Halloween 2008

It's Halloween and soon the little goblins will be coming to the door asking for treats. Thankfully, people don't seem to mess up things as much as they did years ago by soaping windows, cars, wrapping trees in toilet paper, etc. Halloween parties are the way to go.
The little ones look cute and enjoy the thought they are scaring someone. Don't forget to tell them not to eat anything from their bag of treats until they get it home to the adults in the family so they can check it out to make sure it's safe.
I've noticed there are so many people walking on the sides of the road lately in dark colored clothes. Please tell them to carry a light and try to find some article of clothing that is light in color or have a fluorescent patch, or something that will show up easily with the headlights of oncoming cars.
Above all, have fun. Life is to be lived.

Cookie anyone?

I've been spending the morning making cookies. That seems like a strange thing to do as a nurse, but that's what's happening. We have an organization here, in Williamsburg, called The Nightengale's. Appropriate for a bunch of retired nurses, and there are quite a few. Once a year we make cookies for the student nurses at the local hospital. I remember when I was a student nurse how some homemade food was so tasty and hope the students, here, like the ones I made.
Student nurses are a blessing. They are so caring and comforting. They want to do everything perfectly. What would we do without them? I remember when my mother was a patient in the hospital. She was in a coma for three months. Those were the days when the hospitals sometimes kept patients for long periods of time. The students would come in and care for my mother and they were so gentle and nice to her. I loved the students.
I have written a story about student nurses, which takes place in the 1950s. It took me a year to complete this story and that was in 1995. It is around 90,000 words long. I was going to try to publish it myself, but the cost is very high. Now I've decided to try to get it published. I know that will be difficult, but I have a reason to want it published. There were certain differences between the 50s and now and I wanted people to be able to see some of this in the context of a fiction story.
Well, got to go check on the brownies that are in the oven. Decided to add them to the bunch of cookies. Just about everyone I know likes brownies.
Bye for now.

The Joy of Writing

The kids are all home and so are the adults so it's too noisy to think straight. The world was on the brink of disaster it seems, a bill was passed and everyone is holding their breath. Not many people are looking to see how much money they have lost, but optimistically are counting on it coming back.
So, what do you do when things seem to be beyond your control?
I began to think of what, besides publication, is good about writing?
The old saying, "it keeps you out of trouble" would be one thing.
Preventing early Alzheimers would be another. Flexibility of the hands and fingers. I've been fortunate not to have arthritis, but know people who are plagued by this unfortunate condition and it's not pleasant. It gives you a space in the house you can call your own. It's that little cave you can crawl into when you feel the need. It's a great outlet for your creativity. One thing I think is great about writing is that it gives you a very good excuse to travel. It gives you mail if you get the submission back. You might have friends or organizations of other writers. Most of all, though, it gives you hope and joy. You're doing what you love most.
And that's the joy of writing.