For the past year, I've been meeting nearly weekly with a Joliet woman just a few years shy of 100.
One of her granddaughters had approached me and asked if I would write this woman's memoirs. I almost turned it down. At the time, some tests had suggested some health concerns, I was learning a new system of page design, and I was trying to finish the last book of Before the Blood.
But as it turned out, I'd written two Herald=News stories about her in the past and, ironically, my oldest daughter is a former neighbor (I discovered that after the first story broke). And the granddaughter told me the woman herself had specifically asked for me.
So part of my first official vacation time of 2019 was spent organizing notes and working on her memoir. She's had some health issues this year, so I'm feeling an especial sense of urgency in getting it done.
Many parts of her life are heartbreaking, but through all the stories she's shared, one can see a line of strength, tenacity, and firm faith in God running through it. I'm so very glad I did not turn this project down!
As always, I've overestimated what I could accomplish. But the book is organized and divided into chapters and I'm about halfway through the first draft. I spoke with her on Sunday, and we wrote the introduction and "final thoughts." She, on her part, is gathering photos for the interior and the cover. We also discussed titles.
Considering I've also attended three nights of long church services at a church about forty-five minutes from home, spent most of a day at my son's celebrating Easter (Pascha) and two grandchildren's birthdays with my other children (and children-to-be) and grandchildren, and had to get two medical tests done for myself, I think I, overall, did pretty good.
Speaking of memoirs, I spent an hour or so on the phone with my uncle. We've gotten rather close over these past two years while addressing my father's health concerns. During this course, he also learned his wife had cancer of pancreas, and she passed early Thursday morning.
He called me on Friday afternoon and shared the mostly lovely stories about this unselfish woman, a teacher, who always saw the good in others, even the most difficult of her students. I learned how she lived and how she died.
Although I didn't help with the Easter cooking this year, I did make two trips to the grocery store with one of my sons, and we talked about some of the opportunities that's cropped up in his life.
And on a fiction note, the fourth installment of Before the Blood has my editor's notes incorporated. It's formatted, and I've checked the formatting, done a copy edit, and it's ready for upload just as soon as Rebekah is able to finish attaching all the cover pieces.
Once it KDP approves it, I'll order a proof, recheck the formatting, and do a final copy edit.
I've also uploaded all the photos and videos I took during the fun (including the elaborate egg hunt Rebekah coordinated) with family members on our "secret" Facebook page, watched some Bojack with Daniel, had some great conversations with Rebekah, and just, overall, engaged in more human interaction and less social media interaction.
I'm now back to the regular routine: refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to write features!
One of her granddaughters had approached me and asked if I would write this woman's memoirs. I almost turned it down. At the time, some tests had suggested some health concerns, I was learning a new system of page design, and I was trying to finish the last book of Before the Blood.
But as it turned out, I'd written two Herald=News stories about her in the past and, ironically, my oldest daughter is a former neighbor (I discovered that after the first story broke). And the granddaughter told me the woman herself had specifically asked for me.
So part of my first official vacation time of 2019 was spent organizing notes and working on her memoir. She's had some health issues this year, so I'm feeling an especial sense of urgency in getting it done.
Many parts of her life are heartbreaking, but through all the stories she's shared, one can see a line of strength, tenacity, and firm faith in God running through it. I'm so very glad I did not turn this project down!
As always, I've overestimated what I could accomplish. But the book is organized and divided into chapters and I'm about halfway through the first draft. I spoke with her on Sunday, and we wrote the introduction and "final thoughts." She, on her part, is gathering photos for the interior and the cover. We also discussed titles.
Considering I've also attended three nights of long church services at a church about forty-five minutes from home, spent most of a day at my son's celebrating Easter (Pascha) and two grandchildren's birthdays with my other children (and children-to-be) and grandchildren, and had to get two medical tests done for myself, I think I, overall, did pretty good.
Speaking of memoirs, I spent an hour or so on the phone with my uncle. We've gotten rather close over these past two years while addressing my father's health concerns. During this course, he also learned his wife had cancer of pancreas, and she passed early Thursday morning.
He called me on Friday afternoon and shared the mostly lovely stories about this unselfish woman, a teacher, who always saw the good in others, even the most difficult of her students. I learned how she lived and how she died.
Although I didn't help with the Easter cooking this year, I did make two trips to the grocery store with one of my sons, and we talked about some of the opportunities that's cropped up in his life.
And on a fiction note, the fourth installment of Before the Blood has my editor's notes incorporated. It's formatted, and I've checked the formatting, done a copy edit, and it's ready for upload just as soon as Rebekah is able to finish attaching all the cover pieces.
Once it KDP approves it, I'll order a proof, recheck the formatting, and do a final copy edit.
I've also uploaded all the photos and videos I took during the fun (including the elaborate egg hunt Rebekah coordinated) with family members on our "secret" Facebook page, watched some Bojack with Daniel, had some great conversations with Rebekah, and just, overall, engaged in more human interaction and less social media interaction.
I'm now back to the regular routine: refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to write features!
Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."
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