Weekly Update: 3-28-15 Home Economics

My streak of substitute jobs continues, as I was called in to work 4 out of 5 days. The only day I didn't work (Tuesday), I decided it was time to clean. Throughout most of March, I'd watched the kitchen and living room get messier and messier, until I could stand it no longer. I whipped out a broom, a vacuum, and all kinds of disinfectants and got busy tidying up.

I like to think of myself as a creative person, if for no other reason than I like to create things: stories, cards, food. Thing is, I can't seem to create anything without also creating a mess. Even something as simple as writing often leaves the room in a whirl of papers and pens. I don't like to clean, but I know if I leave the mess for too long, my mind will get messy. I'll lose my sense of discipline and start to procrastinate. Thus, I find myself in a maddening cycle of making messes and cleaning them up.

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My friend Ashley needed some cheering up, so I wanted to make her a cake, but since she's a vegan, baking is tricky. Fortunately, I found a recipe for a simple fudge cake that required no tricky ingredients, like soy milk or vegan egg substitute. I couldn't make a frosting, because of lack of butter, so I put a glaze on some strawberries and called it a day.

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This week, I haven't gotten much in the way of writing done, but I did finish my brainstorming for Counterfeit Diamond, the new novel I hope to write in April for Nanowrimo. With spring break looming over the horizon, I'm hoping I get the chance to get caught up. I've also been working at publishing The Changelings as a print version. Kaleo, my illustrator, has just about finished the back cover. With any luck, I'll have my proof copies at the beginning of April, giving me a chance to check for any last minute mistakes.