I used to dread Monday mornings and the commute to New York City. It wasn’t a bad commute and in all fairness, NJ Transit was pretty good. I had a seat like 99% of the time and would sit, sip my coffee, and write my romance novels until I got into the city. After that, I’d do the mile or so walk to my office and I looked forward to that for many years. It was always fun to see what was happening. How are Monday mornings for you? Do you commute? Are you still working at home?
To paint or not to paint?
I showed you a picture a couple of weeks ago of one of the handmade shell and bead decorations that I do. Many of you said that you would like to get one of these handmade items as part of a giveaway. So I’ve started working on one but have a big question for you?
To paint or not to paint? I normally make these memory boxes using cigar boxes because I like recycling them to help the environment. Sometimes I paint the exteriors, but I think that I’d like to keep their history for this memory box. What do you think? Paint the cigar box or not?
When Caridad used to be a lawyer…
This is what my office looked like before I retired. It seems hard to believe it’s been over a year since I left my legal career to write full-time, but I’m not looking back for a second. I am enjoying spending more time writing and with my family and friends.
Some things haven’t changed. I still get up at 6ish. I guess after so many years of that schedule it’s hard to break even after a year. That gives me a lot of time to write before I head out to do whatever I want. Shop. Bowl. Garden. Build things. Take a stroll along the boardwalk.
When the weather gets a little warmer, I’m looking forward to heading to the beach and spending some time tucked under the umbrella and reading a good book.
While my retirement has changed my life in a lot of ways, I know that many of you have had your lives affected by this pandemic. What have you been doing? Please take a moment to share.
Chin Up So the Tiara Won’t Slip
There’s light at the end of the tunnel that is this pandemic. It’s been hard on many people for many different reasons. For me, it’s been the isolation from friends and family, although I have been blessed to have a pod of people with whom I’ve been interacting regularly. It’s also been dealing with my feelings about things I am unable to discuss because of the current state of cancel culture. But through it all, I tell myself one thing: Stay positive and chin up! Since my hubby teases me that I can be a princess at times, I’ll keep that chin up so my tiara doesn’t slip. LOL! Sending hugs and love to all of you and hoping we can get together soon.
Cold Case Reopened and Kissed by a Vampire Giveaway
It’s #giveawaytime to celebrate the release of Cold Case Reopened and Kissed by a Vampire! Visit my Facebook Fan page post to enter for a chance to win a $25 Gift Card.
Caridad’s Adorable Fur Baby Santa
We had a mom cat and her kitten visit the deck at our old house and we gave them some food. Needless to say, they became regulars. Eventually, they went away, but then one of them returned with another cat and before you know it, there was a little kitten family. Sadly, some of the kittens didn’t make it, but three of them did, including our little fur baby Slate. At one point they had actually left Slate at our back door, but then came and took him back. When the kittens were older and eating hard food, we know we would take one in since my daughter had taken her cat with her when she moved out. There was no doubt in our minds it would be Slate and one night I found him tucked into one of our flower pots, sleeping alone. I picked him up, wrapped him in a towel, and he was totally cool with that. In no time he was trained and part of the household.
Slate is a really friendly, intelligent, and laid-back cat. I guess that’s why we can buy him Christmas outfits and he doesn’t complain. This was this year’s outfit where Santa helped us out by being Santa!
P.S. – If you want to contribute to a good cause, we love the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter where we got my daughter’s cat and Rescue Ridge which fosters animals.
Three Daily Must-Dos #WriteWed
No day goes by that I don’t check my e-mail, write a page (or more), and look at my daily planner for what I’ve got coming up that week and next. I’ve actually gotten a lot more organized since I retired because I don’t have the daily grind that I had when I was working in New York City. Because of that, I’ve had to set up my own routines now that I’m writing romance novels full-time. What about you? What three things are a must-do for you each day?
P.S. – If you need help getting organized, take a moment to look at these tips from Woman’s Day.