-
Sunday Snippet: The What the Heck Happened to Summer? Edition
Seriously… how is it already August 6? I mean, wasn’t it just May and Husband and I were looking forward to our 50th anniversary trip to Oregon and I was busy making plans with my writer pal Carol Light for our trip to San Juan Capistrano and the Tule Author Retreat and checking with my sibs for a visit to my brother’s in Woodland Hills? I’m sure that was just a week ago… Yikes! Oregon is a fond, wistful memory now. The Tule Author Retreat remains ingrained in my heart and mind as a wondrous time with fellow authors and editors and the Tule team, as well as a fun…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Travelogue #4 (and Final) Edition
We’re headed home–flying back to the Midwest today after a week in California and has it ever been a week! Tule Author Retreat was a joy I will always remember and the rest of the week with my family has been lovely, too. It’s been too long since I last saw my brother and although he’s dealing with some health issues, he’s still my bro–funny, warm, wry, and easy to be with. Sister PJ came out with Brother’s granddaughter to join the party and it’s been fun getting to know this 14-year-old young woman. Brother’s son, DIL, and grandboys are here, too, and what a treat they are! They are…
-
Wednesday Snippet: The Travelogue #3 Edition
So, here’s the thing, mes amies. I haven’t had a moment to write for the past 36 hours or so. So much great stuff planned by the Tule Publishing team and spending time with other authors and eating… Oh mes amies, the food! We’ve been luxuriating in delicious meals and snacks and wine, oh my! Yesterday started with breakfast–for Carol and me, it was at a darling little place called Ellie’s Table at the Egan House, a few blocks from the inn. We had quiche and Carol also had a chocolate croissant the size of a football, while I added a slice of cinnamon crumb coffee cake that tasted exactly…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Travelogue #1 Edition
We made it to California! Writer buddy and fellow Tule author, Carol Light and I are almost to our Tule Author Retreat. Carol flew from her home state to mine, where I joined her on a very crowded Southwest flight to Dallas. After a couple of hours hanging out in Dallas, we caught our flight to Burbank. Both flights were full, but honestly, no delays and everything went so smoothly. Tired, but happy, we got a Lyft to our hotel and settled in. Since we didn’t have a car and the hotel is in rather an industrial part of Burbank, we opted for supper at the hotel restaurant and were…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Sure, Why Not a Real Snippet Edition
It’s been a week, mes amies. One full of writing and family time and lake time and Liz time… a week where I wrote THE END on Jack and Maddie’s story and sent it off to my editor with my heart alternately in my throat and my socks, wondering what she will think of their story. Funnily enough, I wrote nearly the last four chapters at her house with her sitting across from me, writing herself. Don’t think that wasn’t a cool, but weird experience. Crit partners and betas have said good things about it… get ready for the title because I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here yet… Make…
-
Sunday Snippet: The I’m Not Really Here Edition
Hey mes amies, It’s been a crazy week–Husband and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary with a little break from life. I’m still writing, but there’s other shenanigans going on, too. I’ll be back next week with so fun stuff to tell you, pictures, and a lot of gratitude! Meanwhile, stay safe, stay well, be kind, and most of all, stay grateful!
-
Sunday Snippet: The Whine, Then Find the Sunshine Edition
It’s been a tough week. My shoulder hurts, really aches, from spending so much time in front of my computer, working on editing gigs and writing Jack and Maddie’s story. Son is dealing with a lot of stuff that I wish so much I could take off his plate, but I can’t. I can only listen. (Even when they’re in their forties, your mom instincts kick in.) We’re doing work on the lake cottage, making choices about where we want to spend refurbishing dollars this year, except that those dollars now have to be shared with medicine expenses because I hit the damn doughnut hole with my heart meds this…
-
Sunday Snippet: The No Thanks to Aging Edition
Been thinking about aging, particularly after the neighborhood yard sale we had this weekend. So many of the folks participating were our age or older and as anxious as us to purge some of the stuff they’d had in their homes forever and a day. Ironically, a lot of the people wandering the ‘hood buying the stuff the rest of us were getting rid of were… wait for it… people our age. Go figure, right? A few years ago, when Husband and I moved from our home of 37 years to our new place here in the ‘hood, we did a major purge. Like truly big. A wonderful group of…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Editor Nan Edition
Nine years ago–gosh, has it been that long? Nine years ago, when Husband retired, took off his watch, and said, “I’m done,” we agreed that I would work until I got to age…well, a certain number. We’d worked endlessly on a retirement budget, figured every dime, and knew exactly what we’d need to maintain the lifestyle to which we’d become accustomed. Back then, it felt a long way off and I was sure that by the time I got to that number, I’d be ready to stop editing. Well, that certain number now looms large on the horizon and I’m not at all sure I’m ready to hang up my editor…
-
Sunday Snippet: Another I Got Nothin’ Edition
Seriously…I got nothin’. Right off, I’m late with this–usually I have it up at 6:30; it’s now 7:15. I lingered in bed this morning because it is a dang chilly morning here at the lake, we worked hard yesterday, and the kids came for supper and Euchre and we stayed up late-ish. We did have a great time after supper. Son went around the table for a couple of hours and had each of us pick a song we wanted to hear. He cued every one up on his Apple music app and played them through our Bluetooth speaker, so we listened to a mad variety of music from the…