Note: I wrote this piece a while back. It just resurfaced, along with other notes … and bills … and birthday cards not sent …. and … and …

Am I suffering from writer’s block or procrastination?

That’s the question I woke to today as I tried to put into words why I haven’t been writing. I am not suffering, but I have fallen off the wagon, so to speak.

It began on December 24th, when my family and I left town to visit my in-laws. I shifted into underdrive — slept late, ate too much and enjoyed not having to cook, clean or answer emails (my in-laws don’t have Internet access). In fact, I rarely went outdoors. Niagara Falls, NY, is too cold and snowy for venturing outdoors unless necessary, and there was no necessity.

I returned to Maryland and to a full house. My husband and kids were off from work and school. Gone was my routine of waking early (I’m usually up by 6:30 a.m.); gone too was the silence and space I claimed as my own.

And then there was the flu. Ten days of bed rest and the blahs. And then my hard drive crashed.

And then there was The Catch Up, that period of time when you’ve got to get to the supermarket, answer phone calls and mail, and sort through the pile of accumulated newspapers and magazines you can’t bear to toss (maybe you’ll miss something important, which is never the case).

And then there’s the realization that the most important thing you’ve got to catch up on is yourself. From within you hear The Voice: “Take care of me,” it whispers. “Stop, look and listen.” And you do.

And I did.

Writing requires faith.

Faith that what you start you will finish.

That the questions you ask — who dunnit, why and where? — will one day be answered.

That your work will be acknowledged, if only by yourself.

That the words you create will somehow flow.

That you will find a way around the blocks strewn in your path.

That the words you now whisper will one day sing.

I was trying to choose the name of one of my characters and thought, “Hmmm…maybe I’ll name him after an ancient god.” It didn’t work out but I did find this Web site. If you’re looking for gods (and goddesses) who are Norse, Slavic, Polynesian, Celtic, etc., you can find them here. The site also has names of deities associated with love, sexuality, thunder, etc. http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/gods.htm

LiveScience.com is another one of those sites you can get lost in. Articles, commentary, videos, photos, etc., on a seemingly infinite number of topics having to do with science, technology, history, the environment and culture. The posts are anything but dry or ordinary. The day I visited, I clicked on stories about gay penguins, 10 events that changed history, the reasons why we get baggy eyes and a gallery of killer waves.

I grew up in NYC and thought I knew the city well. This aerial view proved me wrong. I don’t think anyone has ever had one so astounding. Click on “New Bonus Tours” for two additional views. Absolutely incredible! http://www.pixelcase.com.au/vr/2009/newyork/