The summer haze is clearing!

Well, it's been a great summer- I can hardly believe it's winding down! We've been camping with the kidlets a few times, and despite their fear they ended up loving it. It seems as though I've been in a bit of a summer haze from which I have emerged, rubbed my eyes, had a good look around and realized,-I have so much to do! Spice has requested that we now call her Sprite, and so we shall. Maude is at girls camp & hopefully loving it-Superhero Dad is en route to assure that this is the case- along with keeping a masculine eye on a camp of full of teenage girls! Bless him, I've already talked to him tonight and he's bored out of his mind. Despite his outrageously good looks, girls make him skittish! The other three offspring and I have just cleaned up our chocolate marshmallow milk-shakes and are preparing for bed.

On the writing horizon-well it's been dark and dreary. I really haven't written to much this summer, I suppose having the four wee ones running about has contributed to that somewhat. But, never fear, I have picked up the proverbial pen and paper to begin again at last. I am several chapters into my second book, along with an plot outline drawn up for a third. (which I am just itching to get started on...discipline....must finish book 2!) I have spent most of my time this summer tweaking my query letter, I think I'm on my 3rd or 4th draft, and I still don't know if it's any good or not. I really wish there was some one who could say it was rotten or passable, oh well. I've also pulled out my 'required reading list for English Lit. majors' and began ticking through it again-I find my writing betters as I read the literary greats, go figure. Honestly, I've probably done more reading than writing as of late, so I feel a bit over indulged, but full of lovely literature!

As to what I've read, I must confess I was 'bitten by Twilight' as they say and just finished the 4th book of that series. I hated the first, liked the 2nd, enjoyed the 3rd and thought the fourth was quite good, it tied up all sorts of loose ends, and even left more room to grow if the author wanted to, without leaving you hungry for anything left unanswered. Well done Stephenie Meyers. Maude followed me around begging me to read it, hoping above all hopes, that I two would fall as deeply in love with Edward as she was. I caved, and began reading, but alas, I did not fall deeply in love with Edward-who needs him when I have my own? They are however, quite entertaining books, that are well written though, so whose complaining? (hardly a soul if you looked at Ms. Meyers bank account I should think!) I've also read Maeve Binchy's 'Scarlet Letter', (again) I thought I hadn't read it, and a few pages into I discovered I had, but it had been a while, and it was still good, so why not finish it! Of course what reading binge could be complete without a Catherine Cookson novel, several of Jane Austens, and of course, the endearing Jane Eyre, for the 100th time...sigh....it was bliss. I even veered off the Twilight path, when my dear Martha Stewart sis in law recommended the Vampire Diaries, which were good entertainment, but eerily similar to Twilight, and turns out they were published when I was a teenager-guess I missed that one!

So yes, now the truth is out, I am a BOOKWORM, unashamed and loving it. I suppose I knew I was different when in high school we were forced to read "The Canterbury Tales"-while everyone else moaned and groaned, I read it quickly and loved every word of it. Sadly I suppose that makes me not only a bookworm, but a book nerd as well! It could be worse!

Now, for my final confession; it turns out I quite adore poetry. Poor platelet girl has had to endure two poems read to her over the phone tonight as I read my required W.B. Yeats. Is he brilliant or what??? I've also been reading a bit of Shelley & Keats as well, but the Irishman holds my attention, and quite possibly my heart at this point!

Well, my eyes grow heavy and Salsa is needing her bed (shhh, I think I hear Yeats complete works is calling to me from my night stand)! Another day done, ready for the next one when Squash will inevitably continue his quest in building the perfect club house, Sprite will pick a fight with someone (I still think Spice is a better name, but she's awful bossy) and Salsa will skip about smiling her adorable crinkle nosed smile, as Demon dog chases her! And what adventures will Maude have at girls camp, only time will tell!