Do Something Creative for Your Spouse or Companion (Blog 470)

Looking to do something nice for your significant other during the pandemic? Over the past six weeks or so, I have been sending a series of fictional emails to my wife Elaine. The first series consisted of upcoming circus performances in our backyard by various traveling groups. Each email included a link to a popular circus-related song with folks performing various things like riding on the backs of elephants. The head of the circus, I gave him the name of Reynaldo, also gives lots of compliments to Elaine in "his" emails.

All performances took place at our woodpile where I placed small saplings against the wooden frame that supports the cut wood. That is where, of course, the tight wire performers did their thing.

Alas, the "circus" had to travel to Maryland, but I promised Elaine that another set of traveling artists would be coming. They "arrived" this morning. I even put out chunks of wood, that had not been split, to serve as seats. Today's performance is Singing in the Rain, tomorrow's is West Side Story. I will be sending Elaine a link in a little while (of course after the Broadway stars of Singing in the Rain are finished) to the featured song from West Side Story.

Think of something creative, that involves writing, to do for your wife, spouse, or companion.

The Joys of Being in the Woods (Blog 469)

It is a truism, obviously, that writers should write about the things they know the best and love the best. And the thing I love the most is the outdoors. Last night before going to bed, I read the chapter "Solitude" in Thoreau's Walden, a good chapter to read during a pandemic.

Then this morning, I went turkey hunting by myself in West Virginia. The toms were uncooperative but I enjoyed myself immensely experiencing the solitude of being deep in the mountains. When it became apparent later in the morning that the gobblers were not active, I turned to looking for yellow morel mushrooms. I was fortunate to find two, which will be part of my dinner tonight. Who knows the day may be worth mentioning in a story somewhere down the line.