The Struggle is Real week 5: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

 

Well, I am a day late posting this.  And not a lot has changed since last week.

 

Life still continues to hammer away at my writing time with the intensity of a nor’easter in mid-winter. 

 

Once again, I won’t bore you with details. Basically a “same stuff/different day” scenario.  But despite my best efforts to get back on track this week, I fell somewhat short of my goal.  Well more like a few miles, give or take a hundred.  😏

 

I did get in a couple of good afternoons of writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my characters.  So the issue is really not writer’s block or not making time.  It’s just other things getting in the way. 

 

It helps, to a certain extent, to look back at the week and realize it is not entirely me, there is a lot of demand on my free time and some days, that “me” time comes at an hour that’s just too late –my muse is not a night owl, after all. 

 

So as I continue to move forward and try to wrangle some time for me (are we, as moms, wives and caregivers even allowed to think about me time?  Sometimes I think not!) I will keep myself accountable and keep you updated.

 

How did you do with your writing goals this week? Did you meet them? Or did you fall short, or like me, miss them by a mile or more?

 

I’ll be back next week with another update!

The Struggle is Real Week 3: Crash. Burn.

 

Well, this past week saw me crash and burn with regard to touching base with my story every day.

 

What happened?

 

Life.

 

First an unexpected appointment.  Nothing serious, just something I had not planned my schedule around that day.  

The next day it was arguing with the power company over a $900 utility bill my FIL got in the mail.  The man has one TV and a couple of lamps he uses for a few hours each day.  He is old school Italian and will turn a light off in a room while you are still in it.  I don’t think he uses that much electricity in a year, let alone a month.  Turns out I was right, but it still took a full day and a half and 12—I kid you not—12 phone calls to get it all sorted out.  Such is the life of a caregiver. 

 

Weather.  I’m a migraine sufferer.  Not the whiny kind who uses the word “migraine” as an excuse to take to her bed and retreat from life.  The kind that powers through no matter how bad they are, but on the really bad days, knows when it is time to quit.  Well by the time I was able to quit, it was bedtime and I was not about to go sit at my desk and write.  Nope.  Just not happenin’.  Thank God by the next morning things were better but the roller coaster temperatures of this mild winter have not been kind to my head.

 

Then came the day when I just plain forgot!  Yep.  Got busy and forgot all about it.  I have been working a couple of hours in the evening each week to try to stay on top of my daily work and just as I was gratefully switching off the bedside lamp to go to sleep –oopsie.  I forgot to write today.

So I definitely sat at my desk and made up all this missed time over the weekend, right?  

Right???

Nope.  I worked a lot and by the time I was done for the day writing was not on the radar.  I hate that I let myself--and my characters--down but it is what it is.  Sometimes you just have to do what will pay the bills.  

And while it's true I veered off course this week, I am not done yet.  I am going to right the ship, turn this bus around, get myself back on track, place the gerbil back on the wheel etc and do better over the next seven days.  Stay tuned.

 

So how was your week? Did you hit your writing goals?  Or like me, did Live have other ideas?

 

The Sunshine Award

The lovely and talented Stacy D. Holmes has awarded me with the Sunshine Award!   Thanks, Stacy, you made my day--and made me get off my lazy behind and blog LOL.

The Sunshine Award is a lovely sunny flower that bloggers give to other “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”.

And like any award, there are rules....

(1) Thank the person who gave you the award in your blog post.

 (2) Do the Q&A below

(3) Pass on the award to 10-12 deserving and inspiring bloggers, inform them and link to their blogs.



Favorite Color:  It changes but usually a deep royal purple of a nice soft bubblegum pink. 

 
Favorite Animal: Dogs. I truly believe their unconditional love is a reflection of God's love for us. And I don't care how bad my day has been, that wagging tail to greet me--even if I was only gone long enough to take out the trash or walk to the mailbox-- just lifts my spirits.
 
Favorite Number: Five
 
Favorite Non-alcoholic Drink: Ice cold water or unsweetened iced tea, both with a lemon wedge
 
Facebook or Twitter: Facebook makes more sense to me though I'm not that comfortable with either one--I just don't have time to sit down aand figure it all out, life is too busy!
 
Your Passion: American history, especially the Civil War era.  I just can't read enough about it and every time I learn something new, it leads me to read even more.  It's a vicious cycle!
 
Giving or getting presents: Giving.  I love to brighten the days of my loved ones with a little unexpected something that I know they'll enjoy, whether it's a pack of gum, or a special treat in the boys' lunches, or buying hubby a bottle of his favorite soda and sneaking it into his lunch for the next day, I love to give.  
 
Favorite Day: Thursday.  It sounds totally "Pollyanna" but I really like knowing the weekend is right around the corner.  Once the weekend gets here, it's gone in a flash ...but on Thursday, it's all still ahead of me.
 
Favorite Flowers: Daisies and tulips.  Daisies are so sunny and cheerful with their little faces tilting toward the sun --and tulips are so elegant and graceful. 

I'm supposed to tag ten people now but am not having much luck finding people who haven't already been given the Sunshine Award so I choose:

Roni Adams 
Kat Henry Doran 
Leanne Tyler
Susan Macatee
Isabel Roman