As a lifelong Midwesterner, I have long rationalized staying here in this way: One doesn't really appreciate beautiful weather unless it is in stark contrast to a few blizzards, ice storms, and sub-zero cold interspersed with dreary, gray, bone-chilling days. Don't tell me I'm wrong; it's too late to change now. Besides, this thinking helps me through the winter, knowing how much better these days will make the spring.

Nevertheless, yesterday's mini-ice storm and an uncertain forecast encouraged a little discretion (you know, the better part of valor) and we cancelled plans to meet son Andy and family in the Quad Cities to celebrate our youngest grandson Elliot's ninth birthday. In addition, the Dreamcatchers' Trivia contest scheduled for later in the day was postponed. Bummer. But the result was a day to cozy in, polish off the leftovers in the fridge, read, and work on the outline for the third volume of Frannie and Larry's adventures.

The Blue Coyote is currently with my wonderful early readers--Marcia, Ginge, and Angie. Also, sister Gretchen is reading it so that she can work on the cover idea. Meanwhile reviews for Bats and Bones begin to mount slowly, both on Amazon and on Goodreads. But one of my favorite comments came from a friend in an email to the effect that soon campers making reservations would check to make sure Frannie Shoemaker didn't have the next site.

It costs nothing to enter and if you win, you really don't get much. From now until February 20, if you "like" my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/KarenMusserNortman, your name will be entered in a drawing. If your name is one of two drawn, you will have a character in the the third Frannie Shoemaker book named after you! How great is that!

First, I will be taking part in a book reading on March 26 at 7:00 at the West Liberty Public Library. Also participating are Roger Hileman and Dave Hoing who wrote Hammon Falls, a family saga centered on the Waterloo area; and Shirley Hendrickson, author of The Starting Gate. Perhaps I should change my name to Karen Hortman.

I have also been thinking about endorsements related to Bats and Bones; one has to think ahead, you know. Maybe the time is right for a Frannie Shoemaker line of outdoor clothing. Or is the market ready for a Frannie and Larry limited edition travel trailer? Move over, Eddie Bauer. Other possibilities include a Mickey Ferraro CD of campfire songs or a Nancy Terrell organizer. Of course, none of you will know Nancy unless you read The Blue Coyote.

And a semi-commercial note: I owe my two sisters for the wonderful cover of Bats and Bones. The cover art was done by Gretchen Musser, wayward landscape architect and arborist, and the cover design by Libby Shannon, who actually does make her living from her graphics business, Goosetown Graphics. Thank you, girls; this has erased a lot of debts.

To build this site, I went through a lot of camping photos and it made me very eager for camping weather. I have been working on revisions on the second Frannie Shoemaker book, The Blue Coyote, and while I am writing or rewriting, I'm there living it. So it's always kind of a shock to close my laptop and realize it's still January.  But there are antidotes.

• Finish the book. April is coming.
• Finish last year's scrapbook. I never got the last two trips in and soon it will be time to start a new one. April is coming.
• Repair or reorganize the items I brought in from the camper last fall for those purposes. April is coming.
• Try out some new recipes. Which is a good excuse for a party. April is coming.
  
• Get out the calendar. It's only a couple of weeks until we can start making reservations in Iowa parks and the Corps of Engineers and other states have bigger windows. After all, April is coming.