gifts

Weather Dictation

In theory, I should be headed to Lockport for the novel critique group meeting at Mary’s house. The threat of 2-3 feet of lake effect snow negated that trip so I was able to get farther along in the Pete and Tara book.  I’m so close to the end and I’m excited—in a tempered way. I’m trying desperately to not think about the next steps. I’ve been editing as I go, so that isn’t the problem, it’s the thought of another round of that fun game I call “Agent Hunt.” Hell, I’m still waiting on responses from the last round for the last book…

decsnow

Prize for “First Christmas Card to Arrive” this year goes to a dear friend in Kentucky. Poor thing thinks she’s behind a letter to me. Sorry Natalie, that’s me. I’m the one who owes you two letters now. I’m sure I owe other people letters, too. I get caught up with writing and then assume that social media will fill in the gaps, but the people that I write to and write to me are often not on social media. I need to be better disciplined about such things. I think I’ve said that before. It sounds familiar somehow.

Remember to shop local! I stopped in at Herbs & Things last Saturday and found gifts for the few I’m buying for this year plus a gift for me at Kellie Shanley’s shop. I’m loving the scent diffuser I bought there—far more lovely and useful than a lava lamp.

All right, it’s short this time, but I do want to say that I am so ecstatic that the Journal of Compressed Creative Arts accepted “Meeting Notes”— one of the original Pete and Tara stories (which didn’t make it into the book but became the genesis for it). THANK YOU RANDALL BROWN!!!! In the funniest bit of irony, that story is set at a school board meeting and today, the questions that are going to be asked of the candidates at Monday’s board meeting arrived in my inbox this morning. I’m going to have to start writing historical fiction so things like this will stop occurring.

Thanks for stopping by!

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*These are my Creekside Reflections; your experiences may vary.

Long Distance Thursday

So, I’m looking forward to having a chat with a friend tomorrow (I’m starting this post Wednesday night.) His schedule is squirrelly, so phone calls do have to be arranged beforehand. With any luck, I’ll get to ask him what he thought of the basic premise of Ellie’s Elephants as I sent him an early version MONTHS–if not A YEAR–ago. It has gone through several revisions since then, so maybe I can head off his complaints about it.

Today I had a sonogram I probably didn’t need because the replacement doctor I saw is… I don’t know what. *Sigh* I hope my normal doctor is healthy the next time I go in, though I was a little unnerved to find him buying scratch off lottery tickets from a machine in the grocery store, an image I’m trying to block, but so far I haven’t been able to accomplish that. It was a scene that was just so unseemly.

Upshot was that Chyo and I went out for a lovely lunch and did some shopping. I found presents for people–including my niece who reads this blog–so I won’t say what I found, but I enjoy finding the ‘right’ thing for people. It makes me happy and I got to be happy six times today! I even found a magnet that Chyo thought was clever and I was able to buy it without her knowledge while we were in A. C. Moore.

As for writing, I’ve been revising beginnings of stories and got several submissions out last week. This week has been filled with love and worry so far.

Love:

 

With Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie dough, I made this for Husband.

 

 

He brought this home to me–from a real florist.

 

 

Worry:

The technician doing the sonogram said she didn’t see anything to worry about, so yeah!

 

*The phone conversation has occurred and my initial reaction is: It was good to touch base with him. He’s still odd and funny and has a ‘secret girlfriend’ that he took to Hawaii. I don’t know why I find that so amusing, but I do. Mofo still hasn’t read the damned book yet though… Ah well. I heard more about his trip with details that were something else. A great chat all around…

Well, it’s time to hit the keyboards. Thanks for the read.

 

***The are just my creekside reflections. Your experience may vary.