Coming Up for Air

Feeling free

This is how I feel today. I’m taking a few days off from writing to make a couple of pies and enjoy Thanksgiving with my family. I have cooked a turkey almost every year since I was twenty-four. This year, I’m a guest at my sister’s house and I’m responsible for dessert. This is completely in my wheelhouse.

I must be living right. Thoroughly prepared to make three pies, I got a request for a specific tart cherry, available frozen for pick up. So I did. Then today, I came home from an errand to find a fancy pumpkin pie on dry ice in a box on my doorstep. It was a gift from a business associate of my husband’s. Heavy points scored on that one.

For my one chance to bake, I’ll be making a Death by Chocolate pie. I certainly hope it doesn’t live up to its billing.

Book Update

It’s been so long since I posted about my book, I have to share how things are going. Over the first weekend in November, I attended Wordsmith2019 in Minneapolis. This writers conference was inspiring, invigorating and incredible. To be immersed for two days in all things writing felt so natural, yet thrilling. I attended breakout sessions on craft, publishing, best practices and heard an amazing keynote address from Madeline Miller. Ms. Miller told the audience how she wrote The Song of Achilles and Circe , two superb books, and the effort she expended to be true to her vision for the manuscripts.

I had a happening at the conference which sent me scurrying to the keyboard. For fear of jinxing anything, I’ll keep the specifics under wraps. I’ve had my author hat on, day and night, which is the reason the surfacing whale and I are kindred spirits. Woman does not live on writing alone and my life has been pretty one-dimensional for a few months.

To keep me balanced, I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving and a rousing Minnesota Gopher football game this weekend with some very dear friends.

Here’s wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, safe travels and an opportunity to relax with gratitude.

~Colleen