Monday Musings 8-29-22

Not only is this the last Monday in August, but it’s a month with five Mondays, so you’ll find this post on both Monday Musings and Dear Maggie. It’s also the first Monday we’ve woken up without any children currently living at home. Strange and bittersweet, for sure!

Last week was a whirlwind of activity. Our first stop was SoCal, where kid #2 finally screened his senior project more than two years after graduating from film school. We got to have dinner with all four of our children and their significant others, including our oldest who’s been deployed or underway for the better part of a year. After that, we headed to Portland, Oregon to get kid #4 settled into college. You can check out some photos below.

As I write this, half my brain is thinking about the programs I’m presenting at World Con in Chicago later this week. I’m excited for this five day event because it truly focuses on science fiction/fantasy readers, writers, and fans, and the presenters are a mix of artists, scientists, teachers, and professionals in their fields. While I love Comic Cons, they’re more pop-culture centric. At World Con, as much as I have to offer, I always feel like I learn even more.

I’ll have a table in the dealer’s room signing books for a few hours each day, so if you are attending, please come say hello. Here’s a look at the rest of my schedule:

• Panel: The Art of Running a Book Group - Thursday 1 pm

• Virtual Panel: Ways to Build Up to Actually Writing Your Story - Thursday 4 pm

• Virtual Reading - Thursday 6pm

• Panel: Work/Life Balance for Artists - Friday 10 am

• Panel: Developing Program Content - Saturday 2:30 pm

• Bullet Points Launch Party - Saturday 7:30 pm

• Virtual Panel: Short and Sweet: Crafting an Elevator Pitch - Sunday 1 pm

• Presentation: A Hero, an Anti-Hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar - Sunday 4 pm

• Presentation: World Building for Beginners - Sunday 7 pm

• Presentation: Pathways to Publishing - Monday 11:30 am

Well, I’m ready to wrap this month and maybe fall into bed for a week when I get back next Tuesday! Talk to you all in September!

Monday Musings 8-15-22

At the end of this week our last child will leave for college, and just like that, we’ll get to call ourselves ‘empty nesters!’ As this is kid number four, we’ve gotten pretty good at guiding them into the next phase of their lives. This move-out feels a little different, of course, since she is the last one.

On the one hand, watching all the kids take this next step has been so exciting, mostly because they’re so excited. On the other hand, our family dynamic is changing once again. We’ve loved our parenting journey and can’t believe we now have four adult children, and we’re also looking forward to the next phase in our life as a couple. We’ve made some big plans!

As our daughter sorts, organizes, and packs, Ray and I are doing the same on a grander scale. The water damage and reconstruction projects in our house have accelerated our own move-out timeline. Since we have to do the work anyway, we’re just not going to move any of it back in. You can probably imagine how much work this is, with some of it completely unexpected. Add a robust travel and book signing schedule and you have a slightly stressed mama.

My remedy for the overwhelm is to become super organized, with lists and sub-lists, and spreadsheets detailing what needs to happen and when. We’re trying to accomplish one project per day in an order that makes sense. When I break it down, I know it will all get done, but still, it’s a lot! I’ve been trying to keep Timber’s words in mind…

“You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” – Timber Hawkeye

IN OTHER NEWS…

• I’ve already been to Tampa Bay Comic Con and Boston Fan Expo this summer, and I sold out my inventory of books at both! It feels good to interact with readers and fans again. If we met at one of these events, thank you so much for your support and I hope you enjoy my stories!

• I’m heading to Chicago World Con from Sept-1-5. My days will be jam packed with programs, panels, and readings. I’ll post my full schedule on my social media channels and on Monday Musings before the big event.

• I’ll be at the Big E on Friday, September 30th signing all day. Look for me at the ‘book nook’ in the Rhode Island building.

Monday Musings 3-21-22

Tomorrow is my youngest child’s 18th birthday. While I’ve said to all the kids many times that a number is just a number, and becoming an adult is a process, this particular date feels momentous nonetheless. Having had my first child at 21, a healthy chunk of my own adult life has been spent actively parenting. It’s been mostly a joy, sometimes a challenge, but always rewarding. Watching our kids discover their talents, become passionate about issues, develop meaningful relationships, and engage with the world is a pleasure.

As they move out of childhood and into the next phase of their lives, I have only a few things I wish for them.

First, I hope they enjoy loving, healthy relationships. I’ve given out dating advice over the years, which I think they’ve found valuable, and my two older boys are well on their way in this area. You can read my words of wisdom on this particular topic on my alter ego’s blog Dear Maggie.

Second, that they surround themselves with a supportive community. Friends hold us up during the rough patches and celebrate with us during the good times. Healthy friendships nourish the soul, and I am certainly grateful for mine.

Finally, I hope they find meaningful work. Work is work, even when it’s something we love, so we’ve encouraged them to choose a career that will hold their interest over time, and one in a field that plays to their talents and skills. I had a college professor who once suggested that we students should do what we love, for sure, but we should also do something we’re good at. I remember being slightly put off by this advice at first because it felt limiting, but it’s actually really wise. I love astronomy and I’ve seriously considered getting an advanced degree in physics, but I will never be that good in the hard sciences. It would always be a struggle, and in the end, I don’t think I’d be able to achieve as much as I’d like in the field. That kind of self-awareness can serve us well.

As parents, we can’t save our kids from all the hardships and challenges they’ll face on their life’s journey. We can only hope we’ve given them useful tools and good advice to navigate their own way. As our last child steps into adulthood, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction that she, like her brothers, is a kind, compassionate, accountable human being whose light shines brightly in the world.

Happy birthday, Kyra. It is an honor and joy to be your mom.