Friday Mornings

I recently changed my work schedule due to needing some extra time to grade papers and make cheese (I know odd combinations). Friday's I'm home to get caught up on everything I've let slip from lack of time earlier in the week. Things have been very busy and very stressful the last couple of weeks so I've taken an hour or so on Friday mornings to just relax before I delve into the million and one projects for the day. My routine consists of drinking coffee, sometimes knitting, and watching a TED Talk. Since I've decided to attempted NaNoWriMo next month I've been watching talks by authors that I like, looking for some inspiration. So far I've watched Amy Tan, who's a really funny lady, and Elizabeth Gilbert, who's ideas I think are beautiful. I particularly appreciate Elizabeth Gilbert's advice at the end:

And what I have to, sort of keep telling myself when I get really psyched out about that,is, don't be afraid. Don't be daunted. Just do your job. Continue to show up for your piece of it, whatever that might be. If your job is to dance, do your dance. If the divine, cockeyed genius assigned to your case decides to let some sort of wonderment be glimpsed, for just one moment through your efforts, then "Ole! "And if not, do your dance anyhow. And "Ole!" to you, nonetheless. I believe this and I feel that we must teach it. "Ole!" to you, nonetheless, just for having the sheer human love and stubbornness to keep showing up.

So that is my goal for November "to keep showing up" and writing and giving this novel in a month a fair chance. "Ole! to me nonetheless".

Boating on Lake Ontario

My friend Hilary and I won an overnight stay and boat rental last fall at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner. We've both been so busy over the summer that we didn't get to use it until the end of August.

We spent the night at Pleasant Beach Hotel in Fair Haven, NY. The room was cozy but the amazing second story wrap-around balcony made up for it. It didn't help that we were trying to put 4 people in a room made for 2 and maybe a child. The owners, Bonnie and H, made us a full breakfast the next morning and it was fun to sit out on the deck and watch the boats leaving the bay for the day. We met up with a 5th friend, and headed over to get our boat for the day from Anchor Resort & Marina.

Hilary & Grant with the perfect view as we leave Little Sodus Bay and head out to Lake Ontario

Captain Andrew and DJ Jessica

Hilary & Kim catching the ray's, not that you can tell from our pasty skin :)

I love the bluff's on Lake Ontario. We anchored just off these for part of the day.

We live just south of Fair Haven and it's one of my favourite places to visit in the summer. I would love to have a cottage on the lake and imagine my excitement when I found a place for sale that we could afford. It looks so nice from the lake. The problem comes when you get closer and see that the "foundation" is made of tiny stones, crumbling mortar, and is sinking into the side of the hill. There's no indoor plumbing and part of the deck caved in when we walked on it. Oh well, it's fun to dream and it was fun to go snoop on the property and see what it looked like. It did have an amazing few of the Lake.

We took the boat back an hour early because the water was getting so rough :( When we got to the marina they were desperately pulling boats out of the water preparing for Hurricane Irene to hit. Although parts of New York suffered significant flooding and damage from the Hurricane our area did not get as much wind and rain as they had predicted. The plan is to get a group together next summer and rent the bigger boat for the day.