Yesterday seemed like Déjà vu. It was Monday all over again, with minor alterations. The positive for the day was that I created time to indulge in my current read. Reading is my preferred method for escaping reality, but this author’s writing style is challenging. Many sentences have an awkward construction that pulls me away from the story as I re-read passages to untangle their meaning. Given a choice, I would put it down and mark it as DNF. But my instructor included it as suggested reading for the class I am taking, and so, I persevere.

I always remember my number one priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 459 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday the 9 to 5 consumed every ounce of energy in my body while I attempted to coax a migraine to leave me alone. Convincing your head to stop throbbing and your ears to depressurize while you shade your eyes from every light source that threatens to burn your retinas is a challenge. Thankfully, the day was overcast and gloomy, and the temperature remained moderate. With the scattered rain showers and the breeze, it almost felt cold.

Then I found a YouTube channel featuring low-tone Tibetan Bowls. I love wind chimes, but the high-pitched tinkling of most chimes grate on my nerves. The deeper sounds that resonate and linger before they fade, I find much more soothing. I turned the volume down and let the vibrations flow over and around me. They lulled me to sleep. When I woke, I discovered the migraine had evaporated with the last chime of the bowls.

I always remember my number one priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 611 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday I was determined to indulge myself and sleep in as long as I wanted. Unfortunately, my body had other ideas, and at 6:00 A.M. my eyes popped open. This scenario was unsatisfactory, and I forced myself back to sleep. By 7:30, I woke again. But this time, sleep eluded me, and at 8:00, I admitted defeat and climbed out of bed.

A long list of household chores means I never lack things to do, but the constant, unrelenting rain kept me to indoor tasks. My gardening projects can wait for a less damp day. My painter returned at noon to check the previous day’s touch-ups and re-hang the doors he painted. The walls, the ceiling, and the trim work are a study of perfection. Let’s see how long it lasts. By late afternoon, I wished somebody had listened to me when I told them the go back to sleep. I grabbed my current read (which is slow going), curled into my favorite chair, and with the rain gently tapping on the window, I just might have taken a nap. Vindication.

This week promises a succession of early mornings, late nights, and a plethora of challenges. Nothing new in that department, and my weekly scheduling session should help avoid any earth-shattering debacles. Putting on my best “adulting” hat, I sternly told myself there would be no reading in bed until the wee hours of the morning if I knew what was good for me. Adolescent me is obstinate and likes to push boundaries while whining “just one more page.”

I always remember my number one priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 473 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday I spent most of my day with the painter. He returned to paint four doors and complete touchup work around the house where other trades had gotten a little careless. Oops. Most people wouldn’t notice, but to me, those blemishes, streaks, and marks stuck out like sore thumbs and created a constant source of irritation. My painter is an artist, a professional, and a stickler for making everything look flawless. He identified and corrected areas even I missed. He will be here later today to re-hang the doors and make sure we didn’t miss a single spot. Whoa, Mama, he is a dream come true.

When I wasn’t knee-deep in paint discussions, like which color we applied which surface, and the merits of flat, matte, satin, and semi-gloss finishes, I made every attempt to study my story, get my bearings, and organized files. I also decided to re-examine some of my working methods and my routines. It’s funny but what worked last week is cumbersome, ineffective, and unproductive this week. So, I am turning my calendar upside down, adopting new procedures, and rescheduling my daily tasks. We will see if these modifications prove effective, and if not, I will change them until they suit my needs.

I always remember my number one priority. My core habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 294 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

It is an odd feeling when your daily act of juggling multiple projects, coordinating schedules, and organizing a million tiny details while monitoring a looming deadline suddenly ends. It is the day we all waited for with great anticipation.  But when it arrived and the celebrations ended, what remained was a void and an important question. What now?

Never fear because I have an idea that has gnawed at me, demanding time and attention I could not give. Yesterday I cleared the runway, dusted off my notes, rummaged around and found forgotten files filled with story fragments, and dug out my plotting guidelines. Before the paint is dry on the house project, I plan to start my next epic journey. I have thousands of words to read to determine what I have written and which parts only exist in my head. I know the story has morphed and grown since I last played with it. The sections I have written belong to book two. The storyline of book one insisted it must be first, and I can’t even imagine wrangling the villain’s dastardly deeds in book three.

When I said epic, it was not a metaphor. This behemoth wants to be a multiple book series, and I question if I am up to the task. But if I can handle this remodel, I am game to attempt a trilogy for starters. I need spreadsheets, family trees, character profiles, maps, plots, and sub-plots, and an entire list of things I don’t even know I need. I can’t get ahead of myself. First things must come first.

I remembered my number one priority. My habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 383 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

So, I did a crazy thing and ignored my own excellent advice. I haven’t written a word in a week. I have a list of excuses, and no, the dog did not eat my homework. Last Friday, I began my great push to finish the final major work before launching into a cleaning frenzy and scrubbing and dusting the entire house from top to bottom. A cooking marathon followed the white glove test, and I packed the refrigerator with a smorgasbord of tasty morsels before the Monday barbeque party deadline.

The linen closet shelves look pretty, but they still need a final coat of paint. I installed enough self-liners in the kitchen cabinets that nobody except me noticed. I completed my menu, compiled my shopping list, and braved the crowded stores. Fortune smiled upon my aching feet, and I forgot nothing. My eleven forgotten heat vents received a vigorous two-step sanding process before I stained them and applied two coats of polyurethane. I popped them into their new homes only moments before the guests arrived.

Everyone who I invited to the barbeque came. The happy and well-fed crowd lingered past dinnertime to chat and extend kind comments about the remodel. We can mark Monday as a tremendous success. I also hosted a last-minute guest from out of town who needed a place to stay so that they could attend a funeral. I was thrilled to help and honored they elected to spend a few extra days to visit.

The hustle and bustle, late nights, early mornings, and the mad dash to the finish line left me exhausted, but I was beyond happy even while I nursed sore muscles. The life-sucking whole-house remodeling project is mostly complete. There are minor fixes and decorating left on my list, plus the large-scale task of unpacking, sorting, donating, and finding new homes for all the items in the countless boxes stored in the basement.  But they are things I can address as time allows.

Now, I can turn my attention to other projects which I relegated to the back burner. You know things like my number one priority. It is time to dust off my good habits and write a little every day. On the last day I wrote, I typed 214 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

They say Thursday is the new Friday. At least it was yesterday, except trying to shut down the 9 to 5 at a reasonable time proved nearly impossible. Everyone cultured my hours, asking additional questions, and wanting to know my planned schedule for my four-day weekend. I told them I would be eternally grateful if they could hold down the fort and only contact me in case of a dire emergency. I am sure one will manifest. One always does. Whether I respond remains to be seen.

The linen closet shelves look pretty, and I can’t wait to apply the final coat of paint. My project to install self-liners in the rest of the kitchen cabinets got sidetracked. The weather outside was gorgeous, and I took my heat vent sanding party to the patio. The guest list RSVPs for the barbeque are rolling in, and so far, I have received only acceptance, no regrets. My menu is now final, and I started compiling my shopping list. Every day we inch one step closer to the grand project’s completion.

Even with the hustle and bustle, I didn’t forget my number one priority. My habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 215 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I am exhausted. I’ve been running around like a crazy person trying to get everything finished. I am ever so grateful that Friday comes early this week. The sweetest thing happens when a holiday falls on either Saturday or Sunday—it allows you to turn a single day off into a four-day weekend. Who doesn’t love a four-day weekend?

The staircase project is complete. All nine interior doors are refurbished, and they look incredible. Somehow, I completely forgot about needing to sand, stain, and poly the heat vents. Oops. I can’t put the supplies away just yet. The linen closet shelves need a few minor details, and then I can apply the final coat of paint.

I finished the Pantry Wall and moved the cutting and installation of self-liners to the rest of the kitchen cabinets. Once I wrap up those jobs, I get to start my favorite chore—cleaning. Every day we inch one step closer to completion and a well-deserved nap. Yes, only a short nap because I must begin the menu planning for my holiday barbeque.

Even with the hustle and bustle, I didn’t forget my number one priority. My habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 225 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 9 to 5 plods ever onward, with one day almost indistinguishable from the next. We are all rats in the maze, searching for the daily exit sign and the promise of Friday. Thank goodness for passion projects, side hustles, and everyone’s excitement about plans for the upcoming holiday.

The staircase project is nearly complete. We stripped, sanded, stained, and covered the treads and risers with three coats of sealer. Then the stringer fascia, fifty balusters, four newel posts, and the railing received individual attention as we cleaned, color-matched, touched up, and sealed each one. All that remains is the final touch-ups and no shoes until the sealer cures. Four of nine interior doors are refurbished, and they look incredible.

Work stalled yesterday on the linen closet shelves, but that is the way these things go. I have finished cutting and installing shelf and drawer liners on the bank of cabinets I dubbed the “Pantry Wall.” Stemware, plates, and my coffee mugs are settling into their new homes, and the pantry staples are ever so happy in their organized space. Every day we inch one step closer to completion.

Even with the hustle and bustle, I didn’t forget my number one priority. My habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 221 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday whizzed past like a high-speed bullet train. The 9 to 5 presented me with a flurry of emails recounting a crisis. I redirected the issue to the correct individuals, added a reminder that we discussed this concern two weeks ago, and asked some very pointed questions about why the entire mess was still a festering problem. One brave soul stepped forward, devised a temporary solution, and volunteered to resolve the matter once and for all. Bravo. They dared to do the right thing. I now have another follow up item on my To-Do list. Reminder to self—Trust but verify.

Work progresses on the stairs, and one by one, the doors are returning to their beautiful, glowing splendor. Two pristine white shelves now hang in the linen closet, and two additional shelves will find their new home there tomorrow. The caulk dried nicely in the cabinets, and I have cut and installed rubber-backed, white felt shelf liners. It is time to make the glass doors sparkle and add the stemware, plates, and pretty display items. Every day we inch one step closer to completion.

Even with the hustle and bustle, I didn’t forget my number one priority. My habits are strong, and writing a little every day is my secret weapon. Yesterday I wrote 130 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer