I’ve done a lot of things on this planet in my 69 years. Some smarter than others. But the best thing I ever did was to become a mother of two wonderful human beings. It’s Mother’s Day and I looked up some old pictures to prove to you I raised two children. Both of them live close and I see them as often as possible.
I started young, barely twenty, when the first one showed up. I was terrified I’d screw up and we’d all starve. I didn’t know what to do with the little bundle of joy—and it showed. But I had a mother and mother-in-law to help guide me. Even though I thought I knew better sometimes, I still learned from them. 
I worked part time when the children were young and tried to avoid placing them in day care. Their dad worked early mornings so I worked part-time afternoons. It brought in a little money. When they were in school full time, I went back to work full time too. And I went back to school while I worked and mothered. And the years whizzed by.
We always had a lot of music and books in our home, though there were times when we had little else. And my kids remember that. They remember the classical music as I rocked the baby to sleep and later the bedtime stories when they were old enough to appreciate them. I often put the needle on the 33-rpm record while we danced around the living room, and I managed to get rid of some dust or fold another load of laundry. They are both good readers and music lovers. I must have done a few things right. 
I now have five grandchildren and they too are grown. The one I kept on weekends sometimes when he was young is about to graduate college. I couldn’t be prouder. One lives around the corner and though he works out of town, he helps us with things we’ve become too old to manage. The others I only see on holidays, but I look forward to those times.
Of all the things I’ve done in my life, being a mother was my favorite, and I wouldn’t change a thing in the way it happened. Happy Mother’s Day.
What are you reading this week?
Last week was Enid Author Fest and this week is the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. conference. It’s conference time!
It’s Author Fest time!
Easter is time of renewal for spring and a holiday for Christians. Other religions also celebrate near the same time.
The Public Library of Enid and Garfield County is having the Enid Author Fest Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 1-5 pm. Like a lot of things, it’s been two years since the last one and I’m looking forward to connecting with my fellow authors once again. 
It’s spring! I know because I worked on the lawn yesterday. Not really the lawn, but pots around the lawn. I made my maiden voyage to the greenhouse and spent the first of many fortunes. Like everything else, the prices have gone up. I filled some empty containers and wished them well. I hope we don’t have another freeze.
The Writer’s Block, an online radio show affiliated with LA Talk Radio 
In January, my latest Keystone Lake novel, Blooming Greed, was released by The Wild Rose Press. Once again Erin is out solving crimes and some of my favorite characters are on the case. This time her neighbors are disappearing and the lake she’s known all her life is in trouble. The fishing is disappointing and lake levels are so high that prime lake front properties are flooded. Boating your favorite spots can be dangerous due to debris in the water.
Last fall my novel, Flatiron Death Grip was released by Airship 27 Productions. This novel has been on my mind for years culminating from four short stories gathered together into one novel with one goal for all the characters. I can say that was more difficult than I initially thought. But it was worth it, and it was fun!
Stories don’t work without descriptions—the reader needs to experience what the character experiences.
