A Writing Day, And Other Things

Today was a writing day for me. I packed up my stuff and took my show on the road. I ended up at our local public library-- which is the equivalent of Cheers for me. The people all but say, "Marybeth!" when I walk in just like they used to say "Norm!" on Cheers. Because I go there so often. Want to know how I get ready for a writing day? Go here.

Before I went to the library, I stopped off at Office Max to pick up a new "to do" notebook. I have written about this before and if I was more energetic, I would include the link to that post. But I do not feel like scrolling back through my archives to find it. Anyone know where it is? I would just love it if you could point me in the right direction!

ETA: Thanks to Lisa B for finding that post for me! Turns out she used my search feature. Who knew? Now you see why I tell people that anyone can have a blog-- even non-techie people like me! So, if you want to read the post on this notebook and my organizational efforts, go here.

To explain briefly, it is an "Executive Planner" that I have adapted for my own uses. Recently, someone told me that she has hunted in every Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, Walmart and Target to find that planner to no avail. She got me worried that they had stopped making it! So, I decided to head on over there and assess the situation. Lo and behold, there it was! I was so glad to see that silly notebook! If you want to find it, try the spiral notebook aisle-- it is not with the planners and calendars. It costs a whopping $3.99. I use it to keep track of everything I need to do-- from writing projects, speaking business, kid needs, shopping lists, etc. It goes in there. And once I write it down in there then chances are it will get done. My favorite part of the planner is that it has a yellow sidebar where you can make special notes. Because I have a lot of special notes that I need to write down, apparently. (Here is a link to the closest thing I could find on their website. Mine is about 5"X7" and this one is larger. Also my sidebar runs, well, down the side and this one runs across the bottom. But you get the idea.)

Also today I went to the consignment store to buy my sixth child some summer clothing because we have had several 80 degree days and the poor child had like a pair of capris to her name. And frankly, I was tired of looking at her in them. So I bought her four complete outfits and 3 bathing suits for a whopping $42! (Whopping is apparently my word of the day.) And then, I had one final stop to make-- Ross Dress For Less. Is it me or am I a little late in showing up for that party?? Yesterday I was at CBS and this girl had the cutest shirt on. So, I told her I loved it and that she looked very hip and happening because, frankly, wouldn't you want someone to tell you that if you, in fact, did look very hip and happening? She thanked me for telling her that and then confessed that the shirt in question costs a whopping $9. "When is the last time you bought a shirt for just $9?" she asked. And I couldn't come up with a time. And it was cute! So of course I had to head over there and see this for myself.

Fifty dollars later I left Ross. My nine dollar shirt, you see, had friends. Actually, I couldn't find the exact same shirt she bought-- which is probably for the best. But I did find others that were just as reasonably priced and cute, cute, cute. I was quite proud of myself, even if I did spend a tad more money than just the nine dollars I went in there prepared to spend. I should have known myself better than that.

At one point, my husband called while I was going through the racks. He asked where I was. "Stopping to get lunch," I sort of lied. (Lunch was next on my list and the Chick fil a was right across the street.) I didn't want him to know that I was spending my "working" hours when I was supposed to be writing shopping for clothes. Babysitters don't come cheap and all that. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, a woman came over the loudspeaker announcing something and he was like, "Where are you?" And so I did what any sensible person would do. "I gotta go!" I said, like an emergency had ocurred. "I'll call you right back!" And hung up. (I did call him back after I got back in the car. And I did fess up as to where I had been... and how much I had spent. He was very understanding but he did mention that shopping was not the reason we hired the sitter. Point taken.)

After that I got my sandwich at the drive through and headed straight to work at the library. I stayed there for the rest of the day, hunkered over my computer and enjoying a block of time to write. Shopping and writing... now that's a good day. Tomorrow does not promise to be as good because tomorrow we will spend the day cleaning and getting ready for an open house we are having on Sunday. If you think of it and would like to, you could pray that God will send us a buyer, or give us clear direction if we need to take the house off the market. It will have been a year (I know) on May 1 since this all first started. I am tired. So we are just seeking God's direction as to what to do next. I know in many housing markets a year on the market is expected but that is not really true where we live. Our housing market has supposedly not been affected by this economic slump. (That's what the "experts" say, at least.) For example, the house up the street just went on the market about two weeks ago and is already under contract. The same thing with another house up the street. Only it was one week til it went under contract. So, you can understand why we would be perplexed. And tired. Did I mention that I am tired of having a house on the market?

Ok, I am going to stop talking about the house stuff. Because who really wants to hear about that? It is a dead horse that has been beat many times on this blog. As I told my husband today when I was having just the tiniest freak out session about it, a house not selling, in the grand scheme of things, is not a huge problem. We have a roof over our heads and food to eat. Our children have clothing, thanks to the consignment store. And I even have cute clothing thanks to Ross Dress For Less. We are blessed. I just have to focus on what I do have instead of what I don't. Some days that is easier than others.