Wow!! The colors in northern Michigan were breathtaking.  I wish I’d had my camera with me.  A night spent in Vanderbilt (away from the computer, no cell service) was very restful. Learning that I can survive another year without having to change the prescription in my glasses was just a bonus.

Have several words for you today. Hope….we all need some. Optimism… goes right along with hope. Courage…everyone needs a little sometime. Finally change…without hope, optimism and courage there  can be no change. I am making changes. I hope you will encourage me. This is going to be a life changing journey. I am making change to heal my body from the ravages that will be brought about by diabetes. I will not let this disease beat me. So, with that in mind, I am following a program of lifestyle change.

Some of you will know that I took some steps toward that three years ago. To that end I have lost 65 pounds. I feel much better and have more energy. I’m also sleeping better for the first time in a long time. I still have a long way to go. I am following the plan set by Lifestyle Centers of America located in Okalahoma. I will keep you up to date on my progress. I am looking forward to the changes. I want to recapture me.

Book sales are outpacing me. I cannot keep copies of Target of Vengeance on hand. The ones I need to send to family have not all been sent. I am taking what is left with me on Saturday to the writers workshop along with some copies of Secrets and Out of the Flames.  I’m going to have to stock up.

For now happy reading and writing.

Been slacking off all day. Head is pounding, eyes burn….awoke to the pleasant aroma of skunk this morning, which did not help matters.

However I have a writing idea…Follow your heart or walk away. You choose the situation. Let me know how it goes.

Happy reading and writing.

Spent today in a professional development in service. This one had to do with writing for the MEAP. First, I will not get on my soap box about that particular assessment. The woman presenting the in service had some great ideas. Do these people who come in with their wonderful ideas realize that the State of Michigan in their collective incompetence has developed a curriculumn we must follow? And in our allotted 55 minutes with students we are supposed to be teaching it? So for the next 13 days we will be teaching writing in preparation for the MEAP.

The actual things we worked on were having kids write memoirs. This could prove interesting. While I can draw on the fact that 50 years ago after waxing a 10 foot slide at the state park, my brother went up the slide and got scared. My aunt told me to give him a push, he sailed down the slide and stiffened his legs while doing so. The result was a break in his right leg in two places and a the next eight weeks in a body cast from the waist down. Most of my students have never been out of Ogemaw county. Waxing a slide is something foreign to them as most slides today are plastic. The idea of bread coming in waxed paper is also something they cannot wrap their heads around. “Miss Vigus, don’t you mean a plastic bag?”  So, this will be interesting.

Memoirs…not thought about writing them. That too might be interesting. However, I am not altogther sure I am ready to put my life into a book. Maybe it’s the private parts of me I want to stay private. Maybe I don’t feel I’ve done anything memorable. My screw ups are my own. Those who know and love me have learned to live with them.  I need not subject them to more humiliation.

I’d be curious to know your thoughts on memoirs.

Happy reading and writing.

Okay so there is a shortage of substitute teachers. And when asked by the boss to fill in, one should do it with a smile. This is not often the case among our staff members. It is inconvenient to get pulled from your job to do someone else’s, however, it is important for the kids to have someone to teach them. I have learned over the years to just go with the flow. If I get pulled, just smile and say okay. The couple of extra dollars in the paycheck are nice, but not necessary. I’d do it without extra duty pay. It’s not worth getting your blood pressure up.

On to other things. I have mailed out seven copies of my book. Two were delivered on Saturday. Six were picked up at my house on Sunday and one was delivered after school. Tomorrow will find four more being delivered. I’m going to have to order another thirty if this keeps up. That is a good thing.

Saturday I took Karen and her Mom out for dinner at the new Mexican restaurant in town. It was like old home week. People I have not seen in years were there. Food was great. We have needed a good ethnic restaurant. The China Inn is nice for lunches. Matthew’s at the Club is great anytime. We had a Mexican restaurant several years ago that could not sustain itself. This new one had standing room only and they were still coming in when I left.

Added another 2,000 or so words to Who’s Watching Willow? tonight. I really want to nail this one down in a timely manner. It has been on the back burner while I have re-edited and prepared Target of Vengeance for publication. Time to move on.  I’d like to work on Return to Oak Grove, alas I still have not located the flash drive it is on. Grrr….

I have to get back to some crochet projects or the holidays will be here and I will be frantic to finish them. That will not do. I have little people counting on me to get these things done.

The word of the day is paintbrush….take five minutes and write about a paintbrush. Where do you end up?

Happy reading and writing.

Mondays should just be banned. My desk arrived at work today. That was an improvement over just a table. It also takes up less space. But I felt as though I was behind. I hate that feeling because then I feel like the cat chasing his tail and trying to catch up all day. All in all it was a great day.

I’ve put at least 2600 words into Who’s Watching Willow? So, I have accomplished something. Still cannot find the flash drive that has Return to Oak Grove on it. Must be that one is meant to stay on the back burner for a while.

Recieved a pleasant invitation in the mail to attend the 35th anniversary of the Kirtland Ms. Club. These are ladies who work to improve Kirtland Community College. As I was once a member, I accepted and am looking forward to an evening with old friends. I do miss teaching at the college. I was there from 1992 to 2000. It was a change of pace at the end of the day from elementary school to college level. Should be some good networking going on there.

The teacher I co-teach with in Language arts has some great journal ideas. I am going to see if she will let me share them. I think many could be good story starters. Any way you look at them, they are a good way to get the creative juices flowing.

Hope your week is off to a good start. Happy reading and writing.

Have loaded my desk into a truck for the ride to school. I bought a new one and needed to make room for it. I also have my new mirror out of my car and into the spare room. Amid all this I acquired another bottle of wine. This one made locally.

I am also currently tearing up my house as I have managed to misplace a flash drive and it has the start of one of my next novels on it. I do not look forward to restarting. It will just get shelved until I find the flash drive. I need to find the flash drive anyway as I have some photos I need to download to it from the Vigus Family Reunion last month. I need to send photos to family members who could not attend.

And then there are the math tests for the 160 students at school. I need to find a way to look at the data and disseminate it to the math and title I teacher so they can best help the students. A task that will take me the better part of next week to complete. I do have to admit that all of the tests are checked…I can do that in my sleep now. 7th and 8th grade all have grade equivalents. Still have to do that for 5th and 6th grades.

I still journal daily so I’m getting ideas down if nothing else. I just don’t feel productive at the moment. That is frustrating to me.  I need to be working on something. So, I’m looking at the second on my novel starts to see where it might go.

In the meantime, happy reading all.

Someone has evidently got the mistaken impression that just because her new book has gone on sale she can neglect her writing and her blog. So, I’m back.

This is my slacking off Saturday post. Left the house before 8 am this morning. Stopped at my daughter’s at 11am and dropped off some tiger lily seeds and bulbs, as well as some stuff for the grandkids. From there I headed for PawPaw, Michigan. It’s a small town in southwest Michigan. This week-end’s particular draw was the wine festival. I have said for years that I wanted to go, unfortunately I could not get any takers to go with me. St. Julian’s Winery set up a wonderful tasting room. From there it was to the sales room to make my purchases. I like sweet wines…often found under dessert wines. So, I bought blackberry, cherry, a catawba, simply white and a Frankenmuth May. That should keep me out of trouble for a day or two.

The day was beautiful. Sunny, warm without being uncomfortable. A wonderful day for driving eight hours. I am known for my road trips. Makes my daughter crazy. I personally love them. It’s a great way to see the country. Most of my road trips last a week or more. This was a short one.

Took a time out on the way home to see my mom. Dad has runaway again. He’s gone north to their place where he is baiting a bear. He got his first bear hunting license. He is keeping busy. Stopping to visit or spend time with them is always a treat.

Now I am just kicking back and relaxing. Tonight’s wine of choice is Orinda Gold a peach wine I picked up in Tennessee on a previous road trip. Yes, I taste wine wherever I go.

Happy reading.

Target of Vengeance is officially on sale. You may get it at the following e-mail address: https://www.createspace.com/3396905 , or at www.amazon.com.

Happy reading.