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The Safeway pickup was painless. They were out of a few things (flour—not shocking, cherry pie filling, soap, English muffins, lime juice, chocolate chips...) but the produce was plentiful and looked excellent and they had the ground beef and buns and chocolate milk. They were very apologetic that I was charged $40 for tomatoes and they couldn't reverse the charge without going to corporate, which wasn't open because time zones, so I'm expecting a large partial refund today. I was disappointed that they couldn't accept tips, because they were all SO nice and prompt and I didn't have to go into the store.
We wiped down the plastics and vinegar-watered the produce and then had an AMAZING dinner of grilled burgers and chips and chocolate milk.
It is drizzling today and the snow is sinking down into dirty nothing.
Mentally, I'm hanging in there. I do keep finding half-written emails and realizing that they would have been relevant when I wrote them and probably nobody wants to hear from me, mopemope, so I delete them, and I have rather major nerves for several things I have out in the ether, but aside from that, I'm plowing forward on DPL, and feeling just barely put together.
Daughter and I haven't gotten out as much the last few days because of ice, so we may try to remedy that today, because she is having a VERY hard time right now. Lots of meltdowns, constant talk-back, nothing is good enough, getting stuck on doing a SPECIFIC thing and then insisting on it. It's... just hard, and I'm trying to be patient, but when I'm trying to get her DRESSED for a Zoom with her teacher in five minutes and she's just not cooperating... ugh. And then there is crying and I'm all 'you can't see your teacher like this do you need a hug?' and she's all 'NO YOU'RE SO MEAN TO ME.' I want to be nurturing but still have boundaries, and I KNOW her world is upside down and her parents are stressed and she's doing an amazing job for her age and emotional capacity.
Poor kitten.
Now a little writing and prepping daughter for karate class. I may call it a no-school day and do card games and play outside to try to reset attitudes.
We wiped down the plastics and vinegar-watered the produce and then had an AMAZING dinner of grilled burgers and chips and chocolate milk.
It is drizzling today and the snow is sinking down into dirty nothing.
Mentally, I'm hanging in there. I do keep finding half-written emails and realizing that they would have been relevant when I wrote them and probably nobody wants to hear from me, mopemope, so I delete them, and I have rather major nerves for several things I have out in the ether, but aside from that, I'm plowing forward on DPL, and feeling just barely put together.
Daughter and I haven't gotten out as much the last few days because of ice, so we may try to remedy that today, because she is having a VERY hard time right now. Lots of meltdowns, constant talk-back, nothing is good enough, getting stuck on doing a SPECIFIC thing and then insisting on it. It's... just hard, and I'm trying to be patient, but when I'm trying to get her DRESSED for a Zoom with her teacher in five minutes and she's just not cooperating... ugh. And then there is crying and I'm all 'you can't see your teacher like this do you need a hug?' and she's all 'NO YOU'RE SO MEAN TO ME.' I want to be nurturing but still have boundaries, and I KNOW her world is upside down and her parents are stressed and she's doing an amazing job for her age and emotional capacity.
Poor kitten.
Now a little writing and prepping daughter for karate class. I may call it a no-school day and do card games and play outside to try to reset attitudes.
Among other things, I am a red-head again. SO flaming. I am cutting off the last six inches when Jake comes home and then I will take photos. (There's a quick selfy up at Facebook.)
* * *
I have a new book up: Tropical Lion's Legacy. I am a little in love with this cover. And the fan reactions are delighting me. This is book NINE in the Shifting Sands Resort series. NINE. The next book will be the last in the series and that sort of destroys me a little. I both can't wait... and don't wanna.
If you'd told me three years ago that I would have thirteen books published today and that people actually read them I would have hurt myself laughing at you.
If you'd told me that I was going to pay for my own LASIK surgery with my dirty not-a-book money? I would have told you that wasn't funny.
And here we are.
* * *
And in other major 'here we are' sorts of things, Portrait Adoption is closing at the end of the year!
I loved this project and treasure above all else the beautiful friendships that it brought me. But I made less than $15 running it last year, and it's due for a big overhaul. The numbers just don't add up. It was an amazing idea (she says humbly), and its golden years were very impressive, but the Internet landscape has changed so much. It's hard to compete with Pinterest and I clearly have better ways to spend my time and energy.
* * *
Like I said... pretty momentous.
* * *
I have a new book up: Tropical Lion's Legacy. I am a little in love with this cover. And the fan reactions are delighting me. This is book NINE in the Shifting Sands Resort series. NINE. The next book will be the last in the series and that sort of destroys me a little. I both can't wait... and don't wanna.
If you'd told me three years ago that I would have thirteen books published today and that people actually read them I would have hurt myself laughing at you.
If you'd told me that I was going to pay for my own LASIK surgery with my dirty not-a-book money? I would have told you that wasn't funny.
And here we are.
* * *
And in other major 'here we are' sorts of things, Portrait Adoption is closing at the end of the year!
I loved this project and treasure above all else the beautiful friendships that it brought me. But I made less than $15 running it last year, and it's due for a big overhaul. The numbers just don't add up. It was an amazing idea (she says humbly), and its golden years were very impressive, but the Internet landscape has changed so much. It's hard to compete with Pinterest and I clearly have better ways to spend my time and energy.
* * *
Like I said... pretty momentous.
https://ellenmillion.dreamwidth.org/1069289.html
The 25th anniversary of the accident was last week.
I will still never run. But good luck stopping me.
The 25th anniversary of the accident was last week.
I will still never run. But good luck stopping me.
Taking some sanity time and unplugging from social media and all the various business things that hang over my head online; a little mental reboot. I usually do this after Christmas and through January, but I got all caught up in projects. So now I'm scheduling my me-time. Self-care, here I come!
I will be back, refreshed and ready to go, with February.
The February Sketch Fest will be Feb 17-19!
