Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Quality Over Quantity

I made a tough choice earlier this week. You can read all about it over on the A to Z Blogging Challenge site. April, 2015 was my first year sharing administrative duties as part of The Challenge and regretfully, I won't be an admin next year and I'm a little brokenhearted  about it I will participate because the Challenge is terrific, but I'll mostly be worried about myself during that busy month. I'm hoping for a really rocking theme this year. If only my old brain would come up with one.

This will give me more time to concentrate on other great things I'm involved in like the first ever anthology sponsored by IWSG. Don't forget the November 1st deadline for your entry. Check out the guidelines right here.

My job as Pennwriters secretary is also taking up a bit of my time in bits and spurts. Sending out emails and postcards to encourage members who have allowed their membership to expire is one of my duties and is taking up a bit of September. And a board meeting that requires travel and an overnight stay is also on the agenda.

Some of my pages on this blog are really, really outdated so I need to get busy on that. I have two books I'm editing before sending them to my publisher. One is the start of a new series so there's lots or world building to keep track of.

In the TBR department, I have so many books I want to read. On my Kindle, on the hold list at the library and books I own that are stacked two deep on the shelf I keep for my purchases. I don't know where to start sometimes.

Next week lots of TV shows start with new episodes. I'm looking forward to Scorpion, Dr. Who, Once Upon a Time and Scandal. After that, I'll check out a few new shows but I can't say there are any I'm really excited about.

From The Old Farmer's Almanac:
On this day in 1857, James Pierpont's song, 'Jingle Bells,' was copyrighted.  
Thought I'd share that tidbit in case you weren't thinking about Christmas yet.

Did you know Jingle Bells was that old? Did you make up silly verses to that tune as a kid? Can you estimate how many books on your TBR list? Any new or old shows you're excited to see return this fall? Any new ones you recommend? Are you thinking about your theme for A to Z next year?

25 comments:

The Happy Whisk said...

I am actually thinking about xmas. Making little notes on things I want to pick up for Frankenberry. As for having to drop out ... you've got SO MUCH going on that it makes sense to drop a few things.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

We'll miss you at the A to Z, but I completely understand. (And glad you are still with the IWSG!)
Not thought about the Challenge theme yet. Something will hit.

nashvillecats2 said...

Yes, we will miss you at the A to Z,
As for Jingle Bells I haven't thought about Xmas. Great post to read Susan.
Yvonne.

Pat Hatt said...

My a to z needs 5 more posts and I'm done lol my theme is doing it backwards, that counts, right? haha

mshatch said...

I have thought of A-Z and I do have a tentative theme...

LuAnn @ BackPorchervations said...

I had no idea Jingle Bells was that old. My husband would say to me, "Oh, a song from /your/ time," and I'd react appropriately. ;) Totally with you on the TBR thing. I will never dig out from under the pile...not that I'm trying that hard, because I keep adding to it!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Your list of things to do sounds like mine. I don't blame you for pulling back on some things. I was a co-host for the A to Z Challenge a few years ago it was overwhelming how much goes on behind the scenes.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I'm looking forward to the return of some favorite TV shows, but I'm kind of eh about most of the new ones.

As for the number of books on the TBR shelf and on the TBR list? I don't want to know. I really just don't. Sigh.

Jo said...

Well my Kindle was so full I had to clear some of it out if that gives you any idea.

betty said...

I think that was wise to step down as an administrator for A/Z. I know it can be time consuming just blogging every day and trying to visit other blogs, I was a minnion last year and that was a challenge some days to get it all in. You will be missed in that role indeed!

I am trying hard not to look at the emails that come in on books to get either free or limited cost for my tablet. I have way too many I need to read first :)

Hubby is looking forward to the new TV season. We watched ZOO all summer and then had a terrible cliffhanger last night (they are hoping maybe for a 2nd season for it). I thought it was the series finale. If it was, what a terrible way to end it. Reminded me not to follow another series like that (I thought I had learned my lesson after LOST but apparently not:)

Now I got Jingle Bells stuck in my head :)

betty

Christine Rains said...

I had all sorts of funny versions of Jingle Bells! :) My TBR list is huge too. I try whittling it down, but then it grows again. Doctor Who starts this Saturday, and the the other shows I watch all start during the second week of October.

Alex Hurst said...

You've gotta do what works for you. :) Take care of your mental and physical health and don't get burn out! I may have to skip 2016's A-Z because I'll be moving from Japan to Canada that month. (Unless my theme is all the hectic emotional craziness of that month... haha.)

Ann Bennett said...

Wow, your plate is pretty full. If we could give up sleeping, we could do less probably with our foggy minds. You certainly have to pick your work to get anything done.

David Powers King said...

Talk about a full plate! I'm looking forward to a few new seasons as well. Let the binge watching begin! :)

Robin said...

Knowing when to quit. When to go. These are tough calls sometimes.

There are a few new TV shows that might have promise for the fall. Of course, now that you've asked the question I can't think of the name of a single one. ha!

J E Oneil said...

It's too bad for us that you won't be an admin, but it's better for everyone if you don't overwork yourself :). You do sound like you have a lot to do. I hope you can get to all those books.

Ava Quinn said...

I don't have time to watch tv. Or read very much. I've given up putting more things on my tbr pile.

My girls made up new lyrics to Jingle Bells last year.

Jingle Bells
Batman smell
Robin laid an egg.
Batmobile popped it's wheel
And the Joker took ballet.

Then they crack up hysterically, howling about how ridiculous the Joker would look in a pink tutu. It's all very loud. And crazy. Gotta love that about life. Loud and crazy. :)

Anonymous said...

You know, my first immediate Jingle Bells parody I thought was 'Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg, the Batmobile lost it's wheel, and the Joker got away.' :)
Oh goodness, my TBR list is well into the thousands. Maybe 50 or so in house and a 100 or so on my kindle. I'll never get through them all haha
I've just started rewatching to catch up on Once Upon a Time. Love that show!

- Madilyn Quinn @ NovelBrews

Jemi Fraser said...

I've had to back out of the doing the challenge itself due to time so I totally get it. I love A-Z, but just can't do it.
I'm amazed that copyright existed that long ago too! Very cool :)

Shannon Lawrence said...

I'm hoping that I can jump back in with the A-to-Z Challenge in 2017. I've been staff at a big writer's conference each April for the last few years, and I'm not sure I will be in 2017, which will free up a lot of time. I understand not being able to co-host the challenge. I did it for two years and had so much fun, but it's a lot of work, and the aforementioned conference, plus some personal things I had to take care of, made it something I couldn't stick with.

Good luck with everything you've got going on. I'm only excited about one new show, and that's Scream Queens.

Ellie Garratt said...

I have dozens of books on my TBR list. I could do with a year off work just to read them!

I totally understand about having to cut back on commitments. There are only so many hours in the day, and something has to give. Like you, I need to update my blog pages. Way, way behind and out of date.

Tyrean Martinson said...

My household is full of behind-the-times Netflix watchers and we are working our way slowly through last season's Once Upon a Time. It's been a rough season - or at least on a nightly basis, it is. We may like Frozen in our household but by the time we started watching that season of Once, we were "letting go" of our interest in Arendelle, so it felt like a shock to have that be the main background of the season, along with the Sorcerer's Apprentice part.
Anyway, I'm hoping they are onto a different them for the upcoming season.
As for my TBR list - yikes! It's huge. My kindle is bursting, I have books from the library that need to be returned unread and I haven't even read my birthday present book yet which is sad because my birthday was in August. One of these days, I'm going to set all my work/writing aside and just spend all day reading.

Patricia Stoltey said...

We take on too much, Susan. You are wise to let go of some of the more time-consuming projects. Updating our website/blogs is pretty important, and I'm behind on this too. So many things to do....

Anonymous said...

I'm ready for Doctor Who to start, but no other shows. Mostly because hubby bugs me about keeping up and I have writing to do and a TBR pile to work and that just seems more important than TV.

Heather R. Holden said...

Had no idea "Jingle Bells" was that old! Wow...

And gosh, you sound so busy right now. Best of luck juggling everything! I can relate a lot to the world-building woes. (Can definitely be hard to keep track of sometimes, for sure!) I can relate to the unwieldy TBR pile, as well. I doubt I'll ever be able to catch up with that at this point, haha!