In case you
hadn’t noticed, I’ve been absent for a while. I’ll make a long story short.
My dog,
Murphy, had to have surgery on his knee. There were complications, mostly from
the medications he was on.
In the
meantime we sold our two-story house and bought a one-story house. That meant
packing, moving and unpacking. There were a few complications there, too.
It seemed
like everything dragged on and on and on. Thankfully, we had a great Realtor
who made things a little easier for us. (Thanks, Todd!)
Just to add
to the issues, my daughter caught that nasty virus that’s going around, and I
caught it from her. My heart goes out to those who are going through the
illness.
During this
time I did no writing and no reading. By evening I was tired and my eyes
wouldn’t focus on book pages.
I had a dozen
chapters done on my Work in Progress (WIP) and had to set it aside a few months
ago. Now I’m back and I’ve picked up where I left off, and I’m having a great
time.
Before the
dog and house situation, I picked up a book of old newspaper headlines which
were actually the first page of news. None of the headlines inspired me, but
one story at the bottom of the page caught my eye and I read an account from
many years ago, or at least part of it. It was continued on another page, and
this book was only headline pages.
Anyway, there
was a story about a man who was murdered in his home. When the police entered
the residence, his brother (whom they believed to be the killer) had mysteriously
disappeared. I didn’t do further research on the story. I didn’t want to know
if the brother was the killer or how he disappeared. The general information
from this article inspired “Gin Mill
Grill,” my WIP.
As I
sometimes do, I’ve created an old crime that has to be solved today. I kind of
like Sandi Webster not having to walk in on a current crime and a, um, fresh
corpse. Although, along those lines there are a few surprises in this story.
Just to add
to the excitement, an artist, Dori Pendergrass, has already painted the new
book cover. I’ll share it in the not too distant future. I’m totally taken with
the cover, and the original painting will be proudly displayed on the wall in
my office.
I live in
Washington state, where it rains frequently. I’ve been so wrapped up in the new
story that I haven’t really noticed the dark and dreary skies or the
rain-soaked surroundings, except when I go outside. I glance skyward and think,
Really? It’s cold and raining? When did
that start?
Many of you
know how it goes, but I’m still unpacking and setting up the house. Where do I
hang this? Where do I place that? What can I give up without having fits?
Two-story to one-story really puts a crimp in what there’s room to display and
that includes both furniture and decor. Looks like there might be a yard sale
come spring.
So, I’m back
and happy to be here.
I don’t know
that I’ll keep up with a blog-a-week, like I’ve done in the past, but I’ll do
my best. In the meantime I want to get back to the book I was reading when this
all started. I’ve missed my reading time as much as I’ve missed my writing
time.
Have you ever
noticed how things seem to happen in rapid succession? You take care of one
issue and another pops up? Hopefully, things will turn around now.
Until next
week, if you’re moving, my heart goes out to you. If your beloved pet is having
surgery or any other issue, my heart goes out to you. If you’ve got the flu or
the latest virus, get in to see the doctor quickly. I hope that from now on,
things go smoothly for all of us.
CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website (In dire need of updating)
CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com
COMING SOON, or as soon as possible, Gin
Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery. In the meantime you might want to
keep up with her in Entrance to Nowhere – A Sandi Webster Mystery.
Welcome back, Marja! I've missed your posts.
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled to read that you're writing another Sandi Webster mystery - one of my favorite series.
To hope that, from now on, things go smoothly for all of us is nice but it's probably wishful thinking. How about we hope that all our problems are small ones? :)
Thank you, Pat! It's nice to be back. For me, small problems generally means that things are running smoothly. Can't say the same for Sandi Webster. : )
DeleteMarja, I'm so glad you're back. Would you believe that just this morning as I was making the bed, I thought about your blog and wondered if I'd somehow removed myself from your mailing list. I'm glad to see that I didn't!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you and your daughter and your dog have been under the weather, but I hope you're all well on the way to being healed and healthy again. Best of luck with your new home and all the extra things that go along with a move!
And, btw, rapid succession of "things" has been the story of my life for almost two years now. I know exactly how you feel.
Welcome back!
Thank you, Amy! I hope your rapid succession of things turns into a slow dribble. It feels good to be back and maybe I can start catching up on what everyone is up to now.
DeleteHi, Marja,
ReplyDeleteGlad things are settling down finally. Moving is traumatic. So is an animal that's had surgery and being ill. Good to know you're back working on your current ms.
Thank you, Marilyn! Maybe now I can order your latest for some fun reading.
DeleteIt's great to have you back, Marja. I was wondering what had happened to your blog. Evidently, life just got in the way. I kept going back to it, in case I missed one of your posts. I'm glad I didn't.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Evelyn! That does my heart good. It's good to know a few people kept coming back.
DeleteGood to see you back online, Marja. Thanks for sharing your "busy" story with us and a glimpse of what's coming in your WIP. Have a healthy rest of the year, and enjoy your new home.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen! I know plenty of people have been busier than me, but life just got in the way. Sometimes there's nothing we can do but take a step back. I wish you a healthy and fulfilling rest of the years, too.
DeleteGreat to hear you are back and writing
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lesley. I need to look for your latest and enjoy some reading time. : )
Delete