A New Writing Website, I'm A Winner, and Other Stuff:

Photo Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I've been struggling for the past two weeks with what I wanted to write here. I'm resistant to the thought of going back to a "This is what I did today" format, so I'm trying to find interesting things to share on my blog. My friend, Patti, told me to write about my passion. Right now, that's writing--but not just my own, and I'll talk about that in a minute. Right now, I just want to say that things have changed a lot for me. I don't have as much free time as I did a year ago, but in many ways, that's a very good thing. It's forcing me to grow as a writer, to learn how to better manage my time, to learn discipline, to make time for what matters (even when it seems frivolous) rather than just doing whatever strikes my fancy in the moment. While that may be well and good for some people, it's very undisciplined, and one cannot be successful letting the winds take them every which way.

In an effort to earn some extra money while having fun with something I enjoy, I've become a part of a new Web site for writers. It's called Your Story Starters, and we're trying to gear it toward writers suffering from what many refer to as "writer's block," as well as teachers looking for material for their students. We offer prompts--story starters--that will get people thinking and, of course, writing. We've seen many sites on the Internet, many books, offering prompts. Most of them are very basic, or they're just plain weird or funny or--definitely not what we're offering. We try to give some tips and questions to get the writer or student thinking, to get them excited about the piece. We're not getting these prompts from other sources. We're putting a lot of time and effort into them because we want to offer the best product out there. We want to go above and beyond what everyone else is doing. We want to put out a product we can take pride in, something that people will recommend to others.

As a result of this, I'm learning a bit about social networking. I've had a Twitter account for a long time, as well as a Facebook account and a Google+ account, but I haven't used them as much as I could have. Mainly, they just seemed very overwhelming for someone who didn't really have anything to say most of the time. Now that I have something to talk about, I find I'm actually looking for things to Tweet or update about. And I'm finding I really love our hashtags (#yss and #yourstorystarters), even if we've only just begun using them. We're not making any money with this yet, but it's only a matter of time, right? The most important thing right now is that we're having fun, but we're also treating this as a real business, because that's what it is. It's work, and hard work at that, even if it is fun work. I'm glad to be a part of this, and I plan to do my part in making it the success I believe it can be.

In other news, Nanowrimo is coming up. I have no idea what I'll write. I haven't worked out any storylines. But I think I'd like to write some kind of fantasy. I have a D&D-style story I was working on, but I want to change it to fit my own fantasy world. The character names will all remain the same, but I'll have to tweak certain details. Should be interesting. I think for this year's Nanowrimo, I'll concentrate on the character's backstories. I should have plenty of information to come up with a novella length document.

I also have another story in the works. I'm working on the outline. It's slowgoing, and it's not for publication. It's for the roleplay. It's an interesting concept, and there's a lot to consider in this story. I want it to be complex, but interesting. Most of all, I need the characters to be real. Shouldn't be a problem. The hardest part is plotting, which is always the case, and I've got lots to go on in that regard. I'm still really loving my character, Dakota, too!

And now for the personal stuff. Eric and Chelsey have moved back up to Joplin. I won't go into detail, but Eric's already got a job, and he's also working on their new house with Chelsey's dad. It's a ton of work. Chelsey's been really busy, too. And Josiah's started pre-school. From what I've heard, he really loves it.

Jeff's still working at the greenhouse, and I still can't help wondering when they'll "go out of business" again or something, but I'm trying to stay positive and learn contentment where I am. Most of the time, it's relatively easy, but there are times when it's not. Just need to keep from letting those times bog me down. Easier said than done. 'Nuf said?

My mom's here. She's been here for more than two months. It's been a good visit. I feel kind of guilty spending so much time back in the studio working on this or that, but we get time to socialize in the evenings, too. And I imagine she loves the peace and quiet as much as I do.

We're hoping to go up to Joplin before my mom goes back. When the kids moved back up there, we went with them. Jeff drove the truck, and I kept him company. This was when Isaac came through, but it wasn't really that bad. It was kind of nice, actually. And as always, it was great to see Jeff's dad and step-mom. We want to go up there again within the next six weeks. We need to sit down and discuss when would be a good time. We'll also need to head to the airport at some point, when my mom has to fly back home.

Oh! One other thing on the subject of writing--sort of. I actually won a book! I follow The Plot Whisperer, Martha Alderson, on Twitter and Facebook. I also subscribe to her email, since I tend to miss a lot of tweets and status updates. In one of the most recent e-mails, I saw that she was doing a mini tour on the Internet, and I could possibly win her new book, The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-By-Step Exercises To Help You Create Compelling Stories. All I had to do was comment on an entry to be eligible. I didn't expect to win anything, but I wanted to comment and let my support for The Plot Whisperer be known. I figured I'd buy the workbook after a little while, so winning wasn't really all that important to me. But I won! I actually won! :D So far, I really love it. It asks a lot of really great questions about the plot, the characters, etc. I plan to use this for my Nanowrimo book of backstories, too. It should help make my characters and their world ever more complex and realistic, as well as the main story, when I get around to creating it.

~L

Note: Photo Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Eleven Days - Has It Really Been that Long?

The past eleven days have been good. The weather has been nice. No storms to cause us to run for the storm shelters, but it's been very hot and muggy.

My birthday came and went, and so did Josiah's. I took pictures at Josiah's party. Here are some...



Josiah got an aquadoodle! :D


He was rockin' in this truck (Jeep?)!


Jeff and I bought him an inchworm, a gift I wanted to
get him last year, but couldn't, because he was too
young. Chelsey took this picture and texted it to me.
Isn't he cute? :)


Can he blow out his candles? He sure tried! ;)


My mom started horsing around, and I snapped this! :P
(Actually, I put her up to it, and Jeff was my
partner in crime.) :)
Josiah loves Dora the Explorer, and my mom got him a couple of Dora books, one of which had a music player included. He loved it!

And for my birthday, I got a Kindle from Jeff and my mom. My mom also got me a new slow cooker and an espresso machine. Eric and Chelsey got me a red dish drainer to match my other red kitchen things (I've been wanting this for a long time, so I'm really happy with it!) and some lilac candle tarts...and something else that's coming in the mail.

Speaking of the mail, I'd ordered a cook book for Chelsey, and it arrived in the mail yesterday...just in time for me to wrap it and take it over to the party! :D

We also went to the Farmer's Market yesterday morning. I bought some huge green onions and another small bottle of Goatie Girls Bug Be Gone lotion. My mom bought some snow peas, which I'll add to one of this week's meals, and a small loaf of Parker Pond Farms' Pumpkin Bread. The three of us (Jeff, my mom, and I) shared the bread over some drinks at Sweet Bay while I downloaded more of my Kindle library. :)

And after Josiah's party, we went grocery shopping. We spent a bit too much, but the important thing is that we put some weight on Jeff without buying the cheap, unhealthy crap you find everywhere. I've been fixing most meals in the slow cookers, and they're mostly healthy. I admit to using some cream of chicken in some of them. Next time, I'll get the fat-free kind so it's better for my mom.

Anyway, since I've been using the slow cookers a lot more, we've been having a lot more fruit and vegetables.

Speaking of...I need to write up an article, complete with photos, of the fruit salad I make, as well as the ensalata caprese, for Milli over at Fear of Writing. I'll try to post a link here once it's up.

Jeff's doing a lot better. He's still got some recovery left to go, but he's progressing well and is back at work. I just hope he doesn't overtax himself. Today's temp is hovering at 100°, and I'd hate for him to get sick!

He's also mostly done readying the hallway and part of the front entrance for painting. He just has to remove some wallpaper scraps, touch up with the primer, and then we can paint it. We bought the paint yesterday. :)

I haven't been doing much writing lately, but I've been working on a knit cardigan for myself. It's my first sweater, so it's a learning experience. I've had to scrap it three times (at least), and I have to undo about three rows and redo them. I hope I don't have to keep doing this. It's becoming a nuisance! :/

I plan to get back to my writing tomorrow.

Have a good one!

Lois

Long Weekend...Sort Of...

Jeff's minor surgery is tomorrow, and I still have to get things ready for that, but I wanted to post about this past weekend.

What wouldn't be all that special to most people, I found exciting. I haven't been to very many farmer's markets, so I had a great time going to the one in Fort Smith. There weren't very many vendors out. I learned that some had gone home because the high winds kept blowing their canopies over. But I got to talk to a woman from one of the farms I discovered on Facebook, and she told me a bit about home grown eggs, which was pretty cool. We also talked about green tomatoes, and she told me who to talk to (another vendor) about them. We bought some home made doggy treats and some chocolate chip cookies from her. They were yummy, and Nikita loves the treats. :)

We also stopped at the table of another vendor I wanted to check out, where I bought two different kinds of lotion. One is a combination of lilac and lavender, and the other is made with citronella, catnip, black pepper, etc. It sounds weird, but it smells great! It's called Bug Be Gone, and I plan to get more soon.

We also got Eric a couple of gifts for his birthday: a jack for their car, and a gift card to the hair salon inside Walmart. He loved both gifts, so we're happy. :)

And we went into town to check out the closing sale at a candle shop I love but rarely bought from (because of their high prices). I bought two lilac jar candles and a six-pack of little tarts in a scent called Romance.

And today, I've spent a lot of time treating the house for fleas, doing laundry, and catching up online. We bought some flea spray for carpets and upholstery, and I started with our room and my studio. I got everything up off the floor that I could, then I sprayed the carpet real good. I closed off the rooms and took Nikita out to the dining room (actually, she was already there--when she saw me start spraying, she made a beeline for the front of the house). I fixed breakfast, did dishes, and got dinner started in the slow cooker.

After I was done, I opened windows in the bedroom and studio, then vacuumed them. I did the same for the hallway, living room, dining room, and kitchen, being careful to cover things up. While the floors were drying, I brought Nikita back to the studio.

Then after I vacuumed those rooms, I took Chloe out of "her" room, moved her food and water and all out to the kitchen, then treated that room and the guest room. I vacuumed again after a while, opening several windows to air everything out.

And I'm still doing laundry...

It's been a long day, but I'm glad I got so much accomplished! :)

Oh, and Jeff instructed me on how to wash Nikita, as he's been the one doing it. We have a special attachment in our shower, and he showed me how to use it. He was amazed at how well she did for me. No scratching or trying to get away from me or anything like that. She did great! :D And she got to have three of her new treats for being such a good girl all day. :) After her fur dried, I put some generic Frontline on her. I treated Chloe earlier, so they're both up to date on that.

I just hope we can knock these things down. They're driving me crazy! O_O

I think I hear Jeff in the shower, so I'd better get off here so we can relax for a little bit before bedtime.

Lois

Road Trip!

Okay, the road trip is over, and has been for about two-and-a-half hours. ;) The drive to the airport was good...and dark for the first hour and a half to two hours. Once the sun came up, I began to feel a little more awake. Or maybe it was the McDonald's coffee that did the trick.

Anyway, I waited with my mom for about an hour and ten minutes, until someone came to help her board the plane.

I met up with Jeff downstairs, and we stopped off at the Starbuck's kiosk so I could get another coffee. I've had my fill of caffeine today, that's for sure! Now I'm drinking decaf. :)

On the way home, we stopped for lunch at Bonanza Steakhouse. I think we used to eat at this chain when my sister and I were little. Or maybe it was Ponderosa Steakhouse or some other steakhouse. I'm not exactly sure, but I think I should ask my dad when I talk to him again. Anyway, Jeff and I both got a combo with a steak and grilled shrimp, plus the food bar. I was good. I fixed myself a nice big salad and had only a little bit of potatoes. I ate half of my steak, ate three of the shrimps, then had dessert (and even that was limited). The salad filled me up! I didn't have room for much else. I have to say, though, that the food and the service were very good. I'm hoping to go back sometime.

But first, I want to try the Carrabbas in Rogers. On one of our first dates, Jeff and I went to the one in Baltimore, and the food and service were excellent! :D

Our very first date was Friendly's, but the closest ones are in...gasp!...Ohio!?!?

Anyway, our trip to the airport and back were good. As we got close to home, we were stopped on a nearby road and asked to detour, as there was a trailer being moved, and it was blocking the street just over the hill. No problem. We just went the back way.

When we got home, Jeff let Puppis (Nikita, Nikki, Nixie) out of the kennel, and she made like a mad dog and ran all around the house like the hyper pup she is! :P

And now we're just enjoying some nice quiet time at home...with some windows opened, believe it or not! It's 75° here right now!!!  *happy dance*  I'm not quite ready for warmer weather, but for today, it's nice. I'll take it! :)

Have a good one!

Lois

So much for piccies...

I haven't had a chance to do any editing since I last posted, but wanted to post a little something anyway. I've taken a few pics of the inch or so of snow we got last night, and those have been added to the folder of pictures to edit.

Hopefully, I'll get a chance to edit them soon.

I finished the scarf I've been working on. This morning, I started a pair of handwarmers to match them. I've also begun a scarf to match Jeff's handwarmers. We discovered last night that we may both need scarves for the nightly walks with Nikita. At least when it's cold and windy. I had my new one, and it kept my face comfortably warm. Jeff didn't have one, and his face was very cold. He's not usually one to wear scarves, but he was wishing for one last night. ;)

Chelsey wants to learn how to knit / crochet. I'm so excited! :D I gave her the Knitting and Crochet for Dummies book I had. It can teach her the basics, but I told her if she has problems, I can help her out. I also gave her some yarn, and let her borrow a pair of knitting needles.

There are two 10K Days for Writers coming up soon. I plan to participate in at least one of them...probably the one on the 19th. I'll either work on an Immortal Watchdogs story or come up with something new. I can't wait! :D

Our new washing machine is awesome! I so love not having to go to the laundromat. :)

My new coffeemaker is awesome, too. Right now, I'm drinking a cup of Sumatra coffee brewed using the aroma button. Thanks, Mom! :)

Today, I'm working on the screenplay edit...and, of course, the two new knitting projects. ;)

What's everyone else doing today?

Lois

Back to Work!

I haven't been on here in a long time, but I'm ready to try again. I've cut my work load back, so it should be much easier for me now.

 

Today, both Jeff and I are starting back to work. He is starting at the greenhouse (he was laid off for two months or so), and I'm resuming work on my writing (I took a longish break). 

 

I have ideas for a screenplay rewrite, and I've got to get them all down. My old idea, while I loved it, it just didn't seem like movie material. It seemed more like a novel in screenplay format. I'm going to change it, make it better...make it bigger. I can't really explain it better than that. I just need to get to work on it as soon as possible (as soon as I finish up online).

I've been working on a baby afghan. Here are three pictures:







I also knitted some hand warmers. I've tried knitting with double pointed needles before, but always got frustrated and quit. This time, it was fairly easy, for some reason. Here's a picture of one of the hand warmers:



Jeff and I went shopping for new shoes this week, too. He found some shoes for work, and I found some to replace the ones I've been wearing. Here's a photo:



I've finally taken a photo of the other Fittonia bowl terrarium I planted. Here's a picture of that:



And the last picture of the day is a funny one I took of Jeff and Niki:



So, this past week, I've done a lot of crocheting, a little reading (I've resumed The Faery Reel), and a bit of shopping. For the most part, it's been a pretty good week.

Oh! But our Mollies died. :( We're going to give it another week or two before we get anymore. One of the plants doesn't look too hot, either. Jeff thinks it has something to do with the nitrites. He keeps testing the water quality every few days. Yesterday, he added some kind of stuff to help regulate the nitrites, and hopefully it will work. Two of the Molly fry died, and he put the last one in the aquarium, but the Betta found it and ate it. At least she's doing well! :P So, all we have left are the frogs and the Betta, and they all seem fine. The Ghost Shrimp mostly disappeared, but we saw one dead on the bottom (Jeff removed it immediately), and we saw the tail of one up against the filter's intake. I think it's safe to say that they all died, as well. Maybe they'll do better next time...

Lois

Busy Day Today...

I plan to write for two hours, then stop for the day...no matter how many words I get. I'm still quite a bit ahead, and I did write 2,269 words yesterday, so I'm good. :)

Then I'll move some things into the guest room.

Eric needs to backup whatever files he wants to keep from my desktop computer so he can move them to Chelsey's, then I can have my desktop computer back. I'll be moving it into our bedroom and using my laptop as the portable computer it's meant to be. ;)

Jeff's still waiting to hear back about the job search e-mails he sent out yesterday. He needs to get a hold of a woman at the greenhouse in Grand Rapids, too. He tried yesterday, but got the voice mail, so decided to just call back today.

We're thinking of taking Niki to the Humane Society. We just don't know if we'll be able to keep her with the way our finances are...and with Jeff being out of a job. We may give it a few more days before we decide.

Chloe's got fleas, so we now have to get Frontline Plus for her, as well. :(

If we move, we may get rid of most of our furniture. I have to say, I wouldn't miss most of our furniture if we do. Most of it's crap, but there are a few things I definitely want to take with me.

Anyway, I've got to go get something to eat, then I'll start writing.

Have a good day!

Lois

Happy 4th Of July!!!

Yesterday was good, but I didn't do much reading. I got some yarn when we went shopping, so I did a little crocheting. Jeff's been working on his resume and cover letter, mostly editing and refining them.

Eric and Chelsey are setting up her computer and trying to get anything off it she wants to keep. I'll be formatting the hard drive and installing a fresh copy of Windows XP on it later. I'll also copy some setup files on it, in case she wants any of the free programs I've downloaded off the Internet (such as OpenOffice.org, Photo Filtre, and Belarc Advisor).

I'm hoping to do some writing today, even if only a little. I don't want the story to go cold.

I've got to e-mail my sister, too.

And I want to read.

Jeff and I will be babysitting Josiah tonight while Eric and Chelsey go out to see Eclipse. :)

That's about it for today. I hope everyone is having a great Independence Day! :D

Lois

Reading, Writing, and A Photo

Today is Jeff's last day at the greenhouse. He's still going to get two weeks' vacation pay, thankfully, but he'll be applying for unemployment, too, at some point.

I'll be writing more this morning. After today, I'll write as I have time. Jeff wants me to show him how to use the desktop computer so he can write his cover letter and work on his resume on it. It's in Josiah's room right now. We may end up moving it, but I'm not sure.

I got my book, Black Diamond, in the mail yesterday. It was written by my Nanowrimo mentee, Ja'Nese Dixon. I'm loving it, so far. I'm about two-thirds of the way through it, and once I pick it up, it's hard to put it down! :) She sent me a free book by another author, too, as she was having a giveaway for preorders! :D

My mom got some pictures in the mail yesterday. Eric and Chelsey were at Sears (I think) about a couple weeks ago, and a woman ran after them and asked if she could photograph Josiah (she was a photographer at the Sears Portrait Studio). She took several, and gave them information on where they could view the photos and order some. My mom ordered some, and they just came. She gave one to Jeff and me:



Isn't he the cutest little bugger you've ever seen? :D She has a larger one I'd like to scan, but we'll see. I want to digitally scrapbook them. :)

Well, I'd better hurry up on here so I can get to work on the novel.

Have an awesome day! :D

Lois

One Day At A Time

Yesterday was good...if you ignore the fact that Niki chewed the bottom of Jeff's shirt...while he was wearing it...and a good section of his pillowcase. *sigh* Anyone want a dog? :(

Jeff is now working half days. The greenhouse is staying open until the 30th, then who knows? He'll be getting two weeks' paid vacation, thankfully, so that will help. He'll be applying for unemployment, unless he can get a job at the other greenhouse.

I looked at apartments online, and then houses in the areas I'd like to live (as well as V. B. and F.S.)...mostly for fun, but also to see what's out there. F.S. has some decently priced houses, but we haven't looked at them in person. For all I know, they could be crappier than the crappy house we looked at up here! :P But I remember the houses we looked at down there. It seems to be cheaper there for comparatively priced houses.

We've been discussing the possibility of fixing up the house a little and putting it on the market, then trying to find something cheaper. It's too early to decide anything, but we're talking it over, at least.

We may go to the grocery store later. I have a few things to pick up.

I'll probably just see what I can do with the house...weeding out or whatever. I never did that yesterday.

Have a great day!

Lois

Deja Vu...Sort Of

Some of you will remember how the old greenhouse Jeff used to work at closed down. He got a job offer and we moved down here. Well, it's happened again...at least the closing greenhouse part. He got the news yesterday. There's a chance someone could buy it out, but even if he keeps his job, there's a good chance he'll have to take a pay cut. So, we're back in the situation we were in three years ago. He has a job through June and into July, but he doesn't know how far into July.

I told him this could be a great opportunity. I have family here, but we rarely see them, so there's really nothing keeping us here except the house. If we can sell it and move back to Joplin, that would be awesome. We could help Eric and Chelsey get settled up there, and we could start moving toward a future move to the northeast.

Prayers and good wishes would be greatly appreciated during this time of transition. Naturally, Jeff's worried, but I remain hopeful. I like Joplin better than here, and would love to move back and start really working for the future.

One thing I don't like, though, is that I'll likely have to find a job. That will mean much less time for writing and whatever other creative things I want to do. I may stop altogether, just because a job can take all the steam out of a person...depending on the job. I'm hoping it won't come to that, but only time will tell.

I look forward to seeing what the future holds. I feel at peace about the whole situation, and am praying that Jeff will feel it too.

Have a great day!

Lois

Getting Ready for Tomorrow's Party...Sort Of

Chelsey and I hung the decorations yesterday afternoon, with a little help from Jeff and the peanut gallery Eric. I'll try to get some pictures in a little while. Don't know when I'll get around to posting them, though...likely sometime after the actual party.

Please pray that the potential drama will be nonexistent. We want everyone who comes to remember it's Josiah's birthday party, not a time to bicker and fight or put each other down!

I've washed a load of laundry. It's the curtains to our bedroom, plus our sheets and a few other things. I'll need to fluff dry them. They've been sitting for a while.

Chelsey and I moved the bookcases into the guest room, then moved the books and everything on them. I rearranged them and brought my decorating books into the bedroom. It still looks a bit cluttered in here, but not quite claustrophobic. I still like my space, even though it's a small space.

I made a half gallon of Boston Iced Tea. It's really yummy! :P

Niki's lying at my feet, napping. She can be really cute and well-behaved sometimes.

Jeff's been under the house, working. His days off aren't really days off. *sigh* Well, tomorrow will have to be a day off for him. It's Josiah's first birthday party. ;) It's 95° right now...and feels like 104°! The bedroom is nice and cool, though. :D I hope Jeff can get out from under the house and come in to take a shower soon!

I don't think I'll get to do any writing today, but if I can make the time, I will. First, I have to finish catching up online and get the laundry out of the dryer.

Have a great afternoon and evening...and weekend!

Lois

It's Showtime...At Least I Wish It Was.

Yesterday was so-so. It was cloudy and gray all day, then we had storms last night...or, to put it more accurately, some areas to the north and south of us had storms. The supercell that hit Oklahoma City came to our area, but we were spared the worst of it. Today is supposed to be mostly cloudy, and we have a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Our high is supposed to be 85°.

I finally got my Prince CD! :D I absolutely love it! It was well worth every penny I spent and every day I waited for it. I can't wait until I can order the movie on DVD! :)

I didn't get a lot of writing done, as you know if you read my writing progress post. I doubt I'll get much written today, either, but we'll see.

Jeff has a doctor's appointment this afternoon. It's a follow-up to last week's E.R. visit. I'll be going with him, and I plan to take the laptop in case I stay in the waiting room. I probably won't take the device, so won't connect unless there's Wi-fi there.

Speaking of Wi-fi, I'm seriously considering getting rid of AT&T. The device I have keeps reverting back to a connection profile that can't connect. I have to choose the correct profile every time I open the stupid software. On top of that, the connection is lousy a lot of the time. So, I'll be doing more research on other plans and see what I can come up with. If I disappear at some point this month, it's because I've canceled my plan and didn't have time to post about it (though it shouldn't be a problem to post about it first).

Anyway, that's about all that's going on here. We're all alive and well, and I hope you are, too! ;) Hopefully soon, I'll be able to catch up on my F-List.

Lois

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I'm really late today, I know. I started the day fixing breakfast bowls and doing the dishes. Then I started the laundry, changed the litter in the litter box, and vacuumed Jeff's and my room and bathroom.

The technician from the ER called. She said there was a problem with the portable heart monitor and that they lost a ton of data. She wanted to know if Jeff wanted to try again or forget about it. I had to call him and give him the number, so he's likely called them by now.

Josiah's been doing a lot of walking lately. He can pretty much walk across the living room without falling. Sometimes, he'll lose his balance, steady himself, then keep going. He's so cute! :D

Chelsey's done a lot of cleaning today, and Eric cleaned my mom's fan. He also drilled a hole in the wall so he could run the satellite cable into their room instead of running it down the hallway in front of my mom's door. That would not be good when my mom's here. She would have tripped over it for sure.

I got my check for Jury Duty. That was fast! :D It's not a lot, but I sure need it! I'm going to put most of it into our joint account and keep a little out for myself.

Thanks for the virtual tulips, j0yful_melody! :D They're pretty! :)

I'm loving this new device, but I'm not so sure about the AT&T Communication Manager software that came with it. It keeps stalling, and it screwed up my computer twice already. :/ At least I haven't lost anything because of it.

I don't know if I'll get any writing done, but I'd like to work on the storm story a little more.

We're going shopping again tonight, but not for too much stuff. We just need to get a couple birthday cards, some gas for the lawn mower and some Kleenex for my mom's room...and another rawhide bone for Niki. The kids need to pick up some stuff, too.

I need to straighten up and organize my work area in the living room, then I should have time to do some writing. I want to take another shower, too...maybe. I got sweaty and dirty after my early shower, so I really should.

Anyway, have a great day!

Lois

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I'm really late today, I know. I started the day fixing breakfast bowls and doing the dishes. Then I started the laundry, changed the litter in the litter box, and vacuumed Jeff's and my room and bathroom.

The technician from the ER called. She said there was a problem with the portable heart monitor and that they lost a ton of data. She wanted to know if Jeff wanted to try again or forget about it. I had to call him and give him the number, so he's likely called them by now.

Josiah's been doing a lot of walking lately. He can pretty much walk across the living room without falling. Sometimes, he'll lose his balance, steady himself, then keep going. He's so cute! :D

Chelsey's done a lot of cleaning today, and Eric cleaned my mom's fan. He also drilled a hole in the wall so he could run the satellite cable into their room instead of running it down the hallway in front of my mom's door. That would not be good when my mom's here. She would have tripped over it for sure.

I got my check for Jury Duty. That was fast! :D It's not a lot, but I sure need it! I'm going to put most of it into our joint account and keep a little out for myself.

Thanks for the virtual tulips, j0yful_melody! :D They're pretty! :)

I'm loving this new device, but I'm not so sure about the AT&T Communication Manager software that came with it. It keeps stalling, and it screwed up my computer twice already. :/ At least I haven't lost anything because of it.

I don't know if I'll get any writing done, but I'd like to work on the storm story a little more.

We're going shopping again tonight, but not for too much stuff. We just need to get a couple birthday cards, some gas for the lawn mower and some Kleenex for my mom's room...and another rawhide bone for Niki. The kids need to pick up some stuff, too.

I need to straighten up and organize my work area in the living room, then I should have time to do some writing. I want to take another shower, too...maybe. I got sweaty and dirty after my early shower, so I really should.

Anyway, have a great day!

Lois

Very Quick Update:

I'm back! At least briefly. We're at the mall right now, and we'll be heading to the court house in a little bit, but I wanted to let you all know what's up.

We went to Best Buy, and I qualified for an upgrade, so for $18, I upgraded to the new device. If I want to cancel after our term is up (next month), I can. I'll be looking into Satellite Internet (Wild Blue and Hughes.net) before then.

As far as Jeff is concerned, he's been wearing a portable heart monitor. The doctor said he didn't see anything life-threatening in his lungs, with his heart, or anything like that. They have him wearing the portable heart monitor because they didn't see any reason to keep him for too long. He thinks it might just be a combination of a little anxiety, working fifteen days straight, and the pesticides and other things they use at the greenhouse. I tend to agree, but I'm glad he went in, anyway. I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear the doctor say he couldn't find anything wrong but a slightly irregular heart beat (Jeff has had a heart murmur for all his life, but it's not serious).

So, good news on both fronts!

I'll be back either later this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

Hope you're all well!

Lois

More Photos!

We've been having storms here, but the sun came out briefly. Needless to say, I snatched up my camera and snapped these:

I rarely get good rainbow pics. I think the last time I got any was when we still lived up in Joplin, Missouri, so I'm really happy Icaught this one. :)

I let Niki out without her leash or collar this morning, per Jeff's suggestion. He swore she wouldn't want to stay out in the rain for very long, but I think she was out there for a good 45 minutes. She was mostly dry by the time I took this photo:




I took some more photos of the Jacqueline Du Pre roses yesterday. They're a lot like the ones from the day before, except there was more sunlight.








Jeff's working seven days a week now, and this will continue into June. *blah* He doesn't mind, for some reason, but I have the sneaking suspicion that it's illegal...that they're exploiting loopholes. I don't want to cause a raucous, though, since he doesn't mind...and it could mean his job...although, now that I think of it, that could be an interesting way of getting us moved back to the Northeast! :P

I've moved a bunch of my office stuff into the living room, since I've been spending a lot of time in here. I think my mom will appreciate it, too, since I'll be out here while she's visiting, instead of being cooped up in the back for most of the day. ;)



This was the first one I took. You can see part of a chair to the extreme left of the photo. That's sitting at the card table,where my mom will do her puzzles while she's here. :)


Those garbage bags under the table are full of clothing for the Salvation Army. I'm really hoping we'll take them beforemy mom comes.

Since today is Saturday, we're planning on doing our grocery shopping tonight. Jeff will call around noon to see if the kids are feeling well enough to take me to the store earlier in the day, but I doubt they will feel up to it. They're still in bed, so I can't really ask. Hopefully, they'll feel well enough, but we'll see.

For those of you who are wondering (which is probably all of you), they had their wisdom teeth pulled on Monday, and they're still feeling as lousy as they did the first day. :(

Edit: Jeff just called and he thinks he'll get out of work fairly early, so he said to plan on shopping tonight, instead. If he can live with that, so can I. :)

Hope you have a great day!

Lois

It's Showtime!

Awesome article about Vivek Oberoi slipping into a theater to see what the turnout was like for his Prince: It's Showtime film. I especially love the last part, where he talks about his "little angels" in Vrindavan (and the picture of him at the top is cute, too). :) Prince is already showing in theaters here, but those theaters are too far away from our location. I want to go to Kansas City to see it. It would be an awesome early birthday gift. Anyone want to suggest it to Jeff? ;)

I sure hope I don't have a long wait for it to come out on DVD. :(

 

Jeff was sick all day yesterday, but he didn't seem to have a fever. Weird. He's back to work today, though. As far as I know, no one else seems to be sick. He was sick for close to 24 hours.

I did a one-pass edit on my journal-style short story yesterday afternoon. I'm hoping to do another pass today. I've got to get my editing and revision book out of the studio so I can read up on what to look for before I jump on that.

I have one feedback to write this morning, then that's it until I resume training. I'll probably do that on Wednesday or Thursday, unless I don't have jury duty tomorrow.

I've ordered something for our anniversary. Eric and Chelsey know what it is. I'm sure Jeff has some idea, but I haven't told him what it is. It's a surprise. :)

I'd better go get to work on that feedback. Once that's done, I can work on my screenplay, then the short story.

Have an awesome day!

Lois

Happy Sunday!

We did our grocery shopping yesterday. In spite of shopping for four people (Eric and Chelsey still had some money left, and they used a lot of it on Josiah), we spent less than we did last week. Not bad. :)

We looked at the Straight Talk phones at Walmart. I want the $99 phone with the $45 unlimited plan. Jeff "dared" me to cancel our AT&T land line account. ;) I'm planning to do it, but first, I want to research the plan a little more.

Oh! And I've finally printed out my Mom's itinerary! :) She'll be here in less than a month, so we've got to start getting the house ready for her arrival...especially her room. It looks like a tornado went through it. ;)

Today will be a writing day for me. As soon as I catch up online, I'll start work on my screenplay again. I'm planning to edit my most recent short, too...the one I wrote from a prompt.

Jeff's sick today. :( He thinks it's food poisoning. Problem is, he didn't eat anything the rest of us didn't, so I don't know if that's actually what's wrong. He may just have the 24-hour bug. Just in case, I'm taking extra C to (hopefully) keep myself from getting it.

It's nice and sunny here today. Our high is supposed to be 78°, and it's already 64°. Nice! :)

Have a great Sunday! :D

Lois

 

 

This Easter, I'm Writing!

Yesterday was a good day. It started off a little rough, as Niki was just really full of energy and I didn't have the patience for it. I walked her early, though, and she seemed to calm down somewhat.

As usual, we did our grocery shopping. Jeff let me get two cami tops. I'll wear them under short sleeved button front tops...with jeans. They're really cute! :) And we got a few extras, which brought our grocery bill up a bit higher than usual. Hopefully, it will level back out next week.

Eric and Chelsey tagged along with us, and we had lunch at Taco Bell. It was fun.

I walked Niki as soon as we got home. She'd been in her kennel for about four hours, and seemed to have done really well. :)

Jeff paid some bills and shredded some papers, then he took Niki out back while he did some outdoorsy stuff. After that, he heated up a pizza for us for dinner.

During all this, I started work on my screenplay. I wrote just over three pages, plus the title page. On the ScriptFrenzy Web site, they have it as five pages.

It's weird. In a roundabout way, I have to save the document, then save it as a .txt file with formatting, then copy and paste it into an OpenOffice.org document. Once I do that, I can save it as a PDF file to upload to the ScriptFrenzy Web site for validation. It's a little extra work, but I don't mind.

The hard part is writing my story in the screenplay format. I wrote about two pages of a screenplay for a friend of mine, just to get her started, but this screenplay is different. It's my own story, and I plan to enter it in the Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition in May. Don't know if I'll win, of course, but one can hope and pray. ;)

Anyway, my plans for today, now that I've finished washing the dishes and making our breakfasts for the next two days, is to work on the screenplay some more. I also want to color my hair, and give Niki a bath (not necessarily in that order). Otherwise, it's a free day, which is good, for Easter Sunday. ;)

Well, I'd better get busy. I still have three days to catch up on for ScriptFrenzy, and I want to surpass where I'm supposed to be for today.

Have a happy Easter!

Lois