April 28, 2010 – Cold, sleet, rain. Writing day. Will go to Merck wth Rose if it clears up. I was thinking about the Rose in “Rose In A Storm” my novel, and the real Rose is different from her in many ways. I am struck always by Rose’s workmanlike, problem solving demeanor. People come up to cuddle and pet her and she just isn’t interested. She lives to work, and lately, to play also. Rose is a metaphor in my mind for many working women that I know – purposeful, even tough, but also vulnerable, and with a rich interior life.

In the novel, I see that the dog has become something of a stand-in for women who often live outside of the emotional consciousness or awareness of men. I find these women often connect emotionally with dogs and other animals, and that became a sub-theme of the novel. Interesting stuff for me.

An important week. Some  challenge, painful decisions to make. It is never done, but I am making them, and getting closer to living my life every day, even though I understand the process will never end. Lots of wonderful reaction to the donkeys coming back and and the sheep soon returning and Rose working at Merck. You don’t need sheep to have a happy border collie.But it helps. As for me, I have lots of work to do, inside and out.