Wednesday (yesterday's blog should have said Tuesday)
When the weather's beautiful, as it was today, it's difficult to find that chair glue.  My excuse was Kate's program in Bremerton.  She turned out to be the recipient of the President's award for scholastic achievement.  Nice.  I have smart and talented grandkids.
Read over the chapter I wrote yesterday, and I really like it.  Am still on tract to have five chapters written by this time next week.  Have my Renton group tomorrow, and of course since we're up to chapter 10 with them, they won't hear any of the rewrites until September - what they're hearing tomorrow will probably all go away, but . . .
Need to get this book finished by the end of October - four months.  I can do it.  Just need to set my goals and stay on track.
More sun tomorrow?  Laptop outside? (lots of reflection on the laptop screen outside - wish I could find a way to work out there productively - hmmmm????)

Wednesday (early, early morning - like 12:40) - and I'm heading for Bremerton around 11:00 to hear Kate sing her duet and watch her promotion ceremony.  Then it's back home to begin working on the rewrite of chapter 3 of the Birdie and Twyla portion of the book. 
Finished chapter 2 last night and really like it.  Of course that opinion may change when I read it over this morning.  But went to bed last night feeling good about it.  The story is taking on such a nice twist with so much more meat that I feel I've really got a winner here. 
Wednesday critique was cancelled for today because so few could make it, but will run Chapter 1 by the group next week and see what everyone thinks.  My goal is to have five chapters rewritten by next week.  That remains to be seen, however and may just be wishful thinking.  We'll see what pans out.  Need to get this book completely finished by November because I want to do NaNo again and don't want this one still hanging over my head.
Should return from Bremerton by 3:30 give or take, so will begin writing again around 4:00, I hope.  Now if my neck and back will just hold out (need to get to a massage therapist).  Onward and upward.

Hmmm - well here I am again. Made a quasi promise to myself I'd blog maybe every other day - seems it may end up being when the spirit moves me. Such is the case today. I rewrote the first chapter of the Twyla and Birdie story, and have beefed up the motivation for them to relocate to Washington state; have planted (I hope, at least that was my intent) a threat, which should stick in the reader's mind, giving them (the sisters) additional motivation to "get out of Dodge (Vermont). Squeezed in no writing time today because I made a trip to Snoqualmie Ridge for "promotion" ceremony for granddaughter #1. It's into high school next year and I'm still attempting to wrap my head around that. She was awarded Student of the Month. Where did all those years go? I'm so proud of all these grandkids - need to get this book finished so they are also proud of their Nana J. My goal for the next two weeks is to get the rewrite of the first four chapters completed. Think I can do it, with a little chair glue and smacking myself everytime I think about going into the internet and playing a game. Bad, bad, Judy.

ELEVEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Well, actually eleven days until Christmas Eve. Have most of my Christmas shopping done - have the outside lights up but have done nothing to the inside. Have baking yet to do for the neighbors and not sure when I'm going to get to it - have a bunch of stuff going on this week.
Marion called me over the weekend and invited me to a luncheon tomorrow at the Rainier Golf & Country Club. Haven't seen her since our wedding. Three other gals I haven't seen since Larry and I divorced are also going to be there - 25 years! Will be fun. They don't know I'm coming. Marion also called to ask if she could copy my Xmas letter and send out to various friends. Way flattering. I've had five or six people now either call, email or send me a note telling me how much they enjoyed the Christmas letter.
Have critique Wednesday - have written nothing, so nothing to bring to that - huh . . . maybe the Christmas letter? Have critique Thursday - will take Chapter 17 - that will be the last meeting for that group until January.
Thursday evening the Arts Commission is meeting for dinner at Mama Sortini's and Friday night we're going to JazzBones to hear Maia - then maybe either Puyallup or Auburn after that to dance.
Guess I'm going to have to start moving faster!!!

Have been thinking (as usual) about SAH and I'm thinking I need to set up more conflict - so instead of Nick telling Tina "no thanks" I'm going to have him meet her later - Katie is going to think he's hanging around and Harry also warns him about getting tangled up with Tina again. But - she's got that magnetic power Nick finds so hard to resist.
Have so much revising to do on this book it's scary. Absolutely have to set a writing schedule for myself and STICK TO IT. THAT'S GOING TO BE MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION!!!!

Snow, snow, go away . . .

Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the snow is still on the ground and the bitter cold is still with us . . . BUT, the sun is out and it's supposed to start raining and warm up tomorrow. Yeah!! Rich went into work today - said roads weren't bad - I remain a winter wuss - namely a snow and ice wuss, thus I will remain in my little warm house.
No critique today - actually wasn't planning to go anyway because as stated above . . .
So I shall write. All is quiet here, desk is cleared and organized once again, house is clean, wash is done - I have no excuses left. Chapter 18 will be completed by this evening. Must take the time to read through entire book thus far and find all those loose ends I've let dangle. Events have happened throughout this book that I didn't see coming. While I feel I'm staying on track, there are happenings that should lead to something else that I don't feel I've gone full circle on yet. Much work to be done!!
FINALLY received my postcard back from Writer's Digest Short Short contest stating they received my entry. Was beginning to wonder as had heard nothing, check hadn't been cashed, etc. Have a feeling they received hundreds, if not thousands of entries. Not holding my breath for any amazing results.

Would like to begin Christmas shopping this weekend - Friday will be wild. Snow will be pretty much gone and everyone and their dog will be out there, not only because that's normally the biggest shopping day of the year, but now because of the snow, everyone has cabin fever - may just do a local yocal thing - or wait until Sat.
For now it's into the shower and then writing. Ta-da.

It's Snowing!!!

Perfect day for writing. Yesterday was the first snowfall of the season. But, alas it was all gone by noon. A dusting appeared around 4:30, then the temperature dropped and we awakened to the same, now frozen, dusting. However it started snowing again around 9:30 this morning - big, fluffy flakes and I supposed we may have an inch or two on the ground. Rich left for work around 8:00 - streets were bare - not the case now. It's now going on 11:00 and it's still snowing, although not nearly as hard. According to the weather report, the sun will come out tomorrow (sounds like a song title) and then it's supposed to warm up and rain for the remainder of the week. Hope so, because we're headed for Snoqualmie Ridge for TG on Thursday.
Anyway, as said, it's a perfect day for writing. Wish Rich was home. Worry about him driving home tonight. Hope he leaves early. Doubt this stuff is going to melt before nightfall.
Want to finish Chapter 18 before Wednesday critique. Need to bring Harry back in the picture - have maybe eight more pages to write . . . so better get busy!!

Monday Again . . .

Boy the weekends go fast. It would seem since I'm no longer working outside the home, that weekends would just blur into the week days - but I think since Rich is still working, there are still weekends. Probably always will be since that is our social time.
Debating whether to go see the doctor for this weird stuff going on with my body - similar to the residual from migranes, but no longer have the headaches. However, it's keeping me from sleeping and feeling good. Strange stuff. Should probably go and at least ask a few questions since it's been going on since Oct 30th. May have to take a nap since I didn't go to bed last night until 3:00, then woke up at 4:30 with an anxiety attack - read until 5:15 - blood pressure high - went back to bed and crashed until 9:00 this morning.

However, through it all, I did manage to get 5 pages written on Chapter 18 last night before midnight, and reading it over today, not bad either. Would like to get the chapter finished by Tuesday night so I'll have it for critique on Wednesday.

Have much rewriting to do on the first 15 chapters, and must admit am putting that off - am even putting off reading it. One of these days.

Must get back to my desk. . .