Busy day on the home front today. Learned to operate a machine to help with my mother-in-law's edema. Plus laundry.

Note to self: lifting 40 lbs. of potting soil by myself NOT the best of ideas...

Added sage, spearmint, peppermint, basil, and dill to the herb plants. All sitting on top of chest freezer for now...

Got parsley, oregano and lemon thyme from nursery. One more errand before heading home and letting James have the car.

Reading "Under the Tuscan Sun" makes me miss my old herb garden. After appointment headed to a nursery.

10 pages done. Calling it a night.

Making myself go back to a long overdo second draft of a novel...

My column for this week - why I'm not thrilled with state gov't at the moment...http://ping.fm/jWpm2

An analogy of a writer's growth

This is a cool post describing the journey of a writer from aspiring to professional: http://ping.fm/YsM5u

At least 500 words/day for 60 days in a row!! Woot!!

A picture from my front door...

Sights like this make it worth the rain...

I'm sorry Michael Jackson died, but let's not forget the Iranians who are working for freedom iranelections

I'm finding as I write fiction, I wind up asking myself very strange questions that would probably scare people around me if I asked them...

Three stories ready to pop in the mailbox. Now to go walk for a bit...

666 words written (that sounds so wrong!) Now time to tell brain to start shutting down for sleep...

Column finally written. Clearing my brain for a moment before diving into wip...

Back from Transformers 2 and Bible Study. Now to get some food in me and back to the work I was planning to do a few hours ago.

Don calls, says he's off early, let's go to a movie! Scrambling to meet him at mall

Day to write column! What do I want to blather about for 600 words this week?

Feeling a lot better after getting a lot of sleep...wonder if fatigue was part of the problem yesterday?

Today is one of those days I feel as if God loves me and everyone else has plans for my life...*sigh*

My column this week is online - it's about elections: http://ping.fm/SBa5o

Set up laptop in inlaws room to keep eye on dad while mom goes for a cardiac cath. Internet slightly wonky here...

At favorite coffeeshop. Taking "Laura Time" for a bit...

Really hate the various medical issues I have - slept WAY too long!

I'm resigned to the fact that summers in Central Florida is the price we pay for nice winters...

James just brought me an iced Brewster's Mocha (latte made with white chocolate and caramel). What a great son!

Don't be alarmed by the moaning sound from Florida...it's just my checkbook after I balanced it!

The Importance of a Streak

I've been working on a streak of writing 500 words a day. I sought to do it so that no matter how little I was able to get done on the writing front, I'd know I got at least something done on the writing front.

I'd kept the streak up for 48 days when today happened. It was one of those days where for a variety of reasons I had problems doing anything remotely productive. I was a mess mentally and emotionally.

I was tempted to not bother. No one else would care. Not doing those words wouldn't spell the end of my writing career. It's just a number.

But after you write 500 words a day for 48 days, it's really hard not to. It's hard to turn your back on.

And that's the value of a streak for me. It's what keeps me writing on a day like today, when I ask myself why I bother. When I don't feel like it. When I think I'm never going to succeed.

Tomorrow will hopefully be brighter. Tomorrow I hope to have my optimistic outlook and confidence back.

But today I wrote 544 words in spite of it all.

That's a good thing.

Must be cranky day...several friends and I have declared ourselves cranky. Wonder what would cure this?

woke up tired and depressed for some reason...need to find a hole to crawl in with chocolate and coffee!

Proud mom moment: watching James deliver the sermon this morning at services. God has blessed me with my sons!

My column for this week - a little personal: http://ping.fm/ZE3PE

Good morning, world!

Bon Jovi/Jennifer Nettles song "Who Says You Can't Go Home" great way to lift mood and get blood pumping...

Going to set up Lord's Supper for church tomorrow, then locking myself in my office to work!

pondering office set up and wondering how much is rearrangeable at the moment...

This feels like a great day to curl up under the covers with coffee, games, and books. Sadly, life doesn't include that option.

Critical voice keeps telling me short story I'm writing is 2 long. Every time it does, I whack it with a big stick but it won't shut up!

craving pancakes for some strange reason...

Tired and cranky, but words for the day written. Going to bed...night, fellow tweeters!

Column written and spellchecked...probably should check on laundry

have a lot to do...my problem is I tend to freeze when there's a lot to do and I have to pick something to start with

Wondering where my "get up and go" got up and went to...

chatting with a friend of John and James I haven't heard from in years who I found on Facebook! Cool!

Starting to feel inevitable crash from past few days. Plan to take it easy and rest before catching up on all the stuff I'm behind in.

My latest column is online at http://ping.fm/Mtexq

I'm glad to be home! Hopefully caffeine drunk to keep driving won't keep me awake half the night

Wrote my daily words while Don drove us down the Florida Turnpike. Yay for laptops!

Was met at FL/GA border by Amanda's parents. Have stray pants. Now it's Going Back Home, take 2!

Got as far as Lake City before discovering one of the boys (prob James) left their rental pants at church. Back to Valdosta!

Mr. & Mrs. John Ware. I now have a lovely daughter.

Favorite line from rehersal - Amanda's dad is conducting the ceremony. At rehersal, he said to John, "You may kiss the bride - tomorrow!"

Getting ready to head for church - all dressed up.

500 words written. Test of writing streak will b tomorrow, day of the wedding. Is my desire 2 maintain this streak crazy or disciplined?

I'm going to be a mother-in-law in less than 24 hours!

Got laptop from husband - going to try to work for an hour.

I'm getting addicted to Mafia Wars on Facebook. I blame my friend Nancy

*Glares at erratic internet connection* It's going to be one of THOSE days, eh?