Now that I’m home, I’m sitting here listening to my youngest, a teenager as of a few weeks ago, playing the guitar in her room.  It seems like yesterday that she was chasing my dad down the beach in her diaper.  You blink and they’re in school.  Blink again and they’re wearing make-up and talking about boys.  Blink once more and you’re teaching your fifteen year old how to drive and sticking a soda straw in your mouth so you don’t say all the things you swore you wouldn’t say when you taught your kid how to drive.

The next years will go just as quickly, I know.  A blink and I’ll be at a graduation, or sitting in the special place reserved for the mother of the bride (or groom).  If I’m lucky, one day I’ll be toting around a grandbaby of my own.

I have lots of prayers for my children.  But recently I was reminded of how valuable every moment is, that the things I put off, I may not have a chance to do.  I want to grab hold of these precious times and enjoy them.  Savor them.  So I’ve added to my prayers that I would live in the moment, that I wouldn’t push aside the offer for a card game or an impromptu trip to the nail place.  That I would make the time to hear about the latest video game release or the newest song on the radio.

Sometimes work can wait.  But life can’t.

Dinner Thursday night with Catherine Mann, Danica Favorite, Joanne Rock, Dana Corbit, Brenda Minton, and me!  It was quite warm outside, but there was a nice breeze.  And the food was amazing.

Harlequin’s 60th Birthday cake.  Yummy!

Author Holly Jacobs, Danica Favorite, and me at the Harlequin party, held at the Ritz-Carlton.

My two beautiful and talented roomates, Joanne Rock and Catherine Mann.

After the Rita awards, Missy Tippens, me and Dana Corbit.

It was tons of fun…I think Lenora Worth had her cute husband Don taking pictures at the literacy signing, so I’ll try to post one of those, too.  That was my first “event” and I was completely overwhelmed and awed by 500 authors signing in one room.  If you’re ever close enough to go, it’s worth the trip just to see!  It’s so cool!!

• Romance writers are a friendly bunch.  The first day when our room wasn’t ready, we spent the afternoon in the coffee shop chatting with authors and the occasional editor or two–it was fun meeting new people and renewing old friendships.
• I need to write more, better, faster. Whoa, that’s a lot of talent in one place.
• My editor is beautiful and smart.
• Shoes do not agree with me.  I’m from Florida.  I wear flip-flops.  My feet may never be the same.
• Writers like to dance.  I do as well, but I’m really bad at it.  I hope there was no video involved. (I told my 13yo daughter I danced and she was like, “Oh no, Mom, you didn’t do that booty thing, did you?”)
• The Ritas are an event not to be missed.  But you should eat before you go.
• It was so cool being in a place where two thousand other people speak the same “language” I speak.
• The experience being with all these incredibly talented women was so inspiring!  From those just starting out to those who have camped on the bestseller lists…it’s completely overwhelming, amazing, incredible thing.

There’s more–so much more–and I’m sure I’ll do another post when I’ve had time to process it all.  And hopefully I’ll find a few pictures.  Right now, I need to go polish up a proposal before my kids get up!

“And I’ll have to rewrite that paragraph…”