Spring! New beginnings! Gratitude! Exclamation points!!!

Over the years I’ve received some pretty amazing and touching gifts from my readers – all of them a delightful surprise because I never expect anything more from a reader than to, yanno, read. Even the notes and letters to tell me that they, you, have enjoyed my books feel like a gift because that, too, is unexpected. The real exchange goes on in the mind. You meet me halfway on the page, I provide the story, but your imagination does the heavy lifting. That connection is what I live for – and what a gift.

Yet I do receive posts and letters and gifts, amazing ones, and here’s one that I couldn’t let pass without mention. It just blew me away. This is from Chelle, who has been a vocal supporter of my work – and actually created a street team for me before I even knew what a street team was (aside: I still don’t really get it. What do I do with them?). Anyway, Chelle has a busy and full life—and through our friendship on Facebook, I’ve learned that she has some not so pleasant things on her plate – but she took the time to commission this and send it to me:

 

I mean, are you kidding me?

Now I just need to find the perfect purpose for it. Of course it’s going with me on tour later this spring, but what to put in it?

Please note the spring flower next to it, too. I’ve waited a bit to post that because I wanted the rest of the country to catch up to Vegas, weather-wise. (I didn’t want to give you the jellies.) Isn’t it pretty?

Yeah, that’s already dead.

But the rest of spring is in full effect. The sparrows are being total *ssholes in my yard and a dumber-than-rocks quail walked into my house yesterday, only to freak out once he realized, yanno, that it was occupied.

But spring is great because — after your taxes are all done — it actually feels like a new beginning, yanno? You begin to think crazy things like, maybe I’ll fit into that bikini by the beginning of summer. You begin to do crazy things like start a new series and build a new world. Maybe you pick up a new habit, like starting a gratitude jar. Here’s mind, all pimped out for spring. I’ve only a few notes in it because I’m not a very grateful person.

Kidding. It’s because I just began, and though I started out on the right track, just tearing off slips of paper, capturing moments, I can’t help but be a little wacky with it, because I’m most grateful for the surprising – like that anyone would send me a gift when it’s not my birthday – and the absurd…like the following sentiment that was recently uttered by a girl friend of mine whom I used to work with in the Folies.  I was perched in her bathroom, she was doing my hair, and we were talking about a new variety show that just popped up in Vegas. Can you read it?

 

And I howled – and had to capture it for my gratitude jar – because, I mean, how often do you get to hear something like that? Chelle’s in my gratitude jar, too. So are all of you. Because I am grateful, and I really do feel like I’m sitting on top of a new beginning.

And that’s my spring for you. How’s yours going?