I hope you DO, CH!! You'd be surprised at how much you can get done in between everything else. When you turn off that inner editor things just spew out and there ya go, before you know it you've done a thousand, and then another thousand. One thing it has taught me is I am really motivated by a deadline!**bg**

Mousethief..you've got my attention! Great set up!

Here's the opening of this year's effort called "Shadowhearts. It needs lots of editing, too, but at least there is something to edit, eh?:-)

I don't remember anything about Uncle Lewis except vague references to his being a bit eccentric, reclusive, and having loads of money. I was about to find out just how much as I was the only recipient listed in his will...well, as long as I met certain stipulations. I was certainly interested. My varied careers always had great starts then I lost interest. By contrast, the stuff I did for free...listen and give intuitive advice, empathise and get nice feedback, make jewellery and give it away, all held my attention and I love doing it. Now, maybe, if old Uncle Lewis really had been that rich, I might be able to do those things and not worry about how I was going to pay the rent and feed myself and Sasheen...she's my chocolate point Siamese who assists me in my work with folks. She "vets" them, in an unobtrusive way...letting me know with a look, a blink of the eye, a tail swish if they were to be trusted or not. Of course, I have my own "feelers" out...watching and listening for negative vibes or some underhanded, not truthful dealings. Between the two of us, we have a pretty good track record when it comes to clients. They are all given to freely, but those who can almost always offer a little love offering or a trade in kind of goods, most often fresh veggies when in season and sometimes a stash of jewellery supplies, old beads, necklaces and the like with which I could make new items. I tried selling my jewellery once or twice but it never worked. You see, I design with the specific person in mind, so the Stone People communicate to me just how they want to be placed in a design...whatever resonates the best for that person. Often-times I'll put something together and think it's just right, when I get a feeling, see new patterns in my head and bingo! The "stones" have "spoken" and I rearrange the design to something much better which I never would have thought of. I love doing it, but I wish it paid the bills better.

I was sitting in the lawyer's office, no cats allowed, so I was on my own whilst studying him and his decor. Sturdy, solid old-fashioned desk of oak polished to a warm and old honey gold...glassed-in bookshelves filled with uniform looking leather bound tomes with alphabetic and numbered bindings, plus a couple of shelves of non-conformist books, not as large, but still with that old library look and smell, even through the glass. I was interested to note the man did not match his fossilised references. Perhaps there used to be an "& son" on the door which now read, "John Laurence, Attorney at Law" and he'd inherited the library. About five ten if my guess was right, as he sat in a comfortable looking old leather desk chair. He had a mass of unruly hair, slightly silver around the edges with leftover reddish hues to match a few freckles across his nose. His eyes were almost almond shaped, a hint of something different than the Queen Boadicea red hair connections, and a frank, open sort of blue...they were warm and friendly now, but I wouldn't want to cross swords with him in a court room or anywhere else for that matter. There was an edge to him I could sense...all my bells were going off..."warning, warning Will Robinson" just like that robot in Lost in Space. He had on a GQ looking suit with an unexpected cotton chambray shirt, open-necked, no tie, maybe he wasn't as tight-assed as he seemed.

"As I was saying, Miss Kitteredge, Mr. Dunosh set some unusual parameters pursuant to your receipt of his full estate. Are you aware of his net worth?"
I vaguely shook my head, "Not a clue. Mum and Dad almost never spoke of him. I heard he had loads but never how much."
"How much do you know about your Uncle, then?"