The end of January. How was it for you?

Happy Sunday, everyone!  It's a cold morning here.  Friday we had a big storm come through that left us covered in snow and ice.  However, by Saturday morning an overnight rain had washed all the whiteness away, leaving behind a world of mud for us to slosh through.

Yesterday the temps didn't get out of the 30's.  Today is suppose to get into the mid-40's, but it was soooo cold last night that we'll just have to wait and see about that.

So it's the last day of January.  This first month of 2010 went by very quickly.  Hopefully the rest of the year will slow down a bit so I can enjoy it.  LOL.  It was a decent month... if you don't consider that I'm van-less and Tim's $12,000 hospital visit.  Hell, if I had $12K I'd buy myself another van.  *Rolls Eyes*

Tomorrow starts another new month.  I have to take the girls for their semi-annual dental cleanings.  This week I also have to get the February newsletter written and sent out, plan for our camping trip, do a lot of article writing, and do some work on Liz's second book.

Oh, and hopefully the last piece of paperwork I'm waiting on will arrive in tomorrow's mail so that I can file my tax return.  I'd like to start counting down the days until our refund is direct deposited.  It'll definitely be put to good use this year.  Planning to pay the oldest daughter's braces off a year early and knock that monthly bill off of us.  Also hoping to get my van fixed (it's gonna need a new motor), though Tim wants to just buy another one.  I'd rather keep the one I have since it'll be cheaper to fix it.

Oh, how I love tax time!  While we have the children to claim anyway.  LOL.  Once they're all gone I probably won't feel the same about tax returns.  ;-)

Okay, I'm off.  We have to go visit the in-laws for a few hours.  Maybe, just maybe, Tim can occupy himself with the Xbox long enough for me to get some writing done when we get back.  *Fingers Crossed*

Have a great day!

Thursday Thoughts #16: My Man

Good morning everyone.  It's already turning out to be an interesting day.  As many of you know, we're currently down to one vehicle since my van is down for the count.  Tim's car is a very old Honda Accord that has definitely seen better days in its 254K miles of life.  Yes, it's OLD.  Well, we already had plans to put a new set of tires on the poor fellow in a few weeks.  Nonetheless, we woke up to a flat tire that absolutely refused to hold air.  THEN, when Tim pulled out the spare it was flat too.  Eek!

He managed to pump the spare up enough to take the big girls to school.  When he returned it took him calling eight different shops before he found a used tired to hold us over until we get the new set.  I had to pay more than I wanted to, but the car is drive-able again.  Boy, do I ever miss my van.  I'll be glad when it gets fixed (or replaced).

Since my man is he love of my life, scared me half to death the other week, and is my best friend, I've decided to dedicate today's Thursday Thoughts to my one and only.  Sure, I probably could've waited until Valentine's Day for this, but who cares?  It's my blog and I'll do what I want to! (Sung to "It's My Party").

My honey and I have been together since June 1993.  I was sixteen and working at the local McDonalds.  Even though we went to the same school, we didn't meet until he came in to order chicken nuggets and pestered me for too many packets of BBQ sauce.  LOL.  I didn't know who he was, nor that he was "technically" dating someone else at the time, but I mentioned to a mutual friend that I wanted to meet "the guy in the blue pick-up truck."

The funny part was when the mutual friend brought another guy with a blue truck to McDonalds the next day!  Oops!  Quickly, and quietly, I pulled him to the side and whispered that it was the wrong guy in a blue pick-up truck.  LOL!!!

It wasn't until the weekend rolled around, and all of us teenagers went to the next town over to the hang out spot that everyone called "The Horseshoe" that I saw Tim again.  We talked, rode around, flirted, and all that stuff teenagers did back then.  It turned out that his date for that night had stood him up.  Her lose!  :-)

We were married 10 months later.  <3

Here it is, coming up on our 16th anniversary and 17 yrs together, and I love that man more than I ever thought possible all those years ago, driving around in his blue pick-up truck.  When June rolls around we will have been together longer than we weren't together.  While our friends were marrying and divorcing, hooking up and breaking up, we were steady and happy.

We've created our life together, with our girls and home, but in the end it'll always be the two of us.  I can't imagine life without him by my side, but the other week I had to actually consider that one day we will be separated.  It scared me!

In the end, my honey may have a temper that I have to keep in check for him, he's as country as he can be, can completely piss me off at times, but he's MY man.  He loves me for me, does anything I ask him to do (even if he grumbles about it sometimes), and I hope he's by my side until we're both old and senile enough to not realize the other is missing when the time comes.

I love you, Tim!

Now that I'm done being all sappy and emotional, I'm off to start the day.  Have a great Thursday!  The weekend is just around the corner.  :-)

Wanna Know Wednesday #51

It's Wednesday!  We're halfway to the weekend.  Woohoo!  It's about time. 

I got up this morning and wanted to go back to bed.  After a few days of warmer weather, it was cold again this morning.  Ugh!  I hate winter.  I can't say it enough... I. Hate. Winter.  I have plans for spring already running through my head--flowers, vegetables, trees with leaves on them so I can't see the neighbors...

On the upside, the sun is shining!  That always makes me happy.  :-)

Oh boy, only one more edition of Wanna Know Wednesday after this one.  I can't believe it has been a year already. There's only so much information I can think to share about myself.  Today's topic is....

10 Plans I Have For the Weekend

1. Planning a trip with the family (yes, we are going away next month).
2. A top to bottom cleaning of the kids' bathroom.
3. Normal laundry & dishes.
4. Cleaning out the van since I have no idea when/if it'll be fixed.
5. Cleaning the camper. We're taking it on the trip instead of hitting a hotel (to save money).
6. Mailing out some bookplates to a reader.
7. Making dinner rolls to put in the freezer. My stash was depleted during the holidays.
8. Spending time with my girls.  Board and card games!! :-)
9. Painting my nails with a light, fresh, spring color.
10. Work!  Gosh, I hope I can get some work done.  I'm missing my writing.

Soon the Nascar racing season will return and Tim will be occupied on Sundays.  Those will be the days that I'll be able to finally get some quiet time and do some writing.  Eek!  I'm excited!  LOL.  Yes, you've met someone who actually likes doing their work.  It makes me happy, keeps me sane, balances me out.  My writing centers me.

Well, I'm off for now.  Have a gorgeous day!

Will winter ever go away?

Good morning.  It's poor, pitiful Tuesday again.  I've decided that spring will never arrive and I'm suck in a wintery hell forever.  I'm ready for spring!  At least the sun is shining brightly today, and that always helps my winter hatred... until I go outside and the temperatures don't match the amount of sunshine.

Usually around this time we're planning a small trip.  We always go somewhere in February, usually to Gatlinbug, TN.  We're getting cabin fever!  Tim's on the prowl for a good enough deal to convince me that we can afford to go.  LOL.  Thank goodness it's nearly tax time and we'll have some extra cash arriving in a couple of weeks.  If I can just hold him off until then...

I love when we go away.  I don't care if it's just the two of us, or all five of us, I always enjoy being away from home.  We have certain places that we return to time and time again, every year, and Gatlinburg is one of those places.  We even spent our honeymoon up there.  However, this is going to be a tight year with disposable income, since there is NO disposable income.  LOL.  I'm trying to convince the man that we need to start spending time closer to home, and thus, spending less money.  I don't think I'm succeeding in my attempts though.

Today I have to go by the library to re-check out a book that's due today.  I only need 1-2 more days to finish reading it (I only get to read during school pick-up time), but it's due today.  I also need to do a little more work on our taxes.  I'm still waiting on 3 forms to arrive before I can file our return & start the refund-arrival countdown.  Maybe one or two will arrive in today's mail.

Well, I better be off.  I have some housework to do before I leave the house.  One of these days I'll get to do some actual fiction writing.  Tim seems to "need" my attention more than the children do.  I mind giving it to him, but I'd also like to do some work to pay for the trip he keeps begging to go on.  *Rolls Eyes*




*Picture: Pigeon Forge, TN when we went last April*

The last week of January.

Good morning everyone.  Welcome to another Monday morning.  This one leads us out of January and into a new month.  How has the month been for you?  Have you stuck to your New Year's Resolutions, or have they fallen by the wayside with the rush of everyday life?

I don't make resolutions, but I do make yearly goals.  I seem to be right on track for my yearly goals, so I call the month a success.  Of course, that's "business" goals I'm talking about.  I don't consider Tim being in the hospital any kind of success.  However, it has brought him over to my healthy eating side.  Bwahaha!  Welcome to the dark side, my dear!  LOL!  I still can't get him to even consider tasting my veggie sausage though.  All in time, honey.  All in time...  *wink*

Since I'm talking about business goals, I've been asked by many if I've heard from the New York editor who has Time For Death in her hands.  I have not, but she did say that it would get read in January, and there's still a week left in January.  LOL.  There's no telling when I'll hear back, but I will be moving forward with my plans in a couple of weeks whether I hear back from her, or not.  I'm sure I'll hear back before that day comes though.  Fingers crossed for good things.  Think happy thoughts for your lovely friend, Christie!  ;-)

This week is a week of no appointments at all.  I'm relieved after all the appointments we've had this month already.  Next week, on February 1st, the kids have their dental cleaning, and then that's it!  No more check-ups for anything until the next orthodontist appointment. 

Oh, did I mention that the girls had their yearly pediatrician check-up last week?  All the kids are perfectly healthy, with no problems whatsoever.  Yay!  The youngest ended up getting 3 shots in the legs and a skin test on her arm.  Unfortunately, they were out of the MMR vaccine and since it has to be given with the chicken pox vaccine or a month after, I have to take her back next month to get it.  We had to hold her down for the 3 she got last week, and I'm sure we'll have to do that again for the next one too. 

All in all, everyone is happy, healthy and immunized against the bad stuff out there.  :-)

All right, that's it for today.  I'm going to attempt to get some work done.  Easier said than done with Tim constantly wanting my attention.  He's worse that the kids these days with wanting my undivided attention.  The man definitely needs a new job soon.  Boy, I hope this economy picks up soon.  LOL.

Have a great Monday!

Thursday Thoughts #15: Once a year.

Good morning everyone.  It's Thursday; almost time for the weekend!  It's been a busy week, but at least everyone is healthy this time.  It was last Thursday that I rushed Tim to the emergency room.  Eek!  This week is definitely better than last. 

It's just after 8am here and I've already gotten the older kids up and off to school, fed the youngest breakfast, did my workout, and cleared out my morning e-mails.  I'm going to attempt to get some writing work done over the next couple of hours and then it's appointment time.

Today's the day that the kids have their yearly pediatrician check-up.  Every year I call to make the appointment and every year the receptionist tries to make three different appointments on three different days.  And every year I refuse and request all three at one time, on the same day.  There's really no reason to have three different appointments for this.  I'd have to go three different times, waste gas on three different days, and interrupt all of our schedules for three different appointments.

I suppose it would be different if I had a boy thrown into the mix, but it's all girls.  And it's only once a year.  I'm so glad the girls are healthy.  Most years go by with nothing more than a head cold or stomach bug, without ever bothering with visiting the pediatrician.  Therefore, we only go once a year for an over all check-up, finger prick, vaccinations, etc.

This year, our youngest will have to get her 5 year old, neccessary for school entry, vaccinations.  She's so excited about being 5, and being old enough for kindergarten (we don't believe in pre-k) that she's not even complaining about having to get shots.  She's actually announcing to everyone that Thursday is her doctor's appointment.  LOL!  I'm sure that tune will change once we get there.

Thankfully this only happens once a year.  A lot of things only happen once a year, but we tend to dread them more than unpleasant events that occur on a regular basis.  Why do we put off those check-ups, dental cleanings, tax time (not me, but people I know), and numerous other events?  Why not just do it, get it over with, and move on to something more enjoyable?

Well?  Oh, you want me to answer that?  No, really, I'm asking you.  Seriously, I have no idea either.  LOL!  Oh well, maybe someone else will know the answer.  *Shrug*

Okay then, my stomach is growling like a grizzly bear, so it must be time for my breakfast.  Afterwards I'll get some writing work done, spend some time with Tim, play with the youngest, and get ready for the pedi appointment.  Wish me luck!  Hopefully there will be less tears crying than I'm expecting... and that's just from the 13 year old.  LOL!

Have a great day.  :-)

Wanna Know Wednesday #50: The last year.

Morning, morning!  Wow, it's already Wednesday.  When the week starts a day late it flies by all that much faster.

Only two more weeks of Wanna Know Wednesday.  I can't believe it's been a year.  This week's entry is about memorable (to me) things that have happened over the last year.

1. Finished writing another book (though it's not published yet).
2. Had a stalker, and it appears they are finally gone.
3. Went on 6 different trips with the hubby.
4. Got re-proposed to by the hubby & started planning our vow renewal.
5. Expanded my Facebook friends, and I've enjoyed talking to so many of them. :-)
6. Our oldest daughter turned into an official teenager.  ACK!
7. Our baby is now 5 and getting ready for her first year of school in the fall.
8. Sent a manuscript to a NY publishing house editor!  Eek!
9. Lost 40 more pounds.  :-)
10. Started writing my 6th book (5th novel).
    

Today I'm working on my novel rewrites.  It takes time when you're starting from scratch.  I started a new file and am working from the old one in order have a "template" to work from.  I have the jist of the story in the "bad" file, so at least it will be quicker than the original first draft.  Nonetheless, I'm going to consider this the REAL first draft since I'm hating the original one so much.  LOL.

Oh, and for the ones asking... Yes, Tim is feeling much better.  He'll be on antibiotics for the next month, but he's eating solids and his energy level is picking back up.  Luckily, he's agreed to eat meals more similar to mine (I eat a lot healthier than he does), in an attempt to not have this happen to him again.

I've discovered that being frightened for your child's life is just one notch worse than being frightened for your beloved's life.  He scared me to pieces last week when I rushed him to the hospital.  And I will go ahead and publicly admit that I sobbed hysterically AFTER I got him there, got the kids' arrangements made, and was sitting all alone in the waiting room.  Strict, bossy mommy/wife-mode subsides and the panic and worry set in when you're all alone.

I guess that's an emotion that I can now use in a story.  LOL.

Okay, I'm out for today.  I hope you have a wonderful day.  :-)

Go away & don't come back!

Good morning! Today starts a new week in my household. The kids were out of school yesterday for MLK Day, so today is a "Monday" around here.  I'm okay with that as long as this week isn't nearly as bad as last week was.  That was one hell of a week.

Now I'm another year older, the baby is another year older, Tim has decided that maybe, just maybe, he should improve his diet (LOL), and I'm happy that everyone is healthy again.  What a way to start a new year.

Today I'll be working on some writing, a new business concept I've decided to work on, and the oldest has an orthodontist appointment this afternoon.  Oh, and all the normal, everyday stuff I'm always dealing with.  Tim just go back from taking the big girls to school and the youngest is watching cartoons & waiting on breakfast.

On the upside, I estimated our taxes yesterday (I like to get them done early) and, even though all my paperwork hasn't arrived yet, I'm liking the refund $$$ amount I'm seeing.  It's a good thing too as Tim says it's looking like I'm going to have to buy a new vehicle.  My van just isn't hanging in there and he doesn't think it's going to be worth fixing.  Ugh.  Anway, I'm hoping to at least pay off the oldest daughter's braces a year early with it.  :-)

Here's hoping my perky self shows up this morning and I can make the best of the new week.  *Fingers Crossed*

My tummy is growling, so I'm off to finish up breakfast, start laundry, and get to work.  Have a great Tuesday!

Happy birthday to me.

Happy Sunday everyone.  As many of you may have noticed, I've been M.I.A. since Wednesday.  Wednesday night Tim started feeling bad.  We thought it was a bad case of indigestion.  Thursday morning he was much worse with vomiting, chest pain, and rapid breathing.  When I found him sitting in the shower, unable to move, and moaning about the pain, I'd had enough and rushed him off to the emergency room.

I got him there at lunchtime Thursday and we didn't leave the hospital until 7pm Friday night... and they wanted to keep him longer, but he'd have none of that.

He was diagnosed with Acute Diverticulitis.  Or what was explained to me as, an intestinal infection in the colon.  He was one very sick man.  They pushed 4 bags of antibiotics, 2 bags of just fluids, and three bags of potassium into him while we were there.  Once he decided he was going home, they wrote him 3 prescriptions for more antibiotics that he'll be taking for the next week.

On top of that, our youngest daughter's 5th birthday was Friday.  Due to Tim being in the hospital, we postponed her birthday party until Saturday.  Well, according to her new 5yr old logic, she didn't officially turn 5 until her party.  All day Friday she was telling everyone that no, she wasn't 5, she'd be 5 when we had her party.  LOL!

Oh, and today is my birthday...

Ugh.  What a hectic weekend it has been.  Tim's mom was also admitted into the hospital (again) Friday when I was taking Tim home.  She has breathing & heart problems, but refuses to quit smoking--even though she knows it'll help her.  So anyway, she's back in the hospital due to not being able to breathe.

Soooooo, there's why I've been M.I.A. lately.  I'm exhausted.  I'm thankful that the kids don't have school tomorrow so I can sleep a bit later.  I'm glad Tim's feeling better (he's finally back on solid foods today).

And, happy birthday to me. :-)
The picture above is today's pic of me and Tim.  We take one together every time my birthday rolls around.  He still looks a bit pale and tired.  We certainly won't forget this crazy weekend.

Wanna Know Wednesday #49: Reading is Writing!

Good morning to all you wonderful people! It's Hump Day, so get out there and do some Hum.... um, yeah, nevermind.

Anyway, as I was saying, it's the middle of the week.  Time to look at what you've accomplished so far and decide if you're right on the mark, or if you need to push a bit harder to reach your goals before the week ends.  Did you waste the poor pointless Tuesday like I did, and now need to make up for it by playing catch up today?

Today will be spent writing and roasting.  I've decided to roast a turkey for dinner and I have two articles left to write for the week.  Oh, and it's a payday for me, as well.  I love paydays!  Of course most of this payday will go toward my youngest daughter's birthday on Friday.  A big girl bed and bike don't come cheap, but they only turn 5 once. :-)

Okay, here's my Wanna Know Wednesday for this week.  Reading is something that definitely helps me get into the writing mood.

10 Books I Read in 2009

1. Twilight
2. Grave Surprise
3. New Moon
4. Sunlight
5. Librarian by Day
6. Eclipse
7. An Ice Cold Grave
8. Breaking Dawn
9. Doomsday Can Wait
10. Dead and Gone

Reading is definitely a gateway into the writing mood for many writers.  You must be a reader of the genre you write in order to understand how to write your own stories.  I think every author should read at least one book a month in their chosen venue.  But maybe that's just me.  ;-)  You can check my website for a list of all the books I read in 2009, and the ones I'm reading in 2010.  http://www.christiesilvers.com/

It's too darn early for me to think, so I'm off to drink some caffeine and wait for Tim to get home from taking the kids to school.  Then I'll have to make breakfast, start some laundry, and hopefully be awake enough to get some actual work done.  Have a great day and don't forget about the hum....  yeah, that...

Stranded. Eek!

It's Tuesday.  There's nothing special about today, other than it's a Tuesday... even that isn't anything to jump for joy about.  Poor Tuesday is so understated, and stranded on the wrong day of the week.  Monday starts the new week, Wednesday is halfway to the weekend, Thursday is the day before Friday, Friday is the end of a work week, and then you have the weekend!  So what about poor little Tuesday?

Well, I don't know about you, but I find Tuesday to be one long, boring day.  I was super busy yesterday, but today I've only managed to wash one load of laundry, clean out the cookies in the desktop computer, and run a virus scan.  Nothing of interest to myself, much less to anyone else.  LOL!

Luckily, things will improve once I get busy on my novel.  I wrote articles yesterday, so today it's time to finally get back to Liz and her current adventure.  I managed to come up with the setting for book 3 the other day.  Now I just need to get book 2 finished so that I can start on book 3.  Hopefully book 4 will come to me when I make it to book 3.

Even though Tuesdays aren't anything exciting, they do make good days to just think about what you need to work on.  Thinking Tuesdays!  Today I'm thinking about how to bring closure to Liz's current adventure.  Will things end well with her current bed-buddy?  Will the story end will "evil" being defeated completely?  Will Liz understand that these evils are helping her grow and understand her own powers?  Will I still have hair left when I'm done pulling at it during the process of this storyline?  Ack! 

Oh the home front, my youngest baby girl will be turning 5 on Friday.  I can't believe it's already time for that.  She's super excited.  Then two days later it'll be my birthday.  Maybe, just maybe, Tim will have my van fixed for my birthday.  I don't need anything else except my own vehicle back.  I'm tired of driving his car.  Blah!

Well, I just realized that I haven't eaten any breakfast today.  I tend to forget to eat, but the growling tummy always reminds me.  I'm off to have some toast.  Have a great Thinking Tuesday!  :-)

Starting the week over again.

Happy Sunday!  So, I've decided that since last week didn't turn out to be such a great week to start fresh and jump back into the normal routine, tomorrow I'm going to start all over.  The kids go back to school, for a full week, there are higher temps and no snow in the forecast, and I have nowhere special that I need to be.  That brings me back into what should turn out to be a "normal" week... finally!

I'm ready, ready, ready to finally start the new year.  The holidays are fun, snow days are an exciting break, but I'm always glad when they're O. V. E. R.

We visited the in-laws this morning, had lunch with them, and then came back home.  I have laundry washing and now watching 500 Days of Summer.  It's been sitting next to the television for a week now, so the oldest and I are watching it while Tim's working on the van and the younger girls are off playing together.

The rest of today will be a typical Sunday of cleaning and preparing for the new school week.  Hopefully Tim will get my van fixed.  The other day it froze over because he only had water in it instead of antifreeze.  And with all the low temps lately, it froze.  So he's having to replace the freeze plug and he's having a lot of trouble doing it.  We've been stuck with just his little Honda Accord for a week now.  I'm anxious to have my own vehicle back AND the space that accompanies it.

All right, the washer stopped, so I need to move things around and get back to the movie.  I hope you're having a nice Sunday.  :-)

Thursday Thoughts #14: Winter Weather Preparation

Milk, bread, eggs... HURRY!!!  Run to the nearest store for these three items!  So what if you're out of everything else.  Or if you have cupboard full of other foods.  Snow's coming and you might need to make some... FRENCH TOAST!!  Eek!

There's something about the panic that sets in around here when the meteorologists start talking about snow.  Yes, yes, back in 1993 we had a freak blizzard.  People were without power for days, a week, or more.  But it's highly unlikely to happen again.  We live in Georgia, that's why it was a FREAK blizzard.  LOL!

Nonetheless, people go wild and rush the stores for three basic components... milk, bread, eggs.  I don't understand this concept.  If you keep power, are you planning to eat french toast while you're stuck inside?  But what if your power goes out?  Uh-oh!

Milk, bread, and eggs are just normal everyday staples in my house.  I don't go out of my way to "stock up" when bad weather is coming.  I worry more about heat, clean clothes, and having things that can be eaten if there's no power for cooking.  Otherwise, it's just business as usual.  You're going to cook your normal meals, do your normal household chores, and stay warm while the world around you wonders how long they'll have to eat french toast three times a day. 

Hahahaha!

Anyway, our kids are only stuck in school for half the day today.  School is letting out early because snow is suppose to be hitting between noon and midnight.  Even if all we get is rain, there most likely won't be school tomorrow because of ice.  They're saying we won't get above freezing until Sunday or Monday once this hits.

I'm just hoping the kids get some snow to play in and enjoy.  The youngest has been asking if we have a magic hat so she can build a snowman and name it Frosty.  :-)

All we can do now is wait and see what happens.  Oh, and I have to go out early for pick-up time.  11:30am comes quickly on a school day.

Have a great Thursday and stay warm!

Wanna Know Wednesday #48: Back to school

Happy Hump Day!  Today my work week begins.  It'll be a short one, but at least the kids are back to school.  It's still bitterly cold here, definitely un-Georgia-like. 

We're still being warned about Thursday snow fall, and the possibility of a lot of ice for Friday.  However, they keep moving the snow further into the day.  It was suppose to hit at 7am, then noon, and now they're saying between noon and 5pm.  Who knows what'll happen?  It may just rain, but with the low temperatures that'll turn to ice, making for a much more dangerous condition than the snow.  I guess it's all a wait and see game when it comes to any type of weather.

Okay, so now it's time for this week's Wanna Know Wednesday.  Only four more of these left after today.  Since the kids went back to school, today's is about what I'm doing or will be doing in their absence. :-)

10 Things I'm Doing Today

1. Enjoying a lot more quiet.
2. Spending one-on-one time with the 4yr old.
3. Getting back to my writing.  Yay!
4. Making a bank deposit without hearing someone say they're bored.
5. Not watching a newly 13yr old sulk because I wouldn't let her stay home while I made the bank deposit.
6. Writing this blog entry without interruption.
7. Only making breakfast & lunch for one child instead of three, and not hearing complaints about what I make.
8. Being able to have a conversation with anyone,
9. Reading a book. I haven't had time since school let out 2 wks ago.
10. Enjoying an hour of alone time while waiting in the pick-up line at school.  This is when I do my book reading. :-)
    

Before I go, just a reminder that my monthly newsletter went out this morning.  Everyone subscribed should have received it successfully.  I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to forward it to anyone you think would be interested in it.

That's it for this morning.  Time for me to go do some article research.  I have three articles to write this week and then it's novel time.  Have a great Wednesday!

The last day of Christmas vacation.

Good Tuesday morning!  Today is the last day of Christmas vacation in my house.  The big girls go back to school tomorrow, and I get back to my work.  However, the weather forecast may put a kink in those plans, as it's calling for snow on Thursday and Friday.  Tomorrow may be the only day of school this week.  LOL!

Oh well, life can't stay at a standstill forever.  Spring will arrive eventually.  I hate winter, but it definitely makes me appreciate spring and summer even more.  :-)

I'm almost back to 100% after being sick.  Just a slight sniffle left today, that should be gone in another day or two.  I don't get sick often, usually only once a year, but when I do it's a rough one.  At least my one is over with now and I can get back to business.

Speaking of business, today I'll be over at DS claiming some new articles to research and write.  Then it'll be time to work on totally rewriting Time For Battle.  To put it bluntly, it sucks!  I've let it sit for a month, to stew in its own juices, to percolate in my imagination, letting my mind work through the details so that I can start from the beginning and rework everything.  I'm sure Liz will be much happier with my telling of her story after I change it up and make it readable.  And even if she's not, I'll be much happier, and that's all that matters.  LOL!

Today it's bitterly frigid outside.  The fireplace has been burning nonstop for almost a week now.  Back when it was warmer I warned Tim that there wasn't enough cut firewood to last the whole winter, but he didn't listen.  Guess what he was out doing yesterday in temperatures so low that the wind stings your lungs when you breathe in.  Yep, cutting wood!

Seriously men, when your wife tells you something like that, please listen to her.  She knows what she's talking about.  Especially when she's lived with it for years and years and years.  I told Tim that it serves him right for not listening.  Maybe one of these years he'll listen.  *Eye Roll*

All righty, I'm off for today.  Tim's got a bit of cabin fever & wants to go out later.  I'd rather stay curled up in front of my warm fire, but with the possibility of snow, I guess he better get out while he can.  Have a lovely day and stay warm!

The first week of the new year.

Happy Monday morning everyone.  And welcome to the very first week of 2010. This is the week that we all start fresh and excited to see another year.  The weekend is over, the holidays have passed, and now it's time work toward our goals for the year.

I've been battling a nasty head cold since last Wednesday evening.  I finally, after days of coughing, a sick tummy, and numerous used tissues, woke up feeling much better.  Yay! Just in time to enjoy the last two days of sleeping late before the kids go back to school on Wednesday.

While many are headed back to work and their daily routines today, I still have two days left.  However, I kind of wish that our county had gone back to school today.  I much prefer starting with a full week instead of a half.  Oh well, what can ya do?  :-)

Nonetheless, I'll use today and tomorrow to clean, make sure things are scheduled for this new month, and prepare for the kids to go back to school.  I'm a planner about everything.  I like to have a written "to-do" list at all times and know where my day is headed when I wake up.  Surprises are nice & exciting from time to time, but I can't happily live with constant chaos.  LOL. 

So today will be a preparation day for me.

Time to make those plans, ladies and gentlemen! What will you accomplish in 2010?  Not what do you WANT to accomplish, but what WILL you accomplish?  Positive thinking is the way to your dreams and desires.  If you don't think you can do it then you probably won't be able to.  Make plans, be positive, be ready for what the future brings.

Happy 2010!