Those Cute Afghani Hats

When the war in Afghanistan began I had read maybe three articles about that country in Reader's Digest and U.S. News and World Report.  I may also have realized that that gorgeous girl, whose photo National Geographic kept trotting out, was from there.  Know thy enemy may be one reason that attempts at enriching our national understanding of the culture of Afghanistan have slowed down now that we are in the slog of war.  It is hard to think of such simple people giving us such trouble--but isn't that what I learned about Afghanistan from those three articles and a picture?  We were so proud of the way they fought the Russians and now we are the Russians.
I'd rather think about the pictures that we saw at the beginning--the poppy fields, the smiling girls, the tribal leaders.  I wish I knew more about the whys and wherefores of all the things that puzzle me.    I want to know if I'd offend Afghan men by wearing their Pakol hat.  Is it wrong to just grab a hat and go?
Life is a full time job.

Pre

Blogger topics are usually constantly perking along on my brain's back burner, but I'm coming to the end of my novel and every spare nerve is wound up in "is this plot viable" thinking.  If it were possible I'd swear that my brain has even pulled in my motor neurons leaving me both sedentary  and clumsy.  My apologies to my readers for the lack of posts.  I hope to be finished sometime in the next month and a half.  In the meantime, I have a list of topics I drew up before my brain went AWOL.  I'll use those to put items together, hopefully at least weekly.
The good news is this draft looks like it will be a viable draft ready for review and massive editing.  The climax came first for me and hooking up all those links from the beginning seemed unlikely, but my writer's group was there to help me keep pushing forward four double-spaced pages at a time.  Each page made the next possible and here I am with those last "i"s to dot and "t"s to cross.  There's nothing to do but pray for the best and keep writing.

No Creative Energy to Spare

I'm sorry about the huge gap on this blog, but I have no creative energy to spare. At the moment it's all pouring into my son and my home. Getting ready for a new baby is a big job, and I just don't move as fast as I used to. Progress has been made, but I still have 3 bedrooms and the basement to do major decluttering to. This is after 4 maybe 5 trips to Goodwill.
Everyone is contributing and I am finishing up plans and shopping. We have all the summer clothing purchased. Most of the baby stuff is found, though very little is actually ready to go. Plans for making the five kids who are already born feel important are mostly finalized. Little by little, it's all coming together. I just wish I could move faster. It's all too slow, and I can't climb up to get to the high stuff. One thing at a time I guess.
Don't expect much writing.

Phew!

Saving the world is serious business. I realize my blog has been suffering some neglect. I've been busy developing communication/publicity tools for Heifer Happening. I'm really enjoying myself, but I haven't had time to think up articles for this blog. I've got a new character I want to introduce for TV School fans, but I don't have time to write it yet.
School will be over soon, and that ought to free up some spare time.

Turn around

Everytime I turn around time has disappeared. My husband has been out of the country for the last week, so I've been a single parent. I'm so impressed with single-parents. I have no idea how they do it. I do it by relaxing certain rules and deadlines, and getting to be earlier than usual. My time has been well-used, but blogging just didn't fit into the mix without Kurt here to help carry some of the burden. I hope to be back on track soon.

You've lost that random feeling...

I'm afraid this is turning into the TV School blog. I may just move that story over to it's own blog, but I am having fun with it. I've been too busy and too tired to do anything heavier. All those things I planned for the summer, well, we were delayed getting the summer started, so we've been playing catch up. And, I have kept up with the writer's group. I'm taking the first 2 pages of TV School there tonight. I'll try to get back on track, but come August I'll be busy working through curriculum for homeschooling next year. This may be Mea's last year, so it has to be a great one.

I hope your own summer has you running around with only enough time to scratch out the things that make you giggle. Blessings in abundance!

A little less weedy in my 3D garden

Means that's not's much has been growing here in my cyber garden. I have been making mental notes on two short stories, but neither is ready for publication here. I have been rather swallowed up by my 3D life. There was the weeding with Edi, which has gotten me started on what looks to be an epic battle between me and this invasive vine whose actual name I do not know, but I'm having fun thinking up new ones. I'm pushing my kids through some school that got a little behind. It's been some very full months around here. We hope to be done with school by the end of this week--which means, summer's here! All those plans are about to start coming to life. All those neatly stockpiled summer essentials will have to be unearthed--Spring cleaning is also behind schedule, oops. The smell of sunscreen is beginning its annual bid to become omnipresent. The hammock is out and in full use. The kiddie wading pool has made an appearance. All the best things about summer are beginning to bloom. Sorry, but that's a little more exciting than my blog. I'll get bored eventually. Till then, keep writing.

Still behind, sorry

My office is mostly back together, and it's better than ever. I have a huge, 7x7 foot white board with the outline of my novel emblazoned at the top. It's amazing what a little paneling can do for your outlook on life. Blessings on all and to all.

An Overcrowded Office

Please forgive how behind I am on this blog. The more I write the more I need to write. Currently a host of characters, ideas and images have my mental desk on overload. My mental desk is always overfull, so this situation desperately needs addressed. The problem is that it's not just my mental desk that's precariously balanced, my physical desk in my office is looking overdue for an avalanche as well. I don't work well in messy spaces. (Don't tell my mother.) The problem is I have five kids and a large house to keep in order, so my personal space has to come last. I'm afraid that my writing on this blog will be spotty until I get this office cleared out. I can work on my novel anywhere, but the blog requires internet which is at my desk. Sorry guys, but I'll get back to it ASAP.