Author Dishes on Work and Play

By Cal Orey

Spring snow for Skye

In a perfect world both work and play should be equally balanced. That means work 8 hours, play 8 hours, and sleep 8 hours. But in reality, life isn't always on even keel. A few months ago when I was writing the 2nd edition of The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, I was working 10-14 hour days, couldn't spell down time, and editing in my sleep. But authors will tell you that's normal...

Being an author is a lonely profession

FOR THE THRILL OF IT  
These days, my Aussie pup Skye's job (one of them) is to teach me the meaning of play and having fun like when I was a kid. We have discovered the art of playing Frisbee, and walking on the treadmill. Both my Brittany Simon and Skye have helped me to stop and scope out birds while walking in the isolated campground as they jump over logs for the fun of it.

Flashbacks of me in my youthful 20s (countless dog years ago) remind me that I lived and loved a freewheeling life of a hippie hitchhiker. A month ago, when I was at the dentist having a molar tended to I fell victim to the dental-friendly nitrous oxide for fraidy cats that makes me calm. I passed the time in my brain by traveling back in time to when I hitched and hiked across America with my best friend--a black Lab. Life was easy. Lots of exercise, swimming, meeting people of all ages, and seeing sights in dozens of states and a couple of provinces. Happy was in my vocabulary.

Zen is always near/on me

THE WORKERBEE LANDS It's not that I'm unhappy during my domesticated years living in the Sierra. But it's a bit different than I would it imagine to be. After all, as a city girl from San Francisco who would have thought I'd land in the mountains, secluded and living my life as an author-intuitive with two dogs and a cat?

Today is a semi-play day. I finished my food column on croissants and a fresh fruit bowl; the article on Earth Changes (talk of the West drought) will be released on Saturday. I'm marketing my Healing Powers series (an ongoing task), answering the phone psychic network calls to talk love or lack of it, making a fire, and trying to get incentive to organize my study filled with disorganized mags (from decades ago when I was magazine journalist) to put on a gigantic book shelf. 

Sore throat kept me away 

Swimming is saved for tomorrow morning...Frisbee antics will happen later today on the inch of snow we got last night...but I think it melted. And perhaps I will make a batch of homemade peanut butter cookies. I'm not relaxing, am I? Note to self: Watch Skyler.

Need precip for honey...worst season this year

In production, 2nd ed.

The bottom line: I probably never will retire. But juggling work and play is a something I strive to do so life is more like a smooth ride without twists and turns. I sense I'll be working on a new book in the near future and that's fine with me. It gives me a sense of purpose. And, of course, I anticipate the release of the new 2nd edition of OLIVE OIL--it's a book that I put my heart and soul into to make it a fun read.  The phone is ringing. A caller from the network.