Mushrooms and other wild things.

Oyster Mushrooms grow where I hike.

I do not recommend anyone pick and eat wild mushrooms. It's way too risky - there are cases of Amanita (Death Cap) poisoning here in Northern California every single year.

I'm certain of two types - oyster mushrooms like those pictured (from my camera) and morels. Morels are also called sponge mushrooms.

As kids back in Iowa, my sisters and I gathered morels every spring, getting up early to beat the deer and the squirrels. My mother soaked the mushrooms in salt water to get rid of the bugs, dipped them in an egg batter and fried them to perfection. I think morels are something like $30 per pound, maybe more. I have to laugh - we filled bags! You just have to be careful of the false morel. Morels are hollow. False morels are not.

Regardless of where I get my mushrooms - wild mushrooms are now available at almost every single grocery store - my husband and I love to make a cooperative wild mushroom lasagna. He makes the homemade pasta, I make the sauce.

I don't have a recipe, sort of make it as I go, but I will say that wild mushrooms require butter, cream (yum), fresh thyme and marjoram, minced shallots and a cheese like aged Gruyere. Go easy on the salt, it sucks the moisture out of the mushrooms, so add it to taste at the very end.

Meditation, What It Gives Us

What can meditation give us?

We live in a world where everything comes at a price, so what is the price we pay for meditating?

The answer? Time! As much or as little of it you want to give or can spare.

It is possible to enjoy a fully-formed meditation in ONE MINUTE, but we’ll come to those another time.

The question is ‘What do we get from meditation?’

And the answer is ‘a lot’.

How long does it take you to count to one hundred without being distracted by company? Or perhaps the question should be ‘How many times did you restart before you reached the one-hundred mark without being distracted?

We live in a world where we have so many balls up in the air at a time it becomes hard to focus for long on any one thing. Meditation retrains our brains to do just that.

Many people describe meditation in different ways. Here are three to play with this week. Take time with each one, but not too much time. Just enough to recognise the difference between them. And later on we’ll come back to them and go a little deeper.

1. To focus on Concentration means focusing your attention on one object only. (like the canvas in the last blog). Block out everything else going on around you and concentrate. For example, concentrating on the flame of a candle, or simply focusing on your breath.
2. Focus on Generation by this I don’t mean age groups. When you do this you generate a state of loving kindness by using your memory, your imagination and the sensations of your body. (A bit like listening to the picture on the canvas in the last blog)
3. Focused on Reflection (reflective meditation). Is almost a contradiction of the previous forms of meditation. This time when you have reached a state of ‘Stillness’ you simply allow yourself to become aware of your surroundings and what is going on without reacting. You allow yourself to become aware of the sensations flowing through you and at the same time remaining non-responsive to them. In doing this, you are, through meditation, retraining yourself and your reflexes to take time out before automatically reacting to events rather than respond to them.

These examples may seem pretty benign to newcomers to meditation, but please open your mind to the experience and next time I’ll talk about the benefits of meditation.

Animal Rescue Site

Rescue Kitties

If you're an animal lover, chances are you are on a dozen rescue mailing lists and inundated with requests for donations. There are so many out there, most of us can't possibly give to all that we want to. So if you're strapped for funds or are already donating to the max here's something you can do that will help the animals and not cost you a penny. The Animal Rescue Site is part of The Greater Good Network. Its a lovely place to visit. To help the animals, all you have to do is go in and click each day. Each click helps provide food for animals in shelters or sanctuaries. It can't get any easier than that. How is it funded? The funding is paid for by the site sponsors.

They've also got a great store and a percentage of everything sold goes to help the animals.

This is one of the items that I've bought: a mug that says Real Men Like Cats. Isn't this a hoot? I've also bought several pieces of jewelry.

Maybe you like animals but have other priorities, Saving the Rain Forrest, Breast Cancer Awareness, Child Heath, Hunger. You can do the same through The Greater Good Network.

If you go to the Hunger site, your click goes to help feed the hungry.

The Breast Cancer Site: your click goes toward free mammograms

The Rainforrest Site: your click goes toward the rainforest habitant for wildlife

Child Health: your click goes toward life saving health care

Each of the above sites also has a store where your purchases help support the charity.

With a click of a key, you can make a difference.

Considering Aliens... Like Trees

Many science fiction stories deal with aliens, either aggressive sentient beings set to grab all Earth’s resources for their own, or beings we encounter in our own space exploration with whom we establish friendly communications and accord. Personally, from our experiences on Earth, I think we tend to fall into the first category, but hope we might eventually reach the second. We do try.

As self-appointed most intelligent species, our learning curve has been dismally flat in inter-species communications. Of the thousands of species living with us on this planet, we have only managed to instill communications on a few, a process called training. However, though we may understand our pets’ behaviors, we have never established true communications with them. How do we expect to communicate with completely alien species, if we cannot do so with Earth species, say, like trees?

For the most part, we love trees. They grow into majestically beautify forms that inspire our imaginations. We treasure their shade, they increase the value of our property. We appreciate their lumber for its structural strength, the beauty of its grain in products we make from it, and for the fuel it provides to warm us.

We don’t believe trees intelligent because we’ve never discovered brain or nerve tissue in their physiology. However, even that is changing. Consider the paper Aspects of Plant Intelligence and another paper on the consideration of that topic. Then consider some commonly known facts. Trees clean the environment. They remove carbon dioxide from the air, and poisons from the soil. They control erosion and clean water. They can protect their own domain (soil), often changing it to their own specifications. They react to changes in their environment to preserve their existence. They make their own food. And they leave a long lasting, un-technical record of their existence (tree rings). So just how intelligent are we? 

Plus trees outlive us by many years. The short-lived trees often reach between 100 and 150 years. Not so much greater an age than us, but definitely longer. The longest-lived trees often outlast us by hundreds or even thousands of years.  If you check out the link just given, note Prometheus, the Bristlecone Pine. Prometheus lived for 5,000 years, faithfully recording the Earth’s history annually. What did we do? We cut it down.

Now granted, after Prometheus was cut down, other Bristlecone Pines were saved for the sake of the seniority they hold. Yet you can, hopefully, understand why I doubt our ability to deal with anything alien. Before we deal with outer space, we need to sharpen our learning curve here at home.

Taking Baby Steps...

Sometimes as we watch our children grow and develop, we are often surprised by how quickly the time passes by. One day they are struggling newborns unable to hold their head steady and extremely needy around the clock. Then, it seems only a short time later they are climbing on the furniture, eating everything in sight, and biting your kneecaps (or is this just my kid?).

But we all know that babies typically crawl before they walk and walk before they run and run before they leap. So, why don't we apply this same mentality to our writing careers?

Most authors that I've met over the last 15 years have told me that they have similar dreams and goals. They want to land that perfect agent and sell that multi-book deal to a major publishing house. Or, they want something simple...like making to the top of the NY Times Bestseller list!

I often wonder why authors don't try to take baby steps first?

Not that you shouldn't have long range goals or big dreams (quite the contrary) but why do most authors think that you have to shoot for the biggest/best publisher on the market first?

Why not give some smaller publishers a chance? Why not make an effort to publish a novella (shorter novel) or even submit to be a part of an anthology project with other like minded authors?

I tried to get published for years doing the query letter to agents and the submissions to big house editors with no luck. It was only when I took a step back and reevaluated my mission that I finally achieved success. My initial mission was just this...TO GET PUBLISHED!

So, I took those baby steps. I wrote a shorter novella and published it in e-book only format with a small house. That led to other contracts and longer novels, print books, and agent offers. It also eventually led to a big deal with a major NY house which interestingly and ultimately turned out to be the worst thing that has happened in my writing career to date.

What I discovered by taking these smaller steps was that I was slowly but steadily building a reader following, friendships in the industry, and gaining the skills and confidence in my writing that I'll need to go the distance.

So, my advice as a writer who has watched 4 children take baby steps through various stages of their lives...would be to take a big step backwards and decide on what your next baby step forward towards success should be.

And if you need me to hold your hand and steady you...I'm happy to help.

Steadily yours,
Kerri Nelson

Time Management for Writers with Day Jobs

Time Management for Writers with Day Jobs

By Sherry Dee Morris

I have been writing since 1999. I was a full-time wife and mother from 1999 until 2009. I had a full-time job outside the home from 2009 until 2011. I did not write when I was working outside the home. I worked twelve and a half hour shifts in a busy hospital emergency room. I went to work in the dark, came home, ate dinner, tucked everyone in, including myself, got up and did it all over again. I worked 60+ hours per week plus I volunteered on a rescue squad once a week.  No time for writing. Not much time for family. No time for friends. Then my mother passed in December. I spent the holidays and weekends at work, grieving for Momma and Daddy (who's estate I had just settled three days before losing mom), missing my family terribly. I resigned. I went inactive with the rescue squad.

If you are employed with regular normal hours, with time at home before or after work every day and weekends and holidays off, I do think you can balance work and writing. Just make sure you don't shut out your family and friends. Never literally close the door to your children. Especially your 'tweens. I tried that and there were devastating results. Lesson learned and everyone is happy now.

Learn to write when everyone is otherwise occupied, even if this means they are sleeping. If you are married, just make sure you get up earlier in the morning to write. Always go to bed when your husband does. Pillow talk and romance are much more important than your manuscript. If he's not home, by all means, tuck in the little ones and write.

Okay, biggest suck of writing time:  your computer.  Set a timer and allow only 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening to check your email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Seriously. Pull away from your online presence and those addictive games and online shopping. You can always go back to them once your book is sold… Until you get your edits.

Another big suck of writing time:  eating out.  That's why Rival invented the Crock Pot. If you don't have one, run out to Target or Wal*Mart or Macy's and buy one.  Also pick up two slow cooker cook books. Don't waste time surfing the net for recipes.

Set a realistic writing goal. If you can write every day, or most days, make your goal to write one hour or ten pages or whatever you can and want to do. I am beginning a new manuscript tomorrow. I plan to write 7 to 10 pages per day five days a week, taking weekends off to spend with my family. I'll write either when they are gone during the day, or after I tuck the little ones in, when hubs is traveling for work. I will have the first draft of a 100,000 word manuscript written in eight weeks. Yep.

When you are writing your first draft, just keep writing. Don't go back and read what you've written and edit it. Just keep writing. Allow yourself to write crap. Crap can be rewritten into snappy prose. A blank page cannot. Besides, sometimes what you think is crap at the time, can turn out to be your cleverest scenes. So just write them.

What about your house and errands and weight?

What has to get done errand-wise will. When you've got a break at work, do some planning for the week. Your menu.  Bring the cookbooks, coupons and your local grocery ad to work with you. Plan out your errands.

Get a calendar that you can take with you. I like my spiral bound planner. If you are an electronic gal, use your PDA or cell phone or Blackberry or print one off the net. Make sure your whole family's schedule is included and updated. This is critical.

As far as your house goes, there are some tasks that have to get done, so they will. The laundry, the dishes and the bathrooms. Deep clean your tub/shower as soon as possible. If you can't get all the soap scum/mold/mildew/hard water stains cleaned, find someone who can. If there is a big strong he-man in your life, persuade him to do it. Or your momma or your sister or whomever is strong and a perfectionist. If you don't know anyone like this, hire one of the maid services for a one time deep cleaning.

Now, this is important:  Every time you or someone else takes a shower or bath, they are to dry themselves then dry the shower and tub. It takes one minute, tops. If you do this religiously, it will never get gross again. Clean the toilets and sinks twice a week.

My laundry room is off the kitchen, so I sort laundry and clean up the kitchen while the kids are eating breakfast or a missed meal. This way I can catch up with what's important in their days while multitasking. Instead of sitting down and snacking myself.

As far as exercise, pick one day a week where you've got at least an hour to schedule deep cleaning your house. Vacuuming, sweeping and mopping are cardio. Making beds, dusting and laundry are great for stretching and isometrics.

Find fifteen minutes a day to pick up and declutter. You'll be amazed at how much you can clear away, and the instant gratification will lighten your mood.

So, clean your bathrooms, get a crock pot and a calendar and schedule your life for the next three weeks. You will establish a routine. You will accomplish a lot.

I dare you to do it all.

Because you can.

Wild Plums

My pup and I hiked last week in the rain.

Because of the unusually warm weather we had prior to this cold spell, the wild plum trees have blossomed early. Each year, we grab buckets and bags and pick wild plums to make jams and jellies. Our favorite are the tiny, sweet-tart yellow plums.
Most jam recipes call for equal parts of fruit and sugar. Because we like our fruit preserves on the tart side, I usually add half as much sugar as fruit and simmer just a bit longer at a lower heat. I store the jam in the fridge - I'd use my canner to preserve it, but we eat the good stuff so fast, there's no point!
The basic recipe? Super simple.
8 cups pitted ripe plums
4 cups sugar
the juice of half a lemon
Mix the fruit together with the sugar and let stand for 1-2 hours. Bring to a slow simmer in a stainless steel pot or Dutch oven, add lemon juice, and stir frequently. Do not allow jam to scorch! Simmer gently for, oh, I don't know, an hour or so, until the mixture becomes spreadable. I usually test a small spoonful from time to time, until the jam reaches the consistency we like - a little on the runny side so we can drizzle it over hot biscuits.
My girls like to add ingredients like a spoonful of vanilla extract or a cinnamon stick to the jam as it simmers. I prefer just plain yellow plum jam. The plum tree in the photo is growing out of an ancient, eroded lava flow. Nice!

Meditation

‘Meditation! Who needs it?’

Perhaps first we should ask ‘What is it?’

If you dig into the Latin derivatives of ‘meditari’ - to think, to dwell upon, to exercise the mind, and ‘mederi’ – to heal, you start to discover part of the answer. To uncover the full meaning and potential of meditation we need to look to its Sanskrit derivation, 'medha' which means ‘wisdom’ and then we find the true meaning of the word ‘meditation’.

“Yeah! Yeah, flower-power, ‘grass’ and the ‘60’s. Man I am so not into all that.”

Good! Because meditation may have become popular in the western world from the 1960’s, it’s been going strong in the east for millennia.

And the question that arises from that little fact is ‘Why?’

Why has meditation been an integral part of Oriental culture for so many millennia and what benefits can be experienced by using meditation regularly? This is quickly followed by ‘Who can benefit? And ‘What benefits do you get from meditation.’

Scientists have studied it, doctors recommend it.

Medical research has found the physical benefits of meditation include a lowering in blood pressure and an improvement in breathing due to the increase of air flow that gets to the lungs. Those who use meditation regularly find it reduces the stress levels also lowers their heart rate.

Chemicals in the body that are associated with stress are lower as well, which leads to less anxiety. Meditation also promotes youthful skin and a youthful appearance.

Youthful skin and appearance can’t be bad! LOL

Millions of people all over the world practice it every day. Why? Because meditation works.

Unwittingly we already do it more often than we realise.

Just think about that wonderful holiday you last had. Let your mind wander. Remember those moments that made you laugh. The treasured memories you brought home with you, including the ones you didn’t get on camera. And then take a moment to discover how you feel. Are you more relaxed, are you calmer? Yes? Then you know what meditation can do for you.

Meditation comes in many forms. And that is fine. It’s like buying a car. You may choose a colour I hate, and I may choose a model you wouldn’t be seen dead in.

Every so often I will include a short meditation in my blog. If you feel comfortable with the idea, keep a journal and record your meditations. When you look back you will discover how much you have travelled since you started meditating.

~ ~ ~

Today I will share a meditation I use during the first meeting of every new meditation group I lead.

Find somewhere quiet where and when you will not be disturbed. Turn off your phone, and settle down in a comfortable position in a warm place.

***

Take three deep slow breaths, and let your mind still.

Focus on a blank canvas standing on an easel in front of you and watch a picture evolve on the canvas.

Keep your breathing steady and light and dismiss any intruding thoughts.

You and the canvas in front of you are the only things that matter.

Breathe and focus.

Focus until the picture on the canvas is fully developed.

Study it carefully.

Breath and study the picture in front of you.

Breathe and feel it.

Focus until you and the picture become one.

Letting the feelings flow over you, through you, until they become a part of you.

Breathe and hear it.

Hear what the picture is saying to you.

Focus on what the picture is saying to you.

You may not hear physical words, but you will understand the message/impression you are receiving from the picture.

Absorb the message/impression until it is a part of you.

And then when you are ready, let it go.

Let the picture fade and the canvas, and the easel. Let them all fade away.

Keep your breathing light and steady until you find yourself back in your surroundings.

***

Take time to think about your meditation and write it into your journal before you forget the details.

Cats In Trees

Since we dealt with this recently, I'm going to blog today on cats stuck in trees.
At our house we have indoor cats and indoor/outdoor cats. One of our cats went up a tree and got stuck. It was a mature tree and he made it nearly to the top. (prong of tree in picture)
We talked to our vet tech and her response was, 'No cat bones have ever been found in a tree. When he gets hungry enough, he'll come down.'
The first night, I felt bad but I wasn't worried. The second night I began to get concerned, especially after I went on the web and googled 'cats stuck in trees' and read a comment that said 'no cat bones are ever found in trees because the wind blows them away.'
The next day my husband tried to make a makeshift ramp for the cat to come down on but the cat was too high up. By this time, we were starting to get nervous. That night neither one of us got much sleep and by the next morning I was totally freaked out.
Luckily, while the weather had been cold, it hadn't been severe, but the upcoming weather predictions didn't look good.
When I started making phone calls this is what I discovered: unless you really get lucky, if your cat won't come down and is too high up for you to get him down yourself, the chances are you will have to pay a critter control to get him/her down.
I first called the fire department and was informed they didn't get cats out of trees.
I next called animal control who told me they couldn't help me because of liability issues. But they did put me in touch with critter control. And the man who came out was able to get my cat down. Its not cheap but in my mind, its worth every penny.
Most cats will in all likelihood come down on their own after a day or two. We went three days and I wouldn't have wanted to go any longer.
Hopefully, this won't happen to you, but if it does and your cat doesn't come down on its own you might want to consider 'critter control'. You can call your local rescue, shelter, vet or just look in the yellow pages.
One other thing to keep in mind: there may be issues in how they get them down. I was told he could either bring it down with a device they hook around their neck which would cut off the air supply and totally stress the cat or bring it down in his arms and take a chance of getting bit, which would mean -- at least in my state -- if the cat didn't have a rabies shot, the animal would be put down. Which brings up another point: always keep your rabies shots up to date, especially if your cat is indoor/outdoor.
Luckily, for me, he just scruffed my cat and came down the ladder one-handed with kitty dangling from his other hand. It was the least stressful method for my feline. The cat wasn't hurt nor was the rescuer.

So to reiterate:

Make sure your cat is up to date with his/her rabies shot.
If he/she is stuck in a tree and won't come down, you may want to try critter control.
And when you do, ask how they will get them down, and make sure you're comfortable with their method.

Once they are down:

Check the ruff of their neck. If its tight, without a lot of loose skin, kitty may be dehydrated. From there you will have to decide if your cat looks bad enough to take to the vet to get hydrated. If you decide, that the dehydration is not extreme and you can take care of it yourself, make sure kitty has plenty of water. If its wintertime, you will want lukewarm water not cold. I mixed my cat a gruel made up of canned cat food and water. I didn't give him a lot since he hadn't eaten in three days. I waited half an hour then gave him the gruel again and then in another half hour I gave him gruel again. By the evening I was feeding him regularly. If you are in doubt on what to do don't hesitate to call your vet.
Unfortunately, I'm not the only person who's ever had their four-legged friend stuck in a tree. Has your cat climbed a tree and couldn't get down? What did you do?
Thanks for dropping by. If you have an opportunity, please stop by tomorrow and see what Sherry has to say about meditation.

It's Alive!

Whenever I work the soil (Master Gardener lesson one: gardens are made of soil, not dirt), I think about the science fiction series Dune which ends with the entire universe of the story's existing within the soil of a rose garden.

In some ways this is an accurate image of soil--a different universe full of life. Soil is a living thing containing the minerals of the universe (Another scientific but scifi like connection: Carl Sagan wrote: "We are made of star stuff"), water, air, the detritus of life (humus), and microbial life. And like any living thing, soil can be killed by poison, starvation, suffocation, or drowning. Soil is the skin of the living planet Earth, and like our skin, other life lives on it.

Fungi, looking like an alien species invading Earth.

As a gardener, the first thing I learned was respect for the soil, and rightly so, as a great deal of the world’s life is supported by what lives in soil. Only plants can produce their own food, all the rest of us eat either plants or other animals to survive. I expect our society might be more peaceful if human bodies could manufacture their own food. Oops! Off topic. (Besides, on reflection, I realize plants are often at war with each other—doesn't this sound like a scifi tile? War of the Plants.)

How much life is underground? It depends on the soil, its temperature, moisture, air content, mineral makeup, and condition. Within my soil I can see macro life such as worms and insects, even mammals like moles living in the depths, but by far the largest category of life is invisible to the naked eye--microflora like bacteria, mold, fungi, and algae, and the micro fauna like protozoa and nematodes. If you’re lucky, your soil is full of life, or like me, you continually feed your soil with compost and mulch to make it healthy.

Here’s a fun fact to put this unseen life in perspective. Jeffrey Gordon, a professor at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine has stated that up to ninety percent of the cells in our bodies are non-human cells, from microflora and fauna similar to those found in the soil. So imagine a being as big as the world’s soil mass and what percent is non-mineral life. What’s more, our lives need those non-human cells living in and on us just as much as the soil in your garden does.

So there it is,  Frank Herbert, Dune's author, was right--there are millions of alien species living on the trillions of mineral planet particles within our soil's universe. Bet the next time you work the soil, you might hesitate  wondering just what you're sinking your hands into.

Writing Under the Influence

Hi, my name is Kerri and I'm a writer.

But I'm also a parent to 4 children (1 step child and 3 "the old fashioned way") of varying ages and a variety of needs on a daily basis. Toss into the mix, several other jobs including running an online business and teaching classes and many wonder...

When does she find the time to write--much less sleep?

Great question. But the answer is simple.

I write under the influence.

No, no. Not of any drugs or alcohol or any other such artificial means. I write under the influence of my kids.

Children are the best example on earth of those who do things just for the pure pleasure of it. They reach for their desires despite the consequences. They exhibit total glee at the tiniest of wonders. And they always come back for more! Kids are the masters at persistence and hard headedness (even if the answer is continually "no"). They just don't give up easily.

Coincidentally, these are the traits that make a successful writer.

So, I write when they're sleeping. I write with them in my lap or chatting my ears off nearby. I write in between baking treats for school events and doing laundry. I write in between helping with homework and cleaning. I write when I'm not volunteering for a million other things.

Whenever I can find a spare minute or two during the day--I write.

Because life doesn't stop just because you decide that you must write the story that is echoing in your head. And I'm certainly not in a place in my life with several small children to disappear into a writing cave or go on a writer's retreat. I'm definitely not what you'd call a "desk diva". Where everything (including my surroundings) must be in perfect order for me to be creative and productive.

Nope.

I just write when I can and if that means crafting a love scene while my toddler smears peanut butter on my pants leg or editing a novel to the tune of the Nick Jr. moose in the background--that's what I have to do.

See...the thing is...I'm addicted to writing. It is my passion and I do it for the joy, fulfillment, and sense of great pride and enjoyment that it brings me. I write because it helps me set my mind at ease after the stresses of parenthood have stretched my nerves to the limit. I write because I have to. It chose me. Plain and simple.

So, I'm influenced by my children. They inspire and influence me to live for the moment. To do what I love (writing books) just for the pure pleasure it brings me. How often in life do we adults do what we have to do and not what we want to do?

If you can find that one thing in life that you love to do--why wouldn't you squeeze every spare moment of your day trying to find time to do it?

I know I do.

I'm Kerri and I'm a writer AND a parent.

I'll be back every Friday to share my trials, tribulations, tensions, and tales of parenthood with you all while penning the next great (I hope) novel masterpiece.

I hope you'll join me. Just for the fun of it.

Until then, I remain...

Sleeplessly yours,
--Kerri Nelson

Daily House Cleaning

Daily House Cleaning

by

American Housewife Sherry Morris

Think of housework this way: It blesses your family to have a clean and cheerful home, plus you get some exercise and burn calories.

Imagine having a home with perpetually clean bathrooms... If you deep clean your bathroom one time, then all you have to do is swish and swipe the toilet, sink and mirror in less than one minute every week so long as you dry out the tub and shower after every use. You'll never be embarrassed again when an unexpected visitor drops in.

Imagine transporting your home from the top of Mt. Laundry to a lovely island at sea level... All you have to do is one or two loads every weekday. And put the clean clothes away. It doesn't take long. Your family will always have something clean to wear.

Imagine never trudging to the gym again... Your workout is your housework. I've lost 30 pounds in 8 months through a tough love diet and this cleaning routine. I'm finally back at a healthy BMI, and feel ten years younger.

I set my timer for 15 minutes, perform the listed task and when the timer beeps, I stop, done or not. I'm usually done. Then I move on to the next chore of the day, set the timer for 15 minutes and clean. If I don't feel well, have a sick child, appointments or am just plain cranky, I sometimes skip a task or a whole day's tasks. No guilt. My house is clean enough and I know I will get to it again the next day. The whole idea is to free yourself from the guilt, and just do it. I will reward myself with something special if I complete all the tasks in a week. It's an incentive and blesses the whole family.

I have adopted the principals these principals to fit my family and lifestyle. Every week, I choose four days to do my cleaning routine. I plan on my calendar ahead of time to see which days will best suit my family's schedules for the upcoming week.

DAY ONE

CHANGE AND WASH BED LINENS

DUST DOWNSTAIRS

SWISH AND SWIPE POWDER ROOM

SHINE MIRRORS (BEDROOMS, FOYER, DINING ROOM)

VACUUM

DECLUTTER DESK

TIDY KITCHEN COUTNERS

UPDATE CHECKBOOK

SWEEP FRONT PORCH

WEED

DAY TWO

DUST UPSTAIRS

SWISH & SWIPE KIDS’ BATHROOM

SWISH & SWIPE POWDER ROOM

VACUUM

WIPE DOWN MICROWAVE INSIDE & OUT

WIPE DOWN DISHWASHER

DECLUTTER DESK

PURGE MY PURSE

CLIP COUPONS

SWEEP REAR DECK

DAY THREE

DUST BASEMENT

SWISH & SWIPE BASEMENT BATH

SWISH & SWIPE POWDER ROOM

VACUUM

MOP KITCHEN, FAMILY ROOM & FOYER

DECLUTTER DESK

FILE & PAY BILLS

MEAL PLANNING

PICK UP TRASH BLOWN INTO YARD

WEED

DAY FOUR

DUST DOWNSTAIRS

SWISH & SWIPE MASTER BATH

SWISH & SWIPE POWDER ROOM

VACUUM

DECLUTTER DESK

PURGE REFRIGERATOR & WIPE DOWN ONE SHELF

MENDING

BALANCE CHECKBOOK

CLEAN OUT CARS

WEED

These books changed my life for the better, I wish I had read them when I was a newlywed: Sidetracked Home Executives from Pigpen to Paradise by Pam Young and her sister, Peggy Jones & Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley, the Fly Lady.

A Warm Welcome and an Introduction.

Hi, I'm Julia Barrett.
Welcome to Night Writers!

I'm an outdoor addict and a confirmed chocoholic. I can't wait to take you along on my journeys, both outdoors and in the kitchen. Since this is our first week, I'm not going to ask you to tackle anything too strenuous. I'll try to keep you updated on my travels around California and elsewhere, my hikes, horseback rides, camping trips, and all the amazing plants and animals I encounter. I'll also share any healthy or tasty stuff I decide to whip up at the last minute, like Peace and Happiness Chili or Chocolate Chip Cookies with gray sea salt.

You'll see a lot of Jake, my eight-month old German shepherd puppy, my partner in crime. He's my buddy no matter what the weather...rain, hail, sleet, floods, wind, or bright sunshine.

Here's to Night Writers - stay tuned for lots of fun, and exciting new experiences.

Welcome to Night Writers

Welcome to Night Writers!

For our opening, we've got lots of fun prizes for one lucky winner. We'll be giving away seven downloads, a paper copy of Do You Believe In Magic by Jewel Adams, a notebook, and your name in one of Kerri Nelson's upcoming books. For a chance to win, just leave a comment. The contest will run through Friday.

Here are the columns that will be appearing weekly and a little about the authors that will be hosting them.

Sundays will be hosted by Sandra Cox. Her topic:' Cats, Cats, Cats'. This blog will focus on cat breeds, rescue, cat health and shelters. Sandra is a multi-published author who writes non-fiction, YA fantasy, historical and paranormal romantic suspense.

Mondays are for meditation with Sherry Gloag here at Night Writers. So if you want to learn more or share your experiences with other readers then mark your calendars for Monday.

Tuesdays, with Julia Barrett, are all about good food and good fun, practical, delicious recipes and the great outdoors. Julia likes nothing better than a good story, a great hike and a satisfying meal. She's published in several genres - romantic suspense, contemporary romance and science fiction romance and nonfiction.

Stop in on Wednesdays when Sherry Morris shares her Happy Housewife Ink. She blogs about Hearth and Home: sensible cleaning tips, delicious recipes she has perfected, budgeting ideas, gardening and family fun.

Jewel Adams is thrilled to be part of Night Writers. Her day is Thursday. She will be posting her Words of Love Series for all visitors to the Night Writers. If you ever wanted to write your own romance novel or are already into writing one Words of Love will give you helpful writing tips and wonderful insights into the romance genre, writing techniques, as well as publishing on the internet and marketing your book on the internet. Come join in the discussion on writing romance novels. Enjoy the read!

Enjoy Fiction Fridays with multi-published romantic suspense author Kerri Nelson as she discusses parenthood and the challenges of being both a writer and a mother!

Rhobin Courtright writes on Saturdays about love, aliens, mystery and suspense found in a garden.