Spring Break?

Around this time last year I was soaking up the sun on the sandy beaches of Mazatlan.  I have to say, it's hands down one of my favorite places on earth. Okay, so I haven't been many places on earth, but even if I had, Mazatlan would still be one of my favorite places.

Ah, the Hotel Playa Mazatlan, where even if you haven't visited for two years, Humberto the cabana waiter remembers you from your last visit.  The beach is vast, not a rock in site, and the sun beats down on you until you have no choice but to seek out solace from the cool ocean waves. And even though the sucker fish in Payette Lake scare me out of the water, I don't even flinch at the prospect that a shark could float by at any moment.

This time last year, the concept for my novel had yet to form in my mind. Where did 2008 go? I've barely seen the outside of my house in 12 months.  I suppose its like this for all writers. Once the muse takes hold, you have no choice but to surrender.  I planted only a few flowers in the beds that I'd tended so lovingly the year before.  Mowing the lawn was out of the question (thank goodness my 12-year old can do it). And as for going to the beach?  My summer ritual of spending as many days as possible at my family's lake-side cabin had become low on my list of priorities.  Sallow and pasty, my kids had to beg me to leave the house.  Parting from my beloved lap top for more than a couple of hours was torture and there's no electrical outlets on the dock! Once in a while I let my trusty notebook and pen act as a surrogate, but it just wasn't the same.  Self imprisonment to be sure, but do I regret it?  No way! This has been the best year ever, despite the carpal tunnel.  

I think though, as others are gearing up their creative minds and flexing their fingers, I'm going to slow down.  I'm not going to quit... I've got query letters to write and editing is a never ending task.  While others are making word count goals for the day, I'm going to impose outside goals, gardening goals, beach goals and adventure goals.

It's almost April 1st and we're expecting two more winter storms.  There's still a foot of snow on the ground, and Mazatlan just wasn't in the cards for us this year. So.... I guess I can sit here and let the muse take over for another month or until the weather straightens out.  ;)