~EL~'s Quote for the Day

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." ~Colossians 3:23, NKJV

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." ~Winston Churchill

courtesy Bible Gateway and thinkexist.com

~EL~'s Day

It was November 15, 2011. I had just read the piece I had written for the prompt in ten minutes. As I looked up, the whole room was silent. What did they think? Did they like it? I was eager to know.

"Wow! If you can write like that in ten minutes," one little old lady with grey hair, sitting beside me, said, "Just think what you could do if you had time."

But I do have time! I wanted to explain. I have nothing but time. At home, there's only my husband, and I can't work because I'm disabled. But before I could speak they were on to the next piece.

So what's your excuse? I thought, as they talked about the other pieces. If you have so much free time, why haven't you been published yet?

This experience has been on my mind a lot lately. The truth of the matter is, there is no good excuse. I'm a procrastinator, and I do it better than writing!

Recently I have taken measures to make sure something does happen and I don't just live out the rest of my life on the side lines. I may not be a social butterfly any more. Even small crowds stress me out to the point of nausea, dizziness and ticks (uncontrollable screams and muscle spasms). That could be a blessing in disguise, though. Maybe God is trying to tell me my work is in the written word. I've always been better at expressing myself on paper than orally any way. I truly believe that this is why God put me here and I need to live the life He designed me to live and not just fritter away time.

So I did some serious thinking about how I could accomplish this and I came up with some basic goals for the year, the steps I need to take to develop good writing habits.

1.) Organize and utilize my office out of our spare room
2.) Write daily, maintain a blog (to build a readership), join my local writer's group
3.) Submit 6 pieces for publication
4.) Read 25 books and 6-12 writing how to's

Many other thoughts have come to mind about what I would like to accomplish this year, but I'll never get any thing done if I let myself get too distracted. These are my wishes at the bare minimum. I look forward to sharing them with you as 2012 commences!

Happy Holidays
 

~EL~'s Quote for the Day

"There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back." ~Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister

quote courtesy http://www.quotegarden.com/procrastination.html

~EL~'s Day

Procrastination. Am I good at it or what?

I'm tired of having to apologize for not being around folks. I feel like a liar when I say I'll do better, so I can't promise any thing, but I will, at least, make an attempt to be here! Thank you for being such a loyal readership despite my many pitfalls!

A lot has happened to me since my last submission, not the least of which is that I was baptized with the Holy Spirit! It has always been something I've wanted, but never knew I didn't have. When I was at the absolute lowest point in my life, I started looking, I mean really looking. And when I did that, I found forgiveness and hope! I now see things more clearly and have a better expectation out of life. Who could have predicted I'd be back on the top again after having lost my two sons?

Now all I want to do is be a ministry to others! That's why I am revamping my port in its entirety. I don't want to have any thing in my port that does not represent Jesus in some way. New life, new blog! Considered changing the address and doing away with this old book, but decided against it. I love the formatting of this blog and want to hang onto it.

~EL~'s Health

Sleep and Rest.
8-9 hours of sleep each night a must, but must also keep the Sabbath and take regular breaks during the day! 1 point.

Nutrition.Breakfast~Lunch~
I'm using a book called The Seventh Day Diet as framework for my nutritional needs. The book doesn't recommend eating snacks or supper, so they're out. Also, I plan on sticking to a no-caffeine, vegan (no animal or animal byproducts) menu. Don't knock it until you try it! I lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks with the new plan. I'll explain what I can in a separate document. Does any one know if a group would infringe on copyright laws for this? This is the only thing holding me back!

Sorry I've gone AWOL, guys. Unfortunately, it will have to be a bit longer. Our computer has been acting funny for some time, and the longer we let it go, the worse it gets. So I fully expect to lose my computer for an entire week!

In the mean time, here are some key points of interest from over the past month.

I got my first Premium Membership! For my birthday (real one). For a while there, I thought I'd have to figure it all out by myself period, just to keep my Upgrade, but Nate pulled through and I'm now a proud Premium Member! However, I need to find a ton of gp, and fast, for next year's Premium, to take most of the weight off his shoulders.

We lost AJ. He's going to be staying with his Grandma, his permanent guardian. We're allowed to see him as she dictates. However, I'm not his aunt and feel awfully uncomfortable with this situation. I might not see him again, once this is made final.

We got into a car accident. And I got a whiplash. I'm ok now, but it's taking us some time to get a car again. We found another car, for a beautiful price, and hope to have it by the end of this weekend!

I turned 6! February 5, as a matter of fact. I got a 10% coupon to spend from WDC. Thinking about getting that coffee mug. Nate has one and I need one. I don't drink coffee, but I love hot cocoa!

That's it, as far as I can recall. Need to keep this daily, I know. Sorry I haven't been around. Can't wait to get this computer back! Maybe I'll find another way to get on in the mean time, but no guarantees. Maybe our tech guy won't take a week to get the computer back to us this time.
 

~EL~'s Quote for the Day
"A doctor is fascinated by death, and pain. And how much pain a man can endure." ~David Boehm

~EL~'s Day

This morning my throat was so sore I couldn't talk very well. So I had a couple of glasses of water, and even then it was a struggle. I was full though, so I didn't have breakfast.

I had a Dr's appointment at 11:30 so I took a shower and put on some fresh clothes right away; not that I don't normally do these things, but I might still be in my pajamas for a few hours!

At the Dr's office, he asked why we'd come in. He knew we had a check-up scheduled, but he wanted to know why we'd decided to come in. We admitted that the hospital had told us to come in for a check-up before but insinuated they'd all been menial problems; this time, however, was much more serious.

Having found no other position of comfort in the room, I'd finally laid down on the Dr's bench with Nathaniel's help. When he came in, I tried to get up, but he said I could stay where I was and we talked. I dreaded what I knew was to come next, knowing that I wouldn't like it in the least. He felt around my neck until he was sure of what was going on and announced my neck was out of place, that if I relaxed he could put it back in place for me.

Uh-huh, sure! Easier said than done, doc! I held my husband's hand and at least attempted to relax, apparently I wasn't doing so well because he kept reminding me to relax. We heard several popping noises on both sides as he put my neck back into place. I have to say, I'm starting to feel better all right, though I'm still hesitant to say that. I've felt better only to realize my neck is still a wreck! I think it's going to take some time to really get better.

I sat down to relax and get on the computer for a bit once I got home. I went immediately to WDC and realized with surprise that I'd somehow gone up 25k in one night. I did some hunting around and, wouldn't you know, Simply Positive awards members who review all pieces for the week with 25k! Can you imagine how quickly that would rack up points? I'm definitely going to do all pieces for the week within the group from now on. It should help a lot with my Premium.

Once I get my Premium for this year, which will require real money, I'm going to set up a mall. I really need to get a handle on my paint program and find out where good images come from so that I can be a good sig dealer when I get my shop up. Maybe I can make a cue from Ladyoz and make a "Sunny" section; Sunny, of course, is my dog's name. Because of his name, I can see getting really creative with that!

~EL~'s Health

Sleep. 2 points
Nutrition.Lupper~ 3 burritos, 2 mousse chocolate mint Snacks 3 burritos. 1 point
Exercise. 1 point
Water. 1 point
Meds. 1 point
Positive Attitude.
Spiritual Renewal. 2 points
Family. 1 point
Sunshine/Fresh Air. 1 point
Journal. 1 point

Total~ 11 points

~EL's Writing~

~Daily Writing Exercises~
Read. 1 point
Write. 1 point
Review. 4 points
Journal. 1 point

~Writing Bonuses~
Research.
Letters.
Submission.

Total~ 7 points


~EL~ Merry Christmas!

~EL~'s Quote for the Day
"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance." ~Franklin P. Jones

~EL~'s Day
The highlight of my day was finally, after 5 weeks, getting to see AJ. He's walking a lot better now. He nearly fell, but caught himself by walking another direction. It's amazing how well that little boy can move about! I tried to play with him, but having a sore neck didn't help much. I attempted to keep the collar off so I could see him, then had to put it on, and finally I was so tired and hurt that the worker suggested I go get hubby for his turn early so I could rest. To see AJ again only to have to leave him early! Get well soon neck!

Afterward, we went to the library and dropped off some movies. We were able to keep the movies a whole week more than normal because we live in a different area and, although we were there the day they were due, we also got into an automobile accident that day. They were very understanding and gave us an extra week. I'd thought they'd give us an extension given the extreme conditions, but what a relief!

We got on the computer for a little bit and played Horse Isle 2 for a bit- only had an hour, which isn't much. We like being able to do things together on-line, though. We picked up some movies and made our way home. On the way, I read a book we've been reading together to him. Got a full hour of reading in that way.

I felt rested and able to do taxes, but we had to stop at the house first. The dogs hadn't been out in about 7 hours and Nathaniel had to get the paperwork to do our taxes. I didn't get out of the car at all, the ice was slick and it was hard for me to get in and out of the car safely. So Nate let the dogs out, then back in again and got what we needed. It didn't take us long to get in to taxes, but we found we were worth nothing more than $800! All the plans we'd made, flushed down the toilet.

That includes getting my Premium with WDC. I'm going to try to go back to donating plasma, and hopefully be able to go that route. All I need to do is donate 4 times (which I can do in 2 weeks so long as my system cooperates) and I'll not only have my Premium but $10 worth of gp to go towards my account for next years Premium. That was part of the original plan any way, pay in cash for this year's Premium (my first, should I add! Right now, I only have an Upgrade.) and work to get enough gp to pay for next year's Premium.

After a very distressing, upsetting night, we decided to work towards our wants a bit slower. Nate's chair must be fixed, and I'd like an office chair that's comfortable and won't kill my butt. We'd also like our own personal laptops and use the current computer, a desk top, for guests. It may take some time, but I have faith we can get at least some of what we want.

As upset as we were we vegged out and tried to take it easy. Things almost always look better in the morning.

~EL~'s Health

Sleep. 2 points
Nutrition.Breakfast~ yogurt, couple bites of rolls- both dry! Lupper~ BK Veggie Burger Meal with onion rings and a strawberry shake, medium Snacks chocolate chips and milk, mozzarella sticks
Exercise. 1 point
Water.
Meds. 1 point
Positive Attitude.
Spiritual Renewal. 1 point
Family. 2 points
Sunshine/Fresh Air. 1 point
Journal. 1 point

Total~

~EL's Writing~

~Daily Writing Exercises~
Read. 2 points
Write.
Review. 1 point
Journal.

~Writing Bonuses~
Research.
Letters.
Submission.

Total~ 3 points


~EL~ Merry Christmas!

~EL~'s Quote for the Day

~EL~'s Quote for the Day

"Goals are dreams with deadlines." ~Diana Scharf Hunt

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." ~Douglas Adams

~EL~'s Day
My counselor has made the suggestion that I reach for the stars, one reasonable step at a time. To me, that means going just above your comfort zone until you feel comfortable with it, then turning up the goal just a little further and further still in that pattern, like exercising.

Well, to my dismay, I have set unrealistic goals for my program. I would like to redefine them. First of all, instead of punishing myself for not working on my health and writing skills, I'm going to do away with subtracting lost points from the total and incorporating penalties. Instead, I'll just have the prize list I can purchase with points earned. I still need to finish compiling this list. Coming up with ideas doesn't seem to be as easy as it looks- if you have any ideas please comment on this entry.

As far as unrealistic goals are concerned, I've come up with a plan that's just a little more realistic.

Nutrition and Healthy Choice. When I first started WDC some years back there was a group who's mission was to get the juices flowing through physical exercise. They had a list of goals set, which is how I created my healthy goals list, but separating Nutrition and Healthy Choice never made much sense to me and always confused me. So I'll be combining these into 1 item- Nutrition.

Exercise. I'm not taking this item out, but because of the accident, I have to take it easy. So I'm just going to say that, if I can manage to get my chores done, I've got my exercise point and work it up from there slowly.

Medications and Vitamins. I should have added this from the beginning. As young as some might consider me, I still have medicines and vitamins I have to take; I'm bi-polar and have a naturally low iron that makes me really dizzy. Combined into "Meds", 1 point.

Positive Attitude. I'm bashful. It embarrasses me to look myself in the mirror and tell me how good I am. I don't know what it is, I just don't feel comfortable with it. So I've started a journal I'm going to keep to change my "mental record" instead.

Writing. 1 point every 20 minutes.

Reading. 1 point per half hour.

Reviews. I'm quite thorough so it takes a while to get through a single review. So, 2 points per review.

I will have to change my goals until they fit me and my life style and as they grow. I'll have to change my template to reflect these changes.

~EL~'s Health

Sleep. 1 pt
Nutrition.Breakfast~2 rolls, 2 yogurt, choc protein shake Supper~ pizza, bread sticks, pop. 0 points
Exercise.
Water. 1 point
Meds. 1 point
Positive Attitude.
Spiritual Renewal. 1 point
Family. 1 point
Sunshine/Fresh Air. 1 point
Journal. 1 point

Total~ 7 points

~EL's Writing~

~Daily Writing Exercises~
Read.
Write. 1 point
Review.
Journal.

~Writing Bonuses~
Research.
Letters.
Submission.

Total~ 1 point


~EL~ Merry Christmas!

~EL~'s Quote for the Day

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." ~John Lennon

~EL~'s Day

Busy, busy, busy. Yesterday and today I've been making plans, with the help of SG: Just a Girl Without Words , for an activity I'm going to try to run next month. There's plenty to do before St Patrick's Day hits us too- PLENTY! "Invalid Item"   by A Guest Visitor

I'm raising gp's for prizes, looking for people to host game pieces (including a leprechaun), and for prize donations. That's a lot of work! Every time I think I have it all figured out, a new problem arises, but that's what friends are for, right? SG: Just a Girl Without Words is doing an excellent job.

Meanwhile in the land of Nod: I'm still fighting to get much time on the computer. Have to share with hubby, and we're BOTH eager to get a couple of new lap tops. With the accident, we have to get a new car and are antsy to know what we're going to get. We want to get a really good deal (affordable, but in good condition) on a car so it doesn't detract too much for the plans we had for taxes.

Tomorrow we're going to go to H&R and FINALLY get them done! Can't wait. :)

I did get some of my goals met today, though my prizes and privileges have not yet been figured out.

~EL~'s Health

Sleep. Went to bed late, got up early. 0 points
Nutrition.Supper~ 3 small potatoes, 1 serving cottage cheese, 1 roll Snack~ Chocolate Protein Shake, 3 cups yogurt. 1 point.
Healthy Choice. Portions light, as healthy as possible. 1 point.
Exercise. Still in recovery- neck gets really tired, but I worked hard to get a bunch of dishes done that had been stacking up until I couldn't go any more. 1 point.
Water. 60 oz, 1 point.
Positive Attitude. Praised myself in a notebook (feel funny in the mirror!). 2 points
Spiritual Renewal. Had worship with husband for half hour. 2 points
Family. Spent 1 1/2 hours with hubby. 1 point.
Sunshine/Fresh Air. Didn't get out today. 0 points
Journal. Here it is, right on time! 1 point

Total~ 9 points

~EL's Writing~

~Daily Writing Exercises~
Write. Not today. 0 points
Read. 1 hour, 1 point
Journal. Doing it now and on time. 1 point

~Writing Bonuses~
Research.
Reviews. 3, 3 points.
Letters.
Submission.
Total~ 4 points


~EL~ Merry Christmas!

~EL~'s Quote for the Day

"Time is that quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at once. Lately it doesn't seem to be working." ~Anonymous

~EL~'s Day

There wasn't much to my day today. I kept falling asleep and waking up with a start. At one point, I just went and laid down on the bed; then, thinking that I was awake, I came back out to get on the computer- and promptly fell back asleep again. I definitely think it's the pain meds I'm on.

What I was able to do today was minimal, but I did a couple of reviews and worked on my points system... which still needs some ironing out. I defined in The Nook how I will be counting points and what will happen if I don't make points in a day. That should be just under this post as long as I don't move it to the top.

That's another thing; I did some revision of a private post where I hold my format and forced it to stay at the top so it's always handy.

So I did get a couple things done today, but I still feel as though I could've gotten more done today if I hadn't been continuously crashing. And now it's getting late... I might be crashing for the night here shortly.

Something's been on my mind since the ambulance trip, and it boggles the mind. I feel like I just gave birth to my first born only a year or two ago, but he will be 7 this year! I can't even comprehend that!

Hubby's in the other room watching tv while I work on WDC. Don't know how much more I'll be able to get done. Tomorrow I will continue working on the points system. I hope I can come up with some good stuff!

~EL~ Merry Christmas!

~EL~'s Quote for the Day

"The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams." ~Og Mandino

"We find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve." ~Maxwell Maltz

~EL~'s Day

It's been a while since I've worked on my target goals. Bet you thought I'd forgotten them, huh? Well today, I'm going to go over them. This blog will be a bit different than normal, but you'll get an idea of what I'd like to accomplish and start tracking again.

~EL~'s Health

Sleep. It'd really be nice to feel well rested, but I can only do so much. Recently (within the past 3 days), I've been feeling groggy probably due to my pain meds, but before that I was feeling groggy from nightmares, or even dreams, I was having about my boys on a regular basis. The past 2 years' fight has really taken it out of me. I can't control either problem, though, but do my best to get 8. So if I continue to pray for peace and sleep 8, even if I'm tired, I'll give myself a point. To celebrate, if I actually feel rested in a day, I'll give myself 2!

Nutrition. At the moment, food is hard to come by. We get what we can from different organizations.

Last year, my hubby lost his job to some hard times he was having personally, but got a job almost immediately two weeks later. However, the company he's with contracts personnel out to other companies who hire on for construction projects, not much of that goes on around here during the winter months. (October/November to March/April) So we have to scrape for what we do get. How DHS can claim we're not eligible for food stamps, I will probably never know.

So a good nutrition goal? Ummm... I'll try to do my best getting a variety of fruits, veggies and nuts whenever and wherever I can. But on a day to day basis, when those things are not available, a smaller plate- where I'm comfortable not overfull would be a good idea here. Particularly where high cholesterol, starches and high fat are concerned. A careful plate will give me 1 point.

Healthy Choice. Here's where I decide how good of a decision I made. Did I have a candy bar when I could have had fruit? Did I keep cholesterol and fats in small portions? I'm allowing myself no more than one serving a day when I can avoid having it at all; when I can't (nothing else to eat), I just won't have any further sweets or fats. That will give me 1 point.

Exercise. I'm going to start this as soon as possible, but I'm in recovery right now, so I'm trying to take it easy. I have plenty available around here for exercise: fitness videos, a treadmill, walks outdoors (will be major form so the dogs get exercise too!), etc. Half an hour minimum a day, once I'm well, will give me 1 point.

Water. You know, there's actually some formula for this, but I forget what it is specifically. However, it ends up being about half your body weight. Half of my body is...about 100-110 oz. If I can drink between 64-100 oz of water in a day, I'll earn 1 point.

Positive Attitude. This is really important for me. I've always struggled with a low self esteem and not much faith in myself. The lies people (siblings, kids at school) told me when I was in lower elementary didn't help much, but I need to make a strong, positive self image.

My first goal is to start changing the recorder in my head from "you're fat. you're ugly. no one likes you, no one ever will. what makes you think you can do that? you're too stupid to even try!" to "you're beautiful. you're a remarkable person. when people gather around you, they can sense how sensitive you are to those around you. You don't know until you try; you're really good at (fill in blank.)"

I want to devote 10 minutes a day to the positive recorder. That's my first step, one that I'll start with on Sunday. Then I'll work slowly up until it's natural for me to have positive, as opposed to negative thoughts. An honest 10 minute exercise every day will earn me 2 points.

Spiritual Renewal. Do you realize just how important God is in our lives? He made us, He wants to spend time with us! And when we do, we put on His armor and can face life as it comes, taking the bad in with the good. This may also be included with family time if we do it together. Half an hour a day will give me 2 points.

Family and Chores. I don't know about you, but personally, I need to spend more time tuning out of the computer and tv and tuning in to my own family and friends. To spend time singing, playing instruments, playing games, working on special projects is what makes memories; maybe it's something we all ought to tune back in to. Also, the chores need to be done around this place. I've noticed that when it's clean, it makes me feel good; when it's not, I'm under the weather. On a side note, if no one's around, I can't spend time with them; I won't dock myself on that point alone, but chores still must be done. Chores take me about an hour, family time can be no shorter than half an hour- all together it'd be 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 1-2 hours equals 2 points.

Sunshine/Fresh Air. This may be done with other parts of my health journey. Taking a half hour walk with my hubby and dogs would be good not only for family time, but for exercise as well. It'd be good for us all. A mere 10 minutes will give me all the time I need for some fresh air, sunshine and is good for 1 point.

Journal. To mark down what I did in Health for the day, very important. As I will explain later, points missed will accumulate into points lost. If I lose access to the computer for a day or more, I will write it down in a notebook and enter it into my blog the next chance I get. So the notebook counts. Journaling, in any form for only as long as it takes to put down points accumulated is worth 1 point.

Total~ Kept on a daily basis, then tallied and added at the end of the week. Points for the Total is the accumulation of the points for the day/week which can be used to lose privileges or earn prizes accordingly.

~EL's Writing~

~Daily Writing Exercises~
(Required)

Write. Doesn't matter where I write. Whether in a notebook or creating a piece on WDC. Writing exercises are important, and so is this portion of my journal... which does NOT count as an exercise. I should also be working on pieces already made that remain to be viewed and corrected. Writing will get me 1 point an hour.

Read. Where do abstract ideas come from but reading? Before high school, I was a book worm, I couldn't put any thing down. I enjoyed snacking (the majority of which was fruit!) and hiding in my books. In high school, I met someone I married 7 years later... I haven't been reading books much since. This has been a real handicap in my writing. So, for every hour I read I will make 1 point.

Reviews. This is another writing exercise I need to follow through with. Reviewing doesn't only come through with others writings, but with my own as well. This is important as, no matter what I'm reviewing, it will improve my own personal writing skills. Each review is worth 1 point.

Journal. Again, important for keeping track of points. If I don't keep track, I can and will lose points. "points missed will accumulate into points lost" May also be kept in a journal in the event of an emergency. Journal entries worth 1 point daily.

~Writing Bonuses~
(Optional)
Research. Looking for contests, reading old winning pieces, reading the venue (such as a newspaper or magazine) to see what the editor is looking for to give me ideas about how and what to write. Worth 2 points per piece.

Letters. Writing letters to authors. I hear they love reading what their readers have to say. This will improve my writing as well as getting possible connections for networking. I'm sure it will be a very enjoyable and worthwhile exercise! 2 points per letter.

Submission. It takes courage to send in a piece, especially as many rejections come out of it. Whether WDC contest or another contest, 2 points per submission. (Note to self: Don't forget the StoryMaster's Burn That Letter competition at the end of the year!)

Total~ Kept on a daily basis, then tallied and added at the end of the week. Points for the Total is the accumulation of the points for the day/week which can be used to lose privileges or earn prizes accordingly.

How are points tallied?

With my goals set in stone, what next? Well, this is the idea I have. Bearing in mind that optional means just that- optional, bonus, not required, extra credit, etc- points are NOT set in stone. I can really screw myself up if I don't keep on the ball, and that's the point of this part of my idea.

Earning points is obvious- do the home work, get a point, lose the homework... well, that's the second part. If I lose a point because I didn't do something, those points will be subtracted from the total. Say I get a point in, say, sleep, exercise and water, but lost my points to Family and Chores. 3 points made - 2 points lost= 1 point

The total sum of those 4 would be only 1 point because I didn't do the chores or spend time with my family.

What good are points for any ways?

I'm working on that. There will be a win-lose scenario. I lose a number of points and a privilege is taken away, more and another privilege is taken away. I earn points, and I get privileges and rewards I can spend for.

So what does the privelege and reward system look like?

I'm still working on that! Get back with me on Sunday. If you have any ideas, please feel free to comment on today's post. Thank you!

~EL~ Merry Christmas!