Mom’s mom would’ve been my Grammy if I had every met her. I never did.
I know her through Mom, though. My Grammy worked hard at a sewing factory, but was a teacher at heart. AND she was a storyteller. Like Mom, she would never say 5 words if she could say 50. Every story was a loooong story. She always had something to say and always said it with joy and excitement and gusto and loved the whole process of weaving a tale and watching her audience react to it. They really are a lot alike.
Sometimes, people say, “To make a long story short….” Mom never says that. And she never does that. She is more likely to make a long story longer!
Mom is a writer because she writes her stories down while she’s weaving them. Grammy never had that luxury, although she did tell stories in the letters she wrote. So Mom has heard and read many, many stories since she was a little girl. Storytelling is in her blood and her skin and her bones. And in her fingers, because that’s where the stories come from as far as I can see.
I don’t have fingers, but once I made a “story” when I fell asleep on Mom’s iPad and typed QQQQQ with my ear.
Storytelling also came from Mom’s mom and her mom’s story and the tapestry of how they came together and grew and flourished and continued and will continue forever. Meanwhile, long after my Grammy and Mom jig-sawed their stories together, my own doggy mama taught me to survive as a stray
Me at the shelter with my puppies.
on the mean streets till I could be rescued, fostered, and then FINALLY adopted by Mom. My doggy mama’s lessons are where my story began.
First day at my forever home.
Queen of the world. My story continues…
Today’s 5 words were taken from Mom’s newest story. The story is finished, but not finished. It’s resting until she opens it again to change things – especially the ending. Mom likes when her stories end with a laugh or a gasp or a smile
or an unexpected pop. When she tucked this one away, the 
9. Color – Stories should have color: colorful characters, colorful language, colorful pictures, and a long colorful life in the hands of children. Since we have lots of color in our home
and our lives,
Mom hopes to transfer that color to her work every day.
hitting the park,
or just basking.
5. Broom and dustpan – Because of my 
Mom has been looking up at the stars a lot lately.
She imagines getting her next acceptance letter/email/phone call/telepathic message. She 
When a rejection comes instead, she visualizes the acceptance even harder.
Meanwhile, she reads, writes, revises, edits, critiques, and submits. She has to. That’s what writers do.
She is long on patience waiting for Book #2 to be accepted, but short on patience waiting for me. When she gets publisher mail, she says, “This is it!” When I am star gazing, she says, “That is it!” They are really very different…
Mom and I agree on one thing. Stephen Hawking was a pretty smart guy. Keeping your head up and your eye on the prize matters. Aiming for the stars is never a bad idea. And when you can’t take time to smell the flowers
because the flowers are sleeping under the snow, keep your 
Mom has been working with some of her new story 
Hat falling off…
Run!
Stuck under the bed…
Settle in for the long haul.
FYI – It’s ALWAYS found…
Caught in the soccer net – “MOM!”
When you’re a writer, there is no vacation from “work.” Mom’s work is listening to conversations, watching things that happen around her, getting fun ideas, and 
54. Shiny – Our 
2. Door – Mom wishes the door would open and somebody would let in one of her stories. Till that happens, she will keep on knocking. Once my tail got 
I had surgery and wore bandages for a LONG time. Now my tail is fine, but a little shorter. Plus I still hesitate all the time and don’t rush my tail through the doorway because apparently I “have learned NOTHING from that experience.”
She complains that I look at her all day, but how would she know that… unless SHE looks at ME all day!?
2018 is here. We’re all in it – like it or not. I like it.
I’m not as thrilled to be IN my sweater most days.
And IN my parka some days.
And IN my fleece-lined coat other days.
And IN my paw-boots every single day!
or IN a puddle of slush
or IN the path of a powerful wind.
Mom says, “If we’re in it, we’re in it.” and “It’s winter in NJ – that’s how winter works.” and “Sorry, Charlie, you can’t just stay IN bed all day.”
She has to get 30 ideas in 31 days. She’s making a list on her phone, like she always does. Every day, she reads an inspirational post about ideas and writing, and that helps her meet the challenge and keeps her on track generating ideas…
…so I can sleep.
As long as she’s focused on story ideas, maybe she will ease off getting ideas about me!
