Tis the Season

Usually at this time of year I'd be going out of my mind with trying to remember what I know I must have forgotten. But not this year. This year, back in March, I signed on to get Flylady.net daily digests. At the time I thought I was being ridiculous because I couldn't find time to write so why would I add one more thing to do? But, I was working with my personal technology pets--this time an ipod. Ipods play music (mp3 downloads) as well as videos, movies, pictures--depending upon the model and the skill of the owner. I'm not skilled. I only bought the thing so I could listen to my Romance Writer's of America tapes from the 2004 conference. Yes, I know it is 2010. Didn't you notice I'm not skilled? Anyway, I bought the ipod--same model as my elder daughter so that she could talk me through any snags. She's good about helping and keeps reminding me that the internet is a wonderful thing. Google anything you need and there is likely to be a tutorial to learn the skill--I'm not kidding. I recently was looking up sewing machine models that would most likely have the power to mend jeans. There were jean mending tutorials all over the internet. Who knew? Oh, and did I also mention I have a hard time staying on topic?

I heard you roll your eyes.

Where was I? Oh, yea. The ipod and the conference tapes. I wanted to listen to the tapes in the car. The CDs would only work in the computer. When I'm at the computer I have other, more pressing things to do than listen to conference tapes. So, I downloaded them into the computer--that took a bit. Did you remember I'm not skilled? Then I managed to do the deed and get them on a cd to listen to in the car. Duh. Then I discovered that the 300hours of conference would need that many and more cds because they're only 80 minutes long. Craaaaap!. Again, my technology stuck its tongue out at me. I swear tech pets are like mules. They will refuse to cooperate and then suddenly do so when you least expect it. My wonderful friend's husband has two mules. They are worthless unless they are paid a lot of attention when THEY want it. On their off times they bite the bulls and annoy them. Oops. Off topic.

Again, I heard you roll your eyes...quit that!

Where was I? Oh, yea. So, I bought the ipod for the conference tapes. After hours of attempting to get the technomules to cooperate, I finally had the conference loaded into the ipod and then my ears got sore listening to the earbuds (why they are called earbuds I cannot conceive as I swear they were trying to do naughty things to my ears). Then, remember daughter one? She mentioned that if I had half a brain (Eureka! I do!!) I would install a transmitter to transmit the ipod sounds to the radio and listen in full comfort.

I purchased another techopet.

This one turned out to work easily and well...even for me.

I began to listen to the tapes which works out so very well since it is forty-five minutes one way to the bank or grocery store. Then. I listened to how to get more time to write. The writer recommended flylady.net. The principals found there help keep the real world from swallowing whole all the time you have for the writing world. It works.

My Christmas is not only on schedule, but I have time to pamper myself a little and find things I've been putting off getting done. Last week I was to have participated in a Book-in-a-week push. I had pledged five new pages. But I found something more, much more. I am now over my brain freeze on my work-in-progress (WIP). I edited and had such a good time with my story, I have nothing to show, but a grin. No new pages, but I fixed the devil out of the ones I had.

I have achieved a degree of calmness and best of all--hope. This next year is going to be one of the best I've had in a long time in my imaginary world of writing. I'm setting some serious goals. I haven't been as productive since our long ago, worthy president, Pat made us set goals. I was surprised at how many writerly goals I met that year. The thinking, selecting, and writing down of them caused them to be stored in the silent but working half of my brain. I'm setting goals for 2011. Professional goals. Technopet goals. (Yup, they're going to be trained or else.) Flylady.net has taught me how to get the most out of my time.

You may think this is an odd thing to write about at Christmas, but these experiences, work, goals, and opportunities, missed and taken, are also the things that make up a life and reasons to celebrate. Creating an eddy of calm in a fast-paced world so that I can create in writing is a great joy. So, I say, God bless my daughter, my technopets, google, and the author that steered me towards flylady.net. Oh, and while I'm at it. Have a very, very, merry Christmas with toasty warm toes and tight tummies from eating lots and lots of 'good stuff'!!