February has been a challenging month so far at the Hansen House and I’m heeding the call of the Universe to REST. The last two weeks have been full of fevers and croup for Babykins, and then for me. I spent Valentine’s Day in bed, and not in a good way if you know what I mean.
I’ve plowed through nearly all of my reserve blog posts and I’m behind in my February class at Lawson Writer’s Academy. It’s time to catch up, and catch my breath a bit.
I’m taking a sabbatical until the beginning of March…with a few exceptions:
~ This Thursday’s Beauty of a Woman blog post ~
Last year’s posts made me laugh and cry, and I’m so delighted to be part of this for BOAW-Two. If you’d like to participate, hurry up and click here. I’ve given you the gist below.
“What should I write about?”
Anything related to the theme, which is based on Sam Levinson’s poem, The Beauty of a Woman. If you’re stuck, consider answering one of the following questions:
- What does beauty mean to you?
- Who is the most beautiful woman in your life, and why?
- When have you felt most beautiful?
- How do you maintain positive body image? How have you overcome poor body image?
- What are you willing to do to better embrace and recognize your own beauty?
- What’s your most embarrassing “beauty moment?”
- If you could write to your younger self, or anyone, and instill a stronger sense of self acceptance, what would you say?
WANACon
Schedule:
- Pre-Conference Social Hour:
Thursday, 2/21 – 8 to 10 pm - Day 1: 8 am to 10:30 pm, all times EST
- Day 2: 10 am to 11:30 pm, all times EST
Note: I’m closing Day 1 with ninety minutes of LinkedIn magic. Did you see my Friday post on LinkedIn at Kristen Lamb’s blog? It was a fun day (besides the croup part).
Other groovy happenings:
- Surprise Pajama Sunday – Feb 24th from 11AM-1PM EST
- Exclusive event for Dual-Day Attendees – Prizes & Special Presentations
- “WANA Mama” Kristen Lamb gives a sneak peek of one of her most popular seminars.
Registration Links:
WANACon 2013 Both Days ($125 and you get to attend in your fave PJ’s)
WANACon 2013 Day One (that’s my day!!)
WANACon 2013 Day Two
WANACon 2013 Agent Pitch
Friday Posts for the SocialIn Network
For any of you who keep track of your local markets via the SocialIn/SocialN site in your area, I post every Friday. I’ve been doing it on the down-low for a few months and figured it was time to come out of the closet to my peeps. 🙂 I’ve listed all the markets alphabetically below.
Social “In” sites:
- http://socialinalexandria.com
- http://socialinarlington.com
- http://socialinbaltimore.com
- http://socialincharleston.com
- http://socialincharlotte.com
- http://socialindc.com
- http://socialindetroit.com
- http://socialinftworth.com
- http://socialinglendale.com
- http://socialinindy.com
- http://socialinjax.com (Jacksonville)
- http://socialinansascity.com
- http://socialinlasvegas.com
- http://socialinmemphis.com
- http://socialinmesa.com
- http://socialinneworleans.com
- http://socialinpasadena.com
- http://socialinphilly.com
- http://socialinsanantonio.com
- http://socialinsandiego.com
- http://socialinsanfrancisco.com
- http://socialinsanjose.com
- http://socialinscottsdale.com
Social “N” Sites
- http://socialnatlanta.com
- http://socialnaustin.com
- http://socialnboston.com
- http://socialnchicago.com
- http://socialndallas.com
- http://socialndenver.com
- http://socialnhouston.com
- http://socialnlosangeles.com
- http://socialnmiami.com
- http://socialnnewyork.com
- http://socialnphoenix.com
- http://socialnseattle.com
I’ll still be online, keeping up with all of you and interacting on social media, but it’s going to be a bit quieter here at More Cowbell for a few weeks. Please keep the energy flowing my direction. I need it to get back to 100% and come roaring out of the gate.
More Cowbell will begin it’s third year next month with the official blogiversary coming April 1st. This is your chance to make your wishes known. What would you like to see more (or less) of in the coming year? Is there a topic you’ve been wanting to see me post on for a while? Don’t be shy…tell us all about it in the comments section!
Jenny
Jenny Hansen's Blog 
{{{Jenny}}} yes, some time-off, be well. Sheesh! Although, when I see that you’re still doing the Beauty of a Woman blogfest and teaching at WANA con and posting on Fridays at socialN (or, whatever) is it enough time off?
I just want you healthy and feeling great!
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Sweet Amy! I promise I will work in some rest, and if I need a longer break, or a scaled down posting schedule in March, I’ll take it.
I actually like to be busy, but shingles hangs around a lo-o-ong time and that’s the real reason this croup has been so hard on me. There’s lymph nodes right around the greater occipital nerve, and mine is still lit up from shingles. That all equals headaches, and they’re wiping me out. I’ve had four in four days so I’m taking a time out.
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Amy has a great point, Jenny! For a lot of us (ahem) your “rest” is our usual speed, and we (ahem) struggle to keep it going at that level.
Feel better soon and take good care of yourself!
By the way, I’ve been so busy with the promo and final formatting edits of my debut book that I haven’t had a chance to start plotting book #3 for Fast Draft. Plus, the first week of March my oldest is home from college, and the last week of March the other two are home for spring break. Is there any way we can push it back to April?
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Do tell about this next Fast Draft, please. I may be interested. Thanks!
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I’d be delighted to move the Fast Draft to April. What do you say to the Friday after Easter? I think that’s April 5th, and a fine day to get started. 🙂
And yes, Julie, do join in. We have a Yahoo loop that we use and there’s usually 6-10 of us.
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Jenny, that or the following Friday sounds great! Julie, I’d be so happy to have you join us! I can’t remember whether or not you’re familiar with Fast Draft. If not, here’s a blog post about my first experience with it last July. It was just the butt-swat I needed: http://kbowenmysteries.com/posts/fast-draft-by-the-numbers/ – and I finished my first draft. Woot! I highly recommend it.
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I freaking love that post. And I’d forgotten about that blown eardrum! Dang Texas cooties…
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I will miss my Cowbell fix, but I’m glad you’re heeding the universe’s call to REST. You have had an overflowing plate for a while. Take care of yourself and your family, and enjoy that Lawson class! Best wishes & blessings, Jenny.
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Yeah, I kind of have to get banged on the head (literally) to stop. It’s a flaw. 🙂 But I’m excited about digging into Margie’s class over the next few weeks.
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I read your post about Linked In and then checked mine out. I need to start over! Everyone seems to do them differently.
I will take a look at it again.
Wow! You go girl! You even did the Social in Denver. You are everywhere. Congrats!
I am going out of town on Thursday, but will try to get a beauty post done by then.
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Not start over, Susie! You can just edit. If you start following Social in Denver, you’ll see several faces you know. 🙂
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Take care of yourself, Jenny! I don’t see how you manage to do all you do. I think a break is well warranted; I’m with Amy–is it enough? *hugs*
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LOL…it’s enough. If I don’t do a little, I’ll be an idiot and try to do a lot. Does that make any sense, or is it just the meds? LOL.
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Makes perfect sense. It sounds like we might have been brought up in the same households. 🙂
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LOL…
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Get feeling better! My mom had six kids and tells of one winter, where she didn’t see daylight for six months! We took turns with everything, including the mumps, then she got the mumps at the end. Sometimes all you can do is hunker down and heal. Take care!
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I know…I have a love/hate relationship with pre-school for the same reason. I think I’d have done fine if I hadn’t started the cold & flu season with shingles. I don’t even catch any of the normal stuff, I hold out for the crazy business like shingles and group. 🙂
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Geesh, Jenny, I seriously don’t know how you do it. I was down with a bad flu over the holidays and it’s still sapping my energy. Take care, get better, and thank you for all the fantastic info you get out there for us!
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Debra, i’ve heard the flu this year is brutal. It took down one of my pals for a few months too, so don’t feel bad. 🙂
I adore my peeps here at the blog…thanks for your kind words!
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Hope you and your family get well soon!
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Thanks, Leanne. And when you’re sick, a lot of that “self-starter” parenting happens. 🙂
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Sometimes it is best to take some time off to disconnect and energize. Feel better. This is still a pretty hefty post here!
Phil
http://www.blog.theregularguynyc.com
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LOL…thanks, Phil! Pass the word on WANACon. 🙂
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Rest, chicken soup, a small dose of brandy when needed and plenty of fresh air.
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Oooooh, brandy. Now that sounds like my kind of cure. 🙂
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I’m an MD sorta, so it’s a prescription, I guess.
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Oh Jenny, I am so sorry to hear that you’ve been sick. I knew about baby girl, but I had no idea about you. And yes, the aftereffects of shingles takes a long time to subside. if you don’t listen to what your body is telling you girl, it may take you forever to get back on your feet. What can I do to help? You know I live right in your back yard. I make a killer home made organic chicken soup. Or, I could make a run to the store for you and pick up meds, etc. Or, I could help with the house. Your call.
And here’s a suggestion: You could post a blog inviting commenters to post as guests so that the walls around here don’t start to echo. I’m thinking there are a number of peeps that would love to show off their cowbell in support of your absence. Just a thought. As you know, I have my own health problemas, so I totally understand wanting to catch your breathe and all that.
I know Monday and Tuesday are not normally good days to catch up with you. I’ll call you this week, okay? Here’s some germ free {{Hugs!}} 🙂
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You are pure awesomesauce, Karen! I’m slowly but surely getting back to speed. You can sure come pick some lettuce though. 🙂 And i’d love your chicken soup…SWEET!
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Feel better, Jenny! Sending you love and healthy vibes. 🙂
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Thanks, Jolyse. I still can’t believe that adults can get croup!
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Oh, poor Baby Girl and poor Jenny. It’s so hard when the little ones are sick, but when Mommy is sick too – it’s a total disaster. Take a good care of yourself and Baby Girl. See you at WANACon, darling. And happy upcoming blogoversary!
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See, that disaster word is EXACTLY what it felt like ot have two of us under the weather. I thought hubby was gonna go out of his mind with worry. We’re better, just recuperating and hoping we don’t get exposed to anything else while we’re down. 🙂
I can’t WAIT for WANACon! We’re all gonna have SO much fun. I’ve got to go get some new sporty PJs…
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Take care of yourself and your family, Jenny. And have a blast at WANACon. See you in March, full of energy 🙂
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Thanks, Reetta!
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I’m SO THRILLED to have you in the BOAW fest, Jenny! Thanks for the wonderful shout out and support. I’m also happy to hear that you’re cutting yourself the slightest bit of blogging slack—amidst all you have going on. I’m hoping to pop into the PJ/WANACon, with plenty of virtual treats to go around. Lotsa love, amazing you!
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I’m really looking forward to it, August. And yes, I’m learning to set better limits (you know, now that I’m really old enough to know better…).
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Sounds like you are being a smart cookie and knowing when you need to take a break. Good for you!
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Thanks, Jessica!
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