Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The Hopes Of A Nation Rest On A Single Groundhog

Well, not an entire nation, since Hawaii probably doesn't care, and for all I know, Punxsutawney Phil is married.But everyone I know is going crazy waiting for this winter to end. It's the longest January on record, since it started right after Christmas, and seems to be going smack into February.

February has enough problems. It doesn't need to be annexed by greedy 31 day long January.

I like February, even if nobody else does (and it rarely wins popularity contests). It's a teeny tiny month, and fewer babies are born in it than any other month of the year (which makes sense because it has fewer days, but it also seems to have a fewer babies per day ratio as well), and, of course, my birthday falls just past the halfway mark. So I have something to look forward to until Feb. 17, and then after Feb. 17, I have spring to look forward to. I firmly believe spring starts on March 1, although it never seems to work out that way.

This year my goal for my birthday is to get the first draft of Hart finished. I'm really getting tired of outlining and reoutlining and rereoutlining it. Last night, I spent hours trying to shove the material into some kind of chronological order. For a book with minimal chances of publication, it's burning up a lot of energy (alas, not a lot of calories, which at least would justify the amount of time I'm spending on it).

I had thought I'd be doing a lot of writing on it this week, especially since I'm spending most of the week being snowed/sleeted in. But my mother managed a trifecta on Monday. Her hearing aid broke, she set fire to the microwave, and she fell. I don't know how long she'll be without her hearing aid, but Marci is going to bring her a used microwave tomorrow, and my mother wasn't hurt when she fell. So it could have been a lot worse, but it still took a great deal out of all of us. Which is my excuse for outlining rather than writing.

Oh well. I keep looking out the window trying to find some sunlight. At least there was none for good old Phil. That's one bright spot in this otherwise dreary week!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

My birthday's not until the end of the month, and even then I only get it every 4 years. Still, I love February. I get annoyed when people say they dislike it. February never did anything wrong!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Sarah-

Wow. You're a Leap Year Baby. That is so exotic.

As a kid, I had a friend who was born in an odd numbered year on or around Feb. 27. Even so, I felt he had just barely escaped the Once Every Four Year Birthday Trap. I remember telling him so and having him look at me like I was a total idiot.

I was maybe five years old at the time, but I've always taken birthdays very seriously!

Lisa-Marie Jordan said...

Sorry to hear about your mom's woes, but I'm glad she wasn't hurt when she fell! That can be so scary!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello Lisa-Marie Jordan-

It is scary. My mother doesn't fall often, but it always takes her a couple of days to bounce back emotionally when she does.

I hope she's fully recovered by tomorrow, since Marci and I are planning to have lunch with her!

Nina said...

My birthday is in February as well, so I am emotionally attached to the month! Hope your mom recoups quickly. I fall regularly on the icy stuff and as I am heading to my late 50's I keep thinking this isn't a good thing :*)

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Good morning Nina, fellow February babe-

It is a good morning too. The sun is shining (a novelty these days) and I got a call from Dr. Hearing Aid saying all my mother's hearing aid needed was a cleaning, which they have done.

I'll be picking it up later this morning and bringing it to my mother, who I know will be very glad to have it back!

Elaine Marie Alphin said...

I'm so glad your mother wasn't hurt in that fall, just shaken (or were you the one the most shaken?) and I'm also relieved to hear that the hearing aid issue was so easily solved. What a hectic start you've had to the month! But I'm looking forward to hearing that you've finished the first draft of Hart. Its publication probability doesn't matter as long as you enjoy writing it!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Elaine Marie Alphin who is probably still sleeping as I write this-

Marci and I had lunch with my mother yesterday, and I'm pleased to report my mother is much much better. She says her leg hurts from the fall, but her spirits were back to normal, especially with the return of her hearing aid.

I guess she enjoyed hearing Marci's and my scintillating conversation!

Bridget Higdon said...

Happy Belated Birthday!