Spring Update from the Writing Desk

Good gracious! It’s been a long winter. Spring slips in and out, teasing us with her balmy weather and earthy scent. Winter grapples with her, wanting to throw a few good freezing jabs our way before he finally relents and lets her take center stage.

Just wanted to check in with my readers and give an update after a couple of months of being off the grid. Here’s what’s happening:

Family News

1. My husband and I will become first-time grandparents in about five weeks. It’s an exciting and surreal time watching your own child prepare to bring a child into the world. Our younger two are thrilled at the prospect of becoming an aunt and uncle at ages 16 and 11. The baby will not be short of folks to love and snuggle him.
2. Our son is bridging to Boy Scouts this month after faithful attendance and progress as a Cub Scout since he was in kindergarten. This achievement has a way of reminding me that my baby boy is becoming a young man. His first camping trip without a parent will take place in late spring. Letting go is hard.
3. Our middle daughter is taking Driver’s Education and will soon take the written test for her permit. She’s starting to think about college options and is finding her “people” in her first in-person year of high school. Again, such milestones punctuate the reality of childhood being a tender, fleeting thing.

Creative News

1. After about a year of creative malaise, my mojo is returning (cue the angelic chorus). The stress and demands of teaching and parenting during a pandemic had all but squelched my creativity. My creative juices have begun flowing again, and I’m eager to see where they take me.
2. At the start of the year, I pulled back from social media to curtail my tendency to doom scroll. It had turned into a waste of precious writing time and became an additional source of stress. This was the best decision!
3. Not only do I not really miss social media, I find myself far happier. More focused. Better able to think clearly and set goals. I attribute this to getting off the physical screen and the barrage of information it dumped at my feet. Liberating for sure.
4. There’s a new story unfolding! I spent about six weeks in January and February engaged in serious research for a story idea I’d had kicking around in my head. The story grew legs the more I researched.
5. One thing about doing research is you quickly learn just how much you really don’t know. It has also opened my eyes to the rich and complicated history of Poland and the Jewish people. Beautiful stories, terrible stories, and everything in between are part of the reality of those days.
6. My work-in-progress takes place in Krakow, Poland during WW2. In a general sense, I understood the reasons for the war and the horrible human tragedy it entailed. What I didn’t understand was the breadth and depth of both the cruelty and heroism of those entangled in it. I am eager and excited to continue working on this manuscript to explore these things further.
7. My beloved writer’s conference is happening this year—in person! After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, the gang is getting back together again. I just registered and am ready for what God has in store for me and my fellow creatives this summer.

I so appreciate your readership and wanted to update you on what’s been happening. So far, 2022 is looking to be a fulfilling and productive year for both my family and creative life. My prayer is that you are off to a good year so far and are feeling hopeful about what lies ahead.

With Love and Gratitude,