Dec 2010
Something for Clare
28/12/10 13:02 Filed in: Writing
Well, Clare, this latest addition to Chapter Five of
The Way Forward is for you. You told me that
you like the character, Kate, and wanted to see her
come back and so I've written her back in. You
suggested that her cousin be Penelope Clearwater,
Percy Weasley's girlfriend, and I've made it so.
I'm afraid that I couldn't build the scene the way you suggested it (with Penelope becoming jealous, thinking Kate's after Percy) but I think the tension in the scene is pretty good anyway. I hope you like it. The next scenes from this plot will have Percy and Penelope going to the Burrow to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about their wedding plans, to explain why Percy proposed to Pen so soon after Voldemort's defeat and Fred's death, to deal with the mingled joy and sorrow at the thought of a wedding without Fred. Then, of course, Percy will have to tell George. That's going to be a hard scene to write.
Our friend Stephanie has given me another idea for The Way Forward that I hope you like. Steph said she didn't like the fact that the Prologue of The Dealthy Hallows implies that Hermione didn't take a job at Hogwarts as a Professor, even though Neville did. Who better than Hermione to teach? So I'm thinking of having a scene (which would have to be much later in the book) where Minerva receives a letter from Hermione re-enroling in her seventh year at Hogwarts, to complete her magical education. My idea is that Hermione would then go on to a Muggle University for her undergraduate and graduate degrees, before devoting her life to researching the advances in magic that Voldemort made, trying to find ways to use them for good.
What do you think? What does Emily think?
I'm afraid that I couldn't build the scene the way you suggested it (with Penelope becoming jealous, thinking Kate's after Percy) but I think the tension in the scene is pretty good anyway. I hope you like it. The next scenes from this plot will have Percy and Penelope going to the Burrow to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about their wedding plans, to explain why Percy proposed to Pen so soon after Voldemort's defeat and Fred's death, to deal with the mingled joy and sorrow at the thought of a wedding without Fred. Then, of course, Percy will have to tell George. That's going to be a hard scene to write.
Our friend Stephanie has given me another idea for The Way Forward that I hope you like. Steph said she didn't like the fact that the Prologue of The Dealthy Hallows implies that Hermione didn't take a job at Hogwarts as a Professor, even though Neville did. Who better than Hermione to teach? So I'm thinking of having a scene (which would have to be much later in the book) where Minerva receives a letter from Hermione re-enroling in her seventh year at Hogwarts, to complete her magical education. My idea is that Hermione would then go on to a Muggle University for her undergraduate and graduate degrees, before devoting her life to researching the advances in magic that Voldemort made, trying to find ways to use them for good.
What do you think? What does Emily think?
A Christmas Break
Ten days off means a nice break from work and the
pressures it brings.
Patti and I decided to stay in Fredericton again this Christmas and play host to our good friend Stephanie, who has come from Halifax the past two years to join us for the holidays. Steph is one of those easy guests who fits right in, is comfortable from the first moment and enjoys a laid back, jammie-wearing lifestyle like we do.
I had a lovely Christmas, with Normand joining Patti, Steph and me for dinner on Christmas Eve, lots of time to talk to friends and family on Christmas itself and a couple of enjoyable evenings with our friends James and Patty (and family) here in Freddie. The weather has been playing games, of course, keeping Christmas green, then dumping about a foot of snow on us today (the 27th) to make life interesting.
The snow certainly made Boxing Day shopping a
breeze, since it made sure few people could get out
to the stores at opening time on Monday. Steph and I
trekked in through the deep snow to find Zellers a
ghost-town and the Future Shop just starting to pick
up. We bought the second season of Big Bang
Theory at Zellers for a great price (the first
season was a Christmas gift from Marlee to Patti on
Christmas itself) as well as a couple of movies. Then
it was on to the Future Shop where I succumbed to
temptation and purchased a basic Sony
Blue-Ray-Disc/DVD player for next to nothing.
And, of course, to test out the Blue-Ray high-def capability, we bought Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for $10, then came directly home to enjoy it. I had doubted the high-def would make that much of a difference but, even with a 720p TV, it was really quite amazing. I will try to control myself with regard to replacing DVDs I already own with the Blue-Ray version but I will keep my eye out for high-def discs of interesting movies we don't already own in the future.
And I got some great reading materials for Christmas as well. Malcolm Gladwell's latest, What the Dog Saw, was under the tree for me as was The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy (Hogwarts for Muggles) and an interesting novel: NIcholas Dickner's Apocalypse for Beginners. I've already launched into the Gladwell and expect to enjoy all three books over the next couple of weeks.
Somewhere in there I'll have to find time to complete the revisions on The Silent Goodbye, my Philllip Gold mystery manuscript, with a view to submitting it to a publisher in January.
Patti and I decided to stay in Fredericton again this Christmas and play host to our good friend Stephanie, who has come from Halifax the past two years to join us for the holidays. Steph is one of those easy guests who fits right in, is comfortable from the first moment and enjoys a laid back, jammie-wearing lifestyle like we do.
I had a lovely Christmas, with Normand joining Patti, Steph and me for dinner on Christmas Eve, lots of time to talk to friends and family on Christmas itself and a couple of enjoyable evenings with our friends James and Patty (and family) here in Freddie. The weather has been playing games, of course, keeping Christmas green, then dumping about a foot of snow on us today (the 27th) to make life interesting.
And, of course, to test out the Blue-Ray high-def capability, we bought Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for $10, then came directly home to enjoy it. I had doubted the high-def would make that much of a difference but, even with a 720p TV, it was really quite amazing. I will try to control myself with regard to replacing DVDs I already own with the Blue-Ray version but I will keep my eye out for high-def discs of interesting movies we don't already own in the future.
And I got some great reading materials for Christmas as well. Malcolm Gladwell's latest, What the Dog Saw, was under the tree for me as was The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy (Hogwarts for Muggles) and an interesting novel: NIcholas Dickner's Apocalypse for Beginners. I've already launched into the Gladwell and expect to enjoy all three books over the next couple of weeks.
Somewhere in there I'll have to find time to complete the revisions on The Silent Goodbye, my Philllip Gold mystery manuscript, with a view to submitting it to a publisher in January.
Contemplating Next Steps
24/12/10 08:57 Filed in: Writing
With Christmas upon us and my first review of The
Silent Goodbye now completed, I'm contemplating
next steps. I can't actually enter the revisions into
my manuscript until Patti has completed her review so
I have some time to move on to other things.
My friend Clare has been e-mailing me about The Way Forward, my Rowling-World novel that follows the lives of three minor characters from the Harry Potter series (which, by the way, is available on this website for your reading pleasure). Clare is a marvellously perceptive reader and an avid fan of Harry Potter so I find her e-mails very inspiring. She is adamant that the Muggle character, Kate, should have a continuing role so I'm asking her to help me plan the hows, whens, wheres and whys of Kate's re-emergence.
I am also starting to turn my mind to the next Phillip Gold novel. As I have mentioned before, I have two completed earlier novels (A Fleck of Gold and All That Glisters) but anyone who has read the first chapters of either or both of them (also available on this website) will be able to tell you that they will need a great deal of work to get them to a professional standard. I think they have good plots and interesting characters: it's just the writing that's substandard.
The question I face is this: are those novels strong enough to make the work needed to bring them up to snuff worthwhile? Or should I just set them aside as necessary practice in preparation for later Gold mysteries?
If I decide on the latter course of action, then I could get back to work on The Final Curtain, a new Gold novel that I have started planning in consultation with my nieces, Alex and Katie. I think this one has an exceptional plot in the works and would be fun to write. I feel like I'm leaning toward this novel as my next major Phillip-Gold project, though I have to admit I have been running revisions to All That Glisters around in my brain for a while.
Complicated. Maybe I should just work on all three at the same time, moving from book to book when I either run out of steam on one or have an inspiration for another. The Final Curtain involves all new writing for Phillip Gold. All That Glisters would require massive revisions based on an existing structure. The Way Forward is very different, working with established characters in a fantasy world, and is being written somewhat in free form.
It may just be that having that kind of variety available to me will help to inspire and keep me working!
My friend Clare has been e-mailing me about The Way Forward, my Rowling-World novel that follows the lives of three minor characters from the Harry Potter series (which, by the way, is available on this website for your reading pleasure). Clare is a marvellously perceptive reader and an avid fan of Harry Potter so I find her e-mails very inspiring. She is adamant that the Muggle character, Kate, should have a continuing role so I'm asking her to help me plan the hows, whens, wheres and whys of Kate's re-emergence.
I am also starting to turn my mind to the next Phillip Gold novel. As I have mentioned before, I have two completed earlier novels (A Fleck of Gold and All That Glisters) but anyone who has read the first chapters of either or both of them (also available on this website) will be able to tell you that they will need a great deal of work to get them to a professional standard. I think they have good plots and interesting characters: it's just the writing that's substandard.
The question I face is this: are those novels strong enough to make the work needed to bring them up to snuff worthwhile? Or should I just set them aside as necessary practice in preparation for later Gold mysteries?
If I decide on the latter course of action, then I could get back to work on The Final Curtain, a new Gold novel that I have started planning in consultation with my nieces, Alex and Katie. I think this one has an exceptional plot in the works and would be fun to write. I feel like I'm leaning toward this novel as my next major Phillip-Gold project, though I have to admit I have been running revisions to All That Glisters around in my brain for a while.
Complicated. Maybe I should just work on all three at the same time, moving from book to book when I either run out of steam on one or have an inspiration for another. The Final Curtain involves all new writing for Phillip Gold. All That Glisters would require massive revisions based on an existing structure. The Way Forward is very different, working with established characters in a fantasy world, and is being written somewhat in free form.
It may just be that having that kind of variety available to me will help to inspire and keep me working!
A Satisfying Feeling
21/12/10 21:01 Filed in: Writing
It's nine in the evening on Tuesday, December 21 and
I have just completed my first read-through of my
manuscript, The Silent Goodbye. I had one
copy of the novel printed off, double-spaced, for
review and revision purposes and I'm glad I did.
I found this first read a real pleasure, both because I got to sit at my dining room table with the book a physical presence in front of me and because, to be honest, I really enjoyed the novel.
I had taken three weeks away from it after completing a major restructuring of the plot, hoping to gain a little distance, some perspective, some objectivity for this last polishing exercise. I think it worked. I enjoyed reading the book and, though I knew what would happen next every step of the way, I no longer could recall every sentence, every phrase, every word I had written.
There is a lot to do to make this manuscript a polished, finished product, ready to submit to the publisher. I found dozens of typos, corrected numerous continuity errors and recognised that I have to change the tone of several scenes to make them work. I'm sure that, when my partner, Patti, finishes her careful read of the book, I'll have even more to do.
But I am happy to say that I came away from this latest review immensely satisfied with the novel. I think it works well now: it flows at a ripping pace and the characters are stronger, more varied, more interesting. I tried to stick to the suggestions made by the publisher at the end of the summer and I'm happy I did: it's clear from the strength of this new draft that he was right on all counts.
I'm sitting here at the computer feeling completely content with the work that I've done, with the novel I've written. It's a nice feeling. I've poured my guts into this book and I'm ecstatic that the result is so utterly satisfying.
That doesn't mean, of course, that it will ever get published. But I can now honestly say that I did some good work in The Silent Goodbye. And that' gives me a fantastic feeling of accomplishment.
I found this first read a real pleasure, both because I got to sit at my dining room table with the book a physical presence in front of me and because, to be honest, I really enjoyed the novel.
I had taken three weeks away from it after completing a major restructuring of the plot, hoping to gain a little distance, some perspective, some objectivity for this last polishing exercise. I think it worked. I enjoyed reading the book and, though I knew what would happen next every step of the way, I no longer could recall every sentence, every phrase, every word I had written.
There is a lot to do to make this manuscript a polished, finished product, ready to submit to the publisher. I found dozens of typos, corrected numerous continuity errors and recognised that I have to change the tone of several scenes to make them work. I'm sure that, when my partner, Patti, finishes her careful read of the book, I'll have even more to do.
But I am happy to say that I came away from this latest review immensely satisfied with the novel. I think it works well now: it flows at a ripping pace and the characters are stronger, more varied, more interesting. I tried to stick to the suggestions made by the publisher at the end of the summer and I'm happy I did: it's clear from the strength of this new draft that he was right on all counts.
I'm sitting here at the computer feeling completely content with the work that I've done, with the novel I've written. It's a nice feeling. I've poured my guts into this book and I'm ecstatic that the result is so utterly satisfying.
That doesn't mean, of course, that it will ever get published. But I can now honestly say that I did some good work in The Silent Goodbye. And that' gives me a fantastic feeling of accomplishment.
Back to work, editing pencil sharpened
18/12/10 02:56 Filed in: Writing
Twenty days have passed since I put the final touches
on the revised draft of my mystery manuscript,
The Silent Goodbye. During that time, though
I have often thought about the book, I have not once
actually gone back and looked at it.
I wanted to take some time away from it before going back for revisions and polishing. Time to gain a little distance, some objectivity, some perspective, so that I will be better able to see its flaws and its strengths when I begin to work on it again.
With a goal of having a polished manuscript completed by the end of the year, however, it is now time to take my editing pencil in hand and get to work.
How am I feeling? To be honest, I have a strange mixture of excitement and fear roiling around in my stomach. Interesting. Excitement, I expected. I've enjoyed the process of reworking the novel that I began at the end of the summer so it should be no surprise that I am excited to get back to it.
But fear?
Hmmm....
Editing and polishing the manuscript is going to be a big job, for sure. And it's going to require me to find solid blocks of time for the task, time when I can concentrate without distractions. Not easy at Christmas time. But I have to be able to focus well enough to recognise inconsistencies, to keep track of the colour of each character's eyes, the shape of their face, the sound of their laugh. One of the things I'm worst at is remembering from one page to another how I've described certain people or places and part of the polishing job is to make sure that those things are consistent and convincing.
And I'm going to have to make hard choices, to the point perhaps of having to edit out scenes that I've laboured over, loved even, simply because they don't work.
Yeah. So maybe the little tinge of fear I'm feeling is justified. The job of polishing the book involves all those little things that I don't do naturally.
So I've got my file cards ready. I'll make note of how I've described each person and place on a separate card, then check the card every time that same character or place appears.
Writing is, apparently, more than just capturing on paper (or screen) the free flow of your creativity. Sometimes it's hard work.
No, check that. It is always hard work. Fun, exciting, sometimes thrilling, no doubt. But hard work nonetheless.
I wanted to take some time away from it before going back for revisions and polishing. Time to gain a little distance, some objectivity, some perspective, so that I will be better able to see its flaws and its strengths when I begin to work on it again.
With a goal of having a polished manuscript completed by the end of the year, however, it is now time to take my editing pencil in hand and get to work.
How am I feeling? To be honest, I have a strange mixture of excitement and fear roiling around in my stomach. Interesting. Excitement, I expected. I've enjoyed the process of reworking the novel that I began at the end of the summer so it should be no surprise that I am excited to get back to it.
But fear?
Hmmm....
Editing and polishing the manuscript is going to be a big job, for sure. And it's going to require me to find solid blocks of time for the task, time when I can concentrate without distractions. Not easy at Christmas time. But I have to be able to focus well enough to recognise inconsistencies, to keep track of the colour of each character's eyes, the shape of their face, the sound of their laugh. One of the things I'm worst at is remembering from one page to another how I've described certain people or places and part of the polishing job is to make sure that those things are consistent and convincing.
And I'm going to have to make hard choices, to the point perhaps of having to edit out scenes that I've laboured over, loved even, simply because they don't work.
Yeah. So maybe the little tinge of fear I'm feeling is justified. The job of polishing the book involves all those little things that I don't do naturally.
So I've got my file cards ready. I'll make note of how I've described each person and place on a separate card, then check the card every time that same character or place appears.
Writing is, apparently, more than just capturing on paper (or screen) the free flow of your creativity. Sometimes it's hard work.
No, check that. It is always hard work. Fun, exciting, sometimes thrilling, no doubt. But hard work nonetheless.
Some Happy Writing Developments
11/12/10 15:03 Filed in: Writing
Two positive things to report today.
First, I went to my neighbourhood Staples outlet and had my revised manuscript, The Silent Goodbye, printed for review purposes. Double-spaced but double-sided, the novel fills 390 sides of paper and now sits happily in a black binder, waiting for Patti's attentions and then mine. As I have said, I hope to have it revised and polished by the end of 2010 to be ready for submission to the publisher in January. I think it's a reachable goal and it's a nice feeling to see the whole thing so neatly presented.
One of the reasons for printing it out at this point is because Patti prefers to have a physical document in her hands when she reads and to be able to make comments and corrections right on the page. Another reason is the fact that I composed the novel entirely on-screen on computer: when I come to review it, I am hopeful that the new format (black print on a white page) will help me to gain some distance and perspective on the manuscript.
The second positive development is the fact that I have posted a revised and extended version of The Way Forward, my in-progress Rowling-world novel featuring characters from the Harry Potter series of books. For those of you who have already read the original four chapters, you'll find new material at the end of chapter four and in chapter five. I should mention, of course, that I have corrected and polished all four of the original chapters, even adding in several new scenes along the way. So, if you have the time and inclination, you may wish to re-read from the beginning.
I very much enjoying writing this novel, probably because I feel I know the characters so well from Rowling's books. I just throw them into new situations and see how they respond. I'll probably continue to write new material for The Way Forward for a while yet, at least until I dive back into the Phillip Gold manuscript for the final polish.
I don't really have a final plot plan for The Way Forward so we'll just have to see what develops for Minerva, Aberforth and George.
First, I went to my neighbourhood Staples outlet and had my revised manuscript, The Silent Goodbye, printed for review purposes. Double-spaced but double-sided, the novel fills 390 sides of paper and now sits happily in a black binder, waiting for Patti's attentions and then mine. As I have said, I hope to have it revised and polished by the end of 2010 to be ready for submission to the publisher in January. I think it's a reachable goal and it's a nice feeling to see the whole thing so neatly presented.
One of the reasons for printing it out at this point is because Patti prefers to have a physical document in her hands when she reads and to be able to make comments and corrections right on the page. Another reason is the fact that I composed the novel entirely on-screen on computer: when I come to review it, I am hopeful that the new format (black print on a white page) will help me to gain some distance and perspective on the manuscript.
The second positive development is the fact that I have posted a revised and extended version of The Way Forward, my in-progress Rowling-world novel featuring characters from the Harry Potter series of books. For those of you who have already read the original four chapters, you'll find new material at the end of chapter four and in chapter five. I should mention, of course, that I have corrected and polished all four of the original chapters, even adding in several new scenes along the way. So, if you have the time and inclination, you may wish to re-read from the beginning.
I very much enjoying writing this novel, probably because I feel I know the characters so well from Rowling's books. I just throw them into new situations and see how they respond. I'll probably continue to write new material for The Way Forward for a while yet, at least until I dive back into the Phillip Gold manuscript for the final polish.
I don't really have a final plot plan for The Way Forward so we'll just have to see what develops for Minerva, Aberforth and George.
Back to Writing
04/12/10 11:26 Filed in: Writing
Having put The Silent Goodbye, my completed
second-draft mystery manuscript, on the shelf for a
while, I've been wondering what my next writing
project should be. Even though my subconscious mind
has been working on ways to rewrite my earlier
Phillip Gold novel, All That Glisters, in
the new format and I have a new Gold project already
started (The Final Curtain, from an idea
provided by my nieces), I've decided to put my
mystery protagonist aside completely for a couple of
weeks.
When I do return to do revisions and polishing of The Silent Goodbye, I want to be coming back to it completely fresh.
So, instead, I've decided to go back to The Way Forward, the ongoing Rowling-world novel that I began last year. The rough first draft of the first 40 or so pages is available on this website but I've made the decision to use this free writing time to try to move the project significantly forward.
To that end, I've copied all four existing chapters into one file, moved that file onto my trusty net book and started working.
I really like this novel, to be honest. And, having now re-read all seven of Rowling's original books and seen the excellent seventh movie, I am enjoying the prospect of spending more time with her fabulous characters.
I re-read and revised the first 40 pages this morning and was pleased with what I found. There are a couple of scenes in there that I think are very effective and affecting and the basic concept of the book is sound.
It might seem strange to some people to think that I could spend this much time and energy working on a book that I will never be able to publish or sell but, in some ways, that makes the work all the more joyful. I am writing this book because I love doing it, because I enjoy the world and the characters Rowling created, not because I hope to make a name for myself, a career, or even money from it.
My book focuses on Aberforth Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and George Weasley. It explores the relationships among the magical races and between them and the Muggles in the world. It unfolds in the aftermath of the late-won war as the main characters attempt to deal with their new realities.
I don't know if I'll finish it and I'm not sure that's even the point. I want to enjoy the writing, the creating, the ongoing immersion in Rowling's world. If a finished work comes out of it, great. But that's not the goal of the enterprise.
When I do return to do revisions and polishing of The Silent Goodbye, I want to be coming back to it completely fresh.
So, instead, I've decided to go back to The Way Forward, the ongoing Rowling-world novel that I began last year. The rough first draft of the first 40 or so pages is available on this website but I've made the decision to use this free writing time to try to move the project significantly forward.
To that end, I've copied all four existing chapters into one file, moved that file onto my trusty net book and started working.
I really like this novel, to be honest. And, having now re-read all seven of Rowling's original books and seen the excellent seventh movie, I am enjoying the prospect of spending more time with her fabulous characters.
I re-read and revised the first 40 pages this morning and was pleased with what I found. There are a couple of scenes in there that I think are very effective and affecting and the basic concept of the book is sound.
It might seem strange to some people to think that I could spend this much time and energy working on a book that I will never be able to publish or sell but, in some ways, that makes the work all the more joyful. I am writing this book because I love doing it, because I enjoy the world and the characters Rowling created, not because I hope to make a name for myself, a career, or even money from it.
My book focuses on Aberforth Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and George Weasley. It explores the relationships among the magical races and between them and the Muggles in the world. It unfolds in the aftermath of the late-won war as the main characters attempt to deal with their new realities.
I don't know if I'll finish it and I'm not sure that's even the point. I want to enjoy the writing, the creating, the ongoing immersion in Rowling's world. If a finished work comes out of it, great. But that's not the goal of the enterprise.
In Memory of Rickie
02/12/10 20:03 Filed in: Writing
I received news today that a wonderful writer and
friend, Rickie Pattenden, passed away yesterday after
a long battle with cancer. I am deeply saddened by
this news, for myself, for Rickie's beloved family,
for anyone whose life she touched.
I have known Rickie for several years now, ever since she and I ended up in the same writing course at McMaster University. We've been in writing groups together, we've worked together at the University and we've had the chance to get to know each other a little bit along the way.
Rickie was a rare person. She was bright, articulate and funny. She'd faced many challenges in her life but she was always able to see the human side, the positive side, the optimistic side even of the worst developments. She was a fabulous writer and, not surprisingly, she focused her creative talents on her beloved family: in fact, ever since I met her, she's been working off and on writing a novelization of her mother's life, from her roots in Italy to her long journey to Welland, Ontario to her life in Canada. It's a pity that Rickie's lovely novel, her ode to her mother, will never be completed.
Rickie was also a pretty fantastic singer, a talent you were honoured to enjoy just about any time you got in the car with her for an extended trip.
She talked often and with deep, heartfelt love about her sons, her daughters-in-law and her grandchildren. I've heard so much about them that sometimes I feel like I know them. Even when she found out she had cancer and faced a no-win battle, the first thought Rickie expressed to me was how happy she was to be in a position to spend her last months with her kids and her grandkids.
I know that this brief passage is completely inadequate at capturing the lovely woman that Rickie was but it's offered in her memory with love and deep sadness. Rest well, Rickie. You will be missed.
I have known Rickie for several years now, ever since she and I ended up in the same writing course at McMaster University. We've been in writing groups together, we've worked together at the University and we've had the chance to get to know each other a little bit along the way.
Rickie was a rare person. She was bright, articulate and funny. She'd faced many challenges in her life but she was always able to see the human side, the positive side, the optimistic side even of the worst developments. She was a fabulous writer and, not surprisingly, she focused her creative talents on her beloved family: in fact, ever since I met her, she's been working off and on writing a novelization of her mother's life, from her roots in Italy to her long journey to Welland, Ontario to her life in Canada. It's a pity that Rickie's lovely novel, her ode to her mother, will never be completed.
Rickie was also a pretty fantastic singer, a talent you were honoured to enjoy just about any time you got in the car with her for an extended trip.
She talked often and with deep, heartfelt love about her sons, her daughters-in-law and her grandchildren. I've heard so much about them that sometimes I feel like I know them. Even when she found out she had cancer and faced a no-win battle, the first thought Rickie expressed to me was how happy she was to be in a position to spend her last months with her kids and her grandkids.
I know that this brief passage is completely inadequate at capturing the lovely woman that Rickie was but it's offered in her memory with love and deep sadness. Rest well, Rickie. You will be missed.