i just don't know

Ten months to Christmas! Holy cow! I better start shopping.

Actually when my friend from Minnesota was here this past weekend, we celebrated Christmas. She always brings us cute, fun, goofy presents, and lots of goodies (which I think I mentioned last time).

All I know is that Wednesday’s check in comes way too soon. I haven’t gotten much done, except that my knee is already much better and though I still can’t kneel on it, I have found I can still run on it, so have run on the treadmill twice this week already. I also wrote one entry in my latest devotional. That’s about it for my goals.  

I had one huge psychological setback. I have another review on Amazon.com for “The Early Life of Jesus in 40 Days”. And it was one star. The woman obviously did not read the book; I think she read a different book. She clearly did not know what she was talking about, but as a writer, it is like a knife going straight through my eyeball and someone twisting it (a knife straight through my heart would kill me rather quickly, but a bad review is like a slow painful death, hence the eyeball metaphor).

I’ve been thinking that I should hang up this whole writing thing. Oh, I’d keep writing, but just journaling and random things that entertain me which I would keep to myself. I used to have a writing book called “Just Open a Vein”. Weeks like this, it is more like opening an artery. Bleeding to death via an open artery is much more efficient than via an open vein.  

Wow, I am in a sorry state.  I don’t know. I just don’t know. That sounds pretty down.

many fails

I had a good time this weekend with my friend from Minnesota. It was hard to just relax and to keep from sneaking in some writing or social networking, but I stayed pretty focused on her. Luckily she sleeps in, so I could do stuff each morning.

I knew it wouldn’t be a productive week, but it was worse than I anticipated. Not only have I been having issues with my laptop, I also slipped and fell Friday morning, landing on my knee. It will be fine, but did slow me down. I also couldn’t ice it as much as I would have liked because then my friend would have found out about it and she would have got all concerned. (“Are you sure you shouldn’t go to the ER? It looks awful swollen. You should get it checked out.” She goes to the ER or to her doctor for every little thing, whereas my belief is that you don’t go to the doctor unless there is a bone sticking out of your body.) The true challenge has been to keep from limping around her.

WRITING GOALS for the ROUND

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” – I’m still at eighteen days.  

·         Edit 20 chapters of “Tale of an American Woman” – I finished the first quick edit.

·         Submit three items for publication – I’m still at one piece.

My goals from last week:

·         Blog on schedule. Yes, blogged here twice and three times on the Dino Chronicles.

·         Read six blog posts, commenting on half of them. Read nine other blog posts and commented on five!  

·         Write four entries in Early Ministry. I did not write any entries. Fail!

·         Contact the other person with the questions on my novel. I’ve made a great contact who is answering all of my research questions. Unfortunately, some of her answers are evoking more questions.

·         Run on treadmill three times. I only ran on the treadmill once. Another fail.

·         Work on the nonprofit with my daughter, probably either Friday or Saturday. I went down to my daughter’s for a few hours on Friday and we both were having computer issues, so I did not get to work on what we needed to. Yet another fail.

·         Starting on Wednesday, give up chocolate for Lent. I have been doing fine. Actually I was avoiding all sweets until my friend from Minnesota showed up with her case load of baked goods. When I said I had given up chocolate for Lent, she sorted out three bags of treats, telling me to put those away for Sundays (which, not being Catholic, I don’t abide by. If I am giving up something for Lent it is for everyday until Easter, no getting a break on Sundays). That left another six bags of cookies and candies without chocolate. Needless to say, our discussion on eating right and losing weight was pointless.

And my goals for next week:

·         Blog on schedule.

·         Read six blog posts, commenting on half of them.

·         Write four entries in The Early Life in 40 Days.

·         Wrap up the questions I have for my contact person.

·         Work on finding a few people to read my novel to get some initial input.

·         Find a market to submit a piece to.

You’ll notice I didn’t include running on the treadmill. I should probably give my knee a break. I hope to get some paperwork done on the nonprofit, but you are probably tired of reading about nothing getting done, so let me see first what I can do. 

I’m hoping for a productive week. How about you? 

My dad's birthday was on Friday. He would have been 100 years old. This picture was taken in 1977, the year he retired from the paper mill. 

will catch up another time

I wasn't going to write a post today, because not only do I not have the time, but because I don't have the time to write this, I haven't had the time to accomplish any of my goals.

I did all right reading and commenting on other blogs. I also have been emailing back and forth with a wonderful contact I have made regarding a list of questions for my novel. Other than that, I would say not much has been happening. 

It also is not going to get better this week. I am busy tonight and tomorrow night. Then sometime on Friday my friend from Minnesota is coming for the weekend, so I don't foresee anything getting done over the weekend. 

Oh, that is just how some weeks are. I will catch up in time. 

Yep, friends always have to come first. 

Distractions. Again

WRITING GOALS for the ROUND

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” – I’ve got eighteen days written and notes on several more entries.

·         Edit 20 chapters of “Tale of an American Woman” – Well, I decided to just plow forward and finish the whole first edit. It was more of a read-through, just to catch obvious grammar mistakes or inconsistencies. It still has a long ways to go.  

·         Submit three items for publication – I’ve submitted one piece so far.

As far as my goals from last week:

·         Blog here twice and three times on The Dino Chronicles. Yes, did this.

·         Read three blogs on Sunday and three on Wednesday, commenting on half of them. On Sunday, I read four blogs and commented on two. On Wednesday, I read two more but didn’t comment. So, close.

·         Write three entries in the Early Ministry devotional. Wrote two entries in EM. So, again, close.

·         Edit six chapters in my novel. See above, I edited like 21 chapters.

·         Research

o   Do research for my novel. I emailed one person with the questions I had, but she got back to me without any answers. I did get the contact information for another person though.

o   Do research on some markets to peddle some of my short pieces to. I did look into a few magazines, but nothing jumped out at me.  

·         Sew another small project. Well, I finished that project last Sunday after posting my blog, and already posted pictures on Wednesday.

·         Work on Tumaini Volunteers

o   I got a lot of feedback on our January newsletter. I need to consolidate all those ideas and email them to our board members.  I got all these comments together and emailed them to our board members.

o   Work on that pesky business plan. That sounds like a broken record, I know, but we really need to finalize it. Did not work on the business plan, but did make copies of our volunteer packet so they are ready to share with anyone who is interested.

·         Run on the treadmill four times.  Ran four times.

·         Clean another section of the basement. I cleaned the next section of the basement. Yuck. What a mess? Why do we save all this stuff? It sounds good at the time, but really? I had to throw out the Fry Daddy. It probably still worked fine, but there was still oil in there from the last time we used it which was six or seven years ago! It was a gelatinous mess! I would have taken pictures of it, but my fingers had already been overtaken by this stuff. It took less than three minutes dealing with this before I just started bagging it up. At least when I got to the corner filled with my son’s stuff which he will not get out of my house but will not let me pitch, I did find some office supplies which I commandeered. So that was fun.

And my goals for next week:

·         Blog on schedule.

·         Read six blog posts, commenting on half of them.

·         Write four entries in Early Ministry. I see that the Round is close to half-way done and I have half of this book to write.

·         Contact the other person with the questions on my novel.

·         Run on treadmill three times.

·         Work on the nonprofit with my daughter, probably either Friday or Saturday.

·         Starting on Wednesday, give up chocolate for Lent. I don’t know what I’m thinking, but I have to at least try.

I work late on Monday and have church on both Wednesday and Thursday nights, so it will truly be a challenge to get just these few things done. Wish me luck.

I probably would have gotten more done yesterday morning, had I not looked out my office window to these beauties in the swamp across from my driveway. Distractions.

Can you find all three of them? 

My daughter thought that I could shoot her so that I could have venison in my freezer the rest of the winter. This is the same daughter who I cannot take to the county fair because she wishes she could take all of the goats the 4H kids have raised home for eating. This is what happens when your child has been to Africa so many times. 

would anyone like to help?

The biggy so far this week is that I plowed ahead and finished my first edit of my novel. I still have research to do on it, which I suppose is doing things half-ass backwards, but that is kind of how I roll. So basically a lot of my plot may change depending on where my research leads (and I can’t give out any information on that research because I don’t want to ruin the surprise in about chapter ten in case anyone here ever reads it).

Speaking of research, I did just email two people with my questions, so hopefully I will be able to fill in some of the blanks soon. I also need to finish reading some books on Kenya, which I read the first time when I first started writing the novel, but want to reread them to see if I got some cultural things straight. I think it helps having returned to Kenya in 2013 coz I just don’t think you can learn enough from other people. Some things you have to live yourself.

And here is where you all come in. Does anyone want to read my book for me? I know there are things called “beta readers”, but I still don’t get that. Hearing that word just still makes me think of the old video tapes and I can’t get past that. I basically would like someone just to read it and tell me if this is something that anyone else on the planet would want to read and would enjoy.

The genre, I suppose, would be Christian women’s fiction. It follows the story of a young career woman who travels to Kenya on vacation and befriends a lost boy. This event dredges up a secret from her past. How will she deal with that? How will she ever share her secret with her devoted husband? And will she ever see this lost boy from Kenya again?

I believe my next step should be to work on a back-cover blurb, huh? Or a catch-phrase? Or whatever I need to reel people into my story?

 

 I also did some more sewing, making mouse and keyboard wrist rests to match the rest of my Snoopy office. If you are observant (or obsessed about certain things like I am), you may ask if I am left-handed. No, regrettably, I am not. But I have taught myself to use my mouse with my left-hand, saving my right-hand for writing and other things. (Yes, the people I work with think that is nuts.)

looking forward to more time off

WRITING GOALS for the ROUND

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” – I’ve got seventeen days written and notes on several more entries.

·         Edit 20 chapters of “Tale of an American Woman” – I’ve edited 18 chapters.

·         Submit three items for publication – I’ve submitted one piece so far.

As far as my goals for last week:

·         Blog twice here and three times on The Dino Chronicles. Yes, I did this.

·         Read some blogs and comment on some blogs, but more importantly, come up with a plan for keeping track.  I read five other blog posts and commented on three of them.  I think I will try to read three blogs on Sundays and three blogs on Wednesdays, commenting on at least half of them. I read a few blogs other than ROW80’ers, but I think I just won’t count the others.

·         Write two entries in “The Early Ministry of Jesus” and write notes for two more. I wrote two entries, but didn’t make any other notes.

·         Not read anything. I read a few chapters in “Dangerous Beauty”. I read it once a few years ago, but this time am using it as research for my novel about Kenya. My new Kindle also came, so I got that set up Saturday morning. It is a touch-screen, which I just don’t like. Me and my big fat fingers. I don’t know how any guys can use anything with a touch-screen.

·         Run on the treadmill three times. I ran three times, twice for 20 minutes and once for about 15. Someone gave the hubby an Elliptical. I just can’t figure those out; I’m too uncoordinated or something. I just feel dumb walking on it and don’t feel like it is doing anything for me. I will stick with the treadmill as I have gotten over hating that quite so much.

·         Not work on the Tumaini Volunteers Business Plan. Well, I got this one. I don’t think I did a thing with the nonprofit this week, except for mail somebody one of our bird mobiles.

I have Monday and Tuesday off from the day job this week, so I really better get much more done.

Goals for next week.

·         Blog here twice and three times on The Dino Chronicles.

·         Read three blogs on Sunday and three on Wednesday, commenting on half of them.

·         Write three entries in the Early Ministry devotional.

·         Edit six chapters in my novel.

·         Research

o   Do research for my novel. Yes, the rough draft is written, but I still need to answer a few questions for myself. I’d like this thing accurate.

o   Do research on some markets to peddle some of my short pieces to.

·         Sew another small project. (I know what it is, but I won’t tell you about it until it is done and I can post pictures.)

·         Work on Tumaini Volunteers

o   I got a lot of feedback on our January newsletter. I need to consolidate all those ideas and email them to our board members.

o   Work on that pesky business plan. That sounds like a broken record, I know, but we really need to finalize it.

·         Run on the treadmill four times.

·         Clean another section of the basement. I cleaned under the stairs already on Friday. Now, I want to clean the next set of shelves. You probably won’t get any pictures as I didn’t take any befores.

 That sound like enough? 

Just a few of the many reasons why I keep plugging away on our nonprofit organization, 

Tumaini Volunteers. 

One big goal not on my list

I really did not get anything accomplished on my un-goals so far this week. I did read a few other blogs, and commented on most of them. I’ve only run on the treadmill once this week. These late nights at work are killing me. I did manage however to cross something off my list that has been there for a while.

I sewed.

I’ve wanted to sew these laptop and printer covers ever since I set up my office with all of my Snoopys and other Peanuts characters. Maybe not the best choice of fabric, but it was the only unspoken-for Peanuts prints I had left. The rest is designated for my Peanuts quilt, which has been on my to-do list for even longer. Retirement from the day job is only like nine years away. I just keep adding on the projects. 

an upcoming un-goal week

A couple of quick things first. My new modem came on Wednesday and I wasn’t going to do anything with it coz our internet connection seemed to be ok. Hubby was tired of the connection being so slow, so he finally talked me into hooking up the new one. Big mistake. Again, like always, it took way longer than it should have. Computer popping up with all kinds of invalid password messages and junk like that. I soooo did not want to call customer support, but finally played around with it long enough that it took the password I had been offering (which I had been pretty sure was the right password, the computer was just being a jerk).

Also I see it is the first of February. One of my patients at the clinic last week was so excited about it, because the forecast was for cold weather. He said, “February’s going to come in like a lion, so it will go out like a lamb.” It took me a minute to figure that out. And when I did I didn’t bother to correct him that I think March is the month which owns that saying.

Lastly, a few posts ago, I shared a picture of this sweet lady’s hubby. I didn’t forget about her. Isn’t she cute?

WRITING GOALS for the ROUND

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” – I’ve got fourteen days written and notes on several more entries.

·         Edit 20 chapters of “Tale of an American Woman” – I’ve edited 18 chapters.

·         Submit three items for publication – Submitted a short piece on volunteering to “Chicken Soup for The Soul” for an upcoming issue. You would think if anyone had volunteering in the bag, it would be me.      

As far as my goals for last week:

·         Return to blogging three times a week on my other blog, The Dino Chronicles. I did indeed blog three times to the Dino Chronicles, and even twice here.

·         Read five other blogs and comment on three of them. Again, I did not keep track of this, I don’t know why. Part of it is because I read a lot of blogs on my lunch at work, but the internet (or maybe my stupid work computer) oftentimes will not let me comment on a blog. And sometimes I really want to make a comment and promise myself that I will do it when I get home and naturally I totally forget about it. I am not going to panic if I don’t come up with a better system for keeping track. All I can safely say for sure is that I am close.

·         Finish reading “The Lutheran Ladies Circle”. Done.

·         Submit that piece which I wrote last week. Done, see above.

·         Write two entries in “The Early Ministry of Jesus”. I wrote three.

·         Run on the treadmill three times and increase my time to at least 20 minutes.  Hmm? Ran three times, but only one of them was for a full 20 minutes. I will get there. I have five months til the 5K. I will do it.

·         Really and truly finish the business plan for Tumaini Volunteers. Really and truly still did not. Did work on it, finished another section. But there are still two sections (I think marketing and financials) that I got nothing for.

·         Finalize the volunteer packet for Tumaini Volunteers.  I did do this and even mailed it out to two prospective volunteers. Now I gotta just hope they mail their application and $200 deposit right back to us.

Ok, what’s up for the coming week? I work late on Monday and have our Women’s Church group on Wednesday. I am off on Friday but have to work Saturday morning. I did just order a new Kindle which should be here on Friday, so I bet that when it arrives, that will tie me up for a bit. Hmm? Sounds like it may be a busy week. Let’s see what I can squeeze in.

·         Blog twice here and three times on The Dino Chronicles.

·         Read some blogs and comment on some blogs, but more importantly, come up with a plan for keeping track.

·          Write two entries in “The Early Ministry of Jesus” and write notes for two more.

·         Not read anything. I know. That’s a dumb goal, but while waiting for the new Kindle, I may read some in the paperback, “Dangerous Beauty”, that I have, but I don’t want any pressure.

·         Run on the treadmill three times, but not making any promises about times.

·         Not work on the Tumaini Volunteers Business Plan. I know. Another dumb goal, but some things should maybe just sit on the shelf for a week.

Maybe this will be the week of Un-Goals.