Failure to Launch

 Failure to Launch

Back in April you may remember I shared that our sweet dog, Roxy, was going to live with her “daddy.” She was, after all, Shawn’s dog. If you missed that post, you can read it by clicking HERE.

After dropping the two dogs and the cat off at Shawn’s house, Mike and I went on down to the Florida Keys for our anniversary. We had a great time and Shawn enjoyed having the critters around. He was ready for them. It was a little disappointing, however, that the cat learned how to use the doggy door he installed before Roxy did.

These animals love Shawn. They’ve known him all of their lives. And Shawn loves them. He offers loving care. Even when he was away at work, he could see what they were doing via a camera he installed and could talk to them. 

As they say at NASA, all systems were “go.”

When Mike and I returned the following week, we stopped at Shawn’s house to pick up Honeybee and Tiki-Kitty. We knew they enjoyed the visit but were happy to head home as well. 

We were barely on the interstate when Shawn called. Roxy was going nuts. I think she felt left out. Mike calmly told Shawn to give her a little time. 

Shawn did. He brought her back to us the next day.

Sometimes Life is Tough

Don’t misunderstand. Shawn loves that dog. He wants her to be happy. Being with the rest of her animal family makes Roxy happy. 

You see, Roxy is a very responsible member of the family. It didn’t’ take her long to realize Shawn’s house was functioning smoothly and would continue to do so without her. You could see the worry lines on her face when she thought of the calamity that might befall our household without her. 

You Can see the Worry Lines 
On Her Sweet Face

Roxy feels a deep obligation to be here and care for Honeybee. She is committed to keeping Tiki on her toes. Roxy was concerned, I think, that without her patrolling our yard, those pesky squirrels might wreak havoc. And I’m sure the main reason she drools on the floor is to remind me to mop it. Dirt and stuff doesn’t always show up on that wood grain.

At NASA they would call this little experiment a “Failure to Launch.” But for us it is…well, it’s merely a family reunion and All Systems Are Go.

 

Self-Inflicted Wounds

Tending to Self- Inflicted Wounds

Have you ever read a book that was terrible? A book where the writing was so awful YOU wish YOU HAD NEVER WRITTEN IT? 

That’s right. I recently read a book I wrote a few years ago. I was sure it was pretty good... but might need a little work. 

A little? I know what I had in mind…except I was probably a little out of my mind when it came to putting the story on paper. 

The truth is...this was a book I had just started writing the week Tom died. That was in October of 2014. Nearly ten years ago. It was always hanging over me like a half painted living room ceiling. I “finished” the book in 2021 and sent it to a publisher. The editors who read it were kind but honest. 

Brutally honest. But that’s what I needed.

They basically said the book has potential…with a lot of work. I put it away. Out of sight. Out of mind. In the meantime, I had a few “fits and starts” for a couple of other books, but lacked the motivation to make them happen.

As most of my readers know, I remarried in 2023. Mike is a good man. He encourages me in my writing. I know that is a blessing. I find myself interested in crafting more than my blog now. 

I recently took inventory. I have three novels at various stages of development. In that dark time of my life I would have an idea, scratch out forty or fifty thousand words, become distracted, and abandon the project all together. 

Now? Anything is possible.

With that confidence, I printed the novel I pitched to those publishers in 2021 and started reading it again, cutting it apart (literally), and trying to make sense of it. 

A Cut, Toss, and Paste
Novel...of sorts.
This is how some of us write!

I re-read the email the editor sent me. She offered a few options I could try. She never mentioned the fact there were entire portions missing valuable information and some of the text simply didn’t make sense. 

I suppose she figured those issues would be resolved in a rewrite anyway and didn’t want to overwhelm me. 

Not to worry. I was already overwhelmed. Simply getting the book off my plate was a relief. When it came back with a rejection, I set it aside.  Until now.

Now I am ready. Now I am reading the comments the editor offered with new appreciation. 

The book may take a totally different turn. I don’t know. What I do know is that I am writing again and it feels good.

P.S. I talked with that editor from Mt. Zion Ridge Press before publishing this. I apologized for sending her such a goofy manuscript. She gets it...and she knew that was a tender time in my life. Armed with her words of confidence in what the book could be, I am tackling the story from a different angle. And I am reminding myself we are all on this journey together. 

 

 

There's No Place Like...Family

"There's No Place Like...Family"

Since Mike and I married, I don’t get to see my side of the family that often. My mom, children and grands are at least an airplane ride away. But this past week was an exception. My oldest daughter and oldest grandson drove from Ohio to Florida for a short visit…With My Mama! The visit was brief, but a wonderful experience for this girl. 

They had all heard us describe our Florida home and looked at the pictures on the internet when it was on the market in 2023. We’ve changed nearly everything in the house since then. Roof to floors. Inside and out. But the big draw for us…and them? The outdoor space. The lake. You can go to Lowes or Home Depot all you like, but you can’t improve that view.

We took the boat out on the lake, marveled at the wildlife, fed some fish and watched the glow of the sunset dissolve into night. 

My Mom and Grandson
With Mike at the Helm

We took the boat to one of our favorite restaurants, The Cove. Delicious and fun.

We connected with family. Mike’s son and younger sister got to meet Allison and Joshua for the for the first time. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law on the Waters side came for dinner on Sunday after our visit to the Stable Faith Cowboy Church. 

Three days doesn’t sound like much, but we made the most of it. Allison had to get back to work. Joshua had to get back to college. 

We tried to coax Mom into staying a bit longer, but no. She also “needed to get back.”

I love my family. Mike and I are carving out a new life and new routine. It includes our lake life here in Florida and trips to Ohio. 

I was fearful I might feel empty when that car pulled out of the driveway taking members of my family back north, but I didn’t. I feel full. Complete. Happy. 

It isn’t proximity to our family and friends that makes us happy. It is love. 

There is a passage in the Bible many call “the love chapter.” You can read the entire passage in I Corinthians, chapter 13. It’s online, if you don’t have a Bible.

Part of that chapter basically says, “Love doesn’t insist on having its own way…and…Love never ends.”

Yep, I have lived in many places. I have lived with my family and apart from my family. But God is right (again…still…). “Love never ends.”

No matter where I live.

 

 

Living Now in the Good Ol' Days

 Living Now in the Good Ol' Days!

Some people live in the past. They long for the “good old days.” I lived those good old days. Some were better than others. Plus, I’m fully aware I am currently living in the “good ol' days” right now….except that will be later, uh…well, I think you get it. Right? 

Some people live in the here and now. What it is the saying…”Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you shall die…” ? 

I'm pretty sure that’s a pirate motto or something. 

Then of course there are those longing for the future. The “someday.” Or the “one day, I’ll be able to …” You hear it all the time.

I generally try to find balance. I hold onto the good memories of the past, enjoy the life Mike and I are carving out now, and look forward to new adventures tomorrow. 

Actually, I am a bit in “Tomorrowland” as I write this. I am living in great anticipation. My oldest daughter and either one or both of her boys…my grandsons….will be heading this way from Ohio in a few days. That’s the big anticipation. I love my family and I love sharing our little corner of Florida sunshine with all of them.

Mike and I are both from a small town in Florida just north of Tampa called Lutz. Well, it used to be a small town. We have good memories of the area, but as Tampa continues to grow, so does Lutz with new construction taking over orange groves and four lane highways cutting through what we knew as farms and ranches. 

When we married, Mike sold his house in Lutz and we headed north. No, not THAT “North”. 

We landed in Citrus County, Florida in a small town called Inverness. Mike’s house in Lutz was next door to his family home. He was used to having eleven acres to roam with another undeveloped twenty acres or so behind him. 

We found a house in Inverness that is close to town. There is a small 55+ community across the street from our place so it is a quiet neighborhood. Here, Mike has less than an acre to mow. When friends wonder how we managed moving to a much a smaller place, I need only to take them to the deck overlooking our heavily shaded backyard. 

I point to the lake beyond the trees and explain, “Those four hundred plus acres there are unbuildable. All under water. But it sure makes for a cool breeze, lots of wildlife, and easy living.”

So for today’s post I decided to share a few pictures of our little neck of the woods…so to speak.  Finding balance for today, appreciating yesterday, and anticipating tomorrow! 

Our backyard at sunset

A blue heron one morning.

An Owl on Our Dock

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My Outside Office....What do you think? Hope you are enjoying the here and now...