I'm not sure I'll make the NaNo goal this year. Real life stuff seems to be blocking my fictional life, but I have written more than 2,000 words and the month is still young, so there's time.

My real goal this month, though, is to submit the first 50 pages of Ghost Mountain to be critiqued (the deadline for that is Nov. 15) and to write a synopsis of the story. I want to look for publishers by the first of the year. Of course, I still have to finish it, but what the heck!

It's started....

Today's Goal: 3,334 total
Currently written: 853

Guess I better get on the ball!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The kid didn't take marching band, but she she had to wear the uniform anyway! Last night was a concert -- both local high school bands played and then they had a "drum line" competition. Weirdest competition ever. No trophy, no judges, no winner. But she had a good time and the bands played fantastically! (Easy to say, since her best friend is in the band at the other school!)

Finished a pair of socks this weekend. Through the "way it goes" I spent the weekend alone and rather than raid hubby's stash of Hershey's Kisses or his ice cream supply (so not fair that he can eat all that!), I decided to finish this project. The pattern is called "Hearts" (hard to see in this picture, but the design is hearts). The yarn is "Socks that Rock" from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in the color "Mustang Sally." This is the first pair I've done for ME! I like them.

Pics from the hubby's birthday October 15. The cake was made by yours truly with a special pan my mom gave me a few years ago. The pan has a "tunnel" in it, so you cook the cake and can then fill it with frosting, pudding, or (in this case!) ice cream! It was a yellow cake with strawberry ice cream.

No, there's none left.

From an e-mail sent by a good friend:

Three Things to Ponder:

1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments

Cows - Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that, when investigating Mad Cow disease, our government can track a single cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington ? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

The Constitution - They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.

The Ten Commandments - The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery", and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges, and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment.

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear hubby!
Happy birthday to you!

(I'm such a brat!)

Completed two swaps at craftser.org. This one was called "Craft My Theme Round 2." Each participant listed five themes and then our info was sent on to someone else. The name I got had listed purses as one of her themes.


This little handbag is SO SOFT. I crocheted it with two strands of yarn, one "big chunky" and the other a fun fur.


These are magnets made out of polymer clay. The pink rectangle is supposed to be an evening bag and is my least favorite of the three.


This is my "large project" and is a purse, checkbook cover, and credit card holder. As you can tell, they're all embroidered with a "Parisian woman" theme and sewn from the same fabric. I liked this one so much I'm going to do the same thing for my s-d as a Christmas gift.


OK, so this one is just a little goofy. I was looking up purse crafts online and found the bra purse. I thought "why not?" I also did a cigar box purse, but forgot to take pictures of that one. I threw some tea light candles in the box, too.

For those who know me, this will NOT come as a shock. I am not a patient person.

When I decide I want something, I want it now. Not in a year. Not in the Spring. NOW.

I do, on the other hand, like to work for what I want. I also like to stay motivated. Right now, though, I'm in a weight loss slump. I'm losing more slowly and I don't like it. I've even started a mild exercise program, but the ticker doesn't seem to get any closer to that 50 pounds mark. Yes, I could up the exercise, but let's not be crazy here.

I'm seriously thinking about getting my belly button pierced. My husband just shakes his head and mumbles something about marrying a wild woman. My parents (I know my mom reads this!) will probably wonder what they did wrong. My sister will say "awesome" and I just might get cool navel jewelry from her for Christmas. My 14-year-old daughter wants to make it a "bonding moment" and have hers done too. (I think NOT! She can do it when she's older and can pay for it herself!) My 20 year old thinks it's great and I should take her sister to see it done.

But what if I loose a bunch more weight? If I make it to where Weight Watchers says I should be, I'll probably look more like a Barbie Doll than a real woman. Yes, I have boobs. I could probably lose 15 pounds just by having them reduced!

So what do I do? Do I shed another 40 some pounds? Do I only get to the 50 pound mark before getting it done? Do I just forget about it and decide I'm too old and wise for it? (Yeah, me! Wise? Whatever!)

I'm stuck. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure I'll get it done, it's just a matter of when. Back to the waiting game, but at least now I have something to think about while I wait!

I mentioned the other day that I did two swaps at craftster.org Here are pictures from the NaNoWriMo Swap. (For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writers Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words toward a novel during the month of November.)


I did 30 of these little boxes. If you go by "words per day" NaNoWriMo is 1,667 words each day, so there is one of these for each 1,667 words. There is a small treat in each one. Hope my partner likes the treat, because it's the same thing for 30 days!


OK, I'm not sure what a scarf has to do with writing a novel, but it was one of the things my swap-buddy said she'd like.


This notebook is for her to write down ideas. I mean, really, what novelist DOESN'T need paper and pens?


The T-shirt says "The cure for writers cramp is writers block." I love that! I also embroidered a bookmark, but I forgot to take a picture of it.


Finally, box of writing prompts. I'll admit, these aren't all the BEST prompts, but I'm not sure exactly what my swap-buddy writes, so I went generic. There was also a candle (chocolate scented!) in the box I mailed out.

My crafting buddies still don't have their packages. Dang it! I so want to post pictures of my projects!

Maybe tomorrow....

Spent the weekend working on two swaps I'm in at craftster.org Love that site. I blame my sister for pointing it out to me.

I did the "Craft My Theme" swap and the NaNoWriMo Swap. I hope my partners enjoy what I made them. I'll post pictures as soon as I know they've received. Since I have my blog listed in my profile there, I don't want to spoil it for them.

This is great -- and oh, so true!

For those of you following my weight loss journey, here's an updated picture. I had to get all dressed up for a banquet last week and Loving Hubby took a picture before we went. I don't usually dress like that! *grin*

It's bad enough that the kid is in HIGH SCHOOL, but now she's going out on dates, too? This is her right before the homecoming coronation/dance. On the up side, I like the young man. Very nice and respectful.

I just wish she wasn't getting older. What happened to the little girl who wanted to build her house in the backyard so she wouldn't ever have to move away?

My husband has ringworm.

Ok, not really, but that’s what he’s claiming.

Let me explain.

My husband and I are very different. He’s a country boy and I’m a city girl. His ideas of necessities include bullets, beef, and beans. My list is more practical and includes haircuts, oil changes, and trips to the bookstore. My husband is a “we’ll make it work” kind of guy and I’m a “if I can’t do it right the first time, what’s the point” kind of gal.

Makes for interesting viewpoints around the house.

Well, hubby decided that his hair was a bit long. In the past he’s asked me to cut his hair, and I’ve politely turned him down — usually by pretending not to hear him ask or by suddenly remembering an errand I needed to run. He’s even purchased one of those Wal-Mart clipper things with all the fancy attachments in an attempt to persuade me.

And every few weeks, my loving, persistent husband would ask. Taking his cue from our teenage daughter, yesterday he had finally asked so often that I agreed.

I really thought, how hard can this be? He only wants a trim, right? And this razor thing is supposed to be foolproof — at least that’s what the picture on the box said.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. There’s a reason people go to school to learn to cut hair. My husband is now living proof of that reason.

We put a towel on the floor to catch the clippings, hubby sat in a chair and I got started. The buzz of the clippers sounded and I lowered it to his head.

Do you have any idea how dumb a 40-year-old man looks in a reverse Mohawk? I do now.

My first thought was “I can’t believe he talked me into this.” Followed shortly by “Maybe I can still even it out.” I still can’t believe he talked me into it and yes, at that point it could have been evened out.

But I didn’t stop there. It would have been better if I had.

I got the top of the man’s head evened out and started working on the back. OK, truth be told, it had some mullet-type qualities (think “Dog, the Bounty Hunter), but a fashion guru my Texan-born and bred husband is not. I was pretty sure he didn’t know what a mullet was, let alone what it looked like. I started on the back, trying to calm the mullet-like qualities of the butcher job… I mean, haircut.

Finally, I was finished with the big stuff. His hair wasn’t perfect, but it was cut.
I wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen in public with him and our teenage daughter wouldn’t be any more embarrassed by dad.

Then I noticed that one stray hair.

“One little clip,” I thought, “then it will be over.”

There must have been some Earth tremor right at the moment I lowered the clippers. The next thing I knew there was a clipper-sized chuck of hair falling to the ground from about an inch above his ear.

I was shocked. Short of shaving it all off, this one couldn’t be hidden.
I had a momentary thought that maybe he wouldn’t notice. It is on the side of his head and my husband isn’t always the most perceptive person.
I told him I was done — in more ways than one! — and he sauntered into the bathroom to take a look at my handiwork. All my delusions came shattering down when he yelled. Profanities. Loudly.

He’d seen the side of his head.

So, rather then admit he pestered me into giving him a haircut, he’s claiming ringworm. In his mind that’s a better explanation. He also claims to be cured.

Maybe that means he’s been cured of his pestering.

Somehow, though, I doubt it.

It's been a week now, and every day the kiddo is excited to go to school. Every day she tells me tales on the way home -- tells me of the adventure she had that day. She's told her friends that she loves school. A subject that she had always disliked is now one of her favorites.

I'm happy for her, but sad for myself. I wonder if she would have always loved that subject had I not home educated her for the past eight years. Or did I just instill a love of learning that she wouldn't have gotten in a traditional classroom? That was one of my biggest goals, you know... to teach her to love learning.

Here's something to point out: That graph at the top of the page is more then half way across! That meas I'm on the "downhill side" of my weight loss journey! Kinda cool, huh?

For the second day in a row, I've watched my baby leave the house to be "thrown to the wolves." (OK, maybe not literally, but still....) My little girl has started high school!!!

After years of celebrating "Not Back To School Day," it was a little weird to be checking to make sure she had all her supplies. And the house was so quiet! I don't think I'll ever look forward to the day summer ends. I'll never understand those parents who can't wait for the kids to be back in school.

So yesterday morning, I made her stand there so I could get a picture. And yes, she reminded me that parents only do that when their kids start kindergarten. But, hey, I gave birth to her, so that affords me some rights, doesn't it? *big grin*

My life will never be the same. Neither will the lives of all those teachers, administrators, and students who she comes in contact with. But at least I know I gave her a strong foundation to build from.