What's Up Wednesday

It's time for What's Up Wednesday!

WHAT I'M READING

  I almost feel like I should replace this title with "What I'm Cooking" as I am cooking Thanksgiving foods for the foreseeable future. I did manage to do some reading that wasn't cookbooks though! 

  I read a NA contemporary romance and it really wasn't my sort of book. It wasn't as original as I was hoping it would be. I finished reading the Creepy Hollow trilogy by Rachel Morgan. The first two books were so much fun but the third, while still good, felt rushed to me. I loved the series and did not want to be rushed along. My chapter a day classic is Great Expectations, which I am loving, and my kids and I are reading The Princess and the Goblin. This week I hope to read Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. 

WHAT I'M WRITING (+ ONE WRITING GOAL) 

 The only writing I did this week was on my son's homeschool portfolio.  It is thick enough to be a novel but not nearly as fun to work on. Now that it is done I can get back to something more creative, like my fairytale novel :)

  My goal this week is to work on my revisions/rewrites for Mirrors and Ice every day for fifteen minutes. 

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

Coffee with cream and a tad of maple syrup with a dash of cinnamon on top. It is the perfect writer's brew. 

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

  I am attempting to make a pie out of this massive fairytale pumpkin that the lady at the fruit stand told me was the best pie pumpkin ever. I hope she's right... I have canned pumpkin on the pantry for back up, just in case I explode the pumpkin or something. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

What's Up Wednesday

Can you believe that it's time for What's Up Wednesday already?

WHAT I'M READING

    I feel that I have been reading more children's books than anything else this past week. My children and I finished reading Little House In The Big Woods and we are almost done with Paddington Abroad. During lunch we are reading Stories of the Pilgrim's by Margaret B Pumhpery and my youngest is still asking for The Gingerbread Man on a daily basis.

   As for myself, I have finished The Faerie Prince by Rachel Morgan and am trying, trying, trying to make myself wait until I've read some other books I've been putting off before I purchase the sequel. My chapter a day classic is Great Expectations and I've also taken to having a poetry book going at all times. This weeks choice is Hugs and Kisses by Fida Islaih. 

WHAT I'M WRITING

  I'm still trying to regain momentum on revising Mirrors and Ice. I have a friend expecting the first chapters next month so I best get to work!

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

  What seems to be working for me is for me to just sit down and work on my revisions without thinking about them, or my future as a writer, or the dishes or anything else that will stunt my progress. Once I start thinking about anything besides what is in front of me, I'm sunk. Any hints on not thinking??? It seems to be both my inspiration and my downfall.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

 It's cold enough to wear my favorite hat!!! At least it is if I go out early enough in the day. I love the cooler weather. I was hoping that it would be cold enough for the snakes to hide away for the winter but no, they are out sunning. The librarian told me that they had one trying to get into peoples warm cars. Silly reptiles. My daughter jumped over one that was as thick as my forearm and over three feet long (insert spine tingles here). 

Celebrate the Small Things

It's time for Viclit's Celebrate the Small Things blog hop!

I used to participate in this hop every Friday and I miss it so I'm going to start back up again. It's such a great way to focus on what is good in life. 

This weeks celebrations:

• Staying home! The past few weeks have been so busy and today has nothing in it but my normal homeschool routine. Yay!!!
• Cool weather. The south is beautiful and has a lot of great things going for it but I am so grateful that it has finally cooled off. I actually wore closed toe shoes yesterday!
• Getting my writing focus back.  I've missed blogging and even my writing went into a bit of a slump. This week I squished it in even though it didn't look like there was any room and I'm so glad I did. I'm a much happier and more peaceful person when I make time for what I love to do. 

What are you celebrating this week?

What's Up Wednesday

I've been away for awhile but it's time for What's Up Wednesday!

What I'm Reading

    Since August I have been focusing on piecing together my own homeschool curriculum and it has taken me this long to get back to my normal multiple book at a time reading habit.  I'm happy to report that I am reading Bird By Bird byAnne Lamott, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and I'm previewing The Ninja Librarians by Jen Swann Downey to see if it's something my seven year old bookworm would like. 

  None of those books were what I was in the mood for at 3 a.m. when my toddler woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep, so I did the logical thing and added another book to the pile. I'm now reading The Faerie Prince (Creepy Hollow #2) by Rachel Morgan. I have a feeling that it might be the first of all of these titles to be finished... 

   Oh and this section wouldn't be complete without adding that I have been reading The Gingerbread Man on a constant loop to my youngest son. He doesn't usually sit still for a book so I can't resist him when he plops in my lap and begs me to read. Even if it's the same story. Again. I'm getting very good at giving the Gingerbread boy a hearty southern drawl.

What I'm Writing

Um... I sorta froze. I'm suppose to be revising/rewriting Mirrors and Ice but I sunk into a mire and spent some time feeling like a fraud, poser, fake, anything but a writer. I started back at it yesterday so hopefully I can stay on track.

What Inspires Me Right Now

  I'm very inspired that my youngest is finally letting me read to him!!! I've been trying for three years!

What Else I've Been Up To

I don't know. Folding socks? I sure that I do something because I seem to keep busy but somehow none of it feels worthy of writing about. Oh, I've been avoiding bears. Does that count? I had to slow down for one the other day while he lumbered across the road and I chased a baby one out of my garbage can. I'm convinced that one was watching from a tree the other night when I was out for a walk. I can't imagine a raccoon being heavy enough to make a branch creak like that.

What's Up Wednesday

It's time for What's Up Wednesday!

What I'm Reading

   I'm still struggling to fit in reading this school year. It usually takes me a bit to get into the rhythm of lesson planning, homeschooling and my other activities so I guess I will have to be patient. My oldest son and I are listening to The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart on Audible and I've been reading aloud many books on bats (we are learning about them in science). I'm reading Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. I love her writing, especially her world building. At this pace I might be reading it until Christmas... but at least I'm reading! I'm also reading Fire Up Your Fiction by Jodie Renner. It goes along with my revisions quite nicely.

What I'm Writing

  I'm revising Mirrors and Ice and like usually I'm trying not to get stuck revising the same words over and over. I should be working on the big picture, not all my word choices at this point but its so hard not to get obsessed with all the fine tuning.  My goal is to be done with this round by Oct. 31. 

What Inspires Me Right Now

 I can go outside without instantly breaking into a sweat! It's divine. It's still warm enough to swim and wear shorts though so it's not exactly cool, but I'll take it anyway. I should be able to read outside without leaving sweat prints on the pages. I can't wait to give it a try. 

What Else I've Been Up To

   I've been using the cooler weather as an excuse to do some extra baking. I love making fresh breads, muffins and of course, cookies :) I think I might go make some right now.

   

What's Up Wednesday

It's time for What's Up Wednesday!

I meant to blog earlier in the day but at least it is still Wednesday... 

What I'm Reading

 It's the beginning of the school year and I've been reading aloud to my children constantly. It seems that I've been reading to them so much I haven't really had much time to read anything that isn't children's literature. Fortunately, I love children's literature so I don't really mind. 

  We just finished reading The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame. What a fun book! I loved it and even my three year old was in love with the dragon. We are currently reading Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink and several other books that shadow our lessons. 

  I am slowly reading Heir of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. I did manage to fit in How to Write Dazzling Dialogue by James Scott Bell and it was the perfect book to read right as begin digging into revisions. 

What I'm Writing

  I am taking part in the YA Buccaneers Fall Writing Bootcamp and my goal is to revise Mirrors and Ice, my YA fairytale novel. So far I have read through 90% of it, writing detailed notes as I go. I hope to start the actual revision process this weekend.

What Inspires Me Right Now

  Lately when I tiptoe to check on my children late at night I find my seven year old curled up with a book on his head that must have landed there when he drifted to sleep. Occasionally I find that he is still reading... and I have to remind him that he really does need sleep. I love it!

What Else I've Been Up To

   I've had a cold, one of those nasty ones that gets in your chest and lingers, so I'm not really sure what I've been up to. I've been in a fog. A fog that is full of books and children and large mugs of tea. It seems to be getting better though!

IWSG and What's Up Wednesday

  It doesn't feel like September to me. I should be able to go outside without my glasses steaming over in September and I shouldn't have to wait until it's almost dark to be outside with only a moderate amount of sweat, or so says the part of of me that is clinging to my northern roots. Despite the steamy weather, I still love this month. I love the beginning of school and all the books that come with it. What I don't love is my lack of balance. It is my main insecurity right now. I can homeschool my children and fill their lives with books and educational opportunities but I struggle to find a rhythm that fits in writing and all the other things I need or want to do. I know that it is a common struggle and the one I blog about the most.
  I keep thinking of my favorite poem by Vera Pavlova:

                                                               "I walk the tightrope.

                                                                A kid on each arm 

                                                                for balance. "

Except I have one on each arm and one that's a wild card, hopping from my feet to my head and back again, causing me to teeter feebly every few steps. He's three if that's an indicator of his busyness...

  What is amazing is that even without a proper rhythm or the consistency I want, I am still making progress in my writing, and I'm doing it while keeping my little ones first. I can't really complain about that. 

And now it's time for What's Up Wednesday! I've missed the last several weeks and can't wait to catch up with everyone.

What I'm Reading

  I read several books in the last week and a half or so. Usually I like the majority of what I read but lately I've ran into a few books that I really didn't enjoy for various reasons. I did find some winners though. I raced through Second Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn. It's the second book in her bollywood/steampunk trilogy and it didn't disappoint. Not at all. I can't wait for book three! I also read Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (love!) and sitting on my shelf (calling my name) is Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas. I can not wait until tonight when I have time to read it!!!

What I'm Writing

 I am reading through my fairytale novel that I finished in June. I see plenty of room for improvement but I am still loving this story and it is much more structurally sound than my previous novel's first draft. 

What Inspires Me Right Now

This!

I can't wait to see my first draft into a final one :)

What Else I've Been Up To

 I decided to walk more this fall. A lot more. My goal is to walk 100 miles before December. We'll see how that goes, but it's motivating me so far. Not even the black bear I ran into is going to detour me (Or so I hope. If I see him again and he smacks his lips at me that could be a different story).

  Homeschooling and  co-directing a homeschool group story hour has been keeping me, shall we say, not bored. I've been attempting to learn to knit whenever I have a moment that isn't filled with kids or books. So far I have a modern take of the Doctor Who scarf.