So how many more "acts" do I have left?

This has been a busy week. First thing Monday morning I received a note from my publisher, Lucky Press LLC, that it will submit my book to the ForeWord independent book award competition in January with awards are announced in June. That email definitely got my attention and my imagination percolating about what it must feel like to receive a book award.

Next I received a call from a member of our local American Association of University Women inviting me to speak at its November meeting on the subject of my memoir Leaving the Hall Light On. One of my former work colleagues suggested me. I’ll be expected to speak for about an hour, including time for questions and answers. And, needless to say I happily accepted. We discussed topics and settled on: 1) local help for mental illness and suicide prevention, and 2) how I used writing to help me survive after my son’s suicide. Of course writing or any other creative outlet can help assuage grief from any kind of trauma or loss.

I also had two blogs articles posted this week – besides my normal posts here. One is on:

PsychAlive

http://www.psychalive.org/2011/10/how-writing-helped-me-survive-my-son%E2%80%99s-suicide/

As PsychAlive says in its About statement: “Our desire to discover who we are – why we feel and act the ways we do – is what leads us to a meaningful and vital existence. PsychAlive was created to assist you in this personal journey by providing a place where people can learn to take an active, introspective approach to their lives.”

And my third post is now up on Naturally Savvy. I have my own blog there now called Savvy Over 60

http://www.naturallysavvy.com/savvy-over-60

I’ll post at both of these sites at least once a month.

Never in a million years would I have dreamed I’d be a web journalist at this stage in my life. This work is so fulfilling and fun. It’s as my friend Elizabeth says about me: “she proves that we can have as many acts as we want in life.”