Skye thinks it's TOO HOT.

I'm blogging today at Working Stiffs about my ongoing frustration with writing the first chapter of my new manuscript.

We spend so much time waiting for things to get better so we can then be happy that we often miss the precious “now” moments. For instance, things will be better when my husband finds a job. And I land a book deal. I’ll be happier when my elbow heals and my allergies clear up. There’s always something. Today is the summer solstice. So since I complain so much about winter, I have to stop and embrace today. The sky is blue. Everything else is that lovely rich green of late spring/early summer. We have more hours of daylight today than any other day. A mockingbird serenades me outside my office window as a gentle breeze ruffle my lace curtains. Money’s a little tight…so what? Right now I have some time to work on my new manuscript. Right now, my mom is doing well. Right now we have food in the refrigerator and the bills are all paid. Right now my biggest health complaint is a sore elbow. Right now my hubby and I are still best friends in spite of a few trials and tribulations. Right now

At first glance this looks like a bunch of rocks. And it is. It's the base of the Youghiogheny Dam, a short uphill walk from our camp. On closer inspection, you can see the real subject, though. A groundhog. See him? Ah, but look closer. There's a second groundhog enjoying the camouflage of the rocks. There was actually a whole groundhog family, but the little ones darted into the crevices and were hiding from the camera. Photo credit goes to my hubby for this one.

As anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time knows, we have a camp in Confluence, Pennsylvania. It’s just a small camper in a small, quiet campground, but it’s in walking distance to the Youghiogheny River and about 100 yards or so to the bike trail. Hubby can go fishing, and I can go biking without moving the car. The town itself is an easy one-mile bike ride away. It’s a quiet little town with a dollar store, a grocery store, a fruit market, and a bike shop. There are other shops, but those are the ones I frequent. There is no cell phone service in Confluence. Oh, I’ve heard tales of someone picking up a signal by standing behind the Laundromat and slowly circling. I’ve been told you can pick up a signal by standing in front of one of the campers in our campground. Maybe SOME people can. But not me. Can you hear me now? No. I either have to walk up the hill to the Youghiogheny Dam and then walk ACROSS the dam and stand in the hot sunshine (or pouring rain) to make my c

I just love baby colts. And this guy just loves life.

In case anyone was wondering, I'm only blogging at Working Stiffs every OTHER week now. And this is it. The topic is Critiquing for Dummies. Come on over and share your critiquing experiences, horror stories, and any tips you would include in a How to Critique book or workshop...something I think the writing world needs!

There seems to be a love-hate relationship going on in the world with regards to “social networking.” For example, my very private husband hates it. Of course, the very fact that I’ve mentioned him THIS much in this blog is enough to draw a rant from him. So I’ll leave him alone for the rest of it. I, however, rather enjoy Facebook. Even though I despise the frequent changes to it (Dear People in Charge at Facebook: Why do you reconfigure everything as soon as I finally get comfortable with the LAST changes you made????), I like being in touch with friends I rarely see, as well as being in even closer touch with those I see frequently. For me it’s a total contrast from my normal life. I’ve lived in the country all my life. More of my neighbors are cattle than humans. I write. A good portion of my time is spent alone. (I would something here about that last sentence being wishful thinking now that Hubby is unemployed, but I’ve promised to leave him out of this.) Ah-hem. Moving right al

There is absolutely nothing remarkable about this photo...except that it may be the one time this whole year when the only thing green in my cold frame is the lettuce, basil and tiny onions (look close!). NO WEEDS!