An Update on My Life

Sorry for the sporadic posts this summer, but even though it is summer mine has really been hectic. Lots has been happening in my real life and in my writing life. Though unfortunately, I haven't sent out my second novel yet!! If you were following my writing you know I have had several poems published and that a couple of my flash stories are going to be published soon. I haven't been writing as much, but I will share a poem I wrote when I was inspired:

Carefree Woman

Carefree woman
body swelling with new life
dancing free
enjoying the music with
the hopeful father nearby his
hand on your belly
as you sway with the exuberance 
of youth
squeezing it dry until
motherhood 
slips in stealthily stealing it all
and suddenly you are a parent
waving to the shadows of your youth
copyright 2012 by Barbara Ehrentreu
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At the same time some of my poems were rejected and I just heard a short story I sent to a magazine was rejected. It doesn't bother me too much when my work is rejected, because I usually re-evaluate it and send it out again! That's how several of my poems were published.

Healthwise, I went to the dermatologist and he decided to take off a big freckle. Then it turned out that this freckle was pre-cancerous so he had to cut out the whole thing. I had to have five stitches on my arm. Also, I had a lipoma removed and had to have stitches there too! So now I feel like Frankenstein with stitches on two places on my arm. The good thing is it's my left arm and I'm right-handed!!

Coming up on the blog in two days is a visit with Michelle Pickett, author of Concilium. She is stopping by here as part of her blog tour and I am very happy she is going to be a guest author. Michelle is one of the first people to read and review my book and she gave me a 5 star review. I can't wait to let everyone know about her new book, Concilium. She is also giving away a gift card so come over and leave a comment.

One other thing before I end this. The Olympics are over, but they really took up much of my time for two weeks. I found myself watching things I never had thought about like weight lifting and wrestling. One night I tuned in and watched these tiny women, none over 110 pounds lifting twice their weight. It was amazing watching these women and seeing their struggle and determination. I loved seeing the swimming, gymnastics and volleyball. I think the beach volleyball this Olympics was outstanding and so was the team volleyball. I loved the enthusiasm of all the Olympians and how there was such good will between all of them. I also liked the judging, because it was so fair. The judges were willing to go back and examine things if the country asked for it. Even in the wrestling they examined the video and changed the points. Probably the most inspiring sight of all was Oscar Pretorious who ran a semi-final race on prosthetic legs!

The only part of the Olympics I didn't like was the commentary and the fact that  TV watchers were denied parts of the Opening and Closing ceremonies. As a Kinks fan I was disturbed to know that Ray Davies' performance was cut from the NBC TV feed. Also in the Opening ceremony a tribute was left out of the broadcast. I hope NBC will rethink their coverage of the Winter Olympics in two years.

However, having The Who close the games was great!! The Who's music has been a part of my life for years and it felt right to see Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend again, though each is a little bit older and a little larger. With the fireworks and the stirring music of The Who the end of the Olympics was a lot easier to take! You could forget that you had sat through some of the worst music for two hours. So thank you to The Who for rescuing this disaster. Now what will I do with my time?

Hope you are all having a great summer and I will be back with Michelle Pickett as my guest author. Until the next time check back here in a day.