Treadmill daydreams

Exciting exercise news: plans to be at the gym at 6 am every day for 2 weeks. Isn't that a thrill? I've made it 3 days so far, and there's something spectacular about having worked out, walked the dogs, eaten breakfast, and gotten in an hour of writing by 9:30 am! Also, I get great ideas on the treadmill. I'm a daydreamer, yes, and sometimes I let my daydreams drift aimlessly, and other times I focus them like a camera lens. "Focused daydreaming." My best places for this are on the treadmill and in the shower. In the past few workouts the plot of my novel-in-progress has come together like interlacing fingers, all thanks to the monotony of running on a band of rubber. So, I reason that instead of spending the first hour of my day blinking sleepily and drinking coffee, expecting my brain to work at 6 am, I will exercise first and warm up my brain in the process. A new routine! I also recommend focused daydreaming to other creative souls -- it sometimes takes a little training, to keep your mind on the task at hand, but it's just another way to squeeze some more time out of the day!

I met the amazing Anahata for lunch yesterday at the Blossoming Lotus Cafe. It was such a treat to see her in person again! We met three years ago at the National Stationery Show in New York, where she had a booth for her company Papaya, and I was walking around looking for potential licensees (this was when I met Bottman, the company that licenses my Laini's Ladies art). Ever since as I have seen Anahata's gorgeous greeting cards in more and more places, and seen them get more sophisticated and beautiful, I've been cheering her on. And then, recently, I got an email that she had started a blog! And I discovered she lived in Oregon now! So, after three years we actually got to have lunch together and see where our art/business paths have led us each. Different routes, but both good.

Writing room news: The new walls are done and the room is painted! I chose the Behr color "Lipstick" and I LOVE it. In some light it is a rich red-orange; other times it is more coral, sometimes the shade of the flush of red on a mango, sometimes the glowing ruby of a pomegranate seed. A few more steps before the furniture is ready to move in. Can't wait! Ooh, also: I got new glasses finally, my first in 10 years, and let me tell you, glasses frames have CHANGED in 10 years. They're all small and cool and beatnikky now, and they make me feel clever and sly (Isn't "sly" a good word?), like the girl sitting in the corner at the library thinking mysterious things.