Mindy Carlson

I was all set to write a pithy tale of my trip to Disney World with my BFF Shaun (The Thelma to my Louise) when life had the audacity not to go as planned.

Although, I did get to hear a teen call Harrison Ford an “uncrustable sandwich” in a tone that suggests this is a high compliment. I carry this phrase with me like a beacon of joy.

The trip was blissfully fun and I guess I was proactively resting up from the onslaught set to come.

First, Dad totaled the car. It’s astonishing how little damage can “total” a car. If the airbags go *poof* your car is done for. He’s fine. Mom’s fine. Except…

Mom had an emergency temporary pacemaker put in. Last year, you may recall, she was at Mayo for a new heart valve. At her one-year check-up her heart rate was 26bpm. The doctors were Very Concerned and Mom took another step towards becoming The Bionic Woman.

The next day the temporary pacemaker was turned into a permanent pacemaker through another long surgery. So yay! But, boo! Mom’s blood pressure skyrocketed and then bounced all around the high zone like a toddler on caffeine.

So, after an entire third day in the hospital, she was released back into the wild.

Then we got the amazing news Child#1 got into his top choice for college. I almost got whiplash rocketing up to the awesome joy for him from the anxiety and concern for Mom. Now we just have to figure out how to afford the tuition.

Selling a new book would certainly help. The manuscript I finished in the spring is still out with 5 more publishers. (Fantastic publishers, frankly.) I’m about to finish another and send it to beta readers before sending it to my agent for her assessment.

More stories are coming, I promise. Publishing is a nebulous and slow-moving universe that will not be rushed. Just like in the Great British Bake Off, things take as long as they take. Also, like in the GBBO if you try and whack it up to 500 to get it back faster it all ends in disaster.

Another apt GBBO parallel….

By the way, my newsletter this month was very different than this blog post. If you’d like reading recommendations and other booky-world tidbits please sign up for my monthly newsletter.