Mother's Day In November

First off, I have to say that I absolutely loved Carol's latest post at Broads of a Feather, and not just because she referenced two of my favorite things: Zombies and House MD!  Her post tied into my feelings this week about appreciating our parents because we never now how long we're going to have them around.

It all started when Carol shared a sad news story about a mother who ended her own child's life.  The child was autistic, her husband had health problems and she was at the end of her ropes.  She made a terrible choice and will probably never forgive herself.  It caused me to reflect on my own childhood and I was overwhelmed with gratitude that my mother never cracked like this woman did.

Glenn and Rosemary Slater
November 1979

And really, she could have.

I know the stories don't compare.  No two stories ever will.  There will always be differences in background, in upbringing, in personality and temperament.  None of us kids were autistic.  But my mom had five of us to raise while she tended her sick husband.  We weren't always a good help to her.

I have a lot of memories that I won't go into, because they involve more than just myself and it wouldn't be fair to go telling tales.  We weren't any worse or any better than any other kids, I imagine.  We could have been better behaved, but we could have been worse too.  When I spoke to Mom about this earlier this week, I told her to never feel like she was a failure at being a parent even when us kids fight amongst ourselves...because through it all she never cracked and she managed to get us all to adulthood and "normal" enough.

In a lot of ways, she almost had 6 kids.  I forget exactly what year it was, I was either 12 or 13, my father had to have surgery to untangle his bowels from the scar tissue that had formed after his appendectomy about a year and a half before.  I don't even remember which surgery it was, as he had several in a short amount of time, but during one he had a stroke either on the operating table or just before.

It changed all our lives, because he never recovered 100%.  It always seemed to be one complication after another.  I don't know if it was because he was diabetic or that his body was just as cantankerous as he was.  He never forgave the doctor that removed the respirator over a week after that fateful surgery and gave him a tracheotomy - because he never got rid of it.  I remember they tried once, but once again his body produced too much scar tissue and it began closing off his windpipe completely.

He ended up having to go to a hospital in Philadelphia to have laser surgery and have 2 inches of his trachea removed.  If memory serves, he was there for six weeks.  Mom only got to go down and see him once.

He died when I was 18, almost 19.  From complications of a second stroke.

I miss him this time of year, even though he wasn't always easy to get along with and really kind of had a tendency to be abusive especially after his stroke.  No matter what, he was my Dad.  I don't really remember much of the man he used to be before his stroke.  That part is like fading mist.  My favorite memory of him was when I was maybe 4, and hounding him for a peanut butter cake.  Even though I was interrupting the grown ups, he stopped what he was doing and pulled out his recipe books and started searching for a recipe for peanut butter cake.  In the end I think I got a chocolate mayonnaise cake with peanut butter frosting.  I remember how we used to go for rides during the Christmas season just to look at the lights and decorations.

I'm not sure how Mom dealt with her stress.  I know she had friends she talked to, and her sister.  I don't remember her ever getting a break, unless you count the times Dad was in the hospital, but I don't because I know how hard it was for her then too.  Dad expected her to visit him everyday.  I have more than a few memories of us 5 younger kids spending our evenings playing in the hospital parking lot and yard while she was in seeing him.

I know when I called and told her all this, how much I appreciated her not cracking under the pressure, that she was a little taken aback.  I mean, it was all out of the blue for her.  So I explained about the article and how it made me appreciate her more.  I told her how I had thought about tagging her in the Facebook comments, but I decided to call her and tell her instead.  Kind of a Mother's Day sentiment in November.

And that's kind of the point.  Life is short and we need to let people now that we love them and appreciate them, even if we don't agree with the choices they've made with their lives, even if we can't always get along with them.  Because all too soon, someone isn't going to be there anymore and we'll regret all the things we never said.  While I regret how many years lapsed between the last time I saw my oldest brother Glenn and the day of his funeral, I don't regret the last time we did see each other.  It was a family picnic and as we were packing up to leave, we gave each other a hug and said 'I love you'.

So, take a moment of your time and give someone a call and let them know you love them.  Because you never know when there isn't going to be a 'next' time.  Especially your parents.  They might not have been the best, they probably made mistakes and failed you or judged you.  But if you survived to adulthood, relatively sane enough, they didn't completely mess up.

And to all my readers, I appreciate you as well.  Without you, I might as well be sending words into empty space.  I am working hard at proofing my second novel (I might have to increase the font size for the paperback.)

Leaving you with a picture of one of the few times all of us kids were home.  It was for our Dad's 60th birthday, which also happened to be Thanksgiving that year (Mom - correct me if I'm wrong, it's too late to call to check lol)  Mom is of course behind the camera.

November 23, 1989
Glenn Slater and his ten kids :)

2014 ~ No regrets...

MRI's and Country Music

Nothing to do with the post, just some pretty flowers from early fall...

I was at the hospital 4 hours Monday, just trying to get an MRI done on my foot.  Although I arrived a few minutes late, I had no doubts about it being a short wait.  It usually is and there was only one other person waiting with me.

But I was told I needed blood work since I hadn't had any done in the past three months.  Ugh.  I had nowhere else I needed to be so I told them I would be fine waiting for them to get in contact with my doctor so he could order the needed test.  Which wasn't working out because apparently the office was closed on this particular Monday (I've had appointments there before on Monday afternoons, so I didn't think anything of it).  So they ended up calling my general doctor and getting the order from her - but it still took almost 2 hours for all this to happen.

But, it did end up happening and I think I spent close to another hour in the machine.  I don't know if this is usual in all facilities, but here we are given headphones and asked what our music preference is.  Now, despite the title of my series, I like a lot of different music styles.  On my iTunes list, I have country songs side by side with rock, pop, and 'Christian' songs.  Alan Jackson, Newsboys, Bryan Adams, James Blunt and The Rolling Stones peacefully coexist.  I decided a few years ago to listen to whatever I liked, whether it was considered 'godly' by the Church or not.  I have learned a lot by listening to...shall we say...more colorful music.

That truly is a subject for another time.  Because in this instance, I chose to listen to Country music.  And right off the bat the first two were on my favorites list (I have a long list of "favorites").  God Gave Me You by Dave Barnes and We Owned the Night by Lady Antebellum.  I was like..."Yeah, here we go..."  Of course, I had to listen to songs that rubbed me the wrong way.  After all, it wasn't like being in the car and flipping the radio channels whenever the song irritated or bored me.  And even still. they helped distract me from the pain of trying to lay still for so long in a cold room on a slab that made my achy breaky back ache.

"You called me...to take a picture???" Yes, I petted her for her trouble!

I've got my iTunes playing now, trying to dispel the gloom of the day.  The sky is cloudy and unsure of whether it wants to rain or not.  Every so often I'll flip to the other screen and add songs to the "up next" list (Alan Jackson is playing at the moment and Mumford & Sons is up next).  It's just me and the dog trying not to think too much on Carol's latest blog over at Broads of a Feather and the ghostly dreams I had this morning...well, the dog isn't too worried about that.  Jaclyn's more concerned about any cats that might be walking by outside.

But the gloom makes for a good writing and reading day.  While I'm waiting for my paperback proof to arrive in the mail, I'm glancing through my free-write of my third novel to see how much of it I can still use (a good bit, but some will need to be changed) and reading The White Princess by Philippa Gregory.  I'm liking it so far, even though it's written in 1st person perspective, which is not my favorite.

I hope everyone is having a good enough week, with time to read, and staying warm as the seasons change.



2014 - Fading as the fall colors

Reading and Funks

I've been in such a funk recently.  Not even sure how to describe it really.  Some of it surely is my health, my foot not healing properly and my sugar being out of whack.

One thing that has resulted from this has been my reading jag...I can't read enough!  I finally finished reading The Shadow Rising.  I say 'finally' because I took a break twice when other books stole my attention - I've also read Shadow Rising a few times, so I knew it wasn't going anywhere.  What is also amazing about this, is both books were written in the First Person Perspective.  I tend to avoid those kind of books, they're just not my cup of tea.

BUT  I am so glad I read them.

At the moment, it's FREE on Kindle!

The first one was Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes.  It's the first in the Rose Gardner Mystery series and I love Rose!  She's believably naive, tired of being abused by her mother and starts living her own life at the worst possible time...when her mother is murdered in their home shortly after they argued.

A suspect right off the bat, Rose continues to spread her wings.  From getting her hair cut to trying to wear heals for the first time, this girl is up for anything new.  Including the cute guy living next door.

I won't go into a lot of details.  Some of the plot points are obvious to the reader, but not to naive Rose.  It's alternately amusing and frustrating to watch her discover all the connections to the murder, and the calamity that follows.  And the comedy!  I don't think I've ever had a mystery amuse me so much in my life!

Seriously, I put everything to the side while I tried to get to the end of this book. Because Swank is good at doling out a bread crumb trail to what's really going on!  You can connect this dot and that dot...but there's this gap in the middle that you're just not sure about!

I tried going back to Shadow Rising after this, but made the same mistake and tried doubling up my reading again.

Also available on Kindle

I believe in supporting my fellow Indie Authors. I'll share blog posts, share links, etc.  But sometimes I hop all over the place in my reading and fail to actually read their work.  I have several of C.P. Stringham's books on my Kindle, and this is actually the second one of her books I've read.

Like All The Rest is a tale of a marriage in trouble and at first it seems like the protagonist is the only one aware of it.

There were several times I had to put the book down because of the emotions is triggered.  Like Natalie, I struggle with infertility.  I'm two years older than this fictional character, but it struck hard.

It's also well written in that there were several times I wanted to reach in and smack Natalie because she was being a bonehead!  But it's so very realistic, because we all make assumptions without hearing the other half of the story and since we've already made up our minds about what the 'truth' is we don't even want to hear it.

Another thing I liked, is that this story was similar to the first in that both women were in the process of discovering themselves.  For Rose, it was for the first time.  For Natalie, it was more of a reinvention.  We got to see more than just the romance issues of the women's life, but the other parts as well.  Their jobs, their friends, their families.

I haven't started the second book in either series yet, because as usual I've gotten sidetracked.  I have to get the second Rose Gardner book before I can read it and that won't be this paycheck.  I do have the second Ellis Spring novel, but I wanted to get Shadow Rising done and out of the way first.  I can pick that series up anytime and any spot in it without breaking stride.  But then I found a new In Death book at the library and had to check it out so I'm working on that one now.

All this reading kind of put me off schedule with proofing my own book - and my blogging! - so I'm gonna have to take a break here soon and get back to that.  Reading other's work always makes me more critical of my own.  Can it begin to live up to and match these fine ladies' work?  I don't know, but it doesn't stop me from trying!

Until next time, read a good book and tell us about it!

2014 ~ so many books, so little time...

Impulse Blogging: Not For Every Post!

In some things, I am a perfectionist.

You'd never know this by how I keep house, I have spiderwebs in the corners and dust on my figurines.  But then, the spiders and I do have this agreement - as long as they stay out of my reach, they get to live!

But when it comes to writing, I pull out the magnifying glass.  It doesn't matter whether it's a novel, a poem or a blog post...deep down I never feel like it's finished or good enough.

While I've been blogging in one form or another since 2005, I am still learning. Especially since I began to blog as part of my online platform as an Indie Author. There are a lot of things I am still trying to "define" or consciously remember as I type.  Like writing for my target audience instead of everyone.

Rebekah Radice, my favorite social media guru, shared some of her advice from her own blogging experience in this GooglePlus Hangout recently.  I've heard and read a lot of it before, but that doesn't always mean I've actually thought about the topic.  You can watch it here if you're a fellow blogger just getting started, or if like me you've been blogging for years and need to make changes.

One thing I've never given too much thought about has been the color of my blog.  I have the color scheme that I do pretty much just because I like it.  I like purple.  It's says "pretty" to me.  I may end up looking into color psychology, but whether I'll ever change the color - I don't know.  It depends on whether that's the message I decide I want to send!  I do wonder what a yellow based blog would look like, because yellow says Happy!! to me.  We'll have to see about that one.

The list never really ends, does it?  lol :)

Another thing that came up in the video was which blogging platform was best.  +Rebekah Radice is a WordPress fan, because it gives you ownership of your own content.  Which apparently not true of Blogger.  Say What???  I've used Blogger since day one.  Never gave much thought to who 'owned' what I post.  I may have to look into that.  But there's no hurry at this moment.  Just one more thing on my To Do List!

I started out with a pretty frilly font, but I like what I have now better.  There weren't any complaints, but since I kept wondering if anyone had any trouble reading it, I decided I'd better change it.  Because if it was frilly enough that I was wondering, odds are there were people out there going, "I wish she'd write in a different font."

One thing I really need to get cracking on is formulating some kind of blog schedule.  Most of the time I have no idea what I'm going to be writing about.  Even this post came as a surprise to me, after I watched the video interview.  Even if I end up breaking it, I ought to plan ahead a bit better.  Especially since I went a few looooooooong weeks without internet in my home and wasn't able to get into my account on outside computers (thanks to two-step verification!!)  If I had been smart, I would have had posts written and scheduled for publication.  I mean, I knew it was going to happen!

There is nothing wrong with being spontaneous and blogging about something off the cuff.  Or even looking at your scheduled topics and changing your mind.  But if you don't have that list to look at, each time you...uhm, I...sit down to write a post - you're starting from scratch and sometimes you...uhm, I...just draw this blank.  All too often I am an Impulse Blogger - and while that can be a strength, like today's post, it's not something I should rely on for every post!  Tweet it!

Now if I will just be able to decipher all my shorthand...

Likewise, there's nothing wrong with just writing a short post updating readers on what's going on in your life.  My life.  I say YOU, when I really mean ME because it's easier to preach if I can pretend I'm not talking to myself!  All too often recently there hasn't been anything interesting to report!  "Yup, another blah day - did physical therapy, got hubby to work, hung out with friends."  People will get tired of those kind of posts pretty darn quick!  I know I do!

Now, I do have a great story to relate about an awesome anniversary gift from my in-laws...but I have to take pictures first.  Trust me on that one!

I did take notes while I watched the video, of things I know I need to pay attention to.  A lot of great things to ponder and consider.  I even hit pause a time or two because my fingers just weren't cooperating and I couldn't write fast enough!  Because this isn't even the only blog I have to think about!  I have to apply this to the blog I co-author with C.P. Stringham, Broads of a Feather.  At least when it comes to my own posts.

Speaking of which, I need to switch gears.  This week is my week to post...and well, yeah I need a schedule of some kind for that blog too because...I don't know what I'm writing about yet!  I'd better do some brain storming!  (And some laundry...)

2014 ~ A year of more changes...

Being Real vs. Being Fake

No "Blue Roses" here...

I read a blog post a while back, one of many, about how to be a better blogger.  No matter how long I've been at this, I always want to learn more so that I can be better at what I do.

It was a fairly straightforward post about five things you should never do on your blog.

The only problem is I'm not sure if I agree with him on all his points.  I'm not saying it was a bad post or anything like that.  It was pretty good actually.

His first point was about how bloggers aren't supposed to let you the reader know or even think that we're just a beginner.  I'm not sure what is wrong with that in certain areas.  I have no problem letting people know that although I've been writing since the fourth grade, I'm new at being a published author.  What better way to encourage others that making mistakes early in the game is okay and not a death sentence? Maybe some young/new author will read my posts and learn from my mistakes.  Who knows?

His second point was that bloggers shouldn't be negative in their blog posts.  If every blog post was negative, I'd understand that.  If there was even a pattern of negativity, I'd be worried.  But I don't see how an occasional negative blog post could hurt you in the long run.  Let's be honest, even the most positive/optimistic people have bad days.  Sometimes that will leak through to a blog post.  While I am one of the happiest depressed people I know, there are some days I struggle greatly with being positive and hopeful.  While I would never just vent here on this site, his post made me feel like I had to hide my struggles from my readers.  But - it's part of my journey!

The only thought I had about his third point, not posting negative reviews of other author's books, was that is was mostly common sense not to do that.  Well, I also thought that any review you post ought to be honest and not just positive for the sake of being positive in order to get a good review in return.  But since I don't really write reviews of books on here, I figure I'm safe.

(But on that note, here is a plug for my author friend C.P. Stringham's latest romance Rest in Peace.  It's the third in the series though, so be forewarned!)

I completely agreed with his last two points, about not ignoring comments and making sure you don't react negatively to a negative comment and to not be constantly talking about your own books.  So there's not really much to say there.  I have comment moderation turned on just so I'll never miss a comment.

And then there is this CreateSpace blog about branding yourself that I just read the other day.  It made me feel a little better about disagreeing with the previous blogger on some of his points.  Richard Ridley's short post can be summed up in one of his own sentences: "Just be yourself."  His advice tells us that if we as writers and bloggers stay true to who we are, and are comfortable with who we are, it will draw people to us and our books.

Like everything else I've ever read on being a success at writing and blogging, he does say that it takes time and consistency.  Two things I have obviously struggled with recently.  As can be seen by how long it has been since I posted.  I won't bore you will all the details, but I have had a lot going on in the real world and instead of finding solace in words on a screen I have been letting the resulting depression run its course.  I've never been able to write when I'm at the worst, it's only on the way back out that the creative muse kicks in.  Some of the best poems I've ever written were on the way back out of a depressive episode.  Two of my favorites are companion poems The Secret Me and I Can See You even though they are both almost 14 years old.

We all have rainy days...

So at the end of the day, so to speak, each of us bloggers have to find our own way.  No matter how many different articles we read giving us advice on how to attract readers, it's always going to come back to US...as in who we are.  Each of us who blogs/writes has our own unique Voice.  Along with our different opinions and ideas.  Some of us are going to be Roses, others Lilacs, and others Violets.  Some of us are going to clash like thunder and lightning, while others are going to be like Forrest and Jenny - peas and carrots.  But even then, what is thunder without lightning?

I won't stop reading articles, but no matter what I have to be true to myself.  Who I am as a writer and as a person.

I can only be me.





2014 ~ Aren't we done with this year yet???

Broads of a Feather in the Newspaper!

Our logo!

Some time ago, my writing cohort messaged me on Facebook and let me know that a reporter from the Towanda Daily Review wanted to interview us both because of our blog Broads of a Feather!  I could 'hear' the excitement in her type because I was feeling it myself!  As it happened, the interview did not take place until just this past week.  Life happens for all of us.  C.P. was busy, I was busy, and the reporter was busy.

But happen it did and the two of us are on the front page of the Sunday Lifestyles section!  You can read the article here.

I can't begin to tell you how excited the two of us are!  This is local exposure neither of us have experienced at this point in our careers.  But things are opening up for the two of us in other areas as well.  C.P. was asked to do a radio interview. I'm not sure when that will be, but I can't wait to hear it.  Although most likely I'll be stuck in work at the time it airs.  Such is the life of a hard working woman!

The dynamic duo!

As for myself, I was just invited to speak at the June book club meeting at the Bradford County Library!  Maybe I can talk them into someday featuring the both of us.  Because we are a dynamic duo!  And I'm not just saying that because my name is Robin - I don't think the original dynamic duo (Batman and Robin) will mind me appropriating their nickname.

For many, myself included, 2014 has been a rough year.  I've seen so many posts on Facebook from various friends about how this year has just been rotten.  We've seemed to have more downs than ups, which is why doing a Happiness Jar has been such a challenge.  And also why it's important to keep on doing it.  Indeed, this next week is going to be a trial for me as the electric company may very well turn the power off.  They don't care that my job has dropped down to 4 days a week, a loss of about 9 hours pay, they still want to be paid.  I've run myself ragged trying to get help from different agencies...the ones that will call be back at any rate.  (Endless Mountains Mission Center - you suck when it applies to this.)  I may very well have lost the help of one agency because of waiting and waiting and waiting for this agency to return my call.

As in all things, we'll see how it turns out.

In the meantime, I'll rejoice over the additional press coverage and media exposure.  I'll rejoice over the fact that I'm alive and well (enough).  It is spring, and both spring and Easter represent new life and new beginnings.  May the rest of this year turn around for all of us, and show us that our high expectations back in December for this year weren't in vain.

And don't forget to read our article, and share share share!

Have you ever been in the newspaper for anything?  No, really...I'd like to know! Up to this point, the only times I've ever been in the paper were for work related events, such as the United Way luncheon and when I first started working at Cargill.  I wasn't ever featured in the paper when I worked there years ago; granted that was just at the press facility.  And this is so much cooler!

2014 - Writing like breathing...

Broads of a Feather at the Library

Opening remarks :)

This past Saturday, my author cohort and friend C.P. Stringham and I had a presentation about being independent authors at the Spalding Memorial Library in Athens, PA, just one of our many local libraries.

And it went really well.  There was a comfortable amount of people there for both of us - the seats weren't all filled, but neither were they all empty. I'm not counting the little kids seats in the front row because I don't think they were used.

It was a mixed audience, men and women, young and old.  Even Mr. Janney was kind enough to come along and snap some pics for me.  He even managed to stay awake for it all!  Mr. Janney's not much of a reader, and he doesn't always get what I'm up to on the computer.  There was one moment when I made a comment to the audience about how I hoped I wasn't boring them that Mr. Janney fake snored and got tons of laughs from everyone.  That's why I married him!  I couldn't have planned that half so well!

After we were done sharing our experiences breaking into print though independent publishing we opened it up for questions from the audience.  And they had a few, which was good.  One woman who prefers writing her material out longhand wanted to know if there was any way around transcribing it to the computer.  Not really.  Unless she hires someone to do it for her, but like I said to her that for me personally - I still write things out longhand (especially when I'm at work and the computer is at home) and I find that copying it to the computer is just another part of the creative process.  For me when I sit down at the computer, another door opens for me and the juices kick in - there's a difference to it that I don't have words for, but to me it's just another doorway into my imaginary universe and I have no problem walking through that door and writing what I see and hear.

uhm ,yeah ...... about that ......

There was one older gentleman, who had some questions for us that quite frankly we didn't really have answers for.  I'm pretty sure this explains the looks on our faces in this second picture. (That's CP's daughter Sydney standing in the middle)  He had published a book about 30 some years ago and had questions about copyrighting.  Not a clue.  Neither CP or I go through any other form of copyrighting outside of the Kindle Direct Publishing. Which we told him.

And that we didn't have to pay anything upfront for publishing; it all comes out of the price of the book.  Amazon gets a portion, and we get a portion.  Simple.  It means that even the most financially challenged writer can get published.

I'm still not sure what he'll need to do about using the same cover he used the last time, as it was not his own cover art.  CP and I both do our own cover art.  I've toyed with the idea of contacting a Facebook friend to see if he'd do something for me at a reasonable price, but that's as far as I've gotten so far.

All in all, despite the shaky start to Mr. Janney and my day, everything went well.  I was a little worried that I might have to end up cancelling because of a family emergency, but thankfully the relative ended up stabilizing somewhat before the afternoon.  We've both had enough loss in our life recently and were thankful for the change.

I'm looking forward to our next presentation already, although it has yet to be scheduled.  I've got all sorts of ideas in my head as to how better to present myself so I don't stumble over my own words (I didn't do too badly).  I'll have to take some time and look the PowerPoint over again and take some notes.  Maybe have something written down for some of the slides so I'm not standing there wondering what was going through my head when I asked for it.

CP and I make a pretty good team.

I really need to work on keeping my eyes open more or Mr. Janney needs to work on his photography - one or the other!

2014 ~ Teamwork rocks!

The Week of "Meh"

This has been a rather blah week.  I haven't been feeling good and that throws everything out of whack.  I even tried blogging about "nothing" last night - but it just sounded whiny so I tossed it in the bin.  I don't like to read whiny blog posts, so I imagine you don't either.

Photo art by Tiffany Robbins-Gigee

I'm getting a little nervous about next Saturday. Next Saturday C.P. Stringham and I, the chicks over at Broads of a Feather, will be doing our first library presentation.  I'm more excited though.  I mean, I know that once it gets going - I'm going to be loving it.  It's just about not getting myself worked up about it beforehand!

Regardless, I'm feeling a bit better tonight.  But then I've gotten to hang with Mr. Janney and had a good birthday celebration for him.  Not much really, just a dinner out at a restaurant of his choice.  My young man is getting old - a whopping 27 now!  His birthday was actually Wednesday, but as it is in the way of grownups, we put it off until a night when neither of us had to work the next day.  Which is why I am still up at ten o'clock at night!

Our dog Jaclyn has managed this neat trick at getting into the garbage without taking the lid off the can.  I'd really like to know how she's managed that, the sneaky little devil!  This of course means I can never ever turn my back on her, which can be rather tiring.  Tonight she managed to dump the entire thing on its side, so she's trapped in the computer room with Mr. Janney and I - she's not happy, but she'll get over it.  I may have to follow +Jacqueline Brown's advice and bleach the garbage.

I hear my washing machine spinning out, so I'd best be getting back to my chores.  At least through it in the dryer.  And then get to working on book two of my series so I can get that out soon!  My goal right now is to have it done and proofed by summer's end.  Before would be nicer.  But for some reason I have "summer's end" in my head.    Let's keep our finger's crossed!

2014 ~ A Year of Redefining