·
💓 This has little to do with writing, but I just had to write about the thrill of getting the first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19. Soon, I’ll get the second dose of my Moderna, then wait two weeks, and I’ll finally be free to do the following things I’ve not done in eleven-and-a-half months:
💓Get my hair colored and cut.
· 💓 Allow my maids back into my house.
·
💓 Shop! I can’t say how much I’ve missed shopping.
I have not been in a department store, clothing store, or a thrift store. Yes,
I love thrift stores. I’ve done curbside pickup for groceries for months, and
am looking forward to going down every single aisle of the supermarket. Soon.
·
💓 Go back to my gym. I’d gone five or six days a
week for 19 years.
·
💓 Get my teeth cleaned.
·
💓 Lunch with my author friends. I haven’t missed
restaurants a lot because we don’t eat out much, but I do have a group of
author friends I miss having lunch with and celebrating our birthdays together.
·
💓 Play Bunko again with my group that has been
together for more than 30 years.
·
💓 And, last but not least, travel. Before COVID,
my retired husband and I took 15 trips a year. In his first five years of
retirement, we went to Europe eight times and to California twice, New York
once, and have taken many, many trips to Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada.
This has nothing to do with writing, but I just had to write
about the thrill of getting the first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19.
Soon, I’ll get the second dose of my Moderna, then wait two weeks, and I’ll
finally be free to do the following things I’ve not done in eleven-and-a-half
months:
 |
| Cheryl's manuscript pages written in 2020 |
Counting on getting that second vaccine dose, we’ve already scheduled a trip to Las Vegas for two weeks afterward. We had previously scheduled a couple of more trips.
Not to completely dismiss writing, I will say the year of pandemic has been productive for me. I sit in front of my computer all day, every day. In 2020, I released a new novella, Countess by Christmas, in an anthology; released another novella, One Room at the Inn, that had been in another original anthology; released two novels, A Proposal of Marriage and Once Upon a Time in Bath, and completed another novel, Lady Mary’s Dangerous Encounter, which is the first in a new three-book contract. I’m 65 percent finished with the second book in the contract as I write this.
Since I’m not a super fast writer, this has been enormously
productive for me.
As a parting shot, I want to explain the photo you see on this page. It’s a pile of typewritten pages from my 2020 writing. One reason I’m such a slow writer is that I print out, edit, and print out again. Over and over. At the completion of the book, I print the whole book out again and read and correct it one more time. Then I pay two editors to go over it. My pile includes edited copies.
My hope for each of you is that you all get the vaccine and that we can put COVID-19 in our rear-view mirror.
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I'm hoping to get my first shot Feb. 4. I look forward to volunteering again and horseback riding (of course)!
ReplyDeleteAren't you tickled, Jan! My second dose is scheduled for Feb. 4. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be available. That stuff is more precious than gold.
DeleteWe’re expecting late Spring for ours. We’re healthy with no underlying conditions for which we’re thankful, but that means we take our place in line after the more vulnerable in our province are vaccinated. Travel is a dream for the future but we’ve been in touch with friends we met on our Portugal winter breaks and we will meet again next year. So happy you’re booked! Love the stack of paper...I flip it over and use the other side.
ReplyDeleteIn our state, if you're over 65 you're in the next priority group after health care workers. Thankfully. We are over 65 and have underlying conditions. It's tough losing a whole year. I know you're anxious to get back to Portugal, Bonnie.
DeleteGreat news, Cheryl. I think we're all getting a bit of isolation anxiety. I agree, words read differently on paper.
ReplyDeleteYep, Kathleen. I feel like I'm getting out of prison.
DeleteCongrats, Cheryl. I don't know when we'll get the immunization since we have no medical conditions that make us vulnerable. So far these in our extended family have had CoVid and recovered: 1 brother, his wife, his m-i-l; 1 son, his wife; 1 ex-daughter-in-law; 1 cousin and his wife; 5 of our grandchildren. I hope the vaccine truly is a game changer.
ReplyDeleteWe're lucky, Joan, that we've not lost loved ones. My brother and his wife both had COVID, and my poor sister-in-law was in ICU for a month with COVID pheumonia which has seriously damaged her lungs. She was the healthy one!
DeleteStill recovering from Covid, I think I have to wait several weeks before I can get the vaccine. My Hero and I are on the list, though. I am hopeful the vaccine is effective and we are soon DONE with the virus!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to get your vaccine, Caroline. My poor sister-in-law, who was in ICU for a month with COVID, is terrified of catching it again. She says the next time it would kill her. And she was quite healthy--but over 65.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, I remember printing out every page too. I kept them under my bureau thinking some day someone else would be interested in my many drafts. Finally I decided I was the only one and tossed them. I did like editing printed paper much more than online my screen. Happy travels.
ReplyDeleteNora, I remember in college seeing Faulkner's manuscript pages in my university library. So, of course, I used to keep my early drafts, but after 44 books, I don't have room to do that anymore. However, for some reason, in 2020 my pile just kept growing. I like Bonnie's idea about printing on the other side! If only I could figure out how to do that!
ReplyDelete