June is my imaginary deadline to finish my first draft of Sarai. I’m getting close! Today Hagar had Ishmael, which puts me one scene away from the end of part three. I’m at 84,000 words with less than 10,000 to go. So barring any unforeseen distractions (of which there are many) I hope to finish by the end of June.
But distractions popped up several times this past week, and my to-do list keeps growing instead of shrinking. Someone did not get the memo that I want to take July off! The rest of the windows were put in on Thursday and they look great! Except for the fact that now we have to fill, sand, prime, and paint the frames of each one. And since Randy has plans to paint his Mustang this summer, the job of window painting falls to me. But that’s okay. I’ve decided one window a day – or one window over two days should allow me to finish by the end of June, yes? I did one window (a small one) today, so hopefully, I’ll be able to stay on track.
Yesterday we celebrated my mom’s birthday (a little early). Ryan and I made her a cheesecake, her favorite dessert. Family gathered together and we had a good time sharing stories and laughing together.
A few months ago I tried acrylic nails. I’d never done anything like that before, and since I tend to pick at my nails when I’m stuck trying to create a scene writing, I figured this would be a good thing. What I didn’t know then, I wish I had. Apparently, fake nails can weaken your natural nail, and in my case, it made some of them paper thin. I don’t know for sure yet, but am planning to let them fall off as they grow out and hope they heal quickly. I love how they look and enjoyed the pampering, but the cost to pocketbook and health of the nails is more than I realized. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing for those who want them, just that I wish I’d known the side effects from the start. I should have done more research ahead of time.
The other night we had a beautiful sunset, and I snapped this picture with my cell phone camera looking through one of our upstairs windows. God knows how to paint such beautiful pictures.
Lots of deadlines await me this week, hoping to finish them all by the end of the month. After I finish the first draft of Sarai, I hope to take a break from most writing commitments during the month of July. Galleys for Bathsheba should be arriving soon after, or perhaps during that month, and it will be nice to be caught up on everything else when it comes. Of course, I say that now, but something always comes up to change that. One can hope. Even writers need a vacation, yes?
This past week week was crazy, and at times felt overwhelming, but some weeks are like that. Today, to start a new week, I spilled tea on myself during a church service. Never had that happen before – the top popped off when I picked it up after resting it between my knees. Won’t do that again! Fortunately, it didn’t spill much and there was no damage or lingering stains. I’m grateful for that!
The rest of the day proved better. I accomplished some things after church and got to chat with one son and a dear friend over Skype. A new week awaits. Looking forward to what God has in store.
Selah~
