Traveling

I go up and pick up my youngest today from my mom and dad.  It’s about a 2 hour drive the way I do it so I’ll be in the car for a while driving down and back.  But it’s okay–saves my parents from making it again.  They came to get her Wednesday so I can do the trip back.

I slept in late this morning–I haven’t been up very long.  But at least I woke up in time to get dressed and all before I head up on time.  I may even leave early–depends on when I finish this post.  I meant to get up earlier and get the groceries but I suppose that’s going to have to wait until I get back.

I did finally get a little writing done yesterday—wrote a new introduction to my piece I plan to turn in for class at the end of the semester.  I realized that I’m really scared to take  on a piece about the time between Hurricane Katrina and my first time to try to run away from home.  I don’t remember a lot about it as far as events; I’d need to go back and look at the writing I was doing to get a feel for what all went on.  But I think I’m scared because I don’t want to feel those feelings again.

 

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Spree

So I got a check from Delta Magazine and went and spent it on music this time.  I bought 12 CD’s with less than $100.  I was proud of the good shopping I did.  SO today I plan to listen to them all straight through.

My youngest got picked up yesterday for her trip to my mom’s.  Hopefully they will have fun.  My oldest went kayaking on her trip to the Grand Canyon, so we know she is having fun.  The middle one is upstairs in her room right now but plans to go watch MSU girls’ basketball with her best friend through the weekend courtesy of Bob’s parents.  SO hopefully she will still have had fun on her spring break.

Got an interesting invitation yesterday.  National ALliance for the Mentally Ill in MS asked me to serve as their representative on a panel discussion a local psychiatric facility is having on spiritual practice and its place in mental health treatment.  I got really excited about the topic once I found it out since that is my whole message.  It’s going to be in late April.

I had planned to write all day today but I’m not sure about that.  I’m not sure what I can work on.  I have the essay that is due at the end of the year and another one that has been forming in my mind for a few months, so I may work on those.  Otherwise I’m not sure what I could work on.

I feel pretty good this morning.  I got up early right after Bob left and took out the garbage since he was running late and have been up ever since. I need to go take my meds If I’m going to stay up.  Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.

 

 

Cancelled

They cancelled my middle one’s trip yesterday.  She is down about it and I don’t really know what to do to try to make up for it.  WE told her she could have a night with her friends over that were scheduled to go and she is thinking about that.  So we will see.

Mom and dad are supposed to come get my youngest on this morning for a short visit.  I hope that goes well.

I am working on a piece for Ninth Letter about my first hospitalization.  They want work on the theme of “Margins”.  SO I’ll write about a marginalized population–the mentally ill.  I need to expand what I have so far a bit–The full story is too long and the shorter version needs a new opening.  So I hope to work on that this week.

I’m still feeling good–keeping up with most everything and being productive.  The sun is out today even if it is a little chilly, so that is good. Another few weeks and we go on our Atlanta trip with my youngest one’s gifted class.  Next weekend is another dance competition.  But I’m feeling so good I don’t think I’ll need the Xanax.  That is a wonderful feeling.

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.

 

 

Snow

My middle daughter was supposed to fly out this morning for her spring break trip to New England, and it has been snowed out up to this point.  They cancelled the flight yesterday and not sure if they are even going to do it.  At least that’s what Bob thinks.  My daughter is holding out hope that it will still happen.  We will see later on in the day.

My youngest is supposed to go out with her grandmother today for lunch and other excursions.  Tomorrow my mom and dad are coming to get her for a couple of  days upstate. SO those are her plans.

 

Editing

Just finished editing the piece that will appear in Conclave in April.   It was exciting–I read the bios of other contributors and I’m the only student–everyone else has other big credits and books to their name, so I was already feeling good about being in there–then the publisher wrote me and said it was their favorite piece out of the issue!  So that made me feel really good.

We watched some really good baseball on our little spring break trip.  It was fifty degrees, but it wasn’t raining and that made it bearable.  WE won both games and that was really nice.  The sound guys are just as funny as always–there was an on-the-mound conference by the other team and he started playing “Wanna Talk About Me” by Toby Keith.  I laughed and laughed so hard.

No class this week for me so I get a break on writing analysis and critiques.  I’ll be writing here and stay busy with that.  My youngest is going to see mom and dad for a few days so Bob and me will have some alone time.

Hope everyone has a good week!

 

 

Early Morning

So it’s another early morning for me.  I am getting my oil changed this morning and am typing at the oil change place.  SO I am awake and sleepy at the same time.

I typed up my critiques for workshop and am so grateful that the people understood where I was coming from.  One found her way to tell me that everything was fine and that she was wondering who would  ask her the hard questions she had about the piece herself.   SO I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop and see what the other girl ahs to say.  But having it done  is such a burden off of me; I am so glad I found the space to tell my truth about each piece.

I talked to the newspaper and they want to set up an appointment for me to get my  picture taken for the op-ed next week.  I just hope the piece runs before the legislature gets out of session so it can do some good.  That’s all I really want my story out for is to do some good.

It’s raining this morning but still warm.  We will see how the weekend goes; I hope the forecast is wrong and we have good weather for the games. I’m so looking forward to them.  I miss baseball.

 

 

 

Another Pretty Day

I am so glad to be getting this string of gorgeous days.  It makes my spirit feel good to  know the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming. It’s supposed to rain this weekend, but I am praying that it won’t be raining in Starkville where we are going to watch baseball games for spring break.

Worked at the food pantry today and that went well.  Everyone came in at a steady stream so we were never overwhelmed and we had a  good supply of food to hand out.  It never looks like it’s going to be enough but God always provides just enough to feed everyone that comes to pick up food. So bless ed to see him do this every time I go.

Had a good time with Marlo yesterday.  We ate at a new place called Local 468 and I had a Kobe beef burger.  It was expensive but SO GOOD.  She came in with a work emergency and spent part of the visit on the phone but once she solved it she was completely present for the rest of the visit.  SO that was nice to do for a while. We talked  shop but it was positive because we are both doing so well in what we do.

Sent off another story yesterday as well–it’s one I already have circulating but I hope someone will pick it up and it might as well be them.  We will see how it goes.  I am so glad to have a lot of work circulating so that something might land with someone.  I’m no longer bothered by rejection because I have so much out there and there is always somewhere else to send it.  SO we will see how it works out.

 

Gorgeous Day

It is so pretty outside today.  It’s just a little chilly, but the sun is out and shining and it’s going to be a lovely day.

Been writing for class this morning–I wrote on the essay assigned and turned that in.  I still have two critiques to do of other students’ work, and I feel so overwhelmed doing it.  Both pieces are long, but neither one is doing anything for me.  I just don’t like them at all.  It’s not that they’re badly written; I just can’t get into them this week.

I haven’t heard from my friend who is so sick.  She posted on her facebook page that she had been released  from the hospital, but that is all I know right now.  I hope she is getting the help she needs for her episode.  She seems so sad right now.

I go see my friend Marlo for lunch today–It’s a new place for me but he menu sounds really yummy.  We’re probably going to talk shop most of the time but that is good.  I need to SEE real people every once in a while rather than just talking on Facebook.

I still can’t get over how good I feel right now.  I’m so used to dreading spring and the mood swings and the depression.   But I am doing so well.  Even the years I didn’t go to the hospital were sometimes rocky, but right now I just feel wonderful.  I’m doing what I love to do and halfway succeeding at it; my kids are doing well; I’m not freaking out over graduation; Bob and I are getting along so well.  God is so good.

 

Today is Good

Had a very productive conference with my professor today.  We talked about the essay I just had workshopped and developed a plan for revising 1) for the class and then 2) for the call for submissions I want to send it in to. So we will see how that goes.

Just went and voted on a new school bond issue where they plan to add classrooms and improvements to every school in the district.  Trying to be fair to everyone and get done what needs to get done in each building.

WE are all on the mend from the crud we’ve had.  I hope we stay well for the Spring Break trip we have scheduled to Starkville to watch baseball.  I’m looking forward to it.  I think we will have a good time.  I need to figure out what to do with Rachel  for fun while we are off so that I’m not just spending time on the computer and ignoring her.  We will see.

I have a friend who went in to the hospital for a surgery but is now having a bipolar episode.  Please pray that she can recover both physically and mentally.  She is having a very hard time of it.

 

Slow To Wake Up

I got confused last night and took some cough syrup about an hour before the alarm went off.  So now I have been sleeping it off and maybe have finally finished my nap.  Luckily all I have to do today is go to the grocery store and meet Bob for lunch.

My friend Jo asked me yesterday how was I doing now that it was March.  I said fine, I was looking aforward to the warming weather and wearing spring clothes.  And I am. I’m not dreading anything, not even the dance competitions or the trip for school with my youngest.  I am so happy to not be dreading the future. Such a simple thing to be thankful for, but to me it’s a biggie.

My sister called last night.  We got to talking, and I discovered she had undergone a complete psych workup for some issues she’d been having, and they traced it back to her insomnia and said that it made her prone to depression. SO she is on trazodone to help her sleep.  SO then I asked her all kinds of questions because that sounded bipolar-like, except with me it’s a feature of a manic state.  I made sure she had talked with a psychiatrist instead of a just a counselor and all that.  SO it goes.  I hope she gets relief.