Another day should get me to the bottom of the basket....

Oh yes, indeed. I spent the entire day on the balcony reading and taking notes, amalgamating and tossing, and getting very antsy about all the stuff I should know and be doing something about.

As I look it over, I I see that I should have spent my life very differently, but then I pause as I look back and what could I have done differently? I made expedient choices as I tried to support my family and to protect and enable Matt, my challenged boy. I remember when I was so busy with him, learning and "playing", I felt that any day I missed with him was a LOST day, irrecoverable. It was imperative that I help him progress every day. I feel that way about my writing, too. Matt trumped my writing for a long time, though. There's no way I can make up for lost time now. But I can keep working, as long as I am able.

What else would I do?

I'm six months behind schedule now, the one I set myself as a New Year's resolution (January 1, 2018). It's been an obstacle course, but i have passed enough of them (obstacles) that I am ready to tackle the files.

file noun: 1 he opened the file and began to read: folder, portfolio, binder, box, document case; filing cabinet. 2 we maintain files on all the major companies: dossier, document, record, report, case history, case study; (files) data, information, particulars, case notes, documentation, annals, archives 3 when saving a file the summary information menu may be displayed: batch of data, document, text; program.

Yup, all of the above, and then some: tear sheets clippings, notes, memos, quotations, reviews. I could go on and on, and I will, and it's going to take a long time, and I love it. I had the best time today. I worked outside in the morning, on my balcony, going through a huge basket full of file folders full of papers and I went through every single piece of paper, culling, sorting, making notes - and even tossing. Then I multi-tasked in the afternoon while the Blue Jays game was on, paying divided attention but it wasn't equally divided; the game got less. I made an interesting dinner using up food before I go away next week, and working until I paused to watch 2 shows on WNED (Masterpiece Theatre). I'm getting close to the bottom of the basket now, but oh, the work outside it begins. The good news is I have tonnes of ideas for new blogs. The bad news is I need more money to buy all the books I have discovered that I NEED.

I came across a realistic comment about that. I read a caution that I need time as well as money to read all the books I want. Well, I know that. Someone said to me a long time ago (he's dead now), that buying and owning the book makes you feel that you have read it - almost. You're halfway there. (He didn't have time to finish all the books he had bought.)

Yes, well, and apart from the book titles I have gathered to seek out, I came across a complete outline and pitch for a new book I wanted to write - in this case edit - a collection of reflections by women: REFLECTIONS: Canadian Women See Themselves, An Anthology of Contemporary Women's Life Writing.

I also found a pitch and outline and synopsis and some character monologues for a drama - not sure whether it's a stage play or a screen play.

Plus print-outs of a year's worth of my blogs. Plus a few quizzes and essays for lifestyle sections somewhere. Plus, as I said, lots of memos and comments and riffs for future blogs. Oh, and more words and comments about the state of contemporary grammar. Oh my!

I love it all. It's gong to take me a long time though, and I have two (finished) books to polish and another screenplay to tweak and rewrite. I am not daunted though. I'll just have to live a little longer.