Time passes quickly-work piles up and it's all in a day. I laugh and cry as I enjoy the day God has honored me with as I try to balance my life of writing and doing what is required duties.

Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri is planning on nominating a state poet laureate. Nominate your favorite poet by December 1st at http://gov.missouri.gov/MPL.htm. Information provided by Sylvia Forbes, Freelance writer.

Cara Brookings,contemporary novel Gadget Greek, for middle grade is under contract with Goldminds Publishing, LLC. This is her second novel to be published. Her first novel Doris Free, a historical fiction was published by Mondo Publishing. She is a member of the Arkansas Chapter of SCBWI. Kathy Duffield another member was honored with a letter of merit in the SCBWI Work-in-Progress grant competition this year for her young adult novel. Arkansas SCBWI Spring Conference held at UCA on April 11-12, 2008 will have speakers Jennifer Emmett, editor at National Geographic, Lisa Graff, editor at FSG and author Melanie Hope Greenburg.

Author Jane Yolen will be holding workshops at Columbia, Missouri during November. Click on http://www.kindcrone.com/ under November events. Milbre Burch recommends this workshop to all published writers working in the fairytale and fantasy genre. Don't forget SCBWI/Missouri Conference Saturday November 10, 2007 at St. Charles Community College. http://www.geocites.com/scbwimo

This was a greet week for me. One morning I had coffee and molasses cookies with Valerie, one of my writing friends. She provided the cookies. She loves to cook. We both missed our other friend Lonny as she was under the weather. We always have a good time together. Valerie mentioned one can only talk about writing to another writer. If you say you are a writer to a non-writer, they look at you as if you had another eye in the middle of your forehead. Serious writers are professional writers who keep the green monster in check.

I attended the local Arts & Crafts Show. The fairground building was packed with lots of hard working craft people. I saw my friend Dorothy and her husband James Wheeler, of Mountain Home. They both are nature photographers that do outstanding work. I met Lonny Canady from Maumelle, Arkansas. He is a landscape artist whose work took me to imaginary places from my past and where I wish I was again. His paintings take your breath away. He'll be at Mountain View Bean Festival coming up next week. I am glad to see a gourd artist from Bull Shoals still crafting her wonderful imaginary fantasy items. All one needs is some fairy dust and shrinking powder to enter. I love the jewelery created with beautiful stones. You can check out the local craft gift shop on the square at Mountain Home. Plus, I attended the Bull Shoals Art Show where the it gets bigger each year. They are a dedicated art group of enjoyable people.

Check out my other blog: http://submarinestories.blogspot.com