Okay. So I've been out here on the coast for nearly two weeks, if you don't count an overnight trip home to water the garden—my husband calls this "the tyranny of plants"—and have experienced a variety of weather (the significance of this is that during the time we were out here, the temperature back home on the other side of the mountain averaged around 104! I wilt in such heat, so I was more than happy to be enjoying sun without the bite, plus lots of negative ions as well).

All of which should have sparked my creativity enough to begin again on my new book, which is only half-written as of this July 4th weekend. I have no viable excuse.

Writing, I'll have to admit, was only one-half of my reason for being here. Of course we had guests, but the main thing every year is to give the poor doggie a fireworks-free 4th, and that we did.

It's been restful for us, too.

So now what's my excuse?

Hope you had a safe and sane 4th as well. Now back to work!