More Quick Hits

Despite my insistence that I am going to blog more yet I never really seem to do so, the day IS coming. So, this will get you caught up with my life AND offer plenty of excuses for my slacking.

I had a birthday last week! The big day rolled in Thursday (4/20), so I had to take some time to celebrate getting another year older. Come to think of it, why was I "celebrating" getting another year older? Hmmm, beats the alternative, as the say. Well anyway, last week was another very busy week at work, and then the birthday thing, and then Saturday we went to Galax for the day. Friends Ken and Sue joined us for lunch at The Galax Smokehouse for a delicious lunch. It was my second time to visit the Smokehouse and I stand by my assertion that it offers the best barbecue in Southwest Virginia.

After lunch, we stopped by Barr's Fiddle Shop where Taryn picked up a new fiddle. With her birthday just a month away (5/22), I decided it would be a good early birthday present. So as of today, she can play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "I'll Fly Away." Not bad. And I'm sure other tunes will be forthcoming.

On Sunday we fired up the grill (which was a birthday present to me!) for the first time. Steaks and hot dogs were the meats of the day because that's what we happened to have on hand, but I'm sure the grill will be a mainstay of meal prep through probably October. Then we did a bit of shopping and I picked up three outfits for my daughter Anna. That was followed up by watching the local band Madrone play on the RU campus. I finally took Anna back to her mom's and returned to Radford by around 8 p.m. Another weekend just about finished.

This is the final week of classes here at RU, so the job should get a bit easier in another week or so as students finish the semester and begin to disappear for the summer. Until then, I'll post if I get a chance!

Quick Hits

I have had very little time to do any blogging of late, but I'm hoping that is about to change. This brief blog entry will provide some updates as to what has been going on recently and perhaps will preview the immediate future.

First, I sent in my MFA manuscript to my mentor professors this week. This puts me one big step closer to finishing my MFA degree in Creative Nonfiction. This document of about 160 pages will be reviewed by my professors and then will come back to me in a couple of weeks. I must then incorporate their suggestions and get the manuscript bound and sent in to Goucher College. With any luck, I'll graduate Aug. 6. And with even bigger luck, perhaps I'll get this work published at some point. (Hey Literary Agents, give me a call!!!)

An additional person who is reading my manuscript (bonus reader!) is friend and author (and professor and ... ) Dr. Theresa Burriss. Theresa, in fact, was interviewed on NPR this week about her own book. Go to the link here and then go to "Features this week:" and click on the first bullet that says "Connie Stevens talks to author Dr. Theresa Burriss about the role of women and revolutions in today's Appalachia." Congrats, Theresa, on the good press!

This weekend I will be finishing up a freelance piece on The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail. Some of my blog posts earlier that talked about Floyd came from research on this project. Also discovered in my research was the Galax Smokehouse down in Galax, Va., which lies on The Crooked Road (U.S. 58). I've been dreaming about the delcious barbecue at the Smokehouse ever since that trip of a month or more ago and I think I'm going to go next weekend for a birthday lunch. (Yes, another year older. Oh joy.) My mouth is watering already and it's still a week away.

Tonight I will be a judge for RU's Greek Week activity Airbands. It's essentially a lip synching contest, from what I understand, and it starts at 5 p.m. at the Dedmon Center on the RU campus. Should be entertaining.

Well, as always, I'm short on time. So watch for more updates in upcoming days.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I have a variety of blog topics that I need to post but am in the midst of busy times due to work and school commitments. A lot of action going on as the semesters start nearing a close. I would like to take a brief moment to send birthday wishes to my mom, though. April 5 is the big day!