I'm off to Ragdale for my second writing residency tomorrow. My last visit to the magical and historic home of Howard Van Doren Shaw and family was, in a word, fabulous: lots of walking on the prairie, lots of sitting on my screened porch and thinking, lots of deer-watching, lots of writing. I don't want to sound too new agey here, but there is absolutely something to be said for the energy in spaces that have housed writers and artists for so many years. I don't think I've been able to sit at a computer and write for eight hours at a stretch anywhere other than Ragdale.
I'm feeling anxious about leaving the family for two weeks, of course, especially now that Hurricane Ike has decided to make the Texas coast his target. I know the kids will be fine, though. They're largely able to take care of themselves, and they have a very capable and caring parent to rely upon when they need help. But it's not so easy to turn off the Mom side of the brain, even when I'm too far away to solve many of the problems that might arise. Or the Wife side of the brain, for that matter; when you're lucky enough to be married to the person you most enjoy talking to, it's hard to be away for so long.
At least Ragdale has wireless Internet access this time around--last time, such was not the case. And while that did make it easier to disengage from the minutiae of family life, it also made staying connected that much more difficult. I can see where this would be a good thing, sometimes, but not when there are kids in the mix. Still, I'm going to try to limit my Internet use in the interest of keeping my brain focused on the task at hand.
Assuming I can get my wireless connection and digital camera to work properly, I'll post photos and updates here in the next few days. Onward (and upward!)
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