July 14, 2023

One thing I address in my new novel is that while we have no control over bad things that happen to us or people who hurt us, what’s important to remember is, we have 100% control over how we react to adversity.

I could let how sad I am ruin my summer, or I can just say fuck you to everyone and everything and live in the moment with Gary and Jasper.

So on Wednesday, we went to the beach and honestly, I am wondering more and more why we just don’t sell our house and move there…there being a one story ranch house in Somers Point, NJ where dog beach is and still surprisingly affordable.

The kids moved away to places we don’t want to be, why should we stay here just because it’s convenient for them to see us once a year when they play Philadelphia?

I have a vague plan starting to form…we’ll be back at the beach next week…

So yeah, we had an amazing day at the beach followed by incredible Manco pizza with a salad by Gary.

All of my depression was gone and I had a big ass smile on my face.

Until…

Julie had mentioned that while she wouldn’t be here for my birthday, maybe she would take a red eye flight and get here at dawn on the Friday before we left for camp on Monday. So I said to myself at the beach, okay, I will settle for celebrating my birthday two weeks early and that Friday we’ll all go to dog beach and have donuts and pizza…

Except Thursday I woke up to a text from Julie that she booked her flight for Sunday morning, one day before camp, a day impossible to go to the beach.

And right after I read her text and started crying before I even had coffee, I got an email with my first rejection from an independent publisher for Leaving Candyland although it was a strangely kind rejection, telling me they enjoyed it but it wasn’t for them.

To be honest, I knew it wasn’t for them (they are very young) when I sent it to them and looked at their catalog but you gotta not think about stuff like that when you query because you just never know for sure.

But needless to say, all the great energy I had on Wednesday completely fizzled yesterday.

Today, however, is another day and I have a choice. I can be miserable again or I can look at Gary and Jasper, the two beings I love more than anything in the world, and be happy.

I choose happiness.

And I am also choosing to look seriously at real estate listings in Somers Point. 😎