With the New Year Came Changes

-->

Last week, I awaited the installer of our new television and Internet provider to arrive. I did this with a lot of trepidation. It is interesting how these small changes can throw us. I wondered, for example, if what the carrier promised would be better than what our previous providers had given us.

         I awoke that day at 5 a.m. to a blistering-cold morning of one degree. I worried if he would show up as planned, but he did and got right to work.

He was a pleasant man who knew his business. Within a couple of hours, my living room was clear of wires which had stretched beside our couch for years, and another bonus was I no longer had to lock our downstairs-bedroom door to keep the cat from playing with the wires in there.

Also, the modem was a constant fret of mine since it sat beside by computer. I watched it continually since sometimes it prevented my Internet to work. Every day I would walk into my office and wondered if I would have to unplug it today. Relief swept over me. I never realized how much these items had given me anxiety. It took me a few hours, but soon I felt liberated and in the process I had better television with the program I missed and faster Internet.

         When the man grasped the wires, he said, “What I have in my hand is old technology.” He was right. This change was well needed.

         Authors also must make changes and try new things. Last year, I tried something new – the anthology, Bride by Arrangement, with Ruth Ann Nordin. This endeavor allowed me to reach a different audience through my story, She Came by Train. Ruth Ann Nordin and I plan another anthology – a follow-up on last year’s – and my goal is to write book two – a follow-up on Courtships and Carriages – in the Great Plains series.

         Now I am excited about writing again along with the busy Christmas activity being over. Winter puts me in the mood to write. Of course, you sure cannot go outside and enjoy the warm weather. Instead you sit by a fireplace, if you have one. I do but it is not close enough to curl up beside, but it does keep me cozy and my fingers warm enough to type even if gibberish is what appears at times. Ha! Ha!

         In addition, this is a great time to clean your office, get rid of old files or rearrange your office. I even got to clean my desk where the modem sat and that made me happy.

         You also get to throw away that old calendar in which you were tired of and hang up something new and inspiring. I replaced my office-wall calendar with a calendar portraying a variety of paintings, including January’s winter scene with gray skies, cardinal birds perched on a white fence with a church in the background. The scene filled me with peace and awe in the Creator’s majesty and prompted me to want to write again.

         As I come to a close, remember to embrace the future and the change it brings, and I wish you the best as you pursue your writing career. God bless.