Yeah, yeah ... I'm showing up again and promising to update this blog.

I would not blame you if you don't believe me but I SWEAR I'm gonna start fresh this time!

So I 'won' NaNoWriMo for 2019 and have otherwise been on a drawing hiatus.  I have no idea what's going on but I just cannot draw.  I don't know why.

In better news, my friend, Clea has been writing (albeit slowly--writer's block sucks,) so check it out:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202664

#ereri #riren #fanfiction #romance

NaNoWriMo 2013?  OMG ITS BEEN SIX YEARS!  Almost to the month!

BOY it's dusty in here!  And wait till you see pics of the kids!

So yeah, this is Blue, MrsEvilGenius, and I'm restarting this blog.

I went through a bad patch there for a few years with my severe arthritis (both knees and back,) my anxiety, and my depression.  I'm on meds now so my depression is a bit better (Yay!) but I did apply for disability (three long years of appeals) and was denied in the end.

But today is another day and we'll see how life goes, OK?

NaNo 2013 or how I learned to ignore my word count and love my novel

http://www.cafepress.com/evilgeniusblue/7456128

So I discovered something about myself and NaNoWriMo.

I did my first NaNo in 2009 and began then - and have continued each year - to work myself into a frenzy over word count.  It was a race, my mind insisted, and if I didn't do X amount of words a day I sucked! I was an epic failure!  I didn't deserve to write!  If a buddy of mine was writing over word count, that was a direct reflection on my own worthlessness.  I must write more!  I must catch up!

Now, recall that I have an anxiety disorder.

I'm obsessive, a hoarder, a chronic insomniac, compulsive, subject to rages, depression, and paranoia.  Pretty isn't it?

Now imagine my doing NaNoWriMo.

I came to dread November, yet I did NaNo every year.  I did not enjoy it.  It was another compulsion, a whip with which to lash myself.

Last year (our Year From Hell, if you have been keeping up), we opted not to do it at all.  Then came November 2013.  I have a husband, five kids under the age of 12, a farm, and I work two jobs outside the home.  WTF?  NaNoWriMo?

SURE!

I couldn't not do it, due to my compulsive urges.  It's gotta happen.  I also started on day 2.  Neither my husband nor I got a word written on day one.  Cue disaster, right?

Not so.  I had a revelation.  See, the cool thing about my working outside my home now is that it keeps my broken brain occupied.  I can't spend so much time fretting, worrying, going over stuff over and over and over.  No time.

So I was working November 4th - a Monday - and had written maybe 600 words thus far.  I couldn't write until I got home and I was on my break and chewing over my novel in my mind and chewing, and chewing when I thought: "I'm really liking my novel this year.  Oh, hey, that's new.  Normally I'm hating my novel by now."

So when I got home and sat down to write I plunged in and it was still there, the delight.  Characters I never knew existed were pouring out onto the paper and getting up and walking and talking. Cool!

And so I thought "Fuck this shite.  Fuck word counts.  It's only day four.  I have plenty of time to get my words in.  I'm just gonna enjoy this."

And I have.  I couldn't care less how many words someone else writes.  Some people have is much easier than me, some people have no jobs to go to, or one kid who spends half his time in day care. Some people have it worse: school during the day plus a job at night, or a disabled partner or child who requires constant care.  Everyone's situation is different and we are all only responsible for our own word count.

In the meantime I'm enjoying the crap out of my 2013 NaNo and I hope you are enjoying yours too! :D

So I just sent five kids off in their Halloween costumes for a night of trick or treating.

There was The Convict:

The Grim Reaper and The Mummy:

The Ghost and the Cowgirl:

(In order: Boy - 11, THCTD - 10, Fiver -6, Bulk - 8, and Bitty Girl -9).

And in other news, I signed up for NaNoWriMo for this year!  This will be my fourth year, YAY!

Now to think of something to write ...

WELL!

Thought I was never gonna get here, folks!  I got stopped by the (I found out, infamous) "You have logged out from another location. Do you want to log in again?" Blogger error message.  I couldn't log on and talk to you lovely peoples!

But, The Internet Is Good.  Bless and preserve the signal.  You can't stop the signal, Mal.

So I jumped on the 'net and asked the folks out in the 'verse for help.  If you've had this error message, try Mr. Portman's lovely fix - scroll down to the update - over at 1stopIT.

Right.  On to today's post!

I am SO not a cook.  I can cook, but I am NOT a cook. I have loads of internet friends who are really awesome cooks - even extraordinary bakers (and grillers!)  You know who you are.

But not me.  I refuse to load my kids up with fast food or pre-made food.  I cook breakfast and supper almost every day, but I like things that are quick, and simple, and easy, and other words like that.

I don't want box food or frozen food but real foodz.  Real ingredients, nothing fancy, no weird or exotic ingredients, just stuff you probably have in the pantry right now.  Old fashioned stuff, I guess.  I adore many of the traditional British and German dishes!

As I am a ravening Pintrest and Tumblr addict, I get to see oodles of pins and posts about food from the real cooks out there.  It never occurred to me to, for example, have a food or recipe board on Pintrest.  I'm not a cook, am I?  So there are literally thousands of people who have already covered the whole food/recipe thing.

Then I found a recipe very similar to my own recipe for Egg-in-a-Basket*, and I thought: "Hey.  I'll bet there are some pressed for time, or inexperienced, or (like me) just lazy cooks out there that might like a quick,easy recipe Pintrest board!"

Long story short: I've started one.  If you have any really quick and / or easy recipes you'd like to share, I'd love you to send 'em to me!  I'll give you linky love!

Speaking of linky love, if you've only ever followed my craftsy stuff here's today's featured T-shirts from my store.  Yep, ai iz grafik designer!  Check 'em out:

Candy Me!  Funny grunge / distressed Halloween T-shirt from Evil Genius Tees!

Funny pumpkin smuggler Halloween maternity / pregnancy t-shirt from Evil Genius Tees.

One more, promise ...

For my darling Husband who teaches Middle School English Language Arts:

English Teacher warning sign!  I also have MANY other subjects, history, math, science, art, etc!

*Egg-in-a-Basket is NOT, I repeat NOT the same as Toad in the Hole!  I don't care what you've always heard!  Egg-in-a-Basket is an egg cracked into a hole in a slice of bread and fried (or the above baked version).  Toad-in-the-Hole is a traditional British dish involving bangers and Yorkshire pud all baked together.