It’s Thursday again! Time flies, whether you’re having fun or not.
On Saturday, The Husband and I went to our monthly California Writers Club meeting at the picturesque Anaheim Packing House. It reminds me of my years with The Bead Society of Orange County – meeting in a beautiful place, with socializing, a few minutes of club business, then a speaker of interest. This month’s guest was Daniel Weizmann, author of the Pacific Coast Highway Mystery series, talking about his W.H.O.C.A.R.E.S writing method. I took a lot of good notes and also got his excellent PDF to work from.
Sunday, we went to see a production of Harvey at the Whittier Community Theatre, starring a friend of ours, Robb Tracy, who The Husband has known since high school. Then we had a mini-reunion with more friends. He grew up in Whittier and we lived there for a few years before and after we were married. The play was great and so fun. And the gathering afterwards was very special.
Speaking of Whittier, I mentioned a few Thursdays ago that we used to drive through a tunnel of Jacarandas when we lived there. Since we were visiting this weekend, I drove into our old neighborhood and it was just like I remembered! Isn’t it gorgeous?
Our cat, Junior’s, urinary tract infection is getting better but he’s still on pills and, recently, a stinky antibiotic fluid. He’s so good about being held and having things stuck in his mouth! We’ve still got eight more days of the antibiotic, so send good thoughts his way!
I watched a short documentary this week called The Quilters, about a high security prison in Missouri where inmates make quilts for foster children in their community. I thought it was moving, because, as much as these men were learning the art of quilting, which is very exacting, and sincerely giving back to society, they still struggled with the demons that brought them to that place. They accept donations of fabric, thread, batting and other supplies. I have some lengths of fabric from my short-lived pandemic sewing phase that I’ll be sending to them soon.
I finished several books this week. One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman. I liked the characters a lot and the mystery and climax were great. Hoping for more with this cast soon. A Second Helping, the second book of the Blessings series by Beverly Jenkins, that take place in the town of Henry Adams. Emotional but also funny, with so much heart. Shot Through the Book, 12th in the Lighthouse Library mystery series by Eva Gates. Solid mystery with a tense climax. The thing I like most about a series is seeing the characters grow and go through life changes. Lucy, the main character in these books, moved to the Outer Banks in the first installment. Seeing her become a part of the community, enjoy her family and new friends, and fall in love has been like sharing a friend’s journey. I hope that people feel that way about my main character, Sugar, when I introduce her to the world!
Has anyone noticed the recent pickle craze? Pickles at gas station check-out lines. Pickle flavored Goldfish? Dill pickle Trail Mix?? Pickle flavored cashews??? Dill Pickle popcorn???? Oh, my! I’m not a pickle girl, although I love sweet relish. I also hate tomatoes but love marinara sauce and ketchup. Go figure!
Have a lovely week, friends!
Till next Thursday!
I'm Writing As Fast As I Can 