Tomatoes, Co-Writers and Delays

I’m sorry I haven’t been writing, blogging, et cetera.  (As a side note:  et cetera can also be written as one word, which is becoming more popular, and is abbreviated etc. – it must always be followed by the “period.”  Some people make the mistake of using “ect.” – I admit I have slipped – but ect. is wrong.  Et cetera means: and so forth.  I share all this because I just looked it up.  My mind went blank when I started to write the abbreviation – that happens to me sometimes, and not just when I’m writing abbreviations.  Now that I’m done sharing, I’ll get back to the post.)

I’ve mentioned I like to garden, and on the advice of a friend, I’m trying a new type of tomato plant (big boys).  (New to me at least, I normally grow cherry tomatoes.)  I planted the big boy seeds in 6 inch pots a while ago, and let them grow indoors in the kitchen window, thinking I had plenty of time to get my tiny garden space ready (it’s a tiny garden because whoever lived here in the past buried their garbage over most of the back yard and after a year of uncovering buried trash I finally found a small area they hadn’t gotten to yet).

Well, one thing led to another and the big boys got 4 feet tall and started taking over the kitchen, but I still hadn’t felt well enough to get the garden ready.  So, this last week, in desperation and terrified that the plants would eat one of the cats, I started working on the garden.  Now I’m only good for an hour or so, and I need constant breaks, but today, with Ademar’s help, I finally got the garden ready.  I got a few of the plants out of the house, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m beat.  Most of this last week I’d work for an hour, clean up, and then hit the pain pills, heating pad and bed.  So, no writing.  But each day I seem to be a little worse, and I can feel that I’m heading downhill quickly and a major flare-up is imminent.  Fearing that I’d lose another week before I could post, I’m humbly submitting some current thoughts now, just in case.

I’ve wanted to talk about my co-writers for a while now, and this finally seems like the perfect time.  “Co-writers”? you say; but I only see your name on the book.  Well, I’m stingy that way I guess – at least I’m giving them credit now.

Mattie with her favorite toy

Let’s start with dear, sweet Mattie; an elegant lady if there ever was one.  Well, maybe not so elegant, - yes, that's her back leg in the air - but she’s darn cute.

Mattie is the best-behaved co-writer I have (and the only one I can trust alone in my office).  If she gets tired from the demanding schedule I keep, she just plops down and naps right on the floor, even though she normally sleeps on a pillow inside a cardboard box.  See, what a trooper.  If I ask her about a plot twist or how a character should behave in a certain scene, she’s filled with dozens of ideas, meowing her little head off the second I say, “Mattie.”  It’s a bit annoying that she thinks best when I’m brushing her belly, since that kind of takes away from the actual writing, but undaunted, she flops down at my feet and rolls onto her back, signaling the beginning of a deep-thinking period, at least seven or eight times a day.  I swear that one day she will be an Internet sensation, if I ever shoot the video, because she loves to floss her teeth, and come on, how many other cats have you seen do that?  (By the way, never let a cat EAT dental floss, since it is extremely dangerous to them – Mattie always throws her dental floss away.)

I've almost got it dad!

Previously I’ve written about Pip’s efforts to help in my office, so I won’t post much on him right now.  However, he’s currently asleep on the printer, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that he’s managed to keep all the other cats away from the printer today, fearing they might waste paper – which happens all too frequently since they think it’s a hoot to step on the print key and watch paper come shooting out of the machine.  Overall, Pip is very helpful – here he is untying my shoe for me.

To know me is to love me!

Rascal snuggling with his sister

Another frequent co-writer is Rascal.  Hold on to your chairs girls, because I’m about to reveal a huge secret: I consult Rascal on every romantic scene I write.  His cuddling skills are unprecedented.  He never misses an opportunity to snuggle, and he gives some pretty amazing Eskimo kisses (albeit, slightly wet ones).  He frequently points out that if you love someone, tuna breath shouldn’t be a problem.  And, he says that if you’re feeling neglected, don’t be shy, just jump on a person’s chest and rub your face against theirs until they give you a hug – it works for him every time.  

  

Rascal snuggling with Pip

All clear here dad - you're safe for now!

He’s very protective too.  For some reason he thinks I hate paper towels, and he often hunts them down and kills them for me. That's Balto with him.

 

Yes, I am this cute!

And speaking of Balto.  He's the strong silent type.  He doesn’t talk much – unless he wants a drink from the faucet – but if I read a scene to him, and he doesn’t like it, he’ll just yawn and go back to sleep.  One time he was sitting on top of my monitor, and I read the first page of a new story to him, and he promptly turned around and started swishing his tail back and forth across the screen – clearly indicating I needed to erase the whole thing and start again.  He’s always pushing me to be a better writer that way.

 

Boo winking at the camera - I told him the teeth were a bit distracting

  

And I can’t forget Boo; he’s the oldest of the bunch and is determined to single-catedly bring the word “aloof” back into the common vernacular.  He doesn’t come by the office very often, he mostly prefers the wide outdoors, but he’ll stop in from time to time to offer moral support, catch a quick cat-nap using my foot as a pillow (I wear thick, padded socks), and complain a bit about the weather.

So there you have it.  Not a page gets written without one of them having some kind of input.  I’ve often wondered if “two many cooks in the kitchen” applies here, but at least I don’t have a mouse problem.  (Just FYI, Ghost, the little female snuggling with Rascal above, now lives with some dear friends of ours and goes by a different name.  We miss her terribly, but I hear she is spoiled out of this world and glad she doesn't have to share a cat-box with three messy brothers.  By the way, that's her yawning in my avatar.)

And as for “Delays.”  I had hoped to get Fighter’s Bane ready for publication this month, but since I’m running out of month, I’m now predicting May for the release date.  I’m still waiting for some readers to get back to me, and just today I thought of a little twist I want to add, but all-in-all, I’m close to being finished.  Gray Area needs a bit more work, but it’s close too.  When the tomatoes get into the ground, the cats and I will try and pick up the pace some – well, maybe, apparently Mattie wants to think about it since she just plopped down at my feet and rolled onto her back (clumps of cat-hair and minor back pain here I come).