Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The buzzing of bees, the chirping of chicks, the silence of kids away

Gillen and Jesse are in a circus camp this week. I had said that they couldn't be in it because it is an hour commute each way to get them there, but friends whose boys were also taking the camp offered to keep them with them for several days. They are loving it. They call every night with stories about aerial moves and learning to unicycle and they are getting along great with the other boys with whom they are staying. This means that there are four boys there. Under one small roof. It was a very generous offer and I will return the favor.

The quiet here is vast. I do like it, for this brief amount of time. I am getting so much written. And I am not alone. There are the Gillen poults that are in a cage on our side porch (well, only one is left, but he is very loud).
There are bees drinking from Gillen's garden pond:and Irish bees, specifically Maude and Paddy, buzzing in my head.

There is sweet, loving Fracas.
And camera shy Tuki-dog, who is my constant companion, sometimes lying on my feet while I type.

I won't be sorry when the boy noise returns. I don't always love their noise, but with the noise comes the boys.

15 comments:

Angie said...

A quiet house? I'm envious. Although, I've found sometimes the house can be too quiet to concentrate. It seems like a little noise in the background makes me focus harder. Do you ever find that?

I cannot wait to hear about your book. You will let us take a peek, won't you??

Enjoy your time.

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

I hope you are enjoying your week! I had the kids gone for a week at sleep away camp in North Carolina...followed by a week at day camp. I got absolutely nothing done :-) And now we are in Texas on vacation...without my hubby...getting my fill of the girlies...and will be quite ready to send the out the door come Monday morning for VBS...

kelli said...

Ooo.. circus camp? Sounds like so much fun! And I also was wondering if you are going to let people read your book? :)

Danielle said...

Oh no, poor Gillen! Even the yucky mix didn't help the poults, huh? Any ideas what happened?

Of course, I zoom right in on that little tidbit of information, ignoring all the other rich, wonderful stuff going on in all your lives! Circus camp sounds amazing!

And I'm with Angie, how 'bout a little tease—an intriguing paragraph or two?

Madeline Rains said...

Danielle, the poults that died had intestinal problems, we think from maybe eating too much of the yucky stuff. So I am only giving tiny bits to the last one. But honestly? We have no idea. I wish the mama would just take care of them.

I'll post a few paragraphs today. Please be easy on me as I am doing a word count this month that I will go back and edit later - so a lot of the rich texture isn't there yet. Right now, it is a strong skeleton.

Akkire said...

silence is such a treasured thing for me too. i live with my beau and while I love music, I do not love it as much as he does. he who also dislikes silence. So the rare times he's not around, I go to my living room and just. sit. and listen. to nothing. so peaceful. i can hear myself then.

and ps. i am an editor. PLEASE let me edit your book for free for you. all i ask in return is the opportunity to have a good read in reading it.

:)

oh and p.p.s I too was very disappointed with tone of this book. the man himself i bet is not elitest, but the language in which he writes is not accessible to everyone and anyone wanting to learn about this movement. i wish he had a little more relaxed and less...scientific sounding tone. you have a really good understanding of the food movement, so you might be bored, but I bet you'd still learn something new.

Heather Jefferies said...

I'm sending the girls to Vermont to see my father next week and it occurs to me that this is the first time baby will be away and it just twists my heart so, even though I am looking forward to a week of quiet.

Hannah said...

Oh, I need a couple of quiet days! Circus camp sounds amazing, but I'd be a little nervous about what the boys will be performing about the house when they get back!

Deanne said...

Circus camp?! My youngest son would love that! How did you find it?

Danielle said...

Hmmmm, how much and how often? And for how many?

You sure it wasn't coccidia? Did they have any signs of not doing well? Were they hunched up, neck in, and feathers ruffled?

Madeline Rains said...

Erikka, after I have gone back and edited it in the next few months I would be so excited to have an objective editor. Thanks for the offer. We'll see how busy you are by the time I finish it. I won't hold you to it.

Deanne, the circus camp is in Atlanta and our friends told us about it. I get to see them in a circus performance tomorrow. : )

Alecto, enjoy your week of quiet. I sure did. Maybe you can revisit your novel?

Danielle, their necks were not in, and I don't know about the feathers. The main thing was that they had some serious poopy butts, to be graphic, which the other still surviving one doesn't. I hope this one makes it. They were also stumbling around in a weak state for a while. I'll have to tell Gillen about coccidia. We'll look it up. Thanks.

Jodi said...

Oh peaceful writing bliss. I have taken to the dark night hours to type away. It works for us...a warm house, gentle music, tea and biscuits. It has taken a while to get back into the 'swing' of writing after pregnancy and birth but I'm definitely back into it now - I know this because I have started creating beautiful sentences in my head when I am cooking, shopping, cleaning, feeding Che, sleeping. Sending positive writing vibes your way. Remember to blink your eyes when you're at the computer and every 10 minutes roll your shoulders back and down (a little yoga to relieve any writing tension!) x

Andrea said...

I thought about you today and decided to take a peek at your blog! I'm so excited that you are getting your book out of your heart and onto paper!

Looking forward to reading it...

Akkire said...

I'm going to be a grad student soon, so I think I'll be free and willing and eager for a project!

Madeline Rains said...

Andrea, how much fun to see you here.

Erikka, you are being facetious right? Grad. student with a need for a project? LOL!