I can tell it's autumn because the wind picks up and we need a fire in the wood stove. Brrrr. For this southerner, the northwest falls are beautiful but a touch cold. Randy accuses me of stoking the fire to a balmy 90 degrees which is just about the right temp to me. When we have company everyone starts shedding clothes so they must not like my southern-style heat:)October is right around the corner and I'm wondering where September went! In Courting Morrow Little, Morrow is on her way to a wedding in late fall and she laments that, "autumn speaks of endings, not beginnings." Do you have a favorite season? I sure do.
It's been a wonderful day at home. Lots of writing time today tucked in between taking Wyatt to school, violin, homeschooling Paul, sitting on the deck, taking a walk, answering email, cooking a pork roast with cornbread stuffing, shallots, and apples. And several dozen chocolate chip cookies:)
Out of desperation today I finally got out my Christmas CD's as some of the Mannheim Steamroller ones make fine music to write by. I think I've worn grooves in the soundtrack to The Last of the Mohicans! Not long ago I ordered Ken Burn's Civil War soundtrack but it is too full of spirited war tunes and I like moody music:) I always enjoy my Scottish fiddle tunes. Do any of you readers know of any good, moody, writing music? The final homestretch of The Locket might depend on your insights:)
Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all. -Stanley Horowitz
Then summer fades and passes and October comes. We'll smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, and sense of sadness and departure. -Thomas Wolfe
Autumn is my favorite season. I'm not a hot weather lover, in fact I was joking with a friend last night that I hole up in summer, just waiting for it to be over. I feel the heat like an oppression on my spirit. It's now that I feel I can venture out again without suffering heat stroke, and really LIVE.
ReplyDeleteBut it IS so nice to have the gas stove lit and see the flames leaping merrily. It's not a romantic wood fire, but it feels like it.
Perhaps it all comes from being born in October.
BTW, we also have some Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music. And I really ought to order the LOTM soundtrack. Love that music! But I can't listen to music while writing. In fact, I wear earplugs in a silent house. It improves my concentration.
Other music for 18C writing... well, I like almost anything Celtic. My latest favorite is the Celtic Odyssey compilation (Narada), but if you want moody, you can't go wrong with Joanie Madden's Song of the Irish Whistle CDs. If you haven't heard her music, have a listen to the first one at Amazon:
JoannieMadden
Hope that link works. Listen especially to track 10, Flight of the Wild Geese. Haunting and beautiful song. Wish the sample bit was longer.
Your day sounded quite perfect. :)
Lori,
ReplyDeleteYou sound just like my husband - summer is just an ordeal to get over! I think our preferences harken back to how we were raised. I am so at home in the heat that cold is just an affront to me:) Must be my Kentucky blood.
I really appreciate the music link/ideas. I love Celtic anything and it's always fun to find new ones. You seem to know just what I'm looking for. Haunting and beautiful is certainly what I'm after. Thank you very much.
Hope you have a cool, wind-tossed, smoke-scented, fall day!
Lori,
ReplyDeleteJust listened and love the link! Will order. I forgot to mention that my hero in The Locket is an Irishman...Cassius Clayton McLinn:)
If you've never tried Pandora Radio on the computer, look into it. You can put in a name, such as Joanie Madden, and they will make that one of your stations and play her music and also related artists. I use it a lot.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog, Laura. Can't wait for the next book!
I love fall time weather, even though the past few days have been 103 here in Texas. We have one week of chilly weather, and then it turns around to hot weather. I love easy listening tunes to listen to when I am in the middle of designing the linens I work on....when it comes to writing, I love to sit out on my porch in the quietness to really focus on my thoughts. Laura, thanks again for such good information on the process of writing. blessings,Kathleen
ReplyDeleteKathleen, Thank you for stopping by here and also for emailing me. I love to talk books! I've often thought if I couldn't be a Kentuckian I'd love to live in Texas and your 103 deg. heat has something to do with that. At a recent writer's conference I made some great Texas friends:) They were so warm and hospitable I felt I was back in Ky. You have that same hospitality - and I so enjoy your 3 blogs!
ReplyDeleteMyrna,
ReplyDeleteYou are a font/fount of info and I really appreciate it! First the water bottle and now Pandora which I've not heard of but can't wait to check out.
Thank you for appreciating the new blog look - it sure is more spacious and has a better view. And please stay tuned for the cover of book 2. I'll post it here as soon as I get the green light which might take a few weeks, though I'm supposed to get a peek at the initial design any day now:)
Hope you're having a wonderful fall. If there's another Beth Moore study at IBC coming up I'd love to know!
Laura, I'm back at my blog. Short break, huh? My posting today explains yesterday's melancholy.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say I love your post here and how you've described your day. It all sounds very cozy!
Though I have always lived in SC, I am *not* a hot weather fan. I love to be cold and I love cold, rainy days the best. Don't get a lot of that around here, but I can always dream...
Where do you get your beautiful images from, like the picture of the stove and the other great ones you use? Also, I love the quotes you use---they are a balm to the soul.
Oh Mary,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're back soon! I'll have to hop over and read your newest post. I've been praying you would feel better and just take a short break:)
It's so interesting that you like rainy, cool weather. Sunshine and heat lifts my spirits so but the rain...well, I am not a true northwesterner:) My boys rejoice on rainy days and hate the heat, like my husband.
Glad you like my pics and quotes! I get the pics from a site called Flickr! and that includes the exclamation mark. Folks post a bunch of pics from all over and you just type in what you're looking for and then upload to your blog. It's one of my favorite things in cyberspace.
I have many books of quotes as I take such pleasure in them. My current favorites are the Jan Karon (author of The Mitford Series) treasuries called Patches of Godlight and A Continual Feast.
Bless you today, Mary. I'm off to read you blog:)
My favorite writing music is classical. My favorite piece is Vivaldi's Four Seasons. According to iTunes, I've played it on my computer nearly 700 times. It's in my Sport Trac's CD player, too, and I fear I'll wear out that copy. Thankfully I have two other versions, one by Joshua Bell.
ReplyDeleteSide note, JB is performing at my DD's college this winter. I'll be there for his concert. How I hope Four Seasons is on the program.
Keli,
ReplyDeleteYou've named my favorite classical piece - Four Seasons. I have several versions myself but none by Bell. How blessed you are to look forward to his performance! I can't wait till my Paul is competent enough to tackle this incredible work - autumn is my favorite of the 4, I think. The Pandora site Myrna mentioned above is really neat - and surprisingly free! I'll have to look up Joshua Bell and add him to my playlist.
Great to hear from you again, Keli!