This week has had a lot more ups and downs than most... I don't really want to talk here about the depressing, sad stuff (which is happening back in America, anyway), but one huge Good Thing did happen: Patrick sold another story to Realms of Fantasy! Woohoo! He, Nika, and I all did a Happy Dance together in the living room when we got the news. "Crab Apple" is one of my favorite stories, and I'm so glad it's going to be published in such a good magazine. I can't wait to see it, whenever it comes out....(And hey, the money won't hurt, either!)

In the meantime, I've found myself sucked into starting a kids' fantasy short story. These always feel a bit like exercises in futility, since there are so few markets for them--and even then, the top word limit for the under-14's, in all the kids' magazines, is 2500 words. Unfortunately, I'm guessing this story will probably end up around 4-5,000 words. Aargh. But the images have been pulling at me for a really long time, and who knows? Another kids' fantasy anthology might come up, looking for submissions--the last two times that happened, I felt dumb because I just didn't have any ideas for kids' short stories at those points. This way, I'll have something ready the next time an opportunity like that comes up. And anyway, I've learned from long experience not to diss the gifts of the Writing Gods. Anytime I turn down an idea "because I'd never find a market for that," I immediately get thrown into a month or so of writers' block, where NO other ideas come my way. Whereas, when I go with what They send me, I tend to get even more ideas, in short order.... so what the heck. I may be stubborn, but I'm not completely stupid. And so far, I'm enjoying writing this short story--which, in the end, may be what it All Comes Down To.

There's a gray sky outside, but tomorrow it's Valentine's Day, and today Patrick and I and our friend Justina all took Nika out for a lovely big ramble through the park. Good things are happening all over.