October22, 2023

Hi Friends, 

This weekend was not what I expected. It was very fun one day, and the next was very... different. I was able to accomplish some things when it came to school and my education. Having a strong social aspect of life is important, and I did that as well. A few friends and I went to Panera and a few clothing stores. We even saw puppies for sale before deciding to go to the movies spontaneously. It was a good movie we all enjoyed and a great way to end the night. The next day was horrendous compared to the one before. I was very sick and needed so much sleep, but I also had our AC go out on top of being ill. Not a very fun day for me. But I went ahead and wrote (VERY LITTLE) and continued to read in my current book. I have a test tomorrow, and a PT test the following day. It should be interesting and a hot week in Texas. 

October 20, 2023

Hello! 

Life has been peaceful lately. I feel more and more comfortable in my new setting as time passes. While I'm very happy about this, I'm ready for the next chapter. I've been very inspired lately and have had so much time to write. I'm very thankful for that, but I miss the opportunity to get lost in experiences and life. Too much of one and not enough of the other tend to throw me completely out of wack.  I do feel completely grateful for all my peers. They are so encouraging and insightful when I open up to them. People being excited about my work and wanting to continue is very reassuring. The goals I have right now are to finish the year strong, care for the friendships I've made here, and write at least 50 more pages by 2024. 

September 28, 2023

Hello friend, 

So much has changed. Life is funny that way, it can seem like the days are slow and stretched so far that you don't realize that time has passed. Before you know it life is passing and you feel as though you have been planted in thr ground where you stand. Meanwhile people, places, and experiences have gone. Then in the next moment you have been launched into a new life you don't recognize and you wonder how you got there. Life. Life often feels like a small child with a rubber band. They pick it up and slowly pull the rubber band, the thickness of it getting thinner and thinner and the tension is putting the rubber to the ultimate test. You are the rubber band, being tested, pulled in different diections and sometimes just fighting for your life to not snap and break. Just when you think it will never end you are launched forward into your new reality. New life, a new place or surrounding. How wonderfully confusing it is, launching into something new. How utterly devastating to be launched backwards or to the side. The reality of being stretched is not always being launched to the place you want to be, but back. 

This feels like where I am, launched to the side. Although the stretch had begun again, and soon I will be launched forward this time. 

September 9, 2023

We have made our way out of the heat and into the crips fall air. Today I have a goal to write at least two pages! My husband and I went to a Habitat for Humanity this morning and found a lovely little nursing chair. It was a higher end name brand chair, but with thought it would still be a reasonable price considering it was at a thrift store. They had just gotten it and needed to price it out. After a few minutes they let us know it was retailed for $999 and they would be selling it for $450. We were so heartbroken because we go to thrift stores for thrift store prices. Oh well, we should hopefully find something just as lovely another day.

September 4, 2023

Oh September, how I've missed you. It is the start of Autumn and the leaves change before departing for the winter. It is the end of hot humid weather and letting a crisp breeze take all your cares away is all I can think about. Although, this year I will not be able to enjoy such things. I'm currently in a place where the hottest months are August - September. Enter sad face. I'm a little tired of the west coast and constant fog. I will say the weather has been nicer, but it doesn't feel like the right time of year for it. I don't know where we will live next, but I have hope we get some more seasons this coming year. 

August 27, 2023

Hello friends, 

I can't believe it's been a whole week since even thinking about writing. This past week I had such high hopes and aspirations for my writing... Oh well! I had a lot of distractions with work and life that I wasn't feeling creative at all! This week will be short and it is FULL of appointments and planning and a possible vacation. We shall see. I feel like I should try to write while the chaos is in full swing. Why not right? Tomorrow is very important and will determine if I go on a vacation this weekend or not.. oh the stress. Happy Sunday!

August 20, 2023

Dear friends, 

This weekend I have taken time to be "lazy". It felt good to take a few days to watch the shows I wanted to catch up on and just sit and be with my husband. Sometimes I need that. We didn't do... well anything really. Part of me wants to regret not being productive, but I feel like I am now. It's still Sunday and I've had all the laziness I can take! I'm sure next month I'll need another day, but until then I feel recharged and excited to write! Today I took the morning to be lazy and now at 2:50 in the afternoon I'm preparing for my week, writing and taking some time to clean so I feel less cluttered. Nothing irritates me more than dirt and clutter. I hope everyone can enjoy a lazy day here and there. I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoys their Sunday funday!

August 14, 2023

Hi Friend! Today I hope to focus on my writing during the day and editing in the evening with my husband. Yesterday was an amazingly productive day for me. While I didn't get a chance to write, I did sew! How amazing is that? I Ironed the fabric (washed, I might add!) then I did my least favorite task of cutting it. I didn't have a pattern because I'm making a quilt, so just 12.5in by 12.5in squares. I did 12.5 to give myself wiggle room. I'm very knew to quilting and sewing so I wanted to make sure I had room to make mistakes. After cutting the squares I laid them out to make sure I was correct in my numbers and it's 6X6. Part of me thinks I should have done 5X7, but I've committed and onward I go! 

But that's not all! No, I couldn't just quilt. I also recorded the quilting process and found myself enjoying slow living. (obviously) My husband and I then made homemade personal pizzas. They were delicious and we ended the day with an action movie! Not my favorite type of film, but love is compromise, right? Happy Monday and have a great rest of your week! 

August 12, 2023

Hello Again! Today I spent a lot of time thinking about names. While my husband drove to Big Sur I was scratching down names I saw on signs, streets, and billboards. This was so fun to do because I was able to come up with names I hadn't thought of. I do love seeing a word and plugging it into my story. One of my fears is taking popular names from well known novels and having the reader automatically think of another story and have a preconceived idea about a character of mine because of a different character from another novel. We made our way down the coast stopping a few times to watch the waves crash against the cliffs and rocks. Listening to the sand crunch underneath my tennis shoes was so satisfying. We finally got to Big Sur and had our packed lunch before making our way down to the creek. Here we sat in wooden chairs while our feet were cooled off in the icy water. The sound of flowing water trickling against the rocks was relaxing. I had to take a video and I plan on pushing it through to YT soon. It was such a nice day. We also gave our doggo a bath and a trim around the bum. (He was not happy about it.)

August 7, 2023

Hello friends! Today was a very productive day. I was able to work on my novel, sewing, website and spent time with friends and family. This morning I was able to take my time and listen to music on the way to work, letting it relax me as I start the week. Sometimes Monday can really set the tone of your whole week. I try extra hard on Monday to be positive and light to really set the tone of the week. (Pro tip #1. I like to not only set out my clothes, backpack, and writing bag, but I make sure to do it in the afternoon rather than in the evening or later at night. Making sure it's done earlier makes it easier to ensure I don't forget anything! Also, starting laundry on Friday can also make it seem like you're ahead of the game!)

When I got to work I was able to finish early and spend most of my morning plotting chapters. I spent about an hour doing this and I loved every minute of it. I have found I daydream about my novel and doing this makes it hard to stay where I am in the writing process! But I just can't help it.... while listening to music my brain goes into overdrive and before you know it I have a whole new side quest for the hero of my story! So, plotting out the chapters with a short description is my new method! I'm hoping it will allow me to daydream about any scene and be able to plug it right in without harming my previous work. Oh yes, I almost forgot I had breakfast alone.. sad face. But the warm green tea warmed my heart and I pushed forward! Then lunch with a pal, he tried to evade me, but alas it was a shockingly beautiful day and couldn't resist eating outside. Our lunch spot was serving steak! Yum. Then I went back to writing and getting my website pretty. That took a bit longer than I expected and only had about an hour to write my novel. I'm currently on chapter 6!

When I arrived home my husband and I made the bed. (I absolutely hate making the bed) I also like to shower right when I get home. I know others shower before bed, but there is something I really enjoy about just getting it out of the way. I get to let my hair air dry, I'm all clean for dinner.. That's a win win in my book! Dinner was Pork sausage and beans, then my husband and I watched editing videos to try and get some editing done for out YT page! Hopefully soon. Oh, I almost forgot! I made a super secret Pinterest inspiration board! I'm loving it for many reasons. I can finally show my husband what I mean when I describe a place and looking at the pictures is help me be even more descriptive. Nothing beats a vivid author. -SJO

August 6, 2023

Hello again! Today is a beautiful partly sunny day. In the coastal town where I'm currently staying a slightly sunny day is rare and counted as a blessing. A fully sunny day is almost unheard of. I've chosen to spend this partly sunny day indoors writing my novel, though. I may venture outdoors to say hello to the sweet sun for a moment or two, but not for long as I have much to write. Music has been inspiring many characters today. I've had vivid inspiration for a deliciously wicked villain who needs to be written about. I can't wait to share her with you! While I don't have her description quite ready for you I do have a small paragraph to share.  Enjoy! - SJO

Magic is strictly for children; a figment of their wild imagination, that weakens over time. With age, it morphs into reality and the known. The unknown is avoided at all cost and magic is a trick performed by magicians. All magic is explained away with reasoning and logic. How dull. 

August 2, 2023

Today I felt like starting over in my novel. While I do have a good amount of my first novel done, there is so much more to add. I have the middle down and need to focus on before and after. I also need to work on the dreaded climax.  I say dreaded because while I love the twist and turns I have planned, getting them on paper is  much more daunting as a writer. The need to be perfect is the biggest challenge. Please enjoy a sneak peak into the world I'm creating. -SJO