I had a great day yesterday. I went to Whidbey Island for the day and spent the night. I went to the Coupeville festival and bought Emma a cute shirt and dress. Then I went back to the cabin (my parents own a cabin they bought years ago up there) and had a family gathering of sorts. My aunt, uncle, cousin, and lady I gramma-sit were there. We spent the day BBQ’ing, talking, going for walks. And we tried to take Emma out in the rowboat, and she freaked out a bit. Ah well, she used to love boating. She’ll get used to it again. And I got so much writing done. I’m fleshing out my heroine in Grounds for Arousal. Making her less rough around the edges. And giving her some more motivation. I’m liking where this is going. I also came home to find two partials requested from two of the agents Roberta referred me to. So… trying to keep ‘hope in the mail’ as someone said. Who was it. Shelley? Hmm. Speak up if it was you!
But last night was wonderful. With Emma and I tucked away in this tiny room. I have my laptop, even though we don’t have any internet, and I did the most wonderful thing. I grabbed my CD’s and picked out some of my favorite classical ones. So I put on Faure’s Requim. Which has to be my hands down, all time favorite, choral piece. I sang it college, and in a group after college. It was also the Requim sung at the memorial in Washington D.C. following September 11th. So I listened to it, in this tiny room without lights. With no internet to distract me. I even minimized my book I was editing and just listened. To this music that makes my stomach clench, my eyes tear up, and my throat go tight. I don’t really think I can accurately convey how this piece affects me. But it does, on a truly deep level. Beneath the writer, I have another creative/artistic side. And that’s the musician in me. The girl who will always appreciate great classical music. The thrill of a dissonant chord that hesitates to resolve. I love all kinds of music, but the type that challenges me emotionally as well as intelligently, will always be classical. And although music really isn’t big in my life now, I remember how much I love it when I take the time to… well, just listen.
So… what were you before you were a writer? Did you have another passion? A hobby, or some talent we don’t know about? What’s your other passion besides writing? Or if you’re not a writer, what’s your passion period?
Speaking of period. Look at all the creative things you can do with tampon…..
