Image Credit: Tim Tab/PhotopinCC
Toward the end of each week, I dance a semi-jig in my office.
I put away the past and anticipate new beginnings.
My mood changes.
My soul feels lighter.
I’m on the downhill swing!
By the time Thursday afternoon rolls around, I’m already feeling the weekend. When Friday comes I’m almost giddy. (Know what I’m talking about?)
Fridays signal fun days at our house. I wrap up loose ends and writing related tasks, grocery shop, and catch up on some household odds and ends. I plan a delicious (and usually quick) meal like pizza or tacos, and our family watches a movie. It’s our end-of-the-week wind down ritual.
Last Friday our movie selection was Frozen— a delightful animated treasure for kiddos and grown-ups. (If our teenager loves it, you know it has to be good!)
By the way, check out my friend and agent-mate Gabrielle Meyer’s thoughts on Frozen. You’ll love her creative spin and mom-takeaways from this movie. (Talk about using her thinking cap!)
I’m particularly glad to see this week come to an end– whew!
For the past six or so days, I’ve met myself coming and going with a mish-mash of errand-running, appointments, and a host of I-don’t-want-tos but must-get-‘er-done kinds of things. My writing goal suffered and I didn’t accomplish as much as I normally would. Add to that the crazy cell phone problems that ate up most of my week.
(Yes. I was one of the lucky ones that got burned with the recent 7.1 iPhone update. Battery drain, slow or even no connection, and in short, a general mess. I spent hours– literally– on the phone with the kind and helpful tech support folks about every day this past week. I talked to three or four various individuals in three or more different states. Now… if that’s not a time gobbler!)
Because of what I do, I rely on my phone, computer, and scanner. When technology goes haywire, it shoots my schedule in the foot.
The stress bled me dry. Top that off with too little sleep and not enough sunshine. *sigh*
But… Here’s the good news…
As of yesterday, it looks like I’m up and running again.
I now have a new phone replacement (we won’t talk about the hours spent trying to delete and restore my old phone, okay?) and it looks like everything is working as it should. We’ll see.
I’m eager to ditch this week’s time-busters and ready to focus on new beginnings starting next week.
Just about now, I’m counting down the minutes to some blessed R&R.
Not one to cry over spilled milk (at least for long anyway) I’m looking forward to spending time with my WIP characters. I’m loving the dynamic between the pediatric physician and his accident-prone next door neighbor. Jason and Abby’s tale is a fun story with some good ol’ fashioned, be-still-my-heart romance.
Before I head to the kitchen for a sliver of chocolate pie, I wanted to share some great links with you.
- Jamie Chavez broke it down for beginning writers in this fabulous post. She talked about great ways to self-edit and sharpen your manuscript before sending your work to an editor. Excellent tips! (And if you’re not already subscribed to Jamie’s posts, I highly recommend doing so.)
- Are you blog savvy? Here are seven suggestions of what not to do via Ali Luke. And here are seven additional thoughts via Daniel Wallen.
- Author/writer Shelli Littleton touched me in this post as she shared what it’s like when unexpected things encroach upon a writer’s life. Shelli’s a new friend I’ve enjoyed getting to know. (Please say a prayer for my pet-loving, writer-friend. She’s had a rough go of it.)
- Another dear writer-friend, Jill Kemerer, bared her heart in this recent blog update. For those dealing with aging parents or loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, you’ll find Jill’s words especially poignant. I admire the gentle, yet tenacious spirit of this sweet gal. Please remember her family in prayer, as well.
- If you know someone battling a chronic illness, I talked about our family’s journey in the wilderness and how God turned wasteland into victory.
- Are you pursuing your passion? Here are some encouraging thoughts for writers, creatives, or those who long to break free of self-made constraints.
- Finally, for writers curious about the ins and outs of book proposals, you won’t want to miss wise words from my agent. In this post, Mary gives great insight into the process. (Again– if you’re a writer looking for answers, the weekday Books and Such blog posts are a tremendous help. The entire B&S team blog on various topics and all the agents are wonderful encouragers.)
Here’s to a restful weekend, an uplifted heart, and new beginnings!
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How was your week? Please share!
What do you like best about new beginnings?
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PLEASE SHARE
Some weeks are like that. Here’s to the good, the bad, and the ugly! (Click to Tweet)
Blessings Always,
Comments 12
Oh man, your week sounds crazy. My week…uh it started off with a few days of crazy sickness. Like…feverish, couldn’t-keep-any-food-down, am-I-even-alive? sickness. 🙂 Thankfully, the worst is passed and last night I even ate almost a whole real meal. 🙂 Feeling so much better today and am soooooo excited it’s Friday. I love new beginnings too!
Author
Melissa, I’m so sorry you’ve been sick! Stomach bugs are the worst! If you’re able, drink some Powerade over the weekend to replenish your electrolytes.
Cheers to new beginnings! (…And chocolate pie!) 🙂
Well, I shaved off my beard – that’s a new beginning!
It was one that I didn’t intend to grow, but my skin hurt too much to shave (what I’ve got feels like an eternal bad flu, with all its delights). So it sort of grew through the expediency of avoiding pain.
It was painful, but it’s nice not to itch any more. Though when I’m outside and the wind blows, it’s colder!
Now for the moustache…
Author
Ahhh, Andrew! High-five on your new beginning!
I’m so sorry you’ve been under the weather. You’re the role model of perseverance. (Here—> *hands you gluten-free chocolate*)
The chocolate is much appreciated!
Author
Andrew, so glad you enjoyed it! LOL
Okay … you just made my day! Or my year! What a blessing you are! I’ve had such a rough time, Cynthia … went in for a CT Scan today. My body is not wanting to return to normal, and I’m staying in a state of dehydration … no matter how much I drink. Keep me in your prayers. I’m tired of being tired! I’ve got my property to walk … and I’m tired of only seeing it from the window.
You blessed me!!
Author
Shelli, you are a blessing to me! I’ve had you on my heart and I want you to know I’m praying a blessing of healing and restoration for you. (I well understand, from a caregiver’s perspective, how illness and inactivity can affect all facets of our outlook.)
Dehydration is serious and I’ll pray specifically that the doctors will come up with some answers soon. Don’t despair– keep the faith. Sometimes, that’s all we have…
Hugging you from afar!
Good morning, Cynthia!
It’s Saturday here. I spent Friday recovering from a bit of back surgery — and I’m still in recovery mode. Sorry to hear about your tech problems, but good to know you’re up and running again.
Sending you a hug this morning, my friend!
Author
Heartfelt prayers for you, my dear Beth! You have been close in my thoughts–I’m praying this surgery will bring much-needed pain relief. Gentle (((HUGS))) backatcha! xoxo
Thoughts and prayers with your blogging friends, Cynthia. Glad your tech troubles have been resolved. I find those the most frustrating of all.
Author
Thanks, Patti, for your thoughts and prayers! I so appreciate it! (Time will tell, but I think the like new cell phone fixed the problem.)