It’s the middle of May, and the neighborhood has turned from dreary brown and muted green, as the grass moves from its lackluster winter color to bright green. Trees sprout new leaves, buried bulbs of perennials sprout green shoots, that will show floral colors in a few weeks. And as I write, my cardinals have been active in the area. I caught the female sitting on my deck railing.
Yes, spring comes late in Maine, compared to our southern
neighbors. But spring also brings rain. We’ve had plenty in the month of May,
including a few thunderstorms—not as usual at this time of year. But the
climate has changed over the years, and more and more humidity moves into the
northeast.
Remember the old adage…April showers bring May flowers? Well, here in the north it is now more like May showers bring June flowers. Yes, the lawn is littered with wild violets and the yellow of dandelions. Weeds? No! To me, as my grandmother taught me as a child, both “wild flowers” can be eaten and used in other ways. Dandelion wine from the petals, dandelion greens in place of sauteed spinach or arugula, violets sprinkled atop a salad or a special dessert, or as garnish on a nice meal out.
And a slew of acorns…and no, I don’t eat acorns. The squirrels
in the fall certainly recognize a good feast when they see one. They fatten up in
the fall, then they bury many acorns and pack away the rest in their own hiding
places, as they slow down for the winter. Spring in my yard sees the squirrels gain
back energy, as they run up and down the huge oak trunk, sprucing up their nests,
and yes, digging up buried acorns. This always amazes me that they know right
where they buried them the prior fall. Chipmunks also join the race for food in
the spring.
But, alas, as I sit here writing about the new beginnings that the spring season seems to bestow on us, I also bring news about our Romancing the Genres blogposts. Sadly, the month of May marks the end of the RTG blog, and therefore the end of my blogs for RTG. I have been here every month for over six and a half years. I will miss this - writing about my world around me, and making new friends, plus greeting old friends who stopped by to visit.
πππ
On a positive note, it frees up more time to work on my
books. But on the sad side of that coin, I will miss the challenge of trying to
think of “brilliant” commentary, from my point of view, to match the monthly
themes. To me, writing about real life seems to use a slightly different part
of my writer brain.
And, most of all, I’ll miss the interaction with all of you
as I read and answered your comments. But I won’t be far away, as I will have
at least one more book slated for publication this fall, and one most likely
coming out later in 2025 or early in 2026—both in the Cowboys of Mineral
Springs series. And I have other books in the works.
π
So here is to a fond farewell, as I wave goodbye from RTG. But I’ll see you soon somewhere down the road.
~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home
fires burning ~
Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary
westerns, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.
Author of the Starlight Grille
series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short
romances for Woman’s World magazine
(most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition and a Thanksgiving story in the December 2 edition.) The Love
Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the
way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday
Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family)
were the most recent releases. Look for book 4 of the cowboy’s series, the Sheriff’s
story, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in 2025-2026.
Delsora, you touched on one of the things I'll miss also and that is writing to the monthly themes. It sometimes amazes me that a theme I thought would be fun to write to when brainstorming them with Sarah McDermed, is not as easy peasy when the time comes to actually write it. And I hadn't thought that writing a blog post activated a different part of the brain. I'll keep that in mind.
ReplyDeleteJudith - I thank you and Sarah for inviting me to join the RTG blog community years ago. I was thrilled. It has been a wonderful experience. And I will miss doing this every month. Although, as I mentioned, at times it was a hard task. But, writing blogs taught me a lot, and challenged my brain to do something different.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry the RTG blog will be ending. I enjoyed reading the posts and comments. But 6 1/2 years is a long time to keep it going so we understand, of course. Good luck with your writing and books!
ReplyDeleteHAH! Gail, I totally relate, I do that almost every time and have to go back and let people know who the post is from. Thanks for your very sweet and thoughtful words. It was GREAT seeing you last weekend at the retreat. And thanks for the lovely basket I won from you. More later on that, as I SLOWLY unpack the goodies.
DeleteALSO - To Cynthia - thanks so much. I will miss writing them. But hope to find other blogs to write for on occasion. The 6 and 1/2 years was how long I wrote for them, but I believe the blog had been going for quite a while before I joined in.
Delsora, I agree with you that writing blogposts is a good exercise for the brain --a different perspective and different brain cells used! But your warm, engaging, emotional writer voice has always come through in your posts, as it does in your fiction. I'll miss reading your monthly posts of "everyday thoughts"! But I'm also glad you'll have a bit more time for your books. I'm looking forward to reading them!
ReplyDeleteHeh, that anonymous comment was from me --I forgot to set up the identification info first!! (sigh)
ReplyDeleteYour lovely post sent me to Maine for a few minutes! Thanks for all your posts, and I wish you every happiness in the future.
ReplyDeleteLynn - thanks so much for stopping by. Maine is a great place to visit, so I'm glad I could impart a bit of what it's like to live in this lovely state - my home for 50 years. It took a bit to acclimate to rural and small-town life after being brought up as a city girl. But I wouldn't live anywhere else. I'll find other ways to write about Maine in books (most of my romances are small-town based books,) and short stories. But I will truly miss writing this blog.
DeleteDelsora, It has aways amazed me how different authors can take a theme or topic and go in so many different directions with it! Thank you for your many contributions to RTG. I will miss blogging here, too, but will enjoy having time to pursue new goals. Happy Writing!!!
ReplyDeleteSarah - I still remember the thrill when I received the email inviting me to blog with RTG. I learned so much from you and Judith, as well as from writing these posts. A challenge I loved, despite the "under-the-breath-cursing" when I confronted a topic I wasn't sure I could write about. And... the thrill I got when I finally thought of an angle.
DeleteI've really enjoyed your blog posts through the years. I know we'll still be in touch with goal reporting and the loop. All the best in your future writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diana - the wonderful thing about discovering and writing for RTG, was reading or seeing all the monthly posts. Your gorgeous photos were always uplifting!
DeleteInteresting how flowers and when they bloom is so different for the various parts of the country. I thought ours were slow. Maine is slower than Oregon. See you around!
ReplyDeleteBarb, it seems Maine is slower this year. Lot s of rain and cooler Temps than normal this spring. But flowering bushes are beautiful and green sprouts have burst forth in growth the last few weeks with all the rain. We are slowly getting there. today rainy and only 49 - a bit of brrrrrr. Have my space heater on under my desk to take the chill off. And, the mountains in western Maine got snow last night - AHHHHH! So, I guess I can't complain about rain.
DeleteCongrats on being part of such a long running blog. Six and a half years of monthly posts is a huge achievement. Enjoy using the extra time and room in your head for other things.
ReplyDeleteAnita - thanks so much for stopping by. I know - over 6 years - WOW. But RTG has been around much longer than that. Despite procrastinating, most months, as I tried to sort through what to say on various themes, it was a great brain stimulator to come up with ideas and then keep the writing short. I hate to admit it, but those who know me, know I can be a "bit" long winded at times.
DeleteA wonderful tribute to Maine spring and to this blog column. Congratulations on being such a prolific blog poster here and on your success with your novels. Kudos and hugs!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Susan. And thanks for being such a loyal reader of these blogs over the years. I miss seeing you in person. Maybe this summer I can get up your way! Been a while since I drove Route One north! Miss you...
DeleteWill miss the blog column and your posts! It's been wonderful to read them! Looking forward to your next book!! Bright blessings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vera. I definitely enjoyed the challenge of writing blogs versus fiction. Throughout the years, I wrote a lot of nonfiction features for 3 different school magazines and some non-profits. Writing these blogs brought me back to what went in to writing feature-type stories, but through a blog format. I'll miss that, as writing blogs helped me clear the brain after writing and editing fiction.
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