Monday, February 29, 2016
Talk about productive!
Everything I set out to accomplish this weekend was done. I spent Saturday working in twenty minute sprints in order to make progress on every project without feeling stuck on the less enjoyable tasks (Things like cleaning bathrooms...).
Most importantly -- I completed a letter on the epic birth sampler of love and started the next one. In fact, I got the base done and the letter part done too. I just have to stitch like crazy to get that letter's little girl done so I can go on to the very. last. letter.
I also finished reading my book aloud. It's very helpful to actually hear the flow of the words, the eye will trip where the tongue does. It also forces me to actually read every word, helping me to find missing words. I can also hear repeated words or phrases, and repetitious concepts can also be discovered. The whole process took me about four days--primarily because I had Friday evening and all of Saturday to focus on it.
Sunday I focused on the sampler and the Scottish highlander epic. I'm giving the other writing projects some space so that the next time I read them, they'll be a little bit fresher. Plus I've missed the Scottish highlands and the story needs its fair share of my attention. My goal is another 35K on this one for a total of 80K. If I'm not mistaken, that doesn't include the 22K for part one. Which means, it'll be over 100K when all is said and done--WOW! Where sis all those words come from??
And the house is clean and the laundry is done, so all in all, a very productive weekend-- even with a 3+ hour break for NASCAR. :) (Jimmie Johnson won, btw!)
How was your weekend?
Labels:
birth sampler,
chores,
cross-stitching,
productivity,
projects,
the weekend
Friday, February 26, 2016
Milestones
It's taken me a couple of days to decide what to post for today. I was trying to be proactive by coming up with a topic in advance and jotting down the bulk of my thoughts before tweaking for the final posting, but a true milestone happened yesterday and so, that's what I'm going to share. :)
I'm going to be a (self) published author by November! That's the goal, anyway.
But that's not the milestone. Not yet anyway...
Last December, my writer peeps and I were sitting around Cotton Patch for our after-the-meeting get-together and my dear friend Clover said, "Anyone interested in doing a box set for Christmas next year?" Pretty much everyone at the table said they liked the idea and we moved on to other varied and random topics. But that question and the possibilities stuck in my head all through the holidays, and ideas percolated.
When we reassembled in January, I asked if Clover meant it and if everyone was serious about participating. Everyone agreed and we brainstormed how we wanted things to work. I started writing my contributions at the beginning of February and yesterday morning, I sent it out to the other participants! It was pretty exciting.
That was the milestone. My first major for-publication effort was sent out into the world for the opinion of others. Yikes. YAY!
So this is it. I've danced around the idea of being published for years--like twelve of them, but the route of traditional publishing never appealed to me. Luckily for me, the romance publishing industry began growing and changing back when I first joined and now the options are much more to my liking.
The next milestone will be to finish and publish a book. I want to have something else available should someone enjoy my storytelling in Christmas thing so much they want to see what else I've got out there. It's not going to be much. One book, possibly two.
One's in a completely written first draft state and waiting for me to start reading the paper copy I printed. The other's not quite done and will be in a similar state once it is. I have a lot of work ahead of me. Hard work. Energy-sucking work. Energizing work.
So that theory of mine that things are going to calm down after my trip to Atlanta...yeah--maybe not so much. :)
WHEEEE!!
Labels:
writing is hard,
writing is scary,
writing projects
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Feeling pooped...
I'll admit that I'm generally not as busy as most people. Especially not since Sonshine graduated from high school and left for the Navy.
But this past two months--let's say three--have been rather busy and I gotta admit I'm slowing down and feeling a bit weary. I still have another month and a bit of busier-than-normal to get through, but at least it's slowing down.
I'd like to read, read, read and watch my three favorite movies right in a row. And could I have someone take over my household duties for the duration...?
Labels:
are we there yet?,
busyness,
randomness,
tiredness
Monday, February 22, 2016
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity
Now if you're familiar with that phrase, you probably know that Darryl Waltrip hollers it at the start of each race he broadcasts... I've been waiting for this day since we added actual TV to our Internet package back in November...NASCAR!!
Many moons ago I really got into NASCAR. I know it's not a sport for everyone, but I enjoyed it tons. DH and I were able to attend two races back in 2001--the spring race here at Texas Motor Speedway and the race in Phoenix in October. DH even scored pit and garage passes. That was a fantastic trip!
We watched it for several more years, but the kids got into high school and other things needed focus--and we got rid of cable which meant our only way to watch NASCAR was gone.
Since Sonshine left for bootcamp, I've had a hankerin' to start watching NASCAR again, but without basic TV channels, it was difficult to say the least. But now we have it, and DH and I had been looking forward to the Daytona 500 for a year--since our aborted attempt to live stream it last year.
I bought race-day treats and we sat and enjoyed hours of left turns! My favorite driver, Sterling Marlin, retired many years ago and so I'm in the market for a new driver to root for. I think I'm going to need to catch a few more races before someone really tickles my fancy.
Are you a NASCAR fan? If so, who's your favorite driver?
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Time is running out...
DD's birthday is just over a month away and her epic birth sampler is still a work in progress.
I have 2.5 letters left to complete in addition to her birth stats. Then there's taking it and getting it framed... Probably a week, maybe two for that, leaving me three weeks to finish. Yikes!!! I'm trying to get 20 to 30 stitches at least done per day... More if I can. I'm actually halfway through the E that follows the L, so...
Labels:
birth sampler,
cross-stitching,
darling daughter
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