Me, ten years ago

 You know that old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” And it’s true—the last ten years, my years of retirement, have flown by. And yet it’s been a long time encompassing many changes. All that is on my mind this evening because three things popped up on my computer—those automatic memory things that the computer world offers (or forces on) us.

First was a reminder that ten years ago today I posted about the publication of my second mystery, No Neighborhood for Old Women, featuring Kelly O’Connell, the intrepid real estate broker/renovator who led me down the mystery trail for eight books. When I submitted my first manuscript and notes on the second to a major NY publishing house, the editor, an old friend, wanted me to scrap the first and replace it with the second which was about a serial killer—no fears, it was still cozy, just with too many bodies. I didn’t want to do that, and I declined. I liked the way the first book, Skeleton in a Dead Space, set up the backstory for the series. Sometimes I wonder how different my career would have been. I might be rich and famous, or at least an inch closer, with the backing of a big house and more people would have read Kelly’s stories, but I’d had have to deal with sales quotas and contracts and deadlines. I think in the long run, I made the right choice.

The novel is still available in print and digital form. And, yes, for those who think the title is familiar, it is a play on Cormac McCarthy’s much more successful—and much grittier—No Country for Old Men. Since that novel, I have published, either through a small press or independently, fourteen more mysteries, two non-fiction titles, and a cookbook, which I’m now thinking of updating. Retirement has been good for me.

The second thing that came up was a picture of me, taken ten years ago by neighbor and photographer par excellence Polly Hooper. It was one of several shots she took that I used on book jackets, blogs, etc. for years because I thought it flattered me. Do you look at other people and think something like, “My, she’s aged. I am so glad I haven’t”? I do that, or, snarkily, I look at women my age and think, “I’m sure glad I don’t look that old!” Truth is, as the photo shows, I’ve aged a lot.

But it’s been a tumultuous ten years. Ten years ago I lived in a 2,000 sq. ft. house—today I am in 600 sq. ft. No matter that I love my cottage, it’s still an adjustment. I did say to someone today, however, that it seems like I’ve lived in the cottage forever, and I’m so content in it that some of my friends worry about blasting me out now that we don’t have to quarantine as strictly. Jordan, Christian, and Jacob lived clear across town in Hulen Bend, but I saw Jacob almost every day and kept him a lot. Pictures of that cute kid pop up a lot too, and they really make me nostalgic.

In these ten years I’ve broken an ankle so badly it was beyond surgical repair, had major hip surgery which landed me on a walker, been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and acute kidney failure, and had scary eye surgery. Ask me today, and I’ll tell you I’m in good health. It’s all relative, but I sure hope the next ten years bring a more peaceful health scene.

Baby Sophie

Finally, a picture of Sophie popped up. She was a new pup, probably about nine months old. I still had Scooby, my beloved Aussie, and the two were inseparable, though Scooby tried hard to teach Sophie to be a good companion. She was wild, full of Border Collie energy and puppy mischief. If I have aged, so has she—in some ways. She’ll spend days, as she is now, lying by my desk. But when she takes a notion that there are too many squirrels in the yard, Katie bar the door! She is getting a bit of middle-age spread though I defensively claim that once she is groomed next week, she’ll be thin again. She’s a girl with a strong personality, a diva among dogs, and I’ve loved the last ten years. Hope we both get ten more.

So that’s my ten years. I won’t say I wouldn’t trade for a minute of it, because if I could go back in time, I’d change some things and hope not to have the health problems I’ve had. But I’m sure happy with where I’ve landed. Taken as a whole, it’s been a good ten years.

Dogs, family, and work

 

Obi at my feet

Neighbor Amy brought her new pup to visit tonight. He’s an 11-month-old British Golden Retriever, which means he’s white, not golden. He is one of the rare ones, however, that has one big black spot on his side. I’d love to know the story behind that. He’s sort of not named yet—in fact, Amy alternated between calling him No-Name and Obi, because she says his name is to be Obi as in Obi Kenobi. I think she should start calling him by that name to get him used to it, but it’s not my business. At any rate, Obi seemed to like me, and several times ended up under my chair At one point, he gave one of my feet a thorough licking cleaning. He also didn’t seem to like the steps up to the deck, so he’d stumble through the pentas—which did neither him nor the pentas any good. Once he got stuck halfway onto the deck and looked for a minute like he was just going to relax in that position and forget about going anywhere. I love Sophie, but I do miss big dogs.

My family is home tonight. They’ve been in Granbury for two nights. Rented a lake house with a pool, scooped up two of Jacob’s buddies, and went off to celebrate his fifteenth birthday. The boys swam, fished, and prowled nearby parts of the lake in a paddleboat.

Boys paddleboating on Lake Granbury
The way a fifteen-year-old should celebrate his birthday

The paddleboat brings back memories, because my boys spent hours fishing from one in a friend’s lake in East Texas. Jordan sent one idyllic picture of the deck at daybreak when she sat, quiet and alone, having a cup of coffee. It made me wish I was with them.

Jordan's quiet, early morning moment on the deck

When they’re gone, I always feel like I’m not quite relaxing, not putting my full weight down, and I’m glad when they come home. Tonight, I thought we’d all have supper together—the plan was to order our favorite sub sandwiches from Great Outdoors. A bit of disappointment when Jacob brought my sandwich out to me, and I realized I was not going to have company for supper. Shoot! I had more company when they were out of town.

Otherwise, an unremarkable day. I finally got the neighborhood newsletter off to the designer and printer. Somehow this time that stretched into a three- or four-day project, when it usually takes a day or a bit more. But I did also rough out an essay I want to submit for a volume of Mystery Readers Journal that will be devoted to Texas Mysteries. So I feel I have accomplished some things today. No cooking, which was a relief for a change.

After a one-day respite, we are back to hot and humid weather—so still that when I felt the least stirring in the air and said, “Oh, there’s a bit of a breeze,” the kids laughed at me.

Stay cool, everyone. If you’re in Texas, staying cooler is a bit easier if you turn off as many lights as possible. We’re still, supposedly, protecting our fragile electric grid.

Last Day of School, and dogs and cars

Maddie's selfie at lunch

Remember when you were a kid what a big deal the last day of school was each year? It made me a bit nostalgic today. Jacob and his buddies got out early and had a pool party. Then there was an after-party at another house. Ah, to be twelve and have life be a series of parties. We’re raising those kids in a bubble I fear.

For my part, it was a lovely day. Jamie and Maddie came to visit. Maddie is my oldest grandchild, just finished with her freshman year at Colorado University. They are the only two people I know who can take two hours to drive from Frisco to Fort Worth (he forgot his wallet, started back home, changed his mind and came on) and then half an hour to get out of their car once it was in the driveway (he was on a business call). But we had a lovely day.

Surprise! They brought a new puppy with them—a nine-week-old Pomeranian named Cosmo. Jamie had the dog that was probably the canine love of his life—Mosby, a chocolate lab. Mosby was a wonderful dog—loyal to Jamie, following him on the cross-country runs he did, but also a family dog who let the girls, when little, roll all over him. Sweet beyond measure, but as he aged he grew arthritic and anxious. Finally, maybe a month ago, they reluctantly helped him cross the rainbow bridge.

Cosmo

But I never thought Jame would get a small dog—they already have one four-pound Smorkie (Yorkie and I forget what else). Jamie explained that it’s a cat thing—he loves cats but won’t have another because of the litter box issue, so having a small dog is like having a cat (not sure I follow that logic, but I’d take the dog any day). All puppies that age are cute, but this one really is adorable. And I was so proud of Sophie—she played with him but after her initial enthusiastic curiosity was gentle. Of course, we gave her lots of extra love and praise,

I confess I had a Jamie list—when I told him that yesterday, he said I didn’t have to fix anything special for him. I told him he misunderstood—it was a “honey do” list—lower my walker, find out why my phone won’t take messages, give Soph her medications, and help me get my car to a place I thought my fix the top.

We had a nice, lazy lunch, and the major outing was to take my car to a trim shop. The back window is loose from its moorings. The VW place recommended an auto glass place they said would repair it in my driveway. Not so. The auto glass place recommended a trim shop in—wait for it! —south Euless, a long way from here. But I dutifully called them and over the phone, sight unseen, a rather brusque woman said I’d need an entire new top. Yikes! Expense plus terrible inconvenience of getting there.

Fortunately, a friend who reads the blog suggested a local detailing shop, and the owner in turn suggested a local trim shop, told me to use his name. So today we saw Joe at Westside Trim, after trying hard to navigate the construction on White Settlement. It’s nearly impossible to get to this place. The verdict is iffy. I can have it repaired at a much-reduced cost, but it probably won’t hold. Still I think that’s what I’ll do.

Nothing would do but we stop at Omaha Army Surplus—a childhood dream place for Jame—and then at Autobahn to investigate a new VW, which I don’t need and can’t afford. Jamie thought I could lease a new one and cover it by the trade-in on mine, but mine though lower mileage, is twelve years old. The salesman said, “I can’t do a trade in. I don’t want to insult you, but ... . “

Now, Jamie and Maddie have gone home, I’ve had a sandwich and washed the dishes, and am ready to read. A great day with people I adore. The only downside? I didn’t get my nap today!