July Update

Megan and I have been in de-cluttering mode as of late, getting rid of stuff we don't need, won't use, and can't believe we are still hanging onto. It's been a good process and one I wish we'd engage in more frequently, especially now that we have no moves on the horizon (though I'm not sure all those really helped us - we just schlepped the stuff along with us and everything else).

We are very different in our perspective on things, and have been from the beginning of our marriage. While I am purely utilitarian with only a trace of sentimentality and even less tolerance for space taken up, Megan has a much more complicated evaluation equation that includes price paid, potential resale value, and every possible future use imaginable (regardless of whether we actually plan to sell or use something down the road) in addition to sentiment and family history.

This difference of evaluation has caused more than one healthy disagreement in our marriage as to the state of our estate over the years, and both of us have had to learn to compromise in order to accommodate the other at various times and seasons in our marriage. Thankfully (at least from my perspective), July looks to fall in my favor as Megan has caught a bit of my bug (I have the spiritual gift of throwing things away) and has worked hard doing some summer cleaning that has yielded good results.

If only I could apply her newly-discovered diligence concerning the house to my writing and the purging of all the stuff lying around within my head concerning it. After taking a week to recover from the South Dakota trip during the last two weeks of June, I find myself with just another two week window before our family trip to Florida at the end of July. From the point of our return from that trip, it's just two weeks before school starts, and summer - and my season of scribing - is officially over.

Two goals I have for the next two weeks: 1) organize and edit the 190+ pages into some kind of sense-making narrative (it's there, but just takes time to find); and 2) figure out how to extend the writing season to more of a year-round reality (this will take some effort in light of finishing up my second masters this next year, but it needs to happen).

I’m still waiting to hear back from WaterBrook Press as to their decision to publish ThirtySomewhere (no news is good news, I suppose, but it sure would be motivating to lock in a contract, especially since they have first right of refusal according to our TwentySomeone contract). Megan and I have received two rejection emails on the book idea we're working on, but that's secondary right now in light of everything else. Much change is going on in the publishing world, so it's interesting pitching ideas to publishers who are trying to figure out where their industry is really going.

So, for those few still following along, that's the latest. If something changes, I'll let you know here. In the meantime, thanks for caring.