Melani Blazer

Christmas Eve. My boss was gracious (and perhaps fearful enough of us all) to allow an entire day off. It’s the first time I’ve had more than two days in a row off in I don’t konw how long, but never fear, there’s a zillion things to be done and they’ll have flown by me without realization.

We had all the intentions of rise and shine early this morning to get a start on things. I need to make a double batch of Snickerdoodles, as one batch is my gift to my father-in-law, who loves them like nothing else. (The rest goes into the cookie plates I think I’ve been making for the last two or three weeks, egads!)

It’s windy and cold and the best place to be at 7am is curled up next to the one you love, with the cats scattered at the edges of the bed. So we relaxed and finally stretched after one of the dear felines broke the picture perfect moment with the upheaval of a nice food encrusted hairball. Gee, thanks.

But it didn’t turn out to be a bad thing. I put on coffee (don’t drink it, but figured hubby would want it) and did the dishes that didn’t get done last night. If you read my blog last summer, you’ll know we have a tendancy to spoil the local squirrels, and they’ve come to tell their friends and expect their peanuts on the porch each morning. Of course, this morning we were late and they were running around the driveway, checking and rechecking for their breakfast. The husband tosses a double handful of nuts onto the bottom step and then heads off to check out the tv.

I see the cat, now perched (groan) on the edge of the kitchen table, staring outside. He crouches and the tail starts whipping. He doesn’t do that for squirrels, he’s used to them and accepts them. So I pick up the cat and take him to the window to “see”.
What we find was a rare treat, and totally unexpected. I call husband, then go get up daughter so we could stand in the window and watch two squirrels, four blue jays and a red headed woodpecker dance around on the porch, vying for the peanuts. Yes, we put out even more, not having expected to provide Christmas dinner for so many, but unwilling to turn away such beautiful creatures. They stayed for nearly 40 minutes, often all of them sitting on the edge of the garage roof or dashing across the steps at once. While they were benefitting, we felt the most blessed by their trust, after all, we were fully visible in the window less than three feet from them–and holding the cats so they could watch as well.

Hope your Christmas finds you a moment you cherish as much, and touches your heart in a way nothing else can.

Just wanted to pop in to let you know I was still here… really, I am. My mind, not so much.

The holiday season is nutty enough, but egads, it seems to get more hectic each year. I’m still baking cookies like a mad-woman and they seem to disappear so quickly, what the heck? Ignore the growing size of my thighs, please, I’ll deny even taste-testing one of them!

With that, my oven beeped and I’ve gotta pack up this batch of goodies for a run to yet another person. I’ll be back.. I hope!

I’ve come to the crazy conclusion that part of my…apathy, depression and dark outlook had much to do with my current WIP. After all, I’m writing a very difficult portion of story where not only has everything familiar been ripped away from protagonist, destroyed and forgotten by everyone else, she’s trapped in a world where her control is fleeting and frankly, there’s not a dim hope of light at the end of the tunnel. In other words, it eerily mirrors the outlook I’ve been living.

Now, yes, there are factors in my life that have affected my way of thinking, some bad news, some ugly situations and a come and go sense of helplessness that would likely be there regardless of what I’m writing. I’ve just made a huge decision to set the current WIP aside, because I know “escaping” to write, and then writing of something so dark, barren and empty is not what I need.

In case anyone’s concerned, I’m fine, health-wise, as is my family. My issues are fixable and I’ve done what I can to get the ball rolling. So no worries.

In fact, the purpose of this blog is not to whine and complain, but to acknowledge how reading AND writing something upbeat, fun and sprited can truly affect a whole person. I’ve switched to a story I’ve tinkered with on several occasions but haven’t seriously focused on. I’ve laughed, I’ve smiled and enjoyed the interplay between characters and am definitely looking forward to more.

Moral of the story? If you’re down, find yourself a funny, FUN book… and read!

Just pausing for station identification here. It’s been a mad house here, not that it’s usually something else, but we’ve all been crazy-busy. Tree’s up, that’s it’s own story, but it’s the biggest damn tree we’ve ever had. Thanks Goose. Needed that.

Made some cookies, and not sure I have the stamina to make oodles of them this year. Ate about 4 of them and am now cookie’d out. Sad, eh? We’ll see. I’m just not mentally or in any other way, prepared for Christmas.

Had snow. Had ice. Had rain. All within about 6 hours. All gone now, left with brrr cold and wind. Welcome to winter. Can I hibernate someplace about 80* please?

Writing, yeah. I’ve typed in a ton, handwritten some, and word count on computer is somewhere over 27,000. It’s not where I wanted to be, but it’s progress, nonetheless. Considering the stress, outside interruptions and all the other chaos hitting me in the head like a fast-pitched baseball, it’s pretty amazing.

That’s about the end of the time I have. Off to work with me.
Have a good one!