Hiya! I’m just dropping by to say hi (imagine the waving hand emoji right here) and share a little of the summer fun I’ve been having. Other than reading a CP’s MG manuscript and sending my MS out to beta readers, my warm weather writing hiatus is still on-going. It’s been very refreshing! Though, I started getting the itch to sit down and write something last week…not that I have a project to dive into just yet, but it’s nice to know that the want is still there.🙂
For now, I’ll keep enjoying the lower stress level and continue tackling things from my General Life To Do list and also our family’s Summer Fun To Do list.
There’s a lake I know
In a nearby park
You and I can go
Take a break and get away—
Lyrics: Take a Break, from Hamilton (If you didn’t recognized them, let’s talk)
Monday I finished my second round of revisions on RETURNING TO CASTAWAY COVE (still haven’t found a title that I love, ugh) and Tuesday I sent the whole shebang to two CPs.
JUST HIT SENDAnd now, in the wise words of Eliza Hamilton, I’m going to take a break for the summer. There are many layers to this much needed break, and because I love making lists…let me tell you some of them.
*I need to refill my creative well. I’ve been working on one WIP after another, drafting and revising and then beginning again on a new idea. I usually have The Idea that I want to write next before I’ve even finished revising, but not this time. My muse is tired. My fingers are tired. My CPs are probably tired.
*I want to frolic, to splash at the pool, to wade in a creek, to laugh until I cry. My kids are growing so fast, and I don’t want to miss it because I’m stressing about word counts and self-imposed deadlines. And I have been stressing myself…and its reached unhealthy levels. A step back is in order, a few months to breathe and just BE.
*I’m in a reading rut and I want out of it. It’s gotten worse this year than I can ever remember. My tastes are fickle right now. I get a book I just CAN’T wait to read from the library and then it sits on my shelf…and I’m blah about it. This is all compounded by my focus on writing, giving up reading time to draft and revise.
*My husband’s schedule is straight-up bananas this summer. I’m the SAHM, he’s the paramedic/firefighter. When his department has guys out on injury leave or other leave, that means he has to pick up extra shifts. And right now, it’s a lot of extra shifts. And his those shifts are 24-hours, which means he’s gone 4 or more days out of 7. Four complete rotations of the Earth…he’s not home for dinner or bedtime or any of that. Others might be able to juggle all of that solo time and write, and I’ve done it before, but not this summer.
I am EXHAUSTED after spending 14+ hours with two kids, doing summer fun things and feeding them and wiping faces and hands and breaking up fights over every little toy. It doesn’t leave much left over in my brain for writing in the couple hours I have alone in the evening before I fall asleep. More importantly, it doesn’t leave much left over for ME, the person.
My family helps out a lot, but they have lives and wonky work schedules too. Hiring a baby-sitter for a few hours isn’t exactly feasible. My daughter’s peanut and hazelnut allergy means whomever is in charge must understand and respect the severity of food allergies. They have to recognize the signs of a reaction and be prepared to stab a seven-year-old in the leg with a needle to keep her from dying. That’s not something I’m comfortable putting on just anyone.
*Related, my youngest has regularly started boycotting naps. Naptime was my writing time. In those 2-3 hours I would pound out a few thousand words or revise a few chapters. Oh, and also, that was when I kept my sanity. I’m losing that when he boycotts. (both the writing time AND sanity!)
*I suppose some might see this list as Excuses. They might say, “If you want it, you’ll make it happen.” And, that might be true for some people, even true for me at another time. But I also recognize my mental and emotional health, and that takes priority right up there with my family.
*I’ll still be doing a little writing-related stuff as it comes up, revising after receiving notes CPs and (hopefully) beta readers later in the summer. I’m not giving up on this marathon, not at all. I’ll still post random thoughts on Twitter and Facebook and pretty photos on Instagram. But mostly, I’ll be reading and splashing in the pool with my kids and enjoying the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. (If you get that reference, we can be BFFs)
Once again I’m joining Katy Upperman’s Currently posts. It’s really fun, so you should join too!
Loving
OUR NEW HOUSE! We moved two weeks ago tomorrow, and it’s been a crazy, stressful, wonderful fourteen days.
Reading
Because of the moving, my attention span has been zilch. I’ve started and quit more than a few books, but both of these have drawn me in:
Watching
My husband and I FINALLY watched The Force Awakens over the weekend. We never made it to the theater when it was there, and we were SO ready to find out how awesome it was. And it was awesome!
Listening To
Hamilton. Again. Always. The kids have become obsessed too. It’s pretty much all we listen to anymore. (Oldest’s fav: My Shot. Youngest’s fav: Helpless.) I just ordered the Hamiltome today…can’t wait to read through it with the whole family.
Thinking About
Decorating the new house including a wall of bookcases! My books are all in boxes right now and it’s making me very sad!
Anticipating
Gilmore Girls Reboot! I’m such a GG fangirl, and I’ve been snapping up any articles and photos about the revival and couldn’t be more excited!!
Wishing
I want these remaining cold nights to go away so we can plant our backyard garden! We have big plans, and just need Mother Nature to cooperate so we can put them into action.
Making Me Happy
Three small bushes in our new backyard started blooming!
Once again I’m joining Katy Upperman’s Currently posts. It’s really fun, so you should join too!
Loving
Last week was both of my kids’ spring break, and one of the things we did was a visit to a local Living History Museum. We met people in period clothes and riding horses and wandered through buildings originally located in the area. It was fascinating and fun. The blacksmith’s barn was my favorite.
Reading
I just finished this biography on JQA (who is one of my biggest historical dude crushes) and it was highly informative and engrossing. I also just read this biography on Rosemary Kennedy after one of my BFFs recommended it and it was fascinating. Horrifying at what ended up happening to her, but also fascinating.
Watching
The kids have been watching a fair amount of movies because of all the packing. That’s about all we’ve had on lately.
Listening To
Hamilton. I FINALLY convinced my husband to give it a listen and now it’s the only thing we listen to. Last week I had tears streaming down my face with my whole family in the car. (Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story gets me every time!)
Thinking About
MOVING! We will be moving half of our house today and the rest tomorrow. We close Wednesday afternoon! Fingers crossed it’s a smooth transition! Hopefully next Currently, I’ll have some photos to post of the new place. I’ve got big plans for new bookcases.🙂
Anticipating
With spring break and packing, I haven’t had much writing time. I’ve squeezed in some, but I’m looking forward to next week and getting back into our normal routine a bit more.
Wishing
Mother Nature needs to get her seasons straight. The Easter Bunny brought us snow yesterday! It was melted by noon, but still. The tulip photo is from Saturday and the snow is Sunday…it looks like it survived the cold snap we had overnight Sunday, thankfully.
Making Me Happy
The idea of unpacking all of these boxes in the new house! Also, this tree outside of our local library branch.
Once again I’m joining Katy Upperman’s Currently posts. It’s really fun, so you should join too!
Loving
The gorgeous weather we’ve been having. Yesterday was my birthday and it was perfect for a long walk outside. The grass is greening up and the trees are budding! I know, climate change is really bad (and I do believe that) but damn, I’m totally enjoying this weather.
Reading
I just finished Nicole Michael’s Draw Me Close, and it was wonderful! Swoons and conflicts and heart and I couldn’t put it down!
Watching
Nothing. We’ve been packing and getting things ready for our move to a new house the end of this month.
Listening To
Here’s a little sneak at the Spotify playlist for Castaway Cove #1.
Thinking About
Voting and packing. I’ve done both today.🙂
Anticipating
Finishing this draft? That would be really nice, but with all the moving stuff, it’s not looking like I’ll meet my original 3/31/16 goal. I’m okay with that, though. And, there’s always Camp NaNo in April to help me over the hump.
Wishing
Pretty sure I wished for this last Currently, but since none have show up, I’m wishing yet again for packing fairies!
Making Me Happy
On Sunday we took a family trip to Half Price Books and, oh how I love that place!
Once again I’m joining Katy Upperman’s Currently posts. It’s really fun, so you should join too!
Loving
I took a girls only trip to visit my two best friends. One of us list in Missouri, one in Ohio, and one in Georgia, but we still try to meet up at least once a year. We had the best time together, as always!
Reading
February was an I-N-S-A-N-E month. We put our house on the market and had a contract on it within two days. We put a contract on a new (to us) house that same day. So, I reread the Sookie Stackhouse series for the most of the month because I couldn’t handle anything new.
Watching
Nothing. See above,🙂.
Listening To
This podcast is awesome. Informative and new and perfect for any history nerd.
Thinking About
Our new home that we’ll move into later this month! Also, I’m hoping these tulips pop before we move (selfishly!).
Anticipating
In addition to being a US history nerd, I’m kinda also a space nerd. And today marks Scott Kelly’s final minutes of his Year In Space. He comes back to Earth tonight, and I’m super excited about it. Here’s his Twitter account and also his Instagram. There are many, many stunning photos of space!
Wishing
I wish I knew where to find some free packing elves. And some free movers, too. Actually, I love the packing portion of moving, just not the actual lifting boxes from one place to another.
Making Me Happy
I’m trying to make time to write, but with all that’s going on, it’s been pretty hard. I’m enjoying my WIP (the romance novel that still doesn’t have a title) so when I’m not able to write, I miss it!
Once again I’m joining Katy Upperman’s Currently posts. It’s really fun, so you should join too!
Loving
My library system does a summer reading challenge for kids and a winter reading challenge for adults. The prize for winning is a fun mug. This its third year, and I’ve participated every year, so I won this fancy blue mug last week. (That’s my current library stack!)
Reading
I recently fell into a book rut (I blogged about it over at We Still Read) and have been rereading the Sookie Stackhouse series. They’re fun, fast, and familiar…all things I need right now.
I also read this article in the American History magazine about one of my favorite founding families, The Adams.
Watching
Gilmore Girls and coloring = relaxation!
Listening To
My kids arguing over a toy? Check. Hammering? Check. A four day weekend spent getting your house ready to sell while wrangling children is just a little stressful.
Thinking About
I’m still drafting the romance novel that still has no title. (I am the worst with titles. Most of them don’t come to me until late in the game) I’m really enjoying this story. I sent the first chapter to a few CPs and they seemed to really like it too, so yay!
Anticipating
I’m leaving on a jet plane…(and yes, I totally sang that as I typed) This weekend I’m headed to visit two of my best friends for a quick girls weekend. There will be board games, books, caffeine, hiking, and the fun that you have when you see your best friends only once a year!!
Wishing
That we sell our house AND find a new one quickly and without drama. (HA, so unlikely, I know!)
