Sunday, August 26, 2018

stumbled on another distraction


I started out the week feeling fairly productive, as if I could get some items ticked off on this list. Yea, they got ticked off all right, just not in a productive way.

I had hoped to put together a quilt last weekend, and when that didn’t happen, I still held out hope to do it yesterday. Instead, I decided we should run out to my mom’s land (except, now that she is gone, it belongs to me, my brother and my sister, but will forever be “Mom’s Land”). Hubby and I took our son with, who was home for the weekend. He thought it was great, hadn’t been out there in many years, but wanted to find the old dump that was on the edge of one of the twenties. We found it and made some interesting discoveries, which I will probably share on my other blog after I’ve done more research.

Anyway, here is what I did manage to get done. Green highlight is goal accomplished, yellow highlight is goal at least worked on, red lettering is goal not even attempted.

A. WRITING
1. Finish another edit of my novel, “The Truth Beyond the River.” I didn’t get super far but did edit through chapter 26. Yeah! Finally did something on it.    
2. Continue tweaking my book proposal / query, as needed for each literary agent I intend to contact next. I have decided to put this on hold for now. I am going to a writers’ retreat next month and I will work on it then, when I have experts around to guide me.    
3. Write nine chapters on my next novel, which I am giving the working title of “New Old Spies.”  Nadda, still haven’t looked at it.
4. Write two inspirational pieces for the page-a-day calendar at my work.  I only wrote one piece to go with one quote.   
5. Write two posts per week for my other blog, “The Dino Chronicles”. I posted three times.
*Bonus: I finished filling in the worksheet for the writer’s retreat and sent it off to the preceptor of the event.  
B. REACHING
1. Send proposals / queries to the next agents on my list.  See #2 above.  
2. Submit the two inspirational pieces to my work calendar.  I submitted the one that I wrote.    
3. Promote myself or a piece of my writing (whether it be promoting one of my books, submitting a piece somewhere, saying something brilliant about my writing on my social media, etc.) once a week. Hmm? Nope.  
C. READING
1. Read the daily assignment in “Today’s Light” Study Bible. Yes.
2. Read the daily devotion in “Jesus Calling”. Yes.
3. Read five other people’s blog posts per week and comment on two of them. I read three and commented on two.      
4. Finish reading three books. I read one and am still working on “Emma” by Jane Austen. It’s getting painful. It is so booorriingg! How can anyone read that stuff?        
D. REMAINING
1. Physical
a. Increase my water intake, averaging 60 ounces per day. I’ve been trying.   
b. Lose five pounds and three inches around my waist. I’m feeling confident in saying that one pound is gone, don’t know about that waist size though, but it can't be good. I put on jeans for the first time in four months and they were soo tight.  
c. Exercise four mornings a week and three evenings a week. I did five mornings and three evenings. And bought a new pair of running shoes with the belief that if I take it slow that heel spur won’t act up again. I don’t know what I’m thinking there.    
2. Home fires
a. Scan 100 of my mom’s pictures. None yet.
b. Wash all of my house’s windows.   Done with just over half the house.     
c. Do a major cleaning of one of my closets. Not yet. Didn’t do much around the house this week. Oh, I did clean the medicine cabinet in the spare bathroom. It took me like four minutes, so can I count that?
d. Host my brother-in-law’s wedding at my house on August 4. This should have stars and fireworks next to it!   
a. Write the Policy and Procedure manual. Not yet.
b. Host two merchandise sales. We had one the first Saturday in August, but we have also sold over a hundred dollars’ worth of stuff at a store in town, so I’m calling this goal met!  
c. Do a thorough inventory of our current merchandise. Yes, yeah!
d. Apply for grants. Not yet.
e. Raise enough money ($5,000) to start the first segment of the community center. Let’s be optimistic. We raised $585 in July, and have over $6,000 in the bank, so we are getting there. (That money in the bank has to cover our other expenses, so not all of it can count towards the five thousand, maybe half of it only.)   

Looking at the calendar, Labor Day weekend is coming up and guess what? I have Tuesday and Wednesday off from the day job that week. So, I just have to get something done this week and then the week after, watch me roar!


Sunday, August 19, 2018

it really is time to get back at it

Once again, I don’t know where the week went. I’m like – argh! When am I going to start getting stuff done!? Oh, well, I guess that’s what the coming week is for.

Green highlight is goal accomplished, yellow highlight is goal at least worked on, red lettering is goal not even attempted.

A. WRITING
1. Finish another edit of my novel, “The Truth Beyond the River.” Still only through chapter 20, don’t remember the last time I looked at it.    
2. Continue tweaking my book proposal / query, as needed for each literary agent I intend to contact next. I have decided to put this on hold for now. I am going to a writers’ retreat next month and I will work on it then, when I have experts around to guide me.    
3. Write nine chapters on my next novel, which I am giving the working title of “New Old Spies.”  Nadda, also haven’t looked at it.
4. Write two inspirational pieces for the page-a-day calendar at my work.  I was all ready to change this to green, but I only wrote one piece to go with one quote.   
5. Write two posts per week for my other blog, “The Dino Chronicles”. I posted three times. Yeah! Finally added some green!
B. REACHING
1. Send proposals / queries to the next agents on my list.  See #2 above.  
2. Submit the two inspirational pieces to my work calendar.  I submitted the one that I wrote.    
3. Promote myself or a piece of my writing (whether it be promoting one of my books, submitting a piece somewhere, saying something brilliant about my writing on my social media, etc.) once a week. Hmm? Nope.  
C. READING
1. Read the daily assignment in “Today’s Light” Study Bible. Yes.
2. Read the daily devotion in “Jesus Calling”. Yes.
3. Read five other people’s blog posts per week and comment on two of them. I read three and commented on two.      
4. Finish reading three books. I read one and am still working on “Emma” by Jane Austen. I am almost half-way through it.       
D. REMAINING
1. Physical
a. Increase my water intake, averaging 60 ounces per day. I hadn’t been, but then started getting cramps in my legs at night, probably coz of the humidity, so the last few days I have really been pushing it.  
b. Lose five pounds and three inches around my waist. I may have taken off a pound or two. Hard to tell, as I weigh myself at home and at work every single day, maybe more, which I know I shouldn’t do, but my weight (anyone’s!) fluctuates by a pound or two throughout the day.  
c. Exercise four mornings a week and three evenings a week. I did four mornings and I think three evenings.   
2. Home fires
a. Scan 100 of my mom’s pictures. None yet.
b. Wash all of my house’s windows.   Done with just over half the house.     
c. Do a major cleaning of one of my closets. Not yet, but did work on some drawers in the kitchen. Took a box and two bags of stuff to Goodwill too.    
d. Host my brother-in-law’s wedding at my house on August 4. This should have stars and fireworks next to it!   
a. Write the Policy and Procedure manual. Not yet, but talking to my daughter last night, I have more things to add to it.
b. Host two merchandise sales. We had one the first Saturday in August, but we have also sold over a hundred dollars’ worth of stuff at a store in town, so I’m calling this goal met!  
c. Do a thorough inventory of our current merchandise. Yes, yeah!
d. Apply for grants. Not yet.
e. Raise enough money ($5,000) to start the first segment of the community center. Let’s be optimistic. We raised $585 in July, and have over $6,000 in the bank, so we are getting there. (That money in the bank has to cover our other expenses, so not all of it can count towards the five thousand, maybe half of it only.) Also, my kids updated the website. 

One bonus goal is that I made these little coasters for our bedroom, the water bottles we slurp from all night long when we can’t sleep. I have gathered the supplies for an exercise quilt too, which I hope to put together today. ‘Sigh’. I need to focus, don’t I? If I want to get this list done. 

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Moving On


Sorry that I didn’t post anything last week. I had hoped to at least throw you a picture from the wedding at my house last weekend, but I didn’t even get to that, so here’s one now. (Yes, that is my backyard - aren't I blessed to live in such a beautiful spot? And that's me on the left.) 

And now that the wedding is behind me, it is time to get back at this list of goals. I know that I haven’t worked on any of them in a long time, but I am not going to beat myself up over it. I know that I overextended myself this summer, but it’s time to move on. I have another long list of commitments over the next few months – ones I can’t get out of – but I am not signing up for anything else. My new mantra is going to be “just say no”.

So here we have it. Green highlight is goal accomplished, yellow highlight is goal at least worked on, red lettering is goal not even attempted.

A. WRITING
1. Finish another edit of my novel, “The Truth Beyond the River.” Still only through chapter 20.   
2. Continue tweaking my book proposal / query, as needed for each literary agent I intend to contact next. Nadda.   
3. Write nine chapters on my next novel, which I am giving the working title of “New Old Spies.”  Nadda again.
4. Write two inspirational pieces for the page-a-day calendar at my work.  I actually did pick out some quotes for it, so I’m going to take the yellow highlight while I can.   
5. Write two posts per week for my other blog, “The Dino Chronicles”. I only posted one.
B. REACHING
1. Send proposals / queries to the next agents on my list.  Not yet.
2. Submit the two inspirational pieces to my work calendar. Nope.   
3. Promote myself or a piece of my writing (whether it be promoting one of my books, submitting a piece somewhere, saying something brilliant about my writing on my social media, etc.) once a week. Hmm? Nope.  
C. READING
1. Read the daily assignment in “Today’s Light” Study Bible. Yes.
2. Read the daily devotion in “Jesus Calling”. Yes.
3. Read five other people’s blog posts per week. I may have read a few, I don’t remember. Sorry.   
4. Finish reading three books. I read one and am still plowing my way through “Emma” by Jane Austen.      
 D. REMAINING
1. Physical
a. Increase my water intake, averaging 60 ounces per day. Not even close.
b. Lose five pounds and three inches around my waist. Not even close, I may have gained, but someone had to finish the wedding cake that got left here.
c. Exercise four mornings a week and three evenings a week. I did four mornings, but only one two evenings, I think.   
2. Home fires
a. Scan 100 of my mom’s pictures. None yet.
b. Wash all of my house’s windows.   Done with just over half the house.     
c. Do a major cleaning of one of my closets. Not yet.   
d. Host my brother-in-law’s wedding at my house on August 4. This should have stars and fireworks next to it!   
a. Write the Policy and Procedure manual. Not yet.
b. Host two merchandise sales. Actually we had one last weekend, but we have also sold over a hundred dollars’ worth of stuff at a store in town, so I’m calling this goal met!  
c. Do a thorough inventory of our current merchandise. Yes, yeah, finally!
d. Apply for grants. Not yet.
e. Raise enough money ($5,000) to start the first segment of the community center. Let’s be optimistic. We raised $585 in July, so maybe we can at least be half-way there in another two months.  

There is nothing extra going on this week, that I can think of, so I should be able to green-up this list a little bit. How about you? Are you crossing any of your goals off your list? Are you still tweaking them a bit? Have you had any big events pop up in your life this summer which brought your work on your goals to a screeching halt?

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Crunch Time -Three Days


Continuing crunch-time to the wedding in our backyard in a few short days.

I think I have a grip on things, but who knows what could happen between now and then. The forecast is looking perfect for Saturday, so at least we have that going for us. In addition to this list, I forgot to tell you that when I washed the dining room windows two weeks ago and I took down the curtains, one of them ripped. A little extra sewing project I hadn’t anticipated. Hopefully nothing else rips, tears, or breaks between now and Saturday.  

Here is my wedding to-do list, with my usual green-highlight as complete and yellow-highlight worked on. Pretty much caught up on things.  

Sometime within the two weeks prior to the wedding:
-           Hem the bride’s dress
-           Wash windows – dining room, kitchen, laundry, living room
-           Buy decorations
-           Make signs for road so people can find our house
-           Put names on the mailbox which is really the card-box
-           Make up bed in guest room (as we will have overnight guests)
-           Wash bathroom rugs – in the washing machine right now
-           Clean out frig (why were there three half-empty jars of pickled beets and another three half-empty jars of sweet relish in there?)
On Friday:
            Make potato salad
-           Make macaroni salad
-           Vacuum thru entire house
-           Clean bathrooms
On Saturday:
-           Boss everyone around as they set everything up
-           Boss everyone around the rest of the day, because somebody has to make sure this comes off without a hitch

Hubby’s list is longer, but he is retired, so whereas I have to work today and tomorrow, he can get his stuff done.

Watch for pictures on Sunday!