by Nikki Amare | Oct 24, 2018 | Musings
I am one of those people who loves to learn new things. Every month, I make sure to set aside time to take a new online course. Most of the time they have something to do with publishing or writing, but I also take a lot of online courses that have nothing to do with either of those things. This isn’t something new for me.
Back before there was an online course or video tutorial for everything like there is now, I taught myself how to knit. I decided one day that I wanted to learn so I found a book and I read it from cover to cover several times. I’ll never be a master knitter. While I like to knit on occasion it’s not something I’m passionate about or something I want to do all the time. It’s the same for embroidery and cross-stitch. I wanted to learn and occasionally I’ll decide to take on a project, but it’s not something I want to do all the time.
There are other things I’ve learned because I thought it might be interesting only to realize I didn’t really enjoy it all. I’ve also tried other things I was only mildly interested in to start with and then realized it was something I actually liked doing.
Last year, I started a list of things I’d like to try. I’m always adding to it and marking things off as I go. About half of the things on my list at the moment are related to homesteading since Hubby and I plan to homestead once we move. There are skills I already have thanks to growing up in the country and watching/helping my mom and grandmother doing things like gardening and canning. Although, I’m the first to admit I did not inherit their green thumbs.
Thankfully, Hubby has his own green thumb because when it comes to plants I can harvest with the best of people but keeping them alive is beyond me. Case in point: I decided to grow green onions in my kitchen window. Three times I planted and nurtured them and three times they were dead within a month. Hubby got tired of seeing me fail so he took over and a year later his green onions are still going strong. So I think I’ll leave the gardening to him.
One of the big things on my list at the moment is to learn to use a sewing machine and learning to quilt. I can sew by hand, but I’ve never mastered the use of a sewing machine. In fact, the last time I tried I got it so tangled up it took forever to get it untangled. I know it’s going to be a challenge but I also think it’s a useful skill to have; both sewing and quilting.
I have a few other things like learning to make soaps and lotions that I’d also like to learn. I have very sensitive skin and several allergies that make it hard for me to find products that don’t make me break out in hives, itch, or have trouble breathing, so making my own makes the most sense. And it will be cheaper than having to buy handmade soaps like I do now.
Of course, those things will have to wait until we after we move, in the mean time I’m learning new programs and skills that will help with publishing. Things like creating vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator and designing an ebook in Adobe InDesign. I already know how to use InDesign since that’s the program I use to do print layout, but right now I use Sigil to design my ebooks. So I’m going to take some time to add that skill to my repertoire.
What about you? Do you like learning new things? If so, what is one thing you’d like to learn?
by Nikki Amare | Oct 18, 2018 | Musings
If you’ve read my bio or follow me on social media then odds are you’ve realized I’m a nerd. I’m also a huge Doctor Who fan. I started watching it when Christopher Eccleston played the ninth Doctor, but David Tennant was the Doctor, who made me fall in love with the show. He made me laugh, made me cry, and made me love him more each time. I was heartbroken when he left and was determined not to like Matt Smith. That determination lasted about halfway through the first season and then I found myself liking him in spite of missing the previous Doctor. It was the same for Peter Capaldi. It took me a little longer to warm up to him, but by the end I knew I was going to miss him.
This season has just started and it’s history-making. For the first time, Doctor Who is being played by a woman. Jodi Whittaker crashed onto the screen October 7th.
Peter Capaldi’s Doctor was a bit dark. Jodi Whittaker has gone to the opposite end of the spectrum with her bubbly, but not annoying, personality. She plays the doctor with a lightness that I think we all need. The real world is a dark enough place at the moment that her colorful outfit, lighthearted commentary, and joy of life is a refreshing change. I love this show for so many reasons. One of the biggest is its ability to pull me in enough that I can—just for a little bit—escape from the world around me. Most of the time that I’m watching television I’m also doing something else—knitting, checking social media, reading, etc. Doctor Who is one of the few shows I give my full attention to when it’s on. If I don’t, then I end up missing too much.
If you’re not already a Whovian (a Doctor Who fan), then I highly recommend you check it out. If you’re in the USA, it’s on BBC America or you can buy it on Amazon Prime.
by Nikki Amare | Oct 10, 2018 | Musings
I have always believed books are important. With the state of American politics at the moment, I believe they are even more important now. Books give us a place to escape the harsh realities around us. Regardless of what your political leanings, I think it is undeniable that there is so much negativity on the news, on tv, on social media, etc. that we can all use a moment where we can step outside of everything and immerse ourselves in fiction.
I think romance, more than any other genre, is what this world needs now. I’m not saying that simply because I read and write in the genre, but because it’s one of the most diverse genres. By diverse I’m not only talking about the cultural backgrounds or sexual orientations of characters, but but also the authors themselves. This community is primarily women, but there is also a growing number of men who are writing romance. With each new voice added to the genre, we as readers, are introduced to a new world view whether we realize it or not.
Over the years I’ve seen article after article written that denigrate the romance genre and/or romance writers. Most of which have been written by people who don’t read the genre. From the outside, people look at the romance genres as “mommy porn” and “bodice rippers”, nothing more. They miss the point altogether. It is so much more than those things.
Romance gives women, and men alike, a fantasy of what’s possible. It gives it’s readers an escape. It shows that women can be strong and still find good men who will love them for that strength. It shows men they can be strong, but that it’s also okay to be weak. That allowing a woman to be strong doesn’t make them any less of a man.
This genre reflects the changes in society that have happened, that are happening, and that will happen. And it teaches us that while love might not conquer all, it makes those hard times more bearable.
by Nikki Amare | Sep 26, 2018 | Musings
I should be working on my book right now, but instead I’m working on every thing but my book. Or at least it seems that way. Part of the reason is, I’ve been so hit and miss with my writing that I’m finally at a point where I can’t remember what’s happening in the book, let alone where it’s going. I’ve been saying for the last month that I need to sit down and reread everything from the beginning, but so far I’ve read the first chapter like six times. I did manage to get to the second chapter the other day but that’s as far as I’ve gotten. I need about six hours to just sit down and read through it, maybe make myself some notes or an outline or something so I’ll know what happened in previous chapters. I already know it’s most likely going to go through considerable revisions before I send it off to my editor. Once I get everything packed up and we’re ready to leave, I’ll be able to finish this book in no time. But I also thought we’d be done or close to being done by now and well… we’re not even close.
Is it possible for stuff to breed while I’m sleeping because I swear that’s what’s happening? Every time I clean out a room it seems like there’s more stuff in it the next day. I’m currently working on my office. I’ve already got three boxes of books I plan to donate; some to the public library and some to the school library. I also have four bags of office supplies I’m going to donate to the local elementary school. It’s mostly loose leaf paper, notebooks, three-ring binders, and some pencils and things. It’s not a ton of stuff, but I’m sure the school will appreciate it nonetheless.
I still have books to go through. So many books. Which really shouldn’t surprise anyone since I’m pretty sure every author/writer has a good sized book collection. I actually think it might be a requirement. But, like everything else in this house, I’m only keeping the stuff I absolutely love—that includes books. I’m getting rid of some of the books that I have multiples of or various versions (ie. Paperback and Hardback). Still, I think deciding which books to donate has been the hardest part of this move for me yet. I love them all, but I know I won’t have the room for all of my books in the new house. Honestly, I don’t have enough room for all of them in this house which is why a good portion of them were already in boxes in the bottom of the closet. My bookcases were already full and I didn’t have any more room for more bookcases. So it’s time to let them go and hope that they find another reader to love them. Maybe they will inspire a new generation of authors/writers they way they did me.
by Nikki Amare | Sep 19, 2018 | Musings
We’re in the process of trying to move. This means going through a lifetime of boxes and others things we’ve packed away. There are boxes I’d packed when I moved out of my apartment and in with my husband many, many years ago. Boxes I’d forgotten I even had, as they’d been put in the closet and then over the years had been shuffled from one place to another. Since I haven’t needed anything in those box in over ten years most of the stuff was thrown away. But this whole process has really opened my eyes to the amount of stuff (ie. junk) we store. I mean, there are things I’m not even sure why I had in the first place, let alone why I kept it all these years. There are things we have multiples of because my husband is bad about never putting things back where he got them. We’re really trying to get rid of things and only keep the items we really want or need. I’m tired of having a house that has more storage space than living space.
Part of us moving is to make our lives easier. I want a smaller house, one that is easy to keep clean and doesn’t have a ton of extra space for storing things. I mean, obviously we’ll have storage but only for the things we actually use, not a lot of room to add things we don’t need. Ideally we’ll start the one thing in, one thing out method where you can’t buy something unless you get rid of something else. This will be much either for me than it will be for Hubby.
We’re planning to build a house. And when I say build… Hubby and I will be doing the actual building. We want this house to be what we want and since we have the skills, it makes more sense to do it ourselves. Plus, it will mean more that way. And I want things to mean more. I want the things I have in my life to mean something to me. We’re not planning to build a big house. There are only two of us and a small dog so it’s not like we need a lot of room. Plus, part of the point of moving is to be able to be outside more. We want a healthier, happier, more sustainable lifestyle.
Hubby is looking forward to having a garden and being able to grow our own food. He’s tried several times here but it’s so hot that most things don’t want to grow and if they do they are often lacking the flavor we’d like. So having a big garden is something we’re both looking forward to but it will be his baby as I have a black thumb. I grew up on a farm where we had huge gardens and plants everywhere, yet I did not inherit that gift. My grandmother was one of those people who could take a plant you were sure was dead and within a few months it would be green and full and beautiful. My mom is the same way.
Me, you give me a nice health plant they say you can’t kill and that sucker will be dead within six months easy—probably sooner. So the garden will be all his.
But that means I’ll be making a lot of pickles. While I did not get the green thumb, I did learn how to can and pickle. I’m looking forward to having a pantry full of glass jars instead of metal cans.
So as I go through things here, I keep those things firmly in my mind. I picture the life I want, the one we’re trying to build, and it makes it a lot easier to throw out that thing I don’t really need—and if I take it will me will probably end up in a box in the closet forever—but have been hanging onto for some reason. I have a few sentimental items I plan to keep. Things that remind me of a certain time in my life or of someone I lost. For the most part, however, I find myself getting rid of things I never thought I would. Instead of making me sad, as I thought it might with somethings, it’s actually freeing. I’m giving myself permission to leave the past behind, to focus on the future, and to become who I really want to be.
by Nikki Amare | Sep 12, 2018 | Musings
If you read my last post then you know I’ve been on vacation. I’m back home now and I have a ton of things to catch up on. Hubby made a lot of progress on the packing while I was gone, which is good because it gets us that much closer to being able to move. My vacations wasn’t really a vacation-vacation. I went home to visit family, since it’s been awhile and once we move it will probably be a few years before I’ll be able to get back. I had a nice time and got to spend some quality time with my parents. They’re no longer together so I split my time between the two of them while I was there.
I was supposed to be back a few days before I actually got home. Tropical Storm Gordon hitting the Gulf Coast had the airlines cancelling my flight so I had to rescheduled for a few days later, which my mom was fine with since she never wants me to leave.
While I was up there I decided it was time for a change and chopped all of my hair off. Hubby was a bit surprised at how short it is considering it had been below my shoulder and I’m now sporting a pixie cut. I’ve shaved like thirty minutes off of my morning routine since it takes me like five minutes to dry and fix my hair now. And that’s only if I blow dry it instead of letting it air dry which is what I have been doing most of the time. Then I use the flat iron to deal with a few problem areas and it’s done. So the new me has short hair and more time. You can’t beat that.
My mom took me to the state fair while I was up there. It’s been forever since I went to a fair of any kind. Of course as a kid I loved the rides. As an adult the food tends to draw my attention more. I probably ate more than I should have and I definitely didn’t eat healthy. I weighted myself when I got home and while I haven’t lost any weight, I haven’t gained any either, so I will consider that a win. Especially considering how often I ate out while I was up there—something we hardly ever do at home. I guess it’s a good thing I also did a lot of walking.
The day I was supposed to be leaving my mom took me to this little tea house downtown called, Tea’s Me. It is one of those places that if I lived nearby I would be writing it in all the time. It had a cozy, comfortable, and inviting atmosphere. They have a mix of regular chairs and couches and while the place is small there’s still plenty of room to move around without worrying about bumping into someone else. The staff was very friendly and the food was excellent. They have a variety of teas and I wish I would have had time to try them all. If you ever find yourself in the Indianapolis area and you like tea, I highly recommend you check out Tea’s Me.
Now that I’m home, I will be focusing on trying to find some kind of schedule where I can write for an hour or two in the mornings and then spend the rest of the day packing. I’m not really a morning person so I’m not sure how well the writing in the mornings is going to go, but I’ve got to make more time for my writing if I’m ever going to finish this book. I’m already way behind in my writing/publishing schedule. This book should have already been finished, so I’ve really got to buckle down and write! But I really need to get things packed and moved into the storage unit so we can sell these houses too. So September is going to be a busy month for me.
What are your plans for the month? Anything exciting?
What kind of changes have you recently made?
