That Gideon

When I got to the marshal's office yesterday, Gideon wasn't there. Rowdy wasn't, either. Only the old yellow dog, Pardner, was around. So I headed out onto the streets of Stone Creek, Arizona, circa 1915, and started tracking the missing hero. I found him at the Horseshoe Saloon, on Main Street, drinking beer. Gideon was only 16 the last time I saw him, and now he's 26. He's grown up nicely--boy to hunk.

I love my job.

I'll be meeting up with Lydia Fairwood, our heroine, this morning. (I might have to do some searching for her, too, but I doubt I'll find her in a saloon. :)) Lydia was only 8 when I knew her before, and she's 18 now. I still see her as a little girl, and I know Gideon does, too.

We're BOTH going to be surprised!

Have a good weekend. I certainly plan to. I stocked up on groceries yesterday, because the stores will be absolutely MAD with people buying school supplies, etc. As a writer and a lover of all kinds of pens and papers, I admit to lingering in those aisles myself, on occasion, savoring the pretty notebooks, the pencils, the geegaws for the lockers. As a kid, I LOVED going back to school--new shoes, new clothes (I could still wear mini-skirts then), new start. I loved the weather--fall is still my favorite season--and that certain festive snap of anticipation in the air.

Make it a good one. It's up to you.

Back to Work

Yesterday was my between-books vacation. I painted, working mostly on those visual prayers I mentioned, answered some of my back-log of emails, and just generally rested my fevered little brain.

Today, it's fire up the old iPod with my Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash and Randy Travis songs--that music always gets me in the mood to write a western. :)--and dive right into "The Bridegroom", Stone Creek #4, Gideon's story. (When I REALLY need inspiration, I watch "Legends of the Fall".) To think when I wrote "The Man from Stone Creek", I intended it to be a stand-alone. It just goes to show you that that old saying about the best laid plans of mice and men--and writers--is only trite because it's been true for so long. There are modern Stone Creek books, too--starting with "A Stone Creek Christmas", Silhouette Special Edition, coming out in the late fall.

And this morning I got an absolute FLOOD of ideas for my next contemporary western trilogy, "The Texas McKettricks". I was scribbling down notes like crazy! If there's one thing I've learned--and sometimes it seems as if there might actually BE only one thing--it's not to trust my memory. I need pen and paper.

So I'm off to Stone Creek today, to meet up with Gideon, who is very anxious to start his story. Being the youngest of the Yarbro brothers, he's had to wait his turn. Now, here it is.

Meet you at the marshal's office, Gideon. If you can hold on just a little while longer, though, I'd like to get dressed first. :)

Blogger Was Updated!

That's why I had so much trouble getting my blogs up. Hopefully, we're back in the swing now. :)

Here's what's going on in Linda-land on this rainy Wednesday morning:

I FINISHED the third book in the Creed Trilogy, TYLER, yesterday! Today, I'm waiting for any revisions my lovely editor, Joan Marlow Golan, (aka, The Queen of Hearts) may have in mind. And I'm painting. And throwing glitter on things. (So far, Sadie and Bernice have evaded me admirably.) Gluing and scribbling ideas in my sketchbook.

I have two packages to pick up at the post office. Probably, art supplies.

I started something new in my journaling today, too. I'm painting my prayers. I won't bore you with all the details, but the first one begins, "Please show me a better way to...") Subsequent pages are traits I want to cultivate, like gratitude (you can never have too much of that) and kindness (ditto) and bravery. Things are uncertain out there, aren't they? Anyway, I have a tendency to write scripts for God, and put words in His mouth. (I guess that's natural for a writer.) I've decided to stop telling Him what I need and let Him decide. :)

Like I said a few blogs back. He can be God. I'll be Linda.

That ought to work.

It's Monday--isn't it?

(Note: I wrote this blog early this morning, but I'm having trouble getting it to post to the website. Who knows what time it will show up?)

I was one busy cowgirl this weekend. Two chapters written and glitter everywhere!

For those of you tuning in after an absence, that must be a really confusing statement. :)

As most of you know, I'm finishing up TYLER, the third book in my Montana Creeds series, and even though I'm tired, I'm exhilerated, too. There's nothing like spending time with the Creeds (or the McKettricks, or the Yarbros, or the O'Ballivans!) to liven things up. Yes, I'm the writer of these books, but I'm also the very first reader, and often the twists and turns in the story take me by surprise. In between scenes, I usually take an art break and play with my ATCs and collages. Having just discovered Martha Stewart's line of sparkly stuff, I'm on a real glitter tear.

Not surprising, I suppose. I always did love things that shine, and not just diamonds, either--I'm just fine with rhinestones and sequins, too. :) A country sky, splattered with stars, that's a good one. The moon dancing on the lake out at the other place. And the warm glow in Sadie's beagle-brown eyes--even better.

Oh, yeah. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Since the dogs and I slept in this morning--little wonder considering the hours we've been keeping--I haven't journaled yet, or even made coffee. Sadie and Bernice are still dozing, but they'll want to go out soon. So I'd better wrap this up and get on with the day.

I wanted to say howdy to all of you. I miss you when you're not around. :)

Chapter 18 is waiting to happen. I figured out the next step for an ATC I'm working on--(you guessed it, it sparkles!) Bernice is up and ready for a run in the yard, so I'm out of here.

And do I ever need coffee.

Darn you, Martha Stewart!

Wasn't the glitter enough?? Now you have to come up with a fold-out journal made of watercolor paper that just BEGS to be collaged???

Don't you know I have a book to write?

Is this some dastardly international plot?

:)

Okay, I'm over it. I've vented.

Back to work--the projects can wait.

Take that, Martha Stewart!

My Purple Passion

On top of the Martha Stewart glitter (yum!) and the sparkly gel pens I bought at Costco--primo--I have begun journaling with brightly colored ink. My favorite is PURPLE, and I intend to make a run to Michael's for a fresh supply AFTER I've finished my page quota for the day.

I've been journaling for years, as many of you know. I have no illusions that anyone will ever read all that stream-of-consciousness chatter, much less benefit by it, but it's vital to me. I like to get everything out of my busy, busy brain and onto paper, where I can--most times--get some perspective. I've always used either blue or black pens, and sometimes both, when I'm dialoging with myself. (I have never once, on this blog, claimed to be sane. :)) Recently, though, and with a great deal of fanfare, I discovered gel pens.

Now, my journals are filled with purple and pink and rich turquoises and dark blues. It rather reminds me of the scene in "The Wizard of Oz", when Dorothy's black-and-white surroundings are suddenly transformed to Technicolor. (Surely one of the greatest WOW moments in film history!) For me, it feels like an awakening, on a very deep level--have I been living in black-and-white? GIVE ME COLOR!

Metallic color. Vivid color. ANY color.

But especially purple!

Another Cozy Day

I'm reading through the galleys of DYLAN today, and thinking of how I can't wait to share this second story in the Montana Creeds trilogy with you. Later, I'll be tackling TYLER again--the book, I mean, not Tyler himself, darn it--and I'm REALLY into that book. I'm going to be sorry to part with the Creed gang, though I think there might be another trio of hunky Creed brothers, this time based in Colorado, in my not too distant future. :) There are certainly more McKettricks--Tate, Garrett and Austin, who run a ranch in Texas.

All these characters are hard to keep track of sometimes, but I sure don't mind the company!

More later. The hurrier I go, it seems, the behinder I get.

:)

Guess I'll just Show Up and Embrace the Challenge!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

(Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but I'm taking some poetic license here.)

Rainy days and Mondays (or Tuesdays) don't necessarily get me down, no matter what the song says. We had crashing thunder and flashes of lightning during the night--the kind of spectacular God's-the-Boss show that makes me open the blinds for a better view and the dogs cuddle closer with every roof-shaking boom--and this morning the sky is gray and there's a drizzle coming down. We need the rain to Keep Washington Green, as the old slogan from my school days goes.

This kind of weather makes for a cozy feeling; I am filled with gratitude for light and pets and fresh-brewed coffee. It's still too warm for the fireplace, or I'd switch that on, too. As I settle in to write Chapter 13, I'll be heading off into another world anyhow. Maybe it's rainy in Stillwater Springs, too--I don't know yet. :) Just one more thing to find out by following my time-honored rule: Show up.

As long as I do that, the rest seems to take care of itself.

This summer has been especially stressful for me, mainly because there has been a lot of travel, and a lot of construction on the property. I fell behind--catching up now, though--and felt exhausted.

What turned me around? Prayer, certainly. I decided to stop writing scripts for God and let Him run the universe on His own terms. :) Let Him be God--I've got all I can handle just being Linda! I started saying 'no' more often--in the kindest possible way, although, truth to tell, tact is not my strong suit, so diplomacy is a more an aspiration than a reality. I've cut back on some things I'd convinced myself I was obligated to do, but really wasn't. I keep track of my weight, so I won't have to diet again--I think I've hit Lifetime Membership in Weight Watchers something like five times. Enough is enough. I make time every day for some kind of art project, and that fulfills me in ways that are difficult to describe, even for a writer. I've come to believe that art actually deepens and enriches my writing skills--as long as I don't give in to the all-too-common temptation to put my page quota off for Just One Day so I can try out some new goody, like glitter or gel pens, my two newest passions. (There's that Firefly Syndrome again!) To make sure that doesn't happen, I have a to-do list, and I stick to it religiously.

Last night, before the storm got really dramatic and I was compelled to drop everything else I was doing and watch, I was thumbing through the new issue of "Somerset Studio"--my very favorite publication. I came across a column on the subject of choosing a Halloween costume for an all-day office party, of all things, but a phrase jumped out of that article and stuck to me as though it had been coated in Gorilla glue:

Embrace the challenge.

I'm a pretty gutsy old cowgirl, all things considered, but I do tend to run myself ragged and when that happens, and the fatigue sets in, I start avoiding stuff--the phone call I'd rather not make (I HATE the telephone), sorting those stocking stuffers I've been gathering for Christmas into baskets with the recipient's name on the front, making or changing some appointment, going to the store for the fresh fruit and vegetables that are part of my overall health and weight-maintenance plan--the list goes on.

And ON.

So I decided "Embrace the Challenge" will be my new motto, at least until it sinks in and I move on to another one, as will inevitably happen. (See firefly reference above.) With me, it's all about the mind-set. If I can build the mind-set, I can do just about anything. (Knowing this about myself, I tend to resist building mind-sets, naturally.) So I'll be starting an affirmation collage during today's art break. When it's finished, I'll pin it up where I can see it, and when I feel myself wanting to dodge some task I'd rather put off, it will be there to remind me to---

Embrace the challenge.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Martha Stewart Has Created a Monster!

And I am that monster!

Saturday was a busy day--I wrote a chapter of TYLER, as I did Sunday and will again today. (I'm about a week from being finished--after a short, very short, breather, I will begin work on THE BRIDEGROOM, the next "Stone Creek" novel.)

Since my cousin had had surgery on Tuesday, I planned to stop by the hospital briefly, bringing flowers, a card, and general good wishes. And I needed a few other things, miscellaneous stuff, so I hit Wal-Mart first. (Wal-Mart on a Saturday. Whole nuther story!)

I bought Tracei's roses, a vase, and some of those pretty crystal-like marbles to jazz it up, plus a pair of scissors because this was going to be a hospital rest-room job. (I already had the card, one of those nifty musical ones with Dr. Dreamy of 'Grey's Anatomy' fame on the front.) I followed through on this plan, too. (I was on a roll! Following through is tough for me, since I suffer from a severe case of the Firefly Syndrome.)

But first, because I was in Wal-Mart, I just HAD to cruise down the craft aisle. And there was a whole new line of Martha Stuff!! I was instantly hooked on the GLITTER--especially a shade called 'Fire Opal'. I bought a whole slew of it and, after my visit to Tracei, who is recovering nicely by the way, I came home and dutifully tucked it all into a craft box marked "Glitter." (I'm trying really hard to get organized.) I even put it downstairs, in the area that will be my studio.

On my breaks yesterday, I was doing polymer clay transfers, and most of them were a bust, because that's the way the old cookie crumbles when you're trying new things, but a few turned out really well. I'd gone to bed last night, turned out the light, turned on my iPod and settled in for a long (short?) summer's rest, when suddenly I got the IDEA. Put some of that glitter around the edges of the clay tiles I'd made. I switched the light back on, made a note, and tried really hard to go to sleep. Well, I couldn't! So I got up, fetched the glitter box, and did the deed.

WOW. It looks just fabulous!!!

Now, I want to glitter everything in sight.

Here, Sadie-Sadie----

:)

It's all Martha's fault.

Still Chasing Fireflies

My sister Sally and husband Jim--of Chicken-gate 08 fame--rode for home on their Harley this morning. I will miss them--they are easy houseguests. Sally and I have so many things in common--crafts, especially.

It's Friday, and I'll be working over the weekend, but also visiting my cousin in the hospital and entertaining my friends Jean and Kurt for dinner tonight. I've set aside some time for art, too, and limited myself to One Project. I'll be making polymer clay transfers, using T-shirt paper and plain ole Sculpey, and trying out the new cutters I had custom-made. The keepers will end up in collages and on ATCs.

As I've mentioned, I suffer from a severe case of Firefly Syndrome! (If you're new to the blog, that means I'll be working on a project and suddenly get a (seemingly) brilliant idea for another, drop everything, and rush off to try it out.) I have curtailed that tendency somewhat by making myself write down ideas in a memo book, but I'm still inclined to work on three or four things at once. (In everything but my writing, that is. I've never been able to write more than one book at a time, but I DO get ideas for other books, and I scribble those down immediately. I've learned the hard way that no matter how convinced I am that I'll remember, I won't.)

I've been a little under the weather recently, but feeling much better now.

Have a good weekend, my friends.

My Photo Printer

I am a total doofus when it comes to photography--my very accomplished friend, Cindy, showed me how to improve my pictures, and now I have become a fantatic. I'm behind this morning--I did the usual journaling, devotions, etc.--because I got to printing out copies of my pictures of the Bleecker Cousins' Reunion and went crazy. A set for me, for my mother, and for Auntie Marian--okay, fair enough. But THEN I got to thinking about the colorful pix I shot in Santa Fe, the ones I want to incorporate into my collage and ATCs. So I printed THOSE out, too.

At least I stopped short of dropping everything and painting each one in watercolor! That's why I keep my memo book, and I've added a sort of glue-in sketchbook, too. That saves me from fixating on an idea to the extent that important things fall by the wayside. Did I mention that I'm compulsively creative? :)

Fortunately, I'm that way about my books, too. You are going to LOVE these Creed men!

I know I sure do.

Chicken-gate 08

Well, the FIRST challenge was buying chicken to take to the Bleecker Cousins' Reunion, as Mom had volunteered me to provide lunch. :) (I didn't mind being volunteered, but I would have liked to know how many people were going to be eating!)

My sister Sally approached the deli clerk in one of our local supermarkets and asked for chicken, plainly visible on trays behind the glass. She requested all of it, since we figured if there was too much, that was better than not enough, and SOMEBODY would eat it. The clerk got huffy and informed Sally that she should have called in an order in advance--because if we bought all the chicken, it was going to wipe out their supply! (There was more in the cooker, of course, but it would take 20 minutes to roast, according to the clerk, and what if there was a chicken rush?) Is it just me, or isn't something on display in a store and marked with a price FOR SALE?? My brother-in-law, Jim, took matters in hand and asked to speak to the manager. Jim is not bothered by confrontation.

We got the chicken.

In the truck afterward, on our way to the reunion, we dubbed the experience Chicken-gate 08 and laughed ourselves silly.

Finding the reunion turned out to be the next challenge. We drove and drove, back-tracked and discovered to our dismay that there was no cell phone service. Eventually, though, we found our kin and had a good visit.

It was wonderful to reconnect--I hadn't seen some of these people in YEARS. Brian Bass, a first cousins, was a little, blond obnoxious boy when I saw him last. :) Now he's a handsome and gracious man. (To the people who work in Brian's office: YES. He IS my cousin. :) His mother was my mother's sister.)

Cousin Bob, it turns out, is quite the geneologist, and among other things, he had proof that one of our great-greats (add a few more greats) was part of GEORGE WASHINGTON'S military escort at his first inauguration! Since I'm an avid student of history, and GW is my all-time favorite President, tied with Abraham Lincoln, I was blown away by that! In those days, communities were small; everybody knew everybody else, especially in circles like that one. Surely such an elite assignment would only be given to someone the Great One knew and trusted. Did my ancestor dine at Mount Vernon? Dance with Martha? What OTHER founding fathers did he know????

The old imagination simply ran wild!

Now, it's time to shift said imagination back to Stillwater Springs, Montana, and get on with TYLER. It's quite a story--I can hardly wait to get there, and to share it with you.

With Chicken-gate 08 behind me, I'm prepared to move on!

Cousins

Tomorrow, I'll be joining some of my Montana cousins for a reunion at a lake near Spokane. I'm excited--I haven't seen some of these people in YEARS. Time just gets away from me, and it happens more and more, the older I get.

Another cousin, Tracei, is having a kidney transplant today, thanks to an anonymous donor. Isn't it wonderful to know there are people out there who will do something like that for a total stranger? I'm asking for your prayers for Tracei, for the mystery donor, and for Tracei's husband, Jack, and young daughter, Sydney, and of course for my dear Aunt Donna. She's already been through this with her other daughter, Sheri, who is recovering nicely, thank God. Aunt Donna's husband, Gordon, one of the finest men I've ever known, died several years ago from the same ailment.

My aunts are something, I'm here to tell you. They've been through more tragedy and heartbreak than anyone I know, and yet neither one of them are bitter, as you might expect. They are funny, beautiful, generous women, artistic and devout, full of laughter. (The way they laugh is one of the sounds I love best in all the world.

My family.

Daughter, cousins, aunts, uncles, brother and sisters--I love you.

And I'm proud to be kin to every one of you.

Discombobulated

That's another of my mom's words. (She has her own language, Hazelese.)

As you can see, I'm late getting this blog up. I slept in--and then journaled and painted for an hour or so to get going.

The book, TYLER, is going very well. Writing it is a rugged experience, though, because in addition to a very strong romance, there are some pretty meaty issues to be resolved. Since the writer goes through everything the characters do, I feel wrung out by the time I write that last page of the day--emotionally and physically, at least.

The sun is out, high and bright, and this will be a hot day. The air-conditioning is on the blink--but at least the smoke alarms aren't beeping! Sweet heaven, that about drove Bernice and me right around the bend.

Nothing to do but saddle up and ride. Round up those strays. So it's off to Creed Country for me.

More tomorrow. If nothing is beeping.

:)

Life is What Happens...

When you've made other plans!

Yesterday I miraculously managed to write almost an entire chapter--this with an emergency trip to Wal-Mart, overnight company, and 25 guests for dinner!--and today looked easy by comparison. No appointments. Just my book and me, right?

Wrong. At five-thirty this morning, minutes after my guests had left for the airport, a smoke alarm in one of the guest rooms started beeping. I'm a tough ole cowgirl, and I can stand a lot of things--but a beeping smoke alarm isn't on the list. Bernice, my Yorkie, has even less tolerance; the frequency hurts her little ears.

Problems like this are normally handled by Mary Ann or Larry, but it was barely light out, after all, and they've been working hard as it is. I couldn't bring myself to call over to the staff house and rouse them. So I headed off to the nearest convenience store for 9 volt batteries, thinking I could solve the problem. NOT SO. It finally required the services of an electrician--bless him, he got here within minutes of the call for help--and I have a new appreciation for the term, "Blessed Silence". I am determined not to have this particular problem again during my lifetime, so our trusty electrician will be back to replace all the alarms in the house with new ones.

Anyhow, that's why I'm late with the blog.

Now, to head for Stillwater Springs...

What If...?

That's a question that sometimes keeps me up at night and, believe me, I can ill afford the loss of sleep, with all that's going on in my life this summer. Stress, stress and more stress! And the curious, truly peculiar thing is, none of it is bad!

Deadlines. (This is the best book I've written so far.)
Company. (I love every one of these people dearly.)
Trips. (I'm not so wild about airports, airlines and stripping down to go through security, but I LOVE a change of scene.)
And Murphy's Law in full swing!

(Okay, that last one might qualify as bad, but it's been my experience that chaos is the beginning of order.)

Here are the questions that keep me awake:

What if I don't get everything done? (I always do.)

What if I get sick? (I'm disgustingly healthy.)

What if I gain back all the weight I've lost? (It won't happen if I weigh every day and address any problems before they get out of hand.)

What if space aliens abduct my dogs? (PLEASE. Who else could afford to feed them, but me?)

You get the picture. Crazy stuff. The downside of having a VERY creative imagination.

Today, while writing in my journal, I came to a conclusion that is probably obvious to all of you.

What if--everything turns out just fine? :)

As it almost always does. That's the question I'm going to ask myself from now on.

The Older I Get...

The more ways I am like my parents.

Fortunately, since I was derned lucky in the parent department, this is mostly good.

My sense of humor and love of books and the written word in general come from my mother. (So, alas, does my tendency to have little piles of paper everywhere, let the mail stack up, etc.)

My love of horses and all things western is my dad's legacy. I've got his persistence, but also his stubborn streak. And lately I've noticed a few other connections--he loved to work with wood and build things, and his workshop was his haven. Now, I'm going to have a studio--aka, heaven-on-earth. I can finally, finally spread out all my tools and have a place--besides the kitchen table--to let things dry.) I have his habit of writing things down in a little memo book, too--mostly, ideas for an ATC or a collage I'd like to do. (This is my way of restraining myself from rushing off, firefly-style, to try every new thing that occurs to me. Being a creative type, a LOT of new things occur to me, on a pretty regular basis, and books don't get written that way!)

On the ATC/collage front, I'm excited because I had some cookie cutters made to the exact measurement of a trading card--I can do them in polymer clay. I also designed a crown, since I use a lot of crowns in current pieces, and had it made in two sizes. What a kick to see my own drawing translated into metal!

Alas, I've made a new rule for myself. No art until the pages are done.

It's not so bad, really. Because I love writing even more than art!

I had a fabulous time in San Francisco--many watershed moments--but it's even better to be home. The bad news is, I gained five pounds, eating all that sourdough bread and having desserts at the various dinners and parties--three of which were in my honor, so how could I abstain? :) The good news is, part of that is what I call airplane weight, and I'm back on the food plan as of right now. Better to take off 5 pounds than 50, right? And if I'd followed that rule before, I wouldn't have been a Weight Watchers lifetime-member some five or six times!

We live, we learn.

Hopefully.

Make it a good day.

Headed Back to the Ranch

It will be good to get home and doubly good to see the dogs and cats. I've missed my four-legged housemates something fierce. (Missed the horses, too, of course, but it will be dark when I arrive, so the equine reunion will have to wait until morning.)

I do love San Francisco. I travel a lot, and I've been everywhere, man, as the song goes, but the City by the Bay is definitely special. I love the downtown area, anyway--don't know all that much about the outlying areas. Chinatown is a five minute walk from here, and there's a very good art supply store on New Montgomery Street, near the Art Academy. If I lived here, I would definitely be taking classes at that college. I'd consider a condo, but---where would I put my horses? :) And while Sadie-beagle is the most adaptable dog on the planet, Bernicie would be terrified by all the noises and the crowds. The cats? Forget it. They're not good travelers, although when I become a snowbird, they're going, too.

So I'll stick with my original plan, which is to get a winter place in or near Cave Creek, AZ, my old stompin' grounds. I don't miss the AZ summers one bit, but the winters are heaven on earth. And I've noticed that those spectacular sunsets are turning up in my art journals. (I use individual sheets of 6x6 watercolor paper, which I sign and date and will eventually keep in a decorated box.) Of course I continue to journal in the usual pen-to-paper way--that is vital to my psychological and spiritual welfare--but I find the painting process very revealing. The subconscious mind thinks in pictures, after all, not words. For this reason, I've done several that convey positive reminders. I like to tack these up on one of the cupboards in my kitchen for a few days and let the message sink in. Currently, for instance, my focus is on being willing to 'fail' at art until I can succeed. (I was raised to believe that the only real failure is giving up.)

I'm thinking of a phrase I've heard--'tall poppies'. In certain other countries, if someone is a 'tall poppy'--ie, if they think too well of themselves--the shorter poppies feel duty-bound to cut them down. I'm certainly not advocating arrogance or conceit, but here's another of the 10 million plus things I love about America. It's OKAY to be a tall poppy here. It's even encouraged! And if somebody cuts you down, well, heck, you can just grow again--taller this time.

So wherever you happen to be planted, send those roots down deep and hold on. Don't be afraid to grow TALL.

Cowgirl on the Loose!

Last night was the big Harlequin party, and it was very glam, as always. I'm proud to say I received my 25-book pin, which I will treasure. (I've written a LOT more than 25 books, as most of you know, but these were for Harlequin specifically.)

Jen and I visited Pier 39 yesterday, and it was SO much fun. The shopping was merely fantastic! We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Bay, with a great view of Alcatraz. Saw sea lions, too, sunning themselves and taking the occasional leisurely dip. :)

We had our fortunes told by one of those mechanical machines, like in "Big". What a kick! There certainly isn't a Zoltar (or whatever his name was) in good ole Spokane!

I did not get up in the middle of the night for an art binge, as I sometimes do, but I was ready for one. Jen and I hoofed it down to a nearby art supply store yesterday, and I got some great six-by-six watercolor paper. Did a flower last night, just to unwind. As I've said before, an artist is someone who does art--nobody said it had to be good art!

Today, we're heading for Fisherman's Wharf. If possible, we'll get on one of those tour boats and go out to Alcatraz.

I love San Francisco. It's a great town!

So I'll continue the blog tomorrow, so you'll know what I'm up to. :)

Cowgirl STILL in the Big City

The Single-Title party was held at George Bierce, a cool grill/bar kind of place with a view of the Golden Gate. I had a great time, hanging out with old friends and making new ones!

Today Jenni and I are going sightseeing. I'll be back in plenty of time to gussy up for tonight's dinner with my favorite publishing execs, followed by the fantastic and legendary Harlequin party, where chocolate flows like water. :) And so does champagne! (I'll definitely be back on grilled fish and veggies for a few days once I get home. I LIKE wearing these skinny jeans.)

After a room service breakfast, we'll head for Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, etc. We might even take the boat out to Alcatraz.

I'm enjoying this trip so much. Color everywhere. I'm so delighted by it I've been using colored gel pens in my journal, just to liven things up. :) In short, I'm having fun!

More later.