mostly an excuse...by Heather Caliri

This is my daughter, Lucy.
I know, I know, she's so cute you want to scream! It's how I feel, too.
For those of you that are wondering, she has my chin.
Let's be honest: I'm posting as an excuse to show off my daughter.
So she's how I've spent my time the past nine months. I am at home with Lucy exclusively.

As for writing, Abi Coulter O'Roarty and I found each other by chance through a playgroup that neither of us liked. But we've become mommy writer buddies. We even managed to get together with two other mommy writers, one of whom was Diana Duke. So the alums of North County are huddling together for warmth. And publication ideas.

While my daughter was nursing non-stop, I even managed to get two sets of submissions out to various publications while typing one-handed. Happily, I've gotten a few stories and poems published (If you're wondering: Harpur Palate, Sow's Ear Poetry Review and (just found out) Flint Hills. Which helps me to feel that my hiatus from writing (for that is, in effect, what a baby is) is not completely permanent.

For those of you in the peanut gallery, I know, I know, I'm not an official alum yet. Picky, picky. I plan on finishing my last class this fall. (Cross your fingers). And I've had two? three? thesis meetings so far with daughter in tow. One of which (driving to State) that just about turned my hair white. Not because the edits were harrowing, but because my daughter didn't (at that point) like the car very much. It's really no fun driving the 52 with a newborn screaming in the backseat.

I'm blogging myself at thespicechoir.blogspot.com. Blogging is about all the writing my brain has space for these days. Check a mother out.
I'm excited to see updates from everyone else.
Peace.
Heather