Where Have I Been?

I decided today to do some catch-up and monetize my websites, and in the process realized I have some very neglected blogs. I see it has been over a year since I posted anything here.

I do have to say, I do have a relatively legitimate excuse. On January 24, 2012 I was outside doing my chores and blacked out. I woke up in my house, with no recollection of what happened at all. I also realized somewhere along the way I had dislocated my right shoulder. A call to my son and I was on my way to the hospital to get it set back in place. There was significant damage, and even now I have to be careful so I do not injure it.

We also had two surprise cria (baby alpacas); one in February 2012, and the other in April. When we bought our little herd we were told all of the females were open (not bred), so the little additions were very unexpected. The February cria was born in the snow, so by the time I found him he was very cold. Had I been expecting him, I would have checked much earlier.

I quickly realized he would need a coat, as he wasn't big enough to stay warm on his own. With my limited arm use, I struggled through making him a coat so he would survive the night. Cria coats are available for sale, but I needed one immediately; there was no waiting for one to get shipped to me. It took a couple of tries, but I managed to get one made that worked quite nicely.

When cria number two arrived in April, I was ready. I had a hunch the female might be pregnant, so checked on her early everyday. Why is it the mothers always seem to give birth in the worst places? The February one was in the snow, the April one was in the dirt. Neither one could be bothered to have their baby in the straw; silly girls. I was glad my shoulder was a bit better, as I was the only one home to tend to the new arrival. I dried her off, and moved her over to the straw. It was a nice sunny day, so she stood up much quicker than the February boy.

The summer was spent working on my garden, tending to the alpacas and writing articles and a book. I started two websites; one for my freelancing business, and the other for our alpaca farm. They have both taken up some time, and I now have them the way I want them. My goal was to combine blog and website, and for the most part that has worked. I did learn today that even though I haven't added any new content here for over a year, I am still attracting some traffic.

The fall left us devastated, as my mother-in-law (CL) passed away suddenly. It was a big shock for all of us, so that in itself took its toll on us for awhile. When life settled down a bit it was harvest season, so I did what I could to help my Dad and Uncle with bringing in the crop. I spent a few days on the combine (not something I had done much of before), which was a relatively new experience for me. The early winter put a damper on the harvest, and I'm sure the deer have been well fed over the winter.

November had me writing a novel (I registered for NaNoWriMo), which was in essence a step out of my comfort zone. I was a nonfiction writer up until that point, but am quite proud of the novel I created in 30 days (this was with being in a truck for the better part of two weeks in November hauling bales). I pushed myself to finish, and submitted my manuscript with less than a few hours to spare.

December had me editing, and I self-published it with CreateSpace and Kindle shortly before Christmas. It is now available on Amazon, Kindle, Kobo and Kbuuk (a new kid on the block). Sales have been sparse, but with my additional titles I know my goals will be reached. The sequel to my novel will be written in the coming months, with a personal publication deadline set for mid-summer 2013.

I have recently revised my Craft Shop Report, which has been available on Kindle for over one year. The revised edition can be found here. I have covered the basics for setting up a Craft Shop without the need to purchase substantial inventory. This edition also includes three patterns, which are valued at $9.97.

Now that I have brought you up to date with what has been happening, I will say this - I will be posting more regular updates. I know daily is not possible, but I will aim for a minimum of one post a week. Thank you for staying with me and being so patient and understanding. Until next time, have a great day!