It’s not like I’ve even been taking time off to just relax, because each day seems like I am busier than the last. The initial project that pulled me away from working on some articles that I have been mulling over or even having the time or energy to blog about minutiae was the redesign of the LL Book Review site. If you haven’t seen the new site and taken a look at the new layout, I suggest you click on over there. The difference from the old site is dramatic and the information that is available on the site is much more accessible. I am proud of how quickly I was able to get the new site built and operational. We were actually a couple weeks ahead of schedule as the official launch was supposed to be June 1st, but it didn’t make sense to maintain both sites simultaneously, especially since the new site was ready and so much better (if I do have to say so myself.) And while I am proud of the accomplishment, it was definitely a team effort.

On top of that, work got heavy duty and I started having nightly conference calls with Hong Kong, so after the completion of a full day, I got to come home and spend a couple more hours on the phone – working. By the time those were over, my brain was dead and all I wanted was to spend a few blissful hours unconscious to prepare to do it all over again. Then, Denny and I babysat Memorial Day weekend for my sister and took care of her 4 children, the oldest being 13 and the youngest an 11 month old, so there was no time to even think about writing, reviewing, or anything else. We did have fun though.

I have finally reached the point where I feel like I can re-enter the world where writing is the main objective, and hopefully will not be quite so absent in the future. I have already read two books and need to complete the reviews, and next week my target is to finish editing Nowhere Feels Like Home, or at least get it closer to what I will consider a finished product.

The post Thoughts From the Morning Commute – Going MIA appeared first on Be the Cat.

When I was a young child, even before I started going to school myself, I would walk with my mom and my brother as he was off to Kindergarten. At the end of our street as it joined the main thoroughfare through town, was our crossing guard. She had a webbed beach chair to sit in when there wasn’t anyone to assist in crossing the street, although I never actually saw her sit in the chair, and her VW bug was parked on the street nearby. Every time we passed, my mom would chat with the crossing guard for a few minutes, and she always had a smile for all of the children and a few nice words. She knew all of us that made our way down the busy street two blocks to the school.

Soon we stopped walking my brother to school, and I longed for the day when I could walk by myself and let the crossing guard help me cross the street. In my young innocence, I could think of no better job to have than that of a crossing guard. She took her job very seriously and always ensured that everyone was safe. To this day, I still believe that I had one of the best crossing guards of all time. Her sign was always held high as she marched into the middle of the street, and her palm flat as her arm outstretched toward the oncoming traffic. She’d blow her whistle shrilly so that everyone knew that it was time to stop (there were no flashing lights or stop lights at that time).

Finally, it was my turn to walk on my own to school. Now, understand, I didn’t actually have to cross the boulevard, only the small inlet to my own street. For the first few weeks, the crossing guard helped me cross, but then she told me that the following week I would have to start crossing on my own, because her job was to cross the children from the other side of the boulevard. I still vividly remember that first morning when I had to cross the street on my own, not sure when it would be ok to step off the curb and cross the street. Would a car come zooming around the corner, catching me off guard? And then I realized. . .even though she was making me take the steps on my own, and take responsibility for how I made my way across the street, my crossing guard was still watching me.

As those memories flitted across my mind during my commute this morning, it dawned on me that crossing guards are a metaphor for me. They symbolize someone who watches over you to make sure that your way is clear. Crossing guards ensure that all obstacles and danger are cleared from your path before you take that leap of faith across the great divide. Don’t we all want a crossing guard as we go into the unknown future to remove any barriers from our way and to keep us safe from outside menaces?

Like that little girl I was so many years ago, I still stand on the brink sometimes wondering whether I will make it safely across the divide of whatever endeavor I am undertaking. I have to trust that I am up for the responsibility. . .and maybe have a little faith that someone is watching out for me.

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LK Griffie
Visit me at Griffie World
To buy Misfit McCabe, visit my store at Lulu.com or purchase at Amazon.com
To track Misfit McCabe across the country, visit:
Where in the World is Misfit McCabe?
Own a Kindle? Download Misfit McCabe in an instant.
To read book reviews by LK Griffie, visit: The Lulu Book Review

The post Thoughts From the Morning Commute – Crossing Guards appeared first on Be the Cat.

I am so jazzed to have completed the posting of the 17 articles that I have written (so far) that are geared for Young Writers. I wanted to get that off my plate before really getting into the purpose of this blog which is to talk about writing, the writing process, my novels, articles, etc. Reformatting them for the blog took a little bit of time. . . it wasn’t a simple copy/paste job.

I have been writing for several years, but intermittently and have recently decided that this is something that I need to do on a more regular basis. One reason is that I definitely have been bitten by the writing bug again, another is that writing allows me to get rid of some of my creative energy that would otherwise drive me insane.

The WritingBug

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LK Griffie
Visit me at Griffie World
To buy Misfit McCabe, visit my store at Lulu.com or purchase at Amazon.com
To track Misfit McCabe across the country, visit:
Where in the World is Misfit McCabe?
Own a Kindle? Download Misfit McCabe in an instant.
To read book reviews by LK Griffie, visit: The Lulu Book Review