Cody had to be in Columbus, 30 minutes away, by 5:55 this morning, so we left very early! I do NOT like getting up at a time that begins in anything smaller than a “5″ . . . but after I dropped him off I went grocery shopping. I needed a lot of groceries so it was nice to have the store almost to myself. 

I got a lot accomplished the rest of the day, too. It was nice to have a day at home to do laundry, cook, and so on. I hope to get a few more things done before the caffeine of the morning wears off; there’s a little shop in Columbus called Lizard Latte’ and they make the greatest coffee drinks that taste more like ice-cream shakes. I’m sure they’re not good for my diet but they ARE good for my energy.

I attempted to send out a Shelmar Publications newsletter on Saturday. I did not get it in my e-mail (I send myself a copy to make sure it gets out to everyone) so sent it again on Sunday. I didn’t receive it, and e-mailed several friends and they hadn’t received it either. The lady who takes care of my website was nice enough to try to send it again for me, today, and thinks it went out OK.

If you have a few minutes, could you e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net and let me know if and when you recieved it? It would help us troubleshoot whatever the problem is/was.  

I apologize if you received more than one copy of the newsletter, and if you did not receive it and would like to, please e-mail me and I’ll send it to you manually.

Sorry for any inconvenience!  

I got home from work today and found FOUR e-mails from Xulon Press, the company printing “What Should I Say?” The day of having the actual book in my hands (and yours, if you placed a pre-publication order) is getting very close. The emails included a timeline as to when I can expect the first book to be here; about three weeks! Then I’ll be able to place my first order for books to mail to people who have ordered a a copy early (the list is growing! Remember, if you order by July 11th the price is ONLY $12).  

I also received information marketing and royalty information; I purchased a marketing plan from Xulon so they distribute information to many bookstores and such (I’ll have to read it all again–I ordered back at the beginning of May so don’t remember all the details!) .

It’s overwhelming, exciting, and a little scary, all at the same time. Here is where my work of publicity and promotion will hopefully start to pay off.

If you know anyone who would be interested in What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations, (or perhaps SHOULD be interested, after saying the wrong thing at the wrong time) would you send them a link to my website? Word of mouth is the BEST publicity–people are more likely to pursue information given to them by someone they trust.

On that note, I’d like to personally recommend some of MY favorite websites:

http://www.grownebraska.com/ – you’ll find a huge variety of quality Nebraska products, from jelly to books to lotions to jewelry. Everyone listed here owns a small business. If you live in Nebraska and own your own business, consider becoming a member–there are many great benefits. 

http://www.livingonadime.com/ Great “real life” money-saving tips and recipes for individuals and families.

 http://www.grandloving.com/ Neat book with many, many suggestions for grandparents, for making memories with their grandchildren.

http://www.moxiephotoanddesign.com/ Unique photos, greeting cards, magnets, and prints from around Nebraska and around the world!

Procrastination. I get so disgusted with myself when I do it, but yet, sometimes I just cannot overcome putting off a task. Sometimes it’s even a task I enjoy!

For Mother’s Day, Cody and Tim made me two frames for raised beds for a garden. I bought dirt, peat moss, and plants and seeds for the garden. I was so looking forward to having a garden for the first time in years!

So what did I do? Put it off. Over and over again. I watered the plants (in their little tiny from-the-store containers) almost every day, because they got dry so fast. I kept thinking, “I need to get these planted!” and looked forward to doing so, but for some reason, didn’t get around to it. I KNEW I needed to make it a priority and “just do it” . . .  but I just didn’t do it.

A few days ago I remembered the plants I’d planned to put in the garden . . . and they were black and withered, with no chance for revival. I’m mad at myself for spending the money on them, and then not getting them planted!

However, today I saw a sign in front of a store; it said, “Nursery plant clearance!” I got several 4-packs of tomatoes and peppers for just 50 CENTS each. This afternoon I mixed the dirt and peat moss and planted a few cucumbers, beans, and melons, and the herbs I’d started weeks ago, too (luckily they hadn’t all died in their miniature homes). It was several hours of hard work, but extremely satisfying. Tonight Cody is going to dig holes for the tomatoes and peppers, and I’ll get them planted tomorrow.

 I don’t know why I put things off like that . . . maybe I didn’t think I’d have enough time to do it? Perhaps I was afraid I wouldn’t live up to my own expectations of having a huge, wonderful garden? Whatever my reasons, they were not worth the rotten feelings of knowing I’d let the plants die, and not being able to plant lettuce and radishes because the weather is now too hot for them.

Hopefully from now on I will remember (at least most of the time!) that no matter my reasons for putting something off, it’s better to JUST DO IT than to deal with the consequences of not doing so.

And now, I’m going to send that sympathy card I’ve been putting off, too . . .  

WOW–the first day of summer was yesterday–can you believe it? The summer is just flying by. And I always thought only “old” people made comments like that.

The last few weeks have been busy here; we went to Des Moines for a cattle show last week. It was at the State Fair Grounds, and we had a fun time with friends and family. The buildings are really old, BIG, and interesting to look at and be in.

I worked Monday thru Thursday, and took Morgan to OT Mon., Tues., and Wed. Believe it or not, I’m ready to be HOME and do some housework! It’s amazing how cluttered/messy things can get, even when  (according to my family) no one has created any dirty dishes or left papers or dirty socks around . . . there must be little elves that come in when we’re all gone, just to clutter up the house  . . . Does that happen in your house?

I hate to think of the days getting shorter now (since yesterday was the longest day of the year!), especially because I have not spent much time outside yet this summer. My goal is to spend at least 30 minutes outside today, tomorrow, and Sunday, whether it’s just sitting and enjoying being outside, or maybe taking a walk. I hope you will take time to enjoy YOUR summer, too!

We are all charged with caregiving of one type or another, whether it’s of animals, children, elderly family members . . . but some people have a very special mission in life, and that is caring for those who are most in need of care–people who are terminally, critically, or chronically ill or developmentally disabled.

My mother-in-law is caring for my father-in-law, who was critically injured in a fall in December of 2005.

He has recovered enough to do his basic daily cares, but her life has changed dramatically. He can no longer drive, so she takes him to many doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, and so on.  She monitors his medications and his activities. She is doing a wonderful job, despite the huge change in her life and his.

As a nurse, I care for a profoundly disabled patient several times a week, and manage the case of another disabled adult. I’m in awe of these children’s parents. They patiently provide the most basic care for their children, with unending patience and love. 

Are you the caregiver of someone who is terminally, critically, or chronically ill or developmentally disabled? Do you know such a caregiver?

A friend and fellow author, Carmen Leal, is putting on a conference for these caregivers. Carmen has personal experience in caregiving, as she cared for her husband who had Huntington’s Disease.

The SomeOne Cares Conference is “designed to reach those who are searching for spiritual comfort, relief, and direction as they experience the loss, frustration, anger, grief, and hopefully, with Christ, the joy of caregiving.”

For more information about Carmen, Huntington’s Disease, and the conference please go to http://www.someonecaresonline.com.

**************

I ordered 1,ooo postcards to promote “What Should I Say?” this week. I think they’re very attention-getting–there is a pair of feet on the front, and the headline, “Tired of foot-in-mouth moments?”

If you would like to recieve a postcard, or know someone always seems to have just the WRONG words at the WRONG time, e-mail me with your, or their, address.  :-) If your workplace is full of negative words, consider hanging a postcard on the bulletin board in the break room.

**********

Don’t forget the $12 pre-publication special for “What Should I Say?”! And remember–FREE shipping and handling on all Shelmar Publications orders until July 11th. It’s a great time to get Christmas gifts! Or consider purchasing a book to donate to your church or local library.

Our family is off to Des Moines for a cattle show this weekend. It will be fun to see friends and get away for a few days.

 Have a great weekend!

Many people dislike Mondays, but I usually have a productive day on Monday. Tuesdays are often my “bad” day of the week . . . I work every Monday, and that is NOT a bad thing. Many times I do out-of-town errands after work on Monday, and when they’re done I feel ready for the rest of the week at home.

Today Morgan had an Occupational Therapy appointment. The OT lady is very nice and knowledgeable about her condition. She’s having less pain and regaining the range of motion in her wrist.

Our main errand today was to try to find a panini press for Tim for Father’s Day. We eat a lot of sandwiches in the summer but they can get boring, so we thought a panini press might be fun and make the sandwiches more exciting. Unfortunately we couldn’t find one anywhere, so will have to order one online. Does anyone have suggestions for a brand/make?  

I did get some nice looking fresh fruit and veggies; will make a fruit salad and crab cakes for supper. Does anyone have suggestions for summer meals? My family loves hamburgers and the above mentioned crab cakes, but I’d like to find some good recipes for pasta/veggie salad and some other easy, cool summer meals.

I didn’t get to sleep until after 3 AM last night–don’t know why!–so won’t be up late tonight! Luckily I have some internet research to do, but it won’t take much concentration so I can even do it in bed. I love wireless internet–it just became available waaayyyy out in the country a few months ago.

If you have a little time on the Internet this week, check out http://www.livingonadime.com. There are many great suggestions for saving money in various areas of your life, and a blog that’s fun to follow. Tawra, the author/editor of the website, has a great family and interesting life. She and her family sold their house a few weeks ago . . . and bought another one this weekend! They don’t want to move all of the money-saving books they’ve published, so have a wonderful sale going on right now, just through tomorrow. Check it out!   

Happy Friday! I hope all of my readers had a good week. My week was busy but fun and productive. Tim and Morgan both caught a cold last weekend, and were nice enough to share it with me (at least they listened to my nagging them about sharing . . . ), so that’s kind of got me down. Summer colds always seem to be worse than those at any other time of the year.

GOAL UPDATE! Remember, my goal is to sell 250 advance copies of “What Should I Say?” by July 11, 2007, at the special pre-publication price of just $12. I’ve received 6 orders so far, which is below the goal of about 18 a day, but I haven’t really started publicizing beyond sending out the newsletter so far.

I hope you’ll forward the link to my website to friends and family members you think would enjoy the information here, and/or any of the Shelmar Publications books. I read a statistic somewhere that each of us knows about 200 people well enough to forward an email to them–I bet a few people you know would find the goal-making information, or any of the other information on the website or blog, helpful. And THANKS for doing so!

I finally finished the index of my book and sent it in this morning. I also sent in the galley corrections–there were just a few, but the printing company had misspelled a  word on the inside title page–YIKES! I’m so excited about seeing the finished copy in a few weeks!

What do you think of the blog so far? I’d love to read your comments. Have a great weekend! 

During the last few weeks I’ve given you guidelines for writing effective goals that you can work towards and achieve. To review, to be effective goals must be measurable, realistic, meaningful, and for YOU! Read earlier posts for a discussion and examples of each of these characteristics of effective goals.

Today I’m going to put it all together for you by making an effictive goal for myself. The steps to making an effective goal are:

1. Write it down! This makes the goal real, and makes you accountable for working toward it. You can also share your goal with others, as I am; share it with people who will encourage you to reach your goal. You can write your goal in your calendar, a notebook devoted to your goals, or on a sticky note. Writing down your goal makes you much more likely to reach it.

I’ll be writing my goal down in my blog and newsletter. 

2. Document your results. You can document your results by putting a star on the calendar each day you exercise, making a list of healthy recipes you try, or creating a graph on which you document bills that you pay off. I’ll document my results by reporting them on the blog and in the newsletter.

3. Make intermediate goals. If you have a large goal, or a long-term one, like losing 25 lbs. or paying off a big bill, you need smaller goals (like losing 5 lbs by a certain date, or paying off a certain amount of the bill in 3 months) to keep you on track. You’ll see my intermediate steps below.

4. Evaluate your goals. Evaluate each of your goals periodically. If you’ve met a one-time goal (like losing 15 lbs), or your goal has become a habit (15 minutes of Bible Study every day is now a natural part of your day), CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve achieved your goal!

If you have not met your goal, figure out why. If circumstances beyond your control kept you from meeting it–illness, for example, keeping you from working out–keep the same goal for another month.

If you put your best effort toward the goal and still were not able to reach it, perhaps the goal was unrealistic. Don’t give up! Adjust your goal and try again.

It’s OK to revise, change, or even drop your goals. They’re not set in stone, they’re a stepping stone to what and where and who you want to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY GOAL!

My goal is to sell 250 copies of What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words for Life’s Tricky, Sticky, Uncomfortable Situations, by July 11, 2007.

(all copies will be shipped on or about July 16, 2007)

Let’s see if I’ve followed the guidelines for writing an effective goal.

• Is it measurable? YES!

• Is it realistic? Since I’ve never marketed a book in this way before, I dont know if it is realistic. However, with the plan I have, I believe it is.

• Is it meaningful? Very much so! Selling 250 copies by July 11th will allow me to get the book into the hands of people who will hopefully like the information it contains, and spread the good word! I’ll also be able to pay some bills and order more books to sell.

• Is the goal for ME? YES! (Well, reaching it will make my bankers happy, too . . . )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m following the steps to making an effective goal by writing it down here, as I will in the newsletter. I will document my results weekly. Intermediate goals are the smaller goals that will enable me to reach the overall goal, and they include:

1. Great deals for readers:

• Until July 11th, What Should I Say? will sell for the special price of only $12–that’s 20% off the after-publication price!

• The first 10 orders, beginning at 12:01 AM June 5th, will receive an refrigerator magnet featuring “10 Things to Say When You don’t know what to Say”, from What Should I Say?

• Every 25 orders will recieve a FREE copy of Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home.

• The 100th and 200th orders will receive a FREE copy of Home is Where the Mom Is, and a t-shirt and mug featuring Home is Where the Mom Is. 

• The 250th order will receive a t-shirt, mug, and FREE copies of BOTH What Should I Say? and Home is Where the Mom Is.

• 10 random orders will include a FREE Home is Where the Mom Is mug.

• FREE shipping and handling on ALL orders of ANY book or combination of books from Shelmar Publications (all orders including What Should I Say? will be shipped on or about July 16)

• To order, click on the “Buy Now” button on the What Should I Say? page of the Shelmar Publications website, or the page of any book you wish to purchase. When your order is processed, you will automatically receive the promotional pre-publication price for What Should I Say? and FREE Shipping and Handling.

2. Publicity. I will publicize What Should I Say? in at least 15 blogs and/or websites each week during this promotion.

3. Postcards. I will send out at least 250 postcards featuring What Should I Say? during this promotion.

4. Reader help. Every reader will send a link to the blog or Shelmar Publications website, or forward the newsletter, to at least three people. WAIT! One of the guidelines for an effective goal is that it must be for the person writing the goal–the above goal is for readers. I’ll change it to make it for ME–I will ask each reader to send a link to the blog or Shelmar Publications website, or forward the newsletter, to at least three people. Readers, will you please help me by doing this?

My ultimate goal in writing What Should I Say? is to spare people who are hurting, from being hurt even more by people who inadvertently say the wrong thing. I hope that every person who reads What Should I Say? will pass on encouraging words, and comforting words, and make someone’s day a little brighter, or at least ease a tiny bit of pain someone may be going through in the midst of a crisis. You can be a part of this! 

I will evaluate my goals, and progress toward them, weekly or more often, and adjust my intermediate goals accordingly.

+++++++++++++

There you have it! I hope this (long!) post has pulled together all the information I’ve given you about making goals you can achieve! And I hope this will inspire you to set your own goals, and work toward them. I want YOU to have the satisfaction of reaching your goals and making your dreams come true!

I was reminded of the power of words twice this last week.

On Tuesday I took Morgan to an orthopedic specialist in Omaha about the continuing wrist pain she’s having after injuring her wrist at a cattle show. On the way to the doctors office, I inadvertently cut someone off in traffic, almost causing an accident. I was sitting there (luckily the light was red!) taking a few deep breaths and thanking God there was NOT an accident, when the other lady pulled up next to me and rolled her window down.

I was prepared for her to yell at me for my carelessness, but instead, she asked if our vehicles had made contact. I told her they had not and apologized profusely for cutting her off. She just smiled, said, “It’s OK, no big deal, don’t worry about it!” and waved as she drove off after the light turned green.

I was still a bit shook up, but greatful for her kindness when she would have been totally justified in yelling at me.

On Friday, I heard from a friend who I hadn’t talked to in quite a while. Out of the blue, she made a very negative comment about my new book and the prospects for selling it. I felt the sting of these words all afternoon, and let them take away some of the joy I’d been feeling at the satisfaction of finishing the book and seeing the galley of it. I finally realized the ulterior motives she probably had in making the commnets, but the biting words still hurt.

As I compare the situations, I am reminded again of the power of words. I resolve that I will think very carefully before making any critical remarks, and I also resolve that next time I’m in a situation where angry words are perhaps justified, I’ll pass on the kindness of the other lady driver and give encouraging words, instead.

“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply, and how good is a timely word!” Proverbs 15:23

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow I’ll share with you my goal for June sales, including a great pre-publication special for What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words and Deeds for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations.