Going to the Fair

 

 I made it to the Minnesota State Fair. I was there for about 9 hours and saw no one I know. I have lived in Minnesota for over thirty years. Who are all these people?

Mostly I people watched. To have such a huge slice of humanity served up before  me was a rare treat. When you are up in years, and live alone, you get used to interacting with a diminishing group of folks. 

This was sensory overload, and I loved it. 

The weather was neither hot nor cold. Rare in our state. The food was rich in calories and delicious, but still caused a little regret at the end of the day. Why did I even eat that? Why did I not eat that? In case you  have never been to the  Minnesota State Fair, it is ALL about the food.

It is a rite of passage. The Fair marks the end of summer and the beginning of  Fall. In fact, I just looked at the weather report on my computer and it is currently 49 degrees.

It will warm a bit again. Our Fall season is enjoyable, but summer is past. Alas.

 

Regards, Katherine 

 

Saying Goodbye to Summer

 

 I love summer. As it draws to an end I am sad. It's probably a kick back to being a kid and knowing that those wonderful days of sleeping in or getting up early (your choice) riding bikes to the swimming pool, or meeting friends at the park, or spending a lazy afternoon at the library were soon to be replaced with a rigid calendar filled with someone else's agenda.

Also, I live in Minnesota, a place that snuggles up to the Canadian border and is known for it's cold and snowy winters: long, cold and snowy winters. Summer is when we eat outside, shed the coats and gloves and boots, and enjoy  lakes that are no longer iced over and are ripe for boats and fishing and water sports. Think jet skis, water skis and jumping off the pontoon for a refreshing swim.

Looking back on the past few months I realize I have squandered many of these days by staying home. Summer is the time for adventure. Have I missed out? As I panic, as usual, when confronted with the dog days of summer I hold on to one comforting thought. The Minnesota State Fair is open until Labor Day, so next week I will make my annual trip to the fair to celebrate summer's outside fun, and bid dear summer a fond farewell.

I remind myself that there are still warm days in September and early October. It's not time to panic. The cold is not yet right around the corner. 

 But I am getting a little nervous. 

 

 Peace,

Katherine 

 

 

          The Case of the Missing Blogger           

 

 

 

I fell off the blogging wagon to ride the rails as an Independent, Self-Published author. It's been a wild ride. I finished the first four books of my middle grade detective series and am weeks way from finishing Book 5. 

Still, I miss blogging. It's where I reflect on my own story. Right now, I am struggling.  When you self-publish, you are not only the writer, but the marketing company as well. That is a whole new skill to learn, and I find I am an old dog, resisting learning these new tricks. 

Instagram bombs, X missteps, YouTube failures, and e-mail list tales of horror fill my dreams at night. I'm still techno challenged after all these years, probably because of the "old dog" thing.

And now, sigh, CHAT GPT.   

This world of wonders keeps me wondering. I spent an hour at the library yesterday having a knowledgeable young man in a skirt show me how use an excel worksheet, and how to create a google doc and obtain a link to such "doc". 

Here's the link to my latest offering, and thanks for listening to me whine.

https://www.amazon.com/EAGLE-RIVER-DETECTIVES-BOOKS-1-4-ebook/dp/B0FC7YW8M8

Peace, 

Katherine