I’m sure you’ve all heard about those nine drummers drumming. Well, this has been a solid week of nine plumbers plumbing. (I think that’s the total. One was here for so long we offered him a bedroom!)

After our water leak, the first plumber came by and fixed the first of the leaky connections, but as a result the hot water went bye-bye for several days. Anyone for cold showers in Washington in September?

There were several corroded connections that had to be replaced. And those tall faucets for those fancy bowl type sinks? Those are pretty hard to come by at the moment, too.

We now have hot water. Someone is coming to install in filtration system that should prevent our having the same kinds of issues in the future. But as I was out walking and thinking about workmen coming and going, a thought came to me, and it’s this. I need to say thank you to my readers.

When I’m writing books, I’m telling stories. I’m not thinking about how the end recipient is going to receive that story—whether they’ll like it or hate it.

But the same thing is true on this end, as well. When you order a book online or read one from a library or buy one from a bookstore, you’re making it possible for me to hire all those plumbing plumbers.

And that’s what I’m saying thank you for today—the blessing of hot water and non-leaky faucets.