Reflections on the Month of July

Ah, the time has come for my overview of this past month. *shakes head* Time has really been going fast. I can hardly believe that it's gone already. Summer is halfway over. *cries*


But, enough of that. Here's what's been going on for me this month:

Life:

Well, obviously Independence Day happened. S'mores, friends, and fireworks. We've been having a lovely summer here, some rain (typical Western Washington *rolls eyes*) but enough sunshine to keep even me happy.

My younger siblings and I had some swimming lessons, which was nice because I can now say that probably I could swim to save my life now. That fact was uncertain before. It was fun to brush up on some of the strokes and dives, and relearn how to breathe under water. (Namely, don't do it.)

As I write this, my parents, Sarah, and David are enjoying the company of Sarah's husband-to-be in Georgia for a week, and Margaret and I have been having a blast watching all the kids at home. Our schedule so far looks like this:

 

Day one:

Wake up very tired since the travelers left to catch a plane flight at 2 in the morning.

Drink coffee and eat breakfast while still half asleep.

Go to store and buy ice cream, toppings, and candy.

Write.

Clean house.

Watch movie.

Have lunch.

Drink coffee again.

Make pizza.

Write.

Invite company to share it with.

Watch movie.

Go to bed *cough* a little on the late side.

 

Day two:

Wake up at eight thirty.

Drink coffee
Pray for Grandpa Eddy who went to the emergency room because of severe chest pain.

Eat pop tarts for breakfast.

Write.

Have water balloon fight.

Make French bread for future meal.

Write.

Eat leftover pizza for lunch.

Write.

Go to park and library.

Eat dinner.
Visit Eddy grandparents
Watch movie

Go to bed. (On time this once because I'm so exhausted)

 

Day three:

Wake up.

Drink coffee.

Eat breakfast.

Write.

Clean house.

Go to a birthday party of my flute teacher's twin girl toddlers.

Have fun.

Come home.

Realize your blog post was scheduled for today and go check for comments.

Write.

Have dinner.

Watch movie.

Go to bed. (Possibly late again.)

 

We'll see when Mom and Dad decide to leave us in charge again. ;)

Besides THAT, my month has been pretty normal.

 



Reading:

Guys, I got my goal accomplished! *cue multiple gasps of astonishment* Yeah, I read over ten books this month!! However, since I was thrown off on my monthly book review schedule, I will be doing two in August. One for "The Tinkerer's Daughter" and one from the books I read this month.

For Sarah's wedding, she's having old books tied in ribbon as the centerpieces during her reception, so we got a whole box of old books. And I've made my way through a few this month, and hope to do more next month.
The Loser (by Elizabeth Allen)
The Black Symbol (by Annabe & Edgar Johnson)
Pursuit in the French Alps (by Paul-Jacues Bonzon)
Wu, the Gatekeeper's Son (by Eleanor Frances Lattimore)
Dragon Prows Westward (by William H. Bunce)
The Sword in the Tree (by William Goldman)
Prince Rabbit/The Princess who Could Not Laugh (by A. A. Milne)
Watership Down (by Richard Adams)

Besides those, I read Dare, Deny, and Defy by Tricia Mingerink. Three books I've been wanting to read for quite awhile. :)

 

Writing:

Because I was invited to join a cabin in Camp NaNo this month, I've gotten a lot, a LOT, of writing in. Ready for the word count?

38,049. And that's only counting what I wrote in "The Princess & I". So, over all, counting blog posts and comments, and random typing in other stories, I've probably written over 40,000 words this month!! :D

In other news, I'm excited to report that my book "The Princess & I" is now over 60,000 words long and I'm hoping to complete it next week! *hyperventilates*

Then, of course, comes all the editing *sigh* and sending it off to alpha/beta-readers and more editing.

I'm hoping to have both "The Princess & I" and "Alice & Alyssa" published by the time I enter college. Which is January of next year. Pray for me...and my fellow editors, bless them. ;)

 



Favorite Quotes in July:

 

 

 

                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Blog Posts:

 Failproof Responses To The Question: "What's Your Book About?"
The Silent Blade Blog Tour--Day 3--PUBLICATION DAY!!!!!
  Terror By Night...Or Aichear: Part One (and the other parts too. ;)
Why You Should Follow Blogs
 

Goals Reached:

1: Keep writing 100 words a day
3: Write five chapters in "The Princess & I"
8: Read at least ten books

As you can see *hides face in embarrassment* I only managed to accomplish three of the eight goals I set for myself last month. Obviously I did end up biting off more than I could chew. *sigh* Better luck this next month, I hope. :)

Goals for August:

1. Finish writing "The Princess & I"

2. Edit both "Alice & Alyssa" and "The Princess & I"

3. Write two poems

4. Read at least ten books this month.

5. Write two book reviews

 

And, that about wraps it up! How was your month? Anything exciting happen? Did any of you do Camp NaNo? If so, what was your word count? The list of books I read should be up there now, so go vote or forever hold your peace. :)