On a very personal note - I have just returned, my daughter-in-law Kristen and grandchild Kaylee in tow - from a cross-country trip! Nov. 3rd I flew to Seattle and the three of us embarked on a drive from Olympia to Lansing, Michigan with a five month old! We made it in five days. God TRULY had His hand on us as the route we chose - Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan. I'M EXHAUSTED JUST WRITING THAT! We met my daughter Allie in Utah as she is moving to Florida to work for the Tampa Bay Rays! So she was with us for three days.

I wanted those who give a hoot (I'm sure not too many!) to know why I have not been on-line for awhile frequenting my fav Hubs. Even after returning home on the 9th - it has been difficult to get on-line due to the fact that Kristen and Kaylee aren't settled yet and "Nanna" is trying her best to help out with that!

This is relevant to what I write here because Kristen is married to my son who is in Afghanistan. Much of what I write about is in relation to our troops who are over there risking all to keep the Terrorists from our soil. Kristen decided this sometimes agonizing wait for Alex to return home would be best with "seasoned" Army folks - and seasoned my husband and I are! We are also unspeakably honored that she'd WANT to be with us until April of 2010!

I've missed being here and reading your wonderful Hubs and hope to be able to do some "catch-up" very soon!

On still ANOTHER personal note - I need your help!

In a few days I’m going to be asking for your vote. I submitted my fiction manuscript to a Christian publishing contest. This is an “American Idol” of publishing, and my submission made the top 30! In the first round, if I receive the top three most votes, I’ll move on to the next round and again, I will ask for your vote. I believe there are three rounds altogether. The bad news is – in order to vote, you’ll have to register. The good news is that once registered, you can vote fairly effortlessly for the next levels.

On the 13^th I will write another Hub with step by step directions. The contest does not begin until Nov. 13th and ends Nov. 15th. The rules are, you must vote for at least two other manuscript ideas along with voting for mine. The voting ends November 15^th. The title of my manuscript/novel is “The Watchers” and I am second from the top, so finding my submission will be easy. Please consider voting for me on the 13^th!

If you don’t feel you will vote please consider sending the new Hub link I’ll post Nov. 13^th to others. Every vote will count as long as you vote for my submission and at least two others.

If you wish to take a peek, here is the link and pre-voting instructions:

The Anomaly

Register, then if you are not taken back to the main bulliten board page, use this link again:

The Anomaly

Then at the top of the page, below the ads select: Marcher Lord Select

Then Phase 1 Premise Contest - the second link down.

My submission is number two from the top of all the submissions.

God willing – with your help – I can be in the top three!