her able hands

Yeah, so I’ve signed up for all of that. I have two days left to decide if I’m going to continue working on last year’s NaNoWriMo novel project, or start something new. I thought new a week ago, but then had one of those middle of the night brain farts that told me a few interesting details about my young protagonist and I’m thinking about following along to see what direction he leads us.

I posted my final ClubMom post yesterday, thinking it was October 31, and I also called my mother and sang Happy Birthday to her thinking it was October 31. Not so much with the Halloween quite yet, addled woman. Look at me, all preemptive and shit.

Kind of makes you wonder what I’m thinking signing up for two, huge writing commitments in the same month as Thanksgiving, and a week-long visit from my parents, when I’m so clearly having time management issues, doesn’t it?

Me too.

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For weeks I’ve been at sixes and sevens, trying to find ways to eek out just a tiny bit of something for myself in the mad juggle of work schedules, school, daycare and all the things that have to happen to keep the house running.

Several responsibilities have kept me feeling pressured in a most unpleasant way (hello toilets! laundry! dinner! I’m looking at you! But most of those things just are, and stopping them will cause a major home life collapse. The one thing that I can give up is my ClubMom blog. As of November 1, I’ll post any parenting related writing back here, and once a month at DotMoms.

Now I’ll just need to parlay that hour of writing in the morning into cash money to replace the salary I’m surely about to lose.

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How do you help a teenager express his big ideas about the world without squashing his individuality? How do you parent without pushing? I’m thinking about these questions and the 392 related questions too much lately. I started exploring my thoughts for my latest DotMoms post, but I think I’m just nibbling on the corner of the cheese there. It’s a 50 lb. wedge.

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My dear friend Cathy finally started a blog! If you’re feeling even the wee bit skeptical or disenchanted with the world today, just take a minute to read one of her posts.

Cathy’s seriously upping the positive vibe of the mucky river of life with her work at Artwala Road.

She sells gorgeous, inspiring paintings. Her art and artist reviews are a wonderful reminder of the good in people’s hearts, and the power of their expression. She also shares the depth of her knowledge and experience from her lifelong career as a commercial illustrator and artist (that’s how we met! I hired her to illustrate columns for me at Time and we hit it off so well that we talked for an hour our first conversation!) with wonderful, short drawing lessons.

Please go check it out, and visit often. She’ll be starting an ongoing journal soon, too! Don’t forget to show your love, and leave some comments! And buy a painting!

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1. Getting the garden manured and mulched.

2. Planting garlic.

3. Baking Rosemary Olive Oil Bread.

4. Holding my new nephew.

5. Cranking out novel pages.

6. Running 5 miles a day.

7. Helping my mom paint her house.

8. Making love.

9. Dinner with friends.

10. Anything but this.

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