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30-Day Writing Challenge: Days 16-22

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Day 16: Something I regret not doing in the last year.

Losing weight … or, more importantly, getting healthy.

Day 17: Someone who broke my heart.

Pass.

Day 18: Someone I miss. Did we already do this one a few days ago? Refer to previous answer. lol

Day 19: What’s in my bag?

My purple wallet. Pictures. Lip moisturizer. Face powder. Tampons.

Day 20: Five things I’m passionate about.

  1. Equality – race, gender, sexual orientation
  2. Literacy (and having access to information)
  3. Becoming a librarian
  4. Getting my PCOS under control
  5. Writing

Day 21: Someone who inspires me.

My friend, Tracy Zavaleta (author name Emma Zava). She’s not only one of the most talented writers I know, but a genuinely good person. Great friend. Smart. Passionate. Caring.

Day 22: Something I’ve never done but most people have.

Gone to a concert.

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30-Day Writing Challenge: Day 15

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Day 15: Something that excites me and fills me with joy.

I do not know I that I can narrow it down to just one thing, so bear with me.

Memories, photos, conversations of or with my son. He fills my heart with joy.

Autumn – the changing of colors, the cooler temperatures, the smells.

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The smell of rain – it is invigorating to me. I absolutely love it and it certainly fills me with joy.

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A really good book. One that is good throughout – one that leaves me reeling from the emotional ties I felt to the characters, settings, and story. One that makes me feel like no other book could ever compare (although, one eventually always does – there are so many wonderful books in the world). One that stays with me.

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The beach, especially when it is relatively vacant. The views and the smells are among the best ever. I could be quite happy living in a beach house – where all I’d have to do is walk out my back door to get to the beach.

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30-Day Writing Challenge: Days 11-14

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Day 11: Something unusual.

Besides me? Bwahahaha. 😉

I like raw cherries but get nauseous at even the smell of cooked ones. Blech. Cherry pie is the worst.

I refuse to use bleach – not only is it horrible for us and the Earth, the smell gives me intense migraines.

Day 12: Someone I miss.

I miss my brother, Daniel. I miss his mom (whom I call Mama). I miss my friend, Tracy, although we’ve never met in person. Is that unusual? If so, add it to Day 11 too. 😀

Day 13: Someone I’ve always wanted to meet.

Hmm. Always? Umm. No one, really. Maybe that’s unusual too.

Day 14: Relationship to food.

I love it. It hates me. Okay, okay, bad food hates me (as it should). I’m trying my best to change my eating habits. Having PCOS makes losing weight and eating healthily very difficult. But I’m making progress, one day at a time.

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30-Day Challenge: Day 10

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Day 10: The weather

Today is another beautiful day. It’s sunny but cool, but not too cool. The birds are happy about it – I hear them singing to each other. Cocoa, my brown lab, is basking in the sunlight. It’s not as breezy as yesterday, but the temperature doesn’t really need the breeze at the moment anyway.

And of course Cocoa got up as soon as I went outside to snap some pictures. 🙂

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She looks really happy with me, doesn’t she?

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A view from the back deck.

How’s the weather where you are?

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30-Day Writing Challenge: Day 9

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Day 9: My favorite thing to do right now.

Relax. At the moment, just relax. It was a stressful week and I still have some stress weighing on my shoulders, but today is a good day. No homework. A pot full of delicious organic coffee. Quiet (besides the noisy dishwasher). It’s a beautiful spring day here in western NC. The skies are blue, nary a cloud in the sky. The temperature is warm but breezy (perfect). One dog is playing outside, the other sleeping inside. Right now, I’m doing my favorite thing – relaxing (even while typing/writing, or perhaps especially because of it).

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30-Day Writing Challenge: Days 6-8

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Day 6: Someone who doesn’t live in my country? What does that even mean? What am I supposed to write about this person? LOL Weird challenge. I don’t know anyone personally (that I can think of) that lives outside of the U.S. but several of my fellow PCOSers and writers live in the UK, Australia, Brazil, etc. Uhm. Ooooh, J.K. Rowling is amazing and she doesn’t live in the U.S. If you’ve lived under a rock for the past …. oh, I don’t know, FOREVER … then you may be unfamiliar with J.K. Rowling – one of the most incredibly talented writers to ever grace this earth. There, I wrote something about someone in a different country. 😛

Day 7: Siblings

I have four. An older brother whom I don’t talk to for … reasons. A younger sister, Jill (two years younger than me) who lives near me and has three kiddos whom I love to pieces. A younger brother, Daniel. A younger sister, Ashley. While I didn’t grow up with Daniel or Ashley (they’re half-siblings, technically – one on father’s side, one on mother’s), I’ve gotten to know them individually over the years – Daniel from phone calls, visits, random goofy FB posts, etc. and Ashley through her FB posts. We are all vastly different. Life would be boring if we were all the same. 🙂

Day 8: Five things from my bucket list.

Visit Scotland

Publish a book

Spend a week at the beach by myself or a with a good friend – to write and just enjoy the beach

Make a difference in a meaningful way

Take a real vacation as a family

 

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30-Day Writing Challenge: Day 5

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Three things I like about my personality:

  1. I love my passion – the fire that sparks within when I feel strongly about a certain idea, topic, event, or anything in particular.
  2. I am grateful that I can empathize with many people, and that I have the ability to see things from different perspectives to better understand a person or his/her actions. Sometimes that makes all the difference. Sometimes it doesn’t. But, either way, I’m glad I am naturally empathetic.
  3. I love my tenacity – that no matter what I’ve gone through or will go through, my determination and perseverance will only strengthen. I may not see it right away – and at times giving up seems like a comforting idea – but my tenaciousness gets me through. I am better for it.
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30-Day Writing Challenge: Day 4

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25 Things to Do Before My Next Birthday:

  1. Read more books (goal: 10)
  2. Finish at least one WIP
  3. Lose at least 50 lbs.
  4. Go to the beach
  5. Get my hair cut (and maybe colored – I haven’t put any color in my hair since I was 18 or 19)
  6. Go to the doctor for a check-up and some tests
  7. Get on a steady supplement regimen for PCOS
  8. Find good, yummy alternative salty/savory snacks that aren’t full of crap like the chips and Cheetos I love so much – or easy ones I can make at home (it’s more difficult than I realized to find this)
  9. Drink more tea
  10. Try at least five different healthy, homemade salad dressings so that I can eat more lettuce/salad at home.
  11. Buy some plants that repel mosquitos (they’re out and ready for attack here)
  12. Sort through all the boxes still left to unpack (yep, it’s been over a year)
  13. Donate all of the clothes, toys, shoes, etc. I can after said sorting through boxes
  14. Sit back in awe of the uncluttered, or less cluttered, house
  15. Think of ten more things to do before January
  16. Continue thinking …
  17. Oh, yeah!! Teach our son to drive! 😀 He’s going to be 16 this year. Holy Moly!
  18. Dance when my son is done with his last math class (these past two years have been frustrating for him – and, in ways, me – due to all the AP math he’s had to take)
  19. Try a new food
  20. Find a way to trim Cocoa’s nails without her wigging out (this may not be attainable, but it’s worth a shot … of rum when I’m done trying)
  21. Visit a dentist (I need to get my teeth cleaned and whatnot but hate going to the dentist)
  22. Get my son to the orthodontist so that he can get the braces/Invisalign for his bottom teeth he desperately wants
  23. Cry heavily every once in awhile because I miss cheese, bread, and chips … damn PCOS!
  24. Treat myself to a few books after I lose the 50 lbs.
  25. Write more
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30-Day Writing Challenge: Days 2 & 3

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Day Two:

Something I look forward to in the next 12 months. Hmm. Autumn. I love the fall. I think each season has its own unique beauty, but I just adore autumn. 🙂

Day Three:

My day in detail:

Got dressed.

Drank coffee with coconut oil (which I’ve just begun doing … I’m used to drinking plain black coffee, but this is a good way to get some extra goodness in my day, and it doesn’t change the flavor … but if it had, I wouldn’t have minded since it’s, you know, coconut).

Got ready to go online and saw that my Internet was out. Again. Called the company – there’s yet another network problem in the area. Problem was fixed within an hour (although I don’t know how long it’d been since it’d been off so I don’t really know how long it took them to fix the problem).

Had my first-ever Skype session with my sis, nieces, and nephew. Loved it!

Took  a selfie I didn’t hate. I don’t take a whole lot of pictures of myself – self-esteem issues and whatnot – but I felt good, so I took one (okay, four – one which I actually liked).

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Played FV2 for awhile.

Watched my husband and son, off and on, put together our son’s new basketball stand/hoop thing. They’re still not finished assembling it and it’s been hours. That thing came with a lot of parts. Too many, if you ask me.

Read an email from my partner in one of my classes.

Checked Pinterest, email accounts, Blackboard, Twitter, etc. on and off.

Ate yogurt. And ate sliced banana peppers.

Wrote this.

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30 Day Writing Challenge: Day 1

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Basic things about myself:

I’m a mother to an awesome 15 year old.

I’ve been married since ’99 (I was 18).

I’m 35.

I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary/Ovarian Syndrome … which should have a different name since it’s an hormonal imbalance that doesn’t require cystic ovaries).

I am a grad student attending ECU (distance education rocks my socks). I’m in their amazing MLS program. Future librarian right here!

I have a BA in English.

I write. Not enough. I’m trying. I’m hoping this challenge helps me practice up a bit and get into the flow of writing every day.

I love coffee. And willow trees. The beach. Sunsets. Rain (except when the dogs are stir crazy because it’s rained for too long and they can’t go outside to release some of their pent up energy). Playing Farmville2 and Wizard101 are my go-tos when I have some free time (if my nose isn’t in a good book). Reading. I love reading good books, short stories, and poems. I’ve loved reading since before I could read (when I just flipped through books and made up the story as I went along).

I have depression. Some days – most days these days – I’m okay. Some days I’m really not…no matter what I say. I have anxiety – not crippling – but enough to stress me out pretty badly. I know these issues most likely stem from PCOS and the embarrassing symptoms that come along with it, but I know it has to do with my past as well.

I am a feminist. And proud of it. I believe women and men should both be valued members of society, with equal rights, pay, and opportunities. I do not hate men. I simply believe they are capable of being much more than our patriarchal society tells them they should/can be. They are smarter than society gives them credit for. As are women. I could go on… but I guess you could just visit my Pinterest to see some of what I’m about.

Salty foods are my dietary weakness.

Books are my financial weakness (though I’ve tamed the beast inside and only buy books when I truly can afford to … and after making sure I really want to read the book I’m considering purchasing).

My favorite colors are deep/dark purples, slate grey, and green. I wear a lot of black (tops) because I think black looks good on me – as does green, but I don’t often find green tops for plus-sized women that aren’t hideous.

If there’s anything else you’d like to know, feel free to ask!

Are you participating in this 30-day challenge? If so, post your links. 🙂