It's been a super busy and stressful last month. There's been a lot going on, from soccer for the boys twice a week, to getting my office finished and still getting it organized, to having a bit of bad luck on every Friday for the past month. On top of that there's always financial worries because of some unexpected costs (water heater...sigh) and the fact that until Alberta stops flooding or burning, that there isn't any work for my hubby. <tightens belt>
Oh, and now hubby's knee is having problems again. I swear, his knee had finally gotten better after over 2yrs of pain for him, then I get Cancer. I get better and his knee gets injured again... Can we stop this please?
Anyways, amongst all that I still take time to enjoy certain things. The belly laughs of my kids are always a good way to cheer up, along with big group hugs or cuddles from them. The fact that the summer has finally made an appearance, and right in time for the Summer Solstice! (Happy Litha!) The almost daily lunch-time walks with a few of my co-workers; gets us outside for fresh air, sun and some exercise! I've finally started following weight-watchers again, and first week following it I lost 2.8 lbs. :)
Then there was the most awesome of awesome, the local RWA chapter, CaRWA's AGM last Saturday.
There was a couple of amazing presentations thanks to some of the writers in our group. It ended in a huge brainstorming session and I have to say I absolutely stoked about writing again! Something huge is coming up and I can't wait to be able to share it with everyone!!
I have to say I've been completely blessed with the workshops that CaRWA has had so far this year. I was feeling like a fake, like I shouldn't even really be on the Board because it didn't seem like I was ever going to finish anything or ever even send out a query to an agent or editor. Felt like I wouldn't ever get that first rejection letter to show that I had stepped up to PRO status through the RWA. Now because of the Mary Buckham workshop, the CaRWA AGM, and coming soon the When Words Collide festival (where CaRWA is going to host a totally AWESOME pajama party on Saturday night), I'm feeling like I can actually do this again!
The voices in my head have started speaking again after being mute for so long. Normal people might find this a scary thing but, "Writers aren't exactly people.... they're a whole bunch of people trying to be one person." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald. (love that quote!)
One other good new thing that I'm just bouncing about. I was doing some checking on-line for a Communications degree and I found out that Athabasca U seems to have what I need. The really good news? The fact that I checked out what programs are accepted to continue from, and the Hotel & Restaurant Mgmt Diploma that I have is acknowledged!! Thank goodness that in Sept 2010 I retook the one and only course that I had ever failed and got my diploma. This means that I don't have to do any upgrading and I can go right for my BA in Communications! I'm still bouncing on this! Plus my work covers upgrading such as this, so not only can I get my degree on-line, I can do it for virtually free! SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!
I'm not looking to start this until September, because I need some time to finish a novella first, plus I want to enjoy my summer instead of being holed up inside with text books. But all that aside, everything here is a step in the write (haha) direction for me to make a career out of writing. Plus I'm more likely to be able to work from home doing freelance if I have that degree because I'll be able to do web content, possibly copy writing (whatever that may be), and a bunch of other options. My current job involves processing payments which are mostly cheques and what not, so working from home isn't an option. I realize that the work from home thing won't be for at least a few years, but it's still a better probability if I take this route.
It's funny, I took the Hotel & Restaurant Mgmt Diploma because when I was 17, it seemed practical and I would be guaranteed to have a job since the hospitality industry is huge. What I didn't realize then was that they are crappy paying jobs, and I hated the schooling for it. Then 10yrs later, I went for my Accounting Certificate thinking that since I didn't mind working with numbers and also because I liked to problem solve, that I would end up working towards a CGA designation.
The problem with both those decisions? Too logical and practical. Yes, they helped me get good jobs and such, but there has been no love for it. I'll say truthfully that I don't hate my job. I love the people I work with, the job is easy, and it gives me plenty of time to think about other things such as school or writing. But again there is no love for it.
Me wanting to write on the other hand makes me happy in my heart. This doesn't mean that it'll ever be easy. I fight with myself to get my butt in the chair, I may stare at blank pages waiting for inspiration to hit.. or even just a bolt of lightning to get my system shocked and moving, but once I get those words on the page, it's magic. Even if what I've written is complete crap as it is sometimes bound to be, I feel pride in the fact that I've created something. I can share a bit of myself, my feelings, and the crazy worlds that I have living inside my head, and the best feeling in the world is to share my words.
