Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Ornamental Grass- Pavilion, NY)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I was a little surprised to reach the end of my revision of Marital Property yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Why were you surprised?
JOE: I have been working on it a little at a time but had many interruptions during my move. I can finally sit down for some sustained work and reached the end.
CALLIOPE: Great. What's next?
JOE: I want to review comments my friend Gerry sent me. I was waiting to consider them until I had finished this revision.
CALLIOPE: Glad to hear you are making progress. How about the promotional videos?
JOE: I recorded a couple practice runs. One version is easy to edit. The other version with the better video and sound seems to need some editing with a program I bought but need an access code which eludes me.
CALLIOPE: Do you have the code?
JOE: Somewhere. I think I just need to find it.
CALLIOPE: At least you are making progress on that front as well.
JOE: I am beginning to feel I am getting back into the groove. I also looked up some references for teen stories to include in Commonsense Wisdom for Teens.
CALLIOPE: Great. Keep it up.
JOE: I plan to. talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Apple Umpkin Festival)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How was your weekend?
JOE: I enjoyed it. I spent more time with people than usual. On Saturday I traveled to Wyoming (NY) for the Apple Umpkin Festival. Yesterday I went to church and visited friends with Carol. Now I'm back at the computer.
CALLIOPE: Did you have a chance to work on your marketing tasks?
JOE: Yes. I completed outlines for both sets of videos. I also fiddled further with my video camera to no avail.
CALLIOPE: Sorry to hear it. How will you record them?
JOE: I will use either my still camera which has fairly good video and audio capacity or my webcam which has lower capacity but is at least in working order.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you are making some progress. When do you plan to make the recordings?
JOE: Today or tomorrow I will try some samples to see what I like. If I am satisfied, I will try for a final take in the next couple of days and get working on editing and posting them.
CALLIOPE: It seems like it has been a long time getting to this point.
JOE: It has. I think my concentration was thrown off by my move and all the mental energy not to mention physical work it entailed.
CALLIOPE: I imagine you are glad it's over.
JOE: I am happy to be settled in and adjusting to my new routine.
CALLIOPE: Good luck with your writing pursuits.
JOE: Thanks, I'll keep you posted. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Reflections of Hula Dancers)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I was up early. I can't say with the sun since it has not shown its face today and doesn't seem likely to.
CALLIOPE: How did you do with marketing yesterday?
JOE: I told you I planned to work on my marketing videos. I realized I am still somewhat disorganized after my move. I couldn't find my notes on either video.
CALLIOPE: Were you ultimately successful?
JOE: I was and am happy to report that I finished my outline for the first video, Are You Afraid of this Book.
CALLIOPE: Remind me what it is about.
JOE: Potential readers seem to approach The Pastor's Inferno much as the wolf did in the movie Dancing with Wolves, skittish for quiet a while but approaching gradually. My observations of this phenomenon served as the basis of a promotional video.
CALLIOPE: Then what?
JOE: At the end I suggest viewing the next two videos, Ten Reasons to Read The Pastor's Inferno and Ten Reasons Not to Read The Pastor's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: What's your plan for completing them.
JOE: They are my goal for the next week. I plan to have all three videos recorded and posted by next Friday.
CALLIOPE: Good luck.
JOE: Thanks. I fully expect you will be there providing inspiration. On to the next adventure.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Mini Conservatory)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I'm ready to get going on my writing.
CALLIOPE: What did you accomplish yesterday?
JOE: Less than I hoped. I wrote my journal entry, posted our blog and finished my newspaper column for Saturday. I was ready to get going on marketing but decided to check my calendar first to see if I missed anything. I almost did. I had fifteen minutes to get to Rochester for an arthritis study appointment. Needless to say I was a bit late.
CALLIOPE: When you got back did you get to work?
JOE: Sort of. I had some shopping to do in Batavia and decided a bedroom wall needed to be painted before our new bed was delivered.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like distractions.
JOE: I suppose so. But I at least took a little time to think about writing priorities even though I did not make any concrete progress.
CALLIOPE: And your plans for today?
JOE: Fortunately I have nothing on my schedule. My first task will be to develop a list of tasks, priorities and time lines for my marketing activities (once again.)
CALLIOPE: Do you have any general plans.
JOE: Yes. My marketing efforts have been sorely neglected with the exception of sprucing up my web site. I plan to lay out specific marketing videos and get them recorded and posted by the end of next week on My Space and You Tube at a minimum. I am also thinking of posting them on my Sliding Otter website. I would like them available but don't want to slow down my Commonsense Wisdom website. That's my current plan.
CALLIOPE: Sounds good. Keep me posted.
JOE: I will. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(My new work space)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I've missed you.
JOE: I've missed talking with you as well.
CALLIOPE: Is your move finally completed?
JOE: It is. Yesterday I finished cleaning my old apartment and handed in the keys.
CALLIOPE: And your new space?
JOE: Also fully functional. Tuesday the cable people people came to hook me up to the Internet, VOIP phone as well as television, such as it is.
CALLIOPE: So, back to work?
JOE: Yes. I'm ready and have been a little restless during my hiatus.
CALLIOPE: Where do you plan to start?
JOE: By getting specific. I know the general commitments I have made to myself- blog, newspaper columns, marketing and working on Marital Property as well as Commonsense Wisdom for Teens.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to get specific?
JOE: By laying out objectives, tasks and time lines.
CALLIOPE: Do you feel that is necessary?
JOE: Yes. Lately I have felt like I have been spinning my wheels with all the balls I'm trying to keep in the air. I often don't know what to do next. I need to get organized. That's one of my goals for today. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Joe and Carol at Mardi Gras World)
JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Are you back with me now?
JOE: Not quite. The move is coming along well. I plan to finish on Sunday with a truckload of big stuff.
CALLIOPE: What about being online.
JOE: I will be off for a few days during the move. I hope to be back in regular touch with you on Wednesday, September 24.
CALLIOPE: I'll be looking forward to talking again. Good luck with the rest of the move.
JOE: Thanks. I am not expecting any difficulty. I'm looking forward to being back with you on the 24th.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Sunset at Sea- St. Thomas)
Joe: Good afternoon Calliope. I am very busy moving and at some point will have to disconnect my computer for the move. I think it would be best if we discontinue our conversations for a couple weeks. I'll get back in touch with you once I am moved.
Calliope: I understand. I'll be waiting.
Joe: Thanks for your understanding. I'll get back to you.