Summer Time Redux

August 27 11am 70 degrees - clear blue Michigan sky, chilly this morning, a sign of things to come too soon.

The turkeys across the way have been growing quickly and it appears they have all managed to survive the coyotes and foxes.

Discovered operating the chain saw results in extreme soreness of atrophied muscles.

Have seen quite a few deer in the past few days and always a doe with fawns - one or two - very cool as the little ones are losing their spots.

Full moon this week, starry starry nights.

Been reading more than usual. Tish Cohen's latest, The Truth about Delilah Blue. Used book store had - in the mystical section - On God - conversations with Norman Mailer. That was interesting reading - plus, even though I have a well read education, I was sent scurrying to the dictionary every 20 pages or so, thereby learning a new word.

And, I shouldn't listen to NPR - stopped at the Library and picked up A Room With A View only because I like Richard Wolff and he was effusive in his praise - which seems odd, but what the hell?

And, on Jamie Ford's advice, just printed out a Borders coupon for Juliet, that I'll pick up tomorrow when I go visit my new Granddaughter.

Life is good.

August 6 9am 65 degrees - clear blue Michigan sky, cold front came through last night, stripped the humidity from the air and is giving us some, albeit brief, relief from the heat wave.

Has been a whirlwind couple of weeks - family reunions, funerals, and this week, the birth of my first grandchild. My cup overfloweth.

Taking a new tack in regard to writing. I have had trouble getting into the groove again, so time is being set out every day, get the minimum quota done, go from there. Just a matter of sticking to it - yeah, yeah, I know, everyone else has the same problem and there are plenty of you who will help, but first, the letters have to appear on the screen.

How hard can this be?

Off to my home town this morning - the Missionary Church is having their huge campground this week, bringing a few thousand more folks to frequent the businesses. My Dad used to say, "there are more souls made, than saved, during the two week camp." My Dad has a wicked sense of humor.

July 27 7am 61 degrees - clear blue Michigan sky, pink clouds last night, full moon this morning.

Spent an hour last night watering my drooping flowers. Whereas the rains have been coming hot and heavy (Chicago), and with big winds as well (Downriver Detroit and Ann Arbor), and rain north of us as well, we appear to be in a dry slot. 80% chance here means two drops, lawn is drying up, flowers are going "What the hell?"

I'm apparently feeding many new families of hummingbirds, filling the feeder every other day. They get annoyed when they have to sip nectar from the actual flowers.

Sunday night, as I was watching David Suchet stumble his way through Masterpiece Theater, a huge crash. No clue until I found my big spotlight. A huge ash tree, killed by the ash borers, tumbled into the back yard. Going to be a mess to clean up, but I will get to play with the big chainsaw my wife got me for Christmas. Not to mention there should be a couple cord of wood involved for the fireplace.

Business is going amazingly well. I have no clue how that is happening and figure, at this point, there is no reason to question it.

The sun rises over the alfalfa field across the road, two turkeys with 8 little ones work slowly through the grass looking for bugs. A nice 4 point buck stopped in the yard last night.

Life is good. The stars are particularly bright in my world. Kids are all working and NOT living at home. Wife and I are rediscovering why we got together in the first place. The journey continues.

July 12 10am 71 degrees - cloudy, rain this morning, big thunderboomers last night, and a glorious rainbow.

Weather has settled into a July pattern. Hot, steamy, with thunderstorms, cool and dry, then back to hot & steamy.

Last Wednesday, saw a combine working his way across a wheat field - brought back lots of memories, though I don't recall ever harvesting wheat that early in July. When I was growing up, my Dad had a big red self-propelled combine - the first one in the area - and we would combine grain for anyone willing to pay. Summer days moving from farm to farm, one eye on the sky, and lots and lots of wheat.

Had a good week selling ads, delivering placemats, and being out there.

Have been having a lot of deju vu experiences lately, and premonitions of one kind or another. Not sure if any of these mean anything, but they do seem to portend something.

WIP moving along - nice to be back writing again. Must keep my eye on the goal.

July 6 8am 78 degrees - clear blue Michigan skies, hot stretch of days, 93 yesterday, hotter today,

Glorious sunrise this morning, not enough pinkish tinge to expect a sorely needed shower this afternoon, quarter moon in the eastern sky before dawn.

Got hollered at after Writer's Circle meeting last Thursday when Erin discovered I've been reading old stuff and not writing anything new. She's right, of course, so I'm struggling to move ahead with current WIP.

Enjoyed multiple firework displays, have been watering the flowers way too much, drove to city last night to celebrate middle son's 24th birthday. Much fun. Now, back to the grind. Get it done, get it finished.

Rolling along toward an unknown destination.

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Glorious Summertime

June 29 9am 57 degrees, cool weather as a respite from air conditioning, clear blue Michigan sky.

A glorious sunrise this morning, and I was even up to see it. The tinting of the eastern sky, the moon trying in vain to outshine the coming sun.

Bernita is chatting up a storm over on Bitten by Books. Fun, fun.

After 6 days, the penicillin has finally kicked in to wipe out a nasty sinus infection. And I feel GREAT! Super energized and ready to tackle just about anything. Writing is definitely on the top of the list.

Actually hauled the notes and partial I have around with me yesterday and spent some time reacquainting myself with what I still believe is my break-out.

Be it ever thus.

June 26 noon 80 degrees, summer has indeed arrived, clear blue Michigan sky, thunderstorms in the forecast.

Much of the week spent with my family, golfing, a gathering at my house, 20 some attendees, including my daughter who is very, very pregnant. 30 days left on that countdown.

My flowers are coming along nicely, though they could use a bit of fertilizer, maybe get to that tomorrow.

Off this afternoon to deliver placemats hither and yon, and then to Sister-in-law's house to watch fireworks from her front porch. Great way to spend a summer Saturday.

Writing continues to suffer from unknown causes, I know it is there, just won't come out.

June 15 9am 63 degrees - cloudy, has been for a few days, cool too. Warmth in the forecast, be nice.

Has been an interesting few weeks. Memorial Day weekend started with news of my wife's brother being hospitalized. A quick trip to Rochester soon became a hospice vigil, culminating in a memorial service the following Sunday. Rest in peace, Tim.

This week is gearing up for family. My Grandniece has graduated high school and that's all it takes for the family to come from all over the country for a celebration. Openhouse this Saturday, Golf with my brothers next Tuesday, and other get-togethers.

The deer, cruising through my yard in the early morning hours, have decided the buds on my Asian lilies are too tempting to pass up. I was looking forward to many blossoms and now have to figure out a way to keep them from munching on my hard work.

All excited for Bernita as she awaits the publication of Dark & Disorderly from Carina Press. Hopefully my hints for an Ipad as an ideal Father's Day gift were taken seriously.

And so it goes.

May 24 10am 78 degrees - clear blue Michigan sky, and hot, hot, hot. 73 is our normal high for this time of year and we are going to get close to 90 today and the rest of the week.

Happy Victoria Day to all my friends north of the border.

Life is good. Everything going better than planned. Very busy with my other business, which is a good thing.

Out here in the boondocks, medical marijuana has been approved and, now, the locals are screaming bloody murder as dispensaries pop up. What's more interesting is watching the discussion between golf partners, bowling league members, and most everyone who suddenly discover the folks they thought they knew have been smoking all along...

tis interesting, yes, it is.

Back to work - much to do, productivity is growing in every direction, which is a very good thing for my writing.

May 17 8am 51 degrees - gray cloudy morning, no rain in forecast - been almost warm, cool mornings.

Yardwork was the order of the day for the weekend. Planted a flat of impatiens, took down the bird feeders, put up the hummingbird feeder (still haven't filled it, waiting for the little guys to show up and say, "Hey, we're here!" Weeded - four wheelbarrows full and still fighting with crab grass - nasty roots on those suckers make it impossible to get every one.
For the most part, I have perennials; so if I keep the weeds down, they pretty much grow and blossom without much input.

Have - finally - gotten the story arc for my latest wip down. Didn't think it was ever going to happen. Now, hopefully, I haven't pushed it into that genre naming hell where agents throw up their hands and go - I don't know how to position this - Is it Urban Fantasy? - Is it Mainstream? Is it Suspense?

It's all very confusing. Does anyone know what Angelology is classified as?

Not that that is what I'm writing, but I'm curious as to how this was positioned.

Off to work - Placemat business is very brisk this time of year - much to do, much to accomplish, the devil at our heels.

May 8 Noon 41 degrees - Blustery day. Wind whipping - gusts to 48 mph, occasional spritzes of rain, a cool weekend after a couple weeks of above average temps and wondrous weather. Got an inch of rain and everything is green and getting greener.

A very good week, in the Placemat Biz. Been a great spring so far, which should leave me with plenty of time to write and get things moving on that front. Alas, writing time finds me curled up on the couch, watching Angels & Demons for the 43rd time. It is such a horrible movie, but I find myself unable to leave it long enough to search through the other 700 channels for something better. I do love the one line Tom Hanks delivers when he asked if he believes in God - it is such a great response to all my Christian friends - "Faith is a gift I have yet to receive." That has to be one of the greatest movie lines ever written. I haven't checked to see if it is in Dan Brown's book.

Pre-ordered Susan Henderson's Up From The Blue at my local independent bookstore. Margie says the pub date is a Friday - which is unusual. Any idea why? Susan?

Kids are checking in to see when Mother's Day is being celebrated. My wife worked in the restaurant business for so many years (working in food service means you don't even ASK for Mother's Day off as it is the busiest day of the year) - the rest of the family has created their own traditions with my Mother. So, we have no annual plans. When I offer to take the wife out to dinner, she says "I would never subject a poor waitress to one more customer today."

So, the kids will show up here in the morning and their Mom will sit on the couch watching them prepare breakfast. They are really funny and she enjoys watching them interact. Later, I will grill out pork chops, so she doesn't have to do that much.

Too cold to do any yardwork. Running out of excuses not to write. Be it ever thus.

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Rolling Along

April 26 9am 54 degrees, clear blue Michigan skies, much needed rain over the weekend, though we seem to be in a dry slot, most areas got 1-2 inches, we got 1/2 or less.

Susan Henderson is getting great press for her debut novel, Up From The Blue. Check out Jamie Ford's blog. Can't wait to get my hands on this one - it appears (since no one bothered to send me an arc...) that I have to wait until pub date. Bummer!

And, Bernita has a pub date for her debut, as well.

When I mentioned to my local bookseller that the last of my original blogging buddies was getting published and I felt all alone and abandoned, she said, "But you stopped."

That really threw me for a loop. Somehow, I didn't realize I had stopped, thought I was still moving towards getting published. After a week of checking figures and whatnots, it appears I did stop. Nothing out to agents, nothing being offered, and it has been that way for quite a while now.

Rather discouraging. But my own fault. Doesn't matter how good your stuff is, if you don't send it out, put it out there, it is never ever going to get published. Duh!!!

And so it goes.

April 12 5pm 61 degrees, clouding up after a warmish spring day. Rain tonight.

Spent the weekend cutting back (well, actually, demolishing two giant yew bushes beneath by office windows - they had gotten upwards of 8 feet high and so big they were impossible to keep trimmed so the windows were usable. Now, all that is left are two to three inch stumps about a foot high. Chopping wasn't the hard part, dragging the huge unwieldy stalks seventy five feet to the burn pile was the hard part.

Finished Angelology - interesting book, fun to read, ending sucks - the last forty pages should be redone to something more satisfying to the reader instead of telegraphing a sequel.
IMHO.

Having great fun with Neil Gaiman - through the main books and working on short story collections.

Life is good.

April 9 9am 32 degrees, cold looking clouds hanging low - a, hopefully brief, reminder that the 80+ degree days were just a tease and it really isn't going to be summer yet.

Having a hard time getting my act together here. Life isn't supposed to be this difficult, is it?

From the Archives:

On long-ago Easter mornings, the bright sun would break over the horizon in the east, across the farmland. Our house would already be alive with action as cows were milked and calves fed.

Mother and Dad would hurry things so we wouldn't be late for the Brown City Masonic Lodge Easter breakfast. Mother, through some process I have never ceased to be amazed at, would get up early, milk the cows and finish the chores.

Then she would manage to clean up, get dressed in her new Easter clothes, get Dad and three small boys up, dressed and into the car. All of this by 7 am.

My two older brothers and I would be in new suits and shiny black shoes, sleepily riding toward town in the early morning light.
The only signs of life at that hour were a few milkhouses aglow. Main Street was nearly deserted, except for the cars parked near the Masonic Temple. The air is still cold at Eastertime, and getting out of the warm car would wake us up.

Brother Bob would be all sticky from the candy he managed to sneak from his Easter basket, even though Mother had forbidden it. For his trouble, she would take him to the restroom and scrub harder than necessary to remove it.
Dad would lead us up the sidewalk to the door. Inside was the biggest stairway I had ever seen. It seemed to go up nearly forever. As we started, the echoes of feet would rise and then come back down again. There was a long hallway at the end of the steps creating a fantastic reverberation with our hard-soled shoes.

Through the door, the foyer would be warm and crowded with the smell of Old Spice and Lavender as families waited for members to arrive so they could be seated. The same faces appeared year after year, with the same smiles and the same cries of, "Don't you look nice!"

After Dad scouted a table big enough for us to sit, we'd go to the dining room, where big wooden tables were covered with white paper tablecloths, decorated with jelly beans and little Easter bunnies. The tables were surrounded by sturdy wooden chairs with rounded backs and thick wood seats. Dad would find a dark wood booster seat for me and we would all sit down.

The Masons put this breakfast on every year, with the male members serving the tables, cooking the ham, eggs and hot cross buns, and delivering milk, coffee and grapefruit juice.
Dad would sit at the end of the table exchanging pleasantries with whoever walked by; proud of his three sons and of Mother, who looked beautiful and radiant.

I would grouse about the buns beings hard, and Bob would spill something - either on the table or his new suit, but he would spill something.

After breakfast, we would walk from the Masonic Temple across Main Street and down a block to the Methodist Church. Dad always wanted to be there early so we didn't have to sit in front. Sitting for a really long time on those hard pews was difficult for small boys.

As the church slowly filled up with friends and neighbors, the sun breaks through a cloud and sends glorious rays of colored light through the stain glass windows in the east. Even little boys were awed by the sight, which, of course, is what Easter is all about.

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Warmer, Warmer, Warmer

April 5 8am 50 degrees, clear blue Michigan sky, still on a run of record temps, this can't go on but it sure is wonderful.

Friday, as I was working, saw bunches of people out raking and cleaning their yards. Which I did Saturday, got my big flower beds cleared of debris and the rockfall raked out, Sunday, the boys helped me put up the waterwheel and get it running. Daffodils and Jonquils are blooming everywhere, glorious spring.

On Susan Henderson's advice, I picked up Angelology. Am about 2/3 way through, fascinating book - kind of a literary DaVinci Code. One of those rare books that makes you look at the world in a different way - way different if you are a conspiracy enthusiast.

All of our sons were here for Easter, and the weather cooperated, turning it into one of those days to be treasured, the boys laughing and enjoying each other's company. Makes a parent proud, yes, it does.

Much happening, much to do, onward and upward.

April 1 2pm 77 degrees, blue Michigan skies, record temps, gotta love global warming, frost is gone from the ground, planting will be done early this year.

Picked my first daffodil yesterday, have seen a few red winged blackbirds, chased away a pair of starlings trying to build a nest in the soffit over the front door.

March was a record breaking month for my other business. I'm still trying to catch up with everything I need to do. April is looking even better.

Am reading my way through Neil Gaiman. What great fun - been along time since a book kept me up into the wee hours just because I couldn't put it down until it was done...

Writing life complicated by the transfer of my local newspaper editor. Having to start that whole deal over from scratch. We'll see what happens, at this point, I don't think the pittance they will offer will make it worth the time and effort. Though, sometimes you just do something because it keeps your name out there and when people see your name, good things happen.

Off to enjoy this rare and wonderful sunshine.

March 22 9am 38 degrees, sunshine and whitewashed sky, strong (and bitter) northeast wind. Jackets came off last week, a wondrous stretch of springtime.

Out here in the boondocks, on back country roads made nearly impassable by the frost coming out of the gravel unevenly, robins and Canadian geese searching for a place to call home and raise a family. I have crocus in bloom and daffodils four inches high, and, though the calendar says spring, it is not yet here. Weather guy says we are on our way to the least snowy March in history. Only a trace has fallen all month.

Received a Barnes & Noble gift card for my birthday and, 90 mile round trip to actually find a B&N store, spent the whole thing on Neil Gaiman books.

Oakland University Golden Grizzlies didn't do so hot in the NCAA, but MSU is kicking ass.

Life is good.

March 11 9am 43 degrees, beautiful Michigan blue sky this morning, ending a week of above average temps, going to near 60 today with a bit of rain to wash away the last of the snow.

River up with all the melting - eight inches of snow cover nearly gone and it has to go somewhere, so all the streams are high and low areas still frozen are spotted with standing water. Ah, spring.

Of course, we know it isn't over yet, another big snow is waiting out there somewhere, to hit us when the winter coats are stuffed into the back of the closet to be forgotten until November comes around again.

Enough about the weather.

Life around my little piece of the world has been wonderful. My alma mater (and current repository of two sons and a son-in-law) is going to the BIG Dance. Go Grizzlies!!

Our local writer's circle garnered press coverage.

Business is going amazingly well, given the economy hereabouts. The rising sap in the maple trees is raising the overall hope and belief we have that the future brings only good things. Optimistic people buy more.

Still putting together a weekly book review column for the local paper. This is going to happen, just a matter of getting everyone on the same page.

Off to do well in grand world of placemats.

March 2 11am 33 degrees, foggy this morning, melting over the past few days, still 6-8 inches of snow on the ground.

It has been an interesting week. Dental problems continue to plague, my favorite Uncle was buried, and the whole writing life seems so far away.

I'll be back around when I can think straight.

February 22 noon 29 degrees, heavy snow, been coming down since before dawn, maybe 4 inches so far and more coming - see, didn't even have to change the title of this entry.... how depressing is that?

So, a work at home day, have gotten lots done, not sure what else I can do, since I really can't go anywhere. Schools are closed, trees are starting to bend as this is heavy wet snow.

Bernita is all excited - hopefully, it will work beyond her greatest expectations - she is a very talented writer.

Rolling into the last week of the month, lot of ground to make up to get to quota - probably not a good thing. Oh, well. It is what it is.

Onward and Upward.

February 12 noon 25 degrees, bright out, clouds, but still bright. 10 inches of new snow came Tuesday/Wednesday, snow day around here - nothing like most other folks got.

Been sort of a lost week - my teeth decided it was time to rebel after 40 years of drinking coffee laced with sugar - beyond toothaches, large chunks of enamel are now simply breaking off, am heavily medicated while I decide the next move - I really hate this growing old stuff.

Off to deliver placemats and see what else is happening in the great big world.

It appears I will become a semi-regular columnist in the Lapeer County Press starting next month - writing a piece of personal history/remembrance working off an old farm photo - at least that's the plan right now. Doesn't pay much, but I get a byline and picture - every little bit of notoriety helps.

Onward and Upward.

February 4 9am 13 degrees, bright sunshine this morning, a glorious sunrise (earlier than it has been which gives hope), 2-3 inches of snow on the ground, chilly though, down to 6 last night - which wasn't in the forecast.

Groundhogs were everywhere, early in the week. My neighbor Hubert used to say, "You should be halfway through the woodpile by Groundhog Day." Soooooooo, we're about halfway through - the end of winter is in sight.

I received a wonderful compliment from a writer whose opinion I admire greatly. She said, "Your writing has become very much a "voice." And it is a voice that does not strain to impress, the way young voices too often do. It just is. And it communicates - not only what you are saying, but the mood, the nuances."

A wonderful way to start the week, the month, the year.

Now, of course, I need to get some real writing done, to use this perceived gift to clear the last hurdles to successful publication.

The new year has begun; on to the future, tomorrow, and the hope that comes with longer days, warmer sun, and groundhogs.

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January Thaw

January 25 9am 33 degrees. January thaw came right on schedule - most of the snow is gone, some icy spots still apparent, deeper snow in the backyard, but brown grass has appeared - of course this is all going to end with very cold temps this week and more snow - but, hey, it was nice while it lasted.

Dropped $12.50 a ticket and wasted a perfectly good Saturday night to watch Avatar at the local IMAX. Visually, it was stunning, but, in my humble opinion, it takes more than that to carry a movie - the plot sucked, the editing was horrible (how did he get that big metal bar and grenades?), And it was all supposed to be so inventive? Okay, inventive in the way it simply borrowed the big stuff from others? Let's see - big tree (LOTR), troop ships (Star Wars), giant mechanical warriors (Star Wars & Matrix), Plot line - just about any giant romance movie made in the last 100 years. Other than that, it wasn't too bad.

Did get a chance to see "It's Complicated". Now, that is a very cool movie - need to see it again as we were laughing too hard to catch everything. Good crisp writing and a storyline for us Boomers.

Now, off to start my week and salvage the month.

Onward & Upward.

January 23 11am 31 degrees, supposed to rise above freezing today and stay there for 48 hours - into the 40's tomorrow which should melt all the remaining snow and loosen the ice gripping the driveway. Doesn't feel especially warm at the moment...

Celebrating a friend's birthday tonight - eight of us going to dinner, then to the IMAX to see Avatar - I really have no interest in doing this, however, it will calm youngest boy down as he and I are trying to review all the movies before the Oscars. Never been a big Cameron fan - the bigger, bolder, greatest shtick is just annoying and so seldom lives up to the hype. We'll see - I like to be pleasantly surprised.

Been a long hard week - I'm glad it's over.

Onward and Upward.

January 18 10am 28 degrees, ice fog all around, fog forms and then freezes to the trees and fences creating a texture that defies description. Very cool.

Bought -from my local bookstore - The Bookshelf - which, oddly, doesn't have a website, Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger. Assuming that consumption of this book would bring a $4.5 million payday - probably harder than that -but, not a bad read. Was never a big Henry James fan.

Currently deep into Wildfire by Nelson DeMille, not something I would buy, but I got it at the local used bookstore, in hardcover, for 50 cents. Trying real hard to get into the story, but the constructs are so poorly done, it is difficult. Oh, sure, the bad guys capture a trespasser and then have him sit in on the meeting where they lay out in great detail just what they're going to do. I guess I'm supposed to be reading Jack Bauer was here. Tad confusing.

Speaking of Jack Bauer - two hours into the new season - gotta love it, gotta love it.

Okay, off to work now. Upward and Onward.

January 13 9am 24 degrees and rising. 6-8 inches of snow on ground, everything very white.

Braved a big snow storm on the 7th to go to Writer's Circle - only 4 of us made it, but it was a good meeting, except I had to drive home through six inches of fresh snow making my own track. Sure glad I ponied up for the new snow tires.

Life is moving forward wonderfully. Kids are all doing well, work is going very well, and I keep trying to squeeze a few more minutes every day to write.

Be it ever thus.

January 1 1pm 21 degrees and dropping, with snow flurries.

Made it through Christmas in grand shape - life is good.

Among my New Year resolutions - get some actual writing done. I've been slacking badly and this is going to be the year to get something sold.

Which means, braving the inbox of Janet Reid. Should be fun, I haven't offered anything to her since way back in the Miss Snark era.

Negotiations are progressing on getting a permanent writing gig with the local newspaper chain - something about not having budget figures is the only thing holding those up - and, of course, budget numbers will determine whether my time and effort are compensated enough to make it worthwhile.

On tap this summer - making it to New York - have not been there in 30 years - and I really want to go again. Coming to meet with an agent would just be icing on the cake.

Reading more. I received from my Daughter, as always, the latest Stephen King opus. I managed to finish (all 1150 pages) by the 29th. The Dome is his best work in years. - although the ending was a bit too much like IT for my tastes.

On a personal note, and I have resolved to make this blog more about writing and less about my life in general - the huge wedding of last June, has brought about great news. My wife and I will become grandparents for the first time in July. Very exciting.

Onward & Upward.

December 15 5:30pm 23 degrees, snowing heavily, though these are only supposed to be flurries, roads look nasty, wife at work, one child on roads.

Been a pretty quiet time around here. Sales are holding, but that should slack off as we are getting ever closer to Christmas.

Wife went nuts and wrapped enough presents to extend 6 feet from all sides of the tree - I think if we mounded them up, they would be bigger than the tree itself. I'm wrapping some myself tonight.

Feeders are into the third 40 lb bag of sunflower seeds. At least the birds are having a good time.

Off to hometown to see Mom tomorrow, do a little shopping, check the restaurant for placemats.

Watching with interest the e-book controversy. Everyone looking out for themselves. And, hopefully, the agents are looking out for us....

Onward and Upward.

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Christmas Spirit
originally posted: December 6, 2009

December 6 11am 21 degrees - the cold of winter has arrived, no snow (he said, hopefully, wishing it to remain so..)

The week kicked in, finally, and turned out to be a record start for December. My other business tends to be like publishing, in that nothing much happens in December. Sales drop off dramatically about the 14th and won't resume until January 10th or so. Just a giant lull in which most folks are thinking about what to get Aunt Jane - whether to go with the pot holders again or be creative and get her the latest bi/les mystery series?

Wife and I went shopping Friday night, got the tree yesterday, put it up last night, all decorated and lit. Different doing it with no children about, just her and I, going through the boxes of ornaments, cradled in our memories.

Doing my annual Christmas letters is on tap this afternoon - along with a huge pot of home made bean soup, simmering in the kitchen and smelling up the house(according to the rest of the family who steadfastly refuse to even try it).

Going to be interesting to see what Harlequin is going to do next - the bean counters are doubtless working overtime this weekend to see if the extra money they are going to make will be enough to cover the increasingly vocal and strident damage to their reputation.

December 2 9am 37 degrees - woke very early this morning to a spectacular full moon shining through the bedroom window - very cool. High clouds now, rain coming this afternoon, and overnight tonight, our first snowfall (at least that's what the weather guy says)

Having trouble getting the week started, just not into it and I only have a couple weeks to make the month before everyone closes down for Christmas. Can't quite get it going.

Got Christmas cards with pictures printed on Monday. My Mother started doing this in 1951 and is still at it. We started in 1976. Traditions go on. Relatives we seldom see are able to watch the kids grow up. So much better than generic letters recounting people and things we don't know - or care - about.

My youngest child turns 20 today - no more teenagers. Another phase begins.

Life is good, now, to work....

November 30 9am 32 degrees - clear Michigan sky, glorious sunshine. Snow has held off other than a few flurries, grass is still green, holding on to the promise of summer. Not bad, not bad at all.

Thanksgiving has come and gone - pretty quiet around here. Had a busy week last week and am still trying to recover. Not much on the agenda today other than getting the Christmas cards printed. My Mother started sending picture Christmas cards in 1951 and hasn't missed a year. She still is going strong and I started in 1974. Relatives we don't see often have watched our kids grow up in pictures.

Bernita is back - life is good.
Writing on the agenda for today and, hopefully, the whole month of December. Business gets pretty slow this time of year - just go with the flow.

Onward and Upward.

November 23 8am 43 degrees - foggy, this stretch of odd weather brings fog in the mornings, blue skies in the afternoon, just a little above normal. Conversations begin with "better than last year" and "didn't we have a foot of snow this time a couple years back?"

Business is pretty much insane, with everything coming to a head all at once.

And the rest of my life has been pretty full as well - rushing tither and yon simply trying to stay ahead.

Did manage to squeeze a few hours out to celebrate my 31st wedding anniversary. The nice folks at the Lapeer Best Western gave me a whirlpool suite Friday night. A little wine, a leisurely soak, and the Swedish shower brought the Will Smith line, "I gotta get me one of those!"

Life goes on, life is good. The future beckons, we roll forward.

November 16 8am 38 degrees - high clouds as the sun rises after yet another marvelous weekend - high of 68 on Saturday - considering there have been years recently when snow has been piling up.

Shopping with Mother was fun. Even at 86, she has a flair for the dramatic and an eye for what makes her look good.

Slowly recovering from my adventure, much slower than I would like.

Getting a lot done for a change. Things are moving forward, quickly. This is a good thing.

Bernita is back and she was sorely missed.

Kristin Nelson has been running a series of posts concerning contracts - yet another reason for writers to leave the arcane details to the agents.

Life is good. In my corner of the world, along the river, the trees are bare, charcoal colored branches, bereft of leaves, ground covered by dark brown oak leaves, such a horrid color, yet, here and there, a glimpse of green growth, holding on before the coming freeze, holding the promise of the cycles continuing to play out in our lives and in our world.

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Veteran's Day - Remembrance Day
originally posted: November 11, 2009

November 11 7am 27 degrees - clear blue Michigan sky, frost on the ground, had a wonderful weekend of 68 degree weather.

Outside this past weekend, battening down the house for the coming winter, washing windows, sprucing up.

Week was rolling along fine until Tuesday morning about 3:30. I woke to extreme pain and pressure at the bottom of my rib cage. Ah, just gas, couple of Maalox, glass of water, back to bed. Repeat at 4, repeat at 4:30, by 5, it was becoming clear this was a particularly bad episode or maybe something else. Then, new pains started in different places around and about my chest. Check google for heart attack symptoms. Wake wife, comb hair, go to ER.

By nine, it was obviously a heavy duty gas attack - by noon, I was home. Lost the whole day and am more annoyed that my body seems to be turning on me after 58 years of being able to count on it to keep me moving day after day.

One of my personal heroes, Uncle Jack, fell and broke his hip. He is 93. The hospital wanted to do little but make him comfortable, but he insisted on having surgery to repair the damage and get him walking again, he is planning on heading to Florida for Christmas. Happy to report, operation was successful - though the doctors were skeptical - and recovery is going well.

Bernita - after an absence of some time - has returned. Her delightful take on publishing and writing and living has been missed.

Off to do battle with the world. Lost a whole day this week and am taking tomorrow off to take my Mother shopping for winter clothes. This will be her first winter in Michigan in over twenty years.

Upward and Onward.

November 5 9am 37 degrees - clear blue Michigan sky, the leaves have pretty much relocated to the yard, breeze is cold not chilly, winter feels as if it could come at any time.

Work goes well - writing is still struggling.

Bloggers seem less likely to blog on a daily basis - too many other things happening, I guess. My kids are telling me if I want to keep track of them, I need to go on facebook. Good Grief, another thing to waste time on?

Apparently, I have little to contribute this morning as well....

Interestingly enough, I discovered watching the news/opinion/ranting shows on television will put me immediately to sleep.

Life is good - for all my complaining. We go on.

October 28 9am 49 degrees - rainy overnight, hazy this morning as the sun is just coming up in my little part of the world.

This week going even better than last, sales are amazingly good, money flowing, good stuff.

Creating a new work schedule, seems to be just the ticket. Things are happening.

Watching the political stuff - interesting but does cause one to ponder when the Democratic party got so chummy with Wall Street. Here, have some money to replace all the money you lost betting on risky stuff. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?

And some mornings, it seems the best solution to Al Queda is simply to nuke large portions of the Afghan/Pakistan border. Would probably get most of them and, if not, would certainly slow them down.

Okay, shouldn't be musing on such stuff - no one really cares what I think.

Looking forward to the new Stephen King book - though I'll likely have to wait until Christmas as Daughter always buys me the latest.

And, gee, Christmas is less than two months away. Okay, now that I've depressed myself, off to work.

October 21 8am 52 degrees - rainy morning, but temp going to 70 this afternoon, a welcome respite after a couple weeks of way way below normal.

Things are pretty quiet around here; nothing really going on. Getting used to my wife working afternoon shift, going through a tough period of how much time can I waste...

On the other hand, business going extremely well, money moving in and out, ads being sold.

New projects trying to be born. Down on the river last night, playing in the leaves that float my way and get caught in the rocks. The magic of the water (man, was it ever cold), carrying red and yellow messengers from upstream. Winter comes.

October 16 9am 33 degrees - bright sunshine and clear blue Michigan skies. Been unseasonably cold here the past weeks - some 15-20 degrees below where we should be. Heavy frost, flowers gone, leaves turning quickly.

Work goes well - actually still 20% ahead of last year, who da thunk?

No one seems to be blogging these days. Guess that whole scene is about over - just ask Robin. Even Janet is posting less these days.

Perhaps everyone is getting back to writing??? as opposed to twittering, facebooking, blogging and whatever else is taking precious minutes from our days?

Went to funeral home yesterday for Bev Hayward Wood. She was my first mother-in-law, back some forty years ago. Her life is the stuff of novels, a simple life, full of big families, raucous siblings, and a childlike take on everyday living. Always a smile, always caring, always asking about my kids even though only one of them was her actual granddaughter.

Sometimes I sit in awe of the magic that is my life. May it be ever so.

October 5 7pm 53 degrees - darkness is falling on a cloudy cool day.

Been an interesting couple weeks, wine tasting up north with four couples, golf, wine, shopping, hanging out. We had a sauna in the house that was absolutely marvelous.

Back home, wife working new shift, long hours into the evening, leaving me here alone to ponder the universe, the rest of my life, and whether to let the cat in or not.

Gearing up for winter. Bought my first 40lb bag of sunflower seeds today. The birds have been coming around asking when I'm going to start the winter feeding - no, seriously, the chickadees and woodpeckers come to see if the feeders are up yet. Had one little guy perch on the window looking inside to see if we were still here.

Fireplace burning, trying to keep the chill off the house while at the same time not using propane, which is still ridiculously expensive.

Life is good.

September 22 3pm 81 degrees - cloudy, but amazingly warm for the first day of Fall. Tries to rain, we've gotten a little, less than 1/2 inch - which is our total for the entire month.

Patry Francis is back home after her LAST surgery. She is such a sweet soul, whose talent with the written word is simply among the best. Hopefully, her long nightmare is finally over and the second novel will be coming soon. Patry was one of the first friends I made on this blog. I cheered when she burned her waitress shoes, special ordered her book, enjoyed it, passed it on, cried when she got the diagnosis, prayed through the surgeries, oohed and aahed over her grandchildren, and got teary eyed at today's post. A life's journey through this blog and PublishersMarketplace.

As we attempt to get back into the swing of writing and publishing, (news on these attempts are awaiting approval), the sense of community we share here is very important.

Off this weekend for our Annual Wine Tasting Weekend. This year, we have a huge modern house in Sutton's Bay as our home base. Vacations come not often enough.

Onward and Upward.

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Ric Marion is a writer, far from New York, in the rural thumb of Michigan. Done about everything, welfare caseworker, shop rat, trucking supervisor, editor, columnist, small business owner.
This writer is in search of agency representation.