Fini

The novel, my honors thesis, is completed and in the hands of my project director, my reader, and my committee. I will be orally defending it on April 7. My director wants me to submit it when we are finished. I will have a chance to revise as per my committee's suggestions. I was blown away when my director said, "This is a superb novel, a powerful story." What more does a writer want to hear about the work (s)he does? And I have begun the sequel to Ramblings.

At this time writing and studying is challenging. My father passed away unexpectedly last week. He was supposed to stick around until I graduate May 15 and for my nephew--his grandson--to graduate from high school at the end of May. He was so excited that I was going to finish what I started so many years ago. I am the first of his branch of the family tree to graduate from college. So I have to work through this difficult time. He knew that I would follow through and finish. And it thrilled him to hear that I will begin working on my master's degree in creative writing in a year.

There are reasons why we pursue dreams...for ourselves, for our families. My #2 daughter told her 13-year-old son that they are going to my graduation ceremony. He is thrilled. She wants him to see this because he needs to know about dreams and making them happen; he is going to college. That is a given.

What does this have to do with writing? Maybe not a lot. Except that writing is my dream, the dream that has fed me for a very long time. And now I am headed in the right direction. I am almost there. The gold ring is within sight. YES!!!