More Changes Afoot
Marsh Marigolds Around the Pond in our Front Garden on the Farm
Spring has always been a busy time. Clearing the perennial beds of dead foliage, pruning trees & shrubs, preparing and seeding the vegetable gardens, transplanting bedding plants, and filling large pots with beautiful ornamentals. . . I enjoy these activities but find them more challenging as I attempt to carve out a late career as a writer. The physical limitations of advancing age exacerbate the problem, as does Doug and I’s recent move to a cohousing community in Saskatoon. Its garden requires little of my time. But Doug and I are spending much of the summer on our farm. And its extensive grounds are high maintenance.
To be fair, the rewards are great. We enjoy an abundance of rhubarb, asparagus, green onions, lettuce, and salad herbs. The marsh marigolds are blooming, as are early peonies, bright yellow buffalo beans, and huge swaths of white anemones. I wake to the song of robins and Baltimore orioles, the twitter of goldfinch, the chatter of squirrels. Down on the north ponds, ducks and geese forage for food while red-winged blackbirds sing their tiny hearts out. Despite ticks and mosquitoes, it’s a magical place to be.
Change, however, is inevitable and imminent. We are contemplating the sale of our beloved homestead, with its cedar farmhouse, outbuildings, groves of trees, and gardens. While I like Saskatoon, the prospect of losing our peaceful oasis make me sad. And nervous. Who knows what lies ahead?
Meanwhile, our daughter is making similar changes. She just sold her acreage outside Saskatoon and is searching for a townhouse or small detached house in a quiet neighbourhood. They are scarce at present. If you know of anything available, please contact me!
Work on my third novel is progressing slowly. I keep hoping for good news from one of the publishers to whom I sent A Clear-Cut Case but have heard nary a word. This uncertainty is part of being a writer; I tell myself not to whine or grumble, but the wait is hard.
On the horizon is a talk at the North Battleford Public Library in late September. I’ve called it “Making Up for Lost Time: On Embracing the Pleasures and Pain of a Late-in-Life Writing Career.” The event will include an excerpt from A Clear-Cut Case and a reading from my recent short story, “Attaining Grace.” Such presentations are one of the perks of being a writer. While they take up time that could be spent writing, I do enjoy them. More information in my next blog.
This month marks the end of my tenure as the Saskatchewan board rep for Crime Writers of Canada (CWC). My replacement role is leader of a small on-line critique group of cozy mystery writers. Critique groups are a new project for CWC. I’ll let you know how this one works out
