Goodbye 2017 ~ Hello 2018

2017 has been a good year for me personally. I'm cancer free so far. My job is going well. My garden succeeded for a change. My kids seem to be doing well in school, dare I say thriving? In fact, I've been so busy that a few things have fallen off the plate. I've pretty much been on a writing hiatus since my diagnosis in 2016. 

At first, I needed the time to focus on my health, but after that improved, I never got back into the habit. Now I'm one of those people who says "How do you find the time for that??" except I already know how. I'm ashamed to say the news of the world has knocked me out of my "happy writer place" and made it difficult to concentrate on most anything fictional. I've even been reading less fiction, which is probably the opposite of what I should be doing, for my sanity's sake.

I have plenty of writer chores I need to do: write a couple sequels, finish Troll Teeth, begin querying again. It's hard work and there's no one around forcing me to do it, is the problem. If I had a deadline, I'd be more effective. Of course, the answer has always been, make your own deadline and make yourself meet it. It's no easy feat, which is why not everyone is a writer.




I also don't exercise like I did before my diagnosis. Again, busy work got in the way and it was easy to put it off. When I was diagnosed, a part of me was angry about all the exercise and weight loss I'd been doing. Wasn't I making myself healthier?? Apparently not. After my surgery, yoga and arm exercises were painful for me. I've since learned I have to stretch through the pain to become flexible again, but at the time, it was easier just to not do it. Part of me was like "*uck it, you only live once, might as well eat what I want to". But the other part of me likes to eat healthy and fit into size 8 jeans. I feel better. I've come to the realization that women only need 1200 calories a day, maybe less, to survive. Anything after that is stored away as fat. It's not fair, but its a fact. I still love a good Krispy Kreme, but I want to try to get back to my 2015 weight. Again, work no one makes you do but you.

Written goals are always better than "somedays" so here's my list for 2018~

* write more - finish projects in progress; write sequels; maybe write something new; blog more
* eat healthy - eat out less often, eat less in general
* exercise more - yoga and cardio
* less internet news

What are your plans for 2018? Whatever it is, I wish you peace and happiness in the coming year~

Well, that sucked! Goodbye 2016!! And good riddance!

It's no secret 2016 sucked for a lot of reasons, but it also sucked for me personally because I was diagnosed with cancer. I feel pretty lucky I'm still here to tell the tale. Last winter/spring was a scary time to be me, but by June my treatment was well underway and I was getting better. I have a lot to be thankful for. Early detection and treatment saved my life. If I'd ignored it, it could have spread and caused me a lot more heartache.

Two other women I love battled cancer this year. One is gone now and the other is still in the midst of the fight. I could easily be there myself one day, but for now, I'm focused on living the best life possible. That means taking my meds and taking care of myself, including eating well and exercising. Did you know that drinking alcohol daily raises your cancer risk? I never drank much before, but now I have even more incentive not to.

But more than that, I have a renewed desire to travel. To see new places I've always heard about. I want to actually go there instead of putting it off to some magical future when I have loads of time and money. There is no such time. We only have today. This is it. This is what we get.

I read a great quote this year - we don't know how we'll die, but we can decide how we will live.

The way I want to live is this: I want the peace in my heart that comes from knowing I did all the things I wanted to and never lost my sense of adventure. I want to be a citizen of the world and I want my children to know that sense of wonder too.

For many years I've blogged about New Year's resolutions, but this year I spent a lot of time giving myself permission not to do a lot of things because I needed to rest and recuperate. For 2017, I only resolve to live. Really, truly live. I hope you do too~

This Writer's Goals for 2016~

Happy New Year!

Time to start anew. If last year was crappy, forget about it! You can always make the next one better. They say, and I believe it's true, writing down your goals makes them more achievable, so here it goes~

My goals for 2016 are as follows:

1) Read lots of books

Last year I read about 25 books, which is pretty good for me! I intend to keep it up. Join me over on Goodreads and set up your own reading goal.

2) Write lots of words

Between 50,000 and 100,000 words would be good. I'll probably take part in JuNoWriMo to get a good chunk of those. June works much better for me than other months. Summer in general works better for me than the school year. I'm in between projects right now with a rough draft to be edited. I'm sure I can have an outline ready by June though.







3) Travel

Going some place I've never been before always inspires me to write, so this is a definite "to do". Last year it was Hawaii. This year, who knows??


4) Exercise and eat healthy

I got a new Fitbit for Christmas and I think I love it already. All the incentive of tracking daily habits without the monthly fee of joining Weight Watchers. (I love you too, WW. Just not the fee.)

5) Publish

I have two novels I'm currently querying and a third rough draft that I'd like to get into shape for querying soon. With any luck, someone somewhere will want something of mine, right?

6) Grow a garden that survives

My garden was a dismal failure last year due to rabbits, voles, and a lack of effort. When I realized how much damage the varmits were causing, I kind of gave up. I still want a garden though. It's going to require raised bed - cages of some sort because there are still lots of rabbits around. I'll come up with something.


7) Save some money

I want to set up a seperate savings account that's never tapped into for normal bills and expenses so it can grow undisturbed. It's just a matter of setting it up and making an auto deposit. I have college savings accounts, so I know I can do it. I just have to make it happen.

8) Do some home improvements

This follows from the above obviously. I'd like to save some money to make some home improvements. I'd like to replace our gas range with an electric one so I don't set myself or the house on fire. I'm not a fan of open flames in cooking, at least not in my house. I'd also like to build a fireplace, but that's sort of a major undertaking. And a back yard patio and pergola would be nice. See? There's no end of reasons for Goal #7.

9) Meditate

My life gets pretty dang hectic starting in January through June, mostly due to my daughter's dance competition season. I get stressed out and cranky. I've meditated before and found it to be a nice respite from all my rushing around like a chicken with my head cut off. I plan to make time for it again this year.

10) Gratitude

Last but not least, I always want to remember to show my gratitude for the people I work with and the family I love, as well as all the blessings in my life. Life is fragile and it can be gone in a moment. 2015 taught me that once again. I don't want to waste a single minute of 2016 complaining or worrying,if that's possible.

What goals will you make for 2016?

Garden Dreaming and the New Year~

Here it is the dead of winter and I'm already dreaming about next summer's garden. If only this place weren't infested with rabbits. I feel like Elmer Fudd. If I want a garden, I've got to get serious about my rabbit problem.

Seems brutal, I know. But when you're driving down the driveway early in the morning and you see jackrabbits the size of small dogs running from your garden patch, you know sh*t just got real.  All I really want are some tomatoes and a couple of squash. Is that too much to ask?? I just gave up last summer, hoping the winter would kill them off, but it doesn't seem to be happening.

I've got the most amazing salsa recipe! And an Italian friend gave me an awesome pasta sauce recipe. I just want to grow the tomatoes. So here I am, trying to draw plans for a rabbit-proof garden, which I'm thinking is basically a rabbit-proof cage for vegetables.  If you've got ideas, I'm all ears!! And I have a few months to get it figured out.

Where's Wile E. Coyote when you need him?

My Hawaiian Getaway~

Once again, the importance of getting out of one's comfort zone was made clear to me this Spring Break. This time I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii! For this desert dweller, it was like going to a whole 'nother world.

I resolved this year to do something I'd never done before, so I signed up for whale watching and snorkeling. This guy with the ukulele was playing the theme to Gilligan's Island as we boarded the boat...it was indeed a three hour tour! wise guy ;)

 

 

We saw a humpback whale surface a few times, but it was pretty far away. It was still a thrill to know that they're out there. The humpbacks spend the winter in Hawaii before they migrate north for the summer. Pretty smart critters.

 

 

Then we snorkeled off the back of the boat here~

 

 

 

I know that weather looks a bit ominous, but we were on the drier south side of the island of Oahu and it didn't rain while we were there. Turns out, the weather hits the north side of the island first and drops most of it's rain there before it reaches the south side. The result is a continual flow of clouds and sun all day. The trade winds kept the 80 degree temps from ever being too hot. I never even saw a mosquito!  In fact, this was the day I got a little sunburned on my back and shoulders, probably during the snorkeling.

 





I really hoped to attend a yoga class on the beach at the resort, but it just didn't work out as it wasn't offered every day. However, I did manage swim and luau plenty. I also did a treasure hunt with Ryan on the grounds of our resort with a special tablet to give us clues to the secret locations. It sent some kind of a wireless signal to make the "treasures" appear - lighting tiki torches, erupting the volcano, surfacing a turtle in the koi pond. The funniest part was secretly making water squirt the swimmers in the various pools :)  hehe!

 

I hope you enjoyed your spring break too peeps! Now back to the work of writing, renewed and refreshed. :) Peace~

New Year’s Resolution Update

Remember when I said I was going to do something this year I’ve never done before? But I didn’t know what it was yet? Well, I figured it out. I’m going to go somewhere I’ve never been – one of my favorite things to do! Of course, the family wants to go too. Where are we off to? Hawaii !!

 I can’t think of a better place to escape the northern hemisphere for Spring Break. And I mean Break! I need one. But I’m still a planner. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be getting lots of water/sun play time, dolphin sighting, luau smorgasborging, and I just might get to do yoga on the beach.

 The blog might be a bit quiet while we’re away, but never fear! Come April, I’ll be posting regularly again. In the meantime, go follow me on Instagram. I’ll try to post some Hawaii pics there!

The Resolution Time of Year~

Here I am again, thinking about resolutions. I've accomplished much and would like to do even more. These are just a few of my wishes for 2015~


1. Find the writing/exercise/work balance

I've found over the last couple years it's very hard to all three things equally. If I work hard at the day job, the writing and/or the exercise tends to slip. Being a mother, I'm a natural multi-tasker, but I often feel I'm tasked out some days! When do I fit it all in?? I have to get back on my exercising track. After spending much of 2014 writing, I fear that's the piece that's slipped the most. I have a FitDesk that my son spends more time on than I do. That's going to have to change.

2. Promote my new book

Vessel is coming out from Month9Books in May 2015!  It's been a long wait and I'm excited to have a new book out! I've been plotting a sequel in my mind for this one, reading some scifi to get my head around it. I hope to actually write a draft in 2015, just in case the publisher decides its sequel-worthy. :)

3. Finish what I've started

I wrote two new drafts in 2014 that are both far from finished! 2015 is the year they get done and sent out for query. I would like to resolve to have an new agent in 2015 too. I've had a few nibbles, but it's a lot of waiting to see, which I'm not very good at.  I guess I'll just have to resolve to be more patient, but if I have anything to do with it, 2015 will be the year The Color of Water finds a publishing home.

4. Do something I've never done before

Not sure what this will be, but I'll let you know when I figure it out. It won't be anything crazy like bungee jumping or climbing Mt. Everest, but it will be good. I'm sure an opportunity will present itself.

5. Read more widely

I read a lot of young adult, which I enjoy, but I want to read outside my usual stuff, just to have a better idea of what's out there. The YA I write is not like a lot of other YA out there. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I like to think it's the result of reading outside my niche and pulling in some unique elements. (all right, cue eye roll.)

 

 

6. Write more stories

 

There are a lot more stories out there I want to write: more steampunk, more gothic, more scifi. Last June I was able to write a complete first draft in a month. It might be a complete wreck, but it can be fixed. A first draft is half the battle and having an outline helps so much. I resolve to have a new outline ready to go for JuNoWriMo again this year and to continue with the monthly writing challenges I've been participating in. It's so nice to know you have buddies out there in cyber-land chasing the same dreams you are and sharing the struggle with a sympathetic ear.

 

How about you? What are your plans for 2015?

October 25 ~ A Healthier Me

A year ago in September, I went home for lunch and stepped on the scale. I said, “All right. That’s enough. Something’s got to change.” And I signed up for Weight Watchers online. At first, I just tracked my food and I started to lose some weight. Not huge amounts, but enough to be encouraging. After a few weeks though, the weight loss slowed down. In October, I added exercise to my routine and that has made all the difference in the world. By February, I was down to my goal weight. Not some ridiculous two digit weight, but a weight that was healthy for me given my age and height.

 

Today, it occurred to me that I’ve been exercising regularly for about a year now. I’m still at my goal weight. It fluctuates a pound or two, here and there, but that’s normal. I’m stronger and slimmer than I’ve probably ever been my whole adult life and it only took six months. I wish everyone could do this. I mean, anyone CAN do this, but there’s a whole host of reasons why people don’t. It all comes down to you. If you say to yourself, “Self, I’m ready to change myself and my habits and I’m not going to give up until I get it” then you can. And it doesn’t have to happen all at once. I made my changes slowly, a little bit at a time.

 

When I first started tracking my food, it was so hard to stop myself from eating too much. I was snacking WAY too much. I love chocolate. I always had some in my desk. My portions were outta whack. The first few weeks were definitely the hardest because I was learning just how many “points” my usual meals were costing me and I hadn’t yet learned healthier alternatives. I was hungry a lot then. But as I was able to acclimate myself to smaller meals and healthier snacks, I found that smaller portions were enough for me. The stomach is a very elastic thing; the more you stuff in it, the more it stretches and the more food it takes to fill it. If you stop stretching it so much, it shrinks back down after a while.

 

The wonderful thing about Weight Watchers is you can eat any food you want. I could eat chocolate and cookies, and I still do. The key is portion size – it has to be small. The minute you tell me I can’t have something, that’s the only thing I want. You do have to exercise a lot of restraint with those things to keep the portion small, but you can still have it.

 

I was lucky when I started WW I had already given up soda a few years ago. My stomach can hardly tolerate it now; the carbonation kills me. If there was just one thing you could do to improve your health, if nothing else – don’t drink soda. It has a lot of calories and no health value whatsoever. The phosphoric acid is bad for your teeth and probably your bones as well. And you can save a boat load of money by not buying it. That’s my two cents on that. HATE SODA!

 

Anyway, that’s all there is to it. Lots of little changes that add up over time. Less food. More activity. So easy.

Blog #22 Letter to my Fifteen Year Old Self

Today is my 43rd birthday.  I had to give some extra thought to what I might write today.  I finally settled on this letter to myself when I was a young writer. Please feel free to pass it along to any young writers you may know too~

Dear me, 

I know there are lots of kids out there, just like you, who want to write something, but lack the confidence or the support to do it. I’m here to tell you, do it anyway.

Maybe you think it’s stupid or silly or you wouldn’t show it to anyone in a million years. That’s ok. Keep every single scrap of paper you ever wrote a story on anyway. You might use it later. You don’t have to show anyone until you’re ready.  Just remember, there’s no one like you in the whole world and you have something important to say. Everyone does.  Don’t listen to the naysayers that tell you otherwise. Ever.

And it may not be very good at first, but you’re learning. Like anything, it takes practice. Keep at it. Read everything you can and then write some more. Find your voice, your “you-ness”, and put it on the page.  When it is true and honest, it will shine and you will know you’ve done your best.

 

 

Blog #13 Resolutions in Review

Half a year ago in deepest, darkest winter, I made a number of resolutions. I thought mid way through the year might be a good time to review and see what I still have left to do. Just to see how it's going.

1. Get published

I've been working hard with my editor on this one. Hush Puppy has made it through proofreading and has been sent off to the formatting department. Now, I'm just waiting for them to do their magic and tell me when it will be released...waiting...waiting patiently. Luckily, I have several other projects in the hopper to keep me preoccupied.  More about those in a later post...


2. Get healthy

I made it to a healthy goal weight in March and I'm in "maintenance" now. I fluctuate about a pound, up or down, each week. I can live with that. I feel good. My summer work schedule has changed how much time I have to work out, but I seem to be doing enough to stay in the right place. I never honestly thought I would lose as much as I did, but it came from changing eating habits and doing more exercise.  When you make up your own mind to change, it really isn't that hard to do. Honest.

3. Read and write more

Hmm. I read more during the winter. Lately, I've fallen off that wagon. Reading is one of those things that slips off the plate so easily for me. It's not for lack of books on my 'read' list at Goodreads.  See comment in a previous blog about cloning myself...

However, I do think I've been writing more or at least more regularly. My goal of a chapter a week seems to be keeping me on track toward finishing Storyteller Book 3 this fall, while giving me some flexibility in how much I get done on any given day.







4. Be more flexible, mentally and physically

For the physical part of this, I started doing yoga in the mornings. Nothing too crazy difficult. None of that 120 degree yoga class stuff for me. Just some nice stretching and breathing. It's good to take some time to just focus on your body and listen to what it's telling you. It's a wonderful way to start the day.

The mental part, well...I dunno. I do my best to remember my mental flexibility, but I'm sure I've had moments where I reacted with my gut to people, rather than being open to what they have to say. I guess that will just have to be a work in progress.

5. Rest when you need to

This is probably my downfall. Like a lot of people, I have a lot of balls in the air at any given time.  Like all this blogging, for instance.  Maybe in August, I'll take a break from daily blogging and read some more, get two resolutions done at once.

Did you make any resolutions this year? How's it going? I'd really like to know.

Blog #9 Missing my Morning Yoga

When the weather got over 100 degrees there for a few days, I switched my schedule around. I’m a creature of habit normally. On a typical day, I get up and do twenty minutes of yoga before breakfast and waking up anyone else. Then I get dressed and go to work. 

I started the yoga over the winter and it quickly became a favorite part of my routine.  I use a couple of Rodney Yee videos with lots of different workouts so I never get bored with it. At least not so far.

 

 

But when it started getting hot out, I decided I had better feed my llamas early in the morning while it’s still cool outside. It’s been nice seeing the sun come up.  I don’t have time to do both in the morning without getting up even earlier, so I thought I would just move the yoga to the evenings.

Trouble is I haven’t remembered to do it. Too many other things get in the way! Writing, blogging, taking the kids to the pool, the dog to the vet, etc. etc. I swear I need to clone myself just to get all the stuff done I need to do in a day.

 

 

 

Anyway, it kind of worked before, so starting this week I'm back to yoga in the mornings!  I'll just have to sweat out feeding llamas in the evenings, even if it is hot. :)  What's your morning ritual?

31 Blogs

Sounds like a bad chick flick, doesn’t it? Like a crazy person, I signed up for #31daybc, which stands for “31 day Blog Challenge” in normal speak.  July is a busy month for me, but honestly, I don’t think I have any months that aren’t busy anymore.  I thought it might actually be a good month for me to blog lots, because I have lots going on this month.  I resolved last January to write more, including blogging more, and its one thing I haven’t done to my own satisfaction. I’ve found that “challenges” help motivate me, so I jumped on this month long challenge. And I can’t lie; I like the fact that it’s just a month.

So what’s going on this month?  My  birthday, my daughter's birthday, a trip to the Oregon Coast Writer’s Workshop and, if all goes well, a book release for Hush Puppy . (I still don’t have a firm release date, but I should hear something any day now.) I hope you’ll come back often to cheer me on.  And Please!! Give me blog post ideas!!  I love comments so talk to me, k?

Blog #1 July 1  One down, 30 to go!

Resolutions, Both Old and New

Every year I resolve to get published.  This might actually be the year it happens, for real.  I say “might” because I have signed a contract with Featherweight Press to publish my contemporary young adult novel, Hush Puppy, but I have no idea how long the editing process will take.  I am hopeful that 2013 will be the year.  So, resolution number one…well in hand!

I made several new resolutions this year too.  I resolved to be healthy.  Last fall, I started watching my diet and exercising.  To date, I’ve lost 21 pounds and I’m working on becoming even more active.  Resolution two…lookin’ good!

I resolved to read more and write more.  If you haven’t been on Goodreads.com yet, get on over there and be my friend!    Let me know what I should be reading.  “Writing more” includes doing a better job on this blog and various other social medias, but mostly it means getting busy on my two works in progress – a paranormal romance and a dystopian.  If only I hadn’t become addicted to Pinterest recently.  (But seriously, go see my pins!   I love to play there and on twitter @peach83352)

I also signed up for a week long writers’ workshop on the Oregon Coast this summer.  All my best writer friends I’ve met at conferences and workshops and I’m sure this one will be no different.  Maybe you could come too?  If you can’t make it, I’ll try to blog about it and put up some pictures.  You can’t really take bad pictures on the Oregon Coast.

I resolved to be more flexible, mentally and physically.  The physical part is easy. I get up earlier and do yoga, just me and Rodney Yee (on video).  I make sure it’s dark and no one’s around to see me on purpose!  It’s pretty funny, but it sure feels good to stretch and breathe deep in the morning.  The mental flexibility is hard to describe, but I want to try to be kinder and less judgmental of others.  Not sure how I’ll do, but wish me luck.

Lastly, I resolved to rest when I need to, which might be the hardest thing of all, given all of the above.  It’s the easiest thing to forget too.

So, how about you?  What will you do for yourself this year?