Tag: JD Robb

Down for a Day

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life

At 2:30 Tuesday morning I woke up with pain in my foot.  I knew it was gout pain.  I figured I’ll get more sleep and feel better in the morning. 

I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.  I got up at 7:00 thinking I gotta go to work.  Now if I’m going to work I need to be out of the shower and headed to the car by 7:15 so I knew at the very least I was going to be LATE. 

It was a rough morning for me.  Pain, lack of sleep, and just general growliness.  I opted to not inflict my orneriness on my job and stayed home.  I don’t watch a lot of TV.  I’ve been weaning myself off it since we got rid of cable. 

Instead of surfing unsuccessfully for something worthwhile, I listened to an audio book and crocheted.  I leaned back in my recliner, kept my foot up and worked on a throw for my mother.  When she was over, she told me her legs got cold when she sat in her recliner in the living room.  I made her a small throw.  It is with fleece yarn which is yummy and soft.  My sister picked out the pink and multi colored purple / pink.  Unfortunately there wasn’t enough for what I wanted to do.  Of the fleece I had left, black was the only one that went well as there is a dark gray in the purple variegated.  So I did a border in the blank.  I did a lacy pattern which was quick and easy.  Hopefully it will work for my mother and keep her legs warm. 

Now I got a box of yarn.  I resisted using anything in that box because I had four projects going.  However, I finished a project and I wanted a small project so I pulled out this soft gorgeous yarn and made a cowl.  I went to my book that has some ridiculous number of patterns and made a cowl.  It didn’t take long, sewing the buttons on took longer as I had to find them, get a needle that would work and figure out what I was using to sew them on for thread (yarn was too thick). 

In the middle of the day, I was tired so I took a nap.  I took a two hour (maybe longer) nap.  Curling up with the electric blanket on to keep me toasty warm, I just conked out.  I had the heat from the blanket wrapped around my legs and it helped reduce the pain of the gout. 

After I woke up, I went back to listening to Holiday in Death by JD Robb and worked on a shawl for Vicki.  I finished that and still had an hour left on my book so started another scarf with more new yarn.  I didn’t get far.  I’m not happy with the pattern so I’m going to pull out my book with the different patterns and see what she’s tagged – my poor vandalized books.  I finished the book but not this fourth item.  I did go in and finish listening to the chapter in Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara.

I hate taking a day off because of my gout.  However, by the evening my foot had shape again, the red ring around my ankle was gone.  The pain level had gone from nearly unbearable to tolerable.  I got three crochet projects done.  Considering I didn’t think it would be a good day – I’d say it wasn’t all bad.  The nap was wonderful.  I’m betting Vicki will LOVE the two items I got done for her.  I’m hoping mom will enjoy her item as well. 

 

A Box of Yarn

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

I’m obsessed with yarn.  I love yarn.  I came home tonight and here was my order from Herrschners.  A friend gave me a gift card from there so I handed it to Vicki and said, I need crochet cotton, you know the colors, and whatever is on sale.

This is the result.  Now most people see just a bunch of yarn.  I see smiles, hugs, and appreciation.  I see hours of enjoyment as I listen to a book and crochet.  I see dishtowels, pot holders, dish cloths, scarves, make up pads and more.

There is so much potential in this one small box and so much happiness for me and for others.  I am sitting here saying I will not pick up the new yarn and make stuff because I already have four projects in progress and I need to finish at least one or two of them before I start new ones – right?  Maybe…

The colors are exciting.  The textures are exciting.  The hours of just enjoying myself with the goodies in this box are exciting.  One might assume I am a little excited about this box.

It’s a little box and a little thing but I know it will bring a lot of happiness.  The items made from the yarn in here will be useful and appreciated.  I can’t wait to dive in and play around with the goodies.  I have to wait … I keep telling myself I have to wait.  I have other projects to finish before I start with the new yarn.  I must resist the temptation – am I convincing anyone else?

Tonight I’m supposed to be working on a manuscript.  I have two I’m working on that are in progress.  I should work on writing and not crocheting.  I could pull up the next JD Robb book and listen to it while I work on one of the projects.  Maybe I would finish the project so I could play with the new yarn tomorrow.  But I have those two manuscripts.  Oh the war of responsibility and the desire to play with new yarn.

I’ll be good.  For now.  Maybe…..

On Track – ish

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Back on schedule – sort of – last night I worked on seven small projects and got them done.  I didn’t finish the one project because I want to take the time to lay it out and experiment with the next step.  I want to lay it flat and look it over. 

I also listened to six chapters of my book – Ceremony in Death.  I am enjoying it and actually remember more of this one, including bits of the ending so it is a comfortable read. 

On Goodreads, I’m noticing I have two books I’ve had there a while.  One is Cast in Peril which I’m trying to listen to (Damn Vicki for telling me the next book in the in Death series) and the other is the paranormal romance I have a hard time getting through.  I need to just barrell my way through it and finish it.  I’m disappointed in the author because I feel I can’t finish the over arching story because of the extreme violence she has in the beginning of the story.  I’ll get there eventually.

Tonight will be bill paying, crocheting and then I will either watch some stuff on the PBS station or I will listen to more of my book.  This weekend I want to work on projects but I’ve got a story banging around in my head.  I also have two manuscripts ready for production.  I have a short story I want to finish the edits on so I can submit it to the contest. 

It is also a pay week which means we have to get grocery shopping and other errands done.  One of the things I want to do is get gift bags so I can start packaging up the gifts I’ve been making.  I have to pick up a button to finish one project.  This means a trip to the craft store which I have a number of coupons for and I’d love to spend some time in. 

All these other things means I’m not writing or working on crocheting but they are probably necessary things to get done.  At the very least this weekend will be busy. 

Change of Focus

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

Starting tonight, I’m going to crochet instead of working on writing.  I need to get a number of gifts made in the next month. 

This weekend I’ll probably work on two manuscripts which are close to being done but during the week this week I’m going to either watch tv and crochet or listen to an audio book.  I have three Michelle Sagara books to catch up on.  I also have a ton of JD Robb and Nora Roberts audio books to read.  I’m sure there are other audio books I can listen to as well.

Interestingly, I was listening to Glory in Death and taking note of certain scenes and how she handled certain types of scenes.  I respect her as a writer so as I’m reading her books I’m also researching writing techniques. 

I guess as I’m listening to the books I’m also doing research on writing techniques.  It will be fun to read a book while I’m crocheting.  Two of my favorite activities will get done all at once. 

It is the whole NaNoWriMo but this month doesn’t work for me.  I’ll be working on crocheting this month.  I wonder if they have a craft project month?  I’m sure they do – they have a month for everything it seems. 

In all likelihood I’ll still work on writing on the weekends.  I will go stir crazy if I don’t write, especially since I’m almost done with three manuscripts.  Marketing will have to be a focus.  I need to promote more to a wider audience. 

So the plan – I’ll see how well this one works – is to crochet and listen to audio books during the week.  Work on manuscripts on the weekend as well as crocheting and listening to audio books.  In the next month I have to finish a lot of presents, three manuscripts, and keep my sanity.  Well okay – the sanity is probably too much to hope for.  I’ll have to see how the plan goes. 

Another Weekend

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing
Tomorrow is Friday.  I’m so relieved this week is over.  It isn’t that work is bad.  It is just that it has been busy and demanding.  The weekend promises to be almost as busy, though.  My todo list is very long right now.
In the writing realm – I’m working on a paperback copy in normal size print.  Hopefully by the weekend it will be reviewed and ready for me to do the next step.  After that I’m working on production for my Moon Affirmations Meditations manuscript.  Back to square one for epubbing and figuring out how to do the pictures I want to have in there.  I also have edits to do on my fantasy novel.  If I manage to get through all of that – I have quite the long list of other tasks. 
In the crocheting realm – I have three graduation gifts to work on.  This involves me sitting still and focusing on creating wonderful items for the student workers I’ve enjoyed having work in my office. 
In the life realm – there are bills to pay, errands to run, and so much more.  I almost feel like I need a weekend after my weekend. 
I just finished reading my first “fun” book since finishing school.  I read a non-fiction Quiet which was quite good but I wouldn’t classify that as fun.  I just finished Thankless in Death and I’ve moved on to Mirror Mirror.  I think I’ve read two chapters in the new book and would like nothing more than to spend the night reading that but I have coupons to clip and a few other things to get done. 
Here I am with so much to do and not enough time.  I guess I will be working on prioritizing and balancing all these different things that I want to get done.  Reading, writing, crocheting, and life – I know there is a balance in there.  I’m just not sure how well I will balance it all out.  I’ll probably fall more than once but in the process I’m having a hell of a lot of fun.

Secret Past available on Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/426548