And now, a pause

Today is the 30th of November. It is the last official day of the hurricane season. Breathe a sigh of relief. It is also the last day of NaNoWriMo, but I passed the 50,000 word mark yesterday, and validated my work on the website last night to be declared a WINNER! Of course, with Nano, you don't actually win anything except a certificate you can print out (unless your color cartridge is empty, like mine) and a 20 second video of the Office of Letters and Lights staff cheering and yelling for you. And lots and lots of bragging rights!

My mother moved in the day before I started Nano this year. I have spent the entire month of November getting attuned to her and her many needs, at the same time that half of my brain is immersed in the world of Vanetta and Lou, in the first decade of the last century. It's been a confusing time.

Now, suddenly I have several hours completely free. I had arranged to have Mom go to visit Jack so that I could write, but I already finished. The house is quiet. The critters are calm. No tv. No radio. Coffee at the ready. I don't know what to do with myself.

It's not that I couldn't find something to do. I can always hang out on facebook, which I admit I have been doing. What's missing in this breath is the "have to". For 30 days, I've either been dealing with Mom or writing or both. I love the writing, but it is a challenge, this starting a new novel and getting 50,000 words in a month. It's not my usual pace, though I wish it were.

I have not been paying attention to the rest of the world too much. I was surprised to listen to BBC this morning and find that 2,000,000 public workers, including teachers, are on strike because of budget and pension cuts. I zoomed in on the old news that our "Supercommittee" didn't do it's job, and the chips are going to start falling where they may. Since I've been dwelling in the early twentieth century for a month, I'm extra aware of the cyclical nature of economic and political "news" --- perhaps we should call it "olds".

Labor unions? Class Warfare? Super rich squashing the Middle Class? --- read some history. Nothing new there. Women's rights being legislated against? Women have not even had the vote for a century, and birth control information was outlawed back then. Religion pushing into public policy? Have you heard of the Scopes Monkey Trial?
Reminds me of a song: "Everything old is new again."

I'm always reminded of songs; that's a result of growing up in a musical theater household. And today I've been singing songs, to the consternation of my dogs, who wonder why all the noise, when I'm belting out "Birth of the Blues" or "It had to be You".

I love to have a pause, a day when I can catch up with myself, sing, noodle around reading whatever I want, make a cherry pie, walk in the woods with Buddy, and remember who I am. It's one of those days, and I'm grateful just to be alive.