Cares:
Plugging away on revisions. I’m starting to approach the second half of my novel, which is rather nightmarish at the moment. Trusting God to give me the words and the guidance I need to make this story one that will grip hearts and glorify Him.
Concerns:
Back to work on Monday. My slow-paced summer lifestyle will be replaced by the hustle and bustle of getting ready for work, rushing my little man off to daycare, managing a classroom full of 5th graders, squeezing in some exercise when I get home, and trying to soak up my evenings with my family. I’m so going to miss my morning walk with Bubba and Brogan, our visits to the pool and park, play dates, reading and snuggling before nap time, and the two and a half hours of writing time I had while he slept each afternoon. I’ll have to readjust to this new schedule, accept a messy house, and be okay with quick-fix dinners. I’m thankful for a job I enjoy, a job that provides health insurance and monthly checks, but man do I mourn the end of summer.
Celebrations:
On a positive note, it was an amazing summer! Not only did I finish the rough draft of my fifth novel, I’m well into revisions. I cleaned out all the closets in my house. Organized and packed away a lot of Brogan’s toys and spent plenty of time outside. I couldn’t have asked for a better two months (well, okay, a book contract might have helped…but I can’t have everything, right?).
I’m super stoked (Wendy, there’s that word again!) about the one sheets I created for my two latest books. Can’t wait to print them off and pitch A Broken Kind of Beautiful to editors at the ACFW conference.
I’m exicted to see what God has in store for me this school year!
Question to Ponder: What are your cares, concerns, and celebrations today?
It seems so strange to me to hear you say school is opening. We don't start for another month. (Of course we didn't end until the last week of June).
I hope you have a fabulous new year.
It sounds like you have had a magical summer! I'm gearing up for school too but just with buying books and making myself crazy with lesson plans.
I don't really have any C's. I would like for something amazingly memorable to happen this summer. I'm open to all wonderful things Lord in the event you read Katie's blog, which I'm sure you do.
OK, this is perhaps the oddest blog comment I'll leave today. Aren't you lucky girl?
Hi Katie –
This summer went super fast. You accomplished a lot.
Cares – Racing to finish preparation for the Philly Conference.
Concerns – Editor/agent appointments!
Celebrations – Mom and I enjoyed spending time with our family.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
Your CCC's are great. Summer is ending, but we have much to anticipate in the Fall.
I'm presenting tomorrow on keeping a prayer journal, then I'm off for a girls' night out, so I'll say that this weekend, I'll experience all three C's.
My days are consumed with my kiddos right now, hoping my daughter will figure out the whole sleep thing. She woke up every 3 hours the other night (ouch), then slept over 7 hours last night (hooray!). In the midst of infant and toddler mania, I'm trying to work on polishing my m/s for the ACFW conference. I'm not sure where all my writing time disappears. 🙂
Hope you have a smooth transition back to work!
I'm glad you had such a wonderful summer!
Cares: Writing my novel and realizing it isn't at all what I thought it'd be. It's turning into something completely different. Not a bad thing, but kind of annoying, lol!
Concerns: Getting everything pulled together for my best friend's bridal shower!
Celebrations: I spent all day with a friend yesterday who I hadn't seen or talked to in 8 months. It was wonderful catching up!
I can't believe we are already waving goodbye to summer:) Now it's back to backpacks, lunches, and homework. *Groan*
My celebrations are mounting- yipee! My daughter just began preschool this week and we all love her teachers! My oldest daughter is gearing up for her first year in middle school, and my husband is packing his back for his first year in seminary college! I'm just amazed at all the new beginnings that are surrounding our family.
My writing is starting fresh too!
I come from a family with lots of teachers so I sympathize your mourning of summer days past. 😉
CCC: Uh, my foot appears to be a tiny bit broken. That's going to make church ministry hard this weekend. and apparently 5 more after that.
Editing: Whew, okay, so I scheduled out the rest of my edits so it's not, "Let's edit this book," But "have X on my desk by Monday." It's intense.
& Celebrations? Wrote about it in my Friday Five so I won't repeat, but I'm grateful for several things regarding my foot.
Doesn't seem right that summer is over! 🙁
I'm celebrating finishing my WIP, and I'm concerned about working on a new proposal. 🙂
Good morning Katie!
Cares: I am still poring over my manuscript trying to make it shine before entering the Operation First Novel contest; I also want to start my next novel and have something ready by WFTS conference in February.
Concerns: How to manage my time, especially when I jump into the deep end of homeschooling my 7th grader next week. Between that and my 14 month old, I worry about finding any time at all to write.
Celebrations: I'm still celebrating having registered for the WFTW conference! Nervous, excited, so glad I took the leap and made the commitment!
Have a blessed day!
Hi Katie! I used to be a teacher and I remember those last days of summer… it was so bittersweet! I was so excited to get new students and start a new year, but man did I miss the lazy days of summer where I could do SO much more!! BUT, just think about how wonderful it will be to connect with and know and influence a new group of students! Good luck!
I can't believe school is starting for you already. Summer went by way too fast. We have until the 23rd here, but still…way too fast.
Concerns/Cares: Not enough time to do everything I want to do this summer. I also need to decide whether or not to pitch this second book at the ACFW conference. Too many decisions!
Celebrations: One critique back on my new story and I can't wait to make the revisions!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who says stoked!
But maybe I shouldn't mention that I don't start university until halfway through September… (although, I think university is a lot more relaxing than a full-time summer job.)
Cares: I need to stop overcommiting myself.
Concerns: Just the regular life complications.
Celebrations: Well, it's the weekend. I'm full of ideas for my WIP! My friend's birthday was yesterday. And I have the most amazing friends and family in this world.
Happily we still have almost 4 more weeks of summer vacation here. Hope your back to school routine goes easy for you. :O)
Hi Katie,
I can't believe that summer is already over, although I'm dreading the beginning of this school year for a different reason. My little guy starts jr. kindergarten this year and I'm just not ready to have him gone every day. On a positive note, I've met his teacher and she is just the nicest. Thanks to all the teacher's out there that put worried mommies like me at ease!=)
Congratulations on all your progress on the revisions!
~ Lacie
Hard to believe summer's nearly over. It sure feels like fall in Denver.
Cares: I need to get serious about writing. I've signed up for ACFW's online critique group that I hope will push me to write more.
Concern: Whether my legs and abdominal muscles will survive after four weekly sessions of yoga.
Celebration: I volunteer at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where among other things I enroll visitors in the Genetics of Taste research. On Monday I learned I had enrolled more people (52 since January) than any other lab guide. And we volunteer researchers have a new title: citizen-scientists!
Hm, cares: continuing on the editing of my book. Things are going a little slow.
Concerns; tried to get a root canal done today, but after 3 shots of that numbing stuff, I could STILL feel pain. According to the doctors, I'm 'highly sensitive to pain'. Yayyy… I have a temporary filling for now and go back on Monday for the rest of the job.
Celebrations; friends are coming to visit next week, and it may be trivial, but we're getting our pool set up today! Our first one 😉
Katie,
Cannot WAIT to meet you at conference!
Cares/concerns: prayers for those little ones who need our Lord.
Getting back in gear on my WIP after stopping to do final edits on "The Rhythm of Secrets."
Celebrations: FINISHING MY EDITS!!
Have a good weekend, dear one.
Patti
Congratulations to you for all you've accomplished this summer, Katie. I'm impressed!
My concern today is that I not let others' disapproval of me define what I do; I need to be secure and like myself, because Jesus does. Period.
I'm celebrating two checks that arrived this week for articles I sold–perfectly timed right before our vacation! God is so sweet.
Have a fun,relaxing weekend! I hope this is your best school year ever, and that contract is on it's way!
It's been awhile since I've done this (sorry..)
Care- My friends right now. I've got a ton of stuff going on and they have been so supportive through it all. I am so blessed!
Concern – I'm working on a very important novel right now that I wanted to have completed by the end of this week. It's not looking good 🙁
Celebrations – I started a new website called Ask a Bipolar and it has taken off in ways I never would have imagined. The response has been overwhelming and that makes me all sorts of happy!!!!
Good luck with school next week and pitching to editors!
School already? Wow–seems like summer just started.
My concern is that my last reader of my book will like it so I can send it off to an editor.
I'm stoked to see what God has in store for you this year too! 😀 You are too much fun.
I'll be thinking of you as school is getting ready to start.
Cares: I feel like my to-do list magically grows every time I cross something off.
Concerns: I need to get it in gear to teach 6 2nd-6th graders about writing in a few weeks.
Celebrations: My mom's birthday is today. 68 years. I love that lady so much!
~ Wendy
I'm pretty concerned about school starting already as well. I don't teach, but I do go back to work the same day the kids go back to school. 🙁
I'm working on one sheets. They intimidate me!
Katie, Glad I'm not the only one up at 4 am on a regular basis! The only problem is I miss out on time with my teens late at night, but thankfully Bryan is on that duty! I will pray for your continually being led by the Spirit in all you are attempting to do! We also are mourning the end of summer!! One day closer to taking our oldest off to college and all God has for her there…wierd being on this end of the college thing!:) Reading your post brings back so many memories! Enjoy your day!
I cannot believe your summer is already over. It seems like yesterday you were saying that you were just starting the summer hols.
It sounds like you have had a fantastic break. Good for you about the revisions and writing. That is awesome. I am praying for your book contract 🙂
All the best as you get ready to go back to work.
I am looking forward to summer coming here. And I am excited about my first fight tomorrow! WOOT! I cannot wait to put my boxing skills to good use 🙂
On another note I am awaiting some revision feedback on my memoir from an editor I paid to look at the book. And I am waiting on 2 literary agents that have requested fulls… did I mention I hate waiting? 🙂