Days of the week are not my strong suit lately. Here’s my Writer Wednesday, a day late. I will say, though, that the list got a litter juicer by waiting a day.
Things I have Googled this week:
Yep. Either I’m researching a book or I’m planning a serious crime.
This Sunday from 3-6 pm Hiawatha Church in Minneapolis is hosting a benefit for Jeff Robbinson, a church member who had a stroke in October. After surviving harrowing brain surgery, he was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. We began going to Hiawatha church the week after Jeff had a stroke at work. Although we have never met him, we have seen the impact he has had on our new church family, and on our neighborhood. If you’re in the Minneapolis area on Sunday, head over to Hiawatha Church from 3-6 for the marketplace and benefit.
It seems like the holidays are all about money. In addition to the normal buying of food and presents for family and friends that are gathering, organizations and businesses are always looking for extra donations at this time of year.
I’ve never completely understood this. Yes, I tend to feel more generous during the holidays, but I’m also more strapped for cash than, say, in April when there is less going on.
That said, there are several events/opportunities coming up that I’m planning to support and I want to share with you. Remember, you don’t always have to give money. Sometimes you can give time or silent auction items (this is what I’ll be doing). Sharing information can also make a difference.
Hiawatha Church Benefit
We began going to Hiawatha church the week after Jeff had a stroke at work. Although we have never met him, we have seen the impact he has had on our new church family, and on our neighborhood. If you’re in the Minneapolis area on Sunday, head over to Hiawatha Church from 3-6 for the marketplace and benefit.
Blood Water Mission Shop Give Hope
Blood:Water Mission has been fighting the AIDS and water crises for more than 10 years. This year, they are working to build AIDS clinics. You can sponsor medical supplies, family medical care, HIV care for a child or even a doctor.
I became familiar with Emergency Food Network while I was working at Whole Foods. Every Whole Foods raises money for local food banks during the holiday season. When I was in Tennessee, it was 2nd Harvest. Here in Minneapolis, EFN supports more than 200 food programs throughout the state.
A few years ago, I wanted to volunteer to serve meals at a shelter around the holidays. However, time isn’t what they need right now. Food shelves and shelters need money. Businesses, churches and families come out of the woodwork to volunteer for the holidays, but as the weather is colder, and people are trying to decide whether to buy food for themselves or Christmas presents for their children, these places really, really need resources. If you don’t want to give a check, go to the store and buy a bag of non-perishables. Participate in Toys for Tots. Think of the physical needs that people have during this time of year, and try to help out in tangible ways.
Today I have earned the title “Master Procrastinator.” This is a hard title to earn all in one day as I have, but, hopefully, with the suggestions outlined below, you too can put off everything you are trying to get done and become known as a Master.
Ways I have procrastinated today:
Looking for a distraction? Start here.
And now, my writing time (for now) is over, I need to go read to Austin. I have writing time scheduled this afternoon. Hopefully I can increase my word count at a little better pace than 500 words an hour.
The Creative Writing Programs at Hamline
Yesterday, I got the call. I’m IN. Starting next semester (because when have I ever been one to allow planning time) I will be a student at Hamline University working toward a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Writing.
I am thrilled beyond words.
Amanda Moon
It’s Cyber Monday! I know I should have maybe done something on Small Business Saturday, but I had 14 people over for Thanksgiving, and I was cooking a turkey. Instead, I’m offering two coupons this week:
First: 50% off today only. Use code CYBER. Expires at 11:59pm 12/2/13
And for those of you who wake up tomorrow and remember that you forgot to buy something, use code PROCRASTINATOR40 for 40% through 11:59pm 12/3/13.
I had to throw the procrastinator coupon in because every day since Thursday I’ve remembered the next day that there was something I was going to buy that was on a one-day sale. I know I can’t be the only one.
I finally got a lighting setup in my office that isn’t perfect, but allows me to take better pictures! These are some of what I’ve done.
I’m hoping to take new pictures over the next few weeks for all of the items in my shop plus get all of my new stuff listed. It’s been really exciting getting into all of this again, I forgot how much I missed it!
In honor of the shopping season, I’ve got two promotions running right now. Check out this post to find out more!
This has been a crazy year for me. After getting super pumped up excited to do great things in my shop at The Maker’s Summit my life got crazy. Pretty much immediately.
First, I went for a huge promotion at work.
Then, while I was waiting to hear back about it, our realtor called us. We’d been wanting to sell out house and move to Minnesota for several years. He told us that we had three weeks to get the house on the market, the neighborhood was hot.
I withdrew the application and started looking for jobs in Minnesota. I pulled Spiraling Forward down off etsy completely because I had to pack it up.
We put our house on the market the first week in July. We sold it 10 days later. The next week, we came to Minneapolis, looked at 30 houses, and bought one. 6 weeks later, we closed, Lily started Kindergarten, Austin started a new daycare and I stared working at a new Whole Foods.
It was a whirlwind.
Then, because, why would we ever want things to stay normal…we decided that the retail life wasn’t working for our family anymore. I’ll probably do a post on my personal blog about the decision sometime. At the beginning of November I put in my notice.
I’ve been officially a full-time writer, maker, mother and wife for one full week now. I thought I would get a lot more done this week. For one thing, I still have that LONG to-do list from The Maker’s Summit.
That’s just a sneak peak. I’ve kept the shop “On Vacation” until I can get all of these things done.
And then I realized: Yes, the shop can be better. My titles and keywords and tags need to be improved. I have a great new mannequin and need to do new pictures, especially of my longer pieces.
But as long as there are no available listings, no one can see any of the cool stuff I have.
The jewelry is done. It is what it is, and I love it all, or I wouldn’t be selling it.
So, I reopened the shop, with the listings as-is. I don’t know when I’m going to have time to make all the changes I want to make, but I am working on them, slowly and steadily.
Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your support. This shop is a constant labor of love and under construction, so if you have suggestions, I’m all ears.
Taken at The Frist Center in Nashville, TN
Today was the first day that I really felt like I no longer have a real job. I got up and took Lily to school, then went to a coffee shop and wrote for an hour. When I got home, I was exhausted (I don’t sleep well), so Chris was nice enough to let me take a 15 minute nap. When I got up he went down to his office and I took over Austin. By which I mean, I turned off the TV and told him to go play while I grabbed my laptop and settled in to the corner of our couch and continued to write.
You see, this morning, I thought I was about 4000 words away from the end of the book. I had the scenes all planned out.
But it got longer.
And longer.
I wrote for an hour, got Austin lunch (he was hungry at 10:30am) wrote for a while longer, and then took him to the library. I tried to write there, but the words weren’t coming. When we got home, I wrote for a while, then played an hour-long game of Sorry! (I won) and then wrote for a while longer. Austin and I took a 30 minute nap (two naps in one day!) after which I wrote again while Austin played. Then it was time to get Lily and make dinner.
So…total words written today: 5755.
But wait! Did you know I’m doing NaNoWriMo? Yeah, sometimes I forget too. Because I’m trying to finish the 4th re-write of the book I’ve been working on for the last two years, while also actually trying to entirely draft another book. That one isn’t coming along so well, but I’m still shooting to finish the draft by the end of the month. I have a really good outline, so I know where I’m going. I just need to spend the time to get there.
Oh, and btw, Your Pilates Life is almost done and about to be published. I realize writing all of this I need to update my writing page. It’s on my to-do list, I promise.
Spiraling Forward is coming back. Soon. I promise. I’ve been making new jewelry, I’ve started doing custom earrings. I’ve got a new mannequin and I’m excited to get better pictures done and re-launch my store.
It’s taking a little longer than I wanted. I talked about why on my personal blog. Click here to read it. And I look forward to being up and running again soon.