I gots a joy joy joy joy up on Kilian Knob, up on Killian knob to-dayyyy

I'm peeping in quickly! Tommorrow I'll have a guest blogger: I have one more peek at Tender Graces before it's out of my hands ....eek! I can't change any of the text and all that, this is just to make sure the things we caught and listed were fixed. If there is anything else in there, well, consider it Human Error .... thing is, you'll know me now and you'll read it and say, "Hey! Here's one of Kat's unfound errors! I found one I found one!" then you can email me and we'll laugh about it....haw! Um, I think we'll laugh...hmmmm....teehee.

Then, I also have to finish The Rose & Thorn newsletter; get my next book review done, and etcetera.

This morning, I was walking Fat Lazy Labrador Jake in the cove at Killian Knob and as I turned the curve in the road where the creek stays on my right, I passed where the water rushes down from the mountain into the creek and I felt a sudden Joy....as sudden as the wind that came tearing down the ridge and across FLLJ and me - the wind pounded my face and I laughed because it didn't hurt at all-the wind laughed too - The sounds of the singing creek, the rush of the water runoff from our recent rains, the wind washing over us and blasting through the still-bare trees with a roar, the spring birds that had earlier woke me (oh, I recognize the ones who have been gone and now returned!) -- all of this brought up my sudden joy.

I thought, as I rounded that curve, how lucky I am. Farther down, I glimpsed the distant Smokies - awe awe awe awe awe-some Grandfather and Grandmother mountains. There are ancient souls here - I feel them sometimes; I see them in orbs and once the Shadowman came to visit me; I am not afraid of them, in fact, they comfort me. (Which reminds me - while I was sitting by Frank in the hospital, I saw something pass over him - it was misty and had no shape, but it was SOMEthing -i t passed right over him....and then a few days later while Tommy was lying in the emergency room, I saw an orb race across the room and arc over him and then away---imagination? lights playing tricks? my exhaustion? our brother? our granny? someone else? I don't know, but I know I saw something).

So, I am feeling lucky and awed and wonderful and it struck me that No Matter what happens with Tender Graces, I am still loved and wanted and so very lucky to live where I live. If you took away my writing life (oh, I can't imagine that - but let's entertain it)...if Tender Graces weren't being published, if I'd never published anything, if I was "just" this Mountain Woman living in my little cove at Killian Knob, walking Fat Lazy Lab Jake, being loved and spoilt rotten by Good Man Roger, hearing and seeing all the things I do, well then, my good friends, that is a pretty dagum wonderful life, isn't it? That is the Dream Life I once dreamed about when my life was in disorder and pain. I am blessed? lucky? whatever you want to call it, this is a wonderful life I live.

I smile. I enjoy. I appreciate. What a lovely place. I give you my peace and serenity this morning. Yes, I must get to work, but I start my work with a feeling of joy - for how lucky am I? Not only do I have my little log house and my little life here at Killian Knob, but my novel IS being published, and I do have some little things out there published, and people ARE enjoying my work and my fur is being rubbed off so that I feel loved.

Namaste. *muwah!*