Living In Place
Morning Chores
Before I can make the hundred-foot dash from my back door to my desk, I perform morning chores. These chores follow breakfast, which comes after an hour of writing by hand before...
Organizing Systems for Files
Turning the calendar to a new year is always an opportunity to establish new and improved organizing systems of all kinds. Over the years, I’ve developed a few of my own, from...
The Fleeting Moment of Ice
In a typical Vermont winter, there’s a fleeting moment of good ice, for skating. Yesterday was it. Good ice depends on cold weather and no snow. Good skating years occur when...
Boxing Day in Vermont
Living in Place allows me to collect and store every scrap of paper that comes through my door. No matter how much junk mail I recycle at the PO or how many bills I pay on-line,...
Learning from Failure
Long-time readers of this blog know that I’ve spent the last three years researching, writing and rewriting Ellen, a novel. I showed it to my agent twice along the way, and knew...
The Dark of the Year
Despite all the festivities with lights, parties, and gifts, the darkest days of the year can be emotionally trying up here in the north, where the sun rises late and sets early....