agk’s beautiful life » snapshots of a work-in-progress life

As previously mentioned, I take a walk every day. It takes me about 15-20 minutes, depending on how many aromas the dog lusts after. Since I started these daily walks, I’ve slept better at night and felt more energized. It was, at first, hard to talk myself into going each day, especially on days when I just didn’t feel like it. Yet, it’s now part of my daily routine, and I feel like something is missing if I wait too late to go for the walk.

While walking today, and recently, I’ve not allowed myself to mull over J.O.B. stuff. Instead, I’ve refocused my thinking on my writing career, this new one I’m building. Things are different now in many ways. These walks, for example. They take me away from every other distraction and help me to focus solely on writing ideas. And the exercise itself is good for me, of course. But is it enough?

Writers tend to go after every piece of information on writing that we can get our hands on. Writing exercises? Sure. They sound good, but like physical exercise, when is it enough? When is it too much?

When I walk, I’m walking for energy reasons (and for the puppy, of course). I’m not walking to ready myself for a 10K. If I were, it wouldn’t be enough. I’d need to start running. Perhaps a couple times a day, and I wouldn’t plan to be back in 15-20 minutes. The goal is a big one, and I need to practice and exercise to make it happen.

However, with writing, if you want to write a novel, is a 15-minute writing exercise enough or too much? If you consider your time is probably limited, like every other human being on this planet, perhaps spending 15 minutes is just too much exercise. Your time might be better spent warming up and exercising on the actual project. Writers are very good at planning to write but not ever getting to the actual writing (ask me how I know, I dare ya!).

But if you plan to exercise your writing muscle every day on the things you truly want and need to write, pushing past the days in the beginning where you “don’t feel like it,” that muscle will become stronger, and before you know it, you’ll feel that empty space in your day if you try to skip it.

Your desire to BE a writer and your actual ability to DO the work may completely differ right now, so it’s time to do your daily exercises…write every day on your real projects, if that’s what it takes. Don’t plan to be — just be. Just do. Just write.

For your own writer makeover…

Work first. Writing first. Whatever you do as a writer, get it done first thing in your day, or as soon as you get to your desk. You can put it off, but that is the ole ugly Procrastination Monster creeping out of the closet, and you already know if your career has been dead awhile, the monster played a huge part.

Plus, if you happen to work elsewhere, a J.O.B. as I call it (one not related to writing but one that supports you until your dead career is alive again), you just never know when you’ll be called in early. And if you’re also doing a Total Money Makeover, you KNOW you have to go in to work and take those extra hours. It kind of defeats the whole point if you won’t.

So, do now what you can do now. Just sit down and work. Your makeover REQUIRES this change of action (or changing inaction TO action).

Ready? Go!

Today, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to my best friend, Hope Wilbanks. I could list a million reasons why, but the most important is because she loves me. We’ve never met face-to-face, and yet, we’re as close as two sisters in Christ could be regardless.

And I want to share with all of you that she also published a book — one I can feel good about encouraging you to add to your shopping list for someone special in your life this holiday season.

Cup of Hope is a compilation of inspirational devotions. A mixture of spiritual insights and personal reflections, this book a great gift for anyone who needs encouragement.

Thank you, Hope!
 
 
 

-Wordless Wednesday-

Some of you may recall…our phone number used to belong to a business. One that apparently went out of business. Without letting customers know. Without fulfilling contracts and paying debts. During at least one full year after moving here, we received daily calls. They started off just seeking the business. After awhile, they began to lean toward being angry. Finally, the lawyer calls began.

“We’re not them,” we’d say. No one seemed to believe us, especially the lawyers. But the calls tapered off, and eventually I lost interest in changing the number - as in, I lost interest in all the work one must do when changing a phone number. But the calls have begun again. It’s as if this is a cold case someone has decided to pick back up.

Still, to be honest, I’m too busy to really spend time on the changing…except, now we’re moving. So, it seems like a rather perfect time to do it!

I’ve become something of a Craigslist.org stalker. Ever since discovering I could find more available houses in my area there than in the weekly newspaper, I’ve checked it at least a dozen times a week. Finally, something paid off. The perfect little cozy house with an apartment. You see, the eldest hates his own apartment (and the landlord seems to want to raise the rent without notice), and you have to know how much I’ve been wanting to move from our current house, so it seems we have come to the perfect solution.

We put down the deposit Sunday and should be moving within 2-3 weeks. The best parts? The view of Pikes Peak from the dining room; enough bedrooms to have an office again; a workroom just for the husband; and a yard!!!

It’s funny, because I had just written about using this space as our own anyway, but I knew the whole time I was still keeping an eye out for something else. Sometimes you just don’t feel settled where you are, you know? Which is something I’ve always wrestled with, because you should try to bloom where you’re planted. But should you? Always? Maybe bloom a little, but it’s hard to put down those roots when you don’t feel the place you’re in is HOME.

We’re looking at 7 more years here, before the kids are all out of school, before we can travel and/or move to our next place. So this long-term move makes mucho amounts of sense. And it’s win-win…I’m so excited!

Except for the part where we actually have to do the moving…

If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown

Located approximately 30 minutes east of Colorado Springs is the Paint Mines, an open area, no-fee park. I found out about it when I stumbled onto photos at Flickr.com, and planned right away to visit. “Right away,” of course, usually means as soon as I have a day off from my regular job AND school. And that day off happened to fall right after it snowed.

The interesting thing about Colorado is its weather. In one spot, the sun can be shining; in the next, a mere few feet down the road, it can be snowing. As we traveled East 24 toward Calhan from Colorado Springs, we were surprised to find the world ahead of us was white.

To get to the Paint Mines, you drive to the end of Calhan and take a right on Yoder St. The El Paso County website says it’s Yoder Rd., so don’t be confused (as we were) — it is indeed Yoder St. You then take a left onto Paint Mines Rd. and drive for approximately one mile. There are actually two parking areas, but the second further up is more of an overlook parking area. You’ll want to enter the park via the first lot.

As we went on a day after it snowed, Paint Mines Rd. was a tad difficult to navigate — it was snowy and slushy, and is not a paved road — so be aware of this if visiting during the fall/winter months (or, let’s be real, even the spring months!). The parking area was also slushy, so I wouldn’t recommend even going in if it has snowed a lot and you don’t have a vehicle that can handle it.

When we arrived, another family did also, but they quickly left when they saw all the snow. However, don’t be deterred by that fact. While it certainly covered a lot of the scenery, the sun was shining and we felt certain the snow would melt rather quickly. We may have missed much of the beauty due to the snow, but we saw more than the other family since we opted to at least go in and try.

And here’s what we saw!

Just the Facts

Time of Year: Fall

Weather: Sunny but snowy

Cost: Free

Time Spent: We hiked and saw enough beauty to last about 3 hours. I’d recommend bringing a lunch and spending longer during the summer months. There is much more to see.

Degree of Difficulty: Finding this park was easy and the drive was pleasant. Navigating the park was a bit tough due to the snow, as trails were no longer clearly defined. Some of the hike could be considered difficult, but overall, I’d say hikers of all levels could easily visit. We’ll take our children next time and report on their thoughts. Because of the snow, however, the hiking was a bit tougher due to slushy mud (and run-off from the rocks, though that created lovely colors on the ground, as seen from a photo above). Wear hiking boots, especially in the snowy months.

Wildlife Sightings: We saw two mule deer (photo above). The park signs say you may see deer and red fox.

Pets: Not allowed. (The El Paso website does not seem to share this important piece of information, so be aware. Fido is best left at home.)

Restrooms: They have one, but…

We do plan to return in late spring or summer, at which time I will share a new report.

Sunset

Moonset

This week has been one of those truly eye-opening times for me. I’ve got to get back home. The time I’ve spent just being me again, not a manager at a restaurant, but a mom and wife and self…it’s been wonderful. The husband and I have gone on two hikes, watched movies, brainstormed about our arts, and just enjoyed each other without talk of work. The children and I have talked about their days in school, what’s new, etc., and it’s been my extreme pleasure to cook dinner for them every night.

Plus, I’ve heard new things about work. And I know my hours are about to be cut. Everyone’s will be. Part of me doesn’t care at all, while another part of me knows I need my job right now. However, I’ve not stopped looking for other opportunities. Most are day jobs, where I can be at home with my family at night. One…one I’m REALLY hoping to get called on for an interview…is an at-home position. (A legit business in town.) That’s what I truly want, to be able to work from home again.

I’m slowly working on all the ideas I’ve had sitting on the backburner. I’m rebuilding my Etsy store, have officially launched my Colorado Day Trippin’ site (an idea from months ago, where I bought the domain name and that’s where it ended), and have made a final decision about my book. I know things will be slow to re-grow, but I have to keep moving forward and away from what is making me miserable.

I want more time for this:

And this:

And this:

OK, this is a pretty old shot of the boy, but he barely lets me
take his photo anymore, and this has always been a fave of mine…