2022 in review

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From left clockwise: a fun diagonal quilt, my granddaugther's EPP classic, seedlings and an EPP hexie.

Wow, it's nearly the end of the year, how did that occur? Days tick past, weeks turning into months and suddenly it's time for new calendars, new quilts, new books.... I've been reading through The Earthen Chronicles Book 1 for a few days, starting to feel the sequel forming in my head, a great sensation. You can enjoy the first chapter of that tale at the end of my latest release, That Which Can Be Remembered, now available at major online retailers. Just a little plug for that novel, as well as reminding anyone wishing to get a copy for free of its predecessor Gracious Mysteries to head over to Smashwords, where GM is on sale for two more days during Smashwords' End of Year Sale. However, I am strongly considering making a box set of that series, and all three books would be priced for free. I need a new cover for that publication, we'll see how that comes about next month.

In the meantime, 2022 was full of prepping that series for release; revisions are so different from writing, kind of like comparing machine sewing to paper-piecing. Or maybe it's more like sowing seeds, then transferring those plants into the ground. I did a lot of all of that this year, with mixed results on the garden but better returns on the writing and sewing. I may concentrate on growing flowers in 2023, which seemed to do better overall compared to veggies. We did have success with peas and green beans, and the strawberries did well once we removed the pea vines that had been suffocating them, lol. It's a little strange conjuring spring and summer pastimes, our thankfully wet and cool (but not cold) weather more suited to contemplating the writing and quilting. I completed some big paper piecing projects, proffering me a lot of pleasure to have those done and gifted. I made a futzy baby quilt that turned out lovely, also teaching me that paper piecing is my preferred manner of making something complicated. I enjoyed the novelty of Halloween prints, playing around with LOTS of scraps, making hexie shirts and hexie onesies. Sewing remains one of my fave hobbies, and I am greatly anticipating how a year of mostly slow stitching evolves, with a few baby quilts machine pieced already on the docket, hehehe.

Again from left clockwise: Halloween coasters, a lap quilt, Christmas coasters, a Mandolin EPP beauty, the gorgeous Honeycomb Stars quilt and museum putty which worked well during the recent earthquake.

But ultimately my heart lies with writing, even if not much new was produced this past year. Up front I'll note that my November foray into NANOWRIMO was a bust, another lesson learned. Yet this blog reemerged in 2022, I finished, prepped, and released a series of which I am VERY proud and pleased. I worked on a draft written in 2013, The Earthen Chronicles, deciding to make that saga-in-progress my next literary project. I hemmed and hawed about that, because I wasn't certain that diving into another lengthy plot met my heart's desire. Even when including the first chapter at the end of TWCBR, I was still on the fence. Perhaps I added it to give myself some necessary incentive; Present Me was nudging Future Me toward a story that Present Me hadn't truly felt able to embrace, yet knew was important for some reason or another. And as these things go, over the last week I have indeed fallen hard for this tale, which revolves around how Earth fell into very bad times, but might be resurrected by those from another galaxy equally troubled. There's a synopsis for you, if The Earthen Chronicles Book 1 at all sounds tempting. And up front I'll also admit that I have no idea how many books will result in this series, it's definitely similar to how I wrote The Hawk, kind of in fits and starts over the course of five years. FIVE YEARS??? Dude, that's taking me into my sixties! 

Hang on there Future Me; no one is saying The Earthen Chronicles is going to require five years, Present Me is merely indicating how one behemoth began without firm parameters, and that turned out just fine. Okay, deep breath taken. If I can embrace an Alexandria Quilt, why not commit to a story where The End is unknown. That's certainly how life goes, as our beloved in the Midwest has received good news about his CAR-T treatment; no lymphoma cells remain! Yet extensive side effects are limiting his mobility, and we take his continued presence in this realm with immense joy. And if nothing else, 2022 has reminded me that our corporeal existences are blessed gifts to be used to bring love and peace to others. I am SO GRATEFUL to have prose and fabrics, plants too, at my disposal to share those treasures. May your 2022 end on a lovely note and let's all celebrate another year with joy and thanksgiving!

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