Anticipation
This Saturday I’ve got a photo shoot to get portraits of me for author’s bios and for my website. I’m really looking forward to going. It gives me an excuse to buy cut flowers and dress pretty on the same day. Then I get to exercise my creativity trying to help create photos of me that I’ll like. I really hope it works. I think the last time I really liked a picture taken of me was my high school graduation photos. I’ve had acceptable photos since then, but nothing I really liked. This is probably because I’ve always gone to places like Sears or Pennys. I’ll sit there trying to explain that I want to be creative and they stare at me blankly then take fairly standard boring shots. This time I’ve bartered a shoot with a real photographer. I’m trading a blog mention on Howard’s site for the pictures. I love being able to barter. Everyone wins.
I’m also excited to unveil my website. It is all done except for the bio picture. It doesn’t have very many stories or essays on it yet, but there are enough to get started. I’ll be using the site as an online portfolio. It will be a place to point people when they want to see what I do. There will also be stories and essays that I’ll withhold because they are destined for print. Now I just have to print up business cards and I’ll be set for upcoming convention appearances. Of course I don’t really have a true convention appearance until next year at Ad Astra, but I’ll be stopping by both Emerald City Comic Con at the end of this month and Conduit in May. And when I do stop by, I’ll be able to hand out my cards like a real writing professional.
Today is also the first 60 degree day of the spring. I got outside in the sunshine and began to clear away the detritus in my flower beds. My bulbs are all starting to come up and I have to pull all the dead grass off of them so that they have a chance to thrive. The crocus plants are already beginning to bloom which makes me happy. I also found some hyacinths and daffodils which are getting ready to put on a show. I love flowers. I really want to pay more attention to my yard this year so that I can have more flowers and fewer weeds. This is a familiar spring desire. Usually by July I get tired and busy with other things and so I end up clearing out piles of dead weeds the following spring.
So I’m anticipating pictures, flowers, and my website. Yay!