A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

On Writing and Teaching... And Writing Again My second grade teacher liked a story I wrote. She submitted it to the school newspaper and it was published. It was kind of a big deal since our school hosted grades kindergarten through grade eight. (And no…I am not talking about a one-room school!)   In twelfth grade, we had a substitute teacher for the second half of the year while our regular English teacher was on maternity leave. The woman replacing her (and yes, I wish I could remember her name) was not only a teacher but also a published author. Her first assignment was something along the lines of a first person story to help her get to know us.    “You may edit and revise these for a better grade,” she announced as she walked through the room, the graded papers in hand. I watched as many of my classmates cringed. I heard a few groans.   Breathing On Her Own 1st novel still going strong... The teacher paused at my desk, put my composition down and tapped it with ...

   Crossing the Finish Line   We’re almost to the finish line on the remodel.  Almost.            The Cat Knows How to Chill During a Remodel... Totally Adaptable Feline   The floors we ordered are installed throughout the house. The new vanity in the guest bathroom is now operational, though the mirror we ordered won’t be delivered for a couple of weeks. The stone facing on the fireplace will be completed this week and the backsplash in the kitchen in done. Of course, there may be a bit of touch up painting here and there. I’m not worried. Our contractor is quite diligent.    And…now…we finally retrieved the stove from the garage and moved the refrigerator in from the back porch.   Loving the New Kitchen The countertops are beautiful. The kitchen sink is in place and hooked up to water. That means no more washing dishes in the garage. (See last week’s post HERE .)    Also, having a sink sitting there n...

   Twenty Ways to Keep From Writing Your Blog Twenty ways to keep from writing a blog post on time while renovating your house… Since obviously, being totally distracted living in a house with plywood countertops, an almost finished fireplace, and a missing vanity, you still need to craft a blog post. Here’s the list:   1)   Forget where you put your computer when the floor guys were installing your new floor.   2)   Find your computer and decide to play a game while you think about the blog.   3)   Take a walk so you get a few steps in. Everyone knows exercise and fresh air helps you think.    4)   While you are out, chat with a few neighbors. It         is important to be neighborly.   5)   Go to the refrigerator…relocated on the porch during your renovation… for some cold water.    6)    Decide on sweet tea inst...

Cattle Dogs, Readers, Writers, and Musicians   I had seen the sign “Cattle Dog” while walking around Inverness. But to be honest, I hadn’t explored that stretch of restaurants and stores since moving here last summer.     The only cattle dog I know is a beautiful Australian Blue Heeler named Honeybee. As it turns out,  Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters  was named after another beautiful Australian Blue Heeler named Barney.   Our Blue Heeler, Honeybee A Facebook friend and I connected through one of our high school online groups. Stephanie and I were a year apart and had never met, though we had several high school friends in common. We discovered we now lived fairly close to each other in Citrus County.    After a bit of messaging, we decided to meet for a cup of coffee. Where? You guessed it,  Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters  in Inverness.  Chamberlain Grads:  That's Stephanie in Pink   Stephanie let me know she liked my writing and ...