Well, I’ve done it….

The National Novel Writing Month challenge (NaNo for those in the know) of 50,000 words by the end of November has been met. I hit it mid-week last week. As previously mentioned, the story isn’t finished yet (currently at 55,266), the murderer firmly established (in my mind, anyway); I just have to finish telling the rest of the story.

I must admit, I have enjoyed doing this. It has really gotten those creative juices flowing, and I am already thinking about a sequel for this story, although I don’t have a firm story idea yet.

I do want to thank all those who have been in my corner, cheering me on, nagging me when I wanted to rip and trash the whole story the fourth day into the challenge. I don’t know what the future holds for the story, whether it will be published or whether it will languish and gather dust on the shelf. But whatever happens, there will be another story to write. Just not as fast as this one.

It’s the holidays (rather obvious, eh?), and people will be scattering to the four corners of the world to spend time with their loved ones. However you get there, whatever you do, be safe and have fun. For your holiday amusement, I will relay one of my funny Thanksgiving moments.

My first Thanksgiving in Canyon, Texas, where I was attending school at West Texas A&M University. My son was three. I decided to make a turkey, why, I have no clue. I heated the oven, prepped the bird, put it in the pan. When the oven is ready, I slide the turkey in…and somehow manage to burn my right thumb on the heating element of the oven. 7 am in the morning and I’m driving to the ER in tears, the kid sitting in the middle of the back seat. Two hours later, I left with a huge bandage on my thumb with a diagnosis of a second degree burn. Have you ever tried to take a turkey out of an oven with your thumb three times its normal size because of white gauze? I had to go ask a neighbor to come take it out for me. I don’t even remember how I carved that sucker up, but we did eat it.

And now that I have left you with this lovely image in your head as you get ready to celebrate your Thanksgiving with your families, I will wish you Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels. Gobble gobble gobble!