(Photo by Dylan Baker, Winter Park High School senior. One of many photos featured in my upcoming book).

It probably appears that I haven’t written much about my road to writing, as discussed in my last blog on Oct. 11. (Has it really been that long? Yikes!)

But, I beg to differ.

I was and have been writing. Just not here.

I am back here though and I’m excited to continue sharing my road to writing. In five words: It has been crazy hard. Beginning first with this blog site. I notice I get on a roll, little things happen (i.e. hurricane, accident, holidays) that derail me, and then I stop. Then what happens next is so NOT “momentous living,” the theme of my book.

I tell myself I don’t want to start blogging again until I have the time, the energy, the know how to do it “right” by all social media standards and rules. Problem is, if I keep waiting until all the planets “rightly” align, until I can follow all the so-called rules, I’ll never start blogging again. And I have much to blog.

For starters, today I’m in a funk. My 98-year-old grandmother isn’t doing well. I thought I was ready for her departure. Yesterday though, when I received news of her declining condition, I burst into tears. Who is ever ready for death? Some of you might remember my grandmother. I blog about her sometimes. She’s the one who got stuck in the closet with her bra wrapped around her wheelchair. (July post). Yes, her. Beautiful beautiful her. So today, after hearing about her news, I’m in a funk.

And started blogging, for me, for my grandmother. And hopefully somehow for you too.

So, to catch you up…I am still writing that book I keep talking about. And I’m still trying to launch in October. And yes, I will be blogging about all the crazy stuff that goes into birthing a baby book.

For today, the here and now, let me give you a tiny glimpse of what I’m up against by leaving you with the following words from my editor, Alissa McGowan:

“There’s a lot of good material here, and I really love where you’re going with this on the whole. You’ve got great concepts and questions, and your overall message is excellent and with immense potential to impact people and change lives. But I’ll be honest with you: we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Don’t you hate the big buts? You know the ones: All is well, but… You’re awesome, but… This looks good, but…I’ll be honest with you.

Writing a book is like facing a mountain: it involves daunting big buts, as you climb over one boulder, only to be left facing another. There’s much to learn in all of this climbing though, stuff I will be blogging about––a bit imperfectly.

As for my grandmother, she is still here, struggling through every hour of her days left. Yesterday she told me in her weak voice, “I have the best grandchildren in the world. I could put them up against the best of them, and I would come out on top every time.”

That’s why I’m blogging again, in my funked up state, because my grandmother believes in me despite my big buts.

Do you care to join me again?

Please say yes. I would love your company.

And please, invite your friends too. We’ll climb together.