THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Greetings once again my my loyal minions,

It's not Kansas But it's home.

Mischievous and I are grateful to be home.  The Zombies are looking a little haggard, I’m thinking that Wicked’s Prankster  Duo might have taken a toll on them in my absence.

The 7 Evil Dwarves first annual writing retreat was a huge success.  Situated in the White Mountains, deep in troll country, we convinced our muses to buckle down and get the word count soaring.  When we arrived we had enough electronic gear to launch a space shuttle.  Yet, I believe if the power went out we would have been scratching away with pens and paper.  It was very intense.  We squeezed in lots of good food and fellowship along the way.  Every now and then someone would say something like “I need a smell, or what would you call a flesh eating humanoid, ect.”  Random answers bounced off the high ceiling of our cabin in response.

When the evening wound down we’d take a break in the hot tub and compare notes.  Then back to the keyboards where we worked until well past dark-thirty.  Of course some of us are more resilient than others and speaking for myself, well I’ve got to get my rest if I’m expected to look this good everyday.  Writing is not for the faint of heart.

I am both blessed and proud to be a member of such a dedicated and generous critique group.  My writing partners are my friends, and I count myself one, very fortunate writer to be able to sit amongst them.  When I do my daily devotions I always thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon this sinner.  My friends are always on that list.

When Sunday rolled around we packed up mission control.  Mixed emotions abounded as we were sad to be leaving and looking forward to getting home to our loved ones at the same time.  It took us several years of planning to actually make this happen, but I know everyone is already thinking about next year.

As is my custom I  leave you with a quote this one is from, Richard Bach.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Write On,

Eerie

Light in the Dark…

When I was just out of high school and starting off on the road to college and being an “adult”, I read a book that has stuck with me through the years. Truly, I’ve rarely had such a deep impact made by the written word. Which sounds strange as I read almost everything that comes into my hands, and I write to breathe. I believe the reason this particular book and author hit home so hard was because I picked it up during one of the more turbulent times in my life. I won’t bore you with details, but from about 18 to 24 I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly where I needed to be to be true to me. I know, not much different than every other college aged student, but considering my earlier childhood made a soap opera look like a fairytale, you’d think I’d be cut some slack and maybe get a pass for all that “self enlightenment” journey crap. No such luck.

One day I picked up this book, ‘One’ by Richard Bach, which led me to ‘Bridge Across Forever’ and then to his ever so popular ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’. I found a plethora of statements that made me think, and think hard. It was therapy in a book for me.

I’m going to share a few of my favorites from Mr. Bach, just because I’m hoping maybe someone else out there could use the encouragement.

The first one hit home as I grew up in a very, very diverse family. Through the years, this one has become clearer and clearer as people come and go in my life.

“Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof.”

I was adopted at an older age, and I’m here to tell you, this statement, is oh so true. Not only do I count some of my step-siblings as some of my best friends, but I have found a few best friends who should have been siblings. It also goes towards familial titles. I have an Aunt, that if I had chosen to, I would’ve called ‘mom’. Yet, today, I’m grateful I picked another ‘mom’, because my aunt should have been my twin, regardless of the 20 plus year difference in age. I have sisters who do double duty as best friends, and a couple of best friends that double up as sisters. So remember, family is who make of it, and isn’t always defined by blood.

Writing, whether I share it or not, has always been a need for me. So when I saw the following, it rang through loud and clear.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Think about it. Every published author out there would probably give this one two thumbs up. It’s not about how fast you found an agent/editor, or how many books in print you have. It’s about sticking with it, telling the stories in your heart even when it seems no one wants to read them. You don’t write to get published, you eventually get published because you write.

This next one, I find myself muttering under my breath many times as encouragement.

“There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn;

whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.”

This one speaks for itself. Seriously, I can not regret my past decisions because without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And I really like where I am today. Every mistake is a learning experience, the more you the learn, the stronger you are.

And the last quote is for everyone, no matter your age or circumstances. I hope your answer brings you peace.

“I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?”

-Wicked