I'm living in a spacious one-level house just bordering on wooded areas (not completely isolated, but just enough for privacy & beauty). Assorted flowers smell lovely from the numerous flower beds on the property. A garden staff of course takes care of the heavy-duty work, and planting the bulbs and annuals, but I can pull weeds if or when I want to, but still have "The Staff" finish up for me if I get tired. A tall bird feeder has a roomy bird house sitting on top; a nice robin family has moved in - they have a lifelong tenancy, no lease required. Several flowering bushes dot the property and if you look closely, you can see a humming-birds flittering beneath the bell-shaped flowers dangling in mid-air. The bells and hummers drift on the breeze as though an invisible string holds the two together. A pair of morning doves fly back and forth between the flower bushes and the pine where they make their nest. Mr. Dove is quite attentive to the Mrs., his lifelong partner. Soon enough it will be winter, when the only traces of animals and birds will be the bird's noises and prints left in the snow. 

Across the drive from the house is a free-standing garage that holds up to 4 vehicles. Only two are there now, the good car and one I use just for errands and hobbies. I keep things in the hobby car one might not find in other people's cars. I always keep an overnight bag packed in the car. And tucked under an old blanket you'll find a folding chair and folded easel, and a cloth bag holds a variety of small canvases. My paints and brushes are arranged in a case that I can easily carry between car and house, where they are stored without worry of heat or cold affecting them. While the house has a country charm, it has state of the art (pun intended) heat and air conditioning --comfort is a prioritized luxury. 

I've just returned from an outing to a small pond the fishermen use, but not many children think of it as a very grand place, which makes it nice for me without a lot of noise and distractions. I like "home" to be the same: there's little noise (there's enough in my head anyway some days!) and few distractions unless I want them. I feel energetic after drawing & painting away the morning, and can concentrate now on the books that are due this year. Last year's publication drew enough attention that I won't be concerned with "income" for a couple years. I can work on the next book without worrying about whether it will be a success -- far better than trying to force characters to be "interesting enough" to be successful OFF the page -- they are successful just by becoming alive between my mind and paper. 

I've had the whole afternoon by myself today, spent only with those characters in my head. (One, I don't know his name, is a bit irritable that he hasn't yet got out on paper. He's SO - "pushy" - isn't he? I keep telling him I have NO idea yet WHY he's here, and it WOULD make it a bit easier to write if I knew why he was ringing the doorbell at 4:09 a.m. But, he says I should already know his reason. But, I don't. So I'm making him wait a bit. It's a playful stand-off we have going.) I shake my thoughts away from that "other world" and prepare dinner. I have a busy evening ahead.

Carla V. will be here at 6:30. No, I can't tell you Carla's last name. Professional ethics, you know. I see my clients in the evenings, 4 days a week. I have found that people tend to feel more restricted during the day, but evenings bring a winding-down that makes everyone more relaxed. It's easier to acknowledge ghosts in the shadows then. And I designed this room to make it easier for folks to relax too. One side has the more stoic desk and regular chairs -- for those more comfortable with "business" attitudes - it doesn't suit me well though. The other wall has a comfy couch and stuffed chairs. A large corner area beside the couch has shelves with toys, a pile of stuffed animals, and pillows along the rest of the walls. Next to this is a cushioned window seat where the window faces the woods. This is the corner and window I like best, and my clients seem to like too. Many ghosts in the shadows relate better to toys and dolls and stuffed animals than they do to "people," at least at first. This corner is a bridge for my clients, just like the area set up with paints and drawing canvasses that any clients can use (we often draw together just for fun). A good 99% of my clients say they enjoy this whole room more than they do all the rooms of the house or apt. where they live. I tell them that this is my favorite room, too, and where my ghosts in the shadows come alive too. As a matter of fact, many of my book characters first let me know they are alive by visiting while I'm here at play or drawing.

I only see one or two clients on a given evening. It is too rushed otherwise, and I don't like to be rushed -- and neither do clients' ghosts like to be rushed. It's far better to invite ghosts to a tea party and let the "conversation" develop. History unfolds easier. History of the moment is even "created" easier this way. 

I feel truly blessed by the work I do. I have to guard against taking too many ghosts (mine and my clients) to bed with me, of course. But overall, I'm pleased. This weekend, I'm off to a conference where other ghost-hunters want to know how I get clients' ghosts to talk. I'm happy to share what I've learned and experienced. This part of my job takes me to conference centers across the country. It's a nice balance. There I get to be "the professional" in professional looking attire versus my normal dressed-down look. Of course, this is just for the first half of the conference.  Conference registration materials instructed folks to bring jeans, T-shirts, and sweaters with them. The first half of the conference, I dress how people "expect" a professional to look, but for the last half, they dress in what ghosts consider more appropriate. And, dress in what is more comfortable for folks to get down on the floor, propped up against pillows, holding crayons & canvas to make drawings. 

But first, we talk about their ghosts in general. Who in their family ancestry was bull-headed? Who was the stoic hard-worker? Who was the singer? What was the life like of their family's poet? of the actress/actor? Discussion ensues: "All I know is my ancestor was a farmer!" "Mine was a coal miner." "None of mine sang or danced - at least not that I know of." Not that you know of....hmmmm... ?  Write 'as if' and -- imagine your great-great- grandfather...describe him doing his occupation...now describe the rest of his life. Add in the other qualities! "As great-great grandfather tilled the land, planting row after row of corn by hand, his deep voice filled the air with Irish ballads learned from his mother, who..."   Or, "Gr-gr-great Uncle Charles was a carpenter in 1830 making sturdy bedsteads and cabinets for families for 30 miles around. My grandmother had a piece he made, with intricate carved designs on every door and drawer. Instead of paper, he used wood as canvas for his art works...." And so the stories begin, becoming fuller with each line written. Next come descriptions of the not-so-great ghosts, those who hurt others, who maligned, who ruined others' lives... who ruined their own lives.  Drawings are made of these "ghosts" - the nice and not so nice ones. Ideas are explored: Why did so & so do what he did? What might be reasons for her decisions back then? Etc. When our time is done, the participants have ideas of how they, too, might connect with their clients' "ghosts" and ways to help bring ghosts to life! And, they understand now how every client carries ghosts with them......

Tonight it's time for me to return home. (I can't decide if someone is waiting for me there...or not? hmmm... if there is, he'd have to be open-minded and accepting. And he'd have to be someone I think is very special. And hopefully, he thinks I'm pretty special too. Anyhoo, I can't create my love life in a few sentences in this writing, so I can skip this part. ;-) 

Several letters await me when I arrive home. It's now nephews and nieces to the far-extended family who seek me out for information about the family history. My knowledge and expertise about our family and about the local German Baptist Brethren church was established through completion of several genealogy books published in years past. Folks now seek me out for clarification, for help in understanding records or relationships, or for more personal information I might know about someone. Some inquirers are the "children's" adult children in branches I had started but had not followed to the present, and now these young adult "children" want my help filling in the history of individuals. Sometimes they ask about my personal memories. Like Cathy's "boys"-- her grand-children -- are now men and they've asked: "tell me about my grandmother..." I answer each letter or phone call. Sometimes all I can do is refer them back to a book I completed before - I have no more information. With all, I try to help them know where to search for information. There's so much more available to them now, in terms of public records to search, but the basics of research remain the same. I've helped many people find this relative or that relative -- a number who are still living people! It's nice to have this big "extended family" and I remember how important it was when I was researching "roots". I like passing my experience on to others. I remember, with fondness, the years I operated a Private Investigations business, teaching others how to track down individuals and entire families! I still get requests from strangers to help them find their mother or father...

My two cats vie for my complete attention as I try to answer the last of the letters received today. I set the papers aside, making room for the two furballs who are content to curl themselves up under each of my arms. As I fall asleep with them this night, I don't know it will be the last time I'll get to hold them......