Do you ever have days where you're just trying to keep up with life? I have so much I need to do, and not enough time to do it in. I want to crochet and knit, and scrapbook and work on my genealogy. Then there's Faire, and SBCGS and DAR and church and work. Then there's home stuff (not the fun stuff either): mowing lawns, cleaning toilets, cat boxes, dishwashers and washing clothes, grocery shopping and making beds. There's washing windows and cars, running errands and the chiropractor once a week (that I actually do enjoy). But where might I ask is writing? When you work one job and then have all these other commitments, where does the writing come in?

Oh I've heard all the advice - read it too - about getting up an hour early, going to bed an hour later, getting a loft away from home, locking yourself in a room for an hour a day after work, before dinner, before the kids bath time, before bed. YIKES!

I guess I am so swamped with all the duties and places I need to be I just can't squeeze in another moment. When did life become so complicated. I wrote three books in two years - where did I find the time to do it? Did I have a burst of ispiration and it's gone now. Did I write everything my brain thought worthwhile? What the heck happened?

When someone figures it out...will they let me know?

Okay, so I am almost officially a poster child. Not the kind we used to joke about as a kid (which is probably now so not PC), but the kind you can hang on a wall. No it's not cheesecake either...hmmm. Our library honors people on campus each year with their own READ poster. Like the ones that celebrities graced and were hung in libraries about ten or so years ago. Our circulation librarian started it about 5 years ago. We've had instructors, classified staff, even the president of the collge grace the walls.

I was nominated last year because of my book coming out, but it was decided that we weren't going to use anyone who worked in the library. That was fine. I didn't particularly care. This year one of the librarians wanted to nominate me again (different librarian this time) and I told him not to bother because of the rule...well guess who won? There will be two of us, myself and a history instructor.

So I get my picture taken next week. I have to pick a book to have my picture taken with. Now this is interesting because I felt it was wrong to use my own book, so I had chosen Roots by Alex Haley because he is the one who inspired me to continue with my genealogy after that high school home economics/family class. He proved anyone (African-American genealogy is tough...) could do their genealogy, not just the blue-bloods and bring them to life!

People actually got upset with me because I wasn't using my book (shameless advertising I call it!), so I have found a compromise. I will hold Roots, but will have a stack of books beside me or on a table: Little House on the Prairie, Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind, Great Expectations, Dragonriders of Pern, the Hardy Boys (yes them too...), etc. All the books I have read and enjoyed through my life, with my book on the top of the stack (think "Where's Waldo") - sort of like all those ideas and inspirations growing ultimately into my novel.

Cool huh?