Friday, January 8, 2010

Affairs of the heart

My heart is full today. Overflowing, in fact.

Buoyed by an amazing critique group meeting last night, followed up by an incredible morning with my handsome husband and stepdaughter, I floated into the office thinking about all of the wonderful people surrounding me. I "heart" my life.

Ironically, this abundance of warmth in my chest has rekindled my desire to get back to Heartless. In the midst of finishing Absolution, I'd lost Jagger's voice and this morning, she taunted me with her trademark sarcasm even as I mused about my positive outlook toward the future. Valentine's Day is just over a month away and I've targeted February 14 to finish (first draft) her story - she was quick to remind me the clock is ticking.

Ambitious, perhaps, but I "heart" deadlines.

I also "heart" research.

A good friend of mine popped by the office yesterday to say hi and tell me about her latest project. Joan writes children's books (her Dot-to-Dot series is all about helping kids understand the stories in the sky) and supports her creative habit with non fiction work - such as her Day Trips from Edmonton guidebook, and her latest WIP, a book about donkeys. She assures me she'll enjoy working on it - learning is half the fun.

I can relate.

I've blogged before about my love of the library, and I pour through science magazines monthly for the latest factoids to add to my growing list of cool stuff to talk about. Sometimes, those facts lead to story ideas. And so, as tribute to my overflowing heart (and Jagger's nattering) this morning, I present these random factoids, courtesy of the "Cool Facts" application on my iPhone:

• A blue whale's heart is the size of a Voltswagon Beetle
• The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime.
• The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet.
• The heart of an astronaut actually gets smaller when in outer space.
• A shrimp's heart is in its head.
• A hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute on average.
• Your heart rate can rise as much as 30% during a yawn.
• How does a shark find fish? It can hear their beating hearts.
• A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

Cool, huh? I "heart" my iPhone.

The Book In My Bag Today: Gargoyle, Andrew Davidson

2 comments:

  1. It was a fab meeting, wasn't it? Glad you've got your writing mojo back, not that I was concerned in the least. :)

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  2. At least one of us believed in me this past week :-) Just another reason I adore you so much.

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