Three Things from the Start of 2025
Giving in, Dear Diary, Snow!
What I’m Writing…
Oh! I had such post holiday plans! Finish revising my novel, read the twelve manuscripts for Writers in Paradise, head to Newport for the eight day Newport MFA residency.
And then, a slight earache turned into a bigger ache and before I knew it there were three doctor visits, two dentist visits, one urgent care visit, three antibiotics, and lots of pain and swelling and moaning.
In other words: nothing got done. No revising. No student reading. No Newport.
And you know what? It will all get done, late.
Many years ago, I had a luncheon with all the biggest sales reps for a new book. And I got really sick and couldn’t go. Do you know what they did? They rescheduled.
Life is like that sometimes. Our plans go awry. Our work piles up. Our schedule goes haywire. I say: give into it. Get better. Recharge. Breathe. If you keep on when you’re sick—or sad or frazzled—you get sicker (or sadder or more frazzled). Your work isn’t as good as it should be. All to keep to an artificial schedule of your own making!
Here I am, ready to take on the Newport MFA, two days late, with a new schedule in mind. Plans get derailed. Heck, life gets derailed!
In fact, I wrote about this for the fabulous Oldster magazine not long ago.
So I did not get any writing done. However, in an attempt to get organized, I did discover these entries from my diaries, 1967 and 1968.
If you ever wondered if you were the same person when you were a kid, I can tell you: I definitely was!
And also, a wee bit of an overachiever.
But also, so many mentions of the Beatles!
No wonder I had so much fun writing my YA novel She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah), in which a young teenager conspires to meet the Beatles!
What I’m knitting…
To non knitters it must seem that I start projects but never finish them. But actually, there’s a project for each part of my life. In NYC, it’s my sweater. In Providence, it’s my temperature blanket. And on the road, it’s a wrap because it’s compact.
I was able to make progress on the wrap when I finally got to Newport.
And then we arrived back in Providence when the MFA residency ended, I put on my jammies and knit my temperature blanket while we watched movies.
What I’m thinking about…
Slowing down..
I was forced to slow down by a nasty infection. But in these almost two weeks, when I’ve fallen behind and lost control of my type A schedule—I won both spelling bees!—I’ve been reminded that we aren’t indispensable after all. That friends and colleagues and loved ones pick us up when we fall down.
Besides having to let go of my work schedule and show up late, I felt too sick to read. And working on the computer was impossible. So I reverted to my childish ways…
I use notebooks in the best of times too. But having this beside me was almost as good as Advil and an ice pack.
And also…
It’s winter! Old fashioned winter with snow and cold temperatures! I’ve missed waking up to snowflakes falling outside my window, sharp freezing air and mittens and hats.
Readers here know that I love uniforms: easy clothes that got together and that I’m happy to wear on Repeat. For cold days, that means the Motley beanie in White Lie from ShitthatIknit (with matching mittens: the mittens have small halls in the thumbs and forefingers for texting!) and the warmest jacket I’ve ever had, the Orolay down jacket with faux fur in Peat Moss.
Some more standards for cold weather. A black Quince cashmere turtleneck over a cute Ocean + Main black and sand gauze dress that you can’t see in the first picture but can see a little more of in the second (the link will reveal its cuteness!). I have on standard black leggings in every picture, and Merry People Bobbi boots (first picture) or Blundstone Chelsea boots (last picture). My two great finds: J. Crew Cozy Rolled Cuff Ribbed Trouser Socks—they come in a three pack! (Seen in first picture) and a yummy, warm double-breasted slouch coat in camel from Emerson Fry for dressier times with gray Jenny Kane cashmere gloves.
Bundle up!
As always, thank you for reading.
Happy 2025! Here’s a toast to good health, snowy days, and slowing down; to good friends (furry and human), good soup, and love!
Hi Ann:
Glad to see you are better and on the move once again. I like your post on letting it all go by the wayside when we're sick. I'm nursing a head (sinus) cold ten days now and I didn't go out today. And I didn't accomplish much but I'm glad I listened to my inner voice.
One question: I have tons of writing books and journals from when I was younger, but not as young as yourself in your post. Why do we have this loopy all over the page handwriting when younger? I don't write that way now but yours is almost like mine. Is it because we think we're the world? I write smaller now. Is that my world? Or have I come to acceptance with it?
Joan
I hope you get better soon. I also wanted to say, I have one of those blankets, too. My is T.S. Eliot. What is yours?