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Cathy Coley

Florence and the Writer

Florence and the Writer

looking eastward from my backyard, so far, so good.

I've spent my whole life on the East Coast of the US. The sea gives me life. When Hothouse Flowers came out with their song Good for You, that opens, "I spent my life watch sky and sea change color, hypnotized by the beauty of it all" I cried. It was my life. Yeah, I'm a big sap.

So, I have a bit of experience with hurricanes. My family moved from a block away from Long Island Sound, inland and up a hill, after a small hurricane when I was seven years old. A few decades later, that house was destroyed by Sandy. My father still lives in the house we moved to in '73. I do not seem to follow his good perspective, and moved within reach of the major Hurricane Alley trajectory at this stage in my life. Florence is about to hit 2 miles from my house we moved into a year ago. I thought it was far enough from shore, but now, I know I am in mandatory evacuation zone for above a Cat 3. Florence is currently looking like a Cat 4-5. It's Monday, She's due Thursday, pregnant with the swirling central Atlantic.

We bought plywood for the windows, but my husband's job has amped production before the storm hits, somewhat because of the storm, maybe, but also the nature of his business. It's his business, I won't go into here. This blog is about writing. Somehow, my 20 year old son and his broke down old mother need to get it hung over the windows. I'm checking in with the neighbors today.

We are in deep hurricane prep, and I have had an invitation to evacuate my family to another writer's house, further inland. Check out her work! Christa Miller writes across genres and recently published the first book in a series for kids about raccoon rescue from the perspective of the raccoons. My daughter loved it! so did I. She also writes great dark cross genre fantasy, crime, mystery stories, and novellas.

Speaking of children's books, again, thanks to those who bought mine recently. I still have some on hand to let go of, and would love to sign and send them to you, a teacher, or student of around 4th-7th grade. Please email me through my contact page, I'm selling them at cost plus shipping, not making anything from it myself. I'm cleaning house is all.

Wish my family luck that Florence turns back out to sea before she makes landfall, or we may be going on a grand adventure. And so will Christa, because my family is mayhem.