Eating, the never-ending adventure...

I'm doing better about avoiding my food allergies. There's so much good food I'm able to enjoy.

Potatoes are currently on sale, so I buy a 5-lb bag and make oven fries, baked potatoes, and mashed potatoes. My tummy is happy.

Interestingly enough, when I'm full on food good for me I've no interest in "cheat" foods. It also helps if I'm not stressed. I enjoy the occasional stress reduced days.

I stuck an apple full of whole cloves. My room smells very Christmasy.

I'm frustrated with my body's unwillingness to wake in the dark. It wakes with the sun, which I don't mind too much during the summer at 5 am. However, 7:30 am in the winter throws off my plans. I'm working on it.

A new chapter begins...

Life is an adventure...

Welcome to Holiday, USA, small town America, where nothing happens, except holidays... and maybe a little romance, if the hero and heroine trust God.

Officer Tim Black moved to Holiday for a change of scene. He never anticipated wanting to change his single status at the same time, but the lady refuses to even date him.

Sandy Foster moved to Holiday to escape her dysfunctional family, changing everything about her life. Finding someone who wanted to share her life holds a never-ending spot on her uninspiring list of New Year's resolutions.

The tiniest misunderstanding and the willingness to set pride aside might make the difference between spending the New Year alone and a Happily Ever After...

http://www.amazon.com/Happy-New-Year-Holiday-USA-ebook/dp/B00HCQKGF4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387238665&sr=1-1

Carpe Diem... yeah... that...

I know what needs to be done, but I'm afraid to do it...

I think it's ready...

I need this, from FB. GodTube requested this be shared:

Thank Goodness It's Sunday... #185...

~ Josh Groban's Believe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ19mW-TMRk

~ The support and guidance I've received from friends while I struggle through my latest endeavor.

~ Uplifting Christmas shows.

~ Delicious and unexpected validation.

~ Those odd little blessings that remind me, without doubt, God is aware of me, me in particular, me specifically. He knows precisely what I need and the moment I need it. Forgive me, Lord, and help my unbelief.

My Heroes... The Unknown Soldiers...

The latest batch from The Unknown Soldiers blog:

http://www.unknownsoldiersblog.com/2013/12/hicos-hero.html

http://www.unknownsoldiersblog.com/2013/12/a-soldiers-dog.html

Happy Friday the 13th...

I'm not afraid. I've been through them with no ill effects. When I came home from Thailand, I went through it twice, the same one. I watched the sun rise and set in the Orient and then watched it rise and set in the West.

I may not survive this self-publishing gig. I love the story. I hate the whole publishing process, every last bit of it. I want to pull a twisted McCoy, "I'm a writer, Jim, not a publisher."

The next novella needs to be exploded (expanded). I need to finish the book due to my publisher. I love the first several chapters. Then I need to work on the third novella and the other book due to my publisher the month after the previous... yeah, I get confused, too... actually, I don't. I think sometimes that's even scarier. I actually do keep all the stories straight in my head. Ask me to keep seven numbers... ask me to keep three numbers straight in my head and I make no promises, but names, plots, subplots of three different series and I'm good to go.

As seen on the Funny Cat Photos widget:

Week 129 of REAL...

REAL - Reduce stress Exercise Adequate sleep Lower caloric intake

What Navy SEALs are required to do to make it into BUD/S:

http://navyseal.s5.com/requirements.html

http://military-fitness.military.com/2013/01/the-spartan-300-workout-and-new-variations.html?ESRC=sm_fit.nl

RIght up front: Never in a million years could I do what is required. However, I needed to start somewhere. Considering how fit the SEALs are, I figured it was a good place to start. So my SEAL puppy reps (SEALp) consist of girls' pushups, crunches, and flutter kicks, a SEAL training basic. I started with doing one of each. 

Hip lifts

PT ~ Physical therapy using 2-lb and 1-lb weights, alternating days.

UB ~ Upper body exercises

I've worked up to 50 and then 10 more.

The 6th: SEALp. PT. UB. No walk. Too cold. I didn't breakout my cold clothes (heavy coat and glove) until later in the day.

The 7th: 2-mile walk. PT. My sister and I agreed it was too cold to walk far. We went to a yummy and delightful pancake breakfast put on by a local service club.

The 8th: Rest. 

The 9th: Overslept. SEALp. PT. UB. Nightmare. Proud of myself for doing the rest of my exercises when I really wanted to curl up in bed and stay there.

The 10th: PT.

The 11th: 1-1/2-mile walk. SEALp. PT. UB. Trying something different. I turn on the low setting of my bedside lamp as soon as I wake up, even though it was at 4:30 am. It made it easier to roll out of the bed, though I must admit it's tough leaving a toasty bed. I feel better when I'm up early to walk. Hoping the lamp "trick" works as a habit.

The 12th: PT.

The first picture was taken in February 2012. The second picture was taken in June 2012. Inspiration, at least to me:

Follow up on the saga...

I learned a few things I needed to know, so my panic served a good purpose. A couple of people were most helpful. I suspect the pounding heart and unhappy tummy won't pass until the first novella is out. It won't be today. Today is a re-read to check for words and punctuation, again. (More pictures from the Funny Cat Photos widget before it disappeared.)

Feeling more like this:

And this:

I think it's progress.

The saga continues...

I'm scared... terrified... paranoid...

I'm looking to self-publish a novella. Everyone says that it's no big deal.

I asked my sister to keep me company while I filled out the paperwork. I froze. Deer in the headlights. She made a couple of helpful suggestions for me checkout before I throw my hat in the ring. All the while what's ringing in my head is "You are out of your mind."

Both pictures are from the Funny Cat Photos widget I used to have on my igoogle page (until google discontinued it. Stupid google). I wish I was like this:

But I cannot tell a lie: it's much more like this (in this case, "the children" is me):

Carpe Diem... Deadlines...

I ate badly, yesterday. A lot has been happening over which I have no control. Little things that niggle at my self-confidence. Things that inflict fear... push my fear button.

Blessedly, God inspired my brother-in-law to call and invite me to dinner with his family. My sister picked me up and we talked through the things bothering me. As we talked, I dug a little deeper and found my backbone.

I sorted through everything happening to me. Who gains from knocking me off my game? The adversary. Why so much interest in me? What am I doing? Besides changing into the person God knows I am if I'll shed the bad habits of the past. Besides writing a series of Christian romance novellas.

Praying God will protect me and deliver me from evil and strengthen me to face whatever comes my way.

Thank Goodness It's Sunday... #184...

~ Carpenter's Merry Christmas Darling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR1ujXx2p-I

~ The opportunity to pursue a writing career.

~ Inspiring books.

~ A new book, novella, coming out this week, God willing I figure it all out.

~ Yummy leftovers from Thanksgiving.