This week’s topic: Reading, Writing, or Living?
Can’t I do all three?
There are only 24 hours in the day. So obviously, there are priorities in a busy author’s life. For instance, I’m also a full-time mom, spouse, and grandma, and once a month I’m the pickle in this family sandwich, since my mom is currently in a rehabilitation center, learning how to walk again after a fall last June.
I spend at least 7-8 hours sleeping, more if I can swing it. Let’s face it; I don’t like to get up until my body says it’s had enough.
Two hours a day is spent online, checking social media, clearing out two emails, and updating my blog, which includes writing this post and any other posts.
It takes me one hour to prepare dinner, and another hour to eat it, catch up with the various family members.
One hour to clean up the kitchen.
I watch 2.5 hours of Nostalgia TV in the mornings (one of those hours is about to drop off) and 1-2 hours in the evenings.
I squeeze in my writing time between laundry loads twice a week, so let’s say that’s 3 hours a day I actually WRITE.
Let’s see…..I think I’m up to 18 hours….
Every Thursday, I’m at karaoke for 2 hours, and on Saturdays, it’s 3. So we’ll average it out to 2 1/2 hours.
That leaves me four hours to grocery shop, lunch, clean house, and run any other errands. Oh, and I have choir practice on Wednesdays, so there’s ninety minutes…..church on Sunday, so there’s another hour.
Lately, I’ve been reading my way through the Game of Thrones, and depending on my *free* time, I’ve been enjoying at least an hour, if not two, a day curled up on my couch with my comfy fleece blanket across my lap. Sometimes, I even end up taking a nap for two hours.
Did you catch that? I’m now up to 27 hours. Oops, something has to go. And I didn’t even mention the hour it takes me to get ready in the morning.
Thankfully, some of the time the housework doesn’t get done, outside of the KP and laundry. But thankfully I have a daughter who helps out, since she’s not working at the moment. When she returns to work, I’ll be on total Grandma Duty after school, in order to make sure she does her homework and give her some attention.
So I really don’t want to give up my writing time….my reading time…..or my ‘living’ time. Fortunately, I’m able to squeeze in some of my reading time either before bedtime, or before it’s time to fix dinner. I can do my writing after lunch, and of course, I’m not giving up my karaoke or getting together with friends.
Yeah, I want it all…..and some days, I need to clone myself in order to accomplish it.
Molly's Musings/Kenzie's Korner 
(I just noticed the sharks at the bottom of this page. Cute!) I squeeze in my reading (not counting social media and news) at bedtime, usually 30 minutes to a couple hours, depending on how engrossing the book is. Since I’m new-ish to the romance genre, I look at reading widely within it as part of my job–a very enjoyable part. I carved reading time by leaving hubs downstairs with his TV after a few hours and going up to bed. Just finished Alyssa Cole’s A Duke by Default and am moving on to a book I want to review on my blog next week. So many books, so little time!
LMAO….I saw your comment and thought, ‘whaaaat? Sharks?’ and scrolled down. I’ve had this site for probably seven or eight years and I never noticed them! I’m currently reading Hockey Holidays by Jean Joachim, VL Locey, et al.
I can always tell when I’ve gone too long w’o a good book: I’ll find one and get so engrossed (kind of like what I’m doing now with the Game of Thrones series) I don’t want to do anything else.
I managed to eliminate most of the housework commitment by hiring a housekeeper. So glad I did, because that’s one aspect of everyday living that I utterly loathe.
I would LOVE to be able to afford someone to come in once a week to dust, mop, sweep, and clean the bathrooms!
You deserve to have it all! I admire you for all the things you accomplish in a day.
Admittedly, some days not all that happens, ha ha! It actually makes me sound busier than I actually am, and probably should have figured that all on a 40 hour work week.
Next year…..
I am feeling this lol. With now working full time and going to school full time and writing there’s not much time for myself but I’m managing. I keep saying I’m going to read more and learn to cook but we’ll see here in the future. I don’t know how you stay sane trying to keep up with everybody all day everyday! But you are doing an amazing job!!
Working full time and going to school full time has got me at a loss for time. But I am managing. I don’t know how you stay sane trying to keep up with everyone lol!
I’m ready for another week at my mom’s, ha ha!
Wow, you are very busy!
When I’m in a non-writing mode, I spend more time reading. But at the moment, the words are flowing and I dearly would love to check into a motel and write, or ship the family somewhere….but my youngest and the granddaughter have school.
I work a day job, but afterward I allow time every day for writing, working out, and my family. Those things are most important to me.
I applaud working moms….I worked before my youngest was born, and writing took a backseat to everything. That was when I learned I was most definitely NOT ‘supermom’.
I keep hearing about that “sleep” thing. It does sound wonderful.
LOL….I treasure my sleep time!