A Good Day

Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone. ~Paul Johannes Tillich, The Eternal Now

We had a pretty decent day, weather-wise, yesterday. Partly cloudy with two short but intense rainstorms. DH and DD went to the lake and stayed for the fireworks, leaving me blessedly alone. I haven't had a real "alone" day in so long I don't remember. It was wonderful. It's also amazing how much happier I feel when the sun is out.

I took walks with the dog. I took pictures of DD's chalk pictures, because she'd worked so hard, and the rain would wash them away.



I admired my echinacea that is just beginning to bloom.



I watched "P.S. I Love You" because I knew so many people really loved it ... but I didn't. I couldn't get past wondering why her dead husband had even loved her -- she was mean and nasty to him all the time and he spent every moment apologizing or groveling to her. She wasn't nice to her mother or her friends. Basically, I really did NOT like the heroine at all. So, the rest of the movie just didn't work for me. It was good in concept, and I liked the idea, but I didn't like the execution.

I also worked on the computer, of course. I even did some writing -- practice, really, more than something I would use for publishing (though one never knows what will happen). I recently had an editor tell me I needed to add more description using all the senses... that some of my writing could be much richer if I just slowed down a bit and made sure people could see, taste, touch, smell, hear what was going on.

I remember taking a class when I first joined WVU about a million years ago that concerned this very thing. We had to write a short story using all the senses. It was a challenge to write those things in without them feeling false. Fact is, we typically use sight and hearing and sometimes forget the rest.

So, yesterday I went back to school and practiced. And it was good.

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In Pillar Place: Swallowtail we have one more pillar making her pupa (Fiona). I had her make it in the small box with the lid, because I'm worried she and Greg (our last pillar) are over-winterers. If they aren't, fine... that box works for them either way. But the bigger one without the lid would NOT work.

I hope they aren't going to over winter. *sigh*

No monarch eggs yet. I wonder if they weren't able to fly up here due to the lousy weather. Will keep you posted. Monarchs are so much easier than swallowtail to raise.

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