I have been struggling with this new novel. This is like the fifteenth time I have attempted to write it. I'm making progress, up to 63,000+ words tonight, but the struggle is not veering off the plotline, which has always been a problem for me. I am catching myself drifting into unchartered waters and pulling myself back. I've never had s much trouble writing a book before.
I think part of the problem is that there are many more distractions in my life these days. Meetings, clubs, changes going on at home, with the biggest change being Kelly buying her own home. She closes on her house tomorrow after a frustrating year and a half of house hunting trying to find her ideal home in a market where houses are snapped up nearly as soon as they're listed. My passive daughter had to be coached to act aggressively, to book a showing, to make an offer even if she wasn't 100% sure that the house was right for her, because she could always back out. She had offers turned down, houses were pulled off the market, others were under contract before she could even call her realtor to ask for a showing. Finally, all the pieces fell into place and she will be a home owner tomorrow. There are some projects to tackle before she can move in, but she's shooting for a fall move and tackling the smaller projects one by one as time allows. I'm thrilled for her, remembering when I moved out of the nest. My first move was into an apartment in a two-family house where I lived alone for almost two years. It's where John and I lived for nearly five years after we were married. We bought our house in 1989 and have lived here ever since. Kelly came along in '91. Her life history is here, but now, at twenty-seven, she's ready to start her next chapter in her own home where she'll have room for all her stuff and no one under her elbow. We're still debating whether or not Revere will make the move with her or not. He and Riley Beans are best buds since they were kittens. I'm to the point where I can allow her to take him, but if he seems depressed and lonely with her working and volunteering then he'll have to come back here, and she'll have to adopt two kittens who can entertain themselves when she's not home, and I'll have to kittysit when she takes trips. Lots of stuff to work out still.
Kelly and I have also broken out the dip pens and ink to do some art work. I used to do pen and ink drawings all the time when I was in high school and college. I occasionally drew some pictures into my twenties, and then packed up the pen holders, nibs, and ink bottles after Kelly came along. She and I drew a little when she was around ten years old and I was drawing black squirrels for Conner's Inc. for their Black squirrel line of products. I drew a bunch of different black squirrel pictures for the store. Then I put the pen and ink away again, plagued by rheumatoid arthritis. I am not doing large drawings anymore, but I am having fun doing 2.5x3.5" tiny works of art. It takes about two hours or so to do a small drawing. Kelly has been drawing and hand inking in railroad logos for her house.
I did write 30,000 words this past weekend, which was major progress for me with this novel. Trying to keep it rolling and not having it bog down...but, still, a lot going on that keeps interrupting my train of thought. I'm happy for Kelly and this huge leap forward into adulthood with the purchase of a house and property in the location where she wanted to live and still be close to family.
If I'm even less visible on my blog in the months to come, it's because I'm helping her clean, paint, decorate, buy furniture, and all those things Moms do when their only children leave the nest to live on their own. You lend a hand, you visit until they feel comfortable in their new home, you help them move furniture until it's in the right place (yeah, right!), and all that fun stuff.
I'll be writing here and there as time allows. The third novel in the Romney and Ivy series has already been planned as my November NaNo novel since that has been the most requested book at book events I've been at in the past year. I do listen to my fans!
Feeling excited for my daughter tonight and will be taking her to her house closing tomorrow as her family support. And then we're going shopping for cleaning supplies and, if it's not too hot or humid, tackling a room or two to make her house start to feel like her home.
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