Monday October 7 NEW DAY; NEW WEEK COLUMBUS DAY

Since I retired, I'm retaining less and less of my holiday awareness. I used to know the holdays by heart. I'd count the days to: Columbus Day to Veterans Day (sometimes) Thanksgiving, Christmas-New Years, Martin Luther King Jr., President's Day and/or Lincoln's birthday, depending on when it felt, Casimir Pulaski Day. After all, I AM in Illinois. Then the long stretch to Spring break and the even longer break to Memorial Day, and what seemed forever to "Get Out of Jail Free!"
I'd be great for the rest of June and July, then around August 1st, the anxiety attacks would start, and we'd repeat the process.

Don't get me wrong. I love teaching kids stuff. In my case it was general music. But I didn't care. I'd teach them other stuff too. And, they'd teach me. Gee, the hand signals I learned. I still can't perform the intricacies with any degree of fluency. And, they'd teach me the latest dances. You should have seen me almost down on the floor. Ouch. I'd have muscle cramps for weeks.

But, I loved my kids. Some of them loved me. Some of them --

Now, I'm retired and am busy hustling in the writing profession. Something else I have a love-hate relationship with.

So, this week? On Friday, I'm taking a trip to Western Illinois University to perform at their "Open mic." that's almost a five hour trip. How many people will attend? I have no idea. Neither do they. I've been to open mics that were filled to capacity and to open mics that had no more than five. Other performers. You just never know. What I love about open mics though, is you don't just sit at a table waiting for people to come to you, you get up there, read an excerpt from your book and can explain why your wrote it, and subtly, explain why they should read the book.

I'm praying my new books get to me by Friday. If not, I still have a few of the first editions in my back seat. And flyers. Don't forget those flyers, business cards, book marks. Staples here I come (again) I think they're getting sick of me.

I've had such good feedback on the subject of horse abuse and those people who struggle to save and protect them, I wonder if I shouldn't beome a specialist in writng about horses. My next book "Water Lilies Over My Grave," does have a collie in it, but it's more about a woman trying to escape her stalker/ex-husband. A common theme, twisted a bit to go more deeply into his spiral into obsessive madness. Did I tell you I love dark with funny moments? Water Lilies will be coming out in the Spring.

Then theres a choice: My legacy story (name to be changed) about a woman who inherits a castle in Romania only to find it's inhabited by drug dealers. And another one about horse theft and the people who try to locate and save him.

Gee--should I take a poll? MAYBE I CAN GET SOME COMMENTS? I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE AND I APPRECIATE YOU. I JUST WISH YOU HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE AND A BLUEBERRY MUFFIN WITH ME.

Until next time.
From the Cottage of Blog