I’m working my way through those Nocturne Bites I purchased to snack on, doing research for the short story I’m writing with you on Wednesdays over at Written in Ink. I recently finished Shadow Lover by Lydia Parks. You can read the review over at the Written In Ink blog. Up next is: Racing the Moon by Michelle Hauf. I’m already a big fan of Michelle’s so I’ m looking forward to nibbling on this short.

Hope you get a chance to hop on over and read my reviews.

Until Monday, have a G-R-E-A-T weekend!

Ericka

Mondays are usually the day of the week I love the best. A fresh beginning, a chance to start anew.

The Veterans Administration must share that view. On Friday, my mother got a call regarding my father’s application for long-term care. The contract had gone through, the only downfall, she would have to move him to a new nursing home — on MONDAY. Not just any old Monday, but the upcoming one. Now mind you, this call came in at 4 pm on Friday! Yikes! (For those of you who don’t know, Dad is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease).

Mom is a person who doesn’t like change…especially not abrupt, without too much warning, change. Unfortunately, it’s a trait she’s passed along to me, although I am doing my damnedest to overcome and embrace those schedule changes that sometimes lead to bigger and better things. However, Mom, despite her nearly 80 years, still lets a little change rock her boat. Yesterday was one of those days. I fielded calls from her all day long, calm calls, desperate calls, calls that made me cry. Thankfully, today is a new day and, for her, a better one. I’ve only had one call this morning, a calm and slightly optimistically tinged call. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the trend continues.

Despite all of the turmoil, I did manage to get 1800 words plugged into my manuscript and am hoping to at least make my 500 word goal today. Wish me luck.

Don’t forget to stop by Written in Ink for Write With Me Wednesdays and on Friday, I’ll be posting a review of a Nocturne Bite, Shadow Lover, by Lydia Parks.

See you then!

Ericka

It’s been one of “those” weeks. I’ve done lots and lots…couldn’t tell you any one thing in particular, and don’t feel as if I’ve gotten a darn thing accomplished. Except make a knock-off of Claim Jumper’s Apple-Whiskey Glazed Chicken. Ultra yummy, not terribly hard, and I managed to make most of it in the crock-pot. Yay, me!

Ran the boys to lots of soccer practices. The powers that be put them on the same team. I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but we’ll just live with the thing. Drama Teen has been driving to and from school…mostly a good thing except during rush hour traffic. Then it was a Mom-almost-having-a-heart-attack thing.

Also this was the year that I vowed I’d give myself better health….yeah, it’s September, and I’m finally getting around to that, but at least I didn’t wait until December. sheesh. So, I’ve had lots of little appointments, the physical, the yearly indignity that I put off for three years, the lab work, follow ups on the lab work, etc. Boy, bad health, like bad eating, sure is easier!

And I’m finding that it’s Friday and I’m already wishing it were Monday. Hello weekend, could I take a raincheck? No? Well, in that case, I’d better go find my writing mojo, because the kids will be home before I know it.

Ericka

Today marks the 17th anniversary of “The Bravest Thing I’ve Ever Done.” For those of you who know the story, prepare yourselves to be bored, yet again, by the rendition of my daughter’s birth story. In January of 1992 I gave birth to a lovely baby girl, Tiffany. Nine months later, tragedy struck in the form of SIDS, and my beautiful baby fell asleep forever. The months that followed were horrific, especially when my then-husband went into the Air Force. A little back story. The marriage was not an especially happy one. When he’d joined the Air Force, that was pretty much the last straw for me. I knew he wouldn’t be successful or happy with people yelling at him and giving him orders. And when he wasn’t happy…no one was. At the time of Tiffany’s death, I was contemplating divorce, but the state where we lived required the baby to be 1 year old before I could proceed. Then, she died and he left. Wow. I cannot even begin to express my grief, sorrow, loneliness, etc.

As he and I parted, he begged me to reconsider the divorce. To let the time in training be like a trial separation, etc. I agreed to consider it. With us apart, things got better. Our relationship improved and he honestly did seem happy in the Air Force. I convinced myself that I’d been wrong and that our marriage deserved a second chance. I visited him several times during the next few months and was startled to find out that those few visits had resulted in pregnancy. Now, I was not only sad, I was terrified, and truthfully thrilled to bits.

In the early 1990′s, SIDS was still thought to be hereditary. The pregnancy was a breeze, no morning sickness to speak off, since my husband was gone, I could eat and sleep on my own schedule. I quit my stressful job and settled in to prepare to be a married serviceman’s wife (read in June Cleaver). Several months before Ashley’s birth, I drove with my parents to California to begin my new life.

The first nine months of my daughter’s life was hell for me. I could barely sleep for worrying that I would put her down for a nap or for the night and lose her, too. Needless to say, that didn’t happen (Thank God!) and now all I have to worry about is the drama, driving, and dating.

And yes, she’s still the bravest thing I’ve ever done.

Happy Birthday Drama Teen!

Wow, where did the week go? I know I was already behind, as Monday was a holiday, but still…

The boys both had a visit from the tooth fairy this week. Scooter lost his tooth on Wednesday at school…not only did it fall out of his mouth on Wednesday, but he lost the tooth at school. LOL. Not to be left out of the fun, Inertia Boy came home with a tooth missing today. He, too, lost the tooth at school. So glad that tooth fairy takes IOUs!

Drama Teen is coming up on her birthday. She asked for a tortoise for a present. Sure! Here I was thinking it would be a simple pet… mucho bucks later we are the proud owners of Rosy along with all of her “stuff” — terrarium, lights (UVA and UVB), food, substrate, silk leaves to decorate her resting spot to look like the jungle, various thermometers, and food dishes. Heck…it’s like having another child.

As for me…I bought a leafy green plastic plant for the goldfish bowl,

The Husband has been spending more and more time with The Other Woman, our nickname for the programming contest held yearly. It’s like the Olympics for nerds. For years, The Husband was a judge, just recently he was promoted to contest director for the SoCal Region. I put up with The Other Woman for one reason, and one reason only….every year, the international contest is held somewhere exotic. I honeymooned in Canada during one, we went to Sweden another year. We had to miss going to China This year, the contest is going to be held somewhere I NEVER in a million years thought I would ever visit in person. EGYPT!!! We’ll be settling on dates to go and getting airline tickets this weekend. I’m still pinching myself and dreaming of pyramids, mummies, and falafel.

Oh, and I think I’ll set my next few WIPs in Egypt…do you think the IRS would consider the trip a business expense?? Okay, okay…a girl can dream, can’t she?

Have a great weekend! Until Monday….

Ericka

I’ve been doing some research lately for a line I’m hoping to write for. As a result, I purchased a handful of Nocturne Bites to snack on over the next few weeks. I thought it would be fun to review them as I went. This week’s offering is Son of the Sea by Nancy Holder. You can read the review over at the Written In Ink blog.

Hope to see you there!

Ericka