Aunt Mary

I’m sorry I skipped out on the blog yesterday, but I have a good excuse. A really good excuse.

I got to spend Monday evening into Tuesday with my aunt. And, if you’d ever met my aunt, you’d understand why I think time with her is worth missing a blog post.

You see, my Aunt Mary is,  without a doubt, my rock. She’s stuck by me for as long as I can remember, loving me and supporting me through everything. And when something’s up inside my heart, she knows. I don’t have to say a word… She just knows.

Because she knows me. And knowing me isn’t easy. I’m very guarded with my feelings. Friendly and caring towards others, sure. But allow someone to get too close to me? Um, not easy.

But Aunt Mary, she asks.

And she doesn’t take the simple window dressing answer I’m conditioned to give because it’s usually good enough for everyone else.

I’ve tried to figure out what’s different with her… Why I’ll open up to her in a way I don’t open up to anyone else. She doesn’t pry. She doesn’t pester. Yet when she asks, I answer.

The best I can come up with is this:  She makes me feel safe. I know that when she asks…she listens. And no matter what I say, no matter whether I get angry or my voice cracks with tears, she loves me through it all. She sees me as the little girl I was and the woman I’ve become. She’s proud of me, she cares about me, and there are no conditions placed on that. Ever.   

You can’t put a price tag on that.

So tell me, who’s your Aunt Mary in life?

~Elizabeth

Thanks

Seeing as how my family celebrated Thanksgiving back in October this year, there won’t be the traditional turkey dinner for me tomorrow. Instead, I’ll be elsewhere, partaking in a Thanksgiving-day custom I’ve never fully understood. And it’s okay, because next year, things will be normal and I can look back on this year as an “experience.”

In the meantime, I find myself wanting to talk about those things for which I am most thankful for this year…

1) I’m thankful for my daughters. They’ve taught me more about life than I could have ever imagined.

2) I’m thankful for my husband and the opportunity to be a stepmom to two really good boys.

3) I’m thankful for my friends. For loving me for who I am rather than who they think I should or shouldn’t be.

4) I’m thankful for my doctor out in St. Louis who has managed to take the fear out of M.S. for me.

5) I’m thankful for my readers who keep my series going with their purchase and their kind words. You’re helping fulfill a lifelong dream every time you do!

6) I’m thankful for relative strangers who show manners and kindness–such things can make a gray day so much better and they serve as examples for parents trying to do the right thing by their kids.

7) And while this may coincide with #5, I’m also thankful for all of you, for stopping by here each day (lurkers and non-lurkers, alike).

I hope you all have a truly wonderful Thanksgiving!

~Elizabeth

Magical Notes

Music soothes the savage beast.

While I’m not sure who, exactly, said that quote for the first time (Bugs Bunny, maybe?), I couldn’t agree more. It doesn’t matter what kind of mood you’re in, music has a way of helping you work stuff out or, if nothing else, forget for a while.

I’ve been known to write about music on occasion simply because it fascinates me. It is, in my opinion, the true universal language. People might have different tastes (I’m an 80′s girl and a Christian rock fan), but put music on in a room of people and it just seems to take the tension out of shoulders, faces.

Take me, for instance. If I’m really struggling with something, I like to take a drive…with the tunes cranked. Within a song or two, the tension starts ebbing. A few songs beyond that, and suddenly things look a bit more surmountable than they did prior to the drive. Kind of like Rocky in Rocky IV when he has that fight with Adrian and he goes off in his black vette and the music is pounding in the background (great song to drive/unwind to, by the way).

If I’m blue, I like to pull out a favorite song or two and just dance. One of my favorites for this? And We Danced by the Hooters. A playing (or two) of that and the blues aren’t quite so blue anymore.

So how about you? Do you turn to music when you’re angry or sad? Any tried and true favorites guaranteed to pull you from your funk?

~Elizabeth

Catching Up

Now that the latest manuscript has been sent off to my editor, it’s time to catch up on all the other aspects of life that were forced into the back seat so “deadline day” could ride shotgun.  Suddenly, all of the things I was able to ignore while I sat, hunched, over a keyboard all day, are now waving signs in my face saying–notice me, notice me.

And I’m noticing.

*cringe*

I see the mailings that need to go out (something on today’s list, as a matter of fact).

I see the inbound mail that’s started to stack up (and collect dust).

I see the TBR pile that’s remained untouched for much too long (so excited to start on that one).

I see the closet with summer clothes that needs to be switched out.

I see the hair on top of my head that’s in desperate need of a little attention (also, on today’s list… *insert sigh of relief*).

I see all the friends I need to catch back up with (we are in touch always, but the content has grown too short as of late).

I see the kitchen that is begging to be used for cooking lots of yummy dinners, rather than the hurried-ones of late.

I see the empty pantry that is in desperate need of restocking.

I see the family that could use a little extra TLC (just spent a wonderful evening/day with my youngest in conjunction with a book signing Monday night).

And I see me, who’s also been shoved to the side for a little too long (pedicure, anyone?   ). 

Normally, when I finish a book, I try to cram all my catch up into a week before I’m back at it again. This time, though, I’m taking several weeks to catch up and unwind ( I’ve written 11 novels in the past 3 1/2 years so I’m a bit tuckered) before getting back at the next round of contracted books.

So, this is where I’ll take a nice, deep inhale and let it out extra slowly. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Where are you in life now? Head down, working towards a goal of some sort? Or playing catch up with a side of chill?

~Elizabeth

A Day In The Life…of Tori

I have an extra fun treat for all of you today.

Instead of “That’s Life Wednesdays” being about me this week, I’m handing the reins over to, Tori Sinclair–the protagonist in my Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series. After all, with yesterday’s release of DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS (book 5), it seems as if it’s only fair to let my star have her day.

So, come on over to Dru Ann Love’s wonderful site and spend a little time with Tori.

  http://notesfromme.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/a-day-in-the-life-of-tori-sinclair-by-elizabeth-lynn-casey/

I’ll be back here again tomorrow!

~Elizabeth

With the Help of Renoir

Last week, while my daily challenge question was posting itself to this blog, I was off on a delayed honeymoon with My Special Guy. The weather was superb, the company spectacular, and memories-in-the-making around every corner.

Here’s a few pictures I figured I’d share with all of you as it shows me crossing something off my personal “bucket list.”

  Yup, that’s me…tummy to tummy with a real dolphin. His name is Renoir and he’s nine years old. He’s one of the world famous “cabo dolphins.” 

 I think I smiled non-stop through the whole ride! 

 Here we are in the pool together. Renoir is giving me a little love to make up for the body-soaking splash he tends to favor as his initial greeting….  

 If you’ve never done this, you should. They truly are sweet creatures.

So tell me, what’s something on your bucket list?

~Elizabeth

Play Time

Over the Columbus Day weekend, we dragged the volleyball net out of the shed and set it up in preparation for the arrival of six 13-year-old girls who were coming to celebrate Dear Daughter #2′s birthday.

Then, yesterday, I found myself peeking out at that volleyball net again and again throughout the school day–wanting someone to come home so we could go outside and play. The day was gorgeous (after way too many rainy days the past few months) and the temperature perfect.

So, as the school day drew to a close, I positioned myself on the front step and waited…

Dear Daughter # 2 arrived at the same time as both my stepsons. The second they approached, I posed my idea and they bit, eagerly! Ten minutes later, we were playing volleyball with a big purple ball. Twenty minutes after that, my Special Guy joined the game. And then, within another twenty minutes or so, Dear Daughter #1 arrived home from play practice and promptly begged to be put in the game.

We ran.
We cheered.
We cracked jokes.
We laughed.

And it was the best and most fun workout I’ve had in a very long time.

So tell me, when was the last time you had an urge to play? What did you do and who did you do it with?

~Elizabeth

Looking Forward

I’m looking forward to a lot of things right now…

*Finishing my current work-in-progress or wip (book 7–Sweet Briar Christmas themed story)

*Seeing the cover of book 6 (REAP WHAT YOU SEW–due out April 1st)

*Seeing the cover for the very first book in my Amish series–HEARSE AND BUGGY (I’m being told it’s very different but in a “good way”).

*The release of DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS (my favorite sewing circle book so far) on November 1st and the coinciding events I have scheduled.

*Going on a long overdue trip with my Sweetie.

*Taking a few weeks off from writing in November and getting caught up on other stuff (like reading, organizing, friends, etc).

So how about you? What are you looking forward to over the next month?

~Elizabeth

May I Pick Your Brain?

I was wondering if I could pick your brains today.

I’m in the process of giving this website a once over. I’m keeping the look/the feel, but it’s time for some content tweaks. The first change is on the “home” page (which I have my weblady do). If you click on the tab at the top, you’ll see that we’ve added the cover of the upcoming book and placed ordering information beneath each available title (if you haven’t pre-ordered Dangerous Alterations yet, now might be a good time to take care of that   ).

The page I’m feeling the most need to change is the “about” page. But I’m not sure if I should change it completely or simply add some stuff.  Any thoughts? What kind of information do you think would work well here? Any particular format that might be fun?

~Elizabeth

Escape Hatch

Sometimes, when life seems just a wee bit more than a person can handle, they either turn toward destructive behavior or find a more productive relief valve.

From the time I was about twelve, my valve has always been books. When I read, whatever book I was devouring at that time allowed me to escape into someone else’s world for a little while. It didn’t always have to be stories of flower dotted praries to escape. Quite the contrary. In fact, some of my favorite go-to books at that crazy time were suspense stories. I guess they enabled me to lose myself in someone else’s issue. An issue that would be over when I turned the last page.

When I write (particularly my series books), I escape with people who have become my friends. People who come to life (quite literally in some respects) the moment we meet. They make me laugh. They make me teary-eyed. They even surprise me at times. But they’re steady and true. Like books.

What’s your go-to when you’re in desperate need of an escape?

~Elizabeth