I did it! I am now officially a published writer!I can’t believe I actually finished it. Today I finally published a book of some of my blogs on Amazon. It's been a long road. I started working on the book nine months ago. My art grief group, Nancy, Marsha, Mabel, Darrell, and our leader Chris, encouraged me to do it. Chris also helped guide me through the publishing process. I learned a lot in the process. I learned that I didn’t have a clue how much time and effort it would take to gather a bunch of stuff I had already written for my Little Old Lady with Cats blog, and put it together into a book. I discovered that, just like everything in life, I couldn’t do it alone. In addition to the grief group I had help from my friends. Fin and Linda M. inspired me with ideas, corrected my grammar and punctuation, and put me on the right path. Carol and Linda S. listened to my fears and frustrations and helped me keep going. Marion, editor extraordinaire, transformed my book into more than I ever imagined it could be. And Steven magically recreated me as a cartoon and transformed my words into drawings in a way only a master artist could manage. My sister Lin was there too. She is in the stories and in my heart. Her dream of me as an artist’s model inspired me to write a blog about being naked and vulnerable, baring my true self to the world. It became the inspiration for the title of the book. From the Introduction to the Book:I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my newfound freedom after I retired. I knew it wasn’t sitting in my recliner watching murder mysteries on TV, although I am inclined to do that too. A friend, who was a former housemate, suggested I try writing a blog, and Little Old Lady with Cats was born. She had read something I had written about trying to find a new pair of shoes for my nephew’s upcoming wedding, and that was the beginning of my writing journey. My friend told me that a good blog has a strong underlying focus, and I was focused on what the heck my new life as a retired little old lady was going to be, so my blog became: Although I sometimes feel like a caricature of a cat lady, my blog goes beyond the stereotype. It gives me a way to focus my energy on doing something purposeful and creative. Writing opens my heart and connects me to a sense of humor that I didn’t know I had.
My life and my blog have changed since I began writing about the perils of buying shoes online. I have had new housemates, new adventures, and new cats. Loss and grief, as well as joy and wonder, have given me a perspective I didn’t expect to find at this stage of life. Sharing life experiences through my blog has been good for my soul and, I hope, entertaining and thought-provoking for the people who read it.
1 Comment
Ginny Norlund
11/9/2022 09:01:26 pm
You are SUCH a good writer, Les!!!!
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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The Book Naked Little Old Lady with Cats A collection of Little Old Lady with Cats blogs * * *
WHAT IS A LITTLE OLD LADY WITH CATS - REALLY?
(from an entry posted on 5/1/2015) “I definitely fit some of the characteristics of a little old lady with cats: Retired - check, Single - check, Like to knit - check, Have cats - check. . .I do not want to get stuck in my Little Old Lady persona, however. In fact, this blog is a risk taking experiment in exploring and redefining what I want my retired life to look like.” Categories
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