Traveling, Writing and Drinking

 

I had a wonderful birthday in San Francisco with my Z! We spent the morning lounging at the spa and the afternoon hiking the hills of San Fran. Mostly, I cussed and declared I was not going to die. She replied, "Gun it... like that car over there." I could hear the transmission strain as the little car thought it could.

I'm working on the third novel in my Zhara series. Today, I could care less. Another 24,000 words to go and ten days to get them written. (November is National Novel Writing Month)

My Z! found a new beer - Sessions, which was light, crisp and refreshing. I bought Larceny Kentucky Bourbon and received Buffalo Trace as a gift. And...we visited the San Francisco Chocolate Factory. Samples galore! I bought 55% dark chocolate coins and Raspberry Dark Chocolate Truffles. Yum!

See, I've been doing it all, except posting here.

I am thankful to have the time and energy to tend my grand-daughters full time. Freedom from a 40 hour work week allows me the opportunity to explore more of life and enjoy the simple pleasures of playing with children - writing, cooking, cleaning, chasing, dressing, sorting and lots of running.

Next update, finances... How do I keep making this work?

Hot toddies to you!

Work Situation Update

One of the advantages of going out to work is that the creative brain gets to rest while the analytic brain trudges along. However, I find that I am WAY less creative when I am working. I think in small spurts that seem to fizzle after a few seconds. My current job requires me to be constantly on task so I have little scraps of paper with snippets of ideas and concepts. The problem is that I am so tired I can't even imagine working on the blog I started in my head.

I am thankful to have found  One Word. You get one word and one minute to write. It works. Lately I have been too busy to log on, but I can stop and take sixty seconds to write with abandon. You can too. One minute. One word. Wherever you are...

Write on!

Reading, Writing , and Yoga

I imagined I would spend my day doing all of the above. Turns out I have lots of time to support my family and I am thankful for that. The problem is, I have taken little time to develop the discipline of writing daily. I think about writing and sporadically pick up my journal or sit at the computer, but staying at the task can be daunting.

Today I am back home after meeting with my Language Partner. We shared lots of recipes and talked about the commercialization of love and affection. I told her that while lots of people will be giving and getting red and pink heart shaped crap, tomorrow all that stuff with be 50% off.  In a few more days, it will be 75% off. Celebrate on the weekend. She shared that in Korea everyone who didn't get gifts gathers in April for an anti/left out dinner where they eat black noodles (noodles with black bean sauce).

I have spent the remainder of the time working on my novel. It ready for another print and I have two readers. I cannot bring myself to print it double spaced due to the cost, so they will have to write in the margins or highlight and red pen. I find I spend way to much time wondering if it is good even as I love the story and the characters. My accomplishment today is the pitch:

Zhara, K. Lynn and Willi meet at a women’s festival and find they are from the same locale. On separation, they agree to maintain contact toward friendship – no matter what. Liam, a local massage therapist and yoga teacher, shows up in their lives to complicate the ideas of love, relationship, and community. Each woman, in her turn, examines her hopes and dreams of love in the context of belonging and acceptance in the lesbian community.

I will left it rest for a while and submit before the deadline, February 29th. I have read the guidelines repeatedly. It is a crap shoot. They will randomly pick 25 pitches and post them to the social networking page.  Readers will vote and the winner gets an agent/publisher. One fan will get an hour consultation. Whew!

I am excited to be teaching/sharing yoga weekly at the local LGBT Center. There has been regular attendance of six plus each week - three or four consistent participants. If everyone attends at once, that will be something.

Finally, I have been reading Charming Billy by Alice McDermott. It is the story of an Irish-American alcoholic shred from the prospective of his family in the aftermath of his death.As the title suggest, Billy is delightful and well loved even as his destructive behaviors dominate his relationships.

While at the library, I picked up Yoga Bitch by Suzanne Morrison. It looks funny and poignant. The character wanders the world looking to find her guru but meets others who are as human as she. (I haven't read it - this is my opinion and why I checked it out. We'll see if I am correct.)

Job Opening and Interview

See me here - Garden of the Gods

DA and I went out in the pouring rain shopping for a few "necessities." When I returned to sort the mail it included a letter for a job I had applied for months ago. I have seven days to reply - either schedule or mail back the reply with a reason for decline. I looked at the salary. More than I earned before, but no impressively so, in that I would not have stayed where I was for that rate.

I tossed it aside. I have seven days after all. Then this morning, as I lay in bed three hours past my alarm, I thought, "I could maybe work a day job. It is nice money." DA climbed into bed with a book for us to read. "On the other hand, I wouldn't be available to babysit when the day care is closed or DA is sick." We crawled out of the warmth of the covers, showered and had brunch.

As I stood washing dishes, I thought about going to work again. I had written my daughter with no response. She is living the dream - working in a spa and getting massage as part of her job. She loves what she does and is willing to pick up an extra shift. The last time I worked like that I was working for myself - part time gigs. Someone asked me why  I couldn't just hang in there.This is why?

My job duties were not difficult or challenging. I am almost ready to say a monkey blindfolded could do it. Almost, but not exactly true. But that was how I felt I was treated and eventually that entire lack of respect and regard became too much. Do I want to go to a job where I spend my shift thinking about leaving (for the day or quitting, or even focused on retirement)? Am I willing to be mistreated, by anyone? Am I invested in my worth, my dreams? Do I really believe that I can live well and prosper as I reach for my hearts desire?

Scrubbing the dirt off Kai Lan's bubble machine, I realized this is the Universe checking in with me. Every day we get reminders of our deepest desires. As we learn to heed them we will become more in tune to what is going well. Opening to daily grace strengthens us to overcome obstacles.

Unless you believe, you will not understand. ~ Saint Augustine

 As you prepare to make a change in your life, notice all the ways you are supported. Accept the belief that all Providence is invested in your joy and well-being.

I've been here - Sedona, AZ