While I'm usually very organized and have an excel file with lists of things to do on my Sabbatical, at this point I find myself in a rush and therefore this is more random than usual.
I am on a 6 month break of which I find that shockingly, 3 months are already up. Therefore, I'm just putting down a bunch of things which as I look back over the last 3 months stand out for me personally. Bear with me if you've heard some of these before. This is a compilation. Sort of like the 'Best of.' You know?
Okay, here goes:
1. Launched my first book 'Just Married, Please Excuse.' In case you're wondering, it's doing pretty well, although I'm still struggling with distribution in stores - it keeps running out of stock. Good thing, right? Except that it means it is NOT there in so many places. Sigh.
2. Sent off the draft for my second book to my Editor. I will find out this Thursday what she thought of it - she had liked the first ten chapters a lot, but the whole story is a whole different ball game. Fingers crossed. It was so much tougher to write this since it's Fiction, unlike JMPE.
3. Had the biggest party I've ever thrown for my kids - a sort of combined party for Pickle, Papad and Peanut, all of whom are July born kids. The fact that I haven't had the time to blog about it just goes to show how busy I've been despite being off work.
4. Done the Zumba Fitness thing - for almost 3 months now. I think I'm kind of hooked. Even toyed with the idea of doing some trainee-instructor-type-thing in the middle, but abandoned it for fear of taking on too much.
5. Spent a lot more time than ever before with my darling Grandmother, who has been diagnosed with cancer at the ripe old age of 90. Spending time with the family - with her and my three kids - has been a huge blessing.
6. Got my tax returns filed. *High five me, SOMEONE!* and generally am starting to get a bit more organized about the house thingies. It amazes me how much there is always to do - the RO needs repair, this geyser conked off, the cupboard is falling apart, that light doesn't work, the car needs servicing, the gas needs re-ordering (again) while the gas agency has decided to take a vacation from answering phones - it never ends. Amazing. Need to get a LOT more organized about this stuff. Suggestions, anyone?
7. Volunteered to - and actually delivered it - tell a story at my little daughter's KG class. That too on a topic which I had NO idea about - Eid! Got a bunch of printouts and it was chaos, but immense fun. Won't be doing it in a hurry, but Peanut was so immensely proud - spellbound, actually - I'm glad I did it.
8. Shared my experience with Buddhism for the first time in a Zadenkai ( Experience sharing meeting). Yes, I know it's a shocker, but I am a follower of Nichiren Buddhism. Doesn't show yet, does it? It's been over a year and a half now, and I love the philosophy, although I'm still a little ambivalent on some points - never been a very social type ( now, THAT you knew, right?) and I'm quite shy about being discussing this with people. But I have to say it's done great things for me so far.
So that's about it. I went briefly over my list and I saw stuff about wanting to learn guitar, read a lot more, and various other projects I had laid out for myself. No progress on those things so far, it's been crazy enough with the above things. But hey, we can't have everything, right? The idea of the sabbatical was also to just learn how to take it easy, just 'be', relax and enjoy myself - in the moment, you know?
*I start guitar classes tomorrow*
I am on a 6 month break of which I find that shockingly, 3 months are already up. Therefore, I'm just putting down a bunch of things which as I look back over the last 3 months stand out for me personally. Bear with me if you've heard some of these before. This is a compilation. Sort of like the 'Best of.' You know?
Okay, here goes:
1. Launched my first book 'Just Married, Please Excuse.' In case you're wondering, it's doing pretty well, although I'm still struggling with distribution in stores - it keeps running out of stock. Good thing, right? Except that it means it is NOT there in so many places. Sigh.
2. Sent off the draft for my second book to my Editor. I will find out this Thursday what she thought of it - she had liked the first ten chapters a lot, but the whole story is a whole different ball game. Fingers crossed. It was so much tougher to write this since it's Fiction, unlike JMPE.
3. Had the biggest party I've ever thrown for my kids - a sort of combined party for Pickle, Papad and Peanut, all of whom are July born kids. The fact that I haven't had the time to blog about it just goes to show how busy I've been despite being off work.
4. Done the Zumba Fitness thing - for almost 3 months now. I think I'm kind of hooked. Even toyed with the idea of doing some trainee-instructor-type-thing in the middle, but abandoned it for fear of taking on too much.
5. Spent a lot more time than ever before with my darling Grandmother, who has been diagnosed with cancer at the ripe old age of 90. Spending time with the family - with her and my three kids - has been a huge blessing.
6. Got my tax returns filed. *High five me, SOMEONE!* and generally am starting to get a bit more organized about the house thingies. It amazes me how much there is always to do - the RO needs repair, this geyser conked off, the cupboard is falling apart, that light doesn't work, the car needs servicing, the gas needs re-ordering (again) while the gas agency has decided to take a vacation from answering phones - it never ends. Amazing. Need to get a LOT more organized about this stuff. Suggestions, anyone?
7. Volunteered to - and actually delivered it - tell a story at my little daughter's KG class. That too on a topic which I had NO idea about - Eid! Got a bunch of printouts and it was chaos, but immense fun. Won't be doing it in a hurry, but Peanut was so immensely proud - spellbound, actually - I'm glad I did it.
8. Shared my experience with Buddhism for the first time in a Zadenkai ( Experience sharing meeting). Yes, I know it's a shocker, but I am a follower of Nichiren Buddhism. Doesn't show yet, does it? It's been over a year and a half now, and I love the philosophy, although I'm still a little ambivalent on some points - never been a very social type ( now, THAT you knew, right?) and I'm quite shy about being discussing this with people. But I have to say it's done great things for me so far.
So that's about it. I went briefly over my list and I saw stuff about wanting to learn guitar, read a lot more, and various other projects I had laid out for myself. No progress on those things so far, it's been crazy enough with the above things. But hey, we can't have everything, right? The idea of the sabbatical was also to just learn how to take it easy, just 'be', relax and enjoy myself - in the moment, you know?
*I start guitar classes tomorrow*
You don't let the grass grow under your feet, that's clear.
ReplyDeleteMake the most of your time with your grandmother. May she be as pain-free as possible.
Quite a busy time, you have had. Can't imagine how things will be after you get back to work.
ReplyDeleteThings related to home are always endless, aren't they? Even when you think you have delegated some parts of it. I stay on top by having lists- master lists, chore charts, master groceries list, daily to dos, recurring maintainence etc.
You must be having a system like this as well. How do you do it?
OMG!! You make me feel like a snail & a tortoise combined!! Does your day have 30 hours? Can I borrow some time??
ReplyDeleteThe coolest thing!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! Yes I wanted to write and possibly win :)
Hope u liked my comedy of errors style actual story! And yeah book review will follow soon along with word of mouth reco :)
Afterall its such a wonderful book, in a long time!
You are super-busy woman. Really you work so much.
ReplyDeleteGuitar?...Oh I am also learning guitar and shockingly it has gone missing from the place, where it was kept. It seems Guitar doesn't like me :)
All the best Y.
packing so many things in a day- awesome. r u sure your day has only 24 hrs?. cheers
ReplyDeleteAwesome. I am on a sabbatical of sorts too. I mean after 4 years of being a medical "resident" I deserve a break and do basic stuff like update my voters card, ration card etc. And of course, give the husband some time. Enjoy your break
ReplyDelete