Sunday, October 21, 2018

ROW80 Sunday and a quilty check-in

I'm looking at another intense week ahead. Beautiful sunny fall days. Temperatures in the 60's during the day, down to the 30's at night. No rain until Thursday (useful as we're packing). Not as much time for writing as I would like. I keep getting distracted by those rooms that yet need to be put into a box before we move on November 1. 

Today I worked our annual quilt show here in Spokane (over 400 quilts) and was inspired by some amazing quilts (see below). I also have a few new ideas for comfort quilts. 

Have you ever eaten an 'island burger'? Just add a thick slice of pineapple to your favorite hamburger. Because this coming week will be full of packing, I'm thinking crock pot.

Here's my progress for last week: 
Completed! 
Making progress. 
No progress . . . yet!

WRITING for this week: Seventh Tapestry. 993/1,000 words. Family History 0/500 words. OctPoWriMo: 0/5 poems. Blogging: 2/3 posts. Subbed first chapter to NOVELS-L. Completed  2 crits. 

COMMUNITY. Read & comment on blogs ROW80, IWSG, WIPpet: 5/8 posts

MARKETING: Organize marketing binder. Schedule 1 Book Club/reading. Develop wrap around for Book Bub promotion. 

OTHER: TOP PRIORITY: Move to first floor apartment from third floor apartment approved effective Nov 1, so PACK!!!  Making steady progress. Finished packing books, some 40 boxes.

OTHER: Keep e-mails <100. Read BELL x2 chapters this week. Other reading: 3/3 books (romantic suspense). Wrote 1 review. Finished quilt for family. Made backing. Continue work on next comfort quilt.

Two quilts from the Washington State Quilters annual quilt show that inspired me by their sheer artistry:

This exquisite art quilt by Charlene Lord is called "It's Not the Destination in Life That's Important."


David McLaughlin designed this second quilt. He is colorblind and used the shades to guide him. He calls the pattern a French Braid and used batiks to build his 'braid'. 

May your writing bring beauty and inspiration to yourself and to your readers!

Click over to ROW80 HERE on our blog or on Facebook to catch up on what others are doing.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

ROW80: Weds on the Move . . .

Still working on ways to simplify reporting in on Weds and Sundays. I think it's going to be a great week. The sun is shining. The house is quiet, and I put cinnamon in my coffee.

Here's the color grid: Completed! Making progress. No progress . . . yet!

WRITING for this week: Seventh Tapestry. 500/1,000 words. Family History 0/500 words. OctPoWriMo: 0/5 poems. Blogging: 2/3 posts. Subbed first chapter to NOVELS-L. Completed 1 crit. Need to crit 2x each week.
COMMUNITY. Read & comment on blogs ROW80, IWSG, WIPpet: 5/8 posts.

MARKETING: Organize marketing binder. Schedule 1 Book Club/reading. Develop wrap around for Book Bub promotion.

OTHER: TOP PRIORITY: Move to first floor apartment from third floor apartment approved effective Nov 1, so PACK!!!  

OTHER: Keep e-mails <100. Read BELL x2 chapters this week. Other reading: 2/3 books (romantic suspense). Wrote 1 review. Finished quilt for family. Make backing. Continue work on next comfort quilt.

OK, here's the top that measures about 80x85. A friend gave me machine applique blocks she had started. I improved my machine applique skills, and then there were all these colorful 2" squares.Very bright. Just right for a family to snuggle under on TV Night! 

Note: Quilting is GREAT for limiting stress!



May your week go well. Why not join in -- or click right over to ROW80 HERE on our blog or on Facebook to catch up on what others are doing.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

ROW80 The morning after the night before . . .

Very early this morning, about 3:30 am, a young man tried to beat his way into the apartment next door to ours. Shouting obscenities and throwing rocks, he came back three times over the next four hours. The last time, he tried to batter the door down with a large rock. Luckily, the door held, and the young woman who lives in the apartment was visiting her parents. No one was home.

I'm left wondering why I didn't call the police. If he had broken in, I would have. If I heard screams, I would have. Could I have talked to him? Absolutely not. His anger was scary. DH slept through the ruckus, thinking it was not happening next to our apartment. He said I should have called the police. If there is a next time, I will.

Otherwise, here's my ROW80 progress report on writing and the rest of real life. I'm trying to keep very simple goals for the coming 80-day-round.

WRITING: Start on Section 02 of The Seventh Tapestry. Yes! Scaffolding the section in more detail and writing/expanding scenes. Met F2F with critique partner x1. Rejoined NOVELS-L of the Internet Writer's Workshop and critiqued x1 (need 2x before I can sub). GOAL for coming week:  Continue work on Section 2. Sub first chapter to NOVELS-L and crit x1 more this week.

COMMUNITY: Mostly active with my quilting friends. Finished another comfort quilt and now working on a complicated machine applique quilt (will post pictures when the top is finished). GOAL for coming week: Confirm date for visit with book club. Draft newsletter and wrap-around for upcoming promo w/BookBub.

Other news: We're moving! From a three-floor walk-up to a first-floor apartment. I won't have to cling to the railing all the way down any more. Talk about 'fear of falling'! We're working on downsizing. Took about 20 bags of books to a local library for their book sale. I'm working my way past the political turmoil and focusing on what I can let go of.  Donate! Recycle! Celebrate each day. May your own progress on writing goals go well.

Yes, it was hard to let go of those books!
Thank YOU, all ROW80 writers, who persevere with goals and progress.

Go to ROW80 HERE on our blog or on Facebook to find out what others are doing.