Since my mum got sick before Christmas, I am spending more time chatting with my dad. (Quick report: my mum is doing much better, but is still not well enough to return to her own house.) Well, thismorning on the phone my father used a funny expression to describe his work -- at 79 years old, he still sits as a federal court judge. Today he was home writing a judgment. He said that for him, writing a judgment feels like "laying an egg"!

I love the expession, partly because it's just funny to imagine my father like a brown hen laying an egg... but also because I could relate. That's what writing my stories feels like to me, too! Keeping something warm inside and then preparing to share it with the world... 

That being said, I've got the day off from teaching and so I've been laying my own small egg. The project I began yesterday is officially BEGUN. Though my life is going to get busier and busier now that I'm back to teaching, my plan is to squeeze in a little writing time as often as I can manage it.

Earlier this week, I was telling the students in one of my classes that it is wise to set reasonable goals. I suggested they were better off planning to study two hours on a Saturday and carrying out that plan, rather than saying they're going to study for eight hours and only end up doing two. I'm going to try to follow my own advice.

In the mean time, I'm just plain having FUN tinkering with my new story idea. Hope whatever it is you're up to, you're also having fun. Gotta get back to that egg now!