There are so many quiet hours in an author’s life. Or rather, hours filled only with fictional characters and their often ‘loud’ antics jostling around for attention in an author’s head. Around here it’s always been an interesting balancing act.
To wake up effectively, my husband needs his favorite radio morning show. I need quiet and coffee. The kids need air horns. Once everyone is off to their own day, it’s just me and the dogs, cats, and birds. And those fictional characters in my head.
Then everyone would come home in the afternoon and evening and my imaginary pals got pushed aside so I could listen to the kids and chat with the husband. But he is done listening by that part of the day and wants some quiet, just when I’m most ready to chat with him.
See? A balancing act.
But times change and we’ve reached a new stage with both of our kids away at school. This time last year, my husband was preparing for deployment, my son was already moved into his new dorm, and my daughter and I were enjoying a final day of girl time. This year, both the son and daughter move back to the dorms on the same day (tomorrow) and the husband has just returned to work.
For my part, I’m celebrating the completion of my 9th manuscript this year (a novel to launch a new series – more SOON!). I nailed down ‘The End’ just before our daughter’s return from a research project on the West Coast. I was determined to enjoy all seventy-eight hours our family would be together again.
So I’ve been a little hit or miss here on the blog and around the Internet these past two weeks as I buckled down to meet my goal. I appreciate your patience. Because we’ve needed this time to reconnect and chatter and laugh and game and otherwise carry on as the geeky-goofy family we are.
And while I’m a bit weary of the laundry and packing tape, and my fictional characters start clamoring in every rare ten minutes of quiet, I’ve needed the break to replenish, recharge, and yes… get balanced.
This small slice of time has been a mini-stay-cation despite the clutter of boxes, suitcases, and trunks that have returned home only to be cleared out and repacked for departure to two different cities. (Oh, for a magic wand. Or even the Jetson’s Rosie).
But we are all back home again and it’s wonderful.
Live the adventure!
