Have you ever thought about doing something, then gotten distracted, and then thought you did it because you thought about doing it? Confused? Me, too. I thought about posting first thing this morning, began working on edits, then clicked over just now to check on my site—and wondered where the heck today’s blog was.

And you know what? They actually had a picture out there on my favorite photo site to describe what I call what happened…

Now that you’ve seen it, it can’t be unseen. Have a great rest of the day, folks!

I’m posting late today. Sorry—no puzzle! And no, those aren’t my legs (obvi!), but the view is very similar to the one I enjoyed today.

We were up early this morning so we could hit the Caddo river with our innertubes before a mob arrived. Tubing is very popular around here.

Several years ago, I invested in rugged river tubes because it’s something we love to do in the summertime and renting tubes is ridiculously expensive for a family of six. I also bought a floating cooler-tube that we fill with water bottles and snacks. And although we bought the best SPF sunscreen we could find, I’m still a very pretty color of dark pink at the moment.

I’m worn out. I think I’ll blow off the rest of the day and sit under an AC vent with a big jug of water to play Charm King until it’s time to go to bed. I promise, I’ll share a puzzle tomorrow!

Here are some pics with my favorite people:

UPDATE: The winner is…Elaine Howell!
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This summer isn’t working out the way I’d hoped. I wanted to have a lazy-ish summer where I could enjoy the pool with the kids, paint some things, and dream about the stories I want to write. It hasn’t worked out that way.

I didn’t even make it through the second day of the art fodder challenge I was hoping to complete this month. Okay, so part of it wasn’t because of lack of time, it was due to lack of interest. The daily projects dropped, and I didn’t want to do them. Some of them were soooo time-consuming. I didn’t have an ENTIRE day to devote to making something I’ll glue on something else. I like quick projects, or at least projects where I can paint part of them and come back the next day to continue another part. The challenge wasn’t what I needed. I had a book to finish, which I did. Plus, I’ve had multiple editing projects, one after the other, some at the same time, to muddle through. So, there went my free time.

What I really want to do is start inventorying the art I have to see what else I need to produce for the Art Festival in October and the Christmas craft fair in December. Maybe I can tackle that a little at a time.

As well, I have some new products I want to try out. I’ve been collecting supplies for encaustic (wax) painting. I have an iron, a heating plate, a variety and many colors of wax, special brushes, scrapers, etc. Now, I just need to carve out an ENTIRE DAY to set up my space and experiment. I hope I love it. I hope I can get good at it. I love moving around mediums (watercolor, acrylic, collage, so far) when I get bored.

My daughter is getting a headstart. Here are a few of the things she’s completed so far. They’re so fun!

She hand-dyed the wooden beads and painted the sign for this pretty garland.

She’s been playing with polymer clay to make jewelry.

 

Aren’t they cute? So, today, I’m hoping to complete one more set of edits. I finished another last night. Tomorrow, I carved out the day for Oppenheimer with my daughter and SIL. I’m looking forward to some “adulting,” movie popcorn, and some Cillian Murphy.

Next Tuesday, we’ll do Barbie with the girls. Yes, we’re doing the “Barbenheimer” challenge—just not all in one day. I need the T-shirt! 🙂

So, for a chance to win a FREE download of one of my books, tell me what you wish you had more time for—something you really, really want to do. Or tell me whether you’re planning to see the movies!

UPDATE: The winner is…Beth Caudill!
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Were you alive on July 20th, 1969? I was eleven years old and still vividly remember watching Neil Armstrong take the first step a human ever took onto the Moon’s surface. We had gathered in someone’s living room (I don’t think it was ours) with some neighbors. The children were all lined up, sitting cross-legged in front of an old black-and-white TV, you know, the kind that was on legs, waiting for the broadcast.

I remember when it started. Everyone was silent. I think some of the adults were crying, it was such a proud moment. For this kid it was surreal. I was already a certified space nerd. I adored Star Trek and Lost in Space. I daydreamed about space exploration. (I often dreamed I was Judy Robinson, and that the robot was my best friend.) When I went to the library, I checked out books on the planets and stars. To see Buzz and Neil jumping around the moon, unimpeded by gravity, left me with a lasting feeling of awe and possibility.

Here’s a picture of our intrepid crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.

A side note. When I worked at a large insurance company, Buzz Aldrin came for a booksigning of his co-authored novel, The Return. Naturally, I bought a copy and had him sign it. I was like a fan at a rock concert. I met the second man who stepped on the moon. 🙂

So, my question to you, for a chance to win a free download of one of my books, is…

Are you ready for us to go back? Are you eager to see if we can make the flight to Mars?

UPDATE: The winner is…Stephanie!
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Yes! It’s a holiday! Another of those weird ones I like to highlight because don’t we need more reasons to celebrate? It celebrates the mayhem and chaos in our everyday lives. Something we usually hate, but today, we can revel in it!

Looking around my life, I can find plenty of chaos. I could take a daily picture of my desk, but the pictures I’m sharing today are much more fun. Our family decided to take the dive into raising our own chickens for their eggs—and what an adventure that has been!

Of course, my daughter went shopping for cute little chicks and came home with ducks and guinea fowl, too! Since then, we’ve added geese.

The guinea fowl have proven to be our “chaos agents.” Here’s the “best” picture I have of the raucous pair. They were much younger. They don’t stand ever stand still (my dd says it’s like they have ADHD).

This is what they sound like! They are very loud.

We didn’t know it at the time, but they are excellent little guards for the chickens. They are very vocal and scare off hawks and snakes and anything else that might try to enter the chickens’ yard.

Here’s a recent picture.

And because we’re on the topic of our birds, here are some more adorable pics.

Can’t forget our geese and ducks.

Here’s our first egg!

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC, share about some chaos agent or chaotic event in your life.

It’s Sunday, which is my planning day. Before I begin rejiggering my calendar, I like to pull a single tarot card from my favorite deck while asking what I should expect from this coming week. Last week’s Temperence card was exactly right. I held steady, worked hard, and I finished the darn book. This week, I have the Ace of Pentacles.

First, I examine the card and let my intuition tell me its meaning. Here’s Poseidon, ruler of the seas. Remember, he and his two brothers divided the realms. Zeus took the heavens, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon the seas. What else is important about the picture? See the grapes? They always seem to represent food and wine—a bit of celebration. Which fits for me, since I’ll have a book coming out on Tuesday! Plus, he’s holding a big golden pentacle. I’ll take that to mean I’ll get a nice payday. Not huge because, hey, it’s a single pentacle, but the card is telling me that my work will be rewarded. I should enjoy the fruits of my labor!

Let me check the book (because when I get into the numbered cards, I’m not up on all their meanings!). Ha! It tells me that there’s the “possibility of material achievement”—woot. So, I used many more words to describe what it meant, but I was right.

Nice to know, but what does that auger for this week? I can’t just eat grapes and drink wine. Guess I’ll head to my calendar and figure out how much work I have to complete to get to where I need to be by month’s end.

Do you ever reflect on your upcoming week? What helps you keep everything “on track?” Do you keep lists? A calendar? Do you look for guidance from something “otherworldly” (pray, tarot, meditate)?

UPDATE: The winner is…Stephanie!
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For all of those in the USA, Happy 4th!

Our family will be playing it low key. #1 — It’s hot as hell, so we’re not driving anywhere to sit and be consumed by mosquitoes while we roast. #2 — We probably won’t do more than sparklers and little poppers because our many animals would freak out, plus the 9-year-old doesn’t like the sound of explosions. #3 — We have a pool, so hopefully, we’ll decide a nighttime swim would be more enjoyable. We are planning finger foods and sandwiches. No grilling. Again — it’s too damn hot. But I hope the rest of you have fun! I’d love to hear what your plans are! I can draw vicarious joy from your celebrations!

So, share what you’ll be doing this 4th for a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC!