A Case of the Slows

Maybe it's the rain.

Maybe it's because it's Friday.

For whatever reason, I'm off to a slow start today.

My plans for the weekend include: work (I'm VERY close to finishing the new book), art (that's my personal form of therapy) and possibly, some slot-machine playing. I'll also be seeing "The Cemetery Club" over the weekend, at Spokane Civic Theatre. Yee-haw! I'm looking forward to that, Big Time.

Sadie is off to her trainer. Bernice is badly in need of a bath.

And let me just say that, even with a case of the slows, I love my life.

I'm so grateful.

Make it a good one.

Spokane's Dumbest Criminals

I have a real winner to report. :) Last week, a local rocket scientist, who shall remain nameless, called in a bank robbery.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you read that correctly.

Nameless (Brainless?) actually telephoned a Spokane bank and threatened to blow up schools if a sizable sum of money wasn't delivered directly to his house--of course he provided an address. Believe it or not, he was surprised when the police came, dressed in banker's garb and carrying briefcases. The suspect's response was not publicized, but that's okay.

He has the right to remain silent.

I Think I Misplaced Yesterday

I was so immersed in "Creed's Honor" yesterday that I completely forgot about the blog until it was too late to face a computer screen. :) Sorry about that.

I'm off to Spokane Civic Theatre again this weekend, this time to see "The Cemetery Club". I'm still rockin' and rollin' to Buddy Holly tunes--what a show that was! SCT is one of my favorite places--way back when, I used to participate in plays there. I had small parts in both "Funny Girl" and "Oliver". Alas, I no longer have the time for acting, but I can support the organization by sitting in the audience. And I'm looking for other ways to get involved, simply because I LOVE live theatre.

Today, I'm working on Chapter 14 of the book. It has 19 chapters, total, so I'm closing in on the big finish. Telling Conner's story has been a blast so far--and I'm only expecting it to get better. I'm also looking forward to telling you all about his identical twin brother, Brody, in the next book, "Creed's Legacy". Those Creeds are a wild bunch--wild as their cousins, the McKettricks. :)

The weather is overcast this morning, but I call that cozy.

Make it a good day.

Monday Morning Moose

I thought one of the horses had gotten out when I caught a flash of movement through one of the front windows this morning. Alas, a young bull moose was passing by! What an amazing sight, and there I was, without my camera. Yorkie-Bernice was in the back yard at the time, and would usually be yapping her brains out. She's nobody's fool--unless she has backup (as in, ironically, a peace-loving Sadie) she just puts her tiny paws up on the fence, wags her tail, and watches the proceedings with the kind of interest only a terrier can summon up.

As for my mystery outing on Saturday evening, I was time-traveling--I went back fifty+ years to watch "Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story", at Spokane Civic Theatre. It was a wonderful experience--for 2 1/2 lively hours, this mostly-Boomer audence was young again, clapping and yelling and swaying in our seats. The whole cast was fantastically talented, and the music was beyond even MY expectations: Brian Gunn's portrayal of the rock and roll legend was nothing short of amazing. He's a first class guitar player, for a start, and he handled all those great old songs--"Everyday" and "True Love Ways", among many others--not only well, but with a Buddy-like poignancy that touched my heart. Jhon Goodwin (the Big Bopper) and Paul Villabrille (Richie Valens) were incredible, especially in the jointly performed number, "La Bamba". The kicker, though, was "Johnny B. Goode". WOW. I defy you to stay in your seat when that song cranks up--it was a rave! What a thrill that show was, from start to finish. I'm glad I'm a season-ticket holder, that's for sure.

The rains came over the weekend, making all those sunny autumn days even more precious. The leaves are so gorgeous--I'm preserving a few for art projects.

It's all good.

Friday? Really????

How can it be Friday already? That's ridiculous--five minutes ago, it was Monday!

Time really DOES fly when you're having fun, and that's exactly what's happening with the new book, "Creed's Honor". I enjoy writing all my books, of course, but these identical cowboy twins are a real kick.

I'm planning to write through the weekend, but I've got something terrific planned for Saturday evening. I'll tell you all about it on Monday. (Hint: It's NOT a date, but I do have to dress up.)

It's another gorgeous fall day here in Spokane. We're expecting a rainy weekend, but that's okay, too.

I will be so glad when election day has come and gone. I sent in my ballot at least a week ago, so now I'm entitled to gripe about politics. :) I'm sick of all the mudslinging and the tacky 'vote for me' signs springing up in yards and along roadways like weeds. We've got a lot of work to do, and I think we ought to stop bickering across the aisle, push up our sleeves, and get it done.

We're all Americans, after all. We're in this together.

And that's my piece. Having said it, I will shut up.

Have a wonderful, restorative weekend. If it rains where you live, put a pot of soup on the stove to simmer and curl up with a good book. That's the cure for a lot of ills.

Foggy Blog

There's fog in the draw this morning--the trees look wonderfully ghost-like, the tips rising out of a pool of white. Today will be sunny, though, and the sun is already shining. What a beautiful planet this is.

I've booked my tickets to fly to California for Christmas and I am already excited. Chris the Dog Nanny will be here to take care of the housepets while I'm gone. I love spending time with my daughter and future son-in-law, Jeremy. Last year, we went to Disneyland, and I hope we can do that again. I am still a kid at heart. So cross your fingers and repeat after me: "No blizzard, no blizzard, no blizzard..."

I'm working today, as usual, but I do have a hair appointment this afternoon. Right now, I could go trick or treating and scare everybody. Fright-wig city. :)

That's the news from my kitchen table, friends.

Be happy. These are the good old days!

More Fabulous Weather!

Autumn. It is SO beautiful.



The wild turkeys are back--I keep warning them about Thanksgiving!--and the moose are around, too. There are HUGE hoof prints out by the barn, but the horses don't seem to mind the visits. Trust me, if the horses are unhappy about anything, we know about it pronto. :)



I'm writing, writing, writing! And I LOVE this book. I can't wait to share the new Creed series with all of you.

In my 'spare time', I play with my art supplies. I'm taking two art vacations next year--I'll be attending Teesha Moore's Artfest, in April, over in Port Townsend, WA, and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, in New York, next June. I am so excited! The latter is famous,among other things, for the before and after self-portraits, one drawn the first day, one the last. The contrast is usually amazing, and I promise I will be blogging and posting my drawings. (This may not be possible from Artfest. I'm not sure there's wireless on site and its more of a mixed media kind of deal. Translation: messy. :)

And that's the news on this crisp Wednesday morning.

13 Bean soup for lunch.

Case of the Missing Blogger

This just in: Linda Lael Miller was found, writing like a crazy woman, at her home in Spokane, Washington. She is alive and well, but very focused on the new book.

LLM told this reporter that she's also doing backgrounds, etc., for her artist trading cards, in her spare time. She was on a cooking kick over the weekend, making up a batch of 13 Bean soup, most of which ended up in the freezer. She also stated that last night's pot roast experiment was a flop, though Sadie-beagle lobbied actively for a sample. :) Sadie is ultra-perky these days, not to mention svelte.

LLM's future son-in-law, Jeremy Hargis, presented her with a wonderful original painting, his own rendition of a bunch of skeletons, jitterbugging. There will be a photo in the blog very soon, she promises. Jeremy is also into making ATCs.

And there she goes now. Headed for her office.

:)

Friday

More lovely weather.

Sadie is off to "school".

I'm settling in to write and, later on, to do some art work.

Have a wonderful weekend.

The Rescued Miners

It's nice to see a miracle unfold, isn't it? Those Chilean miners, their families, and their rescuers are all heroes, as far as I'm concerned. A true testament to the power of the human spirit--these people chose to believe things would turn out well for them. They could certainly have panicked, fought among themselves, or simply given up, but they took the experience day by day and probably moment by moment. It seems to me that, particularly in these challenging times, they've set a fine example for the rest of us.

As the British say, "Keep Calm and Carry On".

The roses have been pruned back, and Larry brought in the last few blossoms to grace my kitchen. As I write this, Cha Cha kitty is nibbling away at them. :) Must be the Vitamin C.

I'll be writing today--I'm having the BEST time with Conner and Tricia and all the other characters in "Creed's Honor". Today, as a public service, I must take time out for an emergency haircut--I look like the subject of alien wind-tunnel experiments when I wake up of a morning. Alien hairdressers are a running joke between my sister Sally and me--we send each other cell-phone photos of the most dramatic examples!

It's all good.

Keep calm and carry on, pardners.

Book Recommendation

I purchased copies of "The Secret", both the book and the DVD, for many of my friends and family members, but in the end, I thought it was missing something. Not so with the author's second book, "The Power." This time, it's all there. I not only plan to reread "The Power", I plan to study it.

What is the Power, anyway? You won't be surprised when I tell you: it's LOVE, of course. And I think we hear and read that word so often that many of us have become numb to it. "The Power" certainly gave me a new and deeper understanding--it's an indepth description of how to love, not just romantically, but in the broader sense. Like, love thy neighbor. (Well, that's great, but exactly HOW does one go about that, especially if said neighbor happens to be a real pain in the patoot?) (Just an example, folks. My neighbors are nice people.)

This reminds me of a story about my dad. A long, long time ago, he read one (count 'em, one) self-help book. It was called, "How to Live 24 Hours a Day". In typical Skip Lael fashion, he took in the info, applied it to his life, and never felt the need to read another book of that kind. :) I wish I could say I'm that quick of a study myself, but I'm not. I've read hundreds of these books. And I've got to tell you, if I HAD only read one, I'd want it to be "The Power".

It's amazing.

Tuesday, Tuesday

Spokane's weather is GORGEOUS. In case you were wondering, which actually seems pretty unlikely....:)

Today is a writing day, with no interruptions (knock on wood) for doctor appointments, etc. As much as I enjoyed last weekend's trip to California, I'm so happy to be home and back in action. Yesterday, I saw a doctor--I'm doing an overnight sleep study soon--that's getting older for you. (It sure beats the alternative, however.)

Having written, I plan to mess around with my art work for an hour or two--I've moved that operation downstairs, which makes for a much tidier kitchen table.

And that's the news.

Thanks, OCC!

My special thanks to the Orange County Chapter of RWA. I had a fabulous time attending your birthday bash this weekend. What a great bunch you are, and you treated me like a queen. I like that quality in people. :)

Today, it's back to work on The Book, which is going well, plus a routine doctor's appointment. As my friend June Carter Cash used to say, "The older I get, the harder it is to get everything headed in the same direction!"

We've got more glorious fall weather today, I see. Missed the weekend rain, darn it, because I was in sunny Brea, California. Daughter Wendy and future son-in-law Jeremy joined me for part of the weekend, and that was terrific--we visited the biggest Target this ole country girl has ever seen. Yee-haw! Darned if it didn't have escalators--PLUS a special one alongside to transport the shopping cart. What WILL they think of next?

Dogs and cats and horses are all thriving. I was warmly welcomed by the dogs, as always, but the kitties waited until it was dark to cuddle up, lest word get out that they actually like me. :)

I'm happy, I'm feeling good, and I'm grateful.

And that's the news from my kitchen table.

Another Beautiful Day 2

This weather is so beautiful. I know I keep saying that, but it's true. We're enjoying fall at its very best here in Spokane--bright skies, and the greenest greens. Sunshine, but a medium temperature. I love it.

Sadie is off to her day of exercise and acupuncture. Bernice and the kitties and I are holding down the fort. Mary Ann, the trail boss, is headed out to pick up some horse feed, and the Canadian Wrangler is busy out at the barn.

Situation: normal.

And that's a very good thing.

Blue skies, lookin' at me....

The weather is GORGEOUS today. There simply aren't enough adjectives to describe it. :)

Sally's headed back to Oregon as of this morning--Pam left yesterday. It was so much fun to see everybody again.

I'm writing Chapter 7 of the new book today, and I'm also reading a version of "A Creed in Stone Creek", coming next March, before it goes to the typesetter.

I'll be leaving for California on Friday morning--I'm speaking at the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America. It's always fun to see my writing buddies, and as a bonus, daughter Wendy will be joining me for the weekend. It's a quick trip--on Sunday evening, I'll be back in Spokane. Phew.

That's about it for now.

See you tomorrow.

The Reunion

I got together with the family over the weekend--specifically on Saturday--and it was great, as always. It was your typical family reunion--plenty of little kids running around, Cousin Dave MCing (look out, Dave, little Aidan is after your job), the beloved elders who share their memories, the cousins who traveled from far and wide to be with us. We are quite an outfit--and I think we'll be going back to our usual venue in Colville next year, for many reasons, one of which is a food service worker who snarled at everybody in the buffet line if they picked up a plate to serve themselves. :) We're not real fond of "crabby" in our family.

Cousin Jay Lael sang his songs and played his guitar, and even brought along CDs of his music. I was lucky enough to get one. Jay is one of my favorite people--a handsome dirt-bike champ in a cowboy hat, who reads Jane Austen. He likes to remind me that I sold him his first guitar for $15.

There are many funny people in the Lael tribe, so we do a lot of laughing.

Family reunions, like families, are gloriously imperfect, and thank heaven for that, as I wouldn't fit in, otherwise. :)

Back to work on the new book today. Sister Sally is visiting, and we've had a ball. Pam was up from Oregon, and she and Mom came out for a visit yesterday. Pam and I share a deep interest in art, especially mixed media, so it's always fun to talk shop.

It's raining and that makes me feel very cozy in my warm, bright house.

And that's the news from my kitchen table.