I’m relaxing this week and for good reason. Another successful presentation of Haunted Holidays Readings at Brazos Bookstore has come and gone. If you missed it you have two options. You can go to https://youtu.be/A83grQr9bis?si=ZETZ-A-2F9k8nxSi
and watch the enjoyable event on WiVLA’s YouTube channel. Also, you can start writing more spooky stories in preparation for next year.
I must take this opportunity to thank Brazos Bookstore and especially, Amy, who helped to coordinate this evening. Also, when you watch the presentation on YouTube, please know that Melody Locke is our wonderful and official film crew.
As you can see the skeletons who participated this year are quite tired and taking a bit of a rest. You might notice that this year Barbie was able to join in the fun. This was in addition to all of the other spooky guests. Once again this year, my good friend, Jim, served as the Chief roadie and skeleton wrangler. He made sure all skeletons made it to the event on time and then landed back home safely. I think we only lost one sock in the process. Also, Sabina Gartler (Sister WiVLA Member) helped with additional decorations. Finally, thanks to all of the wonderful members of WiVLA and the Houston Writers Guild for joining in with their creative talents. It takes a village to pull off a well organized Haunting. Much gratitude to everyone.
Of course, there will not be a lot of time for rest. There are other holidays to consider, but for me and my skeletons, the stress level goes way down. This fine fellow volunteered to be our official Turkey Day mascot. My official Thanksgiving plans include going to Govinda’s for a vegetarian Holiday dinner with all the trimmings. Yes, I actually like Tofu Turkey!!! I will bring enough home to share with my skeleton crew. It’s the least I can do.
So as of now, I have completed all of my public readings for the year. I will keep you up to date with all of the antics me, my crew and my friends get into over the rest of the holidays.
And of course, I have plenty of time to write. I have both short stories and the Great American Novel that I continue to work on. A writer’s work is never done and skeletons can try to scare you all year round! BOO!!!
Until next time.….…..
So it came as a shock to me the other day when I found myself driving along I‑10 on my way to Highway 6. For those of you not familiar with Houston geography, it felt like I was driving from the Grand Canyon all the way to California. Well, it felt that long to me and then I had to drive back home. I went to a place called Crown Trophy. The Authorpalooza conference is happening this weekend. Friday night is the Journey Into Art Anthology launch and I had the First, Second and Third place medals for the winners of the writing contest. This was a very nice company to work with and I highly recommend them for all of your medal and statue needs. But must they locate themselves so far away from where I live? Not very neighborly of them. But at least I have fulfilled my obligation for this weekend.
As soon as I got home, I sat down with some of my skeleton friends. Now that the temperatures are actually cooling down, they prefer to sit outside and study their books. I think they also go for walks at night or so they tell me. Luckily they are in a spot where they are protected from the rain.
Now of course the two friends who are not necessarily protected by the rain are Mr. Gargoyle and his friend, Skelly. One day I asked them why they chose their current spot and Mr. Gargoyle said that it was the spot where he could best protect my home. Since he feels like this is his primary function, I decided he could stay there. He assured me a little rain wouldn’t hurt him. Also his friend, Skelly, knows how to hold on real tight in case the wind starts blowing. I feel very safe knowing that these critters are in charge of the safety of my home. Of course, when I leave and go somewhere else (like Highway 6), I am pretty much on my own. That’s why I stay close to home.
I’d like to wish you a Happy Autumnal Equinox! For those of you who are not familiar with celestial terms, then I will wish you a Happy First Day of Fall. According to many pictures on Social Media and television commercials we can now expect colorful leaves, the nip of coolness in the air and Pumpkin Spice everywhere we go. What difference does this make in Southeast Texas? Apparently, not a damn thing. As I write this, it is 97 degrees outside with lots of humidity. The only real sign I have of the arrival of fall, is the appearance of the Spirit Halloween Store! I was there this morning and purchased another skeleton, because obviously seven are just not enough.
I have enjoyed sweating through the early stages of decorating my home. Of course it is always decorated on the inside, but this time of year is when I let all my neighbors know for sure what kind of neighbor they have. The best comment I have gotten so far is that folks are happy that I am finding enough chairs for all of the skeletons and witches to sit down. Yet, please understand, I am only getting started. I have plans. Lots of plans. There will be bats added into the mix this year and even a gargoyle. I like to start out small so as not to scare the villagers too quickly; however, once October 1st arrives everything is fair game.
I have extra space to decorate this year and I plan to cover every inch possible. I even have extra doors, so I don’t have to decide which wreath to use. I just have to make sure that I follow current fire regulations by keeping walkways clear. Now that’s a funny thought, because the ghosts already know to get out of the way whenever there is a fire or medical emergency. Even the goblins have that basic knowledge. Humans are so weird sometimes with their various rules and regulations as if they are in charge of things.
Every year around this time, I pay close attention during my shopping trips, looking for my first sighting of Halloween decorations. Of course, I would always purchase something to add to my already busy collection. My personal rule is that once Halloween decorations hit the store shelves, then summer is all but over, and it is time to decorate with my favorite witches and skeletons. This usually happens around the month of September.
Now it is the last of August and turning into September. The situation gets worse. The last time I went shopping, I not only found more Halloween decorations (which I didn’t mind, because I can always use more!) I also found a display of Christmas decorations. Please let me repeat this, because this is newsworthy and worth repeating. In 
Think back to your childhood. Do you remember how excited everyone around you got when you said your first word or took your first tedious steps? People around us would clap and tell us how wonderful we were. Then we all started going to school and the competition got a bit stiffer and there were always more people who wanted to compete against you. As we all got older, the competitions became harder. There was still applause and adulation for the winners, but the ratio of winner to not-winner shrank it seemed every year. Then you finally finished with school and most of us entered the work world and the cycle of achievement and adulation started up once again and yes, the number and talent of competitors increased.
In the middle of all this, I realize that I am now going to make strange noises while I sleep and I might look like an alien. I guess you could say that my snoring was also noisy, but at least that was an organic noise. This is more of there’s a monster in my bed sounding like Darth Vader or something. I have attempted to prepare my elderly cat for this adjustment to our sleep environment. To date, she is not too excited about the whole new arrangement. So far she has responded by sticking her tongue out at me and shedding extra fluffy white hair on my black bed sheets and comforter. I’ll keep you posted on how this progresses.
When I’m not looking for more alien devices to attach to my face, I have been settling into my new apartment. I have one long wall that I am converting into the likes of a French Salon. Pictures will be hung as they fit rather than by topic or color. It helps to receive Hannah’s input and opinion on some of the tough decisions that must be made. Several of the pieces are works completed by other artists. Some are my own creations. I love the “hodge-podgieness” of the whole experience. Yes, of course I will send you pictures when all is done. And yes, skulls and witches alike are given equal amounts of space.
Greetings and Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday. While most folks were enjoying their time at the beach or snarfing up lots of barbecued dead animals, I was moving into a new home. I even hired the movers that supposedly pack and unpack everything for you. After three days, we sent them on their way. Jim and I are finishing the rest of the job by ourselves. We’re not quite finished yet, but things are coming along. The biggest issue with moving is the amount of books and art that I move around with me. The books are currently back on the bookshelves, but not in any correct order. I may be working on organizing them through the end of the year.
One of the really nice features about my new home is the variety of flowers and water features. I especially like the koi fish. They seem to be really happy critters that come up to greet you when you draw near their home. No, I don’t feed them. There are very strict instructions about not feeding the wildlife around here. And speaking of wildlife, there is quite a bit to observe. The first few days I’ve been here I have seen squirrels, frogs, squirrels, lizards, squirrels, cats, squirrels and even an egret! We’re asked not to feed the squirrels, but from the chubby looks of them, I think someone is providing some tasty snacks. Or maybe they’re stealing some of the cat goodies that some nice people leave out.
Of course, as a writer, I keep copious notes on everything. Everyone and everything that I meet and see become potential characters for my next story. My skeleton friends were in a hurry for me to set up the writing table so we could get back to work. We have lots of stories we are working on. I especially enjoy the scary stories that are being prepared for Halloween!
Happy Birthday to RoadBroads! It was just six years ago when another writer and I had the crazy idea to drive all the way to Boulder, Colorado. It’s only an 18-hour drive. Easy! Once we arrived at Boulder we attended an annual Writing Retreat that was taught by Max Regan. He actually led two different retreats for 10 days each during the month of June. I had heard about these retreats for years, but this was the first time for me to attend one.
I had never been to Boulder before. Pearl Street Mall was great fun. On the weekend there were any number of street performers when you weren’t browsing at the local shops. This is a picture of the Boulder Bookstore where all of our writing classes were held. I felt like I had finally made it into the “in” crowd. In addition to the classes, there were salons where each of us had to read samples of our writing. Out loud. In front of everybody! I survived that and both gave and received good feedback.
Unfortunately, the question was answered for me when the Pandemic struck in 2020. The June Writing Retreats continued, but not in person. Ever since 2020 I have attended this retreat via Zoom. The good news is that without travel and lodging costs, I have been able to attend both 10-day sessions. Instead of seeing the sights in Colorado, I get to see my desk and look out my own window for my everyday view. My work desk is not nearly as exciting to look at as the Flatiron Mountains, but I keep writing.