Under the Pear Tree

I have not been blogging very often.

I have, however, been busy doing other things. For one, I'm almost done the book I've been writing. This is very exciting and more than a little terrifying. What do I do with a completed manuscript? My writers group insists I send it away, and I mostly agree with them.

I've looked at agents. I found one in Canada that I think I'll send it to. She seems like a kindred spirit and someone who may be interested in my book. But should I send it to more? My friend Carol Anne Shaw is very wise in these types of matters. She told me if I fancy this one agent, I should try her first but put "Exclusive Submission" somewhere in the pitch.

Someone asked me if I will use a pseudonym, a question to which I did not have an answer. I changed my Facebook name when I became a teacher and I am particularly fond of my alias (which by the way does not keep students from finding and "friending" me) and have considered using that as my writers name.

I guess I should finish the book before I start making these kinds of decisions.

One day I will write a blog post about what my book is actually about. Probably after I write a synopsis.

My current favourite spot to write is in my orchard in front of my house. It isn't a large orchard, but has a few trees for me to sit under. I bring my dog, who happily munches away on deer poop. I type furiously (or not so furiously, dependent on the day) on my laptop. Sometimes Chewie (the dog) escapes into the neighbours yard and I have to run after him. But other than that there are few interruptions. He is currently digging a hole. I hope he finds treasure.

Summer has also been a time for visits. I've had lots of them already. This afternoon I pick up my good friend and she will stay for two weeks before heading off on an adventure to China, where she is teaching for a year.

Carol Anne Shaw--the wise author woman I mentioned earlier--has hired me to write a Teachers Guide for each of her novels "Hannah and the Spindle Whorl" and "Hannah and the Salish Sea". This is very exciting for me, as I love her books and revel in the task of helping a friend using my teacher skills.

James and I leave for New York, New York in approximately one month. We have started a blog, which I may or may not have already mentioned. It is called "The Hot Dog Blog", it only has two entries at this moment, but considering our trip is fast approaching, it will indeed have more soon.

That is all for now, I have work to do, you know.

Hats

I am a wearer of many hats. The one I wear the most is the teacher hat, which I talk about a lot in this blog. Another is an actress--also something I refer to quite a bit. These two hats I am comfortable wearing.

There are other hats I am less comfortable wearing, at least when I am in front of people. One of these is the artist hat. I love to paint, draw and photograph the nonsensical world that surrounds me. Do I necessarily consider myself an artist though? Not particularly. The art teacher at my school, she is a real artist. My friend, Carol, and her husband Richard--they are artists. Me? I play at art.

I feel the same way about my writing. I had a conversation at the literary festival this past weekend about how difficult it is to refer to yourself as an author. Maybe some people don't have this particular mental block, but I certainly do. Someone asked me if I was an author and I skirted the question as best I could until James interrupted me and said "Yes. Kim is a writer."

I suppose the main reason I don't call myself a writer or an author is because it isn't something I work at every day. I write when I feel like it or, more appropriately, I write when it is convenient.

If it wasn't for FRANK (my writers group) I would probably have tossed away my manuscript a long time ago. But having a weekly meeting with people who ask about my work in progress has pushed me to write more, and write more often. Sometimes when I don't write they understand me, and accept my excuses. Sometimes they kick me in the ass. Sometimes they let me teach them the lesson I have planned for the next day because that was the only thing I could accomplish and they appreciate that.

If not for them, I would not have written 20, 000 words on my current project.

Tonight is FRANK night. We are eating nachos. I actually have something to read, thanks to my leisure weekend on Galiano.

Maybe one day I'll be comfortable wearing my authors hat. Maybe one day I will tell strangers, without a hint of irony, that yes--I am an author.
Not tonight though. Tonight I'm just going to eat nachos and read some words.

Day One on Galiano

My day in chronological order:

Wake up

Shower

Take dog to pee

Feed dog

Get ready

Take dog out to poop

Leave house

Pick up my coworker whom I carpool with

Go to Tim Hortons

Eat Tim Hortons in car

Get to school

Greet girls in advisor

Make pretest during spare block

Have English class, show Olympic hockey game

Have Drama class, show Olympic hockey game

Leave school

Drive home

Hug and fawn over my puppy

Worry about leaving my puppy

Hug puppy again

Say thank you and bye to neighbours who are taking care of puppy

Grab clothes

Drive to ferry with James

Board ferry

Take some pictures

Read book

Dock ferry

Drive to Driftwood Village Cottages

Check out cottages

Take pictures

Go to Galiano Inn

Meet up with author friends and say hi

Go to pub with James

Return to cottage

Bathe

Write blog post while James networks at wine and cheese night

Here are some pictures of the day:

Upcoming Weekend

James and I are going to Galiano Island next weekend. There is a literary festival there that James wants to attend. Raffi will be there. Raffi, as in Baby Beluga Raffi. THE Raffi.

I haven't purchased a ticket for the festival, even though I am going to stay at Galiano for the weekend. I haven't quite decided yet if I want to get out of my pajamas. I mean, meeting Raffi sounds amazing, but so does sleeping all day.

We aren't bringing the puppy. It will be the first time I will be away from Chewie for more than a night. Should be interesting. I've grown quite attached to the fluff ball.

I will take many pictures. I will blog about it, using the free wifi provided for my convenience.

I look forward to relaxing. Moving into James' house, getting a puppy, writing course outlines and completing the second round of report cards have taken a lot of my time. I shall lay in a bath for a ridiculous amount of time and watch an obscene amount of television.

I won't do any work. Don't tell my school, but I don't want to work at all.

The Art of Procrastination

I am very skilled in the art of procrastination. The process involves making a list of things to do, going from most important to least important and then working my way from the bottom of the list to the top.

For example, writing this blogpost is at the very very bottom of my list. In fact, it shouldn't even be on my list. It should be on my "things I do that aren't helpful to my future in any way possible" list.

I'm not even dressed for the day. It is 12:30 in the afternoon and I'm currently sitting her in my housecoat. I'll probably succumb to a nap fairly soon as well.

The things I DO need to complete are as follows, I must write four lesson plans, one unit plan and an "assessment overview". Though, because these things are not due until Monday morning, the pressure is not quite enough to kick my butt into gear.

I'll probably finish the book I'm reading instead.

On a similar note, math planning is my nemesis. I hope that teaching math will go better than the planning has. I've stared at the math textbook for many-an-hour to no avail. It isn't even hard; that isn't the problem. It is that I find it painfully boring. I should have done it first and gotten it out of the way. But no, instead I finished every other unit plan I needed to and left math for the bitter end. And I do mean bitter.

I'm housesitting tonight so hopefully seclusion will help in the process.

In other news, Christmas is approaching nice and quick. I'm going to try to get some new etsy items up (ornaments etc) in order to boost my sales. We will see how it goes, if not I'll just hang the dang things on my own tree.

I'm also participating in the National Novel Writing Month (as I don't have enough to do already) if you want to check that out click here.

That is all for today. My math book is staring at me.... Perhaps I will open it and try again.

Flow

I write a lot. Whether it is journal entries, my attempt at the next best seller, school work or on here, I tend to have an affection for expressing myself through the written word.
I even write bad poetry. That is how dedicated I am.
Will it ever go anywhere? Hard to say. My greatest dream is to be "discovered" and hired to keep a travel blog as I get paid to explore strange and exotic places. This greatest dream is placed with my other greatest dreams like becoming a (paid) actress. Or eating whatever I want and not gaining any weight. That too, is a dream.
Anyways, it isn't really that I wish to have any of my work go down in history or be recognized as genius. I'm fairly content in enjoying the process of writing, or acting, or creating artwork. Those things are what ground me and make me happy.
We learned about this term "flow" in class the other day. Surprisingly I had never heard of it before. Flow is something everyone has experienced. What best explained it for me is when I get so wrapped up in the act of something that everything else becomes background noise. It's that moment when you look up at the clock and realize its been 3 hours and you had no idea.
I have been in this. Musicians often feel this. Gamers. Painters.
Flow is the adult equivalent of learning through play. How could that not be an attractive notion to me? After all I just a big kid.
I suppose since in actually tired at midnight for once I will take this opportunity to sleep.
Short and sweet, this post was.