Tag Archives: children

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Late Night Ramblings

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My apologies for not posting more frequently of late, but while the boys were here, I was preoccupied with them, and then, during their last few days, Collin came down with a wicked illness.  He was kind enough to share, and it knocked all of us flat for several days.  I’ve been fighting this crud for over a week and am still not back to full speed.  It turned out to be two different things at work at the same time, which is why it ended up being so brutal.  Hopefully, both have run their course, and I’ll be able to get back to work soon.

Overall, we had a good trip, despite the illness.  The boys loved Louisville, and we had a good family cookout for Independence Day.  The boys also got to spend more time with their papaw this trip than any other, and that made me happy.  As usual, the time wasn’t enough, and they both begged to stay longer. However, we got more this summer than last, and I’m hoping to get even more next year.  I miss them now more than ever because they’re getting so big.  I’m missing out on so much, and it kills me.

There’s a lot I want to write about, so I’m gonna try to put out a few entries over the next few days to cover everything I want to share.  That’s all for now.  Hope you enjoy the pics.

Sparklers before the show.
Finn helping me set up the fireworks.
Collin playing with Papaw.
Finn playing with a Tonka.
I like this pic of me.
General Posts

Thursday Morning Ramblings

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The Galt House

For now, I’m only going to focus on the positive that occurred in Louisville.  Later on, I’ll vent about the negative.

For starters, The Galt House is a pretty nice place.  Because I had the boys and my niece with me, I got a suite with two queen beds.  Collin and Finn had never seen a suite before, and as we entered the room, both of them lit up like torches with excitement.  All weekend, they referred to the room as our apartment.  Their reactions to the room was worth the trip up there, and they had a great time playing in the pool and hanging out with Bri.

Bri taught Collin how to swim.

I also got to see many old friends and catch up with them.  I don’t want to name anyone specifically for fear of leaving out a few, but if you and I spent some time hanging out and chatting last weekend, please know I enjoyed talking to you.  I met several authors, as well, a handful of them fairly big names in the business, and enjoyed the opportunity to learn from them on panels and listen to their perspectives on the craft.  A huge round of applause needs to go to Stephen Zimmer for organizing such a robust and diverse literary track.  The quality of the track was top-notch.

Other than spending time with the boys and watching Collin pull his own loose tooth, the highlight of the weekend for me was getting to see John Rhys-Davies again and give him the new version of my series.  I had met him back in 2005 when Brotherhood was in its infancy and I was a fledgling self-published author.  He was kind enough back then to allow me to snap a few publicity photos, so I wanted to give him the new version as a way of saying thanks.  Once again, he was kind and gracious, showing genuine interest in my successes as a writer and thanking me for the gift.  We only got to speak for a couple of minutes, but I was grateful for the chance to thank him for what he did back in 2005.

Like I said, I’ll vent later.  For now, I’ll relish the positive and take solace in the fact that my sons enjoyed the weekend.

My section of the Seventh Star Press booth.
General Posts

Monday Morning Ramblings

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It’s a new day.  Finals are over, papers are graded, and final grades are recorded.  Because of low enrollment, I don’t have a summer class this year, and I’m looking at that as a blessing.  The last two semesters have taken every ounce of energy I had to get through, and right now at this moment, I feel utterly exhausted.  I need time to recharge my inner batteries and refocus my efforts on the things that matter to me.  Book four takes top priority this summer, followed closely by the farm.  These two endeavors offer the best opportunity to leave education, and I will give them as much of my time and energy as I can muster.

I probably won’t have much of a social life four the next few months.  Other than getting my sons and attending the two conventions I’ve committed to, I don’t foresee venturing too far from the farm this summer.  If I’m going to regain some measure of mental health and peace of mind, I have to focus my energy on re-establishing momentum on the book and seeing progress on the farm.  Those two things will reinvigorate my spirit and heal me.  Right now, I need that more than anything else.

I’ll get the boys mid-June through mid-July, and I’m hoping to be in a much happier, healthier state of being by then.  The ordeals of the last two semesters have taken their toll, and I’m afraid today I wouldn’t be much good to them, so I’m going to use the next month to heal and prepare for them.  They deserve the best of me while they’re here, and I intend to give it to them.  They will be going to Fandom Fest with me at the end of June, and I’m excited to see their reactions to the festivities that are a con weekend.  They both have such active imaginations and curiosities that the costumes and toys they’ll see there will probably amaze and dazzle them.

That’s all for now.  Today, I intend on cleaning my place and tying up some loose ends on the semester, but I’m not putting any stress on myself in accomplishing either one.  They’ll get done when they’re done.  From this point forward, I’m making a conscious effort to stop worrying about the unimportant minutiae and not waste any more energy on trivialities.  Life is too short as it is, and I need to focus my life and energy on what matters to me.  It’s a small step forward but an important one, and hopefully, by making this change, I can move forward in the direction I want to go.