Vicarage, Boring-on-End

WRITING STUFF

AMELIA PETTIPANTS HITS THE WORLD RUNNING

Well, I gave away one of my children.

Okay, she's a sixty-six year old spinster from my favorite village, Boring-on-End, but I gave Evil Editor permission to use her and have all the Minions write about her as they will. Relinquishing her as a character to the open-swipes of others is a bitter-sweet experience. Who'd a thunk anyone would want her? I am surprised and delighted that she went over so well with the Minions.

They are compiling a profile of her now – one, I'm afraid, that won't be exactly what I pictured, but she is no longer mine anyway, so I must be joyful at this turn of events.

However, as she has left my nest to travel the World Wide Web on her own, I think it's a good time to document how she came to be in the first place.

My friend and editor, Michael Mallory, is well-known for many writing endeavors, but his novel, "The Second Mrs. Watson" – about Dr. Watson's second wife, Amelia Pettigrew Watson – has always been a favorite of mine. My Amelia Pettipants was a pastiche of his Amelia Pettigrew, almost an alter ego to his pretty and very bright sleuth. I have used her in Continuations and Guess the Plots over at Evil Editor's blog and in a few short stories which I have wisely kept from publication.

She a plucky, persnickety, doughty and dear old girl, and I give her freely to the Minions as a sort of Holiday Gift. Enjoy her well, and treat her with respect and humor, as I have done.

Now I can't wait to see what they write!

Happy Holidays!

THREE BEAUTIFUL THINGS

The Cerritos CA Public Library must count as several – it's the most beautiful library I have ever seen.

An avenue of deciduous trees at dusk yesterday – it had turned red and gold overnight, and the leaves fell on my car like brilliantly colored soft snow. This must be what the Changing of the Seasons is like back east.

The featherbed. It is warm and embracing and I don't want to leave it in the morning.