This week a short story of mine is on The Nuthouse Scribblers... Drop by for a read... Plus enjoy the many other stories featured this summer...
http://thenuthousescribblers.blogspot.ca/2014/07/hearts-storm-by-maya-tyler-freeread.html#.U9MDT_ldWSo
July 25, 2014
July 19, 2014
Vacation Brain
I'm visiting beautiful British Columbia this week and just realized it's Friday. So, this will be a quick, short and sweet post.
This is my first adventure without my husband and kids. I'm visiting a friend and her new baby so I've had plenty of opportunity to write!!! I'm excited to report I finally finished the first draft of my summer short story. It needs one more read through and a name. Then I can email it off. Once that story is safely in the email, I'll finally be able to get back to my WIP! Writing definitely takes time.
So I did something I don't usually do. I let my friend read my summer short. She liked it, thought it was good. I hope she wasn't just trying to be nice. I know. Confidence. It's just hard to share such a personal part of me with someone I know. I have no problem with strangers reading my work. Bizarre.
Tomorrow my plan is to finish edits on my summer short. I'd like to work on my WIP too, but that might be too ambitious. My flight home is Sunday morning. I miss my family, but it's been an awesome vacation.
Even if it gave me vacation brain.
July 11, 2014
Another year
Another busy day, week, year. Another year older... Maybe wiser too, who knows? Lots of great things today. It's my birthday and the start of my summer vacation. What a relief. With everything going on at work, I needed a break. I was ready for my vacation to start.
And maybe I'm just tired. Maybe it's been a longer, busier week than usual. I can't help but feel a little jaded. I was happy for my birthday. I got cards from my parents, in-laws, sister, and godparents. I got emails from a couple of aunts. My sister also sent me a few texts today. But the only calls I got today were from my parents and in-laws. It makes me a little sad. If I'd included my real birthday on my FB profile, I would've had about 40 'happy birthdays' on my wall by now. I understand that my friends are busy and have their own lives. I'm busy and I have my own life. But I never forget a birthday. I don't need cards or presents, but it's nice to be remembered.
This whole happy birthday wishes on FB thing because FB notified you a 'friend' is having a birthday is so fake. Don't get me wrong - I use FB. I like FB. But a few years ago I stopped playing all the addictive games and had a serious friend purge. I don't need 500 friends to feel good about myself.
I feel good about myself. That's the plain and honest truth. My dreams are coming true and I've never been happier. The only damper in our life plan is my husband's health. Which goes to show, you can plan everything to a point but you still have to contend with the bends in the road. Hopefully this bend has made me a stronger and better person.
So I'll enjoy what's left to my day, appreciate everything I have, and savour my time with my family this week. And hopefully get some writing done. It's a great challenge to accomplish anything with 2 small kids around. But I'll try. And I'll keep trying until I succeed.
A birthday is a little like a new year. A fresh start. A nudge toward accomplishing a goal, completing a project. A celebration that you've made it through another year. A second chance to make things right. I, for one, do not plan to waste one second of it!
Happy Friday, happy summer!
July 4, 2014
Dreams Don't Pay the Bills
Three day work week.
These words should be magical, although not as awesome as two day work week or even one day work week. One day work week. <Happy sigh> Work is a necessary evil. Gotta eat, gotta pay the bills. And dreams don't pay the bills. We had a stat holiday this week for Canada Day (Tuesday) and I decided to take Monday off as a vacation day.
Four day weekend. Even sweeter than three day work week. I bet you're wondering now if I don't like my job and if I don't like my job why am I working there? I believe I might have mentioned dreams don't pay the bills. I'm pretty attached to my house and I enjoy eating. So I go to work.
After my lovely four day weekend, I went to work on Wednesday not feeling well. It must be a cardinal rule or something, but you can't call in sick after you've had vacation. It just seems wrong. So I stuffed myself with painkillers and went to the office. The day was horrible. I had shooting, stabbing pain in my stomach off and on. I wanted to be anywhere other than work. I'm a trouper, I tried to keep myself busy and distracted, but it wasn't easy. A few times in the morning, I found myself daydreaming about starting a new career. How I would do it. How much each venture would cost - education, start up. How much I could make. And it all boiled down to one thing. Starting from scratch would mean a huge paycut and, in this economy, nothing was going to pay me what I make at my current job. How depressing. To have to work for money. But apparently, everything I love doing doesn't pay well (at least initially).
Writing is just a hobby. Someday I might make a full career out of it, but right now my day job is it. There are worse jobs out there. Believe me, I've had them. And I've them left behind in search of greener pastures. I've realized that the grass is only greener if you water it yourself. So, after my brief pipe dream plans to leave my job and start a new career, I got serious and went back to work.
Unlike some of my co-workers, work is not my life. I have my boys, husband and two little ones, to keep me busy at home. While at work, my little cubicle is covered in reminders of my children - artwork, pictures. I work for my family. Every bad day, every stressful moment, I look at those pictures and I remember the reason I am there. To give my children a better life. To take care of them, to have the ability to make their dreams come true. I am a dreamer. I dream big. I encourage my boys to dream big too. My dream come true is my family. The other dreams pale in comparison. My life fulfills me like I never thought it could. Sometimes dreams come true. Although dreams don't pay the bills, they do make life worth living.
These words should be magical, although not as awesome as two day work week or even one day work week. One day work week. <Happy sigh> Work is a necessary evil. Gotta eat, gotta pay the bills. And dreams don't pay the bills. We had a stat holiday this week for Canada Day (Tuesday) and I decided to take Monday off as a vacation day.
Four day weekend. Even sweeter than three day work week. I bet you're wondering now if I don't like my job and if I don't like my job why am I working there? I believe I might have mentioned dreams don't pay the bills. I'm pretty attached to my house and I enjoy eating. So I go to work.
After my lovely four day weekend, I went to work on Wednesday not feeling well. It must be a cardinal rule or something, but you can't call in sick after you've had vacation. It just seems wrong. So I stuffed myself with painkillers and went to the office. The day was horrible. I had shooting, stabbing pain in my stomach off and on. I wanted to be anywhere other than work. I'm a trouper, I tried to keep myself busy and distracted, but it wasn't easy. A few times in the morning, I found myself daydreaming about starting a new career. How I would do it. How much each venture would cost - education, start up. How much I could make. And it all boiled down to one thing. Starting from scratch would mean a huge paycut and, in this economy, nothing was going to pay me what I make at my current job. How depressing. To have to work for money. But apparently, everything I love doing doesn't pay well (at least initially).
Writing is just a hobby. Someday I might make a full career out of it, but right now my day job is it. There are worse jobs out there. Believe me, I've had them. And I've them left behind in search of greener pastures. I've realized that the grass is only greener if you water it yourself. So, after my brief pipe dream plans to leave my job and start a new career, I got serious and went back to work.
Unlike some of my co-workers, work is not my life. I have my boys, husband and two little ones, to keep me busy at home. While at work, my little cubicle is covered in reminders of my children - artwork, pictures. I work for my family. Every bad day, every stressful moment, I look at those pictures and I remember the reason I am there. To give my children a better life. To take care of them, to have the ability to make their dreams come true. I am a dreamer. I dream big. I encourage my boys to dream big too. My dream come true is my family. The other dreams pale in comparison. My life fulfills me like I never thought it could. Sometimes dreams come true. Although dreams don't pay the bills, they do make life worth living.
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