Winner

52,928 words later, I have just successfully completed National Novel Writing Month. 

The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000 word novel beginning November 1 and finishing before midnight November 30. 

I have tried the challenge in prior years, but never got past 6,000 words.  This year, with my schedule being more flexible, and just me and the dog hanging out together (except for the wonderful, wonderful family Thanksgiving that we all enjoyed), and encouragement from some (as well as curiosity, astonishment, disbelief, and wonder from some others) I am DONE!!!

My novel is a rough, very rough draft.  I hope to print it out in the next few days and commence to try and create some cohesion.  I know I need to correct tense, person, ages, names, weak verbs, run on sentences, and chapter numbers.

But for tonight, I will bask in the light of NaNo success.

Quiet after the storm

It has been an amazing holiday that started five days ago with 15 other people sleeping in my little farm house, Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful with family, friends, and two young men far from home (first Thanksgiving for one-quite an initiation), and 50 biscuits, sausage gravy, and pancakes for breakfast yesterday till everyone was full again.  Leftovers, and then leftovers again.  It has been a week full of love, and hugs, and grandma rock-rocks, and freeze tag in the orchard.  The children were disappointed that we have no snow, but devised a plan to slide down the sledding hill in the mud using their coats instead of sleds.  Um.  No.

 I told the little snots if they didn't look happy and hold still so I could take a good picture, I wasn't going to let them go home.  They did not believe me.  13 pictures later...perhaps photo shop can help.

The house is quiet.  There is one piece of pumpkin pie left.  I will make turkey soup tomorrow.  Tonight, I think I'll have leftover spaghetti for dinner.  Alone.  All by myself. 

I miss you to the moon and back.

 

Bianca the weather-dog

Bianca, the wonder-puppy has become my weather-dog.  She gets up at dark thirty to run outside for a moment or two.  When she comes in looking like this...I know it is snowing again.  It's a perfect system, and no matter what the guy on the radio says about the weather forecast, Bianca is 100% right.

NaNoWriMo Update

Not that anyone is excited about this but me...drum roll please...I just passed 30,000 words!  I am 19 days into this writing event with 12 days to go, and I think I'm actually going to make 50,000 words this time.  For the first time ever.  And it's not that this draft is the next big thing, but I'm putting on paper thoughts that have been batting around among the cobwebs in my head for several years.  So it feels good, and it feels satisfying, and it makes me happy and excited. (I know, I need to work on my long run-on sentences.  My draft is full of them).

If you have no clue what I'm talking about, you can check out the web site at nanowrimo.org

I'm taking the afternoon off today, but I'll be back to writing tomorrow after church.  I need to get ahead on my word count so I'm not typing into the wee hours of the morning when my kids are here for Thanksgiving week end.  Oh my word, I need to get going on Thanksgiving preparations, too.  Life is BUSY.

NaNoWriMo

Just a few minutes ago, winter got here.  It's pouring down snow outside my window.  I have a stack of wood near by, the fireplace is blazing, and I'm toasty and safe from the cold.  I did just go out and bring in the summer equipment that I put by the back door (yes, I got snowed on).  The shovel, bikes, and other gardening implements are safe from winter.  I've been meaning to get them under cover, and it worked out just perfect.

And in other news, I signed up to do NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month.  November is NaNoWriMo.  The goal is to write a 50,000 word draft of a novel in the month of November.  I've been behind in my word count, but I'm finally catching up.  I have 22,674 words in 102 pages.  The last time I tried NaNoWriMo, I made to 6,000 words and got bogged down with life.  This time I'm almost half way there.  I stink.  I don't have any clean clothes.  I don't have any clean dishes.   I ate cup of soup for lunch out of the little styrofoam cup with chop sticks.  Things have been stacking up.  I went to work yesterday.  I'll go to work tomorrow.  But other than that, I'm getting major TB from sitting and typing all day.  And I had a break through today.  I cried.  When my work makes me cry it makes me so happy!  But it was only a little sad moment and was quickly over.  Now I'm back to sassy and silly or something like that. 

No, you can't see it until it's done.  Maybe not until it's published.  Maybe never.  But I am so happy to be working on this novel.  With winter pouring down outside, the fire blazing inside, and my fingers flying over the keyboard, things are moving at the speed of life around here.

Officially Old

This is what an officially old lady looks like.

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's been a great day.  I got a bin of wood unloaded.  Another one to go tomorrow.  Rob cleaned out my chimney, so I have a toasty warm fire going in my fireplace.  I had a delicious dinner and birthday cake over at Rob & Shari's tonight and they gave 2 maglite flashlights, the perfect gift what with the power going in and out because of the wind.  And I spoke to all my kids today except one.  And yes, bacon is supposed to be CRISP, Katie.  Really.  It's true.  And I got butterflies in the mail.  A touch of spring before the snow flies.  Thank you, Deb. 

MY BLESSING CUP IS OVER FLOWING!!

She's getting older

A poem I wrote about living 60 years and the delicate art of growing older, inspired by the awesome Sapphire Pool at Yellowstone National Park.

The Beauty of Wisdom

crap, I forgot the words.

Nothing is Impossible

I saw a video this weekend that touched my heart.  I've been thinking about the importance of working together as a family, community, nation, and world.  Sometimes, little children have to show us the way.  They don't see an obstacle and say "that's impossible."  They don't understand "impossible."  They see an obstacle and start pushing.  No committee.  No "whose job is this" or "where are the government guys who are supposed to take care of this problem?"  Problem = obstacle in the way.  Solution = I need to start pushing.  Simple.  The child becomes a leader.  Problem solved.  Obstacle removed.  True faith in action.