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!   

3. Tumaini Volunteers

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!