my little heart got all skippety-happy, because I think this means my muses have finally come back from their long hiatus. I kid you not, I haven't been stuck with writer's block, I've been hitting the freakin' writer's Berlin Wall! But the bricks are starting to fall, and today I'm gonna try and beat that sucker down. There have been little creative mutters and mumbles the last couple weeks, but I think - I hope - this is me finally back to work.

Yeesh. Willpower, self discipline anyone? Clearly I need a minder. ;-) Anyroad, enough wasting words, on to better things!
Cheers ~

Gloria / Erin

Today I sat on my front porch. I sat on my porch and I listened to my neighborhood and I let the soft breeze kiss my cheek. I heard children playing and neighbors visting. I heard cars rush by out on the highway and random dogs idly barked. I smelled charcoal briquets and barbeque, and my stomach soon began growling. And when hubby came home we threw our own hamburgers on our grill, and the aromas of onions and burger still hang in the air.

Now the windows are open and I'm drinking wine, and I don't even care that it will freeze and snow at least once again before summer. Today it was finally spring. :-)

Yeah. Simple pleasures.