Blog

1:42 am December 10 2024 the view from my bathroom window and way too close for comfort.

This year has been a bit of a thing. 

We ended last year with a fire and started this year with two at the same time. All three were direct threats to our home. Two came within a half mile which is flying distance for embers.

Thanks to Cal Fire and LA County Fire and everyone else who came, our house is fine. Forever grateful to the men and women of the Fire Departments world wide who came to help.

oone of my neighbors took this during the Palisades fire there are fire folk on foot going up a very steep grade and below them are two bulldozers. 

Things calmed down for a week or two and then our neighbor rented her house (directly across the street which is only one lane) to the movie biz–which, if you haven’t had the pleasure, equals about 200 people coming and going at all hours for weeks – months – on end.

Traffic, slow internet speeds and people SMOKING!!! The timing couldn’t have been worse but the owners don’t live here full time so what do they know?

Our little lucky neighborhood that didn’t burn –our one lane road that is a dead end –became the main location and they were shooting at night pretending it was daytime. We had maybe 3 hours a night for two months that was quiet. It was lit like noon time 22 hours a day.

Honestly it was completely dreadful. The best way to torture someone is to not let them sleep, keep the lights on, and make it noisy. If you don’t believe me ask the people who wrote Dept Q–a terrific show.

I tried to dive right in to a rewrite and I just couldn’t.

This one has me cutting my first chapter or two completely. A good thing but wow did it make my head spin.

We went to Colorado. We ran to Colorado. We needed a break and we took it. 

And I couldn’t write. I couldn’t read my book or anyone else’s really. I just walked the ranch and listened to books and read only Ruth Ware which if you have read her you know her books are…COMPELLING!!!

Watching those around me succeed while I tread water…treaded water…( which ever is correct)…was tough.

I was frustrated but realized yesterday that other than our trip to Greece last year, I haven’t taken a break from my own work in a very long time. Once I saw the end in sight for college I buckled down and wrote my book and did my classwork until it was done almost a year ago.

And I kept at it.

Three more drafts at least.

Sometimes you have to take a break because, in the midst of all the chaos that affected  my family from December 9 to May 1 I kept going  until I got stopped.

My back went out and I mean really out –I hadn’t been in that much pain since a car accident when I was 20 and it confused me and my PT. I was waking up at night and whimpering.

Two things.

Unless you stop and take a breath something will stop you.

And don’t start wearing negative heel shoes like Birkenstocks at 61.

Colorado was healing.  I stopped doing so much. Stopped wearing the Birks. And I took a moment for myself. But I was completely confused as to why I couldn’t concentrate.

I just needed time.

Guess what?

I’m back!

And the book is going better than ever.