The Friday List (nice things you did for yourself this week)
Trying to set a good example here. Yes, it’s been a hectic week, but I’m still trying to keep my eye on priorities. So I’ve been working hard at revising my current manuscript–finished the first pass through it yesterday, and now on to pass number two–but I’ve also set aside two or three hours a day to reread Harry Potter 5, and I also said yes to an invitation to see Ratatouille with my mother and niece and nephew. Because I don’t want to look back at a week like this and think, “Why didn’t I play with those I love when I had the chance?” (By the way, Diana, you’re totally right–Ratatouille was GREAT!)
Plus I didn’t eat ALL the brownies, just most of them, and I might have bitten off all my nails, but they’ll grow back, so generally this week has been fine despite a little bit of pressure. And I will have a new manuscript to show for it next week, so that’s always a happy thought.
So that’s my deal. How about you? What sweet things did you do for yourselves this week?
Technorati Tags: The Friday List, Self-Care, Self-Kindness, Pampering, Writing, Publishing, Revising Is Not My Favorite Thing But That’s What Happens When You’re Not Perfect
July 20th, 2007 at 6:07 am
This week I have actually sat down and done a lot of reading…three books in five days. Which is what happens when I start a book…can’t do anything until it’s finished.
Also found out that my book Knowing Joseph has gone to the printer, so am happy that just maybe it will come out as scheduled in October.
AND since Patrick is away, I get Oliver for four days! That’s the best.
July 20th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Sorry about the pressure this week, but I’m glad you took a break.
My nice things:
* Dark chocolate brownies
* Reading Sara’s poem today at her blog. HOLY MOLY. Go treat yourself.
* Letting my mom watch the girls so I could get some work done (Eisha and I have a little freelance writing gig with the Poetry Foundation — woo hoo! Fun and good for the ‘ol resume)
Question: Is “Ratatouille” too sophisticated for a three-year-old?
July 20th, 2007 at 7:34 am
I made these brownies last night:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/108346
That was fun.
I also ordered a few CDs I’ve been coveting.
July 20th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Judy, that’s so great about your book! Congratulations! And isn’t it nice to enjoy the grandchildren that you have? I’m sure it’s nice for Oliver to hang out with someone who likes him as well as loves him.
Jules, it is pretty sophisticated at times, just like Brad Bird’s other film The Incredibles (which is why adults will enjoy it), but there are also plenty of sight-gags for the little ones. I say try it.
Adrienne, those brownies sound heavenly.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Well, tonight I am hanging with the girlfriends (aka The Harry Potter Book Club). We’re going to the Olive Garden for a “7th Book Sangria Party” and then we will be tipsily walking over to B&N for the midnight book release to pick up our copies. =)
I hope to hole up somewhere and read my book all weekend. I have Harry Potter Paranoia (just blogged about it), so I want to sit and read and NOT be disturbed!
July 20th, 2007 at 9:18 am
This week, Saturday specifically, I partied like a rock star. Though without the drugs or DUI.
Bill and I went to a home screening of a movie/serial episode that some of his film friends had done. There were about 40 people in the house, all connected in some way to artistic endeavors - like film, stand-up, or music. I drank lots (rare for me), talked up a storm, and stayed up way too late. It was so fun to let go for a change without worrying about the next day - which was a bit of a wash, I have to admit.
My kids saw Ratatouille with the in-laws and loved it and all this brownie talk is making me want some bad.
July 20th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Yeah, they were pretty good. I realized that via my comments on this blog, I might give the impression that I eat very badly. When I’m not eating cake and brownies, my summer diet consists mainly of berries and green beans, I swear.
Well, then there’s the ice cream.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Christen, your HP plan sounds awesome–from the midnight party to the holing up. I’m telling you, that’s good living.
Mother Reader, what fun!! Talk about good living. It’s nice every now and then to get to cut loose like that and enjoy all the privileges of adulthood without any of the responsibilities. Bravo!
Adrienne, I’m sure your intake is perfectly well-balanced. Have you ever heard of that study some scientist did a while back where they gave a group of toddlers access to a huge variety of foods–from ice cream to spinach to broccoli to potato chips–and let them eat whatever they wanted for one month? Turns out that over the course of the 30 days the kids ate generally in line with what we think of as healthy eating. They may not have done it every day, but it all balanced out.
If you live naturally (which, believe me, takes deliberate thought for me), I think you end up sleeping the right amount, eating the right things in the right amount, etc. It’s only when we try to get in there and bully ourselves that things get all whacked.
At least that’s my theory.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Last weekend I went hiking in Big Sur. This week, I’m working 12 and 14 hour days, so not so much time for niceness to self. But I do plan to read the last 250 pages of Half-Blood Prince, plus read the new book, this weekend, and to heck with other responsibilities.
July 20th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Robin, amen to that study. It gets quoted all the time in parenting circles, parenting guides, magazines, etc., ’cause it’s true (good advice for mamas and papas who worry when their kid won’t eat well a few days in a row). With some exceptions, of course (my niece has a sensory disorder that manifests itself in her refusing to eat; she’s been walking around with a feeding tube in her nose and then in her stomach forever now), it will all balance out for children.
July 20th, 2007 at 11:27 am
I watched two movies this week: Lost in Translation and Volver. Both thought-provoking and funny, each in their own way. I tried a couple of new classes at my gym. I read InStyle and drooled over the shoes. And I cooked myself a giant bowl of potato salad. I’m usually not much for deli-style potato mush, but this was with potatoes from a friend’s farm, dressed up with leeks, fresh dill and an organic vinaigrette. Plus, I just enjoyed the act of making something, and since I’m not crafty, cooking is as artsy as it gets for me. So yes, I LOVED Ratatouille with all that cooking!!! (Wasn’t the animation of the water in the escape scenes amazing, BTW? And his little pink nose???)
July 20th, 2007 at 11:35 am
My sweetie was here (from Bristol) last Friday, so I was too busy having a nice time to write up last week’s nice things done for me! But last week’s ordering of knitting book gave a relaxing loll with it and cup of tea while the rain poured down today. The pretty summery skirt also bought last week got less use than I might have hoped, but was happily worn and admired one day.
Don’t remember if I’ve said before, but this Friday feature is a great idea!
July 20th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
The books are here! The books are here!!!! They’re sealed up in a box in my boss’ office!!!!! I feel like it’s Christmas morning and although Santa has arrived I’m not allowed to open my presents because my parents are still asleep!!!
July 20th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Oh, will we have a Tuesday dedicated to our thoughts and feeling on the new HP book?
July 20th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Painted my daughter’s room and liked it so much I’m thinking about moving in there. Finished knitting a bright yellow cotton shell. Made homemade turkey noodle soup and chocolate chip cookies. Watched 4 movies: A Day Without a Mexican, Thank You for Smoking, Hitch, Maria Full of Grace. Rented: In Cold Blood, and The Story of the Weeping Camel for the weekend. Planted 3 CA pepper trees in my front yard. Enjoy the weekend everyone!
July 20th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Jen, hiking in Big Sur must have been so wonderful! And I’m with you on the last-minute cramming of HP. Wish I could say I’m as far along as you are.
Jules, sorry about your niece! Is that something they think she’ll grow out of?
Sara, I’m the same way as you are–cooking is the only craft thing I can do. I find that I love it when I’m not forced to do it, you know? Having to come up with something every night doesn’t make me feel creative at all. But if I set aside a Saturday to just play in the kitchen, try some new recipes, make something I feel like eating, then it all turns out so much better. And yes, I loved all the cooking in Ratatouille. I love any movie that involves lots of great cooking.
Lady S., yay for the sweetie coming to town! Glad you got to wear the summery skirt at least once before the rain. Let’s assume that wasn’t it for the rest of your summer. And thanks for saying that about these Friday lists–I love them, too.
Christen, admit it: aren’t you highly tempted to pull out one of those HPs and take it off into some secret spot and read it? Don’t booksellers and librarians feel that incredible need to peek?
And yes, we’ll talk about HP 7 some Tuesday in the future, but I want to make absolute sure everyone has had a chance to read it. I am thoroughly against spoilers.
Wow, Deborah, quite the movie week! And cooking and painting! I’m guessing you took the week off of work, otherwise I can’t imagine how you got that all done.
Didn’t you love The Story of the Weeping Camel? And Thank You for Smoking (so funny)? And Maria Full of Grace was such an eye-opener about that way of life. Excellent acting on the lead’s part, didn’t you think?
July 20th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Wish I could have taken the week off! I was just on-call so I worked the equivalent of a week in a very short amount of time! I thought Thank you for… was very funny. Didn’t actually see Weeping Camel yet-that’s for tonight
I’ve heard the HP ending is all over tthe internet. It takes me so long to get through them and I’m still on #5, that by the time I get to read the new one, I will have forgotten what I’ve heard about it anyway! Still, I wonder what the thrill is for the spoilers-I guess there are always people who are so chronically unhappy that they can’t wait to rain on other’s parades-uh oh, I’m sliding into shrink mode, gotta go
July 20th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Robin, yes, I think she’ll eventually learn to eat food (and she does eat a tad bit now, such as small bites of crackers) as she gets older and sees others eating. Well, she’s almost four (it’s not like she’s a baby), but it’s just something she has to grow into. And they do little therapies with her and such. It’s an odd disorder.
July 20th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Breathe! Take some time! Good luck with the revisions. Enjoy the movie.
This week, I did more of the same as always, but the majority of things went well.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Deborah, I accept your professional analysis of why there are mean people trying to spoil HP7 for the rest of us. Thank you. That sounds better than “miserable-hearted pigs,” which is what I was going with.
Jules, maybe she’ll grow up to love frozen chocolate yogurt with spicy tortilla strips on top. You never know.
Thanks, Little Willow! Glad your week went well.
July 21st, 2007 at 7:53 am
Robin, I agree completely about that natural living thing. I’m lucky in that I’ve been able to arrange my life in a way that allows me a lot of flexibility to do this most of the time because when I have to force myself to do things too much (I do think it’s good for us to force ourselves to do things sometimes, but in a good, stretchy way as opposed to a I-hate-this-with-every-fiber-of-my-being way), it is very un-pretty.
July 21st, 2007 at 11:59 am
A day late, but . . .
Went shopping at the local Farmer’s Market this morning and got my fresh organic garden veggies for the week, and treated my friend Suze to lunch there– Foccaccia bread covered in roasted pepper and onion with homemade organic mozzarella string cheese, with chocolate almond biscotti for dessert.
Last night, after having trouble with inspiration for site revisions all day yesterday, I finally said “screw this!” picked up my fiddle and did mad scales for a half hour, then started figuring out the fiddle part for a song Suze and I wrote, and played until my fingers hurt.
Later today is GeekSpeak at my RefreshDelVal Meetup. I get to hang out with the guys and talk about all the stuff I can’t talk about with anyone normal.