11,000 and Counting...

To recap, my former computer died a slow, violent death. In its demise, it took with it most of my written work to date. It took me quite a while to get over that. I'd see a publisher's guidelines and I'd think "Great! I've got just the short story to submit to them!" Then the ugly truth would knock me in the head. Nope. Not gonna happen. Your stories are no more.

Thankfully, with the help of wonderful, caring publishers, I was able to recoup some of my work. Two novels were e-mailed back to me so I could have them for my records. And a few short stories have also trickled back. To all of you who took the time to do that for me, I'm very grateful.

But the one that really got to me, stuck in my craw, shall we say, was my current work in progress. I was 11,000 words into the novel when my computer came down with an incurable virus. I'd kept written notes for my work, but most of that was just in idea form, jotted down in a hurry. If I was lucky, sometimes I could even read my own chicken-scratch.

But, as of last evening, I am once again over 11,000 words! The story has many of the same elements, but has changed somewhat. Some parts I remembered word for word, while others were just a cloudy concept stuck somewhere in my brain. I'm very happy to say, I like the story that's emerging even better than the previous one. A blessing in disguise? Yes, I believe it is.

Has it Been a Year Already?

Earlier this week, I was privileged to once again see two patients who only get to come to the dentist annually. These two special young men are mentally challenged. Their insurance only allows them to have preventative care once a year. I wish we could see them more often. Their dental health would be much improved.

A few months ago, I wrote an article about them for You and Me Magazine. It tells of a very special experience I had with them one year ago. The dentist and staff I work with still talk about that event to this day. The article can be read here:

http://www.youandmemagazine.com/articles/dentistry-help-from-unexpected-places

It made me feel so good to be reminded of the blessings I receive by helping others.