Olivia...on reconnecting with what you love.

I work from home. The last few months have been a test of my mental acuity and a fight for what feels like my sanity. On top of having COVID in August, in later September, we were hit with a hurricane that had tornados inside of it, which ripped off a corner of my home. Hubby's man cave flooded, and again, a hole in my roof.

Post-COVID, a cold snap triggered a two-month illness which took me nearly two weeks to get back on my feet.

It took three months to get the roof repaired. However, they repaired the roof and also painted the bedrooms. Painting the bedrooms meant everything had to come off the walls, and my house was in chaos. To repair the floor in Hubby's man cave meant a twenty-year military career, and all of his collections were put in bins and are still in bins. To add to the chaos, my colon screening test came back positive. The colonoscopy was three weeks away, so for three weeks, I sat wondering if my butt ecosystem was dying. Turns out, it's fine.

Would you like to know something positive that resulted from all of this? Helen's story is probably some of my best writing. Not only did I write the heck out of this story, I wrote the heck out of the next one, which will come to you this summer. I am also planning the finale of the story, and it shall be amazing.

I am also writing the next mail-order bride, a new series for the Adult Summer Reading program. Stay tuned.

Okay, now to the even better news. Right now is tough. Mentally, there are decisions and choices to be made you might not be ready to face. I understand. However, if you face the changes now, in charge, in planning mode, versus later in reactive mode, your outlook will be different.

Here are a few tips:

Check the pantry and pantry stores. Rice. Beans. Soup and stew Mixes.

Meal plan, so when you go to the store you are buying food to make meals.

Cut back on the meat and have more veggie-based meals.

Buy local, find your local farmer and make a plan. --> The Index

Get back to the basics and teach your kids the things our parents and grandparents taught us, like canning and making preserves. Canning 101: Introduction to Canning — Homesteading Family

Start a garden.

Once you have a plan, you have focus. I am focusing on writing the best stories my mind can imagine. Share with me what your focus shall be.

Toppings

Dress up shrimp fajita bowls with these delicious and easy traditional Mexican toppings:

• Salsa or Pico de Gallo. You can also use salsa verde.
• Guacamole: make it from scratch or use store-bought.
• Fresh veggies: chopped green onions, sliced avocado, or finely chopped red onion.
• Sour cream: plain or mixed with chopped cilantro + freshly squeezed lime juice. You can also use Greek yogurt instead the sour cream.
• Crumbled Cotija cheese is a classic Mexican cheese that will go well with shrimp fajitas! You can also use Feta cheese if you can't find Cotija.
• Fresh herbs: chopped fresh cilantro or basil.

Full Recipe Here Shrimp Fajita Bowls

Are you ready?

Tommorrow!!!

Helen McDaniel’s Half Blind journey is anything but sweet. Lemon, Jared, and an unknown visitor stir the pot in this thrilling installment!  #GreatLakesChronicles #pageturner

Buy links:

https://books2read.com/u/m2yrwR

https://amzn.to/3Wx95nh

Get the socks: https://amzn.to/4jgsfY0

Get the Block: https://amzn.to/3C8Vifw

Get the cool pen: https://amzn.to/3D7qNad

We are on BlueSky

In-Person Journaling Club

I am not doing any book signings this year. I'm taking a step back to work locally with groups and organizations in my town.

First Tuesdays Journaling Club – Jan. 2025 – Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History