The last three days have seemed breathless. Yesterday I was able to read a few chapters of my book by the pool, but sitting in the sun wears you out! During the Maverick-Heat game last night, I fell asleep, that’s a nine o’clock bedtime for those not NBA follows. Today I’ve tried to regroup, set some expectations for the summer, and just relax. So this morning I watched “The Fifth Element” (I’ve seen the last 20 minutes maybe five times, but I’ve never watched the whole thing! So it counts toward my resolution.), ironed my dressed that wrinkled from the trip, registered for a Tuesday night drawing class at the local college, and am now sitting outside the Patton house on the back deck. It’s hot out here, even under their big porch umbrella, but it’s so nice and bright out, that I couldn’t resist. Maggie curled up under this table is the only element keeping this setting from being perfect. I’ve spent the last two hours working on a new story, more time than I’ve spent writing for myself since April! Today is good day.
Tomorrow I go back to work, and start scrambling to get everything ready for classes to start June 20th! From then on, every morning will see me Write Under the Stairs for two hours a day, some days four hours!, with little people closer to my height and flavor of humor. There’s so much to look forward to this summer—friends visiting, free concerts, music festivals, old friends, new friends, and maybe even the pending success of un-applied for jobs.
Aside from missing a summer with my friends, I hate the fact that I’m away from my family. My cousin Rachel is the first of us ten grandkids to be starting her own little family. She’s 36 weeks along and beautiful! Because of her diabetes and the large, squirmy ways of baby Aiden, she will deliver by C-section any time within the next two weeks. If I wasn’t here, I’d be in Hot Springs with the soon-to-be mom. I’ll be thinking about getting my stuff done here, of course, but I’ll definitely be thinking about her and Aiden, too!
Molly Koeneman 