mixed
February 22/04
This week I sent out 2 queries and 1 submission. That sub
was rejected.None of my articles were printed. I have one
revision, maybe acceptance of that one.
I?ve taken my pills, did my testing.
Started cleaning cupboards, wiping them out & putting
shelving paper on shelves.
At the moment I do not have any books out from library.
I?m getting postcards from postcard exchange. It has been
fun, people in the group are so creative.

Blizzard
February 14/04
This week I got caught in the
blizzard. By the time I got
home, I was really stressed.
Visibility was nil at times.
I just kept looking for the
yellow line, as the road is
undivided highway.
It was a relief to get home.
I vowed not to go out again
when blizzards are predicted.
This week I sent out 4 articles.
Also had 1 article printed. It
is a paying gig too.
Sent out postcards for the
postcard exchange. It is
wonderful knowing that my cards
may brighten someone?s day. I
made heart themes, stars,
butterflies and mandalas.
I am no artist, but it was
such fun.
There is a writing contest I
would like to enter. What
can I write for that?
*****************************

humor
February 6/04
I?m reading Funny Business by Sol Saks. It?s about comedy
writing. I would like to write funny. After interviewing
Gina about her humor column, I think I would like to write
more humor. It gets printed, I can see that. It?s just
that I do not approve of humor that is sarcastic, where it
could hurt someone.
So I would like to write soft humor. That whole thing about
when you?re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.
Who can smile and be funny all the time? But at least one
can look for the humor in everyday things. That?s what Gina
does.

Does self matter?
January 25/04
It?s
It?s cold like -30 centigrade.
What am I reading? Self
Matters, by Dr. Phil
McGraw.Has anyone else
read this? Is it any good?
Sometimes I think self is the
last person who matters in
my life. What does one do
with difficult circumstances?
Is it really about choices?
Like did I decide that my
dad died? No. So how does
it all work?

Tired
January 17/04
I feel so tired. Tired of all the bills,
tired of life in general and its knocks.
The writing suffers every time there
is stress of any kind.
Life brings problems and stress, but
there seems to be an unusual over-
sized portion coming my way.
I now have seven furnace bills. Why does
it take seven visits to get the furnace
going?

BANG
January 9/04
This year started with a bang. Last Sunday, I was doing my usual Sunday stuff. I took
my pills, ate a serving of cream of wheat with flax sprinkled on top, orange juice, coffee.
Then, I made my bed, read my big print Bible. I was reading Ezekiel when I heard this
BANG. Then the furnace cut in. It must be an engine, back-firing, I am thinking.

I moved downstaris to the computer just in time for the furnace to make a loud
whoosh-bang sound. With shaky hands, I dialed the gas inspector. At this point, I?m
thinking gas leak. An hour later, he showed up. He concluded there was no gas leak,
however the burners needed cleaning. There are 3 burners, only 2 of which were lighting
up. After the 2 were lit, they lit the nonfunctioning burner, causing the bang.

So I phoned for cleaning Furnace guy came and cleaned the burners. Furnace now runs
smoothly as a purring cat.

Reflections and goals
December 31/03
It?s hard to believe another year is over. It is a time of reflection and goal-setting. What
do I want to accomplish for 2004?
What are the decisions that I need to make? Do I want to be tougher in some areas
and softer in others?
What things do I want?
What do I want to learn?
What tasks do I need to do?
What will my approach to others be like? Less critical? More flexible?
Areas to consider:
Health
Financial
Creative
Learning
Self-improvement
Changes
Spiritual
Relationships

What am I reading?
December 20/03
I?m reading Fatherless Women by Clea Simon. She lost her father in
her thirties, I believe. There is one chapter about death of a father
when one is younger in life. I identify so much with this and all the
fallout as a result is familiar. The feeling of disconnectedness, for
example. I experienced at 12 what she experienced in her thirties.

I?m also reading A Prison Diary, by Jeffrey Archer. He was imprisoned
in a maximum security prison in England. He describes the 22 days
there in detail, including the language, the food, the other inmates and
what goes on.

I had 4 submissions this week, and 2 queries. So I feel satisfied that
things are better, even though I have not written much new stuff.
There is always a market for the reprints.

Headache
November 14/03
I?ve always believed in
writing no matter what.
I?ve always tried to
confront the excuses and
shoot them down. So it?s
difficult for me to
understand why I am giving
in to this weird headache
on the one side of my
head.It has allowed me to
be nonproductive in my
writing.
The headache is like a
fuzzy pain. It?s the same
headache I had when my
blood pressure was too
high. The pills are
supposed to lower bp but
now my bp has soared high
even while on medication.
Books I am reading:
The Complete Guide to
Painting and Decorating
Papermaking by Elizabeth
Couzins-Scott
picasso

Prompts
Prompts
Define your idea of a high-maintenance person. Is there someone in your
life that is high-maintenance? How do you handle that?
What is your definition of success?
Take a look at your walls. What is your favorite wall hanging? Is it a
photo? painting/ ornament? plant?
What produces stress in your life? traffic? co-workers? partner? kids?
parents? too much to do?
How do you de-stress?
What is your favorite color? What items do you have in that color?
Do you give anything to charity? Whom do you give to, and why do you
choose that charity?
Do you talk alot? Were you shushed as a child?