Writing challenge updates and funny video

Another filled up day. I really need a long sleep. 🙂 This means, of course, my writing got nearly nowhere today.

I didn’t get any NaNoWriMo writing done yet, so my word total is still zero. This is going to be a problem for me, although as a NaNo Rebel I don’t need 50K words to finish the novel I’m writing.

PiBoIdMo I gained two more ideas, making 12 so far.

For today’s National Blog Posting Month post I would like to share this video I found. It is so funny, mostly about cats but you will see a few dogs there, too.

Tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Caregiver Stress Management; challenge updates

Hi All, I hope you had a great day. This is a short post in my effort to do my post for the day.

I participated in a Caregiver Stress Management workshop this afternoon with a friend, one of my daughters, and several other ladies. It was worth it, although I left feeling more stressed than when I went in. So then, why would I feel it’s worth it? Because it pointed out to me that I am not handling my life situation (caregiving and everything else) as well as I thought I was.

Oh I’m doing what I need to do to be sure things are running smoothly here at my dad’s, and I am treating him with love and respect (because I love and respect him), and he is not neglected in any way. What I am not handling well is caring for myself, mainly in that I don’t organize my time well – which has always been a problem for me. The hang-up is I can’t stick to a schedule very well or for very long. On my respite time what I want to do is write. And walk. And read. And nap. Then I feel guilty about doing my own thing … resulting in not getting much done at all and I feel guilty about that! We are blessed to have lots of help here, and I feel guilty about that. There’s more, but … if I were to tell you, then … you guessed it! … I’d feel guilty about that!

On to NaNoWriMo report … zero words written. 😦 I’m still hoping and looking forward to after tomorrow to change the nothing total. I’m having a busy first half of the week.

Day 5 of PiBoIdMo: I wrote one idea today for a total of 10. I could likely come up with more but I stopped at the requirement this time since I am very tired and hoping someone will soon ‘retire’ so I can get some sleep myself.

This wraps up my post for today in NaBloPoMo!

Did you do anything fun or educational recently that helped you realize something important?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Challenge updates: NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo

My writing challenges update:

NaNoWriMo: I am not doing well when you look at my link (at top of page), but I am thinking about it. That’s a start, isn’t it? 🙂 So far … zero words written.

PiBoIdMo: It’s day four and I have 9 ideas so far. Tara Lazar has fabulous guests again who have fabulous suggestions to help us with our picture book idea writing. I feel good about it this year.

NaBloPoMo: As you may have noticed, so far I am keeping up with daily blog posts.

Health: The first part of this week is busy for me in other ways, so my writing time is chopped up. Monday – an information education session called Understanding Dementia. It was very helpful, some of it new info for me. Tuesday – a Caregiver Stress Management workshop, which I expect to be more of what I need to hear. Wednesday I have three appointments for myself, including with my naturopath and my reflexologist. They have helped me with health issues, and aided me in regaining and maintaining my health – very important to me. I have to be well in order to better take care of others. It looks as if I will have Thursday and Friday for writing. All this takes place when I have someone present for my respite time. It probably won’t be uninterrupted, though.

Writing: I went through a blah spell with my writing, low on inspiration and energy for it. In early Spring one of my daughters got me into a game to play on my iPhone and it has turned into a vehicle of inspiration for my writing. Each day when I ‘visit’ my ‘neighbours’ I leave a little blurb of 120 characters or less. The response has been generally good, and that has served to keep me going. I found it has even released my creative thinking so that now I’m into these writing challenges it could be of help. My wheels didn’t rust or seize up during the slow time. 🙂 In fact, I am seriously thinking about a story book I can write from what I have been posting there. One never knows from where will come the next inspiration.

That’s all for now. I will post something tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Passing on history (Singer Featherweight)

In October 2009 my dad gave me my mother’s old Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine, shown above. That meant a great deal to me. I remember this little machine from when I was a wee little girl and my mother was teaching me to sew on it, very carefully. Somehow it seemed larger then, and I think that I was trying to make clothes for my baby doll, but I don’t recall having much success at that young age. Mum sewed clothes for herself, my younger sister and me on that little Singer – dresses and skirts and blouses, mostly, and she did a fine job of it.

Since Mum saved everything, in its sturdy carrying case I found the machine’s original Singer Warranty dated “Sep 11 1957”, stating that the Machine style is 221-1-270 and the number is AG878454. Also of interest, the “conditional sales contract” for her purchase is there, $124.50 – and describes her installment payments. All her receipts are there, too, but there are only three because, true to form, Mum paid her debt early. There is a letter to thank her for her patronage and informing her that she was entitled to a refund which they were enclosing in a cheque. Doing a little research I learned this model is a collectible item of value, and that Mum’s little Featherweight is worth in the vicinity of $350 now.

I still haven’t used this machine (since many years ago) because it should be thoroughly cleaned first just to be on the safe side, but I tested it and it runs so quietly! In fact, it has a contented hum in comparison to my larger and heavier portable Kenmore which I bought for myself in 1976, and on which I made clothes for my daughters and myself.

Do you have anything you cherish that has been passed on to you?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

NaBloPoMo: leaves in transition

It has been a very busy day but I want to post something for NaBloPoMo before the day is over. I thought you may find the coloration of these maple leaves interesting.

We had a very windy Friday and Saturday, but mild with some rain. So many of our Autumn leaves have been beaten off the trees making a colourful carpet on the ground.

Fall is not my favourite season because of the cooler weather it brings in leading into Winter cold, but it is such a beautiful season. This year it seems to be an especially exquisite one here in Nova Scotia.

What is your favourite season and why?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!

NaBloPoMo – I am participating for the first time!

NaBloPoMo? what is that?

National Blog Posting Month. It was started in November 2006 as a counterpart to NaNoWriMo. Each day in the month of November bloggers post something new on their blog. (They actually keep going for the whole year if wanted, but it seems November is a busier month because of NaNoWriMo.) It can be as simple as a photo or a quote, or as lengthy as they want to take the time to write.

Do I have enough to do this month? One would think so, but here I am adding another challenge to my already quite full list. I decided since I will likely be posting here every day, anyway, keeping updates of my NaNoWriMo progress, I could attempt to add a little to each post for this challenge, too. So, crazy or over-extended — or both! — here I am. By the time my blog appeared on the long list this morning, it is number 1258 with over two hundred after it!

To console those who don’t like tons of posts from me, I seriously doubt I will continue every day after this challenge ends. And I will try to make it interesting for the next 28 days.

If you love to blog and would enjoy this challenge, go here for information, then sign in and sign up! Or simply cheer me on. 🙂 That would be great, too.

Are you doing this challenge, have you ever, or would you like to another month? How often do you usually blog?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂