Contentment Like a cat sleeping in a sunny window

Now that I'm into my days off this summer, and I've chosen to do something entirely different (not writing), I'm  happier than I've ever been.
[BIG SIGH]

I'm not checking to see how my books are doing--selling, or not selling--every day. I barely check now. It seems no matter how much promotion I did, it just didn't make any difference.  So, I'm not going to beat myself on the head any more. If they sell, fine. My publisher takes the lion's share anyway. And it seemed no mater what I did or he did, they don't sell any more than they've ever sold. In other words, I'm not getting rich enough to retire from my bus driving job.

It's not that I've quit writing. But I'm on a big hiatus from it. Need to be for my own mental and emotional well-being. So, if anyone asks, you can tell them I'm taking a looooong break. I may not do much more than finish the Sabrina Strong series. I just don't want to even look at a manuscript right now.

Instead, I'm gardening, and seeing the fruits of last year's hard, hard work, come to fruition, and I'm glad I did what I did last summer. The lupines I dug up from park (shhhh!), which the resource guy claimed was seeds that were not indigenous to our area, I thought, well, if he doesn't like lupines, I effing do, and so I dug up several plants. This required me to go about a half mile on a trail, with a pail and shovel and I dug up some plants and transplanted them all into my gardens. This year the largest one looks wonderful! Has several flower spikes that came up and is blossoming now. Our spring is very late. I don't think the catalpa trees will even blossom, or if they do, it won't be much. We had 3 snowfalls in April. We are now getting the rain we should have had in April. This weather is very screwed up. Not sure if it has anything to do with the volcano in Hawaii, but it's not helping, I'm sure, even though it's half a world away.

And then there's my newest interest: watercolor painting. The above is one of my most recent pieces I did. I'm getting better every time I work on one. When I began painting in watercolors, I didn't know what I was doing, or how to do it until I found someone on line that gave free lessons. It's still a challenge for me to get it just right. But, with the money I am getting for my paintings, I've invested in better paints and I think, eventually they'll look even better than they do now.

At this point in time, I've now sold 3 paintings (one was commissioned and I really didn't like painting Sponge Bob, but it was money in my hand). I don't have to share it with anyone, and I use it for materials I need.

On getting into a gallery. Tried, but no go. They said they couldn't "show" my paintings "at this time". That's a rejection if I've ever heard one. Oh well, it's not as though my work (writing) has never been rejected before. So, I said, never mind. I'll go my own way. I may take my paintings to a farmer's market. I just don't know how well that will work. I've done craft shows before, and it's boring, but I did make money on my crafts. Once I get a few more things I need in order to show them w/o having them ruined by rain or whatever, I'll look into it.

That's all for now.
PURRRRR....