Need any rocks?

Spring is finally here! It has been in the 70s the last few days with abundant sunshine. My grass is green and my flowers are starting to bloom. I’ve been working feverishly to dismantle the old fire pit on the edge of my woods. There must be 1000 pounds of rocks in there, their sizes ranging from toaster oven size to fist size. Once that spot is clear, I’ll plant some grass and hopefully have an extended oasis in my yard. What I am going to do with all of the rocks remains unclear, but I will figure it out.

READING

·         My reading goal is to finish four of the books that I started reading a while back. I have finished two books, am 80% through “Deception” and almost three-quarters of the way through “Sell Your Book Like Wildfire.” I think my goal here should be to not start reading any more books until I finish the ones I am on. 

WRITING

·         Finish my novel.  I wrote a chapter and a half this week.

REACHING

·         I will get back on track with my blogging, twice a week here and three times a week on my other blog. Yes, I have blogged on schedule. I also started blogging about walking the streets of my hometown. Read about that here.

·         Submit three pieces each Round.  Still at one submission, but I found a magazine to send a story about my sister to. I will do a final edit of the piece in the next day or two and send it out by Tuesday.  

HOME AND FAMILY

·         My daughter and I are still working on our nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers. We are planning a “friend-raiser” for June 1. That is my goal with the nonprofit this month: help with and attend the “friend-raiser”.  Been promoting the friend-raiser, also working on getting together what we need for food and beverages. Today is the third weekend in a row where we have had beautiful weather, I am fearful that we will have rain next Sunday but then we just need a contingency plan.  

·         Continue running or at least walking when I can, but not sure about running a 5K this year. Ran/walked four times this week. Plan on going around the lake – which is just three miles – as soon as I post this.

·         Yard. As mentioned above I am working on a spot in my yard, also have planted most of the garden. I promise to post pictures soon.  

I am so disappointed in myself that I didn't take a before picture. 

Just one more stupid regret of mine. 

Overachiever

Did I ever tell you about my co-worker with an aptitude for spelling things wrong? When she did something which was above and beyond, she once said “I am such an OE.”

We asked, “OE?”

“Yeah,” she answered, “OE for overachiever.”

“Shouldn’t that be OA?”

She laughed, “Oops.”

Maybe you had to be there. But I am feeling like an overachiever this week.

READING

·         My reading goal is to finish four of the books that I started reading a while back. I have finished two books, am halfway through “Deception” and two-thirds of the way through “Sell Your Book Like Wildfire.”  

WRITING

·         Finish my novel.  Yes, I wrote a chapter last night!

REACHING

·         I will get back on track with my blogging, twice a week here and three times a week on my other blog. Yes, I have blogged on schedule.

·         Submit three pieces each Round.  Still at one submission, but I will get there.

HOME AND FAMILY

·         My daughter and I are still working on our nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers. We are planning a “friend-raiser” for June 1. That is my goal with the nonprofit this month: help with and attend the “friend-raiser”.  Had our planning meeting Sunday afternoon. I have been promoting it to my circles.

·         Continue running or at least walking when I can, but not sure about running a 5K this year. Ran twice this week, once for three miles and once for one mile, ok, and I really mostly walked, but walking is truly better for you.

·         Sewing.  Haven’t worked any more on my top, but I have the weekend.

·         Yard. I tilled my garden some more and raked it. All ready for planting this weekend. Also worked on our new garden spot. The spot with Giovanni, our new addition. Going to make this spot just for him.

Goals, whatcha gonna do?

I am spot-on with some goals, and others – argh!  I will get this though, I will not quit this time.

READING

·         My reading goal is to finish four of the books that I started reading a while back. I finished reading “Decoding Daniel” on Tuesday and “The Deer on a Bicycle” on Thursday. Halfway there.

WRITING

·         Finish my novel.  Just haven’t gotten back at it yet.

REACHING

·         I will get back on track with my blogging, twice a week here and three times a week on my other blog. I posted not only twice on schedule to this blog, but actually posted an extra time to my other blog.  

·         Submit three pieces each Round. I still have only got one submission in this Round.

*I also had a phone conference with my publisher's marketing guy on Friday. Got a few helpful hints that I hope to incorporate into my writing life. 

HOME AND FAMILY

·         My daughter and I are still working on our nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers. We are planning a “friend-raiser” for June 1. That is my goal with the nonprofit this month: help with and attend the “friend-raiser”.  We are having a meeting today to work on the “friend-raiser” and you can read this blog post to see what my thoughts are on just what that is.

·         Continue running or at least walking when I can, but not sure about running a 5K this year. I walked close to three miles with a friend one day this week. Then last night ran into another friend who is signed up for the 5K on July 4 and wants me to run it with her. So much for this goal.

·         Sewing.  I finally hemmed my brother’s pants yesterday and cut out a scrub top for work.

Another, though unwritten, goal, get this spot of my yard looking like a garden. 

Running for Fun

I realize that this is a little late, but it is still Wednesday as I post this, so I have not missed the deadline yet. Also haven’t gotten too far on my goals, but I don’t feel as if I’ve fallen behind.  

READING

·         My reading goal is to finish reading “Sell Your Book Like Wildfire”, “The Deer on a Bicycle”, “Deception: A Deaf Girl’s Journey”, and “Decoding Daniel”. Yesterday, my Tuesday morning Bible Study group finished reading “Decoding Daniel”, so I will cross that off my list. Only three books left!

WRITING

·         Finish my novel. Of course, this will be a reach, but I have six weeks and about six chapters left. This is what I will concentrate on the most. And this is what I have not done yet this week. I did print off chapter 1 and shared it with my writers group tonight. It was well received.

REACHING

·         I will try to get back on track with my blogging, twice a week here and three times a week on my other blog. Here I am, blogging for my Wednesday night check-in, so I am on track so far.

·         A previous goal was to submit three pieces each Round. Believe it or not, somehow or other, with my nuts-schedule and lazy attitude, I have submitted something this Round already. I know, ridiculous. Anyway, so I will submit two more pieces by June 26. Got a few thoughts in my head and that’s about all.

HOME AND FAMILY

·         My daughter and I are still working on our nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers. We are planning a “friend-raiser” for June 1. That is my goal with the nonprofit this month: help with and attend the “friend-raiser”. (In case you wonder what that is, I hope to write about it for my other blog this week; I’ll link you when I have it done. And I still have to do this.)

·         That running thing. Of all the things on my list of goals for the entire year, I think I am deleting running in another 5K. I am still running, when I have time and it is not raining, but I think I am taking the competitive edge off the table. Take away some stress.  Ran once this week.

·         Sewing. Here’s a funny one. My bachelor brother came and rototilled my garden last week. When I asked him what I owed him (which we all know has never been and never will be monetary), he pulls a pair of pants out of his truck. “Can you hem these for me?” Haven’t done them yet, hopefully on Friday.

See, I can do this, I can get back in the grove.

If the run's not fun, it's not worth it. 

I'm Back!

I’ve come to the realization that if I don’t have a running list of goals, I don’t do anything. I pretty much took the entire month of April off and here it is already half-way through May and I still haven’t gotten myself back on track. We hosted my mother-in-law’s surprise birthday party this weekend, so I have been cutting myself some slack until that was over. Now, even though my schedule is as busy as ever, I don’t have a single big thing to be concerned with. It is time to plow forward.

Here we go, keeping in my mind that goal of June 26, the end of this Round and just over six weeks away.

READING

·         My reading has really gotten ridiculous. I am currently reading five books, and making no headway on any of them. My reading goal is going to be simple: finish reading “Sell Your Book Like Wildfire”, “The Deer on a Bicycle”, “Deception: A Deaf Girl’s Journey”, and “Decoding Daniel”. In my defense, one book, “Decoding Daniel” is for my Bible Study group, so I have to go with the flow on progress there. But guess what? We are on track to finish it up this Tuesday. Oh, yeah! See how those goals just get fulfilled.

WRITING

·         Finish my novel. Of course, this will be a reach, but I have six weeks and about six chapters left. This is what I will concentrate on the most.

REACHING

·         I will try to get back on track with my blogging, twice a week here and three times a week on my other blog.

·         A previous goal was to submit three pieces each Round. Believe it or not, somehow or other, with my nuts-schedule and lazy attitude, I have submitted something this Round already. I know, ridiculous. Anyway, so I will submit two more pieces by June 26.

HOME AND FAMILY

·         My daughter and I are still working on our nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers. We are planning a “friend-raiser” for June 1. That is my goal with the nonprofit this month: help with and attend the “friend-raiser”. (In case you wonder what that is, I hope to write about it for my other blog this week; I’ll link you in next time I post here.)

·         That running thing. Of all the things on my list of goals for the entire year, I think I am deleting running in another 5K. I am still running, when I have time and it is not raining, but I think I am taking the competitive edge off the table. Take away some stress.

·         Sewing. Here’s a funny one. My bachelor brother came and rototilled my garden last week. When I asked him what I owed him (which we all know has never been and never will be monetary), he pulls a pair of pants out of his truck. “Can you hem these for me?” So it begins. Now that Mom can’t do these things for him, it falls to me. That’s ok. It gives me a goal, though not a creative one. 

And that is it for now. Wish me luck and enjoy the pictures from our picnic.

 The hubby grilling up the burgers and brats, while the grand-puppy waits for a handout.

 My living room, all ready for my guests, except....

 it was so nice outside that I couldn't keep them in the house. Good thing, coz we had a total of 48 people here, I don't have that much room inside. I'm so thankful for my beautiful yard and a hubby who worked tirelessly, through rain and snow, to get the yard ready.