Being Thankful by Diane Burton

This time of year, you’ll see many posts on being thankful. I hope you’ll indulge me with one more. I am so blessed with my family. Hubs and I were married on Thanksgiving Day. He says that’s how he’ll never forget our anniversary. 😊 After forty-six years, we’ve had many events—big and small—to be thankful for. We’ve had good times and difficult ones. Our relationship grew stronger during the difficult times. We don’t always see eye-to-eye on issues. Most of the time, we cancel each other’s vote. We enjoy different TV shows and movies. I love reading fiction. He doesn’t. However, he will read my books. His usual response: not bad or pretty good. Glowing praise from him. Together, we raised two children. Because of the demands of his job, he missed much of the children’s early years. He’s making up for that with our youngest grandchildren.

I’m so proud of our children. Despite the “normal” teenage conflicts, when I despaired that we’d ever have a good relationship, they’ve become loving, responsible adults with families of their own. I admire their parenting skills. Most of all, I’m thankful they found loving spouses who support them in so many ways.

There’s a saying “If I knew grandchildren were so much fun, I would’ve had them first.” I can say, with all certainty, that’s true. During a stressful time, we visited our daughter’s family in Indianapolis when our first grandchild was a baby. Rocking a sleeping baby brought so much peace and relaxation. My stress went away as I cuddled her. With each grandchild (five now), I’ve felt the same. Time disappeared. I had nowhere else to be. No chores to do. Just holding and rocking a baby was enough. I wish I’d known that when my babies were that small. I’m so thankful for the second chance.

While I’m thankful for living in a land of freedom, I fear for our future. In our efforts to protect our country, will our liberties be lost? Will Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Statue of Liberty (“…give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me…”) be a lie? I’m thankful my ancestors found refuge here.

As I give thanks, I must add the fabulous authors I’ve found here on this blog. We went from strangers to friends as we shared our lives, our sadness and triumphs. I’m grateful for the support they’ve given me, the attagirls and the commiserations. While the deadlines for twice monthly posts always seem to catch me unawares, I wouldn’t have missed this experience. These ladies made me stretch my creativity with the annual holiday stories. Prior to my first time, I hadn’t written a short story since high school (back in the Dark Ages). Talk about fear and trepidation! That was in 2013. Now, I look forward to writing a short story that begins with the same first line as the others. More than that, I look forward to reading the others’ stories. Despite the same prompt, we all have such different stories. I hope you enjoy them, too. My story will be up on December 8 – 10.

With this being my last post, I want to say how thankful I am for all of our readers. Enjoy the holidays.

Ancestors by Diane Burton

 As I wait for the edits to Numbers Never Lie, I’m catching up on a lot of things, along with relaxing . . . somewhat. Last week, something happened that sidetracked me from the financial stuff with my books. Darn.

My sister received an email from our grandmother’s sister’s granddaughter via Ancestry.com. Apparently, Ellen found my sister because she’d gotten her DNA done through Ancestry. I contacted Ellen and that spurred me to get back to working on my genealogy—something I’ve done sporadically for about forty years. Even less so since I’ve been writing.

I remembered Ellen’s mother (my dad’s cousin). I think she came to my wedding. Since that was back in the dark ages, though, I’m not positive. 😉

As I looked over my family tree, I was surprised by how much I didn’t know about my generation: their marriages, children, and grandchildren. My sister is the family connector. She calls cousins, visits our sole surviving uncle and our dad's cousin, generally keeps in touch. She never married and, perhaps, this is her way of maintaining a family.

Somewhere in my office (that needs organizing) is a box with wedding invitations, birth announcements, etc. I have all the info I need to fill in the info, just not at hand. One thing I was pleased about is Ancestry’s privacy policy. Living members are hidden from the public. Yay! Originally, I was afraid to add them for privacy reasons.

A couple of days ago, Betsy Ashton wrote about being keeper of the "box." That's me. I have letters from my grandfather to my grandmother when they were courting. I need to scan them so my brothers and sisters can read them. Same with old pictures. 

I’ve always thought it was important to know where I came from. Not for inheritance sake, like my grandmother and her cousins thought. Hubs joined Ancestry to organize all the “stuff” he’s collected and stories from his mother, dad, and aunt. He’s stuck on his grandfather. According to his aunt, the one time her sister asked about his family, Grandfather teared up and their mother forbade them to ask again. Too bad. That’s a mystery Hubs is still trying to solve.

In a post here several years ago, I mentioned my grandmother and her cousins hiring a genealogist to trace their family history. According to legend, their ancestor (Anneke Jans Borgardus) who was the daughter of the king of The Netherlands married against his will and was disinherited for seven generations. Gram’s cousins were certain they were the seventh generations and would inherit buckets of money. Since this was in the 1930s, amid the Great Depression in Detroit, it’s easy to understand their desire. And to throw money at the genealogist who told them (repeatedly) he was almost there. Unfortunately, the legend was just that. A legend.

Amazingly, much of what his report said can be backed up with documents, especially through the DAR. However, many assumptions the family had proved false. Hence, no inheritance. Darn.

While on this journey to find out where I came from, I talked to (or corresponded with) several relatives in my grandmother’s generation. It was great reading about our grandfather’s courtship of our grandmother through the eyes of her sister with whom she lived. With the exception of one of my dad’s brothers and one of his cousins, the people of that generation are no longer with us. Gone, too, are their stories.

It looks like I’m the family storyteller now.

What a scary thought. The responsibility of keeping the family stories alive is mine. Enter technology. While people gripe about how technology is taking over our lives, I’m applauding the ease with which things can be shared. Scan in pictures and letters then send electronically to someone in California. Easy peasy.

When we first joined Ancestry, I didn’t realize that I could share all that knowledge with my family, whether they are members of Ancestry or not. I recently discovered my youngest cousin (same age as my daughter) is on Ancestry. I happily shared what I know with him. It will be wonderful that our family history will live on. That is a big relief. The burden can be shared.

Now, it’s time to get back to the other chores awaiting me. And the next book.

BTW, here's the cover for my soon-to-be released romantic suspense.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. She blogs here on the 16th and 30th of each month. She shares snippets from her stories every weekend on her blog. Her newest romantic suspense, Numbers Never Lie, will be released next month.

An-ti-ci-pa-tion by Diane Burton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwP3wes4M8

Did you hum the Carly Simon song as you read the blog title? Or maybe you thought of the ketchup commercial using that song. Either way, we’re always anticipating something, aren’t we? An event, like the book signing I did yesterday. Or a response from your editor or agent. A tax refund. Winning the lottery.

We anticipate the arrival of a new movie or book, especially the next book in a favorite series. A member of the book group I belong to asks me at each meeting when the next Alex O’Hara book is coming out. Like I can pump out a book every couple of months. Right.

But the event my family has been anticipating for months is the birth of the twins. None of us expected their arrival to come on/near the due date, November 22. We didn’t even expect it on November 8^th, the scheduled C-section date. I’ve been anticipating their arrival for the past week. Our daughter-in-law has been very uncomfortable. She’s gotten so big, her skin was stretched tighter than a balloon ready to pop. When I got home from the book event Saturday evening, she apologized for not coming (I didn’t expect her to) because she’d been having contractions on and off for two days. I agreed with our son that she should just rest. We offered to come over and stay with her until Son got home from work. She declined, saying the contractions weren’t regular.

The boys had other ideas. They decided they’d cooked long enough and made their appearance just before midnight Saturday. One weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce; the other 5 pounds 11 ounces, and they were 4 weeks early. Can you imagine if they’d gone full term? Since they had been standing upright (on DIL’s bladder) for the past few weeks, we knew there would be a C-section.

Other than the discomfort/pain of surgery, Daughter-in-law is doing well. So are the boys. Since we’ve been anticipating this event since April, now that it’s here, it almost seems like a letdown. Of course, I’m not the one in the hospital, hoping, praying that I’ll know what to do with two babies. Although we saw the boys through a window, we haven’t gotten to hold them yet. DIL needs her rest, so we didn’t stay long yesterday. Can’t wait until tomorrow.

What does Toddler Girl think about all this? Her favorite show is Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. When Daniel’s sister was born, Dad took Mom to Doctor Anna’s office then the whole family walked home pushing the baby buggy. Since we’ve watched that episode often, I’m sure that’s what T.G. was anticipating. When she went to the hospital last evening, she got to see and touch her brothers. Definitely not what Daniel saw. Later, she and her daddy talked about what all she saw. Still, she can say her brothers’ names. 

We’re just thrilled and grateful that everyone is well. The anticipation is over. Reality is here.

End of Summer by Diane Burton

First, my heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Texas ravaged by Harvey and it's aftermath. I can't fathom what you're going through.

Summer

OMG where did it go? Our electric bill shows we had summer. Hot, sticky, muggy Michigan weather with nary a break. This was the summer of family events. A wedding shower for my niece kicked off the season, followed by a baby shower for another niece, and after that was the wedding--outdoors, 90° with 90% humidity. Right now, we're eagerly awaiting word on the niece who's pregnant. That baby is coming any day. My sister's first grandchild. I'm almost as excited for her as I am for our son's twins coming in November. Or October. Or . . .

Although the Great American Total Solar Eclipse passed south of us, we got our special glasses and watched from our deck. I don't remember ever seeing even a partial eclipse before. Considering their cost, I'm saving those glasses for the next eclipse in seven years.

my first selfie

I can’t believe it’s been two months since the no-longer-Arizona family moved in with us. Yesterday they officially moved into their new home. Son and Hubs spent several days building stuff for the new house. Daughter and Daughter-in-law cleaned and painted. The movers brought everything from storage. Tonight, they’ll sleep in their own beds.

While I’m happy they (and we) will have their own space again, I’m a tiny bit sad. Toddler Girl and I have bonded this summer. Snuggles and kisses and storytime with her curled up on my lap. We’ve watched too many episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. I can sing the theme songs. So can she. 

With Labor Day around the corner, kids are getting ready for school. (In Michigan, most schools don’t start until the day after Labor Day.) My other grandchildren (going into 2^nd & 5^th grades) are excited, now that they know who their teachers are. When they weren’t at camp this summer, they hung out here a lot. Sometimes overnight, sometimes for a couple of hours. They’ve had fun playing with their little cousin. 

I love having them all here. Sure, it’s tiring. I feel my age more when they’re around. But I’m building memories for them. Good memories, I hope, that will stay with them long after I’m gone. Now that all the grandkiddies are close, I’m taking advantage of any time I can get with them.

Between Scouts, flag football, dance, karate, more dance, I think the older kids are booked almost every night—and Saturdays. It tires me out just thinking about their parents running them to all their activities. When my two were young, we wanted them to have a variety of experiences. So I understand why their parents are offering the kids different opportunities. What it also means is we don’t see them too often. Maybe a Friday overnight so the parents can have “date night.” In school, a couple of years ago, our granddaughter had to write a persuasive paragraph. So she wrote one encouraging her parents to have date night more often so they could have an overnight at Nana and Papa’s. Boy, did that ever make my day.

Toddler Girl isn’t ready for all those activities. Yet. With both parents working, we agreed to help out by taking care of her one day a week. Looks like I’ll still get those snuggles and kisses. 😊 Just not as often.

We haven’t seen the end of summer. We’ll have hot days and those that hit a high of 60°. Beach days will be few, and most of the tourists will leave—except for weekends. I always feel a bit sad when summer comes to an end. As much as I love Fall, I know what’s right behind it. Winter.

Maybe I should just enjoy each day as it comes. Captain Sundae's is still open. We'll get to enjoy a few more visits before they close for the winter.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched and Outer Rim series, she is the author of One Red Shoe, a romantic suspense, and the Alex O’Hara PI mysteries. She blogs here on the 30th of each month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays.

The Chaos of July by Diane Burton

July has been a chaotic but delightful month. Last month, I wrote about how our lives were changing. As with most things, we've had the good and the bad. Our house, which is a nice size for two of us, expanded with the addition of our Arizona family--our son, daughter-in-law (5 months pregnant with twin boys), and Toddler Girl, along with a Great Dane and a Labrador Retriever. We haven't had a dog in over seven years. Amazing how loud they are when neighbors dare to walk down the street, or kids play or walk their own dogs. The dogs do help when solicitors come to the door by barking so loud I can't hear, and the solicitor stumbles away from the door.

Within a little over a week, our son and DIL went to work. How fortunate for them, their employers had places for them. DIL is able to work from home. She's taken over my office, which I don't use to write. They've hired a sitter to watch Toddler Girl part-time while Hubs and I fill in. Meanwhile, their house in AZ sold, and they searched for a house here. Last week, they found it. Hopefully, all will go well with the purchase and they'll be able to move in at the end of August. I'm so happy for them. Not that I want them to leave, but we all like our own space.

The good part has been the time with our granddaughter. She's a delight, and she's two. I saw this definition on Facebook. It's right on.

Toddler (n.)

Emotionally unstable pint-size dictator with the uncanny ability to know

 exactly how far to push you towards utter insanity before reverting to a lovable creature.

I could wax poetic about what it feels like when she crawls up on my lap and gives me a big smile . . . then reaches around me for my cell phone so she can look at pictures of herself and her cousins and play games her indulgent grandmother loaded on said phone. Her vocabulary increases daily. Besides "phone" her favorite word is "iPad" (which also has pictures and games). Another wonderful moment was when DIL asked if I wanted to go with her for an ultrasound. Would I? Wisely, she didn't get between me and the car. What. A. Thrill. Seeing those babies in real time is a miracle. The tech was wonderful as she pointed out a foot, a leg bone, a spine (which I kinda figured out), and the appendage confirming gender. Watching the heart beat! On both of them! I can't even begin to describe my feelings. Awe. Wonder. (Where's my Thesaurus when I need one?)

That all has been the good which overshadowed the bad. My computer. When we learned about the changes this summer, I resigned myself that writing would go on the back burner. Even so, I had commitments, like regular blog posts here, on Paranormal Romantics, and my own blog. I limped along most of the month with a laptop that worked then didn't, frequently. I took it to the Geek Squad, who rescued my files and pictures (huge thanks). But after three trips, they told me fixing it would cost more than a new computer. Now, I have a tentative budget for my writing business, and it didn't include a new laptop this year. Last Thursday, the computer wouldn't open at all. What could I do besides research computers on my iPad (when I can get it away from Toddler Girl)? I broke down, "borrowed" money from the family coffers, and got a new one. Thus ends the bad stuff. I hope.

On another note, I thought of Leah last Saturday as we traveled to Chicago for a niece's wedding. I loved her message to her son and thought of that message as our niece and her spouse said their vows and celebrated. At weddings, I think of our wedding ceremony forty-plus years ago and all we've gone through over the years. Like this month, we've had our good and our bad times. And I'm sure we'll have more over the next month and years. Accepting change, going with the flow, trying to keep everything on an even keel will help us through the summer. Writing will come again. The house will be quiet. And I'll miss the chaos of this summer.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched and Outer Rim series, she is the author of One Red Shoe, a romantic suspense, and the Alex O’Hara PI mysteries. She blogs here on the 30th of each month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mackenzie Crowne

Twenty years ago, when Dad was diagnosed with leukemia, my siblings and I had long since left the nest and had scattered all over the country. With an eye on time, we didn’t want to waste any of the precious moments we had left with him, so we booked a couple houses on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and experienced our first family reunion. The beach in Destin followed two summers later and we converged on the gulf shores of Alabama a few years after that.

Since then, we’ve kept up the tradition, gathering every other summer in various locations across the country like the mountains in New Hampshire or Utah’s Lake Powel. Sadly, we lost Dad several years ago and Mom has since followed. Our beloved brother, Tim, joined them in heaven three springs ago. 

But my parents’ legacy to us all is the abiding love they left behind. My sibs and I still get together as often as possible. Every time we do, the time apart drops away beneath the laughter and fellowship of people with diverse lives who genuinely like each other.

This summer was no different, although we were missing a few faces as we gathered this past week in Branson, MO. We spent the days racing across the lake on tubes, eating too much and sipping adult beverages as the next generation got to know their cousins a little better. As usual, our time together passed too quickly. This morning, we said our teary-eyed goodbyes and went on our separate ways. I’m literally on the road travelling home at the moment, rejuvenated by the time spent with my sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews and all the grands that have sprouted throughout the family, and already looking forward to the next time we’ll be together — which will include a wedding. Congratulate me. I’m getting a new daughter-in-law!

More on that later, but for now, what about you? Have you and your families discovered the joy of reunions and what locations do you like to visit when you gather?

When Mac isn’t spending time with her beloved family, she stays busy weaving HEAs for her characters, like the latest in her Players series, Wyatt and Piper from TO WIN HER SMILE, now available via KensingtonBooks

A Greyhound Tale

Roughly a month ago, I got a message from my nephew. He told me my sister was becoming more frail and wanted to see me. Could we come to Pennsylvania for her eighty-fifth birthday? Pauline is sixteen years older than I and I can't recall us ever having a cross word between us.

We've led two different lifestyles. She was a fulltime homemaker, who ran the sweeper between the mattress and box springs and canned her own fruit. I worked outside of the home, survived a divorce, and named all my dust bunnies. Even so, we were always affectionate.

Calvin and I thought of ways to reach her. Flying was out. Our local airport only flies south. We could go to Charlotte, North Carolina to Miami, Florida and then north to DC and hitch a commuter plane to Hagerstown, Maryland. We checked out Amtrak. We could easily take it to DC, rent a car, and drive out of the Capitol, heading north. The last time I drove through Washington, DC, we ended up almost in Ocean City, Maryland while I'd aged five years.

"I could drive the whole way," I suggested to Calvin. I thought his shaking head would tumble off his shoulders.


Calvin looked at me as if he'd discovered the solution to world peace. "You know what? I haven't ridden a bus in years. Let's see if we can take a bus up there. I rode it all the time to Hampton University. It's a relaxing way to travel."

I swear my sweet husband's memory has faded. There was nothing relaxing about our trip to Pennsylvania. But getting to see my sister and brother was great.

Left to Right: Me, my brother Ray, and Pauline. I'm the baby.

We had a great little family reunion. Plus, I got to see both of my sons and grandkids. A very pleasant trip. Then we got on the bus to head for home. At the terminal in Baltimore, a new driver got on.

I knew we were in trouble when she'd driven three blocks from the terminal, stopped, and yelled, "Okay, listen up, y'all. This is a new route for me. Is DC north or south of Baltimore?" She reached into a bag of fried chicken setting on her window ledge and pulled out a drumstick. "Which way do I go?"

Someone yelled directions and she aimed the bus toward DC while she chewed on her chicken. "See, I'm from South Carolina, but the company moved me up here to run this route." Honestly, the driver talked faster than the bus drove.

"Okay," she waved her chicken bone over her head. "I'm coming up on DC. Who has a phone with a GPS. Help me find the terminal." We gave her directions which she claimed were wrong. In the meantime, we circled the Washington Monument three times. Zipped the wrong way up a one way street. Horns honking. People yelling.

She flagged a city bus down as leaned out the window. "Hey! Can you tell me where the Greyhound terminal is?" She followed the other bus driver's directions and drove by the station twice while claiming the man was wrong. At one point she aimed the bus toward the White House, hell bent for leather,  while security guards ran toward us, waving their arms. They gave her the same directions that the city bus driver had.

She finally pulled into the back of the station--the wrong way. And when workers yelled and waved, she waved the chicken bone she'd been sucking on at them. "Get the hell out of my way. I've been praying on Jesus to find me the way here! I'm not backing up now."

Heavens, so had we!

Some trips just go haywire. Like Zoey Morningstar's trip to Paris for the birth of her sister's first child. Her daughter's kidnapping and rescue. A murder in the sex district. A bombing in the Metro. Going undercover with a handsome French Counterrorism Agent to find the terrorists who tried to kidnap her daughter. Passion. Her trip was to include none of those things, but like ours it had its own twists and turns. Only much more dangerous and sexy.

 BUY LINKS:  http://a.co/eQhxT9h          

Life's Joys by Barbara Edwards

I'm writing this on the fly since I almost forgot my post date.

Let me fill you in on my schedule.

I had two weddings to attend. One was planned for a year with all the angst and worry about getting it right. Both the bride, my grand-daughter, and groom are in the Navy. And it was a beautiful service; Perfect. Of course the photos are on my husband's camera.

The other was planned in two weeks when the bride, my husband's grand-daughter, called her father and said she was getting married at the town hall. "No daughter of mine is doing that!" And the family found a lovely location, planned the reception, found dresses for the bridesmaids, a wedding cake and placeholders. My cell phone died as the bride walked up the aisle. Go figure.

The bride is in the Army. The groom in the Marines and his best man flew in from Hawaii for the ceremony.

Both events made me cry.

Then there were two graduations from high school.

Two confirmations and three birthdays.

So my writing schedule was messy to say the least.

A swearing in for the military for my grand-son.

Plus the family picnic for the Fourth of July.

Here are a scattering of photos from the happy events.
I hope your life is as full of joy.

Family by Diane Burton

Our family is here. Most of it. DIL and Toddler Girl flew in last night. Son and the dogs should be here by the 4^th. Four hours in a car seat on a plane is too much for a 2-year-old. She did the only thing toddlers are good of at—she slept. Mom had to wake her up to get off the plane. And she was not happy about it.

I’m thrilled they are here. For the past month, Hubs has been baby-proofing the house. Mind you, my kids are in their forties, so it’s been a long time since I’ve caught my fingers in drawers because of the catches.

Toddler Girl gets all shy every time we meet her. (She does the same with her other grandparents who see her every week.) By the time we ate dinner, though, she was sitting on my lap. At bedtime, she sat next to Hubs for a story.

This will be the easy transition. When Son comes, it will be vastly different. They have big dogs. BIG dogs. A 150 pound Great Dane and a 75 pound Lab. (The reason Son is driving.) Our homeowners’ association doesn’t allow fences. So, we’re going to have to figure out how the dogs are going to do their business. Or, as Daughter says, they will have to figure it out. I’m trying not to stress over the dogs. I love dogs. We just haven’t had one for over ten years.

Life sure does change. There’s one thing I’ve learned through the years is how to deal with change. Keep calm, go with the flow. Since I figured that out, I’m calmer and don’t let the curves life throws get me stressed out.

Several people who’ve had boomerang kids have given me all kinds of advice. Considering our experience living with Son and DIL each time we’ve visited, I know we’ll work things out as we go. My other grandkids can’t wait to see Toddler Girl. I’m sure we’ll get a visitor today. The other kid is at camp and doesn’t come home until tomorrow. I imagine she’ll beg her folks to come here first before going home. LOL

This summer will be fun with lots of changes. I may not get a lot of writing done. But spending time with the kiddies is more important.

When I’m not playing with the grandkids, I’m writing another space adventure, the fourth book in my Outer Rim series. I’ll be back here on the 30^th of July; on Paranormal Romantics on the 13^th; and on my own blog every weekend where I share snippets from one of my books.

The Joys of Summer by Diane Burton

As July comes to an end, summer is at its zenith. Heat and humidity, daylight until 10 pm, violent thunderstorms, ducklings swimming in the pond. The County Fair with corn dogs and funnel cakes, 4-H’ers showing off their skills, midway carnival rides, carneys enticing kids (and parents) to part with their money, baby animals looking for handouts.

While I’m not fond of heat, I do love the tastes of summer, beginning with strawberry season. Backbreaking work for adults. A fun time for kids.

Now blueberries are their peak. Big and luscious. Easier to pick than strawberries.

 Soon, we’ll have cucumbers, green beans, and corn. Already Hubs’ tomatoes are ready to eat. Growing up in a family of nine, a garden definitely reduced the grocery bill. Although I would have been satisfied with just eating the veggies, Mom always made hamburgers or chicken so we’d have some protein. A roadside stand helped my sister and I earn money, even though zucchini were so plentiful, we couldn’t give them away.

The best part of summer these days is the annual visit from our Arizona family. What is becoming a tradition started in 2014 with Son getting married on a Lake Michigan beach. Daughter-in-law suggested spending their anniversary in Michigan. Needless to say, I was thrilled. 

Work gets set aside, email goes unread, My WIP can wait when family is here.  

During this visit, Baby Girl walked on her own for the first time. Tentatively at first then gaining confidence. Since we all clapped and grinned, she showed off more, especially in her R2D2 costume.

Toys from our neighborhood garage sales and those our kids played with appealed to her curiosity. New (for her) books, too. She kept bringing Baby Bugs by Tom Arma to us to read to her. Then she sat on the floor and “read” to us. Sure wish I knew what she was saying.

Watching my grandchildren play together fills me with so much joy. Nothing beats having my whole family together. And a great neighbor with a camera capturing the moment.

 Diane Burton writes romantic suspense, mysteries, and science fiction romance. She blogs here on the 30th of the month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays. Her newest sci-fi romance novella, Mission to New Earth, will be released next month.

Decision Making by Diane Burton

In the past week, I’ve written blogs about goals and resolutions, about accomplishments, and what I hope to do in 2016. I participate in a monthly blog hop called Insecure Writers Support Group and yesterday over 90% of the posts were about setting goals or making resolutions. (If you’re interested, here's the link to the post.) Consequently, I’m not going to talk about that today. Instead, I want to talk about making decisions.

When we first married, I would get very frustrated with my husband when we had to make a major decision. I’d talk and talk and he said little or nothing. Drove me crazy. It wasn’t until I became trainer for Girl Scouts that I finally understood him. First I taught leaders how to be leaders, and eventually I trained the trainers. In the process, I learned how adults learn new things. Some of us learn by talking in groups and coming to a conclusion. Others mull things over in their mind (without talking) before coming to a conclusion. (There are others ways adults learn, but those two examples explained my husband’s and my methods.) I’m a talker; he’s a muller. Once I understood, I learned to change my expectations. I gave him space then—surprise, surprise—he opened up. I guess after forty-three years we’ve learned to adapt.

So what brought up this topic today? We’re out in Arizona visiting our son and his family, esp. the new baby. (You’re probably tired of me talking about her. LOL) Within a day of our arrival, Son mentioned we should consider buying a place out here for part of the year. Now we just built a house to be close to our daughter and her family. We want to enjoy the grandkids’ activities (without a 4-hour round trip drive) and, in general, see them more often. At the time of making that decision, those were our only grandchildren and nothing was keeping us in the old house. But now we have another family 2,000 miles away. What do we do? We’ll want to enjoy her activities when she gets older.

Ever since we knew about the baby, I’d given thought to spending winters close to our other family. Never said anything to Hubs. (Who’s the muller now?) In the three weeks we’ve been here, neither he nor I brought up our son’s suggestion . . . until the other day when he wanted to show me a senior community. He’d been out driving around when I was babysitting and looking at places. I was shocked. He’d actually considered it. I figured he’d give me all these reasons why buying out here was a bad idea. This is what comes of my assuming I knew what Hubs was thinking.

What are we going to do? At this point, who knows? If money were no object, we’d do it in a heartbeat. I think. There are so many things to consider. More importantly, we need to talk to each other more. I’m all for listing pros and cons, while Hubs will mull things over. Or maybe he’ll surprise me and say “let’s do it.” That would be a real shockeroo.

For those of you who have to take another person into consideration when making major decisions, how do you go about it?

Diane Burton writes romantic adventure . . . stories that take place on Earth and beyond. She blogs here on the 8th and 30th of each month and on Mondays on her own site: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/