1. I have read oodles of good books lately, some of which were described in my last post. And there are more on the horizon! If I ever am not holding a book, little Maverick probably won’t recognize me.
2. “Little” Maverick is growing up! He’s got three little teeth nubs (very sharp), he’s crawling like a big boy (i.e. not “commando” style anymore), and he’s pulling himself to stand up against pretty much everything: me, the coffee table, his sister, our cat, the sliding glass door, his crib, the toilet…. I look at him and I look at Z, and I can’t believe he’s going to grow up, that I’m not going to be able to control him pick him up and cuddle him whenever I feel like it.
And Maverick makes me giggle with the tried and true “pull all the toilet paper from the roll and bunch it on the floor” move.
3. Inspired by friend/fellow writer/health coach Jamie Weil, I made a vision board! Now, vision boards fall under the heading of “really cool creative things I could do to put off writing.” (Keeping vision boards company are things like character collages and detailed maps of fictional settings. And blog posts (see #5, below)). But I was feeling burnt out and overwhelmed with everything going on, and I have all these goals. So I got out some boxes of craft supplies and went to work. I’ve got family, healthy lifestyle (eating and exercising), and writing on there. There is no chocolate cake, because, unfortunately, chocolate cake does not support my goal of choosing foods that make me feel good in the long run.
4. Going along with the vision board & healthy eating, I made it through 21 days in a row of eating vegetables at lunch and dinner! And even though I accomplished my goal of 21 days, the habit carried through, and I ate vegetables with both of those meals yesterday. It feels great to succeed at something.
From habitforge.com
5. Despite that success, I’ve been feeling like I put the “suc” in success these days. Everywhere I go on the webternetz, I’m feeling insecure and like I have nothing good to add to conversations, and I’m really seriously considering giving up this blog because I haven’t been enjoying it. I love you all, I truly do. It’s just an added pressure lately, to come up with something to say that I don’t wholeheartedly hate. (And doesn’t sound like whining. Like this. See?!) This means it’s time for another Internet Blackout! The rules: I get 30 minutes per day to check email over the course of the next two weeks. No blogs, no Twitter, no Facebook. It’ll be tough but I think I’ll be mentally healthier for it. And my house might be cleaner, too. The Internet Blackout will commence tomorrow, and I’ll be back (maybe!) on Friday, February 22nd.
Beth Hull 
Ha! Add psychic to your list of talents, my friend. (You’ll get that on my next Weds. blog starring procrastination.) And can I just say that vision boards are SO NOT procrastinating. This is necessary pre-writing that is essential to your writing–maybe even more than the writing itself. Yes! Let’s keep telling ourselves that. You ALWAYS contribute so much to any sandbox you crawl in, Beth, and I for one am so grateful you play in mine:) Give tp-toddler and Z besitos for me. Good times.
Thanks, Jamie. Your sandbox is awesomeness.
I want to see your vision board!
Okay, I’ll add it to the bottom of the post. A detail of it is the feature image, but it’s only about half.
Love it!
Thank you!
I’ve been tempted to do an Internet blackout, too. I hate feeling like I waste so much time online.
I’ve done it once before – it’s refreshing!
Okay, I’m in. Internet blackout, except for email, for…uh…two…uh…one week. Am hoping that if I succeed for the shorter time, I’ll be encouraged to do it for longer. Dedicating the new found time to writing up a storm.
Wahoo, Pat! Two people doing it makes it officially “a movement.”
Vision board, veggie eating, blackout–a very positive post, Beth! I’m wondering if you don’t have to close down your blog, but just post whenever the chiming-in mood strikes, and, of course, time permits. As a subscriber, I’m okay with that!
That sounds like a good idea, PB, letting the chiming-in mood direct posting frequency.