My little guy and I got to visit his daddy at work yesterday. The trip was made complete with a Happy Meal and an ice cream. My guy also enjoyed entertaining his daddy’s coworkers for a bit. After an adventure like that, he is going to think being a CPA is the best job in the world!
"Pursuing what you want to do and achieving your goal is not like finding the burning bush or discovering a gold mine. There are usually no epiphanies, no sudden reversals of fortune. Fulfillment comes in fits and starts… Fulfillment comes in many guises, and it can come into our lives at any time… But only we can make sure it will be fulfilled. If we feel empty, no amount of water can fill our well. It has to come from within, from the underground springs and streams." — Mary Morris
To be a successful freelancer you need two things—the ability to provide quality work and clients that are willing to pay for that work. When I decided to become a full-time freelancer, I was certain I could provide writing that would make my editors happy. The right preparations also gave me the confidence that I would have a solid client base to get me started. Here are my three main sources for freelance assignments:
There are days when even the smallest thing can seem like a mountain to climb. Getting my little guy dressed, explaining why birds fly, finishing a story or just doing the dishes can sometimes seem daunting. A long time ago I heard Marjorie Holmes’s prayer "Just for Today." I had forgotten all the words, but there are several times I find myself repeating the first line– "Oh, God, give me grace for this day."
I just stumbled across the poem again and thought I’d share it (plus, I’m planning on taking my little guy on a few adventures today, which I know will require some extra grace).
Oh, God, give me grace for this day.
Not for a lifetime, nor for next week, not for tomorrow, just for this day.
Direct my thoughts and bless them,
Direct my work and bless it.
Direct the things I say and give them blessing, too.
Direct and bless everything that I think and speak and do.
So that for this one day, just this one day, I have the gift of grace that comes from your presence.
Happy weekending! May you find all the grace you need to get through the fun and to-do lists you have in store.
A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz. — Humphrey Bogart
A few weeks ago we got to take my little guy to his first Major League Baseball game. The sun was shining, the seats were great and the Nationals won. My guy got to have popcorn and his first Cracker Jacks. He was thrilled when his daddy told him he could have "his very own Sprite"–a rare treat in our house. My guy munched and cheered up until the seventh inning stretch, when we decided to go ahead and head home. It was the perfect way to start our summer!
I love the quick and dirty tips offered up on Grammar Girl. The girl recently took on bad vs. badly, which is one I’ve caught myself wondering about before, so I thought I’d share the link: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/bad-versus-badly.aspx.
-Having an indoor marshmallow roast with my boys (marshmallows city style, as my hubby says).
-Enjoying brunch with a friend and indulging in strawberry waffles, plenty of bacon and eggs benedict.
-Checking a whole bunch of things off of my to-do list.
-Getting spicy Thai food with my hubby in an effort to induce labor (it didn’t work).
-Celebrating my birthday with my boys.
-Having Evan help me unwrap my presents, the same ones he picked out and helped wrap, and seeing the excitement on his face when he ‘discovered’ what each one was. He picked out cupcake mix and sprinkles, which means I’ll get to have another simple joy when we make the sweet treats.
Right now I’m loving Alice McDermott’s novel After This. Her descriptions are so beautiful. I hope to finish it tomorrow, so I’ll talk about it more later. But, I want to know, what are you reading right now and what is on your to-read list? I just added Tinkers by Paul Harding to mine after reading this article about Harding’s path to getting published. I’m also looking forward to Allison Winn Scotch’s latest novel that comes out soon. She is giving away another chance to win a copy on her blog.
Our weekend-o-fun got underway Saturday morning when we piled in the car and headed off to Philly for the weekend. It was the family version of a babymoon before baby girl arrives. We set out with only one goal in mind—to make some memories.
There were sweet treats—donuts for breakfast and ice cream before bed,
fun rides at Sesame Place,
and hands-on learning opportunities at the Please Touch Museum.
There was also plenty of snuggle time for mom, cheesesteaks for dad and jumping on the bed for my guy. My guy also got his fix of roller coasters and got to stay on his favorite ride at Sesame Place five times in a row since there was no line. His daddy was a good sport, but looked a little green when they finally got off the roller coaster.
There were a few moments-o-reality thrown in along the way. I underestimated the direct correlation between my energy level and my patience—not just with my little guy but also with other people’s children. There was also the fact that my little guy decided he no longer liked pizza, chicken nuggets or French fries—foods he really shouldn’t have but are all too convenient and often the only things readily available on a road trip.
On our drive home, I was thinking about the trip—the good, not-so-good and ordinary moments that made up the 33-hour getaway. Giving my little guy 50 cents to buy a finger puppet when we stopped for gas, sharing a funnel cake with my hubby and watching my guy jump on the bed for an hour straight were the highlights. I took a lot of pictures, shared a lot of smiles and made memories that most likely will shine brighter for me than they ever will for my little guy. The best part of the trip was that I was able just to be there will my boys—without my computer, without my to-do list and without worrying about all I needed to accomplish in the day.
In her book Loud and Clear, Anna Quindlen talks about being present. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”
I’m also guilty of not being in the moment often enough, but I am happy to say during the past weekend, I was able to just enjoy our time together as a family.
Whew–we returned from our weekend-o-fun (more to come on that later). I’m exhausted, so instead of coming up with something original, I thought I’d share this great article from Inc. Magazine–10 Tips for Moms Who Run Businesses. It has great advice for everyone who runs a business, a household or both!
