One Thing at a Time

Well, I've finally accepted the fact that it won't be possible to submit a manuscript this fall contest season at the same time as I'm completing my thesis collection. I'd wanted to do both simultaneously, just because of the fact that so many good contests do have fall deadlines and I didn't want to wait another year to submit the manuscript, but I'm just not enough of a multi-tasker to work on two different collections, one with 32 poems and one with the required 45-50 pages, and with different poems chosen for different reasons (I need to dig up every formal poem I have for the thesis, even if they're not my best or as fitting with the theme, and with the would-be book, I have to keep in mind that it will -- hopefully -- be "out there" in the world, to some small extent, and that at least my mom will be probably reading it :)
So I'll just focus on the thesis now, celebrate the completion of three decades of education, and then get the collection together for the few winter and spring deadlines. And then, barring happy news from one of them, get it ready again next fall...