Cookie by Cookie
Fruit fly traps, toaster oven poultices and an oh! thank you to Anne Lamott
I appear to have spent the morning mopping the floors, dusting and rearranging my desk, and deep cleaning the crevices of my kitchen cabinet doors with a toothpick and an old toothbrush. You may also be pleased to know the tins of cat food are now arranged by flavor so the poor things don’t end up eating “Seafarer Supper” two meals in a row because wouldn’t that be a disgrace and what if the cats wrote a bad review of me on Yelp?
I’ve also spoken sternly to a kid for peeling the bark off the birch tree in my yard, which made me ponder how I got to the “get off my lawn” stage in my life already, but I also finally tidied away the pile that has been sitting there for goodness knows how long (well, I can actually tell by the supermarket flyer in the pile that had a lot of red, white and blue offerings on sale. Hooray for the 4th of July and v. sorry I missed the special on those big rolls of Charmin.) I also made a sugar trap for the numerous fruit flies that have moved into my kitchen.
It was when I found myself applying a poultice of dish soap, baking soda and white vinegar to the scungy glass window on the door of the toaster oven that I finally realized I was doing this all to avoid writing.
As I cleaned, I listened to Julia Louis Dreyfus’ podcast interview with Anne Lamott and that was the catalyst that got me to my computer to sit down and write.
Okay, the writing had to wait until I re-read the first chapter of Lamott’s genius, seminal, sharp-intake-of-breath-every-time-I-read-it Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. I always assign it to my students as a reminder that writing need not be the Sisyphian task it seems, but indeed they should take it piece by piece, bird by bird.
(Please appreciate the denial with which I wrote that. Referring to the “they” who have that issue!)
Ahem, so I reminded MYSELF (Be proud, Anne Lamott, I’m attempting to take ownership) of the bird-by-bird story. An excerpt:
All of this to say, my cookbook manuscript is due the day before the election, which as the newscasters keep me reminding me is Very Soon. And after I hang my kitchen rugs outside to dry, I really must settle down at my desk and take it cookie by cookie.
My apologies in advance if my newsletters are a little short or sparse between now and November. That said, I need you all now more than ever, with this election looming, so I cannot go radio silent!
Do you have something you need to approach bird by bird? How do you inspire yourself to keep on truckin’ as the cool folks used to say? Do you have a favorite bird? Thoughts on Tuesday’s VP debate?
Manuscript due so soon! You can do it! You're almost there! (On the other hand, I, too, was diverted this morning by the blue dishwashing soap/glass shower door cleaning technique...) xo
I'm looking forward to your completed cookbook being in my hands so I can make these for my friends.