Segueing into the Day

I desperately want to go take a nap, BUT  I refuse to go up and lay down at this time, at least not until I have written today.

I woke at a decent hour today, around 8:30.  Not too early, not too late, at least in my opinion.  I stumbled downstairs and poked my pointy finger about the coffee maker until it hit the ON button then went to set up my computer – I have a laptop that I move back and forth from the kitchen, where I tend to take it in the morning, from the living room, where I take it at night.  We have a fancy coffee machine that makes one cup at a time, which works out great as I am trying to only allow myself one cup of coffee a day.  (I have been failing lately as I seem to drink two cups in the morning) 

Coffee made, computer on, I sat down to mess with the usual morning computer stuff.  Farmville 2.  Checking in with my loving husband who was up at 5:15 (too early) and to work by 6:30.  It is about 9:00 by the time I set things up and sit down.  Usually the sun is shining in the kitchen window by this time, but not today.  Today the sky was overcast and I could smell moisture in the air.  You know, that damp ground and wet air smell that I am finding very hard to describe.  All I know is that on more than one occasion I have smelled it, but have never been able to truly put the smell into words.  So, if you are so inclined I would love to hear how you would describe what it smells like to you.

I sat in the kitchen until 10:30.  I am sure the battery would have made it until after 11:00, but the kitchen chair was digging into the back of my legs, so I moved into the living room to finish my Farmville chores.   Part of me knows I need to give the darn game up, but I keep going to it every day and playing.  It is the competitive side of me.  I keep trying to beat my neighbors at the fairs.  😛

Now mom’s soap is over and it is my regular nap time.  Yes, I am 44 years old and I take naps. I find it rather ironic because as a child I hated napping, but as an adult I kind of look forward to laying down for a bit before jumping up to finish my day.

I think I will stop here because I am not sure what to segue into next as a new topic like the fact that my right nostril itched horribly from after I mowed Monday until sometime yesterday evening and that nothing I did seemed to help.  Not anti itch cream or taking allergy pills.  Not squeezing the nose, not even complaining about it.  Then just as mysteriously as it arrived, it disappeared.

How was your day?

The Eyes Have it

The perverse part of  challenges is that, well, they are challenges.  The challenge in my writing challenge is that tonight I could just crawl into bed and be done.  I have had a lovely day.  And now it is over and sleep is beckoning.  I am trying to convince my body that I need to do just a few more things before I cave to the desire of my eyelids to slide closed and dream one of my weird dreams. (The last one, I dreamed I kept waking up.)

 I have to admit my eyelids are beginning to win the argument.  They can be tricky little things when they want.  “Oh, just close us for a second.  Rest the eyes and you can go on a little longer.”

Bah! I am on to their game.

Another challenge tonight is trying to stay on topic.  My mind is wandering all over the place. From the wonderful time I had this morning just sitting happily with my husband to the pleasant visit we had with our knitting group.

I got to enjoy a rare moment where Ayron bought something he wanted.  He was so cute with his need to defend the purchase.  I was okay with it from the first moment.  I just wondered what he planned to use the external hard drive for.  I didn’t care that he got it.  He so rarely splurges.

My apologies to anyone reading this, but the eyes win.  I am giving up for the night.

May your dreams be pleasant whether they be the night time variety or the day!

Grandmother tells story of how Lexi’s parents became mated.

They refused to let him come to your mother’s Choosing Feast and sent their youngest son instead.  Your mother was heartbroken.  She avoided your father most of the night, but he wanted her as much as she wanted his brother, so he made sure to keep the others away and in the end she chose him.

I grant you, she wasn’t very happy the next morning to discover she would have ties with her in laws, but believe it or not, your father is good for your mother.

Lexi:  I do find that hard to believe.

Grandmother:  She laughs.  Oh child, for  such a great huntress you aren’t as observant as you think you are. Your father is a very laid back man who likes a strong woman and he has a good philosophy.  If the wife’s happy the husband’s happy.   If your watch will see your father working hard to see your mother’s wishes are met unless he doesn’t agree with her.  There have been occasions, very rare occasions when he has put his foot down.  And once he did there was no moving him.

You know I see a lot more than you children think and I can tell you your father has loved and protected all of you.  Your mother from being too strict and you children from some of the worst of her temper when you have stepped out of line.  He is more than you give him credit for.  And if your mother seems harsh, well, life hasn’t been completely kind to her.

Not only did she loose her first love, but because of that she decided to put aside her healing abilities and turn to making this homestead the most profitable in the territory.  This is where I failed her.  I should have insisted that she continue her training, but I had lost your grandfather the year before and I leaned to heavily on her….

Speaking With My Villain

Me:  What is it like being a villain?

Olin:  He raises and eyebrow in a stern way that I wish I could have pulled on my children when they were younger.  Villain?   I have to say I find that word distasteful.  I am not a villain. I am like every other person in that I am trying to make a living and move forward with my life.  If you insist of thinking and speaking to me that way, I am afraid I won’t be able to continue this conversation.

Instead of leaving he leans back in his chair and stretches his legs.  They are long and fell formed, I notice.  I also notice he is very sure of himself.

Me:  Okay.  What do you think your roll in this story is then?

Olin:  He smiles brightly.  Me, I am an entrepreneur, a go getter.  I make things happen.  You need a second set of papers to get into the city.  I get them for you.  You need a little something to improve your mood.  I will find you a source, for a price of course.  Someone needs a little reminder that they owe you, I know a guy that can help you. 

Me:  Oh.  You sell drugs and hurt people.

Olin:  He sits up and the pleasant look turns hard.  No.  I arrange things, I don’t get my hands dirty with other people’s problems.  I have no desire to work the mines or spend time trapped in a cage.

Me:  So, you’re not a drug dealer or thug?

Olin:  I am as much a drug deal as a doctor is.  As I said, I arrange things for a small price.  That’s all

Me:  Um, okay, but I can’t say I follow the drug dealer, doctor logic.

Olin:  He sighs with longs suffering like someone explaining the same thing to a child for the umpteenth time.  I am like a doctor in that I arrange for a person to get the drugs they need.  I don’t sell them, I direct them to where they can get them much like a doctor does with patients.

Me:  Oh, okay.  I get what you are saying.  So, what were you doing at Lexi’s Choosing feast?

Olin:  Smiles slyly.  I was combining business with pleasure.  Is it wrong for me to visit my relatives?

Me:  No, but your father and you are estranged from your family.

Olin:  Some of them.  I have an Uncle in First City that I have had dealings with on occasion. 

Me:  I am glad to know that you and your Uncle have had dealings in First City and I know it will be important to the story, but what I need right now is to know why you were at Lexi’s Choosing Feast.  I find it hard to move the story forward.

Olin:  He leans forward.  I was at Lexi’s to meet up with a fellow entrepreneur to arrange an exchange of goods and services.  Then when I saw how my aunt set my cousin up to be forced to choose from those losers, I thought I would offer her a chance at a real man.   Look, it’s getting late.  Why don’t we finish this conversation tomorrow.

Me:  I found myself returning his seductive smile, but stopped myself when I remember he has the ability to produce pheromones at will.  Yeah.  I don’t need any of what he is offering.  Not with a handsome husband waiting for me to stop for the day.  “Okay, we can resume this tomorrow.  Good night.”   

 

 

 

 

An Interview With A Few Of My Characters

Me: Lexi, I feel like I have come to a road block in your story. Do you have any thoughts about that?
Lexi: Well, Renae, I do. You start out by making me look and feel like a strong woman willing to defy my mother, but then it feels like I run out of steam after I get pregnant. I want to be more fierce. I am a huntress. Why should I let a little tiredness slow me down?
Me: I see your point, but how can I make you more fierce?
Lexi: You’re the writer, shouldn’t you know that?
Me: (chuckle) You would think so, but I try to let you the characters tell me the story.
Lexi: Then I am thinking you should have your ears cleaned. We do tell you, but sometimes you don’t listen. Take my grandmother for instance. Should she really try to help me track down the man I mated with at her age? I don’t think so.
Me: Really?
Lexi: Really! My grandmother is a force to be reckoned with in her own right, but she knows she is too old to be traipsing through the woods with me.
Me: Thank you, Lexi. You have been very helpful. I am off to talk to Roan for a minute and see if he has any input.
*************************************************************************************
Me: Hi Roan, How are you today? I wanted to ask you a couple of questions to help move your story along. Is that okay.
Roan: Yes, I have been expecting you. Lexi told me you were coming.
Me: I figured she would. I see you are in the city at the point where I left off with the story, how do you feel about what you have accomplished and what you are doing?
Roan. I have to tell you, Renae, that I am not feeling you are truly capturing my angst at being forced to be a guard when I really want to be a healer. I feel I would have maybe done more for the man that was hurt at the beginning of the story. Maybe I could have saved his life. But if I did that could change the whole story for me. I might then need to hide him from his unknown assailant. We might have to seek his girlfriend together. It is a different way to go that may show my abilities to their fullest. I am just saying think about.
Me: I will. Is there any other advice you can give me?
Roan: Yes, you have discounted my cousin and what he is up too. You should look into that. I am sure he is up to no good. Why did he come to Lexi’s Mating Feast? Did he follow her to the woods? If it wasn’t him, where did he go? It is possible that his only reason for coming was to mess with my twin, but I think there is more behind it than that.
Me: I see your point and I will look into it. Thank you for your time. I appreciate the help.

Good Pizza and Excellent Conversation

I met up with the Ladies Who Write tonight. It was a pleasant way to spend the evening. At the moment there is only 4 of us, but it is a good number especially as, though we are all quite unique, we mesh well.

We discussed things that were important to us. I think I raised poor G’s blood pressure just a bit. But I now understand a little better why a Civil Union is not enough for homosexuals. She gave me an example I understood immediately. Separate, but equal. Sounds good until you remember that there was a time when America tried that with black people. It was wrong then and is now.

What I am discovering, at hopefully an early enough age, is that I know so very little. Two sides are yelling they are right on the homosexuality issue. One side points out that the Bible says one thing, so it must be…the other lives with being a minority, but they have feelings and needs just like every other human. Me, I am just thankful I met two very nice ladies I enjoy visiting.

We met, we ate, we talked, we went home. But what eating and talking we did. One friend has decided which book she is sending to get published into the 5 books she won during Nanowrimo.

Another friend sold her house. The third friend is doing very well at work and is planning her next book in the series she is writing. I am very excited for her. Where I am still stuck on re-writing the first chapter of my nano book for the third or fourth time, she is on to a completely new book.

I may have a ‘job’. I am looking at becoming the Production Manager for a friend. I doubt I will make large amounts of money at the job, but I believe in my friend. I am beginning to study up on how to upload books to Amazon to sell. I should have it worked out by the time we are ready to produce the next book.

In the meantime I shall go back to contemplating deep things and see if I can increase the depth of my shallow mind.

Today is a New Day

I have returned to the scene of the crime.  What was the crime?  Not writing in forever in my blog.   To some it might not seem like a crime, but to me it very much so is.   I can’t tell you how many days I have thought about writing in my blog or on my book, but found something ‘more important’ to do instead.

 Not today.  The thought hit me that I should write in my blog and I said to  myself, “Yes, I should”.  I dropped out of what I was doing, sat down and here I am writing.

I wish I could say I was doing amazing things and that is why I haven’t written, but the truth is, I haven’t.  I have barely done mundane things.  Yes, I have been trying to get a job.  Yes, I have been knitting things for friends and families, but I also have watched a lot of TV and played a lot of internet games.  I have also suffered through my winter blahs.

But as I thought last night getting ready for bed, “Today is a new day.”  I was and am correct.  I don’t know what today will bring, but it has given me a new chance to write.  So, I am and shall continue to try too.

May your day be “A New Day” with all that entails including forgiving yourself for your yesterdays and allowing yourself to “Do”. 

Saturday Night – Yes, I Know Where I am

I read the time on my computer and the thought popped in my tired brain.  “It’s 12:02 on a Saturday night. Do you know where your muse is?  Yes, I do.  My muse was smart enough to go to bed an hour or so ago.  Me, I’m not so smart.  I can prove it too.

I just spent the last two hours watching TV and trying to write.  Oh yeah, my wordage soared, NOT. 

I did get to sit near my husband in our spousal together mode.  We each sat in the same room on different pieces of furniture and did our own thing.  It may not seem very romantic, but I like just sitting together.  There are moments when I want to hug and snuggle, but I would rather sit in a companionable silence and work on a project then cuddle while thinking about working on a project.

Maybe my muse got bored with the lack of action and that is why she went to bed.  Oh well, you know the old saying  — You do know the old say? – You can please some of the people most of the time, but not of the people….That doesn’t sound right…. But there is a saying.

Well, I have just about reached sleep typing.  I think I will end things for tonight or is that tomorrow.  Either way I am going to stop because I don’t want to spend all night dream typing.  That gets so annoying.  In my sleep typing dreams, I can’t say the word until I have typed it out.  Argh.  The only dream I know of that was ever worse was when I used to make sandwiches at Arby’s when they had their 5 for 5 deals.  (Yes, I know that dates me)  After a day of making more sandwiches than anyone should in a year, I would come home and make more in my dreams.  It was horrible.

 

Continuing Saga

     The Saga of the Lost Knitting Needles continues. . . Yesterday, I reported on crankiness and turmoil in this Writer’s household.  I am happy to report that moods have improved, but it came at a cost.

      This writer did not write last night.  She encouraged her grumpy spousal unit to go to JoAnn Fabric and buy a new set of knitting needles.  The couple left the store with three sets of needles; a replacement for the size sixes the hubby misplaced and two circular needles – sizes unknown to this writer.

     As the spousal unit tends to be slow in pondering his purchases, this writer had plenty of time to examine the yarns.  Spousal unit and writer only left the store with four more skeins.  Two skeins were put back at the end.  Argh!!! The burden of creativity.

     The hubby has happily gone back to planning knew projects as he knits baby hats.  This writer has gone back to writing and all is right in the household once more.  Now to go cause angst and conflict for my poor characters.

Bad Mooded Husband Doesn’t Read Writer’s Rough Draft

Today’s Headline:

Bad Mooded Husband Doesn’t Read  Writer’s Rough Draft

 

                Breaking news from this writer’s household involves a crabby husband and oversensitive wife.  He lost his needles – yes, you read that write, it wasn’t his marbles—and became upset.  The wife tried to help him search, but found great humor in his misplaced sticks. 

                In all fairness to the wife, she traded out a pair of needles she had borrowed from him for a set of her own and gave him back his needles, but since they weren’t the one’s he thought he was looking for Grump-attude  settled over the furry man.

                When later asked if he was going to read the rough draft, he informed his vulnerable wife that he was too tired.  ^_-  He might as well have said, “Not tonight, I have a headache.” 

                Now we have a grumpy old man and a cranky wife.  Things don’t look good in St. Paul tonight.