What was supposed to be dead is now alive … maybe

If you’re like me, then 2020 was a blur of trying and hoping and wishing – all while not really doing. It was the rare person who made major accomplishments that year. Now, nearly at the end of 2021, many (most?) of us are looking around our yet-to-be-perfectly-cleaned homes and asking, “wait, where did that year go too?”

For me, I became a lover of Zoom, On-line workshops, Stitch-n-Bitches at a distance, and MOCs. My laptop has seen more internet time than in the previous decade. AT&T now regrets ever offering me an “unlimited” plan for service on my cell phone. And – its true – I showed insufficient reluctance once again and volunteered for a new organization. While 2020-2021 was a blur overall, the biggest step forward for me was a mystery.

No, seriously, it was a mystery – as in, I wrote a mystery ** and joined an organization that supports women (and men) mystery writers: Sisters in Crime. SinC was fun up until the Pandemic, but with everyone in lockdown and lock in, they really stepped up! With Zoom making lectures and meetings unlimited, certainly not hindered by physical location, chapters across the U.S. and Canada started opening their doors to everyone. Every weekend a plethora of workshops and resources presented their best – and they continue to do so. Boredom and lack of conversation was made impossible. I’ve met authors from all over the nation. I attend write ins and do book readings. It’s great! So much so, I’ve volunteered to be the President of the Coastal Cruisers chapter of SinC for 2022. (That’s not as impressive as it might sound, the Leadership Team is so good, I am never in the unhappy position of having to do it all which too many group leaders end up.)

Will you be hearing more about SinC. Heck yeah!

Will you be seeing ghosts and creepy serial killers and murderous phantoms? You bet!

Life has taken an odd turn and I’m loving it.

Here’s to an amazing 2022 for all of us. Be safe, be heathy, remember we don’t live in a vacuum. In the words of Pedro Pascal, actor, the Mandalorian: “Be Gentle, be kind.” I’ll just add, ” … and let me scare the socks off you.”