Dear Liza,
As you can tell by all the writing I’ve been doing, my brain has been running full speed for a long time. Now, I seem to have hit a bump. 
Besides these letters to you, i am writing a history story about Portland, Oregon. I’ve done all the research, but it isn’t turning into the story I want. It feels clunky, slow, and bossy. It has a teacher’s voice, which is understandable, since I spoke Teacher as my primary language for 30 years. But it is not good voice for stories.
I have realized that I have a lot of work yet to do on it, and it is frustrating. It feels like I somehow got to mile 24 of a marathon and realized that I am just coming up on the Starting line.
As a remedy, I am, as they say, “getting out of my own way,” and letting the story sit for a while. I am reading other things, walking when it is cool enough, and trying not to give up on it. 
I am looking for inspiration elsewhere, listening for a voice that isn’t bossy. In the meantime, I will send these lovely random pictures.
Love,
Grandma Judy
