It’s difficult to comprehend that I’ve spent three years on this manuscript. I’ve never taken that long to write a single novel before. Of course, there were a couple of interruptions in the process, including Mom’s multiple hip surgeries and extensive recovery, and coordinating the 2009 Pennwriters Conference. But on Friday, the status of my manuscript changed from WIP (work in progress) to “ Under Submission .” I’ve sent the fruits of my labor out into the world. And now the waiting begins. On Saturday, with no revisions and no edits on my to-do list, I cleaned house. Egads, it needed it! Camping, writing, and conferencing had taken up all my time for the last three or four weeks. Hubby and I could leave notes to each other in the dust. Sunday, I took a day off. Crashed on the couch with the newspaper. Went on a “hot date” with Hubby to Cabela’s followed by a belated anniversary dinner out. I’m not used to being lazy. It was kind of fun. But a little of that stuff goes a long way. N...

2008 is winding to a close. Last year, I was thrilled to see 2007 (and 2006, for that matter) come crashing to an end. They’d both been crappy years. 2008 has had its challenges. Highs and lows. Mom started the year doing well, then dislocated her new hip for a fourth time, followed by more surgery and time in the Health Center. By Easter, she was home again and has only improved by leaps and bounds since then. I did not complete a manuscript this year. A definite low. But not in the same category as losing family members. And I did have a few funerals to attend again this year. Instead of completing the manuscript, I’ve been working on the Pennwriters Conference . Online registration opens January 2nd. That’s a huge, momentous occasion for all of us involved in this task. But it is neither the beginning nor the end. It’s just a milestone among many others. Skye is fat and sassy and rules the house with an iron paw. Nothing new there. But all good. My biggest accomplishment this year w...

I’ve been sitting here trying to decide what to write about today. There’s been a little of this going on and a little of that. Enough to keep me hopping, but no one thing really jumps out as a blog topic. So I thought I’d give you a sampling of everything. I met with my critique group yesterday and they gave the thumbs-up to my re-write of Chapter One. So except for a few minor fixes, I can focus on tinkering with Chapter Two now. My goal, by the way, is to have the first three chapters done before we leave for Williamsburg. Mom is doing well. We go back to the surgeon for another post-op check on Tuesday and he will likely once again give her the go-ahead to use her cane. I confess to being a little gun shy about this. Last time he OK’d her using the cane, one week later, she dislocated again. Of course, things are different this time. Or at least I keep telling myself that. My recovery from gum graft surgery went much easier this time around. I was feeling better after a week instea...

We received a good report at Mom’s doctor’s visit yesterday. For a while there, I was concerned that we’d even GET to the appointment when there was a mix-up in transportation. Better late than never, as they say. This was the first time I’d seen the new hip on x-ray and my comment was “That is quite a hunk of hardware” to which Dr. Ray replied, “That is quite a hunk of hardware.” He also said it looked exactly the way it was supposed to look. He upped Mom’s weight bearing status to “as tolerated” and gave the thumbs-up to her coming home by the end of the week. Mom and I were doing a cautious version of the Happy Dance. So now I have to busy myself with getting her house (and the back seat of my car) cleaned up and ready for her homecoming. If you’re looking for my weekly report from Citizens’ Police Academy, it’s posted over at Working Stiffs . With any luck, I’ll be able to get back to writing full time next week and put some of my new-found knowledge to work.

I’ve calmed down a bit from my frazzled state of mind on Monday. I used the quiet time on my chiropractor’s spinalator to get a grip. Marvelous invention. They need to come up with a home version of it. With my mind relaxed and my bones back where they belong, I headed to Hazelwood, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh where I had never been before, for class one of the Citizen’s Police Academy. I love my GPS. Without it, I’d STILL be wandering the streets of Pittsburgh trying to find my way there (or home). Thanks to rush hour traffic, I came very close to being late. As it was, I slipped in right on time. My fellow Sister in Crime and Working Stiff, Gina, was already there, saving me a seat. Class one consisted of lots of talk. The Chief of Police, Nathan Harper, was there. So was the Chief of Detectives and a variety of public officials and politicians. Everyone welcomed us and promised us a fun experience. Then we had a lecture regarding the history of the police, going back to somewhere a...

Mom came through yesterday’s five hour long surgery like a trooper. She’s getting all too used to these things. Dr. Ray replaced the entire hip socket again. The plastic liner he placed in it last time pulled out, causing the dislocation. So he’s trying something new. While he isn’t guaranteeing anything, he seems more confident that this might give Mom a viable hip…for more than three months. We’re back to square one in the recovery process. Or maybe square two. The part of the prosthesis that goes into the thigh bone didn’t have to be altered. But the new socket means she’s back to keeping all of her weight off that leg. Looks like she’ll be headed to the Health Center again for a few weeks once she’s discharged from the hospital, too. What she does NOT have to go through again is physical therapy. Dr. Ray says no more PT. Just walking.