DRAGONFLIES

While in Florida, I sat on the screened-in patio (the mosquitos in Florida are large enough to carry you off) and watched not one but three dragonflies run up the screen to escape the rain. My son-in-law thinks they are grosteque looking bugs and I have always been fascinatd by them. That interest caused my husband to purchase a lovely dragonfly broach for me one Christmas; it is still on my favorite coat.

Webster describes the dragonfly as "a long thin flying insect with transparent wings and a shimmering body." Those wings seem iridescent and I find them beautiful. I've never written about them, or this fascination I have with them. I suppose once I thuoght about doing so because recently while going through one of my journals I found information I had collected on my fairy-like winged beauties.

There was the description, a picture of one snipped from a Zoo News Magazine and a snippet of background. It seems that in Japan the dragonfly was once revered to the point that soldiers of old wore them on their helmets or headgear as a symbol of strength. Can you imagine such tiny creatures being entwined with the belief of strength?

I like the other information I made a note of best: Dragonflies encourage us to let go of the past and welcome the winds of change.

I am open for the dragonfly to bless me with such encouragement as I need a change in my writing life--if I make it through next weeks book submission.

BLESSINGS

Most of my readers probably think I have once again fallen off the dark side of the moon. Sometimes during the past month I wish I could. I am still editing my last few stories; will have them done by Thursday when I meet with my critique group (we are a trio at the moment). They are working on the last story of my book and I hope to take the suggestions I agree with, do the final rewrites, and send this book off to the publisher no later than the end of next week. It is about time I let my baby go.

We had a lovely trip to Florida, attended my granddaughter's wedding, and had a lovely visit with our three great-grandson's and the rest of the family. We all wish we lived closer so we could enjoy these framily times more often. As I said, it was wonderful being there but also nice to come home to our "rut" as we describe our fairly predictable life.

We have been expecting that our brother-in-law would any day reach the beginning of the end of his battle with leukemia. He spent four days of last week in the hospital with pneumonia and his doctors sent him home with hospice. We spent the day Sunday with he and his family; it is especially hard for my husband to accept letting him go as they have known each other for over seventy years. It is hard to let go of pieces of our life, too.

Because my writing life has been so tied up with the completion of this book and the editing, I find a need to break away now and then. I picked up one of those dozens of journals I have told you about, began to read through my notes, quotes, ideas--I am actually surprised that I collected such neat stuff. All sorts of new ideas kept popping into my head. I want to rush through the completion of this book and get involved with new things. Isn't it ironic that we fall in love with our words, want readers to grab our book off a shelf, fear letting it go--but still find ourselves looking forward to the next project? I think this is probably a good thing, a productive gesture, a nod to us and our love to continue to create words others will enjoy.

One of the things I ran across was a prayer I'd like to share with you all:

"May the sun bgring you new energy bg day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow news strength into your being.

May you walk gently through the word and know its beauty all the days of your life."
(Apache Blessing)

I wish this for you, my friends.

VACATIONS CAN PROMOTE IDEAS

It has been too long since I blogged but I have an excuse. I have been working long hours editing, rewriting, and proofing a manuscript for my next book, Pink Poodle Pie (and Other Tales of Women Getting Even). It will be out sometime in the early fall. Of course, I will remind all of you when the release date is decided.

I took two weeks off (yes, my editor knows where I am and what I'm doing-lol), to fly to Florida for our youngest granddaughter's wedding on July 4. Shannon Hall married Richard Hughes on our most patriotic day. Grandma helped decorate, shop, plan some last minutes fun things, and was so proud of the lovely bride (and her choice of husband). Very proud of the job my daughter and son-in-law have done in bringing up three wonderful adults also. It has been a super time with my three great-grandsons too.

And I have gleaned some ideas from the whole process. Weddings and parties and all those characters that show up offer great material. The lush green of Florida, the aligator-clogged ponds, the hardworking, beer-drinking, pickup-truck driving, Crackers or Rebels, or Rednecks of FLorida, and the Cuban influence all make fodder for future stories.

As I have said before, never forget that little notebook when you venture from home. I have been scribbling notes in between events, while sitting on the patio (covered, of course), while listening to the squeals of my great-grandsons in the pool, or feeding ducks in the pond in back of the yard. I may not use the notes any time soon but I have them down.

Happy Writing. See you soon.