Let me tell you, this morning is going to be a little of this and a little of that. Writers are told that our stories should “hang together”. We should stick to the subject and write about what we know. I’m writing about what I know this morning but I can’t stick with the subject because I haven’t one subject but many!!
In the first place, the temperature says 32 degrees and we may have slick spots on bridges and overpasses. How can that be? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was watering my container garden and admiring the blooms? And then tomorrow–guess what? The weather will take a turn for the worse! But that’s OK. I have a warm house and I’m thankful. Which leads me to thoughts of Thanksgiving and the many blessings God is sending my way. Topping them off is gratitude to Jesus for Salvation and right behind that is gratitude to God for my wonderful family and many friends. Money can’t buy these blessings because they are priceless, worth far more than gold.
We writers are, in ourselves, somewhat of a mystery. (Actually, all people are mysteries; that’s what makes a story.) We may look cheerful and attentive to an observer but behind our innocent-appearing gaze, a story is hatching, brewing, fomenting, swirling in the depths of our minds. Our world teems with stories, just waiting to come to life in the written word. There’s always an idea for the next book lurking in the depths of my mysterious mind. People are interesting; we all have stories within that are waiting to come out. I’ll bet you have some ideas of your own about a plot or a character who would feel right at home in a cozy mystery.
And stories leads me to the third Darcy/Flora cozy mystery, Best Left Buried. It is completed and waiting for a home. My sister-in-law Linda is reading it, not to critique it, but to enjoy it. She likes it even better than The Cemetery Club or Grave Shift. Coming from her, that is high praise because she is a retired English teacher and librarian and reads a lot. She liked the fact that the mystery began on the first page of the book and she was glad to see the romance that is beginning to blossom between Darcy and Grant.
It is encouraging to hear the occasional compliment or praise for something we’ve done, particularly if it is something we really enjoyed doing. One of the ladies in the exercise class the other day had read both The Cemetery Club and Grave Shift at the city library. She compared them to books by Mary Higgins Clark. Well, that made my day in a great big way. I am completely undeserving of such high praise, but, as you can imagine, my feet hardly touched the ground for the rest of the day!
My morning meanderings come full circle this morning with my mention of a bright and shining blessing, a Christmas gift that I get each day of my life: my grandchildren. Nathan just had a birthday. What can be more fun than seeing the whole-hearted delight a child feels for his birthday? And Sara enjoyed his birthday too. They are that way, those two. They are not only a brother and sister who love each other; they like each other too. They are good friends.
I have a feeling that this is going to be a “fireplace blazing, light burning in every room” kind of day. Of course, right now the sky is dark because this is pre-dawn. Whether your day is cloudy or sunny, warm or icy, I hope that you enjoy it. Remember the recipe for banishing the bad weather blues: take one good cozy mystery, add a crackling fireplace and several cups of hot coffee, combine with an easy chair and sit for several hours. The result is a tasty sort of day.
Speak Your Mind