Tag: links

This is how I write

This is not how I always write. But this is how I write the Neverending Saga (which I’m tackling sometimes only a paragraph a day). I’m taking the reader on a journey. I’m not worried about the pacing (people will say that’s a no-no). I’m not worried that everything and everyone isn’t perfect from the first motion out of the gate and may never be perfect. They can only be who they are.

Sometimes things will go slowly. Sometimes things will come fast.

It’s like life. The older I get, the more I see both the shock and the gentleness of patterns, of connections, in my real-life personal timeline. I think of those readers who aren’t willing to stay along for the ride when they read something they don’t like, wouldn’t do, don’t approve of, whatever. To me, their distrust of the writer (me), their unwillingness to find out what happens next, is akin to those people in my life who couldn’t extend grace, forgiveness, compassion, tolerance toward me and stick it out with me through the years.

Others were willing to take a long, winding trip with me even when they weren’t sure of the destination. I cherish them as I hope one day to cherish readers of what I’m working on.

I am not for everybody. Everything I write won’t be for everybody, either.

Hump Day

Let’s see. This week I’ve managed to vote (oh, the things I could say, and may say, but not today–except to note that the people who work our polls are helpful, upbeat, friendly, and I appreciate them so much) with Tom, Tim, and Debby. Tim was kind enough to take a selfie with my phone.

I’ve composed a two-page letter with 11 attachments to try to resolve a situation that has caused me abundant stress for the last seventeen months. You don’t want to see any photos of that–including how I look when I wake up at 5:00 AM and decide there are a few more things I need to do before that packet can be faxed.

Every day, I take on a small household task in addition to the routine bedmaking, straightening up, meal planning and cooking, and cleaning up after four dogs (who yesterday were stuck inside because it drizzled all day and it takes a village to get them outside in the rain, and I am but one person). Also, my Instagram posts take a little time to set up, shoot, and then put everything away.

Yesterday’s small task was giving the inside of the refrigerator a good cleaning and organizing it better. I’m not sure what today’s task will be–after I have breakfast and then take a nap since I woke up way too early.

I spotted this photo of actor Viola Davis this morning in my Instagram feed of accounts I don’t follow but show up because of other accounts I do follow. I think she’s pretty fabulous.

But what made me pause and screencap was that her fashion reminded me of an outfit I made for my first Runway Monday final collection in October 2008 based on characters in my novel A Coventry Christmas. Here’s Keelie in the same color palette.

Enjoy the middle of the week! Gonna leave you with this old Crowded House song I love.

Keeping a sense of humor

Sometimes it’s really hard for me to find the humor in a situation or event, but I do think it’s a survival technique. I’m on a text thread that includes Rhonda, Lindsey, Timothy, and Tom, and very often when Lindsey tells us news that could be worrisome, she says something like, “I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

Each time she does that, I’m compelled to share this gif (I hope this link stays good):

This Fine GIFfrom This GIFs

While it’s been a challenging week, we’re all fine. And able to laugh.

Button Sunday


Today is National Name Your Car Day. I don’t know if I’ve named all the cars I’ve owned or driven, but I have named a few. When I went looking for a button to match the day, I saw this one and was reminded of the car the man who would become my first husband took to college.

I used that photo when I talked about the car on here before, and when I did, Mark mentioned that he’d like to see a particular photo I remembered taking of the car from my 11th floor dorm room window.

It has taken me over two years to scan the photo, but here it is.

The cars may seem closer than eleven stories away. On the left of the photo, you can catch a glimpse of floors of one of the other wings. The Boyfriend had come over that morning to give me two roses in honor of our two years as a couple (beginning our junior year of high school), and I watched from the window later as he walked back to his car–snapping this shot. There’s a white car next to the bottom rose, then a green car, and behind that is his orange Bug.


Here’s a photo I took of the dorm (Tutwiler Hall) in 2014 when I visited Tuscaloosa. You can see that it has three different wings extending from its center core. In researching to learn more about the building, I discovered that it was imploded in July of this year, when it was determined that it would be less expensive to construct a new residence hall than to update and renovate this one. I had no idea. I had some great times in that dorm my freshman year, and of the friends I made there, two remain beloved people in my life.

There’s a lot of information on this page about the dorm’s history and the woman for whom it was named, Julia Tutwiler.