Bruised But Not Broken

February 12, 2013 by nivaladiva 12 Comments

Riding Bitch is back from Vermont! But like the title says, not exactly in ship-shape. Remember the loose tooth? That manifested into 4-hour oral surgery this past Saturday. I’m now on pain medication, antibiotics and sleeping with an ice pack on my face every night because the right side of my face is swollen. I also have a sinus cold and the puppy is on meds for a skin condition that she developed on our travels (otherwise, she’s good).

I won’t lie. It’s been a tough re-entry back to Los Angeles. At the residency I got to write all day and was responsible for nothing except my laundry. Now, it’s “back to life, back to reality” and I’m struggling to adjust to our old lives and get re-focused. Being under the weather isn’t helping, but as my mother used to say one thing at at a time.

The good news is the residency was fantastic and very productive. I finished a draft of my book, started my pilot, met some incredible artists and writers, all of whom reacted very favorably to the excerpts I read out loud. I also got to know Vermont, which, despite the cold, I totally fell in love with and would move back to in a heartbeat.

Now, there is much to do. I have to tidy up the most recent draft, finish the book proposal, solicite an agent, editor, publisher, and get published. I am also producing a script and directing a play this spring. Just a few little things.

Many thanks to the readers who checked in and left words of encouragement while I was away. I have missed you, missed blogging, and am looking forward to making my way through your posts to catch up.

Here are some images from Vermont. More to follow.

This was the view from my office.

The building where I wrote, called Maverick.

Another view from Maverick, during snow fall.

One of the many beautiful winter skies

Another beautiful sky

Winter vista

The Vermont Studio Center’s Red Mill Lounge (where we ate all our meals) and the bench where I did most of my thinking

The cemetary I passed every day on my way to visit puppy

An inspirational quote that was on a studio wall of a fellow artist in residence