Yesterday, I picked up my final chapters of my third story from my dear friend and line-editor, Charlotte. To have the pages in my hand and bring them home felt like a monumental step forward.

I spent the better part of yesterday and today going through those chapters and inputting the changes and when I was done, the book was done (or at least the first pass through the final chapters was complete).  Tomorrow, I check all the changes, review for typos and generally get the pages ready for printing and the final read on Friday.

I almost had to breathe a big sigh and contemplate the waning of this week because on Monday I begin the process of formatting my third story into an ebook, a process I expect will take 2 weeks and must be completed by March 11 when my kids go on Spring Break for 2 weeks. Thereafter we enter the land of the 24-hour trampoline bum drops/tree climbing/badminton tournaments/Fuller House new episodes on Netflix and all things school and schedule go up in smoke for me.

I am excited but torn, as I imagine I will feel when my two children leave the nest (not for another 10 years thankfully) but the same hopefulness that they will be ok out in the world on their own. Have I given them enough life lessons to find joy, luck and love? It is the same with my books. Have I crafted a story well enough to please generations of readers? Either way, my time with Mabel, Tabby and Hugh in Petra is drawing to a close. I am sad, I miss them already but I’ve started a new reading list for research on book 4.

We are going to New York City. My favorite city in the world. I wonder how Mabel will like it when she arrives there next summer.