A Grandmother's Favorite Words

• I sleep good. That means Jeremy has awakened after enough sleep to be smiling and cheerful
• Where's Malize? He wants me!
• I love you. Self-explanatory.

Our Visitor

We have an adorable, energetic, cute-as-a-button toddler staying with us for several days. We get to play with Jeremy while Bethany and Justin are on a youth group trip to the Florida Panhandle.

Today Jeremy told me how baby brother Jedidiah, whose planned appearance is mid-July, pushed against his hand. He thought it was pretty neat. And he's excited about "going on the airplane with Daddy to Minnesota" later this summer.

We're having fun, but I'm already planning to sleep a straight twenty-four hours once Jeremy's reunited with his parents*

Hugging Puppies

Yesterday morning, I made the two-hour drive to Palmetto for the Special Saturday Tour of the Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc. I haven't been there since I interviewed Helen Arnold, an SEGD graduate and staff member, for my master's thesis on the human-canine bond in 2003. Helen was greeting the visitors so it was great seeing her and her smooth-coated collie, Corky, again.

A highlight of the tour is the puppy kennel. Along with other visitors, I sat on the concrete floor of the puppy room. Seven-week black and yellow lab puppies crawled from one person to another. One sprawled for a few moments on my lap before waddling over to the water dish.

I only wish we lived closer so I could hug puppies every week!

Running 101

This morning was the first day of my third week in my running program. It's spitting rain. What I learned:

• Even when it starts raining harder, Nate will not come looking for me in the car. ("I didn't know it was raining," he said when I got home.)
• Rain is a good motivator for faster running, especially when it gets harder than "spitting."

Other news: Jill came home and is now having fun in Tampa with her nephew. Jacob is headed to Tampa in a couple of days and they'll be coming back to spend time with us on Friday.
My birthday was wonderful with "entertaining" poems from my lady WordChicks, flowers, cards, gifts, and cakes. And may I just say that I blew out all the candles in one windy breath. Both times. 'Course it helped that there weren't as many candles as years being celebrated*

Sports Star

Nathaniel's photo was in the paper again this week -- this time the Varsity section of the Orlando Sentinel. The photo is an action shot taken at last Saturday's state meet at Showalter Field in Winter Park. Nathaniel placed fifth -- only a mere three inches behind fourth place and a foot behind third!

We're so proud of his accomplishments: a 10-0 season; Orange Belt Conference champ for the third year in a row; 2nd in districts and regionals; 5th at state.

Three cheers for Nate!!!

Movies on a rainy day

My friend Carol Anne and I met just before 11:55 on Sunday afternoon at the doors to the AMC Theaters at Pleasure Island. Quickly we bought our kids meals of popcorn, drinks, and these strange gummy treats and settled in our stadium seats to watch Under the Same Moon/La Misma Luna, an engaging and tender movie about a nine-year-old boy's search for his mother. We were deeply touched and wiped away a tear or two. After the movie, we sat on a bench in the hallway. Through the exit doors, we watched people stroll by wearing plastic ponchos and carrying umbrellas. I glanced at my cute, but wimpy shoes. Carol Anne was wearing flip-flops. And she was hungry.

What else was there to do but buy tickets to another movie? And hot dogs and Coke? We settled into our stadium seats and laughed at the antics of a dad and his daughter in the movie College Road Trip. So much fun, but also sad because it reminded me of leaving my baby girls at college campuses and driving off without them. I was wiping away more than "a tear or two."

After the movie, Carol Anne and I ran to our cars even though it was still raining. I came home, kicked off my wet and wimpy shoes, and called my daughters.

I love this season of weddings and grandbabies, but sometimes a mom just has to cry a bit for days gone by.

SEO

That means "search engine optimization," a term I only learned in the past couple of weeks. On March 3, I prayed for a specific financial goal for my writing and, though it was a modest amount, I wondered how I would ever reach it. Less than two weeks later, I applied for and got a position as an independent contractor writing SEO-type articles for a Christian website. By fulfilling my monthly contractual obligation, I will earn exactly the amount for which I prayed. God is so good. With this prayer answered, I feel free to devote most of my writing time to my novel.

Not that I've given up on the freelance publishing trail. Not at all! In fact, my story "Shared Eyes," about a puppy I raised to be a guide dog, is in the final round for consideration in an anthology. And an editor asked to see an article I proposed "on spec." My goal is to have ten to fifteen queries/submissions out at all times. Right now, I have four. But hey -- a gal has to start somewhere!

I love my little room and I love writing.

Check out http://www.wordchicks.blogspot.com/ for other successes of my online writers group.