2/29/2020

Happy Leap Year!! This day only comes around every four years and I love the extra day. I sure can use one every now and then. Well, we just got the van for Hope Station USA that will be used to transport fundraising items and eventually transporting homeless individuals to and from work. I am so excited. Now, we just need to clean it up, get it painted and reupholstered, and ready to go. I can't wait to get it on the road.
I am trying to get things back in order and in routine since the fire. It has been stressful and just coming out of the hospital with a wound on my foot doesn't help matters. I am just trying to do my best with everything and now I need to get grant proposals written to begin bringing in funding. Everything is coming out of my pocket which I have no problem with because this organization is my baby that I gave birth to.
As far as my writing is concerned, my newest book on addictions just went up for sale on Amazon and I am excited about that too. You can check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084RWTZSK. It took me months to write it and a year researching everything. I thank webmd.com and drugs.org for keeping their information up to date. It was a beast to write, but now I must get to work on some other books that I have started. I have two books that will be book two in their series and need to get them finished. I have a lot of things going on right now and will be working diligently on them to their completion.
Things here at home are finally starting to get some normalcy going and it takes some of the stress away but I still need to keep myself healthy and mentally stable. Everyone is being respectful of the fact that I need to stay off my feet so that the wound under my foot will heal. Thursday I will know if my foot is going back to normal or if it will be placed in a cast again. I am also doing a weight loss class for my diabetes and have lost two pounds this first week and it should be even more this week since I have changed my eating habits and began exercising again.
I began this post earlier, but I got called away to check and do some things in the house like clean the kitchen, which I finished and now I can go back to my writing and get some things done. I lost the motivation for a few days plus the instructions of staying off my foot as much as possible. I love writing when left alone and having completed scheduled things which bring on the motivation for more.
I want to get things back to normal fully and get back into my routine so that everything runs smoothly. The bills got messed up for a minute but I am taking care of them, we are going up to the property office to sign a contract buying the next three acres to us so that we will own six acres and I can begin putting my farm together in June. With a greenhouse in place, I will be able to grow fruits and vegetables all year long and plant some fruit trees so that I can jar some fruit for eating. With the next three acres, I can begin clearing the land and designing the livestock enclosures.
This year will be paying off our vehicles and getting our well drilled by Thanksgiving. Then, next year, all the spare money that was used to purchase the vehicles will go towards building our house and putting the money together for my restaurant which I haven't forgotten about. There are a lot of things that need to get done and with my schedule, everything will get completed.
Well, it is time to get things moving forward, so I want to wish everyone a "Happy Birthday" that is celebrating today and for everyone else to have a blessed day with your loved ones. Please keep the homeless in your thoughts and prayers while we live through this cold season. Say a prayer for Hope Station USA to move forward with its plans to help the homeless. Take care.

1/18/2020

Hello everyone. How are we doing today? I have been up for a few hours now and it is one eleven in the afternoon, but it looks so cloudy and cold outside that it doesn't even feel like the afternoon. Everyone is moving around in the house and some are getting ready to leave while I sit here and work on my book some more. The goal is to have the addictions book done at the end of this month which I am still doing pretty good on time so far.
I need to do my walk around the block here shortly to add to my steps for my fitness app. The goal is to walk fifteen thousand steps daily to lose some weight and get myself healthy again. I have to see my diabetes doctor this next Friday and she is not going to be well with my blood sugars since they have been high since Thanksgiving. I am also going to get back into their program to lose weight also and that will be fun, lol.
I should be finishing up the regular addictions today and then starting on the drugs which will be learning for me also since my drug of choice back in the day was crack cocaine. I haven't dealt with any other drugs, so writing about the others will be education for me as well as my readers. I still have to write my story in the book too.
Well, it is time to go walk, so I hope everyone has a beautiful Saturday with your loved ones and "Happy Birthday" to everyone turning another year older today. Please keep the homeless and Hope Station USA in your thoughts and prayers as we move into colder temperatures this winter season. Have a blessed day. Take care.

12/17/2019

hello everyone. It is almost twelve-thirty in the afternoon and cloudy outside. It is not really cold, but a little chilly here in Dalton, Georgia. I have been sick for the past few days and I went to see my doctor yesterday and she gave me antibiotics for any bacterial infections, but she thinks that my sinus and head cold are possibly viral. She is also treating my stomach issue for diabetic gastroparesis. Everything that I eat, causes issues a couple hours later and it doesn't matter what I eat or how little I eat.
My face was swollen last night on the right side with my sinuses inflamed and irritated. It hurt so much that I sat with an ice pack on my face just to numb it a little enough for me to go to sleep. It worked for a bit, but I still hurt going to sleep.
I woke up this morning with a clogged head but not so much swelling and pain in my face. I took all my meds this morning and even began taking Chantix to help me quit smoking. I am tired of cigarettes and how they taste but I can't seem to quit on my own. It is going to be a New Year's resolution to stop and so the first day of the year is my quit date. Please keep me in your prayers that I can quit.
Other than what I have mentioned, everything seems to be going okay. I have missed a few days of writing since being sick, but I am going to get things going today and hopefully get most things done on my list. I am a list person and can't seem to function without a list. I am also a person who can't function when there is chaos or drama.
so, let me get things moving forward and I hope that everyone has a great day and "Happy Birthday" to those who are a year older today. May you all have many more to come. Please keep the homeless in your thoughts and prayers and please remember before you judge that not everyone homeless is out there because of drugs or alcohol. that is just the coping mechanism for being homeless. Take care.

5/9/2019

Good morning to everyone, it is eight thirteen in the morning here in Dalton, Georgia and it has been raining throughout the night. The countdown has begun for our move and the closer it gets, the more excited I get. I have approximately half of our stuff packed in boxes and totes and hopefully tomorrow we will begin loading the trailer up with what is packed so that I can make more room to move around and pack the rest of our stuff.

I have had a weird night with waking up several times and just sitting here. I sit for about thirty minutes and then go right back to bed. It is crazy. I have been looking over our bills and things are going to be tight for next month, but they will get straightened out and we will be back on track financially.

For some good news, I just published those two manuscripts that I had been sitting on and now I have seven books published. Yay Me! I just had to share that with everyone. Now I can finish the one I have been working on and hopefully, after the editing process it will be ready for publishing. I know that while we are living on our property I will be able to get more writing done.

I have informed my husband that while up there, I will work half a day on clearing the property and then the other half goes to writing my books to which he agreed. We both know that this will be a good thing for both of us and really for me with my mental illness. He hates to see me stress so much and go through changes, so being up there by ourselves and with peace and quiet, I will be better.

I just fed my dogs and gave them their water and now it is time for me to get other things done before my doctor's appointment this morning. I get to go see my diabetes doctor today and show her how crazy my sugar has been since getting my epidural. It will be okay because I am getting it back under control again.

Well, time to get off of here and do some other things. I wish everyone a blessed Thursday and a "Happy Birthday" to those celebrating today. Take care and keep the homeless in your prayers.

Paypal Fundraising

paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1446573

https://www.gofundme.com/5u9yxn-pathway-to-selfsufficiency

4/19/2019

Hello everyone. It is a rainy Friday afternoon and the wind is howling. I have been up since around six-thirty and found out we finally got our food stamps after fighting with these people for a week over a stupid interview. So, I went shopping first thing this morning before everyone got up and the days' drama begins. Every day there is nothing but drama around here and it is no wonder that I stay to myself in my room because I want no part of it.

This is why we are moving up in the mountains away from all the drama and to keep my sanity. People feed off drama and I don't see how? I put drama into stories and books for others to read and enjoy. It is all gossip around here and in order for me to stay out of it, I have to hide away in my room.

Today will be a good day to write with the weather being gloomy and rainy. I plan on getting another article short story done, some writing done on my book, and my diabetic menu and journal need to be set up to start tomorrow. I was finally able to buy food today so that I could start the diet the doctor placed me on for my diabetes.

I have so many things to work on that my head spins for a minute, but then gets back to where it should be. I can only keep my mind on the future and that is living on our property and being healthy and happy.

Well, it is that time again to get going before I fall into fatigue and want a nap. I hope everyone has a blessed Friday and gets ready for their weekend. "Happy Birthday" to those of you who were born on this date and may you be blessed with many more. Take care.

4/13/2019

Good morning everyone. It is sixty-two degrees here in Dalton, Georgia with rain showers this morning. The roommates are leaving for an overnight trip this morning so it will be just my husband and me here. My husband is still asleep and I just got up a few minutes ago and let the dogs out and fed them. I am now sitting here with my first cup of coffee trying to wake myself up all the way to get motivated.

I have plenty of things to do this morning and writing being the major part of my day next to exercising. I am going to try and get back on the treadmill today because I haven't been since the swelling of my ankles. I have a goal of forty pounds to lose by August thirty-first so that I may be able to go on my charity walk in September.

I have not worked on it for a minute because we have been working on our property stuff to get ready to move there in July. We have plenty of things to do to get it ready for the move and plus I have to get tables set up for Hope Station to collect donations and writing grant proposals for our project funding. So, there is plenty to do.

I am going to be working on my diabetes menu today and going through the cabinets to see what food we do have and what needs to be bought when our food stamps do come in. The caseworker has been playing around and she missed our phone interview so we didn't get our food stamps on the eleventh like we were supposed to. So, now I have to make do with what we do have in the house if anything at all that I can eat.

Today's writing goal is to have another twenty-five hundred to five thousand words written in one book and begin the editing process of another already finished one. I know that I can do it since it will be nice and quiet around here.

Well, it is time to get going on things and my husband needs his coffee. I hope that everyone has an awesome and blessed day. "Happy Birthday" to those who were born on this date and may you be blessed with many more. Let's also show our support for Hope Station USA by making a donation which is clicking one of the links below. Take care.

https://www.gofundme.com/5u9yxn-pathway-to-selfsufficiency  

Paypal Fundraising

paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1446573

4/8/2019 & 4/9/2019

Hello everyone. How are you? I am doing pretty good today and I just got back from a doctor's appointment with a diabetes diet that I have to follow. It shouldn't be hard because I already eat the right food except for splurging every now and then which I have to cut out. My husband cleaned our room while I was gone which I love him for. He is such a big help to me more so when I'm sick.

Now that I am home, I get to start my list and get things done but just a few hours late. I am feeling positive so far today and will be seeing my therapist tomorrow with another letter that I have to write in order to begin processing my trauma. Writing my books help very much, but to write a letter to someone who has hurt me is somewhat difficult and takes time for me to write.

Besides writing my letter, I have to do some more writing on my book in order to finish it. I have written over twenty-thousand words so far and hopefully will make twenty-five-thousand today. I have to clean the house and get my tweets out before doing my writing. I try to stay on my schedule, but when people or appointments pull me away it becomes difficult to stay on track.

4/9/2019

My apologies for not publishing this post yesterday, but I became overwhelmed with the blahs which sucked every bit of my energy after my doctor's appointment. I found myself to be bed bound and not wanting to do anything. I have these days every so often and it makes it hard to catch up on things the next day.

Today, I am just waking up and having my first cup of coffee while the dogs are outside. Every one of them just wants to give me lovin'. So, I have to take a few minutes and give each one some attention so they will calm down. I love them and I know they love me.

Well, time to get things done around here while I have the energy to do them. I will post more tomorrow, so have an awesome day everyone and "Happy Birthday" to those born on this date. Take care.

1/22/2019

Hello everyone. It is me again, lol. It is now one forty-seven in the afternoon and sunny outside. There is a breeze blowing that it makes it a bit chilly but it is in all a nice day. I just got back from the neurologist and the diagnosis is that I have moderate to severe diabetic neuropathy and they are trying me on Lyrica, for now, to see if it helps with the symptoms. She suggested that I eat a strict diet, keep active, and keep my blood sugar under control. If I don't do these things, she says that I might not be walking in approximately five years. I stumble now losing my balance because I can't feel my feet sometimes and also because of pain in my feet.

Today is looking positive and I am going to get some writing things done today which makes me feel good. I do have some cleaning to do in the back room and some raking outside, if I can find the rake, lol. Other than that, everything is looking good for today and very accomplished.

I have one book in the editing phase and one being written while others wait in line for their turn. I am working on my schedule to see if there is anything else that I can to do make everything work efficiently. If not, I will be back on that schedule in the next day or two because I have let everything go due to household issues which have finally passed and now it is time to get busy doing what I love which is writing.

I am working on some other things that are not related to writing which is helping the homeless and needy families. We are going to be going out by the weekend and passing out bag lunches, hygiene kits, and some warm clothing to those who are staying outside. I am looking forward to writing grant proposals in the near future for a new program that our nonprofit wants to incorporate by the end of this year. Please send prayers for our funding of the new program which will help those that are homeless to have a place to live and the resources to get a job and help themselves.

Anyway, it is time to get started and I hope everyone has a blessed day. I want to wish everyone a "Happy Birthday" that is celebrating one today and may you have many more. Take care and be blessed.

Don't forget to check out my books here: amazon.com/author/brandipayne
Also, if you would like to make a donation to help us assist the homeless or fund our program, please feel free to visit either one of these sites: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1446573 or http://brandidpayne.com/

6/6/2018

"Good morning to everyone!" It is such a beautiful morning here in Georgia. I am sitting here next to an open back door and I can hear the birds chirping, people going to work, and seeing the sunshine through the trees. The dogs have been fed and the house cleaned. I have had my coffee and now I am drinking some ice tea and my meds have been taken also.

Mentally I am doing good so far and feel good knowing that I will accomplish things today and be happy about it. I went yesterday to the doctor and got fitted for my diabetic shoes and don't have to wear a cast anymore. I will have my shoes in about two weeks which I am excited about. I still have a mild deformity in my feet and the shoes will help slow the progression.

My husband has been up with me since I got up about six o'clock and will be helping me with my garden and pruning some trees. I will hopefully be planting my pumpkins and watermelons today or tomorrow. My potato and tomato plants are getting so big, and the onions are sprouting very well also.

I have been getting my coupons organized in their books and already have a stockpile started with hygiene supplies and some shelf stable food. I will be going shopping again on Monday for local sales and using the coupons to save money. I usually on a big shopping trip with a mega sale get about five to six hundred dollars worth of food for about one-hundred to one-hundred and fifty dollars.

Well, it is time to get some things done and accomplished and hopefully my day will be a great one. If your birthday is today, "Happy Birthday" and to the rest of you, have an awesome and blessed day. It is "Hump Day". Take care.

05/29/2018

Good evening everybody. I am so thrilled to be able to post today. I have had a stomach virus for the past six days. I had to allow it to run its course and today it is not so bad. I got tired of diarrhea and vomiting all day. Oh, and the abdominal cramps were not nice either. Just the smell of food made me want to vomit. My poor husband couldn't figure out how to make me feel better or more comfortable but he tried and I'll give him credit for that.

I seem to have everything in place now and can move forward again as I have been trying to keep things positive and forward as long as I could stay out of the bathroom. I made some forms and tracker sheets to keep me accountable for everything. They are doing a great job. I am a list person. I have to have a to-do list made every morning while drinking coffee so that I know what has to be done so that I can keep track in case of brain farts or memory loss.

I will be finished writing my first book this week and my second book will be done before the middle of next week. Editing is always the fun part as far as I 'm concerned. My red pen is my friend for three trips of reading. I usually go through three personal edits before sending it to the editor. I want my work to be good and easy on the editor.

I missed my wound care appointment today but got it rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon and my foot is finally healing up. I still have mild Charcot foot but the plan is with my diabetic shoes it should slow down the progression. My appointment for shoe fitting is next week and I can't wait.

I have been walking a quarter of a mile every day on the treadmill to lose some weight and make myself healthier. It seems to be working but I have to start out slow because my body is not used to being active. My sugar is getting better and my A1C has come down which everyone at the hospital is happy to see.

I will possibly be doing a sleep study soon because of that Febreeze incident which has every one of my doctors concerned. It even scared me to death that I almost poisoned myself. Well, things are good so far and my mind is trying to reset itself so my creative juices can flow again. For my author table at the flea market, I have made laminated bookmarkers, brochures, and I have a stack of all my books. I am hopefully going to go next weekend providing it doesn't rain everything out.

I hope that everyone had an awesome Memorial Day weekend? I sat here at home sick with the virus and getting things done like organizing my notebook and setting up my book publishing goal. I am very happy mentally, emotionally, and physically right now but it is time to publish this post and move on to something else. Take care everyone and please leave me any comments which I will respond as soon as possible. Good night.

05/26/2018

Hello everyone. "Happy Saturday!" I'm sorry I am posting this so late in the day but I have been hurting all day with my hands and my lower back down to the bottom of my feet. It is part of my peripheral neuropathy which can become a pain every now and then. I am here now and that is all that matters, right?

I have been trying to write all day but with the excruciating pain in my hands and all over my body it has been a hindrance. After some medication and some rest, I am trying to get things together to write my books. I have the whole weekend with one extra day to work on them and get back on track. The goal for sending to the editor the first week of the month is still in sight as long as I can get a kick in my butt.

My husband has been trying everything to help me feel better and to encourage me to get writing but he understands that I am hurting. I go to pain management on Wednesday and hopefully the doctor can give me some extra relief. I feel debilitated sometimes but what can I do, I am disabled by my conditions both physical and mental.

I did manage to finish cutting my bookmarks and will be working on my author brochures for the flea market this weekend and the goal is to hopefully make the flea market next weekend to start getting my brand out there.

Well, I can only stand so much pain right now in my hands and will be here tomorrow posting again with more updates. I hope everyone had a great day and look forward to the barbeque's this weekend. Take care.

05/22/2018

     It is six-thirty in the morning here in Dalton, Georgia, so good morning everyone who is awake now. Good morning goes out to all those who will be getting up in a few hours. The sun is just starting to come up this morning and I look forward to the day. I have been having some mental health issues lately and saw my therapist yesterday who gave me some tips to cope with some of my issues and I have an appointment with my psychiatrist tomorrow for medication.
      It is quiet here in the house since I am the only one up and the dogs are outside. We went to bed early last night and I got up only a couple times during the night. I am finally catching up on some sleep and getting rid of the bags under my eyes from so much broken sleep.
     I have an appointment with wound care today to check the ulcer healing on my big toe and to put a new cast on my foot. June fifth I will be going to get fit for custom diabetic shoes and inserts to help my feet. The doctor at wound care told me that I will be in a cast until my shoes are ready. I am trying to comply with the doctor's orders but it is hard.
     So far I am working my schedule and it seems to get easier even with having doctor's appointments and errands. I still make time to play catch up. My husband has been very helpful and supportive even with helping around the house. I am very thankful that God sent him to me. I will be working all three books today and every day.
     I am also working on crafts to sell at the flea market which will help with my nonprofit. I will be setting up an author table and selling my books to get my name and brand out there. I have left business cards in doctor's offices and other places for people to pick up and be able to go to my site. I know it will take a few months before my brand is really out there and I see a significant income from royalties but it is okay. I will keep writing which makes me happy and is relaxing.
     Well, it's that time again for me to end this post and get started with today's goals. I wish everyone a blessed and awesome day. I hope everyone checks out my site and reads the short stories on there. Take care.

05/17/2018

     Hello Everyone. I am doing pretty good today. I had a doctor's appointment this morning to get things going to get my custom diabetic shoes and inserts. I will also be scheduling for a podiatrist and urologist for some other problems. Today I found out that my A1C has gone down quite a bit since February and that my liver and kidney functions are normal and working pretty good.
     My mental health status is doing okay. I go see my therapist on Monday and then the psychiatrist for medications on Wednesday. I still have issues with anxiety and sometimes my depression slips through but I have been trying to keep myself busy to try and not notice it.
     For the last few days, I have been working on my notebook that holds me accountable for my book writing. I finally finished it today and now I am ready to keep myself on track. My writing has been going good and pretty much on schedule. I am still looking for beta or proofreaders to assist with my book writing and publishing. Anyone want to help out just leave me a comment with your email address or email me at bpayne43@live.com. My next three books should be ready around the end of the first week of June.
     Well, I need to continue my schedule and move forward today. I wish everyone a blessed and prosperous day and look forward to posting again tomorrow. Take care.

05/14/2018

     Good morning to every one of my friends and family. How are we doing this morning? "Happy Monday!" It is the first day of the work week for most everyone and it will be a prosperous one. It will be in the low nineties today and yesterday was tiring. My husband and I moved our mattress to clean under the bed which we do every week and then we shared mowing the backyard so that I can start my gardens for potatoes, watermelon, and jack o lanterns.
     I have a doctors appointment this morning to do the paperwork for custom diabetic shoes. This should be the last cast on my foot since my doctor appointment last week. The ulcer under my big toe is finally healing and I will be glad to be able to walk normally again. It has been a long time since the ulcer popped un in February.
     Well to give you a writing update, I am finishing chapter six and beginning seven in one book, but the first chapter will be finished on the other book. I have some erotic short stories to write for a compilation book. I am also sending off permission letters for another nonfiction book. I am moving forward in a positive way with my writing. I have marked my writing calendar with the goals I plan to achieve.
     It is time for me to get started, but I wish everyone a great day. I will check in later so take care.

05/09/2018

     Good morning my east coast and west coast family and friends. It is a glorious morning here today. The sun is shining and birds chirping. I have the dogs outside playing in the yard while I wake up and enjoy my cup of coffee. I have an appointment this morning to take our car for servicing and a car wash at the dealership. I will be there for a minute so I will be taking my laptop to do some writing while I wait.
     My foot is still in a cast and I have a doctors appointment on Monday to get a referral to have diabetic shoes made for my feet. I also get to see a pulmonologist in June for a strange cough I have had since August of last year. Every doctor I have been too said something different, so I want a lung doctor to find out.
     I have been working on my garden which is starting to grow now and I have five stalks of corn, five lettuce plants, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots that have already broken ground and the seedlings are about three inches high. I am proud of my little garden and talk to them every morning as I give them something to drink. I will be planting watermelons and pumpkins next month to take to the flea market for charity.
     As far as my writing goes, I will be finishing up the first chapter of nine in one book, the sixth chapter of eleven in another book, and a short story for an erotic book I am working on. I have plenty to do and if everything goes right today those will be completed. I should have all three ready for publishing next month and then I will begin the next book. I have outlines already made for another thirty-nine books to be written and with faith, I will have most if not all of them done this year.
     Well, it is time to get going this morning because I have to stop and vacuum the car out before heading to the dealership. I wish everyone an awesome "Hump Day" and a blessed and prosperous day.

05/01/2018

Hey everyone! How are we doing today? It is the first day of May and I wonder where the year is going. I just got back from wound care about my diabetic ulcer on under my big toe and I am back in a cast on that foot. The ulcer on the other toe has healed and I can go back to wearing regular shoes, but they are calling about getting me custom inserts or shoes to take the pressure off my feet when I walk.

The ulcer in the cast is not healing like it is supposed too and it is becoming frustrating. I just wish it would heal but now my feet are getting blood to them but the tiny veins are too weak to push the blood out of my toe, so it stays reddish-purple around my big toe. It will heal eventually and I just have to be patient for now.

On to other things, I finished writing thirty-six hundred words last night of chapter six and it is just getting to a really good part. I find it relaxing but exciting when I write and work on my books. I love being a part of the story and living it in my mind as I touch the keyboard.

Today I should be finishing chapter six and beginning chapter seven of my next book the first of a series. I have another book also in progress that the first draft should be done in about two weeks and the editing should begin on both of them about the same time. I have been working very hard lately to get things back to normal and working efficiently and it seems to be working correctly.

It is time for me to finish this post so that I can get to work writing. I wish everyone an awesome and blessed day and don’t forget to check out the site for new short stories and autographed books for purchase. Take care.