July 2018
July 2018
I hope everybody is enjoying the summer that took forever to arrive. Ah, but it finally did, skipping right over spring and making up for lost time by dazzling us with heat and humidity, the likes of which we haven’t seen in Minnesota for years. Well, it dazzles me, but I have the heat tolerance of a camel. In fact, I don’t even have central air, nor do I want it. I must have been an equatorial dweller in a past life (but not a camel.)
I forget from year to year that summer not only brings great fun and joy, but also a colossal amount of additional work, things you can’t get to in winter. I hope I’m not alone when I share a shameful secret – at the beginning of July, I’ve checked exactly one thing off my long to-do list, even though I don’t have the weather as an excuse. I’m now wearing the psychological equivalent of blinders, lest I dissolve into frantic weeping, wailing, and hair-pulling as I lament lost time and unfinished business. Somebody recently reassured me, ‘Things will get done when they get done.’ Brilliant! My new motto!
One home project that is getting done is my garage, something that wasn’t even on my radar. This is a long story, so suffice it to say, if part of a ceiling comes crashing down, you’ve got a big problem. Use your imagination, extrapolate from there, and picture a dire scenario of lurking, hidden evil, waiting for the right moment to spring its horrible surprise. Even though I’m not capable of doing any of the work myself, I still feel a sense of accomplishment that partially mitigates my guilt over the things I’ve been putting off – tomorrow is another day, right? The perfect time to finally weed that garden! Paint those windows! Clean the tool shed!
If I’m sounding like an irredeemable sluggard, I assure you, my hands are far from idle. In fact, I’m busier than I have been in my life, which is saying something. I’m on deadline for the next book, #10 in the series (going well, I’m pleased to report), and doing lots of publicity work for The Guilty Dead, which will be out soon: August 23rd in the UK, September 11th in the US. I’m very excited and the early reviews have been terrific. People have been asking what it was like to write a book without PJ, and I explain that I didn’t – her spirit was with me every step of the way. It always will be.
We all know how quickly time passes, summer in particular, so let me offer some advice: if you see something you haven’t gotten around to yet, give yourself permission to avert your eyes, pour yourself a lemonade or a glass of wine, and enjoy the lush greenery, the flowers, the birds, and everything else that makes summer so special. Nature is vastly more beautiful than the result of any home improvement project. And always remember: things will get done when they get done.
Very best wishes,
Traci
pjtracy.com
I hope everybody is enjoying the summer that took forever to arrive. Ah, but it finally did, skipping right over spring and making up for lost time by dazzling us with heat and humidity, the likes of which we haven’t seen in Minnesota for years. Well, it dazzles me, but I have the heat tolerance of a camel. In fact, I don’t even have central air, nor do I want it. I must have been an equatorial dweller in a past life (but not a camel.)
I forget from year to year that summer not only brings great fun and joy, but also a colossal amount of additional work, things you can’t get to in winter. I hope I’m not alone when I share a shameful secret – at the beginning of July, I’ve checked exactly one thing off my long to-do list, even though I don’t have the weather as an excuse. I’m now wearing the psychological equivalent of blinders, lest I dissolve into frantic weeping, wailing, and hair-pulling as I lament lost time and unfinished business. Somebody recently reassured me, ‘Things will get done when they get done.’ Brilliant! My new motto!
One home project that is getting done is my garage, something that wasn’t even on my radar. This is a long story, so suffice it to say, if part of a ceiling comes crashing down, you’ve got a big problem. Use your imagination, extrapolate from there, and picture a dire scenario of lurking, hidden evil, waiting for the right moment to spring its horrible surprise. Even though I’m not capable of doing any of the work myself, I still feel a sense of accomplishment that partially mitigates my guilt over the things I’ve been putting off – tomorrow is another day, right? The perfect time to finally weed that garden! Paint those windows! Clean the tool shed!
If I’m sounding like an irredeemable sluggard, I assure you, my hands are far from idle. In fact, I’m busier than I have been in my life, which is saying something. I’m on deadline for the next book, #10 in the series (going well, I’m pleased to report), and doing lots of publicity work for The Guilty Dead, which will be out soon: August 23rd in the UK, September 11th in the US. I’m very excited and the early reviews have been terrific. People have been asking what it was like to write a book without PJ, and I explain that I didn’t – her spirit was with me every step of the way. It always will be.
We all know how quickly time passes, summer in particular, so let me offer some advice: if you see something you haven’t gotten around to yet, give yourself permission to avert your eyes, pour yourself a lemonade or a glass of wine, and enjoy the lush greenery, the flowers, the birds, and everything else that makes summer so special. Nature is vastly more beautiful than the result of any home improvement project. And always remember: things will get done when they get done.
Very best wishes,
Traci
pjtracy.com
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