Busy or Bored?

Our boys went back to school Tuesday. The house was supposed to be a peaceful mecca so I could work, right? Wrong!

Guess which of these actually happened this week:

1. Brad Pitt stopped by for, ahem, coffee.
2. I was called to jury duty.
3. I won a lifetime supply of Brussels sprouts and Twinkies.
4. The electricity went out while I was cooking dinner.
5. I was voted Queen of Absolutely Everything.
6. Made an emergency run to Target for school supplies that didn't actually exist.
7. Squeezed in a quick lunch with Oprah to talk books.
8. Dog-sitting a sweet pea named Clover.
9. Flew to Washington, D.C. to offer my two cents to President Obama about health care.
10. Sister visiting from CA. Sister's rental car battery died. Twice.
11. Hubby whisked me off to Hawaii for a quick getaway.
12. Serious computer problems.
12 3/4. I wrote anyway!

I'm one of those people who gets more done the more I have to get done. Give me an impossible list of things to accomplish and I'm on my A game. Long, languishing days dull my mental spark.

And I'm not the only one.

After being widowed with five children, Mary Higgins Clark woke three hours before her day job to write. It was several years before she wrote and sold Where are the Children?

John Grisham wrote on the train to and from his job as a very busy attorney.

After a long day of work, Jerry Spinelli stuffed cotton in his ears so he could concentrate on writing with his six children in the house.

How do you work best? Amidst chaos or in peace? Do you prefer busy or bored? I love busy with a bit of bored thrown in for good measure.

Happy weekend,
Donna

It's a Beautiful Day!

Actually, it’s been a beautiful week. In South Florida, we’ve broken records with temperatures in the 40s. And this Philly girl is lovin’ it!

Tuesday, I had fun dressing as a clown and reading Halloween stories to my friend Pam's pre-school class. One boy spent the entire time poking the toe of my giant sneaker. The rest of the kids heard Ed Emberly’s Go Away, Big Green Monster!. Twice. And the children clapped out the rhythm to my dear friend Sylvia Andrew’s rhyming picture book, Rattlebone Rock.

Later that day, I had the joy of attending the opening exhibit of my good friend, Janeen Mason, at Lighthouse Center for the Arts in Tequesta. Janeen’s a vibrant person, full of color just like her artwork. If you don't live near Tequesta, you can see Janeen's work here. During the celebration, my other friend, Sandra Baran, had young musicians from her studio, Jupiter Academy of Music, playing piano and violin. They were amazing. And I had the extra surprise of hearing one of my creative writing workshop students, Julia, playing violin. "Hi, Julia!"

As fine a day as Tuesday was, Wednesday was even more inspiring!

After getting the kids to school and walking the pooch, I hopped on my bike and pedaled to our local baseball stadium to attend my first large political rally. Thousands showed up to hear Joe Biden speak.

And speak he did.

I listened to him talk about moving forward, lifting up the middle class and working together to make the next four years the best we can. Yes we can! I felt lifted up, part of something larger and better than myself. I felt inspired to be my best self for a common good.

After the rally, while U2’s Beautiful Day played in the background, I had the pleasure of shaking hands with the man I hope will become the next vice-president of the United States.



Later in the day, our beloved Phillies were playing in what we'd hoped would be the last game of the World Series.

And it was!!!



We wish we were celebrating in the streets of Philadelphia with our friends and family, but today we’re settling for wearing our Phillies shirts and really big smiles.

Today's "Beautiful Day" moment? Natasha at Mawbooks posted a generous review of my election-themed, middle grade novel. Thanks, Natasha! And thank you for your good work raising money and awareness during your Darfur campaign.

Have a beautiful day!