It’s going to be 84 degrees here in SW Idaho today. Air conditioning weather already. And my office does get quite hot, partly due to the southwest facing wall that gets no shade and partly because of all the electronics that are generating heat (computer, printers, router, modem, and desk lamps). In the winter, I’m glad for it. Not so much in the summer.
One thing I really love about my office is the tree outside my window. We hung a thistle seed sock on it a few years ago, and all summer long I got to watch the gold finches and house finches feeding away. They returned the next year too. But last year, the birds abandoned us. I missed them. So yesterday, following the instructions of a friend who takes the most amazing bird photos in her yard in Texas, hubby and I ran over to a feed and seed store, and we bought new enticements to bring the birds back. This time in both the front and back yards. We’re told it could take the birds a few weeks to discover this new and improved restaurant, but while I’m working away on a new book, I’ll be keeping watch for some brightly colored diners. At left is a photo of our finches feeding in 2011. Hopefully I’ll have new and better ones to share later this season.
Now onto my wrap up for last month.
Books:
In April I completed four books. Unbroken (history/biography) by Laura Hillenbrand was the one that took the most time. I loved it even while I cringed at reading man’s inhumanity to man. War is a terrible thing. But if you are a lover of history, I highly recommend this book. (The movie comes out on Christmas.) The other three books I read were all fiction. My favorite was the novella, A Cat was Involved.
Bible:
I started another Beth Moore study, Beloved Disciple. As always, I love studying along with Beth. She is such a great teacher of the Bible.
Movies & TV:
Is it possible that we really went another full month without going to the theater? There actually were a couple of films I would have liked to see in the theater, but my revisions and line edits just chewed up the month and kept me chained to my computer. When it came to DVDs, most of the ones I chose on Netflix were real duds. Award winners included.
On the treadmill, I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ documentary, The West, but I’m not done yet. However, what I really enjoyed the most this month was watching the documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom. It’s about backup singers, but what it has to say about success and the search for success is very powerful. I will be watching it again.
Miles Walked:
No shouts and hollers earned this month. I walked 72.9 miles in 28 days. (I’ve decided to use the weekly reports sent to me by FitBit so am short a couple of days for April.) Obviously, I am still not getting my 10,000 steps per day, but I am putting in the time and miles on the treadmill.
Writing Related:
I finished the revisions of Love Without End. (It was the revisions that felt like they would never end!!)- I wrote a little more on the next book in the Kings Meadow Romance series (May 2015).
- Then the line edits of Love Without End arrived, so I had to stop and turn those around as quickly as I could.
- Two more of my novels, Catching Katie and Ribbon of Years, were repackaged and re-released. They are now available for the Kindle. (I don’t know why the Nook copies haven’t shown up yet, but they should be there soon.)
- And I got my first look at the cover for my May 2015 release. It’s a little too soon to reveal it yet, but I love it.
So there you go. My month in review.
How was your April?
~robin
Where I live we have a large community room and we’ve collectively been working on having a “Diabetes Awareness Spring Concert” All the hard work (not me, all I did was do some typing) comes to an end tonight. We’ve never had anything like this here and I’m so excited to be going. I think everyone is.
The other thing was last week I was contacted by another apartment complex wondering if I was still interested in moving. I had forgotten all about it. I applied over two years ago and never heard from them. I wasn’t even thinking of moving when I got the call. So, at the end of this month, I’ll be moving – I hope – if nothing goes wrong – I’m so paranoid now. I shouldn’t be this way Robin. I put this in God’s hands back then. For this call to come out of the blue like that I fully believe He’s telling me it’s time.
Thanks for sharing your April Robin, I always love your posts.
Praying that your move goes smoothly, Shirley!