Covid, Creativity (And One Last Mother's Day Gift)

Before we skip to the covid news I posted over the last week, I want you to know I had one of the quietest, and yet productive on the creative scale, weekends I've had in a very long time.

I wrote one new chapter in The Phoenix and one new chapter in Lycanthropic Summer  (both new titles in the BryonySeries) and reworked several in each over twelve hours on Saturday and part of Sunday, all the while listening to the rain.

Then I spent Sunday afternoon going through a good deal of my work email that has built up to the point I couldn't find anything pertinent anymore, all the while listening to the rain.

Towards evening, Jasmine dropped off one lat Mother's Day gift (an oversize T-shirt tribute to the fact I'm mother to a few four-footed creatures)

and a really dark (mmmmm) dark roast coffee from Brewed Awakening.

I know I'm a long ways from retirement, but...

...is this what retirement is like?


Food drive for Bags of Hope on Monday and Friday in Plainfield
Bags of Hope increases food services during COVID-19 pandemic

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/15/food-drive-for-bags-of-hope-on-monday-and-friday-in-plainfield/azfzh6c/


Plainfield Park District pool season suspended for summer 2020 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/15/plainfield-park-district-pool-season-suspended-for-summer-2020/abeh47v/


The Cancer Support Center in Mokena, Homewood held virtual telethon on Sunday
Reach out to the center to see how you can help cancer patients during the  COVID19 pandemic

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/the-cancer-support-center-in-mokena-homewood-to-host-virtual-telethon-on-sunday/az6oqgs/


Plainfield church helps give food to hundreds 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/13/plainfield-church-helps-give-food-to-hundreds/arx7z5q/


How to protect a vulnerable person in your house from coronavirus

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/how-to-protect-a-vulnerable-person-in-your-house-from-coronavirus/ansoya1/


Silver Cross in New Lenox 1st to enroll patients in clinical trial through Mayo Clinic 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/11/silver-cross-in-new-lenox-1st-to-enroll-patients-in-clinical-trial-through-mayo-clinic/a6qtg3p/


Plainfield middle school hosts 'remote' cooking class

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2020/05/11/2dbffdedfe834115a26b4a7f74e0d407/index.xml?page=1



40th Frankfort Lions Wurst Fest due to coronavirus outbreak

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/40th-frankfort-lions-wurst-fest-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak/as8rvb2/


Lincoln-Way marching band to be part of virtual 'Parade of Heroes' 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/11/lincoln-way-marching-band-to-be-part-of-virtual-parade-of-heroes/aeixjqd/


Nearly $700,000 awarded to Will County for food and shelter programs

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/nearly-700-000-awarded-to-will-county-for-food-and-shelter-programs/a5eowcr/


Electrical Workers Local Union No. 176 Joliet to hosted blood drive May 14

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/electrical-workers-local-union-no-176-joliet-to-host-blood-drive-may-14/a9f4q1b/


Lewis University in Romeoville partners with Illinois Virtual School on e-learning 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/lewis-university-in-romeoville-partners-with-illinois-virtual-school-on-e-learning/a9u24qs/


Will County awarded federal funds under the Emergency Food and Shelter program

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/will-county-awarded-federal-funds-under-the-emergency-food-and-shelter-program/az65lzx/


Will County Forest Preserve’s Stay-at-Home Backyard Nature Photo Contest winners announced 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/11/will-county-forest-preserves-stay-at-home-backyard-nature-photo-contest-winners-announced/af7hr22/



Walmart updates hours, days for drive-thru testing site in Joliet
Testing is available for all ages 

https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/12/walmart-updates-hours-days-for-drive-thru-testing-site-in-joliet/apm6q8j/

A Request for An Easter Hat

So on social media this week, another member of WriteOn Joliet, Maureen Blevins, asked women to post photos of themselves wearing Easter hats - and tagged me in that post.

Of course, with the world being in the midst of a pandemic, I'm sure (not) the most burning question in everyone's mind is, "Is Denise still wearing hats?"

So here's the answer to that question.

This morning Timothy and I headed out early so I could shoot videos of a Joliet pastor who was holding a brief Easter worship from his balcony.

Because of Maureen's challenge, I decided to wear a hat. I chose my newest one, from Timothy, ironically, which he brought back from South Carolina when he went down in late February for a wedding.

It's blue (my favorite color) and has a row of plastic shells around the brim (I love water).

But as I finished dressing, I realized how much of the resurrection was displayed in my choice of clothes.

The bracelet on my right is a gift from a good friend, and I wear it every day.

The bracelet on my left (hidden) is a gift from Rebekah. It's made of blue polished stones. My grandson Lucas (whom I most likely won't see this year) loves polishing rocks, as did my maternal grandfather, so this bracelet has a lot of meaning around my wrist.

The shirt and sweater came from Good Will shopping with Sarah and Rebekah last summer.

The shoes are new - and ones Rebekah picked out for me.

The necklace cost $5 years ago when we were in the midst of some family emergency and were losing our home.

We bought it at Jewel because the color and style really jumped out at me. When the chain fell apart, Rebekah placed it for me.

The white jeans have the best story of death and resurrection.

Two years ago while finishing a phone call and a cup of coffee before leaving for a meeting, the cup shattered, spilling its contents along my right leg.

Fortunately, I was not burned. I figured that was the end of the white jeans, but I soaked them in the bathroom sink, just in case our Laundry Witch Rebekah could work her magic on them.

If you can believe it, she did.

Rebekah got all the coffee out.

So the next day, I wore them again. I was working late before taking the week off for an at-home writing retreat.

By eight o'clock at night, I was dragging and not done. Timothy talked me into take a ride for Gloria Jean's coffee.

So I went.

But Gloria Jean's was out of coffee, so we headed to Panera. But Panera was out of dark roast, so we were asked to come back in fifteen minutes.

Timothy and I walked around the mall and came back for the nice hot coffee.

He safely carried the coffee all the way down the long parking lot where we had parked.

I got in the car, and he set the coffee into the cup holders.

But as he transferred the last cup to the holder, the lid fell off and the hot coffee wound up on my left leg.

He's screaming at me to take pants off (where was security, I ask you that. Nowhere!), just as I'm realizing the coffee had spilled on me (I didn't feel it at first).

I doused myself with a water bottle, and he ran back inside the mall for ice. He was gone four days (or so it seemed).

We went back to the house where Rebekah had come home from work sick and was in bed. I took off the white pants, put on shorts, grabbed an ice pack, and headed back to the car, where Timothy was taking me to Morris Hospital to treat the burns.

Here's the best part.

When we arrived at the hospital, the burns were gone. Completely. Not even a red flush.

The nurses had to come out and look. Nothing.

So we stopped at my son's house, and I ran around the yard with the grandchildren, catching fireflies and finding the Big Dipper.

The only sad part of the story is that all the coffee places were closed by the time we left.

And as you can see, Rebekah got all the coffee stains out, even though the entire left leg (and more) was completely soaked with coffee.

Christ is risen!

Into the Words

This morning I woke up about an hour earlier than usual.

I had missed a dose of medicine last night (got busy, thought I'd taken it) and felt its lack. After taking the next one right on schedule, I debated the merits of either going back to sleep or getting up and editing chapter eighteen of the fifth book of Before the Blood.

I chose the latter.

Work and life keep me busy enough that I never, and I mean never (if fact, my discipline surprises even me) open up my manuscript during the week. Thoughts and ideas often come to mind while I'm walking, and I will jot them down.

But writing or editing fiction of any substance? Never.

Today, I chose pretend over sleep. And I'm feeling the tired effects of it now, along with the elation of spending two hours into an extremely magical place where consonants and vowels are transformed into an alternate reality.

It was nice to break from routine.

And I'll keep reminding myself of it through every yawn and swig of dark roast coffee.

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Guinness

This just happens to be my favorite beer.

Except because of certain medication I'm taking for life, alcohol is a no-no.

For life. So I've become a dark roast coffee snob instead.

No more Guinness. No more porters. No more stouts. No more Cabernets. No more Merlots.

You get the point.

But there's nothing that says I can't COOK with it. And, as Rebekah Baran assures me, most of the alcohol burns off in the cooking process.

What's the point in this?

Ah, well, you'll just have to pick up this Friday's Herald-News and find out.

In the meantime, I'll be switching out the recipes (daily, I hope) in Sue's Diner over the course of week, bringing back some of the previous ones. So be sure to check in at www.bryonyseries.com/sue-s-dinerwww.bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner to see what's posted that day. Maybe something you'll like to try.

Of course, ALL the recipes are featured in Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," the official BryonySeries cookbook where ALL proceeds are donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

Buy the cookbook here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/bbbs.

A Writer's Thoughts on a Rainy Saturday

I can't think of anything more deliciously sublime than a rainy Saturday morning at the computer writing fiction (Henry's seventh chapter in Before the Blood), with an icy water bottle on my left, a hot cup of dark roast on my right, scattered notes here and there.

I haven't heard from Ed Calkins in a long while. Perhaps I'll call him today.

Carpe diem!

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday Cancelled Due to Computer Updates

So I have to be at work early this morning for an early morning meeting. I wisely set the alarm back to compensate for the lost time.

Unfortunately, my computer chose that very moment to go through updates. slowly. As in after an hour, it's at 11 percent. So I'm now on a laptop with issues. Oh, yeah, and I'm standing hunched over the kitchen counter because the other members of the household (not me) have covered all the outlets with heavy furniture, and this battery doesn't hold a charge.

Today I feel thrown back to dinosaur technology era. Wonderful way to begin the busiest day of my week.

But, hey! At least the coffee's good. :)

Hello, Monday

It felt good working everyone else's Easter weekend.

It meant every editor had the holiday off, including me, when mine rolls around on May 1.

It meant the opportunity to catch up on some (not all; it was an ambitious list, but some) tasks I kept pushing back due to lack of time.

It meant working with two of the reporters, something I don't normally do.

It meant feeling good about having the upcoming weekend off. I have nothing planned (except fiction - Before the Blood -  on Saturday and church and health pages on Sunday).

It meant feeling good about helping out.

It meant feeling good about watching my youngest kids, now all adults, take commond of much of the household (I have my chores, which they did for me this weekend) and enjoying the fruits that come with the labors of others - and feeling proud of the adults they have become.

Monday morning mood over a delicious cup of dark roast: serene and anticipatory.

Hello, Monday. :)