Be Empowered

Last week, I committed to finish editing the last 60 pages of my 326 page Young Adult manuscript Colors of the Sea by Earth Day.

I was willing to make sacrifices.  When we ran out of milk, I knew my kids would have to make sacrifices too (we have plenty of soy milk in the pantry).  I did not sweep the kitchen floor when it was covered with spilled jelly beans, nope; I made the sacrifice to ignore that little episode.  Reef watched a bit more Baby Einstein then I’m comfortable with, but still I pressed on.  Mayer couldn’t find any clean jeans for school Friday morning, but it’s not the worst thing to wear the same pair from the day before.  I did make smoothies for the kids when they got home from school, but not before I bribed them to help out with anything that popped up for the next few hours.

I’m happy to say I finished at 6:00pm on Earth Day.  I emailed the manuscript over to Staples.  The counselor and I had a date night starting with a run to the copy store, always romantic, then off the post office where I mailed the manuscript to a dear friend and author who’s been patiently waiting for me to send her my revisions. 

I felt so empowered, like I could do anything.

Before midnight, I emailed my query (I’ve written about 37 of those) to an agent I meet at the Society for Childrens Writers and Illustrators conference here in Scottsdale last fall. 

Wow!  I felt like a million bucks, but then reality set in. My house, my laundry pile, my children begging to do something fun with dear old mom.

So on Saturday afternoon, we set off to Changing Hands and Bookmans.  Not only did I want to donate books for the My Dear Trash Earth Day Book Drive, but I wanted to pick up two $25.00 gift cards I’m giving away on April 30, 2011.  To qualify, become a follower (on facebook too) and leave a comment.

While at the bookstores, I was able to trade in some of my old books for something new.  Both Changing Hands and Bookmans purchase your gently-used books.  I was happy to use my trade as store credit and let the boys pick out some books they liked.  Payson found the entire series of Captain Underpants.

Chandler was excited to find Small Steps, from Louis Sachar author of Holes.

Baby princess found a new friend and a puppy.

I was thrilled to see my editor, Brandi Stewart, the children’s book buyer at Changing Hands.  Brandi helped me through a brutal edit of Colors of the Sea last year.  She’s the best.

After dinner at Chipotle, I took the boys and princess to see my sweet friend Ashley complete her final recital for her music graduate degree at ASU.  Here she is, in her backyard garden, singing the last song of the evening with her husband.  He's her prince charming and their love is something special.

Music in the garden was glorious and the food was just as sweet.

You can read Ashlee's blog by clicking here.  It's worth taking a look at.

She's promised to post the song she sang with her prince.  

I felt so empowered with the whole evening and finishing my manuscript; I decided to take on another task I’ve been putting off.

To re-do my gorgeous $15.00 buffet dresser I found at the high school rummage sale this spring.

I've been wanting to paint this beauty a vintage turquoise blue.

I sanded her up with a professional sander I found a few weeks ago at a garage sale.

I’m half-way there.  

I had no idea painting something ugly into something beautiful would make me feel so strong.  I see the world a whole new way.  I can do anything I want.  I'm going to be doing this more often.  I will not be intimidated by 1970's wood buffet dressers, not today NOT EVER.  I will no longer put off huge projects because I don't feel good enough.   And again, I feel so empowered.
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