Holiday Ends and Friendship Beginnings Continue

Chilled out and relaxed. Stretched and challenged. Books read. Days sitting in the sun. Tanned and burnt bodies. Sand between the toes. And one little dog with separation anxiety.

The excitement and thrill of going away on holiday is beginning to fade as thoughts of returning home begin to surface.

I’m luckier than most. I take my home on holiday with me because I live in my motorhome. But for two weeks I’ve been able to travel and explore with new friends Sharon and Adrienne. Two years ago we didn’t know each other.

What we have in common is a love of travel, and travel in motorhomes in particular. We each have our own motorhome and fix our own meals (or go out). We plan our tomorrow over a few wines.

We’ve had lots of laughs and a few honest tears. And in two days time we will go our separate ways again. But we’ll meet up again at the end of January. It turns out we’re all going to the same festival.

It’s so cool when begin a new friendship and find out what you have in common.

Writing
I took a break for a couple of days from writing, but the new year has begun with a new book.
I rolled over in that half sleep, half wake state, to hold my I hubby’s hand as we used to do in the night when we lay and listened to the surf.
He’d passed away in July 2020. And I realised a small book needed to be written.

Background Photo
The end of State Highway 67 is at the Kohaihai DOC Camp. The start/end of the Heaphy Track. Home of a pretty lagoon and beach with rolling sea.

#amwriting #writersnetwork #christianauthors #christianauthor #christianwriter #nanowrimo #christianwomenwriter #authorsoninstagram #authorofinstagram #bookstagram #eidlewise #travelnzopenspaces #kiwigreynomads #greynomads #womenontheroad #romancereaders #christianromance #grief #love #grateful

The Best Use of My Time

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” – Michael Altshuler

The end of year is looming at break kneck speed. Smell the roses? Put up a Christmas tree? Hurrying past the people in our lives, all but yelling “get out of my way”. Don’t these people know how busy we are?

And yet…

Once it was important to make time for family and friends. Not to rush to the next place. The next job. The next…whatever has our attention.

At the start of each year, do you set goals? Possible covering all the important areas of life:

Career and business
Finances
Education
Relationships
Health and fitness
Personal growth
Spiritual growth

When was the last time these were reviewed?
How are these goals tracking?

What if we squeezed ten minutes to take a look, now.

Celebrate the wins.

What if the order of these goals were reversed?

My goals have been partially realised, but I’ve been wondering what the outcome would have been if I’d begun with spirituality, personal growth etc.

A long time ago, we decided to get ready for Christmas a week early. And go camping.
Hardly anyone else was wherever we went. They were jostling shoulders with the maddening crowds while we soaked in the sun, read a book, played board games and splashed in the water, enjoy a campfire. Carefree. No hustle. No hassle. We returned home relaxed and ready to enjoy Christmas and our Christmas traditions.

Take time to chill out and celebrate this year’s wins. Its been a tough one very few people would have known to plan for. That makes all you have achieved special.

Go you!

Keep Going. Never Quit. You’ve Got This

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach

Nanowrimo is done and dusted for another year. How did you go?

This year is the first time I didn’t complete my goal and I’ve been feeling a bit down and cross with myself.

Then I looked at what I had accomplished. A manuscript that needs work. Thirty thousand plus words. But thirty thousand words more than if I hadn’t worked on the script when I could.

Life happens.

I’m looking at what I do have and what I can do with it. So I continue to write. Showing up each planned writing day to write 500 plus words (Fast 500).

Build on the habit you began with Nanowrimo. Write each day, in whatever time you have.

If your in the same boat, you’re not alone. Work on consistently adding words, until there is a manuscript to edit.

Be an amateur who doesn’t quit. You’ve got this, my writing friend. Have a fabulous day.

Background photo is one of the beautiful sunsets we had while the Motorhome Babes gathered near Oxford, New Zealand.

Size Matters Not. Look At Me.

I don’t know why, but this little fur baby reminds me of Yoda.

So here are some fav Yoda quotes.

“When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.”

“Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.”

“Wars not make one great.”

This cute little fur baby is the last of the ragdoll cross litter. (The neighbours tom cat bet the breeding program). I’m so tempted.

“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.”

Enjoy Thanksgiving weekend. Even though we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in New Zealand, its a great reminder to remember all we’re thankful for.

Nanowrimo
It looks like for the first time ever, I won’t meet my 50k word goal. But the mystery will be solved.
But I’m still writing, just not as fast.

Children’s Book Update
The book is with the editor and the printer is creating a mock up of the textured paper books. We’re in a holding pattern.

And the best Yoda quote:

“Do or do not. There is no try.”

Picked up the Key To The Door

Moved into my new home on wheels and I am Loving it. Thank you Karon and the team at RV Supercenter, Christchurch

Its been a stressful week getting it sorted and I keep reminding myself how fortunate I am. It will seem so easy when viewd in a tear from now.

I haven’t been getting many words written, and keep going off on a tangent. My mind wouldn’t settle. It was most likely stress. Or, was I allowing myself an excuse to procrastinate?

Homeless

My dear friends Gerard and Femmy, I’m so grateful for your hospitality while I was homeless. Even havong to share your company with an Irishman turned out to be fun. He happened to be on his way from a MMM project in the top of the south to Karitane near the bottom of the south.

MMM

MMM refurbish and help maintain Christian churches, camps and schools. Check them out on mmm dot org if your interested in volunteering your skills, or seeking their help.

Road Trip

A group of motorhome Babes are getting together tomorrow to plan a North Island tour. How awesome is that? Yep, I’m going. We’re departing the South Island the last weekend in January ’22.

Writing

And finally, we’re down to the truth. I’m settling in to the daily routine in a different way. Cracked my daily goal of 1500 words but didn’t reach my catch up goal of 5k. I’ll keep chipping away at it. There’s two sides to every story. I realised I needed to include the other side. It’s been an interesting insight.

Sleep deprivation and PTSD have both made very interesting research.

Don’t Plan to Write – Write!

“Don’t just plan to write — write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” — PD James

Nanowrimo:
Day 10
Writing, writing, writing. Time to revise goals? Yes. Thank you Black Wolf Editor for your wise insight.
I write six days a week. Its been my habit for four years. But this year’s Nanowrimo I’ve put unnecessary pressure on myself. Not helpful.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
If its not working, find out why.
Then write.
Don’t just plan to write — write.

Quietly, in the background there’s been something very special happening, that I’ve been privileged to be a (small) part of.
Obstacles have been overcome and just maybe in time for Christmas…

The background photo – is part of the very special project.

Nanowrimo Day 1

Quote for Today (From Nano 2015)
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” — W. Somerset Maugham

Nanowrimo – Pre Writing party’s have been underway. Day 1 writing madly but haven’t made my goal, but did make my 1667 words for the day.

The background photo – New litter of kittens born under the boys bed.

The Shelfie – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

The Shelfie is an author and reader thing. My current book shelf is on Audible, Kindle and in my basket is my notebooks, Motorhomes, Caravans and Destinations Magazine, and writing craft books, Fast Feast Repeat, by Gin Stephens, and a spiritual book for digging deep.

Quote for Today
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Writing
Even the possible threat of a COVID outbreak lockdown sent everyone in Christchurch into a spin and my intentions to write at the beach went out the window – I did visit the beach.

Nanowrimo – three days to go!. Look out for a celebration launch in your area (you can find your local people – even though Nano have said no physical meetings).
Christchurch writers can check out the ChristchurchNZwriters dot org for events in their area (because we’re online, anyone can join in).

The background photo is of my current bookshelf because I live in my campervan. When I move into my motorhome in a few weeks, I get a bookshelf again.

Favorite Quote – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

Todays challenge is favorite quote, but this would have to be one of the hardest challenges. I LOVE quotes. They often form the basis of what I post. My favorite quote changes as I grow and stretch along my journey.
The quote that I have lived my life by is “And it came to pass.”
No matter what happens in our life, it will either come to pass or the way we look at the challenge will come to pass.
When we change under the pressure of what burdens us, we move forward. I confess, sometimes the pressure was on for sometime before I was able to move forward.

Quote for Today
“And it came to pass.” – ubiquitous biblical quote.

Meditation
Whatever is troubling you, hold it out. Think about the worst scenario. Now think about the best possible outcome. Whatever happens, you will find a way to cope as you accept this thing has happened or, will happen or may happen. Hand it over to God. Stand in his amazing presence. You are not walking alone. It may take time. Acceptance is the first hurdle.

Writing
I have found a name for my fictitious town. Volcano Harbour and the closest city Te Taone (Maori for The City). I’m hoping this will be an acceptable name as Maori give the name of a place as a precious gift.

Nanowrimo is nearly here. Excitement and fear are building among writers. Look at it this way. If you don’t make the fifty thousand word challenge, whatever you do write is more than you started with. One time my story stopped at thirty two thousand words and I discovered it was a novella, not a full blown story. My characters refused to budge, no matter how hard I tried.

The background photo is from a wall of T L Travers Mary Poppins, from when we visited Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.

Writing Snacks – Nanowrimo Instagram Challenge

Todays challenge is writing snacks. Simple. I dont eat until later in the day on 16/8 or 19/5 intermittent fasting. That means my body fasts for 16 or 19 hours and I eat in an 8 or 5 hour window.
Check out Gin Stephens book Fast, Feast, Repeat or her inspirational podcast of Intermittent Fasting Stories.
Take the 28 Day Challenge and you’ll find this is an easy way to care for your body.
They say people come to intermittent fasting to loose weight, but stay for the health benefits. You just feel better. The body doesn’t ache so much.
And there’s no “diet” foods. There is no expense to eat this way. No marketing to follow. It’s free apart from your normal food costs.
If you choose this way of eating remember to fast clean. Black coffe/tea and water. Anything else triggers an insulin response.

Quote for Today
“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” – Bethenny Frankel – TV personality and entrepreneur.

Meditation
Let food be your medicine and medicine your food – Hippocrates

Writing
Yesterday was a national holiday in New Zealand. I took it as a holiday too, hiring a motorhome while the one I call home is in for its annual service and deep clean.
I also caught up with my cousins and we all agreed we need to get together more frequently.

Nanowrimo is nearly here. It isn’t too late to decide to join in.

The background photo is the mile long jetty at Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. Don’t you just love pelicans?