There are too horses pulling the cart around here, me and Pete. I am not pulling my weight. I appear to outsiders like I am, but I am not.

I keep thinking that my asking Pete to do certain things will come to an end, but this does not seem to be happening.

He ended up taking on a lot of the book project tasks. Today he finished and got the Mat Valley Credit Union grant in. This one is for what we call swag, small things, like a banner and office supplies. It appears as though we will get it because Pete spent considerable time working on it, and our friend Bea Adler spent considerable time editing it.

What I’ve learned about grant writing is that, although there are a lot of them out there, it takes considerable time to get things right. On an average, Pete’s been spending three weeks on each grant.

Alys at Vagabond bookcase

I have also learned that the non-profit in question is more apt to get the grant if they have a connection. We had a connection with the Palmer Community Foundation, and we have one with the bank.

Pete said today that a handful of the Mat Valley Credit Union employees knew about the Bright Lights Book Project.

Pete’s also been lobbying hard for this project. The recycling center board members are now fully informed as to the who, what, when, how, and why of the BLBP.

I have watched him take notes at meetings – he’s fast and to the point. This is what technical writers do. Me, I’m slow and all over the place. This is what creative writers do.

There is more of a need for the Pete types in this world than there are the Alys types. This statement is based, now, on thirty years of living with someone who writing wise has become increasingly more efficient and to the point. He can also multi-task. I have seen him do the laundry at the same time in which he’s working on a project. Washing socks and making bullet points simultaneously, this is an acquired art.

Do I ever get to feeling down about my shortcomings? Most certainly. This is what’s keeping me humble. Humility is a good thing because it tends to root people. My feet are firmly on the ground.

The one thing that’s making me feel good is the fact that the weather’s good and there is now enough daylight to go for rides in the evening.

Tonight, I took Tinni for a walk and then took Raudi for a ride. By the time I got out on Raudi, the sun was low in the sky; however, it was still warm.

I am, on all the horses, going to start venturing further afield. And I am going to make the time to ride them.

I am lacking someone to ride with, but no matter. As soon as the trails are dried out, I will be out there. Going solo is preferable to not going out at all.

Next: 101. 4/13/22: Another Wednesday shot to Hell