Here’s me hoping everyone out there is staying safe and warm. My friends in Texas, I know some of you don’t have power, and I’m praying that situation improves for you soon. Here in Arkansas, we’ve been lucky so far. Yes, they are talking about instituting rolling brownouts today, but I hope they are indeed “rolling” as opposed to what’s happening in Texas. We live in a rural area, so we do have a generator, but it won’t be enough to do anything but power the fridges and heat coffee and a single space heater, but we will make do if things get worse. So far, the only inconvenience we’ve suffered is that the hot water pipes leading to the kitchen are frozen. We’re praying we don’t have a busted pipe to get fixed, and in the meantime, we’re boiling water for dishes, but that’s small beans problems when compared to the disaster in the state next door.

Just a couple more days, folks… Hang in there. Stay safe. Stay off the roads, if you can help it. Check on your neighbors.

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen1!
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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Here’s a Valentine from me to you. And you can have two! Just solve the puzzle below…

Sincerely, I wish you a happy holiday with cards and gifts from those you love. For myself, the children’s handmade hearts always do me in. 🙂

Puzzle-Contest

Solve and then tell me something you love to do on Valentine’s Day for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

I’m a cold weenie. That wasn’t always the case. I’ve lived in Montana, Colorado, Germany. I’ve slept in tents in the dead of winter. But now, I live in the South. I think my blood’s thinner or something. That’s not to say I love the heat. If I didn’t have a pool to cool off in, I’d be miserable in the summertime. However, I really, really, really don’t like frosty toes and fingers.

I’m talking about this because these next seven days, we’re getting some unusually cold weather. Like single digit temperatures at night and below freezing during the day. The forecast is for several days of snow. We haven’t had anything other than a sprinkle of the cold stuff in years!

So, naturally, we’re freaking out a little bit. In advance of the snow, my dd hit the store today to load up on food we don’t have to cook because we know if there’s any accumulation, or worse—if there’s ice—we will lose power. We live in a rural area, and energy companies are slow to fix problems out here. So, our gas cans are full to feed the generator. We bought extra straw for the goat shed to help keep the three little critters warm. We shuttered the window in the lean-to on the side of the barn for the horses and filled the “warm end” with hay. Last night, my dd went out in the dead of night to break the ice in the horses’ water troughs to make sure they have access to water. We’re staying vigilant so they stay safe. We winterized exposed pipes and faucets. We’re dripping water in the sinks and showers. She bought us all thermal longjohns. The kids have boots.

Can you think of anything we’ve missed?

The happiest of all lives is a busy schedule. ~Voltaire

I’m not sure that’s true. The thought of a slothful day sounds like heaven. Lately, because I have so much work on my plate, I rise around 6 AM to begin my days. I write down every little thing I want to complete in the order I want to complete them. None of that Steven Covey stuff about working on the highest priorities first because if I didn’t put “Shower” on the list, I’d forget!

Today’s list includes a shower, yes, and editing a certain number of pages, writing a certain number of pages, reading a certain number of stories, cleaning my desktop (my art supplies have overtaken its surface!), blogging, the daily art project, and many little administrivia things (phonecalls to be made, for example), and if I can get to it, vacuuming and mopping!

I like a list—even a long one. Today’s has 15 times! Checking off accomplishments is my nirvana.

Are you a listmaker? 

Not a sexy title for a blog, is it? But I do like the picture because, hey, I have a thing for Post-It Notes. 🙂

Can you believe this is already the last week of January? I had so many goals. Some of them I did achieve. Today, I’m retooling plans so I can finish the month with a flourish and start February with a steely purposeful mindset! Next month, I want to wrap up a book; I have several editing projects to complete; and I being the #100DayProject art challenge! So, plenty to do and little time for lazy days—that’s for sure! My sis and I are planning writing sprints to slam some words onto paper, something I love doing but haven’t in quite a while. I’ll also try to do some weekly, if not daily, progress posts on Facebook to keep myself accountable.

Anyone else with me? Want to state some goals you’d like to achieve? Maybe we can figure out a way to keep us moving forward, even if it’s just household tasks, like “I have a closet to Marie Kondo or a garden to prepare for Spring planting.” Does that sound like something you’d like to do?

Open Contests

There’s still time to enter!

1. Cover Reveal! (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
2. Thinking about Montana… (Contest & Open Contests) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Puzzlers, “un-puzzle” this! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Anna M. Taylor: My New New Year’s Resolution (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

Hmmm. I didn’t realize that image was so fuzzy! But I liked the idea of it. It’s Saturday!

Yes, the weather is crappy here—overcast and in the low 40s (which is freezing for this Southerner). Still, it was nice to wake up without having an alarm buzzing in my ear. The kids don’t have online school, so we don’t have to enforce a schedule. I can do what I want—well, other than pick away at a set of edits I’m determined to finish by tomorrow. Yeah, I work every day. I don’t have a true “weekend” because I don’t have a day job other than my writing. I’m lucky that way, I know, but it also means that I never really have downtime. I have a blog I must refresh EVERY DAY, commitments/deadlines. Although, at least for the last few months, I have been lightening my work schedule for Saturdays and Sundays, just so I can feel like I have actual weekends.

So, today’s work is done. (It’s already close to noon!) Maybe I’ll see what’s on cable to watch. Think I can talk anyone into watching something with me? The fam really doesn’t like my taste in movies. What? You don’t want to watch Die Hard again? I can settle for something less violent. I can. How about a comedy? What? The King of Staten Island doesn’t count? Maybe I’ll hole up and binge-watch The Boys. Who’s with me?

Can y’all suggest something everyone might love?

UPDATE: The winner is…Roberta!
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I’ve been to many psychics over the years, and on several occasions, I’ve been told I have three muses—one a very old man, and the other two frisky females. I’m not sure which one woke me up at 3:15 from a great, dead sleep with the solution to my book story problem—the “who done it” and the ending.

Once up, I didn’t fight them (although I think it was just the grumpy old man). I quickly jotted down the notes in my head then sat at my desk and painted one very ugly postcard, and this one, which I love…

Over the years, I’ve decided insomnia’s not a horrible thing if I don’t fight it. Forcing myself to remain in bed and counting sheep or listening to fake rain falling on tin roofs only annoys me more. So, I take advantage of the quiet and do whatever I want. Sometimes, I actually catch myself yawning and head back to bed.  Sometimes, like this morning, I have kids to wake up for online class, so I’ll be up all day. Hopefully, I’ll be plenty tired tonight and the muses won’t be able to pry me from bed again.

So, how about you? Do you battle insomnia? Have you figured out what works for you in coping with the problem? Comment for a chance to win a free book—winner’s choice from my backlist!