Still alive!

Oh my word. I can't believe a whole month has passed since I last posted! Time really does fly.

But since I hate neglecting my blogs, I thought I'd at least share an update on what's going on in my life. And since I'm a bit blue today, I'm going to focus on the good stuff.

1) I've started to play tennis with my mom. The farm came with its own court and net, so we bought balls and rackets, and started to play. We've been doing this for a month, and already, I'm noticing the difference to my body.

2) The men on the farm took over the painting at the guest house. That's almost done now. Next, they'll be making the furniture.

3) But if you think that freed up my time, think again. Right now, I'm spending most of my time either writing, or working on some or the other craft required for the guest house. It's going to look gorgeous. I can't wait to show you all what it looks like!

4) My mom and I started a blog on Monday. It's all about living on the farm, so if you're interested in that aspect of my life at all (for whatever reason) go check it out. Also, do check read my mom's funny story about how dyeing her hair almost ended up in a disaster.

Yeah that's pretty much what I'm up to at the moment. What's news with you?

About time I showed my face here

Hey all!

Just dropping by to let you know I'm still alive and kicking.

In fact, I'm doing great.

Remember when I said I'd be back to blogging once I'm back and comfortable in my skin again? Well... I think that time has come.

Did I come to any major realizations while away?

Mmm... perhaps. And I'll tell you all about it. But for today, I thought I'd do a quick update.

As some of you reading my other blog may know, I've been through a very busy time these past few months, which is why I was mostly absent from this blog. I mean, it's been rough. My book was published in October, so I spent most of that marketing, and then I NaNo'ed, revised the sequel and moved house in November.

You'd think I'm exhausted, but no. I'm refreshed, revitalized and dying to share what's going on in my life again.

Big news is that my new home features what will become a guest house and wedding venue that I'll be running, so I'll definitely put up some posts on me fixing it up and the art projects I'll be doing for it.

I'll also be painting again soon. It sort of went off the rails this year for a variety of reasons, but I'm rearing to get started again. Only problem is that my paints, brushes, mediums etc. are still packed away, so I have to unpack a billion (or so it feels) boxes before I can start again.

There will also be a lot for me to share in the new year, since I'm back to baking and cooking and learning new things.

So a lot of things, but I might be a bit sporadic as I get back into the swing of things.

How are you doing?

Goal Check

Whoops! End of September came and went without me doing a goal check, but I have a great reason, which is in my progress report... Updates are in blue...

Writing: 

Continue querying Doorways. 

Not only have I done this, but The Vanished Knight (Doorways part 1 post publishing deal is on sale now. It was released on 4 October, with me rushing like mad to put together the final edits and a blog tour...) 

Finish the draft to Guardian. 

Done. 

Rewrite: 

Don't Look Back

Done. 

(Working Title) Otto

Not yet.

(Working Title) Guardian

This neither, and it might have to be postponed to early next year. Have too much to do at the moment...

Maybe finish the draft sequel to Doorways: Unlocking. 

Done. 

Reading: 

Just to read more. I'm going to go easy on myself and aim for 25 books for the whole year. Any genre or classification. Crits not included because I consistently fail to keep count of them. 

More than done. I'm at 45 books to date...

Life: 

Keep working on my voice. 

Sort of done, although this is a busy time for me and my instructor. 

Get back to guitar lessons. 

Unlikely, due to my writing, singing and publishing schedules. 

REALLY to take French and Italian, since it will be useful to my day job. 

I decided to postpone these to next year for the same reason, but am now back to reading in French to pick up the language.

Exercise regularly. This includes activities like gymming, fencing, dancing, yoga or any combination of such activities. 

Fencing once a week, yoga three times a week, also, horse riding once a week, which I deem to be exercise until cantering stops making my thighs ache. 

Eat and cook healthier food. 

Eating healthier, yes, but not cooking regularly, yet. Lucky me, my family are all keen to eat healthily.

Make a point to meet more people with whom I have things in common. Sort of feeling tired of having my real life conversations ending in blank stares. 

Point made, as well as some friends, but it seems I'll be doomed to blank stares from the majority of people I meet. Oh well...

I also want to paint more. Maybe even finish an exhibition's worth of art?

Sort of realized yesterday that I haven't painted nine months. Have a sketch ready, but when the light's good, the timing isn't, and vice versa. Exhibition's highly unlikely at this stage, but I'm not ruling it out for next year...

That's me for now. How are you doing on your goals? 

Berlin Preparations

Sorry for not posting yesterday. It's now my last week before my trip to Berlin, which means this week will mainly be spent running around looking for winter clothes (proper ones for very cold temperatures). In the middle of summer.

Needless to say, this implies plenty of running around and even more sweating in the fitting rooms. So this won't be a hiatus announcement, but more of a warning that my postings will be irregular for the next two and a half weeks.

I will try to post pictures of Berlin while I'm there, though.

Anyone else traveling to the other side of the world soon? Where are you going?

Quick Update

I'm finally winning the flu, which I am completely and utterly thrilled about.

So now I have boundless energy. Which is a great thing, because I suddenly have a ton of things to do.

My CP sent back Part 8 of Doorways, so I have a lot to edit. Then my youth group has to rehearse for a quick "drama" for church on Sunday. And on Sunday morning, my choir is singing.

Of the three, I'm probably not going to sing, because my voice is still raw from all the coughing. But we'll see how it goes.

I must feel that I feel a lot better about the Youth Group now that I know we're actually doing something again. We have a new Youth Pastor now, so hopefully he'll be what my church's youth needs to grow.

So that's me. Will definitely try to be better about posting this coming week.

How are you doing?

Have a great weekend!

I don't feel like dancing

Credit

No, I don't mean that in a figurative sense. I just decided to stop taking ballroom recently.

I still love it and will probably get a craving to dance again soon. But at this stage I'm just a little frustrated with it.

If there's no one on my level to dance with, I can't really practice what I've learnt. And since I have to then effectively pay money to show other people how to dance, I don't see why that would be worthwhile.

Especially now when I have less time than ever to work on my manuscript.

It just didn't add up for me.

And while the decision made me sad, it just didn't feel the same depth of feeling as thinking about not going to singing class.

So... yeah... I'm now no longer dancing. At least not until I can find classed that can offer me what I need.

What's news at your end of the world?

And she's back.

Hello lovely people. Sorry for my absence on Wednesday. Took a day off to recover from the Challenge.

Anyway, during the challenge, I got to thinking. Somewhere in the few months since I started this blog, I sort of lost direction with writing it.

I found a large part of it while doing the challenge, but it's not all there yet.

So... I'm going to take some action. I'm going to pre-plan some of my topics like I did for the Challenge. I'm not yet at the point of Monday is this day, but I think that having some meaningful topics stored away for later will really help me and this blog.

And that's what I will be doing this weekend. Deciding what I want to write about next week.

What will you be doing?

On finally getting my Degree.

I finally have it. After two months, I finally got my B.Comm Degree.

Source

It was actually quite sad for me to go fetch the degree, since I had to go wait for my family to finish another engagement. So as I sat in the student center, eating probably my last DCM Bar-One Mighty Muffin, I got to recollect all the time I'd spent on campus.

Although I can't say I'm bitter, I feel a little wistful when I think back. Because although I loved certain aspects of my life as a student, more or less half the time I'd spent studying was less than wonderful, because I'd effectively been trapped into doing something that I steadily grew to hate. Twice.

Still, I know that I had some wonderful times and that I'll miss my time as a student and that God had His reasons for letting me go through the tough times.

So I was sad to say farewell to my campus. Its sensations, sights, tastes, sounds and smells. Things that make up part of what used to be my home.

As I left, I thought I might one day return (there's a linguistics degree that might have my name on it), but it wouldn't be the same. I'll never again look around in class, excited and a little disbelieving that I'm there.

On the other hand, I now have the piece of paper that proves that I stuck through more than my fair share of sometimes hellish years. And I have the rest of my life stretching out in front of me.

And I am determined that I will follow my dreams and become what I want. Never again will I let people form my identity unless it's on my terms.

So here I am, in my bedroom, staring into my future, grateful to God and my family, excited, and a little disbelieving that I'm  here.

The Day The LOLcats Died

Today is Stop SOPA day, so I thought I'd do my tiny bit by posting this.

I can't really do more, since I'm not an American citizen, but you, my American friends, can. Get informed. Get on your phones. Get SOPA/PIPA dead. 

See you on Friday!

I'm back again (finally)

Sorry for my disappearing act recently. I was actually stuck without electricity for two weeks. Wasn't all that bad, except for the withdrawal symptoms I got because I wasn't on the Internet.

Anyway, I'm really glad to be back. How have you been doing?

As for me: here are the main events:

1) I didn't get the job at the bookstore.

2) I left the church choir after the Christmas Choir Service because I was tired of the three hags that I complained about before.

3) I'm currently being begged to return to the choir next year. I'll think about it in January when I'm not quite as angry as I am now.

4) I'm joining a secular choir in my university town. Next year we will perform with some big names in the local music world.

5) I finally got the libretto that I'm supposed to rewrite. Can't wait to really get stuck in.

6) This Christmas I want to make all of my Christmas gifts. So... I'm going to take up beading for a while. It should be fun to do something else creative. I have no idea what to do for the men in my family though, so I am open to any suggestions that you might have.

7) I am still praying for God to send my the perfect job. He knows better than me what I need.

So... what are your news highlights from the past few weeks?

Any suggestions as to what I can make for the men in my family?