Mapping it Out

Back when I first started writing the Fred Vickery series, I decided I needed to create a map so I could keep the town straight in my head. I didn't figure out that I needed the map at all until I'd written the whole first book and started on the second. Then, suddenly, I realized that I couldn't remember where the Frame-Up was in relation to the Bluebird Cafe, or how far Lacey's General Store was from the sheriff's office.

Getting myself on track took some doing, but within a couple of days I had a lovely hand-drawn (in pencil) map on a piece of grid paper. I kept it beside my computer and it served me well for six books -- although at one point around book #5, I lost the map for a little while (no, I never made a copy) and sent myself into a panic.

I learned my lesson from that experience, and now painstakingly (and slowly) create my maps in Excel at the beginning of a project so I can keep it current as I add new locations. It's not easy and it takes forever -- much longer than drawing a square and penciling in the name of a family or a store -- but it's also not quite so easy to lose.

Having the map is really important, especially when I'm working with a real location, which I'm doing in my current WIP. It has taken me all afternoon, but I finally have a map of about half the town of West Yellowstone, color-coded so I can see at a glance what's what. (And because color-coding things just makes me happy.)

Unfortunately, it's only half the town, and I realized late this afternoon that I must add a gazillion columns on the left-hand side of my in order to fit in the rest of the town on the map -- but hey! That's okay. Tomorrow is another day.

No Place for Death

Available now for your Kindle --

Book #3 in the Fred Vickery Mystery series

Originally released in paperback by Berkley Prime Crime in 1996, this book is now available for your Kindle. 

Click here to order your copy

After seventy-three years, change doesn't sit well with Fred Vickery. So he's not about to give up coffee and diner food, no matter what his daughter and his doctor say. Because Fred knows that the secret to staying young is staying happy. As log as there's a mystery to be solved, Cutler, Colorado is heaven on earth. 

NO PLACE FOR DEATH

Fred hasn't seen much of his in-laws since the death of his wife. But family loyalty prevails when his late wife's niece is accused of murdering her husband. Though rumors of infidelity point to Nancy's guilt, Fred knows that more is going on here than a relationship turned sour. He's determined to uncover the truth, even though the whole town of Cutler--his family included--has joined forces to keep him from getting involved in the case 

It's all Greek to Me

Recently, I was treated to a surprise visit home for my mother's 90th birthday. It was an amazing gift and a fabulous 12-day trip that included not only a family reunion and Mom's birthday, but some quality family time and a trip to Bear Lake where I spent a lazy weekend on the water. 

While I was sitting at my mother's house one day, a phone call came out of the blue from a group at the University of Utah who were doing a study on the effects of gastric bypass on people over a period of years. Back in 2002 or 2003, I signed up to be part of the study in the control group--the people who did not have gastric bypass surgery. I'd gone in for a couple of in-hospital rounds of tests, done a few phone interviews and then fallen off the radar when I lost my Utah cell phone number a few years ago. 

My sister and I had discussed the study a day or two earlier, specifically since I haven't been able to get to a doctor for more years than I like to admit. (Don't ask. It's complicated.) 

Anyway, my sister encouraged me to call them while I was in town -- which sounded like a good idea, but I couldn't remember what the study was about so I had no idea who to even ask for if I did randomly call the University Hospital. 

But suddenly there they were, calling my mom's house to see if she had contact info for me -- while I just happened to be in town. Coincidence? I think not. As a result I got a lot of blood work done as part of the study ... 

Which brings me to the foreign language section of this blog post. Apparently, in the decades during which I haven't been able to visit the doctor, I have developed high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes. 

The high blood pressure isn't at a frightening number, and I know for a fact that I didn't have HBP during my last visit to the ER several years ago. The glucose numbers are a bit more concerning. 

And so I begin a journey into the unknown -- a world of concerns about blood glucose and blood pressure numbers that make very little sense to me at this point. Luckily, it seems (at first glance anyway) that eating a diabetic friendly diet is a lot like eating a Weight Watchers friendly diet, which I know how to do. The only real difference, is that the stakes are higher than they've ever been.  

So even though I don't understand a lot about where my numbers are supposed to be, I do know that they're much too high where they are now and there's only one thing I can do about it at the moment -- change my diet and add some exercise into my lifestyle while I'm trying to find some kind of medical care and researching as much as I can on my own. 

If any of you have tips on living with type-2 diabetes or diabetes friendly recipes, feel free to share. If I come across any I'll share. At least it will give us something to talk about! 

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