Tag: Holidays

Categories
momentous events More about me my novel-in-progress

Hamster wheel spinning time!

So… I did it!

Not quite on the 16th, admittedly, but on the 25th. And that was pretty much all because I was directing a production of The Velveteen Rabbit, whose opening night was the 16th. Yeh, I didn’t particularly time that one very well, did I…

Still, the querying started on the 25th, and I’ve averaged 2-3 queries per day since then. So I’m happy with that. Some fairly immediate form rejections, which is sad but par for the course, I know.

And I’m enjoying learning LOTS. Last time I queried (years ago now) it was *way* too early. Now I’m feeling a lot more ready, but I’ve revised my query letter twice, my biography about five times, and I’m not even going to mention the numbers of times I’ve reworded my answers to the ‘target audience’ and ‘similar works’ questions! Hence the spinning hamster wheel. Am I doing this right? Should I be writing this? Or this? Or even… this?

I’m quite liking the Query Manager / Query Tracker side of things though. It’s a very impressive site! And researching agents and agencies is also fun. I’m constantly wondering ‘who will I be lucky enough to end up working with’?

So that’s my “Ceridwyn is now an #amquerying writer” story. It took a while to actually happen, but it’s happening now! Praise God šŸ™‚

And speaking of God, have brilliant Easter weekends, dear Readers!

Yours,

KRidwyn

Categories
Life More about me

Holiday happenings…

So it would appear that the last three weeks of December slipped by without my blogging. Whoops! And we’re at January 4th already, and the holidays are waning quickly. Sigh.

I’ve spent a bit of time at the beach / out in the sun in my garden over the past several weeks. I’m browner as a result (I had photos of both these but for some strange reason WordPress is declining to upload them.) and I also found out from my hairdresser that I should part my hair on the other side. One: it covers the greys and faded hair in my normal part, and two: it still has colour on that side, so I’m looking younger! On the down-side though, it feels REALLY weird and I’m not liking it much at all.

Well, that’s me. I’m off to work out why photos aren’t uploading, because I was planning on using them a LOT this year.

Wish me luck, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn

 

Categories
places to visit

52/52

Happiness! Breakfast and this view šŸ™‚

What a blessed way to finish blogging for 2020, am I right?

See you in the New Year, dear Reader. And may God shower you with His richest blessings today šŸ˜€

– KRidwyn

Categories
Reading

51/52

Last week I finally had the time to enjoy a book I’d been waiting simply AGES to read. And it was so worth it!

How about you, dear Reader? What book are you looking forward to enjoying this Christmas season?

And I hope it’s as wonderful a read as mine was!

– KRidwyn

Categories
Blogging challenges places to visit

50/52

I’m rather proud of myself – that title up there tells me I’ve almost made it! A years’ worth of ‘photo’ posts… for someone who HATES posting the photos she takes, this is a pretty good achievement, even if I do say so myself.

So this week’s photo was the surf at Rainbow Beach – where the family and I stayed last week. So beautiful, so peaceful, so needed (after the tumult that was the 2019 academic year!) and just wonderful.

How about you, dear Reader? What was ‘wondrous’ in your life this week?

– KRidwyn

 

[Update: now with photo! Whoops!]

Categories
family anecdotes

42/52

It’s been almost a year since Miss11 and I bought ourselves an anklet each, on holiday. I’d never owned one before, and neither had she, so when the idea crossed my mind, we bought some and wore them. “They feel like holidays,” we decided together, and since then every time I’ve wore mine it reminds me of her, and also the incredible Rainbow Beach holiday we’d had.

During the last school holidays, we spent a week on Fraser Island. While there, this caught my eye…

meaning I now have two of them to swap out depending on outfit and mood, and both remind me of holidays with the sand between my toes!

[I also managed to lose Miss11’s anklet (yay for more mummy-guilt, huh?!) so she also has a new one now. It worked out okay – she said she didn’t mind – but now the new one’s a reminder to me of how badly I suck at this whole parenting bit…]

Anyway. Back to the point: photo 42 of the 52 I was going to share this year. My new “bling”! What do you think?

And have a sparkly week yourself, dear Reader!

KRidwyn

Categories
family anecdotes Random thoughts

29/52

Guess what Hubby took the kidlets and me to the other week? Archery!

Not too far from us, thereā€™s a guy who runs an archery store, with a 6-lane indoor range inside it.

We had a ball! I stuck with a recurve bow, as did Miss11 (pictured) but Hubby convinced Miss14 and Master10 to try compound bows. And oh boy – they look so complex! (And so dangerous too…) so I was happy to use my traditional bow, despite pressure from Hubby and two cherubs.

And Miss11 and I didnā€™t do too badly, either.

Hereā€™s wishing you a focus-filled week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
places to visit

15/52

Holiday perfect views. And boy, were they needed!

I hope you’re also able to receive what you need this week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
places to visit

2/52

Last week’s photo showed one of my favourite places: this week’s is another. Kings Beach has a outdoor community swimming pool, built next to natural rock pools my cherubs love to explore.

This was Miss10 and Master9 the other week:

And check out the crowd on the beach behind them! It was a sweltering day – that photo was taken around 10am.

Have a great week, dear Reader šŸ™‚

– KRidwyn

Categories
Work

On chocolate and other seasonal treats

Hubby and I were talking about weight the other day. Heā€™d been bemoaning his weight increase since having to cut back his gym sessions a few months back, on account of his arthritic hip diagnosis. But when I mentioned that I, too, had a little extra on my waistline I wouldnā€™t mind losing, he said, ā€œWell, donā€™t eat so much chocolate then.ā€

Oh, to be felled by a simple phrase! Less chocolate? The world would cease to spin!

Once the initial shock passed though, and the world recommenced turning, the truth became clear. How can I honestly expect my gym sessions to assist my waistline reduction plan, when I supplement my diet with sugary treats every time Iā€™m offered them?

And, at this time of year, itā€™s easier than ever to consume that sugary goodness. Every second Christmas gift from students or colleagues is chocolate. Or cupcakes. Or rocky road. Not to mention the Christmassy food that other staff open, and share with everyone. Great for exercising willpower… not!

But that, I guess, is what it all comes down to. Willpower means effort. Means intentional decision-making, not just reacting to the situation without a pre-planned ā€œif this, then thatā€ course of action.

If offered chocolate, say, ā€œThanks, but no.ā€

If given chocolate as a gift, thank the gift-giver, then open AND SHARE.

Limit sugary intake.

Maintain exercise routines as much as possible.

And most importantly: rethink waistline expectations. Perhaps that waistline measurement goal is more realistic for end-of-January, not end-of-December.

And seeing as todayā€™s the 17th of December, perhaps releasing myself from my too-hard-not-going-to-make-it goal would be best for my own mental health…

Would you agree, dear Reader?

KRidwyn