Someone, has to do it all; the baby chicks are relocated outdoors, the lamb is finally healthy, the 110 heifers (or maybe the 130) are turned out on green-grass, the water tank needs painting and my house is filthy. This someone might as well be me.

And Stephen King writes 1500 words most days, except his birthday and the 4th of July.

I struggle to wrap up my goal of 100 daily words, and wonder how I will somehow finish this novel. My creative stimulants regularly are clouded over and under with the ever-growing pile of dirty dishes. It must be nice to be Stephen King.

Perhaps, I should establish Jack London’s late hours.

My cup runneth over with good intentions. My daylight hours are allocated to raising kids and keeping the house. Now, Wyoming’s growing season beckons. And Wyoming’s growing season is a tiny window in time. I must jump at the chance while I can.

I will not be observed weeding my garden in my PJs. My solution is to move the garden. This is a daunting task for the entire 1/16 acre plot is planted in strawberries. Yes, a perennial that would not require annual reseeding. Wise old owl that I am. I must now move all berry bushes and plants to a more discreet local.

Branding season is here although no date has been set as of yet. My darling beloved is inevitably springing that one on me with all but a few hours in advance.

My toddler is snoozing, which gives me a moment to stretch my writing muscles. Speaking of muscles, this reminds me of an unexpected priority that has grabbed hold of my desires. I am, in my spare time, training to run the “Absoroka Mountain Challenge” later this summer.

This training has led me to remember the utmost importance of physical health. Physical strength and stamina does wonders for emotional and mental clarity. Not to mention sex appeal.

Did I mention that I’m reading “Seabiscuit” by Laura Hillenbrand. Laura, had her Cross to bear in the writing of “Seabiscuit.” Her achievement is an exemplary inspiration.

I have taken on an enormous responsibility in writing a book to enrich peoples lives. I will complete this novel and my novel will shine!

“The storyteller knows that success in writing is the intangible thread that connects the reader’s and writer’s hearts through the written word.” -Donald Mass

To accomplish all this I wish that I could add a few extra hours to my days. We can’t. Nor to the night. What we can do, is take control of how our time is spent.

Prioritizing Tasks- The first step in making effective use of an eight-hour day.
I am the “Queen of good intentions”, so this is a difficult assignment for me. Right out of the gate (remember, I’m reading “Seabiscuit” ), I know that the utmost of my responsibility is to help keep my family healthy. They must eat and eat from clean dishes, so that looks like a good place to start.

Being the “Queen of good intentions”, it can be a true downer when I don’t accomplish everything listed on my daily agenda. My second token of advice is:

It is Okay to not get everything accomplished- Most tasks on a ‘To Do’ list can be re-prioritized later. This stage of the game reinforces the importance of prioritizing.

Multi tasking- Woman generally are better at this than men. This must account for why more women are nurses, teachers, waitresses and mothers too (LOL). These professions all demand management of simultaneous endeavors.

During the fruition of this article I have washed the dishes half a dozen times, rota tilled the new garden (strawberry) location, washed and folded seven loads of laundry, cooked nine meal, helped bury 380 feet of electric cable, branded eleven bulls, spanked one bottom, wiped two noses twice and posted on twitter. And all of this happened in the past 36 hours. Of course, I have left out the boring stuff.

I would like to leave you with my one last crumb of “Ranch Wife Advice.”

Reward Yourself- No one needs to know. When you’ve accomplished those tiny hurdles that life throws your way, pat yourself on the back. And it doesn’t have to be a little pat. Reward yourself with something substantial. Here are some ideas: take a friend to lunch and celebrate, buy yourself some new boots, hide in a good novel for an hour (lock the doors), buy a bottle of wine or new music, go for a walk or simple take a hot bath.

If I can find time to write, to revise, to wash the dishes. You can too!