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Labor Day Thoughts

It's Labor Day, and I can already feel fall rapidly approaching. Kids are back in school, the weather is getting cooler, and Christmas will be here before you know it. Normally, this is when my garden is winding down and my freezer is stocked with veggies for the winter. This year, however, instead of a bountiful harvest, I have an abundance of weeds. No decent veggies or flowers to speak of, just weeds. That's what happens when you start writing because, when left untended, all sorts of things will sprout in the least likely of places.

Our topic this month here on the Casa blog is abundance, which brings me to another thing I have in abundance: Blog posts. I'm not even going to venture a guess as to how many I've written since I first signed with Sourcebooks back in June of 2007, but there are are a lot of them out there in cyberspace. I've written about topics ranging from hunks to horses and everything in between, some worth reading and some not, but they resulted in something I didn't expect. They've netted me an abundance of friends.

Friends I've never even met and probably never will. People who write, and people who read. Friends on Facebook, friends who email, friends I've met at conferences and at my local RWA chapter meetings, and, of course, friends on blogs. It's amazing!

Before I began writing, most of my friends were people I worked with at the hospital, and most of them, though not all, work in the same unit. That number grew exponentially once my first book was published and I went online. I've kept every email from readers that I've ever received, and many that I go back and read from time to time. Some people I hear from on a daily basis and some only when a new book comes out, but the gist of this is that I'm interacting with more people than ever before.

And how does this make me feel?

Wealthy. Blessed. And, yes, abundant.

Comments

  1. Great post Cheryl. I smiled to find out that I'm not the only one who keeps email from cyber friends. Most even have their own folder:) Then there are the few blog groups that also have their own folder;)

    I love email and FB because each party can deal at their convenience and not as an interruption. In short, I also find myself interacting with others much more than I ever did/do in person and it's fun.

    What I have to say to them and them to me won't really change either of our lives but the connection is special, we share things in common and it helps to keep my life in balance. There is always something new to learn when I stay open to the possibility and without fail gives me a laugh, a smile or flat out makes me pee my big girl pants:)

    See you back at the ranch, Cat Master;)

    I'm finding that I like Facebook much more than I thought I would.

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  2. Damn...As much as I try for perfect, I missed deleting a sentence - the one at the end of my post that's just sort of hanging out there. Sigh.

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  3. Good one, Cheryl :-)
    Your remark about things growing when they are neglected in favor of your writing, immediately sent my mind to the mold, or it may be deadly bacteria, that is growing on my pickled beet juice in the refrigerator.
    I've been working on revisions. And for this book Deb gave me an abundance. :-)

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  4. Yes, Nancy, email is much more immediate than snail mail and, as you said, you can deal with it at your convenience--unlike the phone, which always seems to ring when I'm in the shower, at the barn, or on my way out the door!

    Ah, revisions....I feel your pain, MM. That's the one thing we'd like to see less of, isn't it?

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  5. I have a love hate relationship with the internet and email.

    I love hearing from my cyber friends but then sometimes after answering my email, I look at the clock and see that I've spent hours doing it, and only have a few hours left for my writing. Sigh...It's a time suck.

    I think my life was so much more relaxing when I only had to check the mail once a day. Although I love communicating with friends and family, I'd rather do it in person or hearing their voices on the phone. God save me from my conversations texting with my long-distance daughter, Twinkle Toes. Calling me on my cell phone is free and yet she still texts me. I miss hearing her voice, her excitement, and yes, sometimes tears. That doesn't register in a text or email. My life is full of abundances. Love, family, friends...I just wish I had the abundance of time too.

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  6. I was doing so well this morning, Cheryl. Emails, posting blogs, writing!!! And my computer crashed. I was in the middle of sending out newsletters to members who are anxiously awaiting earlier parts of the story after having just joined. Fans who want more stories that they missed because of just joining. Trying to schedule the Edinburgh trip in conjunction with a trip to see my son in Pensacola, AND writing on The Wolf and the SEAL and really getting somewhere when my system totally crashed.

    *sigh*

    Time to get another hot cup of tea!!!

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  7. Yes, another thought provoking post Cheryl. I enjoy all the friends I've made on the blogs. And hope to meet them someday soon. I love reading and keeping the emails too. I write fewer letters and bills. My time I spend out working has ended. And my time on the computer has increased. The time I spend with old friends has decreased. They're not bloggers or readers. The time I spend with new friends I've met in my Curves class has increased. The time I have to spend with family has doubled. The time I have to spend in my garden is now endless. But now the garden season is coming to a close, I'll have more time to read. I will put a dent in my huge TBR pile of books. So I'm actually looking forward to Fall. So I'm off on a search today for more Fall Mums to pick up the fall colors where the Summer Blooms have faded. So have a final summer fling. Find a Guy in a Hard Hat and Toolbelt and celebrate Labor Day in style. We girls over at CBEB's know how to do it. LOL!!!

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  8. Robin said: ---> I have a love hate relationship with the internet and email.

    Me too, Robin. I not only work in tech, but telecommute, to boot. Nearly every communication I have with anyone is electronic, and I feel like I'm continuously dodging digital shrapnel. Speaking of abundance, I don't even want to look at the abundance of unread email in my in-pan.

    Tomorrow is soon enough - today is a holiday! After posting this message, I'm booting down, and taking a day to recharge. Happy Labor Day, everyone!

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  9. Nice post, Cheryl. I mourn for your garden, but at least I'm not the only one who lets things go to get the writing done. Sometimes it seems like everyone is Wonder Woman and I'm struggling to get the basics done!
    I know the internet has its flaws, but it is amazing how many friends I've made that I never would have found without it. We may only talk in snippets and blog posts, but it's still human interaction and writers on deadline need that desperately! Otherwise I'd become the crazy lady in the attic.
    And as someone who, for some reason, hates talking on the phone, e-mail has been a blessing.

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  10. An abundance of friends is a wonderful thing to have. I also have an abundance of weeds this year, which is not wonderful at all.
    Great post, Cheryl!

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  11. Wonderful post Cheryl. I do try to be thankful everyday. I have lots of friends in RL but not many are "book" friends. I've met some wonderful people on line in the last year, some just because I wrote a complimentAry email to a fave author (Ciao Robin LOL). Just realized that a lot of the awesome people I've met on line are from your blog. That just shows the kind of person you are. Your open, humorous personality shines through & we follow you like you're the Pied Piper.

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  12. gotta love the internet! And I'm glad I can count you as one of mine, Cheryl!

    and isn't it amazing what happens to gardens once you have deadlines? sigh.

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  13. I hear you on the time factor, Robin. I do spend a lot of time cleaning out my inbox, but sometimes I find treasures there!

    A computer crash/internet loss/power failure is right up there with a few natural disasters I could mention, Terry. NOT fun at all! In fact, I just had to copy and paste this comment because my internet zoned out for a bit. Annoying!

    Donna,
    I envy you having all that time. I was just thinking about maybe someday getting back into riding my own horses instead of going to my riding lesson once a week and riding my instructor's horse, but I have a feeling that I'd end up getting hurt, which would mess things up even more. They did get baths last week, though, and look very pretty--and I didn't get bucked off!

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  14. Enjoy the down time, Tamara!

    Joanne,
    I hear you on the crazy lady in the attic thing!
    When we first moved to the farm, my sons were one month old and three years old, and I didn't know ANYBODY!!!! I about went nuts without anyone to talk to--and no email to speak of. Email is great, but there's nothing quite like face time with your buddies!

    So true, Olivia. So VERY true....

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  15. Mary G,
    We do have a ton of fun with our online gang, don't we? I think the coolest thing about the internet is that time and distance don't matter here. You can be chatting with someone in another country just as easily as someone across the street.

    *shakes head sadly* Nope, gardens and deadlines don't mix at all, Judi, but it's nice to have online friends to commiserate with!

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  16. Nice post! It's true, one of the nicest things that has happened to me since publishing my first book is meeting wonderfully nice people. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who starts thinking of Chirstmas as soon as the kids go back to school! :)

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  17. I love the internet but I'm like Robin, I look at how much time I've spent and want to scream. I'm lousy at time management. I feel so guilty when I can't comment on all the blogs. If I did, I'd never get any writing done.

    So sorry about your computer, Terry. I went through that in February. It was a nightmare. My first blog post EVER and my computer crashed a couple of days before. I was going to mail to web to respond to comments.

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  18. LOL! I might already be thinking about Christmas, Amanda, but it's more along the lines of a paralyzing fear because I have no idea what to get anyone!

    Anita,
    I spend an awful lot of time blogging, but I don't consider it wasted as long as I'm connecting with readers. It's worth every minute!

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  19. I have to agree, Cheryl. My favorite thing about becoming a writer was making so many new friends! It was something I hadn't expected nor thought of as a result of telling my stories.

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