Good morning! Or whatever part of the day it is when you are reading this… good that. I’m sitting here in hubby’s office, looking out the window as I try to figure out how to put two and two together via words and make sentences. There’s a contrail or a chemtrail – depending on which theory you ascribe to – streaking across, heading east. Wispy clouds are above that, and it all serves as a backdrop for the bare branches of the trees. Well… the somewhat bare branches. Amazingly enough, we still have trees and shrubs that are holding on to their greenery.

Across the street, the neighbors have some Bradford pears. Those blessed beasts are still mostly green. Let me tell you, when it snowed the other day? That was some surreal stuff to witness. And for our friends farther north up in southern Indiana, apparently it was traumatic. They had ice and sleet, and combined with the weight of the leaves still on the trees, twas not a good time had by all but particularly the power lines and such. Hopefully, we won’t have that kind of weather again for a good while. Hmmm, yeah. Who am I kidding? That was probably just a preview of all the winter “wonderland” to come.

I’m now three and a half weeks post-surgery, and I continue to see improvements. For several months now, I’ve simply not felt like working in my office or in the living room. I’ve been relegated to hubby’s office and the recliner some, but mostly, I’ve been stuck in the bedroom. It’s enough to give a person cabin fever. I’m happy to report that I’ve started to venture out and move to other areas of the house again. I can’t tell you how nice it is to see vistas other than four walls.

One thing that has been pretty consistent since the surgery and I’m blaming on anesthesia is that I’m mixing up my words more in a verbal sense. It’s been quite interesting at times, the things I’m saying. It’s not a new “issue” and it’s something that hits me from time to time. I’ve not had a good run of it in a while, but it definitely increased after the surgery. If that’s the only lingering side effect, I can live with that. I’m actually finding it to be amusing.

I am doing NaNoWriMo, but as I only started a few days ago, I’m horribly behind. That’s okay. I’ll be happy with a participation trophy. Hey, what do you know? Those things can be useful and not just eye-roll inducing.

The Alex Collins/Olman County site is probably going to  be merging back with the T.L. Haddix website. I’ll keep the names separate with the books, but people interested in one series will be easily able to get here from there and vice versa. It was an experiment, didn’t turn out exactly the way I’d expected, but that’s all right. Live and learn. I will keep the mailing lists separate though.

I have so many ideas I want to write about, so many stories I want to tell, that I’m having trouble funneling just one or two out at a time. It’s a logjam for sure, a real bottleneck. There are worse problems to have.

Pip the Kitten is doing well. She’s close to nine months old now, and while part of me really thinks she needs to be an only child (the part that likes sleep and peace), part of me also believes she needs a sibling. The sensible part of me says “girl, you are NOT ready for that.” I’m going to do my best to listen to that sensible side, but if the Julius and his siblings start sending me more messages in a persistent manner, hubby had best look out. This will go from being a one-cat household to a multi-cat, and that’s that. HA!

Thanksgiving is coming up here later this week in the States. I’m not sure what our plans are. I suspect there may be some gluten-free stuffing involved. Possibly gravy. Definitely gravy. I may even decide to get ambitious and do a pie of some sort. Whatever we end up doing, it’ll likely be low-key and quiet. I like that sort of holiday, and I’m thankful we can have such peace. I know we’re blessed in that, as so many people have miserable holidays. Isn’t that just sad?

We had to go through a gauntlet of sorts until we figured out that there’s nothing shameful in walking away for your own mental health, that it’s okay to not want to spend time with people who make you unhappy, and then we had an adjustment period of mourning. I won’t lie; it took a few years to get used to that. It still isn’t always easy. Funny how being with people with whom you have tension and pain can seem better than being alone at first. But then when it clicks and you’re at peace… well, it’s worth the hard days. Anyhow, I hope all of you have at least a peaceful holiday, if not pleasant. If it’s pleasant and full of happiness, all the better.

Happy Reading!

T.L.