Saturday, January 14, 2012

German Makes Me Think of Alice

It has been a productive couple of weeks. What started out as mere whimsical resolutions seem to turn into concrete stone. Always a good thing.

1. Getting healthy: not merely just weight loss. Anyone can do that. I started this wonderful transition in May 2007 after 3 light bulbs went off at the same time. Today, I am 100 lbs down and 20 more away from my goal. maybe numbers but my health has increased significantly. No more tendonitis, no more embarrassing smelly skin issues/irritations (I seriously believed I had leprosy). My asthma is nearly inexsistant. No more tiredness or fatigue. And I can sleep. Best of all, the female parts are working. Last year, I gained some of the weight back after a back/shoulder injury, lost the numbers and went down a few inches. Towards then end of the year, it was just inches - and you know what? That's fine.

2. Lernen Deutsch. Ernshaft!: I had the awesome privilege of learning German while on one of my 90 stays in Switzerland. Only A1 but it was awesome. It helped as i traveled alone often. Able to hold basic crude conversations with people expanded my experience. I am a fool to let that opportunity go to waste. My husband found Deutsch-Welle. They have a Sprachkurs for A1, A2, B1 and then, they have another set for B2. Its online, interactive and so far, I am enjoying it. DW-TV shows programs from Euromaxx, Dw-TV news and others programs and you can subscribe to their YouTube account and they sent you news and videos 3x a day to view. Then I started reading what was on Yahoo.de keeping to the less complicated subjects like - so no politics and economy. I need my sister to find me 2 books to send. I hope to be able to dedicate 30min daily.

3. I want my Masters: it's been 6 years since my Bachelors and I am in a good job and a good place to consider thinking about it again. I just pray that the money will come from somewhere. After spending feeling blessed that an academic advisor was willing to waste an hour knowing that I want to not attend their community college; she helped me understand the process into going back to school. I checked out from my library the GRE study guide for 2012 and pulled my VIP status and yoinked the always-checked-out 2012 scholarship bible. I will start looking through those Monday. My goal is to take the GRE in the next 8 months.

4. Manuscript: After 15 years of these people living in my head, the first part of this universe is almost at an end. Honestly, I never believed it would be brought to life in text. I had concluded that they would just stay in my head. I look forward to the road ahead for this journey. A new and uncharted experience that almost scares the living day-lights out of me. I am waiting to hear word from my sister if she read 3/3. The ending was something I struggled with for a year.

Last night, my husband and I stood at Reepicheep's grave. I had planted a lovely pink flowering bush where she was buried. I figure the color was appropriate since she did die from mammary tumors. I was talking to her - she filled my lonely hours when I was single.

Then after my German lessons this morning, I was reading an article on Yahoo.de about body weight and models. I learned two new words (amongst many unknown ones). Both are adjectives: mollig = plump, dumpy (if referring to bedding = snug, cozy) and mager= skinny, thin.

Made my think of a character in my book. She once started off as a fun character and had suddenly become a more prominent background character, whom wants more face in my stories. I fleshed out a stunning background for her back in 2007 while on a plane ride to Switzerland. During that time, I made a small layout of a story, just for her. I based her personality off of Justin (my very first rat who was much too intelligent to be a normal smart rat). I jokingly used to say that Justin was the incarnate of a great mathematician and architect. I turned that mathematician into Alice. Weird, quirky and does not look like everybody else. Royalty that lives in the boonies. She was raised by German nobility. When I looked up the word, mollig. I thought of her.

And it made the hamster wheel turn even more as I began to think of a lot more things.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Post New Year Wishes

I honestly have no idea how anybody makes time to sit online and blog. :) I suddenly think about, "Oh! I have not posted anything in a week!" and yet there are folks who have kids and full time jobs and school AND still live online. I hope the kids are being fed. :/

Life has been busy, I cannot believe that it's already the first week of 2012. Cooking, sewing, being sick, couponing, editing, editing, editing and did I mention, editing? And this is not including work and my half of the house chores. I surprise myself that I actually sleep 8 hours a night.

Work has been going well. No complaints there. Marriage life is really goo too. No major complaints there either.

I sent of my 3/3 to my sister and I am taking a much needed mental break (I sent my characters on a winter vacation to Crete - where one of my characters live. They can all party with her for a while and leave me alone!!) from my story for a few weeks to focus on sewing. It's kinda taking up space - so it needs to go. ;) Also, it feels good to catch up on my reading. I have checked out two science fiction books and one young adult novel that I am looking forward to enjoying.

The best part about finishing the sewing is that it requires delivery to Port St. Lucie (an hour away). Which means passing through the town of Hobe Sound. Where my Library Director had informed me of this farmer's market where you can buy fresh beans including my husbands favorite - fava beans!

I smell a mini day trip in the near future!

Happy 2012 alle!