I did it! I set a goal and persevered...

I managed to stick with it and finish the story I started for National Novel Writing Month-November.  From afar I've watched other writers tweet and post about this amazing challenge and I was curious.  I don't know what spurred me on this particular month but I went for it.

And I finished with more than 50,000 words.  I think my story has something to say to teens and young adults, it's a little bit thrilling, and filled with a cast of cool characters.  I am going to spend December combing back through it, revising it, and trying to add to it.  I would love to find the right path to publication.

This month has been a month of firsts and I'm so glad I can add #nanowrimo15 to my list of accomplishments.  Groovy Girl danced along side professionals from the MN Ballet; this was super thrilling to her, my husband and I took a mini-vacation together (these are pretty infrequent), and I got together with two college friends that I hadn't seen for many years and I missed them in my life so much-nice to write 50,000+ words in a month and have a wonderful gathering with old friends.

{Me, Betsy, Angela @Dixie's on Grand Ave.}

The other major first is that we've been preparing Groovy Girl for a long-distance adventure. Passports, bags, summer clothes, bug spray, and books have all been purchased so she can head to Nicaragua on a mission trip through Rotary and our church.  Groovy Girl and I have contributed to the shoe box project which helps kids transition to school, and now she will have the opportunity to help in person.  She leaves early Wednesday morning and will be gone for a week.  Bon voyage. We know she will come back a changed young woman.

I'm saying farewell to November with a huge smile on my face. I'm welcoming in December knowing I will be able to relax a little more, and face new adventures as well.  Hopefully I can get back to writing here on a more regular basis. We ate some delicious food on Thanksgiving and it wasn't turkey-I want to share those recipes with you soon.  Until then-be peaceful...

Taking November by storm...

{Scene from Mn Ballet-The Nutcracker}

I feel terrible when I look at this blog that I love so much and see that a month is half over and I haven't posted books or recipes or even what my life is like.  If I review blog posts many of them share a common theme of crazy busy happy life.  The month of November has been like that + more, like us amped up on lots Halloween candy.

Groovy Girl is in rehearsal for The Nutcracker with the Minnesota Ballet through her local dance studio.  She is excited to use her dramatic and dancer skills in such a favorite production.  We've gone several times to this show as she was growing up and I remember the first time like it was yesterday. She had on a magical deep blue dress and she couldn't sit still. Luckily we were sitting on the aisle in a front balcony and I could let her dance next to me as the dancers on stage made her want to dance with them.  The performance is soon and I will be happy to watch her perform and then happy to cross it off my schedule.

While she has been busy with that I decided at the end of October that this was the perfect time to try my hand at National Novel Writing 2015 so every spare moment between her rehearsals for Nutcracker and regular dance classes (5) and cheerleading activities I've been piecing together a story.  I'm at about 21,000 words and I need to write double time to finish by November 30th. I don't know if what I am writing is good but it feels fantastic to write it out.  Several pieces of the story are real events that I've always wanted to incorporate into something real.

I also threw in two weekend trips because they were already scheduled and I wasn't going to give them up.  My husband whisked me away to Iowa City for a night away-I was able to do some writing there.  I also had a date with two college friends in St. Paul and that provided research as that is the setting for my story.  It all works out. That's my mantra.

Work is also crazy right now even though about a week ago I felt caught up-in that one moment because now I'm racing to get things finished up for conferences and our Scholastic book fair which occur very quickly after Thanksgiving.  Oh and I am really looking forward to that lovely day of relaxation with my family.  We are eating very unconventionally and then have a playdate with freinds for board games and cocktails at our house. Hopefully by then I will have really caught up in my daily word counts for nanowrimo2015 and I won't feel a bit of guilt as I hang out with friends.