I Have No Idea...

…what to write about today. Christmas is right around the corner, and as we all know, that means we’ve all been busy. I suppose I could try to come up with something involving Christmas shopping and writing, but that just doesn’t float my boat, nor does it put a hem in my skirt. Aren’t some of the sayings some of us use kind of silly.

Anyway, we went to a gun show yesterday. That could relate to writing. Between the concept of a gun show and some of the interesting people who attended, it could provide fodder for a scene or a book. But, no, I don’t want to go there either.

In “What Are the Odds?” I included a house with a history that’s located out in the desert. The fictional house in the story was based on a real house and some odd things about the place. Friends own the real house and we drove out to visit them after the gun show yesterday.

They have horses, dogs, and they have/had five pregnant goats. One of the goats had two babies on Friday. Another one had two babies on Saturday morning. I’m including a picture of me holding one of the two-day old kids. They are adorable! And, obviously, there are more to come. Get this. At two days old, the kids were already playing with each other. How cool is that?

Two-day old baby goats

 There’s another small (adult) goat named Moonbeam who follows the owner around like a puppy. I never knew goats have personalities. Each of these goats does. There’s another large brown goat named Jack. He smiles the biggest, toothiest grin you ever saw, especially when you scratch behind his ear. Unfortunately, my camera chose the moment Jack smiled to go on the fritz. Oh well… Another time.

 Moonbeam

Although not very Christmasy, it was a fun day. One to be remembered, believe it or not.

Of course, the things that happen to us in real life can serve as a scene in a story, or they might inspire a whole book. I guess it’s all in the way we look at life and the things in it.

Shopping at Christmastime can be quite an experience, especially if you’re brave enough to shop on Black Friday. I tried it once. Never again. However, if you watch people and how they act under those circumstances, you can probably come up with some great characters for a mystery. People aren’t always themselves when it comes to shopping during a huge sale. Mrs. Jekyll can definitely turn into Ms. Hyde during a holiday sale. And people can make or break a story, even if they only have cameo roles.

Well, I guess Christmas shopping can put a hem in my skirt after all. Who’da thunk? Come to think of it, I never would have thought I could include a gun show, baby goats and Christmas shopping all in one post.

One of the pitfalls of shopping is that the older I become, the less I like crowds. This does not mean I’m over the hill! Well, not all the way – yet. Crowd watching can be fun if I’m not right in the middle of it. People say and do the darnedest things; things they’d never dream of during the rest of the year.

What all of this tells me is that every part of our lives can become inspiration, given the right circumstances.

When you read a book, do you ever wonder if what you’ve read has really happened in someone’s life?

When you write a book, do you ever include real life experiences? Even though you’re writing a fictional mystery?

Life is good! And it can be so much fun.

Until next time, happy shopping! Buy yourself some little treat while you’re buying things to make others happy. Remember, books make great gifts.

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Just a reminder (one of many) that A Well-Kept Family Secret is now available in audio format.