A Quick Update:

We went Christmas shopping yesterday and sent out all but one card, plus Leah's package. Today, we're going grocery shopping and Jeff will finish shopping for me. I also need to finish my shopping for my mom.

I'm hoping to get caught up after we get back, since I won't have many gifts to wrap. I'll need to finish up the stockings, though.

Anyway, I'll catch up later and, hopefully, do some writing.

Have an awesome day! :D

Lois

More Christmas Shopping

Today, Jeff and I are going to the post office (I need to print out an address label for Leah's package), then we'll do some Christmas and/ or grocery shopping. We still need to buy gifts for Eric, Chelsey and Josiah. I also still have a couple things I need to get for my mom. And Jeff still needs to shop for me. I want to stop back at the candy store and get some more fudge, too.

I wanted to read some more in New Moon last night, but opted to watch La Femme Nikita with Jeff, instead. I'll be sending it back, along with Escape to Grizzly Mountain. I'll be getting Alistair Simm's version of A Christmas Carol next. :)

I still don't know what to fix for Christmas dinner. Jeff says, "whatever you fix, don't fix goose." I wish I could get a nice big slab of lamb, but I don't know where I'd get it. :( We'll figure something out, though.

I'm hoping to get to do some more writing this afternoon or tomorrow. If not, I'll definitely be doing some on Sunday. It's hard for me to want to write, but not be able to. :(

I got photos of the tree, plus a few others. I'll be getting more. I still need to edit them, but at least they're on the laptop.

I've got an idea for another book, too. It will be an ongoing project, as I have time, as I'll have to research traditional Cherokee stories. It'll be a lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun...and educational for me.

Well, I'd better go. I've got a few things to do before we can go.

Have an awesome day! :D

Lois

I'd Rather Be Writing

I've been busy this morning. I wrapped the rest of Leah's gifts, then wrapped Jeff's and a few tiny ones that my aunt sent to my mom. I still need to get the stockings and Christmas cards ready. I guess they'll get to everyone late. :/ I need to package Leah's gifts and send it on. She'll get it late, I'm sure, but she knows it's coming. I'm looking at it this way: at least if she gets it late, she can't open it early! :P

Anyway, Chelsey, my mom and I went shopping yesterday. Eric was there for a few minutes, but he had to start work, which gave Chelsey a chance to show me a couple things he wants. I'll remember them for when Jeff and I are out shopping for them. :)

We put up the tree, too! :D The pictures are still in my camera right now. It's on the tripod in the other room. I still want to get some family photos, even if I won't be able to put them in with the cards.

So, I'm hoping to finish up with the stockings and cards in time to do a little writing this afternoon.

I've filled out the jury questionnaire to send in, too. *bleh*

We never went to the potluck. I was fine with not going, but Eric had his heart set on it. There is a real lack of communication there. The secretary thought families and spouses were invited, but they weren't. They need to let people know if they can bring their families or not. It's not fair to get people's hopes up, only to dash them at the last minute. :(

Anyway, I'll be pretty busy today. I like being busy. I just wish I was more busy with my writing and less busy with holiday stuff.

Have a great day!

Lois

Day Off From Writing...Maybe

I wrote two character journal entries yesterday, bringing me up to where I started (the first entry was where the youngest character comes in). It came to around 13 pages. I had some awesome compliments yesterday about how my characters/ idea are very original and how I may "corner the market," so to speak. Very cool. :)

Today, I need to do a few things that I've been putting off because of writing. Our tree still sits bare in the living room. The Christmas cards still remain undone. I still need to do some shopping, too. And there's a potluck at the greenhouse. I don't know if I want to go, though. My mom would be left home alone. That would be a bummer for her. The room they have it in is on the second floor and the steps leading up are steep metal stairs. She could never make it up there. :(

I also need to get some photos taken to put in with the Christmas cards. I haven't had a chance to do that yet. :/

I just can't seem to keep up this year. Hopefully, I can catch up on most of it today. I'll have to resist the urge to work on my writing, though. That's hard for me to do right now...really hard...but I have to do it.

Jeff, my mom and I watched A Christmas Carol (1999 - Patrick Stewart). I love that movie! :D We'll be getting the version starring Alistair Simm next. :)

And on that note, I'd better go. I need to finish up on here, then get ready to go to the potluck (it's at 12:30...if I go).

Have a great day!

Lois

I Was Busy Yesterday

I managed to write not one, but two character journal entries. I started back at the beginning with Hassun's entry, then continued it with Abooksigun's entry (which, in my opinion, is the best one so far). The next two entries will be for Hassun and Abooksigun too, and they'll pick up from where I left off and end around the time when they meet the Apache, Kangee. This is all backstory. As I've said, most of the story will take place in the present.

I also made a few new graphics to go along with their characters over at Native Heroes.

I never got around to editing Xander Greywolf's novel yesterday. I plan to work on that some today, then I'll write the new character journal entries.

I still have a lot of other things I need to do (decorate the tree, work on the Christmas cards, etc.), so I need to keep those in mind.

I hope you're having a good week, so far. Have an awesome day!

Lois

I've Been Busy!

I got a lot of stuff done yesterday, but it wasn't all on my To Do List. I washed dishes in the morning, fixed omelets, fixed breakfast for my mom, washed her hair, washed and dried four loads of laundry, then got caught up on LJ and the writing forum.

Jeff came home early and took a nap. He had to go back to work around 2:00 or after. As he was heading out, I was beginning a character development chat with some friends over at the writing forum. I got some great ideas for Kangee's story. He's one of my new characters, and eventually, he'll have a Greek name, as well: Angelo Demetrious. It may not make sense, but it will. ;) He's an Apache and a lot of his story takes place in the 1800s, but most of it will be much more modern. The other two male characters will play a huge part in the same story, too, but we just worked on Kangee yesterday. I pretty much already had his character all fleshed out. I just needed a story arc for him. I also need to think up some character and physical weaknesses. I have some, but they're somewhat general. I need something specific.

Oh! I also wrote the final feedback for my final student! :D Today, I'll be sending her a congratulations e-card. :)

I also heard from one of my other students. I'd sent him "Indebted" and "Mysteries," and he loved them. He signed up for a WordPress account so he could read my Native Heroes character journal. :)

Speaking of...I added Kangee's first entry to Native Heroes. I need to write entries for Hassun and Abooksigun, since their stories start a good hundred years before Kangee's.

Chelsey picked up some extra lights for the Christmas tree last night, so we'll probably decorate it today. I also need to get the Christmas cards ready. I have to make a list of the things I still need to get for Leah, too.

I'd better run if I want to get things accomplished. :) Have an awesome day! :D

Lois

A Character Development Chat Would Be the Perfect Activity for Today

I don't know if I'll be doing any writing or character development today. I have one last feedback to write before I go on hiatus for a little while (hopefully, jury duty won't affect it at all), and then an "extracurricular" feedback. Otherwise, my To Do List really has nothing to do with writing:

• decorate Christmas tree
• start work on the Christmas cards
• print out bank statement
• Christmas shopping (haven't finished yet)
• see about returning an order for my mom

And that's it. I'll be chatting with the writers over at the writing forum, so I may get something done, after all. We're having a character development chat. I'm hoping to work on one of the American Indian characters. :)

I also want to do some reading. It just depends on how long it takes to do each thing.

It's cloudy and foggy here and we're supposed to have a high of around 58°. This weather is so not worthy of Christmas. Where are the sub zero temperatures? Where's the snow? I'd even take icicles right about now. Anything to feel even a smidgen of Christmas spirit! (I know the spirit of Christmas is more than snow, but to me, it just doesn't feel like a real Christmas without snow.)

Anyway, I'd better hurry up and go fix my mom something to eat, then finish up on here.

Have a great day!

Lois