Today is the last day of April and that alone puts me in a good mood. I’ve spent most of this month working on my current work-in-progress, my novel Clemency. I’m happy to say that I exceeded my goal of reading and revising 100,000 words. But I am not done. More needs to be added, chapters and scenes need to be rearranged, and transitions need to be finessed. But I am so much further along than I thought I would be at this point. That brings me some joy. 

Also this month I underwent a procedure for my arthritic neck. It had been scheduled for May 6, but (yay for me), the doctor needed to reschedule, and I was able to have it done on April 21. I was very relaxed during the procedure thanks to Valium and the other drowsy-making drug I can never remember. The staff and my doctor were wonderful. However, when I came home, I immediately went to my bed (practically crawling) and then slept for four hours. I didn’t expect to be so out-of-it, as if I was just coming out of major surgery.

I suspect the relaxants plus the local anesthetic used to numb the injection site combined to knock me out. My husband has been disappointed that I haven’t yet experienced the steroid high that he experienced when he had a shot in his lumbar region a few years ago. Me too, but I can say that, although the right side of my neck still cramps occasionally, causing me pain, it’s been less frequent. I can now go many hours without thinking about my neck at all.

There’s still time for the steroid to kick in, but if it doesn’t, it likely means that my doctor missed the spot. Oh, well. It was still worth it.

In other news … Merril D. Smith’s first collection of poetry River Ghosts has been published by Nightingale & Sparrow. Don’t you just love this cover?!

And Kevin Brennan’s new novel The Prospect will be available starting tomorrow, May 1. You guessed it! The novel has something to do with baseball.

Stayed tuned for my reviews of these two books. In the meantime, I leave with this, perhaps my most favorite of all my bumblebee-and-thistle photos.

Comments are closed because I need to get back to work.