I wonder if I don’t have survivor’s guilt.

I see the pandemic devastating so many authors and artists and other people and I just thank God that there’s a roof over my head and food in the fridge.

It’s made me donate to charities a lot more. Yemen, Syria, the disasters there have only gotten worse.

Closer to home, I was booked to do an online interview for a $100. Was hardly worth the paperwork so I asked them to donate it to a Muslim women’s shelter in Baltimore. It houses victims of domestic violence.

I do believe that privation and abundance are both tests from God. Privation tests your patience, and abundance tests your generosity.

I’ve been working steadily on a historical novel that is proving to be a gigantic project.

I never realized it would take me this long–five years and counting!

Right now I’ve got my head stuck in 1824, reading a biography of John Quincy Adams, what a fascinating guy!

And in reading what happened to him I keep thinking of that French idiom plus sa change plus c’est la meme chose.

There are so many lessons to be learned!

Got the good news that I’ll be able to see this project to fruition insha Allah. It feels so good to know that the next few months are covered and I can work pretty much uninterrupted without worrying too much about finances.

And for that I am extremely grateful!

Not many people get paid to write what they love!

Hang in there! The pandemic will not last forever.

This too shall pass. That is guarranteed.