Miracle Monday

How about...
I need a miracle this week!
If you're a diabetic, you know illness can cause wacky sugar levels and mine have been slightly off. Just a hair. Just enough for me to be pulling my hair out. Then by the end of today, I got a funny feeling in the back of my throat. Not a good feeling.

I'm drinking lots of water and keeping my fingers crossed. Must be the weather! You just can't figure it. LOL

Sunday Summations

I write books...er, manuscripts. Stories, if you will. When exactly does a manuscript become a book? Perhaps when it's assigned an ISBN number? In any case, I don't drone on about my writing here because I don't want to bore people to death. I don't want to rant about the ups and downs of publishing and submitting and story plotting. But, I have stories. And I want people to buy them...eventually.

Whether I sell to a publisher or sell on my own in the new world of epublishing. You just might be my reader. That's intimidating for me. There has to be at least one follower on my blog who read a post one day and thought, "That woman is nuts!" :D Or, even worse, "Booooring!"

But you know me a little if you've been around at all. I'm a romantic. I'm down-to-earth. I might be considered liberal in one circle yet conservative in another. Laid back, I'm more likely to aim for leisure and a good novel than success and the next best how-to book. My laundry gets done once a week because no matter how often I tell myself that doing a load a day would be easier in the long run, I rarely look that far ahead to worry about it.

Sunday Summations is my new way of incorporating some self-promotion. This week, I find myself waiting on two submissions. One full length ms and one novellita [a small novella. I just made that up!]. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I also have a novella that I've sent off to an editor. This one is going up Amazon style [or perhaps Pub It (BN) style] in June. JUNE! Seems so far away, but there's so much to do. Editing to happen. Covers to shop for. Formatting magic [and I do mean magic! or a miracle, God help me.]. Bottom line is... unless I acquire an editor at a publishing company who says, what have you got? I want you. Then I'm taking my novella, Spring Leave, to the stores. That's a little bit exciting, don't you think?

Last but not least, I've been looking for drive.
I keep seeing the stuff out there for kids, like my 12 yo daughter, to read.
And I wonder if I could write something for that audience.
Now there's a challenge. Just something simmering in the back of my mind... I might have to use a pen name, because you can bet your last dollar my 12 yo won't read a book I wrote. :P Maaahumm! <--since when is Mom a three syllable word?

I'll keep you posted.
With Love,
Bethanne

Saturday Sweets

The boys want to learn to make cookies so I picked grandma's recipe. it's simple! and fun!

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Beat 1 stick margarine
Add 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c brown sugar
Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 egg
Mix
Add 1 1/2 c flour and 1/4 tsp baking soda
Add 1-2 c of chocolate chips
Mix

scoop tablespoonfuls onto pan
bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes unless you are baking with stone.
mine go in for at least 12 minutes.

Oh my, that boy is getting so handsome... *sigh* they grow up so fast!

Going into the Desert

Sometimes being in the Army is like going into the desert.
And isn't it ironic that at the start of lent this year, I am struggling with these feelings of solitude?
It'll be my year of remembering that no matter what, I'm never alone.
God is with me. My faith sustains me...

and lucky me, I have an awesome husband who--even when he has to answer the phone while I'm pouring my guts out to him in an emotional outburst--is, at the heart of it, always there for me. When I go to bed at night, I know he's there to hold my hand through these crappy feelings. We're in this together, even when we're not together.

That's all I need. Thanks Babe for being such a great husband. I hope you get out early some time soon, so we can watch a Burn Notice together before the kids get home from school. :D

Back from the Sunny North

It doesn't matter how little sense that makes. That's exactly where I came from! Just a smidge of snow on Saturday morning, but that's it. Forget Lake Effect, forget that it was February. Felt like April up there, when things are just getting ready for spring and teasing us with a warm weekend. Thank God for the nice weather!

Tomorrow is the start of my church's Lenten Season. So I gotta start thinking of ways to sacrifice. What can I do? What can I give up? One thing I want to do [and I'm hoping this 40 days of fasting will motivate be to actually do it] is to stick to a schedule. Like this morning...

Pray a little.
Blog.
Get kids on bus.
Write.

If I can get those three things done every morning, it seems like the rest of my day should be wide open!! I often find myself trying to squeeze or make time for these most important activities. Could it be so hard to just do them?!

Apparently...

because it's been years, and I have yet to do this as if it's easy. :/

Up Early

I am up early and on a plane first thing in the morning. Whooooot.
Excited about a trip to South Bend for my sister's Wedding!
Just me and the girls. :D

Back after the long weekend.
Enjoy it!
With Love,
Bethanne

Wordless Wednesday

That's the reason a mom can cancel a dentist appointment at the last minute and not feel any guilt.... he is soooo danged cute!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Share Chocolate with a Friend today.

Spread Love by being Compassionate.

Inspire Romance by writing a Love Story.

Miracle Monday

I've started a half a dozen blog posts only to delete them. Grrr. So frustrating.
Topics and whatnot...talking about me, about writing, about life.

What next?

Question: When did you find you?
Sounds nuts, doesn't it?
I found me at about 30.
THIRTY YEARS!
I applaud you if you are one of the strong individuals who had a true sense of yourself before 30.
I only thought I knew me.

Meeting my husband and having him like me and want to marry me while I was in college? MIRACLE.
I knew my intrinsic value as a daughter of God, a friend. But I was always measuring myself against other people. Other people were prettier and smarter. I'm pretty sure I lacked confidence.

There's something I know.
A confident woman is attractive.
I must have had it deep inside me or something...
Or maybe I just needed my husband to Make it all Gel--like gelatin!
That makes sense since he's my other half. :D

Love that Man for helping me be the woman God wants me to be.

Who are your Friends?

It really struck me that I have to surround myself with people who make me a better person and who inspire me to be a better person. Sometimes I wonder what kind of balance I have to have in order to maintain character status quo.

I have to want to work hard, play hard, succeed,  and pray. Not necessarily in that order. When I'm on Facebook too much, I know the play side of my balance is going to be too heavy. If I hang only with my writing group in a week, I'll probably find myself focused on work more than I should.

Perhaps it has to do with accountability as well. Easy to hide under so many hats! Sheesh. I'm serious about that. For what it's worth, there's nothing like my husband to keep me grounded, though. My husband and kids. Heck, yeah. :D

My new journey involves time management. haha. This year, create a better balance.