May 16, 2016

I mentioned a Peony we planted a while back and how she reached around a large walnut tree to find the sun. She is beautiful even as she stands alone and stretches to find the light she needs. When I first noticed her leaning I thought maybe I should prop her up, but that would just limit her. She enjoys the eastern sun she gets in the morning, and pulls to it even as she is planted firmly, by someone else’s decision, on that north side for now. She opened up this weekend and looks healthy.

When you live at this elevation you get some extraordinary high winds. The tree offers protection and she seems to make the most out of all her options. So, I think she is in a good spot for now, but I’ll keep an eye on her.

There is always risk when you plant something new. Even if you’ve planted millions of flowers, each one planted is new and comes with variables that create obstacles which will either stop growth or challenge the plant to find new paths.

I kind of feel that way about writing. I finished stage one of my rewrite on the final chapter. I decided to take the month of May to rewrite/polish the last chapter to give it the focus it deserves. I feel good about it. The end says what I want it to say and leads to the next book in the series. The thought, world building, threads, plot, and character growth flow to form a cohesive story. I even have a song one of my characters keeps nagging me to show, but I want to wait till I have the story polished. I plan to try some new tools and resources with my world building which creates a few obstacles.

I’m excited about an alternate path, but like any obstacle, overcoming it takes time and usually comes with a steep learning curve.

On a different note, I made a purchase this weekend at an estate sale – don’t ask me what I brought home (laugh). Sometimes it just matters to you and you have to have it.