We’ve had two consecutive weekends of wintry weather here in North Carolina, so in between shoveling snow/ice and running around taking pictures outside, I’ve been writing. Lots and lots of writing. And drinking hot cocoa. Lots and lots of hot cocoa.

I’m making progress on Drascandar. I love spending my days lost in my imagination, crafting an adventure with some of my favorite characters. Fenn, her little sister, Nixie, and her best friend, Christopher, have been quite busy. I know that it’s all coming from my head, but sometimes I can’t wait to see what they’ll get up to next.

There’s also been a whole lot of cuddle time with my kittens (who are six months old now, so I guess they’re more like teenagers?). You may recall that I named them after my three main characters. Here’s Christopher with his sisters, Fenn and Nixie. They’re all growing so much.

Slide between the images below for a before and after comparison of our biggest little boy.

When I started writing my children’s picture book, One Cat Short of Crazy, Christopher was tiny. (That’s him on the cover!) I’m still working on it. Maybe I’ll be done by the time he’s grown completely. Ha!

The snow is finally melting around here. It’s more of a slushy mess right now. We’re in that in-between stage when a beautiful blanket of snow turns into a whole lot of icy, cold gross-ness before making way for sunny skies and the green grass of early spring.

Better days are coming.

Whatever it’s like in your part of the world, I hope you find something beautiful to be thankful for, something on the horizon to be hopeful for, and kindness and peace around you.