KRELLFISH

Last Minute - Really?

It's 8:00 a.m. on December 3rd. 

In the past 33 days I have:

• Completed a 55,000 word novel
• Completed 90% of my Christmas Shopping
• Kept the boys in clean clothes, daily school and sports uniforms included
• Nursed a very sick 12 year old back to health
• Wrestled with faith and fear that my son had a heart problem (It's all good, it's as big as ever!)
• Made daily trips to the grocery store trying to keep 3 teen boys from starving
• Consumed 34 Starbucks Chai tea lattes. (There was a day when I needed two. Sue me.)

So on this Friday morning I decided to settle down for a long winter's nap.

Thought I'd check my email first.

When what to my wandering eyes did appear?

An Ad saying "we're down to the last minute here".

I sprang to my purse and tore open the sash

only to find I'm clean out of cash.

Seems I'd been pilfered by a teen herd

but never fear folks, it's only December 3rd!

Seriously, retail giants and elves alike; I'm not buying this (pun intended).

We are not down to the last minute.

I will not succumb to a false sense of urgency. And neither should you. 

Relax and enjoy the season. It's only beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Coffee Shop Conversations

Thank you to Zondervan for providing me with a copy of this book.

I found Coffee Shop Conversations to be helpful in showing me how to have meaningful conversations with others who do not share my faith. There is a gentleness,a respect and love in their instruction for being in relationship with others.

Early on in the book, the Finchers remind us that "walling people into categories prevents us from loving them." This is true. We cannot love people if we've made negative judgements and especially when we do it within the first seven seconds of meeting them.

Authors Dale and Jonalyn Fincher are doing great work in the area of developing tolerance toward all.

Win a $25 gift card to Starbucks by following them on twitter @Soulation. Let them know you did by leaving a comment HERE and you'll be entered into the drawing.

Condos Gone Tiled

Here is the kitchen in our one bedroom Scottsdale condo. We have two for rent, both are one bedroom, one is furnished.

This is the perfect writer's getaway. A tropical resort community with lush palms swaying in the breeze and great neighbors. A place where you'll easily read or write the next great American novel. Plus, we could meet at Starbucks on your break and discuss all things books!

Get out of that soon- to- be snowy state and come on down where it's always warm.

We'll leave the sun out for ya.

For more pictures and information visit Franks on Shea.

Office Dress for Success

I'm a big believer in dressing for success while working from home. If you sit around in your pajamas, you will produce sleepy, sloppy, lackadaisical work. I'm often quoted in this area, the latest was last week HERE, in Carol Roth's 95 Strategies for Work/Life Balance When You Work from Home. I'm under number 88.

Then this great article by Kevin Whipps got me thinking even more. 

If I worked in a traditional office building, I would never keep my office in the atrocious state it lives in. 

Five years ago we put in wood floors, a big cherry desk, ample shelves,some with glass doors, two phone lines, a shredder and fax, and I'm even rocking the double monitors. 

You'll also find loose pictures of our sons, stacks of books, a can of dusting spray with a rag to go along with the dust, various half burned candles, magazines, empty bags of Pirates Booty, old Starbucks cups, stacks of bills, contracts, school supplies and even one of my oldest son's t-shirts.

I can proudly say though, I have filed every rejection letter. Even I can't stand to look at those.

So along with getting out of my pajamas to work, how about if I made the work area quite a bit cleaner?

It would do wonders for productivity. 

The key though, is to not spend days cleaning up the office in lieu of actual writing. That isn't allowed in a traditional office setting either. 

So let's all clean up our act a little bit and let me know if it makes a difference in your work day.

For the Love of Lent

When I was young, the season of Lent meant managing my friends. At the end of every February I'd make mental notes like these: 

Don't invite Sally Sweet to spend the night, she's given up sugar for Lent. What's The Love Boat and Fantasy Island without a Big Gulp and a candy bar?

And later as a teen:

Please don't let Tom Foolery ask me out! I heard he's given up fun for Lent.

And then as a young adult:

Better not invite the Legume family over for dinner this month, they've given up meat for lent. Whatever would I serve them, rabbit food?

It was all about avoiding those who were avoiding the good stuff. 

Occasionally over the years I'd jump in and try to give up something, touting my omission to anyone who would listen. Finally I realized that fasting from something wasn't enough, I needed to use that time to privately grow and know God.

So this year I'm not giving up Starbucks (shocker), red meat, or my Crazy Heart soundtrack, rather I gave up my notions of what the Lenten season is. I put away past experiences and ideas and started from square one. I researched, read and prayed about Lent and believe I'm different because of it.

Most noticeably, I've learned that Lent isn't about me and my power to preclude. While it's difficult to enter into this season of sadness, joy always comes in the morning and we will celebrate with joy on Easter. 

We will celebrate God, who with his abilities and power is the only reason I can do anything at all.

Starbucks at the end of the Tunnel

Well this week I have tackled a big hike which included six dark train tunnels.  Go to 5 Minutes for Mom to see what everyone else it tackling!

The train used to run from Manitou Springs, CO up Ute Pass.  My grandfather rode that train to school and so it was a thrill to hike around the area where the old tracks were and we went in six train tunnels.  It was a tackle because of the altitude and because of the steep incline to get in and out of the hike.  My son and I even ran part of the trail.

After several miles and in the final tunnel, there was the most wondrous thing.  We shined the meager flashlights we head on an arch and I saw it.......The Starbucks logo........Most obscure Starbucks in the world.  The picture isn't good.....but you get the idea.

No Starbucks and I feel like a Million Bucks

Actually what I mean is, no caffeine.  Here are Marina aka Rock the Desert and I enjoying another day at the office. Now that Starbucks is offering free (well sort of free) WIFI through ATT, we basically can't afford not work there. Notice that is not a Chai  Tea Latte or Mocha, but a passion tea lemonade. Day four and all is well.

After Marina left I continued to write for awhile and my personal trainer, who I hadn't seen in two years walked in.  It was great to see him but boy am I glad I had finished my slice of pumpkin loaf.  I wouldn't want him to think I wasn't still following all of his fabulous workout regimes!

We got to talking about blogs and such, so watch for his new blog coming your way as he debuts his new clothing line.  You'll see it first here!

For now it's time for me to get writing, the perfect book proposal won't write itself.