PLAN, PLAN AND PLAN

Current Work: Planning of course!

Listening to: My Man Friday, washing-up & he’s done the ironing!)

Reading: Rosalind Franklin, Interpretation of Murder,

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
For money you can have everything it is said. No, that is not true. You can buy food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; soft beds, but not sleep; knowledge but not intelligence; glitter, but not comfort; fun, but not pleasure; acquaintances, but not friendship; servants, but not faithfulness; grey hair, but not honor; quiet days, but not peace. The shell of all things you can get for money. But not the kernel. That cannot be had for money. -Arne Garborg, writer (1851-1924)

Then there was one…
The two ‘holiday’ dogs have returned home today to their owners who have spent their New Year up an Austrian mountain at -12° (yes that’s very cold). Now they are gone, I can see that it’s been chaotic for the last week with two young but large, puppies and one old man who’s been around the block and hasn’t a lot of patience! When their owner was shutting them in their 4x4 and we were busily waving goodbye, blowing kisses and generally looking stupid, the back window exploded into tiny green fragments of reinforced glass all over the road. We’re not sure what happened, many hypothesis were discussed but needless to say they had a cold trip home. So now back on track with the writing – though the duo are booked in again for another week in 10 days!

Writing Plan for 2009
Last week I wrote about looking back and looking forward. Today I have written my writing plan (I hate the word business plan but I suppose that’s what it is). One of the difficulties I find is that I get very excited and set my self all kinds of goals and actions, all to be achieved by the end of the day, never mind the year! But, without having some kind of direction, how do you know where you want to be. It’s a bit like planning a journey, if you don’t have the destination, you can’t plan to get there. So although it’s written (well, scribbled) I know that it will change, morph and reinvent itself several times before the end of the year.

I also plan (can’t you tell I love the planning bit?) every month. I look back and carry forward all the things I haven’t done (I’m getting better though) and make new plans for the month. So for example I’ve penned the titles of the articles I want to submit to Suite 101. I’ve identified 12 queries – four of which will be recycled from last month and I’ve looked at some anniversary ideas for three to six months ahead. Not bad, the trick is though, to do something. Writing my blog is also on my agenda, in fact its one of the goals in my Writing Plan, to submit at least three postings a week. The proof will be in the pudding.

The Good Witch
Here in Italy, today 6^th January, is a bank holiday. Historically they haven’t celebrated Father Christmas (Babbo Natale) but you wouldn’t know that given the number of those red blow up things climbing ladders or swinging from a parachute at every other casa in sight. Anyway the 6^th is Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas. If all the children have been good, the good witch Befana visits them with a sack load of goodies.

Happy Scribbling…

And Finally… the last Word of the Day:

avenaceous

PRONUNCIATION:(av-uh-NAY-shuhs)

MEANING:

adjective: Relating to or like oats.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin avena (oats).

USAGE:

"See birds that know our avenaceous store,

Stoop to our hand, and then repleted soar."

The Poems of H.C. Burner; Scribner; 1896.

(written as a parody of Alexander Pope)