Susan Dexter's Blog, page 7

Lungwort--Spotted Dog

First flowers of spring under my blueberry bushes.

Yard of Cold Steel

Fencing distance and social distance are pretty much the same thing--two 3-foot blades equals six feet between humans. Get closer, get stuck! Automatic enforcement!

Social Distancing

​   Go home and stay home.
   Stay in my house, with my books and my tea and my chocolate? And I can still go out walking with the dog?  Well, if you insist.
   I just did a phone interview with Steven Acker of the Youngstown Vindicator, for their Saturday feature, which covers local writers, artists and musicians. Will most likely run this coming Saturday, March 28th. In the course of our talk, the question came—advice for young writers? And I said the usual—be a reader, writers write, digital publishing puts the writer in control at last, and social distancing/staying at home gives you more time to write. 
 But let’s be clear: there is always time to write. What a writer needs may not be time so much as solitude.
   Was I more productive when I lived alone with pets—canary, guinea pig, horse—that lived in their own habitats and didn’t need to be walked? (Let's be clear--could not choose to interrupt me!) Working full time and writing at lunch and on breaks? Well, I wasn’t more productive when I was home writing full time. It was about the same. I still needed to have the discipline to actually sit down and write. Very easy to sharpen pencils or open a book "just for a second".
   Not all time is created equal. Writers do not necessarily need social distancing to function, but they do need a dollop of solitude. It’s not about sitting down and staring into space, waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s the solitude of reading, meditating, walking, listening to music, pulling weeds, cleaning a horse barn, sitting on the bench of a weaving loom.
   It’s not walking the dog, or riding the horse—those demand focus. It’s not—sadly—drop-spindling, because it’s too easy for me to spin while I enjoy a good show on TV.
   I felt like I ought to respond to social distancing, so I signed up for Facebook. But you’re not going to find me on it much. (I don’t have a smart phone, so temptation isn’t constantly under my fingertips.) Pulling weeds opens up my subconscious and the ideas start to flow. Engaging with other people’s photos and memes…does the opposite. It’s a very nice pastime, in moderation. A writer needs to strike a balance, to find time to dream, to record the dream on the page, and polish, and publish.
   Oh yes—and walk the dog. 

Better than my Driver's License Photo?

Well, you be the judge! Taken by my friend on Saturday, March 7th at Ali's Upper Crust. 

The Warhorse of Esdragon

Well, you know I love to have artifacts around me while I write. And I loved Pat Catan's, which is where I got this armored horse. He came in gold all over, very cool--but last weekend I painted him black, leaving the gold armor. Still have to do the eyes...

Titch

This is a life-size brass rubbing--or a good fake thereof--that I got at a church rummage sale and embellished with shields cut from bits of scrapbooking paper that I used to blot my hand-cut stencils. (Looks so cool on paper towels, I knew it would be even better on paper! Then what to do with the paper...hmmmm.) I have to say, I don't think Titch has a stache, but this is a very cool piece to have around the house to keep me company as I work on the digital file for The True Knight. 

True Knight

I am hard at work on the digital file of The True Knight, but meanwhile, please enjoy this frost-kissed image of a piece of shovel art I could not resist buying last year. Yes, it's Valadan leaping over the barn!

New Castle's Mayor Elect

Chris Frye brought his family to the Holy Spirit Christmas Festival. 

Holy Spirit Christmas Festival

My book display. Cathy Hester Seckman joined me on Saturday! Some of my handspun yarn Gathered Scarves on display on Friday.

George at a Festival

Yes, more of George. This is early August 2018, at the St. Vitus BIG Festival. And George is about to discover MEATBALLS!
On July 1, 2019, seven Lawrence County parishes became one new parish: Holy Spirit. So the 2019 St. Vitus Festival became the Holy Spirit Festival. On November 22nd & 23rd, the St. Vitus School Christmas Festival will be held at a new location: the Parish Center, corner of North & Beaver Streets, Downtown New Castle. It's now called the Holy Spirit Parish Christmas Festival, but St. Vitus School will have their famous meatballs, and I will take some home to George.
I will be one of the vendors at the Festival, selling and signing my books, and Cathy Seckman will be joining me on Saturday. That's also the day of the big Holiday Parade to open New Castle's Christmas Season. See you there! And who knows, maybe you'll see George too!