Slowly but surely….

[ksmith]

I’ve felt pulled in all directions these last few weeks. I start one thing, and three others clamor for attention. So the goals for next few weeks are to settle down, focus on writing, finish dealing with the leaves, add a few more batches of soup/stew/something to the deep freeze…

…and that’s too many things to plan. I know I should focus on work and let the chores fall where they may. It’s the never-ending battle between the immediate sense of accomplishment I feel when I do something around the house and the mix of emotions related to writing: accomplishment, but also aggravation, that feeling of wandering lost in the woods because one word after the other–what’s up with that?

Meatloaf is simpler.

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My reissued light fantasy stories, Continuing Education and 8 rms., full bsmt., are now available at Amazon as well as BookView Café.

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Upcoming contest! From 7-14 November, you can enter for a chance to win ebooks of GIDEON and over 30 other thrillers AND a Kindle Fire. I will post the link as soon as the contest goes live.

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No hard freeze yet in far NE Illinois, which means I still have flowers. The mums have faded and the hibiscus are losing their leaves. But the begonias in the planter are still plugging along despite nights in the 40s and squirrels digging holes in the soft dirt.

Autumn Begonias

It’s nice to see shots of pink and white and leafy greenery amid all the warm shades, the yellow, orange and brown. I’m going to miss them when they’re gone.

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‘Tis the season, so pumpkin spice is everywhere. I’m not a fan of the flavor in coffee and tea, but I do like pumpkin pie. So when I found a recipe for baked oatmeal with pumpkin, I decided to give it a shot. I used regular milk instead of almond milk, whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat, added extra spices, and used pecans instead of walnuts. Imagine not-too-sweet pumpkin pie. A good way to start a chilly day. Definitely a keeper.

 

Mirrored from .

Comments

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Yeah. That sense of accomplishment is so nice, especially if it's something that you can then sit back and admire.

I feel the guilt, too, because there is so much that needs to be done--clean out the basement and garage, get rid of books, furniture, clothes, other stuff I don't want anymore, paint walls and replace drapes--that keeps getting set on the back burner because it would all take too much dedicated time.

My problem is that if I don't do it, it doesn't get done. Today I mulched leaves in the front and side yard, and made meatloaf. It's the Ina Garten standby recipe, which involves cooking the onions first, then mixing with herbs, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, etc:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/meat-loaf-recipe.html

Tomorrow, I take care of the leaves in the backyard. Hopefully, that will be it for the year.

The ideas keep coming--I guess that's the good thing. I just need to focus.

[e-moon60.livejournal.com]

True...if I don't do certain things they don't get done. It varies, with me, whether i can live with that or not.

At any rate I finished a single sock today, despite headache, stuffy sinuses, and an uncertain digestive tract. Navy blue, gray, and white shorty...navy frame, gray and white striped foot. White stripe on navy at the top and on the toe. I'll start the matching one tomorrow. I need to figure out how to weigh the long pull-skein of navy yarn on my little kitchen scale (probably have to use the smallest baking sheet as a tare to hold it) so I know how much I have left. The navy is old wool--was my mother's--and came in a 4 oz pull-skein, whereas all the yarn I buy now is in 100 g or 50 g balls or skeins. Anyway. One thing done.