So, just an update on how the second drafting is going….

Since my last post I’ve second-drafted chapters 49, 50, and 51, made two chocolate cakes, a corn pudding, three loaves of bread, two batches of cookies, and two different kinds of muffins (these were for breakfast).

At least there are plenty of boys around to eat them. Although even Dan is starting to look a little carbo-loaded these days. (Emily, this morning, faced with yet more muffins: “Can I have pastrami for breakfast instead?”)

And I DID run eight miles this morning. Honest.

And good food is NECESSARY if you’re going to do good work. Last night I worked at the library for most of the evening (I had to take Christopher to a Superbowl party and then hang around in Williamsburg until it was over, so it was the perfect time to polish off a bit of reference work) and then treated myself to dinner at the Blue Talon, my very favorite place to eat in all of Williamsburg.

I had mushroom tart and rice pudding, and then got into a conversation with the wonderful wait-staff about the joys of eating bread pudding…and I must have been waxing eloquent, because the chef (bless him) sent out a complimentary portion of bread pudding and creme anglaise already packaged up for me to take home.

Possibly I’m thinking a little too much about food these days.

But I hate dieting; I’d rather eat and run than not eat. Food is a wonderful thing. In fact, I’ve been thinking that I’ll quit this whole history thing and go to cooking school.

I always get great ideas for alternative careers when I’m second-drafting.

I would be a PHENOMENAL pastry chef. Or baker. Or I could go back to teaching riding lessons. Or riding training gallops on racehorses (that was my favorite college job). Or forget about the history and just write novels for fun. I’ve got one finished (needs one final polish), one three-quarters finished, one half finished, one a quarter finished. I mean, novels won’t pay for groceries, let alone braces and teenage-boy-car-insurance….but you’d all buy my novels, right? You don’t REALLY need to read more history, do you?

I’m picturing the good folks at Norton clutching their chests in horror. Yes, you DO need to read more history. It’ll be a great book, and I’ll enjoy rolling my round fat self into next year’s book-signings once it’s done.

Showing 10 comments
  • mary kathryn

    Susan – belly up to the desk, and get back to work. Yes, the world needs more history reading. When it’s over, you’ll be glad 🙂

  • e

    Hey, for me it’s always been the cafe.

    That, or running off to Switzerland and teaching High School English.

    With all that running…did you want to come here and do the Music City Marathon in April?

  • Jenny

    Yum–you should give us the recipe for those muffins!

    But how did you run 8–inside on the treadmill, I hope? Or is the weather nicer right now down south???

  • Lyn

    To the good folks at Norton, never fear–we are buying, reading, and loving Susan’s history books!

    Susan, if you can ever swing teaching history AND riding lessons simultaneously, I can almost guarantee that my daughter would be your devoted slave. 🙂

    Grab some chocolate; finish your draft!

  • Lyn

    Susan, when do you anticipate Vol. 2 being published? (Forgive me if you’ve answered this question elsewhere.)

  • Christy B

    Gosh, I’m a little torn. I really had my heart set on reading your entire history of the world, but then again, I’m sure enjoying “Though the Darkness Hide Thee” (quotes will have to do, since I can’t seem to figure out the underline function).

    These other novels of which you speak, they will be published sometime? Yes? Please?

    If I send muffins, can you work on both the novels and the history? I’ll start baking.

  • WTMindy

    Um, Susan….I was under the distinct impression that you could do it all!!! 🙂 I think you should finish your history books, finish and publish your novels (I read the other two, so I’d buy them!) AND go to cooking school. And don’t forget finish the writing curriculum in time for my kids to use them.

  • James

    No, please don’t quit… please go to cooking school after you retire. Society will lose out so much if you quit before you make your greatest mark. 🙂

    haha. We’ll all be rolling around in our fat selves until you retire, I guess. Then, we’ll make it a resolution to start working out in our free time instead of reading history and literature. :]

  • Colleen in NS

    I really am ROTFL at your food comments!! And I like your honesty. I find baking (eating) to be stress relief sometimes. If it’s fun baking – not necessary baking. LOL

  • Monique in Nj

    Last Thanksgiving we went to Blue Talon for Thanksgiving dinner. We chose it because you have always raved about it. All of the children (dh and I included) LOVED IT!!!

    We still laugh about our French Bistro Thanksgiving.

    Hmmm…maybe I’ll go make some bread pudding or maybe reservations for Williamsburg!!

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