April 8, 2022
Daily Diary, Day 586: Already 91 degrees outside, so I was glad to get my morning walk done early. The photo is of a rose that still had some dew on it because it was in the shade. Rio the border collie came over to play this morning. Thank goodness the back yard still had enough sun so they were able to keep their wrestling and running in the shady bits. And the inside of the house feels so cool now in comparison.
I've already done 3 loads of wash, had a phone call, and have another hour long call that is supposed to start in a few mins. So once again, no chance of writing until this afternoon. Yesterday, so much of the afternoon was spent on the phone, that I threw up my hands and decided to finish the book I was reading instead of writing anything on the Stein story.
Which brings me to having patience with my writing process and maintaining a balanced life. I noticed that a year ago in April I wrote in my daily diary that I had just started writing Entangled Threads, the book that came out at the end of January. I had been working on the research for months and had the basic plot down, so I was ready to go.
On one hand, getting the book (which is one of my longest) written and published in 10 months is actually speedy for me. But I also am very aware that if I didn't spend quite as much time taking phone calls from people, I would get more writing done and put out stories faster. But then, those phone calls, and the people I talk to, have been a life-line for me in the isolation that my health and Covid has required. And I get as much as I receive when I provide a listening ear to others.
So I am going to end with a quote: "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone." Lin Yutang.
Today I will have gratitude for what I can get done, and for the choice to leave much undone. What are you going to leave undone today!