Inkhounds

I Don't Have Time to Write Anymore

2011-10-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

After a lot of thought and hours of discussion, I decided to take the plunge and open an eBay store. The decision wasn't easy for me because I knew it would require changes and sacrifices. Sacrificing stuff isn't always a hard thing for me, but it's a hard thing for me to impose sacrifice on others, like my family.

For years I've wanted to write, and so I wrote. I wrote children's books, I wrote blogs, I wrote website content, business junk and all manner of social networking posts. I rewrote and rewrote and submitted my little gems to editors. My stack of rejections is my trophy and I grudgingly display said trophy in the third drawer down of the Hon filing cabinet wedged somewhere between Mortgage and Taxes. Although it would seem more fitting wedged between Blood and Sweat/Tears.

Opening an eBay store meant I would have to abandon a silly little dream (I had) of publishing any of my work, because there just aren't enough hours in a day to run an eBay store, work a 3-day week at the Big Insurance Company, parent, grandparent, wife (wife is sometimes a verb -- like parent, btw) and maintain all the other important tasks for which I owned responsibility. In one fell swoop with a wee click of the mouse, life changed. Writing ceased. I thought.

I don't write books, content and articles anymore. Instead, I write listings. Tons of eBay listings including descriptions of all sorts and such. Also, the photography that I love is integral to the store. I snap hundreds of pictures a month, which I very enjoy. Also, I never EVER rewrite, tweek, rephrase slash or stash. I never reach for the thesaurus. I'm content enough doing the real writing in my personal journals.

Almost every week, my family and I load up the SUV and head to auction where I purchase most of my eBay wares. When we return home and unpack the bins, bursting with wonderful treasures, the family is as excited as I am and we ooooh, ahhhhh and ogle over all the unique pieces. We are far more engaged than we were when I was holed up in the office night and day pumping out page after page of would be reject Hon trophy material.

I didn't shed a tear that day when I set my writing aspirations on the shelf above my desk between the Mojolica figurals and the Depression Glass (that I won at auction). I felt far more useful and validated - like my B.A. in English (which I recently proudly acquired at all manner of great cost) meant something more than a student loan payment every month. eBaying earns me more some weeks than writing did in a year.

On a recent road trip to auction, Hubs mentioned that I might want to hang on to all of the eBay images of sold items to use in conjunction with a book I could write about business and eBay. The lights, albeit still very dim, turned on again . . . just enough to spy the writing resource books. I have yet to blow off the dust.

I guess my whole point here is that life is all about adjustments. As in writing when we tweek sentences and sweat over transitions, we really do the same thing every day in our lives. We have to. Although I wanted my writing to be successful, I didn't know what needed adjusted to make it happen. Perhaps all the tweeking I've done over the years on paper, which mostly resulted in rejection (I know I already mentioned that), gave me the extra tenacity and courage to take bigger risks. Maybe I'll write about business and eBay. For certain, it's not a topic that topped my list of fav genres ten years ago. Though I'd rather publish one of my already finished, tweaked, polished children's books, I might use eBay as a possible window of opportunity because it could land me closer to the "welcome" mat at the Child Editor door.

In the meantime, I have a ton of images to crop and listings to post on eBay. I don't have time to write.

About Global Warming

2009-09-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

It's true we should be good stewards of the earth. We should make efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses, conserve energy and be less wasteful. Because those are good things to do. We should learn moderation. But, what about stories like this that carry a different set of facts regarding global warming?

Writing Contest

2009-08-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Writing Contest

FundsforWriters is a wonderful website. I would highly recommend it to any writer. This is a great contest! - Kimberly

FundsforWriters Annual Essay Contest

FundsforWriters. com and VIPAuthors.com present an annual essay contest.

I'm Usually on PNN

2009-05-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

Although I try to post here on this blog from time to time, I spend most of my blogging time at http://kimink.pnn.com. Hop on over and see what's happening!

Interview with Margot Finke, Children's Author

2009-03-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

KM: Hi Margot, Welcome to PNN.com and thank you for taking time to visit and share with us. Many of the bloggers here are also writers in various stages of their careers. Other PNNers just enjoy the PNN platform and appreciate the atmosphere, which PNN.com calls "A Global Water Cooler for Women". I also want to thank you for agreeing to check back throughout the next week to answer PNNer questions and comments they leave in this blog post. Can you talk a little about the process of writing?

MF: The how of writing varies with different people. Most of my great ideas come in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. There is something about laying my head on the pillow in our bedroom that makes my eyes fly open, and my brain cells go into overdrive. If I don't creep into the bathroom (where I keep paper and pen) and jot down notes, I won't sleep a wink!! As for the writing, I can't resist tweaking as I go along. It goes down as it comes to me, and I tweak as I read what I've written. Later, there are always many rewrites, and trips through my long-suffering critique group. And if you aren't a member of a really great group, then go find one. The writing feedback, support and encouragement I receive from my group, is a lifesaver.

One of my secrets is to send my manuscripts on vacation. After a few rewrites and constant tweaking, you become so close to the characters and the plot, that you tend to lose focus. Silly errors slip right past you. This means putting your manuscript aside for a few weeks, or even months. Forget about it. Write something else. When I reread a story, I am always startled by what jumps out at me needing serious attention. Doing this works well for me. For a few clues about this, and many other writing topics, visit my "Musings" columns on Harold Underdown's Purple Crayon. Browse some of my hard won words of writing wisdom: http://www.underdown.org/finke.htm

KM: How does one publish a children's book?

MF: With great attention to quality and detail!! Going for a large traditional publisher means researching publishers until you find a few that seem right for your kind of book - age, topic and style. The CWIM (Children's Writers and Illustrators Market) is the Bible for this. Then, check the selected publisher's websites. Look at the books in their current list, and their submission guidelines, and send only what they ask for. Master the art of writing a succinct query letter. Be prepared for long, l-o-n-g waits, and many rejection letters. This is called paying your dues. Only pop-stars and famous politicians are accepted immediately, with no wait so ever.

NOTE: Make sure your first page has a HOOK that will grab an editor's attention. Run it through your critique group at least twice, and polish every chapter until it shines. Avoid waffling on about things that are not important: make each chapter as tight as your Granny's new girdle!!

Self-publishing ( POD, or Vanity Presses) are not for everyone. If you aren't afraid of opening a can of worms, and working to sort them out into groups of Possibles, No Thanks, and Run For Your Life options, go for it! Remember, traditional publishers provide professional advice and editing services, layout design, sales reps, and they also have access to major nationwide book distributors. You get all this free as a part of your contract. With Self-publishing, you have to DO, or PAY FOR, all of this yourself - often as hidden extras. It can be done, and done well. More-and-more smart and techno-savvy writers are self-publishing. However, it is expensive and hugely time consuming to publish your own book. Never try to cut costs by skimping on a professional edit for your manuscript. This saves typos, and other embarrassing bloopers, getting into your published book.

And the above paragraph only deals with the actual publication. Then, you have to promote your book yourself - this will take tons of your time and energy. Press Releases for newspaper, radio, and books stores, with follow-up phone calls. Arranging school visits, bookstore signings, and designing bookmarks and other small treats for kids. POD can be a good option for self-publishers, and some of the Big Boys are using it already for certain books. The quality of POD books has improved out of sight, but you still have to choose your publisher well, for quality printing and color.

First, research these publishers, and make sure you have a legitimate company, and you know ALL the costs up front. Don't fall for a scam-artist with a great website and not much else. Learn about Self-publishers, and check out their names via this link and BEWARE Agent & Publisher Scams.

E-BOOKS are slowly taking hold. They offer a fun and entertaining alternative for a growing number of computer savvy kids and adults. The quality of e-Books is much higher these days, and more-and-more readers are sampling this new book medium. When e-Readers become more affordable, I am betting there will be a big surge in quality
e-Book sales. However, you would be wise to follow all of the above advice when choosing an e-Publisher. Quality in any book depends on a great story that is well polished..

Guardian Angel Publishing (G.A.P.) publishes their children's books in Soft Cover, CD, or e-Book versions. Many other publishers are doing the same these days. However, G.A.P. also has a deal pending with Apple that will make all their books available on the iPod (the iKids app). In these harsh financial times, downloading e-BOOKS is a thrifty, environmentally sound way to get your child reading. Buy GREEN and SAVE a TREE!

KM: Does every writer need an agent?

MF: No way! Picture book writers can usually find publishers themselves. Some writers have a way of finding publishers for their books that works well for them. Others are not good at the research needed, don't want to spend the time, or feel inadequate for this task. Unfortunately, agents these days are as hard to snare as publishers. As publishers close submissions, or will only accept submissions from agented authors, writers become desperate. They look for an agent. Many agents now have slush piles of their own!! I think an agent is more helpful if you write mid grades or YA. And the rewards are more worthwhile for agents as well. An agent can get you a better deal with your contract - more perks for an established writer, and maybe a higher advance. However, a first book ( unless it is out-of-the-box terrific), is harder to sell to an agent. There is a tendency for agents to want already published clients, and publishers lean toward the already agented writer.

NOTE: Research an agent the same way you would a publisher. Watch out for scams. An agent is supposed to pay YOU, not the other way around. The best agents to look for are those beginning a new agency, or starting with an established agency. These agents are hungry for clients. Many of these new agents come from the world of publishing and have great contacts there.

KM: What resources do you recommend to help writers learn more about writing?

MF: Visit my website and click on HELP FOR WRITERS at the top of my Website Directory. There you will discover many helpful pages on writing + links to other wonderfully helpful sites.

If it's been a while since you sat in Miss Learnit's English class, take a writing course.
Recommended Writing Classes here.

These are some terrific "How-to" books on writing for children - complete with comments from writers who read them, and benefited from their writing wisdom.

How-to Books that ROCK

Join one of several good online writing lists. The information that flows through these lists is invaluable. Take notes, so when you need info about picture book illustrations, writing for magazines, or how to tighten your first chapter, you can refer to your notes, or ask the list a question. And there are usually many private critique groups formed by the members. Ask to join one that writes for the same age and genre as yourself. The writing feedback, support and encouragement of a good group, will be of enormous help to you AND your writing.
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Visit: CW Today (Childrens Writers Today) or subscribe:

childrenswriterstoday-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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Also visit: Childrens Writers (Children's Writers & Illustrators)

Subscribe: childrens-writers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Join SCBWI ( Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.) and go to their writing conferences. Network with other writers and pick their brains. Listen to the advice and publishing needs of agents and editors, and the established writers who offer workshops. Networking in SCBWI, as well as selected online lists, allows you to tap into the latest news and information about writing for children.

KM: How did you get your first book published?

MF: My book, "Kangaroo Clues," became the first in my rhyming series about animals from the US and Australia. The series now includes 6 other books. Writers Exchange is an e-Book publisher based in Australia. I found Mustafa Delioglu - a Turkish illustrator, and artist of renown in Europe, via a friend on one of my writing lists. He spoke no English, and did not own a computer. An online Turkish friend acted as translator, and Mustafa immediately identified with the spirit of "Kangaroo Clues." I love how he infused an element of danger and mystery into his illustrations. The finished book is a wonderful combining of my verses and his artwork. I found artists for the complete series through my writing contacts on the internet - networking DOES work! View the covers and more illustrations + read sample verses, + and how and where to buy, here.

Visit "Down-Under Fun" to read more facts about the animals in my Aussie books.

"Wild US Critters" for extra fun facts about the US critters in my books.

KM: What's the difference between a reader, YA, MG and PB?

MF: A picture book is usually a 32 page illustrated book. Publishers today prefer less than a 1,000 words of text. The story will depend on the age you write it for - toddler, kindergarten age, or grades one or two. A mid grade book (MG) is for upper grade- school and into middle school, depending on the maturity and reading level of the child. Word count can be anywhere from approx 25 to 60,000 words - or more, thanks to Jo Rowlings! A safe bet is to aim for around 35,000 words. Keep the sex and swear words to hand-holding and mild. Young Adult (YA) books can get quite explicit and adult sounding, especially for 15 and up. No topics are barred. Use common sense. Page count similar to adult. Check publisher's submission guidelines, because all these estimates can vary from publisher to publisher.

I am delighted to have two new picture books coming out this year. The first will be "Ruthie and the Hippo's Fat Behind - publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing (G.A.P). Illustrator: K.C. Snider. The other is "Horatio Humble Beats the Big D" also from G.A.P. - Illustrator: Ellen Gurak. My "Rattlesnake Jam," + both new books will be available from Amazon, G.A.P, and many other places.

NOTE: Autographed copies available from my website.

Read my Blog for children's book news, writing articles, and my famous Rants! Also, a cool book trailer + a moving collage` of all 8 book covers.

And just to keep me out of mischief, I also offer a Manuscript Critique Service - personal guidance is my specialty. This is in addition to all the helpful writing information on my Website, my Blog, and my "Musings" column.

Blog - http://margotfinke.blogspot.com/
Website - http://www.margotfinke.com
Musings - http://www.underdown.org/finke.htm

Morning Coffee

2009-03-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

I look forward to the first cup of morning coffee almost as much I look forward to seeing my boy come through the door from school each day. Both make me jubilant. The anticipation livens my day.

I like crème with my coffee and a teaspoon of sugar. Nothing else - except maybe a dollop of real whipped crème. But, nothing more - no toast, cereal or protein bar. Food comes later. Besides, too many things need tackled in the morning like email, Twitter updates and the ten Word docs I left open on my desktop the night before.

Each weekday morning the routine is the same. Once I saunter down stairs, I grind the coffee beans and pack David's lunch. We chat while he eats breakfast and the coffee brews. Occasionally, I tell some way good jokes and he laughs. I pour my coffee, kiss his face and sneak in a sideways hug before he dashes out the door. I sip my coffee on the stoop until he rounds the corner and disappears from my hen-like sight.

Before I approach my desk, a tickle starts in my tummy and lands in my toes. The prospect of great things happening under my fingertips excites me. The creative juices start flowing. Each sip of coffee gives me added inspiration to tap out the next line. I love coffee!

Lately, I've been having some issues with my morning coffee. First, it was electrical problems every morning with my coffee. Then it was kid issues with my coffee. This week - water heater problems with my coffee.

But, the hot water tank is still under warranty. The customer service rep said the recalled replacement parts were free and I could collect them at Lowe's. And best of all I could install the parts myself because instructions were included. All six pages of instructions to be exact. I pictured myself overcome with gas vapors sprawled on the basement floor, face down in spilled coffee, wrench in hand.

The technician from the Water Heater Company likely outperformed himself replacing the recalled parts in 15 minutes or less today. Electrical problems - gone. Hot water heater problems and 125 bucks - gone. Kid problems? Could be having some of those with my coffee for a while.

I'm looking forward to my first cup in the morning almost as much I look forward to seeing my boy come through the door from school tomorrow, assuming he doesn't arrive with a giant spider on his back...err a girl clinging to his arm. Lord knows most anything is better with my coffee than trouble.

Boogers Today, Brahms Tomorrow?

2009-03-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

We traveled back into town last weekend engaged in our own conversation in the front mostly tuning out the banter in the back seat until I heard, "It's booger". And a reply, "No, it's juicy pear."

The boys were confused about the taste of booger and pear. I thought I must have been buying bad fruit for years and no one bothered to tell me. Boogers to juicy pear was a fair comparison? But, that wasn't as bad as confusing vomit with Berry Blue. Maybe I needed to introduce them to more diverse varieties of the food group.

"Here, try it, Mom. It's vomit," David said.

"Naw," said I, "it never tasted so good coming up. Can't improve going back down. But, Thanks, David."

"Then try a cafe latte, Mom." Ahh - he spoke my language.

The Jelly Belly Beans functioned as a cool diversion during the road trip. Better yet, eating vomit, toothpaste, pencil shavings, dirt and the likes hardly disturbed their appetites when we arrived at Roosters later.

This week I had the privilege of attending David's first "orchestra" performance. He looked handsome in his tux and new haircut. The double bass towered above him, but he worked those strings with little effort. He stood so dignified and cultured on the stage. I tried not to think of him as the same boy in the back seat of the car last week. I felt glad no one in the audience knew about our boogers and vomit candy.

Oneday David is going to play classical music in a significant orchestra. I know this because he told me. Maybe his name will be in lights or on the covers of CD's. He'll be a household name!

Sure - roll your eyes. Oneday you might brag that you knew his mom back when he liked boogers. And I won't snub you, but only if you promise not to snub me when your kid is all famous.

Poverty is an Ugly Word

2009-03-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

I thought I knew poverty. We lived it before my parents separated for good, when I was in fifth grade. We lived it afterward - when my mom raised my siblings and me on welfare. We dreamed for sunnier days and lived in poverty.

We moved a dozen times trying to escape it. But, we couldn't make it go away. It followed us everywhere. During elementary and junior high, "poor" seemed like a scarlet word I wore on my chest to school each day. I felt quarantined by peers and classmates as if poverty was a plague.

Still, I rarely went hungry. I had clothes to wear and the rented shacks we called home kept us sheltered. We never slept under a cardboard box. In retrospect, I didn't know poverty as intimately as millions of others across the globe. I merely knew a community that scorned the poor for being poor.

I can only guess what impoverished moms would give for an opportunity to place food - prepared by their hands - on a table before children they love as much as I love mine. I know how it feels to serve meaty succulent dishes garnished with buttery green vegetables and decadent side desserts. I know how it feels to set an inviting table with fine linen napkins and juice-filled goblets - see faces light up around a bountiful spread. I don't know how it feels to put a child to bed hungry.

Poverty is an ugly word - like cancer. Dare I admit, I would almost prefer to ignore it? Several months ago, as I talked in the front lawn with my neighbor, a young mother greeted us. She walked with her daughter, a bald blue-eyed toddler. I pretended not to notice the words "Cancer Sucks" on the mother's t-shirt. I didn't ask any questions. We chatted and played with the precious child like it was a sunny day. I didn't even ask the mother her name or the name of her daughter. I don't know why. Perhaps it was easier. I didn't want to know what the t-shirt meant. But, ignoring cancer wouldn't make it go away. Not any more than ignoring the impoverished will make them less hungry, less sheltered, less ill - less clothed.

I wonder if I ignore the cancers in my community am I as unrighteous as the community that scorned the poor for being poor? At least they acknowledged I existed.

Written in recognition of Blog Action Day 2008

The Art of the "D" Word (Discipline)

2009-03-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

The brilliant centerpiece on the table looked colorful but hardly appetizing. Nothing about a soggy slice of bread doused in ketchup made me salivate. My toddler had been at work again - creating masterpiece food art using contents of the refrigerator as a medium. Let’s see - last week he did scratch art with a screwdriver and my coffee table. Prior to that, he did bang and dent art with a roofing hammer, bogus nails and the woodwork.

I tried to be positive. I accepted our overzealous mini Michael Angelo bursted with creativity. But I didn’t much appreciate his exhibits. Especially after viewing ketchup art with embellished thick red matte and frame. Crayola calisthenics apparently paled in comparison. Whatever the case, I relived a scene from a story my sister shared with me.

Her home-schooled girls enjoyed ketchup, mustard and bread art one afternoon in the kitchen. (Must be a familial thing.) Albeit disappointed at missing an invitation to the fest, she suggested they go light on the mustard, “since it might not taste so good”. She thought they would end art class, having learned the project would also serve as lunch. But, the kiddies didn’t act discouraged. They both informed mom they loved mustard and ketchup. They liked it so well they made double-decker lunches.

The test being in the taste, didn’t gain high marks with the girls. They claimed to like their lunches but, the squinting eyes, shivers and scrunched faces painted a different picture. The girls abandoned the mustard ketchup art classes and their mother says she has a growing fondness for the “taste what you make” projects.

With that in mind, I decided my toddler deserved to taste the rewards of his effort also. Especially since time-outs apparently hadn’t discouraged his over-creative, mischievous antics.

“OH, WOW” I said impressed, “I see you made a yummy sandwich.”

I could tell by his raised eyebrows he had no clue he had made a yummy sandwich. Interesting, I looked at bread and ketchup and saw food. He looked at bread and ketchup and saw – fun? Art was weird sometimes.

“Eat it up,” I said.

I expected him to high tail it out of the kitchen. But, he proved to be as brave as his cousins. By the third bite he insisted in his sour face that he liked it. That evening we told daddy all about the fun day. Our toddler reported the ketchup bread was ‘gisgusting’. Guess he had more fun making the “art” than he had eating it. Imagine that.

Frustrating and exhausting best described my feelings about discipline. - Oh and it made me want to yank on my hair from time to time. Sometimes it was easier to pretend I saw no evil. Yet, I knew that enforcing boundaries would eventually pay off.

Parent books, psychology books and advice columns didn’t have all the answers. They made everything sound easy. I never read a chapter about the kid who liked doing art and destroyed the house while he created it. And time-outs never quite functioned as miracle holidays I swept my kid off to in the middle of a hurricane. Seems like we *redirected with the hurricanes a few too many times. From my perspective, the “D” word required a bit of creativity – which is precisely why I learned to be craftier.

My little guy replaced some of his art endeavors with more appealing masterwork. Hammers, screwdrivers and the likes stopped making lasting impressions. (Mostly because the art supplies went under lock and key.) The inspirational contents of the fridge stopped being mediums for a potential magnum opus. Meanwhile, as I await the next hurdle, is it uncanny that neither of us lost our fondness for ketchup?

Note: I wrote this article when David was pre K. He's 12 now. :)

Win a Box of Marie's Chocolates

2009-02-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

Road trips topped our "favorite summer pastimes" list when the children stopped wearing diapers. And when they "held it" better than me between rest areas, I didn't mind even a bit!

We've left home more than a few times early on a weekend morning with a picnic basket in tow and no complete itinerary. We liked saying we didn't know where we going when the kids asked (five seconds after the seat belts clicked) if we were we there yet.

One weekend we went out sightseeing, taking pictures and driving. We found incredible landscapes, castles, creeks, barns and churches. Better yet, when we visited friends and told them about the beauty we discovered in their small town - and expressed delight with the images we had on the camera, they asked us if we had stopped by Marie's Candies. We hadn't and they escorted us.

In a word: chocolate. The moment we walked through the door, I felt like we discovered the best find of the weekend, chocolate heaven. Well, at least the nice people who greeted us with chocolate samples were angels. The walls lined with chocolate displays and shelves of assorted crèmes, caramels and nuts filled the rooms with the smell all chocolate lovers love. Marie's quaint store, a restored train depot, charmed all of us.

The stained-glass window in the stairwell depicted a bigger narrative behind the conception of Marie's Candies. The inspiring story of Marie King and the challenges she overcame enhanced the flavor of her dreamy confections.

Maybe we've been fortunate to discover so many treasures when we dashed out the door on the fly. But, the more we venture out into our own "backyard" the more I realize the adventure and diversity we seek doesn't have to entail a plane ticket or a cruise. More importantly, we can discover the spirit of America in our own backyards.

Want a free 2-pound box of Marie's Chocolates? Leave an inspiring comment in one post in my PNN.com http://kimink.pnn.com blog (not here in this blog) explaining why you should win. Only one winner. One entry per person please. Contest ends March 15, 2009. Sorry, - ships only inside the continental US.

JUMP!!

2009-02-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, that's what the loons below were yelling to the dare devil before he leaped into frigid water below.

On the other side of the bank, I yelled, "NO!" "NO!" But, the guy couldn't hear me above the water and his *friends provoking him. I told Ed the guy was going to jump and get the camera ready. I figured if he died at least his family would have pictures of his last breathing moments.

Later that day, further down the trail we saw a park officer on the hunt for the jumper. Not only did the guy end up with what looked like an injury when he emerged from the water, but he may have been fined as well.

PNN.com

2009-02-19T19:01:00.001-08:00

You can find my main blog on PNN.com, where I am a feature writer.

The Black Box

2009-02-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

Wives, girlfriends, fiancés and partners across the heartland will browse magazines at grocery checkouts, interview friends or search online for Valentine's ideas this week. Like me, they will read a plethora of too corny, too expensive - or too whatever suggestions for the perfect romantic Valentines Day. At best, a handful of ideas will make us salivate or trigger some other physiological response. More than likely a result of flipping or clicking page after page of luscious Valentine spreads flaunting decadent cheesecakes or chocolate yummies.

Some years ago, I planned the most indulgent Valentines surprise ever in my life. It didn't include a return trip to the beautiful Inn at Cedar Falls where Ed had swept me off months prior for a romantic getaway.

Nor did I plan any other kind of trip. It entailed weeks of preparation, searching, arranging and writing. Of all the wonderful trips, vacations, dinners and events that Ed and I planned, nothing topped Hocking Hills where we rung in the New Year together in a charming 1800's tin-roof cabin nestled above a deep ravine replete with babbling brook woven around tall hemlocks and hickorys. I wanted a romantic Valentine's Day that felt as warm as December 31^st by the firebox on a quaint sofa in those isolated hills.

On Valentine's Day our house looked nothing like the cabin. No mountains or ravines graced our backyard. But, I found an adorable close mini replica of the cabin. Its humble elegance added amazing charm to the table centerpiece beside the candles, chocolate hearts and lace. I remembered the card, which stood alongside the black box secured with a heart lock. Finding the key required Ed's scavenger skill, which worked up an incredible appetite. And I had prepared. I served the identical dinner, drinks - and dessert we shared in the cabin. The evening didn't end with the bubbly rose-petal soak following dinner.

I didn't need the tips from a magazine or book to make our Heart day so special. Turned out LHJ didn't know my lover as well as I did. By the way, the rose petals were not nearly as romantic in my tub as they appeared in TV and magazines. When we emerged from the bath they stuck to every part of our body and in our hair and stained the sheets.

The little black box with a heart lock has made an appearance around February 14^th most every year since. One detail, (well a few details actually) extrapolated from a well-planned Valentines event has set the stage for all our Valentine's Days. And I plucked the gems from one very special night in our lives that we never wanted to end. Amazing what one day can mean in a lifetime!

Last night as I dusted and polished the box, I wondered what Ed might find in it this February 14^th. If you had a black box, what treasures might it contain?

Visit The Latest Story Page for more Hocking images