Hello! I’ve just started phase two of my get healthier, more energetic, and more creative me. I am still muddling through the cobwebs, but I’m starting to see some light at the end of the challenge tunnel which could mean great things for my next writing project.

During the course of phase one, I stuck to the challenge more through sheer will rather than will power.  It is a determination to see this thing through to the end and to remain true to myself and the challenge.  This is not to say there have not been temptations! Day two of the challenge could have been a scene out of one of my books.

Really, temptation like this on day two?

Early in the day at work a large sheet cake arrived in the office with a bunch of balloons.  It wasn’t anyone’s birthday, so we were all a bit shocked.  It was a promotional item sent to someone in our IT Department looking to introduce themselves as a potential supplier.  First let me say…best promotional item I have ever seen!  It certainly made its mark in our office.  Visions of The Right Chord on cupcakes or cookies for the August 6^th release danced in my head right after I got over the tempting blow Karma had dealt me in the form of this cake.  Vanilla cake with buttercream frosting from a well known bakery in the area pretty much ranks in under my top three weaknesses.  I did not give in to temptation, so I considered this a good sign of things to come.

Here is the wrap up from phase one regarding my personal goals.

Physical Cobwebs – I am down 5 lbs. and I’ve exercised a LITTLE.  A little bit of walking in the neighborhood, a bit of Pilates and some time on the Elliptical. I used to enjoy Pilates a great deal.  Before the cobwebs set in, I traded back and forth between Pilates and my Elliptical on a regular basis.  As of now I don’t have the same amount of time as I once did for exercise, but I figure even 20 minutes of exercise a day is more than I’d been doing for the past year.  In addition, I haven’t had one cup of coffee.  I’ve switched the coffee out for water and while I don’t feel like the energizer bunny just yet, I’m not crashing from exhaustion either.

Getting my “house” in order – Yay! It is getting there and it’s a good feeling. I’m looking forward to dedicating part of the holiday weekend to cleaning out the closets. I can’t express enough how essential order is to my mental clarity which better enables the writing process.

Writing – I’m enjoying a relaxed research phase for the next project. I don’t have a working title for the series yet, but the town is called Fountain Creek. I grew up in upstate NY and went to college in Ithaca.  While there are parts of the region that are ingrained in my blood and bones, there is much about the region that I am rediscovering through my research.  Most of my knowledge of the area revolves around theatre since that was my focus and passion at the time.  The area has so much more to offer and I’m excited to infuse as much of it into my stories and the town of my creation.  I also started to research family names. The research of names and their meanings has always been an important part of my writing process.  So, the creative juices are flowing. I might just rip off the band aid and start to write the first story during Phase Two!

If I don’t have time to check in again, I wish you all the best as we approach this holiday weekend. Spend time doing something you love!