La Literary Life and Spring in New England

I am still waiting to hear from the agent. Trying to practice patience (it takes lots to get some) and not bug her to death.

Revving up to go to NYC for Edgar's week: bookstore party, symposium, agents and editors cocktail party and the big ($$$) banquet at the Sheraton. Lots of literary lights in the mystery/suspense world will be there, dressed to kill.

I did miles of shopping so I don't look like the weird country cousin. My best buy was a $138 skirt for $20.00. Found shoes at the DSW outlet when I finally found the Dedham Mall. Of course, I couldn't stop at one pair. If you can't find shoes anywhere else, try the DSW shoe warehouse. Going to New York when you are the country cousin can be daunting.

Festival Madness is closing in on 50,000 words and I'm close to marrying the beginning to the middle, which I wrote first. All in all, it's working out pretty well, and there won't be too much retrofitting to do. Biggest worry is that my main character is having much too much fun at Burning Man and maybe not enough conflict and action, but I haven't read that part for such a long time maybe (hope, hope) I'm wrong.

I haven't written the travel article that was going to win a fabulous trip but maybe manana. Right now, as we enjoy a really nice last half of April here in New England, I am obsessed with the garden. So far the only loss from last year appear's to be the poppy. Guess I'll suck it up and buy another one. I planted lettuce and spinach. Due to diligent watering, something is coming up (ain't roses) with the spinach. It is either grass, dill or cilantro, or all of the above. Everything but grass would be cool. We bought a forsythia today and some heather and another holly. I have to confess I just can't stop buying greenery in this vernal season.

A couple years ago, on one of my many solitary walk through the industrial park next to my then office, I discovered someone had apparently dumped some hyathinch bulbs and a few tulips in a vacant area by a far corner of the parking lot. I was always going to drive over and rescue the bulbs, but I never got around to doing it. Until Sunday.

The parking lot was all blocked and we had to park a distance away and lug container and spade to the hyachinths, which were blooming like crazy. Poor things, never even planted and they put down roots and blossomed anyway. We dug them up with a couple tulips, unhappy campers, they, and assorted weeds and grasses. I kept looking around for a surveillance camera and an irate watchman to come and berate us. Nobody. When we left, I realize there was not a single car anywhere, and any surveillance tapes were unlikely to be perused. Monday I planted the by now many hyacinths and the two sad tulips. Free bulbs. Rescuved from the wilds of Canton. Nice.
Half of the rabbit-chewed crocus decided to bloom. All of my miniature jonquils did. Tulips ready. Blue thingies taking their time.The Solomon's Seal that the deer like has poked out of the ground, as has the toad lily, which the deer also like. Bad Annie escaped today. She can open the front door if not very firmly shut. She went down to the slough and came back and walked right in the front door. She came back in so willingly because she was hungry. It is a good thing when the cat has to suck it up.

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