Blog Frog

I just signed up for BlogFrog, as you can see from my new widget to the right. It was super easy signing in with my Facebook ID, but they have other options as well. I joined a few of their communities but they didn't have one for belly dancing or archery. I could make one I guess but I'm a little swamped what with National Blog Writing Month (Nanowrimo) and National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). Plus I'm getting reading for Thanksgiving, doing a painting a day, and various other projects with deadlines.

I'm testing the theory that the more you do, the more you can do.

Yesterday's Painting. A semi-abstract series of four paintings.

Veteran's Day USA

Although I have very conflicted feelings about Veteran's Day I do want to acknowledge all those that served so that I still have a USA to come home to.
Both my father and my deceased father-in-law had military careers. My father is retired air force and my father-in-law kept it a secret that he was in the Army. I only found out at his graveside.

I have many many friends that I know are vets and I'm sure there are others that never mention it. So a toast to you all.

Time to Sign Up For NaBloPoMo.

National Blog Posting Month is about to start. So if you are going to participate get on over to my new blog at http://www.blogher.com/getting-ready-nablopomo and click on blog roll and see how to sign up your blog. The official site just left NING for blogher, even if you've participated in the past you'll have to register again.  I don't mine a fresh start though. I'm not doing Nanowrimo this year, which is why I didn't join in with NaBloPoMo before now.  I guess I signed up for it, figured it was pointless since I blog daily anyway, and never did much with it.  But it turns out there are a lot of other benefits, like prizes to be one, and it will drive traffic to your blog.

Trying to Stay Motivated

So much to do today and the only motivation I have is fear. I'd rather be motivated by the carrot than the stick. How can I make this more fun so I'll want to do it. Some of them are intrinsically fun things, like making a belly dancing costume or reading fiction. But I think my depression and repressed anger are taking the joy out of doing things that I normally love. That and having projects dumped on me by other people and also by living in a constant state of poverty and clutter. That I can scrape together any motivation at all is somewhat of a miracle. I'm a hypnotist. I should be the queen of motivation, right? I need to be my own role model.  Then again maybe I just need an hour in someone's jacuzzi.

Time Flies Once You Turn the Internet On

I realized my computer addiction was keeping me from getting stuff done, so I made myself turn it off for five hours. In those five hours I took a series of photos for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, put a load of laundry in, made lunch, watered the back yard, trimmed some vines, straightened up my desk, read some fiction,  cut out some pattern tissue pieces for a dress, picked up the living room and took a catnap.

If you want to see the pirate photos they are here: ITLAPD

I should turn off my computer more often.

Another Paleoplanet Meeting Tomorrow

Tomorrow is our monthly archery meeting. I always look forward to gathering under the old trees and working on crafts related to archery all day.  They vary from making bows out of wood boards or staves or branches, to learning to make arrowheads out of stone (knapping) or making beadwork for quivers, or things like drinking vessels out of gourds. Many skills are required.  Everyone is at different skill levels so we all help each other.
Some of them love to make atlatls and darts (a primitive spear chucker). We all started out knowing very little but some of the guys now make bows and atlatls and arrows for a living. You get out of it what you put into it.
I've picked up some of these skills at the gatherings including spoon carving, bamboo straightening, fire starting, knapping, basketry, and gourd art. The best part is it's free and we all share our materials and supplies.

It's in Pasadena CA by the casting pond.

Fire starting demo

Longbow practice

Darts for the Atlatl by Chris Henry of  Paleoarts.

Slo Space Gallery

I'm enjoying some Coconut Body Butter from the Body Shop that my daughter gave to me.  Fragrance sure can get the day off to a good start.
I'm packing all my goodies for 2 days of photography and painting on a ranch.  They apologized that they couldn't pay me for house sitting and I said, "I'd almost pay you to be here just so I could have 3 peaceful days in the country and get out of Anaheim for a while."
I'm also taking a good book or 4 and my journal, and other projects.  I still had my project bag packed from my trip to my daughter's art gallery last weekend so packing was a breeze.  However I still have some library books due on Monday and a prescription to pick up before I can head on my mini vacation. So I'd best get cracking.

Here are some photos of my daughter's art show from last weekend and me with my grandson. Enjoy.

I Miss Camping

It is hard to focus on reaching goals when I'm not in good health. I'm going back to the Dr. on Wed. for my monthly check-up. He never seems to be able to help me much though.

Despite it all, I'm still taking a stab at making each day matter. I'm continuing on with art projects, making a little progress each day. It's humbling to have big dreams and have no chance at making them come true. I'm going to miss my favorite archery event for the second year in a row because my body doesn't do well camping. I wake up so many times during the night, that I'm too tired in the daytime to even enjoy the camping event. Most of the time I end up sleeping sitting up in the truck before the night is through. An archery event isn't much fun when you can't go hiking and shooting. My friends are going to be there and I feel really sad that I'm missing out. After the Gene Foster shoot I pretty much decided that my camping days are behind me unless we can get a camper some day. And with current finances, that's not going to be any day soon.

Right now I'm updating my online articles. Google Adsense changed their algorithms again and Hubpages took a big hit in traffic. I think my views were down 20%. Everyone keeps saying we'll bounce back as Adsense works on eliminating content farms. The problem is this go around they threw the baby out with the bath water. Just in the nick of time Hubpages implemented their own ad servers, and I was selected as one of the writers to test out the beta program. As is typical in my life whenever I gain an income source I lose an income source so it's hard to get anywhere.

Fencers at an SCA event I was at on Saturday.

I'd best get back to work. I can't complain that I have no income if I'm not even trying to earn any, now can I?

The Sunshine is Back

I'm feeling much better today. Yesterday's cabin fever has passed.  The weather was better today so we got to go deliver some arrows, and I got to do some retail therapy and go to the craft store for the parts I needed. We got some yummy things at Trader Joe's too.  When we got home Guy made a strawberry pie.  It's the first time he's done that and he used real whipped cream. It was supposed to chill for 4 hours but we couldn't wait.  So it didn't hold it's shape but who cares? It was fantastic.