Lover of the Process

            It was a good and productive day. My head hit the pillow with a thud.

            There’s a Sufi saying I live by, which states: “Once the decision is made, the doing becomes effortless.” While much effort lies ahead, straddling that point of decision was draining me more than any work I could imagine. At some point, I had to decide.

            So I decided.

            I decided to do something new…Writing is tricky on a good day; but in the case of the historic, the journalistic, the investigative…(not to mention, writing on assignment with a co-writer, which is a first) I bravely signed on.

Much research ahead. Endless interviews. (This part, a plus.) Time to dust off the journalism 101 notes for gathering fair and balanced -- (vastly different from writing from observation alone, as is the case with trivia, cookbooks and blogs). In short, a disciplined chance to flex the writing muscle…broaden my producer skills. Reaching for different…Something demanding both time and resources, but more, a commitment to a fellow writer I respect greatly…(Kinda thinking these are the things for which co-dependency is a good thing….  a sure fire way of seeing it through.)

            Having spent months culling over (and over and over) a list of the many interviews needed to start, our short list held dozens of names. But now, having jumped into the first of said list, well, that list has doubled yet again. I can only imagine what additional names or resources we have yet to uncover.

 No small project, by any stretch; one that may take years. But today we did the Nike thing and Just Did It J after which, when checking to make sure the other survived, we discovered the rush of having made a decision to be as exciting as the project itself… no doubt nature’s way of bolstering us out of the starting gates, for a race we’re both eager to run.

Here’s to new adventures, new creations and learning as we go.

Seems a perfect combination…The perfect storm.

As I sang at my kindergarten graduation: Que Sera Sera

I’m all about the process, that's for sure.

And the Beet Goes On ~

   

     With pups on the mend and a weekend before me, I finally got back to what I set out to do from Day One with this blog, which is to say...
I gardened. And I wrote!
     As to the former, (three cheers!) ~ The beets are here! The beets are here!
     Other things continue to sprig forth (like okra, cantaloupe, watermelon and tomatoes). But it's always fun when something new arrives, after which there's a major period of adjustment (i.e.  learning curve) as you ask yourself, "Now what?" (Answer: Beets Me!)
     As is the case with any new crop, the first question you ask is "What am I looking for?" come time to pull it from the earth, after all, beets are a "below ground" crop, so you only get one shot at yanking them. You don't want to do it too early.
     For instance, with watermelon, there's a little pigtail of a curly-cue near the plant's umbilical cord; when it shrivels and turns crispy brown, it's ready.  With cantaloupe, there's no pig tail, but there is a color change (from grayish to peach--underneath the ropey outer layer). In addition, when fully ripe, cantaloupes drop off the vine as you lift 'em. (If you're tugging, they're not ready.)
     And the big sign for beets? (Drumroll please...) "Their little shoulders are showing!" Yep. That's all I was armed with before commencing to yank~ If you look under its leaves (which are a glorious combination of deep greens and purples) you should be able to see a third to half your beet above ground. Spot that and you're good to pull~
     So pull we did! (I actually had help today--thanks to a co-writing partner who joined me on a quick stroll down garden row. I've no doubt the muses like us on veggies--seems we get more done when one of us is testing recipes while the other is keystroking.)