Where has Sarah been? Well to be honest, writing anything lately has been a bit of a challenge – and one that I’ve been a little too ready to avoid. That just didn’t feel right, so I’ve found a way to gently ease back into the writing waters. I’ve begun keeping a sort of “book of days” – 5 minutes of writing (strictly about the house, yard, garden, trees, etc.) and a 5 minute sketch with my watercolor pencils and ink. It’s just a simple way to mark the days in this new space of mine (and keep writing at least something) until I am ready to dive back into poetry.
I will share a few of my Fish Pond Cottage Book of Days entries here and there in between catching up with the many, many writing blogs I’ve neglected recently. I look forward to reading what I’ve missed!
A new little piece written for a friend’s birthday. He’s one of those rare people who lives whole-heartedly and finds something to appreciate in every moment. I hope you enjoy!
Yesterday marked 7 years since I first started ebbtide. 7 years since I made the conscious decision to begin writing again in an attempt to reclaim the creative side of myself that I felt was being pushed aside or squashed by the everyday. 7 years of readers, of sharing, of emerging friendships which could not have happened without this blog.
And so thank you to all of you who have passed through this little corner of the world, whether you’ve left a mark or not. Thank you for the support and the kindness and the critiques over the years. This place has been my succor and my salvation in many ways. And I am beyond appreciative for the positive changes that have come about as a result. So thank you.
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these and perhaps it’s overdue?
Coyote and his mate (now called Magda) had no surviving offspring from the spring’s hatch. There’s really no telling what happened but I noticed more hawks than usual in the neighborhood, so that may very well be it. Of course, we have raccoons as well, who will think nothing of eating crow eggs, or even hatchlings.
We’re headed into the gathering time for the winter roost, and so I’ve got several crows who come along on walks with the dogs currently. But the two that are most present right now are Coyote and Knock-Knock. And it has been my pleasure most weekends to spend some time sitting on the porch with both of them. Coyote especially sits quite close on the porch railing and seems to like to hold a “conversation” with me. I keep trying to capture the little chortling and deep guttural noises he makes at me on camera – he makes them from deep in his throat and actually bends his neck so that his beak is nearly on his chest when he does the gutterals. I’m determined to get that on video one of these days!
I’ve been sitting out on the porch with the laptop, getting ready for NaNoWriMo and diving headfirst into research. I’ve noticed that if I’m not paying enough attention to Coyote, he will very boldly walk up along the railing behind me and knock his beak against the wood very loudly. The first time he did it, he startled the you-know-what out of me as I hadn’t even realized he was there.
Coyote has also started to show an interest in the toys Freyja brings outside with her. Yesterday, he tugged her blue stuffed dog across the parking lot while Freyja looked on. She didn’t seem too concerned that a crow was inspecting her toy – she’s so used to them now.
I never tire of these strange “friends” and their antics. I don’t even mind the occasional loss of a swiped lighter if it means I get to continue to observe them from perhaps just a little closer than most people have the opportunity to do so.
Greetings from a somewhat protracted, but much needed hiatus!
As some of you may know, LIFE threw a few prickly challenges my way earlier in the year and it became difficult at times to keep up with some of the day-to-day necessities of living, let alone find the energy and emotional/mental capacity to write anything.
After 7 months of hiatus, a mental rest, and much heart-healing, I think I’m ready to find my way back again. To heck with dipping the toes in to see how chilly that water is – I’ve always been a “deep end” kind of gal. So what better way to reclaim my writing chops than to participate in NaNoWriMo 2015?
(What better way also to end up rocking myself in a corner wrapped in a tattered quilt with countless empty coffee cups surrounding me, mumbling “just 100 more words, just 100 more words” to no one in particular?)
Super excited to already have two writing buddies signed up for this November and if anyone else wishes to (or is crazy enough to) come along for the ride, drop me a note and I’ll be sure to add you as an additional buddy (aka crazy person).
The crows are nesting, the violets are blooming, the dogwood is budding, and I spent part of my Saturday reading on the porch in a glorious bit of sunshine.
It’s Spring! At least it is here in the great Pacific Northwest. And I’ve decided to do another giveaway of my chapbook No Direction But Home in order to celebrate.
This time, the giveaway is being hosted by Goodreads.com, which if you’re not a part of I highly recommend joining. If you’re an author, it’s a great tool to help promote your book. If you’re an avid reader, it’s a wonderful way to find reviews, new releases, follow authors you enjoy, and just generally wallow in bookish heaven.
You can enter the giveaway through March 17th by clicking below or by clicking on the Goodreads Giveaway link in the right sidebar.
Best of luck and happy reading! And if Spring hasn’t gotten to your neck of the woods yet – don’t worry, it’s coming!
My piano has always been a means of communicating and processing my emotions. Playing has carried me through some very tough times. When words fail me, sometimes this is the only voice I feel I have. And I’m extremely grateful I have this outlet. Hope you enjoy the newest composition!
I’ve been finding it difficult to juggle writing for the blog vs. writing for a possible new chapbook (hence the rather sporadic posts lately). So I’ve decided to give myself a break this year. For 2015 (or at least for most of it), I’ve decided to use the blog as more of a poet’s journal and actual finished pieces will be few and far between. Instead I’ll share some of the WIPs and little snippets I jot down which eventually become poems. And of course, little watercolor sketches and photos here and there. I think this will take some of the pressure off and I’ll be able to focus a bit more on finished pieces for the chapbook.
Oh yes – and do say hello to Moby over there on the left. Val, who is a lovely artist living in Wales, offered the name as a joke and it sort of stuck. Moby was originally going to be added to the pile of charity donations which will be boxed up and sent off to brighten up some little one’s day, but I felt his limbs might be too easily pulled off (poor Moby) so he’s been left on a friend’s doorstep with the below note. I think he’ll very much enjoy his new home.
ebbtide 