This week two of the authors I follow have been writing about lists on their blog (www.wordwranglers.blogspot.com). I love lists. They help to organize my time and keep me on track. I also love the moment when I complete a task and am able to check it off my list. What a feeling of accomplishment! I have to admit that sometimes when I am working off a list and I do something that is not listed I will add it to my list and then check it off. Now you know one of my guilty pleasures.
Recently I have been thinking about what I want to do for the last part of my life. I am not dying or anything like that, I just want to make sure that I get done what I want to get done. I do not want to look back on my life and say "I wish I would have done ____." Whatever that missing item might be.
So here is what I have so far. Some of these are bigger dreams while others are just my hopes for the future. Yet I have found that if I have a big goal that may be a stretch if I own it and put it on my list it will happen.
Carolyn's Big Dreams List for the next part of her life:
Finish the Hockey Moms trilogy of romance novels I am currently working on.
Continue writing more romance novels.
Complete two non-fiction works I am also developing.
Be invited to do a TED talk... and do it!
Have one of the books I have written optioned for a movie or a television show/series.
Attend the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland with my sister in law. (covers two goals, cooking and travel)
Continue teaching in some format, either face to face or online classes.
Spend as much time with my grandson as I can
See my son marry the love of his life/woman of his dreams (I know that is not my goal but I can encourage him)
This is a work in progress so more goals will be added and some will be crossed off! The day I cross off any of these will be a day of great joy for me.
So what are your big dreams? Write them down, make a list and begin crossing them off also. I wish you the best!
"All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them"
-Walt Disney
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
I Need a New Name
Last Saturday I attended the monthly IRWA(Indiana Romance Writers of America) meeting. In addition to the chance to see many of my favorite writers in person and learn from their experiences we had a program featuring Kim Castillo (writer's assistant to Eloisa James).
Kim talked about her journey and many of the things she does for a best selling author. It was fun and fascinating to hear about all thing things (from marketing, to social media, to travel to hospitality) that fall within her purview. One of the things she talked about is an author's persona.
She highly recommended that romance authors have a pseudonym (pen name) for their work. I had not thought about the security issues associated with writing and doing personal appearances under your real name. In the world of academia writing fiction, especially romance fiction, under a pseudonym, protects the author from snarky comments from their colleagues. It is way beneath real intellectuals to consider writing romance fiction, even though it pays much better than academic writing.
I have a friend who is a college professor at the college where I work. She writes non-fiction under her real name and then writes her romance novels under a pen name.
So I decided I need a new name for my romance writing projects. Here is the rub, I can't think of anything that goes with my persona. I can give characters in my books names but in thinking about something for myself I draw a blank.
Subsequently I am asking for help. If you read this would you suggest a name for me? It seems that many authors use initials for their pen names. I do not want to do that. I want a first and last name. If you know me you can also suggest my persona, it has to be something that is not too much of a stretch but fits who I am.
Any help will be appreciated.
Kim talked about her journey and many of the things she does for a best selling author. It was fun and fascinating to hear about all thing things (from marketing, to social media, to travel to hospitality) that fall within her purview. One of the things she talked about is an author's persona.
She highly recommended that romance authors have a pseudonym (pen name) for their work. I had not thought about the security issues associated with writing and doing personal appearances under your real name. In the world of academia writing fiction, especially romance fiction, under a pseudonym, protects the author from snarky comments from their colleagues. It is way beneath real intellectuals to consider writing romance fiction, even though it pays much better than academic writing.
I have a friend who is a college professor at the college where I work. She writes non-fiction under her real name and then writes her romance novels under a pen name.
So I decided I need a new name for my romance writing projects. Here is the rub, I can't think of anything that goes with my persona. I can give characters in my books names but in thinking about something for myself I draw a blank.
Subsequently I am asking for help. If you read this would you suggest a name for me? It seems that many authors use initials for their pen names. I do not want to do that. I want a first and last name. If you know me you can also suggest my persona, it has to be something that is not too much of a stretch but fits who I am.
Any help will be appreciated.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Life and Curve Balls, "Roll Tide" and "Go Skins"
Life does throw us some curve balls. I mentioned a few posts ago that I had been told my position at the college where I work is being eliminated. So far my employer has not offered me anything else in terms of employment. I am vacillating between looking at this as an opportunity and being depressed because I was not planning to do a job search at this time in my life. I really wanted to just work until I was ready to retire and then move on. That was not in the cards for me.
So I am not waiting for my employer but I am seeking employment. It has been fun to see the difference in jobs I can consider with almost nine years of employment at a community college and an earned doctorate added to my resume. I know where I end up will be wonderful and just the right thing for me at this time. So send me your good thoughts, prayers and ideas for where I can seek employment. I am not ready to retire yet!
It seems like recently I have drifted toward having two topics in my weekly blog post. So this week I will tell you a story. My husband and I graduated from Miami University (not University of Miami) and at that time we were called the Redskins. After we graduated the university, as with many others, decided to change our mascot to the Redhawks. For my husband and many others who graduated before the change Miami will always be the "Skins."
Our grandson who lives in Tennessee has family on his mother's side who are all Alabama fans. That is where the "Roll Tide" came from. It is so cute to hear him say "Roll Tide" in his little southern accent. My husband has made it his goal in life for our grandson to also say "Go 'Skins" It is a fun game they play when they are talking on the phone.
So I am not waiting for my employer but I am seeking employment. It has been fun to see the difference in jobs I can consider with almost nine years of employment at a community college and an earned doctorate added to my resume. I know where I end up will be wonderful and just the right thing for me at this time. So send me your good thoughts, prayers and ideas for where I can seek employment. I am not ready to retire yet!
It seems like recently I have drifted toward having two topics in my weekly blog post. So this week I will tell you a story. My husband and I graduated from Miami University (not University of Miami) and at that time we were called the Redskins. After we graduated the university, as with many others, decided to change our mascot to the Redhawks. For my husband and many others who graduated before the change Miami will always be the "Skins."
Our grandson who lives in Tennessee has family on his mother's side who are all Alabama fans. That is where the "Roll Tide" came from. It is so cute to hear him say "Roll Tide" in his little southern accent. My husband has made it his goal in life for our grandson to also say "Go 'Skins" It is a fun game they play when they are talking on the phone.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Comcast, Customer Service and the beginning of Lent
Wow, you are probably saying, "What an interesting grouping of ideas!" First of all you rarely hear Comcast and customer service in the same breath.
Recently we had a problem with our Xfinity security system. The different parts were not syncing up so the system would arm. So I called Xfinity/Comcast and spent a lengthy amount of time on the phone with a very nice woman who walked me through several steps to try and reboot the system. We tried everything, resetting the router, reseating batteries, checking for connectivity. So finally at the end of everything she said, "We need to schedule a technician to come to your house"
Yeah! I know with Comcast you have to play the game, going through all their steps before you can have a technician scheduled. Luckily I had time and I really wanted to get the system going again. So we scheduled the appointment. After the phone call I had several texts and emails confirming the appointment and making sure someone would be at the house for the time that was scheduled. Since I did the work on the phone my husband was the lucky one to wait for the technician.
Again, after several reminders the technician came to our house. He was able to easily reset the security system so it would sync and arm. But wait, here is the magic part. He had a tablet that checked out our entire system and he found that there was "interference" on our main cable line coming into the house. He explained that the "system" would not allow him to check out and leave until everything was working correctly, even if it was not included in our initial call.
What! Someone going above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction! So the technician rewired our entire cable system, explaining that what was there was outdated and not providing us optimal performance. Once the entire system indicated it was working properly he was able to check out and we signed the paperwork.
I was floored! Again, Comcast does not equate to great customer service. Yet they have initiated a system where they not only fix your problem but make sure everything else is working properly while they are still in your house. What a concept! Proactive customer service. Kudos to Comcast. I may complain about the cost but they made me a believer. In the long run it is probably more cost effective for them because they fix issues while they are at a customer's house rather than having to be called back again.
Changing subjects .... Today is the first day of Lent (March 1). Many of my friends are taking a break from social media as their sacrifice for the season. I applaud what they are doing. For me, I saw a Lenten challenge about a bag a day. It was a challenge to take time every day to clean out something and give it to a charity or throw it away. That is my goal this Lent. I want to get rid of more of the stuff that is holding me down and pare my life to the barest essentials. I will let you know how it goes.
Recently we had a problem with our Xfinity security system. The different parts were not syncing up so the system would arm. So I called Xfinity/Comcast and spent a lengthy amount of time on the phone with a very nice woman who walked me through several steps to try and reboot the system. We tried everything, resetting the router, reseating batteries, checking for connectivity. So finally at the end of everything she said, "We need to schedule a technician to come to your house"
Yeah! I know with Comcast you have to play the game, going through all their steps before you can have a technician scheduled. Luckily I had time and I really wanted to get the system going again. So we scheduled the appointment. After the phone call I had several texts and emails confirming the appointment and making sure someone would be at the house for the time that was scheduled. Since I did the work on the phone my husband was the lucky one to wait for the technician.
Again, after several reminders the technician came to our house. He was able to easily reset the security system so it would sync and arm. But wait, here is the magic part. He had a tablet that checked out our entire system and he found that there was "interference" on our main cable line coming into the house. He explained that the "system" would not allow him to check out and leave until everything was working correctly, even if it was not included in our initial call.
What! Someone going above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction! So the technician rewired our entire cable system, explaining that what was there was outdated and not providing us optimal performance. Once the entire system indicated it was working properly he was able to check out and we signed the paperwork.
I was floored! Again, Comcast does not equate to great customer service. Yet they have initiated a system where they not only fix your problem but make sure everything else is working properly while they are still in your house. What a concept! Proactive customer service. Kudos to Comcast. I may complain about the cost but they made me a believer. In the long run it is probably more cost effective for them because they fix issues while they are at a customer's house rather than having to be called back again.
Changing subjects .... Today is the first day of Lent (March 1). Many of my friends are taking a break from social media as their sacrifice for the season. I applaud what they are doing. For me, I saw a Lenten challenge about a bag a day. It was a challenge to take time every day to clean out something and give it to a charity or throw it away. That is my goal this Lent. I want to get rid of more of the stuff that is holding me down and pare my life to the barest essentials. I will let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Happy Birthday James!
Today my son turns 35. Time has flown by so quickly. I posted on his Facebook page that I have loved him since before he was born and that is true. Sometimes our journey has been rocky yet my love for my child has been abiding and strong.
He is an accomplished adult who is also the father of our grandson, Ronan. He works hard and is well respected in his career and among his peers. I admire the adult he has become knowing the journey he has taken throughout his life.
Here is a photo of the two of us together when he was just a little boy. I cherish those memories and hope we are able to make many more as we move through this phase of our lives.
So Happy Birthday to my wonderful, talented and accomplished son! May you have a long and wonderful life, surrounded by people who love you!
Here we are today. This photo was taken by my grandson, Ronan.
"Life gets mighty precious when there is less of it to waste"
Bonnie Raitt
He is an accomplished adult who is also the father of our grandson, Ronan. He works hard and is well respected in his career and among his peers. I admire the adult he has become knowing the journey he has taken throughout his life.
Here is a photo of the two of us together when he was just a little boy. I cherish those memories and hope we are able to make many more as we move through this phase of our lives.
So Happy Birthday to my wonderful, talented and accomplished son! May you have a long and wonderful life, surrounded by people who love you!
 |
| Photo Credit: RPM |
"Life gets mighty precious when there is less of it to waste"
Bonnie Raitt
Thursday, February 16, 2017
A Walk of Faith
It has been one of those days. Today I found out that my position at the college where I work will be eliminated by the end of May this year. This is frightening for me because I am an older worker but not close to being able to retire. I am trying really hard to look at this as a walk of faith for me.
I know that God will provide for my husband and me but it is so hard to rest in those promises right now. My mind is spinning with possibilities. What will I do? How will we make it? My job is the source of our health insurance coverage and that is scary.
In talking to friends here where I work I have been told unofficially that a place will be found for me. I am highly trained and have taken on every learning opportunity that has been presented to me. My employer also paid for my doctorate (I was fortunate to graduate debt free). Why would they want to get rid of someone they invested so much money in?
So I have to just wait, and listen to the voice of God. Knowing that what is coming, although it will be new, will also be a wonderful opportunity for me.
I am asking for your prayers if you are reading this post. Also, I will let you know the outcome.
"I am no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God" - Bethany Music
I know that God will provide for my husband and me but it is so hard to rest in those promises right now. My mind is spinning with possibilities. What will I do? How will we make it? My job is the source of our health insurance coverage and that is scary.
In talking to friends here where I work I have been told unofficially that a place will be found for me. I am highly trained and have taken on every learning opportunity that has been presented to me. My employer also paid for my doctorate (I was fortunate to graduate debt free). Why would they want to get rid of someone they invested so much money in?
So I have to just wait, and listen to the voice of God. Knowing that what is coming, although it will be new, will also be a wonderful opportunity for me.
I am asking for your prayers if you are reading this post. Also, I will let you know the outcome.
"I am no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God" - Bethany Music
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Back in the Saddle...
For the past two semesters at work I have been taking on new responsibilities. Last semester I accepted an assignment as a course developer for one of the online psychology courses at the college where I work. This semester I was asked to be the course mentor for the same course.
A course mentor is someone who interacts with the faculty for an online course. If the faculty run into problems with the course construction or internal workings of the curriculum they will do a report about the issue. It is my job to respond to those issues, either clarifying the problem or possibly fixing an issue that was not found as part of the course development.
After I took the position of course mentor I found out I also had to take an online course where I get certified to be a course mentor. All right, I have taught online courses for the last few semesters at the college where I work. I also took many online courses as part of my doctoral program. I wrote many papers and journal entries during my studies about my love/hate relationship with online learning.
So I started this course last week. It goes for six weeks and has all the attributes of an online course; discussion board posts and responses, homework and assignments with deadlines and quizzes. Yikes! I have forgotten the pressure you experience in an online course keeping everything straight and trying to fit all the work in with your other responsibilities. Did I mention deadlines? I'm sure I did. There are lots of deadlines.
In my work as a college professor and course developer I had forgotten what it is like to be a student. This course is bringing back all the memories, good and bad (remember love/hate relationship)? It's fun to challenge myself and learn new things but I hardly seem to finish one session and have to move onto the next. I am doing this while working a full time job, teaching two online classes and still working as a course mentor for a class. (Also being Grandma to my grandson).
Although I am totally stressed usually at some point during the week, overall I am loving it. It reminds me that this is what my students are experiencing. I have a greater appreciation for what they are going through as they navigate my classes.
A course mentor is someone who interacts with the faculty for an online course. If the faculty run into problems with the course construction or internal workings of the curriculum they will do a report about the issue. It is my job to respond to those issues, either clarifying the problem or possibly fixing an issue that was not found as part of the course development.
After I took the position of course mentor I found out I also had to take an online course where I get certified to be a course mentor. All right, I have taught online courses for the last few semesters at the college where I work. I also took many online courses as part of my doctoral program. I wrote many papers and journal entries during my studies about my love/hate relationship with online learning.
So I started this course last week. It goes for six weeks and has all the attributes of an online course; discussion board posts and responses, homework and assignments with deadlines and quizzes. Yikes! I have forgotten the pressure you experience in an online course keeping everything straight and trying to fit all the work in with your other responsibilities. Did I mention deadlines? I'm sure I did. There are lots of deadlines.
In my work as a college professor and course developer I had forgotten what it is like to be a student. This course is bringing back all the memories, good and bad (remember love/hate relationship)? It's fun to challenge myself and learn new things but I hardly seem to finish one session and have to move onto the next. I am doing this while working a full time job, teaching two online classes and still working as a course mentor for a class. (Also being Grandma to my grandson).
Although I am totally stressed usually at some point during the week, overall I am loving it. It reminds me that this is what my students are experiencing. I have a greater appreciation for what they are going through as they navigate my classes.
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