School Bells Are Calling My Name

The smell of fall is in the air. The kids are getting back on the buses (I know I'm not the only mom sighing in relief) and dragging around book bags and lunchboxes already. I waited for these days with bated anticipation throughout the summer. Well, to be fair I did, of course spend a lot of time with my girls. When it was time to sit down to work, and they were in my hair constantly, I dreamed of cool days and cooler nights with that singular spicy aroma that accompanies the arrival of the last days of the year. And school days. Those long, blissful days with a quiet house from when I get home from driving my girls to school until I have to go pick them up. Those scant seven hours are when I crank out work like a woman possessed. I plop down with my Coke, cigarettes (don't say it), and country music playing softly in the background, and I'm in another world until my husband comes home at lunch time. Half the time I ignore him and keep working. I love the school year, it's really great for my career.

What changes will the oncoming school year mean for your lifestyle and routine? My kids started to school August 8th, so I get a few more days than most of my writing counterparts. Our school years are planned with extra days interspersed because our weather is so crazy. You may be having a tornado one day, a flood the next week, a hurricane that caused the flood, and then and outside chance of snow just a few weeks later. My girls are able to continue to wear clothes they got in the summer to school for a couple of months, which is nice. I do buy them a few outfits and some new shoes, but the warm temperatures allow me more time to buy clothes for them as the year progresses.

Guarding Your Time Like Gold

If you have kids who are active and vibrant as mine are, then you probably understand my anticipation. During the fall and winter months I am able to make more money, simply because I have more time to work. I don't apply for as many jobs in the summer, nor am I able to take every job I'm offered, because I know I won't have the time. When fall rolls around, I start doing some work then, buddy. Everyone knows not to call me just to chat during the day. In fact during the week, they mostly let me call them. I'm nice about it, but I'm firm. It's no different than if I were at a "real' job. I can't sit around and talk all day if I expect to get things done. Too bad if others don't realize, care or understand that this thing is real, I'm doing this, it's happening, and it's my livelihood.

New Tricks for Somewhat Still-Young Dog

One thing I hope to do this fall season is start writing magazine articles and other seasonal stuff. I've only written a very few pieces about season subjects like Christmas. That is one of my learning projects, as I call stuff I assign to myself to learn about and grow more familiar with. What are some interesting new things you plan to try these last few days of the year?

NaNoWriMo, Here It Comes-O!

Finally, we can all start (snort, who hasn't already) anticipating NaNoWriMo, since it's just around the corner. Two months from today. Have you already got your plan ready for your novel, or are you just starting? Are you one of the insane ones who tries to wing it? I just got two big projects out of the way. Now all I have left is an important competition. So, I'm going to start working on my outline today. Except I still have no idea what my book is going to be about. Is that sad, or what?

I would love to know what changes the coming fall and holiday season brings for your life. Tell the rest of us about your plan for the last quarter of 2009, or how you bring together your NaNo plan.