Through an Author's Eyes - Part 11

 Good morning and happy Friday!

I hope you have had a good week. I have. It's been a bit crazy at times. We didn't end up babysitting my nieces and nephews last Friday after all because my youngest niece (22 months) got sick in the night. On Sunday I taught Children's Church, and then had choir practice afterwards.
Tuesday was the crazy day. In the morning I built another cube shelf for the sewing room. Then in the afternoon I was able to get 500 words written before all the nieces and nephews came over. We had to eat supper early because my two oldest nephews had basket ball practice. Oh, and my sister's last shelf for her fabric, and the last shelves for our bookcases came while we were eating. And we celebrated my middle niece's birthday. Yeah, it was rather crazy. But fun.

Busters (nickname for my 4-y-old nephew) loves to look in our paper recycle box and find envelopes that haven't been opened or ones that haven't been used, and invoices. And anything else he find interesting. He'll take them home to use for whatever he decides. Anyway, he had been finding "treasures" and after cleaning everything else up he came to me with an ad for shoes. "BehBeh," he says, "this needs to get recycled. It's just junk. It's not good for anything!" :D

Goosey-girl (nickname for 22 month niece) is funny. Suddenly, when I was holding her, she pulled her hands into her sleeves, bent her arms and started flapping them while saying, "Quack! Quack! Quack!" I asked her if she was a duck, and she grinned and said, "Yeah." Then she did more flapping and quacking. I wish I had a video of it.

On the writing front things have been going well. Over 2k on Monday, and while I only got 500 words on Tuesday, I have since gotten at least 1k or more the other days. My goal for this month was to finish my secret project and write 20k. Well, Secret Project is finished (not edited or anything), and I've written 25k words. I've been working on Lawrence & Lenexa this week and it's so nice to get back into it. I'm starting to get tiny glimpses of why Mrs. Johnson acts like she does. We'll see what happens.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next part of this story.

 

Through an Author's Eyes

Part 11

 

    After a nap and a leisurely stroll down the lane, Annette, though she still felt stiff and sore, could move about with more ease and no longer dreaded the stairs. Sunday supper at the ranch was a relaxed affair. And then everyone gathered in the living room and listened to the latest story Uncle Cleveland had written. Or at least the latest installment.
    “I get my best critics from my own family,” he laughed to Annette. “I’ve tossed entire chapters because they declared they were too something or other. And would you believe it, they want things to be real.”
    “You mean they don’t think kidnapping and bad guys escaping from jail, killers on the loose and people with dark pasts they are trying to hide are everyday happenings?” Annette pretended to be shocked as she settled herself in the corner of the couch.
    Uncle Cleveland laughed. “Nope. Did you bring your story down?”
    Somewhat startled, Annette shook her head. “No . . . Was I supposed to?”
    “If you want to run it through the gauntlet of the Ranch Mill. If it passes them, it’ll pass your readers.”
    “I don’t think my story is ready to be read yet,” she began slowly. “It’s still rather new and Kate hasn’t even woken up to realize how sore she is from her ride. Actually, she isn’t even done with her ride yet. I kind of left her . . .” She shrugged sheepishly.
    “Maybe another time,” Aunt Yvonne suggested. “We’d love to hear it.”
    “Would I have to read it aloud?” Annette watched Levi and Vic who had just come in from finishing up some chores, find seats and stretch their legs out in preparation for the coming story. “I don’t read aloud very well unless it’s a children’s picture book.”
    “I’ll read it!” Savanna offered. “I’m longing to read those descriptions you wrote.”
    Since everyone had arrived, Uncle Cleveland cleared his throat, a habit Annette was to discover happened any time he read his own work, and began. It was a fascinating story and Annette was soon lost in the tale of two brothers who set out to prove to their wealthy father that they could be happy without money and fame. When the short story was over, the comments began. Annette listened in silence wondering if she would dare to show her little story to this group of critics. No one said anything really bad, but there were a lot of discussions and some suggestions. She would wait and see what her story was like in another week. After she’d had more time to write.

    “Just how do you expect me to get back on that horse and ride when I’m still having trouble walking right?” Annette demanded of Levi, folding her arms and staring at her cousin.
    Settling the saddle on the back of Mouse, Levi turned his head briefly and glanced at her. “The way you’ve been doing it. Put one foot in the stirrup and swing up.”
    “I’d like to see you do it,” she muttered, though the corners of her mouth twitched with the smile she was trying to hold back.
    Levi didn’t reply but handed the reins to Annette and said, “Take her to the pasture gate.”
    Suspicion clouded her mind and she looked narrowly at her cousin. What was he up to? She always rode in the ring except when she went on a trail ride Saturday and paid the price. But Levi had disappeared back into the tack room and Mouse gave her a nudge as though suggesting they follow directions.
    Walking out to the gate, Annette surveyed the lovely scene around her. She couldn’t see any cattle as they were farther from the house, but even so the landscape with it’s rolling hills and green fields made her want to run through the grasses and wander among the hills to the foot of the towering mountains.
    “Ready?” A voice beside her brought her mind back with a start.
    When she turned, she saw Levi mounted on his favorite horse. “What . . . Where are we going?” she asked making no move to climb aboard her trusty steed.
    “Just out to check the cattle and the fence on the south slope. We’ll ride easy.” When she hesitated, he added, “You did want to learn about ranching, didn’t you?”
    “Yeah. I think anyway.”
    “Then mount up and let’s get going. The day’s awaisting. You’ll be back in time for lunch so stop worrying.”
    Feeling her muscles scream in protest, Annette climbed somewhat stiffly into the saddle and gave a sigh. “There should be some easier way to learn to ride a horse.”
    Levi chuckled. “There is.”
    “How?”
    “You can start riding a horse as soon as your old enough to sit up, or,” he added when she grunted, “you can take a long time and ride a little here and a little there. Eventually you’ll get used to the saddle and won’t be sore.”
    “But I don’t have lots of time.”
    “Exactly.”
    The ride proved to be a pleasant one even if her muscles were still not pleased with being used again. Levi had her dismount and mount several times as they checked the fence. At one time she even helped him fix one of the strands of wire that was loose. Well, she at least helped somewhat. She felt like she wasn’t doing any good, but Levi was a patient teacher and before long the wire was tightened and they were riding on again.
    “Levi,” Annette asked after they had ridden some time in silence, “Do you always want to be a rancher?”

How was your week?

Would you rather have one crazy day or several busy days?

Would you be willing to have your unfinished story read aloud for comments?