what helps

I've had several sweet emails asking me how I'm staying upright. Ha! Thanks for that. I'm always busy with travel to schools and conferences each fall, but this fall has been the busiest in my memory, as you can see from my September and October schedule, as I'm also on the road, promoting Countdown.

What helps with the craziness of the road warrior are the pockets of peacefulness I find in the midst of hard work. Like these cinnamon buns hand-made by my friend Robin Smith in Nashville.

... like this homemade breakfast conversation with new friends at Robin Smith's and Dean Schnieder's in Nashville during Southern Festival of Books. What a glorious break to have full-table conversation with such generous folks. Look hard and you'll see Dean at the head of the table followed by illustrator Shadra Strickland from Atlanta; Ellen Wittlinger; Shadra's brother Mark (aka Strick da Menace);  Squire Babcock from Murray, Kentucky; Ellen's husband, David; Robin; Ellen's daughter, Kate Pritchard; and her brand-new husband, Mark Letcher. A lovely, sunshiny morning in Nashville.

What helps is driving home from Nashville, sleeping like the dead, then opening the refrigerator, rummaging, and pulling what's in it, out, and beginning the chop-wood-carry-water work of daily living. Boiling eggs. Sauteeing asparagus.

Found some carrots.

What helps is doing a mundane chore like tossing stuff out and cleaning the fridge.

What helps is a call to my daughter Hannah, who says yes to baking and catching up on a month's worth of conversations.

What helps is grounding, connecting, centering. And a whole lot of staring at the wall. I can try to catch up on email, but can't seem to address fiction -- writing requires a different part of the mind, and I just couldn't call it up in my four days home, couldn't coax it or force it, even though I spent those hours in the pink chair.

After four days home to regroup, I flew to Wisconsin. I'm having a good time here. Every moment is filled; my mind can't turn itself off, so I sit up into the wee hours and piddle on catch-up, post photos, and wind down.

Thanks for asking. I appreciate the kindness. I'm good, and all is well.