Category: Holiday

Where It's At

5/9/2014

Thank goodness for obscure holidays, because I certainly need it! It's Confederate Memorial Day here in SC, so state offices are closed and we get a day off that most other people don't have. I tell you: whether you like it or think it's backwards, it's a free day off, and we'll take it!

I can use it. It's been quite a week. My father-in-law was moved from the hospital to a nursing home to start his rehab, but the hospital got his medications out of whack, so now it's that whole process of getting them settled again. That was Wednesday. Then yesterday, my mother-in-law and a friend had a head on accident leaving the nursing home. They're fine, but the car has gone from an SUV to a compact. Now she has the addition of dealing with the insurance company doing their whole trying-not-to-do-anything dance before she can get it fixed or get another car. Thankfully, she kept my father-in-law's truck, so at least she has that to use in the meantime. I just wrote more on this and how we're dealing over at Conure Corner, so feel free to swing by there to check out more.

My big role in this is to help and support Rick by making sure he takes care of himself and keeping the home going. Fortunately, I had already made a good bit of headway on this before his dad got sick. The house is clean, so keeping it up isn't too difficult. Plus, Nonstop to Nowhere is at the beta/proofreader right now and will be for 2 weeks. I did run across a few things that I'm thinking about incorporating into the sequel to Move and researched it, but honestly I'm shelving that project until Nonstop to Nowhere is complete and turned in. So I'm on a writing hiatus until late May or early June, which is alright. It's funny how things work out, isn't it?

It's not the most fantastic of times, but I do see hope. Rick's dad is in recovery, his mother is ok (and will likely get a new car, once the insurance is done with their trying-to-do-nothing thing), and we've recovered from our respective sinus infections. It seems to me that things are on track to improve, if we keep the faith, walk in prayer, and don't allow the devil to keep sidetracking everybody with panic. Plus, spring is here and it's getting hot again. Some people are grumbling about it, but I don't mind. In fact, I welcome the heat. After that brutally cold winter, I like blue skies, green plants, and the sun warming the earth. The world feels alive, and that's a great feeling. I'll take it.

That's all today. I'll keep you posted on our progress, and ask that you will pray that the progress is already upon us and being delivered.

Have a Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

What I Learned From Going Back to Work

1/9/2014

Of course, the flip side has its own lessons. There’s more to getting back to the grind than you realize! Here are a few things I’ve learned from returning to work after a holiday hiatus:

Zack, Chloe and Ollie either adjust to our schedules really well, or they like us going to work and leaving them in peace and quiet. I suspect they enjoy having that time during the day to take naps, eat and play without silly humans hovering over them. And they don’t seem to miss the Christmas songs on the radio, either (guess I overdid it with that one).
Having the flu last week had one advantage – my work clothes weren’t tight from the holiday bulge. In fact, they’re a bit loose. Now that’s a first!
Yes, a 2 hour shift is significant. I thought that sleeping until 8 a.m. wasn’t much of a departure from my normal 6 a.m. wake up call these past couple of weeks. It is. I’m just now recovering from my zombie state, self imposed jetlag from the past couple of weeks.
Home is at least 15 degrees warmer than work. I’m sure the polar vortex, the window cubicle, and shutting down the HVAC system between 6PM and 6AM doesn’t help with heat retention.
The little things really do count. You don’t realize how much things like that morning cup of coffee, fifteen minutes of reading time, writing on your lunch hour, a phone conversation with family and friends, playing with your parrots, watching a favorite TV show with your husband means, or wasting time and goofing off online means to you until your time is more fully engaged with the business of life.
Time management matters. Speaking of, it takes a special amount of coordination to keep chores and errands done when you don’t have all day to do it. You remember how to make effective use of every minute really quick!
Good health matters, too. Recovering from an illness is probably one of the best, most relieving feelings in the world. I’m so thankful that I finally feel better, and that I have the energy to go about my day without struggling against myself!
It is good for you to get out and around other people besides your family, closest friends, and your home. Yes, people can wear you out, but they can also build you up. Getting out in the world and interacting with real people (not online) makes us better people and contribute to a better life balance.
The post holiday blahs will hit. It usually happens in the 2-3 days of returning back to your routine, when you’re caught up and things are falling back into their normal rhythm. It’s completely normal to think “Christmas was 2 weeks ago, New Year’s Day was a week ago, and now I’m right back here so soon!” This is a good time to take your thoughts captive. Give thanks that you have a job, or that you’re in school getting an education preparing for a better future. There are many people unemployed that don’t know how they’re going to pay their bills this month, or in too poor of health to get out and about that feel like prisoners in their own homes. Count your blessings. Engage in hobbies or activities that you enjoy in your free time. I think, in fact, that the post holiday blahs are why I always work on a novel in January – it focuses my energy on doing something productive that I enjoy instead of whining about what’s done. Be glad that you had the time off to enjoy, and for what you have to build a better life. The holidays always come back around. And in the year to come, there will doubtless be many more blessings to enjoy, both big and small, every day.
Southerners aren’t equipped to deal with the cold. This polar vortex exposed our weakness. As much as we complain about heat and humidity in the summer, the fact is that we handle it much better than the polar express that just ran over us. I have remembered every heat wave ever over the past few days, and vowed to remember these days and not complain the next time the mercury soars over 100 degrees!

Wow, you really do learn new things every day. Here’s hoping this is the start of some great discoveries in 2014! May your new year be filled with less “awkward” and more “improvement” now and in the days and weeks to come.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Bye!

The Holiday What's Up Letter

12/25/2013

What's Christmas unless somebody sends you one of those AWFUL CHRISTMAS LETTERS where they detail every pit stop and rest stop in their life over the past year? Well folks, here's your digital edition. I'm proud to present to you, on Christmas Day 2013, THE HOLIDAY WHAT'S UP LETTER!

Don't worry, I'll summarize. Maybe.

First up is family. Overall, they're all doing well. Rick and I have caught every darn virus going around since he had to start working with student iPads at his school. It takes a while to build up an immunity to that crap, and it seems we'll both have to do that. As you know from recent social media posts, he also got an infection in a root canal he had in 2000. They had to go in, clean it up, clear up the infection, and then go back in and redo the root canal. They finished that on Monday and gave him a clean bill of health - finally, after 2 months of struggling with that.

The birds are doing well. Zack got an upper respiratory infection in September, but that cleared up quickly. He has a birthday coming up next week - he'll be 14! And before you blurt out the spontaneous "holy crap!" that's not even middle age for sun conures. They can live to be 30. Chloe is 10, and Ollie, our budgie, is 3. We hope that youth being on his side will help him. Ollie got a kidney infection in October that caused nerve inflammation in his left leg. We got the infection cleared up, and then he took a tumble earlier this month that caused a strain in his groin muscle - so now he has 2 leg injuries! After 4 visits to the vet and 2 rounds of antibiotics, they finally sent us home with a "make him comfortable and settle in for a long ride." Nerve inflammation takes a while to heal, and they said it could be spring or summer before he completely recovers. He also seems to be a slow healer (poor fellow, just like his mommy!), so this has been quite tough on me and Rick. It's hard to see him in pain and be able to do - nothing. They've given him a couple of anti-inflammatory shots and those really helped, but the problem is that they don't want to keep doing that because he's so small and it's very easy to overdose. So we're back to toughing it out. As I said, it's not easy, but we're committed to his healing. It's possible, and we want to give him every chance at living out his maximum life expectancy.

Mom and Dad are doing well. Dad cut back his work schedule to three and a half day weeks late last summer. He's thinking about retirement, but I don't think it's gone much past the thinking stage at this point. He's half owner of the company, so it's not a simple matter of "sign here and enjoy your retirement." It takes a bit more planning when you're an owner. For now, he (and Mom) are enjoying the shorter work weeks. Mom's very glad he's home more. People who work in the Engineering field put in some long hours. Even at part time, he still averages about 7-8 hours less per week than I do working full time for State Government!

My brother and sister-in-law, Nicole, are doing well. Stephen is still working for State Government as a CPA (different department than me), and Nicole is still doing medical transcription for the hospital. She has changed her schedule to work half her time at the hospital and half her time from home. She actually liked the change. She said working from home all the time was a bit confining, and it's good to get out. I don't know. It seems that would be a sweet deal to me, but I guess it's not all it's cracked up to be. She's happy with the change, though, and that's what matters. We saw them yesterday and they were happy and in very good spirits.

The in-laws (Rick's family) are about the same. His dad's dementia is like a yo-yo, which is pretty standard for dementia. They always joked that he never had a bad day in front of me, but that's changed in the past 7 months. He gets "fixated" on things, and he does get quite confused. It can be frustrating and difficult because he has spells where he's not "with us," and we can't figure out where he's at, mentally. Thankfully, I've heard that the kind he has generally doesn't lead to losing recognition of people, at least until the very late stages. In other news, our oldest niece will be graduating high school in the spring. She's considering either Auburn or Clemson. She wants to be an Engineer, and I can vouch for those both having great Engineering programs.

The reason I can vouch for where the great Engineering programs are at is because I had to fill in as the program assistant for that Board for 11 months. My counterpart on that Board moved on to another position in the agency a year ago. We split the duties amongst the staff, but my boss (at the time) wanted me to handle the Board, so I got to take that over. Wow, it was a shock. The Engineering Board is HUGE compared to my landscape architects (5 members with about 650 licensees), and soil classifiers (5 members with about 50 licensees). They're an 8 member board with around 17,000 licensees. One of the members resigned in January to take a post on another board but still, it was a shock. I made it, and I learned A LOT in the process. It was stressful. This was compounded by the fact that my boss retired in June and the first replacement we got for the position resigned in July to return to her former job in her family business. Lots of transition in the workplace over the past year. At one point, I called 2013 "the year of resignation," but I realized how awful that sounded. I understand people "doing what they gotta do" and would never begrudge anybody an opportunity to improve themselves or their lives, but you have to understand that people live in a community, and when one member leaves, it causes waves through the whole system. And when three leave, well, it's a period of a tidal wave there. Not easy, but by the grace of God we made it. All of the vacancies are now filled and everybody's been trained and taken over their duties, so we're settling back in. But we do miss those that left us in 2012-2013.

Writing wise, it was my best year yet. I self published Feathered Frenzy and Move through Smashwords in February, and Splinter was released through Whiskey Creek Press in November. All of these books were big efforts, and I was happy to publish them. In fact, I'm starting the brainstorming and research for a sequel to Move now, and I have a sci-fi novella titled Incursion in progress now. It seems I've gotten into working on two projects at a time, which can be challenging sometimes. The key is to make sure each one is at a different stage of progression. The sci-fi novella, for example, is ready to edit and finalize when I return to it in January, whereas the sequel to Move is, as I like to say "on the drawing board" (it's in the planning stages now and I probably won't start writing until late January or February). I've also written a few short stories and articles, and I continue to write for a mystery newsletter and to promote my published works as best as I can.

Church is also making good progress. We finally called a new pastor after a year and a half without one, and he's starting in January. Rick continued to serve on the technology committee at church even though his term on church council ended last year. I didn't do any committee work this year with the church because of my extra job duties and having so much on me with my writing, but that bothered me. I liked being more involved in church, so I've rejoined the technology committee for 2014. My role on that committee was mainly administrative before and the new chair has that covered, so I guess we'll see how else I can contribute to it when I return. But it's good to be back and to get involved again. I really did miss it. But I think taking the year off from volunteering helped me to see how much it meant to me and where I felt I really fit in. I'm excited about it.

Rick and I had a fantastic opportunity in late February and early March. My landscape architect program sent me to Scottsdale, Arizona for a conference. We decided to take advantage of our time out there and took a couple of extra days to drive up and see The Grand Canyon. I'm glad we did. Pictures can't do it justice - it's absolutely amazing. The whole trip was great too - you can click back to March 2013 for an entire entry on my Arizona trip. Historic Scottsdale is a great place too. It was kind of neat to be there where it was 80 degrees, and seeing posts from back home that it was cold and windy (I tried not to brag, but it was a nice break from winter!). Arizona is just a great place. The whole trip was a once in a lifetime experience, a

There's been a lot more that happened in 2013, but this entry is long enough and the excess is just that - minor things that really didn't amount to a hill of beans. I believe this hits the high points, and if I think of anything else, I'll add it in another entry.

That's all today. Thanks for reading and for supporting this website and my writing. You're all great friends and I wish you all the best, now and forever. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Bye!

If You Want Holiday Cheer ...

12/8/2013

A year ago, life avalanched on me. I had more on me than I could handle, and I really needed the help and support of people around me. I decided that if I asked someone to help me and they made good on the classic "if you ever need anything ..." admonition instead of making excuses, then I'd find a way to greatly bless them. I mean, I'd go out of my way and bend over backwards if they ever needed me.

I never had to make good on that offer on ANYBODY besides "the usual suspects." The tried and true people came through, but when I tested this on those outside the inner circle, they failed with filing colors. Apparently, the "if you ever need anything, just call me" is a polite blow off. But I heard an amusing and creative variety of excuses about how "oh, if I could if I would but I just CAN'T because I'm SO BUSY."'

I remember that today because in the past week, I've asked for help twice, and it's a rerun of last year. Nope, too busy. And people really aren't at their best, either. I've heard more fussing, complaining, and wisecracks over the past week than, well, last December. And it's everywhere. People are stressed, they know it, and they're going to let you hear all about it if you dare to get in their way.

For the most wonderful time of the year, people sure are miserable. I don't know if they mean to look that way, but that's what I see.

I know, having a tirade won't help. I tried that last year, and found people could match me attitude for attitude without missing a beat. So instead, I'll just say thank you. Why? Because it's given me the concept for the next novel I want to write after I finish Incursion in 2014. And this idea has so much potential that it could possibly spawn more than one creative work in the new year. It's really basic and nothing more than a theme right now, but I want my next story to be about someone that loses something very dear to them - perhaps more dear to them than they realized until it was going and couldn't be retrieved - because of laziness. They just couldn't be bothered to do what they should have done to keep it, and poof! It's gone and they can never get it back. It won't be a lost love story, but there are a lot of things that can be lost to atrophy - just being "too busy" (or rather, too lazy) to bother with it. And I think I'm going to find a lot in this concept.

So thank you for not having time for that. Now I'm going to start working on this concept of exactly what DOES happen when you misjudge what you need to have time for.

Thanks. And in the meantime, if people get an attitude with you then you can share the advice that Rick came up with earlier today: if you want holiday cheer, get your head out of your rear.

That's all today. Have a great week and be careful out there because if you aren't, well, people ain't got time for that!

Bye!

Obscure Holidays

5/10/2013

I'm off work today for Confederate Memorial Day. Believe me, we got plenty of flack when they started giving us that day off as a holiday. It was actually part of the compromise for removing the Confederate Flag from the State House dome. As part of the deal, the flag was moved, and Martin Luther King, Jr., day and Confederate Memorial Day were added as official State Holidays (but I think State Employees are the only ones that actually close their offices on this day).

I know it's obscure, but before you start squawking tell me: Would you refuse a day off? I won't. Not even on principle. Plus, honestly, I think they're required to give us so many holidays a year and I think we just ran out of the major ones, so we had to move on to secondary ones to get the extra day in.

Well, a day off's a day off, and I plan to enjoy it. It gives me a chance to get some little things done that usually sit until they pile up to the point where I have to make time for them. That's good. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that efficient time management is a must for a busy lifestyle.

That's a good point to ponder on this extra day off. Somebody asked me recently how on earth I find time to write with a full time job. The short answer is efficient time management. I'm lucky that I was taught that in college, and it's one of the skills I've found most useful in my life. It isn't always easy, but the truth is that we make time for things that are important to us, whether we realize it or not. Writing nights and weekends is the obvious answer, but I have to admit that I make a fair amount of progress by taking my laptop to work and writing on lunch breaks too. It's only an hour, but if I do that two times a week then it's the equivalent to another weeknight of work. And another secret is that I don't watch much TV. I watch 3 shows during the fall season (Arrow, Supernatural, and The Americans - all come on the same night, so I can "block out" Wednesday nights for that), and 1 show during the summer (Breaking Bad). I look up news and weather online so I don't have to watch it on TV. And yes, occasionally I do forego recreation to get writing done. I've passed on watching football games, lunches out, and shopping or "hanging out" on days off like today to write. And I have to humbly admit that I even write on sick days, if possible. One reason I made good progress on my novella this week was because I was sick with a virus Monday, but I drug myself out of bed and wrote a chapter anyway. It isn't always easy, but with some planning you can make time for things.

I tell you, a busy life is a blessing. It's a life of abundance, but you have to manage it wisely to experience and enjoy it to the fullest.

Speaking of the novella, it has a name now - Incursion. It looks like it going to be 10 chapters with a prologue and epilogue. I know the pros recommend against prologues and epilogues, but I like it and that's my style. If people like the piece then they'll read it. Plus, I endeavor to keep them short. To me, they're the bookends of the story and I'm not going to abandon them just because it isn't popular. Platform shoes went out of style after the 70's, but darn if I don't see women wearing those atrocities again all the time. So there. Style is a poor reason to change something that works for you. Or to do something that doesn't work.

Anyway, I've written 5 chapters so far, which is excellent progress. More than I expected at this point, really. But alas, I did push myself to make this progress and my wrists are achey, so once I complete this entry then I do plan to take a break from the keyboard for the rest of today and tomorrow. You have to balance the planning and time management with common sense, and I won't make any progress at all if I push it too far with my wrist. So given my good progress this week, I'm using today to spend time with other people and things that I wish to nurture in my life. Like hanging out with the birds, tending my roses, and having lunch with Mom. A day off is a rare gift, and I want to enjoy it to the fullest.

That's all today. I hope you have a Happy Friday and that the mom's out there have a good Mother's Day.

Bye!

The Holiday Wazzup Letter!

12/23/2012

Dear Friends:

We hope this digital letter finds you safe, healthy, happy, and enjoying a wonderful holiday season. In the spirit of the annual holiday letter, I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights of the past year with you.

I know, this is a blog. You've been keeping up. But for the sake of those that don't like to log in twice a week for my ramblings, well, here's a summary:

Rick just wrapped up a 3 year term on church council at Mt. Tabor. He was heading up the IT committee and did a great job updating the website (which was his major project for his first year on council) and with keeping up staff technology needs. It did get to be a bit of a challenge this year, though. We lost both of our pastors this year - the head pastor left for a higher position with the Synod in March, and the associate pastor left to head up a congregation in Charleston, which is where he's from. It was tough losing them - and then major changes at Rick's job drastically altared his work situation, which has required more overtime work and made serving a bit more challenging. But he stuck in there and was determined to see his term through. We're very proud of him for hanging in there despite the challenges of the past few months, and for all he's done for the church. You can check out the church website that he designed at www.mttaborlutheran.org .

Unfortunately, I had to quit both of my church committees. I had always planned to step down from the IT committee when Rick's term ended, but major changes in my own work situation and my writing picking up cut significantly into my spare time for volunteer activities. There are some things and events that I do hope to continue participating in, but right now being on a standing committee isn't something that's practical for me. It's a shame, too, because I enjoyed it and hated to give it up. Maybe in another season of life.

My work has picked up with additional duties. I'm now working with 4 licensure programs, and recent staff shortages have put more of a burden on remaining staff. I do finally have a window office, which is good (although I got the workload that came with it), and I'm also required to travel twice a year for the landscape architect program. Last year I attended the spring meeting in late February in Miami, and the national meeting in September in San Francisco. That trip to Miami was the first time I've ever flown! It's not bad, either. And while I'm not a big fan of travel, well, I'm hanging in there to see how it works out. The next meeting up is the regional meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona in March. We'll see. That's all I can say for now. Overall the job is good, although it has been very stressful lately. Our workload usually peaks in December (exam deadlines, plus people in a rush to get licensed to get projects in the new year), and being down a person has been hard. Hopefully, we'll fill that open position soon and things will level out. I'm off work until January 2, so hopefully some time with family, friends, and at home with Rick and the birds will do me some good.

My writing is also making progress. I published my second fiction novel, Anywhere But Here, through Whiskey Creek Press in April. They offered me a contract for my third fiction novel, a sci-fi apocolyptic novel titled Splinter, last summer. I'm already working on two writing projects now that I hope to wrap up in the spring. One is another mystery novel titled Move. It's about a young woman that unknowingly makes a deal with a djinn (genie), but unfortunately his help is rather radical and leads to more problems than solutions. The other is a non-fiction book titled Feathered Frenzy. It's basically a "quick reference guide" to give people tips on making their home and lifestyle bird-friendly. And believe it or not, I ALREADY have an idea for my next project. That one is still in a very early brainstorming stage. I'm not even considering working on that one more until I get my two current projects finished. I'm building an audience and working on many promotional things for my published novels. It's slow work, but worth it. I enjoy writing and I think going the "independent author" route was the right choice - especially with the traditional route going into decline as e-publishing picks up. I hope I hit the e-book wave at just the right time!

The birds are doing well. They'll be doing their own Christmas letter to you on their blog over at http://conurecorner.weebly.com soon. Santa has big plans for them and I think we're going to have three very happy birdies in a couple of days!

Our families are doing well. Mom and Dad are staying busy, as usual. Mom had surgery for carpral tunnel last summer and I tell you, that's the fastest surgery recovery I've ever seen! She was back up and running in no time! Dad is still working. Retirement talk comes up from time to time, but no definite plans or timeline yet. I tell you, those design professionals - they love their work and don't like to retire! Stephen and Nicole are doing well too. Stephen's still keeping them straight as a department head at Public Safety, and Nicole is working at home in medical transcription. She graduated from a medical management program in the spring, but unfortunately she had to have surgery for diverticulitis shortly after graduation, so that was an unexpected hiccup in her life. But she's doing fine now and moving forward again.

Rick's parents are also doing ok. You know his father has dementia, so there are good days and bad days - that's just how it goes with that. They joined the Methodist church up the road last month. Our nieces and Rick's sister and brother-in-law are also doing well. We just got back from our Christmas visit with them in Greenville this morning. They stay busy with work, school, and activities - much like all of us.

And yes, in case any of you are wondering, I did complete my New Year's resolution of reading through The Bible again this year. I actually finished it in September!

Well, that's pretty much it. We are truly blessed and thank God every day for all that He has done for us and allowed us to do for others. We hope all of you are doing well and that life is being good to you. You know that everybody is welcome to visit this website and blog. I strive to update it at least twice a week. Some people have themes for their blogs and while the theme of this website is my writing, the blog isn't limited to that. In fact, I believe all of life inspires my writing, and this blog is open to anything and everything happening in life. Feel free to read, share, and pass it along to anybody interested, whether it's family, friends, readers, other writers, or anybody that's interested in how one writer's life inspires her tales!

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season and that your new year is filled with joy, peace and prosperity.

God bless and best wishes,

Rick and Sherri

The Nature of Things

11/25/2012

Is change. Life is always in motion, and if there's one thing we can bet on, it's that nothing stays the same forever.

This is the season where this truth seems to really hit us. It's when the families are gathering around the table and the decorations come out of the attic. All those memory triggers of holidays past reminds us of how things aren't what they used to be - and makes us wonder how much longer they will stay as they are. Memories of times gone by can make this season happier by discovering the richness of what we've developed in life, or sad when we consider what's lost. A lot is a matter of perspective. We all face growth and loss. It can be a tough emotional rollar coaster to deal with the satisfaction of great accomplishments mixed with the grief of those not here to celebrate with you.

All of this makes the holidays a complex time. Some people are better with dealing with change than others. There are those that adapt, adjust, and roll along, just happy to be where they are. And there are others that have a very hard time dealing with change and fight tooth and nail to keep things the same, even though it's apparant that the "old ways" won't work anymore. Invariably, it seems those types will be mixed within the same friend and/or family group. Oh, the cell phone conversations I overhear this time of the year!

I did a blog series last year on surviving the holidays and I believe the one key thing I kept coming back to was that if you're doing your best, then be satisfied with it. Other people have two choices: Take it or leave it. People may gripe (naturally), but in the end they usually settle down and decide the holidays will be merrier if they choose the path of acceptance over the path of resistance. In most cases, anyway (that's not to say there aren't some that thrive on conflict, but that is an issue I addressed in my blog series earlier this year on villians - I believe it was around Easter).

I'll add one more lesson I've discovered of late. You can't let other people or situations bother you. They're going to do what they're going to do, and it's a waste of emotional energy to let it fly all over you and go into a tizzy over. Likewise with situations - there are so many things you can't control, and to worry about it is a merry-go-round of defeat. Deal with situations the best way you can and move on. I recently realized that I wasted a great deal of time and emotional energy complaining and fretting over what other people do, and it's a 100% waste. They're gonna do what they're gonna do, and they aren't changing for anybody. So deal with them and the situations that come up in life the best you can, and move on. Worry, fussing, and fretting get you nowhere - it's action that counts. So spend your time thinking, reflecting and acting on what is, plan wisely, and trust that things will work out, or that you will know how to deal if a wrench flies into your plans.

Sometimes making the best of the holidays requires changing the way we think about things, and that can be hard. In fact, I believe that changing the way you think is the hardest thing you can do.But it can be done. I can tell you that from experience. I can also tell you that while it's hard, it's well worth it. Changing your life starts with changing how you think, and this holiday season might be the perfect time to make an early resolution that you aren't going to be consumed with stress, anxiety, grief, anguish, or fear over making it the perfect holiday. In fact, let's make Change #1 right now: Don't try to make it perfect. We live in an imperfect world, and an expectation like that will fail. Make it the best you can and decide you'll be happy with it.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that those of you on the road home today have safe travels. Here's hoping you have a good week, and welcome to the 2012 Holiday Season!

Bye!

What I Need Right Now

10/20/2012

I think what I really need is to cut my life back to basics and take stock of what I have and how to best nurture the things most important to me.

Fall is naturally the busiest time of year for me, and coiencidentally it's when people want to "get together" the most too. Football season is usually the excuse for this - "let's get together to watch the game!" And I've been a social butterfly these past couple of months and participated in all sorts of gatherings, visits and get togethers.

But folks, this butterfly needs to retreat to her cocoon. No offence, but the Carolina's bye week didn't come soon enough for me this year. I need to sit out a few. The season is going on, but my "to do" list and my schedule don't get it. There are things I need to tend to around the house and with the technology committee at church. I know I said I was going to take a hiatus from my in-progress writing projects, but I really do want to get back to them with as few distractions as possible, and that means I need to put my nose to the grindstone and get things done now. And if you want me at my best during the busy holiday season, well, I need a break.

I mean no offence, of course. I just need some time to myself every now and then to catch up, rest up, take stock, and move on. I need to recharge my batteries and right now I'm running low. I've come to the conclusion that I must be an anomoly, because this seems to be a need that not many other people have. Other than my family, only Rick and one other person has admitted to needing time to themselves. It seems others actually clamor to fill those empty spaces in their lives to the point where there's no quiet, no hiatus, no opportunities to simply "be" and exist in communion with the Lord and the world. Doing, doing, doing. Well, I admire their energy and their tireless dedication to their social schedule, but I'm not afraid I can't operate like that. My life is very full right now and all the "blessings" keep me quite busy. It can be a challenge to find those moments and days with an empty spot on the calender. And they aren't usually give, so it looks like I'm going to have to take them.

I'm burned out. I need to clear off my plate to I can be true to my priorities and focus on what really matters - not on what the world says should matter.

So I'm starting today. I'm sitting out the USC-Florida game. I know, it's a big one and how could I. It's simple, really. The need for quiet in my soul outweighs "the big game." As I said, I need some time to catch up on some stuff around the house and with church so I'll be free to resume work on Move next month when I end my writing hiatus, and what better time than by focusing on that while the rest of the world (around here) is tuned into the big game. Plus, I still have Feathered Frenzy to finish, and I already have an idea for my next writing project which is a novella I hope to start in 2013. And promotion work on my already published works never ends. So there's lots to do there and I really need to get focused and get back to work on my writing soon, and taking care of the other things on my plate will really help with that.

I know life won't always be like this. I'm quitting volunteer activities in 2013, so I won't have to make decisions based on things like this soon. That was another decision I made this week. I need fewer meetings in my life and the truth is that I need to focus my time away from work on home, family and writing and that doesn't leave time for much else. I wanted to be more involved at church, and I will certainly continue to be a greeter and help with activities as I can, but I can't be bound to a committee anymore. It just doesn't work in my busy life.

As for the rest - well, eventually I'll retire from work, so that won't always be eating up most of my weekdays, but that's far away as I'm not even at the halfway point of my career. Frankly, I do have concerns about being bored if I didn't work, but those aren't concerns I need to ponder now or any time soon. Until then, it's the immovable object in my life and I have to work around it. Those aggrivations and annoyances aren't going to stop and I have to march on and do what must be done because it's my responsibilty and financial support, now and in the future. That's a reality for most people and it's something that should be easy to understand and respect.

Yes, life is busy, and sometimes it won't give you what you need so you have to take it. That's what I'm going to to today. Because if I don't take care of myself and my needs, then I'm not much good to anybody else, now am I?

That's all today. I hope you have a great weekend.

Bye!

Obscure Day Off and Other Random Musings

5/10/2012

So I was off work today for Confederate Memorial Day. I know, I know, nobody's heard of it outside those of us that work for SC State Government. I honestly can't explain it. Several years ago they took away Election Day and our optional holiday and gave us Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Confederate Memorial Day instead. Frankly, I'd rather have election day off but that's the way it rolls round these parts.

Our HVAC unit quit on us day before yesterday. Got home from work on Wednesday and it was a wee bit warm in here. Turns out the unit had a major freon leak and bad coils. They're getting us a new one and will install it tomorrow. Thanks God for His mercies, because the temperature dropped the past few days. Highs in the mid to upper 70's and lows in the 60's. It's gotten a bit above our preference range around mid day, but overall it hasn't been bad. We open the windows when we're home and that helps. The house is getting aired out and the birds seem to enjoy the open windows. They aren't bothered by this at all. In fact, I don't think they're phased a bit. But I thank the Lord over and over for the mild weather and the timing of this (specifically, that it didn't happen when highs are in the 80's and 90's because it has been in the 90's a few times recently). It's been a darned inconvenience, but not too bad. I pray things go as planned and we get the unit installed tomorrow. Rick can't get off work, so I'm the one on home duty for this one. Looks like tomorrow will be a good day to work on Move.

Speaking of Move, the ideas are really coming along. I pretty much have the whole novel mapped out. Of course, there's the issue that I've been sick the past 2 nights with a headache so bad I couldn't possibly look at a computer screen. And I have to work, and of course my poor hands and wrists need a break from typing every now and then. I tell you, I think that if I had a free week I could write the entire rough draft. But alas, I don't, and so I shall peck at it as I can. But that's ok. I don't want to rush this one. I made the mistake of rushing with Splinter to get it done for National Novel Writing Month and I don't want to do that again. I'm glad I entered that because it was one of those things I always eyed NaNo with great interest, but it's really not suitable for a person with a home, family nearby, and full time job - especially in November when Thanksgiving rolls around. But having to pound out 50,000 words in a month was just stressful. I'm not doing that again, at least not while I'm working full time. I really enjoyed writing Anywhere But Here and Blurry, and I believe it was because I took my time and that allowed me to enjoy the process of having the ideas develop and the story come to life. So I'm taking my time and so far I have been enjoyed working on Move.

Believe it or not, I already have an idea for my next book. I don't know if I've mentioned this (I don't think I have), but I've recently pondered a return to non-fiction. Well, today I was in Barnes & Noble and while walking past pet books I had the idea: Why don't I write a book about having birds as pets? I know I don't have a biology degree and I'm not a vet, but goodness, I've had 6 birds in my life. I think, at least from the petowner perspective, I'm certainly experienced. It's a general idea now, but it has me intrigued. I'll ponder this further and if I'm able to brainstorm some ideas then I'll take a shot at drafting this one after I get the rough draft of Move done.

And if that works it really will be interesting and a new experience, because I've always worked on one book at a time, from rough draft to final draft. I've just never had 2 book ideas at once. This is a new thing, and frankly I find it exciting! It's great to have the Spirit inspiring me so much again. I haven't really written much since Anywhere But Here, with personal life changes and then getting published - so it's great to be actually writing again and have the ideas coming. I say keep that inspiration flowing and keep the ideas coming, Lord!

I am feeling better with my sinus infection today. No more headache, sneezing or congestion. I still feel a bit feverish from time to time, and I'm slow and tire easily, but overall I'm much better. The antibiotic has worked quickly and I'm thankful for that too!

That's all for today. Take care all. I hope you have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Bye!

Surviving the Holidays - Holiday Detox

12/28/2011

Well, here we stand near the end of the holiday season. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hakunnah are over, and New Year's Day is on the horizon. But before we tackle the issue of the all-important "resolutions," I feel there's one more issue we need to discuss: Holiday detox.

Now that the meals are eaten, the gifts are opened, and the family visits are done, there's the usual "letdown" to deal with. It's time to go home, time to pack up the decorations, time to get ready to get back in the swing of day to day life again. But right now, we have a few days to kick back, relax, and "detox" from the holiday festivities.

Personally, this is one of my favorite parts of the season. Yes, it's a letdown when the festivities end, and you take the decorations down. But there's something nice about having the rest of this week to wind down, rest from the activity, and take stock. It's good to slow the pace for no other reason than to catch your breath, take a much needed break, and enjoy life without the stress of a huge "to do" list hanging over your head.

So take the rest of this week for yourself. Spend time with your spouse/significant other. Enjoy those presents. Eat some candy before going on that New Year's diet and exercise program. Waste time online, or watching TV, or playing video games. Stay up too late and sleep even later. Go out for lunch on a weekday afternoon. Hit those post-holiday sales. Dress down on a weekday just because ou can. The festivities are over so now is the perfect time to drop out of the race of day to day life and just be for a few days. Real life will start again before you know it, so detox from the holidays and life itself now while you can!

Who says it's the post-holiday gloom? These can still be some of the best days of the year, if you use them wisely!

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