Resurfacing

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I blogged. June is a busy month with teenagers in the house. And I forget about all the yard work and how enticing it is to be outside in the beautiful spring weather. Although the last week has been nothing but rain - lots of rain. With incredible humidity that makes you sweat with the least little activity.

My rhododendrons loved the rain - very colourful blooms until the torrential downpours and wind whipped all the flowers to pieces. The picture shows what they look like this morning - a little ragged and wilted. My lawn mower died last week but it hasn't stopped raining long enough for me to need to buy a new one.

My youngest daughter is joining my oldest at the part time job for the summer. They have crazy, different schedules which makes it hard for me to plan the writing time. I've been getting up earlier in the morning to get some writing in and that's been working so far.

The rewrites for Unsuitable are coming along slowly. My critique partners really like where it's going and my Success Team suggested giving myself the finished MS as a birthday present on July 29th. Very doable so that's my goal. Still need to smother my inner critic though.

One of my crit partner has decided to take a step back and take the summer off. Reevaluate her writing and lack of success after so many years of trying. I feel sad. She's been a part of my writing life since I started this journey. I don't know if I can explain how I felt when I first met with a group of writers almost ten years ago who would become our local RWA chapter. I felt like I had come home. These funny, smart, interesting women became a part of my life. We didn't just talk about writing but about dreams, kids, careers, men, etc. And many of them have moved on or away and I feel the passing of a special era in my life.

As you can see by the ticker on the side the weight is coming off slowly but surely. I'm back at WW with a friend. Making a commitment to her to be there each week has made the difference. Last week I knew I hadn't lost much weight which would usually mean I'd skip the meeting - then the slide into going off WW completely would start once again. But, having a buddy to answer to made me go. I did lose a little weight, got motivated to keep on and lost a tiny bit more weight this week. When I say "slowly" I mean "slowly." It's getting too hot to keep up with my outside walks so it's back to the gym. Don't like it as much but at least it's air conditioned.

Karma

From Webster's: Karma: often capitalized : the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence.

The "official" definiton refers to the conseqences of one's actions materializing in the next life.

In everyday usage though it seems to mean "what goes around, comes around." In other words, if you're nice the universe will reward you, if you're mean life will punish you.

Do you believe that? Is justice manifested in this life or the next?

Or not at all?

Same Song

Dragged my sorry butt back to Weight Watchers on Saturday. A friend joined me. We're hoping the buddy system will help inspire us.

The bad news is I gained 2 of the 7 lbs I lost. Yikes. At least I went back before it was the entire 7 lbs++.

One of the biggest challenges I have is the amount of time and effort it takes to cook healthy, great tasting food. For supper this evening, my daughter and I had baked haddock with lemon and olive oil, brown rice and brocolli Yumm. And I'm full. But what a mess in the kitchen.

My oldest also has an infection from her wisdom teeth extraction which isn't fun. Hoping the massive amount of antibiotics she's taking will bring it under control without a second operation to drain the infection. My youngest fell out of bed the other night and has been complaining of back pain. If it doesn't soon improve, I'll be visiting the dr with her next week. And she's very cranky.

I'm planning a brisk walk this evening. Need a little space and fresh air from my ailing and complaining children.

Spring has Sprung

I mowed my lawn today for the first time this Spring. Love the smell of fresh grass. Ran over the top of the gas jug and cut it to pieces with the mower. I've only done that three times. Off to Canadian Tire tomorrow to replace it and get some super duper ant kill to take care of the large ant hill in the back yard.

We used to have a nice vegetable garden in the back yard. Now, the only thing left are the furrows. Very difficult to mow. I think I'm going to order some fill and try to smooth it out. Hmm, yard work. Not my strength. How hard could it be? Maybe put a little stone patio out there while I'm at it then I wouldn't have to mow at all. Not that anyone in my family will sit out there. The black flies are already a nuisance.

Spending all day tomorrow writing. Yippee!

Grey's Anatomy and Optimism

After a couple of years of giving this show a miss, I watched Grey's Anatomy last night. Now, I remember why I stopped watching. Saddest and most depressing show EVER! Of course, you could see the Bride switch coming a mile away and we still have the two hour final next week to wrap things up but I think I'm over it for good. Tears were streaming down my face. And yes, I know it isn't real. But young people die in car accidents all the time and people get diagnosed with inoperable cancer every day.

So, for a complete change of pace:

I watched Michael J Fox's documentary on Optimism. I want Michael as a best friend. How cool would it be to have a person like that in your life every day? I need to go read his book, because the documentary wasn't enough. I loved how much he valued the "journey." I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Not to be so hung up on the ultimate goal, to do the "next right thing." Watching him play golf and the guitar, very badly. And realizing that he would never be great at either one and it didn't matter. How freeing is that? To just do things because you want to, not because you will ever be a star at it.

To write because you love the act of writing each day. Not the thought of a big fat contract.

To take a walk because it feels good instead of worrying about your heart rate and is it in the "zone."

To run and dance and sing just because it brings you joy?