And the sprint...splutters.

So, who here has spent thirteen hours cleaning, decluttering, folding and packing, sitting down for literally five minutes the whole time, even eating standing up, with no heat except for one space heater because a new furnace is being installed and then you have to wait to Pilot Light Guy to come and do the final inspection and turn it on?

That was my day yesterday and by the end of it, every bone in my body ached.

Today, we worked for a "mere" 8 hours, after going to the charity donation place with a load, and visiting two hardware stores for supplies. My jobs were sanding and painting the front and back doors and scraping off (or trying two) several layers of caulk around the bathtub and by the sink of the main bathroom, as well as scrubbing the floor. Fun? Wow! (To quote an old TV commercial - only ..not.) I am so stiff, getting up from the sofa is an experience.

Perhaps needless to say, no writing was done yesterday. No writing will be done today. I hope to get back to it tomorrow. Maybe not ten pages, though. Maybe five.

I did make up for the slack of last week by writing sixteen pages on Thursday and I knew my time was going to be "off and on" last week and next, so I'm not feeling guilty. Even better, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel of Prepping a Relative's House For Sale!

(That's Luis on the chair. He missed us while we were working.)

First Draft Sprint - check in

So, as expected, things are cropping up to disrupt my first draft sprint. The main one is preparing a relative's house for painters.

And I should get proofreading next week.

I'm also trying to keep up with exercising, and finish two knitting projects. I think I forgot to mention I'm also sanding a chair and a table in preparation for refinishing (when the weather is warmer and I can do it outside).

On Monday, I easily made my writing goal, and went on a long walk, also stopping at the hardware store for more sandpaper and pricing things for the relative's house, where I lost my hat. (Sigh) But then I finished the white hat I was knitting and joy of joys! It fits. Since I was basically winging it (not adherring to the pattern), this was a big relief.

Tuesday was spent at the relative's house and I'd taken my laptop to work at a library afterward. The laptop didn't work (battery problems, I think), so - oh, woe is me, she cried in mock despair - I could only sit and read. Then it was run errands. If I wasn't doing this First Draft Sprint, I probably wouldn't have started writing at 5:45 p.m., but since I am, I did, and wrote eleven pages. Afterward I made three mistakes on the second hat I was making, the one I was getting fairly sure wasn't going to fit, so I gave up and tore it out. That's one way to get rid of a project! However, I started another, using the pattern. And I've made more than half the squares I need for the afghan.

Wednesday saw me writing five pages in the morning, then exercising, then doing other things until the evening. When I simply didn't write. I'd been up since 5 a.m., so I decided to take the night off. However, I'm planning to write 15 pages today to make up for it. So far, I've done ten, and five more after lunch should be doable.

I doubt I'll be writing tomorrow or Sat, though, as there is still much to be done at the relative's house. I doubt I'll be on the treadmill those days, either.

Which brings me to the frustrations of the weight loss. Has my body decided 142-143 is the optimal weight? Is it because it's winter and my body thinks it needs the fat? Was it the chocolate bar and Cola I finally gave in to on Tuesday? (My friend also noted she tends to eat junk on Biggest Loser day. Her explanation? We're subconsciously thinking, "Hey, I'm thinner than those guys, so..." I think she's on to something.) Anyhoodle, for whatever reason, I have not been able to get below 141, and have crept back up to 143 today. It's discouraging and I absolutely get why people give up; nevertheless, I shall get back to the exercise ASAP for this reason if none other: I sleep much better after exercisng.

So, that's my week in a (big) nutshell. I've been busy, but not stressed.

First Draft Sprint - Day One

It was the first day of my First Draft Sprint Month (aka FeNaWriMo), and I easily managed the ten pages this morning. And already my characters are morphing. That's not unexpected, because once my characters start talking, they start changing. (By talking, I'm referring to dialogue.)

So far, the heroine is a lot more "bubbly" then I expected, and whoo Nelly, where did that bit of backstory come from???? The hero has become tougher than I thought he'd be, although I understand why. After all, I gave him his issues.

This is what makes writing both exciting and challenging for me.

Tomorrow, something unexpected in real life came up, but I'm taking my laptop along, so hopefully I'll be able to do ten more pages.

Preparing for the dash

As per my last blog post, I'm going to try getting the first draft of my next (currently untitled) book written in the month of February.

Well, let me be more precise. I know I probably won't get the whole first draft finished, but I do want to get a major portion of the job done.

As before embarking on any major project, I've already done some preparation. I've:

1. Written an outline. I have the synopsis, which I wrote to sell the book. A year ago. However, since then, I've also written a more complete outline on file cards.

2. Cleaned out my email inbox.

3. Organized my information for my income tax.

4. Finished/organized various other administrative/secretarial tasks.

5. Done as much laundry as I could (still some to be finished up today). I've done a little cooking and freezing, so meal prep will be shorter.

Today, I'll be rereading the synopsis and outline and thinking about the first scene - something I'll do before going on my walk, which is not just a good way to get some exercise and fresh air, but gives me a chance to just think.

There are a few other things that enable me to take a "dash" approach to the first draft:

Necessity. I need to get going on this book. The deadline is far enough away that I'm certainly not panicking, but I have to start soon, or I will be.

I have a cleaning lady who comes every two weeks and is worth every penny.

I have a relatively light social calendar this month, in part because I knew I had to get going on this book, so declined to take part in a few things that would take time and mental energy (the latter being even more valuable than time).

Now off to put in another load of laundry, reread the material I have and get out for a walk while the sun is shining.

Friday Miscellany

I'm planning to do another FeNoWriMo - aka February Novel Writing Month, modeled on National Novel Writing Month, which is always November. Basically, the idea is to write as much as possible without taking time to edit - to get a first draft of a novel accomplished in one month. However, I'm also expecting edits to proof and I have no intention of stressing myself out when the book isn't due for a few months, so I'm setting the daily bar low. I can do eight pages a day easily, fifteen is mentally taxing and doesn't leave time for much else, so I'm going to try for ten. That means I'll be pushing a bit, but not so much that I'm drained by the end of the writing day. After all, there are new seasons of Survivor and The Amazing Race starting, too.

Weight Loss Challenge - After staring at a dismaying 144 on the scales (did you hear me yelp?) two weeks ago, I'm happy to report that the combination of consistent exercise and lack of cola has whittled the gain down to 141.6 today. I have a new goal - 130 by June 30. Actually, I'll be happy with 132, but I'm aiming for more.

Speaking of reality TV, I'm watching The Colony on the Discovery Channel. Basically, ten people are living as if there's been a global catastrophe. Their digs are an old factory, and things have been left there that they can use. The "survivors" are a mix, although heavy on the engineer/contractor/medical side. As much as I'm liking it, I think I would have enjoyed it even more if one or two of the survivors had been a stay-at-home mom or receptionist or an artist. But what's really making it interesting is the "marauders" - think Mad Max mayhem. Basically their job is to harass and steal from the survivors. That gives the survivors a whole different kind of stress. (Imagine the other Survivor with hostile natives who may attack at any time.)

I have three craft projects on the go. One is an afghan requiring 90 squares. I think I've done about 40. (Gosh, probably should check that, eh?) The others are hats. One is an experiment, using leftover wool and the other is...well, I wasn't sure how to do the stitches they asked for, so I'm kinda winging that one, as well. We'll see how they turn out.

I also want to refinish a chair and a small table, but not until spring, when I can do it in the garage.

Wondering about that picture? That's the north shore of Lake Ontario and somewhere I go when I walk.

The fear of shame and disgrace

I watched a documentary the other night about a couple who had a child out of wedlock in the 60's. The woman, a teenager at the time, was sent far from her home to an institution for young women in that situation. It was terrible to hear how these girls (and they were girls) were treated, especially while in labor - as if they were sluts of the worse sort. Despite that, the woman and her then-boyfriend wanted to keep the baby. Unfortunately, their families were not supportive of that at all and the baby was given up for adoption. Then the couple was basically forced asunder and parted ways. Years later, at a high school reunion, they met, reconnected and married a short time afterward. They then went searching for their daughter and eventually found her.

One thing was made very clear throughout the documentary: how shame and disgrace, and the fear of shame and disgrace and social ostracism, motivated the families and the girls (although in the girls' cases, it was often the fear of what their children would face than concern for themselves).

I'm old enough to remember that yes, that's how it often was then. For a girl to bear a child out of wedlock was terrible. Absolutely disgraceful. She would be a sort of social leper. And this was before we had any notion about "date rape," so even if the girl had been forced, it was still her fault. Yes, hers. The guy was often excused because, well, boys will be boys.

I'm not saying this is right or as it should be in any way. I'm simply saying, that's how it often was.

And that's why I have a real problem when it comes to many historical romances being written today. Even though the heroines are supposedly living in a time before easy access to birth control, and when a woman bearing a child out of wedlock was treated with scorn, derision, and outright cruelty - and her child would face a similar social stigma - they seem to have no worries at all about the possible consequences if their pre-marital sexual activity is discovered and even if they don't get pregnant.

Now, I know that pre-marital sex has been happening forever. That's why they had homes for unwed mothers, as they were called, although it doesn't sound as if there was anything very home-y about them. So I'm not saying historical romance heroines shouldn't have pre-marital sex. After all, I've written heroines who have. However, I do expect the author to at least have the heroine give it a moment's thought, as in, "If I do this and someone else finds out, there could be some very serious and unpleasant social consequences for me."

If not? Well, I don't think it means the book's terrible or the author's a dope. It does mean I don't quite buy the character, though - it's as if she's an actress playing a part. She may be doing a heck of a job, but she's not as real to me as she could be, either.

What lies ahead

Most people blog about their plans for the upcoming year much closer to Jan. 1. I didn't have time, which is actually pertinent to the subject of today's blog.

Last year, and indeed the past couple of years, have been a real roller coaster ride for me, with some great times, good times and, frankly, awful times. There have been family problems, a health scare that (mercifully) turned out to be nothing, major social events and some deadline changes that were not of my making, to name a few that created stress. Big-time stress.

So lately I've been thinking about my priorities and what I can do to reduce the stress. I still have obligations. I still have family issues. There are, in other words, things beyond my control that are going to be stressful.

However, there are things within my control that I'm reconsidering, including the time I spend blogging.

While I generally enjoy writing the blog, is it worth the time and the effort? Considering I also have a newsletter and Twitter, is it necessary to blog, too?

To answer that, I need to think about my reasons for blogging. The most obvious is to connect with my readers in an informal, personal way, while also promoting my books.

Is this blog doing that? Or is it just another deadline-type job I've given myself because I've been told a writer ought to have a blog?

If my blog isn't doing that enough (ie little traffic), do I want to do what would be necessary to change that?

What would that entail? Being more focused on publishing, writing more about research, visiting other blogs and commenting more, doing guest blogs elsewhere, writing newsletter articles, maybe even taking out ads and doing banners, going to more conferences....

In other words, change the focus of this blog to something more publishing-specific and do a lot more promotion.

I'm still evaluating, so no decisions have been made, but don't be surprised if I wind up blogging less in the short term as I try to decide what I'll do about/with/for my blog.

A pain in the neck

My computer time is going to have to be limited for the next few days, because I have - literally - a pain in my neck. Well, to be precise, I have muscle pain in my neck and shoulder, I suspect from sleeping in a very awkward position on the plane home. Not only are airplane seats not the most comfortable, I couldn't recline mine at all because we were right in front of the emergency exit - something we didn't realize when we checked in.

This sort of pain isn't new, and one thing that aggravates that pain is time at the computer.

Therefore, I'm bidding my blog adieu until next week.

I'm back, in body anyway....

I recently returned from a week's vacation in the beautiful Dominican Republic. I was there when the horrific quake struck Haiti. However, we didn't feel a thing at our lovely resort, and I was glad we could send an email right away to reassure family and friends that we were all safe.

The weather was great when we arrived (first picture), not so great by the time we left (video below). But hey, anywhere you can wear t-shirts in January and walk on a beach is fine by me!





(I have no idea why the sand is bright pink in this video. It wasn't in real life.)

So long for a little while....

I thought I was going to be able to write a few blog posts before I head to the Dominican Republic on Saturday, but I fear...no. I have work to finish by Friday and because of said work and the holidays, I've let other things slip that need to be done/finished/accomplished before I leave, so...blog posts will have to wait until I return and have had a family party (one of the things I need to work on besides my book before I fly away).

See you later!

New Year, New Look, New Title

As you can see, I've changed the design of my blog yet again, to herald the start of another year.

I've also got a new title for my next release, a Regency-set historical that will be out from Harlequin Historicals in the summer. It's now HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS, which was one of my suggestions. My original title was THE HIGHLANDER'S KISS, but I was happy to change it because I feared people might think it was a sequel to my other recent Regencies, and it's not.

I like HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS because I think it conveys something about the characters right away. Yes, my hero is in the rogue category - or so the heroine thinks. And I like LONDON MISS because it rhymes with "priss" and yep, she's a little prissy at the start of the story. So you've got a prissy miss and a rogue who have to work together and of course Miss Priss (aka Esme) secretly has a thing for our rogue (Quinn MacLachlann) and he can't help but try to get a reaction from Esme and heheheee. Let the games begin!

But that wasn't the only title suggestion I had. I also liked SCANDAL IN SCOTLAND, because scandal is one thing our Esme wants to avoid like the proverbial plague. And since I was watching ABOUT A BOY while trying to come up with titles, I also suggested ABOUT A HIGHLANDER. Cute, but I agree it's not quite right for my book.

I didn't submit Daughter's suggestion, because while it made me smile, I was, quite frankly, afraid they'd use it, even though it suggested a much more sexy story than I write.

What was it?

Okay, I'll tell. HOT FOR THE HIGHLANDER.

Sometimes coming up with a title is easy. Sometimes it's not. I've never had a title I hated or of which I was ashamed. I've been fortunate to either suggest titles my editors liked, or being able to work with an editor to come up with one that worked for both of us. So HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS it is.

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Although time is of the essence, I'm posting a picture of our Christmas tree, which we put up and decorated on Dec. 15. It's not a real tree - the cats kept drinking the water and I didn't think sap would be good for them, so we've opted for an artificial tree for a few years now. It looks pretty skinny here. It's wider "in person." (Is it like video adding 10 pounds to a person, only pictures make trees look skinnier?)



A few words about some of the ornaments:



I made this one in nursery school. I will not say what year, but let's just say, it's definitely vintage.



My husband has been a Three Stooges fan his whole life, and our kids have been raised with such Stoogisms as "spread out!" and "oh, wise guy, eh?", so yes, we are the people who buy Three Stooges tree ornaments.




My mother has been buying us ornaments every year since I got married. The most recent editions have been Wizard of Oz ornaments, very fancy ones that have lines and music from the movie. Lest you think that's not very Christmassy, let me say that there have been days leading up to Christmas days where "I'm melting!" seems rather too apt.


One of my favorite items on the tree is the angel at the top. My younger sister made it, so it's unique. She used lace left over from the bridesmaids' dresses she made for her wedding. Yep, she not only made her wedding dress, she made all the outfits for her bridesmaids, too.

Finally, what would Christmas be without a cat picture, if one has cats? Here's little Luis, cleverly hiding near a Sephora bag, so he's camouflaged.




Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good holiday!

Happy Holidays!

I received my revision notes, so between that, mailing out books and getting ready for Christmas, as well as trying to maintain an exercise regimen, blogging's going to have to slid down the list o' priorities for the next little while.

So I'm going to take the time now to wish you all a wonderful holiday season with family, friends and good times!

Weight Loss Challenge - Holiday Hiatus

Well, I'm not going to make my goal of 135 by Christmas, not unless I go on a crash diet of some kind, and I don't think that's a healthy decision, so that won't be happening.

What also hasn't been happening, though, is daily exercise. I got swamped with work-related work, as well as holiday prep, and there were a couple of days I just couldn't take an hour for the treadmill or walking. I also fell off the cola wagon, big time. So all in all, this was not a good week for the ol' weight loss challenge. Mind you, I'm still hovering around 140, so it could be worse.

That said, I'm throwing in the towel with this Challenge, declaring it a failure. But because I still want to reach my Ultimage Weight Loss Goal of 130 pounds, I plan to start a new Challenge sometime in mid-January.

It's the most busiest time of the year...

This time of year is always busy, and once again, despite my best efforts to be in control of time and space, I have got a whole lot going on.

Some of this is my fault. I decided to do a book give-away at this time of year. So now my office looks like the post office.

But there have been other things, too. This weekend, for instance, we had the Great Furniture Shuffle of '09, moving the last of my son's furniture from our house (bye-bye, mate's bed...sniffle...) to his new digs, as well as moving furniture from a relative's house that was going to my son's new digs, our niece's house and our house. That was a day, especially considering I have the upper body strength of a gnat.

However, I'm also trying to get my Christmas sewing done, so yesterday, I made an outfit for Niece's New Baby. Do you know how hard it is to find fleece in a pattern suitable for a little baby?

Also, note to self for future reference: do not sew white fleece while wearing black jeans!

As far as work goes, I'm waiting for revision notes (always stressful!). I also have to come up with a new title.

So, today, I have books to get ready to mail, titles to think of, and sewing to do - matching outfit for New Baby's sister, nightie for sister, dress for Baby, pj bottoms for Nephew, and two Christmas stockings. If the revisions aren't too much and I have time (cue maniacal laughter) I hope to make a couple of little mice decorations, too.

Weight Loss Challenge - progress at last!

I wasn't optimistic when I stepped on the scale yesterday afternoon. I bought some excellent toffee at the One of a Kind craft show on Sat. and munched it until Wednesday, when it ran out. I didn't get a chance to exercise at all on Monday.

But lo! I was 139.2. Granted, this is not a huge drop, but still - progress!

As noted in my blog last week, I sometimes rowed instead of walking/treadmilling. I started at 450 strokes, which worked up a good sweat, used more muscles (arms and back) and took about 20 minutes, so it's a faster, more extensive workout. Unfortunately, rowing isn't the best for other parts of my body, so I don't know if I can do it more than twice a week.

Today and tomorrow, I'm helping to move furniture. I'll probably get on the treadmill today, but not tomorrow, and I suspect I might want to spend most of Sunday recovering. But at least progress has been made, so I'm a happy camper today!

This week's walking/treadmill/rowing tally:
Sat. - 10,101 steps
Sun. - nothing
Mon. - rowed 450 strokes
Tues. - 1 ht. on TM
Wed. - rowed 550 strokes
Thurs. - 45 min. on TM (I didn't sleep well Wed. night, so I was too wiped to do more)

It'll be interesting to see what next week brings! I made a cake yesterday for company and have left-overs.

ETA: I realized I ought to clarify that I didn't make the cake because I thought a cake could offer companionship. Daughter was coming for dinner and I made it for dessert. :-)

What the Dickens?

It's no surprise that writers revise. Goodness knows I sure do plenty of that (Exhibit A, pictured here). Compare and contrast Charles Dickens' original manuscript of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Wonder what he would have done with colored ink?

What's your favorite film version of this story? I personally like the classic with Alistair Sim, although those two little kids under the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Present give me the willies. But then, they're supposed to.

Daughter likes the Muppet version.

I won't be seeing the newest one. It looks too weird to me.

And hey, that story was a hit even before the current paranormal craze!

What are these creatures invading my space?

I've been doing a little Christmas decorating. The Count is not impressed.

Free Books!

Last week, I asked my email newsletter subscribers if they'd like free, autographed copies of my books if they had to pay shipping and handling. You see, it costs a lot to mail things in Canada and we don't have that wonderful "media mail" like they do in the US. That's why I don't tend to offer free books or books as prizes. However, the answer was a resounding "Yes!" so I'm opening up the offer to readers of my blog as well. You won't have the same selection as my newsletter readers, because they've already spoken for many of the books, but there are still several left of some of the more recent titles.

Here's how this giveaway will work:

I'm going to list the books here. When you've decided which one(s) you'd like, send me an email at maggiejmoore@yahoo.com with the titles, your postal code if you're Canadian, your state if you're American, and your country if you live in neither. Then I'll email you the cost of shipping and handling. You may ask for as many as you'd like. However, shipping and handling will go up depending on weight, destination and size of package.

If you're still willing once you've seen the cost, you send me a check or money order for the amount of shipping and handling to the address I'll provide. When I receive the payment, I'll send the autographed books. The price quoted will the cheapest rate, so it may take a couple of weeks. In other words, I can't guarantee that the books will arrive by Christmas.

It will be on a first-come, first-get-books basis, for as long as I have books to give away. Please be patient if it takes me awhile to get back to you - I've been doing nothing but this for two days already and had to make a supply run twice! My office looks like Santa's sweat...um, workshop.

The books are:

A SCOUNDREL'S KISS
Limited quantity.

ALL MY DESIRE


THE BRIDES OF CHRISTMAS

An anthology with stories by Jo Beverley and Deborah Simmons, as well. Trade size. USA Today bestseller! Limited quantity.



GWYNETH AND THE THIEF
My one and only Young Adult historical romance. Limited quantity.


HERS TO DESIRE




MY LORD'S DESIRE









THE NOTORIOUS KNIGHT


KNAVE'S HONOR




Was it visions of sugar plums that prompted this move?

No. It's the new season of Hoarders starting on A&E tonight!

Weight Loss Challenge - ARGH

Well, this is getting frustrating! Back to 141 today. Granted, I went on a mini-Tootsie binge over the weekend, but I haven't had a cola since Sunday, so I thought (obviously foolishly) that it would somehow balance out. I've eaten out a couple of times, but aimed for healthy.

I'm seriously thinking there's something to this idea that my body thinks, "Wow! It's getting cold. I'd better have a little extra insulation." I'm also wondering if I shouldn't do something different in terms of exercise.

So my latest plan is to add rowing to the regimen. I can't do it everyday, as it can aggravate an old injury, but I think if I treadmill one day and row the next, I should be okay. I'll have to start slow with the rowing, but it's worth a shot. Because something has got to change or I'm not even going to get close to my goal of 135 by Christmas!

This week's treadmill tally (and upon looking at my record, I see that I didn't exercise as much as I thought, so...there ya go.):

Friday, Nov. 20: 1 hr. on TM
Sat. Nov. 21 - 1/2 hr. on TM (this was a surprise - I guess I was busier than I thought!)
Sun. Nov. 22 - social event, so no TM
Mon. Nov. 23 - 1 hr. on TM
Tues. Nov. 24 - 1 hr. on TM
Wed. Nov. 25 - 1 hr. on TM
Thurs. Nov. 26 - 45 min. on TM

This week's plan - get out the rowing machine and see how hard I can work on it. I won't be on the treadmill tomorrow, but I will be wandering around a craft show. Sunday, treadmill. Monday, row. Tuesday, TM. Wednesday, row, etc. No cola. No cola or chocolate until Thursday (treats during Survivor are mandatory in our house). Fingers crossed I can get to below 140, anyway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! Wishing you a wonderful time with family, friends and good food!

More Cool Old Stuff

Here are some more recent additions at my house.

I've been trying to discover how old this Underwood-Elliot Fisher typewriter is, and I think it's probably from the 1940's, or possibly the early '50's. I was actually
was able to get a ribbon (that's what the ink's on, boys and girls) at Staples. I'll have to see if it fits, then I'm hoping to get it working, just for demonstration value.

One thing's for sure, it's heavy!


The table it's on is something I've never seen before. In the middle, underneath that beautiful scroll work, is a speaker of some kind, maybe for a radio? I'm thinking I should send the picture to a club for antique radio buffs.

A funny thing happened on the way to the

Forum... Well, not really -although I do love that movie. I finally posted some new pages of pictures from our trip on our website, of both the Forum and the Colosseum, including a video.

I'm still working on my NaNo project, although revising and not writing anything new. I want a firmer foundation before I do that.

Babies and books and china, oh my...

I was at a baby shower on the weekend. In our family, we don't have baby showers until after the baby has arrived, so the Wee One was there in all his chubby-cheeked glory (and man, those cheeks were chubby!). Of course, we women trotted out all our "war stories." And new baby stories, thereby embarrassing those babies-now-young-women in attendance, which is also a time-honored part of the ritual.

I also managed to finish a synopsis, although I've gotta say, it's a whole lot easier writing a synopsis before I've written the book. When the book (or in my case, half the book) is done, I want to put everything in the synopsis. Every character, every bit of backstory about those characters, everything that happens, even some of the dialogue. Alas, that cannot be, or it wouldn't be a synopsis.

Even mindful that a synopsis shouldn't be book-length, I still put in too much and have to cut. That's next on the agenda, while also making sure I don't cut anything essential to the understand of the story and characters while keeping the overall tone of the story and characters.



I also spent time trying to find out the name of a china pattern. It's by Johnson Brothers. On the back, it has the name, the seal, "Snowhite" (which is not a pattern name, but seems to refer to the type of china) and "D" and "1" on the saucer. If anybody knows what this is, please tell me!




There's something else I'm trying to find out about. It's a Pyrex measuring cup, but it only hold 3/4 of a cup. Also unusually, it doesn't have a spout. I've never seen anything like it, and I can't discover if anybody else ever has, either. Any information gratefully accepted!

Weight Loss Challenge - I knew it

Well, I did get down to 138.6 this week, until the Stuff Hit the Proverbial Fan in my life, and cookies became my coping mechanism. So back up to 140 this morning.

But still, I was on the right track and as long as I don't have too many more days that require serious cookie therapy, I should be...not too bad. Will I make my goal of 135 by Christmas? I fear I won't. But if I don't keep up with the exercise and Cola Drought, I will surely gain.

This week's step/treadmill tally:
Friday, Nov. 13 - 1 hr. on TM
Sat. Nov. 14 - 1 hr. on TM
Sun. Nov. 15 - Nothing (social event)
Mon. Nov. 16 - 1 hr. on TM and I walked to the store
Tues. Nov. 17 - 13016 steps (and I note that I must have been going at a pretty brisk pace, because it took me only an hour and a half instead of two)
Wed. Nov. 18 - 1 hr. on TM
Thurs. Nov. 19 - 1 hr. on TM

I think for the next week, it'll be treadmill time. It's a harder work-out. Did I mention the cookies? I still have some left.

Sometimes, you just gotta bake cookies...

You know, there are days when things just don't go your way. And sometimes a couple of days in a row. Days when you wish you could just go live in a shack in the woods for awhile.

This is turning into one of THOSE weeks. My NaNo goals have gone the way of the dodo. And after baking cookies this afternoon and eating a few, I fear my weight tomorrow will not be any lower, although (yeah!) it was this afternoon.

But there are times I just have to take the time to bake some cookies.

And this was one of those days.

NaNo - nono

Yet again, when I think I'm going to have lots of time to work, LIFE comes a-callin'. Didn't get anything done until 5 p.m., then did some revisions. Didn't get on the treadmill till 7 p.m. Still haven't had dinner, which looks like it'll be toast and a banana.

Yep, one of those days, all right!

NaNo and more Roma

Well, I'm glad I decided to stop and think about my story some more. A big plot hole opened up on me - now plugged. I'll be on a firmer foundation to carry on, as well. The only new words I wrote were notes, but they will surely prove to be some of the more important words regarding this project.

I've also uploaded some more pictures onto my website, of St. Peter's, the Vatican and the Vatican Museum, where every ceiling is something to see.

Check it out.

NaNo - Upon further consideration....

Despite having social events Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I did manage to write something, if not much, on Friday and Saturday.

However, as mentioned previously, I was starting to feel it might be time to stop and re-read. I've got a lot going on in the story so far, and I'm not sure how much I'll keep and how much should go. Sometime during Saturday night, my subconscious made the command decision that it was absolutely time to read and evaluate what I've already written. I decided to obey. I've learned that sometimes, my subconscious is a better judge of where I am and what I should do than my conscious mind.

I hadn't added my word counts for Friday and Saturday to the cumulative total yet, so as I was printing up my pages (because when it's time for the first real read-through with an eye to revising, I need hard copy), I did that. I discovered I have 25,113 words, or approximately half the length of the finished manuscript I'm aiming for.

Seems my subconscious had realized that, and that it was time to take a good, hard look at the foundations of my story and make sure I've got a plot that's taking me where I want to go.

While I'm re-reading and evaluating, here's where I do the majority of my writing now.



(If you're wondering what got cut off, as you can see, I also keep some of my DVDs on display.)

Weight Loss Challenge - One step forward, two steps back...

Or at least, that's how it feels, as I continue to hover around 140, even though I've been walking, doing the treadmill, have given up the cola for nearly a whole week (Sat. to Thursday evening, cola-free) and yet, I'm not losing. Well, there was cake on Tuesday. And chocolate on the weekend.

It's clearly a lot easier for me now to put on the weight than it is to get rid of it. Now, this may not sound earth-shatteringly new in the world o' weight loss, but for the majority of my life so far, I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight. OTOH, I was burning a lot of energy either swimming or performing or running around after the kiddies. But still...

I can so see why people throw in the towel and quit exercising. It's time consuming and, for me and I suspect a lot of other people, not exactly a laff riot. It's work. Or like another chore in the day. A must, not a wanna.

However, as Rome wasn't built in a day, so I shall keep with the exercising and limiting the cola intake, because I also know it works. Or I wouldn't have lost twenty pounds.

This week's exercise/treadmill tally:

Friday, Nov. 6 - I hr. on TM (but I also had two colas - a last hoorah)
Nov. 7 - 1/2 on the TM but spent an hour raking and putting leaves in bins
Nov. 8 - 16,029 steps
Nov. 9 - 13,038 steps
Nov. 10 - 1 hr. on TM
Nov. 11 - 1 hr. on TM
Nov. 12 - 12,787 steps

My goal for the next week is to try to exercise every day. I'm going out for lunch three days in a row, though, and I'm also trying to write every day, so that could be a challenge I cannot meet. I'm thinking less, but something, of both, may be the way to go.

NaNo Day Twelve - Time to rethink or keep going?

How's a gal supposed to get any work done when her office chair has been commandeered???

I didn't get as much done today as I thought I might not because of "the boys" (that picture was taken yesterday), but mainly because I decided to walk to the store, which took two plus hours, rather than doing an hour on the treadmill. Then I went to the library. And a new Vanity Fair arrived, so...time out for reading!

I'm also going to be out socializin' the next few days (whoo hooo!), so there goes my writing goals for those days - but that's okay. I have given myself permission to do that without guilt.

I confess I've been tempted to stop and dissect the plot so far, but I think I'm going to keep going, even though I'm aware I have some major rearranging to do. Some elements will surely have more impact if they're moved to another place in the plot. OTOH, I haven't exactly figured out the plot is going to be. Completely, that is. New things are creeping in. Some elements I'll definitely want to keep, others...maybe not. Time, and my gut, will tell.

Here are the word count totals:
a.m. - 1395. I may get a few more in, but I may not, so let's call it the day's total, bringing my cumulative total to 23,660 words.

NaNo Goodness and the Trevi Fountain

Well, after deciding not to push myself with the word count, I had the best morning yet - 2565 words. I haven't written any more this afternoon because I've been working on my pictures and videos of Rome, specifically the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. That also meant figuring out how to edit. Which I did. All on my own.

Want to see the videos?

So that's two triumphs today and frankly, I think that's about all my poor gray matter can handle.

I see I didn't post my totals for yesterday, so NaNo totals so far:
Yesterday, a.m. only - 1239, for a cumulative total of 19,700
Today, a.m. only - 2565 for a cumulative total of 22,265.

Lest We Forget

That I can write what I want to write the way I want to write it, that I can live where I want to live, without fear, because of so many who served in our armed forces past and present.

Thank you.

Tales of the Sourdough and NaNo News

Here they are, the first two loaves of sourdough bread I've ever made. The one on the left looks pretty good; the one on the right is a bit of a mutant. However, we tasted the one on the right, and it was good!

And let me just say, our foremothers must have had some powerful arms, because stirring and kneading bread dough? Was a work-out.

In NaNo news, I've decided I might have set my sights a bit too high. Or maybe I'm finding two sessions a tough gig because I've got a lot of other projects I also want to do right now. Also, the weather's been so nice, I want to walk while I can, which means at least two hours a day. And I'll be honest and confess that it could be that I'm finding it tough to get my butt in the chair in the afternoon because I'm in the middle of the story and in the "feeling my way" stage. Yes, I had an outline, but I still have to flesh out the story and characters and come up with other incidents to keep it moving. I didn't manage to get to my second session until 9 p.m. tonight, and I have a birthday cake and dinner tomorrow, so I won't get a second one in tomorrow, either. Add to that that I'm not getting to my trip pictures, and...something's gotta give.

So I'm going to give myself permission to have one writing session a day for the rest of this week, on the understanding that I'll write every day, aiming for at least 1,000 words, and get the pictures done. Next week, I'll aim for two sessions a day again.

Sometimes, I just have to acknowledge what's slowing me down and deal with it.

Today's totals:
a.m. - 1362 p.m. - 446 for a day's total of 1808 and a cumulative total of 18,461.

NaNo Weekend - I still can't believe I did that

I've been saving my writing on discs or flashdrives for years now. But what did I do yesterday?

I copied over a chapter with an older version and lost 500 words.

Gone. Wiped out. Lost forever.

Of course, I'm sure those 500 words were golden. Great. Important.

This after I had to drag myself to the laptop after spending a relaxing day with the New York Times, finishing a baby afghan and going for a two-hour plus walk. I may also have been affected by a show I saw about W.P. Kinsella, the author who wrote SHOELESS JOE. The movie Field of Dreams is based on it. He wrote for two days, four pages a day or the revision equivalent (he never explained exactly what that meant), then took a day off.

Still, I got my butt in the chair and wrote 1101 words, finishing Chapter Seven and starting Chapter Eight. It was the end of Chapter Seven I lost. Which meant, having gone on to another scene, it was tough to remember everything I'd included in the first draft of Chapter Seven when I went back and tried to recreate it. I think I got the highlights, but see above re thinking I've lost some good stuff.

And all because I wasn't paying attention when I went to save.

Sigh.

Here are my totals for the weekend and cumulative so far:

Saturday (Day 7 of my unofficial NaNo): a.m. - 1249, p.m - 776 for a day's total of 2025.
Infamous Day 8 - when I went back and rewrote, I managed to add a few words, so the total came to 1192, for a cumulative total of 16,653.

Pretty good.

One thing I've realized: if NaNo is a sprint, I prefer a daily jog. If I write in the morning, that leaves me time for other things. I think I'd rather do that than write for two days and take a full day off, because my way means I'm better able to keep the story in my head. If you know what I mean.

Later today: NaNo totals for today and Tales of the Sourdough: I bake the first loaves.

Tales of the Sourdough: the saga continues

Good thing I split the starter between two containers this time, or it would have been the blob on the counter again. My recipe says to have at least a quart-size container. I don't know what kind of giant quarts they're referring to, because I needed more than three quarts. It rises, you see, and then contracts, but it would have been all over before it contracted had I put it in even the 64 oz. crock.

In other news, I've decided to go internet-free on the weekends for a while. It was just so liberating to be unconnected. I may check my email for messages, but that's it.

I'll still be doing my own unofficial NaNo and will note the new totals on Monday.

Weight Loss Challenge and hey, wha' happened?

Not what happened with my weight. I know what's going on there (too many Hallowe'en treats and last night, Evil Potato Chips controlled my mind and made me eat them). I'm referring to this blog and Twitter, as in why am I so late posting today?

We had connectivity issues. I was going to try the ol' unplug the modem trick, but the hubby had gone out and I wasn't sure if he was running a program or not, so didn't want to disconnect. I waited. And waited. Finally, I called, although there's a new law prohibiting talking on a cell phone when driving. He pulled over and answered, and yes, I could disconnect. Which was good, but ARGH that I hadn't tried it sooner.

Except... it was like the olden days. Email? Nope, no can do. Blog? It'll have to wait. So I could just...write. I got 1625 words done before breaking for exercise. I had my lunch. Then it was Tales of the Sourdough, Part Two: We Begin The Starter Again. Now I'm about to start writing again, having spent less than an hour, tops, online today.

However, as blissful as those first hours were, I did start to get antsy, because I'd send some emails asking questions. But for those first few hours? It really felt as if my time truly was my own. I'm seriously considering a no-internet-on-the-weekend policy. There may be blogs, but I'll do them ahead of time.

But, you may be wondering, how's it going with the weight loss challenge?

Alas, see above re chocolate and chips. 139.2 this morning. I hang my head. That's the bad news. The good news is that I'm back on track with the exercise program.

I either walked over 10,000 steps or - even better, I think - did an hour on the treadmill, every day. So now that the chocolate is gone, and the chips, too (as of noon today), here's hoping I can make it below 139 by next Friday.

ETA: NaNo Day Six -
a.m. - 1625 words, p.m. - 793 words, for a day's total of 2418 and a cumulative total of 13,436 words this week.

NaNo Day Five: It's not me! Well, it is, but....

Obviously this is not the movie of my office. This is me inside the Colliseum. But at least I know what happened to the camera. It wasn't elves. It was the hubby, who took it to a Raptors game.

So why no movie today? I dunno. I must have done something wrong. I'll try again when we delete some pictures off the memory card.

As for NaNo, my word count today is down because I went to Fabricland and went, well, a little nutty. But there was a sale and my nephews and nieces are now having babies, and it's so much fun to sew for little ones that...well, I went a little nutty.

I still hope to make some character notes today, because the secondary characters are coming in fast and furious, and yes, that's going to count toward my total. However, so far, the totals are:

Today a.m.: 472
p.m. 974 for a day's total of 1416 and a cumulative total of 10,863.

Oh, and I attempted to make a starter for sourdough bread last night. Turned out the container was too small. Heard of the blob? That was what happened on my kitchen counter. But I'll keep trying. I'm assuming learning how to bake bread will be like writing - a lot of trial and error.

ETA: Made a few notes, so daily word count is up by 155. Total is 1571, which is not up to my goal of 2000. C'est la vie. Just didn't have the time. Maybe I'll do a little extra tomorrow. Or maybe not. I'm not beating myself up about it.

NaNo Day Four: Is NaNo frying my brain?

Okay, what is going on? Is NaNo frying my brain? I took a little video of the upstairs den/office so you could see "where the magic happens" (snort), but can I find the camera now? I remember the last time I saw it. Did the elves take it?

When I went to the store, I nearly forgot the very first item on the list and the reason I went in the first place. Yeesh, distracted much?

In any event, the writing's going pretty well.

Day Four results:

a.m. - 1357
p.m. - 892 for a day's total of 2249 and a cumulative total of 9447. Obviously, I'm writing more in the morning.

Since I've misplaced the camera, here's a mini-movie of the Pantheon in Rome, a temple built by Agrippa and saved from destruction because it was turned into a church.



Yes, that's an opening in the dome. What happens when it rains? There are drainage holes in the floor.

NaNoWriMo 2009 - Day Three

Today's word count:

a.m. - 1310
p.m. - 742 for a day's total of 2052 and a combined total to date of 7198 words.

Pretty good. I didn't get much done this afternoon, but I did take time to make some notes of details for future reference.

One thing I'm not doing is going on any lists, etc. where other people post their totals. I think that sort of thing really isn't the best, at least in my case. I'm better to aim at my own goal, and not be distracted by anybody else's accomplishments.

Tonight, I'll be watching the premiere of "V". And crocheting a baby afghan.

NaNoWriMo Day Two and Viterbo

Today's word count:

a.m. - 1073
p.m. - 1180 for a day's total of 2253 and combined total to date of 5146.

So far, so good, despite having to make a quick dash to the store.

I've also uploaded another page of pictures from our Italy trip, about Viterbo. Next up, Rome!

NaNoWriMo 2009 - Day One

As I've mentioned previously here, I've decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). The idea is that one sets out to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. It doesn't have to be perfect (indeed, how could it be?) - you're just trying to get the first draft done. I don't know if I'll actually have the whole month (I may have to revise my last submission before the end of November), but until then, it seems like a good way to jump-start a new project after a very busy summer and our trip to Italy.

So, I want to write 50,000 words in 30 days. According to my calculations, that's 1,667 words per day. Based on the font I use and my lean style, I get about 215 words per page, so that's about 8 pages a day.

Frankly, I'm surprised it's that little. That's a short scene for me. A short scene a day is certainly do-able. Indeed, I could probably aim for more.

However, I'm also still working on uploading pictures from my trip on my website (just did Assisi last night), getting back on track with exercise, crocheting projects for new babies, a baby shower I'm co-hosting, and (I hope) learning to bake sourdough bread, so for now, I'll stick with a goal of eight pages a day - but I'll make that a minimum and aim to do more, so if I do have to miss a day, I'll be ahead.

What am I working on? Well, I decided to do something totally different from my usual, a project about a character that's been hovering on the edge of my mind for eight years.

Yep, you read that right. Eight years.

I don't know if anything will come of it, but I figure, what the heck. I'm in wait-for-revision mode, so I don't really want to start the sequel to that book, so I might as well play. Yesterday, I went back through the synopses (turned out I had two), picked what I thought were the best plot points, and wrote out my file card outline.

I had a chapter written, but it's eight years old, so this morning, I've been rewriting it, from scratch. I've kept some of the material, but have cut more.

Word count so far today: 1508.

Now I'm taking a break for a walk, but will do more later. I'm hoping for 2,000 words today, and getting to the end of the old material, so I'll be onto new territory tomorrow.

ETA: Final word count for the day - 2,893. Walked for two hours, too. Now off to work on our photos from the trip.