Sunday, December 1, 2013

Some days are diamonds, some days are stones

Had some ups and downs this week. But I guess that's how it goes, right?

I. READING –
A. Daily goal
1. Read two other blog posts a day. No, but I came close.         
2. Read in at least one of the many books I am reading. Maybe.     
B. Goals for the Round
1. Have finished reading five books. Last night I finished reading my fifth book, “Tessa – From Fear to Faith”, by Melissa Wiltrout. I suppose I need to finish one of the other books I am reading before I start another.     

II. WRITING
A. Daily goal
1. Work on something for two hours a day. Definitely not.   
a. Work on “The Early Life of Jesus in 40 Days”, the second book in the Bible Stories in 40 Days series. No.         
b. Write on my novel. Yes, yes, yes, finally!   
c. Write my blog posts. I think I posted to this blog twice and my other blog three times.       
B. Goals for the Round.
1. Have published “The Christmas Story in 40 Days”. YES.
2. Have finished the first draft of “The Early Life of Jesus in 40 Days”. No.   
3. Have finished my novel.  No.

III. REACHING
A.      Weekly goal.
1. Have promoted either one of my books on one other site or in person. I took “The Christmas Story in 40 Days” into a local business on Wednesday. She took five copies. She emailed me on Friday and asked me to bring in another ten. When I took them in later in the day, she wrote me a check for all 15 of them, even though she had only sold two of them. She was confident she could sell the rest of them by Christmas.  
2. Comment on two other blog posts. I think so.   
3. Research markets for an hour.  No.     
4. Keep up on social media, responding to all messages.  Yes, just barely.    
5. Have contacted one organization about a speaking engagement. No.
B. Goals for the Round
1. Have submitted three pieces somewhere.  Umm, no.  
2. Have booked three speaking engagements or book signings.  Umm, no.  

IV. PERSONAL
A. Exercise
1. Continue to run outside as weather permits or on the treadmill at least three times a week. I hadn’t run on the treadmill all week and by Wednesday the hubby was bugging me to help him carry it downstairs so our living room would have enough room over the holidays. I am pretty sure this goal will have a big NO the rest of the month.  
2. Continue exercising three times a week. I exercised three, maybe four, times.   
B. Nonprofit
1. Continue working on Tumaini Volunteers, Inc.
a. Work on the IRS form 1023 and other such paperwork. I worked for a couple hours on the 1023. What a horrible form. Everyone keeps saying we need to get a lawyer, but you all know what lawyers charge, right? So I think we are going to do everything on the form that we can and still try to find a lawyer who will look at it once it is finished and not charge an arm and a leg.
b. Work on Fundraising. Yesterday we sold our Kenyan goods at another craft show. Got rid of a lot of stuff and made a few bucks. Now we have enough money to send in our 1023 form, as soon as we get it finished.
                C. Sewing
1. Finish three projects by the end of the year. No, not yet.     
D. Church Christmas Program
1. By December 21, have written, organized, rehearsed and held our church’s Christmas program. Have a few kids signed up, have to start working on more kids. The Sunday School kids have to participate, it’s all our middle and high schoolers that I have to bug.     
                E. Armageddon

1. By the end of the year, have gotten together supplies for most any conceivable crisis, natural or man-made, which could cause life as we know it to come to a crashing halt. Still a work in progress. I asked my kids what skills they had to bring to the Apocolypse Table. They thought I was crazy at first. The son is a good fisherman, so that helps. The daughter seems to think her greatest skill is repopulating the earth; I am so thankful that she hasn’t started doing that already.   
The daughter selling the stuff she brought back from Kenya. 

7 comments:

  1. As hard as it is to market our own work, your post here shows real progress in connecting with a business that believes in you! Congrats on the writing progress and in keeping all else in balance. May your week go well.

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  2. Sounds like more than plugging away, to me.

    I have to admit, I cringed a little when I read that the Sunday school kids have to participate in the program - I am decidedly not a 'have to' kind of mom. Things are so much fun if you get to choose whether to do them (and, if some of those middle and high schoolers were in Sunday school and had to participate, it might be harder to get them to choose to do it, once they have a choice in the matter...).

    I hope all the kids who do participate find joy and wonder in the celebration. before our children were born, my husband and I attended a living Nativity in Oregon. It took up most of a residential block, with assorted scenes and live animals. It was beautifully done, and, although there were crowds, it felt very intimate and personal, somehow.

    You've done some impressive and brave things - I'm trying to imagine myself walking into a bookstore, and can't get there yet. Of course, I don't have a book in my hand to offer, yet, either.

    I really like your cover, and it sounds like you will see some sales from the store, which is wonderful!

    You're even making progress on the terrible form, and your daughter's Apocalyse skill made me chuckle. i hope her future repopulation projects are inclined to like fish! =)

    May your holidays be blessed, with time for reading, writing, and exercise (I'm thinking that carrying a treadmill downstairs definitely qualifies! ).

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  3. well of course after the downfall a new generation will be required:) it takes skill to raise a family in bad circumstances maybe your daughter was offering a good deal there - joking apart well done on your book in local store if it goes well the next and the next will be welcome there and word of mouth is a great source of sales. all the best for this week:)

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  4. Congrats on all your accomplishments.

    I have a similar breakdown with my goals. It's a great way to keep track of the many facets of our lives.

    Have a great week!

    Tonette

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  5. I skimmed your post the other day and was thinking about skills to have after TEOTW and in addition to all the usual ones, I thought it'd be a good idea to learn a musical instrument and/or pick up a couple books on old-school games so people can keep themselves entertained once the fundamental things like food, water and shelter have been taken care of.

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  6. So many diverse goals . . . I love it. All the best as 2013 winds down and, Lord willing, the New Year dawns. Have a Wonderful Christmas.

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