Category: Life

family news, commentary on any other aspect of life

Bouncing Around in My Head

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

The long weekend looms ahead.  I’m in need of some down time.  Now my original plans were to work on cleaning out the basement.  That is not happening.  Doing the stairs is hard enough, doing the stairs when I can’t breath well is nearly impossible.

Instead we are going to try to cram all the errands into Saturday.  Then Sunday and Monday will be down time.  Or for me it will be working on writing, editing, and publishing.  I’m very close to finishing another manuscript.  I cannot wait.  I’m truly excited to finish this one off.

I have a  number of crochet patterns I want to get edited and published.  I also need to upload them to Ravelry.  I’ve got one pattern I need to make sure I’ve got correct and then I need to work on another which people have asked me for.  I’ll have to see what it costs me to make in order to figure out what to charge them.  The Lacy Cap in the picture is recently published and I love the material. 

I’m thinking about creating a pattern which will link to my Wayfarer books.  I know I’m crazy right?  Adara (character in the book) is always crocheting… it seems like a good fit.  I’ll have to see how my time goes. 

There are so many things rushing through my head I need three of me to keep up with all of them.  It’s okay – I like it this way for the most part.  Unless I’m trying to sleep.  I’m feeling a strong need to make a list which I think I already have one or two in one of my notebooks so I should go look and add to it. 

Hopefully a quiet weekend at home means I get a lot accomplished and some of this stuff stops bouncing around in my head. 

A Mystery

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

Yesterday I kept thinking, I just have to get through the rest of the week then it’s a long weekend to rest and recuperate.  I kept telling myself, I’m halfway through the week.  And then I would remember it was only Tuesday. 

I feel like the week is dragging on and we are taking forever to get through.  Between being sick and having a hard time breathing if I’m not sitting perfectly upright and the pain this adds to my legs, I’m ready to say I don’t need to breath. 

The only thing going well is my writing!  I got up to 33K in one manuscript.  I wrote several scenes last night.  When I decided I was going to quit, I wrote up the scenes I see as coming next.  Now these may or may not happen but I have an outline for the latter half of my book. 

Last night after work, I picked up Ken and we went to the grocery store.  I had a specific type of meal I wanted so I asked Vicki to cook it for me.  It was exactly what I wanted  – she is amazing.  As I’m pulling out of the driving from getting Ken, he asked me if I knew anything about the plant.  I said, no, what plant.  Apparently someone left us a plant by our front door on Sunday. 

Now I go in and out of the garage and Ken’s truck is usually blocking my view (or it’s morning and I’m lucky to have my eyes open).  I had no idea about a plant.  It appears to be a lovely large tomato plant.  At least according to Ken, I wouldn’t have a clue.

There was no note or anything on it.  We think maybe one of our neighbors left it but we aren’t sure. 

If you’re the person who left it, thank you.  It was very kind of you and thoroughly unexpected.  Ken will plant it this weekend. 

Give Me A Break

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

It’s been a lovely six weeks.  It started with laryngitis, moved on to a kidney stone, and then the flu.  I hoped it was done but now I have upper respiratory crud which includes crud in my lungs.  Breathing takes a lot of effort.  The alternative – well not acceptable.  

Related imageMy frustration is I want to write!  I have recently finished two manuscripts (they are in the editing pile with two others).  I have several other stories all pushing at me.  All I want to do is write but when I’m struggling to breath and coughing so much everything hurts, I struggle to put words together. 

I’ve done the responsible thing – gone to the doctor and gotten antibiotic.  Now I’m have to give myself time to heal and rest.  I’ve got stories pushing at me – one I thought was going to be a light and easy story but it very quickly turned into a much more complex story than I expected.  I’m not sure I like it.  In fact, I considered deleting everything I’d written beyond the opening scene but I found myself hesitating. 

I’m always telling people – I write the story the characters tell me.  If that’s the case, I have to go with the story the characters are telling me.  It’s another assertion of trusting myself.  Ultimately, I have to go with what I’ve got and if I hate it when I’m done, I’ll rewrite it. 

I’m going to get better.  This upper respiratory crap will go away and I’ll feel better.  In the meanwhile I’m going to let the characters whisper in my head and see what stories wind up on the pages.  The worst that can happen?  I have to do a rewrite.  With any luck by the time I shift back to crochet mode, I’ll have finished several manuscripts and I can work on editing and publishing.

Spring Rain

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

April was too cold and now May is too wet.  Water stands in the fields and the farmers I’m sure are getting impatient.  For me, I’m aching with each weather system which travels through.  My fingers are swollen and sore.  My legs hurt and it’s hard to walk. 

Now that I’ve whined, it’s also May!  This means grilled food, spending time outside, and warmer (not today but most days) weather.  Yes the sky is gray and the rain beats down like a powerful waterfall but the grass is green and eventually it will ease up and we’ll have flowers and leaves on trees and plants in the garden. 

Each night I’ve either been writing or reading.  I’m wandering through different books and enjoying them.  At the same time I’ve got stories bouncing around in my head and I want to get them out.  Just last night I worked on a scene.  I saw this scene in my head, knew the characters, knew the feel of the scene and the tone I wanted to hit.  A little dark with a the light pushing in from the actions of one of the characters.  Normally I let stuff like this simmer to see if more develops.  This scene has hovered for over a week but never went anywhere else.  I didn’t see secondary characters and I didn’t see a story just this one scene.  But it didn’t go away.  I thought – okay so I’ll write it and it will go in my slush pile and get out of my head.  So last night I wrote the scene.  I liked it.  It came across how I wanted mostly.  So I thought all right I can move on.  I wrote in a different story and then went to bed. 

I’m trying to sleep and this scene is back in my head.  I liked what I wrote.  I thought it hit all the right notes.  But apparently my head didn’t think so.  I started editing it in my head.  I need to add this and I want to add that and I need to describe this better.  I don’t know if there is a story to go with this scene but apparently I need to get this scene RIGHT according to whatever muse is smacking my brain around.  I know I have a messed up brain but come on.  I have stories to tell.  I’ll fix the scene today so I can hopefully move on to other projects.  If all the scenes for this story are as determined to get written, it’s going to be an interesting journey.

Sunshine and Flowers

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Saturday I spent an hour or so wandering around Olbrich Gardens in Madison.  It was a lovely experience being outside, watching the birds, looking at the trees, flowers, and water.  It reminded me how much I enjoy being in nature. 

Sunday Vicki grilled out.  I was supposed to be editing but I went on the deck and talked to her while she grilled.  I love our deck.  I love the weather where it’s warm but not smothering and sunny without blinding.  We had lunch on the deck and then sat around talking. 

The connection to the outdoors is vital for me.  It helps balance me out.  I love most weather – especially if I don’t have to drive in it.  I rarely complain about the weather and it annoys me when other people do. 

There’s something about spending even a short time outside which settles me.  Is it a throwback to my childhood on the family farm or something more primal?  I’m not sure the answer to that matters to me. 

Last night I finished the latest pass going through Wayfarer Resolve (#18).  I know I’ll be doing another paper edit on this one so will work on getting searches done and getting prepped for the edit.  Once I got through this pass, I opened up the five stories which have been pushing at me.  I worked on two of them.  By the time I was done it was 10:30 so I opted to stop writing and prep for bed.  I was reading a book and had four chapters left.  I finished that and started another book which I read two chapters. 

This sounds like typical stuff for me but I felt more energized while I did all of this because I’d had some time outside.  The time wandering the garden and sitting on the deck helped to clear my mind and fill up some reserve I needed. 

With my mobility issues, I’ve been feeling like I can’t do as much outside.  It feels limiting which is never easy to accept.  Going to the gardens and even the deck time reminded me there are alternatives to hiking through my favorite county or state park.  It reminded me I can still have the connection and the pleasure being outside brings to me.

A Good Weekend

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

Presents are done!  They are in my car ready to go.  I’m looking forward to giving them but I’m sad to be losing such good workers.

I’ve finished rereading the last two Wayfarer novels.  The last one needs a complete edit.  By the time I was done, I added over 10K words and a dozen new scenes.  When I finished reading it – it felt right, like it was where it needed to be.

Now I’m turning my attention to the new stories I’ve been working on.  Friday I crocheted until 11 and then I wanted to write a scene.  I had this scene I knew needed to go in Wayfarer Resolve.  I wrote it.  Then I continued to work on it until 2:45 in the morning.  Reluctantly, I went to bed but in reality, I wanted to keep working.  I had a hard time getting to sleep.

Saturday, we went to Olbrich Gardens.  They were lovely and I have a bunch of pictures from there.  It was inexpensive and we wandered around.  I took a lot of pictures which I’m sharing a few of here.

We had lunch in Madison before heading for home.  Vicki and I ran some errands before returning home.  Ken made a start on painting the one wall in our living room.  He stayed home so worked around the house.  By the end of the weekend, he had the wall yellow, the picture I wanted hung on the wall.  I LOVE how it turned out.  The picture the girls got for me really looks great on the wall.  The whole thing makes me happy.

We’ve been talking about what we’re doing on the backyard this spring /summer.  We are putting in a patio which will hold our three grills and a table for the “kitchen” area.  Then on the opposite side, we’re putting our big table with all the chairs and the umbrella.  On the deck, we’re going to put Vicki’s patio furniture with a sail to provide shade.

The deck needs painting so it will be power washed, scraped and repainted.  Next weekend we’re going to buy the supplies for the patio and Ken will start on it.  It is probably going to take a few weekends.  This is probably the big project for the summer but there are all sorts of little projects which need to get done.

I read two books and am almost done with a third.  I was looking for another series which I’m part way through and found this one.  They have been amusing and sexy.  The writing and the story is all right but a little repetitive.  They are almost more long short stories than full novels.  I’m also not sure the over arching plot will be finished by the end of the three so that is a bit annoying.

It was a good weekend.  We were busy but not too busy.  We got a lot done and we had some down time.  Now I’m off to write.  I have my 11:00 pm alarm set and I’ll try to remember to not turn it off.

I MUST Write!

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

I’m half done with the last present for my student workers.  Tonight I’ll probably get one more skein done unless I decide to stay up really late to work on it.  Then tomorrow will be me finishing it.  After I’m done with all four, I need to take pictures so I can work on publishing the patterns. 

My middle daughter wants to go to Madison to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens so I think we’re doing that first thing in the morning.  It should be a nice time wandering around the gardens.  I’ve been there once before for a friend’s wedding. 

Currently, I’ve got five stories bouncing around in my head.  I’ve made a start with four of them and the fifth one I’m hoping to get at least the opening two scenes down on paper.  I see them like a movie playing over and over in my head so I know I need to get them written. 

While writing has been somewhat on the back burner for me, it is flipping now to me wanting to get all the stories in my head down on paper (or more precisely in the computer).  Last night I couldn’t sleep so I pulled out my phone and texted myself ideas in an effort to get them out of my head.  Now they are sitting in my email waiting for me to work them up in the different stories.

At the same time, I did rewrites on two Wayfarer novels.  I’ve reread, did a grammar check and other editing tasks on Wayfarer Evolution.  It’s almost ready to start the publishing process.  I’m hoping to publish first part of June. 

The other rewrite I did was pretty major and I thought of another scene I want to include in it, so I will write that up.  Once I get that written, I’ll start the editing process again.  In all likelihood, I’ll reread it first, then do my searches, and print.  I’ve added 7000-8000 words so it was a pretty big change.  In order to put out a quality book, I feel the editing process needs to start over. 

While I’m working on all of that, I still have these other five stories bouncing around so I need writing time.  Since I’ve been crocheting, I’ve been rewatching Midsomer Murders but those will go on hold now as I switch from crocheting to writing.  However, I still have several projects I want to get done so maybe I’ll pick a night or two a week and crochet in order to make progress on all fronts.  If only I could do both – write and crochet at the same time. 

In addition to the writing, rewriting, editing, and crocheting I have to do, I have several crochet patterns I want to get published.  I also have a batch which I need to get loaded onto Ravelry.  It all takes time which I need to schedule so I can get all these things done.  Sleep might be overrated.

Wrapping up the semester

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

We’re reaching the end of the semester.  The busy time of registration is mostly done with a few stragglers still coming in for help.  It’s a wonderful time because some of our students will soon graduate and go out into the world.  At the same time, we say goodbye to those students.

In my job I work with some amazing student workers.  Often the come to me early in their college career and haven’t had a lot of real life experience.  They come to me for advice, assistance, and lessons in work life.  Not all of them are early in their career, some of them come to me late so I only have them for a semester or two.  These I get to help them refine their skills.

For me, the student workers really are what it’s about.  They need the financial help of a job.  When they come to us, I can mentor them in good work practices.

At the end of each semester I end up saying goodbye to one or a lot of them.  It makes me sad to see them leave but I love seeing them move forward with their careers and their lives.  In another few weeks, I’ll be saying goodbye to another batch of my student workers.  I’m already training another group.  But it’s nice to see these young women and men grow and move forward.

Flu Food

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Last Saturday my husband came down with the flu.  Sunday we were supposed to go to Paint Nite and we had to find a replacement for him.  Vicki and I enjoyed but she came home with a headache.  She thought it was due to the flickering fluorescent light we sat by but no, she had the flu.  By Monday I had the flu.

On Wednesday I thought I was over it.  I went back to work feeling like a thoroughly run out rag.  I got caught up on emails, my day progressed but I still felt this overwhelming exhaustion.  Right before lunch I was sitting at my desk and everything closed in around me.  I couldn’t breath, my vision blurred, sweat broke out on my forehead.  I felt suddenly hot but cold and clammy at the same time.

The flu wasn’t gone.  I managed to get home and stayed home for the rest of the week.  I’m not going to talk about the gastrointestinal issues, my experience was less severe than either my husband or my daughter.  Still food and I were not friends.

Tuesday I had taken my daughter to the doctor and we stopped to get what I’ll call flu food which included jello, applesauce, fruit and ice water.  All last week that is the only thing I ate and in small portions.  Friday night, I tried real food again which was iffy but yesterday I ate real food again.

Now I have all these cravings but I know better than to jump in to eat hot dogs, burgers, pizza and all the other things I’ve been craving.  Simple food building back to the other stuff so there is no repeat of the crud.

What to do with my weekend?

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Is it the weekend yet?  This week feels like it has dragged on and on – maybe because of the two snow storms.  In my head, I’m starting my weekend to do list.  I have a list of projects to work on for publishing, crochet projects (gifts to get done soon), and household stuff to do. 

With four of my student workers graduating, I need to finish their gifts.  I am half done.  I’ve started the third one and am hoping to complete it this weekend.  Once those are done, I have two more afghans, a shawl, and two dresser scarves to finish.  Three of the five projects are started so first I’ll work on completing the started ones. 

I started the third project and designing is always trial and error.  I got the start of it, did a sequence of stitches – didn’t like so I tore them out.  I did that three times before I set the project aside.  The following night I started again, did a sequence, liked it but four rows into it, I wanted more variety so I changed it up a bit.  I thought – I’m going to end up tearing this out but as I experimented, I realized, I liked how it was turning out.  Design created – finally. 

At some point, I need to look at my tasks for publishing and start prioritizing them.  I’ve been crocheting a lot which means I’ve been creating my own designs.  I need to get them organized so I can the patterns published.  At the same time I have the next Wayfarer novel (Wayfarer War) to publish.  I’m doing my first reader event in November and I need to look at what I need to have on hand for that and start purchasing so I can spread the costs out over the next few months.

There is a lot of stuff rattling around in my head.  I’ve got two stories whispering to me.  I’m fairly certain they will go from whispering to screaming before too long.  There are other sequels I want to get written as well.  Summer is always a productive time for me for writing so I’m hoping to get a lot done by the end of August. 

For the weekend, I hope I can plow through some of my to do list.  It isn’t a pay week so we shouldn’t have a lot of errands.  I don’t have a lot of paperwork to go through for mom.  I don’t have a lot of my own paperwork so I’m hoping lots will be accomplished either in crocheting or publishing or both.  Hopefully both.