Jim Morrison was correct

 January 30, 2024

Strange days have found us
Strange days have tracked us down
They're going to destroy
Our casual joys

There are times when it's impossible to write. A week ago yesterday, I called for an ambulance to transport the spousal unit to the hospital. It's been downhill since then. 

I've always been annoyed when I read posts from other authors about the trials and tribulations in their lives. Oh, woe is me! This last week has me thinking about whether or not we need to overshare. I think we do not. 

No one's life is free of strife. It comes to all of us, albeit in different guises. Right now, my strife is being the type of caregiver that is in complete opposition to my personality. I lack the compassion for such activity. 

These are strange days for me. There is time to write, little capsules of time when I can escape into the world of my creation. Those moments don't last long enough. Reality intrudes, calling for me to bring a bottle of water, or a cup of coffee. And it's just enough to kill the joy of writing. 

Will these days pass? I pray they do, but I see no end in sight. Should I give up writing to care for someone who refuses to agree with me on even the smallest point? I was sick last night but even that didn't generate a respite. I went to bed early but kept being disturbed by demands. And I repeat - I was sick. Should I happily care for someone who cares so little for me? 

Perhaps my writing should take a different turn. Maybe I should reach out to everyone who finds themselves in a like circumstance and tell them it's okay to be angry and frustrated that strange days have tracked us down. It could be that my words will help another whose days are stranger than mine. 

One way or another, my strange days will pass. I'll get through them and be better equipped for the next bit of strangeness that comes my way. Experience tells me this. 

My days of having the spousal unit at home with me are numbered. Sooner or later he will need to go into a care facility and, whether he likes it or not, it will be before I'm worn out from caring for him. That's the real danger in being a caregiver. You can give too much of yourself away and then you need care. I've seen it happen and I recognize it as a pitfall to avoid. I will avoid it because love includes self-love, and sometimes that has to come first. 

*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, self-love, caregivers, contemporary gay romance, LGBT gay fiction, romance fiction for Kindle, rural living, a writer's life, 

January 1, 2024

 

I am thankful for this new year, and for the opportunities it will bring.

I am thankful for my good health, my home, my family, and those members of

the family of man who surround me and support me. 

I am thankful to have the spirit to move forward in this new year.

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Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.

   Worship the Lord with gladness;

    come into his presence with singing.

 Know that the Lord is God.

    It is he that made us, and we are his,

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

    and his courts with praise.

    Give thanks to him, bless his name.

 For the Lord is good;

    his steadfast love endures for ever,

    and his faithfulness to all generations

Psalm 100

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Between the Keys, m/m romance, LGBT romance, romance fiction for Kindle, love one another, thankful, 

A surprise accomplishment

December 20, 2023

Maybe it was the cold weather. Monday was our first really blustery day of the season. The wind was steady, the sky was gray, and even Deuce didn't want to be outside. I made a flying trip to the grocery store and settled at the computer to work. I didn't expect to go in the direction I did.

I'm into chapter four of the current work-in-progress, a story with the usual working title of, "Finish This One First." ALL my manuscripts have had the honor of carrying that title at one time or another. It's a way for me to find the right document on the list. It doesn't mean anything more than that. It's what I look for after all these years. When I have a story started, I tend to want to get the cover made. I like having that visual aid. 

When I first began to make my own covers, it took me hours to create one. I'm a little faster now. And it's easier. So, so many covers today look muddled. There isn't a distinct background, just swirls of colors and lines. It makes it easier to pull elements of pictures I have on file and fade them together. My favorite stock photo site recently closed and I had a good many credits to use before they took down the site. I didn't need to go buy a guy or two. 

I didn't expect to get the cover background completed, but I did. It was a nice surprise! It's ready for whenever I get the title. It's also is one less distraction to my writing process. It's too soon to share it, but that's okay. Now I have to concentrate on writing the story and coming up with a blurb. 

I'll be able to share more when I get farther into the story. Chapter 4 is just too soon. I could still change my mind!

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Between the Keys, book covers, LGBT gay romance, m/m romance, slash romance, writing process, contemporary gay fiction, romance fiction for Kindle, work in progress, romance manuscripts, writers on writing

Winding down 2023 and making decisions

December 17, 2023

Every year ends. I always get to this part of December and have a moment of panic. Christmas Eve is in one week. Twenty years ago that meant I'd be preparing for our annual open house, but the world shifted, friends scattered and drifted away, and now, for us, Christmas Eve is a quiet evening. 

It's not a bad thing. We're older now, and the spousal unit is ten years older than me, so he appreciates a quiet evening more than I do. We may take Deuce for a little ride to check out some Christmas lights, but we won't be joining with other people. It's our choice. 

I'm currently working on putting together my retrospective for 2023, which will publish on January 2, 2024.  That's a look back and today I'm looking forward, down a road that has a few twists and turns on the horizon. There are no wrong turns, only choices to make. 

Do I want to try to maintain a website or hire someone? I'd like to do it myself, but can I learn new software right now? 

Do I want to continue to keep Holly Tree Manor as a separate blog, or post everything here? If I post everything here, I can still post over there and send people this way. I don't monetize my blogs so does it matter which way I go?  And do I want to incorporate more videos on the blog and also post them on Facebook? 

I admit to allowing things in my writing realm to slide while I prepared for and settled into retirement. I look around on social media and the girls I "came up with" seem to be gone. I suspect a lot of them didn't want to go indie when so many of the epubs closed. I don't blame them. I miss the camaraderie of being in a group and exchanging ideas that actually work. 

A lot of what I do will be a continuation of what I've always done. If it's not broken, don't fix it. If you enjoy doing it, why stop? 

I've set a deadline of December 31st for myself to decide which road to take. It's likely I'll look to the words of Robert Frost for counsel: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

One can only hope I recognize it when I get to it, and I'm brave enough to take that first step out of my comfort zone. 

      _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys blog, Rayne Forrest, m/m gay romance, romance fiction for Kindle, LGBT gay romance, sci-fi romance, shapeshifters, contemporary gay romance, a writer's life, life decisions, Holly Tree Manor, New Year, Robert Frost, life choices