My daily writing goal is a minimum of a thousand words. Some days those words come easily and I sprint on by, never noticing when the benchmark is surpassed. Other days, I slog through, checking periodically to see if I’ve met my self-imposed standard. It’s amazing how I can toil for hours and only produce 478 words. And then hours more to have merely added another twelve.
One of my writing heroes, Stephen King, writes 2,000 words or more a day. I’ve reasoned that he’s probably not also doing laundry, shopping for groceries, and maintaining a fairly clean house on a daily basis as I do. But who knows? Maybe Mr. King scrubs toilets between paragraphs. Now that’s something I’d like to see.
The thousand words a day have added up to more than 40,000 words in my current work in progress—Reunion at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, the third book in my Happy Valley series. That’s almost half a book. Its predecessors are doing well, thanks to my lovelyreaders (links below, of course).
Now, if only the number of words in a blog post counted toward my daily word count I’d be well on my way to 1,000 words. Alas, that is not the case and I’d best get to writing because no one wants to purchase half a book.
My friend, Lori Roberts Herbst, has a new book out! Frozen in Motion is the third book in the Callie Cassidy Mysteries series, and like the first two books, this one kept me guessing until the very end.
That’s Carl, the cat, and Woody, the dog. They had nothing to do with the bloody hockey stick.
I’ve come to love the characters in this series. Watching them evolve is a pleasure. Fiercely independent Callie and sweet, romantic Sam have to face some relationship issues in this offering, making it the perfect read for Valentine’s Day.
If you’re looking for a fun, edge of the seat adventure, with a dollop of romance added in, you’ll enjoy Frozen in Motion.
Today I have a scheduled appointment with my gastroenterologist. To be precise, I’m slated to see his Physician’s Assistant. My previous meetings with both men have been aggravating.
Yes, I know I’m no spring chicken, but that doesn’t mean my concerns should be dismissed with the wave of a hand and a suggestion, literally given as the doctor was running out of the exam room so he could talk to a pharmaceutical rep, to maybe stay off of dairy. No follow up visit was scheduled. No suggestion as to what I should do if going dairy-free didn’t work.
So today I’m going to try again, because for two years now I’ve been 99.9% dairy free, and am still battling some of the same issues that first brought me to this doctor. I’d say 100%, but I know sometimes the barista accidentally uses cow’s milk in my chai lattes.
Yes, I should’ve made a follow up appointment on my own, but COVID came along and my stomach issues didn’t seem so urgent in the face of all that was going on in the world. So here I go. I’m armed with knowledge and dairy free.
I’m a so-so Wordle player. Generally, I require four or more guesses to come up with a common five-letter word. And several times I haven’t gotten the correct answer at all. That’s rather embarrassing for someone who claims to have a well-rounded vocabulary.
This morning, however, this happened:
Wordle 229 2/6
🟩⬜⬜🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
All those green squares on the second row indicate that I guessed the correct word on the second try. It’s far too early for a celebratory glass of wine, so I believe I’ll reward myself with another half hour in bed.
See the small gold ring on the pinky finger of my dear mother-in-law, Saint Helen, in the picture below? You can’t tell from this angle, but there is an H inscribed on the top of the ring.
I was pleased and honored to be given the ring after her death. Depending on the time of day, the small ring either fit me snugly or a bit loosely. And since I wasn’t yet accustomed to wearing it, I had to make a conscious effort to make sure it was either on my finger or in the small bowl in which I keep my jewelry when I’m not wearing it.
Everything was going swimmingly until one afternoon I realized the ring was neither on my finger nor in the bowl. I lost it, both literally and figuratively.
Tearing through the house like a madwoman, I looked everywhere I thought the ring might be: the pockets of my blue jeans, inside my sock drawer, underneath every piece of furniture, within my bedsheets. And when I didn’t find it, I indulged in a major crying jag. That’s what poor Studly Doright came home to on Saturday afternoon. He patted me on the back and commiserated with me, saying “It’ll turn up.”
I wasn’t all that confident.
Then yesterday morning I decided to put on some makeup, even though I had no intention of leaving the house, and there, at the bottom of my makeup bag, I spotted a little circle of gold. It must’ve slipped off the previous morning.
I solemnly swear I will not wear this ring again until I’ve had it sized. My heart can’t take losing it again.
My daughter is a fine writer. I expect one day she’ll write a bestseller and everyone will be singing her praises. Right now, though, she is tied up with raising a beautiful family and working full time as the office manager of a busy veterinary hospital. She’s a pretty amazing human being and I love her so much it hurts sometimes.
Today she posted tributes to the two ladies our family lost to COVID this past week. I had planned on writing down my own memories, but honestly, Ashley’s tributes are so beautiful I could never have matched them. With her permission here’s her post from Facebook:
“My family suffered two great losses this past week. We gathered in Texas to remember, mourn, honor, and celebrate the lives of my Greatest Aunt Lyn and my Mema Helen. There are now two giant holes in my heart, and our family will never be the same without them.
Aunt Lynnie was full of life. She lived and loved with her entire heart, and with purpose. She was protective of everyone she loved, caring, hilarious, strong, adventurous, and a force to be reckoned with. If you ever had a chance to talk to her, you would almost immediately get a sense of who she was. She loved to talk about her family, her passions, and her pride and joy – the Hereford Senior Center and the thrift store that she made her baby. I can hear her laughter, and see her smile…the ones that lit up every room and made everyone feel welcomed and loved. She was always the one to suggest a “girl’s trip” to get a drink and lottery tickets.
Lyn Noyes Rayburn (aka Greatest Aunt Lyn)
Mema’s legacy will live on through our entire family. She was one of the most amazing people this world will ever know. The stories from her childhood in Pie Town, New Mexico. Her famous biscuits & gravy. Her laughter, especially when one of us said something slightly inappropriate that she thought she probably shouldn’t have been laughing at (and then the subsequent use of that person’s first AND middle names). Her love for her family. Her sense of adventure and the way her eyes lit up when she talked about trips to the casino, or her grandkids, or the cruises she enjoyed taking. She loved her church, her friends, and traveling. I can only hope I live my life with as much gusto and passion as my Mema did.”
Our Mema, Helen Parker Noyes
My words—when folks die we tend to exaggerate their sweetness or say they were loved by all, even if they weren’t, but I can honestly say that these two women were admired by all who knew them. Gone from this world much too soon, but never forgotten. We will always love them.
I haven’t posted much lately. My mind is occupied with worry for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, both of whom remain in an Amarillo hospital battling COVID. Both are now on ventilators.
On Tuesday I began my journey from Tallahassee, Florida, to Amarillo, Texas. I’m hoping to be a help and not a hindrance to the sister-in-law and niece who have been bearing the brunt of the responsibility these past few weeks.
Last night I stayed with my son and two of my grand dogs and this morning I’ll have a fairly short (four hour) drive to Amarillo.
The son and dogs were bright spots on my trip.
Jason and MiloRyder
Ryder slept with me part of the night. He snores a lot less than Studly Doright.
Peace, people. Oh, and wear your masks and get vaccinated and boosted as soon as you can.
Praying for Eyebrowz 