One of Jim’s woodworking projects–a fairy house in a tree for the grandchildren to find.
Some writers thrive on routine, and I’m one of them. Every day I like to get to my desk early and work for several hours, then have the rest of the day free for family time, household chores, and other pastimes. But earlier this year, my routine was blown away. My husband, Jim, suffered a heart attack and had to undergo major surgery—even though I was on a deadline.
The thing is, Jim was the healthy one. He was the thin one, the one who ran faithfully several times a week, even when he didn’t feel like it. I won’t reveal my gym habits except to say they’ve been sporadic. I have chronic foot problems, along with thyroid and sugar imbalances. I had a major stroke more than twenty years ago, but God blessed me with a quick and full recovery. All in all, we both thought that when one of us had serious health problems again, it would be me.
Nope. Jim has made a good recovery, but he was in the hospital for more than a week and forbidden to do some simple tasks for much longer. He wanted to get back to his gardening and woodworking and do some yard work, but he couldn’t.
Susan and Sora the cat
Suddenly, I found that it was up to me to do a whole lot of things that he usually took on. Some of them I was already conscious of and thankful for his willingness to do them. I was scarcely aware of some others. I had to take one of our cats to the vet, collect trash, and take laundry baskets up and down the stairs.
One thing Jim couldn’t do for nearly two months was drive. It seems like a small thing, but we live in a rural area. The nearest grocery store is about fifteen miles away, our church about eight miles. Even the nearest convenience store and gas pump is a good six miles.
Since his retirement about ten years ago, Jim had taken over most of the grocery shopping and errand running. Now he couldn’t do that. He also was barred from lifting more than five pounds for several weeks. That means he couldn’t heft a jug of milk or lift our young grandchildren when they came to see him.
In addition to taking over many of the tasks Jim had been doing, I found my writing schedule in tatters. That morning routine I cherished went by the wayside for several weeks. The Lord was there through it all. He brought Jim through the crisis, and He helped me to remember that family is more important than routine, work, and everything else on the planet. My editor graciously gave me more time to finish my book. And we’ve been blessed by visits from our children and grandchildren, who wanted to see their dad and grandpa in person and make sure he was truly getting better.
The Lord has given us forty-three years of marriage—so far. We hope for many more. My writing routine has been reinstated, but in a looser form. I’m not scheduling as much writing time or as many projects, because some things are more important.
Christmas Next Door released on September 1.
It’s a four-novella collection by my dear friend Vickie McDonough and me. It’s not the first time our novellas have appeared in the same collections. One of my favorite’s is Mountain Brook Ink’s Heart of a Cowboy.
Vickie and I each wrote two of the stories in Christmas Next Door, set in the 1880s in a small, fictional town in Texas.
Here is the description for Christmas Next Door:
Visit an Old West Texas town where a mysterious benefactor leaves gifts each Christmas, but also where four pairs of neighbors battle over hearsay, secrets, and mysteries.
THE MARSHAL NEXT DOOR by Vickie McDonough (1885)
The marshal’s deputy claims he’s seen the marshal’s young sisters snooping around businesses where there have been recent thefts. Marshal Yates can’t believe his sisters might be the thieves and seeks out a woman to mentor the impetuous teenagers. But when evidence is found against his sisters, will he have to arrest them at Christmastime?
THE SPINSTERS NEXT DOOR by Susan Page Davis (1886)
Rachel Tanner’s family harbors secrets that may lead her and her aunts to financial ruin. When Stephen Worth rents a house on the Tanner property, he gets close to family business, insisting Rachel open a locked box her dead father guarded closely. Can the schoolmaster persuade Rachel to defy her aunts and open the box—or will she remain alone with a tangle of unanswered questions?
THE OUTLAW NEXT DOOR by Vickie McDonough (1887)
Dane McDermott, a reformed outlaw born into a gang of thieves, has buried his past deep. As respectable business owner Dane has finally met the woman of his dreams. But when his father shows up, will it ruin his chances for love with the preacher’s daughter?
THE GUNSLINGER NEXT DOOR by Susan Page Davis (1888)
Alice Singer’s new neighbor has her worried. He’s a retired gunslinger with delusions that he is Ben Franklin and needs a printing press to produce his almanac. Enlisting the postmaster’s help, Alice seeks to understand her odd neighbor, his many packages, and mysterious visitors. Is he really just a harmless old fellow?
Susan Page Davis is the author of more than ninety books. A Maine native, she and her husband now live in western Kentucky. They have six grown children and ten grandchildren. Before she began writing fiction, Susan had many jobs, from farrier to news correspondent. Now she is a full time fiction author.
MIRALEE FERRELL
Susan Page DAvis