Finding Focus

This blog has been quiet for a few years, because I didn't have much to say. While I plan to sporadically blog, I don't plan to link this blog to any other social media, unless I have a really great recipe/news/etc to report.

In essence, this is my private journal that I will put up for public view only if you want to pop over to my blog. . . which means no one will read it. Fine with me. I'm good.

So why did I decide to blog again?

My Cousin-in-law posted a note on FB that he was finally ready to blog about stuff. I commented that most people don't have the time or interest to spend clicking to a bunch of blogs and reading everyone's pithy thoughts. But it is a good way to keep your hand in by writing daily. There are a few bloggers who have reached remarkable success and even they have had to stop blogging--the Pioneer Woman--is one of them.

But no one really blogs now. Blogging is so ten years ago. Many of my author friends send out monthly emails to let readers about their life/new book/writing. Which is the method I prefer to see. I can click the links to buy or read more, or I can simply delete into trash. Other people simply post life/writing tidbits on FB because blogging is draining.

So you might ask again why am I blogging?

For the last few years, I've felt out of sorts, writing-wise. Aimlessly puttering through life. I couldn't settle down on any one project--I think I have about eight or nine stories started--picture books, chapter books, middle grade, a techno-thriller, and even some fantasy. No it isn't YA, but it's more firmly in the fantasy genre with a romance as the secondary plot.

I really couldn't finish a project. And when I did finish a project, a middle grade story featuring Kyte Webber, TIME OF THE YETI, and queried it, I would get rejections or no responses. Which is very frustrating, unhelpful, and sent me into the 'Why bother writing at all?' mindset. I have no idea if the story sucks because the writing is terrible. Or it's a great story, but no one is buying that sort of story. Or it would actually be good with XYZ strengthened.

No idea. It's like living in a vacuum, spinning around and around in the canister of a Dyson, along with tons of dirt and dog hair.

At times, I would decide to give a previously written story another edit to see what I could do to strengthen it only to bog myself down in the first chapter.

*sigh*

And then yesterday, I had a minor epiphany.

I needed a story bible to keep everything in my Goblin's Apprentice series straight--names, characteristics, backstory, etc.

And I discovered Microsoft One Note . . . so much for paying for the Scrivener program sitting on my computer.  

It's early in the story bible game, but this is the most excited I've been in a long time.

I can ORGANIZE my stories, my characters, EVERYTHING!!

Organization gives me focus.

I have a binder for Goblin's Apprentice, with an assortment of tabs, which have numerous pages. I have each story in chronological order, including the Chapter books and stories about Rory Leafhopper, Piper, and a soon to be named Goblin who doesn't squeak.

I'll start short and simple, rereading my chapter books and making notes,  before moving to the longer stories.

I have hope that this will work to get me into my world, where I can write fun stories again.

Time to get started documenting stuff on GNOME WITHOUT A HOME--Rory Leafhopper's story.
 
Later!

Weighty Wednesday -- Walking the Walk

Did you ever hear the saying, "You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"

For the last two months I've been talking a good game, but I haven't had my heart in it. Now, I'm finally walking the walk.

Sunday night I weighed in at a whopping 140 pounds--8 pounds OVER my goal weight. True, it was at night after foraging all day, but it was the wake-up call I needed.

Monday morning I went cold turkey--no sugar or flour products. I have been focusing on fruits, veggies {raw and cooked--asparagus (YUM)}, fat free dairy products, and  . . . yes, bacon. Sorry, but I had to have a few crispy pieces of sodium nitrite-ladened yumminess of BACON!

I know with Weight Watchers you can eat whatever you want. This is true. But I need the focused discipline of no flour or sugar products to flush them out of my system and rid myself of cravings. This isn't a one day process, but instead will be a long term one.

Except coffee. I must have some sort of sweetener in my coffee. That stuff is just nasty to drink black. Uck! I usually use some of the 'pink' packaged stuff. Yes, it's probably the worst stuff out there, but I like it in my coffee. *lifts cup of coffee and takes a sip*

And how has it gone in two days?

Pretty darn well. This morning--actually 20 minutes ago--I weighed myself and I came in at 133.8 pounds! Which is technically within my plus two pound padding.

The problem is that I weighed in too late for me to keep my FREE WW lifetime membership . . . unless I make my goal weight of 132 again. There is no +2 pound wiggle room if you don't weigh in every month, and I messed up.

My goal is to be at goal by the time my Tuesday morning meeting rolls around. Since they don't let me weigh buck nekkied, like I did in the bathroom this morning, I'll probably have to drop to 130 pounds to account for clothes.

I want to state that I'm making it sound easy to stop eating flour and sugar products.

It isn't.

I went to the store yesterday to buy fat free cottage cheese, and came very close to picking up a Prima Pepperoni deep dish UNO's pizza from the Target deli section--conveniently placed next to the fruits and veggies! I also had to walk past the endcap of summer yumminess of Birthday Cake flavored Oreos, Mega stuffed Oreos, and assorted M & M's.

But I did.

None of that stuff made it into my cart. It was hard, but will power won out.

Then there was last night after swim practice--yes, I walked for almost an hour. My second walk of the day.  I did come home and poured myself a glass of a nice Shiraz--hubby's wine, and seriously craved pretzel crisps, I mean, seriously. It took an incredible amount of will power not to crack that bag open.

I've been told that I do have decent will power when I want to exercise it. If you can't NOT eat something, then you find a way to hide it, or remove it from your presence until you get a handle on the cravings.

The same goes for eating out. If you have a problem eating too many tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant, forgo eating Mexican until you can get a handle on it. When I was pregnant, we stopped eating at all our favorite restaurants for a month. Why? Because I had gotten into the habit of ordering an alcoholic drink at those particular places.

I did what I had to do. You can do this, too!

Later, Peeps!