Newbery Medal through the Years

 
You've probably heard of the Newbery Medal. I've realized since I was a kid that it was a prestigious award for children's books. Today, on World Book Day, I went hunting for a list of winners.


"The most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" United States, Presented by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association

Now I'm feeling quite sheepish. It has been awarded since 1922, with one winner per year, and several honored books- like runners-up.

How many total books? I quit counting at 300, and I was only up to 1991. But here's the deal. The number of these books I've heard of is ridiculously small. The list of those I've read is even shorter. Here it is:

On the Banks of Plum Creek, 1938, Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Long Winter, 1941, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little Town on the Prairie, 1942, Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Story of Mary Jemison, 1942, Lois Lenski
Johnny Tremain, 1944, Esther Forbes
Those Happy Golden Years, 1944, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Misty of Chincoteague, 1948, Marguerite Henry
King of the Wind, 1949, Marguerite Henry
Charlotte's Web, 1953, E.B. White
Men, Microscopes and Living Things, 1956, Katherine Shippen
Old Yeller, 1957, Fred Gipson
My Side of the Mountain, 1960, Jean Craighead George
A Wrinkle in Time, 1963, Madeline L'Engle
Sounder, 1970, William H. Armstrong
Frog and Toad Together, 1973, Arnold Lobel
A Ring of Endless Light, 1981, Madeline L'Engle
Because of Winn-Dixie, 2001, Kate DiCamillo

Reading through a list of adult literary classics can be really daunting. But how hard could it be to read a pile of great children's books? My guess is the hardest part might be to find some of them.

I may have a new personal library goal. Uh oh.

In other news: I worked, came home with a good energy level (couldn't stay awake yesterday) and have written chapters 18 and 19 in The ABZ Affair. May actually finish that book tonight. Then it will be on to editing, formatting, illustrations, etc.

	See Wikipedia list of Newbery Medal winners and honorees
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10:20 am - Gurgling Commenced

 
I'm sitting in bed writing, and I hear this odd sound. What is that? I thought. Sort of like running water, but there's not even a pump attached to the well shaft, right?

So I went to the bathroom and the tank is filling!



I went to the window and the pump man's truck is in the driveway. Pretty soon, he (one of the young whippersnappers that do the work now, not the owner) comes to the house with a bill. It's a whole new pump. More on that in a bit.

Not long after that the water was running clear.



I washed dishes.



I cleaned the bathroom (you don't need the before or after shot of that).

I did laundry.

Running water is so convenient. I confess that I don't mind too much when it's not working, but I am quite happy when it is.

Later, the pump man (owner) called to tell me he was unhappy I was putting hay on for insulation. He wanted straw, because the deer and rabbits will eat the hay. You know what? I can't help it. Hay is what I have.

OK. The bill. I had been told what this would cost, so the sticker shock had already happened. Let's just say that my little misadventure in not getting on top of this problem sooner is having consequences. It's my own dumb fault, but this certainly makes it highly unlikely I'll make my savings goal before I quit the mailroom job.

However, in better news, the Ludington bookstore owner called, and as a result of the newspaper article on Thursday, they have sold out of my books. I'm taking him more tomorrow, and I ordered more. Lots more of this needs to happen for me to be able to write, eat, and drive. So far, I'm doing better than breaking even, but I need for the sales to outpace the expenses a little whole lot better. It will come. I'm sure glad I decided to start trying to build momentum BEFORE I quit the other job.

In other news: I wrote my monthly column. I made some decisions about pre-orders of the children's series. I wrote chapter 6- CANTEENS in The Hitchhiker. Now I'm working on chapter 7.

	See Thankful for Water
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The Road Ahead to Level Five- It's Official

 
I've made a commitment to what the road ahead will look like for me this year.



No, probably not snow covered for the next twelve months! But I find that photograph very appealing. (Johnson Road, a couple of miles from me.)

And the personal picture I'm trying to create is going to get very real on April 20. That will be my final day of work at the paper (in the mailroom- I'll still write my column). I talked to them yesterday, so I can now give this information publicly.

I'm going to be a full-time writer and adventurer- Level Five of my Life. Let's hope I really can sell enough books to make this work. I've got some money saved to allow me to finish the trailer, and begin to do more author events and things. But it won't happen without a lot of commitment and work on my part.

I'm SO ready to do this, and a tiny bit scared too. I'm willing to be frugal, but don't have a burning desire to live in abject poverty all the time.

In other news: there's not much other news. I was tired after work and haven't done much the rest of the day. Watched a movie, and am baking something to try to stay ahead of that huge fruit basket gift!

Winter Cobbler: Apples, pears, grapes

	See The Light at the End of the Non-Tunnel See A Piece of the Next Level
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The Light at the End of the Non-Tunnel

 
When I was in grad school at the University of Michigan, there was a poster on a professor's door that said, "Due to the energy crisis, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off." Grad school is such a stressful, non-stop environment that many of us really identified with that poster!

My life is neither quite that stressful or non-stop now. Certainly not like a dark tunnel with no foreseeable end. However, there is still a bit on an analogy there with where I want to go.

And the sky even cooperated with that theme this afternoon. For several days it's been thick solid gray. Not even a hint of color or gleam of light at sunrise. Oddly enough, as I came home from work (bunny trail... 8 hours, 15 minutes on my feet, starving by end, so stopped for decadent fast food), there was one strip of pink light in the sky. But not in the west. That was still solid gray. The light was in an unexpected place- due south



I've been thinking a lot lately about when I should quit this job. That's where the analogy fails. My job is not nearly as bad as a dark tunnel. But it definitely puts the brakes on what I would prefer to be doing.

It's a balancing act between having the freedom to write and having enough money to get by. When the job goes, I have enough saved to squeak along for a while, during which time the plan is that I will build book sales.

This morning I mailed a complete set of mysteries. In fact, this was my first sale of a paperback copy of Dead Mule Swamp Druggist which isn't even printed yet. The person paid in advance and I'll send it later. This is great! This is what I will need to have happen a LOT more. This sale was to a friend. Don't get me wrong, selling books to friends is wonderful, but if one is going to try to live off book sales, one must sell books way beyond those circles of friends and acquaintances.



Next issue... I've learned how to do a better job of it, but I'm not a great marketer. Mostly because I don't like it very much.

Several opportunities have popped up recently that I want to be able to participate in, but the job is in the way.

When do I make the big jump? Almost have my mind made up... right now... bed and book. I get to do the job thing again tomorrow.

	See A Piece of the Next Level
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So Much for This Goal

 
Depending on where exactly you are, we've had 3 to 5 inches of rain in the area in the last two days. More on the way.

The likelihood that I'll get the trailer painted this fall is now down near zero. Bummed. But at least I tried.



I guess the quality is that nothing (or at least less) would have happened if I hadn't tried.

There should be some fun news tomorrow though.

	See Index for Trailer Refurbish Trailer Planning
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An Award and a Goal

 
This blog post is basically all about writing. At least that's the vine from which all the tendrils will emanate.

In the heyday of blogging there were a lot of awards floating around. I received some of them. They were/are more fun than meaningful, but that's OK.

Over a month ago, I was nominated for the Liebster Award by (Donna) D.B. McNicol of Romance and Mystery... Writing My Life. Thanks, Donna!

"Liebster" is a German word meaning beloved or dearest. It is an online recognition in form of virtual award which started in 2011 passed on by bloggers to fellow bloggers for enjoying and valuing their work. The idea is to recognize the effort and give credit.

I did realize that Donna was a writing acquaintance (also Facebook friends), but hadn't been aware that she writes small town mysteries. Had to sample her fare! I bought the first book in her series, Not A Whisper, and was delighted. Not only does she nail the small town atmosphere, but the plot was good, the characters fun. It's got more romance than my mysteries, but all tastefully done. Today, I bought the second one, Barely a Spark, because the books just flow from one to the other, like a serial story. Have to see what happens next! You can find links from her blog or locate her on Amazon.

Not only that, the books are set near Bradford, Pennsylvania, on the fringes of the Allegheny National Forest. I spent a weekend more or less sitting on curbs in Bradford a long time ago with car trouble. Marie, David and I had just finished our first long hike on the North Country Trail, which goes the length of the ANF. I felt at home in the stories.

So, here are the terms of the award.

The Liebster Award is received by writing an acceptance post. The rules for accepting the award are straightforward:

Thank the person who nominated you.
Answer the 11 questions you were asked.
Nominate 11 people and ask them 11 questions.
Notify each of the nominees on their blog.

Here are the 11 questions. Some have been answered from time to time, but I'll play occasionally.

1. What prompted you to begin blogging? This has been answered many times. See The Raison d'etre of My Quality Day

2. Which language would you like to learn? I have a half-forgotten knowledge of French. I'd like to revive that, or maybe learn Russian.

3. What was your favorite experience in the past six months? Hmmm. That just manages to exclude finishing hiking the Buckeye Trail, so I think it was correctly identifying the plant Picris Hieracioidies, and having the sample accepted to the University of Michigan Herbarium.

4. What one location in the world you would like to visit? Why? One? I have to choose one? I choose all of them. Why? I have terminal wanderlust.

5. Do you have pets? If yes, please introduce them. Not any more, except maybe the daddy-long-legs in the shower. Many of you remember Maggie the Vizsla.

6. What is the strangest food you have ever eaten? A pork brain patty sandwich in a diner in Ohio.

7. What is your biggest struggle while writing? Sitting down and turning the 10 million ideas into actual words.

8. Who would you like to receive a week of training/mentorship from? No clue. I have learned good things from expected teachers and mentors, and good things from unexpected sources.

9. What is the first thing you drink in the morning? Juice, preferably tart.

10. How many books do you read per month? This has slipped a bit since I have discovered online games (insert sheepish grin). but it's still somewhere around four.

11. What was your favorite time of year when you were growing up? Spring. I love the fresh smell of air and earth and all the flowers and buds popping with life.

I'm not sure I can nominate 11 other blogs. I don't think I read that many any more. I'll nominate the ones I do still visit. They can accept or not. These bloggers have all become friends beyond that casual use of the word that we fling around with online discussions. Some have become real-life friends. Some are also writers. At any rate, they are all people I feel a lasting connection with who still blog fairly regularly. Alphabetically by blog name, with the "connection":

Ann's Snap Edit Scrap Ann Thompson- crafts and dog
Dennis' Diary of Destruction James Viscosi- dog, humor, writing
Everyday Adventurer Ratty- my first blogging friend ever- love of nature
Seasons in the Valley Stew Hilts (The Furry Gnome)- love of nature, trails
Secondary Roads Chuck Hutchinson- country life, faith
Some Assembly Required John Sealander- dog, writing- we are similar in many ways, eerily so at times.
String too Short to Tie Dave Lacy (Vanilla)- country life, writing, faith

Accept if you want, folks!

And now for the goal- another writing tendril. This involves two decisions. I decided almost two weeks ago that I wanted to finish Dead Mule Swamp Druggist in time for people to buy it for Christmas.

However, there was a second related decision. Just wanting to do it wasn't going to get it done. There aren't very many days that I have a brain that isn't just a pile of mush. I'm tired from working a lot. So, I have to decide to write more, even when it's hard and I don't think I can. Like today. But I managed to squeeze out half a chapter. It was slow. Not efficient. But it was progress. There will have to be progress made almost every day. (A lot like the trailer project, which isn't going very fast either, but that's on a different vine altogether.)

Anyway. I'm putting this out there because you folks may help me be accountable. Here's to Dead Mule Swamp Druggist!

	See Peaceful, Productive and Pink
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We Each Have Goals

 
This is a trail friend of mine, David. His goal for the day was to ride 40 miles on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail. I helped him spot his car this morning.



I assume he made it, but I think he would have been happier if I'd arrived on time. I overslept. It wasn't too hot when he left, but mid-afternoon was way too warm for an October day. I'm so sorry... mornings and I just don't do well. That's the second time in two weeks I've turned off the alarm without realizing it. That's an old, old trick of mine, but it seems to be resurfacing. Bummer.



My goals were more ordinary.

Turn in my volunteer hours to the trail association. Done, but on the very last day possible, of course.

Clean up the kitchen from all the canning and grape mess. Close but no cigar. I think one more sink full of soapy water will do it, and put a few more things away.

Write a chapter in Dead Mule Swamp Druggist. About halfway. I have time to finish it tomorrow afternoon, but I really wanted to get it done today. Not happening. My brain is fried.

Work on the trailer- fiberglass in particular. Made progress. I'll probably do a report tomorrow because I think I got one little thing done. Need to check it in the morning. I seem to be able to tolerate 2-3 batches of fiberglass resin a day before the fumes get to me.

Cut some grass. Didn't even think about it, sigh. One section has to be cut once more before winter, and I need to go over my trails so they'll be OK for skiing.

That's it...

I'm sore all over from climbing on and off the roof of the trailer, and my shoulders and wrist ache. Maybe I need a work day to recuperate!

	See Cycling with Sue and Sophie
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Time's (more than) Up- How About that List?

 
Remember the list of things I wanted to do this year? Even with the extension I gave myself my success rate is pretty low. I'm reporting just to be honest, certainly not to make myself look good. Frowny face here.

I pretty much know what I need to be doing to reach at least some of my life goals, but I'm doing a really poor job of acting on it.

For illustration I offer two childhood pictures that pretty much define the problem.

Here I am digging a hole. Yes, to China. Inspired by a Donald Duck comic book where Huey, Duey and Louie were digging such a hole. Yes, I would dig whenever the mood struck me. In ten years I got it about 5 feet deep and six feet across. In my defense, I will state that this was in New York gray clay, not Michigan sand. (I was quite shocked when I moved to Michigan and discovered that mere mortals COULD actually dig holes.)



Here I am fishing in a creek with no fish. Why? Because I had new rubber boots and a fishing pole. The presence of obtainable osteichthyes was irrelevant to me. I thought that with boots and a pole they would appear and beg to be caught.



You will notice that I look pretty happy in both instances. I was and am a process person. I care more about gardening than having a beautiful garden. I like to knit, etc, but care less about finishing projects. And on and on.

Yes, I know I was a kid. No, I'm not just being down on myself. I know my faults as well as anyone. You can draw your own conclusions as to whether I have improved on these childish methods of choosing activities. I will also draw mine.

Anyway, here's the report.

54 in 300, report on day 427
Number	Category	Item	Final
1	WRITING	begin working on North Country Quest again	got briefly inspired, then got boggged down in reality again - still about 5 chapters done
2	WRITING	edit Kiss of the Butterfly, submit for publication	nothing
3	WRITING	100 NC History pages	just the planning in Nov
4	WRITING	blog about 8 wild foods	none
5	WRITING	finish Dead Mule Swamp Druggist	16 chapters added
9	WRITING	do 10 book promotion things	9 ish- I lost count
7	WRITING	writing schedule day 50 times (this refers to a particular disciplined schedule)	9
8	WRITING	5 entries in Off the Sanctuary Wall	none
9	WRITING	pursue a contract I can't name yet	didn't happen- but I tried
10	WRITING	talk to 5 bookstores about carrying mysteries	none
11	HOUSE	fix kitchen drawer	DONE
12	HOUSE	cut down 5 autumn olive trees	DONE
13	HOUSE	clean refrigerator twice	DONE
14	HOUSE	replace kitchen faucet	nothing
15	HOUSE	get lawnmower fixed	DONE- you heard about most of this. I get extra points
16	HOUSE	clean terrace	DONE
17	HOUSE	kitchen light electric box	DONE
18	HOUSE	replace faucet by washing machine	nothing
19	HOUSE	put away model railroad stuff	none
20	HOUSE	spend 10 hours sorting books	3 total- only managed to make a bigger mess
21	FITNESS	increase to 30 pushups	gave up
22	FITNESS	increase to 100 jumping jacks	gave up
23	FITNESS	increase to 2 min planking	gave up
24	FITNESS	walk, bike, ski or snowshoe 200 times	no clue- over 100
25	HIKING	NCT Hike 100 Challenge for 2016	DONE
26	HIKING	visit 5 new MI counties to explore trails	none
27	HIKING	hike 100 more miles of the Buckeye Trail	DONE, 230+ actually
28	HIKING	clear my trail better	DONE
29	PERSONAL	Savings Goal	DONE
30	PERSONAL	Financial Goal #2	nothing
31	PERSONAL	lose 10 pounds	lost 8!
32	PERSONAL	play music 50 times	20 ish
33	PERSONAL	other #1 (200 times)	40 ish
34	PERSONAL	other #2 (12 times)	2
35	MISC	make 21 quarts juice	14 total
36	MISC	try 10 new wild foods	none
37	MISC	some genealogy stuff	very little- found John's obit, tried to locate Ricky
38	MISC	100 more pix on Shark Shots	lost track, maybe 20
39	MISC	2 photo cards documented	got most hike pictures listed
40	MISC	give 10 gifts from my kitchen	5 ish
41	MISC	eat at Brenda's Burgers	DONE
42	MISC	eat at Country Critters	closed, but now open under new management
43	MISC	take my trailer on 2 trips	one
44	MISC	finish monkey booties	DONE
45	MISC	get two programs NCT and Kitchen Sink	none
46	MISC	get rid of 100 things	??? 20 ish
47	MISC	read or listen to 100 books	lost track, but way over 100. Most not very meaningful
48	MISC	move NCC from Josh's garage	nothing
49	MISC	short bios of 5 relatives	none
50	MISC	sort my fabric	nothing
51	MISC	do something inside my trailer	removed some things I don't want. Finished curtains. Have design plans for rebuilding. Visited Scamp and learned a lot
52	MISC	add 50 things to family heritage list	15 ish
53	MISC	some VCR tapes to DVD	none
54	MISC	some cassette tapes to CD	none

There you have it. I probably would have done as much without the list...

	See Trail Work Day
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Flyover and March Report

 

On my walk the other day I saw the first sandhill cranes of the year. I'd seen footprints in the snow, but not the birds yet. And you might remember the place where the cranes nest. The lady who owns that property was outside, and I asked her if they still nested there. She said they do!

I've gotten much better pictures of the cranes other times, but this one is current, and so will be featured.



And now, in other news. My 300 days is half up (of course, I'm fudging and giving myself a year). Not nearly halfway on most goals, but I think I'm still doing more than I might have without any goals.

54 in 300, report on day 159
Number	Category	Item	March	Total
1	WRITING	begin working on North Country Quest again	nothing this month	still about 5 chapters done
2	WRITING	edit Kiss of the Butterfly, submit for publication	nothing	nothing
3	WRITING	100 NC History pages	nothing	just the planning in Nov
4	WRITING	blog about 8 wild foods	none	none
5	WRITING	finish Dead Mule Swamp Druggist	chapters 27-28	10 chapters added
6	WRITING	do 10 book promotion things	1 the big afghan giveaway is in progress (have you entered?)	6
7	WRITING	writing schedule day 50 times	0 (this doesn't mean I didn't write, but this refers to a particular disciplined schedule, and I didn't do any)	9
8	WRITING	5 entries in Off the Sanctuary Wall	none	none
9	WRITING	pursue a contract I can't name yet	follow up contact	no results
10	WRITING	talk to 5 bookstores about carrying mysteries	none	none
11	HOUSE	fix kitchen drawer	DONE	DONE
12	HOUSE	cut down 5 autumn olive trees	none	none
13	HOUSE	clean refrigerator twice	not so soon yet	1
14	HOUSE	replace kitchen faucet	nothing	nothing
15	HOUSE	get lawnmower fixed	nothing	nothing
16	HOUSE	clean terrace	nothing	nothing
17	HOUSE	kitchen light electric box	nothing	nothing
18	HOUSE	replace faucet by washing machine	nothing	nothing
19	HOUSE	put away model railroad stuff	none	none
20	HOUSE	spend 10 hours sorting books	none	2 total
21	FITNESS	increase to 30 pushups	24	increase of 1 since February
22	FITNESS	increase to 100 jumping jacks	75	increase of 5 since February
23	FITNESS	increase to 2 min planking	70 sec	no increase
24	FITNESS	walk, bike, ski or snowshoe 200 times	20	69, better
25	HIKING	NCT Hike 100 Challenge for 2016	3.5	total of 12.5 miles on three SPW hikes
26	HIKING	visit 5 new MI counties to explore trails	none	none
27	HIKING	hike 100 more miles of the Buckeye Trail	maps ordered	this spring
28	HIKING	clear my trail better	0	total of 13 days, wrong season now
29	PERSONAL	Savings Goal	added some	77% to goal
30	PERSONAL	Financial Goal #2	nothing	nothing
31	PERSONAL	lose 10 pounds	0	I'm back to where I was when I started, even the longer walks don't seem to bring results
32	PERSONAL	play music 50 times	4	18
33	PERSONAL	other #1 (200 times)	3	37, not good
34	PERSONAL	other #2	0	1, not on track
35	MISC	make 21 quarts juice	0	7 total
36	MISC	try 10 new wild foods	none	none
37	MISC	some genealogy stuff	reviewed site I started on a while ago	just the review
38	MISC	100 more pix on Shark Shots	8	8 total
39	MISC	2 photo cards documented	nothing	nothing, but backed up some more stuff
40	MISC	give 10 gifts from my kitchen	1	4
41	MISC	eat at Brenda's Burgers	with Ester	DONE
42	MISC	eat at Country Critters	nothing	but I'd better, because it's for sale
43	MISC	take my trailer on 2 trips	none	none
44	MISC	finish monkey booties	1	DONE
45	MISC	get two programs NCT and Kitchen Sink	none	but I have a short program next week
46	MISC	get rid of 100 things	1	9
47	MISC	read or listen to 100 books	17	42 Best one was He Who Hesitates by Ed McBain. This was billed as a simple mystery, but it is almost literary and would make a great play.
48	MISC	move NCC from Josh's garage	nothing	nothing
49	MISC	short bios of 5 relatives	none	none
50	MISC	sort my fabric	nothing	nothing
51	MISC	do something inside my trailer	nothing	nothing
52	MISC	add 50 things to family heritage list	none	none
53	MISC	some VCR tapes to DVD	none	none
54	MISC	some cassette tapes to CD	none	none

	See february Report
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Moss, But It's Green, and Two Month Reports

 

One more picture to share from my Bowman Lake adventure. I love how GREEN the moss is.



And now... drum roll... I know you've all been waiting to see how poorly I did on THE LIST.

It seemed like there were too many interesting things happening at the end of January to break them up with a goal report, so now you get two months lumped together. I'm not overly proud of this, but I did a few things.

54 in 300, report on day 128
Number	Category	Item	Jan & Feb	Total
1	WRITING	begin working on North Country Quest again	worked more on Chapter 1- "Meanders and Undulations"	still about 5 chapters done
2	WRITING	edit Kiss of the Butterfly, submit for publication	nothing	nothing
3	WRITING	100 NC History pages	nothing	just the planning in Nov
4	WRITING	blog about 8 wild foods	none	none
5	WRITING	finish Dead Mule Swamp Druggist	chapters 23-26	8 chapters added
6	WRITING	do 10 book promotion things	2 sold books at Your Story on Stage, and Authorpalooza in Big Rapids	6
7	WRITING	writing schedule day 50 times	0 (this doesn't mean I didn't write, but this refers to a particular disciplined schedule, and I didn't do any)	9
8	WRITING	5 entries in Off the Sanctuary Wall	none	none
9	WRITING	pursue a contract I can't name yet	follow up contact	no results
10	WRITING	talk to 5 bookstores about carrying mysteries	none	none
11	HOUSE	fix kitchen drawer	DONE	DONE
12	HOUSE	cut down 5 autumn olive trees	none	none
13	HOUSE	clean refrigerator twice	1	1, and had to wash out spilled mulberry syrup in the freezer
14	HOUSE	replace kitchen faucet	nothing	nothing
15	HOUSE	get lawnmower fixed	nothing	nothing
16	HOUSE	clean terrace	nothing	nothing
17	HOUSE	kitchen light electric box	nothing	nothing
18	HOUSE	replace faucet by washing machine	nothing	nothing
19	HOUSE	put away model railroad stuff	none	none
20	HOUSE	spend 10 hours sorting books	1	2
21	FITNESS	increase to 30 pushups	23	increase of 2 since December
22	FITNESS	increase to 100 jumping jacks	70	increase of 5 since December
23	FITNESS	increase to 2 min planking	70 sec	no increase
24	FITNESS	walk, bike, ski or snowshoe 200 times	29	49, better
25	HIKING	NCT Hike 100 Challenge for 2016	9	total of 9 miles on two SPW hikes
26	HIKING	visit 5 new MI counties to explore trails	none	none
27	HIKING	hike 100 more miles of the Buckeye Trail	none	next spring
28	HIKING	clear my trail better	0	total of 13 days, wrong season now
29	PERSONAL	Savings Goal	added some	75% to goal
30	PERSONAL	Financial Goal #2	nothing	nothing
31	PERSONAL	lose 10 pounds	0	I'm back to where I was when I started this which means I lost 1 from Dec
32	PERSONAL	play music 50 times	8	14
33	PERSONAL	other #1 (200 times)	27	34, better
34	PERSONAL	other #2	0	1, not on track
35	MISC	make 21 quarts juice	0	7 total
36	MISC	try 10 new wild foods	none	none
37	MISC	some genealogy stuff	nothing	nothing
38	MISC	100 more pix on Shark Shots	none	none
39	MISC	2 photo cards documented	nothing	nothing, but backing up important stuff on line
40	MISC	give 10 gifts from my kitchen	1	3
41	MISC	eat at Brenda's Burgers	with Ester	DONE
42	MISC	eat at Country Critters	nothing	but I'd better, because it's for sale
43	MISC	take my trailer on 2 trips	none	none
44	MISC	finish monkey booties	1	one pair done, one to go
45	MISC	get two programs NCT and Kitchen Sink	tentative contacts	probably one for April 2017
46	MISC	get rid of 100 things	1	8
47	MISC	read or listen to 100 books	25 Best one in Jan was The Wrong Man by James Neff, a reporter who looks into the Sam Shepherd murder case and convincingly points to the true killer of Shepherd's wife. Best on in Feb was The Ghost Map, by Steven Johnson, a narrative of the great cholera epidemic of London in 1854	34
48	MISC	move NCC from Josh's garage	nothing	nothing
49	MISC	short bios of 5 relatives	none	none
50	MISC	sort my fabric	nothing	nothing
51	MISC	do something inside my trailer	nothing	nothing
52	MISC	add 50 things to family heritage list	none	none
53	MISC	some VCR tapes to DVD	none	none
54	MISC	some cassette tapes to CD	none	none

	See December Report
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It Lingers, and the December End of Month Report

 
That wet snow just continues to cling to the trees, forming a crusty coating. It's still very attractive.




I did get some projects done that aren't on the list. Trimmed another tree by the driveway, re-covered the well pit for winter, clipped all the small autumn olive in the lawn where I didn't get it whacked. Whacked some more, but not nearly a whole space.

And now, it's the end of the month, so here's my report on progress toward my listed goals. Pretty pathetic, but probably better than if I wasn't reporting to you.

54 in 300, report on day 37
Number	Category	Item	December	Total
1	WRITING	begin working on North Country Quest again	almost done with Chapter 1- "Meanders and Undulations"	of new work, just Dec (total about 5 chapters done
2	WRITING	edit Kiss of the Butterfly, submit for publication	nothing	nothing
3	WRITING	100 NC History pages	nothing	just the planning last month
4	WRITING	blog about 8 wild foods	none	none
5	WRITING	finish Dead Mule Swamp Druggist	chapters 21, 22	4 chapters added
6	WRITING	do 10 book promotion things	2 article on Murder By 4 blog, and did a plug on Facebook	4
7	WRITING	writing schedule day 50 times	4	9
8	WRITING	5 entries in Off the Sanctuary Wall	none	none
9	WRITING	pursue a contract I can't name yet	follow up contact	no results
10	WRITING	talk to 5 bookstores about carrying mysteries	none	none
11	HOUSE	fix kitchen drawer	DONE	DONE
12	HOUSE	cut down 5 autumn olive trees	none	none
13	HOUSE	clean refrigerator twice	none	none
14	HOUSE	replace kitchen faucet	nothing	nothing
15	HOUSE	get lawnmower fixed	nothing	nothing
16	HOUSE	clean terrace	nothing	nothing
17	HOUSE	kitchen light electric box	nothing	nothing
18	HOUSE	replace faucet by washing machine	nothing	nothing
19	HOUSE	put away model railroad stuff	none	none
20	HOUSE	spend 10 hours sorting books	1	2
21	FITNESS	increase to 30 pushups	21	increase of 5 this month
22	FITNESS	increase to 100 jumping jacks	65	increase of 15
23	FITNESS	increase to 2 min planking	70 sec	no increase
24	FITNESS	walk, bike, ski or snowshoe 200 times	12	20, this is still terrible
25	HIKING	NCT Hike 100 Challenge for 2016	none	doesn't start till Jan 1
26	HIKING	visit 5 new MI counties to explore trails	none	none
27	HIKING	hike 100 more miles of the Buckeye Trail	none	next spring
28	HIKING	clear my trail better	5	have worked on it a total of 13 days, terrible
29	PERSONAL	Savings Goal	added some	72% to goal
30	PERSONAL	Financial Goal #2	nothing	nothing
31	PERSONAL	lose 10 pounds	-1 as in going the wrong way	the really bad news is I lost 1 (total of 2, but gained 3 over Christmas)
32	PERSONAL	play music 50 times	3	8
33	PERSONAL	other #1 (200 times)	7	19, not on track
34	PERSONAL	other #2	0	1, not on track
35	MISC	make 21 quarts juice	0	7 total
36	MISC	try 10 new wild foods	none	none
37	MISC	some genealogy stuff	nothing	nothing
38	MISC	100 more pix on Shark Shots	none	none
39	MISC	2 photo cards documented	nothing	nothing
40	MISC	give 10 gifts from my kitchen	2	2
41	MISC	eat at Brenda's Burgers	nothing	nothing
42	MISC	eat at Country Critters	nothing	but I'd better, because it's for sale
43	MISC	take my trailer on 2 trips	none	none
44	MISC	finish monkey booties	nothing	nothing
45	MISC	get two programs NCT and Kitchen Sink	tentative contact	none
46	MISC	get rid of 100 things	nothing	7
47	MISC	read or listen to 100 books	3, best one was Devil in the White City by Eric Larson, juxtaposing the 1893 World's Fair with a serial killer who was operating in the same section of Chicago- a true story	9
48	MISC	move NCC from Josh's garage	nothing	nothing
49	MISC	short bios of 5 relatives	none	none
50	MISC	sort my fabric	nothing	nothing
51	MISC	do something inside my trailer	nothing	nothing
52	MISC	add 50 things to family heritage list	none	none
53	MISC	some VCR tapes to DVD	none	none
54	MISC	some cassette tapes to CD	none	none

	See Space Three, and November Report
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Space Three and November Goal Report

 

I'm amazed that the grass has continued to stand up despite heavy rain and the first snow. Consequently, space three is cleared!



I'm sure every place you'd attempt to whack weeds there would be one plant that was annoying. In this space it's the witch grass, which you can see being beautiful if you follow that link. However, for purposes of cutting it, what a pain! It grows in thick clumps with very soft leaves that just want to entangle the blade rather than get cut off short.

And what about ALL that cut grass? Dumped in a place that doesn't matter. But it's quite a pile.



There are two more spaces to whack. Will I get them done? Not likely, but if the weather holds out, I'll keep chopping at them. I do have to nip off all the baby autumn olive trees that spring up instantly.

And now, it's the end of the month, so here's my report on progress toward my goals. Not great, but I did some things, and have to allow myself some leeway because of all those extra work hours.

54 in 300, report on day 37
Number	Category	Item	November	Total
1	WRITING	begin working on North Country Quest again	nothing	nothing
2	WRITING	edit Kiss of the Butterfly, submit for publication	nothing	nothing
3	WRITING	100 NC History pages	did some preliminary planning	none
4	WRITING	blog about 8 wild foods	none	none
5	WRITING	finish Dead Mule Swamp Druggist	chapter 20	2 chapters added
6	WRITING	do 10 book promotion things	1, have an article in Aaron Paul Lazar's Write Like the Wind which will also be on his blog in Dec	2
7	WRITING	writing schedule day 50 times	4	5
8	WRITING	5 entries in Off the Sanctuary Wall	none	none
9	WRITING	pursue a contract I can't name yet	nothing	nothing
10	WRITING	talk to 5 bookstores about carrying mysteries	none	none
11	HOUSE	fix kitchen drawer	DONE	DONE
12	HOUSE	cut down 5 autumn olive trees	none	none
13	HOUSE	clean refrigerator twice	none	none
14	HOUSE	replace kitchen faucet	nothing	nothing
15	HOUSE	get lawnmower fixed	nothing	nothing
16	HOUSE	clean terrace	nothing	nothing
17	HOUSE	kitchen light electric box	nothing	nothing
18	HOUSE	replace faucet by washing machine	nothing	nothing
19	HOUSE	put away model railroad stuff	none	none
20	HOUSE	spend 10 hours sorting books	1	need to buy a new, brighter light bulb for that space!
21	FITNESS	increase to 30 pushups	16	increase of 4 this month
22	FITNESS	increase to 100 jumping jacks	50	increase of 20
23	FITNESS	increase to 2 min planking	70 sec	increase of 10 sec
24	FITNESS	walk, bike, ski or snowshoe 200 times	5	8, this is terrible, but I was just too tired after all those extra work hours to walk
25	HIKING	NCT Hike 100 Challenge for 2016	none	doesn't start till Jan 1
26	HIKING	visit 5 new MI counties to explore trails	none	none
27	HIKING	hike 100 more miles of the Buckeye Trail	none	next spring
28	HIKING	clear my trail better	5	have worked on it a total of 8 days, terrible
29	PERSONAL	Savings Goal	none	none
30	PERSONAL	Financial Goal #2	nothing	nothing
31	PERSONAL	lose 10 pounds	1	I think I can safely claim to have lost 1
32	PERSONAL	play music 50 times	3	5
33	PERSONAL	other #1 (200 times)	7	12, not on track
34	PERSONAL	other #2	1	1, not on track
35	MISC	make 21 quarts juice	4, made the rest of the apples into cider	7 total
36	MISC	try 10 new wild foods	none	none
37	MISC	some genealogy stuff	nothing	nothing
38	MISC	100 more pix on Shark Shots	none	none
39	MISC	2 photo cards documented	nothing	nothing
40	MISC	give 10 gifts from my kitchen	none	none
41	MISC	eat at Brenda's Burgers	nothing	nothing
42	MISC	eat at Country Critters	nothing	but I'd better, because it's for sale
43	MISC	take my trailer on 2 trips	none	none
44	MISC	finish monkey booties	nothing	nothing
45	MISC	get two programs NCT and Kitchen Sink	none	none
46	MISC	get rid of 100 things	7, sold some things on eBay	7
47	MISC	read or listen to 100 books	6, best one was Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson, set in the early 1900's when many lynchings happened in the south	6
48	MISC	move NCC from Josh's garage	nothing	nothing
49	MISC	short bios of 5 relatives	none	none
50	MISC	sort my fabric	nothing	nothing
51	MISC	do something inside my trailer	nothing	nothing
52	MISC	add 50 things to family heritage list	none	none
53	MISC	some VCR tapes to DVD	none	none
54	MISC	some cassette tapes to CD	none	none

	See Two-and-a-Half Plus See Changes and First Update
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Hawk Silhouette

 
Just took a little walk out back today. As I keep saying, you never know what goodie will appear. Today it was the red-tail hawk. How do I really know that's what it was with only a silhouette? I heard it say "keeeeeer."



It took a short lap around the field and headed for the cemetery.



I spent most of the day writing Chapter 20 of Dead Mule Swamp Druggist. You can read a good sized excerpt at Joan of Shark.

I'm working really hard at getting back to being a writer who has two other jobs instead of being a working girl who writes a little on the side. I know, it's only been two weeks, so I can hardly claim victory, but that's two weeks of success.

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Changes, and First Update

 
I'm going to try to do a goal update on the first of each month. Not the whole list. That would be a complete bore, just items where I've made progress. Even though it's only been a week since I started, it is the first of November. So this will be a short report, but it proves I can remember my goals for a few days, at least.

But first, a sad example of how things just don't stay the same. Without maintenance, buildings fall apart. This old school building that I featured almost three years ago didn't survive last winter's snow. [I learned in 2019 that it was known as the Jones School.]



Here's what it looks like now.



That seemed an appropriate message to go with the goals, since the bulk of the report is on fitness stuff. Those goals won't be met at all if I don't get busy. Sure, we get older and can't do as much, but without maintenance anyone gets wimpy fast.

So, for those of you who seem to care about progress, here we go...

54 in 300, report on day 8
Number	Category	Item
5	WRITING	finish Dead Mule Swamp Druggist	finished chapter 19
6	WRITING	do 10 book promotion things	1, and signed up for another, and have a feeler out for a third. You can see the one on the Trail Summit blog at Wild Woman- Joan Young
7	WRITING	writing schedule day 50 times	1, with the current work schedule, about once a week is all I can do this
9	WRITING	pursue a contract I can't name yet	follow up letter written
21	FITNESS	increase to 30 pushups	12 I have to work up to this, but the most I've ever gotten to is 25, so this is a goal to stretch myself
22	FITNESS	increase to 100 jumping jacks	40, easy peasy... been to 100 many times, just need to work on it
23	FITNESS	increase to 2 min planking	60 sec, the most I've ever gotten to was 70 sec, so I have no idea if I can do this
24	FITNESS	walk, bike, ski or snowshoe 200 times	3, not good enough to be on track, but see #28
28	HIKING	clear my trail better	worked on this 3 days
29	PERSONAL	Savings Goal	added to the total
30	PERSONAL	Financial Goal #2	did one thing on this project
31	PERSONAL	lose 10 pounds	??- may have lost 1 pound, but my weight bounces around so much that one week isn't enough time to be sure
32	PERSONAL	play music 50 times	2
33	PERSONAL	other #1 (200 times)	5
35	MISC	make 21 quarts juice	3, I made cider today

	See Playing with Old Buildings See Oh No! It's a List
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