ROW 80 Mid-Week Check-In

Today is the mid-week check-in at ROW 80.

I almost didn’t post as I felt little was achieved the past few days. But then I read Fallon Brown’s post about split focus and it made me realize once again we all get caught inlife issues.

My focus definitely wasn’t on my writing, although I did accomplish a few things:

read several articles

organized two writing projects that have to be sent out by May 1

-and I read – LOTS!

So, altho I did not write my 500 words a day since Sunday, I did get a few things done.

Slice of Life Tuesday

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday – the weekly writing challenge hosted at “Two Writing Teachers”.

 

I wasn’t sure what to write about today and then I received an email from a company my husband had phoned yesterday to ask about replacement parts for his pepper grinder.

It is battery operated and he loves it  He found the manual grinder hurt his arm after a while (he uses a LOT of pepper!). He has a fistula in his right arm (he is right handed) and altho he isn’t on dialysis, it aches if he works it too hard. Since his pace maker was implanted (on his left side), he has overworked his right arm.

Well, his beloved grinder broke last week when he was replacing the batteries.

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I knew the warranty would be over, so I suggested we just buy a new one ($around $30).

No, said my husband, who watches our money carefully. He was going to contact the company and ask to get parts if possible. The worst they could say would be it was past warranty and couldn’t be fixed.

I sent the email yesterday, along with pictures and a description of how it broke. I wan’t expecting much.

Today, he has been offered a completely new pepper grinder, as the other is not made anymore. It is even better than the other one by the pictures sent.

I am so impressed – with the company(Trudeau)  and by my husband’s determination to go to the source. We should have the new grinder in a couple of weeks.

 

ROW 80 Sunday Check-In

 

Today is the Sunday Check-In for ROW80 – the writing community that offers support and accountability.
Each Sunday I will highlight the goals I want to work on that week, after sharing my progress over the past week.

Writing:
1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. YES
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo. Yes – I am halfway to my goal of 30,000 words.
3. Write first draft of novella `Christmas Renewed” – 1 more chapter written
4. Write first draft of a chapter book  No
5. Write at least one picture book a month  One for the month – but no more this past week, altho have gotten more ideas
6. Take one online writing course and enter at least one writing contest. No – but several contests coming up in May

Editing/Revising
1. Revise/edit “Catching Love” –still working on it
2. Revise/edit several picture books  No

Blogging
1. Support my ROW team 2x a week Yes
2. Take part in A to Z April Challenge. Yes – almost finished
3. Write at least 2 other posts weekly besides ROW80 posts. Yes

Reading
1. Read several picture books for study purpose each week Yes
2. Read 2 books on writing as well as articles  Have read several articles
3. Read for pleasure – Lots!

Personal
1. Create daily –yes
2. Follow healthy habits: ~walk 3x a week and ~drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day – have not been good the past few days. Need to get back on track

This week, my main goals are:
1. Concentrate on finishing my novella and editing it.
2. Get back on track with healthy routines
3. Catch up on reading “Second Sight” as I have a review to do next week.

ROW 80 Mid-Week Check-In

 

Today is our Mid-week check-in for Row80 – the writing community that offers support and accountability
Here are the goals I actually worked on the past few days.
Writing:
1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. Yes
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo.Yes
3. Write first draft of novella `Christmas Renewed“ – added another chapter

Editing/Revising
Didn’t edit the novel “Catching Love” but worked on another novel’s first 3 chapters that I sent in for a critique

Blogging
1. Support my ROW team 2x a week – Yes
2. Take part in A to Z April Challenge.Yes
Yes3. Write at least 2 other posts weekly besides ROW80 posts. Yes

Reading
1. Read several picture books for study purpose each week Yes
2. Read 2 books on writing as well as articles Yes to articles
3. Read for pleasure Yes

Personal
1. Create daily Yes

Slice of Life Tuesday

 

Today is the March Slice of Life – the weekly writing challenge hosted at “Two Writing Teachers”.

Notice – observe. Two words, which I have often used interchangeably. This weekend, I created art tags for the A to Z April challenge I am taking part in – one set for notice and the other for observe.

As I read the definitions, I really saw there was a distinct difference to them:
Notice: an act of regard, brief critical review
Observe: to watch carefully, to make a careful observation

I also realized that we need to do both of these:
-to notice what is happening around us
And
-to obseve closely what it is we are seeing
I thought more about times I’ve done both:
1. I noticed the nest on our porch and that the mother had deserted it.
I then observed the construction of the nest and the three beautiful blue eggs inside, one cracked due to the cold.
2. I noticed the purple flowers blooming in our side garden.
When I got closer, I observed that they were crocuses and had been flattened by the cold and snow.
3. I noticed my daughter’s two Bengal cats when we visited her place.
I really observed their interaction, their play, their growing confidence around us.

Yogi Berra’s words are so true:

 

Today is Sunday’s check-in for ROW80 – the writing community that offers support and accountability.

Here are my goals and what I’ve done on them since Wednesday.

Writing:
1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. Yes
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo.Yes – every day but Friday. I’m still behind but at least I’m writing.
3. Write first draft of novella `Christmas Renewed“ -steadily working on it;  up to 7 chapters
4.. Write first draft of a chapter book  No
5. Write at least one picture book a month not this week
6. Take one online writing course and enter at least one writing contest. No

Editing/Revising
1. Revise/edit “ Catching Love” still stymied as to how to revise Chap. 1 (anyone like romance, would want to read chap 1 and give a blunt assessment/idea/help??)
2. Revise/edit several picture books -No

Blogging
1. Support my ROW team 2x a week Yes
2. Take part in A to Z April Challenge.Yes -every day
3. Write at least 2 other posts weekly besides ROW80 posts. Yes

Reading
1. Read several picture books for study purpose each week Yes
2. Read 2 books on writing as well as articles Yes to articles, working on 2 books
3. Read for pleasure – definitely yes – romance, MG, fantasy

Personal
1. Create daily – yes
2. Follow healthy habits: ~walk 3x a week and ~drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day
I’ve gotten up to 25 min. on the treadmill now – aiming for at least 30 min 3x this week; drinking more water

 

This week I need to really push on writing the novella, as I want to submit it at the end of April.
I also need to revise at least one picture book this week.

 

Mid-Week Check-In for ROW80

 

Today is the Mid Week Check-in of ROW80 – and I almost forgot about it!
Wednesdays, I will just highlight what I have done the past few days.

Writing (3 of 6 goals worked on)
1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. Yes
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo. Yes – although I am a bit behind in totals
3. Write first draft of novella `Christmas Renewed“- worked on 2 more chapters

Editing/Revising – no work on revising

Blogging
1. Support my ROW team 2x a week – yes for Sunday, tomorrow will do Wednesday’s team
2. Take part in A to Z April Challenge.Yes – up to K now
3. Write at least 2 other posts weekly besides ROW80 posts. Yes –

Reading
1. Read several picture books for study purpose each week Yes
2. Read 2 books on writing as well as articles – Started “Second Sight” by Cheryl Klein for an online book study (Word by Word)
3. Read for pleasure – yes

Personal
1. Create daily – yes
Each Sunday and Wednesday the ROW 80 community posts their progress from the preceding week. This, really helps us focus on our writing and what goals we want to achieve. The ROW80 community is such a supportive one.

Slice of Life Tuesday

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday – the weekly writing challenge hosted at “Two Writing Teachers”.

 

I’d written earlier about the excitement of having robins nest once again on our porch. It meant that our long ladder would be out of commission for a few weeks.

But last week, when it snowed 6, I needed to get at our shovel which was on the porch. I tried to do it without disturbing the robins, but I still it still frightened the mother and she flew away.

For the next couple of days, I peeked out at the porch from behind the navy curtain of the sliding porch door. But I never saw a robin in the nest.

Finally, I took the camera and holding it above the nest, I snapped a picture – more to see how the nest was constructed inside.

To my horror, there were three blue eggs, one with a crack.(my hand was a bit shaky)

The two nights previous had temperatures below zero. In fact one night was the coldest since February.

So we will have no baby birds chirping in the nest this year and it makes me so sad indeed.

 

Sunday Check-In ROW 80

Today is the Sunday Check-in for ROW80 – the writing community that offers support , encouragement and accountability, but always with the realization that we all have lives that come first.

Each Sunday I will comment on the status of my goals so far and highlight the goals I want to work on that week.

Writing:

1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. Yes
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo. Yes
3. Write first draft of novella `Christmas Renewed“ Have completed 4 chapters so far

4.. Write first draft of  a chapter book Did some more research

5. Write at least one picture book a month Yes, got a 1^st sloppy draft done
6. Take one online writing course and enter at least one writing contest.No – but there are several I am working towards

 

Editing/Revising

1. Revise/edit “ Catching Love” – reread a critique I had done and trying to totally rework Chap. 1 – brainstormed ideas but so far not inspired
2. Revise/edit several picture books – No

 

Blogging

1. Support my ROW team 2x a week – Yes
2. Take part in A to Z April Challenge. Yes
3. Write at least 2 other posts weekly besides ROW80 posts. Yes (along with my other blog)

 

 

Reading 

1. Read several picture books for study purpose each week Yes
2. Read 2 books on writing as well as articles Read articles. Started a book by Terry Brooks on writing
3. Read for pleasure Most definitely yes!

 

Personal

1. Create daily Yes
2. Follow healthy habits: ~walk 3x a week   and  ~drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day Did manage 3 days of walking on the treadmill.

 

 

This week I will continue to work on my novella, as I am working towards entering it in an anthology contest. I hope to revise at least 2 picturebook ms as I have a retreat in July and need to have at least 4 ready for it.

I will create art tags for the A to Z Challenge every day and hope to walk 20 minutes a day for at least 4 times.

Mid- Week Check-In ROW80

 

Today is the Mid-Week Check-in for ROW80. As it has only been a couple of days since I stated my goals, I will just state what I have done.

Writing:
1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. YES!
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo.- I have already written 3 chapters of my novella
3. Write first draft of novella `Christmas Renewed“ – 3 chapters written
Blogging
1. Support my ROW team 2x a week – Yes
2. Take part in A to Z April Challenge. Yes – have worked through A to E (my posts are here
Reading
1. Read several picture books for study purpose each week – read 3 yesterday
2. Read 2 books on writing as well as articles – read several articles
3. Read for pleasure – yes. Finished Hostage by Susan Wiggs and started another novel
Personal
1. Create daily – yes
2. Follow healthy habits: Walked 15 min. on the treadmill and drinking more water