Playing Catch Up

 

Over the past few months, I have been through some tough times. A lot of shit has happened since the last time I was on here. Covid is still running rampant throughout the world and now I have finally had my first shot. I go back for the second one on the first of October.

I haven't been doing much writing of late because of some family stuff that has been going on that I have been dealing with. Also, I lost my internet for a little bit, now that I have it back I am in full-on catch-up mode.

There are so many story ideas running around inside my head at the moment, that I don't know where to start. I have a hope that I will come back stronger than I was before. I may never be famous in what I do, but at least it makes me happy, and if my stories touch one person then I know I achieved what I set out to do.

I'm trying to get everything up to date. So I'm no longer running behind on everything. I need to my head back into writing mode once more and used o spending time at my computer each day. I'll have to build my typing speed back up again. 

There are so many good things to look forward to in life. I'm hoping they'll outway the bad shit to come. I realise I now need to make plans to help ease the way for the future I see for myself.

Whoops!!!

 

I may have accidentally gone to give myself a haircut and forgot to put the comb on the clippers. So I had to shave it all off right to the scalp. Usually, I am a #1. Luckily, my hair grows really fast and it should be back... My head just wasn't in the game that day. I was worried about my brother who had been carted off to the hospital, and my daughter and granddaughters were all under the weather... But no use crying over spilled milk━or shaved heads as the case may be.

I've had the grandbabies nearly all week. It's looking like poor Harper (the youngest one) is allergic to something. She has huge welts all over her poor little body. Today I'm catching up on all the chores I didn't do during the week... My hands smell like laundry detergent.

I think I might try some new recipes in March so that we aren't constantly eating the same things over and over. I've joined some foodie groups on Facebook to get some ideas (budget-friendly meals) Because 99.9% of my meals are home-cooked. that way I know what goes into them and I know I won't have an adverse reaction to them.

This Weekend...

 

So, I'm currently filling in all the BIF's (Book information forms) that will eventually get me covers for the books I just resent to the wonderful Kris J at MLRPress. I want to have the 4 of them done and back to her by tomorrow afternoon. 

I couldn't work on them yesterday, as I had my granddaughter's over Grace 2 & Harper 8 months... and poor Gracie wasn't feeling the best. So I spent a lot of the day cuddling and watching Noddy and Cocomelon. 

I also heard my Pride Publishing books have begun preparation of being translated and audio. I don't really know much about that process, but I'll let you know more when I find out. It's all so exciting.

My brother is also sick at the moment, so I have been helping out there wherever I can. For most of last week, I was on chicken duty. Looking after his chickens while he had a few days away before starting his chemo treatment. Weirdly, at one stage, I used to be scared to death of the chickens. Now I can even pick them up.

I'm Back!!!

 

I have been slack━there I admitted it. But that is about to come to an end. I have two deadlines I have to meet. Wardens of the Guild 4: Gilded Cages is due on March 15th, and The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You on April 30th... both are for Pride Publishing.

In other news. Seeing as I haven't heard from MLRPress editor for a while, I got in touch with my EIC and ended up sending everything to her so that I can keep moving forward... So she now has Hidden Hearts 2: One Last Kiss Goodbye... Sons of Evenmore 3: Fear the Scarlet Moon... Moon Runners 1: Heart-mate, Mine!.. Moon Runners 2:  I Won't Let You Go... Also, I realised I had no clue what happened to Hidden Hearts 1: Harder & Harder to Breathe... So, I asked her to check on what was happening to that as well.

Other than that, I still have a ton of doctor appointments with the family, but what else is new. I'm still going through and getting rid of more of the shyte that keeps collecting in my house. I truthfully have no clue where it comes from. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear someone was sneaking it in when I went to sleep each night.

OMG

 

Now you would have thought I would have hurt myself exercising. No. Not me. I hurt myself (pulled a muscle in my chest) by moving pots around in my cat enclosure garden. All because my elderly mother decided they needed to be moved. Dang,━it hurts like a bitch.

But sadly, it hasn't completed all the crap I still need to clean out of my house, (clutter wise). I'm still trying to get rid of everything I don't use, or need. Because it's just stuff sitting around collecting dust. Why the hell does it feel like the clutter multiplies when I'm not looking? This year I'm determined to break myself of buying stuff I really don't need, and won't use.

I even got rid of all the clothes I was hanging onto and never wore. Usually, I pass them onto my sister and then she goes through them and what she doesn't want she'll either cut up for craft or give to the thrift shop for someone else.

On the plus side, everyone in my finally remembered to weigh in. So now I have put all their numbers into the chart. 

I'm going o have to Email my editor again to find out what the go is with the next book we are going to work on, because I haven't heard back from her. I hope she is okay. I'll let you know when I do.

Okay...

 

1) I'm on day 6 of my exercise plan of 2021, and let's just say that my whole body is hurting, but I'm not quitting. Today, I even managed to work out for an hour instead of the normal 30 minutes. Also, I'm not on any specific diet, as I already eat pretty healthy. I have to because of my thyroid. You don't want to mess with that fucker.

2) I've managed to gain 4 more people to join my weigh-in Fridays. If any of you all want to get in on this, drop me a message, and we can then talk, and I'll add you in. It's way easier to work out with someone else, even if they are total strangers. They keep you motivated to stay on track. Even my brother told me his wish of how much he wants to lose by the end of the year... So I'm going to try and keep him motivated as well.

3) At the moment, I am having some wicked-arsed hot flushes that are driving me nuts. They hit me at all hours of the day and night. I could live without them, especially when we are having unusually humid weather on top of it all.

4) I need to get a little CD player, or hopefully, Emily will find the iPod dock. So I can listen to music while I work out. My stereo died on me. I actually have to pull it apart, so I can get the 3 CD's out that are stuck in it now.

5) Well, Daisy (my granddaughter's cat), went home yesterday. So my house is getting back to normal. Less cat hair everywhere at least. I'm actually off to do my grocery shopping today. I'm so not looking forward to that

Random thoughts & weird things I notice.

 

I babysat my two very adorable granddaughters for New Year's Eve, and I notice some strange things that should be bloody impossible. The youngest one Harper (6 months) has my ex-husbands grin. Considering he was my daughter's stepfather, you would think impossible, right? I know my daughter and I do, but even Emily has pointed it out to me. Sadly even Grace, the older girl, will look at us in a certain way and Emily and I will both go... well she's conjuring Steve, (ex-hubby). The reason we both think this is weird is that neither girl has ever met the man. He was long gone before they entered the world.

I heard recently (like yesterday) from someone, that not long after we split up that his mother died, which I was very sorry to hear. Mum Nielsen was a lovely lady, always had a smile and a laugh, and boy could she cook. I'll never forget the day she was at our house and making some sort of sweets with Emily, and the cream exploded all over the kitchen. She will be missed by all that knew her. The person who told me also sent a recent pic of Steve and it was a bit of a shock. He's put on a bit of weight and is growing out his hair. I should also add he looked happy. He was standing with his sisters. It makes me a little sad that he missed out on what would have been his grandchildren's lives as I know his other stepchild has also had a child since Steve left... But what he misses out on, I get to have all the time and I love every minute of being with them.

I've also started on trying to figure out what else I can get rid of to declutter my house some more. Seriously, I think I just get sick of looking at all the crap that I get too lazy to put away, so it has to go. If it's not here I won't leave it lying around. For the whole month of January, I'm working on my bedroom, because that's the place that's my worst, as it not only has my stuff but the bottom three shelves of all 4 bookcases are filled with the girl's toys. I need to get some baskets to keep them all in, so I don't have to look at them each and every day. I also need to go through all the DVDs and get rid of the ones I no longer watch.  They are just taking up room and I don't actually need them any more.

I want to make it easier for me to dust. I live on a fairly busy street, so every damn day it gets as dusty as hell in my house.