Kentucky Mountain Girl News by Henrietta Asher Handy

I am online.  Sort of.  It appears we have arrived during an “internet speed” transition.  Basically, there isn’t any such creature as ‘fast’ internet on my part of Stinnett; however, we are 3500 feet away from having the good stuff!  When will we get it?  I dunno.  No one else does either it appears.  The current speed is 1meg.  Can you believe it?!  One meg.

I tried doing some research.  Im-possible.  Tried to check email.  Im-possible.  Tried to download a backup copy of the novel to work on.  Can you guess?  Im-possible.  (Pepe le Pew *le sigh*)  Well, I ended up getting the hotspot turned on in my cell.  I was able to download an update, very much needed, for the new laptop, but needed to charge my cell before going back online.  So, getting a post written as the phone charges.  The phone power goes down quickly when it is being a hotspot.  I am going to keep one of those traveling chargers with me at all times of work, because they just might become indispensable.  This is the only drawback of the action, and the +$20 on the monthly bill, I have discovered.   Thankfully, this is only temporary.  As soon as the faster, more feasible Internet comes in the hotspot capability will be removed.  Unless the price drops to my old cellphone bill, then I will keep it.  Yeah, I know – wishful thinking.

It has been one full month of coming home.  The first ten days were horrendous for me emotionally because I felt as though I failed in oh so many ways.  Hopefully I didn’t let it show any, or, at least, very little.  There is a good possibility both of us were in shock.  The Husband handled it better, though.  The changes that occurred to us were so numerous, quick, and life-changing – each one was a life-changing event – it was impossible to adjust to it all quickly.  It just needed to filter through.

Now I am happy to report we are happier here.  The stressors have changed, but many of them were removed when we relocated.  The weight of stress seems lighter, more bearable.  And, I miss every single person in Lexington, KY I know!  Now summer is here, I don’t have the chance to call them and say, “Hey!  Let’s go to the park!”  or “Hey!  Want to go to the movies?”

Not being able to go to church service, though, is the hardest of all.  Just driving onto the driveway or parking lot of the church even before I went inside, always made me feel better.  If I am feeling achy, it lightens; if I am in misery, it usually downgrades to crappy.  If my heart and Soul are sad, the burden of it isn’t so heavy.  Thankfully, the better feeling goes with me outside the church.  We are dealing with it, though, and making plans for when we can actually make it back up to Lexington so we can go to service and see friends.

The Husband has gone adventuring and took me along with him.  It was such a treasure to see old haunts through different eyes and see appreciation for the mountains grow even more in his eyes.  Getting to share memories with him on the drives so far, has been the most enjoyable thing about being home.  “Remember that story I told you about so-and-so and the thingamajig?” usually began the story.  He enjoyed the stories and the drive, even though he was the driver.

So, what all is going on in your parts of the blogosphere?  I am catching up on posts as fast as possible!

It is pouring rain outside my new set of doors and windows. A lot has changed. We no longer live in Lexington. We moved back to Leslie County and entering a new life. Now things are settled and we have more peace, a better schedule of postings can commence. Right now we have no internet except for our phones.

Outside my window is snow!

When the bullet journal experiment began just a short couple of days ago, I wasn’t

picture from Pinterest

expecting there to be much difference in how my time was managed and how the day of writing and chores/errands/phone calls, etc., would go.  The bullet journal is helping me keep track of everything going on in a day and also gives me the ego-boosting pleasure of marking things off a list that has been done.  The hardest part, right now, is putting down unnecessary items just so there will be the pleasure of marking it off – completed!

So, has the bullet journal helped me with keeping track of my writing and editing?  Yes!  Each day I put down the chapter I want to work on and I don’t worry about any other chapters except that one.  In the notebook I keep for each writing project, I have sort of done a bullet journal format, almost.  Facts and notes are a lot easier to find any reference to see if I am keeping everything cohesive and orderly.  For example:  How did I describe ‘Joe’?  I find Joe in the notebook and there is his description, what chapter it was written in, and maybe a couple of fun facts about him.  OK – the descriptions match.  Going on.

I also believe the journal I am using is part of the success of this.  It is a loose-leaf journal, which means if I need to move pages around I can.  It is also much easier to add pages in a section of notes than a bound journal or notebook.

This is the journal I am using:

It is from Maleden, as you can see.  They are very reasonable on Amazon, and it isn’t difficult at all to get refills for it.  This one was a gift from one of my sisters for Christmas.  It has journeyed about with me quite a lot, actually.  The minute I decided on doing a journal for notes, I knew this one would be perfect.  However, I missed having it with me so I could jot notes, thoughts, ideas, questions, etc., I just received a second one in the mail just a few days ago:  I bought another one!  This one is blue, but that’s the only difference in the two.  I can’t say enough good about these little journals – well, not too small, about 5X7 – they are really tough!

Here’s hoping your writing day was successful, and your life was grand!

Look!  Look!  I am typing!  With ALL my fingers!

What a relief!

Because it is winter, my physical body is going up and down with the barometric pressure, but, my pinky can type again so I am not going to complain about anything very much.

A friend of mine has been talking about how much the “bullet journal” helped her keep her writing life and her normal, hectic mommy life so I am going to try it out.  Of course, my life is not as hectic as a mother’s of young children, but, in being serious about writing and publishing said writing, it isn’t going to hurt for me to get a little more organized and keep to the track for the stories, etc.

Tonight I put together my very own bullet journal.  It is very different, new system than what I’m used to, conceived of, or thought about.  At the same time, it seems to be very simple and organized.  I know it will take me a little bit to get used to it, but, once I do, I may end up having several: 1) for everyday life; and, 2) one for the story being composed at a given time.

You can have a look at it, here, at bulletjournal.com.

Since my pinky is injured there has not been any serious typing.  Thankfully, I can hold my Kindle with one hand and type with a finger to do updates here. However, I just realized this today. Yeah, I sort of laughed, too.

This isn’t my first broken finger, and, with my luck, probably won’t be my last. It is the first time I’ve broken my pinky, though, and I can say it has been the most annoying of them all because it is difficult to write, hold a regular book, or knit. The one thing it doesn’t get in the way of is a video game controller.

For reading, this Kindle has been a life saver!  The book collection is eclectic on the device just as on my bookshelf, but having my Bible and books by the Desert Fathers, etc, on it is actually quite nice, because I can easily highlight texts and jot small notes into the device right by the passage or highlighted text.  The one thing I need to find out is how to print the notes off.  I know there has to be a way.

The book I am reading now is St. John Crysostum’s writings. And, as always Saint Isaac the Syrian. The latter book is read at the dining room table because it is so large.

The video games?  Well, they are varied, but keep me sane, or at least preoccupied from feeling like a failure for not working on the book and getting it onto Kindle by The Husband’s birthday.  However, it won’t be too far past that I hope.

This writing project has really taught me a lot about writing, plotting, and so much more!  Not being able to share it right now is hard on the emotions .  Mine anyway.

Now, let’s see what havoc I can cause on Warframe.