Whoops - the break that lasted too long!

Since my last post, I've had company in town, driven from Texas to Florida and back to walk across the stage for my MFA graduation, completed all of the last i-dotting and t-crossing for official graduation, and enjoyed a fabulous and stress-free vacation in Boston. It has been a whirl-wind for me, and I'm just settling back down to look at all of those items on my to-do list.

I'm working on my author brand and revamping my life-coaching website. Both tasks have seemed over-whelming. However, one step at a time will see me through. I've also sifted through about 150 unread emails in various accounts that needed attention. Not all of the emails are read, but they are sorted. I can continue to tackle them.

But real life keeps creeping in on me! I've had to attend to some unpleasant situations and duties. Combatting the icky parts of real life, I spent an afternoon with my daughter at a local shopping center dedicated to Asian shops. She was in heaven. Next week, I plan to take her to a day spa. (Thanks to coupons via Groupon, I can afford nicer things in life without blowing my budget, and we don't accumulate THINGS, just great memories.)

As a school teacher, I crave my summer vacation time; but if I don't set a schedule and keep disciplined, I am apt to lay around all day. Procrastinating.  Or coming up with great words that sound a lot better than procrastinating. Even with a to-do list, it is easy to put off things for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. When August hits, I curse myself for not using all that time to the fullest.  [I'd like to interject that there are certain challenges to being hyperactive in completing tasks in the Texas heat.]

In writing, I've started jotting down some of the last updates I plan to make to my movie script, The Collective.  I've also started the plot outline for another book with my brave little mouse, Baxter, for the sequel to Merry Christmouse (pub. Nov 2013). I'm making myself a deadline for getting those submitted: August 1.

Here's to summer writing! Stay in the shade and keep hydrated!