…more to be thankful for. I wrote today…a lot! Went for a mani with sister PJ—trés fun. Made brownies for INRWA Retreat and only ate one! My warm cozy sofa and Antiques Roadshow. Found a song that one of Tim’s former bandmates posted for him—it was lovely and brought sweet memories of my dear old friend. So, how was your day? Why are you grateful?

I’m such a blessed woman, I’m amazed that sometimes I don’t always see that as clearly as I should. Today, I’m thankful for: The little video Son and DIL sent me of Grandboy tasting his first solid food. It is delightful, even though Grandboy’s not at all sure he’s into the rice cereal. Spending a couple of hours with Dee—she’s in the hospital being re-hydrated and given nutrition to build her up. Another test today to see if the docs can figure out a way to make eating easier. This thing sucks, so bad, and yet her main concern today was getting out in time to be able to vote…

So, my friends and fellow writers, Mary Stella and Liz Flaherty are celebrating November by naming at least one something they’re grateful for each day. Wow, what a concept! We forget to be grateful every day.  We know we’re blessed, that we enjoy untold abundance but we get busy and stressed and run out of time. Then we get whiny and grouchy and snap at our loved ones or even at the poor innocent cashier at the grocery who was never taught how to count back change. Life gets in the way of gratitude. I’ve been watching Liz post her thankfulness each day on Facebook—simple things, a lovely sunset, old…

…thus, I’m behind on my blogging. I could give you the litany of things that are keeping me from my true love, writing—both blogs and novels, but that’s not very interesting. Instead, here’s a quick update on my darling friend, Dee. She’s waiting to hear from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Her oncologist had Mayo send all her test results down there. They’re famous for diagnosing sarcomas and he feels strongly that we need a second opinion before we start pouring chemistry into her. So, basically, we’re still waiting. But Dee is back to work and pretty much maintaining her sanity by taking it day by day. We went…

The older I get, the more I crave community—like-minded people who enjoy the same things I do, who believe in the same things I believe in, who want the same things I want. Not just in the social sense, but in all areas of my life. It’s why I joined the local chapter of Romance Writers of America when I began writing again. It’s why I belong to the Editorial Freelancers Association, why I meet up with my fellow local freelancers every so often, and why I read the blogs I read and participate with comments. It might even be why I rejoined Facebook after leaving for a while, although…

With permission, I’m going to tell you about what’s been going on in my world for the last few weeks and why I haven’t been as a good a blogger as usual. I’m having a tough time focusing on much of anything right now because my heart and mind are so absorbed by my sister/friend, Dee. She’s in trouble…medical trouble. After seven arduous weeks of testing that included two weeks at Mayo Clinic, she’s been diagnosed with liposarcoma of the retroperitoneum. Google it if you want more details, but suffice to say, she has a malignant tumor in the back of her abdominal cavity and it’s sort of taken over…

…and unable to think. I haven’t posted in about two weeks and that makes me very grumpy, but here’s the thing. My life is overwhelmed with work right now. Not a complaint, simply a fact. And my brain is so fried by the end of the day that I can’t come up with a decent blog topic to save my soul. I’m so grateful that the salvation of my soul doesn’t depend on my producing a scintillating blog because right now, I’d be in deep trouble. So how about some pictures of our trip to see our new little grandson last month? I knew you’d be thrilled. First, Nanny, Pops,…

My friend Lora at LitDiva does a nifty thing each month called Memos that I find fun and charming and witty. I thought I’d give it a try here. So, with a nod to LitDiva, here goes. Dear Mother Nature, I’m over the drought and the heat wave. The lake water was 90 degrees this weekend—really too warm to be all the refreshing. Temps in 100s and 90s can stop now. Swelteringly yours, Nan   Dear Walmart, Love, love your Spring Valley Glucosamine/Chondroitin orange creme chews. Ever since I started using them, my arthritic  knees and hips actually move immediately when I rise from a seated position instead of  having…

I’ve rediscovered dresses. Okay, so not fancy, like-we-use-to-wear-to-church dresses. You remember those? They required ironing and pantyhose? No, not those dresses. I’ve found sundresses. Cute, knit ones that have an empire waist and come in fun vibrant colors and patterns. This is news only because I haven’t worn a dress in ages. It isn’t that I’m not perfectly feminine, I totally am. I’m into all things girly. But when you work at home, it’s hard to motivate yourself to dress up much. My “go to work” clothes are pretty much the same every day—yoga pants, a tank top, and a hoodie. The only thing that changes is the length of…