What's Up Wednesday- March 5th

Spring, Fireflies in the Swamp & Owls in Residence

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up.  Should you wish to join, check out Jaime's or Erin's lovely blogs and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of the post.

WHAT I'M READING
I had a hankering to pick up a "real" book with paper pages and that real book smell. So I reread PRIDE AND PREJUDICE  and then started MANSFIELD PARK. Despite everyone's obsession with getting married, I enjoyed it immensely. 

WHAT I'M WRITING

Over at YA Buccaneers we've been gearing up for Spring Writing Bootcamp which runs March through May!  (Click on the link to learn more about it and to join in.) Who couldn't use a little encouragement and a few awesome prizes as well?!! 

I've been making some decent progress on LOVE AND OTHER CURIOSITIES but I'm hoping Bootcamp will give me a much needed push in the right direction. I also did get my long-overdue edits incorporated into ISIS. I'm about ready to send it to my CP's of Awesome again. There have been a lot of changes since the last round (Read: More Naked Boy...That's just his nickname because he was naked on page 1...he's not naked the whole time....so don't go reading too much into THAT) anyway, I'm infinitely curious as to what my CP's make of the changes. 

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO 

I've been "Springing" up the house. Granted our temperatures are more summery than that of Spring, but I've got Spring on the brain. The oaks are putting out their new leaves, ferns fronds are unfurling, all the irises in my wildlife pond are about ready to burst forth. So I wanted to add a little Spring to the house. I started with some new wall art. We've had Boy Chris' Halloween painting up since two Halloween's ago, and I think it was frightening some of the children. (Read: Everybody...including the UPS guy) So I painted some new wall art. And then because I can't do anything without turning it into a crazy lighting project, I decided to string some lights behind it. I'm calling it, "Fireflies in the Swamp". It's not done just yet. Still messing with the lights, but you get the general idea. I've put it on a fade timer, so it just starts to glow at dusk and then cuts itself off at bedtime.

Another infinitely easy and cheap decor project for my house Springing, was my thrift store owl makeover. I bought this guy for 99 cents for our Owl Party. (Yes, we are obsessed with owls over here. And that obsession includes throwing Owl Parties.) I decided he should be in permanent residence, so I painted him white. I think he's going to live in Terrarium Row.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW 

I've been trying to remember that even though things have been crazy busy, what with running two businesses and all of my crazy side projects, to take some time out. Even if it is just fifteen minutes of doing nothing at all or taking some "me time". (Read: Beach Time) I've been keeping my swimsuit in the car for quickie costume changes.

Yesterday, I went for a marvelous swim. The water was perfectly calm and clear. And somehow, without realizing it, I swam into a whole school of stingrays. It was amazing. They just circled around me like weightless birds. Perfectly silent and graceful. Their shadows skirting over the sand. They didn't seem to mind me treading water in their midst. 

Lesson 1: Beach Time is important
Lesson 2: I should always swim with the waterproof camera :)