One of my jobs..

One of my jobs is to write reviews for Fresh Fiction.

I had to take a break from it last year, when I was so sick, before we figured out my allergy/sensitivity to citric acid combined with fibro, arthritis, adhesions, etc, etc was messing me up big time.

As I recovered from the worst of it, I was able to start reviewing again in December. The two reviews went so smoothly I am plunging in gung ho this year.

I received a shipment of six brand new books yesterday, including a new Darkover Novel by MZB (and Deborah J. Ross). JOY!!! My payment for doing reviews is the books themselves. I am very well paid, I feel.

Since it only takes me a few hours to read a book, about half an hour to write a rough draft, and 1-2 hours to polish it a few days later, I feel well able to handle them, and in fact requested more books for this month.

In December writing reviews provided a wonderful balance with doing all the math and techno-speak required for writing patterns. As I have relatively simple knitting to do, and only 3 more patterns in the works (only one of which has a deadline of March 1st) I plan to get the reviews for these six books done within the next ten days, if not sooner.

I can read and write rough drafts for about 2 books a day, even while knitting in between. If I use a book stand for the hardcovers, I can knit WHILE I read if I'm only doing stockinette or garter stitch. (Bonus!)

I do love to multi task. I even write the rough draft of the review as I am reading. Often a turn of phrase describing my journey through the book comes to mind, and if I don't write it down, my memory will likely not be obliging later.

I don't like to write the finished review until it has had time to mature a while, at least one night's sleep. In that time I go back to my pattern writing.

It feels wonderful to be busy, and relatively well!

It is true if you don't have your health, the rest of your life is much circumscribed. But you do celebrate a lot more, as you appreciate every ray of sunshine that shows up.

Just feeling this well, and being able to work at what I love is enough to keep me taking very good care of myself. If I physically overdo, I could spiral right back to where I was last year.

I guess that's my first and most important job, NOT overdoing thing physically.

Working until my body is exhausted totally screws with my ability to think, and endangers my other two jobs.

Thank goodness working until my brain is a little tired doesn't harm the rest of my body.