This week's feel good moments...
1. The book is DONE!
2. The library inventory is being worked on and is about 1/3 or more done. Probably more.
3. Living through trick or treat night with a tired 8-year old who decided she was done when we were about 2 miles from home.
4. Supernatural.
5. Beautiful Sam and Dean Winchester.
6. Supernatural chats.
7. Birthdays.
8. Friday.
9. Being warm.
10. Tomorrow's meeting.
So...there you have it...
Behave!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Trick or Treat
Tonight is our Trick or Treat night in our town.
Which means around 6 p.m., the streets will fill with costumed candy hunters of all ages. There's supposed to be an age limit on who should go door to door and beg for treats, but I've never denied candy to anyone who appears to be over the age. The kids are always respectful and it's fun to see how they dress up.
We'll have a crew here. A crew to head out and ring doorbells and a crew to sit on the porch and dole out candy. My folks don't get any trick or treaters at their house, so they come here to watch the festivities. B's Mom comes up too. She lives right behind us, but since no one realizes there's actually a front door there, she gets no one either.
Now it's homework time - both K3 and K4 have quite a bit to complete before it's time to head out. And then there's the costumes to assemble, dinner to eat, pictures to take...you know the drill. K2 is going out, though she has no idea what she's dressing as. K3 has decided to be a Sith Lord from Star Wars. K4 will be a cat tonight.
*I started this post over an hour ago. During that time, my brother has come to change and head off to college. Various children and other adults have arrived. My folks aren't coming now because my mom's not feeling well and make up is being applied, teeth are being adjusted, and costumes are in the finishing stages. It's much, much calmer now than it was even ten minutes ago.
All I have to say is the chaos better be done before Supernatural comes on!
Behave!
Which means around 6 p.m., the streets will fill with costumed candy hunters of all ages. There's supposed to be an age limit on who should go door to door and beg for treats, but I've never denied candy to anyone who appears to be over the age. The kids are always respectful and it's fun to see how they dress up.
We'll have a crew here. A crew to head out and ring doorbells and a crew to sit on the porch and dole out candy. My folks don't get any trick or treaters at their house, so they come here to watch the festivities. B's Mom comes up too. She lives right behind us, but since no one realizes there's actually a front door there, she gets no one either.
Now it's homework time - both K3 and K4 have quite a bit to complete before it's time to head out. And then there's the costumes to assemble, dinner to eat, pictures to take...you know the drill. K2 is going out, though she has no idea what she's dressing as. K3 has decided to be a Sith Lord from Star Wars. K4 will be a cat tonight.
*I started this post over an hour ago. During that time, my brother has come to change and head off to college. Various children and other adults have arrived. My folks aren't coming now because my mom's not feeling well and make up is being applied, teeth are being adjusted, and costumes are in the finishing stages. It's much, much calmer now than it was even ten minutes ago.
All I have to say is the chaos better be done before Supernatural comes on!
Behave!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Progress
Managed a little over 4,000 words today. I'm getting there. But how the kitteh feels is how I's feelin', only a lettle more to the E. Bed now.
Update again tomorrow...
Behave!
Update again tomorrow...
Behave!
Getting It All Done...
Or at least trying...
I'm feeling a little behind the eight-ball here. This week is flying by and I have a massive amount of stuff to do before Saturday's RWA chapter meeting.
My goal was to finish my current wip. Which would have been done by now if I hadn't taken nearly a week off to write a short story, but that's beside the point. I have slightly less than nine-thousand words to write and only three days to do it. Normally, I would scoff at that - seems like a very doable thing for me - normally. (Not the "for me" - you shouldn't judge your output by anyone elses)
But, in addition to that, I have an obligation tomorrow for most of the day, Trick or Treat night tomorrow night (with guests coming to use my house as home base), costumes and snack food to prepare for the school's shindig on Friday, and a library to inventory. Not to mention a bunch of household admin duties - like long phone calls to our cellular provider to let them know the battery they sent for K2's phone doesn't work and is apparently not the reason her phone stopped working, and that's probably the least time consuming.
Since I'm running for chapter vice-president, I'll be giving up my librarian job. I have box upon box to sort through, catalog, organize, and remove items that no longer belong. A CD of information needs to be burned, as well as the current sign out sheet and copies of past newsletter articles. And I need to load everything up into the back of my Suburban for Saturday morning.
The thing you have to remember is that I've been the librarian for a long time - maybe 5 years or so. I'm not going to know what to do with the re-found space. I've been pretty good about keeping the items organized, but truthfully, this inventory doesn't excite me much. Shocker, huh?
Oh, and on top of all of that, my washing machine is making a very scary noise - like death knell scary - and Bob's car is making a similar noise.
Is it 2009 yet?
Behave!
I'm feeling a little behind the eight-ball here. This week is flying by and I have a massive amount of stuff to do before Saturday's RWA chapter meeting.
My goal was to finish my current wip. Which would have been done by now if I hadn't taken nearly a week off to write a short story, but that's beside the point. I have slightly less than nine-thousand words to write and only three days to do it. Normally, I would scoff at that - seems like a very doable thing for me - normally. (Not the "for me" - you shouldn't judge your output by anyone elses)
But, in addition to that, I have an obligation tomorrow for most of the day, Trick or Treat night tomorrow night (with guests coming to use my house as home base), costumes and snack food to prepare for the school's shindig on Friday, and a library to inventory. Not to mention a bunch of household admin duties - like long phone calls to our cellular provider to let them know the battery they sent for K2's phone doesn't work and is apparently not the reason her phone stopped working, and that's probably the least time consuming.
Since I'm running for chapter vice-president, I'll be giving up my librarian job. I have box upon box to sort through, catalog, organize, and remove items that no longer belong. A CD of information needs to be burned, as well as the current sign out sheet and copies of past newsletter articles. And I need to load everything up into the back of my Suburban for Saturday morning.
The thing you have to remember is that I've been the librarian for a long time - maybe 5 years or so. I'm not going to know what to do with the re-found space. I've been pretty good about keeping the items organized, but truthfully, this inventory doesn't excite me much. Shocker, huh?
Oh, and on top of all of that, my washing machine is making a very scary noise - like death knell scary - and Bob's car is making a similar noise.
Is it 2009 yet?
Behave!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Ridiculous Things...
Just a partial list of general ridiculousness...
1. I finally found the 99.5% of my missing towels...in K2's room. She had 17 towels stored in there. No wonder I felt like we were always out of towels.
2. Last night, while delivering the lit birthday cake to the birthday boy, I caught my hair on fire...are you done laughing yet?...I looked down and what I saw looked like how leaves burn. I managed not to drop the cake, or catch anything else on fire, but holy crap, batman, it stunk so bad - not just my hair, but the entire house. When I got in the shower this morning and the water hit it, I was treated to a replay of how great it smelled.
3. No walk today because of stupid wind and rain. And it's cold.
4. Putting dinner in the crock pot and forgetting to plug it in.
5. Sending the kid to the bus stop (without an umbrella), then realizing it's raining and you should have just taken him to school, but it's too late now because the bus is waiting at the traffic light. At least he didn't have to wait in the rain for long.
6. Programming music to play on my laptop and then forgetting to un-mute the sound.
I think that's enough for now...the hair burning and the towels are the most spectacular, at least to me.
Behave!
1. I finally found the 99.5% of my missing towels...in K2's room. She had 17 towels stored in there. No wonder I felt like we were always out of towels.
2. Last night, while delivering the lit birthday cake to the birthday boy, I caught my hair on fire...are you done laughing yet?...I looked down and what I saw looked like how leaves burn. I managed not to drop the cake, or catch anything else on fire, but holy crap, batman, it stunk so bad - not just my hair, but the entire house. When I got in the shower this morning and the water hit it, I was treated to a replay of how great it smelled.
3. No walk today because of stupid wind and rain. And it's cold.
4. Putting dinner in the crock pot and forgetting to plug it in.
5. Sending the kid to the bus stop (without an umbrella), then realizing it's raining and you should have just taken him to school, but it's too late now because the bus is waiting at the traffic light. At least he didn't have to wait in the rain for long.
6. Programming music to play on my laptop and then forgetting to un-mute the sound.
I think that's enough for now...the hair burning and the towels are the most spectacular, at least to me.
Behave!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Birthdays and Silliness
Last night B and I went to the toy store to birthday shop for K3. While we were there, this T-rex jumped off the shelf and tried to eat B's leg. First, I took a picture, then I saved B's life.
Then, gators jumped off the shelf and chased us. We were lucky to get out of the aisle alive. B screamed like a little girl and ran, but I stayed behind to take this picture with my phone.(We were lucky - okay - I was lucky they didn't kick me out of the store.)
Today is K3's 12th birthday.
I can't believe my baby boy is 12. I was talking this morning about how certain birthdays hit me harder than others. This is one of those with impact. He's already in middle school, already talking about what kind of car he likes, what he'd like to do as a career, and growing a mustache. Okay - the mustache is a joke. He's a great kid - polite, smart, enthusiastic, sensitive, and kind. He loves to cook and has more cookbooks than I do. He plans on being a chef and having his own Food Network show. When someone picks on his sister, he's there - defending her in this quiet way that usually ends the behavior. His sense of humor is amazing and never fails to catch me off guard. He's my baby boy. And he's 12. Sniffle.
Okay, enough mommy rambling. Today is packed full of birthday preparations though we're not doing a big shindig this year. There are gifts to wrap, food to purchase and prepare, and a cake to make, in addition to cleaning up the house and figuring out which kid has 90% of the towels in their room. I'm hoping to squeeze some writing time in there as well. I plan to.
I need to get moving...
Behave!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday
Random thoughts related to writing.
November is National Novel Writing Month. I've never participated, but I friends do and they love it. The idea of writing an entire novel in a month is appealing, the competition is also appealing. So why have I never done it? Well, mainly because I've never been in a position to do so. You're supposed to start something new - write word one on page one on day one. I'm always at a different place on day one - in the middle of something else or deep in edits I don't want to stop. Eventually, I'll get there. Even if I only participate on the sidelines. They even have a category for young writers, which I really love because my friend's daughters are participating and when I told my niece the glow of excitement and possibility in her eyes reminded me how I feel about my own writing. Young writers should be encouraged - but that's another post.
My point?
This past week, my writing friends and I have been reporting in daily on our progress. We weren't doing a challenge, there was nothing on the line, but we all had goals to meet and reporting in after meeting those goals was like icing on the cake. On Thursday, four of us wrote over 13-thousand words - the total would have been higher, but one of us had some serious non-fiction work to complete.
That's my point...(maybe, we'll see)
Writing is a lonely thing. We gather ourselves and spend our writing time in solitary confinement. No human contact, no gathering at the water cooler for a few moments of "real world" contact. When we take a break, it's usually to check email, switch a load of laundry, and maybe do a little research on the 'net. Sometimes, especially when the pages aren't flowing, you think about picking up the phone to call someone just to hear another human voice. Then, you force yourself to stop because you've been very specific about the time being dedicated to only writing and not social stuff. If you alter that, you'll throw yourself off track for the whole day. It's better to just get back to the pages even if you have to force yourself into it. A timer works well for that. A timer works well - period.
Setting a goal and having to report that you didn't make it when you had the whole day to do so isn't fun. All you end up doing is making excuses and I don't know about you, but my writing friends can see right through excuses and will totally kick my butt for that. Or they understand what knocked me off track and offer support and advice while I wade through it, and then kick my butt if I haven't gotten over it in a reasonable amount of time.
They're really good at reminding me of what I'm supposed to be doing, about keeping me on track and cheering me on when I meet or exceed the goals I've set. At the end of a long lonely day, that's usually just what I need to get me started on the next day.
(apparently, my point is multi-faceted)
And my point(s) would be this:
1. Set goals for yourself - whether it means setting the timer and racing yourself, breaking your writing time into small increments and seeing if you can beat your previous word count, reporting that goal to your friends at the beginning of the day, and telling your progress at the end of the day.
2. If you don't have some like-minded writing friends - get some. You won't be sorry. Not only do they help keep you accountable for the goals you've set, but the additional benefits help fill that creative well I've talked about. You don't have to be "close, personal friends" at first. That usually comes with time and familiarity, but make the effort to connect with other writers.
Out of every person you know, they're the ones that are always going to "get" you. They know what it's like, how if feels, what you're struggling with, and are fellow travelers on your journey. Your family can support you 200% - they can respect your writing time, your dreams, your ambition and listen to you ramble about your story, your fears, and your rejections and that's fantastic to have. But no one but another writer understands the highs and lows, the stark fear, the empty well, the satisfaction, the high that comes when out of many hours spent slogging through the wordpile you end up with two sentences that fill you with glee. That's the plain and simple truth.
3. Write. Don't spend too much time thinking about things. Sit down and write. If your stuck, write anything - nonsense, a silly story, a journal entry - anything, because eventually you'll break through whatever it is that might be holding you back and creative words will flow.
Behave!
November is National Novel Writing Month. I've never participated, but I friends do and they love it. The idea of writing an entire novel in a month is appealing, the competition is also appealing. So why have I never done it? Well, mainly because I've never been in a position to do so. You're supposed to start something new - write word one on page one on day one. I'm always at a different place on day one - in the middle of something else or deep in edits I don't want to stop. Eventually, I'll get there. Even if I only participate on the sidelines. They even have a category for young writers, which I really love because my friend's daughters are participating and when I told my niece the glow of excitement and possibility in her eyes reminded me how I feel about my own writing. Young writers should be encouraged - but that's another post.
My point?
This past week, my writing friends and I have been reporting in daily on our progress. We weren't doing a challenge, there was nothing on the line, but we all had goals to meet and reporting in after meeting those goals was like icing on the cake. On Thursday, four of us wrote over 13-thousand words - the total would have been higher, but one of us had some serious non-fiction work to complete.
That's my point...(maybe, we'll see)
Writing is a lonely thing. We gather ourselves and spend our writing time in solitary confinement. No human contact, no gathering at the water cooler for a few moments of "real world" contact. When we take a break, it's usually to check email, switch a load of laundry, and maybe do a little research on the 'net. Sometimes, especially when the pages aren't flowing, you think about picking up the phone to call someone just to hear another human voice. Then, you force yourself to stop because you've been very specific about the time being dedicated to only writing and not social stuff. If you alter that, you'll throw yourself off track for the whole day. It's better to just get back to the pages even if you have to force yourself into it. A timer works well for that. A timer works well - period.
Setting a goal and having to report that you didn't make it when you had the whole day to do so isn't fun. All you end up doing is making excuses and I don't know about you, but my writing friends can see right through excuses and will totally kick my butt for that. Or they understand what knocked me off track and offer support and advice while I wade through it, and then kick my butt if I haven't gotten over it in a reasonable amount of time.
They're really good at reminding me of what I'm supposed to be doing, about keeping me on track and cheering me on when I meet or exceed the goals I've set. At the end of a long lonely day, that's usually just what I need to get me started on the next day.
(apparently, my point is multi-faceted)
And my point(s) would be this:
1. Set goals for yourself - whether it means setting the timer and racing yourself, breaking your writing time into small increments and seeing if you can beat your previous word count, reporting that goal to your friends at the beginning of the day, and telling your progress at the end of the day.
2. If you don't have some like-minded writing friends - get some. You won't be sorry. Not only do they help keep you accountable for the goals you've set, but the additional benefits help fill that creative well I've talked about. You don't have to be "close, personal friends" at first. That usually comes with time and familiarity, but make the effort to connect with other writers.
Out of every person you know, they're the ones that are always going to "get" you. They know what it's like, how if feels, what you're struggling with, and are fellow travelers on your journey. Your family can support you 200% - they can respect your writing time, your dreams, your ambition and listen to you ramble about your story, your fears, and your rejections and that's fantastic to have. But no one but another writer understands the highs and lows, the stark fear, the empty well, the satisfaction, the high that comes when out of many hours spent slogging through the wordpile you end up with two sentences that fill you with glee. That's the plain and simple truth.
3. Write. Don't spend too much time thinking about things. Sit down and write. If your stuck, write anything - nonsense, a silly story, a journal entry - anything, because eventually you'll break through whatever it is that might be holding you back and creative words will flow.
Behave!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Feel Good Friday, The Saturday Edition
Yeah, I know I'm a day late. Forgive me.
Feel good things from my week.
1. Having a quiet week.
2. Finishing the short story I started Saturday.
3. Research that makes me giggle and say "wow, I had no idea".
4. Supernatural! Always!
5. Surprise endings to Supernatural. (see video below)
6. Chatting after Supernatural and all the goofy names we sign in with.
7. Plans coming together even if the purpose for the plans aren't all that great.
8. Hanging out with my sibs. (that's tonight - I have two of them staying here tonight because we have to get up at o'dark-thirty in the morning to make it to the funeral on time.)
The list looks kind of lame this week, but in all, it was a decent week.
That is all...
Behave!!
Feel good things from my week.
1. Having a quiet week.
2. Finishing the short story I started Saturday.
3. Research that makes me giggle and say "wow, I had no idea".
4. Supernatural! Always!
5. Surprise endings to Supernatural. (see video below)
6. Chatting after Supernatural and all the goofy names we sign in with.
7. Plans coming together even if the purpose for the plans aren't all that great.
8. Hanging out with my sibs. (that's tonight - I have two of them staying here tonight because we have to get up at o'dark-thirty in the morning to make it to the funeral on time.)
The list looks kind of lame this week, but in all, it was a decent week.
That is all...
Behave!!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Supernatural Thursday!
Long, but well worth the time. The boys in black and white and all of the funny moments from last week's episode!
Behave!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Booksigning!
Saturday, October 25
10am - 1pm
One Good Woman
1845 Market Street
Camp Hill, PA
The authors of The Shape of Love will be available to sign copies, as well as other local authors signing their books.
If you didn't get a copy of The Shape of Love, maybe you should stop by!
Unfortunately, due to a family funeral, I won't be able to attend.
If you end up stopping by to get your very own The Shape of Love, shoot me an email and I'll make arrangements with you to sign it for you.
Oh, and make sure you say "Happy Birthday" to Vicky Burkholder!
Behave!
Wednesday Why?
A list of why...
1. Why is it so cold?
2. Why is my dog acting like there are squirrels in the house? When she's outside, she barks like mad while watching the tree. When she's inside, she barks like mad and runs around the house.
3. Why are puppies such an effective bargaining chip? (we are NOT getting a puppy!)
4. Why do the stores already have Christmas items for sale?
5. Why is K2 trying to break her own texting record?
6. Why does no one in my house remember to pick up after themselves? What am I, the maid? (don't bother answering that!)
7. Why is it only the middle of the week?
8. Why is my cat claiming the dog's baby? (The dog has a stuffed pig that's her baby. She carries it around with her and sleeps with it. If you tell her to put her baby to bed, she takes it and shoves it into the couch.) Now the cat is carrying it around and biting it.
9. Why is this list so stupid?
Okay...gonna stop there before I start complaining about being cold again.
Behave!
1. Why is it so cold?
2. Why is my dog acting like there are squirrels in the house? When she's outside, she barks like mad while watching the tree. When she's inside, she barks like mad and runs around the house.
3. Why are puppies such an effective bargaining chip? (we are NOT getting a puppy!)
4. Why do the stores already have Christmas items for sale?
5. Why is K2 trying to break her own texting record?
6. Why does no one in my house remember to pick up after themselves? What am I, the maid? (don't bother answering that!)
7. Why is it only the middle of the week?
8. Why is my cat claiming the dog's baby? (The dog has a stuffed pig that's her baby. She carries it around with her and sleeps with it. If you tell her to put her baby to bed, she takes it and shoves it into the couch.) Now the cat is carrying it around and biting it.
9. Why is this list so stupid?
Okay...gonna stop there before I start complaining about being cold again.
Behave!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
It's Bedtime...
So why am I still up?
Well, I'll tell you...
I took care of 99% of my admin duties yesterday so I could have today as primarily a writing day. I only had 6 things on my famous "to do" list today, and this is the only thing not crossed off. Though it will be in a few.
Anyway.
I ended up staying up later than I'd planned, because, as usual, my best-laid plans went awry. The morning went okay, despite the frigid temperature in my house. I took a walk, then came back home and finished catching up on email. Well...then things kind of went haywire after that and I just now met the goal I'd set for myself. A goal, that on a day without haywire, would have been finished before the first kid came home from school. That's beside the point though. Some things just can't be helped. But there was no way I was going to give up this goal. I knew I'd be pissed at myself if I stopped before reaching it. Now I can go to bed feeling like I've accomplished something even while dealing with issues no one expects or likes to deal with.
The lovely thing is that when I came home from the monthly scout committee meeting, the house was nice and warm. It was hard not to melt into puddle of cozy bliss.
And now...
I'm crossing off my final item and going to bed!
Behave!
Well, I'll tell you...
I took care of 99% of my admin duties yesterday so I could have today as primarily a writing day. I only had 6 things on my famous "to do" list today, and this is the only thing not crossed off. Though it will be in a few.
Anyway.
I ended up staying up later than I'd planned, because, as usual, my best-laid plans went awry. The morning went okay, despite the frigid temperature in my house. I took a walk, then came back home and finished catching up on email. Well...then things kind of went haywire after that and I just now met the goal I'd set for myself. A goal, that on a day without haywire, would have been finished before the first kid came home from school. That's beside the point though. Some things just can't be helped. But there was no way I was going to give up this goal. I knew I'd be pissed at myself if I stopped before reaching it. Now I can go to bed feeling like I've accomplished something even while dealing with issues no one expects or likes to deal with.
The lovely thing is that when I came home from the monthly scout committee meeting, the house was nice and warm. It was hard not to melt into puddle of cozy bliss.
And now...
I'm crossing off my final item and going to bed!
Behave!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Moaning Monday
Well, it's Monday again. Bleech!
Here are my Moaning Monday issues:
1. 90% of the people I've interacted with today have been rude and nasty.
2. It's cold - currently, it's colder in my house than it is outside.
3. Getting everyone out of bed and moving in a cold house is really hard.
4. Groceries just keep getting more expensive.
5. My dog needs to keep her nose out of the trash.
6. Speaking of trash - the person responsible for doing dishes over the weekend (which would be 2 different people - one Saturday, one Sunday) couldn't be bothered to empty the trash and I came home to a very nasty odor all through my house.
7. Politics. Enough commercials already. (But you should know the issues and vote on election day-seriously)
It's a short list today. Probably because I'm still riding my creative wave and making good progress on my short!
Behave!
Here are my Moaning Monday issues:
1. 90% of the people I've interacted with today have been rude and nasty.
2. It's cold - currently, it's colder in my house than it is outside.
3. Getting everyone out of bed and moving in a cold house is really hard.
4. Groceries just keep getting more expensive.
5. My dog needs to keep her nose out of the trash.
6. Speaking of trash - the person responsible for doing dishes over the weekend (which would be 2 different people - one Saturday, one Sunday) couldn't be bothered to empty the trash and I came home to a very nasty odor all through my house.
7. Politics. Enough commercials already. (But you should know the issues and vote on election day-seriously)
It's a short list today. Probably because I'm still riding my creative wave and making good progress on my short!
Behave!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
It Never Left...
I've been struggling with my creativity and direction for a little while now. I've been writing through it, but it's been like walking through broken glass in my bare feet. The joy is there, but it's deadened by the pain in my feet. Every single time I think I've got it figured out, something happens to knock me back down and make me question pretty much everything. I know I'm not alone in this, most writers I know struggle with self-doubt, worry, impatience, as well as many other afflictions of the psyche that have the power to leave you a quivering mass of jelly. If you let it.
Sometimes you have to let it - you have to wallow in your self-pity and doubt for a short time. You say a bunch of curse words, eat chocolate, talk to your writing friends, and maybe drink a little Captain Morgan. Then, those feelings fade into the background where they belong. They never truly go away, but that's just part of being human.
Sometimes you've been at odds with yourself for so long, you've been dealing with the weight of everyday life for so long, that you wonder if your muse has taken a permanent vacation, leaving you to fend for yourself in a very scary place. Perhaps she's soaking up the sun with white sand beaches, adorable cabana boys, and an endless supply of umbrella drinks. That bitch. How dare she leave and not take you with her? But then, why would she want to hang out with you when you're not really listening to her, when you're letting everything else influence your time, ideas, and self-worth?
Anyway. I think I went off on a side trail there. I think I have a point.
Sometimes you forget about the things that inspire you. Sometimes your negative focus clouds your creative vision so much that you think you've lost the spark that made you write that first word on the page. That worry snowballs and the next thing you know, you're cleaning your house to avoid opening the document. And that, my friends, is troublesome.
So my point is...
That spark is here and as feisty as ever. That thing I thought I lost? I didn't. It's been here. Patiently waiting for me to figure out that the problem wasn't creativity, but me. I wasn't taking care of the writerly vessel well enough - not enough sleep, too much worry, not enough exercise, not stopping to take in the joy of what truly inspires me - you know what I mean. We're all susceptible to it. We get so caught up with everything else that basic needs slip through the cracks. We forget to refill the well, and sometimes, even when we think we are, we're so weighted down by things it's like having a hole in the bucket. It goes in, but doesn't stay in. That's what's been happening with me.
I'm not saying I have it all figured out, or that the stress and worry that have kept me feeling like a beat dog are suddenly gone, but I think recognizing the triggers is over half of the battle. And I actually had a brainstorm yesterday that netted some writing I'm really excited about. Of course, it's not on the wip I need to finish, nor is it on the next thing that needs written, but I'm going with the flow.
So, I guess that's just a long-winded way to say: Whoot! I'm working on something new!
Behave!
Sometimes you have to let it - you have to wallow in your self-pity and doubt for a short time. You say a bunch of curse words, eat chocolate, talk to your writing friends, and maybe drink a little Captain Morgan. Then, those feelings fade into the background where they belong. They never truly go away, but that's just part of being human.
Sometimes you've been at odds with yourself for so long, you've been dealing with the weight of everyday life for so long, that you wonder if your muse has taken a permanent vacation, leaving you to fend for yourself in a very scary place. Perhaps she's soaking up the sun with white sand beaches, adorable cabana boys, and an endless supply of umbrella drinks. That bitch. How dare she leave and not take you with her? But then, why would she want to hang out with you when you're not really listening to her, when you're letting everything else influence your time, ideas, and self-worth?
Anyway. I think I went off on a side trail there. I think I have a point.
Sometimes you forget about the things that inspire you. Sometimes your negative focus clouds your creative vision so much that you think you've lost the spark that made you write that first word on the page. That worry snowballs and the next thing you know, you're cleaning your house to avoid opening the document. And that, my friends, is troublesome.
So my point is...
That spark is here and as feisty as ever. That thing I thought I lost? I didn't. It's been here. Patiently waiting for me to figure out that the problem wasn't creativity, but me. I wasn't taking care of the writerly vessel well enough - not enough sleep, too much worry, not enough exercise, not stopping to take in the joy of what truly inspires me - you know what I mean. We're all susceptible to it. We get so caught up with everything else that basic needs slip through the cracks. We forget to refill the well, and sometimes, even when we think we are, we're so weighted down by things it's like having a hole in the bucket. It goes in, but doesn't stay in. That's what's been happening with me.
I'm not saying I have it all figured out, or that the stress and worry that have kept me feeling like a beat dog are suddenly gone, but I think recognizing the triggers is over half of the battle. And I actually had a brainstorm yesterday that netted some writing I'm really excited about. Of course, it's not on the wip I need to finish, nor is it on the next thing that needs written, but I'm going with the flow.
So, I guess that's just a long-winded way to say: Whoot! I'm working on something new!
Behave!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Feel Good Friday
Yay! Friday again!
Here's my feel good list from the week!
In no particular order:
1. The very-soon arrival of friends we haven't seen in ages.
2. Cool weather.
3. The crowd that came to watch the parade.
4. Two days of sleeping in when the kids had off school.
5. AT&T/Cingular for their excellent customer service.
6. Writing friends.
7. Fantastic episodes of Supernatural. In black and white. (the boys are beautiful in black and white)
8. Chatting with friends after Supernatural.
9. My laundry being as caught up as it can be, even if it's still piled up in my living room.
10. Writing progress.
I'm sure there's more, but see #1. I have to go to the grocery store and get #9 taken care of before they get here.
Behave!
Here's my feel good list from the week!
In no particular order:
1. The very-soon arrival of friends we haven't seen in ages.
2. Cool weather.
3. The crowd that came to watch the parade.
4. Two days of sleeping in when the kids had off school.
5. AT&T/Cingular for their excellent customer service.
6. Writing friends.
7. Fantastic episodes of Supernatural. In black and white. (the boys are beautiful in black and white)
8. Chatting with friends after Supernatural.
9. My laundry being as caught up as it can be, even if it's still piled up in my living room.
10. Writing progress.
I'm sure there's more, but see #1. I have to go to the grocery store and get #9 taken care of before they get here.
Behave!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Parade Recap...
Yeah, I know I'm a day late. Yesterday was kind of crazy around here.
So...the parade...
I think this year's parade was the best one yet. Not only was the actual parade longer than it's ever been, but the weather was gorgeous. And we had a great crowd - family, old friends, new friends, friends we haven't seen in a long time.
The chili turned out better than I thought, despite a slight scorching that had me freaked out. Okay, so it was a little more than slight since the pot is still soaking. Bleh. Most everyone loved it. Some said it was way too hot, others didn't noticed the heat level. We ended up with a ton of food, like I figured we would.
I have a picture of Jo to share once I find my camera cord. I think that's the only photo that was taken though.
And tonight! New Supernatural! Supernatural in black and white! I'm so excited!
Oh, and as of today, I'll be simul-posting on my word press page. Here.
That's all for now!
Behave!
So...the parade...
I think this year's parade was the best one yet. Not only was the actual parade longer than it's ever been, but the weather was gorgeous. And we had a great crowd - family, old friends, new friends, friends we haven't seen in a long time.
The chili turned out better than I thought, despite a slight scorching that had me freaked out. Okay, so it was a little more than slight since the pot is still soaking. Bleh. Most everyone loved it. Some said it was way too hot, others didn't noticed the heat level. We ended up with a ton of food, like I figured we would.
I have a picture of Jo to share once I find my camera cord. I think that's the only photo that was taken though.
And tonight! New Supernatural! Supernatural in black and white! I'm so excited!
Oh, and as of today, I'll be simul-posting on my word press page. Here.
That's all for now!
Behave!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Parading...
Tonight is our town's annual Halloween parade.
The parade route is right in front of our house, which makes for fantastic parade viewing. I'm not a parade person at all, but the fact that I can come inside my house anytime I feel like it makes this parade different. We usually end up with a houseful of people, tons of food, and a lot of fun. So, today I've spent all day so far getting ready for tonight. I could have done most of it yesterday, but didn't feel like it. I'm not stressed out or anything, so it's all good.
Bathtub chili's become a Halloween parade tradition. If I say I don't feel like making it, I get evil looks and whines. What's bathtub chili, you ask? Well, it's chili, with a little bit of everything thrown in. I usually clean out the fridge when I make it (and no, I don't put anything that's growing hair or nasty in it. I do have my limits). It's never the same twice.
Tonight's chili contains last night's cheese-cracker chicken, corn, rice, 5 kinds of beans, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, onions, peppers, leftover spaghetti sauce (yes, it works-you can't even tell spaghetti sauce is in there.) and hot pepper tomatoes. I stopped myself from putting in the leftover beef stew. I think that's probably a good thing. My stock pot is full - almost to the top.
Almost everything is done, and I'm thinking it's time for my to crash on the couch for a little while. I've got a little while before people start arriving.
That's all from here.
Behave!
The parade route is right in front of our house, which makes for fantastic parade viewing. I'm not a parade person at all, but the fact that I can come inside my house anytime I feel like it makes this parade different. We usually end up with a houseful of people, tons of food, and a lot of fun. So, today I've spent all day so far getting ready for tonight. I could have done most of it yesterday, but didn't feel like it. I'm not stressed out or anything, so it's all good.
Bathtub chili's become a Halloween parade tradition. If I say I don't feel like making it, I get evil looks and whines. What's bathtub chili, you ask? Well, it's chili, with a little bit of everything thrown in. I usually clean out the fridge when I make it (and no, I don't put anything that's growing hair or nasty in it. I do have my limits). It's never the same twice.
Tonight's chili contains last night's cheese-cracker chicken, corn, rice, 5 kinds of beans, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, onions, peppers, leftover spaghetti sauce (yes, it works-you can't even tell spaghetti sauce is in there.) and hot pepper tomatoes. I stopped myself from putting in the leftover beef stew. I think that's probably a good thing. My stock pot is full - almost to the top.
Almost everything is done, and I'm thinking it's time for my to crash on the couch for a little while. I've got a little while before people start arriving.
That's all from here.
Behave!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Meh Monday
Just one of those days...
It went fast...too fast.
Kids are off school, and they've been busy doing their own thing. They're off tomorrow too.
But...tomorrow will be different.
Tomorrow will be crazy running around and cooking and some last minute cleaning (that wouldn't be last minute, if I'd have gotten around to it today! ha!)
So, I find I have nothing much to say today.
That is all.
Behave!
It went fast...too fast.
Kids are off school, and they've been busy doing their own thing. They're off tomorrow too.
But...tomorrow will be different.
Tomorrow will be crazy running around and cooking and some last minute cleaning (that wouldn't be last minute, if I'd have gotten around to it today! ha!)
So, I find I have nothing much to say today.
That is all.
Behave!
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