Writer Mama: Christina Katz

While in Baltimore this past weekend, I by happenstance (but then again, is there such a thing?) found myself in Books-A-Million before heading to the airport. While looking for a playwriting book, I instead came across this one:

Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids by Christina Katz.

I almost had to pick myself up off the floor when I discovered it in the stacks. This is precisely the topic I've been recently tossing around in my brain, with a moniker similar to the one I've been crafting for myself. Cue the "Twilight Zone" theme music...

Needless to say, I got the message that this was the book I needed to buy, and it's chock full of really useful information. It's too good not to share with you now, if you too are into this kind of thing.

Christina Katz, for writing the how-to manual to help me profitably pursue my writing interests and afford my goal of being freely available for my kids, you've just been added to The Thanks Ranks.

Oh, and happy 38th anniversary, Mom and Poppy! You're still smokin', and I love ya for it! :-)

Bridal Shower Buddy Bliss

I've been out of pocket the last few weeks working on a couple projects, one of them being putting the final touches on the planning for my dear friend's bridal shower that took place this past weekend.

A much appreciated getaway to my old beloved stomping grounds from college days, seeing some of my buddies (I'll be back in September to see the rest of you, I promise!), all the pieces coming together the day-of, Kim and crew at Country Inn & Suites, returning to Hubby-Honey and the kids with limbs and the house still intact and FUN have just been added to The Thanks Ranks.

Bride-to-Be, I hope you're not upset by my putting you on blast, but gratitude is gratitude. ;-)

Poppy's Guardian Angels

So I've been sprucing up around the house--planting here, container gardening there, adding flowers in the front, rescreening, painting and creating an "outdoor room" on the patio in the back...

With all the changes (inspired by the new roof we had to bite the bullet and get--no more squirrel scampering--yea!) I thought a new mailbox was also in order.

My brilliant, handy dad was over yesterday afternoon to take the old one off and install the new one on the post for me.

Now, my street is a relatively quiet one. It's on a circle, so the only traffic is essentially the neighbors. And on a Friday early afternoon, the flow is almost non-existent.

But not at the moment Poppy was on the street installing the mailbox. A car speedily rounded the corner onto the circle and came careening toward my father a little too recklessly and close for comfort. Thankfully, he's still a fit and nimble guy for his age, and he was able to jump out of the way to safety.

Soon on the car's heels was a tentative police cruiser. Poppy put two and two together and rigorously motioned to the cop the direction in which the car had gone. It was then was off in hot pursuit, and judging by the sirens and sounds of commotion on the other side of the circle, he got the car that had tried to duck him.

Now, I'm going to have to truthfully bare darkness here for a minute, because I tell you what--had that car hit my father and run off, I would have hunted down the driver and beaten him/her down with everything I had.

Whew. OK, now with that honest, knee-jerk reaction moment passed, I will say I'm SO grateful that it didn't have to come to that, and that Poppy's guardian angels have just been added to The Thanks Ranks.

And the new mailbox looks really good on its perch!

History

"Living to see the day," as my great-grandmother used to say, has just been added to The Thanks Ranks.