Friday the 13th

Good evening! Finally I am able to post...Blogger has been having a few issues for a couple of days and I was unable to post. Maybe we'll just attribute it to Friday the 13th...at least that will explain today's problems...not so sure about the other days.

I love Friday the 13th's...this one is extra special because it is also my birthday. My Mom hates it...I tell her it's not like I was born on Friday the 13th. I was born on a Monday...the day after Mother's Day. My Dad tells me the story every year...I never tire of it though. It sounds like this year is much like the one I was born...trees leafing out along the river and everything turning nice and green.

As the day comes to a close, I can't help but reflect on the last forty plus years. I am almost to where I want to be in life; I am a freelancer and an author, and now also an alpaca owner. By this time next year we will have alpaca babies on the way and I will have tried my hand at spinning the fleece into yarn. I cannot wait to get the fencing finished so we can bring the herd home.

My daughter is just as excited as I am; her and I will be the owners of them and will share in the work, the costs and the rewards. I have been making connections on Facebook with other alpaca owners and enjoy looking at their pictures. One of the cutest so far is two alpacas lying on a front porch...in much the same way the average dog would be. So very cute!

I have been busy with a temporary position with Statistics Canada, so have been unable to spend much time on my book. I will have to push back the original publishing date, which saddens me. There are only so many hours in the day and apparently I am supposed to sleep some of them. I am sure things will get back to normal soon; or at least a new normal. I will have a lot to write about once the herd comes home. It may have to be a book of its own.

With the warm weather also brings the planting of the garden, the cutting of the grass and the cleaning of the barn. The latter must be done before we can bring home the alpacas, but can't be done until after the 4H calf is gone. It will be a very busy couple of days between the sale and the day the alpacas come home.

A Sunny Day!

We are blessed with another sunny morning...the question is, will it last throughout the day? We have had a cooler than usual spring, and we are all ready for some heat. I am anxious to get my garden cleaned up and planted, but the soil is too soggy and cold to do either.

I have been busy working on my book, as well as writing instructions for crocheted items. This little task is contracted, so I am unable to post where they will be going at the moment. I'm sure once they have been submitted and approved I will be able to link to the site. I am excited about it, but it has really made me think about what I am doing. Crochet comes natural to me, as I have been doing it since I was nine. What I haven't done much however, is write out instructions. It is a learning experience for me...my only hope is they are detailed enough to be followed by a beginner.

I have recently joined Book Blogs (see widget on the right of this blog), a site for those who write, read or love books. I think it will be a good way to learn more about promoting my book (Lulu link on the left), as well as expanding my reading horizons. The site will also help me gain more viewers and followers on my blog.

I have also set up a Facebook Page to keep my fans updated on new articles, book progress and pages of interest. I feel the more exposure I have the better. I am enjoying the benefits of working from home, and have my eye on a piece of property I would absolutely love to buy. I am hopeful my book sales and freelance income will allow me to do that. The hours are long and sometimes spread throughout the day, but that's what I love about it. I am free to go out and visit my animals when I hit a roadblock, then can come back in and carry on with a new perspective on my projects.