Rainy Saturday

The dishwasher is swish-thumping and the kitchen is clean. I even cleaned the stove. All I need to do now is clean the bathroom, take out the trash and vacuum and I'm done with my Saturday chores.

I feel relaxed for the first time since summer became so hot. It rained all day yesterday and all last night, singing it's lullaby to me as I drifted away in sleep. I woke to more rain and the forecast predicts even more rain tomorrow. The air is cool and wet and I want nothing more than to climb back into bed with a book and listen to the music of rainfall on the leaves and roof and feel the cool, wet air drifting through the window to caress my cheek as I sleep, sending me soothing dreams. What can I say? I love the rain. I always have. I also love snow.

As a small child, I'd run outside, hold my arms up and turn my face to the clouds and spin, catching raindrops on my tongue, my skin soaking up the precious cool drops. I still do, although less so since I moved to the cottage since there is no grass to cushion and cool my bare feet. Such a small thing to give up for the wonder of rain making music, blessings from the elementals, for which I am very grateful.

That is all. Disperse. Go play in the rain.

Another writer?

For me, one of the best things about writing, other than getting checks in the mail, is helping another writer get started.

Last night, a good friend who has recently battled (and won against) breast cancer emailed because she couldn't find my number. She forgot to put it in her cell phone. (She calls them blonde moments since she recently went blonde. I call them Alzheimer's or senior moments, but she's sticking to blonde.) A miracle happened and she wanted to share it. I waited. And waited. And waited. She didn't call. I could just see her fumbling with her new cell phone trying to get my named spelled just right and putting in my phone number with some of the numbers reversed, checking it against the email and putting it in again, so I called her.

The miracle is that her twin sister, who has been in the hospital near death for weeks, is out of danger and has been transferred to a rehab facility in northern Colorado. It is a miracle because it didn't look like Glenda was going to make it. The doctors were talking about taking her off the machines, but Glenda rebounded and she's going to be fine.

As we talked, I told her the news about the two new books coming out and about writing. Her therapist suggesting keeping a journal to help her deal with the breast cancer and all the surgeries and she asked if it was the kind of thing that a publisher might be interested in. I told her yes and suggested checking out the Chicken Soup and Cup of Comfort web sites and that if she wanted to write about her experiences I'd be glad to help her navigate the publishing waterways. A writer may have just been born last night and that makes me really happy, not only for her but for the people whose lives she will touch.

She is such a funny and intelligent woman who has dealt with the worst that life can throw at you with grace and tenacity. That is something to write about.

That is one of the most wonderful things about writing, helping someone find their voice. I don't consider her a rival, but a sister of the pen. There can never be too many writers -- or readers for that matter. Good thing writers like to read, too.

That is all. Disperse.

Good news day

Today is the day for good news. I received the news that my story, The Bed, comes out next month in A Cup of Comfort for Families Touched By Alzheimer’s and Chicken Soup for the Empty Nester's Soul containing my story Silence will be out in October, along with a couple of other books. I'll post about them when I have more news.

Until then, here's a picture of one of the books.




That is all. Disperse.

Go buy a book or two.

Rain, rain, wine

I finally got what I wanted, days of rain and cooler temps. It rain Thursday night and kept raining on and off all day Friday, making me a very happy camper. But when it rained on Saturday and again last night, it was just what I needed to finally get some quality rest. It even got cool enough that I turned off the fan in the bedroom. As NoCompromises says, it was a symphony of rain and I a delighted listener experiencing the full performance, although there were elements of Wagner's entire Ring cycle to the repeat performances.

This morning in my usual email, I read about grapes, particularly purple and red grapes, and their health-giving, youth-supporting, longevity-producing capabilities. It's all about resveratrol and it is part of what is called the French paradox, the reason why the French, who eat such a high fat diet, remain healthy and have a low incidence of heart disease and stroke. It's the wine, specifically red wine, that keeps their arteries unclogged and free of blood clots. And I thought it was just because they were pickled in alcohol. Resveratrol is present in purple and red grapes in small amounts but producing wine concentrates it. You can get the same benefits by drinking grape juice, although there is a smaller concentration of the vital antioxidant and more sugar than necessary, so choose an organic juice, which will contain a fewer pesticides. Pesticides used in growing grapes commercially build up in the body's fatty tissues and cause a whole host of other problems.

I am not a big drinker, never have been, but I do have a case of wine still in the case that I have yet to open, which is probably why my fancy and easy to use cork screw is rather dusty right now (the case is dusty, not the cork screw). It was a gift when I joined the wine club where the case of wine came from and continues to come from four times a year. Anyway, I think I'll give the one glass of red wine at dinner every night a try and see what happens. Besides, all those wine glasses that I got as gifts for the house warming should be used once in a while, and it would be relaxing to sit down of an evening with a good meal, a glass of red wine and the sound of rain. When there's no rain, I'll listen to the crickets sing; that's just as relaxing.

That is all. Disperse.