Another Week

July is almost over.  Walmart has a big back to school display with crazy low prices like twenty-five cents for white glue.  Costco has begun with the Halloween decorations.  Last week I noticed a big skeleton hovering over an aisle.  I just read that Starbucks is starting their pumpkin spice drinks early.

I felt like I was in a season no man land for most of this week.  The morning were all cool and gray which is very un-summer like in Southern California.  Not that I'm complaining.   It was great not to have to turn on the air conditioning and to actually be cold when we had pizza on an outside patio in the evening.

I had to use my imagination to write of languid summer with in Indiana for SCONED TO DEATH.  Right now writing has become a welcome distraction from other stuff I'm dealing with and once I am feeling that humid weather as I write about it and have to take a moment when I stop to recalculate where I am.

There have been daily trips to take my husband stuff at the rehab place.  The place is much nicer, but the whole situation has stirred up an undercurrent of emotion.  It was exactly at this time of year I dealt with my mother being in a rehab place and then back to the hospital.  I distinctly remember being in her hospital room that last time.  Rain was making slash marks on the window as I sat there alone. She didn't even look like herself anymore.  Down the hall, someone was being released.  There were balloons and happy chatter.  It was a reminder that life went on as my mother's was ending.  She died the next day 

Audio Book Deal as I Write Away!

             I wanted to let you know that I’ve been told that Chirp, which has published some of my audio books, will have a collection of my Pet Rescue Mysteries on sale for about a month, starting on Saturday, July 26. That collection includes: Beaglemania, The More the Terrier, and Hounds Abound together, and the discount is substantial. They’ll apparently be available individually for a discount too, although the better deal appears to be all three. 

          Here’s the link: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/pet-rescue-mysteries-collection-by-linda-o-johnston

            I’m making progress on the draft of my second book in the K-9s and PIs series. Things keep coming up to slow me down, but I definitely enjoy the story!

            More minor doggy illness to keep me busy with them. And I’ve had to put the older one, Cari, on a diet. She’s not happy about her treats slowing down. You should see the way those demanding and sad eyes look at me…

 

Change of Plans

 I had big plans of what I was going to write about. It was going to be about what makes someone stand out.  But after spending three hours at the rehab place my husband is rehabbing after a fall, I am just too done in.  So maybe next week.  

It started with having to call the paramedics because he couldn't get up.  They were super nice and professional and took him to the Kaiser ER.  After many hours they determined he had fracture and chipped a bone in his leg.  They kept him in the hospital over the weekend and they sent him to the rehab place.

To say that he's not happy camper is an understatement.  We have gone there daily to bring him whatever he requests.  Today's visit was much longer as they wanted to show him how to get the car when he's released.  They showed us, anyway while he watched and insisted he couldn't do it.  Afterwards, we tried to cheer him up by wheeling him out of his room to the pleasant reception area.

After I got home, it took me doing a crossword  and drinking coffee in the backyard to recuperate from the three hour visit. Then I was renewed  enough to take in the trash cans from the street.  I tried to make a pleasant moment of it by looking at the sky as evening was falling.  There were a few clouds and the color of the sky was a little hazy to imply some dampness. Most of all was a feeling of peace.

I work on the rewrite of SCONED TO DEATH in the morning.  Then I have to stop too soon because of everything else.

This was easy to write.  I just recounted  what happened.  In other words I didn't have to think too much with my weary brain.  And now a dish of ice cream and watching an old comedy before I attempt any more chores.

Sorry, I'm Late Again

             You might be able to tell that I went to a movie yesterday, since I’m really late posting here today. I usually write my Killer Hobbies posts on Tuesday, but when I’m distracted by a movie I sometimes forget—like yesterday. We get a discount on Tuesdays, so that often leads to our heading to an afternoon movie. Anyway, sorry I’m late today.

            The movie? The new Superman! I really enjoyed it and its special effects—most particularly the dog Krypto who kept attacking and saving his buddy Superman. He was partly real and apparently partly AI. Yes, he flew, as did Superman. And one of the things that was also fun is that I kept seeing online that the new Superman star, David Corenswet, has his own ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ira, whom he brought sometimes to the set as they were filming and had Ira dress in a cape like Superman. Ira resembles our younger pup Roxie.  I posted a picture of them on my Facebook page.

            Did some edits this week on another of my Alpha Force books being republished as an ebook soon, as most of them have been now. Shapeshifters in a special military unit!

            But I’m now back to my regular writing. And playing with my dogs, of course.