Hi Penny! I'll be your NaNo buddy LOL I'll try to friend you, but if I can't figure it out, I'm "Bastet" :)

"four legged grandchildren"

Sometimes those are the best kind. Judging by my wife's cats it would be a poor idea for her to have had children. She spoils the cats completely. I believe she'd have done the same thing with kids and then spent the rest of her life with them in a miserable state of mind.

She does seem to like being a stepmother and step-grandmother.

>Trying to stick to a schedule of writing everyday

that's the key, I've found.

Delighted to have you join us the Novelist group. You might jump in by telling us what you’re working on in the “Show Me Your Novel and I’ll Show You Mine” discussion if you're not too uncomfortable talking about what you're working on. I’ll look forward to chatting with you!

Meg

Sure you can join us. :) I haven't managed to do as much as I usually do during August but it's good to touch bases with other writers and see how it goes. :) I'm working on a novel, hopefully it will be done soon. :)

Hi Penny! There is no link for August Madness. It's something the people in my writers group started. Every August we make a group commitment to write as much as possible and share it with one another in September. We call it August Madness because we don't have a set word-count goal and because we must be crazy to do this when we're all just getting back to work following our summer holidays.

By the way, my wife has given me some homework. First a little background.

My wife is Japanese. She was raised in Japan and came to Guam about seven years ago to learn English. We met and the rest is, as they say, history. We've had a few rocky years what with sorting out the relative positions of two independent people with a language barrier, who come from divergent cultures, and who discover themselves in a close relationship. All is well now.

She teaches Japanese in a local catholic high school. The other night she attended a dinner at the Japanese consul's home with her professional association. They had a nice time but the Consul asked a question none of the Japanese were qualified to answer.

In the west what are the proper uses of the phrase, "I love you."

So she came home and told me I had to write up an explanation for the Japanese consul. Well, as a western, somewhat liberated, guy (I'd like to think) I know what I would answer. Anybody want to chime in on this before I commit myself to paper? From a woman's point of view what can I say?

Well, you were quick enough to respond. Considering that I am on a little island on the other side of the date line you must be doing SOMETHING with your computer at an odd time of day. Type a few words and then...

Of course, this is pot and kettle time. After all, I'm doing something with a computer and it has nothing to do with writing on my little story.

Did you get my invitation to the group? I hope that lets you enter it directly.

Your question: I went to "Groups", then the Search-field and entered "nanowrimo" (no capitals). It does not show me only the group as such, but shows me any instant some post on this site and in our group mentioned the word.
Not for you?
Also, what I'd do when searching for a group, is to go to Groups and let them be sorted by "most members" first. That usually shows you the oldest and most active groups on the site. If what you are looking for is not among them, you can scroll backwards. This way, you won't have to wade through the 1-/2-members groups.
hope that helps :-)