"Hope is being able to see that there
is light despite all of the darkness.”
~~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Hi all,
I hope 2022 is starting out well for you! Mine's going
well... being on vacation for six days (two left) definitely
helps! However, I'm still feeling burnt out and not much
up for writing which is why this is brief.
For those who are interested, I did eventually finish the
Christmas story. It was late but that's okay. I also
forgot some of what I planned to include and know it wasn't my
best but given how crazy this past year was, I'm okay with
that. It helped me realize some of the following so that
makes it worthwhile to me.
Take care, stay warm, stay safe!
God bless,
Jenni
Thoughts and Plans for 2022
1. I'm rethinking how I incorporated COVID into the
Dyeland stories. In the real world, I am still very
cautious about COVID. I've been vaccinated and boosted and
wear masks in public. But I find I'm not mentally able to
maintain that level of caution in real life AND in the
stories. While I can't imagine just waving away COVID in
the Dyeland stories, for my own mental health, I can't keep
delaying stories and then rushing to write them once I get a
handle on what the COVID situation will be when the story is
actually set. For example, I may start writing the Spring
story in February. While I would certainly hope we don't
have another major variant coming into existence by April, we
might. And, God forbid, it may prompt another
shutdown. If that happens, that variant simply might not
exist in the Dyeland stories. And while I try to maintain
some sort of financial realism in the stories, that may also go
out the window. St. Genesius' might inexplicably be able
to afford endless PCR tests. So even though I'm not
personally going to any sort of arts events unless masks are
required, I may very well write scenes at St. G's with cast,
crew, and audience members all together and unmasked.
2. That being said... I may not write the Spring
story until well into Spring not because I'm waiting on the
COVID situation but because my life situation is just kinda
hectic right now. I still have lots of home repairs to do,
lots of clean-up, and also just some cutesy little projects that
aren't really necessary but lift my mood. I've also come
to the conclusion that Leo, my Treeing Walker Coonhound, is not
getting more independent as he ages but less. This poor
dog has issues! And one thing that really helps him is
spending copious amounts of time outside, basking in the
sun. Well, that's not something one can count on during
Nebraska winters and even early Springtime. So he's been
upset and needy and thus required more attention. So when
I get back to writing depends a lot on the weather and how much
I'm able to let nature soothe Leo versus me having to constantly
baby him.
3. There's also a chance I may take a hiatus... or even
multiple hiatuses... from the newsletter during this next
year. I'm not sure what that would look like. Maybe
it'll meaning re-sending a story that's already been released
like TV shows air re-runs. Maybe it'll mean just outright
skipping a week here and there. I'm not sure. I just
know that while I don't want to give up on the newsletters,
sometimes I don't always have ideas for them and taking time
away from my endless list of chores, or even a chance to relax,
trying to brainstorm a newsletter just because it's been two
weeks since I sent one maybe isn't the best use of my time or
energy.
4. Really what this all boils down to is I'm really making
a commitment to improving my physical and mental health this
year and I may not know what that means in advance. So I'm
not going to really make solid plans about what JABB and the
Dyeland stories will look like this year. Very little may
change. A lot may change. I just don't know.
It's possible that I'll have a really good February and by March
I'll want things to go back to normal. Who knows!
I've just come to realize how much self-imposed deadlines can
really make or break my mood. So I'm trying to not have as
many of those.
5. And I really hope all of you can make the best of 2022,
too! Whether life is pretty much back to normal for you or
the ongoing pandemic has you feeling stuck, I hope you can find
things that bring you joy and peace!
This newsletter is dedicated to John Dye for
continuing to be an inspiration as we enter 2022!
(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this
page are from Touched by an Angel and owned by CBS
Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water
Productions. They are not being used to seek
profit.)