Just Jot It January,

The prompt word for January 22nd is “seasonal.” Thanks go to Kaye for the wonderful prompt!

Please be sure to check out Kaye’s blog here!

For Just Jot it January, click the following link to see how you, too, can join in! https://lindaghill.com/2023/01/22/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-22nd-2023/ It’s fun!

Linda spoke of how her writing was seasonal. NaNoWriMo, CampNaNo and Just Jot It January becomes her writing time. Me, too. It seems those programs help motivate me properly. I haven’t won every time. And sometimes, like last month as I tried another goal, I made no progress at all. But often I make the 50k. Even on the camps. That would probably not surprise my teachers. Most of my report cards had comments like, ‘Darlene talks too much in class.’

This year I’ve over-goaled my life with all the gifts I’m trying to make and so writing has fallen by the wayside.

And I still have to podcast and start reading aloud my books, starting with my memoirs. The area in my house I planned on using, suddenly has Diamond Paintings.

My recorder playing, piano and voice practice have fallen off.

There are only 24 hours in a day. Still!!! I stay up reading until 3 or 4. With my old dog waking me often, sleep also seems seasonal. Heat and smoke and bugs of summer, icy cold and snow of winter affects everything in our house. Where we hang out, how we sleep, either covered up over my head with warmth or sheet to keep bugs off. And all this affects energy and pain levels, ya know?

Maybe I need to organize my day better and my week to include everything I want to do.

Thank goodness for the treadmill. It still gets used most days of the week.

How does anyone get anything done with a job? I did do NaNo. But the rest of this, writing, knitting, especially learning new stitches, artwork, music, etc. Little got done. Too tired. Housework. Phew!

Seasons of our lives are as influential as the weather. Whew!

It Has Been a Month

Since I blogged about the beautiful snow. I’m not so excited anymore. That snow is still here. It hasn’t gotten warm enough to melt. And we’ve had a couple snows since. And another storm coming on the weekend. Had anyone told the weather that it’s not winter yet?

Poor Kali hasn’t wanted to go outside for a month. It’s too deep and icy for her aged body.

Ah so let’s see. I’ve shared my finished socks. My other socks aren’t progressing as fast.

Oh! I know! I haven’t shown sunflower progress.

Maybe I’ll be finished tomorrow.

And I guess I should give the final word count for Reflexions.

That’s where I was a couple nights ago. On the 30th I hit 33,003 and called it good. Teddy’s character is fun. I hope I can get all the bits to fit together like a real story. I reset a goal of 17,000 for December. I’m starting this first part reviewing all I’ve written so I can figure out where and when it is happening.

Hope you all are staying warm. Thank goodness we are!

One-Liner Wednesday

Why is there a book review and last day of NaNoWriMo on One-Liner Wednesday?

Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday

Words, Words, Words!

Suddenly My Fair Lady is playing in my head!

Anyway, here’s the word count.

No, I’m not finished. The screen shot didn’t quite work right. 931 words needed to achieve my lesser goal. Certainly not 50k. But I still like the story so I need to keep working it. 17k till the 50k. I guess that will be the goal for December.

I have to say that what happened, besides crazy life of leaks, old dog, dying kitty, electrical issues (the guys replaced two breakers today-finally the house is getting warm) is starting the new crew mid-flight makes a new book mid-writing. I think there’s a way to do it. But like I said with all that was going on my muses couldn’t find me.

Time for bed!

Teddys, Tigers, and Toes

Theodore Tigre Trouble (pronounced Tru-blay) and his best friend Shiva. Who suddenly is possessed by Teddy’s parents. Teddy doesn’t know, yet that he can reflect certain animals, like tigers.

So with all that’s been happening here, leaks, fluffy Internet, snow, electrical issues, my NaNoWriMo, Reflexion had to go on the back burner. I readjusted my goal. I think I can get to 33,000 by the 30th. The story won’t be finished, but I’ll feel more like writing if I feel I’ve accomplished something. So word count for today is 31,047.

Ah, but look what I did finish today with a Kitchener closed toe. I’m so excited! Another pair made with DPNs (double pointed needles). Hehe! Thanks, Jennifer at the Willows for teaching me the hard stuff!

Making Monday

Icy snow hasn’t had much chance to melt since it snowed so beautifully a couple weeks ago. Though pretty, still, the cold is getting old. Even blue skies don’t make it better. I’m fact, clear skies almost guarantee colder than norm temps. It is always warmer here if there’s a cloud cover.

So maybe that is why my mood has gotten less than sweet. My creative writing muses walked out on me. So no writing has happen for a couple days. Not sure what to do about that, or if I should keep the 50k goal or make it a little easier to reach.

One thing I have been doing non-stop has been knitting, tinking, and reknitting rows and rows of these socks. I think I finally have it right.

The heel turned on the top. That’s next on the bottom sock.

The NaNoWriMo stopped all interesting TV watching. Suddenly I noticed I missed a couple weeks of The Walking Dead. Yikes! So today I caught up. I don’t think I have any tears left! Two of my favorites didn’t make it. 😭

I’m almost finished with Sunflowers.

I’m getting back to knitting. Now that I get it, the heel turning, again, I need to practice.

How’s your Monday?

Finishing Friday

Finished actually with these nice warm boot socks. Thank you, Jennifer, for teaching me!

At this rate only one person gets a Christmas gift before the holiday. But I’m really quite happy with my first attempt at knitting with 4 DPS (double pointed needles).

And now I’m working on my second pair. Hopefully to live in the same house as the first pair.

I’m loving working this way. Knitting like this hurts less than any other yarn work.

No where near finished. In fact, I seem to be a day behind.

So time to go get some writing done.

Things Learned

Just 7 inches from the toes. I’m so excited to have learned to divide for the heel, then turn heel, then I shaped the gusset and now it’s stockinette (straight knitting) until the toes. Wah hoo! And I’m ready with yarn and more Double pointed needles for the fiancés socks.

My bathroom is nearly done. I’ll probably have to shower at least once in the guys’ restroom. Ugh! I’ve hated being so scattered, my stuff is everywhere and I had to schlep between my room and their restroom work bags of stuff.

And our poor kitty, Teddy has been having troubles, teeth and blood sugars so my husband has taken the trip through the mountains to the vet to take care of him.

Not to mention, Kali is still getting older and having a hard time with all of it. So lack of sleep is playing hard against ambition.

So I’m trying to be kind to myself for being about a day behind on NaNoWriMo, Reflexion about the Pensées family. So the word count

I need to spend a couple days catching up.

Yay! Knitting Lesson!

Jennifer at Willow West gave me another lesson. I’m learning to ‘turn a heel ‘. I’m so distractible that even counting to 13 I got lost. I blame the pretty Christmas music. It’s why I can’t do music as background. I tend to sing, quietly, in my head when I’m supposed to be paying attention to the lesson.

Look at that cute little heel turning on the left end.

I’m torn. I want to keep knitting, but it’s time for NaNoWriMo!

Thank you, Jennifer. You are a patient teacher! ❤️🤗

Oh, and for those keeping watch on word count:

The story got fun last night. I watched Avenue 5 and the spaceship antics feed my muse.

Friday Eve

Works in progress.

I don’t know if I am more proud of the hat or finally used all that fuzzy yarn up. The yarn at the top is leftovers. Enough for toys, I guess. I’ll share the finished project tomorrow.

Progress so far.

I’ve only written 412 words so far today. Total in project 4,683. It’s fun so I need to get back to it. The family Pensées is so interesting! I know, it’s all in my head. LOL!!!