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My Daily Schedule as a Writer with Chronic Illnesses


I have a lot of chronic pain related illnesses, as well as a disconnect between my brain and my heart. I work from home, with a husband that works elsewhere and 2 kids and 2 cats in and out. It was hard to find friends in this city at first, but I eventually found some. I still don’t see the friends that often because we all work and have young teenagers that we are still driving around.


A typical work week day looks like this:
5:30-7:30 am get up, dressed, stretch/yoga, and make breakfast for self and kids
7:30-8 drop off kids
8am back from dropping kids at school, study a bit for lessons I teach other days
8:30-10:00 work
10-10:30 break for accountability time with another work from home friend
10:30-12 more work
12-1 husband comes home for lunch and we eat leftovers together
1-2:30more work/teaching
2:30-4 workout at gym, shower, change clothes
4-4:30 pick up kids
4:30-5 collapse in a heap or run errands
5-6 prep for evening meetings
6-8 some nights meetings, some nights house cleaning, dinner usually at 7pm regardless (husband cooks)
8-10 TV or movie or reading
10p-6a sleep, hopefully

Weekends:
6am get up, stretch/yoga, drink tea, read silly things to spouse off the internet
8am start breakfast
9am wake kids, eat breakfast
10am clean kitchen, get showered & dressed
11am church (Sundays) or reading/crafting time (Saturday)
Noon light lunch(usually leftovers)
1-3 board games or other fun with kids or shopping
3-5 writing or laundry
5-7 hang out in kitchen with spouse while he cooks (I usually help)
7 dinner
8-10 TV or movie or reading
10p-6a sleep, hopefully

Once a week activities:
Lunch with friend*
Coffeehouse Work time with co-worker*
Writer’s Guild
Author’s Greenhouse
Critique Group
Spiritual Discussions class
Church
Fun afternoon with kids*
Once a month activities
Girls Night Out*
Date Night*
Board Game afternoon with friends*
Visit Dad/Be visited by Dad
Dinner with in-laws *

*not since Covid-19

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What perks did you have as a kid from a parents job?


Places my Dad worked when I was growing up

Pen pals in foreign countries (colleagues kids), international travel (for conferences he spoke at), cool random gifts from visitors who came to stay for research, exposure to a lot of different cultures & food, all the pencils and notepads a girl could ever want, and the feeling that there was nowhere so far away that my didn’t already have a friend there.

Computers and Internet, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Today’s Speaking Engagement at TPLWC

I spoke today at the Tyler Public Library’s Writing Club Facebook Group on “Elements of Crime Writing.” It went really well, even with Facebook’s pop-ups. As you can see from the screenshot, I was once again speaking from my son’s room. Isn’t online speaking quirky?

In any case, I started out by talking about ProWritingAid’s Crime Week – an online writing conference focused on writing crimes and mysteries. I learned so much there, so this lesson was a giant summary of all the tips and tricks I learned there over the course of the week.

If you are a member of the TPLWC group, you can see the replay of the live video here: {link}

Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Speaking Engagement at TPLWC on 04/28/21

I will speak at the Tyler Public Library’s Writing Club Facebook Group on April 28, 2021 at noon about “Elements of Crime Writing.” If you are a member of the group, you can see me speak and join in on the fun writing prompts here: {link}

Computers and Internet, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Today’s Speaking Engagement at TPLWC

Today at the Tyler Public Library Writer’s Club, we asked people to reply to the prompts with videos of themselves reading their responses, in order to liven up and build our sense of community. I did introductory videos and also read all of my responses to writing prompts in comments. Several other people joined in and it was a lot of fun. What a good experiment!

Computers and Internet, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Speaking Engagement at TPLWC on 03/31/21

On March 31, 2021 at noon, I will speak at the Tyler Public Library’s Writing Club Facebook Group about “Community Building.” Well, maybe saying I’m speaking this time is a little disingenuous. What we are doing this week is a bit different and possibly a fun experiment in a new way to run our online group. Come and join the group so you can see me speak and work on the fun writing prompts here: {link}

Computers and Internet, Everywhere But Home, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Today’s Speaking Engagement at WWW

First thing this morning, my dad called and told me that he had left his suitcase behind yesterday in his haste to get out of the house on time. All his medications were in there, as was his laptop. So I needed to drive and meet him halfway between our town and his and hand off his stuff. The only problem? I was supposed to speak at the Wednesday Writers Whatchamacalit Facebook Group at 11am and there was no way I was going to make it back in time for that.

So I did what any half-way reasonable human would do: I found a place online that would record me giving my presentation, along with my slide show, and I recorded it and sent the link to the group, promising to come back and do a Q&A in the comments section once I was home.

So that is just what I did and it went really well. You can watch the whole thing for free here (you may need to register for a free account with Panopto first.) or go here for the WWW group and comments

Computers and Internet, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Speaking Engagement on 03/10/31 at Wednesday Writers Whatchamacallit

I will speak at the Wednesday Writers Whatchamacallit Facebook Group on March 10, 2021 about Writing Wonder. If you are a member of the group, you can see me speak here: {link}

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Our 24th Dating Anniversary

It’s the anniversary of our first date, so I’ve been reminiscing with the kids about why I fell in love with their father.

Not a great photo, but one of us tonight

“I fell in love with your dad the day he stood up for my right to choose who I wanted to be with and what I wanted to do, even if it meant I wasn’t choosing him or what he wanted. And we’ve stayed together, despite our many, many differences because he continues to let me choose, even when it sometimes means not choosing him and his pathway sometimes.”

Because I cannot resist a good pun
Computers and Internet, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Today’s Speaking Engagement at TPLWC

I spoke today at the Tyler Public Library’s Writing Club Facebook Group on “Writing Wonder.” Despite issues between my slideshow and Facebook, it still went really well! If you are a member of the group, you can see the replay of the live video here: {link}