The Girdle of Melian

Last year, near the end of April, I wrote a post called Spring Has Sprung , which featured Canada Geese returning home. Since then, I have acquired a new camera; still no closeups, but I did capture some nice shots of the V patterns: I wonder why they're returning a month early?

More info here . March 25th in Middle Earth is the day of the downfall of Sauron, and marks the change from the Third Age to the Fourth. A good day to read or reread your favourite Tolkien poem, short story, essay, snip from The Lord of the Rings , or all of the above! I might reread Leaf by Niggle or Cat : The fat cat on the mat may seem to dream of nice mice that suffice for him, or cream; but he free, maybe, walks in thought unbowed, proud, where loud roared and fought his kin, lean and slim, or deep in den in the East feasted on beasts and tender men. The giant lion with iron claw in paw, and huge ruthless tooth in gory jaw; the pard dark-starred, fleet upon feet, that oft soft from aloft leaps upon his meat where woods loom in gloom -- far now they be, fierce and free, and tamed is he; but fat cat on the mat kept as a pet he does not forget.

Today is the 40th anniversary of Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" . Google has a tribute. And what about your novel? I hear voices asking... Well, this week I've had a very legitimate reason to put off my punishment for MA and the Forum March X - I was comissioned for a huge translation job! This means I've got lots of catching up to do, as that little bar off to the side is showing 0/6 when it should be in a caterpillar shape...

Was it last week ? Every day should be book day! First book I ever read: In Turkish: translations of Aesop’s fables In English: (besides picture books) Can’t remember much from before third grade, so let’s say Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White Last book I read: Silent Women by Ingrid Berzins Leuzy Favourite childhood books: Oh, gee, where to start? I’ll just list a few authors: L. M. Montgomery; Kit Pearson; Jean Little; Kenneth Grahame; J.R.R. Tolkien; Hans Christian Andersen, E. Nesbit; C. S. Lewis; John Bellairs; P. L. Travers; Janet Lunn, Katherine Paterson, Maurice Sendak, Edward Gorey, Roald Dahl, Robert Munsch, Beverly Cleary, etc. etc. Favourite Adult Books: Umm, besides the above list? There's Diana Gabaldon, G. K. Chesterton, Evelyn Waugh, Agatha Christie, Somerset Maugham, James Herriott, the Romantic poets and Blake, William Shakespeare, Emily Carr, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, etc. etc. Care to share your favourites?

Dalek head found in pond . Exterminate!

The Marathon is on over at the Books and Writers Community. Yesterday was a bit of a wash, but today, Day Two , I finally got my act together enough to organize my manuscript for The Face of A Lion - it was all the little tweaks/edits/Latin translations that were bogging me down. I've got them all consolidated into one printout of the novel now. But I still have exactly 6 scenes to add to/rewrite. I'm starting to dream about a week off work again... Here's what I would do: Saturday - clean the house (but I'd probably start late cos I'd read in bed all morning); look up quotes and translations Sunday - type up last few edits Monday - print new copy; stare at new copy; find an exercise or MA punishment to help me kick start some scenes Tuesday - type up new scenes Wednesday - do taxes, putz around the house "organizing" Thursday - look at query letter; try to tweak it; look up agents; catch up on emails and Facebook Wordscraper games Friday - print latest ...