I’ve been lazy this month. That’s the way I feel. And then I came across this article in my NPR meandering. Devon Price, a social psychologist and the author of Laziness Does Not Exist, says that laziness is probably a sign you need to take a break, not work more.

I’m not lazy. I’m reconnecting to what’s important.

Whew! That feels waaay more productive.

So while I’ve only managed to write blog posts, connect with family, practice piano, trek CoCo to physical therapy, work on some crafts, read, clean my desk, and put the Christmas decorations away, “I’m taking a bit of a breather. “Then I can realign my life to be in step with my values.”

My next novel feels neglected. And those other two that keep begging to be acknowledged? When will I let them breathe? Well, not until I get May His Tribe Increase on to my editor. That’s for darned sure. (I hoped to have that ready by the end of November.)

According to Devon Price, “here’s how it works:”

1. Form a long list of values, things like achievement, family, spirituality, money, creativity, community, etc.
2. Identify the areas you want to focus on.
3. Narrow that down to just three values. Which would you pick? 
   
   
   Picking three areas to focus on will help get rid of the guilt around not doing “enough.”

Wow! That was easy. “Family, Spirituality, and Creativity.” Wait. What about “Health” and “Community”? Those are important to me too. “Money”? “Travel”? “Environment”? “Planning for the future”? Egads! This is harder than I thought. Maybe I can roll Community into Family and Health into Spirituality. Travel? Well, I surely will be traveling with Family. I’ll leave the money priority to Loved-One.

Geesh! I think I’ll take a nap and then get back to the creativity part.

That does seem to be the part I feel pulling my the hardest.

I’ll get back to writing that novel. To keep me motivated, I looked for an excerpt to share. Sharing makes it real. I kinda like the passage when Eldie proposes to Rita. If you read A Ship of Pearl, you’ll remember Eldie, Dallas, and Nate. Lettie is a new character. Do you remember Rita?

Dallas and Lettie sat up front, and Rita slid across the seat to sit between me and Nate.  I felt that electric fence feel running up my leg and radiating all through my spine.  Rita tucked her skirt in under her legs and I thought I’d never even find the words to ask what kinda sandwiches she brought for our picnic.  That was Dallas’s idea.  A picnic.  All casual. Together, but a chance to spend some time alone.  Plus, he chided me, I could stay put on a blanket in case I turned into a jellyfish, which was a pretty good point, ‘cause already I wondered how I was going to get out of the car when we got to Kearsley Park.

This is the place we met, said Rita.  She slipped her hand in mine.  Right over there.  She pointed to our usual Craine picnic place.  Remember?

Barely, I told her as honest as I could.  That’s when you and ‘Liz’beth got to be friends.

I always felt like one of the family with her and your mother.

You could be for true. 

Rita pulled her hand away from mine and rubbed her pinky finger along the corner of her eye.

If you’d be my wife.  

I had to turn my head away, for fear of what I might see in her eyes.  My heart pounded in my ears.  She must have said yes, ‘cause before I knew better, I was sitting in her front room answering her Papa’s questions while sweat pooled in my armpits and ran down the back of my neck.