Taking a Breath

Life gets crazy sometimes. I finished a new novel last week, then did some redesigning of the interior layout, putting inserted events into chronological order. Next, I printed out a hard copy because I know I'm going to have to write notes in the margins as I proofread and edit the manuscript. I also will need to add some more background info here and there to make it all more cohesive.

Meanwhile, I approved Talon:The Familiarity of it All (Third in the Talon Series) and it's now available on Amazon.com, BN.com and other sites (gold cover). I received the proof copy of book 4 which happened to be partially written and was finished just after book three which had also been partially written for awhile was finished. I'm giving that a final proofreading and editing between doing other things, like watching westerns with my husband (High Plains Drifter, McClintock), reading a new book I picked up (The Truth About Death and other stories by Robert Hellenga), doing housework and psyching myself up for another work week.

I started a new story Friday night.

John's father is in the hospital again being treated for an infection in ICU and then once it clears up sufficiently he'll receive a pacemaker. He's 94.5 years old so John has been stressed about this because we just lost his mother at the end of January.

John's still not found a job, but he had two phone interviews scheduled for Friday, and of course that was the day the local Gas & Electric decided to come and replace the telephone pole with the transformer at the end of our driveway. Fortunately John emailed his cellphone number to the first HR person because the phone cut out during the interview even though no one was working on the pole, but they were further up the street working on another pole. So, at least the interviews took place. we'll see what happens.

This week I have some medical tests scheduled on Wednesday requiring sedation-so that will pretty much wipe me out for the entire day! I tend to get silly when I'm knocked out like that- it just hits me in that part of my brain where comedy lurks. I hate medical tests but everybody laughs when I wake up which makes the whole thing more bearable.

Recently, California State Button Society editor visited my virtual charmstring museum online and wrote asking permission to use an article and photograph from my collection, so Kelly's been okaying that for me as she's that blog site manager for me.

Lastly- had a nice email from the author I sat next to at the recent Articulture event here in town, Marcy Heath Robitaille, Wish You a Goode Journey. Hopefully I'll be seeing her again in June at the Agawam Public Library for their READlocal event where she'll be signing her book and I'll be signing copies of My Magical Life. I need to return her lunchbox she left behind in Westfield first and foremost, and then we'll catch up on what's been going on in our lives. She feels like an old friend even though we've only just met.

Along the paths we walk through life we meet certain people. They are placed there for a reason. Some stay, some are passing acquaintances but they all have a reason for being in that particular place at that particular time so we should all take the time to meet and greet them, listen to their stories and share our own. They learn from us, we learn from them and we move on along our individual paths with a lighter heart, a better insight, a renewed sense of purpose, a new idea, a clearer picture, a revived dream...this is what it means to be human, to share this planet with one another and to grow.