Wedding Bouquets

I am behind. Behind in writing, behind in cleaning, behind in reading, way behind in cooking for Thanksgiving. I'm behind in so many more ways. But I press on. I think I'll be able to catch up this weekend. With Thanksgiving tomorrow and setting up the Christmas tree on Friday, I'll have Saturday to shop and then Sunday is my daughter's birthday and we are going to go to Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs and then out to eat. So I'm not sure when I will do the catching up . . .

I did finish bouquets for my nephew's upcoming wedding.  The five bridesmaid' bouquet's are on the right, the maid of honor's is in the middle and the bride's on the far left. My daughter re-did the bride's bouquet. It looks 100 times better. She has such a good eye and then is able to create it.

So until next week.  Happy Thanksgiving.

France

I am saddened by the loss of life and freedom the French people are suffering through this week. To hear the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and other famous places are closed makes me sad. May God bring peace to everyone who is living in or visiting France. May the God of hope fill them with all joy and peace as they trust in him so that they may be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here is a link to my favorite blog. http://historicalromanceuk.blogspot.com/  It is wonderful to have a wide variety of Regency Romance Writers blogging about historical places in England and of the writers, poets and people of the past. Some of my favorite writers are contributors to this blog. 

Both pictures in this post are different views as we were on the bus of St. Paul's Cathedral.

This week my editor and I finished the last chapter of reviewing my first novel. Now I will go through it and do clean up. In January, American Christian Fiction Writers have a contest. I will enter it as I did with the Romance Writers of America's Contest last year. Perhaps I will make it to the next level as I did not in the previous contest. 

Or perhaps I will finally come to the realization that writing for me is a hobby that I enjoy but do not excel at. I do enjoy writing. I enjoy having a concept and then continuing to wrestle with it until it takes a form all its own. Sometimes so far away from my original intention.  I have heard writers say that sometimes the writing takes over and they are just along for the ride. I've experienced that. I wonder if all art forms evolve seemingly as you work on them.  

Writing and Colorado

It snowed last week about two inches, but the weekend was nice enough to go for the last boat ride at the inner city lake. A light jacket with the heat of the sun felt just the right. My husband didn't catch any fish, but it was still just wonderful. There is something so peaceful about being on the water. From the boat I took these pictures of the mountains.

My writing is improving little by little. But because it is taking so much time, I have not been able to put to paper the beginning of my second novel.

I take that back. I've written pages and pages of first chapters and not one have I liked for more than a day. So I'm back to brainstorming until I can find the right way to continue the sequel to "A Series of Scandals" in the Agents to the Crown trilogy.

Remembering Uncle Dee

This weekend, I went with my sister and her husband to visit relatives in Brighton. They are my mom's cousins. A brother and sister who live together. The brother is blind and has been for many years. They were delightful. After lunch we went to the house that my Great Grandma lived in. I remember as a child coming to this house. It was so much larger then. I remember playing on the railings while my parents visited. My Great Uncle also lived there. Hardwood floors, and the only way to get to the bathroom was through a bedroom. On one side of the door was a bedroom and on the other the front room. Then the dining room that led into the kitchen. The second bedroom is behind the first. And that is the whole of the house.

Then we went to the hospital that my great uncle was instrumental in bringing to Brighton. I heard this weekend that my great grandma used to get upset when Uncle Dee would come home, eat dinner and then go out canvassing the neighborhoods to solicit donations to start a hospital.  The first one was no bigger than a house and my uncle thought his city needed something more for the people of the town. 

At Platte Valley Medical Center they remember him with a bench and a plaque. He would have been honored. 

Finally, we went to the church that he had been a part of for decades. We looked for the paver with his name on it. But we could not find it. They must not have put it in yet. 

At the end of summer we went to the spot in the park where they also honored him, with a plaque on a stone telling of all the wonderful things he did for Brighton. There was a great ceremony with speeches and memories and refreshments. No cake, slightly disappointed. But not everyone loves cake the way I do.

Anyway, onto writing. I did write one chapter this week. So yay. Unfortunately, it was not the lead in to my 2nd book. I can't seem to find the right way to start the story. So I will work on other writing and see if the right setting will come to me.   

Writing and Colorado

Falling leaves, colder nights, chilly mornings fall is here to stay. How long will it be before winter shows its bleak and dreary head?

Surprisingly, I am still working on the first chapter of my second book and still editing my first book.

What have I been doing?  That is a very good question.

I guess  . . . bringing in my summer plants
to keep them alive until next spring, doing laundry (which I love), going to see my nieces and nephews that are seniors play volleyball and soccer. Getting care packages out to my nieces and nephews in college. Getting away for the weekend with my husband, going to see my dad (80 years old) perform in a musical show. Taking long walks with my husband on the weekends and shorter walks in the evenings. And then, of course, working during the days.  

Are those good excuses, no. .  . but again I resolve to find the time to work on that chapter. So by next post I will have great news. I will write I am working on Book 2 Chapter 2. . . . maybe

Writing the first chapter of my second book

I have written it, re-written it and then have tossed out what I have written, repeatedly. I have mapped out where I want to take the reader, but have not been able to establish the right route. So yesterday, I started with the dreaded outline. Working on it was not as hard as I had thought it would be, although it took all afternoon to complete. I only have the outline for two scenes and hope this week, I can actually write something that I can keep.

And as I work, I can't help remembering London and France where on display were all sorts of treats at various bakery shops. We did sample a few and found the cheaper ones to be beautiful but not tasty. The more expensive pastries were both wonderful to look at and to eat.

In the same way I would like the books I write to have substance, not just be a book. I've read so many books that were just . . . .fine. Very few were inspirational, and even fewer were exceptional. I suppose what I wish for is what all writer's aspire to. We all want to be amazing.

I'm sure each of the bakeries want their customers coming back to sample and buy their newest creations, also.

Which causes me to wonder why my absolute best is only okay, and another's first attempt can be exceptional.

.   

Writing and remembering trip to London

I keep looking at my blog and thinking, "You need to post something." But nothing earth shattering has come to mind. But, I've been thinking alot about this time last year. It was the beginning of preparing for my trip to London and Paris. I was contemplating getting a passport, thinking about what places my sister and I were going to see. I read about what articles to bring and then which of those items the airlines would allow. I wondered if my sister and I would get along and be like-minded travelers. And then in an instand it was all over. But the memories of traveling, of the long plane ride, of all the places we went and all the different foods we tasted are still vivid. The times we stayed up until 2:00a.m. telling each other to get to bed. Only needing a few hours of sleep and traveling all over the city.

Maybe I've already posted some of these pictures, but since I was in a reminiscent type mood, I wanted to see each of them again.  The bus was just like the one we rode on all through the streets of Westminster and London. The apartments were across the street from the Cavendish hotel. We were on the 9th floor so the picture was taken from our window.

These last couple of weeks, I have taken a writing course. I did learn new things, but what I could immediately start working on was the organization of any book. The instructor said it best when she said that in planning a trip to CA to see her son, she must map out her route. There are many different ways to get there in a car, but if she doesn't plan which route to take. She will never get there.So mapping out a story a writer must do the same thing."