Monday 15 March 2010

27-thousand

overcast, very mild, temps 12

Really, astonishingly mild. Almost warm. Doesn't stop us from still sitting by the fire every day. Writing. It's one of my favorite things on earth. And one of my least favorite. Depending on how the work is going.

This morning it felt like my feet weighed a thousand pounds...lugging them into the living room. I just didn't want to write. I'd tossed a lot last night...thinking about this new, unexpected, direction the book has taken. Not comfortable with it. Having to wonder if my discomfort was because it was a stretch - daring - difficult even painful - but right. Or if the discomfort came from knowing, instinctively, it was wrong.

Toss, turn. Toss, turn.

I finally decided it was wrong. As soon as I came to that conclusion it felt better. This morning over breakfast I talked to Michael about it. He had some insight and a great idea. So that felt wonderful. But still - I just didn't want to go to work today. I thought though, if I don't what will I do that's better? Watch TV and eat gummy bears? And I realized there was nothing I would really rather do.

Once again, it was just the fear talking.

so I sat down anyway - and am very happy with today's pages. Am at 27-thousand words, more or less. About a quarter of the way through the first draft.

Went into sutton after that - to pay taxes and do some mailing. Then exercised at home - did a load of laundry - Pat came over with a recipe that needed copying.

Oh, congratulations to Alan Bradley, who won the Dilys award! Given out this past weekend by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. Very well deserved!

We're off to Montreal tomorrow. Breakfast in Cowansville then into Montreal. Michael has a noon lunch with a friend and I'll settle into our apartment to write. Wednesday I'll be meeting my publicist for Hachette Canada for lunch - she's flying in from Toronto to meet and discuss the books and marketing. Then will tape an interview for Sharman Yarnell's show in CJAD.

Coming back to Sutton Thursday in time to speak to students at the elementary school as part of the Literacy Project. They've invited me for lunch first. I was laughing about the dreadful cafetieria lunches when I was growing up - but they said the Sutton Elementary School had won awards for the best meals in the province! Healthy, tasty, popular and inexpensive. for instance, today's meal is grilled chicken panini with raw vegetables and fresh fruit. On Thursday when I'll be there for lunch they're serving Baked Salmon with lemon, New potatoes and Bumbleberry muffins.

the meals cost five dollars. Amazing. And apparently the kids love it. Have made the transition from junk food, canned veg, and fries to this very happily.

Well, off to watch Fantasy Homes By the Sea. Nice escapism. Hope you're well!

12 comments:

Jodi said...

What's a bumbleberry?

Inquiring tummies want to know!

Nikki B said...

I'll second that....

Marjorie said...

I don't know what a bumbleberry is either, but I bet I would want to eat a muffin made out of them!

--Marjorie from Connecticut

Laura (in PA) said...

Wow! I wish my school had had lunches like that. I was happy if I could actually recognize what it was.

Audrey said...

I've seen "bumbleberry" on dessert menus while on holiday each summer in B.C. According to the Internet (so it must be right - eh?) The word "bumbleberry" comes originally from Bumbleberry Pie, which is a pie made from a mixture of many fruits (mostly berries). A bumbleberry pie could be made with one cup of blueberries, one cup of raspberries, one cup of strawberries, and a cut up apple. There are as many bumbleberry pie recipies as the imagination can create.

So anything created with a jumble of mostly berries is labelled "bumbleberry". There are some wonderful pie receipes online, too. Here's a link for those of you who are not "domestically challenged" as I am.
http://www.piechef.com/recipes/bumble.html

Louise - Enjoy your muffin and let us know what berries were used in your luncheon bumble.

Jodi said...

Thank you Audrey! Sounds yummy.

And yeah, like Laura, I wish my school had lunches like that too. My rule of cafeteria lunches was, "If you don't recognize it, don't eat it."

Diane said...

Food - bumbleberry muffins - fantastic! I'm off to a hungry start to my day.

So impressed with lunch room cafeteria, hopefully Nova Scotia has that kind of quality - I must check it out!

Please keep choosing to write Louise, our world would be dimmer without all those wonderful characters and stories.

Cheers, Diane

bgpringle said...

Louise, I wish that HGTV in the States carried "Location, Location, Location" and "Relocation, Relocation". I watch both every summer. Also love all Sara Richardson's shows.
Bev

Anonymous said...

Funny, very mild at 12 there but perhaps that's not Fahrenheit. In Denver it will be 60 degrees today, lovely. Am so interested in the writing process. It is like a daily crucifixion.

I hate being anonymous.

Mary

Marjorie said...

Mary, if you sign up for a free Google account, you can be un-Anonymous!

--Marjorie from Connecticut

Jeanine said...

"Toss, turn. Toss, turn." Reminds me of the little Jack Russell terrior in my favorite commercial - the one for Traveller's Insurance -- where the little dog is trying to protect his bone and he tosses and turns in his bed all night -- with the song "Trouble" in the background.

27-thousand words! Yippee! Throw another log on the fire and keep slaving away there, Louise. My entertainment depends on it! :-)

Louise Penny Author said...

Hi all! What a lot of fun comments. Willd efinitely report back after a thorough investigation of the muffins! It will take, I suspect, at least a dozen to be sure. Fortunately I've been training all my life for an evenutally such as this.

Hi Mary - glad you fought your way out of anon-hood. And yes, it's celcius. Not sure what 12 translates to in your degrees. But it's mild.

Bev - yes - HGTV in the UIS should - you'd hage huge views for Location, lovation, location - and its sister show.

I'm afraid I've never really gotten into the Sarah Richardson shows but I know lods of people who adore it. I think it's becfause I prefer house buying shows. I'm just nosy. I love seeing what the inside of other people's homes look like.

And jeanine - that's MY all-time favorite commercial too!!! I adore that dog and his bone...and the choice of song is perfect. Trouble. Brilliant.

Pizza has arrived - more prep-work for the big bumbleberry investigation tomorrow. I'm tireless.