Writing out the storm

We’ve sopped up the last of the mess in the family room.

We’ve moved cardboard boxes from the garage to higher ground.

We’ve cleared debris from the gutters and mud from the storm drains, in anticipation of yet another heavy storm, ETA later this morning. 

I’m a little rattled by the prospects, so I’ve rescheduled my voice lessons. And I’m working from my laptop, so as to keep my eye on the French doors, the main entry point of yesterday’s flooding.

On the bright side, I’m loving the coziness that comes with cooler weather. Hot tea, enjoyed under a crocheted afghan–doesn’t get much homier than that! 

I get restless when the rain lasts for months on end, but in short spells, it’s refreshing. Perhaps it’ll inspire me to polish another chapter or two to take to my writing group tomorrow evening. Assuming, of course, that SoCal doesn’t float away. Wink

I’ll be writing all day and into the evening. Anyone out there want to join me?

  1. Yikes! I hope you dry out soon!

    I’ll join you if we can count revising. I have a week and a half before I have to turn over my full ms to my crit group, and it is Not Ready.

  2. Ack! We don’t get a ton of rain around here, and I can’t imagine it going on for more than an hour or two. *send drying vibes*

    I’ll be writing for the next 30 minutes or so…and again this afternoon. I’ll check in 🙂

    • It’s not that the rainfall is lasting so long, but that it’s coming down in torrents. Our hard-packed soil can’t absorb it fast enough….

      I’m glad for your company, Robin, for however long you can stay.

  3. I’ve been thinking about you, Melodye. So glad you’re holding your own so far against the flood. Our basement storage room got flooded one year (rain gutters overflowed) and I now have two-by-fours on the floor so I can stack on top of those and keep boxes out of water. I also invested in a bunch of big plastic bins so I didn’t have wet cardboard/contents.

    I’m going to get going on my revisions now. Have a good writing day!

    • Wooden pallets and plastic bins–yes, of course! *smacks forehead* Why didn’t I think of that?!

      The cardboard boxes are filled with treasures from my inlaws’ house. Fortunately, nothing was ruined, but I’ve certainly learned an important lesson…

        • As a bird-lover, you might find this amusing:

          When the rainwater flooded our backyard, it picked up the niger birdseed hulls from our cement patio and plastered them to our stucco walls. A quirky floodline, right? The water’s receded (at least temporarily), but those black hulls are still clinging to the house. 🙂

  4. I’ll join you! I’m just going to finish my lunch and make a cup of tea, and then at 12:30 EST I’m going to start writing. My goal is 1000 words by the end of today, and want to get at least 600 of that done this afternoon.

  5. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t float away… and that your home isn’t inundated with water today! I’m sorry that your house is being flooded and muddied!

    I do love this weather though. I’d love to be at home all day writing.

    Oh! Question… what do you think about possibly lunching on maybe Feb 6?

    ETA: enjoy your day, Melodye!

  6. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t float away… and that your home isn’t inundated with water today! I’m sorry that your house is being flooded and muddied!

    I do love this weather though. I’d love to be at home all day writing.

    Oh! Question… what do you think about possibly lunching on maybe Feb 6?

    ETA: enjoy your day, Melodye!

  7. Wish I could join in the writing. =( List of must-do’s is in the way. Sending hugs to you and a pair of warm, fuzzy, mudproof, socks! I hope the water stays low and your word count high!

    • Aw, I wish you could join us, too! I hope you sail through your must-do’s easily and quickly. And I especially appreciate the warm thoughts and writerly wishes. 🙂

  8. Wish I could join in the writing. =( List of must-do’s is in the way. Sending hugs to you and a pair of warm, fuzzy, mudproof, socks! I hope the water stays low and your word count high!

  11. I just love the picture with your post! So apropos.

    Between driving kids to school and a pre-storm dash to the grocery store (I even forgot to brush my teeth before I left…ew!) I’m just settling down to the computer and writing now. I don’t know how much luck I’ll have though. I’m really unhappy with the plot direction of this story and don’t know to do with it.

    • I hope you aren’t second-guessing your story–what I’ve heard of it is wonderful.

      It’s s’posed to be slow-going/sloppy the first time ’round…the first draft is always like that, remember? You can tame the plot bunnies later, but for now…maybe just get something down on the page?

      Let’s write together, you and I. Breathe our way through these drafts….

  12. Wow! I can’t believe it’s still raining cats and dogs out there! I sincerely hope you don’t float away too. But in the meantime, I too cannot think of better writing weather than a moody, rainy day. 🙂

      • You are so brave. I am so sorry about the mopping and the moving and glad you are doing alright for now. I hope it stays that way!
        *crossing fingers and watching the French doors with you*

        • Aw, thanks, Carrie. I feel your comforting presence.

          (Really and truly, I’m a weather wimp. Drop me into a snowy, icy place, and I guarantee you’ll hear me sniveling like the cold-averse coward that I am.)

    • Oh, yes, please! I’d lOVE some chocolate brownies! All this clean-up and wary watchfulness has left me feeling kinda swoony.

      Tell you what: I’ll brew some fresh tea, if you’ll pass them around 🙂

    • Oh, yes, please! I’d lOVE some chocolate brownies! All this clean-up and wary watchfulness has left me feeling kinda swoony.

      Tell you what: I’ll brew some fresh tea, if you’ll pass them around 🙂

  14. Oh, goodness!
    We flooded once, about 11 years ago, and I still get kind of queasy thinking about it. Stay high and dry, and I totally admire your sense of calm and perspective!

    • It’s no fun, is it? Our kitchen flooded a few years ago, and the restoration/remodel took about 10 months. *shudders*

      And if it’s calm you’re sensing, it’s only because the clean-ups in the rear view mirror. I cooked split pea soup for dinner last night, but I got so rattled that I spilled a huge bowlful all over the freshly cleaned floor. =:0

      But hey, I’ll take your good wishes! xo

      P.S. I’m in awe of your award. Not surprised, but totally impressed. I bought several copies as holiday gifts, and everyone thinks All the World of your beautiful book.

      • When we flooded, our eldest was a baby and we had to go stay with friends (us, our baby, our dog, our cats) for MONTHS. Mercy, that was nutty.

        If I was nearby, I’d BRING you soup!

        And thanks for the sweet note, re. the Cald. Still makes me all spinny-whirly!

  15. Oh, goodness!
    We flooded once, about 11 years ago, and I still get kind of queasy thinking about it. Stay high and dry, and I totally admire your sense of calm and perspective!

  16. Stay safe and snug. I hope the time brings you some creativity. My daughter’s boss near LA called her today and told her to work at home, which she appreciated. As did I.

    • Thanks for your concern. Gotta check the storm drains now and again, but hey, it’s cozy and dry in the house.

      I’m a hovercraft mama myself, so I can see why you’d feel gratitude toward your daughter’s boss. 🙂

    • So far, so good…the storm drains are working overtime!

      I’m still working, too. I want to take two polished chapters to my writers’ group, come hell or high water.

      Thanks so much for checking in. 🙂

    • So far, so good…the storm drains are working overtime!

      I’m still working, too. I want to take two polished chapters to my writers’ group, come hell or high water.

      Thanks so much for checking in. 🙂

  18. Yikes, I’m sorry to hear of all your water troubles! I hope you dry out soon. 🙂

    I didn’t see your post until now, but I spent the majority of my day figuring out plot issues and tonight I’m finishing up with characterizations, so count me in!

    • Word on the (wet) street is that the storms will dissipate sometime tomorrow. Crossed fingers!

      I’m still writing, and I’m glad that you’re joining us! Hope you resolve those character issues…that’d be two enormous accomplishments in one day.

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