Books, blogs and not a bad week at all

One of those peculiar days that we get in UK – it was sunny, then grey, then sunny, then pouring with rain, chilly followed by bitingly cold wind, then hot, again chilly then hailstones and now, as evening approaches, the sun is once again shining through! One could grow befuddled and confused, if one wasn’t used to it all!

 Not much done this week, as I had visitors over Easter and they didn’t leave until Wednesday.  My friend from forever/editor and her husband came to the rescue of two weary ladies – it was so nice.  She took over the, retired, dog walking for me, allowing a couple of extremely painful joints to recover somewhat, and he built a beautiful wooden contraption to hide the cat litter tray. Well actually to keep the new guide dog out it – dogs have such depraved culinary habits:( – all painted and blending in. Between them they bucked us both up and we are now ready for the next round of training.

 He has a love of boot fairs and we always go look see, when they come up, well this one had book bargains galore – I don’t actually need any more books you understand- have thousands upstairs and my TBR pile is tall enough to join Nelson.  But who can resist a book bargain)   Apart from eight fiction I managed to find four superb reference books as well.  Well pleased.

 So goals:

1)  Felt all written out yesterday, so settled down to address my Terry Pratchet challenge.  Enjoyed a reading fest, have just finished three in a row, eyes blurry, just before coming on here.  I was late finding Prachett but so pleased I did a couple of years ago.

 2)  Kept up with A-Z on kissafrog, We are at the halfway mark now, I have 13 done and, at an average of 700 words each blog, I have, since April 1^st, managed 9,100 words (think that’s right? Maths not a strong point.) So have kept up my writing every day and, because it’s nothing to do with my WIP, have found it quite refreshing.

 3)   Been keeping up with a couple of savvy authors workshops reasonably well.

 4)   I had the two books on Bacteria, I had ordered, delivered this week and I have been through the first one. (this is research for my NaNoWrMo in November.)  Must say even more interesting than I expected.

 5)   Am still struggling to get through all the network lists on Novel Publicity and Indie Exchange, but a few visited every day will win the day.  Likewise with A-Z list and ROW80 – it takes time to read the blogs and that’s not counting those I have delivered to my mail box.  Ah well! by the end of April all will be serene again.

 6)   Still planning  Blue Moon in my head – excited by the changes I am putting in place mentally.  Making notes only.

 7)   Although the doctor said half an hour walking every day would help my ankles, I haven’t noticed any improvement over the two months I have been doing so, just the reverse.  I will have to go back to him and check.  And, disappointingly, even though I have added this extra exercise into my day and I am now in the garden every day, I have added 4lbs to my weight in that time – don’t know why I bother some days:(.  I will persevere because I’m pig headed but. . .

 Anyway not a bad week and I’m quite happy with it (quite in old UK lady speech actually means very!, not just a little)  I hope everyone else has had a good week – that those on A-Z are coping and the best of luck for coming week.

PS am looking for a tribe for my kissafrog blog and my sefuty blog – anyone else looking for a match?  Also looking for people to review my Chronicles for review on relevant sites- anyone know anyone whos relaiable? Anyone wanting aplace to visit during book tour, or guest blog or just come visit for book plug- Red Carpet is free at the moment

We are very excited! ROW80

Well have mentioned on the ROW80 page that it looks as if after months of anticipation my sister will be having a new guide dog before Easter.  They will meet tomorrow (Monday) just to check that they click and then four weeks later they will begin training together.

I have posted to kiss a frog about guide dogs in our life but suffice to say here, that I know the training and first few months after will need us to reorganize our nice comfy lives quite a great deal.  Training is very hard work and my sister is my older sister:) then there is the all important bonding and trust issues so I am now having to rethink my goals – but hey the news is so exciting it doesn’t worry me.

I pushed myself ruthlessly last year because we just didn’t know when this dog would come, now we know. I have a month to push ruthlessly and then slooooow way down.

My sister and I live very harmoniously because

1) We like our own company and that of books so we are usually in different rooms.

2) she likes doing things such as :     Washing up/ironing (you really don’t want to watch someone who’s completely blind iron not unless you have nerves of steel!!!!! Scares our fiends rigid) -  Shopping – Washing and hanging up the clothes.  All things I hate doing!! and no you cannot borrow her she’s my secret weapon:)

I like cooking, she doesn’t,  I am happy to keep an eye on our necessaries such as finance, nutrition etc which she isn’t -Drive the car which I enjoy, she can’t:) -And as she can’t see, my lack of zeal in the housework dept goes un-noticed – yay.

During this period I will no longer have the hours at my disposal that I usually have because she will be too busy/worn out to do her normal tasks. Who will do them? Moi.  Gladly.

I still wish to do everything on my original list for the year I just don’t know if the timetable I have mapped out for this end of the year will work – so goals remain overall and the Round 1  goals just what can be done around the more important things in life. So maybe it is time to join that Life Goal thingy that I have read about – new Goals next week?  One goal (my least fav!) that remains intact andwill be enhanced is exercise – from next week I will have to start walking the to be retired dog every day.

We are excited happy and my sister is nervous and stressed as well.  So please fingers crossed everyone for her and the new dog on Monday.

ROW80 this round:   I am ahead on Blue Moon so will make a great push in Feb on that one, ready for the NaEdNoMo in March (might not be a winner this year, but will get some done)

The Ancestor’s Tale may well have to wait ‘till May now to begin in earnest

I think my blogging goals will be ok as they are written in short bursts

and the book trailers can be fiddled with in between times.

This week:  I stopped Blue Moon word count  at 4,000 , when we heard the news, because I had to get garden and house ready for lively 18mth black Lab !!  (That involved turning part of it into a ‘spending’ pen for it – I needed to dig out and move a couple of very heavy pots 3x3x3 ft not far fortunately, I was exhausted after I had done it!! Getting too old for this lark.  Have had to clip back (with apologies to wildlife who were expecting at least another couple of months of unclipped plants!) and sweep up last of leaves blown around by the many storms we have had this winter.  For a sluggard I was extraordinarily active the last few days! So exercise goals have been met as well. – Roll on Tuesday when we can relax for a month!)

I have hosted two guest authors on the Red Carpet spotlighting their books. Rebecca Emin with New Beginnings and Terri Morgen with Playing the Genetic Lottery

I have put up a review of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet and a piece about guide dogs – blogging goals almost met.

Have had a tremendous clear out of my mail box reduced the backlog to a mere 100 (it was 2000!) And have discovered as I mentioned some wrongly filed mail (it’s an automatic organizer!) and on searching my sent  e-mails and these misplaced emails have discovered that some of those who should have had prizes last year didn’t get them (I think) so have sent new vouchers and apologies out to them  - cringe, grovel, cringe. Memo do not let mail swamp me.

I hit a block on Twitter when I tried to follow – apparently there was too much diff. among followed and follower so have been through all those I follow and found those who are vanished (never posting) those who seem to be very self opinionated and never mention anyone except themselves; eliminated them (so hard) and have been allowed to follow again whew!

With the movie making software I treated myself to I am moving Sefuty Chronicles over – it’s the same pics and music as on Movie Maker but the transitions and timing  better and easier– have been in photo editing (which I’m not good at) to try and turn pics for Ellen’s Tale trailer into something more like I imagine.

Next week apart from beginning to walk dog (wean her away from my sister and prepare her for retirement) a couple of days.  I hope to do more of the usual.

1) Head down fingers flying more on Blue Moons – so near the end now.

2)  Blogs Terri Morgan is returning with a guest post last day of the month.  Will put up a couple more blogs.

3) Try and understand Tibbre and  tweet repeat software.

4) Get mail box down to minimal levels

I hope everyone is well and happy /content/ satisfied and all the best for the coming week