– writing –

For the first couple months of the year I went so hard at my newest project that by the time March rolled around, I was completely burned out and sitting among the wreckage of creative drought and writer’s block. So spring has been a time of taking a breather, occupying myself with things other than writing, and reflecting on what I can do differently when I pick up my pen again. Perfectionism, fear of failure, and pushing oneself to accomplish more in less time is one poisonous blend of self-sabotaging traits—so at least I know what it is I need to learn to avoid.

Anyway, the Ruritanian novel is temporarily shelved but definitely not abandoned; and in brighter news, I have spent the last few weeks brainstorming, outlining, and researching another new project that I am just about ready to begin and that I am definitely not going to say anything more about just yet. I’m taking no chances with this one.

– reading –

My reading this spring has been a bit stop-start, with only a few titles really making an impression, and a good deal of re-reading mixed in. The standout new reads of the last few months were The Icarus Aftermath by Arielle M. Bailey, a space-opera retelling of Greek mythology, and Over the Hills and Far Away: A Biography of Beatrix Potter by Matthew Dennison.

The Icarus Aftermath prompted me to brush up on my classics a bit, and so I’ve been reading the Lattimore translation of the Iliad rather slowly—I find the squabbles and speeches entertaining, but confess to losing interest somewhat during the lengthy battle scenes. Meanwhile, much more in my wheelhouse, I’m reading The Diary of a Dude Wrangler by Struthers Burt, a memoir by a transplanted Easterner who ended up running a Wyoming dude ranch in the early 20th century, and it is positively delightful.

– watching –

We’ve continued to work our way through the 1980s Miss Marple adaptations starring Joan Hickson, and now have just one left—I plan on doing a post ranking them all once we’re finished! I really think the 1980s was the golden decade for Agatha Christie adaptations: you had this series, plus enjoyable versions of The Secret Adversary, The Seven Dials Mystery, and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, the Partners in Crime TV series and even the obscure Agatha Christie Hour, which featured a few fun adaptations of lesser-known short stories. 1980s British TV has a leisurely pace that might be an acquired taste for modern viewers, but they really did a darn good job of adaptation for the most part and a great job with the period flavor—the vintage cars and clothes are delightful.

Aside from Miss Marple, a couple of recent viewing highlights have been Laughter in Paradise (1951), an absolutely hilarious delight of a British comedy, and Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991), a lovely Hallmark adaptation of a children’s book I remember well.

– otherwise –

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By far my favorite occupation over the past month has been working in my vegetable garden. We’ve expanded it a little this year (after making the acquaintance of homemade dill pickles last summer, everyone was unanimous in wanting to grow more cucumbers) and improved the soil in the old beds, and the process of doing that and getting everything planted and transplanted has been wonderful exercise and a fine opportunity to spend the nicest hours of spring mornings out in the fresh air. I’m looking to get a few containers of herbs planted this weekend, and that will just about wrap up the planting.

what have you been up to?

photo by myself