Renew your spirit with summer

Puck's last day of school is this week, so when they get back from Monty's house, he'll be on summer break.

We're all looking forward to it, too.

Bo has some exciting activities and crafts planned for the munchkins this summer, we're going to go to the beach as often as possible, and we have a family trip planned for July.

I'm looking forward to getting in some extra time with the munchkins,

But, as often happens with transitions like this, I find myself thinking about how quickly the school year has gone by, and where we were this time last year. Puck was finishing pre-K, and now he's ready for first grade.

He's done very well this school year, and I'm proud of his accomplishments. He's gone from being able to write his name to being able to write complete sentences legibly. He colors (well) inside the lines, and can draw pictures with very good detail. He knows a lot about math and science and language arts and the world around him, and he's eager to keep learning and developing and growing.

Tink has learned a lot this year, too, in trying to keep up with her brother. She can write all her letters and is beginning to sound out words to be able to write them. She has gone from scribbling all over a page to coloring much more in the lines. And she can even read some of Puck's sight words from his kindergarten list. She's closer to kindergarten-level than pre-K, and is ready to be in school "like Brother, but with no lunchbox."

It's been a good school year, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the munchkins are going to learn and do during the next school year. And in the meantime, we're going to have a great summer.

When the Leaves Change: Summer 2008 in Review

This has been an eventful summer for me. I left my teaching position, started a business, became an auntie, and adopted two new kitties (Azshara and a boy kitty whose name is to be determined). I've read (though not as much as I would have liked), written (more than I expected I would), and made a breakthrough in the writing of my book. Overall, it's been a good summer. Sure, there are things I wish had happened differently, but I don't regret anything. I did what I thought was best at the time.

On Starting a Business
When I quit teaching to become a full time freelance writer, I expected to spend the bulk of the summer seeking clients, building relationships, and doing almost anything to build a portfolio. Shortly after "opening," a kind fellow freelancer passed my name to a client who needed projects done on a tight deadline (too tight for her), and I picked up some projects for a few months. I was a paid writer!

A month or so later, I applied to a writer's assistant position working for another freelancer who had too many projects and needed help 15 or so hours a week. It was a little shaky, but I got the position, and it has been the best thing for my career so far! The woman with whom I work is a wonderfully sweet woman, and we have a lot in common. We work well together, and write well together. It's been a wonderful experience already, and my portfolio has gotten so big I had to start a couple of extra file folder to contain the hard copies!

I'm not making very much money yet, but I already consider myself a successful freelance writer. There is quite a bit more I would like to do (and expect to do) in my writing career, and this summer has been a wonderful start to it. I'm already doing better than I thought I would, and if this summer was any indication of how things will be in the future, I may have to start posting less frequently!

On Becoming an Auntie
I'm so excited my little sister is a mama! Ashlie Elizabeth is a beautiful, beautiful baby girl, and she is going to be spoiled with love for the rest of her life. It's a bit strange. I always assumed I would have children before her, so I thought that, by the time Sis had kids, I'd be able to sit back and chuckle at her stories, empathize with her pains, and share (unsolicited) advice about everything. Instead I'm an auntie and I get to spoil Ashlie and give her candy (when she's old enough, obviously) before sending her home to Mommy and Daddy wired and unable to sleep.

I'm not going to lie: I'm a little jealous. I love babies, and I'm looking forward to when Hubby and I are able to have children of our own. Until then, though, I'm going to enjoy peppering my personal blog with pictures and bits of information about my darling niece.

On a House of Fur Babies
I've always loved cats, and when Hubby and I adopted Jaina back in October 2007, I couldn't imagine a home without animals. This past June, Hubby suggested we get another kitten as a playmate for Jaina and though I was unsure, we found Azshara and fell in love with her energy and friendliness. So we brought her home. Jaina wasn't so sure about having another kitty around, but after a few days they became best friends.

Just prior to Tropical Storm Fay hitting Orlando, a stray cat started hanging around my in-laws' house. Since Mom-in-law is allergic, we agreed to take care of the stray at least through the storm so he wouldn't be out in the weather. When we brought him home (and cleaned him up) we thought Azshara would take to him immediately but that Jaina would be a bit standoffish as she was with Azshara. We were surprised that, instead, Jaina started mothering him right away, and for several days, Azshara hissed and growled anytime he went near her. Everyone is friends now, though.

When we first brought the stray home (we originally called him Thrall, but we settled on Warrington after the Cheshire Cat in Fforde's Thursday Next series), I couldn't believe we had three cats at our house. Three! That seemed so many! But each of them has such different personalities, now I don't know how we could have less than three cats in our home!

I love all our fur babies, and I'm thankful we took Warrington in to rescue him from the storm.

On Expectations for Autumn 2008
As eventful as the summer has been, I know the fall is going to be even more eventful. In addition to freelancing, I plan to finish the first draft of my coffee house book (hopefully prior to the insanity that will be NaNoWriMo 2008), read more, and achieve some of the goals I've set for my personal life.

I'm optimistic about the rest of the year. There are things I'm greatly looking forward to in the near future (including visiting my family for Christmas this year), and it will be a good way to close 2008 before starting a great 2009.

I think things are looking better.

Summer Inspiration

Sometimes when the weather is gorgeous, the temperature is perfect, and the sun is shining brightly, it's hard to stay inside at a computer to work. Even worse is trying to come up with ideas for stories or articles when the garden or beach or forest is calling to you.


I used to try and fight my urge to go outside and be in nature during the summer months, and while I spent a lot of time at my computer, my writing suffered. My mind was elsewhere, and no matter what I did, I couldn't come up with a writing topic.


Now I don't fight these urges. Instead I let myself take a bit of time to be in nature, and I've gotten great ideas as a result. But on the days I simply must sit and work, I've even come up with writing prompts to keep my mind from fighting the summer weather without sacrificing my writing and writing time. Some have to do with weather, others with animals, a couple deal with vacations, but all get me in the summer mindset.


I find that when I embrace the weather instead of fighting it, the summer becomes an ally in my writing life instead of a distraction. I don't feel guilty for thinking about what's waiting outside my window. And then, when I've been writing about the family of ducks that lives in our pond all morning, my break is all the sweeter at lunch time when I go feed them from my stale bread bag.


Happy scribbling!
NP

Summer Coffee

I love coffee. But when the weather gets warm, I find myself drinking less of it. There's just something about hot coffee in the summer that doesn't work for me.

The great thing about specialty coffee drinks is the variety that exists for summer coffee drinks. For people like me who really love the taste of coffee, iced coffee drinks provide a cold option that quenches that espresso thirst.

Iced Coffee
Some specialty coffee shops are happy to give you regular (or decaf) coffee poured over a cup of ice. Sugar or flavored syrups are often added.

Iced Cappuccino

Like iced coffee, this drink is a cappuccino over ice. After pulling a shot of espresso, milk (sometimes heated, sometimes not) is poured over ice, followed by the espresso. Often the froth present in a cappuccino is omitted in favor of whipped cream. Sugar or flavored syrups are often added.

Iced Latte

This drink is similar to an iced cappuccino, but comes in a larger size (as with the hot version).

Blended Coffee Drinks

Called Frappucinos by Starbucks, these drinks are where iced coffee drinks and smoothies meet. Many blended coffee drinks are created using powdered mixes, flavored syrups, and milk, then topped with whipped cream. The strong flavoring in these drinks provide a great option for people who want to order something at a coffee house, but aren't sure if they like coffee.

Cremosa
This isn't really a coffee drink, but is often found in coffee shops. It's an Italian drink made up of ice, carbonated water, flavored syrups, and cream. The water is poured over ice first, then the syrup, and it's topped with the cream to allow it to swirl together on its own. These drinks are available without the cream, which is a drink called an Italian soda.

First Book of the Summer

I've begun reading The Gathering by Anne Enright, winner of the Man Booker Prize for 2007.

I was given the book by a colleague who "hated it." I can see why she disliked it, but so far I'm enjoying it. It's strange and a little disturbing and beautiful and heartbreaking.

I'll give you a bit more information as I progress through the story, of course.

Stare at screen. Bang head on keys. Repeat ad nauseum.

As geared up as I am for the summer, I can't seem to get motivated to write this week. I don't know if it's because I'm burned out from catching up at work, or if I'm just unmotivated, but last night when I sat down to work on the coffee house book, I sat for about twenty minutes and didn't type a single word.

I've been trying to temper my grading/lesson planning/end-of-the-year-ing with preparing for my summer job so as not to burn myself out, but obviously what I'm doing isn't really working.

I keep telling myself I have nothing to complain about, really. With my teacher's schedule, I have ample time to write some afternoons, weekends, and all summer. I've read about writers who had to scribble their novels on the subway every morning and evening, or only had an hour to write each morning before work, and still managed to turn out award-winning work.

However, all the time in the world is meaningless without the motivation to write, and there's just something in this coffee-addles brain of mine that isn't letting me write.

I blame the day gig.

After I've finished my grading for the weekend, my intention is to spend some time cleaning out my desk and thoroughly organizing my writing space for the summer. (I have to do something productive this weekend!)

Only 14 more days until my summer vacation! Woo hoo!

15 Days 'Til Writing Full Time!

I'm counting down the days until the last day of classes this semester. Not only does it mean I won't have to grade on the weekends, but I'll be able to devote my days to writing the coffee house book and working on freelancing.


I feel terribly behind on the coffee house book--I'd intended to get some writing done over the long weekend I had, but my family surprised me by coming down to visit for my birthday (Hooray!). My computer was off all weekend.


There's a lot I need to do to get ready for writing full time this summer.

I need a website. For now, the blog is working nicely, but I need a place that gives me a bit more flexibility with layout, and gives me the opportunity to create a business-type site for Coffee-Stained Writing.

I need business cards. I have a logo I've designed and an idea of what I want for the look of the logo on the card, so I just have to design and order them. I want to get the website up and running first, though, so I can put the web address on the cards for contact info.

I need to organize my portfolio. I kind of hve everything all together, but I need to revise a few pieces and get everything in .pdf format to put up on the site once I get it up. I also need to email my college advisor to get a copy of a story I had long ago and can't seem to find anywhere anymore. It, too, needs to be revised, but it definitely goes into my portfolio.

I need to set up my summer writing schedule. I find I'm much more productive when I have set hours for writing. And it will help keep me from over-working myself and, in the process, neglecting my darling Hubby.

So the rest of this week I'll be scrambling to get work stuff done so I can spend my weekend building a website and ordering business cards.

There are only 15 school days left, and then I'll be able to write full time. Hurrah!