It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since I retired. This is the last weekly blog post about my post-retirement adventures, but I’ll continue writing them on a monthly basis. Last week ended on a fun note when I attended a Zoom lecture on one of my favorite musical groups, the Bee Gees. It was given by Vinnie Bruno, who also gives in-person and virtual lectures on the Beatles and other sixties and seventies music groups. The Bee Gees lecture was hosted by the Seaford Library and had over 80 attendees. Mr. Bruno’s presentation was both informative and enjoyable. He played songs from the early years of the group, as well as those from Saturday Night Fever and one by Andy Gibb.
Over the Martin Luther King weekend, I did more cleaning and also continued writing the next book in my Buttercup Bend series. I was challenged by my cat, Harry, when I cleaned my closet and by Hermione, when I sat at my computer to write.
On Monday, I went out to lunch with friends at Fanatico’s Italian Restaurant and had a delicious eggplant dish with a salad. Needless to say, I didn’t eat dinner that night.
My friends and I also exchanged late Christmas presents. One gave me an adorable cat tea mug and cat calendar. The other gave me hot chocolate balls and a lavender bath set.
On Tuesday, I spoke with Andrea Parent- Tibbetts from Clover Brooke Farm in Hyde Park via Zoom to research llamas and llama farms. She gave me some interesting information that I’ll be able to use in my forthcoming book, The Case of the Llama Raising Librarian. I’m up to Chapter 5 in the book and, although Cathy and Mildred have arrived at the llama farm where they are investigating a murder incognito, they haven’t yet met Lulu the Llama. The llama’s name was chosen by a reader of my newsletter who submitted it for a contest. Below is an excerpt from the first draft.
“I always wondered what the difference was between alpacas and llamas. Do you know?” Cathy had maneuvered around a red truck, and a barn came into view. It was large and sat next to a pen where she saw several llamas grazing.
“Of course I do. I’m a librarian, Cathy. The main differences are their size and ears. You might consider them cousins. Alpacas are smaller than llamas and have t-shaped ears, while llamas have banana-shaped ears. They’re both gentle and friendly animals.”
“Interesting.” Cathy pulled into a space between the house and the barn. The spots weren’t marked, and the lot wasn’t paved, but there were two cars parked there. A small blue Mazda and a silver station wagon.
Mildred checked her watch. “We’re a little early. We made great time. Maybe you want to walk around with me a bit before we go up to the house.”
“That’s a good idea. I’m eager to see the animals.” Cathy got out, and Mildred joined her. They headed for the barn and the llama pen. As they passed the barn, Cathy exclaimed, “Oh, my gosh! Look, Mildred. Cats! They look just like Harry and Hermione, only older, and the calico one doesn’t have Hermione’s white undercoat and paws.”
“They must be barn cats,” Mildred said. “They usually have them on farms to keep the mice in check. The calico is a tortoiseshell. Notice her brown markings.”
Cathy walked slowly toward the cats. She noticed a gray one behind them. The black cat came right up to her. She extended her hand, and the cat sniffed it. “You look just like my Harry,” she said. “I bet you enjoy living here?”
Mildred laughed. “I love how you talk to animals, Cathy. C’mon, let’s go see the llamas.”
The rest of the week wasn’t as pleasant or productive. My daughter and I both had dentist visits, and I’ll be going to the orthopedic today.
Next week, I’m planning to visit three local bookstores with an author friend.
Thanks for reading about my retirement adventures. I’ll post another in February.
Ruff Drafts 