End of Month Update

I know you’re all waiting with bated breath for this report so hang onto your chair because here it comes…

Writing-wise:

- Inkwell Inspirations, my new group block went online Aug 31st. It a group of Christian writers but the content isn't just about writing. It's about life. We're giving away daily prizes and then 2 grand prizes at the end of Oct - one for writers and one for readers. Leave a comment and throw your name in the hat.

- submitted When You Least Expect It to the Southern Heat contest

- worked on Silent Keeper. This book is going a lot slower than I wanted but at least it’s moving forward and I’m basically keeping to the plotting chart

- did not work on Marry Me Ma’am. I wanted to but trying to get ready for ACFW conference in Denver in Sept has taken precedence as well as getting Jessie ready for college. Oh yeah, and we can't forget the tear down in the living room (see below)

- because of the damage in the living room, my writing cave is still in the sunroom. I love it out there! Especially now that we've been getting gorgeous harvest weather. The ambiance from the quiet and trees really helps me write. And with school starting on Tues, I'll get more writing accomplished.


Newsworthy:

- Gave away a free book to someone who identified a phot0. I’m thinking of a new giveaway and will throw all names in a bucket for this one. Stay tuned.

- Rec’d a free Debbie Macomber book from eHarlequin for putting Debbie’s badge on this blog last June. Actually, Debbie is the keynote speaker at the ACFW conference this year and I’m thinking I might get her to autograph this book and then I’ll give it away here. Any interest in a contest here with an autographed Debbie Macomber book as a prize?


Reading-wise:

- haven’t done much reading lately. I have lots of books on the Sony 505 eReader which I’m test driving and must give back by the end of this month but I’m concentrating on my writing.


Family-wise:

- Nelson drives Jessie to Calgary today to start classes. My baby is leaving us. :=(

- large 4'x5' hole still in wall between living room and kitchen. We’ve had one estimate done but insurance company wants another. Finally managed to corral an electrican to move the outlet which was sitting 4 inches from the broken water pipe, but haven’t got a plumber yet. So far black plumbing tape is keeping the water at bay when we have a bath. Did you hear that – a bath – shower is inoperative since we’re down to bare walls in the bathroom. Two shower curtains draped over the hole in the wall provides privacy. So far. Trust me, it’s a humbling experience. So far we’ve bought a new tub, picked out new carpeting for living room and hallway, and picked out new vinyl for bathroom. Just today hubby and I went into city to pick wallpaper for the wall where a 4'x4' section is open to bare boards. Took 2 trips to Home Depot because I couldn't decide. Finally picked one I'd always wanted but never dared because we knew we'd have to sell the house (military career). Since we'll be here on the farm for many years to come, I finally picked . Strange that hubby kept saying he didn't want to help choose but when I showed him this cranberry one, his eyes lit up and he said, "Yes!" :)


And that's what's happening at Draper's Acres these days.

Sunroom Pics

So if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know I've been spending a lot of time in the sunroom. I love it out here but held off until now because the plastic was still covering the screen windows due to the cold, rainy weather we've been having. Then on the hot days, the room heated up so fast it was unbearable.

Well, a few days ago I decided enough was enough. With it being the 3rd week of July already, if the plastic didn't come 0ff now, we may as well leave it up since it's only 7 wks til Labour Day. Yes, already!


This is what I see when I look out the patio door in the dining room. And yes, the sunroom is also used as a storage room.
The black thing on the table is my laptop because that's where I work.

The boys took down the plastic and now I have an extra room to play...er...write in. So much more light and fresh air than in the garage/rec centre. A lot more dust, too but we won't worry about that. I can clean off my laptop just as well as the next person.



If I look up from my laptop and look left, this is what I see in the southeast direction.



So here I am, kidless until Saturday. I'm posting pics of where I am and what I see so you can spend the week with me. I'm in my 'writing cave' this week but it's about the most unlikeliest cave environment ever. Like I said, lots of light, very breezy but comfortably so, trees filled with chattering birds, barn swallows teaching their babies how to fly, and the occasional baler or farm tractor out on the road or field. I even got buzzed by a crop duster the other day. Didn't like that.

This is the view if I look more to the left which is in a northeasterly direction. Behind the flowers are a row of mugo pines which divide the patio from the driveway.

Okay, enough procrastinating. I have a manuscrip to crit and a suspense novel, Silent Keeper, to write...

...now see - hubby's off work today and he knows I'm working but I just caught a movement at the corner of my eye and there's these hands waving above the mugo pines and yup, Nelson's just appeared, grinning, and hands still waving, as he heads south toward the front of the house. And here I thought I was kidless this week...