No Such Thing as a Day Off
Today, in the US, it's 'open your veins and bleed for the government' day, otherwise known as tax day. Dutiful citizens that we are, we got them filed before the deadline. But it was close. I don't like to wait until the end, just in case something comes up missing and it takes us half a day to find it.
I haven't blogged in two weeks! That's the longest I've ever gone without blogging. It felt weird. But it was necessary. We got a lot done--and yet we were still short of our goals.
In the past two weeks we:
• Did taxes
• Dug nearly 500 feet of trenches
• Lay water pipes to the future goats and back orchard
• Planted two BIG pecan trees
• Tilled and hoed two full gardens
• Planted one of the two gardens
• Hatched two batches of chicks
• Moved half a dump truck of dirt for the bed of the goat shelter
• Started the skeleton of the shelter
• Cut and burned brush
• Moved some more dirt to low spots
• Buried the trenches back with dirt (back-breaking work, by the way!)
Oh, and when I wasn't working outside, I was designing covers.
In the past two weeks, I've created five of them. I can't show you most of them since the authors aren't ready for their reveals, but here are a couple I did for James Garcia Jr.. These are for a horror series he's written.
Jimmy was a pleasure to work with. He listened to my ideas and allowed me to go beyond the typical vampire cover. (I get a little tired of the fangs and blood myself.) The first story, Dance on Fire is about a man looking for redemption, even though he believes he's beyond help. The second story, Flash Point is about a daughter returned, who is not what she seems.
And wait until you see the cover I designed for a new story he's releasing next month. It's one of my very favorites. I worked as hard on the back cover as I did on the front. When last I counted, there were 28 layers of art and special effects on that cover.
So all in all, I've been busy.
We still have the goat shelter to finish--and then of course, the goats. I hope the man we're buying them from still has them. I had promised to see him last week, but there was no way we were ready.
Spring has sprung in north Texas. I'm already pulling weeds. Is there signs of spring (or fall) in your neck of the woods?
And out of curiosity, what's the longest you've ever gone without blogging?
I haven't blogged in two weeks! That's the longest I've ever gone without blogging. It felt weird. But it was necessary. We got a lot done--and yet we were still short of our goals.
In the past two weeks we:
• Did taxes
• Dug nearly 500 feet of trenches
• Lay water pipes to the future goats and back orchard
• Planted two BIG pecan trees
• Tilled and hoed two full gardens
• Planted one of the two gardens
• Hatched two batches of chicks
• Moved half a dump truck of dirt for the bed of the goat shelter
• Started the skeleton of the shelter
• Cut and burned brush
• Moved some more dirt to low spots
• Buried the trenches back with dirt (back-breaking work, by the way!)
Oh, and when I wasn't working outside, I was designing covers.
In the past two weeks, I've created five of them. I can't show you most of them since the authors aren't ready for their reveals, but here are a couple I did for James Garcia Jr.. These are for a horror series he's written.
Jimmy was a pleasure to work with. He listened to my ideas and allowed me to go beyond the typical vampire cover. (I get a little tired of the fangs and blood myself.) The first story, Dance on Fire is about a man looking for redemption, even though he believes he's beyond help. The second story, Flash Point is about a daughter returned, who is not what she seems.
And wait until you see the cover I designed for a new story he's releasing next month. It's one of my very favorites. I worked as hard on the back cover as I did on the front. When last I counted, there were 28 layers of art and special effects on that cover.
So all in all, I've been busy.
We still have the goat shelter to finish--and then of course, the goats. I hope the man we're buying them from still has them. I had promised to see him last week, but there was no way we were ready.
Spring has sprung in north Texas. I'm already pulling weeds. Is there signs of spring (or fall) in your neck of the woods?
And out of curiosity, what's the longest you've ever gone without blogging?
Comments
Love the covers.
The longest I've gone without blogging? Let's see. Maybe a week. That's usually when I'm on a cruise and have no internet connection. But then, I was out lounging around. You were working your you-know-what off. Hope you didn't injure anything. That's usually what happens to me.
I think a week or 2 has been the longest. And you're right. When you go that long without blogging, it DOES feel weird. :)
I took a month off last fall that stretched into two. But there was a big natural disaster involved.
Let's see some pics of the new chicks.
You should see our area right now oh Spring has totally sprung and man is it green, growing, flowering and pretty and we have so many outside and inside projects going that not only has my blog posts that need writing and scheduling been neglected but am in sad need of a book fix because since Friday morning last week seems cannot sit down for more than 5 minutes at a stretch as too many things need me on my feet and moving since got waaaaayyyy behind being sick all of March and now that I am better and so hyper it is scary started to catch up and just decided to go with it so all my stuff can get caught up on and blogging and books can just wait for a bit more.
blog hiatus for a month last year, it pretty much killed me to do it but it sure felt good and will do so again this summer when finally get some indoor work done that will mean no Internet for me for awhile except for my smart phone.
COVERS are bootiful, Maria you have an eye that is for sure and cannot wait to see the rest you did! :-)
Not the same thing. :)
We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but I think the really hard work is done.
Love the cover designs. You are fabulous Book Cover Diva!
Re: work
I have to admit, this go round nearly did us both in. LOL. It was a lot more work than we anticipated. I still can't believe we got as much done.
I so agree the fangs and blood is getting old. Love the covers!
As for spring...um, Vegas. We have hot and scorching hot, LOL.
Have a great week!
-Jimmy
I think I wrenched my back.
I'm so glad you like your covers.
I have trouble with apple down here. I have to make sure it's a low-chill apple or it never makes it.
The longest without blogging, maybe 4 days.
The covers are gorgeous!
I can go weeks without blogging easily. I often forget I have a blog. :)
You two sure are busy. I just started my taxes today. The hubs is self employed, so we have a lot of work ahead of us.
And I love your covers!
Re: blogging - I probably went a month without blogging. That was back when I didn't have a regular schedule. And I plan on taking May off to get some other work done.
Next year, I might take all of April off. It's always the busiest time of year for me. I should know better.
Ref taxes. I don't know what's worse, paying them or the paperwork.