UPDATE: The winner is…Liz!
*~*~*

It’s Sunday. The day I review my plans for the week, and I always start by first drawing a card from my favorite Tarot deck.

This morning’s card is the Four of Swords. Not pentacles for once. Something changed, hmm? Well, I’ll start by examining the card and trying to figure out some personal message the card has for me. I don’t recognize this mythological character, so that’s not helpful.  He is sitting on a flat desert plain. Sitting cross-legged, like he’s meditating. His swords are lying on the ground. The meaning I pull from the image is that he may be tired of the battle and in need of some introspection. The sky is blue and the overall ambiance restful but lonely. So, I’m thinking this card is telling me I need to take time this week, away from my usual frenetic pace of work and family, to contemplate where I am and what I want. Let’s see what my little book says…

This is Orestes. I don’t know who he is, so I’m going to Google him. Orestes is the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon (of Trojan War fame). There’s a long story about his father returning home after the war with Cassandra, the seer, as his concubine. His mother conspires with her lover to murder Agamemnon, and Orestes, along with his sister, Electra, flee. He ends up living in exile (this desert plain) until he returns to avenge his father’s murder by killing his mom and her lover. He goes mad after that and is tried by the gods for the crime of killing his mother, but is acquitted. That’s who Orestes was. A son avenging his father and who goes mad. But this card depicts him when he was in exile, awaiting his chance to exact revenge. Interesting.

Back to the book (The Mythic Tarot), it says simply, that this is a time for “quiet recuperation and introversion” while I “build up strength in preparation for further efforts.” So, am I supposed to stay off the Internet? Keep my door closed to family while I contemplate my life? The recuperation of my hand continues. That fits. Keeping my head down, focusing on what I need to do while ignoring the “noise” around me? I can make that fit. The meditation and contemplation? Well, I do kind of go inside myself when I’m writing, so I can make that work, too.

For a chance to win your choice of one of my downloadable stories, tell me whether you ever take time away from “the noise” and what that looks like for you.

It’s Friday, and I’m so looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow! We’re on our third day of rainy, stormy weather, but the skies are supposed to clear today.  I can’t wait! I need to stand outside and soak up some sunshine and Vitamin D (I tend to run low despite taking supplements!). I have plenty of work to do, and I plan to fit in some painting so I can keep on track with #the100dayproject artists’ challenge, but I also need to add some serious housecleaning chores to my To Do list. When it rains, the leaves and mud track inside and the humidity captures the animals’ wet fur smells…. Ew. I’m burning incense now and will be cleaning floors today.

Now that that doctor cleared me to remove my splint while I type, my fingers are flying. My outlook is cheerier. I was short-tempered and grumpy—not me at all. I’m Sue-Ann Nivens without the mean, sarcastic bite (anyone love the Mary Tyler Moore Show?). I also hope to watch some TV with the family. I’d love to catch up on Wolf Pack with the wonderful Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy, anyone?) and a horror-comedy on Netflix called, We Have a Ghost. Neither have to be perfect or stellar; they just have to deliver on the genre. Campy can be cool, too.

If you have any other recommendations, I’d love to hear them! And take a look at the HUGE list of open contests, especially those ending soon, like by the end of the weekend. Enter while you still can!

Open Contests

1. Gabbi Black: Romances Around the World! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book!
2. Sliding-Puzzle Challenge: Woman Fleeing Dragon (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Why is she leaving…? — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Cover Reveal for Silver Soldiers! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Word Search Puzzle: Spring Cleaning (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. February Into March (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Story Cubes — Tell me a story (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy!
*~*~*

I bought this little brainstorming tool years ago at some writers’ conference. “Story Cubes” is a brainstorming game. You roll the dice and whatever pictures appear, face-up, are the ones you use to riff off a story.

To make this fun, I’ll offer a prize—a $5 Amazon gift card—good for purchasing one or two stories…

Have fun with this! Don’t overthink! Here’s the roll… (Ignore the gray hair! 🙂 )

UPDATE: The winner is…ButtonsMom2003!
*~*~*

I haven’t done a recap in a while, and I think I need to reinstitute the habit! It keeps me honest about what I’ve accomplished, and if you’re paying attention, it gives you something to nag me about!

February

Work-related:

1. I began the month working on my next Montana Bounty Hunter story, Mica, but halted work abruptly due to an injury I’ll talk about below.
2. I did complete editing all the Silver Soldiers stories, and my sister and I worked on a cover for Silver Soldiers! Plus, it’s up for pre-order!
3. I completed only 2 editing projects for other authors in January. Again, the injury severely impacted my ability to place my hands on my keyboard.

Health-related:

1. On February 10th, I fell down the basement stairs and broke a bone in my right hand. I spent the rest of the month wearing a splint (thank goodness the doctor gave me the option of a splint rather than a hard cast!). After that, I had limited use of my hand. I could edit, but writing wasn’t an option. I was just too slow.
2. After the fall, I also experienced more issues with my blood pressure. It’s been spiking horribly. To the point, I have to keep Clonidine in my medicine cabinet when it does get above a certain level. I was also given a higher dose of my hypertension medicine. Since then, I’ve gone back on Weight Watchers and cut salt dramatically. So far, I’ve lost 5 pounds, and I’m beginning to see my BP come down. Not enough, but it isn’t scaring me now!
3. As for physical activity, I’m not doing enough. I’m feeling tired all the time. Which I know has to do with my weight, meds, a little depression due to my hand injury. I’m trying not to nap during the day, and that need has waned.

Happiness-related: 

1. I haven’t been to local art guild or humanities council meetings. So, no mingling with real people. I use the excuse that I can’t do my hair right, or I’m grumpy because of my splint, or that work takes me longer to accomplish each day because I’m in splint. All excuses.
2. I did decide to participate in the #the100dayproject art online art challenge despite my injury. Art has been the only highlight of the month. Here are a few of my February pieces…

 

 

March

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete Mica! It will release March 28th come hell or high water!
2. To complete a short story for the Silver Soldiers anthology. And to prod my sister into finishing hers!
3. To complete 3 editing projects in March!

For health related, I plan:

1. To keep counting those points for my Weight Watchers diet (I hate that word) and hopefully shed at least another 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
2. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas, red wine).
3. To get the pool cleaned up so that the minute the water is warm enough, I’ll be swimming (hopefully by mid-April).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps.
5. I’ll re-dedicate myself to doing more housework, too, because my art room is a disaster. And cleaning is exercise, right?

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To continue producing some small piece of art every day as part of #the100dayproject.
2. Try to complete one of the many already paid-for online art classes I’ve lined up to do.
3. To blog about art (on my Emerald Casket site) just to keep myself honest!
4. To work toward re-opening my Etsy store!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy!
*~*~*

I know some of y’all are still dealing with freezing temperatures and snow on the ground, but we’re getting 70-degree weather this week, so our family’s thoughts are turning to Spring Cleaning!

I thought it might be fun to list the things that pop into my mind which constitute Spring Cleaning here on our little farm. We have to get the pool cleaned up, pressure wash the mold and “green stuff” off the outside of buildings, finish preparing the chicken coop for the chicks we’ve been raising—so far, all 18 are thriving! Plus, all the yard and housework that has to be done.

Maybe I left something off the list. Maybe you have other chores you incorporate into your springtime routine. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me if any of the things I listed fit your routine or if you have items you need to add to the list! Enjoy the puzzle!

It’s Monday. I have an appointment with the doctor regarding my hand. I’m hoping he’ll say I don’t have to wear the splint anymore. I still get twinges when I turn my hand a certain way or hold something heavy (a full coffee cup!). Maybe he’ll tell me I can take it off when I type. That would be enough to make me very, very happy.

I mentioned before that my dd and I went to the flea market with two of the kids last Saturday. Thought I’d share a couple of our found “treasures.” This first one is a ceramic cup from Germany dating back to the 90s. No real value here, but we collect this sort of thing and use them. I have a very nice set of pottery dishes I bought when I was stationed there, so it’s a nostalgic treasure for us both.

Then there’s this mustachioed man.

My daughter collects vintage Pyrex and has joined all kinds of online Pyrex groups. Some of the avid collectors decorate their display cabinets with vintage ceramic figurines. She found this man-with-a-moustache cup, and when she Googled it, she discovered it’s highly collectable. It’s called something like the “gay moustache man.” A cookie jar of this pattern sold for over $300, so she thinks the 2 bucks she paid was well-spent, and doesn’t he look cute in the cabinet?

My best find was an antique book with yellowed pages and illustrations. Something about a boy who goes on a journey to become a knight. The pages are falling out of it and are very brittle, so I won’t feel the least bit guilty about tearing them out for collaging. I also found a Japanese divided bowl with a pretty, ornate cover. I figure I will use it on my beading table to store something. Just because it’s a workspace doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty. (Not that it is now. It’s a junky mess!)

Anyways, it’s Monday. Time to get my butt in gear. I have tons to accomplish! Do you have a lot on your plate to accomplish, too?

Open Contests

1. Sunday Tarot (Contest) — Win a hand-painted bookmark!
2. Gabbi Black: Romances Around the World! (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
3. Sliding-Puzzle Challenge: Woman Fleeing Dragon (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Why is she leaving…? — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Cover Reveal for Silver Soldiers! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Sara DoMoe!
*~*~*

It’s Saturday! I’m taking a break from work today to head to the flea market with the girls (my daughter and two granddaughters). We love our “treasure hunts.”

While I’m flitting about, I have a puzzle for you!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me why she is leaving. Have fun!

Also, take a peek at yesterday’s art challenge! I know, I know, I shouldn’t share these every day, but I’m having so much fun!