Dinner went well

Yesterday Richard called me from work and asked if I'd be able to scramble up some dinner for friends if he invited them over...I said okay.

What was I thinking????

When we were in the military we did this a lot - a lot of socializing goes on within that group, anyway.

However, with the help of the Internet, since I have none of my cookbooks here...I made homemade salsa and chips, Texas Chili, Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, a salad and for dessert, apple crisp and ice cream. I didn't make the ice cream, but I did have to cook some tortillas for chips.

It went over VERY well! Richard even ate the leftovers for breakfast! (I had planned to have them for dinner!)

The interesting thing is that everything called for chili powder and I had none...so I even made my own chili powder!

This is one of the irritating things that get to me - the fact I can't hop in the car and run down to the store! LOL In another way, it forced me to rethink the menu and improvise - creativity at its finest.

Technically, I'm a day ahaed...

Of the East Coast of the USA, anyway...LOL.

Talking to a buddy about writing today.

We were discussing how writing is a lone endeavor. You simply can't pull family and friends into it.

I told her how I was planning to buckle down and really get into my writing. I was hermiting away - making myself scarce so I could do something I truly enjoy.

I was also getting to the point that I want to be less involved in outside interests. I want to spend more time with my family and friends and less time running thither and yon doing stuff because I feel obligated or am coerced into it.

I told her I plan to be a small ripple on a pond in other people's lives...and make big cannonball splashes in my own life.

I'm still having fun with my writing...its going great.

Time to work!

I stopped both my blogs for a while because I needed to concentrate on other things. One of which was my writing. Finished writing a novella and its now out there being perused by an editor.

The other reason I stopped blogging was because a few family crises cropped up. Some are now taken care of, some aren't. That's the way it is in families. Everything will eventually resolve and then we'll move to the next crisis.

And the third reason I stopped blogging...I moved to Saudi Arabia. Not permanently. In fact, its really only a visit. I'll be coming back in April. I am not allowed to drive, go out in public without the husband and must always wear my abaya (black tent dress covers from neck to knees) outside our compound. I pretty much have to entertain myself at the apartment while husband works so telling stories on paper seemed the way to go .

The fourth reason I stopped is because we quit working on the house, which is why there's nothing new on the construction blog. www.constructiondiarystahels.blogspot.com

So here in SA, I've been writing up a storm. The science-fiction is getting the bulk of my attention. I have been sending family & friends emails with my adventures/misadventures, too.

Anyway, figured now was the time to get the old blog rolling again. We shall see what transpires with it.

I am enjoying writing. I'd forgotten how much I loved it. The last few years I've had to juggle a lot of stuff and squeeze writing in when I could. I got to the point that I wondered if I truly enjoyed writing. Now I realize that by letting other things entangle me that I let go of one of the things I loved because it was easier to let it go than to deal with other people's perceptions. Now that I know this that will not happen again. How's that for convoluted?

Anyway, point is that I sent a novella off Jan 31 and have started writing another book. Its fun. I'm having a blast. And I feel secure in the knowledge that my writing is back on track and I can start blogging again, too.

We'll see how the adventure continues!