Cold Cold Cold Cold

Oh mt gosh it is cold out. Temps are dropping into the single digits, and the wind is horrendous. I just put some extra blankets in the cat house on the deck for the backup cats that come to visit. Filled up the food bowl and plugged in the heated water dish. I took a peak out the window and saw that the siamese cat was out there munching away. Pixel will make an appearance later on, and I suspect Whatnot will too.
For those of you who don't know, we live in the country and occasionally the neighboring cats like to show up for a snack or two. I am pretty sure Pixel-cat and Whatnot belong to one of the local farmers out here, but the siamese cat is new. They will all tolerate us looking at them through the window, and sometimes we can even be on the deck when they are about, but all are pretty skittish and take off running if we move towards them. The siamese cat looks young and pretty scrawny. I don't think he belongs to anyone, or if he does they are probably long gone. So I make sure that there is some food and water out there, and Mosely's old house is still on the deck for shelter if someone needs it. Call me a sucker.
In the meantime, our indoor animals are all fairly content. Archie is showing more and more signs of his age and hard abusive life. We baby him along, and for the most part he seems content. A little confused at times, but content nonetheless. Quatlieu is also getting up there in age, amazing as it seems to us. Molly and Mosely are our "young'uns", and are going full speed ahead.
I have chosen not to take any classes this semester. Decided I needed a break, and the Hubby agrees. Since I have a job I enjoy, the whole "going to school to get a better job" is not as urgent. We have been in this house now going on our third year, and there is so much I want to do but never have the time. I felt guilty about taking a break from school, but as the hubby pointed out, I was going for me, not anyone else.
So now I am in the process of making out a list of all the projects I want to tackle around here. Plus I need to put in some time on Lady P's novel. Her fans are all clamouring for the next chapter. I was able to hold them off with Chapter 10, but I don't think they will wait as long for Chapter 11.
Lady P is Lady Matilde Prunelle, Romance Authour Extraordinaire. She was developed after I came across a photo of an employee who worked for me. This girl had some glamour shots done. They turned out very nice, and she looks great, although I think she is beautiful without all the fluff. Anyway, a couple of pictures reminded me of those romance novelists author photos. One day, out of sheer boredom on my part, I created a website for Lady P, complete with a "bio" and some fake books that she supposedly "wrote". Even included little excerpts from those books.
Some of the girls from work came across the site. I started getting requests for more of "the story". So, again, as a joke, I started writing a few chapters. And then it snowballed...
Now Lady Prunelle has a MySpace, a FaceBook, a website, and most recently a Fan site/club. (I had nothing to do with the fan club/page. That was one of Lady P's avid fans - lol) So now I feel compelled to keep writing the story.
Best part about the whole thing?
I don't really like romance novels. How is that for irony?
But, it allows me to stay creative, and some of the research (yes, I actually do some research for this - her fans wouldn't have it any other way, I'm telling you) is interesting.
Do I know how the story ends?
Of course. Even have a good idea of how it will get there.
Hardest part is keeping track of what I have written so far, and how to get from one point to the next in some kind of co-herent manner that makes sense to the reader and the story. I really hadn't thought out how complex this can all get.
But I'll keep plugging along.
As for my friend who is the face of Lady P, she is a good sport about all of this. Thinks it is hilarious and expects to start being bombarded by strangers asking for her autograph and what will happen to poor Ursula.
Thanks a bunch Amy! You are a peach! You inspire more than you will ever know.