S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 72

What I’ve Made From My Pottery Class This Fall

As most of you know who have been following my Sunday Updates, I decided to take a pottery/ceramics class this fall. This class was a wheel class, specifically learning to throw pottery on the wheel, not hand shaping. I had only two goals for the class: to enjoy it and bring home something I had made. I didn’t expect to become a master, of course. I’ve been in the creative business all of my life, and I know that real talent is a mix of instinct and hard work. Emphasis on the hard work.

I was hoping I would improve over time and enjoy the process and I did! I also met some very fine and lovely people in the class who I hope I’ll get to see again in the next session. Because yes, I did enjoy it enough to sign up again for the winter session! I start again in January.

One thing I really loved about pottery was that it has a lot of parallels to writing. In pottery, you can take a crappy “first draft” and trim it up in “revisions” to make something interesting and worthwhile. An experienced potter throws a great first draft of a piece and their revisions are the tiniest tweaks to bring it into a state of almost perfection. I’ve seen this in writing too. My first drafts in writing now are a lot better, a lot cleaner and more polished, than my first drafts of years before, and they produce better books than they did seven years ago. I hope to improve my pottery craft in the same way!

Let’s look at what I made this semester!

From left to right, first to last.

As you can see, over the course of the class, my bowls got a whole lot better. They started chunky and misshapen, and they ended up looking like a real bowl. Not elegant or anything, but still an improvement!

This last bowl went into the kiln in the above photo looking like it did and came out looking so different! I enjoyed painting that last bowl with glaze and I may do that again in the next session.

I made a little video showing the progression of my skills! It’ll also give you a better idea of scale.

Here’s a look at some of the pieces individually, both before and after they ended up in the kiln…

I’m really glad I decided to try a new creative hobby this year! It’s been a fun way to kickstart a new passion. It also really helped keep me happy this fall. I looked forward to going to class every week, and that helped keep me grounded and sane during a very busy period of the year. If you’ve ever wanted to try pottery, you should give it a go! I really loved learning.

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Book Chat #44 – Becky Chambers and Wendie Nordgren

Last Book Chat of 2018! I’m still listening to one audiobook but there’s been little time for audiobooks between Christmas prep, podcasts, and writing. So let’s talk about the last two ebooks I read! I’ll update about my Audiobook challenge between Christmas and New Years.

Also, posting on the blog will be light until 2019. I’m writing and I’m tapped out for original content here.

A CLOSED AND COMMON ORBIT by Becky Chambers

Wow. People said that this was as good or better than A LONG WAY TO A SMALL ANGRY PLANET and I agree with them. It was different, but I can’t say that it was better because I loved it just as much as A LONG WAY. Chambers handled the question of AI sentience and rights well in this novel. And it was great to learn more about the Aandrisks and their society. Once I got into the story and saw where it was going, I couldn’t put this down. I will definitely be getting the next one in the series.

DEATH’S PROVIDENCE by Wendie Nordgren

Originally, I thought I had been beta reading this book, but it turns out that I was not! A silly mistake on my part. I don’t read much paranormal romance, and I think that should change. I enjoyed this novella. It was fast-paced and fun, and it left me with a lot of questions about this world Nordgren built.

So that’s it for 2018! I’ve been pinning all of my Book Chat books on Pinterest and will also be pinning my To Be Read lists as well, if you’re interested in checking them out.

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Sunday Update – December 9, 2018

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Yep, it was another busy week around here, of course! When is it not? Lol.

Monday started out easy enough, except that I found a screw sticking out of my tire. Sigh. My “low tire pressure” light had been on for a week, but I thought it was just differences in pressure from cold weather. This usually happens in the winter and summer when temperatures affect the air pressure inside the tires. I asked my husband to fill up my tires for me, and he had said that this tire had been almost empty. Well, I found out why! So I spent some time in the morning calling local tire shops to find someone who sold my particular tire and then I ordered one from the next town over.

I started writing Daydreamer 5 as well! I wasn’t certain where to start or how, but as usual, I closed my eyes and saw an opening scene, then went with it. I often worry I won’t be able to write another book. Isn’t that nuts? When I have a WHOLE book in front of me, I get intimidated and scared I will never be able to write a whole book again. It’s almost paralyzing. So, this is why I really celebrate the first 10,000 words of a book. With the first 10k written, I know I can write the rest. It’s a relief to hit that milestone!

I talked more about my writing process in my Facebook reader group. Have you joined up yet? You should! https://www.facebook.com/groups/readsjpajonas/

On Tuesday, I have very little memory of what I did. Lol. I took no photos this day! But it was the first half-day of three half-days for the kids this week. In the afternoon, I went to the school for my youngest’s parent-teacher conference. Then in the afternoon and evening, the kids and I watched THE FLASH and SUPERGIRL together.

On Wednesday, we had another half-day. The cleaning ladies came and I got work around the house done. In the afternoon, the kids had tennis lessons, we got fish tacos and quesadillas for dinner, and then watched TV together again.

On Thursday, we had the last half-day of school. I got my tire replaced in the early morning, ate breakfast, and went to my last pottery class for the semester. I had one bowl to trim and another to glaze. Then I chatted with everyone in class before I left to make it home in time to meet my kids as they came home early. I go back to pottery classes in January. I wrote in the afternoon and I had dinner with the kids again.

Notice my husband wasn’t home for almost the whole week. He had work obligations every night but Friday. Yeah. It was a tough week.

On Friday, we were back to full days. I got my hair cut in the morning, went to Panera and got work done, then came home to drop off my things. I grabbed our grocery bags and went back out to buy groceries. Only took 35 minutes! A record. The kids came home and my husband made it home at a decent time.

Saturday, we slept in and did our usual Saturday things. I got some words in and other work done.

Today, I did more of the same, sleeping in, working, and then we got our family Christmas tree!

What a week!

Let’s go to the photos…

I made up a batch of hard-boiled eggs again in the Instant Pot. I’m always impressed with how easy they are to cook, how fast, and how well they’re done. Those creamy middles! Love them.

Here’s a look at some of the finished pots I picked up this week! These ones turned out nice. I’m really impressed by how much better both my technique and glazing has gotten.

This is the last bowl I glazed. This time instead of dipping it, I painted glaze on. Grey on the outside and purple on the inside. This might be more my speed than dipping. We’ll see how it turns out.

Here is the dreaded screw that ruined a lot of my good cheer this week.

The beginning of Daydreamer 5!

I bought a cold-water bidet (for cheap) and installed it myself. Someday, I’ll have the heated version!

The park is cold and the boat house is all shuttered up for the season.

We got our Christmas tree today! It’s so pretty. :)

Here’s something I discussed on Instagram. I’ve started drinking strong (REALLY STRONG) chamomile tea before bed, and I’ve managed to stop take Benadryl every night to sleep. It’s been nice to kick the Benadryl habit as it was making me groggy and cranky every morning. The chamomile tea (did I mention it’s STRONG?) has been working great for me!

And finally, a beautiful sunrise. One of the things I do like about winter.

Have a great week everyone!

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Audiobook Tag 2.0 – What’s Your Favorite Audiobook?

It’s been a long week here, full of half days and running around like crazy, so today, I’m blogging the Audiobook Tag 2.0 questionnaire that I found at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. Let’s get to the questions…

1. Name a book that is better on audio:

OLD MAN’S WAR by John Scalzi. I read this book a long time ago and picked up the series again via audiobook. The narration was great and the sarcasm traveled easier in audio. I have become a Scalzi audiobook addict!

2. Name a book that is worse on audio:

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen. Listening to this on audio made me realize that so little happens in the story, really, and it drags on and on. Much better just being read.

3a. Name your top female narrator:

Rebecca Soler. Particularly for HEARTLESS by Marissa Meyer. She’s great and has a wide, dynamic voice.

3b. Name your top male narrator:

Tie between Jefferson Mays (All the Expanse novels) and Luke Daniels (All the Unwind novels and the Magic 2.0 novels). Tough call because I really like them both!

4. What is the longest audiobook I’ve listened to?

PERSEPOLIS RISING by James S. A. Corey. 20 hours and 34 min. One of the longer Expanse books. Funny enough that it FLEW by whereas the shorter STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND felt like it lasted 4 times longer, though it was several hours shorter.

5. What is the shortest audiobook I’ve listened to?

THE VITAL ABYSS – AN EXPANSE NOVELLA by James S. A. Corey. 2 hours 26 min. Yep, more Expanse.

6. How do you listen?

iPhone Audible App.

7. Should authors narrate their own books?

If they’re good at it, sure. Most of the non-fiction I listen to is narrated by the authors.

8. Is there an audiobook that you wish could be redone?

Funny enough, the only one I had wished to be redone was the one that was! Somewhere along the way, one of the Expanse novels had a new narrator. He was good, but he wasn’t THE VOICE of the Expanse. Enough people complained that they re-did the audiobook.

9. Best audiobook:

Definitely THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir. I loved it so much I listened to it twice. Something I never do!

10. What is the most recent audiobook you’ve listened to?

I’m listening to CARVE THE MARK by Veronica Roth right now.

11. What is a book that I wish was on audio?

Besides my own books? No, that’s cheating. Lol. I saw the trailer for WATERSHIP DOWN this past week and realized I had never read it! I went to get the audiobook and there wasn’t one! Gasp! So, currently I wish that one was in audio.

What’s your favorite audiobook?

Tell me here and give me some great recommendations!

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Sunday Update – December 2, 2018

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

What a long week, y’all! I swear that all my weeks lately have been chock full of activities.

We started out Monday with little fanfare. I went for a walk in the park in the morning and worked on the puzzle for most of the day. Unfortunately, I spent too much time hunched over at the table, instead of sitting upright, and then I was aching and in pain for most of the evening. I learned a good lesson that day. Always sit up straight or reclined.

Tuesday, I was still in some pain but it wasn’t too bad. Still, I took it easy on the couch most of the day. I got some reading done and lots of editing of Flyght 2.

Wednesday was my first really busy day. I went for a walk in the morning and then had chiropractor and acupuncture which helped with some of the pain I was feeling. I finished up the puzzle and treated myself to ramen for lunch. Then the girls had tennis in the evening and I finished up my edits of Flyght 2! Yay!

Thursday was a busy day as well. I spent the morning working on putting both FIRST FLYGHT and Flyght 2 into Vellum, formatting, and then sending it off to my proofreader. Then I went to pottery class. At pottery, I glazed 4 bowls, trimmed 2 more, and then threw one more bowl on the wheel. I finished up at 12PM so I could run an errand, come home, shower, eat, and head to the school to volunteer for an hour at the Secret Shoppe. The Secret Shoppe is where the kids come in and “buy” little presents for their family and friends. It’s sponsored by our school-community association. It’s a lot of fun for the kids! Then I came home and got FIRST FLYGHT up to the retailers.

Thursday was also my husband’s 45th birthday! We went out to dinner early as a family and then my oldest child had a Girl Scouts meeting in the evening.

Friday, I went for a walk in the morning and then ran errands. I got the oil changed on my car, dropped off a package at Staples, and then grocery shopped at Whole Foods. In the early evening, I took the girls to their last pottery class where they had a small end-of-class party and I got to see them do their own thing in class, glazing and throwing something on the wheel.

Saturday, I spent most of the day working on my website. I took my kids into our town center in the afternoon to see the town fair and Christmas tree then check out the grand re-opening of our library. Our library had been under renovation for 18 months! I missed it. I’m glad it’s back now. In the evening, we went out for dinner for my husband’s birthday (yes, again) and got crab buckets. They were delicious!

Today, Sunday, we have been lying low at home. Unfortunately, I had planned on sleeping in, but for some reason, the contractors working on the house next door showed at 6:45am! They’re not even supposed to be working on Sunday! There’s a town ordinance against it. My husband opened the window and yelled at them, then the next door neighbors on the other side did too. I like the new owners of this house, but they have to get their contractors under control. It’s madness to think it’s okay to come at dawn on a Sunday and do LOUD work. I was pissed. It was my one real day to sleep in. I have spent the rest of the day working on my website, walking, and reading.

What else happened this week?

Here we see the progression of the puzzle! It was hard but rewarding and fun to do.

When I was out on my walk in the park, I picked up a Joker playing card. How random!

I love these. If you ever need to clear out your sinuses, this is what you need.

Some pots I’ve been working on…

The new library looks great and it’s nice to see lots of YA books prominently displayed in the Teen Room.

Birthday dinners for my husband!

And all the kids shopping for gifts at the Secret Shoppe!

Have a great week everyone!

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December 2018 Goals

How is November over already? I remember January like it was yesterday. I’m sad that the years just slip by now.

What Happened With November’s Goals?

Edit both Flyght Books 1 and 2. Done! They are with my proofreader now, and I even set up the pre-order for Book 1 on all the sites that would let me.

Continue website maintenance. I did not clean up my website like I wanted to. I think I’m going to take this weekend to work on it and start on writing on Monday.

Set up evergreen campaigns through December. I set some of these up!

Set up all the Pinterest images for the Miso Cozy Mysteries Series and the Hikoboshi Series. Done! I finished these up over two day between editing Books 1 and 2 of the Flyght Series.

Go on vacation and really go on vacation. I did! I went on vacation and I didn’t even open my laptop ONCE while I was gone. We had a great time, and I came home exhausted but happy.

Intermittent fasting, knitting, walking, yoga, reading, and pottery. I wish I had knit more this month, but I did most of the rest. I didn’t practice intermittent fasting while on vacation, but it’s been good for me during other times.

A Look Back At November

Business Goals For December

Begin writing Daydreamer 5. It’s my intention to write and finish this book before my birthday on January 18th. I would like to start writing on December 3 and take Christmas off. That’s 45 days of writing for a 72,000 word book, which is 1600 words a day. I can manage that, I think.

Continue website maintenance. I’d really like to finish up the bigger tasks on the website by the end of the year so I can move onto another website I’m interested in working on.

Set up evergreen campaigns through January. Same as last month. Set up a campaign for every Monday.

Get back to Pinterest. I need to spend more time here. So I’ve got a trial subscription to Tailwind and I’m working on being a better marketer in this channel.

Personal Goals For December

Intermittent fasting, knitting, walking, yoga, and reading. All of the usual stuff! Pottery will be done next week until January.

Have a great December!

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Introducing FIRST FLYGHT, Book 1 of the Flyght Series, A Sci-Fi Reverse Harem Action Adventure

Yes, my friends! Today is the day that I unveil the first book of my brand new series! Meet FIRST FLYGHT, the first book of the Flyght Series. I’m so excited for this series. It’s been a lot of fun to write and dream up, and it’s another science fiction romance which I love to write.

The original idea came to me for this series about two years ago. I really wanted to write something that reminded me of Firefly, a long tale about a starship captain and her crew. I would gender-flip it so that the crew was heavier with women than men, and I wanted some kind of mystery for them to hunt for the series. I had lots of first start ideas that didn’t gel with me. You should see the Evernote notebook I kept! I don’t even recognize half those ideas now. I thought maybe I could do a “lost fleet” story or an “evil empire” story. All of those ideas didn’t inspire me though.

Then I started to read some reverse harem stories on the side of my usual reading. I’ve talked about one of them here, PIRATE NEMESIS. I really loved this idea of multiple romances, where everyone learns to get along, and the dreaded “love triangle” storyline is upended.

That’s when it hit me to combine reverse harem with my new world idea! In this story world I’ve created, women are a small minority, so over the centuries, women fought to bring their numbers up and bring their system to parity. There are lots of laws in place to help the cause, including several planets where the land can only be owned by women. My main character, Vivian, had an assured future as the head of her estate when her brother screws over the entire family, and now Vivian is in danger of losing the land, her family, everything. With this story, I’m able to combine a lot of my loves in storytelling: family drama, a tough but lost heroine, a mystery, and several great romances.

The Flyght Series has been a lot of fun to write, and that’s the key point here. Whether anyone else ever loves it is secondary because it has brought me a lot of joy. I’ve written the first two books. I’m going to take a break now to write the next Daydreamer book (which I’m also excited for), and then I plan to return to the Flyght Series and write the next THREE books in that series before summer. That’s my plan at least. I’m hoping my Dragon dictation and AlphaSmart will get me there.

Today, I have the pre-order available for FIRST FLYGHT on Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, and Google Play! Amazon doesn’t allow pre-order this far in advance. I’m hoping to gain some sales on these vendors. EVERY SALE OUTSIDE OF AMAZON IS IMPORTANT. When you pre-order any place other than Amazon, those sales stack up and then dump on the day the book publishes, giving the book a boost in the ranks. Even only 10 sales at Apple Books could give me some visibility there! So if you buy outside of Amazon, I would love it if you pre-ordered.

I’m also doing something different and offering this book for only 99¢ during the pre-order period. I usually launch my books at full price. This time, I want to try something different. I want to give readers every chance to pick up this book and start this series. With a low price-point for the first book, I am hoping more people will pick it up and give it a chance! But get it during the pre-order period because it will increase to $2.99 not long after it publishes.

Expected publishing date: September 6, 2019. I know that’s far into the future, but if the writing goes well, I may move the date up! We shall see. But September will give me plenty of time to have 5-6 books of the intended 9 written ahead of time. That would be awesome for nerves. Lol.

Cover designed by the awesome Najla Qamber. She’s already designed the first 3 book covers in the series, and I have her booked for most of the rest!

Her future is brighter than the stars. But one betrayal will change everything…

Vivian Kawabata can’t wait to claim her privileged destiny. But when the heir to the family agricultural empire finds her bank account empty while shopping for expensive shoes, she’s horrified to discover that her own brother has financially stabbed her in the back. To stand a chance of restoring her rightful place in the universe, the honest and rule-following Vivian may have to break a few intergalactic laws.

After securing an old ship from her aunt, Vivian takes on two new roles: a sexy heiress collecting eligible husbands and a hard-nosed captain rebuilding a lost fortune by any means necessary. Completely out of her depth, she’d be sunk without the help of a relationship broker, a handsome ex-boyfriend, a hacker with a heart of gold, and the other potential partners she meets along the way. With a business that runs the razor’s edge between trade and smuggling, can the former high-society socialite get the money she needs or will her brazen ambition lead to a deadly crash landing?

FIRST FLYGHT is the first book in the Flyght Series of sci-fi reverse harem romance. If you like action-packed space operas and a universe full of twists, then you’ll love S. J. Pajonas’s interstellar adventure. Note: This is a slow-burn RH romance.

Pre-order FIRST FLYGHT to try your hand at space smuggling today!

Apple Books Nook Kobo Google Play

If you’d like to read an excerpt, I have one available on the FIRST FLYGHT page of my website!

Read an excerpt from FIRST FLYGHT

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Come Join My Reader Group On Facebook!

You know what, originally, I wasn’t going to start a reader group on Facebook. I figured, why give Facebook more control over my career? It’s not a place I own, like I do with this blog. I had a reader group on Facebook two years ago and it never went anywhere. I was feeling like an crotchety lady yelling at young people to get off my lawn.

But then I thought about how much time we all spend on Facebook, which is a lot collectively, even if a few people I know aren’t on it. There are enough of us that are and make up for the rest who do not! Lol. And if I’m careful, I can always keep people coming back to my website for the truly important information.

So, I decided to start a FB group after doing a poll there this past week. 90% of the respondents voted for the group! How could I resist?

Just to keep things real, I have decided that choice posts I put in the group will come here to the blog, but the Facebook group will have more of me geeking out over my writing. It’s for the real fans of my work. I’m posting snippets and photos and some thoughts over there on a daily basis. I expect to use it as often as I can.

I realized recently that I don’t really talk about my work or my writing on my private FB profile, nor on my FB Page, and only occasionally here. I’m afraid of boring my friends and family with it, and it’s clear that my FB Page is more for cool Japanese stories or announcements of what I’m up to, rather than real-talk about writing. I thought the FB reader group could fill in that gap in my life.

If you’re interested in joining the group, please feel free to come on by and request access! I ask two very simple admin questions to keep out the riffraff, but I’m sure you can answer them since you’ve been here a while.

Join the S. J. Pajonas Facebook Reader Group!

PS) The FB group cover photo (pictured above) has the phrase “wakuwaku” written on it which is Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of excitement, usually associated with joy or an expectation that something good is going to happen. I hope to bring some excitement to the reader group for those that enjoy my work.

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Featuring A DEVILISH PUNISHMENT By Jennifer Bramseth

I’m back with another cozy mystery for you all! As I gear up for writing Daydreamer 5, I’m excited to connect with my cozy mystery roots and try something new to read. So I asked Jennifer Bramseth to be here today to tell us about A DEVILISH PUNISHMENT. PS, check the links at the bottom of this post. You can get a free romance story through the Facebook group, and she also gives away a short story collection to her newsletter subscribers.

I asked Jennifer, “What inspired you to write A DEVILISH PUNISHMENT?”

Jennifer replied…

Since this is a cozy mystery series, I, of course, love the small-town atmosphere. I got to add bits about small-town life and the area where I live (Kentucky). But two things truly set the series apart.

First, the sleuths are attorneys and their legal background and knowledge is crucial to the stories and unraveling of mysteries throughout the five-book series.

Second, the series is set in the same world as my contemporary romances and characters from those series pop in from time to time.

I love this idea of linking together her two worlds, even though they’re in two different genres. It’s so creative!

Prosecuting a pervert. A dead mentor. A new boss. What else could go wrong?

Lillian Booth is pushed to her limits when she’s assigned the worst yet most important case of her career. Trying to disbar a lawyer who abused his clients for years behind closed doors.

But after a series of sinister events, she’s forced to co-counsel with Henry Alton, a man who detested her beloved and now-deceased mentor.

Lillian and Henry have one goal. To win.

But Lillian fears failure if she and Henry can’t get along. And to get along requires her to uncover the origin of Henry’s hatred.

Then survival becomes more important as a mysterious attacker targets them as the case races toward a possibly deadly conclusion.

A Devilish Punishment is the first book in the Devil Springs Cozy Mysteries Series.

Check out A DEVILISH PUNISHMENT on…
Amazon Apple Books Nook Kobo Google Play

Find This Author Online

Learn more about Jennifer Bramseth on…

Website: https://greetings.jenniferbramseth.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbramseth/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Bramseth/e/B00YWEFFJ6

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-bramseth

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jbramseth/boards/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbramseth/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennbramseth

Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/bfiAXr

Reader FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldgarnetsippingsociety (there is a free romance short story link in this group)

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Sunday Update – November 25, 2018

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

I have the WORST memory ever. Every week, I have this calendar reminder to post the Sunday Update and the reminder even says “DON’T FORGET TO USE THE HEADER” in caps just like that, and yet, 50% of the time, I’ll still forget it. Jesus, Stephanie. GET WITH IT.

Anyway, it was another busy week around here, even though it was a short week.

Monday morning, my oldest woke up sick with a fever and a sore throat, so she stayed home. We didn’t have much to do, so I wasn’t worried about it impacting my own plans. I was more worried about her missing school as we missed a few days when we went to Florida.

Tuesday, she was still stick, so I took her to the doctor first thing. They have walk-in hours from 8:30-9:30 every weekday. It makes it easier to take care of sick kids without needing an appointment (I like our pediatrician a lot). I was worried she had strep throat, and I wanted to eliminate that worry since Thursday was Thanksgiving. Strep test came back negative, and the doctor assured us that she would most likely be fever-free and not contagious by Thanksgiving.

On Wednesday, I kept the oldest home again and sent the little one off to school for her half day. My husband came home early from work, and I took the little one to tennis lessons. She was the only one who showed up so she got a private lesson! That’s always a bonus. Then we picked up fish tacos and quesadillas on the way home. It was nice to not cook.

Thursday was Thanksgiving! We drove out to Long Island and hit a lot of traffic on the way there. Then we had a wonderful day with family — eating, talking, and laughing. I love my family and spending time with everyone. Our trip home was much better. We hit minimal traffic and made it home fast.

Friday was our “chill” day. We didn’t go anywhere or do anything really. I started a puzzle for the family with the youngest. We sat around and read or watched TV. It was a relaxing day. Exactly what we needed. Unfortunately, that night my oldest had trouble sleeping because her cold progressed into a cough, and then I was awake half the night with intestinal issues. Ahem. I was pretty tired by the next morning.

On Saturday, we did a charity walk/run in the park with the whole family and our school community. This is a yearly tradition now for the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This particular charity, Team Zoey, supports Progeria research, the rapid-aging disease, and also supports the classmate of my youngest daughter who has Progeria (Zoey is on the Progeria website! She’s the girl all the way on the left in the top photo collage). We love this little girl, and we hope that all the money we raise can go to a cure.

Today, we had a great day out and about. We had Indian dosas for lunch, and then we went to our Chinese market to get snacks and food (we were out of rice and many other things) and then to the Indian market to get frozen Indian food for nights when we don’t want to cook. The sun was shining today and the weather had warmed up. It was so pleasant outside! I’m glad we made it out!

In writing news, I’ve been working on the edits to Flyght Book 2. I’m in the proofreading stage right now, and I hope to be done by Wednesday. I then plan to work on my website for a few days and plot out the beginning of Daydreamer 5!

What else happened this week?

Here’s the youngest having her private lesson! She’s getting pretty good.

I ordered a Karigar cape two months ago and it finally came this week! I love it and I can’t wait to wear it often this winter.

We started a puzzle and now we’re even further along than this!

Thanksgiving was one heck of a feast! I ate a lot and enjoyed every bit.

Mmmmm, dosas. These were so good!

And finally, we always go to the Chinese grocer to get Lonely God. My kids run straight for it. Lol.

Have a great week everyone! I’ll be catching up and reading blogs tomorrow.

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