I’ve realized that, for me, I can’t hide from the world and write. I could hide, but I wouldn’t write a lot. I need the stimulation of things happening and people around me. I tend to think about my writing while I go about my day (and sometimes while I sleep). I just haven’t learned to sit at a keyboard and think about these things. I don’t do stagnant thinking.

So, I’m going to begin posting again. I’m summer busy and that should help.

Marilynne

Do you know anyone who’s had shingles? Probably not if you’re young, but at my age you know someone who has suffered from them. From what I hear it’s a miserable experience.

We vacationed in Cancun, Mexico one summer. Our hosts owned a lovely time share and invited us to share it for two weeks. It was a pleasant visit, marred in part because the wife was suffering from shingles. I got a close up account. She was either in a lot of pain or she was wiped out from her pain meds. I thought she took too many pain meds, but I wasn’t the one suffering the pain. I have to go on her assessment.

Not only did she have a painful rash, but some people didn’t want to be around her. Some people shouldn’t be around some with shingles and those are people who have never had chicken pox. Strange as it may seem, you can get chicken pox from someone who has shingles. So, as it happened both my husband and I had chicken pox as children and weren’t in danger of catching shingles from her. Most of the time I didn’t even think about it.

However, having had the chicken pox as a child, I am now a candidate for shingles. The virus sometimes hides in your body, later to emerge as shingles, not chicken pox.

When the subject came up at the doctor’s office today, I remembered clearly my friend’s pain and her feeling of being contagious to others. I also remembered how long my mother had it, and how often she’d complain about the pain. She wasn’t a complainer, if she said it hurt, it was notable.

When the doctor brought it up, I agreed to have a shingles shot – one to keep me from getting shingles. It was fairly painless until the insurance specialist told me my insurance wouldn’t pay for it and it cost $200.00! TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS?????? I was amazed, but I went through with it anyway. If I came down with shingles, the insurance company would pay. I guess my potential pain and inconvenience isn’t a factor. The office has agreed to put in for it anyway. You never know with insurance companies, do you?

Marilynne

It comes under the category of distractions, but seeing my grandson finish his Marine Boot Camp is right up there with the good things. His mother, our daughter, came from Washington State to stay with us and attend the Family Day and Graduation Ceremony. It was convenient to live close enough to just whiz down to the MCRD in San Diego and whiz back home when things were done.

Here’s our new Marine and his Mom just after he found us in the crowd. It was interesting to watch him relax as the afternoon wore on and he was enjoying his on-base liberty.

This afternoon, after he graduates he and his Mom are flying home together. After Boot Camp I suspect he is really looking forward to being home again, if only for a short time.

My husband and the grandson had an interesting talk about boot camp since my husband had been here for Navy Boot Camp in 1956 and now his Grandson is also here in 2009 when it’s now a Marine training center.

Let’s get nostalgic for a moment and take a look at the grandson when he was little.

You can see he’s barely bigger than the dog, but even then he was a take-charge kind of guy. He liked to be the leader – even if it was just the dog or his little sister.

This is the first grandchild to join the Armed Services. We are so proud of him – and a little fearful for his welfare. Who wouldn’t be?

Marilynne

There is a stage in writing where anything can distract you. When I’m trying to write, my house is never cleaner, my clothing in better shape, the dog more thoroughly walked. The question becomes: Should you fight it or go with the flow?

For me, a physical distraction is a good one. While my body is busy, my mind is free and floating around thinking about things I don’t know yet. A walk is particularly good for solving problems. You just walk until your brain is relaxed, then come back and work. It’s amazing how easily problems are solved after a walk. It works to a lesser degree with other physical things.

There is one big distraction that gets me off track and that’s doing my watercolor. My watercolor wants the same part of my brain as my writing, but it doesn’t like to share – and vice versa. So, that’s my problem today. I really want to do a little watercolor, but I know that once I get started it won’t be just a little. It will be a big, lovely, wonderful experience and leave me drained for writing.

So, today, I would send you off on a silly hunt for art. If you have any interest in art, check out WetCanvas.com [wetcanvas-newsletter@fwpubs.com]. Today’s newsletter has an article about photographing lightning. Did you know there’s a bit of math that will help you catch the picture? See, I’ve been distracted already. Maybe catching up on the wash will help free my mind a little.

Back to the adventures of Maxie, Jason, Su Lin, Ma and the Chinese smugglers.

Marilynne