don't mean to brag . . .

You haven’t heard anything lately on the novel I finished writing last year. I wanted it to age like fine wine or cheddar cheese, depending on your vice, before I did another edit on it. I’ve had ideas for four other novels and four people from one of them have popped into my head wanting their intertwined stories told. This week I’d like to interview them while they are still with me. Then I think I should do another edit on the first novel and next start work on the new one.  

Last week wasn’t quite as productive as I hoped. Or so it felt. Let’s look at my list of goals before I am too critical.

•        Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times. Done

•        Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them. Done

•        Write two entries in “Early Ministry”. Done and then some. Believe it or not, I truly outdid myself this week, writing five days – yes, FIVE – on this devotional, meaning I have 29 days written and 11 left. I guess I just had to wait for divine inspiration. That’s I guess why the book is an inspirational devotional in the first place.

•        Edit the two sections of “Hope” that are sitting on my computer. Done

•        Run three times, at least one time for three miles.  Done. Ran one mile, 1 ½ miles and that dreaded three miles, getting it done in about 40 minutes. I have some work to do on my time yet.

•        Promote my writing on social media two times. Um, only once. This would be the yellow blip in my road.

•        Promote our nonprofit on social media two times. Done

•        Submit a piece somewhere. And done! This wasn’t really a finished piece. I sent what would be considered a press release to the marketing guy for my day job. He got right back to me, asking for more information, so I am hopeful he will actually publish it on the company website this time. He made me the same promise last time I sent him a piece on our trips to Africa. This time I’d like him to do an article on my upcoming return trip to Kenya. I will keep you posted.

Well, holy cow, I guess this is why we should keep track of our goals. I was pretty amazing this week!!!! Sorry, don’t mean to brag. I am only sharing the facts!

Not too many changes for next week:

•        Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times.

•        Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them. 

•        Write four entries in “Early Ministry”.

•        Run three times, at least one time for three miles. 

•        Promote my writing on social media two times.

•        Promote our nonprofit on social media two times.

•        Submit a piece somewhere.

·         NEW goal – write up bios of the four people who want to be in my new novel.

  

Finally, my Goals for the Round:

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” Have written 24 entries, which means there are 11 more to go.  

·         Edit seven chapters of “Hope Through God’s Redemption” Have edited four chapters.

·         Submit four items for publication Have submitted three items.

·         Have worked up to running a full 5K Ran/walked the distance twice, hope to run it all in the coming week.  

Since I am over half way through each of these goals, I am going to give them all yellow lights. Green will be coming soon! 

This is the location which is the inspiration for my new book. Not much to look at now, but can you imagine how grand it was in its day?

aren't you thrown off?

You silly, goat, how could you forget what day of the week it is?

Seriously? I can’t believe how many people posted to this Wednesday’s ROW link. How did you all know that it was Wednesday already? I’ve only worked two days this week so surely it is still only Tuesday night. It takes so very little to throw me way off.

The most exciting thing – tomorrow is Thursday and then it is Friday and I get three days off in a row from the day job. Good thing too, coz I have not gotten nearly as much done this week so far as I had hoped.

This is it: blogged on schedule (by the end of my teeth on this blog), read and commented on other people’s blogs as planned, edited the latest two chapters of my friend’s book, run three times (one long and two short), and promoted our nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers. Oh, and I submitted something. Sort of. I sent an article to the marketing guy of the company I work for. It is about my return trip to Kenya this fall, what we hope to accomplish and what I know of Kenya and her people already. You would think it is a sure thing that he will post this on the company’s internet newsletter, but he said he would two years ago when I got back from the last trip. He apologized for letting my story “slip through the cracks”. Such is life in the big city.

So, be honest, how did you all keep track of this week? Memorial Day didn’t throw off your schedule? 

one big thing done

Goals from this week:  

•        Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times. Done

•        Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them.  Done

•        Write two entries in “Early Ministry”. Done

•        Edit the next section of “Hope” which the author is sending me today. Technically, not, but I did reformat the two chapters she sent. My excuse is that she skipped a chapter and even though I remember what is in it, my OCD brain just won’t let me jump ahead.

•        Run three times, at least one time for three miles.  Done, kind of. I ran three times, twice for a mile and once for a mile and a half. As soon as I get this posted, though, I am going for that three mile.

•        Promote my writing on social media two times. I posted something once, I know, but I don’t think I did it twice.  

•        Promote our nonprofit on social media two times. Done

•        Submit a piece somewhere, because I haven’t done that in a long time. Not done. That is what the next week is for!

The other big thing I accomplished this week is that I finally told my mommy that I am going to Kenya in October. She freaked out, as I knew she would. I had to remind of all the violence and needless deaths going on right here in this country.

It is also Mommy’s birthday today, she turns 88. Holy cow. I suppose I should be nicer to her, huh?

No changes, but here are my Goals for next week:

•        Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times.

•        Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them. 

•        Write two entries in “Early Ministry”.

•        Edit the two sections of “Hope” that are sitting on my computer.  

•        Run three times, at least one time for three miles. 

•        Promote my writing on social media two times.

•        Promote our nonprofit on social media two times.

•        Submit a piece somewhere.

Finally, my Goals for the Round:

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” Have written 24 entries, which means there is 16 more to go. I thought I was further than that. Shoot.

·         Edit seven chapters of “Hope Through God’s Redemption” Have edited two chapters.

·         Submit four items for publication Have submitted two items.

·         Have worked up to running a full 5K Ran/walked the distance once, now need to run it all.

Whenever we talk about the internet or social media, Mommy makes me promise to never, ever share anything about her. I don’t think anyone who regularly reads this blog knows her, so this is the only place I ever talk about her, and hopefully my secrets are safe with all of you. This is one of her high school pictures. Wasn’t she beautiful? I love the hair!

will i get it all done today?

I usually have off from the day job on Fridays. A few months ago, they scheduled me to be off this Thursday and work Friday instead (yes, the day before Memorial Weekend, and I work Saturday morning as well). Then yesterday a coworker asked me to switch with her so that I am off today and work Thursday. I know this is a lame excuse, but it has kind of thrown me off. I had hoped to be productive last night, but as oftentimes happens, when I know I have the next day off, I get lazy the night before.

Which all means that I haven’t gotten much done on my to-do list yet this week. As I write this, at 5:30 a.m., with the rising sun shining in my office window, there are big plans for a busy day.  From cleaning some cupboards to planting the beans in the garden to getting the oil changed to running/walking three miles, I am going to get it all done.

Hubby just left for work, and the temptation is to go back to bed and try to get some more sleep (I’ve actually been awake since quarter after four and have a load of wash in the machine already!), but instead I am going to go get dressed now and get this day officially started.

Wish me luck! 

All the flowers I bought last week and planted on the weekend. I had to cover them up last night, due to a forecast of frost last night. It got down to 24 degrees! I hope that's the last cold night or planting the veges will have been a mistake. 

i didn't cave

Even though I had a lot going on last week, I managed to get a lot done. I didn’t even cave to stress, well, almost one time, but you can read about that here.

Goals for last week:

·         Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times. Accomplished.

·         Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them. Accomplished.

·         Write one entry in “Early Ministry”.  Accomplished.

·         Run two times. Accomplished. I actually got in three runs, going three miles once, one mile once and a half mile once.

·         Promote my writing on social media two times. Gosh, I don’t remember. I didn’t mark it off on my white-board, so I guess not.

·         Promote our nonprofit on social media two times. Accomplished.

I actually worked on the nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers, four different days last week. I really do not know how I fit that in. My daughter and I were pushing to get our business plan finished. She seems to think we are really close, but I just look at the file and go, “what?” I mean, until ten months ago, I had no idea what a business plan was or why any organization needed one (except that even as a writer, I could probably use a personal business plan of my own).

One cool thing happened. Tuesday night we were working on the business plan with this woman who is in marketing for a large corporation and I’m sure she has an MBA or other degrees. She asked my daughter where she went to school. Val knew what she meant, but answered the name of her high school. The woman replied something like “but you come across like such a professional and you are so knowledgeable.” As much as I want my bachelor’s degree, sometimes I just rather stick people’s degrees where the sun don’t shine. Moving along…

Next week, I don’t have too much going on, so I hope to be ubber-productive. 

•        Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times.

•        Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them.  

•        Write two entries in “Early Ministry”.

•        Edit the next section of “Hope” which the author is sending me today.

•        Run three times, at least one time for three miles.  

•        Promote my writing on social media two times.

•        Promote our nonprofit on social media two times.

•        Submit a piece somewhere, because I haven’t done that in a long time.

Finally, my Goals for the Round: 

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” Have a very long ways to go.

·         Edit seven chapters of “Hope Through God’s Redemption” Have edited two chapters.

·         Submit four items for publication Have submitted two items.

·         Have worked up to running a full 5K Ran/walked the distance once, now need to run it all.

What plans have you got for the upcoming week and for Memorial Day weekend? 

IDP camp at Maai Mahui. Why I believe in Tumaini Volunteers, because kids should have more than this on their playgrounds. 

making plans

Well, as I mentioned in Sunday’s post, I only had one night free this week. Tuesday. Instead of having last night off, I ended up going to my daughter’s to work on the business plan for our nonprofit organization, Tumaini Volunteers. She met a woman who writes business plans for a living and she was willing to meet with us to refine ours.

Ahh, when I left after two and a half hours, we had totally rewritten the first half of it. I guess my skills as a creative writer were only helpful to a point. I kept saying, “what I’ve been taught is to write everything down and then you can edit it out.” I don’t know if the woman thought I was nuts or not.

So not much else has gotten done this week. I did purchase the plane tickets for my friend Denise and I to fly to Kenya in the Fall. I am glad we had the chance to work on this business plan because it gets me back in gear for the trip. And all that I am expected to accomplish while there.

We have decided that we will start out working at the IDP (internally displace persons) camps as projects done there have the best chance at success. So when I am in Kenya I will be researching building chicken coops and gardens. I need to find residents of the camps who are committed to a project and then research costs, logistics and feasibility.

This is all very much outside of my comfort zone. I have always been shy, quiet and introverted. At least Denise is pretty outgoing; she is also super organized, doesn’t eat much, doesn’t need much sleep and doesn’t need any pampering. She is also a world traveler, so I don’t think I could ask for a better partner on this adventure.

Wish me luck as my plans develop!

My daughter at the IDP camp in 2013. Yes, that sweet old man lives in that tent. 

Please like us on Facebook, or you can make a donation on our website.  

despair

I had my rummage sale yesterday and the day before. I spent a few hours every night setting it up, but it really didn’t seem like it took that much time. I thought I still had time at night to work on goals, but I guess not. The rummage sale was a success, in my mind. Maybe didn’t make a lot of money, but got rid of a lot of junk, and that was my main goal.

Goals from last week:

• Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times. The sorry soul that I am only posted to my other twice, as well as twice here.   

• Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them.  Accomplished.  

• Write two entries in “Early Ministry”. Did not look at it.    

       • Run three times.  I actually ran four times this week, once at a mile and a half, twice at a mile and once at somewhere less than a mile because I got waylaid by a driver who stopped me to visit. I did finally talk to my doctor about that heel pain. Since I have already tried a few things, his next suggestion was to buy new running shoes.

·         Promote my writing on social media twice. I posted something once.

·         Promote our nonprofit on social media twice. I know I posted something twice, and actually I may have done a third one.

• Edit one chapter in “Hope”.  Accomplished. This was a bonus goal, as it wasn’t on the list, but the author sent me that chapter so I edited it.   

·         Make airline reservations to Kenya in October. I spent all of last evening trying to make these reservations, but both the debit card and credit card I was trying to use kept being declined. I have no idea why because there was sufficient funds in each and neither the card company or the ticket vendor could tell me why either. In the old days I would just call the ticket vendor, give them my card information, they would book the reservation and we would be done. But no, they insist I do it through their website even though that was obviously not working. I went to bed convinced that God doesn’t want me to return to Kenya  and I don’t know how I am going to tell my friend who plans on going with. I will try again today.    

·         Tell my mom I am going to Kenya in October. No point in telling her if I can’t get the stupid plane tickets.

I really didn’t think my week had gone that badly. I think it was just yesterday that sent me into the pit of despair.

Goals for this week:

·         Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times.

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

·         Write one entry in “Early Ministry”.

·         Run two times.

·         Promote my writing on social ministry two times.

·         Promote our nonprofit on social ministry two times.

Hubby and I are going to a concert Wednesday night, I have to work late Monday and I have a meeting Thursday night. That does not leave me much time to work on stuff this week, so I did cut back on a few things.

Since this Round has to be getting close to the halfway point, here are my goals for the Round and my progress:

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days” Have a very long ways to go.

·         Edit seven chapters of “Hope Through God’s Redemption” Have edited two chapters.

·         Submit four items for publication Have submitted two items.

·         Have worked up to running a full 5K Am only up to running half that distance. 

enough for now

I’m kind of excited. I’ve done really well on a few goals, and not so well on others. But I am only focusing on the good this week. Life is too short.

A former co-worker of mine passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. I am devastated. She was the most bubbly person I ever knew. She could see the bright side in any situation, make a classic goofy face and then laugh. Of course, what makes me the saddest is that it has been so long since I have seen her. Though it has been 15 years since I worked with her, I must have worked with her for close to ten years before that. Like I already said, life is short. And I guess that is why we need to look at the positive and just not even bother with the negative.

So looking on the bright side, because that is what Jeana would do, I submitted two nature photos to my local newspaper tonight. I’ve been going to do that for a while, but could never track down the correct email address. We have a very small-town newspaper, you wouldn’t think that contacting someone would ever be a problem. But it is what it is and those two photos are on their way.

I also have read six other blog posts, commented on five of them, ran twice and promoted our nonprofit organization on social media twice and one of my books once. That all is pretty on track with my goals for the week. And of course I am still working on that rummage sale I am having this weekend (and promoting that on Facebook as well.)

And I think that is enough for now. Below is not one of the photos I submitted. It is however the same bird on the same pole, only from a different angle. Isn't he beautiful? 

what goals will challenge me this week?

Goals from last week:

• Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times. Accomplished.  

• Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them.  Accomplished.  

• Write two entries in “Early Ministry”. I wrote one entry! That is huge progress for me.   

• Edit two chapters in “Hope”.  Accomplished.  

       • Run three times.  I actually ran four times this week. I am still only running one mile at a time though, I have got to start increasing my distance. I only have two months till the 5K.  

·         Make airline reservations for the wedding in Dallas this summer. Accomplished!  

Looks like I am doing pretty good on those weekly goals. I should step it up a notch and add more challenges. Naa, maybe not. I think I’m good.

Goals for this week:

• Post to this blog twice, post to my other blog three times.

• Read six blog posts, commenting on three of them. 

• Write two entries in “Early Ministry”.

                • Run three times.

·         Promote my writing on social media two times. I continue to post my blogs to all my social media venues, but I need to do more than that. Post a picture from a book, or a related article. Something of more interest to strangers who stumble upon me.

·         Promote our nonprofit on social media two times. Same as above. If I am going to return to Kenya working for our nonprofit in the fall, I need to get the word out. Which reminds me I need to add another goal, perhaps the most painful and difficult to ever achieve.

·         Tell my mom I am going to Kenya in October. I know, I think I have shared this before. I am 53 years old, how is it possible that my mom still pushes my buttons. Think about it, if I am nervous every time I tell I her I’ve written another book because she will poo-poo it and find all the faults in it, instead of congratulating me, can you imagine what she says every time I tell her I am taking a trip. “What is wrong with you? You know it’s not safe over there? Can’t you think about your family? What will they do if something happens to you? You and Val need to cool it (a very common line – I need to “cool” a lot of things). This is ridiculous.” And then she’ll start crying. Yes, I know, there are issues. Sorry to vent and sorry, Mom, for sharing our dirty laundry. I probably just need counseling.

·         Make plane reservations to return to Kenya in October.

To help me keep my focus, here are my WRITING GOALS for the ROUND:

·         Finish writing “The Early Ministry of Jesus in 40 Days”

·         Edit seven chapters of “Hope Through God’s Redemption”

·         Submit four items for publication

·         Have worked up to running a full 5K

And that’s my week. How about yours?

My daughter and I with Phillip on our way to Empasse Hill in the background. What a beautiful country!