Update on Payton

Life has been busy and a bit topsy-turvy lately, so news on Payton hasn't been updated recently.

She's home! Even after a second trip to Children's Mercy for nearly a week, because of feeding problems. But the feeding tube she came home with to supplement her bottles has been removed. She's eating, keeping it down most of the time, and gaining weight. In 12 days, she'll be 3 months old. It's been a fast 3 months at times, while at others, it's dragged. We're all so glad to have everyone home and getting back into a routine.

Her first Halloween will not be spent trick or treating. Being out in public and especially on cold nights, is out of the question. With viruses of all kinds around these days, precautions are being taken with her. We want to keep her heatlhy and happy!

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and wonderful notes of encouragement!

The Real Meaning of Fall

Whether you call it fall or autumn, it's the same. The air is brisk, leaves crackle and crunch beneath feet, the shouts of children coming out of school can be heard, and there's a scent in the air that's impossible to describe. Those are the first things I think of when the change of seasons from summer to fall comes around.

So why am I surrounded by piles of clothes in all sizes, shapes and colors? How did the simple task of putting away the laundry done last night turn everything into a disaster area?

Let's see. There were 7 loads of laundry last night, a mix of my daughter's clothes and mine, for both hot weather and cold weather. All those clean, fresh clothes needed to be put away. Winter clothes to drawers and closets, warm weather clothes to plastic bins until spring rolls around again. Easy enough. Take the wrong season clothes out of the drawer and put the right season in. That's pretty much a done deal now and didn't take a lot of time.

With not enough drawer space for the bulky items, the obvious task was to hang some in the closet. Easy, right? Uh, no. The closet was full. The few summer clothes were pulled out, only to discover formal wear, some of which hasn't been worn since, oh, 2002. Yikes! All await a new home and are resting on chairs and any other flat surface. Oh, and that formal wear of another daughter who had, I thought, bought a bin to store them in? She'll be taking care of those as soon as she gets home. Why? Because I said so. But I still have to deal with the blankets and who knows what the other daughter left behind in the closet when she moved into a different bedroom. Does it ever end? Maybe.

By tomorrow I hope to have it all sorted, put in proper places, and not have to worry until spring rolls around again. With luck, it won't be so bad. I wouldn't bet on that, though.

Such is fall.

Writing a Book is Easy

Some people truly believe it's easy to write a book. They seem to think writers just zip off a 50,000 to 120,000 word story in a matter of days. The fact is, the days--and nights--are many and long when it comes to writing.

I've made it a rule that my family must give me advance notice on anything that includes me. If I didn't, they'd be dropping off grandkids at a moment's notice, expecting me to drop everything. In return, I let them know in advance when I won't be available or my availability is limited. We work things out. Emergencies, like Payton's surgery and hospital stay, can't be expected. I'm there to help, even if it means rearranging my life.

Non-family members are another thing. Of course I can do whatever is needed for whatever they want done. After all, I'm at home all day! My writing is a hobby, right? Uh, no. It's a job--a career--and needed to keep a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, and bills paid. Forget the frills. Yet I've been given the impression that it's far more important that their work gets done, whether as an employee or self-employed like me. And most have a spouse who provides another form of income!

I miss a lot of things I'd like to do. I sometimes regret that, but I know I'm lucky because I'm doing something I love to do--writing. I've learned to say no when people ask if can do something, but there are times I can't do that. When that happens, I put my writing and life aside to help out. But insinuating that their job is much more important than mine means I won't do it with a smile.