The Frugal Millionairess

Happy 2012!!

2012-01-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! Every spare moment these is spent on my book. I feel so blessed to do something I enjoy so much! As a result my blog has gotten the short shrift, but undoubtedly all those years of frugal choices have helped me be able to write now. I hope each of you is progressing toward much dreamed for goals and hopes and that 2012 is a fantastic year for all!! Eileen

Good news on nature!

2011-11-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

I read this article this morning with my iced tea and bagel and it just made my day!

http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/top-comebacks.xml?src=gp

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T17:51:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween to All!!

The Future Is Looking Bright....

2011-10-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

Kirk and I were reading the story of Louis Braille tonight. It starts out with a heartbreaking accident that causes young Louis to go blind. Then it goes on to explain that at that time, early 1800s, most blind people had miserable lives.

Since blind people couldn't communicate with others by reading or writing, it was considered useless to send them to school. As a result, they were cut off from such professions as teaching, law, and medicine. Many blind people had to live in poorhouses. Others begged for food and money on street corners. The lucky ones found jobs shoveling coal or carrying bricks in exchange for food and a place to sleep.

The story goes on to tell how Louis was determined to find a way to read and help others do the same. There was at the time a cumbersome system of raised letters, but it was time consuming to read, expensive to produce, and would never truly open the world of books to the blind. At fifteen, Louis Braille created the Braille system - though it was not accepted during his lifetime, this gift he gave to the future lives on today to millions of blind people.

When we finished the book, Kirk and I talked about how sad and troubling things we now accept will one day likely be changed, perhaps by one person, dedicated to solving that particular problem. In the future, we may not be able to imagine hungry children, ill children, people dying in wars or being sent to prison. All it takes is that one person determined to find a way. Good wishes! Eileen

NO complaining 21 day challenge. Hit or miss;-)

2011-10-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

One night, browsing the internet, I read about a person trying to improve his marriage by not complaining for three weeks. He referred to a 21 day no complaint challenge that eventually led me to the website http://www.acomplaintfreeworld.org/

I LOVED the idea. And I was successful for almost three hours. Then, ironically, I found myself complaining to a friend about my kids' complaints pertaining to four of the five food items on their dinner plates. Following the suggested practice, I switched my bracelet (my own though the site offers one) to the other wrist as a notice to myself I'd have to start the 21 days over again.

And thus I've gone on, once going three days before the switch. I will be delighted to hit a new high of four days but am benefitting from the mere attempt. The very process of editing the complaints, negative descriptions, griping, and whining from my communications makes me realize two things. First, negative talk is a complete bore. Second, when I talk about the "bad" stuff, I "re-infect myself" by reliving the situation and just bring myself and whomever I'm talking to down.

This challenge has made me very aware how much I complain to the kids ("Yuck! Can't you please close your mouth when you chew!"), about the kids ("You wouldn't believe how much the kids were fighting today!") and around them ("I can see why the postal service is going broke with those inconvenient hours").

So if you take out all the negative, what's left to talk about? I've started asking "So what's the good word?" when we sit down to dinner or I call my parents. I really enjoy hearing what's going well in others' lives. And talking about the good in my day: a hug from the kids, a perfectly toasted bagel, a kind check out clerk, the blue jay up in the Oak tree, the fact the kids ate all their veggies (even if open-mouthed), brings my mood up, reminding me of the myriad of happy moments in each day.

So far I've made it to 9:02, Wednesday morning, keeping it on the up and up. I had to start over again last night....not that I'm complaining...;-)Good wishes!

Hello!

2011-10-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

As I got more and more behind on my blog, I was too embarrassed to even check my last post date. Finally, tonight I took the plunge, wow, almost two months!

To anyone kind enough to have checked in during that time, thanks and apologies for being so slow. It has been a wonderful few months. I made huge progress on my book. I have worked really, really hard to be a better mom (not always successfully) by listening more and being more in the moment. I got a lot done in the yard, finally tackling the weediest areas. And of my list of all the projects I wanted to tackle by October first, I made serious progress, including getting the 1980's wallpaper out of two bathrooms after living here for 14 years with plans to do so;-)

I'm enamored of the Happiness Project and get her daily postings. A recent one I really took to heart was about making the life you want. She wrote "If I've learned one thing from my happiness project, it's that if I want my life to be a certain way, I must be that way myself. If I want my marriage to be tender and romantic, I must be tender and romantic."

I love that line! I copied it and emailed it to myself as a reminder to create the life I want, I have to be the person I want to be and do the things that person would do. I get it wrong a lot, and get frustrated when I do something the person I want to be wouldn't do (over eat at the Chinese Buffet, yell at the kid over minor stuff, ignore my family, not call my parents regularly, let the dishes stack up till the ants all come back, etc. etc.) But I make baby steps to be that person and when I do something she would do, I pat her/me on the back;-).

I hope all of you are striving toward goals that will and are bringing you joy. Best wishes! Eileen

Five daily frugals

2011-08-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to do several frugal things each day to keep on track. It's sometimes easier to make a goal of five choices a day that are frugal, and then enjoy trying to meet that goal.

Admittedly, that's not as efficient as sticking to a budget, something I've slacked on this summer. That said, it was a fun, frugal weekend. We took our big quilts to the laundry mat because when we bought our washer I asked the guy for any advice on getting it to last as long as possible. He told me keep the lint traps clean and don't wash big blankets. He said that shaking thing you sometimes get when the blanket gets to one side is very, very hard on the machine.

We also biked to the beach. We live too far out to bike to most places so we drive part of the way, park, then bike part of the way.

Kirk had wanted swim flipper and goggles. We stopped at a thrift shop on our way to the beach and lucked out finding flippers that fit for $1.

We spent Sunday at a local park playing baseball, soccer, Frisbee and even a bit of tennis (almost all equipment gotten at garage sales through the years), so fun and frugal.

Cooked a big batch of pasta, then made three meals for the week ahead - mushroom, spinach pasta; ricotta lasagna pasta, cold veggie pasta.

Happy frugaling;-)

Frugal decisions -

2011-08-11T18:35:00.001-07:00

Frugal Decision #1

Two months past the one year warranty (NOT frugal), I make a long overdue call to the appliance store to say our "new" dryer isn't drying very well. She suggests prior to sending a technician for an $85 trip charge, I disconnect the dryer from the vent system and try one load of towels. So I do, and sure enough, rather than needing two and a half full cycles, all six towels are dry in 50 minutes. So I look into the vent system as best I can, where it curves into the wall, stick my hand in and feel a LOT of lint.

Next I look for vent cleaning services, and up pops "Vent cleaning scams", so I check the local listings for good reviews and find one that got 28 positive reviews and no negative. They charge $179 to clean the dryer vents, sounds pricey, but they got good reviews, and my dryer vent goes all the way under the family room, has three 90 degree angles, is almost 20 feet long and I know hasn't been cleaned in at least the decade we've lived here.

The tech comes and can't get his "magic wand" through. He has to take apart each piece of the pipe work (ripping off the duct tape), and shows me it's so clogged with wet lint (stinky too) that barely a pen could fit through the middle. He completely empties the entire line - almost three grocery bags full of wet lint, puts it all back together and my dryer is working great. Lesson learned, and I think, money well spent as I wouldn't have been comfortable taking apart all that tubing.

Frugal Decision #2 -

Kai's training wheels, which I'd gotten for 50 cents at a garage sale, finally gave way. We bought another set for $10, and they lasted all of about a week before bending when he hit a curb. A person recommended a bike shop that I think of as pretty expensive (think Trek bikes) to see if they could help. I went and asked the tech and he said they had a pair they'd taken off another bike that I could have for free and would just have to pay the $10 installation fee. Happy to do so, this new pair, as he showed me, was almost three times thicker metal than the first.

Frugal Decision #3 -

We're biking almost everywhere. Cheaper than gas, better for the environment, and makes for healthier mom and kids;-).

Frugal Decision #4 -

Working in spare moments, I'm finally making some progress on the book. Today I set the timer for one hour and told Kai if he played quietly for an hour, we would go to the lake. He found some dinosaurs and I was able to get in some writing and sketch out a scene. So happy all around.

Frugal Decision #5 -

Staying at home a lot more this summer and really enjoying our pretty home, yard, and neighborhood as well as the local parks, beaches, lakes, and neighborhoods.

Frugal Decision #6 -

Having too many times missed opportunities to get something I needed because I forgot, I now keep a list in the car of stuff we need, and errands that need to be run. I used to keep this list on the refrigerator door (I still keep the grocery list posted so the minute the butter is out it's on the list) but I find glancing at is as I'm about to run to the library and see "need nails for picture for Living Room" is all I need to be way more efficient.

Good wishes!

A fun day, but a troubling sight at night.

2011-08-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. We got the good news the window shouldn't have broken due to a Pokeball and four- year- old and probably had a stress fracture or some fault and will be replaced just for the $60 installation costs. We also biked downtown to meet Greg (Kirk is visiting the grandparents) for dinner and got to see a free water ski show (they were practicing) and stopped to watch a Frisbee tag game.

But while we were headed back, a mini-van jerked to stop right in front of the porta-potty and a woman started to get out, then the car jerked forward again and I was a afraid she would get hurt. Then when she got out she clearly had a big black eye - all red and puffy. She went to the port-a-potty while the guy got out of the van and waited by the side. I didn't know what to do as I had Kai and didn't want to "get involved" and wished as they drove away I would have written down the license plate so I could at least have called 911. So tonight, please send up a little prayer for a woman in a situation that didn't look good and for every person everywhere that is in a troubled situation. Thanks.

Frugal steps forward and back.

2011-08-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

With great pride I had intended to write of my frugal bike basket and fixing the drain without a single dollar to a plumber nor environmental impact of Liquid Plumber. I had seen a bike basket for $22 at Walmart, but looking at it, it looked a bit flimsy and it occurred to me that the maybe I could make my own. So I found a white wicker basket for $1.20 at a thrift store, two black zip strips that I had left over from a fencing job, and had a "new" bike basket that's worked great.

Then we had a drain that wasn't working for awhile. I figured it was just clogged and was loathe to pour nasty chemicals down the drain, so I used wire cutters a wire hanger and managed to pull out the gunk - icky, icky, icky, and now have a perfectly fine drain.

But then today, Kai was throwing a small plastic Pokemon ball and hit our family room window with a force surprising for a four year old and cracked the big picture window. I have to believe the earlier savings will be offset by window repair costs;-).

But each time I find a way to save or be creative, I still get that thrill. Good wishes. Eileen

Last day of July, 2011

2011-07-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Spent three and a half glorious hours at Panera working on my book, mostly research to answer questions that occured to me when I was in Boston. I put on my headphones and get my large iced tea and delve into 1775 with enormous satisfaction. I haven't had much time to write this summer. With the kids both home full-time, by the time 9:30 p.m. rolls around and kids are in bed (supposedly 8:30), the dog has been walked, Greg and I have a chance to chat about our days, I'm usually ready to sleep and the thought of powering up my computer for research or writing is as unappealing as nighttime sit ups;-). So today, Sunday, was a wonderful time to focus.

The kids and I are biking a lot as I'm trying to exercise away about eight pounds. Now if they want a weekly bagel at Panera, we ride four miles round trip to get that treat. We have to drive to a place where we can all be on safe sidewalks first, but it's fun and the kids seem to argue a lot less when they get lots of outside exercise.

We found a tunnel for $2 at a thrift store (don't shop them much now with the kids to avoid the unending "I wanna xyz"" but we did this day and trained Brandi to go through it with treats. I often feel like she needs more interesting things to do; she's not exactly the obstacles course type Sheltie, but I've read dogs are happier when they are challenged to think and try new things. So this was a happy find.

I am always trying to find ways to get the kids to help out in the garden, not usually to much avail, but when Kai realized he could deliver some annuals we'd gotten on sale to the pot I was putting them in, he got into the spirit.;-)

Good wishes to all and to all a happy summertime! Eileen

Summer and the living is good;-)

2011-07-26T18:47:00.001-07:00

Wisconsin summers are beautiful! And the dry weather, while bad for gardening, has kept away our usual hordes of mosquitoes. Farmer's markets every weekend are a bonus. Rode our bikes downtown to meet Greg for dinner and met a very gracious woman from Columbia who is visiting his firm. She is completely bilingual and it makes me happy I've been studying Spanish with the kids a bit each day and excited to someday be able to carry on a conversation! Wishing you all happy summers!

Boston research trip...

2011-07-20T18:06:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a wonderful, wonderful trip to Boston to see all the historic sites from Paul Revere's home to Old North Church, to Lexington and Concord. The trip really gave me a new perspective on our history and corrected some important logistics errors in my book where I have characters doing things that were either on the wrong side of Boston or physically impossible due the time and mileage;-). These sorts of errors will now be corrected. The trip also gave me an appreciation for what a gift we've been given to live in a democracy. The birth of America was never a sure thing! Good wishes! Eileen

War of 1812

2011-07-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I appear to have fallen off the planet. The kids home full time for the summer has been a lot of fun, but very active. Today we went to Prairie Du Chein for a War of 1812 battle reenactment at this very fort on the Mississippi river. It was really interesting (no lives lost) and I learned lots of little details about the lives of soldiers, their families, etc. so it was helpful for my book too. The book comes along in bits and pieces. Once the writing class was over, it's been hard to get many chunks of time, but I write when I can.

We are being pretty good on the frugal front - home more and eating at home pretty much always. Few thrift store ventures (much harder with two boys in tow;-)

The garden is wonderful this time of the year and always makes me happy, whether I'm out there or just watching from the windows.

Wishing all of you a happy July and baby steps along your own journeys. Eileen

Summer Writing Course - Terrific!

2011-06-24T19:00:00.001-07:00

The one week summer writing course here at the University was just wonderful! I really felt the time and money were well spent. There were six writers and one instructor and we focused a lot on revisions - what was good and what needed to be polished. It was nice to meet the other writers, all of whom have the same hopes and dreams of getting published and our instructor was terrific. Lunches were done with a notebook and scads of notes from the morning session. The last day I treated myself to some annuals for the deck. The book is coming along, but sometimes the whole process seems painfully slow. Wishing you all the best on your journeys.

A good start to summer....

2011-06-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

Summer is off to a good start. I've got my one week writing intensive next week and the instructor insists all five of us in the class need to shoot for sales as soon as it's done. I've been extra conscious of dribs and drabs going out and have a daily chart showing what we spent that day on a big pink sheet for the refrigerator. This is just a nice little extra boost to remember how things add up. My goal for summer is to live like we're in a cabin on a lake - i.e. less stuff to care for, more outdoor activities and simple meals, etc. To this end, I've continued cleaning out clutter even beyond the garage sale and it always feels good to see less stuff as I look around the house. My biggest weakness is books and educational games, but I'm trying to tell myself I don't need to hold on to them. We can use and enjoy them and then let them go (they are all purchased at garage or thrift stores). So the goal is the final revisions for the book and just enjoying my wonderful kids for a long, happy summer, living as simply and frugally as possible...;-)

A fun, frugal day...

2011-05-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

It was a fun, frugal, productive day - those are often the best. I was reading at the Happiness Project that people are often happiest not when they "let themselves off the hook" but rather push through and complete something difficult. I think there's a lot of truth to that.

Today I attended the Women Science Fiction Writer's conference. I sat in on some feminist topics and was interested to hear the various viewpoints of women in literature, especially the need for more powerful girl lead characters in young adult and middle grade books.

After the conference, I took our Pug to the dog park so she could stretch her legs and we scoured the town compost/recycle center where someone must have just dug up these four shrubs. At home I got my trusty shovel, my soaker hose, and wheelbarrow and as I type, they are all settled into their new home in my garden - fun, fun, fun.

Hoping to carry though that happiness project edict through the evening and clean the entire downstairs still tonight..and not "let myself off the hook" but that remains to be seen;-).

Frugal ups and downs....

2011-05-27T10:52:00.001-07:00

Continuing to make efforts to get that extra $45 either cut from expenses or added to the till daily. This effort has made me much more aware of the drips and drabs that go out. The other day I was thinking of getting something for $2, I don't even now what it was, but definitely not a necessity. Then I thought, well that will just up the ante to $47 today and took a pass. I'm much more aware of eating expenses too and have been doing more casseroles and homemade pizza. This month's food won't make our ideal budget $400 for the entire month, but hopefully next month will.

On the up side, my neighbors are delighted with my mini-plant sale at the end of the driveway and several have told me how happy they were to buy a hosta, phlox or some other plant. I started hauling up the bins I stored through the year marked garage sale for my sale this coming week, another reminder to reduce clutter! I read somewhere the only things you should store are holiday and out of season clothing, otherwise, there should be nothing to "store" it should be used or gone. I like that idea.

Another blip when I went down to get the bins, I saw a puddle of water by the water softener. Plumber showed me the bottom is almost completely rusted out - it is from 1995, so a decent life length - and will have to be replaced. On the upside, an acquaintance has a husband that does small engine repair and our mower's pull start just came off, so he said he could fix it for us. So happy to repair verses replace. The mower was a great deal at $30 off Craigslist just as winter was setting in three or so years ago.

Finally, I got two bales of hay for $5 from a local farmer to put as mulch in the big vegetable garden I put in. My mini-van now has that nice "horsey" smell I like so much;-)

Signing off. Wishing you all frugal days. Eileen

Two dollars in $1600 out....

2011-05-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

I was all set to post about our frugal weekend - weekly grocery shopping only $100 rather than the $150 it's been creeping up to (including paper/cleaning/other supplies). Sold a few plants each day, ate lunch before the zoo trip to avoid temptation, etc. Feeling pretty on top of this whole back to frugal living!

Then yesterday, our little guy had a tantrum in the car because he wanted mommy to drive him to preschool. Greg had agreed to drive to help me out. Just as Greg was backing out of the garage, Kai somehow managed to unlock the door and open it just far enough that it caught on the garage frame. No one hurt thank heavens. But the car door was bent on the frame and wouldn't close. So Kai and I followed Greg to a body shop on one side of town ($1600 estimate - will need new frame and door), then to a car rental place on the other side of town (five maybe six day's worth).

Later that day, I found two dollars tucked into my plant sale box - sold a bleeding heart. So it was $2 in, $1600 out. On the plus side, everyone is okay and I've found in the past every time you recommit to frugality, there are going to be a few blips here and there. This one was bigger than the usual blip, but as long as we stay the course, we'll come out ahead.

Happy days to all. Eileen

2011-05-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

I've been filling the pots on my deck for the summer. As in years past, I walk out to the garden and dig lots and lots of perennials for the bulk of the planters, then just fill in here and there with annuals. This makes it a LOT cheaper to have a lush look. I'm about 1/4 of the way done. These planters are all "free" perennials from the yard mixed with some annuals I overwintered in the kitchen. One of the best things about this method is perennials that I might miss out in the big gardens take on a whole new appearance up close and personal in pots on the deck. I learn to appreciate them a lot more and usually have a lot of butterflies on the deck by mid summer. Good wishes! Eileen

Tightwad Gazette Muffins...

2011-05-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

In my back to basics budget mode, I got out my the Tightwad Gazette Muffin recipe. It's wonderful because it is so versatile. It's a great - user-upper of odds and ends. Today's were some soft/mushy fruit, left over red-hots, and the last drabs of apple juice. And because the recipe doesn't call for sugar, they muffins are pretty healthy. They freeze well too. Then got on a roll and made a loaf of pumpkin bread - with sugar - you can guess which the kids prefer. Good wishes!
-

Finding an extra $45 per day....

2011-05-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

After our Quicken bit the dust, eventually partially restored by the Best Buy geek squad, I decided to go back to the pen and paper route as a backup. The Budget Kit came highly recommended so I'm starting to fill it out. Using bankrate.com savings goal calculator, I revised our goal for four years. It's a pretty steep goal, but it's always fun to aim high. To reach it, we would need to reduce our expenses $45 per day. So four times a day, a $11.25 choice needs to be questioned or nine times a day an extra $5 needs to be saved.

It is always fun to have a specific goal to shoot for. Having this in mind, I decided rather than Tastee Freeze small cones for the kids today, which I'd planned to ease our list of errands and donations, I popped a big bowl of popcorn and gave them each a water bottle and popcorn bag (recycled bread wrapper) and they were happy. (I didn't mention the decision to forgo the ice cream - that would NOT have gone over well). So there was about $4. Then I took half an hour and gathered a bunch of donations I'd stashed in the closet to drop off and got my receipt ($20 in tax savings). When we got home, I had $4 in my plant sale honesty box.

The majority of the savings is going to come from groceries (no more tossed guacamole), household, and leisure. And of the $45, $16 each day is toward a vacation fund for a big vacation that we could always postpone if we fail to meet our goal.

Good wishes to all on your own goals!

Lazy man's compost idea not a success;-)

2011-05-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

I try to compost as much as possible. There's something very satisfying in a granola type manner in taking all my cucumber peelings (despite the fact the cucumbers were likely trucked here from South America) and putting them right back into the earth. But I also strive for ease and had a recent brainstorm that rather than haul it all back to the soon to be vegetable garden clear on the other side of the yard, I'd just tuck these bits of future black gold right into the pots on my deck where they would decompose and feed my potted plants. Apparently last night a hungry creature (opossum? raccoon?) decided to check out the hidden buffet offerings and probably enjoyed the equivalent of an Easter Egg hunt throughout my deck. So today, the watermelon rind, peelings, and egg shells went directly out into the garden...bon appetit scavenging nocturnals...

15 Minutes - You can do anything!

2011-05-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

The Happiness Project had a great article today called "Suffer for 15 Minutes". The gist is any project that weighs on you that you know you should/need/want to do, but just seems too big, can be broken down into 15 minute blocks. I had signed up for two on-line writing classes, but there were some technical difficulties signing in, I had forgotten an assignment and so the whole thing sat in my in box waiting "Till I get more time."

Interesting, there was yet another article on the same site that when you put something off "till you have more time" you will rarely do it. More time is an elusive proposition. So I decided I could suffer fifteen minutes, went through and found the email link to the course, figured out the next assignment, and will begin on in tomorrow (15 minutes) easing back into what had been a four hour a day writing process.

Good wishes finding that one thing you know you should/could/want to do and setting aside 15 minutes TODAY to suffer. There is a great feeling at the end of the day when you go to bed that you know you made headway on something important to you that you'd been putting off.

Lunch at Giverny...

2011-05-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

At the suggestion of a friend, I've been working on a revised 100 item bucket list of dreams. On that list is a trip to Monet's famous gardens at Giverny. Today I happened upon this book with a diorama that is just wonderful for $2. So I decided I would lunch there via my back porch until I get to the real thing;-).

Also on my bucket list is a tour of the great gardens of Europe, and lo and behold, the same thrift store had the complete set of Audrey Hepburn's Gardens of the World series at fifty cents each. So I'm traveling on the cheap this week, but enjoying it very much. Happy Bucket List Making to All! And to all a hearty Bon Appetit!

P.S. The Diet Coke and plate of reheated spaghetti that rounded out this meal were kept out of the picture for the sake of aesthetics...;-)

Dead Best-Selling Author....

2011-05-15T18:37:00.001-07:00

If you believe there are no coincidences, then if something catches your attention, there is a reason. Today, as I was waiting in line at the grocery store, someone behind me was talking about several best selling books he'd just gotten to read. My ears perked up as I unloaded watermelon onto the checkout counter. The speaker then said, "And here's the weird part, the guy dies after he's finished the books, then, like, four of them become best-sellers!"

Definite lesson there to be in the moment, to put process over product, and to enjoy the journey! I have a great quote over my kitchen sink to not rush, to enjoy the moment, to realize this moment is just as important, more so really, than any future moment.

While far from the Dalia Lama in this endeavor, I do find I'm a bit more able to do this as time passes. It's something I have to be conscious of and work at, but when I'm in the moment, it all feels more real and more fun.

Good wishes. Off to walk the dogs with my neighbor, hopefully present with each footfall.

Frugal Gardening - Bluebells and Ferns

2011-05-14T14:40:00.001-07:00

I LOVE this time of the year and my wooded areas are now quite colorful a few years after I added a number of bluebells and ferns. In both cases, these wonderful plants spread readily in shady spots. So when I drove around surrounding areas, I often would see a yard stuffed with one or the other and salivate with wanting that look. One day I saw a yard just a sea of bluebells and on the spot found some paper and a pen and wrote a note asking if I could buy some clumps, leaving my phone number. I got a call within a day and the person was glad to sell me as many as I wanted. We ended up agreeing on $20 for about a 10 foot square area that she wanted to have dug out for something else anyway. That got me an entire trunkful. Later, in the spring, on a garden website, someone mentioned you could by bulk bluebells as starter roots on eBay. I contacted a seller, and they said if I bought 100, they would drop the price to 35 cents each. It was a great deal as the plants are usually $4 or $5 each at a nursery and you can only buy them in the spring as they go dormant in the summer.

A bit later, I was craving a ferny glade of my own and saw another house with ferns cramped in large numbers all around the basement. Another note, and this time I also offered to trade if that would be preferable. As it turned out, the person was thrilled to trade for hostas and I was thrilled to get the ferns. So a win/win.

Now these plants have established themselves and I give them as gifts to fellow gardeners, sell them at my plant sale, and cut them to decorate the house. They will continue to multiply for years and I now put some in pots for early spring color. So that note and original $20 has long since paid off. If you have your eye on some perennial and your heart set on have loads of them, consider driving about the neighborhood. Chances are if someone already has oodles of the same plant, they'll be happy to sell or trade for something they don't have.

Good wishes! Eileen

Can I do this for free?

2011-05-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

As I was organizing my bookshelves today, I came across the book "How I Lived a Year on Just a Pound a Day" by Kath Kelly. It was inspiring to see how much creativity she used and how she did actually succeed, sometimes on less than a pound a day. So it was on my mind today and the thought, "Can I do this for free?" popped up several times.

My brother had called to say he'd forgotten his sunglasses here at Easter and would I mail them. So I thought, "Can I do this for free?" (sans postage) and the answer was yes. I had a box sitting out to recycle and a found a grocery sack (harder to find now that we bring our own bags but my mom saves them for me too). Turned the bag inside out, wrapped the box, and there you go, all set to mail - for free;-). And as is usually the case with frugality, the Earth's resources get a break too. Good wishes! Eileen

No Shopping Venues

2011-05-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

My six-year-old Kirk has found the joys of garage sales and thrift stores where fifty cents can buy a new (to him) toy or two books and five dollars can garner a bike or a scooter. That's good as far as his ability to judge the buying power of money and the incredible difference between buying new and used. He's also sold on the environmental benefits of shopping the local church sale for his various wants and needs. Recently, he proudly brought home his Earth Day poster from school that proclaimed "BUY USED" with pictures of his various treasures.

But I worry when I see him become more interested in the entertainment value of shopping to the exclusion of other things. Last month we went to a museum and walked through an amazing display of dinosaur artifacts with Kirk asking every few minutes, "Can we go to the gift shop now?" (In full disclosure, I visited my dear friend Emelia in New Mexico a few years back. One day later I was talking about our visit to the Georgia O'Keefe museum. She said, "Eileen, don't you remember the museum was closed and we just visited the gift shop and bought some posters?"--oops!)

In an effort to help Kirk expand his entertainment horizons beyond shopping and the need to bring something home when we go on an outing, I've been making a list of nature activities and nature areas that we can visit this summer. Last weekend we biked to a duck marsh. Admittedly Kirk asked several times if we could get home so he could play a computer game on PBS kids, but mostly we enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine.

Hopefully by helping him find value in things that do not involve acquiring yet more material goods, I will reinforce this for myself...though maybe not until after I take a quick pass through that amazing subdivision sale next Saturday morning.....

Shifting around life dreams

2011-05-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a week now since we learned the final IVF failed. It's been such a roller coaster year, more than a year actually. It started with the dream/hope of a third child, especially a daughter, then doctor visits upon visits, shots upon shots, an empty pink picture frame to be filled and pair of maternity jeans for a sort of new-age visualization boost. Then hoping, waiting, wondering.

One of the ironic costs of all that waiting and wondering is that I sometimes wasn't there emotionally as much as I could have been for the two beautiful children I already have been blessed with. I was so worried and hopeful and so attached to the someday visions of the little sister they were going to have, of her dolls, dollhouses, and pink dresses, she and I taking a coffee break together while shopping for her college clothes (I don't even drink coffee), Anika and Greg dancing at her wedding, that I often lost sight of the moment I was in.

So I ask myself the lessons to take from this. Obviously there is the importance of being in the moment. How many little real moments did I trade for these "Someday" moments I was creating in my head? Another is the lesson of gratitude. Imagine if all this had gone on eight and four years ago and I'd never had my sweet, wonderful two boys? A friend's husband was in a terrible accident a bit over a year ago. He is now in a wheelchair, unable to feed himself or use a bathroom. She says she looks back now and wonders if the accident had never happened, would she have continued to live day to day, taking for granted the blessings of health and mobility, of having a husband she could take a walk through the woods with? She is adjusting to a new reality and trying to find those happy moments in the moments as they unfold, taking less for granted.

A final lesson is one in detachment. Greg went to a Jesuit retreat awhile back and they talked a lot about the importance of detachment, of not putting your happiness into things outside yourself. In the abstract, this makes a lot of sense. No one and nothing should dictate your happiness. You choose to be happy or not. But then I think that many things outside me do make me happy: Greg, the kids, my parents, my garden, a good book, talking with a friend, walking my dog, working on my book with an iced tea and raisin bagel at my side. Without those and hundreds of others, surely I would have fewer happy moments in my life. But detachment is about the grasping, clinging, fearful quality of the wish that must come true for happiness to be felt. And I get that too.

So, signing off today, I endeavor to stay more in the moment, appreciate the myriad of blessings that I am constantly surrounded with, and let go and let God as to my dreams of a daughter.

Good wishes on all your journeys! Eileen

Bit blue

2011-04-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our third and final attempt at IVF failed and I find myself going through a grieving process. It certainly makes me appreciate our two sons even more than ever. Good wishes. Eileen

Happy milestone!! Just sent manuscript to agent!

2011-04-10T09:54:00.001-07:00

Happy milestone! Just sent off the first three chapters to an agent. It's been a long journey! He said they usually get back within four or five weeks. Happy wishes to everyone on their journeys! Eileen

The "ouch" factor in rejection...;-)

2011-04-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

I went to a wonderful conference this weekend for writers in which we could sign up to pitch to agents. The first one I pitched was very kind. He's a new agent from the Midwest who doesn't do my genre, but was willing to have me send the first three chapters to take a look. So Friday was a high.

Today, the agent was from Los Angeles. I waited my turn and sat across the table from him. (It's set up a lot like a job interview.) I'd gotten one sentence into my pitch "A boy who travels in time to save the American Revolution" when he help up his hand and told me to stop right there. He doesn't "do" science fiction. Taken off guard and feeling lame -had I missed this on his website or conference blurb? I tried for another sentence to talk about the historical angle. Exasperated sigh on his end. Then a slowing down of his speaking pace (implication - can't talk too fast with dimwits;-) Finally, his reply, "You just don't get it, do you? Time travel is not reality. I deal with reality." Silence. End of pitch as he shuffled his papers for the next person. So I left two and a half minutes into my allotted eight minutes, pink faced and mortified in front of the fifteen others waiting in chairs. The timer, apparently thrown off, asked if I was done or what? "Um...Yes." A few tears later (I know, how pathetic to cry over this when there are true tragedies out there - blame it on hormones) I drove home and enjoyed seeing the fam.

Before the pitch, sweaty palms and nervous stomachs all around, a group of ten or more of us were milling around waiting for our time, it occurred to me I would not have what it takes to be in the entertainment business - singing, acting, comedy. You'd have to have such an enormously strong ego to take inevitable rejection. During our lunch yesterday, the speaker noted that Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was turned down not 10, not 50, not 100, but over 120 times before it was published, so she said we need to thank all the creative types that don't give up and keep striving despite rejections, to get their work out there. Agreed!

Schuler Books Weblog had the lovely list of rejections (some of which I listed below), the perfect salve for the wounded writer's soul. 1. Stephen King

Mr. King received dozens of rejections for his first novel, Carrie; he kept them tidily nailed to a spike under a timber in his bedroom.

One of the publishers sent Mr. King’s rejection with these words:

We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.

2. William Golding

Mr. Golding’s Lord of the Flies was rejected by 20 publishers. One denounced the future classic with these words (which should be inscribed on the hapless publisher’s tomb):

an absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull.

5. Joseph Heller

In an act of almost unparalleled stupidity, one publisher wrote of Mr. Heller’s Catch-22:

I haven’t the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say…Apparently the author intends it to be funny – possibly even satire – but it is really not funny on any intellectual level.

6. J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (later Sorceror’s) Stone was rejected by a dozen publishers, including biggies like Penguin and HarperCollins. Bloomsbury, a small London publisher, only took it on at the behest of the CEO’s eight-year old daughter, who begged her father to print the book. God bless you, sweetheart.

Okay, a couple hours, an iced Diet Coke and few slices of pizza later, I realize the pettiness of this and have shaken off the angst;-).

Getting finances back on track.

2011-04-05T07:06:00.001-07:00

Taking a break now that the manuscript is off and getting our finances back in order. Turns out our Quicken program has gotten so complex, some things automatically downloaded, others didn't, that we are having to hand enter a lot of stuff, but that's good for keeping tabs.

I feel 100 percent better getting those numbers back in line! My new goal is three steps to FI each day. During the past couple days, I found several exemptions we'd missed for taxes, updated and corrected some of the Quicken information, started file for business expenses, and did some of my own home repairs (putting in new weather strip at front door - but now the door is really hard to close and the kids keep leaving it open a crack - so I'm not sure the real savings on this;-).

I also started cleaning the fridge and to date have tossed $10 worth of food. On the plus side, Greg and I agreed no lunches out this week and so I cooked like a fiend on Sunday - enchiladas, pasta salad, spinach mushroom casserole, German potato salad - (handy to have multiple crock pots) so we're good to go on this.

Greg and the kids have started their own "baseball club" to meet each night, which they love. Kai and I love our non-agitator washing machine with clear lid;-).

Goal is four hours of writing today, so I'll sign off. Good wishes.

Milestone - Just sent off my 236 page manuscript for summer class!

2011-04-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Each step is a good feeling. Just finished last spell check of the 236 page manuscript and sent it off for the summer class - (today was the deadline) along with as story summary. Now I'm going off to read a fun romance book, with nothing to do with the American Revolution;-) Good wishes on all our journeys. Eileen

Steps forward, steps back, doing the shuffle;-)

2011-03-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hello out there. I haven't fallen off the planet. I know several of you blog too, so you'll understand the fall off the wagon thing;-)

I went to a writer's conference this past weekend. We got feedback both from the speaker, who is a published author in young adult - best selling author I should add - as well as a writing teacher from a nearby college. The feedback to me would be generously termed "lukewarm". They definitely found a lot of problems and issues that need work, so will be plugging onward there.

The retreat was held at a Catholic retreat center, so bare bones accommodations, but it was nice to just focus solely on writing for two days and also meet so many other local writers, both published and hopefuls like me.

Greg and I worked out another budget today, which I was really happy about. Our focus on FI has really taken a backseat to the idea for the company first, then for my writing. I dislike the feeling that we're not keeping a tight eye on things, working with a specific plan, so today's work to have specific numbers in each category was a relief.

We are having some "handymen" jobs being done and for some odd reason, that sort of thing always stresses me out. They found five of the posts to the porch completely rotted, the new storm door didn't fit properly, and when they went to shut off the main water to fix a house filter, they turned the wrong knob (ancient one in 30 year old house probably never turned on before) and it's started a slow drip so I probably need to call in a plumber. Wow, reading that sounds so petty considering all the true troubles in the world.

To turn toward the positive, I have set a goal to do two items focused on FI each day, starting today, and to get in a minimum of 20 hours a week on the book. The kids are doing great. Kirk's teacher told me he is now several grades ahead in both reading and math, so all those mini-lessons we do each night must be paying off. Both kids are spending a few days with their grandparents at the farm as it's spring break and I think they are all enjoying it-with a few "moments" thrown in of brothers' fighting, having to bring them to an eye appointment that went late and the impossible task of keeping a 3 and 7 year old entertained in an optometrists office for almost an hour. My mother in law is awesome, awesome, awesome, and always manages all this with great grace.

Good wishes!

More Happy News!

2011-03-09T08:34:00.001-08:00

I was accepted to an intensive one-week writing course this summer. My wonderful mother-in-law graciously said she'd love to have the kids visit that week. I had to be okayed by three different instructors, so that was a feeling of accomplishment. Good wishes to each of you on your own journeys. Those baby steps add up over time! Right now I'm working through the "Writing the Breakout Novel workbook" and finding it extremely helpful.

A step forward!

2011-03-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to get some really positive feedback from a writing instructor here at the University. She said the last few chapters were 95 percent publishable! That was music to my ears, now just need to up it that last five percent. I'll be going to a writer's retreat weekend toward the end of the month and hopefully there will be enough help there to get that boost. I'm walking on air! Good wishes.

2011-02-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

Putting those left-over Panera cups to good frugal use - winter sowing. Happy thoughts of spring.

Good wishes! Eileen

Kirk turns 7!

2011-02-18T05:42:00.000-08:00

Kirk enjoying his "birthday breakfast waffle" this morning. He's got to be the sweetest kid on the planet. He enjoyed an unexpected day home yesterday as the teachers had a walk-out for union contract issues. He was very worried they'd be on strike for his birthday and he wouldn't get to bring in his treats;-).

Greg is in NY learning about licensing issues at a conference. We're quite far from anything like that, but he wanted to get the lay of the land so to speak. Sometimes it all seems so impossibly hard and far away, but step by step I keep reminding myself.

I am applying for a one week summer writing course here in Madison that I've heard great things about. You submit 20 pages of the novel and a one page summary and have to get okayed by three professors, so wish me luck.

Happy days all around.

Scary sugar stats

2011-02-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

I went to a "tame your sweet tooth" seminar at the local school and it was an eye opener. First, she showed us teaspoonful by teaspoonful, how much sugar was in a 20 ounce Pepsi (one of my favorites) and YIKES!

Then she went through additional sugar facts. Here are a few excerpts from the handouts.
1. Sugar can suppress the immune system and destroy germ killing ability for up to five hours after ingesting (she didn't quote the amount here).

2. Sugar contributes to weight issues because when you have excess insulin in your blood, cells can't release their fat into the bloodstream.

3. High insulin levels can decrease the body's ability to absorb nutrients from other foods.

4. Cravings for sugar are often caused by a lack of water.

5. If you chew your food 25 times per bite you will reduce your cravings for sugar because you will be releasing natural sugars in the healthier foods you eat.

6. Cinnamon is a blood sugar stabilizer and will lend a sweet flavor to your foods.

7. The chemicals in diet foods are just plain scary!

Happy Superbowl Sunday!

2011-02-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

We welcomed superbowl sunday by making that wonderful vegan chili that Vermont Cottage blog posted - YUM!! Then made two other recipes from Fat Free Vegan website, so we are well stocked with vegan meals for the week. I saw the vegan challenge on Oprah and thought we'd try it for a week. Super healthy, super frugal food!

Kirk and Kai are back to swim lessons for the winter - not cheap, but a lifelong skill.

At church the first graders read the petitions at church today - Kirk was so proud. They are working on a donkey project, where they work to earn money to send to Ghana for women to use donkeys in the fields for planting. I have mixed feelings - certainly wanting to help the women, but the donkeys don't look really happy in the pictures. Then free donuts after church to celebrate the kids' good work. I go to a stop eating so much sugar $11 community class on Wednesday night - so this was my last big sugar kick - delicious. Only Greg was strong enough to abstain;-)

The King's Speech

2011-02-04T19:37:00.001-08:00

Just got back from seeing this movie. Loved, loved, loved it. Definitely talks to the will of some special people to "do the right thing" and overcome adversity.

Blizzard Conditions - Welcome February;-)

2011-02-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

We are under blizzard conditions with up to 12 inches expected over the next 24 hours or so. My neighbor and I braved it for our evening walk - and kind of enjoyed the other-worldliness of it all. Coming into my warm foyer, this picture of my grandpa as an infant made me think how tough our grandparents/great-grandparents were, toughing out these conditions without central heating or indoor plumbing!

A Frugal Day!

2011-01-31T18:08:00.000-08:00

It was good to be home. The kids both stayed home; they had minor colds and we all missed each other, so it was a good bonding day.

I baked like a fiend. Kai and I made banana bread to use up all the frozen bananas that had started to get too ripe and two pumpkin breads to use up half a bag of walnuts. Then I made the "tightwad gazette quiche", which turned out awful - I over cooked it. I insisted the kids eat a bit if they wanted cake. Kirk took one big bite and threw up, I'm not kidding. Compliments to the chef....;-) The remaining pan was left out on the deck for the birds and squirrels.

Otherwise, we made conscious effort not to waste. I made salmon patties to use up half a jar of bread crumbs and we reused the bath water for Brandi's bath. I find when I'm not wasteful (even when it doesn't make a lot of difference financially) I just feel better about life.

Good wishes! Supposed to be a big snowstorm tomorrow, so we may have another stay at home day. Kids loved the light bright sets I'd gotten at a garage sale this summer and stashed for just a winter day like today. Kirk has been choosing to sleep in Kai's room lately and they call it a sleep over party.... Eileen

Take away lessons from conference.

2011-01-29T18:59:00.001-08:00

Today was day one of the conference, and it was definitely inspiring to hear from some great authors/illustrators. My takeaway from the break out sessions with editors and agents was that your focus should be writing a great book. The gimmicks about marketing, query letters, contracts, etc. is far, far down the list. Numbers 1-10 should just be writing well.

I really enjoyed one of the key speakers, Jules Feiffer, both writer and illustrator (he did the pictures for Phantom Tollbooth). At 83, it is so clear how much joy he finds in his work, which he calls play. He said he goes into the process unafraid, in fact expecting, it may not work, but also knowing inside he'll make it work, even if it doesn't the first four or five times.

The other take away, oddly enough, is how nice it is to have less stuff to manage. I brought three dresses and a coat. I have no stuffed closets, no knickknacks, no crammed drawers of stuff to deal with - I can see the appeal of living simply for writers;-).

Good wishes to all. Tomorrow is day two, then I have a six o'clock evening flight back to Wisconsin.
Eileen

Hello from the Big Apple

2011-01-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

Hello from the Big Apple. The International Children's Writers conference starts tomorrow and I am in three small group sessions in which I will be able to meet agents, editors and other writers, which I'm quite excited about.

The trip is not too terribly expensive. I bundled the airfare with a hotel (2 star), which saved a lot. And although the hotel is the most no frill of no frills, sort of like a youth hostel, it is only a short way from the convention, so I can walk. And there is a wonderful airport bus that for $5 (plus $3 tip) got me to within 1/2 block of my hotel - got to love public transport.

I stopped by the beautiful NY public library for awhile this afternoon to see an exhibit about Marie Curie that was really interesting (and free). Now I'm up in my room on the 28th floor and can see the McGraw/Hill headquarters so hopefully that is a good omen;-).

Best wishes. Eileen

Off to New York City tomorrow to the Int. Writer's Conference

2011-01-27T18:43:00.001-08:00

I am excited and a bit nervous, a bit disappointed the whole thing is taking so long (I was there last year for the toy fair), but try to keep reminding myself all good things take time. Ironically, I was watching Oprah's Master Classes and Simon Cowell was on and he said patience was the key to success. He said he'd been interviewing someone for his company and said, "You start at the bottom, but in ten, fifteen years, you can really be making some money and know the industry." He said the young man looked at him like he was crazy - ten years!!! - didn't six months sound better;-). I can relate! Sometimes my blog is a reminder that I've been at this a long time with no real breakthroughs and that can be disheartening . . . and a good reminder that the journey is the key. Good wishes to all! Eileen

A Happy New Year!

2011-01-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a happy 2011. I turned 43 the past week and feel very blessed in my life. I'm excited about improving my writing and watching the kids grow and learn, trying to be more in the moment and more focused on the good in each moment. I went to a dinner last night with six other women, all trying to start businesses and realize there are many kindred spirits in the world. Happy journeying to all of us. Best wishes. Eileen

Some disappointments - some blessings

2011-01-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

I submitted some of my story to a professional writer who teaches a class. She sent back very detailed feedback, but also was blunt in that the book is simply not ready to be sent out. It has a lot of challenges, both big and small. So I will still go to NY to "network", but I will not submit the book. On the plus side, I am staring anew with some very good directives like having a specific point of view for each chapter, to put more conflict within scenes to drive the story forward, to use dialogue more naturally (I have some long patches that border soliloquies) and to tighten up the motivations of the characters.

A blessing was someone calling who had found my i-phone on the street in front of the bookstore where I attended my first writers' critique group. I'm so happy to have my phone back! I'm not sure if the group is the best fit for me, but I appreciated their very supportive attitude.

So good wishes. Remember even two steps forward and one back is still a step forward;-). Good wishes. Eileen

28 Days to New York Writers' Conference!

2010-12-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. Henry Ford

Only 28 days till I fly to New York for the International Children's Writers and Illustrators conference! My intention is to find an agent and a publisher for the first of the six book series. Today I worked about four hours on the story (the kids are at the farm with the grandparents in Iowa) and redesigned my business card to hand out. Wishing each of us enormous luck and perseverance during the month of January on whatever journey we're on. Happy almost New Years;-).

Happy Christmas Eve 2010!

2010-12-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! Feeling blessed for all the good in life and working to just be in the moment throughout the next few days. Wishing everyone joy and happiness. Eileen

Moments verses Milestones.....

2010-12-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

It was a really nice weekend. Greg and I had date night on Saturday and enjoyed Social Network, about Facebook and its founders. Then today we snuggled in on a bitter WI winter day and never ventured outside, napping, playing board games and reading stories - along with probably too much t.v. watching for the kids.

Tonight Kirk and I read a picture book about JFK. I'd picked it up at a thrift store because Kirk loves to quote the line, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." It was an interesting story, and as we read it, he asked a lot of good questions, and I was thinking how knowledgeable he's getting about U.S. history. Later we were reading a story about feudal times and the adventures of Jeanne de Montfort during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between England and France, which I didn't even know happened;-). As we read, I was again thinking how much further ahead Kirk is than I was at his age, that he's reaching certain milestones quite early.

This morning, I watched Kai trying to sound out the word cat and jet and was thinking within a year, he'll be reading too. What an exciting milestone that will be.

As I work on my books, I think about the January trip to NYC and the hopes of meeting an agent and think, what an exciting milestone that will be.

And so on. Then tonight I flipped my little motivational calendar to the next page and saw the quote "Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments. Rose Kennedy"

How timely a reminder! It is so ironic that we were just reading about her son - his life's milestones wrapped up in about twenty pages. Also ironic that I was thinking earlier today how fun it would be if I could be 25 again, with my whole life stretched out in front of me, and still feel uber young and full of possibilities, but somehow know I'd marry Greg and we'd have these wonderful kids. I found myself thinking how much less angst I would have had, and how much I would have enjoyed my twenties. But life doesn't work that way. The season of contentment doesn't tend to come in one's twenties along with that smooth skin and flat stomach;-)...

And the milestones are pretty few and far between. Should I get an agent, I would be over the moon and we would toast the evening and celebrate. But even assuming a five hour celebration with friends - itself a long party when we don't tend to be the party type, that celebration of the milestone, would be the culmination of probably 400 hours of writing. So surely, "life" was more a matter of those moments typing away at my laptop at Panera and not the short milestone of the accomplishment.

It's not a new idea, but enjoying the journey is a lesson I seem to need to keep reminding myself of. And with the kids, I need to remember not to be always looking for the next milestone - Kirk's front teeth to grow in, his Christmas play at church, Kai learning to read or turning four. Instead I want to enjoy all the minutes in between, which wiggle out of my grasp and dissipate into the air if I'm not present and watching and aware (thank you Eckhart Tolle for lots of good advice on this).

So that is a rather long winded way of saying, "seize the journey" and not just the milestones along the way since the time you spend traveling along the road is a lot longer than the exciting moment of arrival at your destination;-). Good wishes to each of you on your journeys.

Phones and friends and family....

2010-12-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

In an effort to live more in a state of gratitude, I've been trying to be more conscious of all the things I'm grateful for. Tonight I had a lovely long chat with a friend in San Diego and earlier in the week a good talk with another dear friend in Santa Fe. In between, I try to call my mom in IL every few days to update her on Christmas shopping or little stories about the kids that I know she'll enjoy. I think how lucky we are to be able to "reach out and touch someone" with such ease. The minute something happens I can feel connected to the people I care about most, even hundreds of miles away, something that throughout history wouldn't have been possible. So thanks Alexander Graham Bell and even Charter Communications;-).

Bloody feet and waterproof boots....

2010-12-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

It has been bitterly cold here in Wisconsin, so much so that I don't even do my nightly walk with my neighbor and our dogs. I've been reading up quite a bit on the Battle of Trenton, otherwise known as the crossing of the Delaware, and reading about how many of those soldiers went on that long night march with no shoes and just wrapped rags around their feet. Imagine if you will, marching through snow, in a bitter storm, with no waterproof boots, with your feet cracked and bleeding, and of course, your life on the line. I don't think we can really ever completely appreciate the sacrifices that built the country we live in. So signing off with lots of appreciation for current warmth and past dedications. Puts "bad traffic" and "bad roads" in perspective...

Character building;-)

2010-12-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

I'm really enjoying the learning process involved in writing. My work today was to further develop my characters - with help from writing exercises. A Google search revealed 45 questions I should be able to answer about my characters - type of clothing they wear - cherished items in their rooms - music they prefer. It's really reaching to create someone from scratch - but then it's all about building character - for both the book and the authoress;-). Good wishes.

Painting the pictures of our lives....brush stroke by brush stroke....

2010-12-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

Oh the metaphors just flow when I'm in my writing mode;-). I spent four hours today on the story and it was a good day's work. Afterward, I treated myself to a thrift store outing (I decided to give up that goal of not shopping till January 1 - noble, but life is short and thrift stores really do bring enormous fun to me - whether the fun of a new blouse for $2 or a great Newberry award winning kids' book for 50 cents that I can take apart and highlight the heck out of for tips on good writing). Today I found a lovely painting for $6. The colors and subject matter made me smile. On my bucket list is to someday do my own original paintings of flowers - to bring my summer garden hobby year round and even richer.

I am making good progress on my paint by number (2 hours during Kai's nap on Sunday) and it occurred to me that painting this picture, and watching it evolve bit by bit, is sort of like this new life I am creating - and it's fun to watch it take shape and see how much even a bit of time can move things forward. So here's to hoping each of us works to paint a lovely painting, stroke, by stroke, of our own best life (as Oprah would say).

Believe in yourself.

2010-12-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Today was a fun stay in and avoid the 6 inches of snow outside kind of Sunday. I worked on only thinking about the positive all day and when I felt myself slipping, would instantly remind myself "Think of 10 things I love" or "Think of 10 things I am grateful for" and it worked quite well.

Attached is a video clip from Tracy Porter's website. She is also based in WI and has grown a successful business of gorgeous home products and now clothing too. If you get a chance to watch the video, it's inspiring. She repeats more than once that you just have to choose to believe in yourself, a message for all of us most of the time;-).

For some reason the link won't show. You can go to www.tracyporter.com and see video of their interview.
Good wishes! Eileen

Life is a highway....

2010-12-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had breakfast with what I call my CEO club - two other women also starting companies with high hopes and nascent business skills. Ironically, the one most worried is the only one with actual sales for her product - not enough to break even yet, but actual shipments going out and checks coming in. She is deathly afraid of failing, but the other woman and I kept reminding her over our tea, she'd already succeeded.

She had been a stay at home mom of three for 16 years, living on a shoestring budget and had a dream of creating a product to help children. Her husband said "Go for it, just don't spend any money," because times were tight. She used the university system here to design her idea a place called Fab Lab (open to all inventors). Her daughter spoke some Chinese so she placed the actual calls to factories using her daughter's basic vocabulary and found one to make her product. Then she waded through her own trademark registration, customs laws, etc.

I look at that and think she can't fail because she's already succeeded. She really is a different woman than she was when she started two years ago, more confident, more knowledgeable, more willing to take on risks. I have enormous, enormous respect for her.

She has told me she has many, many other business ideas and I am sure that even if this product doesn't have the market success she hopes for (and I actually think it will), another idea she develops will. She will be starting from a new, stronger position.

Even if she never chose to do another business, she still has the strength of character she gained from this endeavor. We go out of this world with no more of the outer trappings than we came into it with. But, hopefully, we depart with a spirit that has evolved to a higher self. My friend has traveled down the road of risk and challenge and hardship and persevered, so she has evolved in this lifetime and become more of the woman she wants to be. Surely that defines success!

I share that story because I see so few women who realize how amazing and successful they are. Any time you are trying to become a better you, whether by learning to meditate, trying to laugh more each day, reading a self-help book or taking a class, you are going further down the highway of the journey of self-development, you are evolving and thus you are succeeding. Good wishes! Happy December.

Edit is finally here! A big step!

2010-12-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

Tonight the editor emailed the revised clean copy along with the bloodied one to show his revisions. This is so exciting! He says it's in good enough shape to send out and cautioned me against too many changes (I have 20 pages of changes based on additional research that I've been working on while I was awaiting his comments). He also cautioned me against adding too much historic detail which he thinks will drag down the story, but the pages I want to add have a lot of the battle included, which Kirk thought was really interesting, so I guess I'll have to make a final call on that. But still, all in all, I'm excited to meet this milestone! Happy evening to all. Eileen
p.s. Should any of you be working on something similar, a professional edit cost $300.

The Battle for My Mind;-).

2010-11-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

I had a tough day Monday, learning that the second IVF cycle had failed. The day before I learned the editor who is doing the line edit had taken on another project, putting mine on hold. During this time, I have been listening to The Power by Rhonda Bryne, author of The Secret. In her book, she stresses again and again that your thoughts determine your world. And I absolutely believe that.

What can be disconcerting then, is how often I find negative thoughts streaming through my mind. I have started my flower painting (paint by number kit) which I love. It allows me to be completely still and focused. And yet at that time in particular, I hear fear thoughts come streaming through (what if the baby dream never works out) irritation thoughts (I can't believe that neighbor keeps letting her dog bark) sadness (mom looked quite a bit older the last time I saw her and I wish she would take better care of herself).

I myself am shocked at how much negative energy/ideas there are floating around in my head, when I generally think of myself as a positive person. What is all that muck? Why am I not sitting with my paintbrush in hand thinking how lucky I am to be married to a man who not only loves me and the kids, but has a kind heart, is a phenomenal provider and thinks I'm quite pretty. Why am I not overwhelmed at how lucky I am to have two healthy, smart, funny boys who love me and Greg and our families. Why don't I think more about how blessed I am to have wonderful parents, in-laws, financial stability, a new career start writing fiction, good health and to top it all off, happen to live in the free est country in the world?

In her book, The Power, Bryne suggests you train your mind, not unlike training your body, to focus on what you love, what you're grateful for, what makes you happy. I took out a new notepad a few days ago that I entitled Gratitude and Serendipity journal and am now making a nightly habit to remind myself of all the good I already have and to remind myself daily to appreciate all this wealth.

If any of you have little tricks that help you come out of the dole drums and focus on the awesomeness of life, I'd love to hear them. Good wishes! Eileen

Science Fairs and dirty dishes;-)

2010-11-13T19:35:00.001-08:00

Kirk was really proud of his science fair experiment today - tornado in a jar. All the kids got medals and it was a good experience all around. I'm absolutely sure the time that was spent on this was more important than cleaning the kitchen, but the result was a mess of dishes still waiting to be done at 10 p.m. I'm finding myself a bit stretched as time goes on and deciding that I'm just going to have to be okay with dirty dishes more often. Greg has been a trooper taking up some of the slack - he just offered to do the big weekly grocery shopping, but there is just not time for everything and I've decided to try and be okay with the house not like I'd like it to be. Well that or just a whole lot less stuff at the house. Kirk and I were just reading a little blurb about the Greeks tonight, and the closing paragraph was timely.
"The story of Greek life is the story of both moderation and simplicity. Our material possessions, such as houses, furniture, books, and cars take up a great deal of the owner's time and attention. They have to be polished, brushed, painted, mended, and guarded. The Greeks would probably feel that we are not so much the owners of property as the slaves to our possessions. The Greeks wanted to be free in both body and mind. So that they could keep their liberty and be truly free in spirit, they reduced their daily needs to the lowest possible point."

But what to toss? What is excess? Tonight we watched a video called Science Rock from Schoolhouse Rock, we played a game called Marketplace before dinner and did two puzzles after dinner. All these things, purchased from thrift stores, do add to our lives in education and enjoyment, but admittely, all those things take time to organize, sort, find lost pieces, etc. I don't have a really good criteria list for what to keep/what to toss. Any thoughts? Good wishes! Eileen

Making some progress on those November goals

2010-11-11T06:13:00.001-08:00

...if you want something very badly, you can achieve it. It may take patience, very hard work, a real struggle, and a long time; but it can be done. That much faith is the prerequisite of any undertaking, artistic or otherwise. Margo Jones (1913-1955)

November goals are coming along quite well, and as silly perhaps as it sounds, the star chart is helping. I see it every time I go to the refrigerator and it reminds me both how much I've accomplished this month and what areas could use a bit of work in the ten or twenty odd minutes of free time before I need to head out the door or while I wait for the school bus to arrive. There's never any doubt how to focus my time in those bits and pieces.

The credit for the idea goes to the author of the Happiness Challenge - Gretchen Rubin. I posted about her book earlier. I LOVE it!!! It is a concrete way to live more happily and after my run-in with the crazy political guy, I think we all should do all we can to live each day in a happy frame of mind. The author is quite impressive too; she clerked for the Supreme Court and her research skills and analytical thinking are clearly evident throughout. It's both a thoughtful and thought provoking book.

I finally ordered a paint by number kit and have started painting my floral masterpiece, a goal I swear I've had five years but never got around to. But now it was on my November list and there was no way I was going to not get a star;-).

Hope all your dreams and hopes and plans are coming along well. Good wishes. Eileen
P.S. Should you be interested, the author also has a website http://www.happiness-project.com/

Got cussed out today - road rage goes political;-).

2010-11-02T19:15:00.001-07:00

You can transcend all negativity when you realize that the only power it has over you is your belief in it. As you experience this truth about yourself you are set free. Eileen Caddy

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It was there all the time. Anna Freud (1895-1982)

I helped out at a friend's campaign today and held signs near a polling place - staying the legal distance away. A guy in a suit stopped his black BMW and his face mottled purple with rage, began ranting, "You're F#$(ing breaking the law." I assured him I was over 100 yards away, the legal limit. He then broke into, "I'm F*(#_ing calling the cops. And you're f#(&ing supporting an idiot." Lots of rage there. Other than thinking the guy might want to try some meditation exercises;-),
the experience really made me conscious of the sacrifices that people made during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's and women's efforts to get the vote in the 1920's (and before). To be on the receiving end of all that hate, merely for holding a sign, was eye opening. I can't imagine doing a sit in at a lunch counter with rabid police dogs waiting on the street outside or speaking up for women's rights while an audience of men yelled derogatory remarks and threw things - those were some tough people and we owe them a lot!

On happier news, I kept my goals for writing three hours today. And I met a wonderful children's librarian who graciously told me about some of the ins and outs of good kids' books.

Happy election day to all - be glad we live where we can all express our viewpoints! Eileen

Happy Halloween 2010!

2010-10-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween 2010!! Greg is taking the kids around this year and I have some time to blog as we have only gotten three trick-or-treaters so far. One of the wonderful things about having a blog is it's a sort of journal as well and I was able to look back to this exact time last year and see how far I've come with hopes and dreams and also how I've "detoured" a few times;-).

I just finished posting my Nov. goals on the refrigerator along with our Nov. family good deeds chart so I'm hoping to check this next year, Oct. 31, 2011 and have made amazing progress in each goal area.

Today I signed up for an online dialogue writing course here at the University and also applied for an author mentor program also local, so I'm hoping to continue to learn and become a much better writer.

Good wishes to all of you! Kai was not in the mood for pictures tonight, so here's Kirk with his fiercest looking Jedi Knight pose. Eileen

Organized people rule the world and I'm not one of them;-)

2010-10-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went on a cooking spree, with two crock pots on the counter top, 24 muffins and a casserole just finishing up in the oven. As a result of all this, I shouldn't have to cook for a week and will be unlikely to have a $20 lunch for two (Kai and I) because nothing was handy at home. I have told myself before, if I could just get into a routine of cooking one day a week and freezing/refrigerating the leftovers, we'd eat healthier and save a ton on food. But there is no set date and just getting a grocery list together before I leave to shop can be a hassle - but again I fantasize having a succinct, cost approved list, to shop on say Fridays, followed by Saturday cook-a-thon for a few hours, all dishes done and put away, and be eating healthy, cheap, and organized for life;-).

Then I did about three loads of laundry, and dumped them all on the floor to join about three other baskets full for a fold-a-thon while Kai watched Curious George and again thought if I could get us down to about seven sets of clothes each and be disciplined about doing it every Saturday morning, folding it, getting it put away and not even thinking about laundry until the following week, we'd have fewer clothes all over the kids' rooms floors and my closet and the hall and the bathrooms. We'd no longer have stuffed closets and drawers, and we'd dress well, cleanly, and cheaply for life;-)

I imagine having the mowing and basement cleanout on a schedule, knowing exactly where the "Mom where's my" items are at, and getting thank yous out the day it occurs to me one is due.

I admire folks like that and if you're one of those people, feel free to pass on some advice. I realize having systems and schedules make life easier and more rewarding and need to learn to be better about putting them in place.

There's something comforting also about living within self-imposed limits. Quite often the last few months I been to busy to focus on staying within budgeted amounts for food, etc. I am just glad to find the time to get to the store, but that sort of ad-hoc living doesn't sit well. In some weird way I can't quite define, I like knowing I "can't" run to the store and have to make do and find being creative and living within a budget often more comforting somehow (despite the fact we are doing fine financially). Similarly, when I stick to a certain routine for eating healthy or exercising, there are two rewards: the results of those choices, but also the good feeling from being self-disciplined enough to stick to process to achieve the goal. Too much anything, food, spending, clutter, behindness(if there is such a word), all feels yuck! (Not the best adjective for an aspiring author but you get the gist;-).

Aside from needing to learn organization, Kai and I had a fun day. We played some games, took Brandi to the vet, went out to that $20 lunch, went to the zoo and a playground. At three, I always notice his behavior is so much better when he has my full attention; he really thrives on it and I need to be more "present" with him daily. Good wishes!

Getting behind, feeling a bit low...

2010-10-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how you can know so much what's good for you, but it can be so hard to do it! My house is getting too messy again. I went to a thrift store today, again, breaking my vow, and got some wonderful books and educational games, but it is more stuff coming in, when my goal is to reduce clutter and own less stuff. I know this as I pull into the parking lot, but it's a bit of an addiction. Second, I know full well I CANNOT stay out of candy and sweets in the house, but got two big bags of candy for trick or treators and ate about 17 mini-candy bars yesterday - YUCK!! I haven't gotten anything done on book two, haven't exercised in several days, and feel that bad feeling of not making progress in any area. So that's my whine for the evening. Otherwise, life is good. Kirk is home from school for teacher conferences to we went to the children's museum, then Greg's work had a Halloween party for the kids so we went. Kids are high on sugar as I type and cranky as all get out. Ooops, I said I was done with the whining. Will sign off. Good wishes. Eileen

Manuscript sent off this morning for line edit! And Nov. goals - Want to join me??

2010-10-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

I met a big milestone today and sent off the manuscript for the first book for a final line edit to the book doctor in Milwaukee. He said it will take about two weeks for a complete edit, then it's on finding an agent and publisher. I'm thrilled to be at this point!!!

At one point, due to a computer glitch, I lost about a week's worth of work - very discouraging, but I eventually made it up.

Today I'm planning to make a list of November goals - how to be a better person by the end of 30 days, straight off the How to Think Big book cassette tape I got free in a box of stuff at the side of the road after an auction.

Goals: Spend one hour each day for 20 days of the month thinking - pen in hand - and listing ideas. I've done that to good success in the past and just fallen off the wagon.

Do 20 minutes of yoga for 20 days this month (nameste yoga that we tape on the fitness channel)and lose two pounds by the end of the month through cutting way back on sugar to 30 grams a day (too many hours worked at Panera with yummy apple danishes for a reward not good) to be 135.7(ish;-).

Have the second book ready for its first edit by Nov. 30 (that's stretching it quite a bit, but would be wonderful - I'm up to page 20 and it will be around 80 pages).

Reread the book on Sibling rivalry or take parenting class on 123 Magic to help deal both with the kids fighting and with Kai's occasional temper tantrums.

Post four times on the company website to share learning ideas - Kirk at six can now do some fourth grade math and is the top of his class for reading and loves school - so it's nice to see the rewards of our educational games and books and posters, etc.

Do 20 good deeds and post a family good deed chart to focus more on kind acts and not so much on stuff.

Zero, zip, zilch trips to thrift stores, clothing stores, etc. for November. In a weak moment yesterday, I went to a thrift store I hadn't been to in months and bought $40 in kids books (50 cents each) and kids games ($1) each - the checkout woman asked me if I was a teacher;-). I also got a great pair of Kenneth Cole boots ($16). So my cravings should be sated for a bit??

Do one oil painting of a flower - my new hobby I've long wanted to do and been reading about, but never taken a paintbrush to hand.

Joy and good wishes to each of you on your journeys. Maybe someone will join me for November goals??

A month of life lessons;-)

2010-10-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe a month has gone by since I last posted. It had been my dear hope that when I posted again I would open with the words that a new baby was on the way, but such is not the case. I also felt a bit hypocritical posting about frugality as we went through the very expensive IVF process. We are blessed that we can afford this route, in part due to years of being frugal, though, so maybe it's all connected and we are not giving up hope yet on that much longed for third child.

In other areas, life could not be better. I am LOVING the writing process, and will have the second draft ready for a line edit within about two weeks now. The phrase writing is rewriting is the truth!!! Writing/revising really is a skill, so I expect I will have to work very hard to finally get it right, but when I'm working, the hours just flow by, so I know there's something very good in that.

My pact with Greg to spend nothing except on food and necessities till January 1, 2011, has been broken about eight times, mostly on garden items. But that is still a lot less than it otherwise would have been, with far fewer trips to the thrift stores and garage sales. I've tried to use the extra time to declutter and have probably brought over 600 items to donate in the past few months, clothes, toys, books, household stuff, decorations, magazines, etc. I've done with several closets, which was a great feeling. Part of me is appalled at all the time I had to have spent buying those 600 items, not to mention the costs. I read recently about a movement among some parents to limit the number of toys their kids own to twenty. When I think how much tidier my house/closets/basement would be with just twenty toys, it has real appeal. But I also know that I wouldn't be satisfied with 20 plants in the garden, so can I impose that sort of retriction on the kids?

Greg turned 42 on Sunday, and we had a little celebration. I realized I had shared almost two decades of birthdays with him, and how blessed I am to go through life with such a wonderful person.

I finished reading the Happiness Project, which I loved, loved, loved. The author took a year to see if she could make her already good life even happier and brought her impressive research skills (she'd clerked for the Supreme Court) to the subject and found a myriad of ways to do so. I must have tabbed fifty pages before I got an overdue notice from the library.

Good wishes to a happy day! Eileen

Checking back in;-).

2010-09-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Pics of Kirk in front of a wonderful old church we went to, built in 1882, and he and Kai walking my mom's dog, and the wonderful Weber House and garden I toured, including a child's playhouse that had been built in 1941.

Just drove in from a weekend with the kids at my parents. We had a lovely time. I got to visit an AMAZING garden called the Weber House. The man who has created this acre and a half paradise has done so on a shoestring over the past 30 years and created a true masterpiece. It was transporting almost, to be there. Came home with many new ideas and dreams.

Greg and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary earlier this month and I still think he's the greatest guy I've ever met (with stiff competition from my dad and brother;-).

The kids are doing great - Kirk is enjoying first grade and all the little bits of reading and math through the summer really paid off.

The book is going through its edit, and the second is about halfway done. I will submit it for a line edit by mid-October at the latest. Then go about trying to find an agent and publisher - how fun!

My pact not to buy anything other than groceries/necessities, has gone well, broken four times so far, all for garden items (all small amounts). I can't believe how much more time I have now that I don't stop by my favorite thrift stores and zoom on by garage sale signs. That is not to say I don't miss the thrill of the hunt, but have appreciated the extra time to work on the book and other projects. And visiting my mom and seeing 40 years accumulation of thrift store buying (she admits to be a borderline hoarder), is sobering;-). It really does zap a lot of her energy to just have SO much stuff. I convinced her to get rid of a few boxes of Christmas decorations and we boxed up a few other things, so it was a tiny drop of progress. It's hard to see how "stuff" can bring so much fun in one way (shopping is her only real hobby), yet add so much unhappiness with the overwhelming task of trying to keep it all organized.

I'm reading a really interesting book called "The Story of Stuff" and it is a sobering look also at the environmental costs off all this stuff. The author, Annie Leonard, notes study after study shows "materialism" which also includes a desire to have people like how you look, to impress others socially, etc. invariably do not lead to happiness, but family, friends, spirituality, and a sense of contributing to community or the world, are the keys - good reminders.

I still need to unpack all the stuff mom sent home. My dad was thrilled to see any of it moved out;-). Good wishes. Happy trails on each of your paths to happiness.

All is good!

2010-08-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Test results came back benign. A happy Eileen is spending the entire day in the garden to celebrate - kids at my parents until tomorrow. Thanks for the good wishes! Good thoughts to everyone!

And the beat goes on;-).

2010-08-21T07:12:00.001-07:00

My trip by ambulance to the emergency room at 1 a.m. yesterday for chest pain and trouble breathing was a first, and very scary. Good news is they can't find any cause for this, with EKG looking just fine. I have been having a lot of breast pain in the left breast. Earlier on Thursday, my doctor did an exam and said she felt lumpiness and swollen glands so she ordered another mammogram and ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday - please send good thoughts to the universe on Tuesday. The night of the hospital trip, I took Codeine for the pain, and they symptoms appeared half hour or so later and I think they were connected. The emergency room doctor said that would not be a common known side-effect for Codeine, and correlation (in time) doesn't always equal causation, but that's my thought.

Greg graciously agreed to watch the kids this afternoon and tomorrow so I can address the editor's comments to the first manuscript and get the second draft ready, which will be submitted to him for a line edit later.

So far, the no shopping rule has been no problem, with just a few twinges as I passed a garage sale sign on the way to the zoo with the kids yesterday.;-).

Good wishes to all. Enjoy each moment this weekend!

Kids at the Merry-go-round at the zoo - as a celebration for Kai getting through his immunizations. Earlier in the day, the kids help vacuum out the car after I found a bunch more iris at the town dump to transport home.

Mini-update

2010-08-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not that one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to ask. Maxwell Maltz 1899-1975

Kids at the school playground after we registered Kirk for first grade. Then Kirk reading Kai the library book he'd picked out. No pics of the 101 fights the kids have between these Kodak moments....;-).

Day four of four and a half months no shopping going well. Even grocery shopping with a three and six year old more bearable when it's the only shopping I get to do;-).

Got the comments back from the editor and he was spot on in all his comments. I found everything he said very, very helpful and will revise based on problems he pointed out, and in a month or so, resubmit for what is called a line edit or more detailed edit. This was a very good step. Thanks to the Book Doctor!

A fun, frugal day.

2010-08-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow the kids come home from Iowa - it will be so good to have them home! Today was a productive, fun, frugal day. No spending - zero, zip, zilch - other than $3.58 for my bagel spot - where I spent two hours working, so it was worth it and food of course is still okay on this spending hiatus.

I had a momentary twinge as I pulled into the donation center of my favorite thrift store to unload about five bags I'd gotten together while cleaning out Kirk's room (best done in his absence as he has his dad's packrat tendencies). But I made it out of the parking lot without stepping foot inside.

Then I stopped by and met the gardener of this cute, colorful garden that I've driven by before. He was pruning trees today so I stopped and asked if I could take some pictures. It was a fun experience.

Early in the day, I took Brandi with me to Panera Bread to work on my book. We found a shady place under a tree and I got a lot done.

Then I came home and cleaned out an overgrown garden, potting up lots of extra plants for next year's plant sale. I usually spend about $100 a year on annuals, which always seemed pretty reasonable. But as I was sweating and batting mosquitoes, I counted how many of my plants I would have to sell to make $100 and at 50 containers ($2 a container), it seemed like a lot of money. Always good to work in concrete numbers with your sweat equity right there before you;-). Good wishes. Still waiting to hear back from the editor. Eileen

Day 1 for 4 1/2 months of no shopping;-).

2010-08-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, the contract is posted on the refrigerator. Greg and I both signed;-). No shopping other than food/toiletries until Jan. 1 2011. I'm excited about the extra time and money savings this will offer. Hopefully, it will help speed up all the other goals. Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely August day!

This is an article from Mary Hunt that my Mom sent me a clipping from, so I don't have a link. It's entitled: Simplifying makes life simply fabulous.

Anyone with a lick of fashion sense knows that the secret of style is found in accessories. Men have it easy....but women? We have to deal with earrings, watches, bracelets, rings, necklaces, belts, chains, broaches, scarves, glasses, stockings, socks, hats, headbands, briefcases and shoes of every style, height, and color. Being properly accessorized is anything but cheap.

Years ago, I made a rash decision. In retrospect, I see it as a stroke of genius. Having owned and lost dozens of earrings in my life, I decided that from then on, I would own just one all-purpose lovely pair of earrings. I would wear that one pair all the time. Why not? I had worn the same ring day after day, year after year and had not been arrested for taking unacceptable fashion risks.

I made this decision for one reason: to stop spending money on earrings. It came with a fringe benefit I didn't expect. I gained time and peace. I don't waste effort trying to decide which earrings to wear. I don't waste time trying to find earrings that match. I always know where my earrings are, so I haven't lost an earring in many years. To my surprise, this one decision noticeably simplified my lie. And it became my catalyst to discover more ways to simplify.

Gradually converting to all white linens and towels has simplified doing the laundry. Sorting is a breeze. Everything matches automatically. I never deal with faded towels or mismatched pillow cases. White goes with everything and it never goes out of style.

I have learned that simplifying, even in small ways, makes my life more enjoyable. Want to simplify your life? Start small and see what happens. ...From Mary Hunt, founder of www.debtproofliving.com

Big 3 Month Challenge!!! No spending except food/toiletries till Jan. 1, 2011

2010-08-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've tried this twice now and failed, so it's time to get back on the horse. At dinner tonight I presented Greg with my idea for no thrift stores, no purchases, no matter how good a deal of clothing, gardening, house, toys, etc all the way to Jan. 1. He was all for it, no surprise;-). I asked him to keep me honest by asking each day whether I'd kept to my plan. This should free up lots of time/money. Wish me luck.

The other picture is of a guy playing his guitar standing on his head that we passed tonight walking along State Street - a clearly creative guy!;-).

Good wishes!

Saved $80 today with a DIY project!

2010-08-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

When I saw my mom last weekend, she mentioned a bracelet with a stone that had fallen out and I offered to get it fixed. When I got home, I made a pile of about five necklaces with various issues and put an ad on Craigslist to see if someone could fix everything for a reasonable price. The only responder offered $100 to fix most of it, with some wiggle room if it turned out harder than he expected. Since all but one is costume jewelry, mostly bought from thrift stores at $3 or so, I didn't want to spend that much. So I did a google search for fixing links and clasps and found an e-how video, got some needle nosed pliers and my tweezers, and fixed all but one! The bracelet with the stone from my mom doesn't want to sit back into its holder and I can't figure that one out. But even if I have to take that one piece to a repair place, I've still got all the others fixed and feeling quite proud;-). At my garage sale this summer, a woman stopped by who had redone an old house in town herself. She and her dad even jacked it up off the foundation to fix something. When I expressed admiration, she said, "Most people can probably do most things, you just have to be willing to get in there and learn." Well said! This is supposed to be hiatus, but with the kids at Grandma and Grandpas, time is fairly plentiful! Plan to sleep in tomorrow!!!!

Taking a hiatus until September.

2010-08-12T20:14:00.001-07:00

To me, the difference between the artist and the non-artist is that the artist is the one that does it. Helen Garner - Australian Writer

Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in striving toward an important goal. Maxwell Maltz 1899-1975.

When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap! Cynthia Heimel
Hello to all!! Life is good here. I feel like I'm making progress on all fronts, though often in baby, baby steps.
Marriage - Looking forward to a couple date nights. The kids are in Iowa for the weekend and we are going out twice, which will be a lot of fun. I met my mother in law in Prairie Du Chein and had a fun tour of a great old mansion called Villa Louis stuffed with amazing antiques and an old working kitchen, ice house, etc. etc.

Parenting - Kids are doing well. Kirk has come a long way in his reading with our 15 minutes or so a day practice. I kept Kai home from his part-time daycare/preschool for August and this has been a lot of fun, though stressful too. We are all together 24/7, with the first break this weekend.;-) They have good and bad days/hours/moments as brothers. I can remember fighting with my brother when I was little, but I don't remember it being so constant. They will go from best buds to yelling at each other in a five minute span. My sibling rivalry books have some ideas that I'm working on.

Book - Off to the editor. I can't wait to hear back comments. I'm thrilled to have this done.

Business - Got a business plan checkoff list from a friend who is also starting a company and hope to use it to be more disciplined to get a bit done each day.

Garden - My phlox and Joe Pye weed and annuals are going strong. I really enjoyed the plant sale I ran on and off during the summer (at the end of the drive with an honesty jar so no extra work) and will probably do this again next summer.

FI - Kind of a mixed bag here. Considering I started this whole project as a money saving blog, honesty compels me to admit that the last few months have not been our most frugal. But I plan to buckle down and work harder at it in the months to come. So far, August is off to a great start - being with the kids full time means no trips to the thrift stores, and even Home Depot is a bit of a stretch with a three year old, so saving money that way;-).

Health/beauty. Finally broke down and took a friend's advice to do a food journal. Have done this for about a month and lost two pounds and am eating much, much healthier - too embarrassing to write down Pepsi 250 calories and snickers 250 calories under snacks;-). Finished reading a book about Coco Channel and another about style from Rachel Zoe, started taping Project Runway and the Rachel Zoe show to watch when I exercise in the basement and now am obsessed with fashion - absolutely love looking at those beautiful clothes, which do not seem easily available in Wisconsin, but fun to look at anyway. Now have on my wish list a white winter coat;-).

Spirit - Have been reading a book called The Art of Happiness at Work by the Dalai Lama - always makes me feel peaceful and Enthusiasm Makes the Difference by Norman Vincent Peale - always cheers me up. Trying to spend more time with family and friends - spent four days with my parents earlier this month and went out to dinner with my brother and a friend from fourth grade while I was in Illinois- gotta love friends who still are friends 30 years or so and counting...Several years ago I wrote out the goal that I would feel happy each day and I've met that goal - not that I'm happy the entire 16 hours I'm awake, but a good portion of each day is just plain happiness and that is something I'm grateful for in so many ways. Here's the key, to save you 1000 self-help books and twenty years of study - think happy thoughts - think about what you want, not what you fear. As soon as you find your mind going along some dark pathway - worry about kids, the extra wrinkles around the eyes, worries about aging parents, concern about mold in the attic or whether you stepped on someone's toes with a thoughtless comment, usually these thoughts like to come at low moments - think 3 p.m. or bedtime, just absolutely refuse, refuse to think about it. Think happy thoughts about gardens, people you love, pray or "talk" to loved ones who've passed away. Then in the morning, when you are feeling in a happy mood, jot down a quick list of anything you need to do. Believe everything is an opportunity for something good to come into your life -that it's truly all good. Maybe the mold guy will be someone you're meant to help out or watching your parents go through the stages of life will make your relationship even deeper. Really, truly, you can save yourself a lot of time, anguish and reading if you just determine to think happy thoughts, then do what needs to be done from a happy place. Enough said- I'm still working on it, but have come a LONG, LONG way considering I have a worry-aholic mom and a tendency toward anxiety.;-).

House - Still a mess much of the time, but I pulled out my Fly lady once again and trying to get organized. I have learned that I love being surrounded by natural objects, and to that end have picked up shells and rocks and things at garage sales during the past year and now put them on the foyer hall and somehow seeing those always makes me feel good.

Bus. Vocab - Had to give this one up - it just didn't seem to warrant the time at this point.

Joy and best wishes to all. I plan to take off the rest of August and just enjoy the kids. Kirk goes back to school Sept. 1. I want to have lots of happy little adventures between now and then. Wishing each of you one happy mini-adventure each day from now to September.

A quick update.

2010-08-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Sharing of ice cream cones at the ZUZU cafe after a long walk - Unheard of!;-)
Hello to all. Hope the summer is going well for everyone. I just sent off my manuscript this morning to an editor in Milwaukee who will give initial feedback and comments for about $300. He has worked with quite a few small, but published authors, so I'm really hoping his comments will be a big help. Hitting the send button was a huge sense of accomplishment!!!!!

Now hoping to make family and finances the focus for the rest of August. Good wishes!! Eileen
P.S. All those books I checked out on sibling rivalry, and all the subsequent theories we've been trying out seem to be working - not to tempt the fates;-).

Falling off, getting back on, falling off, getting back on.....

2010-07-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Despite my lack up updates, I have not fallen off the planet. The kids at home this summer have taken a lot of extra time - well spent - but I certainly lost some of my forward momentum. Yesterday I went up to Germantown and had lunch with the former CEO of Brio trains who has started a new wooden toy company called Little, Little, Little company and was once again reinvigorated. He's struggling a bit with the new company, getting it off the ground in this economy, but really believes in the value of toys to help shape kids' lives and I suspect that passion will carry his company a long way.

I haven't done so well on my "spend money only on food and toiletries" for July challenge. As I look to my expenses tally to date, I see a lot of garage sale or thrift sale "bargains" that crept in including books, plants, basement shelves, iron planters for the deck, two lamps, a pair of shoes and two gifts (one purchased new). I didn't really "need" any of these things and while the total was under $50, that doesn't include the gas money and the time spent finding the deals;-). The hours I say I'm having a hard time finding are staring right back at me on this list. If I'd eschewed all shopping I would have had a minimum of 15 hours to spend on writing and working on my company. Thus, I dust myself off, and climb back on the wagon of staying focused on my goals.

Good wishes to all! Hope you're goals are coming to fruition, even if it's in bits and starts like mine.

Day 148 - Nightly Roundup

2010-07-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

A good day for parenting, garden, spirit, FI - other categories got a bit behind. Good wishes to all.

Day 149 - Nightly Roundup

2010-07-08T18:35:00.001-07:00

A wee bit discouraged tonight. Ironically, I've felt like I've been a better mom lately, partly just due to spending more time with the kids because of summer. But that has brought my writing/business/blog almost to a halt. Today I got an email from the lawyer doing my trademarks and almost found myself thinking - did I really expect to have things to trademark in an honest to goodness business? What are we spending on these trademarks?!! Very much the yin and yang of life I guess.

I read an article on Michelle Obama recently from Reader's Digest I think - it was in the free magazine bin at the library so it was probably a bit outdated. In it she said she learned from her mom that she could indeed have a career, be a mom, and still find time to work out and "do her own thing" (I'm paraphrasing here). She said she felt her mom had given everything to them - her children - without holding back enough for herself and that her mom had also encouraged her not to do that.

I have to believe there is something to that, but it isn't easy to find the right balance. I love my kids so much, but when they hit middle school, I don't want to be a third wheel hanging out at the basketball hoops with their pals because I don't have a life of my own;-). I do want to accomplish something that only I can, and not just through my kids. But at the same time, I don't want to shortchange them when I realize daily how needy and young they still really are. Anyway, thus ends my introspection with no resolution, but it was good to write.

In my dream world, five years from now, June 8, 2015, Greg and I and the kids are sitting at a dinner, with happy, healthy kids, I'm a published author and my company is financially successful, I have a great marriage, good relationships with friends and family, have inner peace, have achieved FI, am healthy and fit and feel beautiful, and my gardens have been photographed for some magazine and given a lot of people enjoyment on mini-garden tours and maybe laugh more in general - sometimes I'm way too serious. For all my own parents had their issues, we grew up with a lot of laughter in the house - my mom has a great sense of humor - and I was just telling Greg the other night how we don't laugh a lot here. We smile, are content, but need more true belly laughs.

Above are pics of my incredibly supportive mother in law waiting with Kai for Kirk's basketball camp to get over. Then Kirk looking at the high school trophies, perhaps dreaming of future days? Then my whoops - I've actually done really well not spending on anything but food and toiletries for four days now, but stopped at a garage sale on the way to the library and was handing over my dollar for the book and t-shirt when I realized these items didn't fit my challenge. But I was a bit too embarrassed to put them back;-). I will say even these short few days make me very conscious of how often I find myself thinking I need to buy x or y and how much time shopping takes!

Good wishes to all. A bright, wonderful world just keeps on coming! Eileen

P.S. I just took about 30 minutes to look back through the blog, which I realize I've been keeping a bit more than a year - first post June 25, 2009, and feel lucky and blessed for all the good moments and beauty the year has held. Many thanks to each of you who read this. I think of you as friends on a journey. Eileen

Nightly Roundup

2010-07-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Doing well day 3 of the no spend other than food/toiletries. Kirk had his first day of basketball camp and didn't like it - he was a bit lost compared to the other kids. Grandma is up visiting so that is nice. We went to the beach tonight which was fun. Good wishes. Nada on the business/book. Very sleepy and off to bed!

No shopping except food for a month?

2010-07-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the final part of Oprah's Debt Diet. Author Judith Levine of - On Not Buying It - My Year Without Shopping - was on and talked about how her year without shopping was one of the most peaceful, relaxing ones she's had.

This was very timely as I probably spent over five hours today getting a set of "bargain" living room drapes off Craigslist, a steal on two Leapfrog games at a thrift store, and a deal on a Gap sweater. But as I drove home, I couldn't help but wonder if I really needed any of that stuff and how I could have used those five hours to a more productive end.

Earlier this year I read "How I lived a year on Just a Pound a Day" by Kath Kelly and she wrote of a similar experience - just having lots and lots more time and peace.

So here's the challenge if you want to join me. Try to make it to the end of July buying NOTHING other than food and toiletries. Starting midnight tonight. Let's see how it goes. Hoping that abundance of extra time and peacefulness really sets in.

Good wishes! Eileen

Day 155 - Nightly Roundup

2010-07-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

Busy, but productive day.

Marriage - check.

Parenting - Still reading lots of books on sibling rivalry. Kirk and I had a really nice time today out to breakfast and a trip to the library.

Bus./Book - Got about five more books on the revolution and vikings for research.

Spirit - Nice long chat with a dear friend on the phone tonight.

Garden - Decided to dig out some garden areas to put more lawn in the middle for balance - never thought I'd type that;-)

Finance - Doing good not throwing out food.

Health - passed on the Dr. Pepper calling my name...

House - Cut out some pictures of a magazine for ideas - will put them in a file folder I'm starting -

Bus. Vocab. Nada

First "reading" of a chapter to a book club....

2010-07-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

A friend was kind enough to invite me to read a chapter of my book to her book club. I was a nervous wreck going there. But I kept reminding myself this was my year for taking chances, going beyond my comfort zone, breaking new ground. I imagined as I drove along that if I just kept walking in the direction I wanted to go, under the fog of insecurity and worry and fear, a walkway or road would rise up to meet me. - This thinking in terms of metaphors is a by-product of too much time in my head;-).

I read my chapter and it felt a bit like bearing my soul to strangers (other than my friend). There were things they liked and didn't like. I came home rather exhausted, though I appreciated their feedback. Going to bed, I turned to page 51 in writer's book, "Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them" and had to smile when I read tip number 24 -"Don't listen to opinion and criticism from spouses, friends, and people on the street. If it's good, an editor will recognize that and it will be published." I book marked the page and may take that advice going forward;-).

I realize how much I need to work on my writing and have been thinking of taking writing classes. But the book I'm reading said beyond maybe one good class or a few how-to books on dialogue or character development, the time is better spent just doing the writing. I think that's true. I spend so much time reading about writing or researching the history - those are much easier than actually sitting at the computer and making the story appear.

Signing off for tonight. Good wishes to all. Eileen

Day 158 - Progress moving along!

2010-06-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Kids had a blast at my parents this weekend. Fishing with Grandpa off the dock and cruising around in the little car my mom got them at a garage sale.

Obviously I haven't done the best keeping up with the daily updates as I calculate its been about 15 days since I posted. Kirk home, summer time mowing and gardening, book writing and general living take a lot of hours;-). I am starting a time log based on the book 168 hours by Laura Vanderkam- there's also a website with a time chart you can download for free. I know I could be a lot more efficient with my time and hope the time chart gets me there!

Goals update.

Marriage - Going very well here. We've had a LOT of long talks about our goals, our lives, what we want, where we're headed both individually and as a couple, what we need to do to accomplish those goals. We're are definitely more in tune with each other here.

Parenting - Kirk's morning hour of home school is a blast - at least for me. We do a wee bit of reading, math, science, Spanish, spelling and writing. It takes about an hour without breaks, and an hour and a half if we do 2 mini-lessons, then take a break, then two more, etc. His reading and spelling and math are going really well, not so good with the Spanish. We've just been trying to learn words here and there with workbooks and neither of us is retaining much. Will have to see if I can find a game or something. He definitely prefers the board games and card games as learning tools to the flash cards or workbooks so I try to mix it up a lot. The biggest battle now seems to be the bickering between the two boys. I got three books from the library on sibling rivalry yesterday and will start reading to day for ideas and insights into this.

Business - We found a company that will we can use to offer the Revolutionary War set. It's a very, very small profit margin, but will at least allow us to test our concept of the books being acted out. I'd hoped to have it out to market by this Christmas, but now that I'm writing, I'm not sure it'll be done by then.

Book - I go to a friend's book club tomorrow night to read my version, at least the beginning. I was tempted to cop out and just tell them about it or reschedule, but I don't want to be a wimp;-). Also found the headquarters of the Midwest Book Review is located here and called the editor in chief for my search for a professional editor and illustrator and he had lots of good ideas.

Health/beauty - Signed up to run a 5k in August after I read in one of the 10 Shape/Self/Health magazines that I hauled home from the free bin at the library yesterday that you can do this in 5 weeks by following their plan. I'd also read if your goal is more than 6 weeks out, it can be hard to follow through. So I went home, did a Google search and signed up for the first one that popped up. Tried to run a mile last night to no avail, but I will get there! I also told Kirk if I drink more than one Diet Coke a day, I have to pay him $2 and after adding $6 in three days to our $126 a week food budget (which was already tight) I have been doing well at this - other than the last two days when he and Kai were at the grandparents and I could drink as much as I wanted;-).

Spirit - Upped my positive input. Now listening nightly to various C.D.s on creativity, peace by Kelly Howell and that is enormously helpful to keep at bay worries, concerns and stress.

Garden - Looks gorgeous - but so many mosquitoes now in WI that I mostly enjoy from inside until August when the bugs will abate.

FI - Did a few good things. Finally called the gas company about why our summer gas bill is still so high - over $50, and she told me to turn off the gas to the pilot light on our fireplace and that could save as much as $10. She said most of the cost was coming from our hot water heater likely, so I did a quick search and found the biggest user -- clothes washing 32 gal, showering 30 gal (likely higher as we take long showers) dishwasher 12 gal. and so on. I posted this on my fridge to remind us to reduce our hot water usage. Our electric bill was up to $150 from $105 last month despite the fact that we haven't even turned on the air conditioning this year, so I may call for an energy audit. We are also doing pretty well following our budget.

House - Hit or miss on any given day:-) Still boxing up clutter!

Good wishes to each of you on your journeys! Five months to go! Eileen

Day 174 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Marriage - check

Parenting - kids in Iowa, I did create a shelf for this summer divided into Math, Reading, Spelling, Science, Spanish, Writing for Kirk's summer learning. We are going to try to spend 10 to 15 minutes per subject each day, which I'm excited about. I used to love "playing school" as a kid and just hope Kirk enjoys our mini-lessons as much as I hope to. I also did a big calendar of fun things to do, mostly free this summer. There's Tai-Chi for kids and parents at Monona Terrace overlooking the lake, many festivals, an Old World village, and many state parks.

Bus/Book - Did an hour of research on the Vikings - it's a fascinating area!

FI - Stopped by a garage sale and got three pairs of winter boots for the kids for $1 for all. Great bargain! And at a thrift store got about 10 videos - all science and learning for 25 cents each. Then paid $1.70 for a single 20 ounce Diet Coke and the irony of the "value" proposition didn't escape me;-). Also finishing a great book called, In Cheap We Trust, by Lauren Weber, which is a good reminder about the great qualities, environmental, personal, spiritual, about not being wasteful.

Garden - Spent two hours at the lovely Olbrich Botanical Gardens just wandering and enjoying their gorgeous gardens, then came home and weeded in the rain for almost two hours.

Spirit - Got a Deepak Chopra cassette set, also 25 cents, about spirituality that I will start listening to tomorrow.

Health - Did 20 minutes yoga.

house - Not too bad.

Bus. Vocab. Nada

Day 175 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

What is the use of living if not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone. Winston Churchill, 1874-1965

Marriage - check

Parenting - Kids in Iowa, but I did use the time to clean out Kirk's room and reorganize it.

Bus/Book - A little bit of paperwork

Gardening - Big time - Four happy hours!

Spirit - Nice dinner with friends and good talk with my mom today.

FI - No spending

Health - A wee bit of ab work to be done tonight.

House - Doing pretty good downstairs.

Bus. Vocab. Nada

Day176 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-11T19:20:00.001-07:00

Toasting a happy date night and a good long conversation!

Marriage - Check

Parenting - Kids are off to the grandparents for a few days. This left Greg and I open for date night and a long overdue heart to heart - which always reminds me why I gave him my heart;-)

Bus/Book - Got a bunch of books on the Vikings from the library for more research on the characters of the villains (which is not to say there weren't a lot of great qualities among the Vikings).

Spirit - Listened to Dennis Waitley on the drive downtown for dinner and recommitted to my goals.

FI - Dinner out puts us over budget for food this week, but as Greg likes to say, "Lots cheaper than therapy;-)" Did make a casserole to tide us over for the weekend.

Health - About to go to the basement and do some cardio and watch Oprah.

Garden - Spent an entire free hour weeding, much needed, among the biting flies and humidity, but truly loved it. I got a book called the English Gardening School at a rummage sale on the drive back from Iowa today for $1 and will enjoy it tonight.

House - Slipping......

Bus. Vocab. Nada

Day 175 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! Horribly cranky tonight for no good reason. Tomorrow will be a better day! Picture is of snacks set out for the garden club, complements of the local bakery on the drive back from swimming lessons. All was well until one member suggested I email the entire group the recipe;-)
Marriage - check
Parenting - Today was Kirk's last day of kindergarten - we ordered a small Star Wars action figure and he's quite happy about this. Both kids go to Iowa tomorrow for a few days with their grandparents.
Bus/Book - Keep plugging away. I did have a dream the night before last in which I handed over my manuscript to a professional editor, who read it for about three minutes, looked up and said, "Oh, you can't write can you? You don't even know how to do action scenes!" So some subconscious worries there;-).
FI - Doing fairly well on the day to day stuff, but the gutter estimate came in at $450 to replace just one long gutter and install a bigger downspout. As our dryer went out four days ago, another $550 or so, that area of the budget is not coming in so well. Drying things inside - though it's been a bit too humid for things to dry well.
Health - Eating fairly well - Watermelon is wonderful now and takes the place of other sweets.
Spirit - Got the blues/crankies, so maybe a good book tonight.
Garden - garden club came and toured last night, and said some very nice things to hear about an "enchanted garden". Some members, the tidiest of them, were a bit appalled at all the weeds, but to each his own;-).
House - Not too bad. Lately if stuff is left out, before I put it away, I ask if I can just donate it instead, and that works at least 25 percent of the time.
Bus. Vocab. Nada

Day 177 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Linda and I did a long walk around Madison on Sunday as part of the "Keep Madison Streets Bike Friendly Ride" - we were one of the few on foot.

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, nor winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child or parent. Barbara Bush

Had an oven fire tonight, due to my not sufficiently cleaning the bottom of the oven from old bits of cheese from pizzas and bread crumbs, etc. The fire dept. sent two giant trucks and a police car - by the time they got here, it was just a bit of smoke and an embarrassed me, but I was grateful that it all turned out fine. Note to self - clean out oven!!

Marriage - check.

Parenting - Doing a much, much better idea listening and giving direct eye contact when the kids talk.

Bus./Book - Did about an hour on the book. The villains in the book are loosely modeled after the Vikings, which is a fascinating area of history too. I now probably know more about Paul Revere than 99 percent of the population;-)

Health - The oven fire put an end to our french fries for supper, so we ate a healthier fare of hummus and pita and veggies and fruits.

Spirit - Going to finish a short chapter in a workbook tonight that accompanied a tape set called the Psychology of Achievement.

FI - No spending today, though I did call a gutter company to come out and see if we can put in an additional or bigger downspout since we are still getting water in the basement with heavy rains.

Garden - Tomorrow the garden club comes to tour, but it was rainy and cold and I got nothing done out there. The peonies are also done and it's a bit of a lull in blooms. But I did plant some seeds for sweet alysum.

House - Got the downstairs nice and tidy as I had two friends over for lunch and dropped off five bags of donations.

Bus. Vocab. nada.

Day 178 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Marriage - check
Parenting - Stayed calm while Kai shrieked the entire 30 minute ride home from the grocery store because he didn't get a treat (having been naughty at the store). Kirk and I completed number 68 of his reading packets that we've been doing on our own.
Bus. Found a possible company for the toy soldiers to accompany the books. I went on toysoldiers.com on the discussion forums and several people gave me suggestions.
Book - Did more research for my draft.
Spirit - Finally found a place to recycle the computer Kai had dumped the full glass of water on and destroyed. Glad to have it out of the garage and out of a landfill.
Health - Told Kirk starting tomorrow, if Mom drinks more than one Diet Coke a day, she has to pay him $2. I'm hoping my frugality will lead to healthier habits with soda;-).
Garden - Got a six pack of tomato and a six pack of pepper plants at Walmart.
FI - Our dryer gave up the ghost after about 15 years and I found a pretty good deal at the local appliance shop that included delivery and taking the old one. I also cleaned out the gutters - we've gotten water in the basement twice now in a corner where the gutters over-flow. Also called to find out if we need another downspout.
House - Not looking too good, but I have two friends coming for lunch and a garden tour tomorrow so I'll be forced to do a good cleaning tomorrow morning.
Bus. Vocab. Nada

Day 179

2010-06-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Kirk's new favorite game - G0Gos.

Marriage - check.
Parenting - Trying to do more focused attention. I notice a clear coorelation between the kids not getting enough positive attention and acting out.
Bus/Book - Read my story to Kirk and a friend of his. They told me what they liked and didn't - a true sample target audience.
Health - 30 cardio and lifting.
Garden - Got a wonderful fountain for my garden at a garage sale for $35.
FI - Keep eating those supplies at hand. No eating out for the whole family, not even Greg lunches for a week - congrats!
Spirit - The focused attention on the kids can be a bit of a spiritual exercise.
House - getting a wee bit messy again.
Bus. Vocab - nada

Day 180 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Kirk graduated kindergarten tonight. It's hard to believe. It seems just a little bit ago that we brought him home from the hospital. He's a great kid!!! We are blessed. Way to go Kirk! Mostly took the day off. Good wishes to all.

Day 181 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience? Adam Smith - 1723-1790
Marriage - check.
Parenting - Good story time with 7 Little Rabbits for Kai and a nice walk with Kirk.
Bus/Book - Spent about two hours doing research for my version of the Revolutionary War story. Will submit mine and Jack's anonymously to my mentor group late this month for feedback.
Health - Stopped at the farmer's market and got snap peas, strawberries, salad and a cow cookie (this is WI) for the kids to split.
FI - Organic produce above not cheap, but we're wasting very little food these days so it'll be interesting to do a final numbers tally at the end of June.
Spirit - Helped out a friend.
Garden - Planted a pretty climbing plant called a cardinal vine that I got for $3.50 today at the farmer's market. The woman who ran the stall told me it attracts lots of hummingbirds.
House - Still looking pretty good!
Bus. Vocab. nada - need to get started on this again.

Day 182 - Nightly Roundup

2010-06-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Marriage - Check
Parenting - Took a suggestion and quoted a parenting book directly today when I told Kirk I was sorry for the times I said things that made him feel bad and that he was a great kid and while I didn't always approve of his actions, I always know he's a wonderful person. He kind of lit up when I said this. Later tonight we had a run-in about an extra stop at Walgreens for additional Go-Go's so it was a short space of pure peace, but it was nice while it lasted.;-)
Business/book - Had my final meeting with my author today for his first draft and finished my own version. I will submit both to my advisor/mentor group. Greg thought mine had some good points and some weak points, so we'll see.
FI - Spent nary a dime and have been very good about not wasting food.
Spirit - Plan to read some positive stuff tonight for a little extra spirit vitamins. Got a nice thank you note from the woman we support in Rwanda for Women for Women International - which I saw on Oprah.
Garden - Put in my very small vegetable garden today. Had a lovely rain later in the day that the gardens just soaked up happily.
Health - Had vegan lentil soup for supper. Also cut out an article on which foods are most worth buying organic. Sorry to see grapes on the list as they are my favorite fruit and where I shop rarely has decent organic grapes if any at all.
House - Looking pretty good!
Bus. Vocab. Nada
Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. When there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go far wrong. Ella Fitzgerald, 1918-1996

Day 183

2010-06-01T20:12:00.001-07:00

Happy June!

Marriage - Check
Parenting - Listening to a book tape about the importance of building your children's self - esteem through positive feedback, hugs, focused attention and eye contact. Trying to do a better job on all fronts.
Business - Finishing up some account work.
Book - Meet my writer tomorrow for the final draft.
FI - Did well staying on budget. The plant and garage sale were fairly successful and as always, made me much more conscious of the value of a dollar;-).
Spirit- Becoming more adept at keeping my mind on the positive and what I want rather than free floating worries.
Health - Got lots of fruits and veggies at the grocery store last night and made a crock pot lentil stew today.
Garden - Looks beyond lovely as the peonies, many from my grandma, put on their show. The garden club tours on Tuesday so it's a mad rush to get some finishing touches on...
House - De cluttered a lot for the sale and feel good about that.
Bus. Vocab. Nada

Day 185 - Coming through to the light;-)

2010-05-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hello and many apologies for being gone. I plan to keep up better for this last stretch. I'm now under 200 days and rapidly closing in on my halfway point. The first book is close to done and we will need to look into a professional editor and illustrator. I've spent the last few weeks decluttering, having a garage and plant sale and putting the final touches on our new budget - now posted on the fridge to encourage adherence;-). Kirk is finishing up his last few days of kindergarten and we're looking forward to the summer. I definitely had doubts about the whole company and my role in it and how things will work out, but I just keep plodding on. I feel like I'm in a good place and moving to an even better one. Good wishes to all. Eileen

Quick update

2010-05-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Apologies - the days are flying by with trying to get the first book done by June and the gardens all wanting attention and life generally busy. But all is very good and progress on each of the goals is coming. Wishing each of you success on your journeys. Will update more later. Eileen