Living on a farm means we always have cats around. They keep the mice down. However, my granddaughter, who loves cats, can’t have one. So I gave her one of her own.

She was a cute, fluffy thing. Henceforth known as Fluffy. And yes a she.

A year later she had 3 lovely gray kittens.

The granddaughter was thrilled. The grandparents less so. Especially seeing they were all female. We negotiated. She could keep one kitten and the mommy. So this spring we have two batches of kittens. Four in each. That makes 8 more cats. So far I have two spoken for. The two mother cats share the kittens.

Here only one cat is tending them but usually they both do.

 

Anyone want a kitten? They are very cute.

Are you wondering how cats are like a story? Let me tell you.

Stories begin with an idea. Like we began with one cat. The idea grows and develops. It breeds other ideas until eventually a full-blown story is developed. Hopefully it will be as cute or appealing (or something positive) as these babies. A story requires care and feeding. And I count on one idea birthing another.

Thankfully there are also differences that I appreciate.  I send the stories away. But then I hope to send some of these kittens away too.

Takers?

It’s May. Spring. Right. Well not so much. We’ve had days of biting cold, winds that would knock a moose off its feet and snow. Snow. Snow. Where, we ask, is this global warning we hear so much about. (Turns out they are now calling it climate change. Thanks. I want the warming. Especially in May.) Seems there’s nothing quite so uncertain as the weather. You can count of it.  I’m tired of the kind of scenery in the first picture. I want scenes like the second picture.

Writing has untold numbers of uncertainties too. Will the editor like my last story? (Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.)Will she reject it or ask for major revisions? (Too often yes though the end result is worth it.) Will I make enough money to justify the amount of time I invest or should I go flip burgers at Wendy’s? (Hmm. Not sure.) Can I plot a story from these ideas I have? (Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.) Will I find time to write today? This week? (Only if I make it a priority.)

I cling to one certainty. God’s love. It never changes, wans or grows distant. ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.’ (Hebrews 13:8) When I focus on that fact my uncertainties seem less important.

I hope you all have that certainty in your life.

Barak Obama’s battle cry, ‘Yes, we can,’ has touched the world in many ways. I hear people adding it to their campaigns whether personal or political.  For instance, Ben & Jerry’s newest ice cream? Yes Pecan. (from http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/05/02/yes-he-can-borrow/)

So I thought I would jump on the band wagon.

Yes, I can.

I can learn all the ins and outs of my new computer and it’s programs. I can figure out how to get back my lost programs (with the help of someone much smarter about computers than I but it will get done.) I can learn how to download pictures from my camera and then send them on email or post on this blog. However, I might not figure it out for this particular blog.

Yes, I can… enjoy summer while coping with all the extra work it brings–garden, travel, company. etc.

I can figure out my current story. Someone asked me this week if I had a formula. Don’t I wish I could just follow a formula, do A, B, C and then D follows automatically. However,  I find every story comes to me differently and develops differently so I can’t write a story based on what worked last time. Each story presents its own challenges and problems. Knowing that, I have to work through the process of creating a story, discovering characters, blending a whole lot of ideas into a structure. Sometimes I have to bleed from the ears to make it work. It doesn’t always come together. I have to accept that part of the process is failure. But when it does come together in a satisfying story, I am glad I persevered.

Yes, I can.

But no, I can’t get my pictures sorted out to put on in this post. Sorry.

Hello.

Yes, I’ve been missing. Blame my computer. No, really. It got so I couldn’t do anything and it would freeze up. So I am now on a temporary unit while I go through the process of getting a new one. What a pain, trying to make sure I have all my files only to start work, find one important template missing and have to go looking for it. My farm accounting files are gone (temporarily, I hope.). But it provides me with a great excuse to not do the books. Yahoo. Oh wait. I’ll just have more to do when I get a program going. Not so good. I also have lost (again, only temporarily, I hope) a couple of writing programs, a text to speech program and a character development program.  But I am able to work and that’s what counts most.

I also got my copies of The Prairie Romance Collection with 12 complete stories in it. I am one of the featured 12 authors. I’m looking forward to reading all the stories. Watch for this and pick it up. It’s a real collector’s item.

Goodbye.

Yes, I am off on a trip to see my daughter and family in Colorado. I’ll spend Mother’s Day with them. Isn’t that special? We’ll do some siteseeing and I’ll spend time with the grandkids.

To all mothers–enjoy the day. To all children–make your mom feel special.