Where'd All the Time Go?

So ... posting in the morning? Not going to work with DD in school I think. I get up, load the pages for LASR/WC, check the tours on Goddess Fish and it's time to wake her up. I lost ALL my time in the morning (I used to have three glorious hours).

I'll just need to get into the habit of posting in the afternoon or evening instead.

Everyone says I'll get used to the schedule, but I swear I have so little time anymore. Not only do I lose the 5 - 8 a.m. time I used to have, but when I have to run errands, I lose ALL my other time, too.

Yesterday... got up, loaded pages, checked tours, got DD ready, took her to school, went to WalMart, came home unloaded, walked the dog, started a load of laundry, put chicken on for dog food ... and it was almost time to pick her up again.

I can't run errands with her, because she's starting to get enough homework, she doesn't have time for much else in the evening (we've skipped Wednesday agility for the past three weeks).

I never thought I'd say it, but I had more time when I was homeschooling.

*sigh*

More, she's wanting to do all kinds of extracurricular stuff (there's a dance class, she wishes she'd done soccer now, basketball is coming, she's joined the choir. etc., etc., etc. ... ) and I have to tell her that she can't do it all, which brings on much drama and moaning.

I really think school is wonderful for her. She LOVES going, enjoys her friends, likes the teachers (Class is so fun in a classroom!) and so far really hasn't had anything bad happen. I'm pleased and happy enough to make the sacrifices we need to for her to attend. I'm sure there's a way for me to figure out the best way to do things -- it may come down to running ALL errands on Saturday (ugh).

In any case, my morning is already running but I was gently reminded that I hadn't posted yesterday, so didn't want to miss again. I started getting caught up with all my blog reading, but yesterday put me behind again, and I have stuff to do today, too, so am not going to be able to do much computer stuff today again. Oy.

Hope you're all having a great day (and I'm wishing for rain and some cooler temps for Texas).

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You Are Ringo Starr

You are fun loving and carefree. No matter how much success you've had, you never take yourself too seriously. You have a good sense of humor, and you like to goof around. You're more than willing to make fun of yourself. You are generous and caring. You feel like you've been given a lot in your life, and you're willing to give back. You do the right thing because it feels good. You don't need your flattery or your ego nurtured.

Which Beatle Are You?

About 75%...

===============

I Call Do Over!

There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men: time. ~Napoleon I, Maxims, 1815

Yesterday went by in a blur ... and it seems like I got very little accomplished. Days like that drive me a little wonky. DH also came home early and unexpectedly, and I about wet my pants when someone walked into the house -- nearly grabbed for the cleaver (I was starting dinner). He's lucky he survived. *G*

Dru asked if my mom was here yet... not quite. She's stopped over in Kansas City visiting my brother. Actually, this has been a great trip for her, time to reconnect with all her kids. We're spread out all over the country and some of us haven't seen her in a very, very long time. She'll be here this coming weekend at some point. YAY!

We're teaching Dakota to know her right paw from her left paw. It's been fun... she's bored with her old tricks, and so are we, so we thought we'd give this a go (since trying to teach her to spell wasn't working -- she has a paper fetish and kept trying to eat the flash cards).

I'm looking at getting a smart phone -- I really wanted something I could use for internet when I'm somewhere I don't have internet. DH keeps talking about going away for a week or two on an island at the lake for a family vacation, but I can't be gone that long without getting online. After a great deal of research and asking around, I'm settling on a Droid (which I think beats iPhone on several levels -- those were the two I was looking at). I'm greedy, and want to be on the 4G network, so it looks like I'll be getting "The Charge". It has an insane amount of memory (32GB), the battery charge is significantly longer than any other Droid, and the biggest complaint I've seen is the quality of the case (I suspect it was made that way to make it lighter than the other Droids, and it is a LOT lighter -- I held all the models yesterday). I can get a skin for that and not worry...

I admit, I never really thought that much about having a phone that did anything but make phone calls, but the more I played with the test one yesterday, the more excited I got. It has GPS (with traffic reports!), and so much more. And it will hook up to and get up to EIGHT other gadgets online. I don't even HAVE that many gadgets! LOL... Between the three of us we have three computers and two eReaders.

I should have it in the next couple of days. Woot!

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Your Spirit Flower is the Daisy

You value close relationships with friends. You count on your friends as much as they count on you. You are completely unpretentious and carefree. All you care about is whether someone is a good person. You are a natural counselor. You listen well and give out good advice when needed. You love all of life's simple pleasures. You find a lot of joy in a walk outdoors or a day at the park.

What's Your Spirit Flower?

About half right.

====================

Where Did the Time Go?

Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror. It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving. ~Martin Amis, Money

Yesterday absolutely flew by for me ... I swear the hours just vanished. I'm getting more and more behind on the things I need to accomplish and it's very frustrating.

Yesterday I had a list of errands to run while DD was in her art lessons. I was as efficient as possible (including a 15 minute grocery store run -- literally. Except for the one time I got stuck behind a VERY old nun who was moving slowly down the cereal aisle and was also apparently deaf because my "excuse me" wasn't acknowledged... almost gave me the shakes, lol, but it's a NUN so I couldn't get angry) and still didn't complete them all. I have a laundry list of things to do for LASR/WC/Goddess Fish as well and my inbox just keeps growing.

Oy.

Just a week ago I was feeling pretty darn caught up.

This morning I got an email from cover model, Jason Aaron Baca (we interviewed him over at LASR last week) asking about my darling dog (her picture is on my website). It got me to looking around about Golden Irish dogs. I was amazed to find that there are MANY breeders of Golden Irishes, which is good to know. Not that we are hoping Dakota crosses the Rainbow Bridge any time soon, but we're just so pleased with her that it's a breed we'll probably repeat and highly recommend.

I read this blog post about the breed, which was very interesting. And I discovered that the reason she never really got "feathers" and has white patches (on one paw and on her chest) is because her father was a "working" Golden Retriever as opposed to one bred for the show ring.

DD took some pix of her yesterday. The snow has a hard crust on it now (from the partial thaw and then the bitterly cold temps we have now) and Dakota is enjoying being able to walk on top:






She also took some artsy-fartsy pictures as well:




She amuses me to no end... :-)

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You Should Play Poker

You are a crafty person, and you're always looking at things from all angles. You can read people well, but you can also hide your feelings when you need to. You are a natural strategist, and you're always thinking a few steps ahead. You don't mind putting all your chips in when the time is right... in fact, it gives you a thrill!

How Should You Take a Gamble?

That's actually pretty close ...

====================

Decisions, Decisions

“Good writing is rewriting.” - Truman Capote

So ... I agonized all yesterday about my NaNo project. Is it better to get words down on a story that isn't working, just to get my "winner" badge and then have to either toss the entire thing and start over, or edit the H-E-Double-Toothpicks out of it later -or- is it better to set it aside and "moodle" over it awhile to figure out what's working, what isn't and how to make it right?

The clincher for me is this: I hate editing. HATE it with an all-consuming passion. I know it's a necessary evil, but I do my very best to have a relatively clean first draft with all the ducks in as straight a row as possible in order to do as little major editing as possible.

So, "A Jewel For Geoff" is once again shelved. It just wasn't working for me -- the characters didn't have chemistry, the conflict was weak, the plot was all over the place, I couldn't decide if Geoff's parents were dead or not and how that would change things, I couldn't decide if any of the girls had boyfriends, I couldn't decide... well, you get the idea.

It all began to feel like a royal waste of time, and time is simply the one thing I don't have any of to spare.

Instead, I'm rewriting a story (Camilla's story) that I actually have nearly finished and changing two things in the plot to make it work for me and building up the internal conflict between the H/H. I worked on it last night and again this morning, and I'm really excited about it. I like the story, the plot and the characters. I plan on having it done by the end of November -- can that count for NaNo? I'll need a couple folks with good editing eyes who like contemporary light-hearted romance to look it over for me (anyone?), but the plan is to submit to Harlequin American. By end of December.

Am I being unrealistic? I have no idea.

Following THAT, though, I want to get my fantasy done. ASAP.

And after that, I have big plans for "Return to Stiller Creek" which include completely changing "who dunnit" and making the story less reliant on DNA testing -- and, yes, I've figured out how to do that. And, I need to ramp up the suspense. That one I'd like to submit to Harlequin Romantic Suspense.

Hmmm....

Eventually I will return to "A Jewel for Geoff" and to the "Kitchen Matches" sequel. I think about them constantly, so something is going to click in my brain eventually. It always does on the ones that matter.

In other news, I think I have one manuscript that is history -- permanently shelved. That would be "Playing House". With the incredible leaps that technology has taken in the last five or six years, my premise won't work at all. I may recycle the characters though and try to give them a different story (at the very least, I want to use Minerva because I <3 her).

So many ideas, so little time. We won't talk about the other twenty or thirty started manuscripts I have on my hard drive.

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You Have a Wild Imagination

You can think or dream anything. You have very vivid and colorful thoughts. You have a refreshing and bold attitude. People can count on you to be honest. You are chill to the point of being a little lazy. It's hard for you to get motivated at times. You are a very thoughtful person. Even when you're resting, your mind is churning a bit.

The Bubble Bath Test

Except the "chill to the point of being lazy" part, this really fits.

=======================

No Time

Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror. It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving. ~Martin Amis, Money

Yesterday absolutely flew by for me yesterday... one minute it was early morning and the next, time for bed. I honestly don't know where it went! I feel like I got nothing done, and yet was busy all day long. It was crazy, and I was ready to either cry or tear my hair out by evening.

Maybe that accounted for my odd dream? I dreamed that Maria Zannini called me up and asked if I could fly down to Dallas to play cards with her for a couple of hours.

Uh...

Thanks for the invite, Maria! LOL...

===================

In Pillar Place, Alpha stil hasn't finished pupating. He's still just hanging there... it's been more than 24 hours since he hooked himself into the position to become a chrysalis and nothing has happened. We're worried.

Kappa, Lambda, Iota and Hercules have all been moved into "The Box". They're quite large, especially Kappa, and I wouldn't be surprised if they all go walk-about in the next day or two.

The little ones left are still really tiny (though not nearly microscopic, like when we found them eight days ago). I've heard they take about 14 days from hatching to pupating, but half of these guys are still small enough that they're black, and the other half are only about 3/4" long. How they're going to go from this:



To this:



In five days is beyond me. But, I might find myself surprised.

For a fabulous look at the Black Swallowtail Life Cycle in pictures, go here.

========================

I also harvested my marjoram yesterday -- just before it flowered (which is apparently the best time to harvest your herbs because they are highest in oil -- and flavor -- at that point). I washed it and it's now tied into four HUGE bundles and hanging to dry inside a paper bag.

Once it's dried, I'm going to grind it and put it into little bottles (I'm hoping to find some). I'll most likely have more than I can use, so will be giving some away -- interested? It's a wonderful Italian seasoning, along the lines of oregano. This is only my first harvest -- I'll most likely do it again at least once. I have so much marjoram that I pull it up like a weed and throw it away in an attempt to keep it in its 1 x 2' garden area. It's crazy.

=========================

You Are Unique

You are vibrant and excited for each day. You like to mix things up a lot. You get bored easily, and you're always on the hunt for new experiences. Your friends would describe you as playful and full of zest. You look forward to every event and occasion. You are restless sometimes. You need a little adventure to satisfy your wanderlust.

The Coffee Craving Test

Sort of...

=======================

Time Passes

The Future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is. ~C.S. Lewis

Okay... Google Reader did some kind of funky update and it's messing with me. It won't show ALL the post from one blog at once. I spent WAY too much time the past couple of days trying to figure out the new look and I'm very annoyed. Time is the one currency I own of which I have little to spare.

Maria Zannini asked about songs on her blog (as in "Our" songs for couples) and I went to find my wedding song on YouTube. I did, but the one that really got to me was "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney. It's so very true... give it a listen:



And, in the spirit of the song, I'm going to make breakfast in bed for the folks in my house as a treat so ... TTFN!

====================

You Are Cowboy Boots

You are incredibly down to earth and happy with yourself. You don't pretend to be someone else. You also tend to be very practical. You don't really have a lot of room for fluff in your life. You are a very honest and direct person. You will give anyone a straight answer, even if it's a bit uncomfortable. While you're quite sensible, you always like a little bit of flash in your life. You don't overdo it, but you do like turning heads.

What Kind of Boots Are You?

Yep... that's pretty much right on.

===================

Still Crazy After All These Days... of power

"You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there." — Edwin Louis Cole

How is it that I was without power for two days, and I'm more than a week behind on my work? Is there some kind of odd warp in the space time continuum? I spent nearly every waking hour on the computer yesterday (and I only played ONE game of Bejeweled on Facebook *G*) and still have pages and pages of stuff in my in box. We won't talk about my Google reader -- though I did manage to stop by at least a few blogs yesterday and catch up. I still have miles to go. If I haven't made it to your blog, I will!

I did have plenty of time to read while the power was out, and I've been gorging myself on Julia Quinn's historical romances. As I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of historicals, but I had snagged one of hers on a whim at the library ("What Happens in London") and could tell it was part of a series (the heroine mentions at the very beginning that her best friend just married her brother...). I enjoyed the book tremendously (they're terribly funny and so very romantic), so went on a hunt for others. My library doesn't carry them all, so out came the Nook -- yes, I really did like them enough to buy them. It's been a long, LONG time since I've found a series of books I so thoroughly enjoyed.

I did decide last night that, starting tomorrow (because my schedule today is absolutely nuts and I'm not going to be home a whole lot), I'm taking at least an hour to write every day. One. Whole. Hour. Not ten minutes, an hour. I'm going to set the timer, tell DD to hole up somewhere, take the phone off the hook and write. No matter how busy the rest of life gets, I really need to write... when I don't, I get cranky (well, crankier than usual) and resentful of other demands on my time. I may even use "Write or Die", just to give me the "oomph" to really get the words down.

What do you have to do on a regular basis to keep your sanity?

=====================

You Are Thoughtful and Happy

You have an optimistic outlook. When troubles come your way, you try to see how you will grow and learn from them. You feel like you can't depend on anyone but yourself in this world. You feel quite alone sometimes. You feel relieved about your past and those you have loved. You are happy to be moving on with the future. You succeed by tapping into your reserves. You have an extraordinary amount of energy and endurance.

The Desert Test

Mostly right....

====================

Time Warp

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. ~Lesley P. Hartley, The Go-Between, 1953

DD and I watched "War Games" yesterday. I remember seeing that in the theater (it was released in 1983) and loving it. Yesterday, though, I spent the time explaining to DD what the main character was doing!

"That's a 5 1/2 inch floppy disk -- they had those before CDs."

"That's a library card catalog with actual cards -- they didn't used to have them on computers."

"That's microfiche -- he couldn't learn about the professor on the Internet because there was no Internet."

It got to the point where she started saying things (in all seriousness) like: "Wow! A 7-11 store! They had those back then?"

*snort*

========================

She worked a good part of the day on replenishing her stock on DistictivelyDD. I have six pairs of earrings, two bracelets (one of which I had to pry out of her hands because she wanted to keep it for herself), and a bracelet/earring set that I need to get up on the site. She's going to work more today, but I can see we're going to need to get more beads soon!

I only managed to get dog food made yesterday, no baking, so that's on the schedule for today. I think I'm going to try the wheat flakes cold cereal first since we're out of cereal, instead of the wheat crackers. I'll post about it on Healthful and Homemade tomorrow.

=========================

Your Word is "Fearless"

You see life as your one chance to experience everything, and you just go for it! You believe the biggest risk is being afraid and missing out on something amazing. Sometimes your fearlessness means you're daring. You enjoy risky activities. And sometimes your fearlessness means you're courageous. You're brave enough to do the right thing, even when it's scary.

What's Your Word?

HAHAHAHAHA... no

=======================

Finding Time

The best way to get something done is to begin. ~Author Unknown

I checked out a book at the library on Saturday that sounded like something I really could use.



Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the time to read it! LOL... It is sitting nearby, mocking me, as we speak.

=======================
DD has been thoroughly enjoying the snow (the dog loves it, too -- so I'm in the clear minority here). Check out her entertainment yesterday afternoon in our backyard:





Normally she'd have Dakota chasing her down the sledding trail, but for these videos I was looking for something solo.

I rather miss the carefree days of youth. I watch her and think about puking and breaking bones and cold... I'm an old fuddy-duddy.

==========================

You Are a Hawk

You have a fighting spirit, and you don't back down from any challenge. You aren't scared of getting in the mix. You aren't necessarily violent, but you understand why violence sometimes is necessary. It's a cruel world out there. You are a natural debater. People may find you belligerent, but you just like to argue. It's not personal. You rather have conflict than pretend to go along to get along. You stand up for what you believe in.

Are You a Hawk or a Dove?

Uh... yep...

====================

Rushed

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. ~Denis Waitely

Today's post will be quick -- I might have some time to work on my story (still brainstorming, but if the spirit leads I'll write some, too -- for an update about what the heck I'm talking about, go to this post on the JaNoWriMo blog here).

Had to go way the heck away to get a prescription for my poor old kitty yesterday. Her arthritis is getting so bad! She's begun to limp and the doc found a pain med that shouldn't affect her kidneys much, but it's specially compounded and there aren't that many compounding pharmacies around. So it was off to Concord yesterday to get it. I used my GPS for real for the first time. It worked pretty darn well!

We found a bead shop right across the street from the pharmacy and it was amazing! A HUGE selection of really top notch stuff at reasonable prices. I wanted to buy almost everything -- lots of natural stones, etc. Be still my heart. In any case, we bought some stuff and will be back. Now to make the new jewelry.

When we got home, DH advised me that we were taking down trees at his sister's house, so it was off again. I reminded DH that just because HE is on vacation does not mean that DD and I are. She missed half her school yesterday. URGH.

Our neighbor got a deer out hunting yesterday. However, he and his family are gone away on vacation from today through the weekend, and asked if we could process the meat. So, tomorrow we'll be spending the day butchering the deer and packaging the meat. We're getting half as payment, so it's worth it. But, another day I lose for working.

So, that's my life. How are you? I will be by to visit soon -- it's just insane, and I'm barely able to keep up with writing (HA -- haven't done a word in six days) and working on the LASR/WC site. Bear with me. November is a sucky month all around.

====================

Just Rambling...

Thrift is not an affair of the pocket, but an affair of character. ~S.W. Straus

I hate wasting time. Drives me nuts. Yesterday I wasted three hours looking for shoes/boots for my DH. He has weird feet, VERY high arches which make him bust through most shoes unless they are very well made.

So, I went looking for decently made boots at a reasonable price. And, I came home empty.

We've tried brands like L.L. Bean -- but the clasps that hold the laces broke in only a few days (thankfully, they'll take stuff back when that happens). We've gone cheap (KMart special) which have oddly enough lasted longer than the more expensive brands. Even so, they don't last very long.

Yesterday I tried Tractor Supply Company (a very cool store that I can putz around in for an hour, but they didn't have the kind of boot I was looking for) and finally ended up at Bob's Stores. I had a coupon (as it turns out, though, it was expired), and after much looking and poking and bending, I found a pair of boots that were a little pricey, but appeared well made. However, when I discovered my coupon was expired, it put them out of my price range and I had to leave them behind. Thankfully, Bob's typically has a coupon in the Sunday paper, so I'll grab that and go back and hope they still have a boot in his size.

We won't talk about looking for sneakers for DD. When did prices get so high? Sheesh...

=====================

I didn't do a lot of actual writing yesterday, but I did do scene cards for the scene ideas I'd had pop into my head, and then brainstormed some more. I'll most likely continue to do that until I have a very sketchy plot outline before I start to write. And, heck, if it takes me into November, I'll use it for my version of NaNo (I'm challenging myself to write 500 words a day ... not the 1500 that NaNo requires, but I have to be realistic).

======================

Today? I'm building next week's pages for LASR/WC for the website and stacking wood -- the chore that won't go away. I may also finally pull up the last of my veggie garden. I can't believe we haven't had a frost yet!!

The leaves are getting gorgeous up here, and further north, they're probably at their peak for leaf-peeping. I imagine ours will be peak in another week or so. The colors are incredible.

Have a great weekend!

=======================

Thursday Already??

You own a dog but you feed a cat. ~Jenny de Vries

You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals. ~George Mikes

How can it be Thursday already? Where did the week go? My DH wasn't just off last Friday (he works a four day work week), but also Monday AND Tuesday. I am so messed up... *sigh*

First off, Breeann is doing quite well. I'm not sure what set her off on her little vomiting spree, but there were no blockages on the x-rays and her blood tests came back clean. Well... except for one little problem: her kidney enzymes were elevated. Under normal circumstances, the doc would attribute that to the dehydration (and that might be what it was), but her sister (my old roommate's cat) died from kidney failure almost two years ago and apparently that can be a hereditary disease.

Also, we have to deal with the massive amounts of arthritis in her back legs and hips, which will be made more difficult by her kidney problems (some medication can stress the kidneys).

If it's not one thing, it's another. But, she's up and around, asking for food and perky enough to beat on the dog so she's pretty much back to normal.

Thanks for all your kind thoughts, prayers and well-wishes on her behalf.

======================

I got a bit of a jolt in the mail yesterday. My local SAU (school administrative unit) sent me a letter:

"As of this date, we have not received notification that your child will be homeschooled for the 09/10 school year..."

I had visions of the truancy police, the regular police AND social services all knocking on my door. In a panic, I grabbed the letter they'd send the month before, acknowledging receipt of the letter of intent they now claimed to NOT have received and took off for the SAU.

It was all over in a matter of minutes. They found my letter of intent on file and apologized. Still, it took a while for my heart to stop pounding, lol...

==================

Am still working my way through "Stiller Creek" and realizing that I really am not 100% cognizant of the inner workings of the police. It makes me uneasy about writing a story that has the police chief as the hero, no matter how much research I do.

Ah well... I guess I'll find out if I did okay if and when the story is ever accepted for publication.

===================

Your Brown Eyes Say You're Clever and Witty

You are seen as brilliant and irreverent. You speak your mind, and people love you for it. You don't let other people see any insecurities you might have. You like to present a brave front. You are sharp as a tack and very quick on your feet. You're the first to get or tell a joke. You are also clear thinking in a crisis. You are an excellent problem solver.

What Does Your Eye Color Say About You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

That's ME ... brilliant, sharp as a tack, clear-thinking. How did they know?

===================

A Dribble at the Well

"If you chase two rabbits, both will escape" — Unknown

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Our water comes to us from a well on our property -- a concept that took me some time to get used to, being a city girl and all. Something else I needed to get used to was the fact that the pump can only send so much water to us at one time.

This morning, while the sprinklers were running outside, I'd just flushed the potty, and had turned on the water at the sink. It was a mere dribble. I didn't get a decent amount of water until the toilet tank finished filling, and it got me to thinking (yes, epiphanies DO come from the strangest places...): we're sort of the same way, right? Only a finite amount of time, energy, creativity, brain power, etc.

I know I could be using my time more efficiently. I am lured by the email accounts on a regular basis -- I feel as though our business emails HAVE to be answered immediately or the world will come to an end. And that's just stupid.

I have a friend who has several tasks she needs to complete on a daily basis. To do so, she figures out how much time the task should take if she worked, focused and uninterrupted, and then sets a timer for that amount of time. THEN she focuses on that task, and that task only, until the timer goes off.

I feel as though I have so much on my plate that I'll never get it all done. But, I'm thinking that if I can focus on one thing at a time (not my strong suit...) I would be able to be more productive in less time, therefore giving me more time to do the things that keep getting set aside.

I've put a kitchen timer on my shopping list and am going to start this new endeavor next week -- Wednesday, when DH goes back to work. And then, maybe, I can give more than a dribble to the things I do.

======================

You Are Taco Salad

You are brutally honest and totally real. You can't be bothered to be fake for a second. You are a total riot. You have a wicked sense of humor, and you crack people up. You often shock people with your antics. You have a very spicy personality. You are energetic and intense. You live every moment to its fullest.

What Kind of Salad Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Well.. yeah... mostly...

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Ends and Beginnings

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. And everyone deserves a little sunshine. ~Jeffrey Glassberg

We released our one and only monarch butterfly on Tuesday. Lenape went through her life cycle in a picture perfect way and we wish her well.



I washed out all our containers and boxed everything up for another year. Pillar Place 2009 is over, and was a year that will go down as our worst yet. I sincerely hope things shape up next year.

We also made Dakota's day:



I spent a good part of the day pulling weeds again yesterday. It's amazing to me how quickly they grow and how strong and deep their roots are. I feel it could easily be an analogy for something (maybe negative thinking?), but am only on cup of coffee #1 so the brain isn't up and running at full speed yet. What do you think -- what can fast-growing, strong with deep roots be an analogy for?

The goldfinches are out in full-force at my feeders. This is the time when their babies hatch -- they are later than most birds because they eat seed exclusively and need to wait until things go to seed in order to be able to feed their babies well. At any given moment during the day, I can look out my window and see two dozen little yellow bodies covering my feeders. They're so pretty :-)

School starts in two weeks. DD is not happy. I'm not exactly thrilled either -- she tends to forget it's just as much work for me, and that summer vacation is a vacation for both of us! I occasionally envy the mothers who celebrate the start of school because they earn a bit of "me" time... but still, at least for now, I'm happy I'm homeschooling. This year will mark some changes though: we're planning on getting quite active in a local homeschool group, and DD will have a series of classes she'll be participating in. I'm going to have to figure out how to use time more efficiently than ever.

Wish me luck.

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Read any good, funny romances lately? I'm looking for some new rom/com's to read.

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Your Defense Mechanism is Humor

When life gets you down, you just have to laugh. And that's a very healthy reaction. It's not that you don't take your problems seriously. You do. You just don't let them control you. You are able to make the best of things, even when things look very, very bleak. Some people may consider your sense of humor to be dark, but it has served you well!

What's Your Defense Mechanism?

Um... mostly.

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It's DH's Fault...

Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent. ~Ambrose Bierce

How does ANYONE work with their husband home????? Dear heavens to betsy... if he's not finding things for me to do ("You need to take the truck to be inspected." ... "Would you go get me these light bulbs?" ... "Can you come out here to help me bleed the brakes?" ... "I'm hungry. What's for lunch?"), he's inside talking, which would be nice I suppose, if I wasn't so FREAKING BEHIND in absolutely every aspect of my life. I'm behind in writing, LASR, homeschooling, housework, training the dog... you name it.

I'm trying to be patient, but we've had way too much togetherness of late -- I don't do well with togetherness with anyone -- and I'm going nuts.

I've decided that he is never going to be allowed to retire.

Ever.

Just saying.

And now my word count for Thursday: 7734.

Yep, a whopping 232 words more than Wednesday. I'm officially behind 2482 words. Considering that DH isn't going back to work until Monday and then only working three days before another ten day vacation, I'm a bit concerned... **sigh** ...

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Look what I bought at WalMart yesterday while purchasing light bulbs for the license plate holder:



Now... to find the time to actually read it!!!

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I'm Late, I'm Late!

Might we not say to the confused voices which sometimes arise from the depths of our being: "Ladies, be so kind as to speak only four at a time?" ~Madame Swetchine

Sorry folks... it's only 7:45 and I'm already behind!

Good news, the curriculum problem is resolved. I contacted them again yesterday, the moment their phone lines opened and only had to wait on hold for about 20 mins. At one point, I thought my call had been dropped and I was in a panic. It hadn't -- the guy was just being really, really quiet. LOL....

Have been agonizing about what to do with my mystery. I think I'm going to send it to HQ and see what they have to say before I put words in their mouth and decide that it wouldn't fit the line. They may love it and just ask for a few revisions instead, right? I should at least give them the right to say no, yes?

*G*

Today is supposed to be my writing day. I have a few things to tidy up at LASR first, but hope to find at least an hour or two for putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). I have two short stories I want to finish and the edits on Stiller Creek.

Despite the cool temps and the upcoming fall weather (leading to winter, unfortunately... funny how that happens), my flowers still look good. Here's the garden around my well pump:



In any case, that's it for me today. I am glad to have DD back in school, and things back to normal, relatively. This week was super short, though, because of the Monday holiday, and I'm not ready for DH to be home again yet... especially since they are predicting rain which will leave him at loose ends. Last time he was at loose ends, we stripped the floors.

**sigh**

So, I leave you with a pic of Dakota playing with a huge ball -- I have the funniest video of it, but it's too big and blogger won't let me load it.



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Shhh.... Writer At Work

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. ~Carl Sandberg

The dog woke me up very, very early this morning. I've managed to get all of my LASR work done, and still have nearly an hour before anyone else awakens.

So, I hope you'll forgive me when I ditch the blog writing for my fiction writing.

Just a quick meme:



1. What are you up to today? Be specific. We’ve talked about your morning routine before, now walk us through a typical Monday for you after breakfast is over. How do you feel about Mondays? A fresh start to your week? Or do you dread the drudge of getting back to the same old routine?

I love Monday's. DH goes back to work, DD goes to school (well, she's homeschooled, but... she "does" school) and I get my routine back. There isn't any such thing as a typical Monday, though. Today? I'll take the dog for a long walk first thing. I'll probably run to the middle school, because the recycle containers are there today and my recycle bins are full (No curb-side recycling here... it's a pain). DD will do school. We'll break for lunch and another walk. I'll work on the LASR site, and my writing, and probaby do some housework. ::shrugs::

2. Earworms - we all get them from time-to-time. What tune do you have stuck in your head at the moment? How important is music to your life? List some of your favorite songs - and I’m talking about songs that evoke a strong emotion in you; joy, anger, sadness, etc. Do you have one particular song that brings back a certain time period in your life? What is the song and what is the time period?

Didn't have anything in my head until I read this question. I have a couple of songs I CAN NOT stand because they run circles in my head when I hear them. One is "Feliz Navidad", probably because it's the same oh... twenty words... over and over and over.

Last week it was the title song from "Okalahoma". And for your listening enjoyment, here is Hugh Jackman and friends to sing it for you, so you can have an earworm:



3. Who have you needed to say thank you to lately? Who is this person and what did he/she do to prompt a thank you?

Judy, always. And Chris. And Michele. And, most recently, Allie. These are the ladies who help LASR stay on track.

My mom. Just cuz. My DD for her hugs and unconditional love.

I'm sure there are more, but it's early.

4. How many candles will be on your birthday cake this next birthday? What do you think about the age you are now? Are you comfortable with what you’ve accomplished in life so far? Or do you wish you could have achieved more? You’re being granted one birthday wish - what is it?

I'll be 42. It's hard to believe. I still feel 20 in my head. Of COURSE there is more I wish I had achieved. More success writing and earlier. I wish I'd finished college. I wish I'd pursued my acting. I wish I'd .... but the fact is -- wishing won't make it so. I'll just go forward from here instead.

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Monday Meme-ing on Saturday

I tell you everything that is really nothing, and nothing of what is everything, do not be fooled by what I am saying. Please listen carefully and try to hear what I am not saying. ~Charles C. Finn

Stolen shamelessly from Anno:

What I'm reading: "One Night In Boston" by Allie Boniface -- now that I finally FOUND the blasted thing -- I couldn't find it when I met Allie, so couldn't get it autographed... took me a few days, but I did locate it in my massive piles of books and papers, and now must wait until the next time I see Allie. Unless I lose it again) and "You, On A Diet" (again... to remind myself how I should be eating).

What I'm eating: Nothing, yet ... I'm waiting until DD and DH leave to go boating so I can make some squash pancakes for breakfast. Yum.

What I'm drinking: Coffee with chocolate soy milk.

What I'm watching: The screen on my computer, and occasionally the blue jays chasing off all the other birds on my feeders, even though they are too big to eat from them.

What I'm listening to: DD sniffling on the couch -- seems she finally has allergies, the clack of my computer keys, and the birds outside (I think I would dislike the blue jays less if they had a prettier voice).

What I have scheduled in the week ahead of me: nothing much, thankfully: doggy class (we're doing our best to get Dd certified as a Canine Good Citizen... I'm having serious doubts), school for DD, and I want to get DD signed up for art lessons at a nearby gallery (they offer them for homeschoolers, so I can do the lesson during the day!). I imagine we'll probably go to the library at least once, and to the store.

What I'm feeling: Overwhelmed. I have far too much too do -- and it's to the point where I waste time trying to figure out what I should tackle first!

What I want: More time, and better focus. I miss writing... to the point where severe depression is beginning to seep in to my bones. I have some things completed, but not submitted, because they are waiting for at least a second set of eyeballs. Unfortunately, those eyeballs are as busy as mine. I also want to move. I don't want to stay here for another winter... but short of a miracle, I will be. I want my DD to be happy and make more friends -- friends who actually have time to play now and then (why do people schedule their kids so tightly that they have no down time at all?). I want a dog who behaves and a garden that produces more tomatoes than I can eat. I want to see my mom again, and my friends who live across country. Oh... and world peace.

*G*
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Happy Weekend! Any plans?

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Monday Morning Meme

“If I want to be alone, some place I can write, I can read, I can pray, I can cry, I can do whatever I want - I go to the bathroom.” -- Alicia Keys



1. What’s the last thing you grab before you run out of the door in the morning? Are you pretty good at being on time? Or do you constantly run behind? If/when you’re late, what is usually the reason(s)?

The last thing I grab depends on what I'm doing. I wear a fanny pack, so that's strapped on long before I walk out the door. If I'm taking the dog, it's her leash. If I'm going to the library, it's a bag of books. If I'm headed to the post office, it's whatever I'm mailing. If... well, you get the idea.

And, I'm totally beyond anal about being on time somewhere, so 99% of the time I'm early. I hate being late. HATE IT.

2. What is the last thing you bought from a vending machine? Where were you? How much did you spend? Do you use vending machines very often?

Does it mean anything that I can't remember? The last place I worked in Denver had vending machines, and I know I bought stuff from them... but that was, oh, ten years ago. So, uh... I guess the answer is -- NO, I don't use them often.

OH... wait!! I bought a soda from in front of Walmart since I've lived here!! It was a Sam's Choice diet cola, and it cost $.25! Phew...

3. What does the hand-soap in your bathroom smell of? What color are your bathroom walls? What color are your guest towels? What sort of decor, or theme, do you have in your bathroom? (Post a picture if you dare!)

MY bathroom? I used Method grapefruit. In the downstairs bath, I have Method unscented. DH only uses bar soap, and his is Irish Spring or Coast. DD uses some fruity, foamy stuff she bought for herself.

My bathroom is Desert Rose... or, yanno... PINK. The shower curtain has flowers. My towels and mats are just solid pink. My accessories are brushed nickel.

See?



Sorry... these are old photos from when we redid the upstairs, and I'm too lazy to take more so you can see the curtain. You'll just have to imagine.

4. What three words do you think of when someone says ‘body’?

Some, any, and every... OH.... everybody ought to have a body! A body is the only way to go...

Sorry, flashed back to a song I used to know.

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So, hey... it rained all day yesterday. And more expected today. And tomorrow. I sure wish I could send it to my mom in California...

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DD found five new swallowtail pillars on her carrots. I said, no we can't bring them in -- there is NO WAY to keep carrot greens fresh. NO, NO, NO...

But, GAH, I feel like the wicked witch of the west.

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Did some writing on a short story I've been working on for a while... I'm at the climax and I want to finish it, I KNOW how I want it to end, but the *&%$ characters are fighting me. THEY want to do something different, and I don't wanna... ::kicks feet::

Still reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. Man, oh man... now I want to make my own cheese. Seriously. So, yanno, I'm going to look into it some more. I know there are a few farms here in NH that sell raw milk. Cuz, after all, I don't have nearly enough to keep me busy.

Seriously, though... loving the book!

Finished my fiction book for review. It was STUPENDOUS... which is good, because the last book I ended up mailing to another reviewer cuz I just couldn't get into it, despite it having all the earmarks of a book I'd love.

Next up? Another book for review... I've been looking forward to this one for a while -- it's the follow up to another book I read a few months ago. Yay!

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You Are a Chocolate Shake

You are a total hedonist. You are drawn to pleasure. You are an expressive, over the top person. You're naturally dramatic. You're the type of person who always chooses quality over quantity. Life's too short to not have optimal experiences. You're proud of being picky.

What Flavor Shake Are You?

Huh... well... okay...

The Birth of a Cover and Playground Accidents

“You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover.” - English Proverb

Sorry folks. I was contacted by Samhain and asked to remove this post regarding the cover art!
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You ever have one of those days when you're constantly busy, but feel like you're accomplishing nothing? That was yesterday for me.

We started the day off at about eight a.m. I decided to do some gardening (!) before school... just move a few plants, get the bushes put into place. It should only take half an hour or so.

DD, energetic and excited as always, went bombing out the back door to her swing set. I went through the front to open the garage door and get out my shovel. That's when I discovered that DH had pushed the boat up against the garage door and I couldn't get it open. So... no shovel. Well, heck, I still had my trowel. So I gathered up my baby shovel and gloves and went out back.

That's when I heard a very, VERY weak... "Mom!". DD is on her back in the mulch, calling with pretty much no volume. This is NOT typical of DD. I hurry over and ask what's happened. Seems she ran up the slide (yes, up... yes, I've advised her strongly not to do this) and it was wet with dew and she was barefoot. She slipped and fell, half on, half off the slide, smacking the edge with her middle back. For a while she said she couldn't move, couldn't breath, couldn't speak. She was absolutely certain she was paralyzed.

And, I was out front mad at the boat while my DD went through that.

She didn't want help, but didn't want to move either, so the dog and I sat with her until she was up to going in.

Scratch gardening.

Scratch school.

I'm not going to go through the entire day, but suffice it to say that it really never got better. I was moving, moving, moving and getting nothing done.

I really hate days like that.

I did manage to move a few plants at the end of the day, fighting of black flies (they're he-e-e-e-e-e-r-e) and Dakota (who endlessly fought me for the trowel -- it looks like a big stick, I suppose -- and whatever plant I had in my hands).

But, I replaced the liatris out front from a plant I had in the woods. I moved the Scottish Bells out front as well. I dug up a dead small leaf rhododendron and chucked it into the woods (I LOVE having woods behind me!!), moved three red-leafed coral bells into DD's garden and picked off about a thousand red lily beetles who have ALREADY all but decimated the few Asiatic Lilies I still have.

How was YOUR day?

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Which flower are you? Pink Rose You are sweet and pretty. Romance is very important to you, and your male friends long to be the one to bring it into your life.

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