Life and happiness and priorities...

The squirrels didn't eat all my bulbs after all! Went outside the other day and found some small green shoots coming up. In fact, our whole garden seems to be rousing itself, shaking off the winter blahs. We're hiring a gardener to help with spring clean-up since I'd like to get a knowledgeable sort to help explain what sorts of things need to be done (what to trim back, what to leave, etc.) and because the amount of arm work needed for a full garden clean-up would aggravate my tendinitis.

A while ago, I mentioned that a publisher approached me about a nonfiction book project. Unfortunately I've had to turn the project down...although the topic and publisher were appealing (it was part of the For Dummies series), the administration and tangled legalstuff (they had hired an author to do this book a year or two ago but he didn't work out) added enough complications that I felt it was time to move on to other projects.

Disappointing, but I've learned a great deal about priorities from my whole Inkspot experience, the weighing of what seems like a great opportunity against one's sanity and happiness, and knowing when to walk away.




And while on the topic of life and happiness and priorities...

I find that appreciating other people's situations is one sure way of helping you sort out your own priorities. Please think good vibes at my friend Beckett, who is currently undergoing radiation therapy. Happily, Beckett's post-surgery MRI results came out clear, but it was still recommended that she go ahead with radiation treatments to zap any cancer cells that the MRI didn't pick up.

Beckett has been posting some well-written and thought-provoking updates to her Flickr account on the whole process, like her Eyes again Flickr entry. You can also see her LJ here.

An excerpt I found especially moving:

"The hardest part of the whole thing so far is meeting the other patients; some of them are so very ill, gray with the look of advanced cancer. I got to recognize that gray look a number of years ago because my dad had it; now I see it almost daily. It's hard and scary because death is very close for some of them. And it brings the finality of it all close because we're all just people, after all. It can happen to anyone, and nobody deserves it."

Photo below:
Thanks to Jennimi for letting me post the photo below of Chris Conway and me, at FilKONtario. I've cropped the photo a bit; you can see the full image here. Jen has also posted other pics from FKO to her Flickr account.

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