so I’ve missed a couple of Fridays to write…my designated blog day.  Sorry.

I went on a four day trip with my husband, came home and have been busy taking care of my family and home; promoting and marketing my book, and in between squeezing in time to write and paint.  Like all of you, lots of things to do and love.

But I do want to say a big shout out there to all the mom’s…hoping you had a wonderful Mother’s Day.  In one way or another all women are mother’s.  We’re either having babies, taking care of loved ones, creating and birthing projects- like books, homes, paintings, businesses, etc.  It’s in our DNA, to nurture, love and create.

So here’s to each of you….for being you!

Happy Mother’s Day! with love from me…………….

Today a life time friend of mine, lost her mother.  This past Sunday, my husband lost a friend; the third one in a short period of time.  And over the course of the last ten days or so, a family member was in extreme crisis; affecting each of us.

As I looked out my front door this morning the view in front of me was beautiful.  The colors of the grass, the sky, the trees, the clouds- so clear and so alive in spring time renewal of life- touching me to the depths of my soul.

I felt the need to just sit, process all the emotions, feelings, thoughts inside of me.  Being still and listening to the quiet within me, finding my way back to that place of peace and a sense that all is well, even in the midst of the pain, hurt, and loss.

And even though the losses aren’t mine personally, I hurt for those that it is.  There is so much beauty in our world, in each other, even in our pain- reminding us of our humanness, the fragility and strength of life.

Sometimes it is most vivid during these times of loss that love and life shine the brightest reminding us what matters most.

This month is almost over; the strong windy days preparing for a new season coming in, cleaning out what was left of winter….

Last Sunday I took everything out of my closet and draped it across my bed, floor, dressers, whatever space there was that was available.  Who would have thought I could cram so much stuff in one small room.  I went through each item; packing away winter, discarding the worn and no longer useable, and putting into a bag to be given away-the still good but no longer works on me.  The last one wasn’t so easy.  I like to hold onto things, especially the old time favorites.  But I’ve changed, the things that used to be me are no more, so its time to let go and move on.  Kind of like in other areas of my life too.  Things, TV shows, books, people, habits, ideas, thoughts- that once fit and worked but no longer do….its hard to let go of but when I do, I feel good- free, a sense of lightness, and excited about the possibility of the new.

I put back and rearranged my clothes, shoes, purses and accessories  creating a new look for my closet, one that I love to go into each day.  A small thing, but the colors, the space-arranged in a pleasing way, even paintings placed on walls behind the clothes, that I see as I go through deciding what I’ll wear…all add to a sense of my feel good.

And kind of like the changing tides, my book had a few make overs as well…ah the process of learning how to publish…I’ve heard tell the 3rd time is the charm…ha! we will see…..

happy spring time and new beginnings…..   K

I love to write….I have been writing for as long as I can remember.  I’ve always dreamed of writing a novel.  I had this picture in my mind of sitting down with pen and paper and putting down my story.  That didn’t last long.  I can’t read my handwriting.

For awhile I used a typewriter but now they no longer exist.  So I use the computer, which is great.

In my mind I think of writers creating at their desk all day long; getting lots of work done.

In reality for me, it looks more like a page a day, in between everything else that needs to be done.  I’ve heard of some writers getting up in the wee hours of the morning to write before they go off to their jobs or staying up late at night after everyone else is in bed.

Nice in theory but again not really workable in my case.  My son has autism and a seizure disorder.  Sometimes he’s up all night.  And most days full of non stop energy, or at least that was the case up until seven years ago when he had a major set back in his journey.

After several trips to hospitals for his seizures being out of control he began a series of trials and errors; trying to find the right meds to control the seizures.  That proved to be easier said than done because although the medication might help control the seizures often they played havoc with the rest of his system, causing all sorts of major side effects.

So his recovery has been a long and slow process which thankfully is happening.  Our family pretty much had our own Katrina….wiping out everything that we’d known and spent years building up; and having to start over again, one step at a time.

And most of that time has taken place in Mark’s room, the place where he feels most comfortable.  While Frank and Michael are at work, most days I hang in the room with Mark.

Handy thing with the new computers.  They’re portable and easy to take with you.  So that is where I wrote the 3rd rewrite for Sunny’s Story; in my son’s room.

I decided that since we were in such a difficult period of our lives, especially for my son that it would benefit me- if no one else to make Sunny’s Story funny and light hearted.  The first two drafts were high drama and very serious.  I totally changed that.

Some parts of  Sunny’s Story had me laughing so hard, that it hurt.  Good therapy for my soul and my son’s as well.  He would laugh every time he heard me laugh or at the very least smile, making my heart sing.

I learned some things too.  One-That you don’t have to have perfect conditions to write.  That I could ‘show up’ and write, even if it was just one page, one paragraph, or one sentence…a day and that worked.  Because just like the steps my son was taking, so was I.

Two-I  learned to listen…..to hear the words/story as it unfolded to me.  To let go of needing to control what was going to happen, which in turn also helped me in other areas of my life; by applying that same principle.

And I learned that smiling and having fun with writing, shushing my inner critics, and trusting the process gave me joy on days that otherwise were hard.  But we did it anyway and made it through by our persistence, both for me in my writing and more importantly by my son in his courageous working through a tough set back in his life.

Hi there…..

My novel is ready for purchase.  You can get it in hard-cover, soft-cover, or e-book.  I hope that you are going to love it!

Big hugs,

Kathy

Hi there, I’m Kathy and this is my first official blog. So be patient with me as I learn the ins and outs of blogging.
I am so excited to be able to present my first work of fiction, novel- Sunny’s Story. I hope that you are going to love it! Next week I’m hoping  (keeping my fingers crossed) that my book will be ready for purchase.
I hope that once you’ve read it, you will write to me and share your thoughts.
In the meantime…..
have a fun Friday…..hugs, Kathy

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