Well, hello there!
Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet. It’s been a while! It’s been so long, in fact, that I wanted to write a quick post to share where I’ve been and what I’m working on these days.
First, where I’ve been:
The TL;DR version is that my older daughter, Violet, received a complicated medical diagnosis about a year ago, so I’ve significantly cut back on the amount of work I’m taking on. And by “significantly” I mean almost entirely. My daytime hours are dedicated to my girls.
Next, what I’m working on:
I decided early on that all my “spare” time would go toward work that fuels my soul. Why? Well, having kids with a lot of extra needs means my needs are most often last on my list. So, I figured the time I could set aside–on Sundays when John is free to take over full-time parenting duties and early mornings before my family wakes up–would go toward work for me, not for clients.
So, I’ve been writing a book!
It’s the story of my dogs–Emmett, Lucas, and Cooper–and how our lives intertwined so thoroughly that they forever changed me. Born a shy introvert afraid to speak up, my dogs taught me how to finally allow myself to be seen. They helped me find my voice. In turn, I used my newfound strength to advocate for them as we tackled anxiety, fear, cross-country moves, and cancer. The book intertwines the science of dog behavior and canine cognition with heartfelt stories of me and my dogs.
It’s complete and with a beta reader right now. I know I’ll have more edits to make, but I’m starting to work on the proposal now and research agents to pitch. (If you’ve been in the querying trenches and have advice to share… I’m all ears!)
We’re at the halfway point in the year, and I’ve refined my time and goals so thoroughly that I’m focused entirely on three things and nothing else: finding an agent for my book, continuing to improve my sign language skills for our younger daughter who is hard of hearing, and adding in some yoga and bike riding.
So, there you have it: where I’ve been and where I’m going.
I hope all’s well with you and yours! What are YOUR goals for the rest of the year?
Take good care,
