So, of course I want to lose weight, clean my house, blah, blah, blah, but I do have a writing related resolution that has nothing to do with my WIP.

I’m going to start keeping yearly journals to chronical my family’s year.  I feel like I forget so much and I’d love to have those little memories forever.

I am still trying to decide if I want to hand write one or do it in a blog-turned Blurb book at the end of the year so I can include pictures.

What do you think?  Which would you rather have down the road to look back on?

Of course, Jesus is the reason for the season and we should do well to remember that, but I want to focus more on the secular aspects of the holiday.

I teach at a Title I school with children that may or may not have a lot of money in their homes.  I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way as I adore my students and the interesting things they bring into my life each day.

But at Christmas, being surrounded by the awesome kids I am, I’m reminded what giving and receiving really means.  Some teachers get elaborate gifts from their students, which don’t get me wrong, are greatly appreciated, but today I received some things that were so simple and from the heart, I had to work not to cry. 

A little girl handmade me a beaded bracelet as well as wrapped me a Christmas card (complete with High School Musical cast members on the front, so for a eight-year-old girl to give up Zac Efron merchandise, well, that means something) she’d embellished with her own drawings.

Simple, but I feel more appreciated by that gesture than I think I have from anything else.  The look on her face when I opened it is something I’ll carry with me forever.

Christmas gifts are fun and don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be sad to find an iPad under the tree, but I think it’s important to remember it’s not what you receive, but the thought that goes behind it.  This is a time of the year where people tend to get lost in their greed, which forces givers to feel inadequate at times. 

We’ve all complained about not getting what we want or laughed at something that was a little strange, but take pause and think about the intent. 

Now that I’m a mother, I want to expose my son to charity and help him see what this season is really about.  It’s not what you’re receiving that’s important, but knowing that each gift is a sign someone cares.  And on the flip side, that taking the time to reach out to someone else shows them that they matter.

Merry Christmas!

As you may or may not have noticed, I’d been a writing slacker as of late.  I decided to use NaNoWriMo this year to push my novel forward.  I really have no expectations of actually getting 50K words written this month, but it’s doing what I wanted it to do:

Getting me writing again!

I’ve added over 2K words at this point, which may not seem like a lot, but for me it really is.  I’m a very busy person with WAY too much on my plate, so writing has had to take a back seat for a while.  This has been frustrating because I love my story and I know exactly where I want it to go, but getting it there has been such a struggle.

I started writing ‘for real’  in 2009 and that was when my high school friend Regan sent me a random message on Facebook talking about the novel SHE was writing.  I still think this was super weird because, though we’d stayed friends over the years, we hadn’t talked-talked in a while.  It’s strange how that one Facebook message set us right back on the friendship we’d carried for years.  I can honestly say I wouldn’t write at all anymore if I didn’t have her friendship and motivation.  She’s awesome.

Did I mention she’s a rockstar? 

Writing has opened my mind up, giving me the avenue toward creativity that I’d craved, but didn’t know how to fulfill, so I’m so thankful to back at it again!  Hopefully, I won’t hit another lull and have to wait until next November to get jump started again. :D

I recently reread The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan and now I have zombies on the brain.

My mind immediately went to how I could help my family survive a sudden virus, zombie-like freakfest.  Yes, I’m being totally serious. lol

There are a few things I decided I would have to have and do:

1) a cement wall that was engineered so that the zombies couldn’t climb it.  Preferrably cement block.  No holey chain link will do!  Though, maybe at first.  Until we could build our wall.

2) fishing equipment (we have lakes), vegetable and fruit seeds, and bows and arrows for hunting – I’ve never hunted before, but I don’t know how to make bullets, so a gun would be useless after a while.  Not that I know how to make arrows, but I figure it would be a little easier.

3) Books.  Lots and lots of books.  I like my family, but I think hanging out with them for the rest of my time on earth would get a little dull at times.  Plus, I’m a teacher, so I’d have to keep education alive.

4) Befriend a doctor.  It would be a shame to survive a zombie attack only to die from something stupid.  So I need to find a doctor friend to move into my compound.  Plus, he could make sure we had antibiotics and stuff. 

5) Lots of propane for things.  I don’t know what as I don’t really use propane, but I think it would come in handy.  Or maybe kerosene?  For heaters.

6) A bunch of clothes in a variety of sizes.  Shoes, too.  Just because you never know what you’ll need.

Okay, so what am I forgetting?  I mean, this is serious business, people! 

Do you think I’m certifiably insane, now?

All right.  No more excuses.  I’m getting back on the wagon.

I’ve decided to try and knock out The Devil’s Utopia during NaNoWriMo.  I need something to get me back in the habit (conjure up images of Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2, anyone?) and writing again.  It’s amazing how far removed you can get from your project when you take time off.  I need to get back in my little Utopia world. 

So, NaNoWriMo…here I come!

Disclaimer: I make no promises that I will actually finish. Because…well…it’s me we’re talking about.

Thought I’d share one of the many things keeping me from writing lately.  I love to craft and have an etsy shop (Slice of Lime Designs) that I opened that gives me that opportunity.  Holidays are my busiest season, so it’s been kind of nuts trying to get everything ready! Here are some of the things I’ve made lately:

And I’ve also sold quite a few superhero sets for Halloween, so basically, I’m either working or sitting at a sewing machine lately.  Or going to graduate school.  Or working on photography.  Or, you know, being a wife and a mom. *sigh*

Are y’all tired of my excuses yet?

Anyway, I haven’t had much to blog about, so thought I’d at least share! :-P

No matter how busy you are, it’s constantly on your mind.

That’s the realization I had today.

I’m mad busy and probably haven’t written 1K words in three months, but my story is driving me INSANE!  I’m thinking about it all the time and am jotting down the ideas that are popping into my brain, yet – no time to write!

This is probably the most frustrating point of my writing “career”.  I’ve had writer’s bock, had to trunk stuff, etc., but something about having ideas in your head and not having the time to see them grow…it’s like torture.

If anything good can come of that, it’s that I know this is what I need to do and pursue.  I love writing and building an entire world and existence for my characters.  It might TAKE me longer than most, but I will finish this story if it kills me.  I don’t know how to explain it other than it being something I have to do.  I’m sure others can understand what I’m saying, but it’s just like it’s supposed to be.  If that makes sense.

So, as you can tell, I have been an awful blogger.  This is mainly due to the fact that I haven’t written at all.  Why?  Way too much on my plate.  I thought summer vacation would give me more time to write, but I didn’t think about the fact that I really would only have the 2 hours that my son napped to work.  And on top of that, I had my other stuff I had to get done.  Blah.

BUT, I’m going to start making my writing a priority again soon.  I have to!  The story is still building in my head and I have to get it out!  It’s making me a little nutso.

So, yeah.  I’m way, way, too busy for my own good.  And school is starting again next week! lol

Have you noticed how crappy of a blogger I’ve been lately?  Just say yes.

I apologize!  I have been so busy this summer with other projects, I haven’t had time for much else.  But I will be back. You can’t get rid of me that easily.