Messages (or why Rachel needs a digital camera)

If I had a digital camera, I would post a picture of the chalk drawing that's been dressing up a nearby sidewalk for the last week or so -- it's a misshapen animal, my best guess is a dog, with a kind of crazy look on its face and giant udders. Maybe the family has new puppies; maybe it's a terrible drawing of a cow, but I just love to speculate about what kind of subconscious issues the artist is working out there. Like maybe the kid just got weaned at an awkwardly late age, and he resents his parents and so has turned to the family dog for solace as a substitute caregiver. Probably not, but it's fun to think about.

While walking today, I passed an apartment building with a giant message in childish scrawl on the front walk: "Enter and Fall into a Deep Slumber." It honestly creeped me out a bit to walk over the words, but I did because just beyond it was a hopscotch grid -- its goal at the top of the number boxes read: "Green Sky." I'm dying to know what Green Sky means, and why one would want to go there -- hop there. Is Green Sky just bait luring me towards deep slumber?

Also, for the second time in two days, I've seen squirrels carrying tiny candy -- the first time, it was a pink aluminum-foil-wrapped chocolate Easter egg, and today a mini-Twix bar. Where are the squirrels getting all this candy, and why aren't they giving any to me? Something's up with the squirrels. I don't know what it means yet, but I will keep my eyes open.

I realize my posts in the last couple days have taken a sharp turn towards crazy -- I promise I'm not crazy, at least not in a bad way. The last couple days have been slow and solitary, and the writing's been a bit like pulling teeth -- I did about 1500 new words yesterday and today combined -- a good time to look outward for inspiration. I don't think I'm in a terrible spot, just need to get some momentum going and some confidence about where to spend my energy -- whether to try to shape the novel or write new scenes without worrying how they fit in.

Currently reading: Getting Near to Baby by Audrey Couloumbis