Now that I'm finished writing a single parent article, I'm devoting my "spare" time to my dusted-off historical novella. I've decided to self-publish in order to send thirty copies to Russia with my dear friend Ricki in March. Ricki has a powerful love for the university students there, and has braved the nastiest weather and travel conditions twice a year for the last five or six years (I think) to teach English. Imagine hanging out at a McDonalds near Red Square.

I've taken to listening on iTunes to a classical Persian radio station while I write since that is the locale where the story takes place and the music helps transport me across the world and time zones. It is so much fun to write fiction. You probably can't imagine my excitement when I discovered, in a thrift shop, a hand-painted miniature urn from Greece. It MUST be just like one that was used in 500 B.C. in that part of the world.

Pray for creative tornados to blow my way and free time (it may be possible) to finish this last edit.