Transitions: passage from one place, stage, type etc to another (Websters)
I decided to write about transitions because since I have joined this blog, each post/comment reminds me of the multitude of transitions we make and write about whether we're on horseback or getting on with our lives. Sometimes it's difficult to relate: Francesca and Terri are performing transitions with horses and on horses that I have never and will never accomplish. Laura loves trail riding like me, but I don't come from a roping background and have never faced a steer. And the trips! I am lucky to go to the nearby lake for a long weekend, but eagerly read about the others' exotic vacations.
We all have dealt with different transitions in writing as well. Linda will be moving into e-books with The Girl who Remembers Horses while Jami has already tackled and found them a wonderful addition to traditional publishing. Laura's 12th adult mystery will soon be out while I have two new children's books out this month. Jami has swtiched from horse books to football and I just submitted a proposal for a new limited series about dogs!
Lately, here in Virginia, my transitions have been abrupt but typical for this time of the year. As our hot summer turned to chilly fall, I began teaching four college classes and started back riding. At the same time I'm trying to promote two new books, revise a third, and sell a series. Add to that family, garden and yard cleanup, paying the bills, Lyme vaccinations for the dogs etc. I know from comments that this is typical for all of us who live in a rural area with animals, family and a job. There are never enough hours in the day and each transition--whether it's seasonal or animal/job-related--brings a new set of challenges and additions to the 'to do' list. 
Making sure my blog gets written and posted on time is always on my list. But I value the comments and posts because they let me know that I am not alone as I stumble through my transitions and let me laugh at or sympathize/emphasize with some of your own stories.
Keep reading and posting about your own transitions this month whether it's a kid going off to college, mastering the half-halt, finding the right horse, getting a job promotion or a book sale, or putting enough hay in your barn for the winter. Each is about life moving forward and running smoothly (or at least not too bumpily!) Oh, and next Saturday, look for a September Back to School Book Giveaway of my two new books: Dive Right In and Risky Chance.
3 comments:
Good analogies, Alison. By the way, I'm sure you actually do loads of transitions on your horses, you just don't think about them the same way I do!
Swiss weather has transitioned big time today, going from a beautiful summerish day yesterday to a rainy, cooler and far more autumnal day. Right now, in my kitchen, I'm transitioning a giant pot of apples and ginger into apple and ginger jam. I simply can't let all those apples on my tree go to waste. Earlier, I transitioned black bananas into banana bread, so the house smells very domestic godessy! Ooh, and I've just finished transitioning loads of balls of silk and mohair aquamarine wool into a gorgeous cardigan!
Later this week I'll be taking my daughter back to the UK for another year of University. It will be easier than last year, as I've already done it once - last year saw me teary, lost and a little depressed for a couple of months. That was a very hard transition!
I'm going to think of transitions in a whole different light from now on! Thank you, Alison!
Oh, Francesca, the kid going off to college was a REALLY hard one for me, too, and Beth is only two hours away. So I know how you feel. I made it through once with my son and thought it would get easier each year and with my daughter, but it is still tough. I simply know now that I WILL get through.
I am smelling your lovely banana bread and jam all the way in the States. YUM.
Sometimes those transitions seem exciting and sometimes I just feel worn out dealing with them all. But yeah, change is the very most natural thing, to quote a Jerry Jeff Walker song, and we just have to get used to that fact. Summer is definitely transitioning to fall, with all that brings. I'm off to the local Greek festival today to drink retsina (sp?) Cheers.
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