A Contemplative Life

Another shot from 2023; I think my husband took this one. If life was perfect, miracles wouldn't be necessary. I've been pondering this since starting a novel about miracles, and of course current events make stark how badly this world needs miraculous occurrences. As a writer, I conjure drama within every story; plots don't turn without it. Yet manufacturing said melodrama is at times wearying. Balancing the lesser parts of life with joy matters as much in fictional realms as in our corporeal stances. With that said, here's Chapter 9 of my novel. The first scene was written yesterday, the second about ninety minutes ago, with time allowed for me to read it again, clearing the obvious errors. It was slightly unsettling to craft such vitriol, but the grace which follows eased that trauma, partly based on my own experience. Hearts mended by love are indeed capable of furthering deep joy, all I ever wish to do as an author.     Chapter 9   Three women spoke in the hous...

A top is finished. Photographed a couple of days ago when the sun shone brightly, lol. Now it covers a guest bed as the wall harbors what will be the back. I'm not writing more than these posts, but the sewing is going full tilt! I don't have much more to say about this rainbow quilt top, other than I will add a border because it's a tad smaller than the back, and when using the Kawandi method, both top and back are about the same size. And this way the rainbow perimeter squares won't be smaller than the rest; with Kawandi, you fold in the back and top edges about half an inch, the batting tucked under the back fold, if that makes sense. When I begin that process, I'll include some photos, or maybe in a few days, when the mystery quilt reaches its destination, I'll yammer about it in that post. I truly LOVE not dealing with quilt bindings anymore, and I don't mind at all the slower, hand-stitching manner which Kawandi promotes. Something very old-school and...

The colours in this shot are referred to within my book. The birds aren't, but they are a nice touch. Photo from July 2024, taken at Humboldt Bay, California. Okay, so this is MOSTLY novel chatter, but a heads-up: my latest fictional WIP, written in late summer 2023, seems to possess much ado concerning our current political climate. I can't escape that as I read over three chapters each morning, making me wonder if I should release it sooner than I had planned. Current launch date is for March seventeenth. Maybe writing this post will clarify that decision. Or make known to me something other than outside noise; I've been trying to engage in beloved pastimes. With writing, all I can manage are revisions, which is as necessary as the drafting of said manuscripts. And I am TRULY GRATEFUL to have books at which to poke, not merely for the distraction, which isn't how I usually approach my writing. It's never previously resembled a distraction; for years (nineteen of t...

Capitola, California on 12 September, 2012, not long after I had finished writing Splitting the Sky . All I have to go on is a manuscript and a playlist. Huh.... Happy new year! I hope you enjoyed whatever made you most content, and little of what pained. My thoughts are with those in New Orleans, Las Vegas too, and of course so many other places on this planet mired in conflict. As well as all the rancor within hearts, and while I spent much of yesterday prepping for more paper-pieced hearts, the first post of a new year concerns writing. Or what happens when one writes a novel, shelves it, decides it's meant for the hard drive only, tosses all physical proof of its background, leaving only a playlist, the manuscript, and a few meanderings in a personal blog right after it was written. Because that's what happened with Splitting the Sky , and I'm kind of flying blind-ish as I polish the story, wondering why I chose this character name or that plot point, other than the few...

Ice Cream Soda block in progress. While it's awesome to visit with family, home is home for a reason. We're back and happy to be here, and with most things unpacked and laundry spinning, it's time to consider what's next. LOL. But seriously.... My shoulder feels good after several days without sewing. The Alexandria quilt will be my focus this evening. After I finish an Ice Cream Soda block (pictured above) that I started over the weekend. Okay, I did a wee bit of stitching. I supervised (or helped build) Lego constructions. Gingerbread house constructions. Craft constructions. Played several card games, including Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza , which is MARVELOUS! If you're looking for a last-minute gift for any age, and aren't averse to a cool game of Slap Jack, it's a winner. But SERIOUSLY.... While I didn't do much sewing, I caught up on edits of my next novel, Splitting the Sky . Always great reading a book on one's phone for that published fee...

  A Red Sky at Night block in progress. I've been engrossed in the third novel of my current series , finding it required a good looking-after, lol. The story is fine, mostly, though I need to read it again to confirm when one character is first mentioned by another character to make sure I didn't mess up later events, ahem. That's one level of competence, in that when a novel is written on the fly, occasionally plot points don't meet up at correct angles. I have also discovered minor examples of prose requiring mild sharpening. That's fine, what revisions are all about. But it was startling to me to read a sentence, then immediately refashion it first within my head, then onto the document. Or deleting a sentence or phrase, making for tighter writing. Again, why edits are important, as well as time away from a manuscript so perspective can play its magical role in the process. I think of editing as the easy part of writing. Some may not agree, but for my method of ...

  Glimpses of a quilt-in-progress.... Taking a break this morning from reading The Hawk , although I have been racing through it, thoroughly caught up in the drama. Some chapters receive a minor tinkering, some are left nearly as is. At my current rate of more than two chapters a day, I might *finish* these edits by the end of month, whoa! Yet that is a story I wrote years ago. Nice that I still enjoy it, don't misconstrue, but what I am now longing to write is the continuation of my current series, and not merely one book. Inspiration has been flying through my mind as I hand-quilt the fabric WIP, which is coming along well. Binding is wholly attached, another round of hand-stitches to confirm the entire kit'n'kaboodle will stay as one remains. Yet in that repetitive work, my gray matter fashions plots, characterizations, people's hopes and dreams. These folks aren't real, although who is to say what constitutes the manner in which we live. Not to be overly etherea...

Reminding myself what I do, and how appreciative I am for the ability and time to do it; an excerpt from The Enran Chronicles Book 3 , my current revision WIP. Inside Squee’s ship, Sooz explained the Enran had permitted a small number of pods to encase what could called only a life force and not an Enran’s distinctiveness; it was those pods that people like Squee used to extend their lives. “Although,” Sooz smirked, “I think the last time Squee was revitalized it was with an Enran wholly compatible with Squee’s nature.” Noth carefully drummed his fingers along the console, not wishing to accidentally activate the vessel. “So the Enran aren’t bothered with that, but they won’t protect the most vulnerable people.” “It’s complicated, but we’ve lived with the Enran for so long that….” “Are you like Squee?” “No,” Sooz growled. “I am not like Squee.” “When did Amora die?” Noth spoke softly, not having planned to mention Sooz’s daughter. Yet he couldn’t help wonder if there had b...