Busy, busy, busy...

So much to do, so little time.

Along with stuff for the house, I'm working on an article for the Historical Novel Society magazine. And I've started my Christmas knitting. Plus we've had visitors.

Here's what the front of the house looks like now:


And, we have a first coat of paint on the main floor - below are the front hall and the kitchen:



I'm still percolating my new story. It's frustrating me as well. I can't seem to make all the plot elements tie together. I don't think I've ever had this much of a problem with my plotting - my first three mss came together pretty well by themselves. But this is the second story I've tried out and I just can't seem to get anywhere. I'm really starting to think that I'm missing my critique group meetings even more than I thought. We meet on line, but it's just not the same thing as face to face conversation.

Guess once we're settled I'll have to find a new way to plot and write.

Teresa

Currently Reading: Book for review

Richard III - RIP...

My thoughts on Richard III.

Teresa

Currently Reading: About to start The Borgia Bride
Link of the day: Richard III

Quick update...

No writing to report this week - Sean and I have been spending a lot of time together. We spent Wednesday in Vancouver, where we bought our two ceiling fans, some light fixtures and the range hood. On Friday we ordered our appliances - yay!

Here are a couple of pics from the house. You can see more detailed ones at the house blog:

Over the next two weeks I have to go into storage and start packing up the books I unpacked last November - lots of work, but better to get it done before the day we actually we start moving things out!

Teresa

Currently Reading: Citadel of the Heart by Anita Burgh
Link of the Day:

Today's post is...

over at Unusual Historicals.

Teresa

Second week of September...

That's what we're now looking at for moving in. Not so bad when one considers how often people are more than a month later moving into a new house. But still a little disappointing. However, not much we can do about it. Our complicated ceiling lines mean that the second part of the dry walling process (taping and mudding) are going to take longer than anticipated. The painter is scheduled for the 27 of August, then the cabinets and floors for the first week of September. Finishing (door frames etc) will take place the following week, so hopefully we'll be able to move in on that weekend. Fingers crossed.

Not much else new. I did manage a little writing last week, before the family came for another visit. Sean and I both ended up with a cold (Sean on his birthday, no less) - we're almost over it now. I'll try to get round to other blogs, but we're busy this week. Appliance shopping today, ceiling fan/lighting shopping tomorrow in Vancouver, my library shift on Thursday and the Fibre Arts Festival on Friday.

I finished Birth of Venus yesterday and really, really enjoyed it. My one quibble was that we didn't find out what happened to two of the characters, so I didn't really feel the story was completely over. When not reading romance, I don't need and HEA ending, but I do need a real conclusion. Other than that, it was engrossing with lots of period detail, suspense, romance and complex human emotion born from fully realized characters.

Teresa

Currently Reading: Angels by Marian Keyes

Wishing time away....

This is the post I thought of, then forgot a few weeks ago! And it's even more à propos now, seeing as we're likely not going to be in the house till the first week of September.

Anyone who knows me well, knows I LOVE summer and that the last thing I normally do is wish the season away. But this year I'm doing just that. But part of me is rebelling, reminding me how precious each and every day is. That no matter how much I want our house to be done so we can move in, that there's more to life than that.

It's something we all do, starting as kids when the annual Christmas countdown begins some time in October. We wish away the school year, the winter etc. Forgetting, of course, that most of us are fortunate enough to be leading good lives, ones that should be enjoyed for what they are.

Is this making sense? I hope so. Am I the only one who regrets the days we lose by wishing them away too quickly? Who worries about these things? Who thinks that one day in the not so distant future they'll look back at the time they wanted to pass so quickly and want it back?

In other news

I've been doing some more character work for my ms. But am finding it really hard to concentrated. I did do some free writing which always seems to help and learned about my hero's childhood. But I'm also seriously starting to think of myself as a fraud with this whole writing thing. Others seem to be able to write no matter what is happening in their lives, a lot of it far worse than just waiting for a house to be finished. *sigh* OTOH, my characters keep bugging me to tell their story, so I know I'll start writing sooner or later.

Teresa

Currently Reading: The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Also Currently Reading: Angels by Marian Keyes

Back soon - I promise...

Things here are nuts as I'm trying to catch up after a week with my sis and her family. We had loads of fun together, both in Vancouver and here on the Coast. The house is coming along well - drywall started yesterday, siding is at least 1/3 done (if not more) and we're hoping the long delayed doors will arrive over the next couple of days.

More soon!

Teresa

Currently Reading: Far From Over by Sheila O'Flanagan