Welcome!

You can barely tell that you have morphed from newsletter to blog . . . it's so coordinated! For this, I thank Mike Erickson, my WordPress Website guru, who put the basics together, leaving only the content for me to agonize over. Looks good, yes? 

And just to continue the theme —another glance at Spring in my backyard. Still lookin' good!

Now I have a favor to ask you. While you're here, check out this spanking new website. Home, Books,  and Author. Don't forget to return to my blog when you have finished the tour.

Back to the subject of this newsletter-blog combo. We've covered Spring? Summer? Safe? How about Sound?  

Truth is, I don't presume to know whether or not I am of sound mind during this pandemic, and I can't pretend to know how to avoid a little discombobulation.

I'll share two things that are helping me to stay sane most days. First, a few Sundays ago our pastor asked us to "voice our griefs — pause this video and write them down." Well, I did it. I won't share my griefs with you because you have enough of your own, but I will tell you that just writing things down made me feel better. Helped me to realize that my griefs are valid, that the sadness I feel from time to time is a reasonable response to the world we are in right now. 

Second, I have a schedule. I hate rules, disorder appeals to me. I've always thought it gave me a dash of  panache —  I digress — but today my calendar sports a schedule that guides my days, the most important part of which is my two hour writing time — with an exact time of day to start and to end. But that's not all. There a few hours a week designated for research. An hour a day for calling or writing friends, another hour for my garden and lunch, and hour for overflow writing time and one for nothings. Not to mention three hours for wake, walk, breakfast and another three for cooking and dining.  

AND it's color coded!!

So laugh. My panache may be slipping, but the schedule is working. I am writing daily, which raises my spirits substantially, and even better, has renewed my interest, and even excitement, about my story. 

And it looks like a calendar of a dynamo!

One more thing. I learned this scheduling trick, and a lot more about motivation, from a recent seminar sponsored by Jane Friedman and presented by Sage Cohen.  Each of these women have their own business, with blogs, books and online classes aimed at writers of all genres. Check out their websites and see if they can help you.

Finally — please click on Contact and send me a quick email (gets right to me) to tell me what you think of, well, everything. Blog, website, and these words!

Many thanks.