Here's to The Amazing Tricks That Technology Allows Us To Do!

Technology helps me to keep my routines and maintain some balance between work, writing, and some personal relaxation time. I have loved my iPhone since I've had it and now my iPad 2 just makes life even easier (this is my first blog post done completely from the iPad).

My favorite writing app is My Writing Spot. I use this great app to organize and sync all my writing documents. There is web access or smartphone access. You can color code the documents that work together. For example, I have all my chapters for a Place to Call Their Own in one color, all my blog posts are another. Anytime I have a brainstorm for a new idea, I pound it out and then it's saved there for future reference, under it's unique color.

Everything is synced in one place and it's saved on the server, not on a hard drive that could crash or a even an external drive that could get damaged (which I almost did this last week!). Anytime I have a few minutes and my iPhone, I've been able to work away at my latest blog post, current chapter, or pound out the latest idea for the next project.

In addition to keep up with your writing goals, having Facebook and Twitter is awesome as well. As a writer trying to develop a platform, being able to tweet and post status updates is both fun and productive. How else would I have known that I hit 1000 Twitter followers around 4 AM this morning?

Here's a link to My Writing Spot:

http://www.mywritingspot.com/

What is your favorite technology/app/web site that keeps you productive or on your road to reaching your goal? I'd love your comments!

Don't Give Up Trying What you Really Want to Do...

Don’t give up trying what you really want to do.  Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. – Ella Fitzgerald.

What an inspiring quote from a legend!  No matter what journey you’re on and no matter what you’re trying to accomplish, I fully believe these words.

Even in my own “real world” career as a manager in a call center, my journey to get a promotion to the next level has not met with it’s challenges.  I returned to a call center environment in 2007 after a 13 year absence.  I was working at a door to door sales job and 2006-2007 was one of the worst winters I ever experienced in Denver.  As the temperatures cooled in 2007 and the snow outlook didn’t look at better than 2006, I left that job and went looking for “indoor work.”  I returned to a BPO call center and after working ten years at the bank.  I easily found myself excelling at my supervisor duties and loving the environment once again.  Then we moved to Northwest Arkansas.  It took me three months to find another call center job.  After a year and a half we moved to the Kansas City area and I had to transfer from customer care to a retail job to make the transfer.  After realizing that I wasn’t cut out to work retail hours at 39 years of age, I found my current job at another BPO organization.

Just with anything else I’ve pursued, my opportunity to shine and show my real skills didn’t just fall into my lap.  I had to be patient and “pay” my dues at the new company.  Six months and one Holiday Season later, my opportunity arrived and I grabbed it for my taking.  I’ve nearly reached my goal of being a second level manager, managing other supervisors.  And I’m enjoying every minute of it!

And I’m on the same journey with my writing.  It’s been a long journey so far and I still have far to go.  My goal is to move forward 500 tiny steps a day (that's 250 words on the novel and a 250 blog pat per day), that takes me just thirty minutes.  You can apply the same principles to the goal or goals you’re trying to accomplish.  Good Luck!

Share with me the “tiny step” can you start today to fulfill the goal you’re going after, I’d love to hear your stories, too!

Reflections after Reading The Girl Who Chased the Moon

If you're not a fan of magic or fantasy, you might enjoy The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. The Girl Who Chased the Moon is the story of Emily Benedict arriving in Mullaby, North Carolina to live with a grandfather she doesn't know.  As she adjusts to her new life, she learns about her mother's life and the secrets of the town that her mother left many years before.

I can definitely identify with Emily Benedict moving to a strange new place.  In the last three years we've moved to Bella Vista, AR, Joplin, MO, and now Kansas City, MO.

I made a mistake when I moved to Denver in 1994,  and that was not visiting some of the tourist attractions to get to know the city.  I lived near the Molly Brown House Museum for years and didn't get there until 2007 (and I moved in 2008).  I made a pact with myself to make sure that I got to know the sites in the places that I would move to in the future.

We visited many of the places around Bella Vista.  I got my inspiration to write A Place to Call Their Own after visiting the Pea Ridge National Military Park.  The picture of Thomas and I was taken there and is one of my favorites of us.

We also visited The George Washington Carver Birthplace near Diamond,MO and other historical sites in Bentonville, AR including the Wal-Mart Visitor's Center on the town square.  We fell in love with the resort town of Eureka Springs, AR and love all the fun that can be had in Branson, MO.

I am not necessarily a fan of fantasy or magic myself, but I did enjoy the story, I'm sure you will, too.

Check out Sarah Addison Allen's web site for book club discussion questions, recipes, and a guide to the full moons of the year:

http://www.sarahaddisonallen.com/index.html

When you visit new places do you like to check out local tourist attractions?  What are some of your favorite?  Your comments are welcome!

New Easter Routines

Easter Weekend is about to commence in the Pace-Frech household.  At the beginning of writing this blog post, we'll be leaving shortly for Maundy Thursday church services.  My family is coming over on Saturday night for Easter Dinner.  My ninety-one year old grandmother is traveling down to Kansas City for the first time to join us this year.  And then there's Easter Services on Sunday.  This will be our first Easter Service at Central Presbyterian.

One might think after reading about our activities this weekend that Easter weekend has always been busy for us, but that's not the case.  These Easter traditions are relatively new for me, spearheaded by my partner.  Easter Weekend 2008, he met my parents for the first time.  Last year my mom came down and surprised us with a visit on Easter. 

My point in sharing my new Easter traditions is to remind myself that it's never too late for new routines.  I'm constantly revising and reworking my routines around writing and sleeping and working third shift.  A new twist came in personal lives, so once again, I'll be mixing things up.

Good habits once established are just as hard to break as bad habits. - Robert Puller

Here's a picture of us on our first Easter together.  Have great weekend, everybody!

Keep on Beginning and Failing

Keep on beginning and failing.  Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose – not the one you began with perhaps but one you’ll be glad to remember - Anne Sullivan, tutor to Helen Keller

A wise manager told me one that successful people have more problems than others.  That’s what this quote speaks about, picking up the pieces and moving along towards your dreams and goals.

I've started writing again after a sizable break.  I really wanted to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and didn't have the energy to do that.  After feeling very guilty about not progressing on A Place to Call Their Own, I read an article in the current Writer's Digest about writer's block.  It says you can't be at your creative best when your mind is muddle with the stresses of the day.  That makes me feel a bit better, it even included tips to get the creative juices flowing during those times.

I cannot muddle in the past.  I must only move forward and keep working on my goal of getting at least the first draft of A Place to Call Their Own completed.  I have new routines in place that seem to be working with my third shift schedule.  I also have a new list of supporters, anxiously awaiting my next blog post and encouraging my work on my novel.

Where are you on your current journey?  Are you just beginning or are you starting all over again?  I'd love your comments!

More Grilling Tips

I also wrote this article on grilling vegetables. 

http://www.suite101.com/content/grilling-vegetables-a277464

Enjoy!

Update

I grilled steaks for the first time this season.  I thought I'd share a link to an article I wrote last year for Suite 101.

http://www.suite101.com/content/perfectly-grilled-meat--every-time-a246066



Enjoy!