I've Been Slack

There are several who read this blog daily. I'm afraid my mind has been on other things lately, but I am trying to get back on track.

I've been correcting my manuscript, which is a slow process. I like the way it is going. I should have an interview with Callie and Jacob before long. They are such a sweet and funny couple. Maybe if I start one in the beginning of the book and introduce everyone to them and then one later on in about the middle of the book. Never one at the ending. I don't want to spoil anyone who will not buy the book when it is published.

We have three watermelons in our front yard this year. They are big. They come up every year and we don't plant them. Last year we had one that weighed fifty pounds. This year I think they will each be more. The rain we are having is helping them grow bigger.

I've been looking on the internet for houses in Benton, Kentucky. There are two that interests us. Both are neat. One has a garage behind the house and is on four lots in a subdivision. The other is four acres with a pond, machinery shed and workshop. The price is right on both of them. They are both in the same area and not far from my son's house.

We're waiting on our realtor to get back with us about our property. We have also been throwing away, shredding and cleaning up. I'm making a notebook for the buyer. We have kept all of our manuals with our appliances. That makes it easier for them. It's getting exciting.

I have no doubt that this is the best decision for us. Being close to both of our children is important to us.

Change

Change is always good, or so I think. We grow with changes and I sure hope I start growing.

The change in my writing is the change of editors. I have hired a new editor and I love her so much. She has finaled in the Genesis at ACFW. I have read some of her work and I am impressed. Sandi Rog is a friend and a sister in Christ. We are rooming together at conference. I think I have said that before.

Lately, I have been very discouraged with my writing. I have been very busy on the home front also. We have been blessed with a wonderful garden and I have canned and frozen food almost continually. Today we are eating out of the garden with green beans, okra and corn. Sounds like a wonderful lunch.

I've said before, I think, that we are taking a big step in our lives as well. As much as I love Tennessee and the area where I live, it is time to take a step forward. Our children live in Nashville and the Western Kentucky area and that is from four to seven hours away from us. We are not getting any younger and I am having a lot of joint problems. We are not big city people, therefore we decided not to move to Nashville. We are planning to move to Benton, KY, probably in the next year.

This is a big change for me. I have lived on this farm most of my life. I am the sixth generation to own it. That is a big step, but this is land and my memories go with me. I am anxious to be close to my grandchildren. Even Nashville is closer than where we are now, so we should see our daughter and granddaughter more often. We can always drive to Nashville and they live on the east side, which is good.

We had a realtor come out and look yesterday. They seem optimistic about the sell of our property. We have a lot to do getting ready for the sale. My parents left me a lot of junk to get rid of. Some of it will sell and some of it will not.

I am definitely writing today. I am finally excited to write and I think I have played with this book long enough. It needs to have final stamped on it.

Finding time to write

It is so hard to find time to write each day. With summer and all the extra chores, it is even worse. So I have a plan.

When I have to sit down to rest, I write. I get a little in each day. The only problem is when I sit down to write, I get sleepy. My sleep apnea test is in two weeks. I could have had it earlier, but I was in Nashville when they called. I would love for them to call today and I could get some help sooner. My son-in-law tells me I will feel so much better.

I'm waiting right now on the editor I hired to get some chapters back to me. I have tried to do what she was doing in the following chapters, but I don't think I am a success. I do not wait well. I am not a patient person.

At this rate, I will be working on the same book for ten years and I don't want that. On top of all this, we have decided to move closer to our children. The realtor comes tomorrow to look at the property. This is stressing me some.

It is hard to leave where you grew up. My family has lived on this property for over 150 years. That's a long time. I know we need to do what we feel is best. Property is not that important to me and I am willing to do it.

The exciting part is making new friends. Almost like starting over. Our son has offered us a house he and his wife have as a rental. We are trying to decide whether we want our own house or rent. It is a hard decision, but we do have time to think about it.

That's all my woes for today. I'm ready to get busy and have a wonderful day.

Maybe Finally

Yesterday I tried to write three times. Each time I hit something and my blog was gone. Trying to get it right today.

Friday night I had a rough night. I think I slept three hours. I'm looking forward to the sleep apnea test in a couple of weeks. Maybe they can help me sleep.

During this sleepless night, I started thinking about a book I have had in my head since we were in Scotland. I wondered how hard it would be to write in first person. I tried it Saturday morning and it was much better than I thought. This novel will be in first person, a real change for me.

We have guests this week. My son-in-law and his dog are here to work on the room. The dog is entertaining our dog, so that's okay. We bought flooring yesterday and it is beautiful. I would never go back to carpet. I love the hardwood. My allergies are so much better with it. Everything is coming along fine. I am anxious to get my clothes and my husband's clothes moved in.

I think I may be able to write today. I do need to clean up my house, but I have someone helping me tomorrow, so that will help me. If I can straighten up today, she won't have much to do tomorrow.

I'd better get busy. It seems like it is going to be warm here.

We are so blessed

I am so blessed to be able to hear the rain pour down on my house. There are no leaks and I am dry even though it is raining buckets outside.

I am so blessed to have beans. This year we have an abundance of beans and last year we had very few. There are so many more in the garden. If we run out of other food, we will have green beans. I complain about having to can so much, but in the winter I am so thankful I can open a can of home grown green beans. They are so good.

I am blessed with a loving family. I see other families in so much turmoil and I thank God that mine is not like that. My husband, children, son and daughter-in-law, and grandchildren are one in a million. They warm my heart in so many ways. I thank God everyday that I am so blessed.

I am blessed to live in a free country. I wonder how long it will be free, but right now it is. How do we keep it free? Contact your senators and representatives and tell them you want the freedoms we have to continue. Don't take our freedom to choose away from us. Let us worship when and where we want to. I am concerned that we will not have these freedoms forever.

I am blessed to have a loving God who cares for me. I am blessed to be able to pray to Him and confide in Him. We need to be stronger Christians by studying the Bible and worshiping as we should.

I am so blessed to have this day. My prayer is that I will use it to the best of my ability and honor God in the process.

Menu for Romance

Menu for Romance was written by Kaye Dacus. Kaye has a very winning way to steal your heart with her characters. Her light-hearted writing makes this one book I could not put down until it was finished.

The story involves a family, the Guidry Family, who own an event business. The chef is Major O'Hara and of course he is in love with one of the family members, Meredith Guidry. They are a very tight-knit family and as most families, knows what is going on with everyone. You will laugh with the family and love every minute of it.

Kaye is a very charming person. She is an accomplished author with several books on the shelves now and more coming soon. I look forward to reading more of her books. I had lunch with her recently. She encouraged me to write more. Thanks Kaye for this charming book.

It's Been a Long Time

Well, have I been traveling? Not in distance so much, but time spent away from home and there is always a story to tell.

First vacation was at Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. Luxury is the key word. It was very luxurious. My cousin teaches at Oakland City University in Oakland City, IN and she won a $750 gift to Opryland. You may think that was easy to spend there, but it was hard to spend that much money.

We walked all over the hotel trying to find where we came in. We finally found the way out when we left and we had to asked someone. It is so large and you go from one area to another and the greenery is lush and beautiful. I did speak to one of the gardeners about raising orchids. He said I probably loved mine to death. I am anxious to try to grow one like he said to do. They need lots of air and little water.

We rode on the river through the hotel. That was fun. So many beautiful trees and waterfalls. It was so nice to spend a couple of nights in that famous hotel. No, we did not see any country music stars. We did have a wonderful time.

We arrived back at my house on Thursday afternoon and I began canning beans and doing laundry. I packed on Friday and picked my husband up at work on Saturday morning. We headed to Kentucky to visit my son and his family.

My grandchildren are the sweetest in the world. Lots of hugs and kisses were received when we got to their house. We went to church with them on Sunday morning and afternoon. Sunday night we went to Paducah to the area wide gospel meeting. Dan Winkler was the speaker and he was wonderful.

You may remember the Winkler's when their son Matthew was killed by his wife. The Winkler family has been an inspiration to all of us. I enjoyed his sermon very much and there were over 1200 in the audience. The singing was awesome.

Yesterday, our oldest grandson had his tonsils and adenoids removed. He did very well and was eating yesterday afternoon. I know he will be fine. The doctor told them his adenoids were the biggest he had ever seen. When Chet came in the house yesterday, he said, "I can breath through my nose." I had realized how much trouble he had lately breathing. He will do much better now.

I'm home now and a lot to do. I have neglected my book for two weeks and I am ready to get started back on editing. I've enjoyed the last two weeks, but I am tired of luxury.