Beautiful spring day

Today was one of those days that makes you smile even though all you're doing is errands and various chores. The sun played hide-and-seek all day, using Vanilla Sky clouds to disappear behind then ease on out to caress its warmth against your skin. Cool breezes became crisp and sharp with the smell of rain climbing its way over the Cascades. A little patter of rain - just enough to sweeten the fragrance of the grass and manzanita - then gone with a whisper. The silk-blue sky shared equal space with cumulus clouds and the robins were doing what they're most famous for - bob-bob-bobbing along. We saw our first two Bend quail today. We had many dozens of quail in our yard in Nevada but this was the first time we'd spotted them here. They're a little slimmer here, we noticed. The robins chased them out of the back yard and quickly got busy again with their very well-known bobbing. David and I took our now-customary walk after dinner under a passing "sun-rain" - syncopated, hesitant droplets too shy to be called a shower. Now, the quiet of evening with its subtle shift of colors, slowly washing into grays. Yep. It was a lovely day.

Still getting settled into our new home

It takes time to re-establish yourself in a new community. My husband, David, and I moved to Bend, Oregon, last month and we're still getting "settled." We've lived in a lot of places from California to Alaska to Washington to Minnesota to Hawaii to Nevada and, now, here in Oregon. We love the trees, the Cascades, the Deschutes and other rivers and creeks all so close. And the town of Bend is a wonderful blend of hep with friendly - a lot of art support is very apparent. Everywhere you go, you'll see very creative sculpture - on street corners, in the middle of the roundabouts, etc.

Deer regularly visit our back yard and enjoy the fresh spring grass. One usually stands sentry while the rest casually dine. They're easygoing about our presence and don't mind us watching them from the back deck. That's a joy we haven't had in many a year. Swallows hang out in the trees out back, so we get to watch their cream and gray flits from tree to tree throughout the day.

Mornings are especially nice. David and I have been waking up earlier than what became usual in Nevada. We feel excited about getting into the new day. "What will it bring?" "Let's get started and find out."

But, now that we've made the plunge to move here, we're trying to get a true feel for the waters and how to swim them. We've learned that every community is different. A lot of those differences are subtle but significant and only time and getting know the locals can reveal how to navigate the new land.

So, I'm writing now to clarify thought on our progress. More to myself, I think, than anything else. I've decided to treat this blog a little more like a diary of sorts. Just talk about my experiences, feelings, thoughts and so on. Don't know if anyone is reading but this is, at the very least, a chance to get my thoughts out. We'll see how it all progresses. The saga of changes. Life. Until next time...

Listen. Listen.

This short piece is so right on about why we write, why we must write:

http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2010/12/listen-listen.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+QueryTracker+(QueryTracker.net)

'The Art of Full Indiscipline'

'The Art of Full Indiscipline'

This article I've linked to, in its entirety, is very inspiring. Of course, Dr. Mukherjee's underlying creative expression is researching cancer and what might cause it and, therefore, keep it at bay. But still, how he wrote his book, using cancer as a kind of character in his weave of stories, is very inspiring as well. I found his "art of full indiscipline" quite illuminating as a way to write.

Not everyone is able to set aside specific hours per day to write (or pursue any other creative endeavor, for that matter) but can commit to focusing some time toward that creative pursuit every day, no matter how seemingly small that time is. I'm a firm believer in this as a basic philosophy: the way we get to the top of the mountain? Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. And never stop. Until you're at the top of the mountain. Enjoying the view. Then you can scope out a higher mountain. If you want.

Susan M. Botich

Susan M. Botich

Reference my link to elance.com 
http://www.elance.com/s/edit/susanmbotich/resume/

Home Improvements

Working on a lot of home improvements, lately. It's exhausting but feels good to do them, see the progress. Getting rid of stuff we don't really need, cleaning out the junk. Whew! Sore muscles but it's worth it!

Changes and dealing with them

I was scheduled to play a cafe concert in Minden last Saturday and it got canceled last minute due to the city wanting to repave the parking area of the Minden Plaza where the concert was to be. At first I was disappointed but shifted gears about it, sent out emails letting friends know the change and canceled the news events ads. Then David and I went for a day-long ride on his Caponord (motorcycle for two), up to a beautiful area in the Sierra, walked by a healthy river, through meadows, watching the critters and birds...It was glorious. Rejuvenated and relaxed, it was a good day. And much needed.