The more I thought about my story and my friend’s story, the more I realized I needed to let mine go and start fresh. So I said goodbye to Natalie and Haley, who had so much promise. They may return in some other form one of these days, but for now, it’s back to the drawing board. 🙁
I’m so sorry Diane but I can understand how it would bother you…I admire you for your integrity.
Bless your heart, Diane, I know you will come up with an awsome story that I can’t wait to read. I have read all your books and I have loved everyone!! You are so gifted!!
Thanks Anita and Margo!
I know the basics of the new storyline–I’d already had it floating around in my head–but I don’t know the characters yet. Once I start thinking about them, the story will come to life for me and I’ll forget all about ol’ Natalie and Haley.
Although I teach school, attend grad school, write a column and try to have a life, I wrote a novel…it is a somewhat boring novel but a few of my students read it and liked it (no not published-I haven’t gotten into that yet-haven’t tried)
Alas! My daughter had a third daughter and she named the little girl-Margaret—the name of the protagonist in the novel-I have to change all of that before I finish…sometimes GREAT MINDS think alike-just as you and your friend…
HOWEVER, I DO NOT think that anyone could write a novel like YOURS…
Good luck…
Brenda
P.S. I think of you each time I pass a STARBUCKS-and say a little prayer
>>P.S. I think of you each time I pass a STARBUCKS-and say a little prayer
Since I am preparing for difficult fall grad classes, studying for comps, working on project (my columns), and preparing to teach in two high schools AGAIN this fall with no prep–I can’t think about much else right now-am overwhelmed. My goals were to have my Bachelor’s by age 50( I did it in two years and finished by age 45…) My Master’s by 60–if I finish will make it by a few months and who knows about the doctorate…have not taught long enough to ever retire.
MODEST??? My columns are fine-THE WAY WE WERE…THE WAY WE ARE…they were in a city newspaper but are now written for FREE in a small town paper that goes to people who used to live here–but now are across the country-I don’t know why they like them-but they do…they are okay.
MY NOVEL—so boring-and I am not being modest-but there is no time to work on it right now. It is about a couple going to high school together-falling in love-going to college, Vietnam…he doesn’t return-she has a child (He didn’t know about her pregnancy…)
However, my students told me “WITHOUT SEX and violence-Mrs. B-C you really have to work on this but WE DO LIKE the story…)
I will finish it one day and a MYSTERY (I write short mystery stories for my students….)
FUNNY MOMENT: I wrote a ghost story for the kids and put it in my column for them. People actually called me and emailed me and TOLD me they had known the woman in the story-they THOUGHT IT WAS MY TRUE column…go figure that one…
For now-I am happy teaching the kids.
Take care-I am going through withdrawal–waiting for my stress relief-your next book-guess I’ll reread another one…
By the way-the prayers are for you as a fellow arthritis sufferer….
I won’t be checking in as often once school begins…I have been gone all summer and have taken 3 grad classes via the computer…
Brenda
Wow Brenda, you have a busy life!!…your book sounds exciting and I hope we see it published and in the bookstore someday…
Brenda, you are amazing. For an arthritis warrior, you have a ton of energy! your book premise “Vietnam. . . he doesn’t return–she has a child (He didn’t know about her pregnancy)” already puts tears in my eyes, so I bet it’s better than you think. Good luck in your classes, both the ones you’re teaching and the ones you’re taking.
Thanks to both of you…one thing I have learned-our health can’t keep us down.
Having my two children-via fertility drugs-damaged my body-my first stroke-age 25 and arthritis diagnosed about the same time…
At age 58, I have had 5 strokes (some short term memory loss–the paralysis was temporary), have arthritis, fibromyalgia, bleeding ulcer (is it any wonder), just had gall bladder surgery last year, scarred severely from Endometriosis, cataract, etc. etc….HOWEVER…I believe that many of the problems were caused by lack of hormones (Hysterectomy at age 25) Ironic: First stroke and diagnosis of arthritis shortly after????????
In February, my physician (that I had refrained from going to for 2 l/2 years because ALWAYS bad news) made me for the third time quit my hormone patches….(Oh have had breast surgery (not cancer) three times)…anyway…I have to say-I have made my self keep going…like the little energizer bunny…but girls-I admit that I have aged YEARS since February…you name it-I look old…
The lack of hormones is horrible in every way…don’t tell me HOT FLASHES…tell me mini-heart attacks…night sweats-don’t even go there…
I try to eat right (have been a strict vegetarian since 1992)…still have high cholesterol, etc…
When people tell me their bodies go to heck in a handbasket when they get old-I tell them that keeping our hormones away from us cause it….I had to quit because of Mother’s breast cancer (she died at age 60), and my strokes…however…I would be interested to know what other women do to survive this MENOPAUSE…I am like Diane in a previous BLOG-don’t give me trivial ideas…I want real advice on how to keep going…I must work…
Thanks for listening…
Diane=your BLOGS are a service to us…
P>P>P>S Thanks for the comment on the novel but I AM NOT and never will be A DIANE CHAMBERLAIN-my heroine.
I can’t do hormones either, Brenda. Isn’t it weird when you see a picture of yourself that everyone says is REALLY A GOOD PICTURE of you and you think, yikes! is that what i look like? You young women out there will look back on pictures taken of you today–the ones you think are bad–and wish you could look like that again! Still, when I see what’s happening to my phsycial self courtesy of gravity etc, I try to be thankful that I’m still alive and able to enjoy my life to the fullest–and write books. that’s one of the best parts!
Diane, you have the right attitude! We do get older and it is not always pretty – but you can still write books that give us much reading pleasure. Thank you!!!
It’s funny. Yesterday I was in a restaurant and I noticed a woman who had, for want of another word, jowls. And I thought she looked beautiful. I think jowls are little pockets of wisdom.
I agree with you Diane…a good friend of mine has jowls and I think she’s gorgeous…it all shines through with her eyes and her happiness and her attitude…beauty is in the eye of the beholder and personally I think it comes from within…
Brenda is wonder woman! I got tired just reading about all she does.
Lorene
NO I AM NOT…believe me-I am far from wonder woman.
Next year when this Master’s is over=I need to REST before I don’t survive.
Prayers and good thoughts and determination keep me going…
I have to work-no other choice=so might as well make the best of it.
I appreciate good friends keeping me going.
Right now most of them are on hold except for email, but I have promised a few I will go with them to celebrate my birthday in Sept-the big 59…whew…