Friday night I went out and watched an unbelievable production of ?noises off? which starred my special friend DarkDippy. We have an fun friendship story to tell because we met through Twitter. He always had silly chirps for my extremely well thought out tweets and the friendship grew from there.
I?m also going to the Jozi book fair tomorrow with Greggie and Madam (I know I?ve got lots to tell you about one of my oldest friend, but that will come in time).
The reason why I?m pointing out all my social arrangements is because I don?t want any accusations about being a workaholic when I tell you that I spent all the other parts of the weekend working.
Yes ? I do have friends and there are a lot of things that I could be doing, but I enjoyed spending a weekend at home. When I first realised I would have to live with my mom longer than expected while I got my business and writing career off the ground, I was devastated. Now I?m really enjoying working at my dad?s desk and having my country music play softly in the background while I combine my career and passion all in one. In essence, if my passion and my hobby is my writing, but it?s also my career ? then am I really working on the weekend?
Anyway, I everything I had to do was new and exciting and I can?t think of a better way to spend a weekend.
There?s actually a lot of new stuff to be excited about.
Firstly, I?ve been keeping a secret. You know how hard it is for me to keep secrets, but this one I had no control over. I?ve been bursting to share then news and now it?s official enough.
Greggie has a boyfriend! Woo hoo!!! The best (and weirdest) part is that it?s my very dear friend, Sportsy. We?ve been friends since high school and in the 6 years of knowing Greggie I never thought to introduce them. I can?t actually take credit for the match because I never thought they would hit it off. Hmmm ? don?t I know my friends well enough? Actually, truth be told, they have both changed so much and blossomed into much wiser versions of themselves that for a long time they wouldn?t have been suited at all ? in my humble opinion. All of a sudden time seems to be perfect and my best friend and dearest friend are boyfriend and boyfriend.
The other new thing that?s very much in my path is my mom?s new car. I?m so proud of her because she hasn?t driven since before my dad passed away and now she?s ready to get back in driver?s seat. The problem is that she?s so proud of her new car that she?s park it under the ?drive through? of the driveway and we now have to go around the tree to get in and out of the house. Ironically she?s protecting it from expose to open air and pigeon poop and the pigeons have decided that the roof of her car is perfectly shaded and they?re perched there anyway. Jodene giggles 😉
This week ahead is filled with new adventures so I also hid away a bit this weekend to adjust to all that I have to do in the days ahead.
I?m realising that I have to put in a hell of a lot of effort to make money from writing sooner than later. I?ve decided to focus on pitching to editors and basing my writing style of ?project me? and my blogs. So, I took two days to write my first letter to the editors. It literally took me two days and about as much junk food as my body could handle. When I chatted to my sister she was shocked that I was battling so much to write one letter when I spew out a blog a day. It?s just because it?s new and I don?t know if I?m getting it right, but I know I?ll be fine once the 20th one has gone out.
I used to live in this fantasy bubble that I would just be discovered with no effort at all but then I realised that that fantasy was only my fears around promoting myself. It?s taken a few months but I?m finally over that and ready to wave my words under the noses of a whole lot of editors.
Today I had to babysit my nephews without anyone supervising me. I?m usually willing to do so as long as my mom or sister accompanies me, but today everyone had plans. How?s that for new?
We all survived despite them opting to eat a packed to biscuits for lunch and wanting to watch TV at an obscenely loud volume. I adore them but do call them my contraceptive pills. You do know that two of my sisters both have set of twin boys? That?s enough to scare any ovaries into hiding.
While my nephews shouted at each other over the ridiculous volume, I did something really new and exciting. I answered some interview questions sent to me by Gossip Guy. Let?s see how bloggers collaborate. I?m excited about that because the more collaborations the more we grow as bloggers and the greater our opportunity to make a living out of what we are passionate about. I know it?s not everyone who blogs, but I want to write forever and this gives me the perfect way to do it. Ah, a girl has such simple dreams.
Tomorrow is my first book fair ever. I?m going with business cards in hand and a new found boldness and determination to get published. I must be honest ? I did have the expectation that I would just write the books and someone else (Greggie does come to mind) would do all of the promoting and marketing for me. I have quickly had to learn that I am the only one who can make my writing dream a reality. It?s a total mind adjustment and I even got to the stage where panic set in and I contemplated going back to doing body massage and reiki treatments to avoid the reality of marketing myself and networking. Well that?s passed and the new me has emerged just in time for the book fair.
Ooh ? I used my new gym shoes, gym pants, towel with zip and water bottle. It was so good to back at the gym and I have to admit that a good pair of shoes makes such a difference on my 36 year old knees. I just have to keep the momentum without getting myself stuck of forced days and routines. Those are the things that take the fun away for me. I?m working from home more often now and can go to gym whenever I like, so I?m going to use that and enjoy the freedom that I consciously created for myself.
As ?project me? goes I?m pretty impressed with all the new stuff considering not many people embrace change. Well, I?m not many people ? I?m Jodene! Who are you?
Another inspirational blog entry. Good luck with all the new ventures.
Thank you so much for the comment which is equally inspiring to me. Hope to see you around again soon.
I heard about your blog via a friend on facebook and I'm so glad that I found you. I have a lot of reading to do to catch up but can't wait to follow you.
That's so cool Joss and welcome to project me. There is a lot of reading but I keep updating and refreshing memories as I go alone so you'll be up to speed on the goings on in my life in no time. Can't wait for more comments and interaction so you can meet my other loyal followers.
Chat soon 😉