It’s hot outside. For the time of year, that is, and for our usual nearly sub-zero weather time period… It’s a freakishly balmy 22 degrees Celcius, and perhaps summer has finally decided to show its face. Not likely, but what the heck.

Made it home from visits to various offices for Rhiannon (dentist, education planning with SMD), and stocking up on supplies for the next couple/few weeks. Carrie’s got her Tough Duck winter-wear for work/odd jobs, I’ve got more jars for canning, we’ve got the tarps to cover the roof (still no contractor able to do it, everyone’s busy, so…tarps will have to suffice…), and we’ll have to make only one more trip to the lumber yard to get supplies.

Unfortunately, we’ll be missing Thanksgiving outings in favor of getting the RAV finished, the roof done and the house winterized for what I hope will be our last winter here. This is our only weekend to do it, so I hope family & friends understand…

That said, I have two big deadlines this week, and two next week. The two this week have been put off in favor of various “emergencies” and are now sitting in critical balance between breaking contracts and finishing. I prefer finishing.

Anyone interrupting and causing me to break the contracts will be expected to pay the monies lost. I am completely, utterly serious. Callous? Perhaps – but I lost over $1200 in August and September. The reasons shouldn’t have, and needn’t have involved me. I was out. I was done. I was dragged back in by accusations and manipulation, and further involved in things that weren’t my business, were juvenile and ridiculous at best, skeevy and underhanded at worst.

I have taken sage and counselled advice, and have begun writing what I will and won’t do or be involved in, and what I will and won’t allow to be done to myself or my girls, etc. This means to keep my well-being, sanity, health and happiness, I have to distance myself from people that have become toxic to me and mine, just as they should distance themselves from us, if they feel we are toxic to them. It means I am finally putting myself and my girls first. Something I have only done once, and it was the happiest 18 months of my life and their lives.

In the meantime, I have deadlines, and writing, and November to look forward to, because (as everyone knows!) November is NaNoWriMo, and this year – I’m in it to win it!

(how cliché was that? LOL)

Until next week, keep it real (keep it cliché!)…
<3 JL