Today's topic ~ Writer's Block

I'll write more about the ranch later…

For now, the act of writing is what's staring me in the face. Dissertation, article, conference presentation proposal, wedding vows…
Is there such a thing as writer's block? Some think not. I'm inclined to side with them. Stephen King says that if you're not reading, then you have no business writing. Maybe that's my problem. I haven't had time to pick up reading material for pleasure since I started working on this degree two years ago. I've read tons of academic material, but let's face it - more often than not it's not exactly what I'd call inspirational. I have a big problem with writing papers and articles that are voiceless. I just can't do it. While writing Chapter Two of my dissertation (the literature review), I thought I would bore myself to death - literally. Here lies Bethanie, her own dry lifeless words killed her. How do you not pour yourself into your words?
Many authors advise to take breaks; that if you're unable to get the flow going, you need to leave it for a while. Others (most likely a smaller group, I would think) say to sit there until something appears, even if it takes eons. I think I agree with the latter - I find that if I sit long enough and get the "Pletcher stare" going and let myself take in my surroundings, something eventually comes.

~A lady with a platinum pixie cut in tight jeans and 5-inch heels walks out of my little coffee place. They sell flowers here - hydrangeas, roses, daisies. I sit outside so I can people-watch. It is hot, but the ceiling fans make it tolerable. They play French accordion  tunes, and today there are two couples sitting outside who speak French. Women stop in for coffee after their workouts at the fitness place across the street. Man I feel out-of-shape and lazy. I tell myself this is ok because my brain is working overtime, so my body can rest. I like coming here for these reasons. Cavan says I like coming here because Paper Source is next door.~

happy writing to all my fellow doctoral students, letter-writers, and songwriters.

Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good."

– William Faulkner

Sleepless in Barksdale

I can't write much this week because I only have Internet on my phone on the ranch. But 3am ish seems to be when my brain wants to share through my fingertips! I love my "ranch schedule" though. Sleep, eat, write, read, watch the birds, giggle at our cats' and dogs' antics, play frisbee, watch Cavan make a birdfeeder, watch Cavan cut wood. He asked me what time it was yesterday. My reply? "Don't know. Don't care." !
And of course our evening meals--we only eat what we can cook over the firepit! We have a full kitchen in the cabin, but what fun is that?!
There's almost no moon and the clouds cleared, so the gorgeous Texas stars are out. Yes, these are Texas stars.
I am a big-city kinda girl, but here, I feel like myself. It's calm and easy.
I always loved it here, but appreciate it so much more at almost 40.
Thank you Granddad for buying a piece of Texas 53 years ago. Your youngest son's daughter is partly who she is because of it.

pletcher ranch - no oil, but we got plenty of cactus & cedar

tomorrow cav and i head to the ranch. the pletcher ranch. in 1960, my dad's dad bought around 1500 acres of beautiful wild hill country land and lived off it (quite well i might add), using it as a deer lease to hunters. before that he and my grammar and their two youngest children, karen and zale (my dad) lived in leakey, texas. i only need mention garner state park and you know where leakey is. (for my dad, i must stress that leakey is pronounced "lake-ee") after he purchased the ranch, he moved his family out there and spent years walking every square inch of the place and putting up handmade fences and deer blinds. fences of "bob wire" (!) and blinds that consisted of a few pieces of wood in a tree. he also built a small lake near their house. i recently discovered that this lake is actually on maps and is listed as "pfletcher lake." it's like the mapmakers weren't sure if it was pletcher or fletcher, so they settled on both. 
now, i'm sure this was quite the shock for my poor dad and his sister, having to move from the big metropolis that is leakey to five miles off the main highway on the ranch. five miles may not sound like much, but hey - they just paved it (parts of it, not all of it) a few years back. then of course there were bumper gates every mile that are now rotting cattle guards. (note: i believe my next post will be an investigation of how to actually USE a bump gate.)
fast forward a bit to the important part…when zale and his young pretty wife welcomed their daughter bethanie into the world. my first experience on this ranch was from within the womb. 

aunt karen (my dad's sister), bonita the horse, my dad zale, 

and my mom cathy, expectant with yours truly

to be continued…

oh…the title of my blog...

side with the seeds - a beautiful song by wilco, in my opinion, the best thing to happen to music in a long time.

here are the first few lyrics…
Tires type black
Where the blacktop cracks
Weeds spark through
Dark green enough to be blue
When the mysteries we believe in
Aren’t dreamed enough to be true
Some side with the leaves
Some side with the seeds

yeah…told you they were awesome.

Howdy!

ok, ok.. dorky title for my first post here, but whatever. i love bluebonnets and king of the hill and have deep texas roots. i can say 'howdy' if i please.
welcome to my new blog. i have a professional one as well, but i needed a forum where i can write away about anything, not just what i usually live, breathe, and eat-literacy and teacher education. after being officially inducted into the world of authorship in the fall of 2011, the part of my brain (or probably, heart) that exists to write was awakened. now i find myself staying up during vampire hours (when even my four crazy animals are in deep slumber) writing writing writing.
here is where i wish to post thoughts and images about things that i adore. yes, my animals will make many appearances here as they are the cutest ones on the face of our planet. also, bookmaking projects, hatbox projects, embroidery, knitting -- yes, anything i can do with my hands. old photos, all things houston, some things texas, and of course wedding stuff as i ready to marry an incredibly good-looking sweet man in october.
so…here we go!