May 2009


With over fifty mature Tuscan rosemary bushes and numerous other beautiful plants like New Zeeland Flaxs’ and rock roses lost to the cold winter; I asked a friend who is a professional horticulturist to stop by, survey the damage, and make some suggestions.


While I followed him around with a pen and notebook he made this pithy and blunt assessment. “No matter how much we want to believe we mimic a Mediterranean climate, it only takes one winter like this to yank us into reality.”


Well, hell. He is right of course, and I have taken his advice and replaced the rosemary with boxwood, and Pieris. No more handsome flax plants. I can’t bare the thought of losing them again. Thank god, I didn’t plant any Palms.


I figure I have two ways to deal with the unexpected. Wrap myself in a cloak of morose pouting or use the debacle as an opportunity. It does help to have an expert critique the situation and make suggestions on how to move ahead. When things aren’t working with my writing, I step away from it for a moment and try to think of the obstacle as a chance to make changes.


Recently, I decided on introducing a secondary character who has an unusual lifestyle. However, something just didn’t ring true to the situation the character was in. It dawned on me to change the character from male to female and it was a perfect solution. Simple and right on target.


The moment I realized this, it was as if this woman stepped out of a swirling mist and began to take form in my imagination. All sorts of ideas tumbled into place. Her voice, her age, and her personal history. She is the right fit for the story and plot, and just like replacing the Rosemary in the garden, I have replaced my male character for a female.

Time to move on and get busy, things are warming up!!