On a personal note, our wee freeze-dried foods side hustle has turned into a 40-hour week for me. Can't lie, it's fairly amazing to work at home, and the new friends at markets make for a pretty darn good work environment. It's been a really, really big change for getting used to! Who knew that work could be non-toxic?!
On the writing side of things... I don't have nearly as much time as I'd like. It's the sordid refrain of every writer, I think, to want more time to write and to instead find one hundred and one things to procrastinate with for any spare time we have lol. I'm happy to say that this year I'm planning to carve writing time into my schedule. I have managed to continue chipping away at stories and manuscripts over the past fourteen months, so at least I've still got a few things on the go to keep me sane and entertained. And OMG isn't reading just the best thing ever?! For the second half of 2022 I shoved hours into my weeks to actually read and I really have to recommend it. It's awesome. I hope your 2023 is starting off with good luck and good tidings! Thanks for stopping by to check out the blog :)
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Another late update, and kind of a sad one (but only a little). Reality has been throwing a lot at me lately with everything happening in the world on top of everything we're doing at home – much like it's been throwing a lot at so many people. Looking at what directions I'd like to pursue and where I'm hoping they can lead has been a big preoccupation for me these past weeks. We've somehow created a few awesome opportunities in our little piece of the world, and I don't have enough hands to grab all of them.
Right now, at 41 years old, I think I've finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up: Entrepreneur. Not something I planned on before now, that's for sure. My parents ran from-home businesses when I was a kid and I already knew the amount of work involved. It's a big part of why I like working for other people so much lol. I'm falling in love with having a freeze-drying business, though; despite the labor involved I really, really want to dedicate the time and effort needed to help our little food business find success. Plus, our other little business of shirts and stickers has grown up a bit more and it's time to give that some honest attention.
Letting go of regular writing feels like a good decision right now. I'll still be posting up short stories on my Wattpad and in my Short Stories as I finish them, but not on a regular schedule. I like this new direction life is taking. It's terrifying and exciting so it must be a big enough change to be worth it. I hope life treats you well, and that you get to have an excellent week. Happy reading! 3. A Lizard
Aston ducked behind a rocky outcropping and caught his breath to listen for any pursuit. The poachers sounded like they were remaining in place to search the small clearing where they’d lost the fairy. They were still yelling at the one Aston had struck with the branch, mostly that trees didn’t attack people. He huffed a quiet chuckle and then looked around for any of the familiar landmarks he’d noted while running toward the fight, spotting a certain knotted and twisted tree not too far off.
He set his hand on the ground for the fairy to be able to step off easily. “I suppose you’d prefer to be on your way?” he asked.
Happy Friday! Things have been so busy this week I barely know if I'm even doing anything useful anymore... I suppose I have to assume that 'useful' is relative, and getting the things done is the important part. I'm pretty sure we have our freeze dried stock quantities for small markets figured out (mostly), and people keep finding our shirt and sticker website (which is awesome), so it's just the tasks of keeping up with demands.
It's a cool problem to have lol.
I find the apps distract my brain without helping, though. All the anxiety is still there when I turn off the app. The nice part about Roblox is that I can play even for only an hour and it calms down my anxiety. No idea why it works for me, but I'm not going to start questioning it. Simple obbys make my brain happy, and focused happiness causes a confuddled retreat of my anxiety monster back into the corner. Wonderfully nifty little reset for me whenever I can carve out time for it, so I try to carve out the time on days when I need it. Easier said than done, I know, but healthy coping strategies do work well when used. Who knew?
I guess now it's time to post this up, log off, and get started on today's to-do list. First on my list: breakfast and coffee. Lol. I hope you get to have a great weekend! 2. Mercenary Morals
Draessellor tasted and sniffed the air more than usual as they were eating. Aston knew the behaviour meant there was another person around, but ‘around’ could mean anywhere from nearby to three days away depending on that person’s hygiene and if they were upwind. That estimate narrowed quickly to nearby when someone cried out in surprise within a distance Aston could hear. Metal clanged and there were more shouts.
Aston stood and turned, easily finding the direction the sounds of a scuffle were coming from. Draessellor stayed seated, tearing off and methodically chewing another bite of venison. The noise of the fighting changed from scuffling to definite attackers and a single voice of being attacked. “Don’t you think we should...?” Aston left the question hanging and gestured toward the noises.
So, earlier this Fall we decided to start doing local markets with our freeze dried foods business. Covid restrictions have been good for small markets so far, as in the people working them and attending all understand and typically comply happily (or without loud complaints). Plus, working markets seemed a great opportunity to grow our business without over-committing ourselves due to being able to set our own schedule. We did a couple of markets, then the Delta Variant rolled into the province on high speed and two markets we were booked for were postponed.
They're now happening this month. As are the two markets we'd planned on having tables at. November no longer has weekends lol. Wish us luck! As for a writing update, I got a new office chair – it's so comfy! I had no idea my old chair had died to that extent – and I've unfortunately gotten very few hours to sit in it. Story ideas are stuck in my head at the moment; they have to wait. Editing is my go-to when I get writing time. It's funny to me how I can fall in love with every story over and over each time I come back for a revision pass after letting the manuscripts sit. That makes editing, a task many writers seem to not like, so enjoyable to me. Anyhoo, off and running again. (The market for this weekend starts tonight!) The story starting today is a continuation of a short story series I started a couple of years ago, The Portal Problem. It's a very interesting fantasy world to me, so welcome back. I hope you get to have a great weekend :) 1. Traveling Woes
This weekend's pain management has just been rest. I'm completely over-using my body right now and things are not holding up well. Our shirts and stickers business has been busy, as well as our freeze dried foods business (we'll be doing a bunch of small markets throughout November and that's really exciting), and general at-home-mom-job things all combined in the past couple of weeks to simply be too much. Thankfully I could spend half of yesterday in bed. And the past two nights I was able to overcome the anxiety monsters before 1am so got adequate sleep for the first times in... let's not count that, okay?
Moral of the story: be nice to your body because chronic pain issues can really hurt a lot more when combined with strains, possible stress fractures, and pinched nerves. Tonight, though, with a bit of pain meds and some willful ignoring of pain signals, I'll be able to go out with the kids for a couple hours of covid-safe Trick or Treating. I'm really hoping the neighbor who had a candy bucket duct taped to the top of the remote control car is again delivering candy to the end of the driveway in the same creative way. My kids absolutely loved the "RC Delivery" last year. I hope you're having a great weekend! 
2
Dinnah’s my best friend in the whole world, baby Stacy. When she was my size, we’d sit in the closet when she was sad and I’d sing to her until she was happy again. Shh-shh-shh, don’t cry. She’ll be here in just a moment and she can warm you right up. See? She’s got a puffy, warm coat on and a little holder inside just for you. See? Here she is. I told you she’d be here and keep you warm.
Dinnah? I know I said I wanted to play on the swings, but I can see your breath and I saw baby Stacy’s, too, when we first came out before you zipped her into your coat so I think it’s too cold for you and baby Stacy to play outside. And it’s very dark and very late for a baby to play out here…
Hello! This is a weird little story, which makes it perfect for Halloween weekend. I'll post up Part 2 on Sunday as this isn't the story that I want to start on November 5.
Happy Halloween! 
Photo by Luca, www.unsplash.com
Part 1
Hi, Dinnah. It’s very late to play, isn’t it? You’re crying. Did you have a bad dream? Here, tuck into my blanket. I’ll always share my blanket any time with you.
In the closet it is safe and all the toys each have a place. It’s like a little rhyme, you know? I still like rhyming. Do you still like rhyming? Do you remember this one from when we first met: I am Alice and I like to play, so we’ll be friends all night and day? No updates this weekend, no story parts to post, and so I totally forgot to make a note in here on Friday that... this week there aren't any updates lol. A new story will be starting on November 5, and I'll have a Halloween update on October 29. See you then!
As for writing, I got a couple hours in on editing, a new story idea ambushed my brain, and I think I know which short story to start in November. I've narrowed it down to a choice between a couple of my stories, at least. (*Whispers*: that's a lie. I'm lying. I have, like, five stories that are close to ready and I can get editing passes done on to start at the beginning of November. Each of them is the one I want to start posting whenever I'm editing it. This decision is becoming harder than it really needs to be.)
Those municipal elections I was ranting about a couple of weeks ago? They're officially scheduled for this coming Monday. Most people I know already voted at the advanced polls, so we're all just waiting for word of how things are going to be. I really hope a couple of my chosen candidates get elected. Due to the outcome of the federal election we just had, I don't have high expectations that what I'm hoping for will happen, but unsinkable optimism for the win because I'm still hopeful. Otherwise in life, we'll be working at an outdoor vendor market tomorrow (October 16) at the Lessard Community Hall in Edmonton. We'll be hocking our freeze-dried candies, treats, fruits and veggies to the masses. I'm looking forward to it. In my very limited experience, selling candy at a farmers-market style event is the very best form of retail work. I hope you get to have a great weekend!
I've been able to pick and poke at a couple of my short stories during this past week. Not much happened for new words, but lots of editing improvements were had during the hours at my keyboard. I've been able to sort of get a plan together for the next story to blog out, which will start November 5th if all goes well. Keep an eye here next week for the free downloads of Daion Echoes through Transglass. I hope you get to have a good weekend!
Epilogue
Trevor crouched to adjust her son’s jacket, making sure the brilliant green of the collar trimming complimented Lott’s eyes as well as she believed it should. She also checked that his shirt was staying tucked. The full-faced frown he directed at her was achingly similar to the expression his father wore every time she’d fussed about his appearance and she smiled to see the resemblance. This little boy in front of her was growing out of everything again and she hadn’t had time to shop for a new shirt after realizing this one was too small only an hour before they’d had to leave the house. If she’d known yesterday…
She never thought she’d one cycle live landside, but here she was, counting hours and days. Here we are, she corrected the thought and hugged her boy. |
AManda FLIEDERA weekly blog updating on Fridays with quick personal blurbs about me, as in what's going on during my life as an Author and mom, and that doles out my short stories and novellas in bite-sized parts for everyone to read for free! Archives
November 2021
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