I have been trying a new 'trick' to get writing done in the morning, before the real world crashes in on me, stealing away my time. I set the stove clock for 1 hour and promise myself that is all the time I must write before doing anything else. It gets me past that critical, first five minutes of hesitating to punch the keyboard. This has worked well for over a week, but now that Christmas is upon me, and I need to prepare for feeding, bedding down and having presents for an additional three adults and five grandchildren for a week, (plus others here for daytime visits), it is hard to keep to my self-promise to write everyday.

But this morning, which is four days before everyone's arrival, I will head for my laptop and put in my delicious one hour of being in the world of 3000 years ago in Canaan!