January 22 Newsletter text

I’ve not been sending you things of late, for which I apologize. The holidays happened, my son got Covid, but luckily it was a mild case, various other things, but of most import is the fact that my aging parents have reached the point where they need help.

My parents grew up in the depression and later became cattle ranchers. They have always been fiercely independent, proud, and private. Unfortunately, this has led to a situation where my mother did not want to admit how difficult caring for my father has been, and how much his health has been declining. I live a state away and so I don’t see them as regularly as I would wish.

A couple weeks ago, dad ended up in the hospital, where he is still today. He’ll be going into hospice because while he’s getting better physically, mentally he is not. The good news is that my mother and he will be able to live together in an apartment at an assisted care place and hospice will come in there. The other good news is they have long term care insurance.

What it means to me is two different things. First, I know I’m losing my dad soon. Whether he passes or whether his mind goes, it’s inevitable and I’m trying very hard to come to terms with it. I know it’s life. I know he would not want to continue this way. I am having a hard time reconciling the dad I always remember and have in my heart—hale and hearty and bigger than life—and the man who he is now. They are the same, and yet they are not.

The other thing it means is that I’ll be taking over for my parents on a lot of fronts. I want them to worry about as little as possible. I am just hoping nothing falls through the cracks.

In other news, Scatter of Light is getting closer to publication. I’m not sure when it will be out, but finally you’ll know what happened after Gregg jumped and Cass was shot. It’s a big fat book and I hope you love it. I’ll update you more as I know things, but I expect it’ll be out in a couple of months probably.

I’m also working on Putting the Chic in Psychic. It’s the second Everyday Disasters book and will be published in another Dirty Deeds anthology, this time including me, Faith Hunter, Devon Monk, R.J. Blain, and Jennifer Estep. You can preorder at your favorite online bookstore. Here’s a link to Amazon.

I’ve also been painting and sculpting plastic horses, which has been a real blessing, mostly because it’s a little bit like meditating and it helps me cope.