Brother at Mogollon Rim, AZ |
Happy June, hello Summer. We have one more week of lessons and James will be done with 6th grade. A milestone for the whole family because it has been a family adventure. Will wax poetic when all said and done. I haven't accomplished a whole lot writing wise. I have a new story percolating in the back of my brain and trying to ignore it while editing Eyes in the Ashes. Which is going slowly - but surely. My goal is to be done by the end of June and by George I am bound and determined.
Came across two wonderful blog posts from the two people who always give me much encouragement: My unofficial virtual mentors - Jody Hedlund talking about Macro editing
"If we skip the macro edits, then we’re neglecting the sculpting part of the process, the chipping away, the molding, the plying. If we move directly to the line and copy editing stages, then we’re polishing a lump of clay."
So I'm going to continue to do my best to sculpt and mold my story and if it takes a little longer, well the wait will be worth it.
And there is James Scott Bell talking about self discipline and your inner drill sergeant whom I haven't exactly been listening too lately.
We've been a bit preoccupied with finishing up lessons and tests and.... this is a biggie... We meet with the counselor this week at Visions in Education and enrolled James for 7th grade. Visions is our public school home school charter and provides the monies for curriculum, teachers for guidance and testing, counselors for counseling, special classes and lots of extra curricular group activities. We'll still be homeschooling, choose our own curriculum as long as it meets state standards and will have a teacher checking all of James work and keeping us on track.
Reading wise, this week I just finished Robin Burcell's Face of a Killer and thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more of her stories.
The Great Gatsby - Meh! Good writing but no redeeming moral value to the story. The Inquisitors Key - Jefferson Bass
(review book from William Morrow) Part historical fiction / part
present day mystery. All blended together in the end. The only issue I
had was the two writers and their voices were so completely different it
was kind of jarring going from present to past then back again.
I'm so far behind with book reviews it is ridiculous. One of my goals this summer is to get caught up with reviews for the A to Z challenge and unscheduled review books from various folks.
Life wise, we are working on our house to do list of what we want or need to get accomplished for the summer, plus a summer project or group class to keep James from getting too bored or overly dependent on technology and driving us all crazy.
I love these two quotes I came across on Quote Garden
If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy
Happiness is never stopping to think if you are. ~Palmer Sondreal
I love the quote from Jody Hedlund. Mind if I pass it on?
ReplyDeleteI always mean to read her blog on writing, but rarely get to it.
I think your life sounds crazy right now but I know that in a few weeks it will be bliss!! So excited about James next year coming up!! I tend to tell my inner drill sergeant to be quiet!! Hence, the twenty pounds I want to lose...again!!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week, my friend!
Oh, the homeschooling adventures... We're starting our own this year, and it is adding no small amount of discomfort. I'm always glad to read other people's success stories.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you have not been getting much writing done, but I'm glad you posted those links (THANK YOU!). Sounds like you have a good plan of attack for catching up however... Good for you!
Congrats on reaching milestones in your son's education. I miss teaching...well, sometimes! Ha.
ReplyDeleteMy boys are anxiously awaiting the freedom of summer vacation! Swimming, digging, bike riding - unfettered by the schedules of school days...they'll live in that child's world of never-ending possibilities for a few months. Just like Phineas and Ferb...lol.
Hope your editing continues to go well. I love the analogies and quotes you've listed. ♥ Have a wonderful week!
Thank you for the kind words, Robin! Glad that my posts continue to be encouraging and helpful! That's always good to hear! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, I like the first "rocky" photo a lot, beautiful scenery indeed !
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