Grateful – Sharon M. Scarborough-Author

Have We Learned?

So now we are in June and I have completely wandered through May hardly making a dent in accomplishing anything. But wait—I learned in some history class that we Americans feel we must be doing and working and accomplishing all the time. It is part of the Puritans in us. Maybe, reckon this crisis has caused some of us to rethink our urge to always be working and accomplishing and doing?

Reckon we should enjoy some small things like good health and being able to clean our house and mow our lawn? Reckon we can enjoy being with ourselves? Read the following, which was written by Nadine Stair of Louisville, KY over thirty years ago, and see what you think.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

I’d dare to make more mistakes next time. I’d relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I’m one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I’ve had my moments and if I had it to do over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the Spring and stay that way later in the Fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.

By Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky when she was 85 years old.

Chin Up

Many of my friends have stopped watching the news. It’s depressing and after you’ve heard a dozen variations on virus symptoms, dangers, treatment, etc., it gets even more depressing with repetition.

What to do? What to do? As a writer, I wish I could write funny novels-nothing roll-in-the-floor funny, but light with a giggle or two. It’s beyond me. Sigh.

I can’t even remember jokes for over an hour, even though I do love jokes. And, let me be clear, I am still frightened, but I have got to think about something else in order to survive.

So, I will pass on some of the “doings” that help me keep the chin up.

1. Meditate. I try for three minutes and hope to get to more as I get better.

2. Count my blessings. I know, I know,that is such a cliche, but as someone who didn’t know four years ago how long I would live, it’s truth.

3. Throw the ball for my dog to fetch and understand how happy he is with that simple action.

4. Eat a bowl of ice cream and enjoy how creamy and sweet and absolutely decadent it tastes.

Persevere

Once in my past I would have thought that if I’d been confined to my house, for whatever reason, that I would easily write that great novel that is inside of me. Alas, that is not true. I am flummoxed and astonished at the difficulty I am having in composing one sentence, let alone enough for a novel.

The circumstances of this confinement are not good.

Finally, I heard or read, that I am suffering from grief. And from expectations that far outweigh my strength right now. Because I am sad, not sleeping well, like many people in this world, I feel worn out.

The help is to be kinder to myself. That may not cure everything but it will help.

Quit demanding too much of your self. Understand that you are grieving. Rest, watch a sunset, read a book, walk the dog (Maxx would agree to that), but take care of yourself.

We will get through this. It will not be quick and painless, but we will survive and laugh and love again.

New Year, New Idea!

I don’t know about you but I saw sunshine today and got giddy.

I also made a huge decision over the last week and started a totally different manuscript for the next Nightingale novel. This is important because I will continue the Nightingale series. The manuscript I spent several weeks on was a prequel. That, alas, is no longer a good idea.

To anyone who doesn’t write, this is important because now I have a plan, a guide, a light to work toward. I’m excited and I guess I can blame it on the sunshine:)

Rest & Thankfulness

Maybe, just maybe, I need to hibernate. I’ve been sleepy ever since December got here. Maybe I’m falling for the new study that says we all need more sleep. We’d be healthier and happier (read less grumpy) if we got more sleep.

I’ve got to agree. Of course, Maxx agrees also, but then most dogs can sleep many more hours than their humans.

I met a lady once who said that according to the stars, we were supposed to do much like the animals and in December we should get more sleep. I like to think I’m more creative when I get enough sleep. So, there is the excuse I need–more sleep will help my writing. Happy Holidays!

Received three great reviews from Reader’s Favorite. Now for that nap:)

New Nightingale

The book is out in paperback and I would love to have reviews. I’m almost over the euphoria of getting it finished. Does that excitement ever fade? I need to ask someone who has published many books if the joy goes away.

I am enjoying reading other books and catching a movie or two. But I’m also getting into the next novel, which will be a prequel to these first two. Not so much political intrigue, but still a lot of conflict.

Breathtaking

Just when I think I’ve sort of got a handle on finding out what is really important in life, someone, in this case Maxx, makes me see that I don’t have a clue.

I’ve been rushing around trying to finish the next book and Mother Nature hits us with a winter freeze. Now, what those two things have in common (the book and frigid weather) is that many people are affected by this weather, and no one is affected if my book doesn’t make it to Amazon immediately.

The result is I have slowed to consider front and back matter in the book. I actually meditated today. And Maxx has chased the ball a lot but will do more tomorrow.

What happened—it’s those big brown eyes that shows a dog does have empathy, and he does need attention, and he gives big returns on love.

Proofreader

My manuscript is now with a proofreader.

I used to be a professional proofreader and I never met anyone who valued the profession like I thought they should. But I have watched people read over mistakes in their own writing because we (humans, that is) have a hard time seeing our own mistakes.

So after editor comes proofreader and then beta readers.

I hope to have Not An Ordinary Death on Amazon before the end of the year. I’m trying to do all the right things to help it along.

One of the best reviews I had on A Promise of Water was from a lady who thanked me for a book that had definitely been professionally edited and had few, if any errors. She also liked my writing, which was a plus.

Maybe I’ll have a cover when I post again.

Librarians

Just because I love books…..

I just re-read about the horsewomen of Kentucky who worked for the WPA delivering library books on horseback to remote towns and homes. Part of the article from Atlas Obscura (8/31/17) follows:

“They were known as the “book women.” They would saddle up, usually at dawn, to pick their way along snowy hillsides and through muddy creeks with a simple goal: to deliver reading material to Kentucky’s isolated mountain communities.

The Pack Horse Library initiative was part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), created to help lift America out of the Great Depression, during which, by 1933, unemployment had risen to 40 percent in Appalachia. Roving horseback libraries weren’t entirely new to Kentucky, but this initiative was an opportunity to boost both employment and literacy at the same time.”

The article is amazing.

New Nightingale

The second book (Not An Ordinary Death) is with the editor, so I drug out an older manuscript to work on as I wait.

This older manuscript also has Nightingale as the protagonist, but he’s not the same law man that I have written about in the other two books. What I’m trying to say is: Nightingale has grown and become a much better hero–not a goody-two-shoes, but a man with a conscience and a soul. Thus is exciting to me because I can see him as a “baby” personality in the first work.

The first mss is going to need tons of work. But Nightingale is nagging me, so cross your fingers that all goes well.

The photo of white hats is from Unsplash by Megan Markham