Time Wasters...

Today, I would like to discuss--Time Wasters...

Yep, the things that you're doing, instead of doing what you're supposed to be doing.

When I'm not working my day job. I have what I call my 'writer time'. Nothing wrong with that. Just schedule some personal time and write. Well, it's not always quite that simple. Why?

 TIME WASTERS!!!

This weekend I had the lofty goal of writing 5k words Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Ha!! That didn't happen! I got distracted by time wasters. The 2 majors ones are found on that wonderful thing called Facebook.

A couple of years ago, I started playing a game called Cafe World. Now, if you're not familiar with this major time waster I'll try and explain what it is. Cafe World is a colorful cooking game. You're the manager and chef of your own cafe. You have to continually cook food in order to keep your customers happy and fed. It's a simple little game, but oh so addicting. I'm not sure if it's the diverse menu, the sounds, bright colors.

 I was more concerned that I had enough food for my customers than making sure I was adding words to my manuscript. 

One day I just stopped playing it. Well, why, oh why did I start playing it again a few months ago. 

Ugh! I was once again hooked. This weekend I went cold turkey and deleted the app! Unfortunately, it wasn't the only game that invaded my personal time. There is another game called Gnome Town. In this game you just build houses and various buildings for the cute little gnomes, go on quests, clean up debris and get in food fights. Again, bright colors, fun sounds, and cute characters. This weekend, it suffered the same fate as Cafe World--DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!!!!!

I've taken control of my time and feeling much better AND more productive!

Funny how it's just the simplest things that snatch your precious time away from you. Crazy, unproductive things. Stuff that moves you away from your goals. You tell yourself oh, I'll just play for a few minutes to relax my mind from the crazy commute home. These little things may start off innocently, but before you know it, you've spent two hours on it and zero, zilch on your real assignment.

What are your time wasters? Games, TV, Telephone, Shopping, Puzzles, Lifetime Movies?....Naps?

Try and whittle down the list of items that you have on your list. Or, just go cold turkey! Just think of how productive you could be if you used that time towards your projects instead of time wasters :)

Blessings!

Childcraft How and Why Library 1964 edition...

Look what I stumbled across for sale. The official Childcraft How and why Library 1964 edition!

My parents purchased these for my sister, but I took and claimed them as my own when I was old enough to read. I can't tell you how many hours I spent reading through each volume.

I've seen other editions of these but I think the 1964 version is the best. Since it was my first set of encyclopedias I may be a little biased :)

I learned how things worked, was built, and invented. It was Childcraft that gave me my first intro to Poems & Rhymes. My imagination took off while reading through Holidays & Costumes.

However my most favorite one was Stories & Fables. I remember reading each of the stories and then re-writing them in my head. I think it was the first time that I'd read The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and today so many kids have not heard of it. I also loved the Aesop's Fables and Brother Grimm.  In fact, I still have several fairy tale classics in my office. How many of you were shocked at how dark the original Brother's Grimm stores were? A tad bit gory.

When my sister and I were little, she would always ask me to tell her one of my stories at bedtime and of course I would. But I never made up simple stories, nope...even as a child my stories hovered on the fantastical side and they were LONG! I was actually telling a novel! My sister always fell asleep before I'd finished, but that didn't stop me I'd keep going and entertained myself :)

I guess all this ties into my love of books, reading and writing them. What were some of your childhood favorites. And for you writers, how does your childhood favorites tie into what and how you write :)

Blessings!!

Dreams...

Do you remember your dreams?

I've been thinking about a dream that I had a couple of weeks ago. In the dream I went into my purse and pulled out my wallet. (note--in real life I had a twenty dollar bill in my wallet) So, in my dream I looked in my wallet and pulled out the twenty dollar bill. Normal right? This is where it got weird. After I pulled out the twenty dollar bill, there was another twenty dollar bill. I pulled that one out and there was a fifty dollar bill and then several 100 dollar bills. I just kept reaching in and pulling out more money. It was like an endless supply. I went outside and everyone that I saw who had a financial need, I gave them money.  I would reach into the wallet and pull out money and give it to them. I just kept walking around and giving away money to people in need.

The dream was so real that when I woke up, I immediately went and looked into my wallet. The twenty dollar bill was there but when I pulled it out, that was it...the wallet was empty! LOL!!   I was so disappointed. Not sure what that dream means, but it was an awesome dream.

The following week I dreamt about an open door. (I've had several of these, over the past year, all different but all involving an open door) I was in a beautiful house on the beach and each morning that I'd wake up, the door would be open. I'd close it, but it'd pop open again. I called the maintenance guy and he changed the lock, but the next morning the door was open again. The maintenance guy came again and this time boarded up the door. But again, the next morning the door was open. Strangeness...


I know people who have dreams of falling, or having their teeth pulled out or being chased. I usually dream of being chased when I'm feeling stressed out and not sure how to resolve.

I find dreams interesting. I believe they have hold answers to problems, witty inventions, or can be prophetic. But most do not remember their dreams. I usually remember some of the dreams I have and I've found that if a dream stays with me, it's important and I'll write it down.

What about nightmares? I think I've only had 2 my entire life. But I read somewhere that certain medications or foods can trigger them. Or, I'm sure if you watch scary movies before bed you could have them. I don't watch scary movies for that reason and if I'm watching TV and a movie preview comes on for a scary movie, I'll change the channel or close my eyes LOL!!  Heck, I don't even read scary books!


Do you dream? If so, do you remember your dreams? Are your dreams in color or black and white?

Blessings!

Reality TV...

There are so many Reality TV shows on now. Seems like everybody and their momma has signed up for one. I don't know if I could have cameras following me around 24/7. It'd seem weird to have strangers crowding into your personal space.

I don't know how many of you have actually watched any of the Real Housewives shows. Good gawd, some of them are just painful to watch. It's gotta be scripted, because who in Sam Hill would put all their personal business out there like that? I would guess that they're all getting paid nicely to do it.

Have you ever noticed how all of the "housewives" are ALWAYS in full-face-theater-makeup?!?! One episode that I recently watched showed one of them barefaced, preparing to have her makeup applied.  This one in particular has her own makeup line, so she is always caked up thick. 
Well, when the cameras showed her barefaced. I actually shrieked! If they hadn't said her name I would not have known it was her. She looked totally different without makeup.

And what's with all the fighting? My goodness! It seems like every time they all get together whether to eat, attend a party, event, etc. It always ends in a ruckus. All of them screaming at each other, crying, snotting all over the place, coming close to fist-fighting. But the makeup never runs, smears and the extra glossy shellac lip gloss still in place.

By now you're probably saying. If you dislike these shows so much, why are you watching them? LOL!! Well, as I stated before I love the show House Hunters on HGTV. I just love seeing homes being decorated. And though these women are at times lunatics. They have beautifully decorated homes. Yes, I watch just so I can see how they decorate!! :)

Blessings!!

Inspiration...

Where do you get your ideas for your stories? I get this question often. It's a great question, but I never seem to have a solid answer.

The truth is, it varies.  My current manuscript that I'm working on popped into my head, while flipping through a Christmas card magazine. I saw this picture of an old, snow covered house. For some reason, I just couldn't seem to shake this image. It was stuck in my head. I tried to flip the page and continue looking at the other cards, but I just kept flipping back to the page with this picture. Finally, I cut it out and placed it into a folder.
Most people would look at the picture and think, oh, that's a nice old country farm house. The house looks warm and inviting. It would maybe bring up images from spending Christmas at a relatives house, one who may have lived in the country.

But for me, as a writer. I didn't just see just a house. A movie reel started up in my brain and I saw the intro.... A boy walking down a dark road, in the snow, heading towards this house. However, this was no ordinary boy. He was from another dimension, on a mission and would soon turn this town upside down. Forever changing the lives of people that lived there.

I love writing. I love the whole creative process. I get ideas from driving down the street, people watching, news, magazines, & dreams. I always have the "What If?,,," on my mind.

Publication is a great thing. But even if NYC never grabs one of my manuscripts. I'd still write. Why? Because it's just in me to do. I enjoy it. Even the times I'd gotten so frustrated and quit, it didn't last. I was back at it again. I know several people who for whatever reason cannot understand why someone would sit at computer and type for hours at a time. Writing is not for everyone. Although, I do believe that everyone has at least 1 book in them to write. It's the actual sitting down and writing that stops so many people. And sometimes you just need a push to get started. I'm thankful, that my daughter pushed me to finally start, after putting it off for years.

I, on the other hand can't understand how someone can watch TV for hours at a time. Day in and day out, one talk show after another. One prime-time show, after another. Gah!! It'd drive me crazy!  (Well, unless it's HGTV's House Hunters...I could watch that all day long LOL!! )

So, where do you get your creative ideas? Where do you find your inspiration?

Fitness...

"The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results."
-Anthony Robbins


"Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself."
-Elie Wiesel

It's that time of year again. It's time for me to lose a few pounds. I'm not as bad as the biggie-sized wonder woman.. But there are days when I feel like it. If you've been following my blog you already know that I have a serious weakness for Nutter Butter bars and Little Debbie Nutty bars.

This is especially true when I'm writing. There is something about the creative process that triggers my brain to want nutty bars! I've even tried keeping healthy snacks around when I'm writing, and it hinders my creativity...I know you don't believe this, but it's true! LOL!! Needless to say, I've been writing up a storm here lately, so, uh, yeah. I've gained a few pounds.

But I have decided to do something about it. I've started back on my workout program. Yep, time to sweat! Feel the burn, baby! I've done INSANITY in the past and I enjoyed it, but I'm going to change up this time around. Maybe do a combo of INSANITY and Body Pump workouts. I'm also wanting to start running again. We will see if the running actually happens LOL!!   

I tend to get bored easily with workouts. I've also tried P90x and after a while I was bored and wanted to do something else.  I have a gym membership, but I find that I work out much harder and longer at home. Besides I have a mini-gym at my house. Equipment, weights, dvd's that I've acquired over the years. I really have no excuse not to work out.

I'm finding as I get older, the easier it is to just not exercise. I really used to enjoy working out, but not so much anymore. But it's one of those necessary evils you have to do!

Are you ready to sweat!!!

Giants...

This is my dog Rocky. Weighing in at a sturdy, rock-solid 4lbs. He goes outside throughout the day, minding his business, while he handles his business.  However, lately, not sure about where you live, but here in Texas, we're currently under attack by ginormous mooosquitos!!

Okay, technically it's not a mosquito but a crane fly. But in my mind they're giant-monster mosquito's. It's only March and these things are everywhere. Ugh! (I'm afraid of all creepy crawler types)

My poor dog, looks at the monster, then looks at me, looks at the monster, looks at me. He probably thinks these things will attack him. I try to assure him they will not, and to hurry up and finish what he needs to do, moreso cuz momma's scared of them!

Whether they're crane flies, finances, sickness, or goals. They can appear as giants to you, something to  make you fearful and we all know that---

F.E.A.R = False, Evidence, Appearing, Real. 

At times when you look at certain things in your life, it seems too big, a giant, that cannot be conquered. But it's all about perception and you really have to take time and put your 'giant' into perspective. Put the fear aside and look at "it" from a realistic point of view. You may just realize it's not so big after all and you can just stomp on it!

 Voilà...giant squished-problem solved.

What giants are in your life, house, yard, school, or work that you're afraid of? What's keeping you from pursuing your goals?  I've always heard that the fear of failure is a major hindrance in peoples lives. However, did you know that the 'Fear of Success' is also a major issue for some?

“Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain” Ralph Waldo Emerson