Done!

Dear readers,

I'm finished with my rough draft! Like Charles pointed out, endings are hard and tend to have a way of providing a great deal of resistance. I am no different. I've been wrestling with the arrangement of a lot of writing for a long time, but particularly since I have been recovering from my surgery. While I wouldn't recommend rupturing your appendix, spending quality time in ICU, and getting to know all the trauma nurses on a first name basis, I will say that getting sick put my life into a much sharper focus. Suddenly all the minutiae that had been part and parcel of my days fell away. I couldn't distract myself because, well, I couldn't really move that much. And writing seemed extremely important, at least a lot more important than making sure the bookcase was dust-free and the books were arranged alphabetically. I once heard a writer say that before she had a child, she couldn't write if there were dishes in the sink and after she had her son, she could write if there was a dead body in the sink. While losing a toxic evil organ is different than birthing a lovely baby, I think the end psychic result was the same for me. God gave me another chance, something not everyone gets. And I thank each of you, my dear readers and friends, who encouraged me to explore some of the darkest material of my life. I actually starting to cry when I wrote the last chapter -- that's how I knew it was the last one. I'm looking forward to catching up on e-mail, reading my favorite blogs, and resting a bit before starting in on the work of revision. Thanks so much for all your love and support!

Michelle's Spell of the Day
"My thought has always been completion. Maybe you have to rebound better, shoot better, hit free throws, handle the ball, defend better. You have to do all those things in the course of a game." Isiah Thomas

Cocktail Hour
Drinking suggestion: Moet for everyone!

Benedictions and Maledictions
Happy Wednesday!