* WRITING CONTEST APPROACHES DEADLINE *

How many of you know about and/or read the magazine Real Simple ?

I have subscribed to it off and on and I really like it. It's always full of great ideas for every part of your life, and also recipes for those with more of a "gourmet talent" than I have! (And the pictures are nice to look at!)

Anyway...just today it popped into my head that I hadn't seen or heard anything about Real Simple's Annual Life Lessons Essay Contest. I remembered it was in the fall, so I went to their website, and voila'....there it was - - -

http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-website/contests-sweepstakes/eighth-life-lessons-essay-contest-rules

Here is this year's question:

What was the most dramatic change you ever had to make?

Wow, can it already be the NINTH Annual?? I entered the contest a time or two, but always at the last minute, knowing even before I hit the Submit button that my essay wasn't anywhere near the quality of writing that was required.

There's still time! Here are four reasons why you should enter this contest!

1) It's FREE to enter.

2) The first place winner receives $3,000!

3)  The second-place winner will receive $750.

4)  The third-place winner will receive $500.


So, those of you who can whip up an essay in 1,500 words or less, and submit it online by 11:50 P.M. ET on September 19, 2016 (that's next Monday!)....give it a try!

I wish everyone the best of luck!

...or whatever your writerly drink of choice is!

* AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY *

I've worked on four different drafts of possible blog posts the past few weeks. And as of this evening, none of them are relevant anymore.

Life keeps changing. Yes, I know that is "normal." That's what life is all about. Change.

But at this moment, right after midnight on Friday, I'm not pleased with the way this week is ending. Not pleased concerning my part-time job. "Not pleased" at all...

So, what's the point of this short post? The phrase: "an exercise in futility" popped into my head and I really wanted to use it, because that's how I feel tonight.

Stay tuned, if you care....but if I were you, I probably wouldn't.

 

* WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES - PART ONE *

I love the song, "What a Difference a Day Makes." The lyrics are powerful and when sung by Dinah Washington, pure gold. It popped into my mind the other day when I was thinking about my life last year at this time and how different it is now.

 

 

 

 

The Ronald and I moved last spring which was a huge change and yet thinking back on it, went rather smoothly. I didn't write much of anything for quite a while except blog posts. (Do they count as "writing?!") My mind was a jumbled mess, but hey....that's nothin' new for me, is it?

 

As we unpacked and I began to get settled in, I mentally searched for answers concerning my memoir. At the time, I still wasn't finished with it! The chapters were complete, but not in any kind of order. I hadn't written a forward or acknowledgments, either. And I was still trying to decide how to publish it.

 

Another thing that was happening was I'd made up my mind to lose weight. I don't think I blogged about it because usually when I make "the big announcement" about being on a diet, I immediately lose all will power. The day we moved, I made up my mind then and there, to begin the following day. And I did. And I stuck to it. And over the summer I lost 25 lbs. (Don't start applauding, yet, though!) I walked a lot, did a few simple floor exercises, and practically went Cold Turkey as far as eating was concerned. I ate tiny servings of food, no matter what it was. I didn't give up anything, but I also lived on less than 1000 calories a day. I did not suffer. I loved it and it felt so good to fit into smaller sizes of clothing. (It was easy! It reminded me of when I quit smoking, Cold Turkey, about 30 years ago. It was just the Right Time for each accomplishment, I guess, since I began and quit smoking and dieting zillions of times.)

 

I made my publication decisions. I completed my memoir. And I self-published it with Createspace in November. All in all, it was quite a year.

 

Stay tuned for the next installment of "What a difference a year makes." Hope to see you there! (I changed the color on five important words above!.....)

 

~~~

 

P.S. Sometimes when I leave to go on errands, I turn the TV to a music channel for Vern to listen to while I'm gone! Yes, I really do! He likes Golden Oldies and Classic Country the best, so yesterday it was Classic Country. You won't believe what song was playing when I walked in the door..... Charlie Rich's "Rollin' With the Flow." True! (see blog post from June 27th.) Ahhh, another one of my Twilight Zoney, Cosmic moments.

 

 

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." ~Alan W. Watts