Research

Last week, I went to the Chicago area to finish some research for a biography I'm working on. I was able to get information at the Lake County History Museum (Curt Teich Archives), Great Lakes Naval Museum, Shiloh House Museum in Zion, IL (pictured); and the Chicago Historical Museum archives.

Museum curators are great sources of information. One of the best pieces of information I found at the Chicago Historical Museum. I was so excited, I did a "happy dance". Guess that shows I am passionate about my subject? I also saw a 1918 newsreel that had to do with the subject of my WIP. Very cool!

The return trip was a little stressful when I found out my mother was in the ER with a possible stroke (she had a bad infection that was mimicking the symptoms of a stroke). She is better now and also trying to get over pneumonia - again.

Now, if I would just recieve some research books I ordered 6 weeks ago - it would be great! I need to finish organizing the info I found in Chicago and get the manuscript written!

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Good day

Today ended up a good day - even though a certain person (me) was a little moody, but I won't go into that!

3 y.o. and I went outside and drew pictures with sidewalk chalk, blew bubbles, played with the barn cats (although, why I call them barn cats when I seldom see them in the barn, I don't know.), and enjoyed the great weather.

16 y.o. got his homeschooling done faster than usual - with good grades. Red-letter day.

Husband couldn't be in the fields today harvesting, so he did business in town after he helped me with some laundry - big kudos to him. Later in the afternoon, I went to an organic dairy and got milk. 3 y.o. insisted that her Daddy needed to take her fishing. I came home and snapped a picture right before they finished. The only catch today was some pond weeds. Several fish got away. We have some really big bass in the pond as well as some crappie (to those of you who are not from the Midwest or the South, it's pronounced croppie - I've mispronounced it before to much laughter.) :o)

After the kids got to bed, I did some research for my young adult novel. Got some great information; had some inspiration for a direction to go in for the ending of the book and thought up a great line or two for the beginning of the book. (I guess they will be "great" lines if they end up in the final draft!) All in all, a very productive, satisfying day.

Chinese Proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

In John 21:24-25, John says, "This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." This was after Jesus had performed the miracle of filling the fishing nets with fish and then "reinstating" Peter. Verse 14 of the same chapter says: "This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead."

Beef, school and writing

Husband and I loaded up three grass-fed beef in a trailer this morning and then the four of us took them to the meat locker to be butchered. I took a picture, but haven't loaded it on the computer yet. Tomorrow I will update this post and add the picture.

Other than that, I just did housework, worked with Mitch on his schoolwork, took a nap with 3 y.o. (I'm going to miss when she doesn't take a nap anymore - it's a lovely tradition that I indulge in several days a week.), then we all watched "The Biggest Loser". Husband and I worked on the Sunday school lesson (he's the teacher) after the kids went to bed. I folded laundry after that and finally sat down to my young adult novel at 10pm. It was 12:30am before I finished for now.
One day, I love what I've written so far and the next day, I question whether anyone will want to read it. I've sent the next 8 pages to my critique group. They've already seen the first 10 pages and made some great revision suggestions.

Only three days to go before I go to the Iowa Novel Retreat. I hope to get some great info on plotting - and I'm getting the first 10 pages of my novel critiqued by a published author. The other two women in our critique group will also be at the retreat, so it will be nice to get together in person for the first time.

John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.