Soon to have a normal life again..

My attempt at a pretty summer silk flower arrangement.  Thought it a hint of the type of life I lead.  Laser-eyed cats in the silk flowers - plus cook-out stuff lined up on the front hall sideboard waiting for DH to remember to put it away.  And - yes - I will leave it there until the snow is up to my neck in January rather than put it away myself because it's annoying me to see it there.  He said he would put them away and there they'll sit until he does, neither of us speaking about them.  That's one of those little silent wars that often take place in marraiges.

Conferences.  Fun.  Nice to see the readers, talk to other writers, and promote one's books.  Always take up way more time than anticipated.  For some reason I always blank on the need to get ready to go to a conference, as if I think some wonderful little magical fairy will put all my promo stuff together and decide what clothes I should take while I putter around doing other stuff.

I also signed up for too many conferences, workshops, retreats this year.  Going back to the three major ones & a few little ones rule.  As I said - I like them, but too many really eat into the writing time and no matter how much I think I'll get some work in at a conference, it never happens.  Too many mean I'm also leaving things for the hubby to do like mail out prize packages - which he forgets to do as the man hasn't had to mail anything since we got married.  So back from a conference, getting letters saying where's my prize?  DH? What packages is his reply?  He thinks he moved something down cellar when he was looking for the hose attachment.  Yup.  There they are and now they have to be repackaged and sent out.  He is a bit of a failure as a minion.  Either that or he had one of those GUY moments where you told him something and he nodded and replied but his brain really wasn't in gear.

So I now have a big calendar pinned to the wall and am writing everything on it, from time to give old cat her flea meds to when the next book is due.  I hate it as it feels, well, confining, too much like I have a 9 - 5 job, but it's either that or continued utter chaos and things needing to be done that keep getting piled up and late or forgotten.  I've discovered that, while I'm not a very organized person and am happy with that, utter chaos is a little disturbing.

Thus begins two weeks of cleaning house since I just sent in the manuscript for the next Murray tale.  Amazing how much mess one can make and not see while writing.  But have 2 weeks to make a dent and then it's off to the big Romance Writers of America's National conference in Orlando, FL. It was going to be in Nashville and I was doing the happy dance about that, but the floods ended that plan.  Two weeks will not get rid of all the chaos as somewhere in there I have to pack, put the promo stuff together, and arrange for food, cat food, litter, etc. to leave with the DH for the week I'm gone, - get the picture?  Big, big time suck.

So, for now there'll continue to be laser-eyed kitties in the silk flower arrangements, late packages, piles of books on the library floor(I'm reorganizing the shelves - uh huh, that's my story and I'm sticking to it), folders of stuff I need to make a copy of because it was a really interesting article or recipe or exercise tip(which will turn yellow in the folder before I finally accept I'll never do it and throw it away), and so on and so on.  Because I need to get started on the next Wherlocke tale and pack for Florida.  Maybe that normal life I want won't be coming along too soon after all.   And, yet, maybe when I get back from Florida all that cookout stuff will be put back where it belongs.  Anyone dare to make a bet on it?