To think I was going to read...

Yeah, as you know, one of the big wishes of my life at present would be that I had a thirty hour day. That way I could actually sleep and live and have time to spare.

These days I'm mostly studying. When I aren't, I'm revising my WiP. Then I sort of flip a coin in my mind trying to decide if I should be reading books or blogs. Books are winning at this stage, because I'm trying to refill my creative reservoirs in time for NaNoWriMo and the start of my musical.

But today, I just sort of got to the point where I realized that I need a day off. And yes, I took one off yesterday too, but there's a significant difference between a day off to relax and one where you're up to your years under blankets, trying to sweat out a bitch of a flu so that I have a voice with which to practice for my recital.

*Laughs with more than a slight hysteria* I forgot to mention that I have my first recital in the first week of October. And I still have to practice duets with two people, a group number and my solo...

So yeah. Today after class was to by my unproductive glob day. Well, I got the unproductive part right, but it's 7P.M. and I haven't touched any books. It all started with a trip to the library that was closed and ended with bargain hunting among the many cheap stores that share the street with the library with the weird hours. I mean... why keep it closed on a Wednesday, of all days?

Anyway. Hours ticked away, but I'm glad. It was good to be out of the house, just spending time with my mom and my gran. We made some great discoveries too.

Maybe I'll get some reading done now...

How was your day?

It's one of THOSE weeks

Wow. I've been a terrible blogger this week. So sorry about that. It's just that It's been one of those weeks.

At first I was too busy getting stuff done and then suddenly on Wednesday, I got into a funk. You know... those days when nothing you do works. Yesterday I gave up and took a book to read, thinking that I'll get more done today.

Uhm... no. Because the flu picked today to hit me hard. That probably explains the past two days as well, because that was the flu setting in and building fortifications.

So yeah. Unfortunately there's not much of anything to this post, but I just wanted to send out a confirmation of life.

Things will look up next week. I'm sure of it.

How are you doing?

Have a great weekend!

A necessary reminder.

I had such a wonderful day yesterday. I didn't go anywhere special, just to a restaurant franchise for coffee with a thirteen year old girl.

But wow. The few hours we spent together benefited us both.

Remember I told you that I volunteered to help with the church youth? Well, she's one of the new leaders.

A few weeks ago, I took the leaders to the same place as the above to get to know them, because everyone is still new to each other. There, I got a bit of a scary eye-opener.

This girl was giving her testimony about how she was helping a girl at her school after "God spoke to her for the first time in her life."

When she said those words, something went screeching in my head. I mean, to be strong Christians, strong enough to lead people in a Christian organization, there has to be more to their faith than just reading the Bible every day or doing good deeds. It's about a relationship.

And for there to be a relationship, listening has to go both ways. I explained this to them and the girl came to me this past Friday saying that she's dying to have a closer relationship with God and asked me to help her.

So we spent about two hours just talking about it and an hour where I explained to her what to do to hear God and left her to it. And it worked. This girl is so passionate about God, about doing His work in helping others and about finding ways to become closer to him.

It really opened my eyes to the fact that I sometimes take it for granted. I can barely remember a time where I didn't have God as an active part of my life and where I haven't been in a real relationship with him where the talking went both ways.

Sometimes I forget how amazing it is. It took me spending an afternoon with a girl ten years younger than me to remember.

What about you? Do you have a close relationship with God? What reminds you of its absolute wonder?

Priest Pie

Hi all! I spent most of yesterday afternoon listening to the original cast recording of Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Now I have a rather dark and twisted sense of humor, so this song is definitely the highlight:



Have a great weekend everyone! And do make sure you know what goes into your food. ;-P

Editor's Note: Apparently it is now acceptable for Blogger not to post what it's supposed to. So in the likely event that the video screen doesn't appear after my fifteen efforts to make it do so, here's the link 

A short update. I get to sing again!

Ooh! Today is is the first time I'm going to solo singing classes in two weeks. I really can't wait.

Maybe it's odd, but there are two activities in my life that make me feel as if all is well in the world. One is writing, the other is singing. I just adore both.

To me it feels vital to do things that I love as often as possible, because when I don't, my emotional condition definitely noses down. Because of that I revise every day. Yes, I know that that isn't exactly the spontaneous creation that comes with drafting, but Doorways is and always will be the WiP I adore. And I really want to finish it so that I can get it out there.

Just like I want to get my voice to the highest quality I can so that I can get myself out there too.

Do you also have a consuming passion like that? What is it?

Paolo Bosco and Silvia Pitton Tango

Hello all! Since economics has taken over most of my life and because economics is boring, I'm going to just show you the dance I'm learning in Ballroom now. I've found more than one vid from this couple, but I picked this one because I love the end.

Anyway I present: The Tango



Which dances would you like to do?

My progress.

And just when I think I wasn't addicted to blogging, I get that pull to my computer that reminds me that it's almost been a week.

I feel terrible that I'm neglecting you guys although that I know I shouldn't.

After all, I can't exactly write about living if I do it at the cost of my living time. I must admit that I didn't realize how much time my Economics would take up. Yes, it's only one hour, but then that doesn't include self-study (something I really should have done last year) and driving to University and back. From where I live, driving alone takes up almost an hour and a half.

Still, there is something about all this that I noticed this year that I didn't have before. Control. I'm in control of what I'm studying and what I'm getting done. Yes, I'm having to sacrifice time that could have been spent doing what I love, but at least I'm not struggling to settle down enough for me to get some studying done.

I'm so glad that this is the case, as I'm becoming quietly confident of my chances at success. Hopefully that success will carry me through when the tests and exams come...

How are you all doing?

The Juggling Act

Hi all! As you can see, I haven't done a TCoML in almost a week. Not because I didn't want to, but rather because I couldn't. I've just been too busy with everything.

I remember last year when I was at University with a lot more subjects than just economics and I managed to post almost every day since August. But then, my life was pretty much in shambles and I was able to add blogging to only studying and writing.

Now, I have to study, to work, to sing, to dance, to edit, to write and to be a leader for my church youth. AND that blog I started in August (incidentally a year ago yesterday) now has 606 readers and I'm still posting (except for yesterday) five days a week. My book is done and I have to edit. I still want to get it done by next year.

And then there are the up and coming projects.

So yes, as my life grew, so did my workload to the point where I struggle to schedule anything.

The last time that happened was in my A-level year. Now I'm going to do now what I did then. I'm not going to schedule. I know what I have to do. I have my priority list (as it is right now):

1) Study and attend class
2) Work, editing, Youth, reading and writing
3) Singing, dancing and blogging
4) Drawing

Armed with that, I know what I should choose when I have time. Didn't sit down to study yet? OK then. My blogging has to move. Unfortunately, that means that I won't be able to always post (although I will try). It also means that I definitely can't visit as many of you as I do usually. As much as I'd love to.

That is and always was the secret to my life: It isn't a balancing act. It's a juggling act and sometimes I need to know when I have too many balls in the air. That's when I start putting some of them in my pocket for later.

But it will only be for ten more weeks. Then ball number one will be gone forever and the rest of my life will begin.

And that will be when I'll be back with a vengeance and in the long run, everything will get done. I just can't do everything at the same time.

In the mean time, I want to ask you to please think of me or pray for me as I go slaying one of the big giants in my life.

What about you? What do you do when your time gets limited? Do you juggle or do you balance?