On the 11th Day of Christmas...

My Universe gave to me...

A Port in a Storm

I don't know how it works for you but it's very important for me to create an atmosphere that is familiar, consistent, safe and comfortable. I've never been one of those people that can write in a cubicle, a coffee shop or a park. I can blog, I can email, I can IM, etc. anywhere. But to go where I need to go within myself to give birth to my characters and the stories they inhabit...I need peace and reasonably assured privacy.

My friends, the Many's have afforded me such a place. Their very own home. They have been astoundingly loving and giving to me and understanding of me. They offered me a port in my storm. I am allowed to come and go without announcement. No questions asked. If I'm having a dark day they leave me be til I'm ready to be human again.

The room I write in was once their oldest son's...now a dvd library of sorts. It sits at the very front of the house and also has a door to their laundry room. I don't either shut the door when I'm there because somehow the room is removed enough from the hustle bustle of the rest of the house while still allowing me to hear the comforting sounds of life around me. Except when it sounds like there are tennis shoes in the dryer. There's a big overstuffed chair and ottoman by the window where I set up shop. Their two dogs - Huskies named Lexi and Tasha, are my muses. They greet me with wild joy every single time they see me and eventually settle in on the floor at my feet, to keep me company. It's a truly beautiful thing. When I'm there, I can feel all the promise of what's possible, tangibly once more.


It's no small gesture to open one's home to someone...no matter how much you care for them...I don't think I could do it. But the Many's are extraordinary people. And I am very lucky to benefit from their kindness. I hope to be able to thank them properly some day but I know they're not keeping tabs.