Insecure Writers Support Group and Celebrate the Small Things

Happy March! Are you still shivering in winter or are you enjoying spring flowers yet? Whatever the weather, is always fun to check in with fellow writers. Thanks to our host, Alex. J. Cavanaugh and his outstanding co-hosts this month: Mary Aalgaard, Bish Denham, Jennifer Hawes, Diane Burton, and Gwen Gardner.

This month's question: How do you celebrate when you achieve a writing goal/ finish a story?

Sadly, I feel great for about two seconds and then start worrying about the next goal. Should the story be edited further? If it's a short story, where will I submit it? If it's a novel, am I ready to deal with the stress of querying? For me, the journey is truly the reward.

Which of these images would you or your characters pick to experience a journey? 

Image: Emil Athanasiou








Photo: Nico Trinkhaus - Sunny day in Anaga Mountains | Tenerife, Spain






Image: Neville Wooton


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What happened to February? I know it's the shortest month of the year, but I think someone hit high speed on time again. In any case, it's high time for me to thank our host, Lexa Cain, and her co-hosts: L.G. Keltner and Tonja Drecker. 

Winter Wonderland

Image: David Torres

1. Friday, March 2 was a snow day!

The phone rang at 5 a.m. and I knew, just knew, it was the school district calling to cancel school. I remember being a kid, listening to the radio on rare snowy mornings, crossing my fingers that my district would be cancelled. Since I lived in S.C. at the time, that hardly every happened. But Friday was our day. I guess I got a little too excited about shoveling, because I couldn't fall back asleep, but I got an excellent work-out shoveling for 2 hours. Eight inches of heavy, wet snow. Squee!

And wouldn't you know it? My neighbor, who has a snow plow, knocked down the impossible wall of ice that the city plows had left at the bottom of the driveway. That's the second time a truck with plow attached saved me from the hardest part of the job.

Open Sesame!

Image: stratman

2. I still have skin on my fingers.

My older cat, Mr. Mistofellees, has hyperthyroidism. He's been taking medication in creme form applied to the inside of his ears for the past two years, but it's not working anymore. So we had to switch to pills. 

The last time I had to shove pills down his throat was during an ear infection so severe he couldn't walk two steps without falling down. He would claw my hands to shreds. 

This time I was more crafty. I hid the pills in port wine cheese, creme cheese, and even butter. At first, Mr. M ate the pills all by himself. But then he got sick of cheese. Rats! So I had to go back to "pilling" him. At least the pills are smaller than the humongous antibiotic capsules. And so far, I've only endured one small scratch. 

Can you hear me now? 

Image: Seth Goodman

3. I don't have to worry about charging my cell phone this week.

My husband called me Sunday morning from Boca Raton, Florida, where is he currently having a blast in the sunshine state with his folks while I deal with homework, early morning band practice, and doctor's appointments attending a math conference. He told me he had accidentally taken both of our cell phones. Really? I mean, here I am, on my own, trying to coordinate activities for two active middle schoolers. With. No. Cellphone. ARRRGH! This is so 1990s. 

Did the big storm Riley impact your area? Do you have to medicate your pets? How would you cope without a cell phone for 5 days?