My brain is rusty as I attempt to write on my blog when it was once such a snap to do. Since I started the blog eleven years ago, so much has changed. My youngest, who was in diapers when we moved into this house, is now a pre-teen, and my eldest is working on getting her driver’s permit. (The license will not happen for two years). My middle child, at fourteen, is taller than me. And I’m a full-time writer.
Most of my personal news now gets shared on Facebook, in my Reader Group, and in my author newsletter that goes out once every two weeks. Ideas for the more meaty topics that used to go here have sort of dried up in the whirlwind life of fiction writing and full-time publishing, mothering teens, leading the teen ministry at church, and just trying to survive. But I constantly get new subscribers to this blog (hello, friends!), and I’m sure my old subscribers wonder from time to time how everything is, so I’m taking a minute to catch up.
France has come partially out of quarantine, and life is starting to feel more like it once did. I went back to the gym for the first time, but since they blocked off every other machine, I was able to (for example) work out my outer thighs but not my inner thighs since the two machines were side by side. I wished it had been the reverse. I wore a surgical mask because it was less hot than my cloth ones, but for grocery shopping and every other outing, I wear the cloth. Although the masks are mandatory on public transportation and for all medical visits and many shops, I’m seeing only about half the population wearing them. So I think people are starting to relax. I believe that another wave will hit, so although I welcome a limited number of people in my home now without masks, I always wear them when going to public places.
School has been half-day only (alternating half the school in the morning and half in the afternoon) for two weeks now after home schooling for a couple months. Starting Monday, it will be mandatory for all students except high school (why? I don’t know), although it continues to be half-days. They have two more weeks. All assemblies are still closed (church, clubs, movies) but other things are starting to open up – like my gym and restaurants with special physically-distant seating. So we’re still cautious, but getting a flair for living again.
We’ve had a wave of financial bad luck. Many of you will remember the saga of our unfinished construction project. We still have to put a plastic curtain in the uninsulated staircase leading to the third floor to keep the cold out of our living room, and there are still not enough bedrooms for our children (who are getting really, really big). The new roof even leaks in bad storms.
Despite the astronomical loss and the loan we’ll be paying off for the next 15 years, we also lost everything we paid to the lawyers (who eventually advised us to drop the case), and even the insurance got off the hook from reimbursing us for the damage caused in the construction (but it would cost just as much to sue them). So, except for the final lawyer’s bill, which we got today, we are back at square one. No money, and an unfinished house. In the past week, our small car has also completely broken down, our vacuum cleaner took its last breath, and our dryer started smoking. It’s almost humorous, except it’s not.
But! We’re still reaping the benefits of so many people coming forward to help us with our garden. I know the grass doesn’t look great right now – it’s all brown, despite being watered and I think it’s because we cut it too short – but we are growing plants and vegetables and are just enjoying being outdoors to look at it all. Here are some of the vegetable boxes and arches that we got from my collective 50th birthday gift.
We’ve been using this garden a great deal since there have been a lot of Bible studies and baptisms lately. I feel like I’m in the full-time ministry, which I love … except I wouldn’t mind having a little more time to write so I don’t feel like I have to squeeze it in – and also more time to spend relaxing as a family. We had a family meeting last night to talk about how we can stay connected despite how busy life is. But what better way to use a broken-down house than for the perfect plan of God? He promised a better one in heaven anyway.
My latest book, A Fall from Grace, has had an astonishing launch (for one such as I, who is used to a spectacular fizzle on the majority of my books). It remained a best-seller alternating between several categories for over a month and is only starting to dip a little in sales now more than two months after the launch date. My two other Regencies continue to have much better ranking as well, so that has been such an encouragement. It will also off-set some of the smaller financial … surprises.
As for my current project, I’m in the process of writing a novel about a marriage of convenience as part of a multi-author series. Below are the covers and participating authors (which I think look so harmonious together), and if you click here or on the image, it will take you to the order page where you can purchase (or pre-order) the books in the series.
I love writing Regency, and I’m so glad I found my audience – people who love reading my books!
So, I spend these days pulled between everything writing-related (working on my next book, critiquing fellow author books, researching, sorting out ads and keeping up with social media); ministry stuff (Bible studies – of which I am currently in several, almost one every day – keeping up with the teens, taking care of my local group, most of whom have come recently to a deeper faith); my children (trying to figure out how to keep them occupied – that does not include screen time and does include more physical exercise – praying to have more quality time with them, which is not my strength, since I’m a bit of a loner, and helping them to grow into wonderful adults), and trying to keep the house functioning. Sometimes I wonder how I got so busy and what I can do to make sure I’m not missing out on the most important things.
But life is really, really good despite it all. There are many moments where I look around at all the green in our garden and smell the linden blossoms when I walk under the canopy of our tree, or observe my children spontaneously washing the dishes (it does happen occasionally), or catch a smile and wave from my husband working from the studio in our garden as I walk by, and all I can think of is Ecclesiastes 5:20
They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
and realise that this is me. This is my life.
I hope you are all well. I do plan to do a recipe in the next two weeks that is too good not to share. It’s a modification of my yogurt cake and my kids always clamor for that one. It was good to catch up here. (See, Jennie? That wasn’t so hard).
Until next time!
