I am working on a new book, trying to add 500 words per day. First drafts are always slow for me but I’ve learned to trust the process. If I keep slogging along, adding scenes, creating dialogue, and fleshing out characters, at some point it will all come together and I will have a story that I care about. That’s when the fun part, revision, begins.
Tuesday was the five year anniversary of my husband’s death. My son-in-law, Kevin, came out and repaired the bird feeders that the deer had knocked over. (My deer LOVE birdseed!) Carl had built one of those feeders so it seemed especially appropriate to have it restored to use. Kevin found the perfect downed tree in my woods, cut it to the right length and mounted the trunk in the dirt. Once Carl’s feeder was attached and filled, I went inside to see how it looked from my kitchen window. When I looked out, there were already two finches dining on sunflower seeds. I also have a wonderful new hummingbird feeder which gets lots of customers.
I attended a LIFE class about the Prison Pet Partnership program, where women inmates train dogs from local shelters to become service dogs. I’ve supported this program for many years (one of the dogs in Shelter Dogs graduated from the PPP system) but this was the first time I had heard a formal presentation about it. Two of the dogs-in-training attended the class.
Today I’m going to a birthday party for my good friend and fellow writer, Larry Karp. It will be a fun day with many long-time friends. Stolen Children and Spy Cat were dedicated to Larry and his wife, Myra.
Molly is feeling better. She has gained back some of the weight she had lost, and she’s more active. Several months ago when the vet diagnosed a kidney problem, the only suggested treatment was a prescription cat food which Molly steadfastly refused to eat. I finally gave it up and let her eat what she wants, namely Fancy Feast Ocean Whitefish and Tuna. Yes, it has to be that particular kind and not the fillet type but the mushy stuff. She has taken to sleeping on my printer while I’m working. I put a towel on it to keep the fur out. She often turns the printer on. Never off. You can see who runs my household.