Dear Reader,
I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well. Hard to believe it’s September. We’re 18 months into the pandemic, and now Mother Nature is giving us a pounding. She sure is pissed at us.
It’s been a hard year and a half. Just when you thought there was a light at the end of the tunnel, it turns out to be an oncoming train! It’s no wonder people are on edge, depressed, anxious, and angry. We’ve got to remember the one thing we can control is how we deal with things. I probably said that before, and now more than ever we need to hang tight and try to be loose at the same time. Our mental health is major.
I know people are worried about kids going back to school; what is going to happen for the holidays this year; will the pandemic ever be over; should I hoard toilet paper again? It’s been a whole lot of crisis management. But it’s important to stop and smell the flowers, find some beauty, choose to find joy. It’s out there somewhere. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Watching my hooligan cats gives me great joy. No matter how hard things get or how bad they are, there has got to be something to be thankful for.
Speaking of cats, Mz. Boo, here’s her latest shenanigan. I have a Christmas tree in my den. It’s on a timer and I keep it lit year round. It’s for my daughter, Patti who passed away at Christmastime several years ago. One night I got spooked when the lights came on at a different time. Now some of you know about the ghost named Mary Margaret. For those of you who don’t, I live in a very old house. Over a hundred and fifty years. Lots of history, and apparently there’s some about a young woman named Mary Margaret who shows up occasionally. I’m not cuckoo. Many people have experienced her presence. It’s not scary. Really. And if it was I wouldn’t tell you. I’m Fern Michaels, not Stephen King. LOL. Anyway, back to the tree. A few hours after the lights had mysteriously turned themselves on, the lights went out. A few hours later they came back on again. I didn’t know if it was a “sign” from the other side. Maybe Mary Margaret was visiting. But enough was enough. As I bent down to look under the tree there was Mz. Boo sitting next to the timer giving me a “what?” kind of look. Somehow she figured out how to change it. I kid you not. A friend of mine told me a story last week about her newly rescued kitten and the momma. Now she has four who create havoc. Each night she sets her security alarm before going upstairs to bed. It was around 2:00AM when she was startled awake by loud voices coming from the living room. She sat up and grabbed the phone and wondered why the alarm didn’t sound. She listened for a few more seconds and realized it was Andy Griffin! The fur rascals knocked the remote on the floor and turned on the TV. At least it wasn’t the news! That would have been really scary.
I am very excited about the new books that are coming out in the next two months. Last month I mentioned a new series about sister and brother who have shops in a large art center. It’s an interesting and quirky set of characters, mystery, humor, and of course a little romance. The first book is called Hidden and is on-sale now. I think you’ll find it very entertaining. Then in October the new Christmas hardcover, Santa Cruise will be on-sale. Four friends on a singles cruise and lots of shenanigans—a romp on the high seas. Actually, the Caribbean. It’s a fun escape.
This month’s contest is a signed copy of Hidden.
Be well, stay safe. Put fun and joy into your life.
