キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
Captain's Log, Stardate 01.29.2006
Leave any prayer requests in the comments and I’ll be praying this week. You don’t have to be Christian to leave a prayer request. If you’d rather not advertise to everyone on the blogosphere, just leave an unspoken prayer request or email me.
If you don’t see yourself and you want to, email me or leave a comment. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't email me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray 3 Sundays.
Thank you, Father, for today. It’s a good day.
Lord, please heal Heather from this lingering fever and weakness. Help her to feel strong again and give her energy for all she has to do.
Lord, please help Pammer to work through this fear. Give her wisdom about what she should do about the Genesis. Thank you for taking care of everything for her husband’s dental work. Please heal her family from the flu. Father, please be with Jules. I pray that her surgeries go well and that you can heal her completely. I pray the lumps are benign.
Please touch Squirl with your healing power. Give wisdom and skill to the doctors as they figure out what to do about her hip. Please ease her pain and heal her hip problems.
Lord, you know we only want your will, but I do pray that my friends’ SW series will be picked up by the pub board.
Lord, please help Dineen get done writing what she needs to. Give her ideas and creativity, and also affirmation about her writing.
Please help Robin to feel better. Heal her from her sickness and give her energy. Be with Robin's daughter Emily, and cover her with your peace. Let her know you are near her and watching over her.
I lift up Ronie to you and ask you to continue to cover her with your grace, peace, and strength. Lead her in her writing and open doors for her.
Thank you that it looks like Ron won't be laid off, but please be with the other workers who will lose their jobs. Please keep your hand over all of them and use this situation for the glory of your name.
Father, I pray for your mighty healing power to rest on Mir’s teeth and gums. Please ease her pain. Give her strength and energy this week. I pray for healing for Mir’s nephew Kiko, that the heart problems aren’t serious.
Father, please help Sharon to write for you. Give her the energy and creativity to finish her manuscript on deadline and to finish edits for the other two. Thank you for providing for her family and continue to keep close watch over all of them.
Be with Charise as she figures out her job situation and what to do. Lead and guide her, Lord.
Please continue to help Amber to heal. Thank you for helping her so far.
I pray you will open and close doors for Gina, and please let her know what you want for her writing.
Please give Crystal affirmation and encouragement in her writing, Lord.
Please be with Paula this week--enable her to meet her writing deadlines and yet still spend enough time with her family. Give her wisdom for prioritizing.
Father, please give Megan wisdom about her decision this weekend. Please help her to know your will. Guide her heart and her thoughts.
I lift up Lori to you and ask you watch over her as she and the doctors decide what to do about her knee. I pray everything goes smoothly.
Help Donna continue to write for you.
Thank you for helping Gail recover so smoothly and quickly from surgery, and please be with Brenda through her chemo treatments.
Help Heather G. to find her peace, love and hope in you alone.
I pray for the right decisions by Malia’s doctors and insurance for her knee. Lord, please touch her and heal her. Thank you for helping her with her schoolwork, and I pray everything works out.
Father, I lift up Darlene's friend Val. Please lead her daughter on a path of healing both emotionally and physically. Help her ground her self-esteem on your love for her.
Father, help Mok as she waits for the March 1st crossover date. Lift her up and strengthen her as she waits on your timing.
Lord, hold Angie P. in your hands during tax season and continue to keep her smoke-free. I pray for healing for Pattie and strength for her body.
Please be with LaShaunda as she gets ready to send her stuff out. Give her your peace about it all, and assure her you've got it all in your hands.
Lord God, thank you so much for the work Christina is doing for you in Japan. Please help her to grow closer to you and be empowered to reach out to others. I lift up Sagamihara, that they will find a new English teacher, and that you be with Christina at open class in March—I know it’ll go well because you’ll be helping her. Please help her to trust in you and give you her best, which is all you ask.
Be with Audra these last few weeks before her baby comes. I pray everything will go smoothly and that you continue to watch over her.
I lift up Margo and her women’s Bible study, and that your spirit will continue to move in women’s hearts to bring them to the study and bond them together in love and knowledge of you.
Please be with Kelly and help her in her new job and the new medications she’ll be taking.
Thank you that Lynette finished her manuscript. Please continue to be with her in her writing, and give her wisdom about future projects and Mt. Hermon.
Continue to help Tiff with her new job. Please also be with her as she writes, and help her to write for you.
Father, please be with all my friends married to non-believers. Give them your joy this week.
I lift up your persecuted church, and pray you will continue to cover them all with your strength, grace, and love.
Please continue to help my ACL heal well and smoothly, and help me to finish my writing. Thank you for how you’ve helped me this week.
You are holy God. Amen.
Bible in 90 Days: day 21. Thank you, Lord, for helping me to do my Bible in 90 Days today. I was struck by something not in the Bible text itself, but a commentary on Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba. The small choices I make each day are important. They can prepare me for larger choices, or they can have far-reaching consequences. I need to take my walk with God day by day. He will forgive me day by day, but I need to be faithful to Him day by day.
Writing: I usually don’t write on Sundays, but I wanted to finish this chapter. I’ll take a rest day later this week.
Diet: Had a falafel for lunch, without the yogurt sauce (not by choice, by accident. 500). My husband also helped me make incredibly fattening scones with my new scone pan from William-Sonoma—man, it makes baking scones so much easier. I just drop the dough in like muffins and the pan shapes the triangles for me. When they’re done, I flip the pan and they fall right out. I had one scone (175—yes, I actually calculated it).
Leave any prayer requests in the comments and I’ll be praying this week. You don’t have to be Christian to leave a prayer request. If you’d rather not advertise to everyone on the blogosphere, just leave an unspoken prayer request or email me.
If you don’t see yourself and you want to, email me or leave a comment. Not to be mean or anything, but if you don't email me or comment to update your prayer request, I'm only going to pray 3 Sundays.
Thank you, Father, for today. It’s a good day.
Lord, please heal Heather from this lingering fever and weakness. Help her to feel strong again and give her energy for all she has to do.
Lord, please help Pammer to work through this fear. Give her wisdom about what she should do about the Genesis. Thank you for taking care of everything for her husband’s dental work. Please heal her family from the flu. Father, please be with Jules. I pray that her surgeries go well and that you can heal her completely. I pray the lumps are benign.
Please touch Squirl with your healing power. Give wisdom and skill to the doctors as they figure out what to do about her hip. Please ease her pain and heal her hip problems.
Lord, you know we only want your will, but I do pray that my friends’ SW series will be picked up by the pub board.
Lord, please help Dineen get done writing what she needs to. Give her ideas and creativity, and also affirmation about her writing.
Please help Robin to feel better. Heal her from her sickness and give her energy. Be with Robin's daughter Emily, and cover her with your peace. Let her know you are near her and watching over her.
I lift up Ronie to you and ask you to continue to cover her with your grace, peace, and strength. Lead her in her writing and open doors for her.
Thank you that it looks like Ron won't be laid off, but please be with the other workers who will lose their jobs. Please keep your hand over all of them and use this situation for the glory of your name.
Father, I pray for your mighty healing power to rest on Mir’s teeth and gums. Please ease her pain. Give her strength and energy this week. I pray for healing for Mir’s nephew Kiko, that the heart problems aren’t serious.
Father, please help Sharon to write for you. Give her the energy and creativity to finish her manuscript on deadline and to finish edits for the other two. Thank you for providing for her family and continue to keep close watch over all of them.
Be with Charise as she figures out her job situation and what to do. Lead and guide her, Lord.
Please continue to help Amber to heal. Thank you for helping her so far.
I pray you will open and close doors for Gina, and please let her know what you want for her writing.
Please give Crystal affirmation and encouragement in her writing, Lord.
Please be with Paula this week--enable her to meet her writing deadlines and yet still spend enough time with her family. Give her wisdom for prioritizing.
Father, please give Megan wisdom about her decision this weekend. Please help her to know your will. Guide her heart and her thoughts.
I lift up Lori to you and ask you watch over her as she and the doctors decide what to do about her knee. I pray everything goes smoothly.
Help Donna continue to write for you.
Thank you for helping Gail recover so smoothly and quickly from surgery, and please be with Brenda through her chemo treatments.
Help Heather G. to find her peace, love and hope in you alone.
I pray for the right decisions by Malia’s doctors and insurance for her knee. Lord, please touch her and heal her. Thank you for helping her with her schoolwork, and I pray everything works out.
Father, I lift up Darlene's friend Val. Please lead her daughter on a path of healing both emotionally and physically. Help her ground her self-esteem on your love for her.
Father, help Mok as she waits for the March 1st crossover date. Lift her up and strengthen her as she waits on your timing.
Lord, hold Angie P. in your hands during tax season and continue to keep her smoke-free. I pray for healing for Pattie and strength for her body.
Please be with LaShaunda as she gets ready to send her stuff out. Give her your peace about it all, and assure her you've got it all in your hands.
Lord God, thank you so much for the work Christina is doing for you in Japan. Please help her to grow closer to you and be empowered to reach out to others. I lift up Sagamihara, that they will find a new English teacher, and that you be with Christina at open class in March—I know it’ll go well because you’ll be helping her. Please help her to trust in you and give you her best, which is all you ask.
Be with Audra these last few weeks before her baby comes. I pray everything will go smoothly and that you continue to watch over her.
I lift up Margo and her women’s Bible study, and that your spirit will continue to move in women’s hearts to bring them to the study and bond them together in love and knowledge of you.
Please be with Kelly and help her in her new job and the new medications she’ll be taking.
Thank you that Lynette finished her manuscript. Please continue to be with her in her writing, and give her wisdom about future projects and Mt. Hermon.
Continue to help Tiff with her new job. Please also be with her as she writes, and help her to write for you.
Father, please be with all my friends married to non-believers. Give them your joy this week.
I lift up your persecuted church, and pray you will continue to cover them all with your strength, grace, and love.
Please continue to help my ACL heal well and smoothly, and help me to finish my writing. Thank you for how you’ve helped me this week.
You are holy God. Amen.
Bible in 90 Days: day 21. Thank you, Lord, for helping me to do my Bible in 90 Days today. I was struck by something not in the Bible text itself, but a commentary on Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba. The small choices I make each day are important. They can prepare me for larger choices, or they can have far-reaching consequences. I need to take my walk with God day by day. He will forgive me day by day, but I need to be faithful to Him day by day.
Writing: I usually don’t write on Sundays, but I wanted to finish this chapter. I’ll take a rest day later this week.
Diet: Had a falafel for lunch, without the yogurt sauce (not by choice, by accident. 500). My husband also helped me make incredibly fattening scones with my new scone pan from William-Sonoma—man, it makes baking scones so much easier. I just drop the dough in like muffins and the pan shapes the triangles for me. When they’re done, I flip the pan and they fall right out. I had one scone (175—yes, I actually calculated it).
Comments
And hey, that chapter reads great! :)