All of a sudden, this morning, it hit me: I’m going to Canada next week! Whoa. I kept thinking that this trip was, you know, in late September. Which was forever away. But it is NOT and I need to get my act together. I have been in non-book mode for weeks now, which means I’m basically just hanging with my kid, wearing flip flops and t-shirts, and spending most of my time and money at Whole Foods. (It’s a sickness with me and that place, I swear to you. In fact, I am there RIGHT now, scarfing down a turkey wrap, which is my newest addiction. But I digress.) The upshot with the traveling is that I have to get my game back on, somehow. Eyebrows need waxing, clothes have to go to the dry cleaner, and I probably SHOULD finally go through the mess of receipts and shoes in my suitcase that I have been avoiding since the last work trip. Whoops.
That said, I am super pumped. I’ve been wanting to go do appearances in Canada forever, but it’s never worked out until now. For info on dates and places, go here. And AFTER Canada, I’ll be going down to DC for the National Book Festival, which I have heard great things about for years now. The schedule for that is here.
I think it’s going to be a good for me to get back into work mode, as I feel I have become entirely too concerned with various domestic minutiae lately. Like the fact that the squirrels in my yard have now gone beyond just knocking the cap off my feeder over to actually absconding with the cap entirely. Also, I may be spending a bit too much time preparing yummy snacks for our chickens. (We throw them the leftover bread and fruit, but I MIGHT be toasting/chopping said leftovers as well. I know, I know. But it just makes them so happy! And they come running when they see me! Who doesn’t want that kind of adulation?)
It’s always odd to me, actually, how I have so much trouble melding these two parts of my life. On the one hand, I am a mom, wife, daughter, object of worship for poulty. And then, sometimes, I am a Writer who goes on book tour and speaks at conferences and all that. The two feel as separate as Clark Kent and Superman to me, but I wish that wasn’t the case. I guess we all play different roles, depending on who we are with and what we are doing. As it is, though, Me at Home is frazzled, always exhausted, and barely keeping her head above water. Me as a Writer is basically the same, but with recently done nails and better clothes. And no chickens. At least, not yet.
Okay, I really need to get out of this place before they start charging me rent. I wish I was kidding.
Have a good day, everyone!
That’s cool you’re coming to Canada! We don’t have Whole Foods where I am, but hopefully you’ll come here anyway! Do you know where in Canada you’re appearing?
Don’t underestimate yourself. You are probably doing a better job than you think you are of being the best mom, wife, and writer. Can’t wait to hear any kind of news about a new book! I feel like I am a lucky girl getting behind the scenes news from your twitter account while you are writing. Next week my friend that got you to sign WHTG in Asheville is bringing me your book next week all the way in Washington state. I hope you have a wonderful week!
I am glad you are coming to Canada, but sad you are not visiting Montreal! Toronto is 6 hours from my house! Maybe next time you come to visit us here. I have read all your books in English, but I have seen some of them in French at the public library and recommended them warmly to the librarian who put them in a higly visible place so French speaking teenagers get to know you!
Heyy, hope u had a good weekend…can i just say one thing..reading ur blog gives me the same feeling as reading one of ur books…cant wait for u to write more!! Soo excitd tht ur coming to canada…am hoping to see you in eaton centre if my wacky schedule:-P …and as a fellow squirrel obsever (since my university campus has a large population of them running around), i totally sympathize with u…once a couple of them literally tries to drag off my psychology textbk. :-/
Im so happy your coming to Toronto
!
Totally understand the “Two Sides of Sarah Deeson.” I, too, struggle to decompartmentalize all my sides. But had a breakthrough this weekend. Book idea I’ve been struggling with for years, pieces didn’t fit together; finally decided to incorporate a self-truth into the mix, now it feels right. Best of luck in O’ Canada! Fall really is a great time to write. Kids are at school, and my deadline awaits.
I know you probably have already seen this since your so Whole Foods obsessed but just in case you haven’t it’s kind of funny it’s called Whole Foods Parking Lot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU
Oh my gosh I LOVE Whole Foods. Every morning I go and have breakfast at the bakery (not great for my hips but sooo satisfying for my tastebuds). I’ve actually gotten to the point where I don’t even need to order my daily smoothie anymore. I just walk in, smile at the woman behind the counter, and she whips it up for me, no words exchanged! Have a blast in Canada, and I can’t wait to see you in Washington D.C.!
I’m still dreaming of playing that part where I’m frazzled, but with better nails and hair! Currently only frazzled with bad nails and seriously bad hair. Live it up!
I completely understand, I had a book idea like a couple months ago now, and I never have time to write. I’m only a chapter in.
i won’t give up! I guess being a mother and wife takes up more time than I thought. :/
You make me laugh every time I read your blog, and even your tweets for that matter. Please never stop being who you are!
I only live five and a half blocks away from Whole Foods, so I also go there a lot. From the sounds of it, though, I don’t think I go as often as you.
A Trader Joe’s is going to open about a block from where I live next year, and I have a feeling that I’ll be spending a lot of time there as well.
They don’t have a Whole Foods in southern California… By the way, Sarah, WHEN ARE YOU COMING OVER HERE?!?! I’d really REALLY love if u came over here.
please think on it.
hey, so i’m English and live, suprisingly, in England and am thinking that maybe Canada is a bit too far to get to. i thought on this for a while and came to a (rather good, i feel) conclusion —- come to England!!!! This was the best solution i could come up with – feel free to bring the chickens, they’d be respected like Gods over here, i’m sure!
i love your writing and thank God that i know all of your books are lined up on my bookself at home when having a bad day!
see you in England!!
Lucy
I actually think that keeping your professional life and personal life differentiated is the key to keeping you sane and grounded
You are, seriously, one of the most humble, grounded writers ever (in my opinion). Think about it- if you were teaching again and had a bad day at work, you wouldn’t want to bring that stress/frustration/anger home with you, right? And even if you had a great day, you might come home and share a little of it with your husband, but you wouldn’t necessarily merge those lives together. The same applies here. Psychologically, it makes us healthier to keep these lives as separate entities. As someone who works in the mental health field, I can say I wish more people could make this notion applicable to their lives 
Have fun in Canada ‘eh!
-Lizz
I can’t wait for the book signing!
It’s going to be great!
(completely forgetting the fact that I have to drive en hour and a half to get there! But it is so worth it!)
Why can’t I got to Canada??? Why can’t I see you!!!
YAY YAY YAY! Your coming to DC which is close to MD! Hopefully I can come see you! Are you doing book signings there?
I love reading your blog posts as much as I like reading your books! Your writing is addicting!
I am so pumped to see you next Wednesday! It just hit me this week that it is NEXT WEEK that my best friend and I get to make the drive to Toronto. We’ve been reading your books right from the beginning and will recommend them to anyone and everyone
I just read your post (it’s the first time I’ve had time to do so since it was posted on the 12th) and it came at just the right time. I have two little ones–ages 3 and 11 months and 2 1/2–and a teenager, and I feel as if I’m barely keeping my head above water at home, but am somehow able to keep it together for work, and I’m finding time for the personal writing, too (although some days, I barely keep my head above water with that). So it’s good to know that someone else feels that way, too. And truly, when your child and my younger two are in school, things will feel more sane. You hang in there, and I will, too.