Am I in Massachusetts or Georgia? Since the 9th of February, I've spent most of my time in Boston with Mom and her now healing kneecap. (By the way..... she will come back home tomorrow and will finish PT- pain and torture...er, I mean physical therapy- at home.)
Anyway, I took a break this past weekend, came back to GA and went to stay in a hotel where the SpringMingle SCBWI writers' conference was being held. The conference was awesome and as inspiring as last year- my first conference- but what a difference a year makes!
Last year.....went alone, knew no one, found it kind of difficult to connect to people.
This year..... had an unknown roommate who turned out to be fun and sweet and a talented writer, knew at least a dozen people (from blogs, events attended this year), and found it fairly easy to talk with others.
Last year's career progress....... slim and none, except for 50 business cards in hand.
This year's career progress....... web site, blog, NEW business cards, connection to core players in Southern Breeze because I offered to help and volunteered to assist at conference, as well as 4 stories written and beginnings of 2-3 more.
The speakers at SpringMingle are always motivating. I want to dive back into my writing and just write, write, write! Of course, it doesn't help to be flying between states so much. Of course, if I had a laptop, it would all go with me.
I'd love to buy a laptop. I want to buy a laptop. But I also want to go to the national SCBWI conference in Los Angeles at the end of July and that will cost at least $1,000- $1,500 between flights, hotel, and conference costs. Retiremnet on a teacher's pension means making some choices and I want to go to that conference more than I want the laptop. I guess the writing will have to be done in a notebook and transferred to the desktop for now. Not exactly 21st century technology but it will have to do.
Here's hoping tomorrow will bring scheduled flights that don't get cancelled so I can wing my way back to Massachusetts. I think I'm really in the state of Confusion!
Welcome!
I'm not new to talking, sharing ideas, or stating my opinion, especially stating my opinion! After all, I taught elementary school for 30 years! However, my audience has typically been smaller,just family, the classroom, or just talking to myself!
My blog has two goals: be an outlet for sharing thoughts on writing children's books and the path to publication (got my fingers crossed that I'll get there) and a place to chronicle my journey of losing my sight. Sometimes I imagine these two paths will overlap .
My blog has two goals: be an outlet for sharing thoughts on writing children's books and the path to publication (got my fingers crossed that I'll get there) and a place to chronicle my journey of losing my sight. Sometimes I imagine these two paths will overlap .
Showing posts with label flying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flying. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Write From the Soul 15 (and some Visualeyes too.)
Breathe...inhale...exhale. Breathe...inhale...NO! Don't hold your breath, remember to exhale. Breathing is cleansing.
I don't know about you but in my family, the women, when under stress, tend to only half breathe. We hold our breath for some reason. Sure, we know the breathing will help release the stress, but there's soooo much stress that it's almost as if our heads say "don't take another breath and you won't have to deal with new stressors."
Yeah, right.
'Cause if you're not breathing, you're not alive and if you're not living, you sure don't have more stress! (How wacked out is THAT!!!)
My mom has been in the hospital in Boston for almost a week. She fell, broke her kneecap in half, and needed surgery. Before that could be done, it was discovered she needed a pacemaker too. Because she takes a blood thinner from previous heart surgery, they couldn't operate until the blood was "thick" enough. That took 3 days. As a result, she had a pacemaker implanted on Wednesday at 8 AM and knee repair surgery at 6 PM the same day. Now 2 surgeries in one day would be wearing for a 20 year old, difficult for a 40 year old. Try 80 year old!
There were many prayers ascending for her yesterday.
Top that off with my trying to get a flight from Atlanta to Boston with only a 4 day notice, without having to ransom anyone. Oh yeah, the East Coast was due for a big Nor'easter storm.
Still thinking it's not too stressful? Well add in that my sister and her family were scheduled to go out of town next week for school break, and still don't know if they'll make it. Sure, I came in for 2 weeks to "be on patrol" as my sister and i call watching over a parent in the hospital [don't always trust those docs and nurses since they have too many patients to attend to] but I can't drive any more! Can you say "buy a taxi for a week?"
Surgeries went well but mom is in mucho pain now with the knee. So in between morning and afternoon visits to the hospital, we are checking out rehab facilities because they want to move mom to one tomorrow or Saturday (which is manageable for me while family is out of town.)
Oh yeah, forgot to mention that there are other health issues going on in the family currently and it's kind of creepy staying in my mom's house/condo alone without her there. Doesn't make for restful sleep.
Did I mention I'm flying back to Atlanta for the SpringMingle Writers' conference the weekend of 2/26-28 and then turning around and flying back to Boston for 10 days?
Then I have to fly back to Atlanta on March 13th because the Foundation Fighting Blindness VisionWalk is on the 14th and I can't miss that.
Of course, I need time to get my taxes done and I'm due back in Boston for Passover at the end of March.
Now can you spell S-T-R-E-S-S???????
Breathe Gail.... inhale AND exhale. Again.
I don't know about you but in my family, the women, when under stress, tend to only half breathe. We hold our breath for some reason. Sure, we know the breathing will help release the stress, but there's soooo much stress that it's almost as if our heads say "don't take another breath and you won't have to deal with new stressors."
Yeah, right.
'Cause if you're not breathing, you're not alive and if you're not living, you sure don't have more stress! (How wacked out is THAT!!!)
My mom has been in the hospital in Boston for almost a week. She fell, broke her kneecap in half, and needed surgery. Before that could be done, it was discovered she needed a pacemaker too. Because she takes a blood thinner from previous heart surgery, they couldn't operate until the blood was "thick" enough. That took 3 days. As a result, she had a pacemaker implanted on Wednesday at 8 AM and knee repair surgery at 6 PM the same day. Now 2 surgeries in one day would be wearing for a 20 year old, difficult for a 40 year old. Try 80 year old!
There were many prayers ascending for her yesterday.
Top that off with my trying to get a flight from Atlanta to Boston with only a 4 day notice, without having to ransom anyone. Oh yeah, the East Coast was due for a big Nor'easter storm.
Still thinking it's not too stressful? Well add in that my sister and her family were scheduled to go out of town next week for school break, and still don't know if they'll make it. Sure, I came in for 2 weeks to "be on patrol" as my sister and i call watching over a parent in the hospital [don't always trust those docs and nurses since they have too many patients to attend to] but I can't drive any more! Can you say "buy a taxi for a week?"
Surgeries went well but mom is in mucho pain now with the knee. So in between morning and afternoon visits to the hospital, we are checking out rehab facilities because they want to move mom to one tomorrow or Saturday (which is manageable for me while family is out of town.)
Oh yeah, forgot to mention that there are other health issues going on in the family currently and it's kind of creepy staying in my mom's house/condo alone without her there. Doesn't make for restful sleep.
Did I mention I'm flying back to Atlanta for the SpringMingle Writers' conference the weekend of 2/26-28 and then turning around and flying back to Boston for 10 days?
Then I have to fly back to Atlanta on March 13th because the Foundation Fighting Blindness VisionWalk is on the 14th and I can't miss that.
Of course, I need time to get my taxes done and I'm due back in Boston for Passover at the end of March.
Now can you spell S-T-R-E-S-S???????
Breathe Gail.... inhale AND exhale. Again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)