On a Roll

Today was another productive day.  Not as good as yesterday, but I still have a couple of hours before bed to work on it.  It's easier to find clothes to wear and put clean ones away now.  Just have to finish reorganizing the drawers in my nightstand so they are used more efficiently.  Next will be emptying my laundry basket (not filled with laundry but STUFF)  I have a place for the basket on the floor of my closet, but I need to find homes for the stuff in it or toss away what I'll never use.

This weekend will be spent HOME!  Yes!  My goal is to complete the reorganization of my room.  All the piles of STUFF on the other side of the bed, as well as at the foot, will either find the appropriate homes or get tossed.  No excuses any more.  Already I'm feeling the calming effects of having more order amidst the chaos.  Even more order will mean much less chaos and better rest and relaxation.  I can see it now.  Lounging in my jammies, sipping hot herbal tea and resting in bed with a good book or watching a good movie on tv.

Once I make my room the way I want it, I'll be able to progress throughout the house as needed.  And it really needs it in almost every room<G>  The family will follow suit as they see the completed projects and see how calmer their mother/wife is.  By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, the house should be fit for company.  The brothers-in-law are coming and they'll see extreme improvement in the house when they get here.

Now it's time to put in some work on my mss.

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Organization

Trying to organize my bedroom into a true sanctuary.  Right now the bed is piled high with stuff I pulled out of the closet as well as stuff that was blocking the triple dresser.  Emptied a few plastic bins that were just holding stuff until I figured out what to do with them.

Today, I boxed up the books I want to save - signed and those darned hideables <G>.  Another bin holds craft supplies, another a blanket that's a work in progress.

Now comes the hard part.  Sorting through the stuff left on the bed so I can sleep in it tonight<G>  Also have to attend a meeting tonight, so that's going to cut out some time.

I'll close with the declaration that most of the items I had on my To Do list for yesterday and today have been crossed off completely as having been accomplished.  What a way to start the week!

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On Task

It's been a dreary Monday.  Rained off and on all day.  Started a new leaf - making a list of things I want to get done each day.  A trick I'm trying is to write no more than 12 tasks and only one day's worth.  Why worry about tomorrow before it gets here?

So far on day 1, I've completed all the tasks I listed for today with one exception.  I wasn't able to schedule an appointmet with the chiropractor because they weren't answering the phone and no machine picked up.  What a bummer, because my back has been giving me problems today.

It's almost nine-thirty.  Need to be in bed by then so that I can get a full night's sleep before the alarm goes off at five-thirty am.  Still can't understand why my daughter won't set her alarm <G>

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Another Day

It's been a busy weekend for me. Saturday was tied up with my writers group, nails and dinner with my parents and brother.  Today was a 4 hr round trip to Ithaca looking at another hotel.  Long story about the first hotel.

The hour is late, I really need to get to bed so I'll be able to get back on my new schedule.  Need to make a list of what I need to get done each day.  The key will be to actually complete each task.  My goal is to get most, if not all, tasks done each day so I have to make sure my list is doable. :)

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Back with Friends

I attended my first meeting of writers in over 8 years.  It was a  happy reunion with a few members and the meeting of new members.  We were also  honored to have a local investigative reporter come talk about her job.  I forgot how informative and entertaining the meetings can be.

One of the activities of the meeting is to have a goal pot.  It's basically a  50/50 drawing with the winner being the person whose name is pulled and they completed their goal for that month.  If the goal hasn't been met, the money accumulates until the next meeting.  I now have the goal of finishing the last three chapters of my mss.  Can't wait to get started.  What a help it'll be to have a goal that you've committed to.

Tomorrow is my meeting with another hotel.  Hope my vp and I'll be able to complete an accurate search for the appropriate hotel for our conference to be held next April.

Also need to get practice blogging because I've signed up to blog twice in October for the writers group.

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Success

I've successfully posted a test blog to all my outlets.  Now it's going to be so much easier to post without having to go to each individual site.

Working toward personal success, I'm participating in an online computer course.  So far, I'm loving it, but wish there was more work involved because it finish my lesson, quiz and assignment in about an hour.  Would like more to keep me busy and to really let the lessons sink in.  Guess I'll have to create some work on my own to keep it fresh.  The course is for a program that was important to a job I applied for.  Since I was lacking in the skills needed, I felt it time to start building up my experience and skills to make me a better candidate for future job offers.

As for my writing, my mss has been put on the back burner until the household gets on schedule with the start of the new school year.  I'll be back on track next week, as I'm getting all my miscellaneous errands and projects out of the way this weekend.

Tomorrow I will be attending my first meeting in ten years of the writers group I belong to.  Can't wait to see old friends and make new ones.

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Test Blog

A friend of mine from Thoughts.com suggested I try out this blog source.  It's supposed to post my blogs directly to Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot.  Let's see if this works.  If it does, I hope to blog more.

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Getting Back on Track

Life interrupted for almost two weeks. Now, things are settling back to normal. I'm feeling better and the kids are trying to get back into the routine of school.

Haven't written much in my mss the past two weeks, but I have started a short story to bring the my writers meeting on Saturday. They're having a contest on Halloween short stories. It will be nice to come prepared for my first time back in over ten years. Can't wait to see my old friends and make new ones.

My online course is going swimmingly. No turbulence or glitches. I get all my lessons, quizzes and assignments done within an hour each day they are posted. I wish I had more to sink my teeth into, but it's a beneficial course giving me so much information in just four lessons. Can't wait until next week.

Having been away from blogging, I'm going to try and get more efficient with this too. Need to map out my day to get in an hour or two of mss work and blogging, on top of my Facebook game playing :) That has to be the last thing I do, if I have time.

Back to Normal

Finally, a week after I started with this stomach bug, I'm over it. It's about time. Although I've been on a weight loss program, people were noticing a dramatic change in the last week that kind of scared me. My hands are feeling thinner even if they don't quite look thin yet.

I'm really glad I started this online computer course. There are going to be so many applications in my everyday life that I'm excited. Can't wait to learn more. I've already done some personal projects with the first couple of lessons. I want to keep going, but I need to remind myself that I still have five more weeks in the course. I have plenty of time to learn what I need.

The overnight with my daughter and her friend went well. They swam for a while, but their hunger pains got the better of them :) Ordered pizza and wings for them and if I kept busy, the smell didn't make me want to break abstinence and eat food that wasn't mine.

Tomorrow is a meeting with the hotel where I'm hosting a conference in the spring. A few chapter members will be there with me, so we'll have a small committee to get things started. I must remember to write up something to send to Joe, D2 Director, with what's happening. This will help him to post what we need on the website.

Life Goes On

Went back to work today, but was wiped out after only one of the two hours. My strength is definitely not up to par.

Too many things are piling up and getting in the way of me achieving my short-range goals. I don't see any let up until Monday, next week. Today was taking daughter to meet a friend thirty minutes away to walk a little in a different mall and eat dinner together and then get back home in time for my meeting.

Tomorrow is a night in the hotel to celebrate daughter's and same friend's birthdays which we couldn't do on their actual birthdays. Mom is just chaperone. This will go into Saturday which is also grocery shopping day for me.

Sunday is a two hour drive to meet with my conference committee at the hotel where our conference will be held in April 2010. Got to finalize the catering contracts and stuff.

Tonight I'm unwinding with the newest episode of Project Runway. Look for another installment tomorrow.

Self-Improvement

Started my online computer course today. Receive a lesson and assignment every Weds and Fri. Already have my Weds work done. Hope the whole course goes this smoothly.

Feeling better now. Ready to start living again, felt like...well, you know what Going to try and get behind the wheel as well, son has dental appointment and I'm the only driver at home :(

Tomorrow I think I'll be able to get back to the schedule I started last week - working for a few hours on my mss before Facebook-ing and article reading. Then it'll be off to work for a few hours and back home to do housework and dinner. Need to figure out what kinds of lite meals I can make for myself and yet incorporate into more wholesome meals for family. Stomach is still a little raw.

When Plans Go Awry!

When I went to a conference over the weekend, I had grand plans of working on my mss and getting close to finishing it. However, I came down with some stomach bug and by 2:30 Saturday afternoon I was just about curled up and dying :( So I thought.

Sunday it was time to come home, deliver the rental car I'd needed to get on Friday and get to a meeting. Made it home, with good timing and still feeling like death. Needless to say, sleep was a luxury I was lacking.

It's Tuesday now, and I'm on the mend. Baby food is a necessary evil for this bug Hopefully I'll be back to normal by Thursday. That's the plan, so I'll be hitting the sack early again tonight.

Crazy Upsets

Boy, today really was a doozy. Half way into our trip, I had a strange urge to pull into the welcome center for a rest stop. Lucky for me I did, my brakes went on my van. I'm glad my husband got me AAA last year. It was a great help in getting my van to a repair place and rented a car to get us to our final destination.

To top it all off, it started to rain. Sometimes it came down in buckets and made visibility non-existent. However, we made it, about three hours after I'd estimated. So glad we're here and safe. It's great to see all my friends, especially some that I haven't seen in years.

More tomorrow.

Missing in Action

I'm getting ready to attend a conference in Harrisburg PA this weekend. It's about 4 1/2 hours from my home. This conference is for an organization that we're involved in for my two youngest children, both 17 (not twins)

Even though I will be bringing my computer, I don't know how reliable an internet connection will be when I get there. If I can connect, I will post every night. If not, then you'll probably hear from me Monday.

I'm looking forward to this conference. It's been a few months since our huge national conference and it'll be nice to visit with the close friends that will be attending this one. I like the smaller conferences better, it's easier to visit with your friends and also make new friends you can maintain a connection to throughout the years.

At least I've finished one chapter and started another since beginning blogging. My prediction that blogging will help me continue the flow of inspiration is proving true. The more I compose on the fly, the more work I complete on my manuscript.

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

My Continuing Saga

Was able to write a few pages this morning. I hope tomorrow before I pack the van for a weekend trip with my two seventeen-year-olds I'll be able to finish the newest chapter. Never fear, I will be packing and bringing my laptop with me, so I plan to write at least another chapter while I'm gone.

I'm so close to the end of this book, I wish I could just stay in my room and plug away. Oh, well. Time enough for that when I show my family this really is a job and one I want to fully pursue! If they have concrete evidence this writing pays off, they'll back off and help out more.

Celia requested that I include an excerpt from my book. How about I start with the prologue. I think it's a good hook

---Shouts from the next room made eight-year-old Billy Anders look up from buttoning his too-small shirt. A loud thud against the wall sent him running out the door of his bedroom and down the narrow hall of the trailer. The loose tails of his shirt slapped his back.

He turned the corner into the small living room. His mother, Claudia, stood in the middle of the room, cigarette smoke streaming through her nostrils. Her yellow hair stuck up all over.

His eyes darted around the room, searching, until he looked at the farthest wall. There was little Penny Jean, huddled on the floor. Dirt-smeared streaks on the wall above her told more of the story. He rushed over and knelt beside her. "It’s going to be all right,” he whispered as he brushed away her tears. “Let’s go back to my room.” Soft strawberry-blond hair tickled his cheek. He kept his voice soft as he helped the trembling little girl stand though he was boiling with rage inside.

“Go ahead and help her,” his mother snarled. “Just keep her out of my sight.”

Billy watched as Claudia turned her back on them and stalked off to the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of beer out of the icebox and lit a cigarette. With a light nudge, he guided Penny Jean down the narrow hall toward his bedroom. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother settle on the shabby couch and pop off the cap of the bottle with her thumb.

Tamping down the anger he felt toward his mother and returning his attention to the little girl beside him, Billy whispered, “Don’t worry, little PJ. I’ll keep you safe."---

Life Interruption 2

How do accomplished authors find the balance between family and writing? I can't seem to find the path. I did finish a chapter today, but I only have about three more to finish the ms. After I completed the chapter, other stuff got in the way and I'm having a hard time getting back to the story line. It's as if I'm experiencing a block. More of a physical block than a mental block, though.

Tomorrow is a new day. My goal for the day is to write at least ten pages of my ms before I have to leave for work. Working two hours during the middle of the day can sometimes be a hassle when you have other things you want to do. You get into the groove and then have to up and leave. When you get back, it's hard to get back that drive to write. Other things-drama, family meals have a tendency to block my way back to my computer.

For tonight and tomorrow, my computer will be set up on the kitchen table. (We're not using it except for storage of food from the farmer's market - hubby tends to buy bulk :o) Then it's time to pack up the computer for a trip to Harrisburg for a weekend conference (non-writer). I do plan to find some time to write more of my ms, though.

I'm beginning to find the advantage to blogging. It's good to get my thoughts out and down where they're in my face to keep me on track. Is this what blogging does for you?

Life Interruption

Kids are home from school and the drama begins. Was planning on resuming writing, but need to deal with stuff before I can do that. Also need to plan dinner. Will be back to writing before long! That's a promise to myself.

I was hoping that with a tenth grader and a senior in high school, the dramas would lessen. I mean, they've only been back to school for two days. :( Hubby and I really need to figure out how to resolve the mess before it blows out of proportion.

I feel the good vibes coming from my writing friends. Thanks for being there when I need you.

First Manuscript

I'm psyched now. Finally finished chapter eighteen! Gives me 52K words of a 55-60K work. So that equates about three more chapters. I see the light approaching in the tunnel of procrastination.

I've been working straight since 12:30pm, and it's now 1:54. Almost an hour and a half. Goody, I just might achieve a goal for once, finishing my first mss by the end of September.

Okay, a little more stalling. Should have started the laundry HOURS ago! Need to get a load in and start something for dinner and then I can get back to work.

Day Three

Another day is over, and I feel pretty confident I can finish my manuscript by the end of September, if not by Halloween.

Kids are back in school and that means I'm up earlier and ready for my day as they get on the bus. Today, even though I had to drive one to school before 7:30am, I was able to come right home and work on my manuscript. Didn't finish a chapter, but made a good dent toward it.

However, my laptop touchpad mouse has been causing me problems while I type. It seems I rest my hands on it and the cursor jumps all over the page. This afternoon I purchased a wireless keyboard and I'm getting used to it. I'm typing on it to write this post.

As I become more proficient on this new keyboard, I expect my wordprocessing skills to rapidly increase. Now I just have to get used to the long nails (maybe I'll just go get them filled and trimmed shorter to make it easier to type)

I like being able to write down things that have happened during the day. My belief is the more proficient I get at writing down everything as it happens, the better my ability to craft a story will be.

That's all for tonight. Still need to tell my husband what a friend wants me to do on Thursday night. Nothing drastic, just ask him to let me drive my scooter to a meeting in town with him following behind in my van. I'll be able to make a grand entrance on my new hobby and hubby can drive it home, leaving me with the van. (Don't have a motorcycle license yet to drive solo.)

Day Two

I've started out great today. Got one kid off to school, and will drive the second to school in an hour.

Have almost finished a chapter already this morning, but my laptop is giving me problems. I tend to rest my hands on the touchpad mouse and it screws up my writing by moving the cursor somewhere else. Geez, that bugs me. Got the okay from hubby to go purchase a portable keyboard. I forsee more accurate and rapid writing in my future.

Day One

Just trying out this new blog. I think I like this one much better than the other one I started on Saturday.

My goal is to learn to write on the fly about anything and everything that comes into my head. This should enable me to finish my first manuscript and get further into the second one than I am at present.

This past weekend, however, I didn't get any writing done. Instead, I practiced riding my new scooter. Three time out riding with my husband. I see him more riding than I do any other time. It's nice to be out with him and not have the teenagers interrupting us. Granted, we can't talk much while riding, but we do take many rests to talk about my techniques and sometimes catch up on what's going on in the household.

I hope that we'll be able to get out a few more times this season. Don't expect to get my license to ride until early next season. I want to have it to ride back and forth to work while the weather's good.