Lady In Waiting

I had a wonderful realization about an hour ago, that spring still has at least two months left, which means I have at least two months before I need to think of spring cleaning as summer cleaning.

My plan, really truly, is to begin cleaning practically the minute I finish this blog entry. I have a date to have lunch with my friend Hilarie on Friday, so I'm using that as a deadline. Of course, I've used quite a few other dates and obligations as deadlines, and none of them seem to have taken.

I may not be much of a lady, but I certainly am waiting these days. While I'm waiting for the Garden State Teen Book Award to hang up, I've been redecorating the den. Yesterday, I devoted a great deal of time to what I now call The Wall Of Ego. Mostly I put things where there were already nails, but it's looking pretty impressive anyway.

Can you see the drawing to the left of Groucho Marx? It's a certificate my goddaughter made me when she was seven years old. It says (and I quote with great pride): Susan Beth Pfeffer is a very good person. But tonight she was a very, very good person.

Right below it, is a proclamation from the town of Winfield, West Virginia of Susan Beth Pfeffer Day, which turns out to be April 30, by which point I will certainly have my spring cleaning done.

See the letter matted in blue, under the Sequoyah Children's Book Award (in the shape of Oklahoma)? It's my very first acceptance letter, from Grade Teacher Magazine, for a poem I wrote in fifth grade.

Oddly enough, I never framed my first rejection letter, although I could easily paper The Wall Of Ego, the rest of my apartment, and Buckingham Palace, with all the rejections I've gotten.

Another thing I'm waiting for is a kitten. I would have taken one home on Saturday, except the one I wanted (an extremely cute calico) had already been adopted. I was told some black and white kittens will be showing up on Sunday for adoption, and I intend to get there early this time. I bought a kitty litter pan this morning, and I'm hoping it will be getting some use by Sunday afternoon.

By which point, of course, I will have finished spring cleaning.

Finally, I'm waiting to do editor requested rewrites on This World We Live In. The editor originally assigned to the book couldn't work it into her schedule, so a new editor had to be found. Last week my newest editor requested a blurb/summary of B3 for the sales and marketing people. For those who are interested, I've posted what I sent her over at thirdmoonbook.

Although switching editors has slowed the process down, B3 remains on target for a Spring 2010 publication.

By which time, I'll definitely have finished my Spring 2009 cleaning!