Author Archives: Barbara Busenbark

Reboot, Undo or Maybe Find and Replace

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The year that was had its share of challenges for everyone. For some it was just impossible and heartbreaking. New Year’s makes it feel like we get a do-over, that we get to Reboot and start again without causing the system to crash. Life isn’t that easy or simple. Some things you can’t fix but there is always hope if you look for it. Right now, we need to look hard and long at the future and what is ahead with a greater understanding of the fragility of those things we’ve always held dear.

I’m an optimist but I know things can fall apart. I also know that when they do, all you can do is put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. I’m hoping for a better 2021, though I know it won’t be all better once the ball drops in Times Square. I’m targeting 2021 as the year I have my first book published. I’m not sure how, but I’m going to give it my all to make sure it has every chance at success. Like painting, working at making my book the best it can possibly be is my first goal. When I’m satisfied with it, which will probably be never, the editing ends and the publishing begins.

Creating paintings of our boat trip from Maine has been a fun respite from my writing endeavors. Sometimes you have to step away and take a breather before returning with fresh eyes. Painting has allowed me to do that.

From Chapter 16:

“It was 8:30 a.m. when we left Barefoot Marina, and another pretty day on the water. The weather was finally cooperating, four sunny days in a row and more sunshine to come. Once the ICW fed into the Waccamaw River, the water was deeper and wider and beautiful. We made our way up to the fly bridge to enjoy the sunshine and the mild temperatures. Ahead of us was a row of sailboats. The sunlight pushed past a row of sumptuous clouds, creating a glistening spotlight for the middle sailboat with its sails unfurled. That was a picture that would definitely make a fine painting someday. Up ahead was the Ocean Highway Bridge which connects Pawleys Island to Georgetown, South Carolina’s third oldest city after Beaufort and Charleston. When we reached mile marker 400 where the Waccamaw River meets the Great Pee Dee River, Georgetown Landing Marina, awaited us, a perfect place to stay.”

Happy New Year, and let’s all resolve to be kinder to one another. If we try to understand someone else’s point of view instead of insisting on our own infallibility that which divided us only grows wider. Look for common ground and understanding and you’ll find it.

Thanksgiving – Forever Grateful

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Birds of a feather

In this, the craziest of years there is still so much to be thankful for. It certainly makes the point that you never really know what’s around the corner. The best laid plans can fall apart at any minute. No matter what, it is important to be thankful for friends and family, that’s the glue holds us together. Thank you also to all the health care people who have been on the front lines enduring more than any of us can imagine. Then there’s the UPS, FedEx and postal workers that kept us supplied along with the cashiers and grocery workers, and everyone who just showed up when we needed them most. We have all learned a lot of lessons this year. I’m sure like most people I’ve talked on the phone more often in the last year than I have since I was in high school. I am particularly thankful to have a husband that is so supportive of me, he’s a fine editor as well!

Progress on my book is happening but not in the way I expected. As I moved along, I was never particularly happy with the beginning but I needed to start somewhere. I had put off starting the book because I wrestled with where to start. I decided to just go for it, without being satisfied. Now I’ve gone back to the beginning and I’m working on rewriting. The re-write is happening before I’ve actually finished the first draft. I’m not sure how other folks work, but that’s how I’m proceeding. 

I’ve gotten as far as chapter 16, and just about when we had Thanksgiving aboard Little Prince in Charleston, South Carolina. Another interesting stop in our journey and a place full of history. I am enjoying researching the history of the various places we landed. Getting the proper mix of the personal and the historical is one of the challenges I’m encountering. My love of history keeps sneaking in as much of it as I think I can.

Part of my research was reading the book Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick. It’s got a great deal of information I never knew and a very good read. It has given me a new understanding of the events 400 years ago. Also, they recently finished refurbishing the ship the Mayflower II, on the occasion of the 400 year anniversary of the landing at Plymouth Harbor (notice I didn’t say rock). It is only by coincidence that I was doing the research 400 years after the landing. A very interesting coincidence since Tim’s 9th great grandfather was non other than William Brewster.