Things to do before the year is out

Today’s topic is “Things to do before the year is out.” There are only a few things that I would like to finish before 2010. I don’t like to set goals, make plans or resolutions. I think it just adds pressure to rush to the finish line. I was a late starter. Even when I start projects early, I always seem to barely make the deadline. Sometimes I even miss the deadline and has to make up for it. When I think of all those unfinished projects, I wonder if I should have started them at all. But if I don’t start, how would I know if I want to finish? Below is just a few things that I would like to finish but I’m not sure if I need to finish before the end of the year.

Finish reading all those books that I brought but didn’t read
I have a long list of to-read books but somehow reading hasn’t been in my schedule.  I barely finish one chapter and somehow I get distracted to do other things. I would especially like to read those photography books that I keep meaning to read. Perhaps it would be easier if I stop buying books.

Learn to really use my SLR camera - which I think it will be a life-long goal
I’ve been using my point and shoot and somehow never got around to really using my Nikon SLR camera. I had it for a couple of years now but still haven’t quite got around to learning how to use all the buttons and settings.  I have taken a couple of really great photos with it. But that’s about it.

Finish at least one of the novel that I started writing
I would definitely like to finish one or two novels that I started. It’s always a challenge and a chase to the finish line. Even if I don’t finish, I can at least, get the story out. I might do this in November so I can participate in NaNoWriMo.

I wish there were more but I’m was never a planner and I can never quite see the future like other people. Whenever people ask how I see myself in five years, I never could come up with any answer. I suppose if there’s any new things coming my way, I couldn’t escape it.

Anyway, I decided to post a piece of fiction entitled, Solace. It is part of a novel that I worked on during NaNoWriMo in 2008. Even though I finished the story, I never got around to do any editing. But I’ve always like this part and so I thought I posted here.
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Solace

Grace woke up in the middle of the night, sitting in bed in the darkness. Her mind grew blank, unsure why she woke up. She wandered to the kitchen, yearning for tea but as she listened to the water pouring into the kettle, she stopped. She didn’t want tea after all. She left the kettle on the burner.

She sat herself down on one of the wooden chairs and just stared at the moonlight dancing on the shiny, mahogany kitchen table.  Her mind drifted off to uncharacteristic thoughts of sailing the sea. She couldn’t fathomed the reason why that came to her. Only that it was their favorite past time. He often took her on his small boat but she was always afraid of falling into the water and drowning without any one to rescue her.

The moon drifted away as the morning sun lighted up the kitchen. She sat there unmoving, wondering why she hasn’t gone back to bed. The sun fell on her, heating the back of her neck. She had been motionless for a while now still dressed in her pink nightgown.  When she started to move her legs, she realized she had developed a cramp. She looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall which had stopped at midnight.

It was the exact time that Aaron had left her. Right in between the big hand and the small hand while she slept silently dreaming of their future.  He packed his belongings in a duffle bag and instead of taking the truck, he had called for a taxi. He took it straight to the airport all the way to meet his mistress. All the while never once looking back. She had waken to the hallow sound of her beating heart. She knew even before she awakes, he had left. For someone older, more mature than she. It seem so ironic to her since he always prided on marrying someone so young as her.

All he left was a folded piece of paper, ripped from one of her date books, with “I’m sorry” written in his scrawny script. He didn’t even gave a reason or signed his full name. Instead it was just the letter “A” at the bottom almost looking like an “O.”  She crawled back into bed then, unable to cope with his leaving. That was two months ago. She still sleeps on her left side, unable to move any closer to the center of the bed.

Judging by the shadows on the table created by the sun now, she can tell it wasn’t lunch time yet.  She reminded herself many times to buy a new clock but she always forgets. So it always stopped working now and then. She couldn’t remember why she woke up so soon or why she still sit there with her legs cramping up, now with pins and needle shooting up and down.

Perhaps it was nothing, she thought as she got up to get dress. Sunday was always the easiest for her. She can be lazy and it would be justifiable to her and anyone who care to know.

In the closet mirror, she discovered a small streaks of white hair on top of her head. How had that happened?  Wasn’t it just yesterday she was still a brunette and just a week ago celebrated her twenty second birthday?  Yet, she could not easily dismiss it as she would like before. She slowly combed out her hair, blending the white with the dark.  She was certain stress had caused it. Or maybe she got old without her knowing. She set the comb on the dresser and went about her day as usual.
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Please visit Frances at my blog in which she is guesting for this week