January has been a great month for me and “Teeth in a Pickle Jar.” It was great for me because I spent it in my home in Bradenton FL: Unless you are an avid skier or a masochist (I am neither), what could be better than spending the coldest month of the winter in warm weather? Okay, okay, you don’t have to answer that.

While in Bradenton I gave Creative Writing courses to a very nice and talented group of beginning writers. It was my first teaching experience. I am still waiting to get my apples!

I also gave a total of six talks about Teeth. The venues were in Venice, Sarasota, Tampa Bay area and central Florida. In Bradenton I was invited to speak at a meeting of Lions Club. What a wonderful group of people they are, and doing so much good for the community. I was honored to be their guest. Another memorable book talk was at the Lake Hamilton Women’s Club in Lake Hamilton FL. On the way back to Bradenton, on I-4 heading west toward Tampa, dark clouds started to gather. I wondered how a bright and sunny sky could so quickly morph into a mass of blackness. It was raining hard by the time I got to Bradenton, but it wasn’t until that night that a devastating tornado had swept central Florida. I was really anxious to hear that the wonderful group of people I had just spoken to was safe and sound, and that the town was not destroyed. It wasn’t until several days later that I had the good news: they were all fine, and the worst damage was 50 miles away.

A few days later I was in Pennsylvania. The transition from a mild and sunny climate to the Northeastern winter is brutal, to say the least. From high 60s and low 70s to temps ranging from 6 to 9 what’s not to like? At one point it hit 12 degrees and it felt like a heat wave. I don’t mind telling you I didn’t like it one bit. But my heart was warmed by a truly wonderful reception I got when I spoke to the Abington Heights Civic League in Clarks Summit PA. I am always overwhelmed by all the positive feedback I get from readers. They tell me how much they enjoyed reading Teeth in a Pickle Jar, to the point that they couldn’t put it down until they reached the last page. A lot of them demand a sequel. They want to know what happened to all the characters. I guess I’ll have to get in the novel writing mode real soon. Transiting from journalism to fiction writing is always a challenge, but I am not the one to shy away.

From the bitter cold of PA it was back to Geneva, which felt remarkably pleasant by comparison. High 40s, sunshine intermingled with rain, crocuses and daffodils peeking through the grass already. Who knew?

Anyway, that’s all for now. I promise not to stay away from this blog for long. In the meantime, remember my favorite expression, and practice it: Give a little love and it all comes back to you.