17 April 2018
16 April 2018
15 April 2018
14 April 2018
13 April 2018
- Hubby came home.
- Think I've found a housekeeper to help me clean.
- Had a really devastating MS Word crash (for some reason it hadn't saved since yesterday, even though it's set to save every 10 minutes AND I'd manually saved repeatedly), but after restarting my computer it looks like I may be able to salvage some of the work.
12 April 2018
11 April 2018
- I was productive today. Not in writing but in housekeeping and getting groceries and all those domestic kinds of things.
- It's my cat Crowley's third birthday. He still plays like a kitten and tries to nurse on my arms, though.
- I'm solo parentis this week, so tonight we ordered Chinese and watched Monty Python clips. My oldest son is learning debate at school, so he found "The Argument Clinic" very educational.
10 April 2018
09 April 2018
Quiet! Though we had a fun spring break, it was so nice to have the house to myself again. I got a lot done: laundry, dishes, cleaning that had been put off over the past week. And, yes, I did some writing too.
Another great thing about today: I was featured on the Indie Beginning podcast!
And we had beautiful weather. (It's expected to get worse as the week wears on, so I'm grateful for what we got today.)
Another great thing about today: I was featured on the Indie Beginning podcast!
And we had beautiful weather. (It's expected to get worse as the week wears on, so I'm grateful for what we got today.)
07 April 2018
06 April 2018
05 April 2018
04 April 2018
03 April 2018
02 April 2018
A busy day that didn't give me time to write, but there were plenty other things to be grateful for. The kids and I walked to a sandwich shop for lunch. We went to the park so the kids could do their own version of the Olympics. (I even ordered medals and ribbons to award at the end of the week.) I weeded old clothes from their wardrobes. In all, a really productive day.
And: My book Brynnde was featured on Indie Beginning and has also received a PW review!
And: My book Brynnde was featured on Indie Beginning and has also received a PW review!
01 April 2018
A lot of good things the past couple days.
- Daughter was given her first "job" at the horse show. They asked her to be a runner, couriering scores between the arena and the main office. She felt so important!
- Family seder. I played with my little 2yo nephew most of the time. For some reason I'm always flattered when children like me. And yet children always do seem to like me.
- Easter egg hunt with the kids. The squirrels chewed through one of the plastic eggs, though, and ate a couple of the candies inside.
- Ready Player One.
- Beautiful weather and going for walks.
- And March was my best month for sales in quite a while. Let's hope April continues the trend!
30 March 2018
Yesterday, my husband and I drove into San Francisco, checked into a nice hotel, went to a great dinner, went for ice cream, and then went to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail followed by a Q&A featuring John Cleese. He was as delightful and funny as one would expect. I'd heard some people say he's rude, but though he was irreverent, I didn't find him rude at all. (Unless those critics meant "rude" in the sense of "irreverent"?) In any case, he told great stories, and I especially enjoyed it when he would get tickled and laugh at himself. He reminds me a lot of my dad, actually.
The whole outing was a belated birthday gift to me. My husband had given me the tickets to the event on my birthday, but of course the event itself was yesterday. We made an evening of it and had a great time.
Today I was mostly grateful for an afternoon nap.
The whole outing was a belated birthday gift to me. My husband had given me the tickets to the event on my birthday, but of course the event itself was yesterday. We made an evening of it and had a great time.
Today I was mostly grateful for an afternoon nap.
28 March 2018
27 March 2018
25 March 2018
24 March 2018
23 March 2018
Successfully navigated the busiest day of my already busy week, getting all tasks accomplished: seeing my daughter's class play, volunteering in my younger son's classroom, getting my older son to his doctor's appointment, and getting my daughter to horseback riding. All this on not enough sleep thanks to the late night last night. So I'm pretty happy with having gotten through it all.
Also: I only have 10 more lbs to lose! Of course, the last 10 are always the hardest...
Also: I only have 10 more lbs to lose! Of course, the last 10 are always the hardest...
22 March 2018
- Took my oldest son and my daughter to a staged version of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. They really enjoyed it! And when I told them "Snape" is in the movie version, they got even more excited.
- Set a new desktop wallpaper on my computer. It's been a very long time since I felt like doing that.
- Not entirely unrelated to the previous: re-reading old manga I love.
21 March 2018
20 March 2018
Yesterday & Today
- Two separate meetings. One with an aspiring writer searching for information about the process, the other with a writer friend that I only see a couple times a year despite living within a hour of one another. She recently had a baby, so I got to see the little one, too!
- A good writing meeting.
- Really nice cover options for my current WIP. I'm super excited about those, and about this book!
18 March 2018
17 March 2018
16 March 2018
15 March 2018
14 March 2018
13 March 2018
12 March 2018
10 March 2018
09 March 2018
08 March 2018
- Nice writing group meeting. And I also was able to chat with a lady at the next table about our local school system. She had questions and I had answers! That always feels good.
- Repairman coming to fix the dryer tomorrow.
- Kids don't have school tomorrow, which means I can sleep in a little.
Hmm. A lot of the good stuff is really about tomorrow, but okay. Good to have things to look forward to.
06 March 2018
05 March 2018
04 March 2018
03 March 2018
02 March 2018
01 March 2018
28 February 2018
- More interest in my manuscript from an agent.
- Really nice dinner out. Like, one of the best I've ever had.
- Found my old CD albums.
Bonus: Military helicopter flew over our house as we were leaving to walk to school. The 'copter was going to land at another nearby school, but it made a few circles for us first. Kids were really excited. (Okay, I was too. I'm easily impressed, I guess.)
27 February 2018
26 February 2018
25 February 2018
24 February 2018
23 February 2018
I've fallen really behind here. Sorry about that. I've been ill, and busy, and it's difficult to be busy and ill at the same time. You just sort of collapse at the end of each day.
Still, there's lots to be grateful for. I took the kids to see Peter Rabbit, and I'm grateful it was better than I expected it to be. I had resigned myself to a waste of my time, but I think I enjoyed the movie even more than the kids did. (It helps to think of it as Hux vs. Bunnies.)
I'm also grateful for meds that seem to be working. And good books to read. And friends who see me through the rough patches.
I'm grateful for my morning walks and the rock music that propels me through them. Yes, even in the frigid weather. Or especially in the frigid weather, since the activity keeps me warm.
Speaking of music, I'm grateful my car is just old enough to still have a CD player.
I'm grateful for friends in far-off cities who are willing to share their homes with me and my family.
There's so much to be grateful for, really. No way to list them all. But I will try to start updating more regularly.
I'm grateful to YOU for being here, even if you're silent. Knowing you stop by (and I know; I have analytics) encourages me to continue to find the good things.
Still, there's lots to be grateful for. I took the kids to see Peter Rabbit, and I'm grateful it was better than I expected it to be. I had resigned myself to a waste of my time, but I think I enjoyed the movie even more than the kids did. (It helps to think of it as Hux vs. Bunnies.)
I'm also grateful for meds that seem to be working. And good books to read. And friends who see me through the rough patches.
I'm grateful for my morning walks and the rock music that propels me through them. Yes, even in the frigid weather. Or especially in the frigid weather, since the activity keeps me warm.
Speaking of music, I'm grateful my car is just old enough to still have a CD player.
I'm grateful for friends in far-off cities who are willing to share their homes with me and my family.
There's so much to be grateful for, really. No way to list them all. But I will try to start updating more regularly.
I'm grateful to YOU for being here, even if you're silent. Knowing you stop by (and I know; I have analytics) encourages me to continue to find the good things.
18 February 2018
Writers Conference Edition
So I was away at the San Francisco Writers Conference, which is why I've been scarce online. I'll admit I wasn't keen to go, but I'd already paid an insane amount of money for the privilege, so... I went. And I'm glad I did. While it wasn't quite as thrilling as previous conferences (maybe I've gone to enough of them to become jaded), I still had a very good time. My friend Kristen went with me, too, so that was nice. Good things included:
So yeah, it was a good time overall and worth the trip. I have some ideas about what to do next and where to put my energy.
- Meeting new people. (Though I'll say the other writers were more reserved than in past years.)
- One particularly interesting dinner out with newly met fellows that included deep discussions of religion.
- Encouragement. I got good market information from an agent, and I had some well-known authors also advise me. That felt really nice.
- At least two fabulous keynotes.
- Decent food.
- News that the venue next year (if I decide to go) will be in a hotel that won't require me to trudge up a steep hill.
- Having another author friend come into town for dinner one night.
- Hotel room upgrade.
So yeah, it was a good time overall and worth the trip. I have some ideas about what to do next and where to put my energy.
10 February 2018
. . .
I know I have a lot to be thankful for. Scotchmallow hearts, for one thing. And a lovely new dragon necklace (an early Valentine's gift) for another.
I'm thankful the gathering at our house tonight is only supposed to last two hours. I can survive two hours, I think...
There will be pizza. And brownies. I can be thankful for that.
Also, the PTA president liked what I did with the online school store. That was nice, to hear a thank-you.
I'm trying really hard to keep all the good things in mind. I have food and water and shelter and a loving family. I'm physically healthy, at least mostly. These are good things.
I will try not to let the one or two things get me down. I will try to focus on what's good in my life.
But sometimes it's difficult.
I know I have a lot to be thankful for. Scotchmallow hearts, for one thing. And a lovely new dragon necklace (an early Valentine's gift) for another.
I'm thankful the gathering at our house tonight is only supposed to last two hours. I can survive two hours, I think...
There will be pizza. And brownies. I can be thankful for that.
Also, the PTA president liked what I did with the online school store. That was nice, to hear a thank-you.
I'm trying really hard to keep all the good things in mind. I have food and water and shelter and a loving family. I'm physically healthy, at least mostly. These are good things.
I will try not to let the one or two things get me down. I will try to focus on what's good in my life.
But sometimes it's difficult.
06 February 2018
04 February 2018
03 February 2018
02 February 2018
Honestly, it's been difficult lately for me to find the silver linings. So I keep reminding myself that at least I and my family are healthy. Our problems are small in the big scheme of things.
I've been feeling as though no one wants what I have to offer this world. I seem only to have value as a school volunteer or someone who gets the laundry done. As such, I'm interchangeable with any able-bodied person. I myself have no unique, inherent worth.
Even my cat seems to be keeping his distance these days.
So, yeah. It hasn't been a good time.
Today, well . . . Habit Burger for lunch. Beautiful weather. That's about all I can manage for a list of "good things."
Mostly I've been a bit weepy. Probably not fun to be around either.
Sigh.
I will try harder tomorrow to find good things. Today I just can't.
I've been feeling as though no one wants what I have to offer this world. I seem only to have value as a school volunteer or someone who gets the laundry done. As such, I'm interchangeable with any able-bodied person. I myself have no unique, inherent worth.
Even my cat seems to be keeping his distance these days.
So, yeah. It hasn't been a good time.
Today, well . . . Habit Burger for lunch. Beautiful weather. That's about all I can manage for a list of "good things."
Mostly I've been a bit weepy. Probably not fun to be around either.
Sigh.
I will try harder tomorrow to find good things. Today I just can't.
31 January 2018
30 January 2018
29 January 2018
28 January 2018
27 January 2018
26 January 2018
25 January 2018
- New windows! Even if it meant a houseful of workers and a ton of noise.
- Amusing the kids with my Kylo Ren voice. (Or really, it's just diction. Kind of the same speech pattern as Napoleon Dynamite.)
- Finished critiquing a big piece for a writer friend. I feel bad it took me so long to get through it, so it feels good to be done.
24 January 2018
23 January 2018
22 January 2018
21 January 2018
- Got through my morning obligations with little to no difficulties.
- Was able to then hide out at home the rest of the afternoon.
- Watched more Cardcaptor Sakura with the kids. I try to point out the little bit of Japanese that I can remember, but I'm not sure they care. They *are* interested in the cultural differences, however, so that's fun to discuss.
20 January 2018
19 January 2018
18 January 2018
17 January 2018
16 January 2018
15 January 2018
- The San Francisco Review of Books picked up that great review of Brynnde and published it.
- Took the kids to see Coco. I liked it, but I can't love a movie that makes me ugly cry. I hate to feel emotionally manipulated. But yay for the big kitty!
- Took apart my oldest son's old loft bed and swapped it for a Japanese tatami-style bed. It makes his room seem bigger and brighter because the loft bed frame was so big and dark. He's loving the change!
14 January 2018
Spent the day taking the kids to various museums. Was a really fun time. I especially loved how my youngest wanted to sit and sketch some of the art (the museum offered "art bags" with clipboards of paper and a pencil pouch; what a great idea!). Also: ice cream sundae. And I showed my daughter the first two episodes of Cardcaptor Sakura, and my Kero-chan, and my Clow.
13 January 2018
12 January 2018
- Survived. You see, my Friday schedule has changed, and now my Fridays are ridiculously busy and complicated. They're a cascade of things, like a chain reaction of dominoes. So I don't really enjoy Fridays, but I survived this one.
- New clothes came in the mail.
- The dinner I made turned out pretty well.
11 January 2018
- Encouragement from my writing group. I hadn't attended in a month or so, and I haven't been writing, but it was good to see everyone again and get some support.
- Long walks in nice weather.
- Having fun helping my oldest with his science project (Punnett squares, something I was very good at in school; won the school medal in biology that year).
10 January 2018
- Another quiet day at home without errands or appointments (but with plenty of chores).
- Had a guest blog post published.
- Lessons from the Screenplay on Youtube. Almost makes me want to go back to screenwriting. (Almost.)
09 January 2018
It was kind of a crap day, actually, so finding good things means going back to basics:
Yes, that's right, "wounded." I bit the side of my tongue. Hard. There's actually a little piece of it hanging off now and it hurts and it's difficult to talk or eat or drink anything. I've done this before, a long time ago, and eventually it will turn to scar tissue and be NBD, but right now it's a real pain, literally and figuratively. That + rejections made it a not great day. But I did have those highlights at least. Gotta keep looking on the bright side.
- Kids were at school, so I had a quiet day at home with no errands or appointments to run off to.
- It wasn't raining too hard for me to get a walk in.
- Hubby brought me soft serve ice cream to help my wounded tongue.
Yes, that's right, "wounded." I bit the side of my tongue. Hard. There's actually a little piece of it hanging off now and it hurts and it's difficult to talk or eat or drink anything. I've done this before, a long time ago, and eventually it will turn to scar tissue and be NBD, but right now it's a real pain, literally and figuratively. That + rejections made it a not great day. But I did have those highlights at least. Gotta keep looking on the bright side.
08 January 2018
07 January 2018
- Cheesesteak. I'd been craving it for ages and finally got one.
- The bookstore. Well, it was bittersweet. I didn't find anything for myself but did help the kids find a few books.
- Watching the Golden Globes with the kids, too. The youngest didn't care, but the other two hung out and enjoyed it. I like having a springboard for talking about important issues, even if I can't go into detail about things like sexual harassment. And I like that my kids are interested in the industry, even if I'm no longer part of that circle. At least I can talk knowledgeably about it with them. And I called almost every award correctly!
06 January 2018
Didn't even leave the house today. But that doesn't mean I was lazy! I got lots of laundry done, and baked an Epiphany cake with the kids, and sent out many queries regarding my manuscript. So good things for today are really: cake, cake, cake. I shouldn't be eating cake given I'm trying to lose weight, but I felt like it was okay just this once. You have to indulge now and then or else (a) life gets dull and/or (b) you fall off a cliff and binge like crazy. I'm definitely a all-in-moderation kind of person. I'm not keen to cut anything out, just trying to learn to curb my intake.
05 January 2018
04 January 2018
- A really wonderful review for my book Brynnde on Long and Short Reviews. Made my day!
- The in-laws took the kids out for a bit, which allowed me to get grocery shopping done faster.
- Had a productive afternoon of editing and critiquing.
03 January 2018
- Watching my daughter turn into quite the little horsewoman . . . Also, there was a cute cat at the barn that followed me around and demanded pettings. So that was fun.
- Kids got a good report from the dentist at their semi-annual cleaning.
- Window people scheduled a time to come install the new windows.
Bonus: Rain, which we hadn't had in a while, and which also prevented the annoying kid who lives a couple doors down from riding his loud motorbike up and down the street. I try never to wish ill on anyone, but in this case it's very difficult not to.
02 January 2018
It was a pretty good day. A quiet, productive morning followed by picking up my son's friend and taking all the kids out to lunch. Then we all came home and the kids played Bears vs Babies and Superfight, and I did a little more work, and then I worked on the Star Wars story with my daughter some more. Got a workout in, too. Overall, not bad. I'm guess that's at least three things, anyway, depending on how you count.
01 January 2018
- More writing with my kids. You can follow the whole story here.
- Family walk.
- . . . New year, fresh start?
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