I’m skating to the finish line as I pen the last few pages of my latest manuscript. Truly thankful and happy to be at this point. What’s left is getting that all-important last scene in order, editing the whole MS, then turning it in for the first round of publishing edits. By the deadline, of course.    

But life never stops. It seems once a task is complete, another rushes to fill its place. My book launch for Glitter and the Grouch is officially over. Whew! It was a whirlwind, but I had a marvelous team to help me get the word out. Best launch ever.   

Aren’t we all ready for cooler weather? The brief spell we had a month ago was merely a tease. My writer acquaintances all over the United States are also in agreement. Although they bemoan weather temps in the eighties and long for sixties and seventies. It’s a matter of perspective. I’ll gladly take eighty-degree days instead of nineties-plus. This desire manifests at the grocery store, where I buy all sorts of pumpkin-flavored treats, as if to hurry it along.

Our church group had dinner for our friends, who are moving closer to their daughter and family. Somehow, it made their move very final. As in, yes, they are really leaving. But we’re only a phone call away, and I know they’ll return for visits. But after a hug, I lifted my little finger—don’t know that we’ve ever done that before, though she knew exactly what I meant—and we did the pinkie-swear. In my heart, she’s my forever-young friend who led me on adventures I wouldn’t have dreamed of. She helped me to be brave. I’ll miss her.

And I have a writing retreat this weekend. I’m not sure I could write without the support of other writers. The opportunity to be around people who understand the intricacies of writing and marketing should not be underestimated. Three months ago I was working on book four (the same book I’m about to finish) and I was stuck. Nothing was working, and I was having a hard time seeing my way clear. But when I shared my struggles with a writer’s group in Central Texas (Cen-Tex), they nodded and one person said I was in the muddy middle. I knew it with my head, but the verbal acknowledgment helped me get through it. We have a tendency to think we’re the only ones trudging uphill. So yes, I’m thrilled to be with other writers for a weekend.  

I finished weeding my flower bed! It’s quite the accomplishment. It took me a couple of weeks, working 15-30 minutes in the mornings. The very last stint, I found the ants—or they found me—and I’m dealing with ant bites on my hands and ankles. Not fun, but the flower bed is currently weed-free. My faithful husband sprayed the area for ants and also helped my weeding efforts with a generous application of Round-Up. Next, we’ll put down better landscaping cloth to slow the weeds. Then comes the fun part—choosing plants. This time I’m only purchasing Texas-hardy shrubs and flowers.

For my Bible reading, I’ve been studying the book of Isaiah this month. Isaiah is considered a major prophet, not because he’s more important than other prophets, but because of the length of his book. It’s looooong. By turns, I’m encouraged and bemused. It’s not an easy read, though the commentary notes help. By turns, Isaiah tells what will happen when the Israelites for turn away from the one true God to idol-worship, then he’ll prophesy the beautiful things God has in store for the faithful.

Oh, may I be found faithful!