Just a quick post to let you know I'm safely home, but you probably knew that from Facebook already. Laundry is in process. The fencing foil I picked up at the rendezvous should be here tomorrow. I spent almost as much to UPS it home (it was too long for my suitcase) as it did to buy it. That's fine--it's still a deal.
It was a good trip. It's always fun to hang out with Dad and Linda. We walked into the rendezvous again this year because Dad is rehabbing from neck surgery. His weight restrictions would allow him to set up camp. It worked in my favor because sometime when we were out there I evidently ate something that wasn't quite right and ended up with a mild case of food poisoning. At least I assume that's what it was. I didn't have a fever, but I was VERY glad to have indoor plumbing! It passed quickly and I was fine coming home. It was a good shopping trip, and I've got my Grace O'Malley costume just about put together. I need to sew buttons on the waistcoat.
On the home front, the kitchen will be functional tomorrow. We still have some cabinets to go in and a small piece of counter to order and have installed, but most of it is done and tomorrow the plumbing will be finished. Good thing, too. I missed my kitchen sink.
So that's what's been going on here. Now I'm prepping to go back to Florida next month for the writing retreat. Hopefully I'll have my new project plotted by the time I get there. More on that later.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Final 2012 Christmas
Had my final 2012 Christmas gathering this weekend. It started Saturday and ended today about 4:30 p.m. as the guests departed. I immediately started taking down the decorations. I finished five minutes ago. Everything is down and ready to be moved into the storage building except for the dismantled tree. I'll get out the box for it tomorrow morning and then my living room will be Christmas tree. Even the village is put up.
I love Christmas. I love Christmas cards, the carols, the midnight church services, and the cold clear nights. I love the decorations and my Christmas village. I also love seeing all my family and friends, even if the noise and sheer volume of emotions threatens to tear my head off.
But this looooong Christmas has worn me thin. I'm ready to withdraw into my cave with my characters and stories and not come out until spring. I just want to be alone in my house.
This will pass. Always does when I have an overload and need some quiet time. I don't understand people who live for parties and party all the time. I would go crazy.
Last week:
- Worked on Murder by the Mile.
- Finished, published, and mailed January newsletter.
- Wrote a letter to the editor and a ten-minute timed writing for the writer's group meeting yesterday. As part of my efforts to move the group toward more "writerly" meetings, we've been giving optional assignments at the meeting. Just quick prompts to prime their wells.
- Cleaned house in preparation for visitors.
- Household chores and errands.
- Lunch with a friend Wednesday.
- Writers group meeting Saturday morning. Good meeting about "Archetypes in Writing" by one of our best writers and poets.
- Roomie's grandsons spent Saturday night and today with us. Roomie drove them back home this evening.
- Took down Christmas village, tree, nativity, and boxed everything up except the tree.
This week:
- Finish putting away the tree.
- Household chores.
- MBTM. MBTM. MBTM.
Hope you have a great week!
I love Christmas. I love Christmas cards, the carols, the midnight church services, and the cold clear nights. I love the decorations and my Christmas village. I also love seeing all my family and friends, even if the noise and sheer volume of emotions threatens to tear my head off.
But this looooong Christmas has worn me thin. I'm ready to withdraw into my cave with my characters and stories and not come out until spring. I just want to be alone in my house.
This will pass. Always does when I have an overload and need some quiet time. I don't understand people who live for parties and party all the time. I would go crazy.
Last week:
- Worked on Murder by the Mile.
- Finished, published, and mailed January newsletter.
- Wrote a letter to the editor and a ten-minute timed writing for the writer's group meeting yesterday. As part of my efforts to move the group toward more "writerly" meetings, we've been giving optional assignments at the meeting. Just quick prompts to prime their wells.
- Cleaned house in preparation for visitors.
- Household chores and errands.
- Lunch with a friend Wednesday.
- Writers group meeting Saturday morning. Good meeting about "Archetypes in Writing" by one of our best writers and poets.
- Roomie's grandsons spent Saturday night and today with us. Roomie drove them back home this evening.
- Took down Christmas village, tree, nativity, and boxed everything up except the tree.
This week:
- Finish putting away the tree.
- Household chores.
- MBTM. MBTM. MBTM.
Hope you have a great week!
I really need to post something.
Things are going pretty decent here, even though I still haven't written anything. I did get a copy of Blackbirds - and enjoyed it very much even though it was really dark, darker than what I'm used to - and I've picked up Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven which I haven't started yet. Maybe tomorrow. :) I've been making a point to read fiction, and it's nice. :)
Weight loss is going well. I was up a little on Thursday at my weigh in (.6lbs) but I wasn't surprised since we attended a postal union a party on Saturday and I ate waaaaay too many hors devours (was 27 points OVER my daily regular points, WHAM!! That's a lot for one 'meal'), plus I was kinda achy/cranky/sleepy/sick all week and barely exercised at all. I perked back up on Thursday (water, fresh stuff, exercise), and by Friday I was down more than a pound. Today (yeah, I'm back to weighing myself before my shower, we all have our compulsions, I guess) I was down to one. pound. above. my. 20. year. low.
One more pound and I'm lighter than I've been since 1992. Twenty one years. Is that crazy or what?!?
Anyway, I'm pretty excited about that! My official weight loss is 20.6 lbs, but I really want to hit a 25lb loss in February. Or more, that'd be cool too. :)
I'm noticing that I'm different. My hands are different. I move different. My face and neck and upper body look different. I sleep different. Weird, but good. :)
The quilt I sent to my old editor for her new baby was very much appreciated - yay!! - and at her urging I sent her a short conceptual paragraph about what I'm thinking for a novel that might work for after SPORE. Maybe. It's about telepathy (among other things) and is a traveling buddy kind of story, sort of like a really twisted Thelma and Louise. With super powers. Kinda. Anyway, I'm interested to see what she has to say because I'm floating around kind of lost here as I wait to hear back from the agent. I need some solid concepts so I can work. Dubric... his stuff just sits and ignores me when I poke at it. Blah. So maybe something else.
I've injured myself with Richard - kept having some pretty uncomfortable upper back and shoulder pain (I think it's too much upper body work all at once) and I *may* have a stress fracture in my foot (gonna make an appointment to get that checked out next week) so I've switched to Walk Away The Pounds with Leslie Sansone since it's a lot more calm that Richard. Bill was teasing me about needing to do Sit and Be Fit instead, but I'm not that sore. Since I'm no longer flailing my arms around for half an hour like a crazy person, my back/shoulders aren't hurting and my foot really isn't that bad, even tho it's lumpy/swollen on the side and tender to the touch. Might just be some kind of tendonitis or sprain or something, I dunno. I can't afford to be off my feet so whatever it is had better be easy to fix.
Been sewing - the quilting I've done this week is on FB - and I think some is good, some is meh, and some... Sigh. I seem to be pretty good and semi-random all over patterns (like the curliques on the red flower centers) but more structured quilting (the curved lines on the squares) just isn't working for me. I don't know why I can't get any consistency or even do them straight and smooth. I know how to operate my sewing machine! Part of me wants to rip out all the quilting in the table runner and start over, but it's almost a whole bobbin's worth! That's a LOT of ripping out. But it was a cute table runner until I started quilting it, so I just don't know what to do. It's all part of a learning process, I know that, but I don't want to make less-than-adequate quilts either, so round and round I go. Do I rip out and do over, bind it and decide it's okay to finish something that's not acceptable to me, or just toss it in the trash? Mutter mutter.
That's about it. We're all fine, pets are fine, most things are fine. Just wish I was writing. {{huggs}} and have a great week!
Weight loss is going well. I was up a little on Thursday at my weigh in (.6lbs) but I wasn't surprised since we attended a postal union a party on Saturday and I ate waaaaay too many hors devours (was 27 points OVER my daily regular points, WHAM!! That's a lot for one 'meal'), plus I was kinda achy/cranky/sleepy/sick all week and barely exercised at all. I perked back up on Thursday (water, fresh stuff, exercise), and by Friday I was down more than a pound. Today (yeah, I'm back to weighing myself before my shower, we all have our compulsions, I guess) I was down to one. pound. above. my. 20. year. low.
One more pound and I'm lighter than I've been since 1992. Twenty one years. Is that crazy or what?!?
Anyway, I'm pretty excited about that! My official weight loss is 20.6 lbs, but I really want to hit a 25lb loss in February. Or more, that'd be cool too. :)
I'm noticing that I'm different. My hands are different. I move different. My face and neck and upper body look different. I sleep different. Weird, but good. :)
The quilt I sent to my old editor for her new baby was very much appreciated - yay!! - and at her urging I sent her a short conceptual paragraph about what I'm thinking for a novel that might work for after SPORE. Maybe. It's about telepathy (among other things) and is a traveling buddy kind of story, sort of like a really twisted Thelma and Louise. With super powers. Kinda. Anyway, I'm interested to see what she has to say because I'm floating around kind of lost here as I wait to hear back from the agent. I need some solid concepts so I can work. Dubric... his stuff just sits and ignores me when I poke at it. Blah. So maybe something else.
I've injured myself with Richard - kept having some pretty uncomfortable upper back and shoulder pain (I think it's too much upper body work all at once) and I *may* have a stress fracture in my foot (gonna make an appointment to get that checked out next week) so I've switched to Walk Away The Pounds with Leslie Sansone since it's a lot more calm that Richard. Bill was teasing me about needing to do Sit and Be Fit instead, but I'm not that sore. Since I'm no longer flailing my arms around for half an hour like a crazy person, my back/shoulders aren't hurting and my foot really isn't that bad, even tho it's lumpy/swollen on the side and tender to the touch. Might just be some kind of tendonitis or sprain or something, I dunno. I can't afford to be off my feet so whatever it is had better be easy to fix.
Been sewing - the quilting I've done this week is on FB - and I think some is good, some is meh, and some... Sigh. I seem to be pretty good and semi-random all over patterns (like the curliques on the red flower centers) but more structured quilting (the curved lines on the squares) just isn't working for me. I don't know why I can't get any consistency or even do them straight and smooth. I know how to operate my sewing machine! Part of me wants to rip out all the quilting in the table runner and start over, but it's almost a whole bobbin's worth! That's a LOT of ripping out. But it was a cute table runner until I started quilting it, so I just don't know what to do. It's all part of a learning process, I know that, but I don't want to make less-than-adequate quilts either, so round and round I go. Do I rip out and do over, bind it and decide it's okay to finish something that's not acceptable to me, or just toss it in the trash? Mutter mutter.
That's about it. We're all fine, pets are fine, most things are fine. Just wish I was writing. {{huggs}} and have a great week!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Truckin'
Yep. Just truckin' along. Getting stuff done. Or not. That's just how it goes.
The Good Stuff:
The Good Stuff:
- I did a little more this week than last week on PBOTL (not hard to do)
- Rode the bike, tracked points, and did morning pages as planned.
- Made good progress on the crepe myrtles.
- Rossie likes Swiss Cheese. She's taken to sitting about 3-4 feet behind my computer chair. She won't come closer while I'm in it, and I can't approach her, but she sits there -- and not just when I have cheese either. I think she wants to be a relaxed house kitty but can't let herself relax enough to do it.
- Hubby and I have still been getting along mostly well.
- I thought I'd misplaced a weapon, but after some semi-frantic searching, a re-look in the safe revealed it was hiding. Whew!
- Got a haircut this week. First time with a Central TX hairdresser (also one of the two town barbers), and I like how she did it. I'll be going back to her. (One more step in completing the move here.)
- I'm stubbornly ignoring the changes I know I need to make to effectively lose weight.
- I'm still not working on PBOTL as effectively as I believe I want to work on it. It's sitting right behind me. I could work on it at any time, yet, when I turn to do so, my mind says, "Oh! I need to do this!" And my body wanders off to do it. I think it's the "Oh! Butterfly" syndrome Wendy's referred to a time or two.
- My 95 year-old grandmother is being set up for hospice. This could mean I'll be making a trip to WI at any time over the next six months. I've known this was likely for some time, but it became more likely last October when she moved into a nursing home. Presumably, she's been in a steady decline since then. She's okay with that. She's done everything and been everywhere she wants to have been, and she's ready to move on. I can't argue with her about that. Thankfully, my family doesn't do the hysterics, prolong life at all costs approach to things. Grandma has handled her life very capably, and she continues to do so. I hope I can do as well with these things as she has when the time comes for me.
- Continue working on the crepe myrtles
- Continue working on PBOTL
- Continue riding bike, tracking points, and doing morning pages
- Hubby heads to San Antonio on Monday morning, so I'm going to try to do a better job of staying within points. I can't blame him, so let's see how I do. (Yes, it's my fault even when he's here -- I make my own choices)
- I'm going to try a couple of new recipes and make some personal favorites (that hubby won't eat). I need to get pictures, because I'll be blogging about them in April.
- Try to get a handle on a few troubling problems with FM.
Friday, January 25, 2013
A couple things
1. Happy St Francis de Sales Day, a day late. I'm in Florida with no Internet except on my phone or I'd have been on time.
2. Ignore the email you got a bit ago about the site. That was me. So many passwords, so little brain power.
Back with a full update mid-week.
2. Ignore the email you got a bit ago about the site. That was me. So many passwords, so little brain power.
Back with a full update mid-week.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Crazy Dreams
Had a couple of odd early morning dreams this week, but I guess that's fairly normal. It's a little disturbing to dream you've removed your cat's paw for some reason and forgot to put it back on, so he'll have to have surgery to repair it. I have no idea why.
The Good Stuff:
The Good Stuff:
- Rode the bike and tracked points appropriately this week
- Wrote morning pages every day
- Did preliminary planning for April A-Z Blog Challenge for two blogs -- one official participant and one unofficial participant
- Participated in Firearm Appreciation Day today by giving The Great Texas Gun Company some business. Seems to be a family-owned and operated shop. The owner and his son were behind the counter. The son couldn't have been more than 14-15 max, and I really think he was younger, but that young man knew his stuff. While I was deliberating over my purchase, he juggled at least four or five other people making ammunition purchases and looking at shotguns. When I decided what I wanted, he handled all the paperwork, provided available options, and checked my paperwork for completeness -- finding one box I forgot to check -- before turning it over to his dad to finalize.
- Down to a stuffed up head and a few coughs here and there, so I think I'm on a path to putting this crud behind me.
- Hubby got his tool cage assembled and set up. That corner of the shop is really shaping up well. One part of hubby's crane shipment arrived this week -- on an 18 wheeler. The driver left us around two and still had two more stops that day, ending in Laredo. Poor guy. We off-loaded our part onto a trailer at the shop and sent the guy on his way. The other half the shipment should arrive next week.
- I began winter trimming work around the bases of the crepe myrtles this week. If I do the work now, they tend to be pretty manageable over the summer.
- Doctor did blood tests to check levels, and they came back and said I'm definitely on heading for menopause. (I guess that's good.) I could have told them that, but it's good to have that confirmed.
- Reading is way ahead for this year. I'm finishing a lot of books I started last year.
- Only worked on PBOTL one day again. I'd say I need to do it. I'd turn around and shuffle the pages, but I simply wouldn't work on it, so I'm moving it from Good Stuff to Not So Good Stuff, because a token session to say I did it just isn't good.
- Rossie is just not interested in interacting with us. If she were, these kittens could have the run of the house, but as long as she avoids me, I have to restrict them to these two rooms. I don't understand why we're so scary to her, but, apparently, we are. It's troubling.
- I didn't get any parlor decluttering done this week
- I eat way too much, and it's not the good stuff.
- PBOTL
- Crepe Myrtles
- Work with kittens
- Continue tracking and begin evaluating for changes I want to make
- Continue reading
- Begin extending my work on the bike. My resting heart rate is way higher than I'd like, so I think more cardio is needed to help that.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I know it's mid week...
but I'm sitting here, a bit after 11:30 PM Wednesday evening, doing some meal/grocery planning and calculating my daily points and otherwise reflecting on my previous week as per the new Weight Watchers 360˚ Tracker. Which I think is helping.
Anyway, I've begun to realize some things and thought they might help you too. Maybe.
This week, as I've reset my WW habits and tracked more than just my food I've noticed (again) that after I eat carbs, especially wheat based carbs of more than a couple of points, I become both HONGRY and cranky/blue a few hours later and it continues all through the next day. All I want to do is eat and grumble. I don't like either of those things, so I haven't really had any pasta or bread, other than a couple of 2 point wraps, since my 'carby meal' (one measly cup of spaghetti that screwed me up for about 30 hours) on Monday.
Holy moley, what a DIFFERENCE, in just two days. Energetic, feeling some creativity, chatty, happy... HUGE difference. Don't really like it - oh, bread, how I adore thee - but it's obviously not good for me to eat that kinda thing at all. This coming week I am going to make a point to look for non-wheat bread sources so I can still have my shaved smoked turkey sammich once in a while, but hopefully without the growly munchies. Maybe I can cut wheat completely out? I know that even whole grain pasta messes me up so I think that's just done. Alas.
Eating more points seems to be helping too - I'm much less hungry overall, less tired and listless (maybe that, too, is related to the bread and pasta??) as has almost daily exercise. I've missed one day this week, simply because we were busy and I just wanted one day off, but after increasing my time with Richard Simmons from 20 min to 40 I can really feel a difference in how I'm moving overall, how I carry myself, and I feel... snug. Not saggy. If that makes sense. Yay!
Lastly, I've switched my week around to start on Thursday and end on Wednesday (instead of Friday/Thursday) because after I weighed in on Thursday (hungry because I had barely eaten pre-meeting to keep my weight a little lower), I considered any remaining plus points to be 'free eating points!!!' and tended to, well, eat stuff I shouldn't. Like fast food, pizza, etc. I know that they're there for life's events and happenings, but using them to binge... probably not a good idea, especially since I really didn't keep track, I just ATE. But, since I'll be weighing in tomorrow, my unused plus points for this week will remain unused. I think that'll work out well as I continue on this road to wellness.
Maybe these little tweaks can help you too? Is there some thing you're doing that you know you maybe shouldn't but will make a huge difference if you just stop or at least realize it's a problem for you? A little change you can make that will get you back on track?
I hope so, because we all deserve to be healthy and happy. {{huggs}}
Anyway, I've begun to realize some things and thought they might help you too. Maybe.
This week, as I've reset my WW habits and tracked more than just my food I've noticed (again) that after I eat carbs, especially wheat based carbs of more than a couple of points, I become both HONGRY and cranky/blue a few hours later and it continues all through the next day. All I want to do is eat and grumble. I don't like either of those things, so I haven't really had any pasta or bread, other than a couple of 2 point wraps, since my 'carby meal' (one measly cup of spaghetti that screwed me up for about 30 hours) on Monday.
Holy moley, what a DIFFERENCE, in just two days. Energetic, feeling some creativity, chatty, happy... HUGE difference. Don't really like it - oh, bread, how I adore thee - but it's obviously not good for me to eat that kinda thing at all. This coming week I am going to make a point to look for non-wheat bread sources so I can still have my shaved smoked turkey sammich once in a while, but hopefully without the growly munchies. Maybe I can cut wheat completely out? I know that even whole grain pasta messes me up so I think that's just done. Alas.
Eating more points seems to be helping too - I'm much less hungry overall, less tired and listless (maybe that, too, is related to the bread and pasta??) as has almost daily exercise. I've missed one day this week, simply because we were busy and I just wanted one day off, but after increasing my time with Richard Simmons from 20 min to 40 I can really feel a difference in how I'm moving overall, how I carry myself, and I feel... snug. Not saggy. If that makes sense. Yay!
Lastly, I've switched my week around to start on Thursday and end on Wednesday (instead of Friday/Thursday) because after I weighed in on Thursday (hungry because I had barely eaten pre-meeting to keep my weight a little lower), I considered any remaining plus points to be 'free eating points!!!' and tended to, well, eat stuff I shouldn't. Like fast food, pizza, etc. I know that they're there for life's events and happenings, but using them to binge... probably not a good idea, especially since I really didn't keep track, I just ATE. But, since I'll be weighing in tomorrow, my unused plus points for this week will remain unused. I think that'll work out well as I continue on this road to wellness.
Maybe these little tweaks can help you too? Is there some thing you're doing that you know you maybe shouldn't but will make a huge difference if you just stop or at least realize it's a problem for you? A little change you can make that will get you back on track?
I hope so, because we all deserve to be healthy and happy. {{huggs}}
Late but here
I should have done this Sunday or even Monday, but I caught a cold ... or something nasty ... and it sucked all my energy away. I've done nothing except work on Murder by the Mile the past couple of days and not much of that. But one of my resolutions was to work on it daily, even if it was just a bit, and I've done that.
Last week:
- Household chores. I'm supposed to have guests this weekend and next weekend, and as a result, my house has stayed in a state of hyper clean. Well, hyper clean for my house. I'll be glad when I can let things slip a bit.
- Worked on MBTM every single day. A couple of days, I was very productive. Cutting the words that I have has really helped the story. I'm excited about writing it again, but ... well, hard to make myself put my butt in the chair. Which is funny since I just did an online presentation for a writing group in which I said Discipline is the most important thing. Do as I say; not as I do. Still, I did work on it every single day. Scenes are being written, paragraphs are being edited. Word by word, sentence by sentence, it's going to lead me to a book this year.
- Had a video chat with Jean. I really enjoyed it. Apparently more than she did. :) I liked seeing her face while we spoke. Facial expressions add a lot to a conversation, I think. She has a marvelous laugh.
- Took down the outside Christmas decorations and some of the inside. Since grandkids will be arriving next week, the tree, village, nativity, and train are still out. But Sunday afternoon, Jan. 27th, I'm putting Christmas up. But maybe not the train. Yeah, not the train. I like the train.
- Also took down the decorations on my bookcase at the store downtown that's selling the Many Rivers Harbor books and put up some generic decorations. I'll have to take a photo sometime and share it.
- Had my first meeting as president of the writing group. It went well. I had an agenda that I shared with everyone and made sure I asked for plenty of input on everything we discussed. I also had them vote a lot, but I want to increase their participation and take personal responsibility for our projects.
This week:
- Continue to work on MBTM every day.
- Keep house clean.
- Get well.
- Guests on Friday and Saturday.
- Rest on Sunday.
And that's it for now.
Last week:
- Household chores. I'm supposed to have guests this weekend and next weekend, and as a result, my house has stayed in a state of hyper clean. Well, hyper clean for my house. I'll be glad when I can let things slip a bit.
- Worked on MBTM every single day. A couple of days, I was very productive. Cutting the words that I have has really helped the story. I'm excited about writing it again, but ... well, hard to make myself put my butt in the chair. Which is funny since I just did an online presentation for a writing group in which I said Discipline is the most important thing. Do as I say; not as I do. Still, I did work on it every single day. Scenes are being written, paragraphs are being edited. Word by word, sentence by sentence, it's going to lead me to a book this year.
- Had a video chat with Jean. I really enjoyed it. Apparently more than she did. :) I liked seeing her face while we spoke. Facial expressions add a lot to a conversation, I think. She has a marvelous laugh.
- Took down the outside Christmas decorations and some of the inside. Since grandkids will be arriving next week, the tree, village, nativity, and train are still out. But Sunday afternoon, Jan. 27th, I'm putting Christmas up. But maybe not the train. Yeah, not the train. I like the train.
- Also took down the decorations on my bookcase at the store downtown that's selling the Many Rivers Harbor books and put up some generic decorations. I'll have to take a photo sometime and share it.
- Had my first meeting as president of the writing group. It went well. I had an agenda that I shared with everyone and made sure I asked for plenty of input on everything we discussed. I also had them vote a lot, but I want to increase their participation and take personal responsibility for our projects.
This week:
- Continue to work on MBTM every day.
- Keep house clean.
- Get well.
- Guests on Friday and Saturday.
- Rest on Sunday.
And that's it for now.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
If I only had a brain...
(Sung like the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz lol)
Some days, I'd swear my brain has left the building. I just can't seem to THINK, to focus, to hold a thought more than a moment or two. I can't even remember something as simple as a single recipe ingredient long enough to grab it and put it in without having to read it several times. Very aggravating.
Enough grumbling. Here's the update. It's all a mixed bag of good and meh, nothing really 'bad', mostly meh. ;)
Was up .4lbs at WW this week - also aggravating ha ha, as I'm still more than a pound above my low - and I'm trying to refocus on what works and do all the nuts and boltsy things that I might have gotten lazy with. Also, my leader has told me to eat MORE of my plus points, eat less fruit, add more exercise, and not weigh myself at home. So I'm doing that. I have weighed myself every morning before my shower since we had the girls. Six years. I've not done well with not-weighing since my meeting Thurs. Yesterday, I was in the shower when I went 'oh crap!', today I was actually on the scale. Maybe tomorrow I can not step onto it. lol It's weird how ingrained habits, especially routines, can become.
Wrote a couple of saggy paragraphs for the opening of the current WIP - working title is MOTH, but that'll surely change. I don't know how viable of a story it is, I'm just not seeing it in my head. I blame that on my inability to focus. I like my MC, tho. Says his name is Jaime.
Had a lovely time with my friend Shirley but ate waaaay too much lasagna and bread, which probably contributed to my gain last week, even tho I stayed well within my plus points. I just can't eat much carbs and lose, especially wheat based ones. It's all another thing to learn, another habit to take on.
Sewing room is still in shambles, but I've started sorting fabric. Writing 'good things' for the jar is going fairly well, but not as habitual as I'd intended.
Bill is sick and I woke up today full of snot but otherwise feeling all right. Hopefully I can nip it in the bud and not get sick too.
Been trying to find Chuck Wendig's BLACKBIRDS to buy from a local retailer since I don't buy anything online, but it's proving elusive. Not only have they never heard of the book, it's also not available from their distributor because they don't work with his publisher. Hoping it's a small town limitations issue, but even the county library cant get it. Laura is going to go to B&N on Tuesday, maybe she'll have better luck, but this really brings home the added difficulties of working with a non-big-six publisher. Dangit.
That's about it for me. I hope you all have a great and healthy week!! {{hugs}}
Some days, I'd swear my brain has left the building. I just can't seem to THINK, to focus, to hold a thought more than a moment or two. I can't even remember something as simple as a single recipe ingredient long enough to grab it and put it in without having to read it several times. Very aggravating.
Enough grumbling. Here's the update. It's all a mixed bag of good and meh, nothing really 'bad', mostly meh. ;)
Was up .4lbs at WW this week - also aggravating ha ha, as I'm still more than a pound above my low - and I'm trying to refocus on what works and do all the nuts and boltsy things that I might have gotten lazy with. Also, my leader has told me to eat MORE of my plus points, eat less fruit, add more exercise, and not weigh myself at home. So I'm doing that. I have weighed myself every morning before my shower since we had the girls. Six years. I've not done well with not-weighing since my meeting Thurs. Yesterday, I was in the shower when I went 'oh crap!', today I was actually on the scale. Maybe tomorrow I can not step onto it. lol It's weird how ingrained habits, especially routines, can become.
Wrote a couple of saggy paragraphs for the opening of the current WIP - working title is MOTH, but that'll surely change. I don't know how viable of a story it is, I'm just not seeing it in my head. I blame that on my inability to focus. I like my MC, tho. Says his name is Jaime.
Had a lovely time with my friend Shirley but ate waaaay too much lasagna and bread, which probably contributed to my gain last week, even tho I stayed well within my plus points. I just can't eat much carbs and lose, especially wheat based ones. It's all another thing to learn, another habit to take on.
Sewing room is still in shambles, but I've started sorting fabric. Writing 'good things' for the jar is going fairly well, but not as habitual as I'd intended.
Bill is sick and I woke up today full of snot but otherwise feeling all right. Hopefully I can nip it in the bud and not get sick too.
Been trying to find Chuck Wendig's BLACKBIRDS to buy from a local retailer since I don't buy anything online, but it's proving elusive. Not only have they never heard of the book, it's also not available from their distributor because they don't work with his publisher. Hoping it's a small town limitations issue, but even the county library cant get it. Laura is going to go to B&N on Tuesday, maybe she'll have better luck, but this really brings home the added difficulties of working with a non-big-six publisher. Dangit.
That's about it for me. I hope you all have a great and healthy week!! {{hugs}}
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Not much new
Except the kitchen, and you all know about that. If you don't, go look at my blog. All the pictures to date are there.
Good Stuff:
- Besides the obvious?
- My cold is almost gone. I have no voice, which is a good sign. I should be back to normal this week.
- We had some good quality time with Alex, and he had some good quality time with his girlfriend. Looks like things are getting more serious. Yeah, I'm okay with that. A year ago, I wasn't so much. We've known her for years, and she's done a lot of growing up lately.
- Got some book work done, both on King Or Country and Tim. Not enough, but I'll take it. I need to be working harder on this. Tim is what I'll be working on next month when I go to a writer's retreat. The better prepared I am, the more I'll get out of it. OTOH, I want to enter King Or Country in a contest, but it has to be done first. The deadline is March 15. This is a blessing in disguise. It's experience in juggling projects with deadlines. We should all have this problem for real, right?
- A new Chick-Fil-A opened a few miles away. Actually it's about two blocks from the Y. I see lots of chicken sammiches in my future. Now if we could get a Starbucks in that shopping center...
- One of my band kids (from the praise band at church) was accepted to a good college with a scholarship. As the band mom, I'm proud!
Not So Good Stuff:
- It was 60* this morning. It's much colder now, and we should have sleet and ice by morning. Normally I'd be okay with that. My fridge and pantry stay pretty well stocked. But Alex goes back to school tomorrow, and he drove through less than optimal conditions to get here.
- Started a bible study on Monday and I'm already behind on my homework.
This Week:
- Call the clinic to make follow-up appointments.
- Figure out what to pack for my trip to Florida, and what to pack it in. (I leave the 22nd, which I just realized is a week from Tuesday.)
- Figure out the big parts of Tim for the retreat, or I'll have to take it with me on vacation.
- Keep up on dishes. The good news it, there will be just two of us. It takes a little longer when I have to heat the water to wash them in!
I think that about covers it. Have a good week!
Good Stuff:
- Besides the obvious?
- My cold is almost gone. I have no voice, which is a good sign. I should be back to normal this week.
- We had some good quality time with Alex, and he had some good quality time with his girlfriend. Looks like things are getting more serious. Yeah, I'm okay with that. A year ago, I wasn't so much. We've known her for years, and she's done a lot of growing up lately.
- Got some book work done, both on King Or Country and Tim. Not enough, but I'll take it. I need to be working harder on this. Tim is what I'll be working on next month when I go to a writer's retreat. The better prepared I am, the more I'll get out of it. OTOH, I want to enter King Or Country in a contest, but it has to be done first. The deadline is March 15. This is a blessing in disguise. It's experience in juggling projects with deadlines. We should all have this problem for real, right?
- A new Chick-Fil-A opened a few miles away. Actually it's about two blocks from the Y. I see lots of chicken sammiches in my future. Now if we could get a Starbucks in that shopping center...
- One of my band kids (from the praise band at church) was accepted to a good college with a scholarship. As the band mom, I'm proud!
Not So Good Stuff:
- It was 60* this morning. It's much colder now, and we should have sleet and ice by morning. Normally I'd be okay with that. My fridge and pantry stay pretty well stocked. But Alex goes back to school tomorrow, and he drove through less than optimal conditions to get here.
- Started a bible study on Monday and I'm already behind on my homework.
This Week:
- Call the clinic to make follow-up appointments.
- Figure out what to pack for my trip to Florida, and what to pack it in. (I leave the 22nd, which I just realized is a week from Tuesday.)
- Figure out the big parts of Tim for the retreat, or I'll have to take it with me on vacation.
- Keep up on dishes. The good news it, there will be just two of us. It takes a little longer when I have to heat the water to wash them in!
I think that about covers it. Have a good week!
Oh, What A Feeling
I said I started coming down with whatever hubby had last Friday, and it's still here. Cough. Feverish feeling. Ears stopped up. Feeling out of sorts. The cough interferes with my CPAP, so I can't sleep with it on. And I can't sleep with it off. I may switch back to my nasal mask for a few nights to see if being able to cough without having to re-breathe helps. I think I have an old one around here somewhere. I can't use it at all when I'm stuffed up, but I'm not really stuffed up, so I need to do something.
Fine. That's enough of that. The Good Stuff:
Fine. That's enough of that. The Good Stuff:
- I managed to get laundry and dishes done this week in addition to a few minor piddly things around the house
- I rode the bike twice
- I working on PBOTL once -- mostly so I could say I did
- I did a lot of reading. Mostly I finished some books I'd started last year, but I have five books read for this year so far.
- I've done Morning Pages every day this year so far.
- I got the Siamese to the vet for their annual exams (Natasha has another ear infection) and got the kittens scheduled for their spaying/neutering and adoption viewing opportunities at the vet clinic.
- Did a couple of test video conferences with Stephen to prove it could be done. We're set for Google Hangouts now if we ever want to gather and work or gab or both. Wendy or Tammy, are either of you game? It's not something I'm wild about, but it can help sometimes.
- I tracked points this week. Weight showed a very slight loss, but I really remained constant.
- Kittens are doing pretty well. Rossie is still coming along ever so incrementally. Vet didn't seem too worried about it. The wild kittens they had at the same time Delta was there all settled in and were eventually adopted, and they were wilder than these have ever been.
- This cold/flu whatever is not going away. I have a doctor's appointment at the VA on Tuesday. I guess I'll ask him about it, even though it isn't his specialty. Mostly, I think it just has to run it's course. As I recall, I was pretty worried about hubby when he was this far in, but he kept telling me, "I'm getting better." Well, I'm not getting better, but I'm not really getting any worse. There. I went and whined again. Sorry.
- My night guard needs to be replaced. I made an appointment with my dentist to start that process on Monday.
- Sneaky walked into and out of the trap again on Monday. I've since tied a string to the release mechanism, so I can trip it from inside the house. She walked into the trap on Friday, but I triggered it just a little too early, and she was able to dart out before the door locked in place. I'll try again starting on Monday, but I'm not sure how anxious she'll be to walk in again.
- Dentist on Monday and GYN on Tuesday.
- Continue to try to shake this crud
- Work on PBOTL -- do more than a perfunctory pass
- Continue morning pages, reading, bike riding
- Focus on decluttering in the parlor this week
- Continue staying ahead on laundry and dishes (really, these are two things I usually don't have much trouble with, so they are easy wins when I don't feel well)
- Continue working with the kittens.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Already?
What? Already time for another post? Of course, I posted late last week. Speaking of which, I didn't do a lot. Household chores, two Christmas celebrations, New Year's Eve dinner with friends, plotting my year, a few errands, paying bills, etc. Not much to tell. I did finally on Friday get a day to myself in which to withdraw a bit from the world.
This week:
- My first writing group meeting as president this Saturday morning.
- Learn if the last 2012 Christmas celebration (which had to be postponed ) will be Saturday, also. No big deal if it is. I will just be gone during that time.
- Household chores.
- Begin final (I hope) rewrite of Murder by the Mile. Been rereading the first two books and the 70,000 words already written to get the town, characters, and murders back in my mind map.
- Several errands Monday: Take down my Christmas decorations at the shop that sells my books, go to the library, go to the post office and mail some bills, go to the water department and pay a bill, and wash the car. Also, need to update all my blogs.
- Tuesday, I'm planning to spend on MBTM. All day. We'll see how that goes.
- Wednesday, lunch with a friend, more time on MBTM.
- Thursday, all day on MBTM.
- Friday, MBTM, and preparation for the first meeting.
- Saturday, writer's group meeting and maybe final Christmas gathering.
Reads like a busy week. I hope you have a great one!
This week:
- My first writing group meeting as president this Saturday morning.
- Learn if the last 2012 Christmas celebration (which had to be postponed ) will be Saturday, also. No big deal if it is. I will just be gone during that time.
- Household chores.
- Begin final (I hope) rewrite of Murder by the Mile. Been rereading the first two books and the 70,000 words already written to get the town, characters, and murders back in my mind map.
- Several errands Monday: Take down my Christmas decorations at the shop that sells my books, go to the library, go to the post office and mail some bills, go to the water department and pay a bill, and wash the car. Also, need to update all my blogs.
- Tuesday, I'm planning to spend on MBTM. All day. We'll see how that goes.
- Wednesday, lunch with a friend, more time on MBTM.
- Thursday, all day on MBTM.
- Friday, MBTM, and preparation for the first meeting.
- Saturday, writer's group meeting and maybe final Christmas gathering.
Reads like a busy week. I hope you have a great one!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Anniversary
Today is the 27th anniversary of the day I left for basic training. I don't remember a lot about that day, mostly sitting around and waiting.
Good Stuff:
- Our cabinets were delivered Friday. They'll install Thursday, Friday, and possibly Monday.
- Met with my bard mentor yesterday and fleshed out the set I'm doing at Tartan Days in April. I have some more writing and research to do for one more queen, but it's going to be good.
- Learned some cool stuff in fencing yesterday. Yes, I feel battered again today, but it's nothing I can't manage. For some reason my pain threshold is much higher below the neck.
- Got my office rearranged and cleaned. It's more functional now, and I have a reading chair by the window. Ironically, moving away from the window has improved my view. I don't have to lean around the monitor to look out.
- We started our blessing jar, too, much like Tammy has done. I think we're going to read ours at Christmas next year, though, because we'll all be together. Time enough to decide on that.
- Thinking about starting Judo. It's closely related, strategy-wise, to fencing and would be another thing in my self-defense arsenal. The mere thought scares the crap out of me, which is another reason to do it, and there is a dojo sort of near my church. My friend (who is a Highland Dancer and does MMA) suggest Krav Maga (an Israeli hand to hand style) but that's way too intense to start with, not to mention I'd probably have to go to St. Louis to learn it. I have to go to St. Louis to fence, but he teaches free, and the people in the class are becoming friends, so that makes it worthwhile.
Not So Good Stuff:
- I'm with Jean on germ sharing with the hubby. His has mostly been a cough and scratchy throat, and that's really all mine has been. I'm a little more tired than usual today, but that could be because I had a big day yesterday.
- My weight has come down a little, but not enough for my jeans to be comfortable all day yet. Tracking on Spark People has helped a lot. I had no idea how much fat I was eating and have scaled that back.
- It's our last week with Alex home. Not sure if that's Good or Not So Good. :-) Of course, his leaving means I'll be doing a Sam's run this week.
This Week:
- Pack up the kitchen.
- Set up my temporary cooking/washing area.
- Get a handle on laundry.
- Research and write my last warrior queen.
- Contact the band I'll be tag-teaming with.
- Don't get any sicker than I already am.
- Arrange appliance delivery.
- Oversee kitchen demo and installation of new cabinets. Pictures soon.
Good Stuff:
- Our cabinets were delivered Friday. They'll install Thursday, Friday, and possibly Monday.
- Met with my bard mentor yesterday and fleshed out the set I'm doing at Tartan Days in April. I have some more writing and research to do for one more queen, but it's going to be good.
- Learned some cool stuff in fencing yesterday. Yes, I feel battered again today, but it's nothing I can't manage. For some reason my pain threshold is much higher below the neck.
- Got my office rearranged and cleaned. It's more functional now, and I have a reading chair by the window. Ironically, moving away from the window has improved my view. I don't have to lean around the monitor to look out.
- We started our blessing jar, too, much like Tammy has done. I think we're going to read ours at Christmas next year, though, because we'll all be together. Time enough to decide on that.
- Thinking about starting Judo. It's closely related, strategy-wise, to fencing and would be another thing in my self-defense arsenal. The mere thought scares the crap out of me, which is another reason to do it, and there is a dojo sort of near my church. My friend (who is a Highland Dancer and does MMA) suggest Krav Maga (an Israeli hand to hand style) but that's way too intense to start with, not to mention I'd probably have to go to St. Louis to learn it. I have to go to St. Louis to fence, but he teaches free, and the people in the class are becoming friends, so that makes it worthwhile.
Not So Good Stuff:
- I'm with Jean on germ sharing with the hubby. His has mostly been a cough and scratchy throat, and that's really all mine has been. I'm a little more tired than usual today, but that could be because I had a big day yesterday.
- My weight has come down a little, but not enough for my jeans to be comfortable all day yet. Tracking on Spark People has helped a lot. I had no idea how much fat I was eating and have scaled that back.
- It's our last week with Alex home. Not sure if that's Good or Not So Good. :-) Of course, his leaving means I'll be doing a Sam's run this week.
This Week:
- Pack up the kitchen.
- Set up my temporary cooking/washing area.
- Get a handle on laundry.
- Research and write my last warrior queen.
- Contact the band I'll be tag-teaming with.
- Don't get any sicker than I already am.
- Arrange appliance delivery.
- Oversee kitchen demo and installation of new cabinets. Pictures soon.
Old Days New
Hubby's been sick all week. I woke up Friday morning with a a sore throat -- how his started. Just what I wanted before a four hour drive. Three hours straight north and one hour east. I had to stop at Fort Hood to pick up prescriptions, so I couldn't take the hypotenuse.
Taking the hypotenuse is a phrase I picked up from a co-worker back in 1985 when he was taking a college algebra class. We were walking into work one night, and he decided to walk up the handicapped ramp, which was shaped like a triangle, and he said, "I'm going to take the hypotenuse." I've been saying that for taking the shortest distance between two points ever since.
The Good Stuff:
• I tracked points all week. Don't ask. It was horrendous, but I still lost weight -- probably dehydration.
• All kitties made the transition back to Central TX. For now, I've set up a single crate in the parlor and am having kittens out and about in the parlor and kitchen as much of the day as possible, just tucking them into the crate at night. They are doing well with this setup.
• My heart is warmed! I just saw Little Orange. For the first time since I had her spayed, I'm seeing both orange kitties together, so I know she's okay. What a relief! (Little Orange and Peaches look a lot alike -- I'm sure I've seen her before and mistaken her for Peaches)
• I got more than a very little done on PBOTL this week, but that's not saying much.
• I've read every day. I finished The Federalist Papers (I was reading them via email from The Daily Lit -- a good resource for classics and the like). I've been reading My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass on Sunday mornings. I just signed up for Alexis de Toqueville's, Democracy in America, Part 1.
• Rossie is out and trying to play more. She's chasing her tail now (until she sees me watching her).
The Not So Good Stuff:
• Both hubby and I are sick this weekend. That's not a pretty sight. No, nothing unpleasant on the disgusting side. It's a head and chest cold that, on me, feels like it ranges from the heart to the ears and everything in between. We're both kind of stumbling around like zombies saying, "I can't focus on anything."
• My goal was five pages or 500 words on PBOTL per day. My current pace is more like 100 words or one page a day. And I didn't get anything the last two days due to transitioning and being sick. I'm going to need to improve on that.
• My grandmother is not happy in her new living arrangement, but she'd reached the point where Mom couldn't take care of her anymore, and she won't do her physical therapy, which may have helped eventually. Or not, but it would give her something to do.
• I know I'm running a temperature but have misplaced my thermometer here in Central TX. It's a low-grade fever, so maybe that's not a big deal. Just one more thing I can't find. Couple that with hubby's constantly losing things that he simply must find NOW, and it's an annoyance.
• Rossie is so jumpy and hesitant. This is one unconfident kitty. I don't know how to or if I even can help her.
• Didn't get on the bike this week, because we delayed a day returning from SA, and, of course, illness.
The Week Ahead:
• Shake this cold by getting plenty of rest and drinking plenty of water.
• Work on PBOTL
• Read and do morning pages
• Ride the bike at least twice
• Putter around the house getting caught up on some little things.
Taking the hypotenuse is a phrase I picked up from a co-worker back in 1985 when he was taking a college algebra class. We were walking into work one night, and he decided to walk up the handicapped ramp, which was shaped like a triangle, and he said, "I'm going to take the hypotenuse." I've been saying that for taking the shortest distance between two points ever since.
The Good Stuff:
• I tracked points all week. Don't ask. It was horrendous, but I still lost weight -- probably dehydration.
• All kitties made the transition back to Central TX. For now, I've set up a single crate in the parlor and am having kittens out and about in the parlor and kitchen as much of the day as possible, just tucking them into the crate at night. They are doing well with this setup.
• My heart is warmed! I just saw Little Orange. For the first time since I had her spayed, I'm seeing both orange kitties together, so I know she's okay. What a relief! (Little Orange and Peaches look a lot alike -- I'm sure I've seen her before and mistaken her for Peaches)
• I got more than a very little done on PBOTL this week, but that's not saying much.
• I've read every day. I finished The Federalist Papers (I was reading them via email from The Daily Lit -- a good resource for classics and the like). I've been reading My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass on Sunday mornings. I just signed up for Alexis de Toqueville's, Democracy in America, Part 1.
• Rossie is out and trying to play more. She's chasing her tail now (until she sees me watching her).
The Not So Good Stuff:
• Both hubby and I are sick this weekend. That's not a pretty sight. No, nothing unpleasant on the disgusting side. It's a head and chest cold that, on me, feels like it ranges from the heart to the ears and everything in between. We're both kind of stumbling around like zombies saying, "I can't focus on anything."
• My goal was five pages or 500 words on PBOTL per day. My current pace is more like 100 words or one page a day. And I didn't get anything the last two days due to transitioning and being sick. I'm going to need to improve on that.
• My grandmother is not happy in her new living arrangement, but she'd reached the point where Mom couldn't take care of her anymore, and she won't do her physical therapy, which may have helped eventually. Or not, but it would give her something to do.
• I know I'm running a temperature but have misplaced my thermometer here in Central TX. It's a low-grade fever, so maybe that's not a big deal. Just one more thing I can't find. Couple that with hubby's constantly losing things that he simply must find NOW, and it's an annoyance.
• Rossie is so jumpy and hesitant. This is one unconfident kitty. I don't know how to or if I even can help her.
• Didn't get on the bike this week, because we delayed a day returning from SA, and, of course, illness.
The Week Ahead:
• Shake this cold by getting plenty of rest and drinking plenty of water.
• Work on PBOTL
• Read and do morning pages
• Ride the bike at least twice
• Putter around the house getting caught up on some little things.
New Year, New Day
Been a good week. I've started writing 'positive notes' to myself and putting them in a jar to list good things that happen each and every day. Food plan is back on track after a holiday week stumble, and I've lost most of what I regained last week. Only 1.4 lbs above my all time low of the past decade - pretty sure I'm gonna pass that - and 30lbs above when we got married. Been exercising - Richard Simmons is leaving me achy and exhausted, but I can feel things tightening up. Haven't written anything, but I'm almost done reading Valley of the Soul so I need to find another book to read once it's done. I'm trying to take a book everywhere I go and read at least a little every single day.
I have my book-brainstorming session with my friend Shirley tomorrow, but today it's Menards, football, and cooking. Remainder of the week it'll be continuing to clean my sewing room - it's bad, oh so bad - and flesh out whatever viable story I can come up with on Monday. Plus exercising, tracking, smooching my sweetie, and playing with my granddaughter who is All Kinds of Awesome.
That's it for me, I hope you all have had a great opening to the new year. {{huggs}}
I have my book-brainstorming session with my friend Shirley tomorrow, but today it's Menards, football, and cooking. Remainder of the week it'll be continuing to clean my sewing room - it's bad, oh so bad - and flesh out whatever viable story I can come up with on Monday. Plus exercising, tracking, smooching my sweetie, and playing with my granddaughter who is All Kinds of Awesome.
That's it for me, I hope you all have had a great opening to the new year. {{huggs}}
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Old and New
Well, I said I'd be back. Supposed to be back yesterday, but my guests stayed longer than I expected, and by the time they left, I was ready to crawl into a dark corner and snarl at the world. Not that the visit was bad; no, it was good, but there seems to be limits on how long I can endure constant company. I need to work on that, I guess.
Anyway, I should look at my goals from 2012, but I'm afraid they will blind me with their arrogance. Perhaps I will take a peek later, but for right now, let's talk about what I accomplished.
- Published and promoted Tales from Bethlehem. That is one of the best things I did last year. There were more headaches with the publishing and writing process than I expected or planned for, but overall, I'm quite proud of it. And while it hasn't outsold any of my mysteries, it's holding a comfortable third position on my sales chart. Since it's seasonal -- and I can update it -- I hope for more sales next year.
Tales was my fifth book. Murder by Dewey Decimal, Murder by the Acre, EndlesS, Floozy & Other Stories, and now Tales from Bethlehem. I've read that you have to have 11 books published (in the self-publishing world) before you can start making a decent living from your writing. I guess I'll see if that's true.
- Published Creations 2012 by Ada Writers. Although it doesn't carry my imprint, this truly was the first Many Rivers Harbor book. It's the one that gave me the idea of publishing other people's books.
- Published Secret of the Pack Rat's Nest by Martha Rhynes. The first official Many Rivers Harbor book. I learned so much contracts, deadlines, working with authors, etc., and even made a little money to boot. A definite win.
- Published On Target: Devotions for Modern Life. The second Many Rivers Harbor book. Still learned a lot, but the process went much smoother, and it's a lovely book.
- Was elected president of the Ada Writers writing group. My term started January 1. We'll see how this goes. I'm to guide them through the publishing process for Creations 2013. Looking forward to that.
- Continued to publish the monthly family newsletters. The subscribers continue to support its publication. It's even grown a bit. And I'm no longer losing money on it. That's a win.
- Read 119 books. I'm counting this is a win because I wanted to read 100, but still, I should watch that. When I consider the number of magazines, newspapers, websites, and posts I read ... Reading has always been my drug. Maybe I need to try to interact with the Real World more. No, I should. Really.
Well, let's look at my goals from last year and see how I did.
Writing
1. I will finish and publish Murder by the Mile. To this end, I have committed to writing one page per day five days a week. I hope to do write more, but that's the baseline. Did not do.
2. I will publish Tales from Bethlehem. Mostly I just have to be pull it together, write two more Tales for it, and create a cover. Did.
3. I will continue to work on Debt Free At Last! A Beginner's Guide to Money Management. I'd like to publish it this year, but it's not as high a priority as the other two are. Did not and abandoned the project.
4. I will continue to add Christmas cards to Oakleaf Harbor on Cafepress.com. I'd like to have 50 card designs available before November next year. Did not do.
5. I will add a birthday card selection to Oakleaf Harbor on Cafepress.com. I'd like to have 50 card designs available this year. Did not do.
6. I will continue to send Dragons Gather and Darkness, Oklahoma to agents and publishers. Because each rejection moves me closer to an acceptance. Did. Garnered two more rejections for Dragons and one for Darkness.
Health
7. I will walk at the gym 4-5 days a week, depending on health and holidays. Did although stopped walking at the end of October because I hurt my ankle. And I only walked three days a week.
8. I will improve my diet and eat more veggies and low carb foods. Did and did't.
9. I will arrange for a colonoscopy. I have to figure out how to pay for it, but with the cancer history in my family, I need to do this this year. Did not due to lack of money, but have plans for it this year.
10. I will continue to look at holistic health solutions and ways of life. Did.
Declutter
11. I will remove 50 books from my book collection and sell or donate to the local library. Did.
12. I will have two garage sales. Had one.
13. I will remove 50 items from my closets and sell or donate them or trash them. Did.
14. I will try to remove an item when I add an item to my house. Tried.
Misc.
15. I will continue to seek a job, full time or part time, even though I'm very discouraged about this. However, as my health improves, other jobs that I can't physically do now will be possible. I can do this and will. Did and suffered some crushing rejections. This one just about sunk me.
16. I will read 75 books this year. Oh, I thought the goal was 100. Well, did.
17. I will continue to read the New Testament and finish it this year. I will also read Psalms and Proverbs. Did. Read all three and most of the Old Testament.
18. I will pray daily and give thanks for my blessings. Mostly did.
19. I will remember that honesty can cause pain and remember that I can never completely know what another person is going through and thus should not judge. In other words, I will keep my mouth shut when my opinion hasn't been asked for -- and sometimes even when it has been. Slipped a few times, but mostly I did much better.
20. I will try to be more forgiving of myself and others. We're human and frail in many many ways. We all need a break. Did as best as I could.
Really, I did better on the list than I expected. Surprising. And pleasing.
GOALS FOR 2013
Writing
1. Finish and publish Murder by the Mile. It's past time.
2. Take up daily walking again. Got to do this for my health.
3. Participate in the 2013 National Novel Writing Month.
4. Blog at least one a week on three of my blogs.
Health
1. Walk at least three times a week.
2. Watch the diet and concentrate on more veggies and low carb foods, even when I eat out.
3. Go to the doctor for a check up and schedule a scope. Also, go to a dentist.
4. Seek more holistic information.
Declutter
1. Give 50 books to the local library or to friends.
2. Remove 50 items from my closets and donate or discard as needed.
3. Organize my files and discard and shred old financial records as needed.
4. Donate or discard kitchen pots never used.
Employment
1. Keep my eyes open for possibilities.
2. Look into going back to college.
3. See if Continuing Education would let me teach some poetry classes again.
4. Pursue more contacts on Linked In.
Publishing
1. Publish three books from Many Rivers Harbor.
2. Publish Many Rivers Harbor's first traditional book. Probably a poetry book. More on this as it develops.
3. Continue to seek new clients.
4. Purchase ISBNs for MRH so that it shows as the publisher rather than Lulu or Amazon.
Misc.
1. Pray daily and give thanks for my blessings.
2. Remember that honesty can cause pain and I can never completely know what another person is going through and thus should not judge.
3. I will try to be more forgiving of myself and others. We all need a break.
4. Battle the black dog until it whimpers to see me.
Well, that seems to be a good lists of goals. I hope we all reach our goals,or if not, we achieve other things that are even better. Happy New Year and Many Blessings on You and Yours!