As Halloween dwindles in the calendar’s rear-view mirror, we look forward to the end-of-year holiday season. The spooks have dropped behind us, the turkey waits ahead, and then there’s Christmas. Already the stores have begun putting out their Christmas wares and decorations. Take a deep breath; it’s going to be a long ride.

October was an even busier month for me than usual. Now that I’m leading tours for three different organizations (Boston By Foot, Haunted Boston and Destinations North America), I have been driving into Boston three or four times a week. When I add in choir practice, Board of Trustees meetings at church, and Book Group, my nights are often committed throughout the week. It hasn’t left much time for writing.

Reclaiming My Time

With the tours winding down for the winter, I will reclaim all that time and, I hope, spend it completing the rewrite of my third novel.

Once that’s done, I’ll pass the manuscript along to Spacecrafts, the writing group I have belonged to for so many years I’ve lost count. They can have at it and let me know what changes I need to make before sending the manuscript to my agent. (He’s probably forgotten he’s my agent by now.)

Also, I will write more blog posts. I have a list of topics to address “when I have the time.” And that time will happen soon.

Roundup of October 2019 Posts

In the meantime, here’s a roundup of October 2019 posts The Next Phase Blog writing team has published in the last month. It covers a lot of topics, so check out the list to find something you might like but could have missed.

Boston and History

• Updates on Three Posts About Boston – Aline
• Boston’s Missing: Two Statues Find a Home — Aline

Business and Technology

• The Value of Failure – Susanne
• Fact Checking and Counterfeit Information – Susanne
• Reference Checking: To Automate or Not — Aline

Environment

• Why the World’s Insects Are Vanishing – Aline
• Have You Noticed? The Birds Are Disappearing — Aline

Friends and Family

• A Reunion, Old Friends, and Social Security — Susanne

Health and Safety

• Alzheimer’s: A Different Kind of Thief – Susanne
• Improved Dental Care Leads to Better Health – Jackie
• Homelessness Crisis Becoming a Public Health Concern – Jackie

Lifestyle and Culture

• On My Mind: October 2019 – Susanne
• Roundup of Halloween Posts – Aline

In the weeks ahead, there will be more writing, more reading, more cooking, and some travel. Stay tuned for another month of interesting social commentary on The Next Phase Blog.