Pam Bustin
creator, editor, story tender
Shake and Bake 16: The Up in Smoke Edition
It was just a small fire…..
Friday morning… I built up the fire too fast and too freaking hot and … sure enough, I heard the roar of…. Chimney Fire.
But do not fear, my pretties, all is well. There was no damage to the chimney, nor the stove, nor the Shaky Shack nor me or my darling fella.
I just … feel a fool is all.
On the fun side — I got to use my new Chimney Cleaning brush to clean out the stove pipe and the chimney itself is CLEAN AS A WHISTLE!!
And here I am to beguile you with my latest Chicken/Check In.
Still playing about with the format.
The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):
Walks: The physical this week was more about Carrying Wood and Pumping/Hauling Water. Feels so good. There was more rink shovelling and a bit of skating. But I still haven’t made it out on the snow shoes. It’s on the Funtimes List for tomorrow. Fingers crossed puhleez.
Guitar: Head hangs. Only a few plonks. Plink.
Yoga/Meditation: Not bad. Not every day… but almost.
Work on NIP: A Solid week of FiddleFaddle-MUCK-About. More below.
THIS WEEK’S EXPERIMENT: Seeking Music
THE RESULT: I listened to music mucho more. At times when I would usually work in silence and at times when I might turn on the telly-box. I listened to DIFFERENT kinds of music. A little jazz even.
This is good.
And…the rest of the week…
THE GNARBLY BITS:
– Feeling stoopid about the fire. So scary and SO preventable.
– Poor M twisted his ankle and it’s been “Writer Dooooown” since Tuesday.
– Horrid feeling of being behind…behind…behind… GACK.
SHAKE IT OFF! SHAKE IT OFF!
THE TASTY BITS:
+ The body enjoys the hauling wood/shoveling/pumping water.
+ The weekly review of the SCRIB is a good idea. Lists made. Things filed away in the PROPER hidey holes for future finding. How very “efficient” of me, yes?
+ Got a lot done this week – on the NIP and other writing fronts. Huzzah!
The thing to BAKE IN is… Just Keep Swimming!
The work on the NIP was almost all focused on dealing with timeline issues for Jimmy – the villain of the piece – who lives in his own little world that must MESH with the world of Izzy and the gang.
Early in the week, I despaired a bit. I had been blazing forward with the story. BLAZING I tell ya. And then… SMACKO. Hit the wall of Jimmy and realized that with all the new work on Izzy’s world, he had fallen entirely out of sync. So… In I went to see what I could see.
I pulled out all the Jimmy chapters and created a new doc to work with. So I could clearly see his journey through the story. I worked it, and worked other bits. Some massaging here, some slashing there. Some dreaming and scheming and letting him run a little in the SCRIB.
And – tuuuuu-naaaa! I think we are in good shape to move the story ahead again.
YAY!
NEXT WEEK’S Playful EXPERIMENT:
Let us be curious. Curiouser and Curiouser.
And for comfort on a cold cold day…
Here’s a little Canadian Jazzy Jazz for you.
It’s Diana Panton – doing a LOVELY rendition of Moon River.
Stay cozy, my Huckleberry Friends
And, as always…
go easy -p
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Pam Bustin 