I had fun with my title this morning, and, unlike what I've just learned about Jane Austen, I had no editor to help me. I wonder how many followers of Jane Austen will feel differently, now, learning that the poor lady couldn't spell and didn't know no grammar.
Well, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but the historians are now telling us she had help and that she really needed help with her writing because of her dismal mechanics.
Guess what! A lot of successful writers can't spell. They also often need help with grammar. I can tell you from personal experience that good editors make good writers. Most writers would not learn if they went through life without an editor.
With publications like books, magazine articles, academic theses, newspaper articles, etc., readers seldom see the raw product. Unlike daily morning blog postings, usually enough time exists with these publications for other eyes to catch the glitches and make the writer look good.
The same can be said about all the wonderful photography which awes the heck out of us. For every phenomenal photo, several losers have either been deleted or thrown away.
So, if Jane Austen couldn't spell and suffered from grammar impairment, I don't care. Her books will still sell and wow readers for generations to come. Ideas often trump good grammar and spelling. Plus, Jane didn't have a computer to make life easy when she wrote, so we need to give her a break.
Okay, enough of that. I still like "a day no drips would stop dropping." That doesn't mean I like all the dropping or the drips on this day, but I'll have to deal with it.
I understand, from my Facebook sources who've already checked in from two areas in Oregon, from Salt Lake City and from Boise that this entire region and beyond is wet today.
I'm waiting until later to take my horses to pasture. They're occupying box stalls in the barn and nibbling on hay. Seemed like the least I could do, especially for Mr. Lefty who's been in a box stall and blanketed for the past month.
He's slick and shiny, compared to Lily and Heather. He's also fat but fit. Lefty's an easy keeper, and the past month of training has toned up his fat, so he looks pretty good.
I rode him yesterday in the round pen at the equestrian center. That was after Monty lunged him and rode him, telling me all the directions for getting Lefty into gear.
One thing Monty stressed is that Lefty likes the "W" word. I told Monty that was good for an old lady like me cuz I like a horse to put the brakes on with ease when I've had enough jogging and loping.
Lefty kinda overdoes it on the "W" word, though. He anticipates that the rider or handler is surely going to say the word, so he's remains on a sort of equine cruise control for the whoa gear. That would be about every ten feet, so we've got to convince him that whoa doesn't come quite as often as he'd like.
Other than that, he's doing just fine at his gaits and turns and willingness to please.
Bill and I had a good time at Chaps yesterday. We brought home some apple fritters, which not only taste delightful, but they're a work of art. While waiting in line to order, we enjoyed watching the lady work her magic in the bakery, which is in full view of the tables.
The way it works is that you get in line with your menu, drink your cup of coffee, tell the hostess how many are in your party and then order. By that time, she has found you a place to sit, and shortly thereafter (even on a busy day like yesterday), your food comes.
Bill had the meat-lovers' skillet yesterday, while I enjoyed another of those wonderful BLT's. Bill was impressed with the place. Of course, it helps when baked goods with heavenly aromas come fresh out of the oven.
Can ya tell I like Chaps?
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Speaking of food, this looks like a "Sunday dinner of meat and potatoes kind of day," so I think I'll do some planning and some general housework today. Plus, I've got a column to finish so that my editor can look it over and save me from any embarrassment for next month's River Journal.
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