House sitting is a free writer’s retreat.

I have a wonderful brother who lives in the country and has two cats. When he is gone for an extended time and my calendar can be cleared, I move in. My asking price is a full refrigerator. If I don’t have to get in my car for any reason, all the better.

I’m not an overpacker when it comes to clothes. However, the amount of writing projects, unread writing magazines, even pencils, pens and tech gear makes it look like I’ll be here two months and not ten days.

Taking time to adjust.

The cats seem to be nocturnal. I see them for two hours in the late evening. The mail’s been stopped. No trash pick up. Wow. What freedom. Nevertheless, to be all by myself with no distractions takes a bit of adjusting. Maybe I need to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Maybe I need to text my friends.

I look at my to-do list and select items that don’t take as much of my imagination to accomplish. A list grows of possible literary agencies who may want to represent my fantasy novels. That’s something I can do while I ease into my new self-defined structure.

Proof is in the email.

When someone emails me “How’s it going?” at the end of the second day, I list what I’ve done. He responds, “That’s great.”

I look at my accomplishments. He’s right.

And so it goes.

Today, I am into writing, capturing words for a new story, completing this blog.

Five full days left, and I am in the groove.

“How can you hear your soul if everyone is talking?”

~Mary Doria Russell

*All images are of my own making unless otherwise stated.