Monday, April 5, 2010

The Dirt Has Arrived

Now I know most of you will wonder what the title of this blog post means so I shall tell you. I have been working on my yard because of the weather. I have dug post holes and put the poles in for the fence but I had to stop because I have a spot in my yard that needs dirt and I couldn't finish the fence until the BIG truck came. Well the dirt came Saturday. Yay! So I have been shoveling dirt for the last two days. Let me tell you how much the Monster Baby has loved this. I have never seen a child so filthy. I've also had to stock up on my Tylenols because this old body has never worked so hard. I shoveled 124 wheelbarrows between both days. My arms feel like jello.

I will also have to tell you that I compare working on my yard to working on my book. Because of the hole, (yes, a giant big gaping hole in my yard) that needed dirt, I had to fill it in first with leaves and twigs and other things that will compost. Then I had to move the free-standing deck in the middle of the yard because it was in the way of the truck. Then I had to move the little garden because it doesn't get any sun after April, also in the way of the truck. Next, on to the fence, which I had to stop production on because of the truck.

In the beginning of Genna & Tony's adventure, I had a big gaping hole in the middle of the plot. Which I have since filled in. Now, we had to move some things around, scenes, paragraphs, characters, waiting for the climatic scene at the end of Act One. Nothing could be done until I wrote that scene. Now I can go back in and finish all the scenes I couldn't finish. (Hence all the moving around and waiting to finish the fence because of the big gaping hole.)

So there, I am working on my book (sort of) but I really need to get the yard done before it either a)gets cold again-please God no, b) rains-please God no. Once the yard is finished (or until I break my body completely) I will be able to go back to Genna & Tony. Don't worry I'll still be posting on Thursday for the little Something-Something but I don't know what.

As to my friends who are anxiously awaiting an email from me about certain somethings...I have not forgotten you. I am ruminating, formulating and will be getting back to you hopefully by Wednesday. (Monster Baby will be back in school so I will have "quiet" time in which to respond.)

Happy Week everyone, I hope your Easter was full of bunnies and chicks and anything else made of chocolate.

And please scroll down to yesterday's blog where I posted awards for a whole mess o' people. I want you to have these, so please go see if you are listed anywhere.
And if I haven't given you one, I will.

24 comments:

Christi Goddard said...

Writing = yardwork?

My inhumanly long nails protest.

Sorry you're sore. I cleaned yesterday, and that was enough to wear this abused body out. My back is killing me.

lotusgirl said...

Wow. Lots of work at your house. Good on you.

Summer Frey said...

This reminds me of being a Monster Baby myself. My mom and dad have garden/yard fever, and they'd have us outside "helping" when we were just little bitty. I remember when I was about 3 and my brother 5, Mom would give us a penny for each potato bug we picked off the garden plants. We had dixie cups to put them in. :-)

But the garden fever spread to me! I think the weather should hold nicely for a few days; don't know how close you are to me, but our weather is clear and HOT until Thursday.

Good luck on the fence and I'm looking forward to Thursday's snippit.

Unknown said...

Great analogy, the yard project and writing a novel. I love that! Glad you got your dirt. I can't only imagine how your feel after shoveling so many loads! I only shoveled a bit over the weekend and I'm stooped over like a granny.

Hey, thanks for the Awesomesauce award!!!! LOVE it!

Have a fab week, sista!

Tara said...

Love this!

When we moved here our back yard was so low that we had 10! dumptruck loads of dirt delivered. My kids were 2 1/2 so you can imagine the fun it was for them to have mountains in their own backyard. And they loved the bobcat Daddy rented to spread the dirt ;)

Yea! for filling in some holes with Genna and Tony :)

sarahjayne smythe said...

You never cease to amaze me. Your work ethic is incredible. :) You are going to be so happy and proud when your yard is finished.

Lola Sharp said...

You go with your bad self! LOVE that analogy.

Happy Monday!
Love,
Lola

Davin Malasarn said...

I've heard digging post holes is one of the most unfun things to do. I'm glad you're finding reason to celebrate the process!

Sarah Ahiers said...

ugh that sounds like a lot of work. When we built a fence we just dug holes, filled them with the posts and cement and then drilled in all the pickets.
There was very little dirt moving...

Michelle D. Argyle said...

I hope you can finish that yard work quickly. I'm praying for your body to be strong!

Talli Roland said...

Oh, gr - I just wrote a comment and then my Internet crashed! Ah well. I love how you've connected yard work with writing. Brilliant!

Cynthia Reese said...

Revisions are JUST like that ... you go digging around, moving stuff that looked perfectly fine two months ago. Terrific post, and I'm sure your yard will look beautiful!

Anne Gallagher said...

Christi -- Oh you're such a GIRL!!!

Lois -- Hey, glad you're back. How was your trip? Lunch? You can tell me all about it.

Summer -- Yeah Monster Baby helped until it got too hot then she wanted to go in the pool. Which is why I call her Monster Baby.

Nicole -- I'm trying to get my body ready for the dreaded swimsuit hence the shoveling. I think it'll take a bit more than moving some dirt though.

Tara -- I so WISH I had a Bobcat, or a man to spread it.

Sarah Jayne -- I wish I could post the before and after pictures but I don't have a digital camera. Maybe if I ask nicely I'll get one for my B-day.

Anne Gallagher said...

Lola -- Hee hee, BAD self...you're too funny.

Davin -- I've got to finish the fence before my mother leaves for RI in May. I get to take her dog here and she needs to be fenced.

Sarah A -- Yeah, I'm just too complicated for my own good.

Michelle -- Thanks, I need all the prayers I can get.

Talli -- I'm sorry, I had bugs in my blog all weekend long. I hate them.

Cynthia -- I really wish Genna & Tony was finished because I really am looking forward to the revisions.

Shelley Sly said...

Whew, I'm exhausted for you. 124 wheelbarrows? Yikes. Make sure you get lots of rest!

Glad to hear that you're (sort of) working on your book, even if it means just moving things around. Great analogy with yardwork. And yes, as mentioned before, I *am* one of your Genna & Tony fans, so I always eagerly await another installment on your blog. :)

Anne Gallagher said...

Shelley -- It's so nice to know I have *fans*. That is just so COOL!!

Crystal Cook said...

Oh, yard work, yuck, yuck, yuck!! My sympathies :)

Glad monster baby loves it though, my boys would be right in there with her :)

Susan Fields said...

Hooray - I got an award, thank you! I missed that yesterday so thanks for mentioning it. I really admire people with the gumption/know-how/energy to do yard work, it's all a great big mystery to me. I do as little of it as I can get away with.

B. Miller said...

Nice comparison and awesome post! Thanks for sharing. I find that I can relate almost anything to writing!

And THANKS for the award yesterday! Really brightened my day today!!

Elana Johnson said...

This is a great comparison. Hope you get a lot done and that it stays warm where you are. :)

Unknown said...

And to think I was complaining about planting up the seedlings into the patio-garden pots and the hanging basket. Soil is just, so... soily.
Next week the hall, stairs, every single bedroom etc is getting the new carpet make-over. We have to move all the furniture out of each room so the fitters can do what they do best. Do you know how many books and bookselves we are having to shift, from upstairs to down, in preparation? Oh, glum!

Unknown said...

Are you on a historical reading trip? If not, and you are just aiming to read a book by Judith McNaught - Paradise.

Anne Gallagher said...

Crystal -- Yard work is my aerobics. It's the only way to keep in shape for me.

Susan -- I used to have my own landscaping company once upon a hundred years ago. I'm used to it.

B. -- I'm glad I brightened your day.

Elana -- Thank you. I hope it stays warm too. If not, God is going to hear from me.

Elaine -- I feel for you. One thing I hate is moving furniture. and I LOVE Judith McNaught. Thanks for the tip.

Unspoken said...

Oh how often I am working on one thing and distracted by writing... Usually,I cave. Afraid of the idea eluding me! Sounds like the yard is filling in the plot gaps :).