Answer!

Well, the sad truth is, all of the text messages are true.
Let me 'splain some of them...
1. Tiny guns for wood nymphs - K1 and I being silly over the things he needed to pick up from the store last weekend.
3. Can i have a kitten? - K2 trying to convince me. As if.
6. THIS TP IS SOFT!! - Yes, the kid texted me from the bathroom to tell me that.
11. U have my pants - Came through while I was in the middle of a meeting and I couldn't stop laughing. My sister informing me I never returned her dress pants.
13. Yup it kinda tickled but hurt at the same time - K1 on his new tattoo.
15. Cow shaving? - We'd passed a bunch of cows and K2 said, "Aww, the cows are shading each other." I thought she said the cows were shaving each other, so...
17. I just got pulled over. - And I did. And I wasn't driving and texting, I was waiting at a red light.
19. What is that meat? Looks like hamburger. - Me texting my brother after he joined B for scout camp and left some mystery meat in the cooler.
So there you have it. A small glimpse into the weirdness of my life.
Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday

Random Tall Tale Tuesday.
In the category of text messages. Which of the following are actually on my phone in either my in or sent box?
1. Tiny guns for wood nymphs
2. What eat what
3. Can i have a kitten?
4. My baby in a boa
5. Have you met my friend pimplehead
6. THIS TP IS SOFT!!
7. Crap
8. I see you
9. Tampons
10. Okie dokie
11. U have my pants
12. Black its big tho
13. Yup it kinda tickled but hurt at the same time
14. No one ran the dishwasher over the weekend
15. Cow shaving?
16. Bagel
17. I just got pulled over.
18. Wallet? Keys?
19. What is that meat? Looks like hamburger.
20. Can you please peel potatoes and put them on to cook?
Which ones are really on my phone?
Behave!

Workshop

April 2010 — The Pirates Guide to a Successful Publishing Career
Presented by Natalie J. Damschroder

Dates: April 5-17
Deadline: April 2
Fee: $16.00
http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#APR

Course Description:
Based on the line in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, that the pirates’ code is “more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules.” In almost every case, the “rules” of writing and doing business in the romance industry are actually guidelines. The reality is that there is no one path to success, and even some things that seem absolute have exceptions or nuances. The key is to know enough to be prepared for any eventuality, understand the expectations of the genre and the industry, and “violate” the so-called “rules” intentionally and positively.

Natalie J. Damschroder is certainly not the only author to embrace the reality of the pirate’s code, but she was one of the first. Applying the line from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, that the pirates’ code is “more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules,” she asserts that in nearly every case, the “rules” of writing and doing business in the romance industry are actually guidelines.

Being successful is not about copying another author’s path or habits, or following the Laws of Writing. It’s about taking in everything, determining your personal truth, and following your own path.

In this workshop, she addresses:
• craft
• the market
• networking
• contests
• and how best to achieve your own success, however you define it.

Instructor Bio:
Natalie J. Damschroder is the published author of seven novels and nearly two dozen novellas and short stories. She currently writes urban fantasy and romantic adventure. Over the nearly 17 years she's been part of the romance writing community, she has absorbed tons of information and has found that the Internet is like one gigantic game of telephone. She can't claim to have ALL the answers or be right ALL the time, but it's definitely one of her goals. A pragmatic, eyes-open approach to this business is her underlying philosophy.

Read more about Natalie at her website: www.nataliedamschroder.com

You can register for the following on-line class through April 2. Each class is $16.
FMI: www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/

Or email Online Workshop Coordinator, Veronica Alderson, lrwaonline@yahoo.com using the Subject line: LRWA ONLINE WORKSHOP. To subscribe to LRWA Online Workshop monthly mailing list, LRWAonlinecourses@yahoogroups.com

Thank you.

Veronica Alderson,
LRWA Online Workshop Coordinator

Weekend Recap

1. Family gatherings - always fun, even if it means an hour drive home with a car load of very tired children. Food, bonfires, laughing, silly kids, s'mores, crazy dogs.
2. K2's sociology project - electronic baby. Cries all the time. Loud. She's running on very little sleep and is cranky. The thing cried from 5am until nearly 6:30 this morning. And that's just the tip of the iceberg for her. Poor kid.
3. Family leaving - B's brother hit the road yesterday afternoon. It was nice to have him here and good that he was able to spend so much time here and with their mother. He's a great house guest, plus he has the same number of heathens living with him, so he's used to the way things are. Apparently, our children all behave the same with is amazing considering they live over three-thousand miles away and the kids have only been together once. Those brother's have some strong genetics, I think. Not just the brothers, but the whole family considering their sister's children act the same way as well. Gotta love it.
4. Going to the grocery store and forgetting half of what we went for. Great.
5. Nosebleeds that have delayed the morning for K3 and I. Yay, allergy season. This time the meds aren't helping and the nosebleeds have been a constant source of stress for the poor kid. We're waiting for it to stop so I can take him to school.
There you go.
Behave!

Ha!

... Not entirely true for me, but funny all the same. My problem's been time. I have managed to stay in the 50/50 challenge, which is fantastic, but I yearn for a day where writing is my main focus. Now that our visiting family has gone and life will return to as normal as it gets around here, I'm really hoping I get one of those days this week, but with dentist appointments, possible doctor appointments, and the usual obligations...argh!
Behave!

About Last Night...

After waiting alllll day, we finally hit the road. A quick stop at the convenience store for supplies and we were off. We completed the first leg of our journey and met up with the rest of our party. Amazingly, we didn't stop for potty breaks on our way into the big city and except for some traffic, our journey was easy. (Have you met my friend Pimplehead?) Arrived at the same parking garage we used last time, paid the fee, and made our dinner reservations. Dinner was good, even if our waiter was a little grumpy and didn't appreciate us in the least. Hung out, laughing and talking until shortly before we were allowed upstairs into the venue.
Finally get upstairs at the same table we had last time (yay for early reservations) and listened to the guy who opened for Jason Manns. He was a fantastic storyteller and his lyrics were pretty cool. I boned on getting his CD, so I'm hoping to find him on iTunes.
Jason Manns was fantastic as usual. And! A new CD! (If you've never listened to him, look him up!)We hung out in the venue waiting for the line to diminish, swing dancing and laughing. Misty had her prom picture taken with Jason Manns and we spent a lot of time laughing and joking with his friend who was taking care of CD sales.
It was interesting being in the city on a spring Friday night. There were people and parties everywhere. And a guy playing the trumpet on the street corner. He was fantastic and we all dropped some change into his hat. And let's not forget the crying drunk girl who had no idea where she'd left her car and told Misty all about her terrible night. I'm glad she didn't know where her car was and I hope she didn't find it until she sobered up. There was a party going on in the parking lot, but it was one of those party's that made us hustle quickly into the car and get out of there. We did a little sightseeing on our way to our route, more like, cruising the same couple of blocks looking for our road. (Did you know the Liberty Bell is in Philadelphia?)
The drive home was long. We managed to maintain conversation for 99.99% of the time and did have to make one rest stop, but that's no wonder considering how many sodas we had. Dropped off two of our party, and the rest of the trip seemed to drag on forever. It was nearly 3:30 when I unlocked my door, forgetting my b-i-l was sleeping on the couch and making way more noise than I should have. And then, of course, I couldn't sleep. Too much caffiene. And then I woke way earlier than I thought I would.
It was worth it though. We had a blast!
Hopefully there will be pictures later.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

What a long, long week. I think I say that every week, but let me tell you...I mean it this week!!
Here are the good highlights:
1. New Supernatural.
2. Getting the obligations finished.
3. My lack of cooking. I love to cook, but it's sometimes nice when I don't have to.
4. My house staying semi-clean despite my family. ha!
5. Coffee.
6. The days of warm sunshine. (Please come back!)
7. Lots of laughter.
8. Friday!
9. The flowers my husband brought me - even though it's too cold to plant them. They're currently residing in the bathroom with the door closed to keep the cat from eating them and barfing all over the floor.
...and...the thing I've been waiting for all week:
10. JASON MANNS tonight!
Behave!

Dear Supernatural People,

Oh, how I've missed you, Supernatural! I didn't realize just how much until the opening credits started. I haven't had much time to re-watch older episodes, except for a few here and there. That's my fault, not yours.
It had to be zombies, though, didn't it? I hate zombies. Really hate them in every way. (though I think I could write them - just not as the hero or heroine) But you got me to stay tuned in like you always do. The ick factor was pretty awesome though - the boy eating his father's guts, the yellow crap that old broad spewed all over Sam, the splatter of blood on the camera lens as Sam and the sheriff shot their way through the zombie hoard after Bobby and Dean. Loved it. A lot.
Poor Bobby though. My heart broke for him and for Jim. Jim Beaver played those emotions so well, and no wonder. Bobby knew he was wrong, but it was his wife and she was back and she cleaned and made pie and she loves him and *sobs*. I really liked her interaction with Dean and her explanation to him on why she couldn't tell him she remembered the demon and how Bobby had no choice but to kill her. The way she made Bobby kill her a second time and Dean's single tear as he entered the scene....nicely done.
It was nice to see Sam and Dean working together while working independently, too. The trust in that and the evidence their relationship is maturing. Nice. Also that Sam obviously figured out where the zombie hoard was and went to save the day.
Nicely done, Supernatural People. Nicely done.
I wait expectantly for next week.
Behave!

Screw Up...

I have my days all mixed up. I didn't realize yesterday was Tuesday until sometime this afternoon. So...obviously no Tall Tale Tuesday this week. Hopefully I'll have my brain back in place by next Tuesday. Ha!
And can I just say...Holy Cow, it's almost April!
I'm off to try to get my 50 words for the challenge.
Behave!

What Happened?

To Spring?
It's freezing out again. I want the temperatures we had over the weekend to come back now! I want to wear flip flops or no shoes at all. I want to sit in the backyard around the fire and laugh about everything. I want to keep my bedroom window open so we can catch a breeze during the night.
I'm telling you, and I hope I'm wrong, it's going to snow again before spring finally stays.
I'm just sayin'.
I'm pretty far behind on everything right now. I have, somehow, managed to stay in my writing group's 50/50 challenge, but that's by just doing the minimum or slightly over. I'm getting organized again though - ready to send the additional batch of college financials out in the mail, did the census, too. I have a long list to go though, but I'm working on it.
So that's all for now!
Behave!

Monday

The rainy weather was appropriate on this long day. We're back home - weary and exhausted. The outpouring of love and friendship we've witnessed over the past week or so has been amazing and our gratitude is undefinable.
And because we have had an immense amount of laughter as well, I will leave you with this: ... Behave!

Ha! And Ew!

<.... Ewwwwww!!!!!
I would never go to that bathroom again. More likely, I'd move.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Whew. It's been a long week and despite everything, there has been good.
So...here we go.
1. Kind words and gestures from friends.
2. Family being together.
3. My "side of the road" furniture finally being in my dining room.
4. Not having to cook.
5. Finding the stuff I need. Or, you know, at least most of it.
Umm....I'm momentarily drawing a blank and my house is about to fill up with company, so maybe I'll finish this list later.
Behave!

Passings...

We lost a great man on Tuesday.
B's dad, aka Big Bill, drew his last breath while surrounded by his family. It's a sad time, but we've also been doing a lot of laughing as we remember some of the things that have happened over the years. The way my family behaves is not accidental, it's a result of a combined genetic effect from both parents. You could say we all get our weird sense of humor naturally.
Now, as we each deal with our grief in our own individual way, our home is full of family and support and the usual craziness. My b-i-l arrived in the pre-dawn hours despite me being so zonked that I didn't hear my phone (which was right above my head). Luckily, I had a back up plan in case that happened.
We're doing okay. Glad that he's at peace now and no longer suffering. I'm sure he has God and the angels in stitches with his sense of humor and storytelling. He will be missed, though.

Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday - Not

Instead, I will leave you with this smile:

What My Kid Did....

on her day off school....


This is my life...
Behave!

Sunday Catch Up

My friend Sue passed this award onto me. It's The Sunshine Award. There have been a lot of awards passed around lately. But who can resist a little sunshine? Especially after a very rainy weekend. So, Thanks, Sue!

We haven't seen the sun around here for a long time. Maybe Thursday? I'm not sure. I can't remember. It poured all day yesterday with a side of insane wind. And, of course, B and K3 were at scout camp all weekend. I think it rains every single time they have a camp out. They had a blast despite the weather, and arrived home muddy, kinda wet and full from their annual "cooking camping".

Girl weekend was a blast. We ate out, watched movies, shopped, ate ice cream, watched more movies. There was a break in all the girl stuff when I had to wrestle with the furnace to get some heat in here. We were about to freeze to death. And, I did get some writing done as well.

I'm not sure what K4 considers her weekend highlights, but here are mine:

Forgetting we turned the clocks ahead last night and staying up until 2am (old time) to write. That made for oversleeping this morning and, of course, we were late.

Getting pulled over for going around a road closed barricade. Yeah, I know it was stupid, but I also had every intention of turning around if water was on the road. There was no water, but there was a cop sitting on the other side of the bridge. He gave me a proper dressing down, but no ticket.

Accidentally locking the cat in K3's room for a few hours. I discovered him at 1:30am and he then proceeded to punish me by yowling outside my door for nearly 45 minutes. I even got up to make sure he had food and water. He did, which convinces me he was out for revenge.

Oh, and this time change? I hate it. Just sayin'.

Behave!

Feel Good Friday

The quick list:
1. Not having to cook.
2. Sleeping in tomorrow.
3. Girl Weekend.
4. Movies.
5. Meeting the minimum requirement for my writing group 50/50 challenge today.
That's all for now. Sleep beckons.
Behave!

Random Thursday

So the tree house is nearly down. K1 and K2 started demo work on it yesterday. There's a small amount left in the tree and the rest is in piles on the patio. Joy that. The little green and blue house had to come down though, it was condemned by the Household Department of Safety for squirrel damage and weather-related issues and no one had been allowed up there for nearly 2 years, but it's still sad. My brother-in-law decided to sleep up there one hot summer night. He woke the next morning covered in black ants. I remember sitting up there and talking to K1 about various life issues when he was only 12. More passage of time, I suppose.
I spent the day with my writing buds. I'll say it again...If you don't have some, get some. You need them. I needed today. It's always too long in between.
It's Thursday with no new Supernatural. How sad is that? 2 weeks feels like way too long, though it will be here before I know it.
And...that is all.
Behave!

Answer!

1. There are no clean towels in my house. None. Not even a washcloth or a dishtowel. Nothing. I'm not sure how that happened since I did laundry all weekend and know I sent a huge stack upstairs with one of the K's - I thought that was Sunday morning, but maybe I'm wrong. The thing is, while the laundry room has a few towels waiting to be washed, all of them aren't down there and I have no idea where they could be. This is true. And I don't know why I'm always surprised! It happens all the time!!!! It was just a shock since I knew I'd just washed all of them over the weekend! I'm still missing over half.
2. Sometime during the night the milk jug burst and when I opened the fridge this morning to get my coffee creamer, I was greeted with a tsunami of 2%. What happened? Well, someone was eating cheese and left the sharp knife on the plate. The sodas in the box shifted and pushed the knife into the side of the jug. Don't shake your head. I wouldn't have believed it either, but my newly cleaned kitchen floor tells a different story. Nah! But that was a good one, right? Ha! I'm not talking too loud because it's totally something that could happen here!
3. I woke up to dog puke. No, let me rephrase that...I stepped off the stairs and into a pile of cold dog puke. Bad enough, but then realized there were at least four piles of puke from the stairs to the back door. At least my kitchen floor is clean now and the dog seems fine. Nah! It has happened, but not for a long time. Again, I'm knocking on wood!

OH! And my good friend Victoria Allen's book, Aces and Eights, released today. Go HERE to check it out!
Behave!

Guest Blogger

Tall Tale Tuesday answers after a bit.
While you wait, go HERE and check out my guest blog on Supernatural Sisters!
Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday

The disgusting home edition.
Which of the following is true?
1. There are no clean towels in my house. None. Not even a washcloth or a dishtowel. Nothing. I'm not sure how that happened since I did laundry all weekend and know I sent a huge stack upstairs with one of the K's - I thought that was Sunday morning, but maybe I'm wrong. The thing is, while the laundry room has a few towels waiting to be washed, all of them aren't down there and I have no idea where they could be.
2. Sometime during the night the milk jug burst and when I opened the fridge this morning to get my coffee creamer, I was greeted with a tsunami of 2%. What happened? Well, someone was eating cheese and left the sharp knife on the plate. The sodas in the box shifted and pushed the knife into the side of the jug. Don't shake your head. I wouldn't have believed it either, but my newly cleaned kitchen floor tells a different story.
3. I woke up to dog puke. No, let me rephrase that...I stepped off the stairs and into a pile of cold dog puke. Bad enough, but then realized there were at least four piles of puke from the stairs to the back door. At least my kitchen floor is clean now and the dog seems fine.
So, which one is true?
Behave!

Monday

I'm not sure how it happened, but I'm back on the "Monday Sucks" train. I don't know if it's having to get up early to get the aliens that live here with me off to school, the total mush that's always my brain come Monday morning, or a combination of the above and other factors that all rush in and say..."Hey, I'm Monday. Don't ya just love me?" Well, no, Monday, I don't love you. I love you in the summer when we can sleep in and do our thing without having to be here or there or anywhere. Heck, I even love you in summer when we do have places to go and things to do. Winter is different somehow. And, as of right now, Monday is on the black list. So there, Monday, take that. You don't get love unless you give it. Ha!
So, today was a beautiful day. It hit 60* here. Nearly all of the snow is melted away. There are a few patches here and there, and of course the huge piles made by huge plows are still out there, but it's kinda looking like spring. I highly doubt we've seen the end of snow though.
I was out today and came upon a hutch and sideboard with a huge sign that said "free". I called B and sent him over with a trailer and a friend. I'm now the proud owner of someone else's trash. And I have no idea where I'm going to put it. The dining room is kinda full and needs to be completely gutted anyway and now I have more stuff to put in it? I'm surprised B actually agreed to haul it home. He just looks at me like I'm an insane person. Oh, and the stuff is like circa 1970 - not hideous, but not pretty either. I mentioned painting it and got a glare from B. Well, it doesn't match my table, so yeah, I want to either paint it or restain it. Which will take time I don't have right now. So...yeah. I have no idea.
And I think that's enough rambling for right now.
Behave!

Live Long....

...and prosper<.... Just a little something for your Saturday! The kids were discussing which fans were the biggest nerds - Star Wars fans or Star Trek fans. Since B and I are more Star Trek fans, they decided we must be the bigger nerds. That's okay by me.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Well, here we are at Friday again.
Here's the list:
1. My CPRW meeting tomorrow! Yay! I've missed you so much.
2. Not having to cook.
3. Being really close to meeting my goal.
4. A little sleeping in tomorrow.
Ummm....I'm brain dead, so let's move on to the lies and truths from yesterday:
1. One of my first jobs was a bingo caller at a small amusement park nearby. It is truly amazing how seriously some people take their bingo. They brought trolls dolls and all kinds of good luck stuff. True. Very true.
2. My husband proposed to me while we were installing a new wiring harness in his car. I had to be underneath because I'm smaller and when he passed me the connections to stick onto the transmission, the ring was dangling from them. Gotta love motorheads. Nope. In fact, he never proposed to me. Well, not until my 30th birthday after I'd mentioned that he hadn't. We just decided it was time to get married.
3. When I was in college, we were required to volunteer a certain amount of hours. I was late the day we had to sign up and got stuck being a clown for the children's hospital. The kids loved it, but I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror. Though I can make a pretty nifty balloon dog. Total lie.
4. I was born with an extra kidney. They talked about removing it, but by the time I was old enough for the surgery, the kidney had dissolved. Also a total lie.
5. When I was ten, I rewrote several Nancy Drew books because they weren't scary enough and because I didn't like how they ended. Partially true.
6. One time, I wrote "hooker" as my occupation and "pimp" under my boss's job title on a form for student aid. I thought I was being funny. I'd filled out the form the right way, too, and used this one to make people laugh. Except...I mailed the wrong form. I was mortified when I realized what I'd done, but nothing was ever said. Nope. But it could have happened. ha!
That's all.
Have a happy weekend!
Behave!

Lying?

Natalie passed this on to me. I think she knows I'm always up for an opportunity to lie a little. Thanks, Nat!
First I’ll post the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you. (Did that!)
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (Did that, too!)
3. Link to the person who nominated you. (Yup)
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth. (not a problem)
5. Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies. (Hmmm....don't know if there's anyone left to do this)
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

Okay, first the lies/truths. Guess which are which.

1. One of my first jobs was a bingo caller at a small amusement park nearby. It is truly amazing how seriously some people take their bingo. They brought trolls dolls and all kinds of good luck stuff.

2. My husband proposed to me while we were installing a new wiring harness in his car. I had to be underneath because I'm smaller and when he passed me the connections to stick onto the transmission, the ring was dangling from them. Gotta love motorheads.

3. When I was in college, we were required to volunteer a certain amount of hours. I was late the day we had to sign up and got stuck being a clown for the children's hospital. The kids loved it, but I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror. Though I can make a pretty nifty balloon dog.

4. I was born with an extra kidney. They talked about removing it, but by the time I was old enough for the surgery, the kidney had dissolved.

5. When I was ten, I rewrote several Nancy Drew books because they weren't scary enough and because I didn't like how they ended.

6. One time, I wrote "hooker" as my occupation and "pimp" under my boss's job title on a form for student aid. I thought I was being funny. I'd filled out the form the right way, too, and used this one to make people laugh. Except...I mailed the wrong form. I was mortified when I realized what I'd done, but nothing was ever said.

So, which do you think is the truth?

Now for the passing along of this lovely chance to lie.

1. Susan Kelley

2. Vicky Burkholder

...and there you have it!

Behave!

Answer!

I was sure this one was obvious, and I was right. Yep. It's sand and snow.
I seriously need to remember to take my camera along more often. My picture stash is sorely depleted.
I got nothing else, so I'll leave you with this: ... Same with squirrels. Trust me.
Behave!

Here's the Thing...

If the book you just downloaded wasn't offered for free by the author or the publishing house, you are stealing. Stealing. It's called Piracy, people, and it's wrong. And illegal.
Do not steal from me, or any author.
Every time you download something from a "sharing" site, you are taking part of an author's paycheck. You wouldn't want anyone to do that to you.
Don't do it.
If you do, you're a douche.

Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday

Okay. Here we go.

What is this?

1. Sand and snow. A picture from the beach retreat the day after the snow came.

2. Salt. Epsom to be exact. I dropped a bag on a very humid day and it immediately swelled up and looked like this.

3. The aftermath of a marshmallow battle gone bad. Picture taken the next morning after the 'mallows were subject to rain.

So, there you have it.

Only one is correct. Which one?

Behave!

Hello March!

I'm seeing some green forcing its way through the mud where the snow has melted. Spring! I highly doubt we're out of the woods yet as far as snow is concerned, but the change of seasons is always something to look forward to.
And then there's that spring cleaning. This year, I feel a severe need for it. Really severe. Not that I like it or anything, but the walls seem to be closing in on me. There's extra stuff everywhere and it's bogging me down. Closets need cleaned out, blinds need scrubbed, junk needs hauled to the curb, clothes need gone through and donated, bedrooms need a fresh coat of paint. Couple that with the pinch on time and, well, the bogging becomes a squeezing feeling. I think I'll have to schedule a weekend or two and dedicate them to junk removal. Honestly, I'll be glad to get it over with and move on. Now that it's March, the huge events that are scheduled to happen this year are looming and I think I'll be better equipped to handle them once I shake off this feeling. Which, you know, means doing something about it.
The wrist is feeling better this morning, despite a crappy night's sleep. I'm not moving from the table today, so we'll see how it feels at the end of the day. I had a bizarre dream last night - a scary one. Zombies, or more like infected people. I was torn between writing it down at 2am to remember it, or shoving it out of my mind. I'm still torn, but it did give me a pretty cool and creepy idea for a book. So we'll see about that.
That is all.
Behave!