Born to Blog by Beth Kaplan: it's tough but someone's got to do it

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

it's tough but someone's got to do it

Truly amazing - the pool and the beach are deserted here because it's only 70 degrees. Too cold. And yet many of the people down here came from up north originally ... and are now huddled in their condos watching TV and playing bridge. Well, so much the better for me, I have the place all to myself.

Settling into a rhythm here - read, blog, sit by pool writing - I got a chunk of work done yesterday, very satisfying - quick swim, drive to Publix for supplies and newspapers, lunch, walk on beach, read. Read. Read. Work. And late, watch any scraps of left-wing TV possible - Rachel Maddow, though I can only take so much, and of course Jon. Watched a woman called Miranda Esmonde-White on PBS talk about how regular exercise is all you need to prevent the worst aspects of aging. Miranda went to Carleton University in the late Sixties, when I did; her brother was a friend. And now she's an American anti-aging superstar. Good for her! Too bad she's had so much work done on her face she cannot move her forehead. Kind of negates her message.

Was awake in the night thinking about the amazing word "set." Started with sunset, which I try to see most evenings here. The sun sets. I thought about what else sets - jelly. Then twin set, a set of dishes, to set something down, to set things right, to set your heart on fire ... That's one very useful word.

This is what writers do at 3 a.m.

Don't forget. Be still my heating heart.