Hello, everybody!

Currently on a six-day semi-vacation down in Florida, and coming back to snowy WI on Wed. I say semi because there's been so much running around on this or that jaunt or activity, it doesn't quite feel as restful as a vacation probably should--but then again, there's plenty who don't rest on vacation! One nice thing about the trip, though, has been the higher number of sunny days--which leads me to this week's song choice: Keep On The Sunny Side of Life, as sung by the country trio The Whites in the soundtrack to the hilarious film O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Usual copyrights apply; I own nothing!)

While I'm not normally the country music type (so much of it's the "My-wife/girlfriend-ran-off-with-my-dog/truck/best-friend" kind of junk these days, IMO), every now and then a rare decent or gemlike tune works its way to the surface, usually in the more grassroots forms of folk or bluegrass. This song is one example of such, with simple, cheery lyrics that stress how there's always a bright part to even the worst days ("Tho' we meet with the darkness and strife / The sunny side we also may view."), and which have given me many a boost when the writing looks permanently blocked, or life in general is dragging me down for one reason or another ("Storm and cloud will in time pass away / The sun again will shine bright and clear."). Haven't had any days yet this year where I've needed to break out this song or others like it (and hopefully won't need to for quite some time), but when they do, I have the antidote ready, and family/friends to share it with!

The first writing project for this year (yet another restart of work on my scifi/What-If All the Troubles of Home) is off to a decent start thus far; all the formatting work I neglected the last time is done, so I won't have that hanging over my head when the final draft starts going through the publication process! Will also be restarting the agent hunt for Discarded this weekend, after letting it mostly drop the past couple months thanks to classwork and other Outside World demands; with any luck, this project and the others already out or soon to be will FINALLY have a voice sometime later this year. Keep checking here and on my other writing pages for updates, and keep on sharing and reviewing!