A Practically Perfect Summer Day with Goldfinches and Dahlias, Sleepwrecked, and Writing as a Waiting Game

McMurtrey’s barn and orange dahlias

A Practically Perfect Summer Day with Goldfinches and Dahlias

Yesterday was the kind of Pacific Northwest Day people dream about—no smoke, 75°F, a light breeze. I decided to push my MS-tired self to go visit a couple of places so I could soak up the outdoors—the first was McMurtrey Farm, to gather a bouquet of dahlias and zinnias, cuddle farm kittens, get gardening inspiration, and listen to the finches singing in the sunflowers. Then our Lavender Farm (next weekend is the last of this season) and spent some time watching the sunset from the lavender field. Sunset now is earlier—closer to eight than nine—than it was just a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, a dreamy day to get some Vitamin D without wildfire smoke or too-high temperatures driving us indoors. Sunday was a little cooler and cloudier, but we still made an outing to another farm (this time, Bob’s Corn and Pumpkin Farm) to pick up some necessities and check out how the pumpkin and sunflowers were doing.

Glenn and I at JB’s Lavender Farm

Sleepwrecked!

Ironically for someone who has been walking in lavender fields, I have had terrible times recently trying to sleep. And when I mentioned this to a couple of friends, they also talked about having terrible sleep. Every health article in the world tells people with health issues like MS (and women over a certain age) to get enough sleep, but if you are already following the rules and sleep is just not happening, what do you do? I should say I follow all the sleep hygiene rules already, and have tried melatonin and Benadryl, and even prescriptions like Ambien and Gabapentin and nothing has helped. (And I was fired by the UW sleep study director because I tear off everything that traces sleep, multiple tests in a row.) So, if any of you have any advice, drop it in the comments! I’m hoping as the weather gets cooler and the sun sets earlier (two days in a row in the seventies, yay!), maybe it will just happen naturally? I’ve added the Calm app and the Finch app (which was supposed to be for the husband’s ADHD, but I ended up using it more than he did) and all the sleep stories and breathing exercises…again, did nothing. So, if you meet me and I’m less than coherent and have bags under my eyes, now you know.

Glenn and I at Bob’s with red tractor

The Waiting Game and Gearing Up for Fall

How much of writing and submitting are just…waiting? Far too much. I write a lot, way more than I publish, and I submit I would say a fair amount (like between a couple and a dozen submissions per month, I’d say). I’m right now trying to find a place that will publish my next book as well as individual poems. But how powerless are writers like me? Unless you’re one of the chosen (ie, you’re friends with the editor of Paris Review, or got an NEA grant when they still existed, or a supergenius grant, etc,) you’re playing a waiting game. Sending out your work, then waiting sometimes over a year for a rejection.

Female goldfinch and sunflower

Sometimes the name of the game is empowering yourself by staying proactive in sending out your work or distracting yourself with other hobbies or work. Distraction isn’t a bad idea if you’re worrying about your work and writing something else—an essay or short fiction if you’re a poet or sketching a local scene or taking photos—something else creative—is a good way to help. And sometimes talking to other writers and encouraging them (or listening to their worries) is helpful too.