New submissions at BookLocker always slow down this time of year because everybody who wanted their book published by Christmas has already finished the publishing process. While the lull is nice, it feels really weird to get off work before dinnertime some nights now! Like last year, we've put up a $149 setup fee special just to keep me out of trouble. Heh... …
I was starting to get pretty nervous about the annual Christmas card picture. While we had three short spurts of snow during the fall, things weren't looking too good for the arrival of a real storm in time to take pictures to go with the family holiday newsletter. Each year, during the first snowstorm, the children are all ordered to get to the house (most of them drive now) as soon as possible, and to trudge outside for a snowstorm Christmas card photo. It's a Hoy family tradition! They smile through chattering teeth, and try to keep their eyes open for the dozen or so shots I take...while snowflakes are landing on their lashes. Heh... It's great fun for me and the kids always pretend it's a pain-in-the-butt for them. In reality, they get as pumped about the first snowstorm as I do! On Friday, we heard there might be a bit of snow on Sunday so I texted all the kids... …
With a family this large, in addition to four cats, a dog, a lizard and some sea monkeys, our house is never really empty...but it sure is quiet after the crowd we had here on Thanksgiving! The day was perfect and the children were so sad when Grampa and Rita had to fly back to Texas. …
This week's issue is going out a day early because we figure most of you will be knee-deep in travel or family by this time tomorrow. Our big, fat turkey, which Ali bought on sale two weeks ago, had been thawing in the fridge for two days now. …
We have all completely recovered from H1N1 / Swine Flu - well, those of us who caught it, anyway. Richard, Ali and Frank never caught it but the rest of us did. It's a relief to not need to be paranoid about it anymore. "Go aheads, kids, touch all the doorknobs you want!" Ha ha ha. …
Max is all better and has resumed normal activities. Mason (who got sick about five days after Max) was sick for about five/six days total. His fever finally disappeared on Saturday morning, but came back with a vengeance that night... …
Mason had what we thought might be a case of the croup last week. He woke up a couple of mornings with a bad, croupy cough, after rattled breathing at night. Mason has never been immunized and his immune system is far superior to ours. He rarely ever gets sick, even when the rest of us are in bed, slingin' snot...or worse. When he does get sick, he might run a fever for a few hours or have a runny nose for a day or two but then it's all over. On Halloween night, Max said, "My brain feels funny." Honestly, I thought he'd just had too much candy. Later that night, he felt warm to me but I didn't give it much thought, either, because our heater has been running quite a bit now that it's cold out. Sunday morning, he woke up with a sore throat and a croupy cough. I naturally thought he caught Mason's croup and that he'd be just fine in a few hours, just like Mason. We packed for a trip to Kennebunkport with my mom (we had special plans there for her at an inn on the ocean), and hit the road. Good thing I always pack a thermometer in our overnight bag because Max was definitely running a fever by the time we arrived. …
Boy, oh boy, oh boy! In just three days, it'll be my favorite holiday of the year! My mom is arriving this weekend and I'm so excited because she's never experienced a real, storybook New England Halloween - blowing leaves, frigid wind, gobs of people and the entire neighborhood going waaaay overboard with the decorations. It is AWESOME!!! I've been very busy creating horror babies over the past few weeks. What's that, you ask? Well, here's a sampling. WARNING - THESE PHOTOS MAY OFFEND SOME FOLKS, INCLUDING YOUNG CHILDREN. (Heh...) …
Our friends, Scott and Kelly, flew in to visit us for the weekend. On Saturday, we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain. The boys had to visit the bathroom so Scott said they'd meet us at the top. We helped the boys, and then walked the short distance to the summit. Scott and Kelly weren't there. I scanned the horizon and saw them way over on another walkway, overlooking Bar Harbor. Then, I saw Kelly jump into Scott's arms and kiss him. I said, "Oh, look! They're hugging and kissing!" Richard replied, "He just asked her to be his wife." …
Last Friday, four of my in-laws arrived. Now, before you send me a a sympathy card or suggest I buy a box of Calgon, you should know that we're having a great time! Well, I am anyway. …
This is the time of year when everybody wants to visit us...because of the miraculous Fall show we get in Maine, of course. This weekend, Richard's mom, step-dad, aunt and uncle will be arriving for a 5-day stay. The next week, his childhood friend, Scott, will be visiting with his girlfriend. And, on Halloween weekend, my mom is coming. We are so excited! …
A few weeks ago, my laptop got sat on (don't ask). A few days later, I noticed a small crack in the screen. The local, family-owned computer place (which we love, by the way) ordered a new screen for me. We planned for my laptop to get the new screen on Friday and, instead of moving files from one computer to another (which can take hours), we would take the day off and attend the Common Ground Fair. It's very stressful for me to be offline for a day. I have a hard enough time delegating...but getting cut off completely from the business? I feel so detached! …
If you've been receiving WritersWeekly for more than a year, you probably know that the children and I sow seeds each year in our small outdoor garden. Most of them never come up and the majority of the ones that do end up dying sometime during the Summer. Sometimes, we get lucky (or the garden fairies take pity on us) and a few things actually SURVIVE! …
I'm terribly bogged down this week so I have to make this very short. Just want you to know that I did something last weekend that I swore I would never, ever, ever do. I bought...a minivan! …
Zach recently moved into his own place (sniff). While shopping at a craft store over the weekend, Ali and I found some adorable (snicker), furry toy rats in the Halloween section. They looked so real! I thought one would be perfect for Zach's new place. Heh... …
I wanted to send you an update on Richard. On August 12th, I posted that he had a type of vasculitis that only 20 to 30 people per million have. Well, we have since learned that Richard is not quite that unique...which is a good thing! …
When we heard Hurricane Bill was heading our way last week, and that we were supposed to get waves over 20 feet high, Ali (age 18) asked if she could drive to Bar Harbor with her boyfriend over the weekend to see them. I said, "The roads into Bar Harbor aren't 20 feet high so you could get stuck there. No, you can't go. In fact, you can't go anywhere this weekend." She didn't argue, knowing that I was 18 once, too. There were plenty of times when I told my Mom I was going one place when, in fact, I was heading for the beach. (Sorry, Mom...) …
Max and I stopped at the pet store to get crickets for Max's lizard, Cool, yesterday. When we left, Max said, "Look at the cute puppy, Mommy!" I looked to my right and there was a small puppy resembling a tiny Beagle in the car next to us. He was scratching on the window. I said to Max, "Come on." We both immediately got out of the truck. …
We went to the rheumatologist last week because Richard's vasculitis is still coming and going, despite the fact that he's on Prednisone. The rheumatologist and the emergency room doctor had the same diagnosis, which we had to look up online. …
I am very sad this week. I cried Saturday and Sunday, off and on, and then again Monday night. Why? My oldest baby moved out. …
Gosh, it sure would be nice to take a summer vacation that doesn't involve a trip to the E.R.! See: https://www.wirelesstrips.com/day-16-it-wouldnt-be-vacation-without-a-trip-to-the-er My latest update is here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com This week's Maxism: My sister, who came to visit us at a campground near her home, said she needed to change her baby's diaper. Max asked, "Is his diaper sweaty?" Hugs to all! Angela P.S. QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments - Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster - $100,000; Berkeley Books - $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill - $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html …
We're (still) officially "on vacation" this week, heading north in our RV after spending a week in West Virginia. We're in Maryland right now. To read about our adventures, and to see photos, click here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com This week's Maxism: "When I get married, we're gonna make another Hoy family." Hugs to all! Angela P.S. QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments - Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster - $100,000; Berkeley Books - $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill - $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html …
We're officially "on vacation" this week, meandering our way down to West Virginia and back in our RV. To read about our adventures, and to see photos, click here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com This week's Maxism: "Abstract artists are people who make up shapes!" Hugs to all! Angela P.S. QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments - Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster - $100,000; Berkeley Books - $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill - $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html …
On Tuesday morning, we embarked on a 3-week trip to West Virginia and back. We are meeting meeting Richard's dad and step-mommy there for our official summer vacation. …
None of our children has ever had imaginary friends...until now. Mason (age 3) has suddenly acquired a pet that nobody else can see. Last week, Mason came into our room, with his tiny hand outstretched, and said, "See my lizard?" …
Mason turned three years old this week. When you ask him how old he is, he yells, "I'm FREE!!!" Seems like just yesterday when he was hospitalized at just 12 days old. I still shudder when I remember that day. We are so very blessed that Mason is so healthy today! …
We're taking our official "summer vacation" with Richard's dad and step-mom again this year. I'm quite sure this year's trip to West Virginia won't quite compare to last year's trip to Key West but I know we'll have a blast just the same. Richard's dad is an ex-hippy, and is super cool. The kids worship him. His step-mom isn't much older than we are and I consider her one of my best friends. She's a school teacher but you'd never know it when you get her out of the classroom. Heh... …
A non-stop weekend at the Hoy household! …
Our daughter, Ali, attended her senior prom last week. She woke up early, before her friend, Ashley, arrived. Their first appointment of the day was to have their nails done. They then had their hair and make-up done at 3:00 PM. She was supposed to be dressed and ready to go at 5:10 PM because we were meeting an entire group of kids and parents at a local park to take pictures. There's a fountain there and the kids thought it would provide a nice background. Ali's boyfriends mother would be there, too, of course. At 4:45 PM, Ali still had not returned from getting her hair done. …
Richard took me on a surprise getaway last Friday for our anniversary. We returned home on Saturday, packed the RV, and drove to our land in Western Maine. Richard finished the storage shed and set up a solar gizmo that provides us with power in the RV when we can't or don't want to use the generator. It's pretty cool! …
Last week, Max got a sore throat and a runny nose. I'm not typically the type to run a kid to the doctor for a cold but the Swine Flu has me nervous. So, off we went. He had a low-grade fever by the time we got there. Strep was negative and they swabbed his nasal passages to test for swine and the other influenza. Uh, that nose swabbing stuff is NOT like they make it seem on the news. …
Last Thursday, we jumped in the RV and drove to the coast. We already had reservations at a campground there and we were determined to go, despite the forecast of rain - for every day of our trip. …
Richard spent part of last week and all weekend building me a deck and gazebo! It's beautiful!!! Frank helped Richard and he also helped me pull weeds and spread organic fertilizer. Mason enjoyed running his trucks through the fertilizer (yuck). I'm quite sure he won't have completely clean fingernails again until the snows come next winter. Mason and Max understandably want to spend ALL their time outdoors now...which is why we really needed the gazebo - so I can work outside while they play. Unfortunately, now it's supposed to rain all week. …
Swine Flu. Oh, joy. The bane of my recent sleepless nights and new gray eyebrows (seriously - that's the only place I can see gray hair!). …
Last week, I told you the road was clear and that we could get to our land in Western Maine. Despite having a terrible cold, with a cough I can't seem to shake (no, it's not Pertussis), we drove to our land on Saturday. It was a perfectly beautiful Spring day! The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the trees on the mountain, while still pretty bare, had tiny buds that you had to squint to see. The stream was gurgling from the recent snow melt and Max and Mason tossed in one pebble after another. …
As I wrote a few weeks ago, we're going to spend our free time this summer building on our land in Western Maine instead of taking long RV trips. Richard learned from our neighbors there this morning that our road is clear of snow and ice now so we can drive out anytime we want! …
On Monday afternoon, Max came inside to tell me that, while he was playing badminton with Daddy, his front tooth got caught in the net. …
During the winter in Bangor, Maine, the Penobscot River freezes over. If you go outside after dark, when there aren't many cars driving by, you can hear the ice cracking as it echoes along the boulders lining the mighty river. …
ichard took me on a surprise weekend trip to Conway, New Hampshire. We visited that beautiful down years ago and it was lots of fun to return. The town is in a valley and snow-capped mountains tower in the background. Our hotel room had a breathtaking view of the White Mountains and Mt. Washington can be seen from almost anywhere in town. …
Thanks so everybody who sent me empty-nest-syndrome support notes last week! They really did help. Ali's leaning toward attending the nearby school for two years so I am quietly breathing a sigh of relief. But, she hasn't signed the papers yet so I'm still a bit nervous. …
You'll be happy to know that I'm not going to talk about the weather this week! ;) Big news around the house these days is Ali (age 18) applied to two colleges and was accepted by both! One is nearby and very reasonable. The other is far away and very, very expensive. …
——– NOTE: The email issue had the wrong link it it. That is why you ended…
We had our worst storm of this Winter season on Sunday and Monday. We received 16.2 inches of snow and more than 100,000 homes lost power (we didn't). It took Richard, Frank and Ali quite some time to clear the driveway and sidewalk. We've been looking at the mounds of snow here, that just keep getting deeper by the week, and we're wondering how bad the Spring thaw and subsequent floods might be. We never flood as we're right on the river and about 40-50 feet up. But, when we have lots of snow during the winter, other people's homes do flood here. We're supposed to get more snow on Friday and even more late next week. …
As I type this, we are in traffic, somewhere in New Jersey on Route 1, heading north. We'll be on the interstate soon and Richard will want to stop and fill up the tank before we drive through New York City (well, around the city...but it's hairy all the same). If we were in the RV, we'd go out of our way, WAY out of our way, to avoid that traffic. But, it's not too bad in the truck. Last night, we slept in Princeton, New Jersey, after driving through the town and have a very nice dinner there. …
We did it! We escaped Bangor for a week, heading south to my sister's house to meet our sweet little nephew for the first time. As I'm typing this, we're racing south on I-95. There's tons of snow on the ground so we'll be looking for the drifts to get smaller and smaller, the further south we get. It is supposed to be in the upper 60's at my sister's when we're there so we all packed shorts. You think I'm kidding? This time of year, we think anything above freezing is a warm front! …
