Working at Weymouth
I’m with my writer buds on our twice yearly retreat to the beautiful Weymouth Center for the Arts, where writers are allowed to come and work for free. Margaret Maron’s missing because of her accident (and we’re missing her!), but the rest of us–Mary Kay Andrews, Katy Munger, Sarah Shaber, Alexandra Sokoloff, Brenda Witchger and me–are having a great work week. I’m plotting my next book, tentatively titled The Waif. Of course we’re eating too much and talking a bunch, but we haven’t played a single game so far this week, which makes it clear that Margaret is the game instigator. I’m more than willing, but apparently I’m with a bunch of people who are even bigger workaholics than I am.
Today was so beautiful, though,
I had to take a long walk around the grounds. The loblolly and long leaf pines are so magnificent and it’s peaceful and the gardens smell incredible. I intended to walk for ten minutes but they turned into sixty. It was lovely.
We all seem to be in the plotting stages of a book, so we’ve got our giant grids set up in 
around on them. We meet morning and evening to brainstorm whatever plot problems we’re having and, well, eat again. Yesterday, the local bookstore put on a great event here at the mansion where all of us spoke on a panel. The organizer somehow knew about our love of M and M peanuts and gave us three giant bags of them, along with a huge tray of cookies. Today one of the audience members brought us a container of home made rugelach, which we devoured. So we are being well taken care of!
I’m off to do a little more work before bed. I miss John and the pups, but this is an amazing way to work.
The mansion is so gorgeous! Glad you are having a productive week! We had a great time on our What Women Write weekend, too.
I love it when you blog from the Mansion, Diane…it’s exciting to hear about the ‘plotting’ that’s going on and the wonderful meals you’re having…I’m sorry Margaret can’t be with you but it’s good to know she’s on the mend.
LOVE that you were give peanut m&m’s!!…but I have to ask,
what is ‘rugelach’??
I second Margo’s question – what is rugelach?
I knew that rugelach was a cookie but had to look it up. Here’s a link to the recipe at Allrecipes.com. I may try to make it, but I am not crazy about raisins so would leave them out.
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/rugelach-2/Detail.aspx
thanks, Denise! these don’t have raisins. maybe a very subtle prune filling? Anyhow, they’re gone, but they’ve been replaced by a tray of lovely butter cookies someone brought us. these things just appear in the writers’ kitchen and we are helpless to do a thing about it!
I would certainly be helpless if I had a writer’s kitchen like that one!
Yum!!! I love butter cookies…actually, there aren’t many cookies I don’t like.
Looks like fun-so great to get away-loved my week at the beach this summer-am going to go away a couple of days at T’giving and at C’mas for rest and relaxation.
MARGO-happy birthday…
Is today your birthday, Margo? Hope it’s great!
Thank you Brenda!…Diane, today (Nov 14 Sunday) is my birthday…thank you both for the happy wishes…so far its been outstanding…spent yesterday with family…today is with hubby and Kramer. (-O: