“I want to see mountains again, Gandalf, mountains, and then find somewhere where I can rest. In peace and quiet, without a lot of relatives prying around, and a string of confounded visitors hanging on the bell. I might find somewhere where I can finish my book. I have thought of a nice ending for it: and he lived happily ever after to the end of his days.”
Bilbo Baggins, in The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien
We are on day 169 of 15 days to slow the spread.
It finally happened. I came to the point where I no longer have any writing ideas inspired by our week at the beach. Well, at least not for this context.
Instead, I’ll post a quote about the mountains, which can also be inspiring. As a bonus, it’s a Tolkien quote.
It’s September and the end of the year is in sight. Not that I think any of us will miss 2020.
Usually, around here at least, September is the month when the busyness returns. School starts back up, people at work suddenly realize that they weren’t paying attention over the summer and the meeting or project is now urgent, and we’re gearing up for the back-to-back holidays.
Those will look at little different this year, just like everything else.
We can pretty much rule out Tricks-or-Treats, parades are being canceled…well, you’ve seen the list let’s not talk about the depressing stuff.
I’m in the midst of figuring out how I can still be the big guy in the red suit. It’s a work in progress. You’ll know when you know.
Just maybe, this will be the year when we remember what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown
In the meantime, just when we think 2020 can’t get any crazier, the news comes out that $%&# Carole Baskin is going to be on Dancing with the Stars.
I never watch the show, but I’d pay good money to watch if her first dance number is set to He Had It Comin’ from Chicago.
I digress.
I was unprepared for this sense of busyness or urgency to hit me so quickly. I mean, I get what’s going on with the day job. I get that the election is heating up. I get that school is back in session.
I just thought I was doing a better job of managing things.
That is until I looked at the yard and looked at the list of projects that I said I would complete (and in some cases publish) in September.
I’m multi-tasking as I write this. I’ve got a Santa webinar on in the background. I’m sending out communications for the theater. I’m nagging the offspring to empty the dryer and get the trash out to the curb, like they didn’t last week.
It’s all good. It’s just a part of what we do.
I can’t live at the beach. Especially if y’all keep skipping the tip jar on your way out.
There’s an old gospel song that says “The Lord knows I can’t live on the mountain, so he picked out a valley for me…”
I’m not really in a valley, unless you consider our 47 years of house arrest.
I’ve actually got a few mountains of work and projects surrounding me.
Thankfully, we’ve got a three-day weekend coming up.
Maybe I’ll climb one of those mountains and finish my book.
Sing for us, Dottie.