30DPC Day 19

Day 19: A picture of a letter you received

I had to cheat on this one, because I don't even remember the last time I got an actual letter in the mail. It's kind of sad that the art of the written letter has gone the way of the VHS, although we do still receive invitations, thank yous, and cards.

So in lieu of a letter, I took a photo of a poem I wrote last month instead. I hope you can read my handwriting.

Happy Snapping!

All 30 challenges are here.

10 Things to Accomplish in 2013

Goals for Me in 2013

1. Learn how to make more Laotian food. (My poor Hubbs--married an Asian girl, eats lots of hot dogs, lol!)
2. Set up (and stick to) a workable writing schedule.
3. Craft more -- especially painting & jewelry making.
4. Be mindful of the words that come out of my mouth (and my keyboard).
5. Lose the weight. (Yes, it’s there every year. One of these times it’s going to happen, I swear!)
6. Learn to: mud drywall, lay tile & carpet, install trim/moulding, and use a lot of the Hubbs’s power tools.
7. Read to the kids every possible night.
8. Make time for my friends. (Including have an actual conversation with at least one person a day.)
9. Make time for Date Night.
10. Make time for myself. (Including attending at least ONE writer’s conference!)

A lot of these are things that I try to do every year (like lose the dang weight--ugh.) But, I’d like to think I’m older, more mature, and just in a better place to reach my goals this year. Wish me luck!

What have you got planned for this year?

It's Almost Time for NaNoWriMo!

I keep telling myself that I’m going to write a novel this year. And I have written some, at least parts of some. To kick myself in the butt and finally finish one by Christmas, I’ve signed up for NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month happens in November. It’s a month long concentration to get that pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. I figure with the constant encouragement, and a looming deadline, I’ll stay motivated enough to finish. It’s only 50,000 words for the month, which comes to just over 1,600 words a day. Do-able, right?

My obstacles are going to be Facebook and Pinterest. All the drama, and shiny crafts are going to be hard to avoid for a whole month. Do I allow myself time on those sites as a reward, or do I avoid them both completely until NaNoWriMo is over? I don’t think I can stay away cold turkey. Facebook has turned into a train wreck that I just can’t take my eyes off of.

Oh, and the housework and kids. It’s a good thing that I’ve started doing the Flylady system again. I can do anything for 15 minutes. Be it housework or writing or a tea party. I’m going to have to make sure that my sink is shiny before Halloween comes around. I’m almost there, PMS really knocked me off my feet this month. (TMI, I know, but if you don’t like it, stop reading!)

The novel I’ve set aside for next month’s project is a piece of chick lit based on a bundle of love letters that two sisters find in their grandmother’s attic. It’s an idea that I got from a great friend of mine. I’m so lucky that she’s given me the opportunity to write it. It looks like it’s got some great potential. It’s got coming of age, sister-sister relationship revelations, a new perspective on why some people are distant, and learning to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. I hope that I can do her story idea justice. I am still a novice, after all.

I’m also trying to recruit more people to join me in the challenge. The more the merrier, and I’ve always been one that works better in a group support setting. I’ve found a few people in Iowa that are also taking the challenge, but this IS the NW corner of the state, where people are few and far between sometimes. Especially ones that think like me.

So, I’m sending out a smoke signal to others in the Cherokee/Storm Lake area. If you’ve always wanted to write a novel, sign up for National Novel Writing Month with me! If I can do it, so can you!