Yay, Crochet

 Writing all the posts for the blog tour, dealing with the Author Takeover, having the replacement for the recliner chair that wouldn't close still sitting in the entrance space by the front door and then the situation with a tank of toxic chemicals that might blow up, all got to me.  True the tank of chemicals didn't threaten me directly--it is a good distance away, but I worried for all the people who had to evacuate and how they could lose everything if the tank did blow up. The weather didn't help either.  May Gray came back with a vengeance. Chilly and cloudy for all or most of the day.  It felt like the sky had a sad face.  Portland or Seattle would never work for me. 

I didn't realize it at first, but I was burned out. That's what my phone said when I typed in how I felt.  That's when I just sort of gave up.  Patty had sent me directions to make a wave shaped blanket. I took a hook and some left over easy to work with yarn and started on it.  There were a few hiccups with the first two rows, but then it became an easy repeat of the pattern.  The yarn was self stripping and cheerful colors.  I just sat on the couch and crocheted while life went on around me.

I did step away from it to help with the chair switch.  I was mostly clean up.  The new chair was in a box with  an amazing amount of packaging.

I also interrupted my crocheting for our Memorial Day backyard cookout.  Since I'm a vegetarian, someone else cooked the meat.  I made roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli and the Caesar salad along with handling clean up.

While I was crocheting,  I did think about the next Molly book and about the plot and a character wandered over from some other project that didn't happen.  She has installed herself in the story.

The broken recliner is out by the street waiting for the trash pick up.  The new chair's resident is ensconced in the new one.  The situation with the tank of chemicals is better as there is no longer a threat of it blowing up and people have returned to their homes.  The sun peeked out from the clouds this morning.  I did more research for the plot of the next Molly book.  And I expect to get DANGER LOOMS back from my editor in the next couple of days.  Then it will be dealing with the edits.  

 SCONED TO DEATH comes out on Tuesday and the blog tour starts. I can tell the feeling of burnout is gone.  I think just letting go and sitting on the couch with my crochet hook and the relaxing pattern did a lot to take care of it. Yay, crochet!

 

 

  

Memorable Moments

This week has been full of particularly special milestones: celebration of new and upcoming important birthdays of loved ones and a good friend, and an anniversary to be remembered, especially because it bodes an even more memorable one to come.

Plus, we had family visiting from out of town, so that took up a lot of time, getting together for events and meals and more, though we didn’t do much sightseeing with them.

So…my writing? I still got some editing done, though not as much as I would have liked. But I’m back to it more now.

The week was well worth spending the time I did where I spent it. But now, back to everyday reality—at least until my next family visit or big event.

 I sent in all the guest posts for the blog tour, a single guest post spot and my author takeover spot.  I am blogged out.  It was a challenge to have everything be about SCONED TO DEATH and not be repetitious.  Well, too repetitious. By the end, it was all swimming in my mind and I hope it all makes sense.

I set aside working on the next Molly book and now have to organize all the notes on envelopes and scraps of paper that  I scribbled on as ideas popped into mto my head.  I had this great idea for the opening scene and so wanted to write it out, but forced myself to just leave notes until  the blogs were done.  All I'll say about it is that the Hookers are dealing with the new craft space and a gluey mess left by the collagists and maybe somebody gets glued to the floor or their chair.  Molly is going to be working for Mason and Barry has a big surprise.  Then Bennett from the last book shows up.  Of course, there's a murder and Molly is in the middle of it.  I have to work out a lot of the details.

Now that the blogs are sent off, I want to turn all the scribbles into typed stuff on my computer before I get back the DANGER LOOMS manuscript next week.  Even if the editorial comments are light, I go through the whole manuscript again.

Speaking of handwriting--I read something about the difference between typing and handwriting.  They wire up some peoples brains and had them do both.  When they were handwriting all different areas of their brains lit up.  When they were typing it was way less.  I always knew there was a difference.  That's why there are all those notes on envelopes and scraps of paper.  Mixed in are notes about the next Crochet and Crumpet book which is due in December.

This is a total aside, but am I the only one who is bothered by the labels inside of clothes?  No matter how I trim them, there is enough to scratch my skin.  It's something new, too.  The labels seem badly placed and whatever they are made of, more annoying than before. 

 May is flitting by so fast.  Jakey's school will be out in no time and then it's about summer plans.  He's old enough now to make requests.  It's such a different world from when I was a kid.  My summer option was something at my elementary school.  It was everyday and it was up to me to get myself there on my own since both my parents worked.  Jakey's generation is so much more dependent.  Play dates where the parents go along.  They're escorted everywhere.  And not released from school until a known person picks them up.  Ha!  When the bell rang, even in kindergarten, we were left to our own devices about getting home. By Jakey's age, a friend and I would go to downtown Chicago on our own and go shopping and out to lunch at the Circle in Chas A. Stevens.. I remember people saying how cute we were, but I thought the comment was ridiculous and that we were like women of the world.

I'm Here On Time!

 Hey, I’m actually on time today! I told you to watch for the possibility last week. 

But I’m definitely busy. I recently received comments on the latest draft of the second book of my current K-9 Crime Solvers series, and those comments came late. I’m therefore really busy reviewing them and incorporating the best into that story. That means the third book of the series is currently on hold. But I’ll get back to it soon! 

And my dogs? Well, one loves to sleep by my feet under my computer, and the other jumps up on the chair beside me. So yes, their presences continue to stimulate my writing.