15 minutes…

I have spent the last few days immersed in family. Busy weekend with kids and church. Then I spent a night in Chehalis with Mom and we went to see her retina and macula specialist in Olympia. I brought her home to spend New Year’s Eve with us. I stayed up until midnight so I could have a toast with Emma, who is grounded (her older sisters were out at parties — I sent them a happy new year text). On New Year’s Day, yesterday, we drove to Hood Canal to spend a few hours with my sister and her family. I didn’t have time to write more than a few lines in my journal. Mostly, I wrote, “On January 2nd I will be back at work on the novel.” I enjoyed my family, by the way.

So it’s January 2, I’m in my cabin. I swear I really did write in my journal — two pages! My Celtic harp CD is playing. But I just discovered myself playing Spider Solitaire. What’s with that? I’m going to go into the house and get a bowl of cereal with blueberries. I’m going to put another load of clothes in the wash. Then I’m going to come back out here, set the timer at www.e.ggtimer.com for 15 minutes…and I’m going to write. I’ll set it again if need be, and — who knows? — maybe I’ll get lost in the work.

Wish me luck.

Happy 2013!