A Catch-up note

By the way, the rainbow trout Sheela and GrampaJohn and I caught a couple of weeks ago were cooked by Karin when they were here, and they were heavenly! The kids missed the fish dinner, because we had just gotten home from the long hike and they both went to bed pretty early that night. But Sheela had told us in no uncertain terms from the beginning that she and Sunil weren't planning on actually eating the fish, anyway ... she just loved the fishing and catching them!

So busy!

As you can see from Karin's Blog, we have been busy with the kids and kidlings for the past several weeks. I did not take my camera at all on the hike up to the shelter on the Appalachian Trail, we just used Karin's. It was a great hike, and we all (except John, who is still having a bit of soreness in his knee) made it to the top in great shape. Sheela carried her own pack the whole way up (4.7 miles) and back down the next day. Sunil carried his own pack part of the way up and all the way down. Sid and Karin not only carried their own gear but took turns helping out with Sunil's. I did good just to get my own gear and water up and down.

We had to take two days' worth of food and water as well as sleeping bags, ponchos, and extra clothes "just in case". We were very lucky with the weather. It rained three or four times, but not enough to penetrate the leafy roof above our heads.

The stars from the area around the shelter at 5 AM were gorgeous. We were at about 5000 feet there, I think. We took freeze-dried food which used water but added no other weight to speak of. There was no water available at the spring near the shelter because we are in the middle of a prolonged drought. Luckily, we knew that beforehand!

Fireworks

And what would a Fourth of July be, after all, without the fireworks?!

Golf and Tennis

Of course we are covering the sports bases, too!

Fishin'

Sheela and GrampaJohn and I spent a lovely afternoon

at the old fishin' hole. Actually, of course, a well-stocked pond. It was a fund-raiser for Habitat for Humanity, so it would've been good even if we hadn't caught a thing.

But, in fact, we caught two big rainbow trout each, plus another family gave us one of theirs. We have them safely stored in the freezer for when the rest of the family shows up this weekend.

Horseback riding in Cades Cove

Sheela rode "Charlie" on the trail. We saw two wild turkeys right beside our horses' feet, and a squirrel sitting on a stump eating a big flat mushroom just as though it were a pizza.

Sheela's cooking

Sheela has been earning her keep here with us this week. She made a "mini meatloaves" dinner last night. She is using the cookbook my mother gave me long ago, and which I gave to Sheela two years ago.
GrampaJohn thoroughly enjoyed the feast!

The menu included: meatloaves, small carrots, canned corn and macaroni and cheese. The chocolate pudding we had for dessert is not pictured. The meat loaf recipe included: marvelous meat, perfect pepper, superior sage, excellent eggs, super salt and ? bread crumbs. (I forgot ... I'm sure she remembers, but she is in bed when I am writing this.)

The flowers were from our front garden.

Just Checking In

I just wanted to let everyone know I'm still here, alive and kickin', if not bloggin'.

I was in Florida by myself for about three weeks, concentrating on writing the book I started 11 years ago. I have found that I can't write at home during my normal socially busy days, and there are a lot of distractions when I am trying to think. Hmm, do I think I'm different than anyone else? No, just less disciplined.

I know that successful writers often sit down and pound out so many words or chapters or pages every day before lunch, or whatever, but my brain is too fragmented for that.

Florida worked for me quite well. I spent about three days more or less emptying my mind while getting mentally back into the place where my story takes place. Then I spent a week or so writing notes by hand on 4X6 index cards, writing as the thoughts came into my head. No set schedule, no regular meals or activities. Productive time, I think.

Then, finally, I began putting it together in paragraphs and chapters on the computer. I had already done about 60 pages (gee, that's not very much, is it?) and while in our "villa" in Florida I did 70 more. I was on a roll, but had to stop and come on back home for my "real" life for a while.

Perhaps I can get the rest of it done here, or perhaps I will go again to my retreat. But I WILL get it done eventually ... and sooner rather than later.!

It is a story about my Mother and my siblings, and either other people will enjoy reading it or they won't ... but I will have accomplished a long-standing goal.

After it is all written down, I will still have lots of work to do on it, editing and correcting grammar and making sure it makes sense (the hardest part). Then who knows how it will get printed and published.

By the way, no photos in the book. That's a big change for me, 'cause I usually lean heavily on my pictures to tell my stories.

So, when you don't hear from me for a long period, hopefully that means I'm actually getting some work done!