So, way back in 1985 I wrote a novel called “Keeper of the House”.

For a time, I forgot that I had written it. It was after all, thirty-seven years ago. It had a great plot (women taking over the world), engaging characters (both good and evil). Yup, a good read.

The lengthy manuscript languished on a shelf in our garage until recently. I pulled it down and thought, “why not take another go at it”?

Just three pages into it and here’s what I found: typo’s galore and grammar decimated to the point that I would have received an “F” if I were a third-grader.

There were smudge marks on every other page because back in ’85 I didn’t own a computer. Neither did anyone else I knew. The smudge marks were caused either by my fingers adjusting the typewriter ribbon, or ghastly cigarette ash fingerprints. And, assuming it was Wine O’Clock, then the reddish purple splatter spots were not blood.

Of course, trying to apply White-Out to erase the numerous mistakes was a disaster-in-the-making. The little brush inside the bottle was often stiff and the product would harden like glue.

So there it was: my first novel in all of its messy glory.

Now, thirty-seven years later, I write using my desktop, my laptop, my iPad or, when in a pinch, the cruel tiny space of my cell phone. Happily, Spell Check has replaced the messy little bottle of sticky, White Out and Microsoft Editor corrects my grammar and punctuation mistakes. The only thing it doesn’t do is kiss me goodnight.

Incredibly, I sometimes miss the heavy clacking sound of typewriter keys slapping against a clean sheet of white paper just waiting for my words to appear.

But I do not miss the messy little bottle of White Out.

Still, I wonder… does there exist a nail polish color called White Out? Hmn….

Until next time, when a martini and a good book meet.