May 2, 2011

This is a later post than usual... which may actually back up the content. I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few weeks. Mentally balancing what I'm doing, what I need to be doing, where I want to be, what I have available to invest in the process of getting there. Not just the money side, there's never enough of that after all, but the time. It's spring - big projects are underway and change keeps gusting through the air. The things I have on my plate are wobbly and slippery and mutate at a whim. I started this blog to deal with just this problem - and currently I find that keeping up with it has become one more loop in the snaggled knot of fishing line that I affectionately call my To Do List. So I think back to a good friend of mine telling me that knowing when to stop blogging is pretty important. I weigh in the opinion of my oldest and best friend who answered my last "Dear Abby" letter to her with the simple truth that right now something I love has become something to keep up with instead of something to look forward to. Toss in the fact that the song from My Fair Lady where she's "had enough of words" keeps running through my head and I think it all adds up to my needing a nice big break. No schedule. No literary goals. No spending time and money convincing people that my writing is worth their time and money. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm addicted to the whole insane process - I'm sure I'll take a break from my break now and then to see if I'm ready to begin the battle once more. Plus, to be honest, I've got a school visit, Book Fair, and two signings scheduled between now and mid-June so its not like I'm vacationing cold turkey. There will be an extended weaning period for me to growl through. You can probably follow it on facebook if you miss the posts here. But for now, this particular outlet for the thoughts that reach my fingers is going to have to sit quietly and wait for me to recharge my mental batteries and slog through some time eating monsters in the real world. My current projection is fall - taking the summer off just has a nice ring to it.
So, until its time for me to come back, I hope that your own goals treat you well and leave you smiling.
Bye for now!

(Note on the pic: Wednesday's Words from Almost Comfortable Skin #34 Balance has very little to do with coordination.)

April 29, 2011

Here we are at another Friday. It's been a busy week, but a productive one on a number of levels. I made another book store connection a couple of hours away on Monday, straightened out 2 problems with book information that I didn't know I had until that connection was made on Monday, made it to the gym twice with plans to go tomorrow, and today I'm baking cookies and getting ready to go look at potential apartments for Mom with my brother. I feel pretty darned productive. Here's hoping it lasts!

Enjoy your weekend, watch out for nasty weather, and I'll be back on Monday.

(Note on the pic: Some ground cover from my "fairy bed" since I feel like I'm covering so much ground lately!)

Wednesday's Words from Almost Comfortable Skin #23

#23 Good neighbors are priceless.





(Wednesdays Words come from either personal experience or observed situations that have settled into the thought patterns that make me who I am.)

April 25, 2011

Busy, busy week ahead for me. Today is a trip into the wild blue yonder of talking to book store managers about book signings with my friend and fellow author Theresa Flerx. Friday looks like a day in Princeton with my brother looking at areas and places to rent for Mom. In between now and then there is grocery shopping, the packing of boxes, the gym, and all the the real world stuff around here that should have been done last week (or the week before...) and will probably get set aside again. (No fear, I really don't want to clean the bathrooms or wash the kitchen floor, so the rest of it gives me an excuse not to!) If the weather stays so beautiful I'm hoping to do some more weeding too since yesterday was so productive in that area and my big front flower bed is looking pretty darned spiffy now! So is the area around my new composting spot at the end of the fairy bed.
For now though I need to be On My Way to looking presentable and getting out the door. See you Friday!

(Note on the pic: Here is my new composting area. By next year I'll be able to separate the log part into two sections and begin using the compost that I'm adding to and breaking down this year.)

April 22, 2011

Happy long weekend (for some of you) and Happy Easter!

Want a good description of the past week here? Just check out the picture of my daffodils (placed strategically away from where I normally walk since they make me sneeze like a mad fiend). See how they are all "looking" in a different direction and seem just generally confused and distracted? That's my brain. I'm figuring this will be the normal operating mode for a little as we hunt for a new place for Mom to live and then get her settled.

I also made the mistake of filing a revision to Clyde the Undead Dust Bunny. It was just the removal of one line of text (my old website address) and a very minor cover change. I honestly thought this would be a week long process at the outside and under the worst case scenario. I was wrong. I neglected to change my e-mail address for their contact information so the e-mail letting me know that the fonts were not embedded in the new file went into the nothingness of lost Internet mail. That bumped the 3 day change time to a week and a phone call from me to find out what was going on, plus another change, plus that 3 day change time (if all the files are okay this time) PLUS the up to 5 more weeks to get everything back in the system. I'm thinking I should have just left it well enough alone. At this point the down time could threaten a signing I have in June and I really can't schedule any more with the book being unavailable. Sort of a sales killer. It reminds me of that story about losing a kingdom because of a horseshoe nail... I just keep reminding myself that "One day, this will be funny."

See you on Monday (hopefully with a more positive, and less befuddled attitude!)

Wednesday's Words from Almost Comfortable Skin #27

#27 Casual rudeness is the stem from which the thorns of anger grow.






(Wednesdays Words come from either personal experience or observed situations that have settled into the thought patterns that make me who I am.)

April 18, 2011

This week is off to a really rocky start. Without adding to the drama by going into detail here, it looks like we are going to have to relocate my mom. There are situations that just really shouldn't have to be dealt with, and I don't see things getting any better where she currently is. It's a pity too - she owns her place. It's a nice place and all of her flowers are just starting to come up. Right now, she is staying with us. I hope you will keep her in your thoughts and add your hopes for a good resolution to the problem in with ours. So, until further notice, my focus is going to be on finding the best solution possible for Mom. Anything else I happen to fit in will be great (and probably a well needed diversion), but for now I'm only On My Way To getting her away from the chaos.
Wish me luck, and have a great week!

(Note on the pic: It's always good to remember that weeds grow strong too.)