Dreams to Reality and Anything In Between

Pizza

2012-02-25T21:10:00.001-05:00

Pizza, pizza, pizza! I LOVE PIZZA! Pizza is the bane of myweightless existence. I have no shut off when it comes to pizza. If mydaughter's didn't eat the same toppings as me, I would have eaten the wholepie. I've tried to stop eating pizza but it's like I have withdrawal symptomsthe same was you would giving up caffeine or cigarettes and I've given both ofthose thing up yet pizza still plagues me. I could eat pizza everyday and therewas a point during my twenties when my husband and I spent at the very least 3Kon pizza. That’s a lot of pizza anddefinitely before, we had kids.

Anational pizza chain sponsors the Washington Capitals and if the Caps win andscore four or more goals, you can receive 50% off your order. Which means I canorder two large pizzas for $16.00, how can you pass up a deal like that? Lastnight the Caps won 4-1 and guess what I cooked (lol) for dinner...PIZZA! And asI finish this post, the Caps have just scored their fourth goal and we stillhave another period to play. Could I be serving pizza two nights in a row?

Grant methe strength Lord to resist the possible pies in my future.

Dancing with Fear

2012-02-22T10:39:00.001-05:00

I saw a moment on television when Tony Robbins asked a womanwhat she was most proud of and she responded her five sons. Robbins then askedwhy she was tearing as she mentioned her sons. She responded that they aredoing everything she ever wanted. Robbins asked for her proudest moment and sheresponded with a wounded moment. Because if it were her proudest accomplishmentshe would have said they were doing everything, THEY wanted to do.

I have to admit I had tears too. I always say my daughtersare my best accomplishment, but I would have answered Robbins with the samewords and tears. While I am proud of them and they both are doing things I didand wanted to do, I somehow lost me in teaching them to be independent, capableand caring young women. I stopped doing what I was teaching. In that moment ofthe woman crying and as I write this I realized that I could still do thosethings that will give me the same pride in myself that I have in my daughters.

I started thinking what are they doing that I am no longer.At first, I thought they’re fearless, but that’s not true because they bothtell me they are afraid, but push through it and accomplish or try toaccomplish their goal because I said that that’s how we are supposed to live.They both thank me for teaching them to dance with their fear instead ofresisting it and the funny part of all of this is that Tony Robbins said thesame thing to his TV audience.

So why am I not dancing with my fear the way my childrentell me I taught them to do. I could take the easy way out and say I am afraidto fail, but that’s not true because I fail on a daily basis and sometimeshourly. The truth is I’m trying to figurethat out, but that’s not the whole truth either. A voice whispers inside myhead, ‘Everyone will laugh.’ I start to cry realizing that I fear not beingaccepted for who I am and not being supported when it may not be what others thinkor want me to be. Now that I’ve said it aloud and written it, I need and haveto work on dancing with that fear. Maybe if I make more of an effort to dancewith it, my resistance to living my life will ease. And while I might alwaysfear people laughing at me or feeling unsupported, I won’t let it paralyze me.

Whatever is happening to me at any given time, I will “seeit as it is, not worse than it is.” *

Until next time try dancing with your fear and I will dance with mine.

*Tony Robbins

Dream Home, Could it Be Mine

2012-02-17T13:59:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite channels to watch is HGTV and right now,I am waiting like millions of others to see if I am the Park City Dream HomeWinner. Stop laughing. I have the same chance as anyone else that entered towin. Funny thing is I’ve never faithfully entered to win one of the HGTV Dream Homes on a daily basis. Each day since January 1, I have submitted my two entries.

The house is beautiful and has all the natural elements Ilove surround the home, water and a snow capped mountain view. When I look atthe picture of this home and its surrounding, I feel peace. I can see myselfliving in the home and community. You can do anything imaginable, the artscommunity is thriving, and that’s something I could totally get into. In lessthan seven hours, I could be a winner!

Stop laughing. It could happen and why not I a fresh startcould be just what the universe has in store for me.

Until next time, keep dreaming!

On the Fence

2012-02-12T14:06:00.001-05:00

I had my job interview that I was excited about and had beenwaiting for almost a year to get. It went well, they asked when I could start,but “First we have to have a background check.”

Okay no problem, I say. I fill out the information and now Iwait. And while I’ve been waiting and had more time to think about theinterview, I’m starting to wonder if this bookstore is really a place I want towork.

During the interview, I wasn’tasked about books. I was however asked if I knew my alphabet?! Are you kiddingme? I just told the manager that I am a writer. During the interview, the manager’sfocus was their club card and was I willing to sell it? I would have to sell acertain percentage of cards or possibly risk losing my job. Oh and by the way,you’ll need to sell magazine subscriptions too.

When did the focus of a bookstore leave books behind? Whythe huge push for magazine subscriptions and club cards, you know the managersdidn’t have an answer. Why not push books and excellent customer service. Whynot hire people who love books and want to talk to the customers about books. I’mall for pushin’ books, but, not so much the club card or magazines. I certainlydon’t go to the bookstore because I have a club card; I go because I wantbooks. Until a few years ago, I went because I knew the bookstore employeesloved books the way I did and would ask the right questions and have a shortlist right off the tops of their heads for books I might enjoy. The customerservice was exceptional. Then it all changed the stores felt they had tocompete with the likes of Amazon but to what end. A bricks and mortar store can’tcompete with price, but can beat them with knowledge and customer service sowhy not push your service, knowledge and books. As a consumer, I would love tosave money, but I also put a premium on customer service. I will pay more forexcellence.

Now that I’ve had time to think abouteverything, I am on the fence as to whether I want to spend my weekends hawkingclub cards and magazines, when the whole reason I applied was to be abookseller and serve customers.

Open to Opportunity

2012-01-31T09:39:00.000-05:00

With all this thinking about dreams and working to make themcome true, I also believe you have to be open to the change that comes withyour dreams coming true. If we’re not prepared for what comes with and afterour dreams come true how can, we enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Over the last few months, I have applied to many part-timejob listings all over town. All I want is a part-time job of 15 to 20 hours aweek to help the family pay some debt off and to do some fun extra stuff. Insteadof just wishing, I had a part-time job I should have been more specific. What Ireally want is a fun part-time job that won’t feel like a job. I want to use mypassion for a hobby, so what would my fun part-time job be; well it wouldinvolve working with animals or books. Anytime I saw or heard of openings atthe local pet stores or bookstore I applied. I still sent out resumes andapplications for all the other jobs because I can enjoy most jobs, it’s all inmy attitude and I would be truly grateful for any part-time job, but pets withtheir people and books are the tops for me. For me when I asked what I want todo with the rest of my life it always comes back to books and dogs, so workingwith animals and or books are optimum.

I would love to be a dog trainer. I have fun training mydogs and would love to share that joy with others. I want to write novels, wellI do, I’m just not published. In addition, I love to read and share my love ofstory with other readers. Perhaps my stating exactly what I would like andbeing open to these job opportunities is the reason I finally got the call foran interview. I’m totally excited about the possibilities this job could bringmy way. Other than the obvious financial aspect, I will get the chance to meetand talk with like-minded people.

Open yourself to all the possibilities your dreams can andwill give and who knows…the sky’s the limit!

Dream On

2012-01-27T14:27:00.001-05:00

Since I’ve spent 42 years, dreaming you’d think that I wouldalready know what I want to be when I grow up. First I don’t want to grow upand whenever anyone tells me I should I smile and realize that I don’t need to grow up as they say, but keep livingand having fun as a grown up. I’ve concluded that I want to do and be manythings and like a stubborn child, I am going to do them all!

I’ve already had success with dreams coming true. Threeyears ago I started my own licensed home daycare that caters to the before andafter school market. I’ve successfully completed NaNoWrimo nine times. I’vetaken several of my NaNo novels, completed them, and submitted to agents. Andhad many of those agents squash my dream. But I keep going back for more so Iguess you can call it a dream in progress. I’ve had my photography publishedand won contests and now I dream of a new camera, though the one I have worksfine.

Right now, my dream is to become a vet tech and dog trainer.The one constant over the last seven years in my life other than family,writing and photography has been my love of dogs and training. I devouranything I can get my hands on and I’ll talk dogs and training to anyone whowill listen, so why not take that passion and use it. My only regret is I didn’tstart sooner.

Other dreams of mine are to own a bookstore, open aneco-friendly hardware store and run a dog walking/daycare service. Who knowsmaybe I can be the first person to combine all of them and make it the nextbest thing!

So, I’m 42 and I want to be everything when I grow up. Toquote Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, I’m going to “Dream on, dream on, dream on,dream until your dreams come true.”

What Dreams May Come

2012-01-24T07:33:00.000-05:00

I can’t count how many dreams I’ve had in my lifetime, cananyone. I must admit I am a fantastic dreamer; I can even plan how to work onmaking them come to fruition. I fallshort when it comes to actually making my dreams come true. I don’t mind hard work;I work hard at my job every day. I’ve spent many hours trying to figure out whyI fail so often and I’ve realized that my so-called failed dreams are actuallysuccesses. How can they be a success, well because the failure showed me what Idon’t want from life? It shows me that my passion for that particular dream isnot enough.

If a goal is really worth something to you, I believe aperson will work as hard as it takes to accomplish the goal. In high school Iwanted to be a rock star, I took singing lessons, did musical things but neverwent much beyond that. I even dreamed of it after I got married, but I wasn’ttruly passionate about it and found that turning up the volume and signingwhile I cleaned was and still is enough for this closet rock star.

Then there are those dreams that sneak up on you. The oneyou didn’t know you wanted until it was hitting you in the face. I never as akid or adult dreamt of being a mother and even after I became a mom, I never thoughtof it as a dream comes true. Something changed when my youngest daughter wasaround two and I realized that I loved being a mom and that it was the firsttime in my life that I didn’t feel like it was work. It was natural and Iwanted to get up each day and be with my girls. They taught me to be present inmy life.

My girls to date and probably forever will be my best dreamcome true and if they’ve taught me nothing else in this life it’s to keepdreaming and striving to bring life to my dreams for however long or short thatmay be.

Until next time, Dream Big!

Here I Go

2012-01-23T07:15:00.000-05:00

Everyone hasa dream or two, but how many of us actually work toward making them come true?I mean really work not just say, “I’m going to start doing such and such.” But reallyput into action the steps needed to start making the dream come true.

My firststep is to start blogging again, so here I go…

I have hadmany dreams in my 42 years, some were never meant to be more than dreams andothers keep tapping me on my forehead, shoulder and even flicking my ear toalert me that the time is now, so here I go…

Whether Isucceed or not these will be my steps forward to living my dreams. So here Igo!

Learning Italian

2010-09-28T05:31:00.000-04:00

Buongiorno, Parli Italiano? Sto imparando, perché voglio viaggiare in Italia.

Good morning, do you speak Italian?

I am learning because I want to visit Italy. Yes, it is simplistic but I’ve only been studying for four weeks. And I am teaching myself! I hope I am not butchering the beautiful Italian language. I took French in high school because I was required to take a language to graduate and today I can pick out a handful of words and say a few as well. I wish I retained what I learned from the three years I took. Part of the reason is I never used it and I wasn’t taught anything useful like how to have and understand a conversation with everyday people. There’s no guarantee that learning from the CD’s I have will work either, but I am going to try!

I’m also teaching myself how to build my own WordPress theme/template. In the past, I fiddled with code and enjoyed doing so. So why am I learning WP? Well, I’m thinking of using it to redesign my personal website as well as my blog. My web host has it already installed or ready to install on my control panel so why not use it. Instead of updating, a few places why not put it all in one place. I want to make blogging my thoughts and photos easy and the fewer steps I need to take the better. Not sure how long it’ll take me to get my new blog and website up and running but I am going to give myself a deadline. By November 1, I hope to have a revamped and easily navigated website!

I need to be finished by or before November 1 because I plan to participate in NaNoWriMo for the eighth consecutive year.

Until next time,

Live well now!

What If?

2010-09-21T06:21:00.000-04:00

My To Do List is getting smaller. All the miscellaneous items I’ve let slide are being completed. I’ve got my fall garden planted and the spring bulbs are bought and will be put in the ground this week. I have over 150 bulbs. There will be no doubt that spring has sprung at my home next year!

The research for my new novel is moving along and I have enough to start setting the stage for a vampire stagecoach robbery! I have a good mix of Wild West history and my own version of history to mix it up. I spent the summer asking “what if?” to find novel ideas that sparked my imagination and the Wild West was a theme that kept appearing in my lists. This one is for my Dad. He was a western novel and movie man. While I watched them with him, I was young and they bored me. Part of my research has been to watch a few movies and read some of the old dime novels. The cool part is I feel my dad with me. He died eight years ago and just before he died, I told him maybe one day I‘d write a western. I don’t think he thought I’d include vampires, but hey, it’s a western.

Well, time to get back to some revision of my first chick lit book.

Until next time, live well now!

Lists Make Way for Dreams

2010-09-17T05:55:00.000-04:00

Do you dream all the time or only occasionally? I dream all the time! Sometimes too much and I run into problems getting to the non-dream stuff. I love a leisurely pace. I’m rarely in a hurry to get anywhere. However, that doesn’t mean I’m always late, on the contrary I’m usually early. Some mistake my leisurely pace for procrastination, but it that’s not the case. I’m an observer with tendencies to do and get things started and finished. I don’t think a procrastinator could lead a leisurely pace of life because they would always be trying to get current with whatever they have due.

When I notice I am panicking about getting projects finished I step back and look at my dream life. If my dream journal is over flowing then I know I ‘m spending too much time in La La Land. To continue living my laid-back way I needed to go back to making to do lists. My to do lists help me prioritize, if I get the major things finished then I can do the fun things like playing with my dogs and lounging on the deck with them and day dreaming!

Take today as an example:

My To Do List

4 am wake, shower and drink coffee
4:30 am write, work on novel
5:30 am wake daughter continue writing
6 am wake other daughter. Get things together
for AM Day Care
6:15 am continue with Daycare stuff or write if
DC is ready until first child arrives
8:30 am Walk Day care kids to school
8:45 am Italian Homework
9:30 am Blog
10 am go back to writing
12 pm finish up loose ends
12:30 pm lunch
1 pm – 3 pm Free Me Time!
3 pm – 6 pm Day Care
6 pm – 10 pm Family time

Today is an easy day because it’s Friday and I try to do the least amount of work on this day. I do laundry while I write or after drinking my coffee. All the other household chores like sweeping, vacuuming and dusting I do as a part of getting the day care ready. The first floor of my home has never been cleaner since I opened the day care. The upstairs is another story, it’s a disaster but I don’t worry about that, because no one ever sees the upstairs and I have better things to do than make my bed or room spotless, like day dreaming, writing or playing with my dogs!

My lists let me continue to dream!

Until next time, live well now!

Finding the Will

2010-09-16T05:31:00.000-04:00

Making my dreams a reality hasn’t been a priority in my life lately and it’s showing in my attitude toward the people in my life and life in general. I took myself off the list back in 2009 when I opened an in-home licensed daycare. I needed to build the business.That’s an ongoing process when you own a business. So it’s high time I find the balance that’s right for me.

I have a list of dreams waiting for me and it’s time to make room for them to come true.Dreaming about how life should be is fun, but dreaming doesn’t make things so.Hard work, perseverance, strength and will make dreams a reality. Lately all I’ve been doing is dreaming and talking about my dreams but talking doesn’t make them come true.

I had an attitude shift about a week ago when a writer I respect posted this quote on the list serve-

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi

She posted the quote to show how one might get past “writerly ruts and not give up”. She planned to cut it out and post it on her plot board. Me I printed it and tacked it onto my vision board. The quote hit me hard because I think of myself as successful. I run a successful daycare and have had my writing published and I written several unpublished novel manuscripts. I have the strength and knowledge when it comes to creating and finishing a story but I realized I lacked the will to follow the manuscript to the end, that being publication. I have three manuscripts that I believe are publishable and I’ve been told they are by people who know the business. My lack of will to follow through with agents has prevented my dream of publication from having the chance to come true.

The past week I began to work on my lack of will. I put me on the top of the To Do List; number one is to research agents for one hour and begin writing queries for the agents I think match my writing. I’m on Day 4 of research and I’ve found five agents now I’m onto writing the queries. I am determined to be as successful a writer as I am a business owner.

Until next time, live well now!

School's Out for Winter

2010-02-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

It feels like the snow days will never end. My hopes were dashed at 6:04 am. Schools are now closed. When I went to bed last night they had a two hour delay. I was happy. My kids have gone to school exactly 1 day this month. They were supposed to go yesterday but the PTB decided the rural roads were too dangerous and we were supposed to get another couple of inches, which never materialized. We received a dusting. The funny (not really) part of this is our county officials don't seem to think this is going to impact our children's education. Eleven days out of the classroom is nothing to them because on the upside we'll be making up three of the days! Big DEAL! What about the other eight?

My question is why can't the county find an alternative. More than half the county appears to be ready for school, why not get them back and figure something else for those in the rural areas. Way back when I was a kid they rarely canceled school and if buses couldn't hit certain streets our parents took us to school. No yelling at me I get the whole ice and buses don't mix, my children ride the bus to school. School is not my children's babysitter, my kids actually like going to school and on several occasions have asked the same question of WHY school is out.

Oh well, my whine is over, now I need to pull lunch and an extra snack out of my magic hat because my day care is open the entire day again.

Until next time live well now.

The Sun Returns and Shoveling Resumes

2010-02-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

The sun has returned and the DH and kids are out shoveling. Schools are already closing for the remainder of the week. Not my school district, well not yet anyway. I'm open for day care business, have been all week even though no children have been dropped off. I'll be up at 4:30 am tomorrow ready and waiting for my day care kids.

The sun shinning on my driveway. Shoveled clear to the pavement. Now where is the plow?

All the snow from our driveway.

Until next time, live well now.

2010-02-10T08:57:00.000-05:00

We have SUN! Let the melting commence!

2010-02-10T02:36:00.000-05:00

As of 7:30am we have a couple of inches here in Fredericksburg.

This is the end of my street.

This is from my back yard.

Snow We Go Again!

2010-02-09T04:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was beautiful! The sun was shinning and the snow was melting. Then the weather man said 3-6 inches of snow with a rain/sleet mixture. Then he upgraded to 6-8, upgraded again to 8-10 then 10-20 and back down to 6-12 inches. As of right now we are expecting 8-12 inches with a little rain/sleet mixture in the beginning. The snow should start between 1 pm and 3 pm and not end until Wednesday evening.

I've come to terms with more snow and the fact that my kids will mostly likely miss the entire week of school. I realize there are many places around the US and world that get more snow but we're not used to this. This storm will put us over our average snowfall by three times. I'm happy that it's snow and not a rain event. A slow melt is what I want so my DH and I won't be sucking water in the basement.

We've got all we need from the grocery store and yesterday we hit our local used book store and stocked up on reading material. If we visit the grocery store today it will be for mozzarella cheese, yeast and all the fixings for homemade pizza. My DD will most likely ask for her favorite Greek yogurt so we'll probably make a trip to BJ's and buy in bulk (I love the Greek Yogurt too). No need to hit the video store as the TIVO is full and we bought quite a few DVD's recently when the local Blockbuster's closed. Other than extras we're ready.

Until next time, live well now.

2010-02-08T04:09:00.000-05:00

The rain/snow line was updated minutes ago. Fredericksburg is under the snow only band of 5-10 inches. Definitely no school tomorrow. Stay tuned...Will my kids get to school this week?

Until next time, live well now.

Blizzard 2010 Update

2010-02-08T02:18:00.000-05:00

It's day two of digging out. Yesterday we had our cars and driveway shoveled and showing cement. Of course the inevitable happened...The snow plow. We live on the same street as an elementary school and our street is always one of the first plowed and it never fails that we clear our large driveway and the the snow plow blocks the entrance. The upside is I'm always able to open my day care.

School is closed today but then so is everything else in DC, MD and VA. Even the Federal Government is closed. I'm sure my kids will be out of school tomorrow too, because much of the county I live in still has dirt and gravel roads. My business is open but it doesn't matter because my daycare families are snow bound. Tomorrow afternoon my area is expected to get a rain/sleet mix with up to five more inches of snow through the night. I'd rather have the snow than the rain because a fast melt spells disaster for my basement.

Now it's time to dig out my outside stairwell. Happy shoveling!

Until next time live well now.

2010-02-06T13:37:00.000-05:00

The snow has stopped! YIPPEE!!! I hope Mother Nature feels we've had enough. We ended up with close to 18 inches. So far schools are opening on Monday, but I won't get my hopes up because the county I live in loves to close at the slightest mention of snow.

One final measurement for the day.

2010-02-06T08:12:00.000-05:00

We've reached 17 inches! Unfortunately the kiddos photo was blurry so all I have to offer is a photo from an hour ago when it was at 15 inches. We're supposed to get another 5 inches. This will equal our December storm. The kids will probably be off most of next week especially since we only got 6-8 last week and they only went to school one day last week!

1 hour ago

Day 2 of Blizzard 2010

2010-02-06T05:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally turned on the computer, tired of watching the local news repeat what a historic storm we're having. Well, DUH! It's not every winter you basically triple your average snowfall! Last night when I went to bed we were experiencing sleet so the totals in Fredericksburg, VA are lower than other VA counties. Currently we have 15 inches with another 5-9 to come. Photos by one of my kids.

2010-02-05T12:38:00.000-05:00

The snow finally started falling heavily over the last 90 minutes. We went from no accumulation to 3 inches. The yard stick now measures 6 inches. We started with three on the ground from a previous storm. The photo was taken at 5:20 pm.

2010-02-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

No measurable snow yet. We'll see what it's like around 3:30 pm. I'm really ticked right now that the school powers that be canceled school yesterday before a snowflake fell. Right now it's like flurries and the kids could be in school.

2010-02-05T06:24:00.000-05:00

The snow has started! It started shortly before 11 am. We're measuring to see if we really get the 18-24 inches. At 11 am we started with three inches on the ground from our last snow. We plan to check the yard stick at 12:30 or 1:00 pm.

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T08:13:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

How time flies when you have too much to accomplish in life
the years fly too. I turned 40 at the end of December and it seems like
yesterday I was twenty and getting married. Yup, that means I’ll be married
twenty years this year! Sometimes that seems like 50. The husband knows I say
and write things like that so no worries. I’m sure he feels the same. How can
you not when you’re with the same person 24, 7, 365 for 20 years!

Our family is planning to grow this year. No, not because I’m
pregnant because that ship has sailed and sunk. We have started the process to
become foster parents and possibly adoptive parents. The entire family is
excited and nervous. Our oldest daughter
is gearing up for SAT’s and all the fun that comes with finding a college and
getting into said college. Funny thing is we could end up at the same college
at the same time because I want to finish the degree I started 20+ years ago.
Should be fun.

Since I don’t make resolutions, I thought I’d share a few of
my aspirations for the coming year.

1.
Continue to lose weight through diet and
exercise. I’m currently 175. I gained no weight during the holidays.

2.
Get back into my photography. I haven’t shot
much the previous three years and now that I’m feeling well and energized, I
feel my creativity picking up steam.

3.
Continue with my current novel manuscript and
get back into a working critique group. I’m coming ladies, you know who you are
J

4.
Grow my daycare business.

5.
Finally yet importantly is to spend more time
together with my family.

Until next time, live well now.

Digging Out and Open for Business

2009-12-22T03:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I've had enough snow for the winter. I like the snow
if it doesn't affect me. I guess I would never survive in places like Vermont or Minnesota.
The cold air has wreaked havoc on my asthma. The DH spent Saturday through
Monday digging out our driveway and our next door neighbor. Because of his hard
work I was able to open my daycare yesterday for those parents who couldn't
take a snow day.

Since the Federal Government was closed my DH had the day
off and was a prince to help me by taking the kids across the street to the
elementary school to play. They went sledding and built a couple of snowmen.

My dog Josie is wishing the snow would go away. She doesn’t
like having the cold snow touch her when she pees. Wyatt is the exact opposite.
He loves the snow. He spent the last two days searching for his red Kong ball in
the back yard. He found it and now he’s a happy pup.

Well here are a few more photos from the past few days.

Until next time live well now.

Snowstorm Here

2009-12-19T04:57:00.000-05:00

The snow arrived last night at 6 pm and by 8 pm we had close to two inches on the ground. The streets were already getting slushy. As is the case in most cities the idiots were out driving too fast. The grocery store shelves were empty of milk, bread and toilet paper. Thankfully I’m fully stocked with the TP and the DH and I grabbed the last gallon of milk at BJ’s. The snow grocery list for my family differed from what most were buying. My list consisted of Greek yogurt, cinnamon buns, pizza sauce, soda and the obligatory hot chocolate and marshmallows. There was other stuff but for the life of me I can’t remember what we bought.

Now it’s 10 am and there’s more than a foot on the ground. The wind is whipping the snow off the roofs. It’s odd to see all the snow on the ground and hardly any on the roofs. My dog Wyatt is like a kid in the candy store. He loves the snow. He’s been in and out all morning. We have yellow snow on our deck that’s how I know Josie our other dog isn’t leaving the safety of the porch.

Now I’m off to watch a movie. Until next time, live well now.

Big Time Snow Storm On the Way!

2009-12-18T05:36:00.000-05:00

It's coming...the first gigantic snowstorm in seven years. We've had little
snow in Northern and Central Virginia over the
last few years. Starting later this afternoon we will begin to see the first flakes
which are supposed to accumulate to over 12 + inches! Thankfully I have my
Christmas shopping complete. The only thing I need to do is go grocery shopping
tonight after the day care kids go home.

I like snow as long as it happens on a weekend and the kids don't get out of
school. So this storm is just fine with me. Today is the last day of school and
winter break begins, so this snow is more than welcome because the days off are
already planned.

On the writing front I completed NaNo as I stated before and I almost
finished the story. I ended NaNo with over 70K and I finished writing the story
on December 7th with a word count over 85K. I've been skimming through the
pages and it's the most complete story I've ever written, maybe it really
will be my Lucky 13. I'm truly surprised since it borders the mainstream/chick
lit genre and I want to be a horror/suspense writer. As I read I feel a real
sense of accomplishment and I am more in love with my characters than I've ever
been. So I definitely plan to work this novel to the end and hopefully
write/right into publication.

Until next time Live well NOW!

NaNo Goal Complete and My New Kitchen Appliance

2009-11-22T04:48:00.000-05:00

I made my NaNo goal! Actually I made it last week on the 18^th
of November. As of today I am just shy of 60K. I think it’ll take another 15 to
18K to finish the story and I’m hoping to complete it by Wednesday. Whether I
write the end of the story by the 25^th I will validate my word
count. I will finish this story. As I’ve kept writing Lucy’s story I like her
and her story more. I’m excited about writing again and I look forward to
meeting my characters at the keyboard.

Now I have to tell you about a huge appliance deal I got
yesterday! I was out running errands with my husband and one of our stops was one
of the big box home improvement stores. We went in looking for a showerhead
with a filter and came out with a new refrigerator. I huge leap in purchase but
we’ve been shopping for a refrigerator for the last year because I wanted a
specific style. I wanted the French door style with the freezer on the bottom.
I wanted ice and water and I wanted it for under $1200.

Yesterday as we cruised the aisles for the showerhead I saw
a row of refrigerators that had clearance tags and made a mental not to check
them out after we found the showerhead. Well, we didn’t find the showerhead but
we were curious about one refrigerator. Actually I saw the stainless model first
and the regular price was over 2K but was on sale for $1300, not bad but more
than I wanted to pay, but low enough I considered going for it. Luckily my
penny pinching instinct kicked in and I look at the reduced/damaged and clearance
models again and standing there was a white refrigerator it didn’t have a
reduced price on it so before I asked a sales person I had the hubby check the
model number against the stainless one and found out it was the same model. If
you pay any kind of attention to appliances you know that black is cheaper than
stainless and white appliances are cheaper than black and stainless.

Long story made shorter the white model was on sale for
$1198 from $1898 and with the damage discount I purchased it for $1032
including taxes and delivery! I saved over 40% on this refrigerator and the
only damage was a dent with some white color missing on the right side, which isn’t
a problem for me because it won’t be seen. Hey, I hear a truck…It’s my refrigerator!

Until next time, live well now.

NaNoWriMo Week Three

2009-11-17T07:29:00.000-05:00

Three days into week three of NaNo and I'm 5K from the 50K goal! I've changed my mind about my novel. I'm liking the story arc. It's definitely not a horror novel, though I could twist and turn the words to resemble one.

I estimate that it'll take at least another 30K to bring the story to its conclusion. I feel like I might accomplish the entire 75K this month. Whether I do or not I will accomplish the 50K, but more than that I've stepped way out of my comfort zone and written a literary story that will appeal to most women.

Until next time, live well now.

Fear Be Gone!

2009-11-17T05:54:00.000-05:00

Fear is definitely wasted energy, which was never clearer
than yesterday for me. My biggest fear is the dentist. When I was young I had a
horrible experience with a dentist. It was the kind of experience nightmares
are made of, whirling drills, sucking sounds and high pitched squeals. All the
sounds that make my teeth ache and send shivers up my spine. The dentist
believed no matter the age pain management was not needed. At nine or ten I was
scared. It was my first time having a cavity filled and a straggly tooth pulled.
On top of all that he wouldn’t let my mother be with me during the procedures.
I screamed bloody murder while strapped to the chair and the dentist drilled
and then without warning pulled my tooth. Thirty years later I am still freaked
when I go to the dentist. The smell and sounds take me right back to that awful
chair.

Yesterday was the first time I’d been to the dentist in
three years. It was finally time to walk the walk and smile the smile of a
complete and healthy life. A healthy mouth has a huge impact on health. Our
teeth and gums are linked to our heart health. I arrived early at the office a
terrible habit I have and then waited for too long. I was so nervous that I
couldn’t read my book. Finally I was called to “The Room”. The dental assistant
was sweet almost too sweet that made me more nervous. My pulse quickened and my
palms started to sweat and they never sweat. I stopped at the door to “The
Room” took a deep breath and walked through as I exhaled. The tech or whatever
their title is was wonderful. She put me at ease and cleaned my teeth mindful
of the places I said were sensitive. With in minutes my pulse was normal and I
was okay. I actually smiled…until the doctor was called to finish the exam. It
took a few minutes and I heard whatever machine makes that awful shrill sound
and almost bolted through the window that was directly in front of me. But I
thought, “My kids will be here this afternoon and that might embarrass them.” I
never thought it would embarrass me because the fear consumed my rational
thinking. My pulse went from a resting rate of 68 to 125 in the span of 20
seconds. Deep breaths didn’t work this time. The dentist saw my panic and
stopped to just talk to me. It worked and I was able to collect my panic and
stuff it away. My newly trimmed fingernails left half moon marks on my palms while
I retreated to my happy place.

And here’s why I believe fear is wasted energy and time. My
check up went amazingly well and there was nothing major wrong with my teeth.
Nothing terrible happened; I was told I had great teeth and great bone health.
This dentist is not the mad dentist from my childhood. I lost sleep and way too
much time worrying what would happen. What a waste. Hopefully when May 24^th
approaches I won’t freak and if I start I’ll remember the painless exam of
yesterday.

Until next time, live well now.

Weighty Issues

2009-11-11T05:04:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday my 16 year-old DD (driving daughter) was legal
to drive alone in the car! Oi, I have more new grey hairs than I had last Friday.
She spent her Saturday in the car. She drove to speed skating practice with her
twelve year-old sister, then she drove home from there and then they both went
to the mall. I was a nervous wreck all day. She drove to practice again on
Sunday not so bad that day, but last night I kept watching the clock after 8:30
pm waiting for her to get home from work. Does it get any easier or will I be
grey hair before the end of the year?

Last night I made Penne with Sausage, Garlic and Broccoli
Rabe only I substituted spinach for the broccoli rabe because I forgot to buy
it. It was delicious! I had my doubts because I don’t usually like sausage, but
the turkey sausage was fantastic. Of course the youngest daughter and husband
didn’t like it. The husband said the noodles didn’t have enough taste. How
would he know he has a perpetual stuffy nose? The taste was perfect, if I do
say so myself. It’s a keeper for me because it’s quick to make from beginning to
end it took about 40 minutes. That goes quickly if you drink a glass of wine
and listen to music while you cook.

Currently I’m reading The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson. Not
sure I like this one, but then I’m only 40 pages in. I’m listening to Michael
Buble, newest album Crazy Love.

Quick weight update- Last update September 29, 2009

BP is still
averaging 115/65

Weight down 8 pounds to 167 my
goal through the end of the year is to
maintain this number.

Waist is still 35 inches.

BMI is down to 28% from 30%

Cholesterol
is the same 175 overall, HDL 65 LDL below 100. Before my thyroid medication, my
cholesterol was 350 (anything over 200 is considered high, my HDL was below 45,
and my LDL was above 100. HDL (the good higher is better) below 60 for women
makes us more susceptible to heart attack and stroke. High LDL (the bad the
lower the number the better) numbers increase your risk of heart attack and
stroke. Hypothyroid can cause high cholesterol, so if your numbers are high and
you have several symptoms for an over or under active thyroid get your thyroid
function measured.

Until next time, live well now.

The Fourth Kind

2009-11-09T06:54:00.000-05:00

Friday night my 16 year-old went to the movies. Not a big
deal other than it scared the CRAP out of her! LOL! She saw The Fourth Kind. I’ve
read the reviews and watched the trailers, the movie is supposed to be based on
fact. The trailers remind me of the awful movie Blair Witch Project. Anyhow my
daughter came home afraid. I fell asleep on the couch in my family room and she
was scared enough that she slept at the other end of the couch with me. She
even wanted me to clear off the chaise in my bedroom so she could sleep there
Saturday night! I said no and she slept in her room with the light on. So was
the movie really that scary? And if so why was it PG-13, sounds like it should
have been R.

After my weekend off from NaNo I wrote close to 3K this
morning and I think based on the page count from 9 am to 11 am I’ll have
another 2K to add once I transcribe. I thought I would have a harder time
getting back into the writing but the story is starting to click. Currently I’m
at 22K and I hope to have at least 24K by the end of the evening. I’d like to
have met the 50K goal by Nov. 20^th. If I’m able to meet that goal I
think I might finish the book in 30 days. I am estimating that the ending will
come around 85K. If you’re looking for some inspiration to keep you going
during week two of NaNo check out Joyce Anthony’s blog. She has many
participants there sharing their experiences including me.

Until next time, live well now.

Parental Moment

2009-11-06T04:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the DH and I added our daughter to the car
insurance policy. The reality has set in that we have a child old enough to
drive! I don’t feel nearly old or mature enough to have a child driving! This
leads me to wonder will I ever be mature enough to raise my children. Despite
my feeling immature my girls are wonderful human beings and even though I making
it up as I go they’re okay.

DD (Driving Daughter) has a job and already pays for her
cell phone and now she will add car insurance to her monthly bills. She doesn’t
appear distressed about this prospect, but I’m sure that will change when she
writes me the check for her share next month.

We set a few rules for use of the car.

No
friends in the car until we deem she’s ready.

If she
drives to school she must drive her sister home unless she has to work.

If she
misses an insurance payment she loses her driving privileges for the month
or until she pays her bill.

She
must pay for her own gas.

No
talking or texting while driving. If caught doing either she will lose her
driving privileges for the time the DH and I deem appropriate.

I guess those rules go against me saying I’m immature. I am
mostly immature but occasionally my mature parental side appears.

Now for the immature writer side of me, NaNo is going well!
I should be close to 20K tomorrow. I won’t get much writing time tomorrow
because I’ll be renewing my CPR and First Aid certificates. And the fact that I
don’t usually write in the weekends, I will take my notebook with me so I can
try and write during the breaks.

I just found out that I'll have the entire Thanksgiving
Weekend to myself. My DH and DD's are going to Greensboro for a huge speed skating meet. I'm
so excited! I'm sad I'll miss the kids skating, but having four full days alone
is precious. I get to replenish my soul! And curl up on the couch with my
puppies and watch movies. I'm hoping I'll have reached the 50K goal so I can
take the chick lit novel I'm writing and twist it into the horror novel that is
knocking on my skull. My notebooks are filled with Post Its on the ideas of
where to twist and rewrite. But since I decided to write a chick lit book I am
going to finish it and then get back to what I love, Horror.

Until next time, live well now.

H1N1 Vaccine: Finally Available

2009-11-05T07:13:00.000-05:00

Finally, the H1N1 vaccine was available to the children in
my community. I did the research and made the decision to have my children 12
and 16 years vaccinated. I also based my decision on the fact that I run a
before and after school program from my home and daycares are breeding grounds
for flu and other illnesses. As a provider of care I go beyond what is required
for disinfecting. I’m constantly instructing the children on the proper ways to
cough and sneeze and wash their hands. I’m
doing my part when the kids are with me so hopefully none of my kids, daycare
included get sick.

It’s day 5 of NaNo and the words are flowing! Thank the big
man upstairs. I’m still not digging the whole chick lit genre, but I’m going to
continue with writing this type of novel because this is my chance to step
outside my writing comfort zone. Right now I’m pleased with the almost 15K I’ve
written, maybe if I have the 50K by Thanksgiving I can go back and insert my
creepy factor into a copy of the file. Then I’ll have two potential novels. Now it’s time to get back to completing my
writing goal for the day.

Until next time, live well now.

NaNo & Book Review

2009-11-04T04:28:00.000-05:00

I’ve made it to NaNo Day 4! I am at 10K plus with word
count. I’m not sure I like writing the chick lit genre. I want to add something
from the paranormal realm. To keep myself on track I am using Post Its to jot
down my ideas for the unusual. I do like my characters and the story line if I
were to twist it toward the unusual is something I haven’t read.

I have a new item to add to my NaNo must have list. It’s
Greek yogurt! I’m giving two spoons up to the Chobani brand. It has up to 14
grams of protein! It really fills me at snack time or even as a breakfast. It
has 140 calories compared to other yogurts but the taste is far superior. It’s
all natural with no artificial anything. If you’ve not tried it you should
you’ll never go back to those other yogurts.

Arms of a Stranger by Giselle Carmichael nearly became the
worst book I’ve ever read. It would have been the worst had the last three or
four chapters not picked up in pace. That said I have a book mark that has the
word BELIEVE inscribed into it. I noticed I referred to it often while reading
this book and I’ve come to the realization that I did so to reaffirm my belief
that I could/would finish the book.

There was nothing special about this book. The characters
were flat. None of the people in the book popped off the page, well none of the
ones we were supposed to care about. The best character in the book is
Courtney. She’s outrageous and your first instinct is to not like her. This
character had fire and passion. Then there’s the hero’s name, Keithen what’s up
with that? All the other characters had normal names you didn’t have to stumble
over to read. An unusual name or spelling does not make a character different
or interesting. The dialog was stilted and boring. The scenery of the gulf
coast popped more than the story or characters.

What did come through is the author’s passion for the gulf
coast. It’s too bad that passion didn’t translate to her characters and story.

Until next time, live well now.

NaNo Day One 2009

2009-11-01T06:31:00.000-05:00

NaNo has started and I’m 2500 words in. That’s ahead of the
suggested daily word count to get 50K by the 30^th. However my goal
is to write 3 to 5K a day. Today my goal is to get at least 6K or more. I have
two days this week where I’ll have daycare children from 6:30 am to 6 pm. I’m
not sure I’ll be able to squeeze any writing in because they are school age and
do not nap. I might be able to squeeze some time in if they all settle enough
to watch a movie, but there’s always one or two that would rather play board
games or do something else. My goal is to get 15K by Friday each week and only
write on the weekends if absolutely necessary. Good luck to all the NaNo’ers.

I’m taking a break from my writing to do this blog and to go
grocery shopping. I should be making a list. I still have a few things to get
for my NaNo time. These are must haves for me. Here’s my list-

New
cool roller ball pen (still need)

New
spiral bound notebook (2)

Coffee

Music

Candy
(Candy Corn is my fave this time of year)

Fuzzy warm
socks

NaNo
T-shirts from previous years. Clean and ready to wear

There’s probably more but I’ve been awake for a while and
can’t think past my main character Lucy. She’s knocking on the front of my
skull. She wants out so it’s back to writing for an hour and then off to do the
shopping.

Until next time, live well now.

More Cookin' and Writin'

2009-10-26T07:44:00.000-04:00

I’ve been doin’ a little more cookin’. My husband didn’t
like last nights dinner, one daughter couldn’t stand the peppers and the other
daughter liked everything but the rice! What’s a mom to do? I loved the whole
dish. I made Green Curry Chicken (page 166 of Oct. 09 Cooking Light). It was
easy and I enjoyed eating it, though I could have added more green curry paste
to add more flavor. It’s one I will make again possibly adding a few more
winter vegetables, more curry paste and instead of the Basmati rice I’ll use a
brown rice. Tonight I think I will make pork chops with salt and pepper,
broccoli and homemade apple sauce from granny smith apples. This is a repeat
meal that the entire family enjoyed a few weeks ago.

And I’ve been doin’ more writing to get ready for NaNoWriMo.
Today I was working on the male character for my book and I’ve got his physical
appearance, job and a basic overall vision for his demeanor and how it might
evolve as the book progresses. What I don’t have is a name, well I have one...the
first name that came to me was Jasper Cruise and that’s because those were the
names on the name tags of the café workers where I was writing. Not sure either
name will stick. I think I’ll go with it and see what happens when I actually
start writing on November 1^st. Meanwhile I think I’ll go through
Chris Baty’s No Plot, No Problem to see if I can add anything to my note cards
before the first.

Until next time, live well now.

College Night

2009-10-22T05:16:00.000-04:00

Last night I felt my age. I don’t feel
almost 40 but last night I was knocked on the head with the fact that my oldest
is a junior in HS and looking at colleges. Yes…we went to our first college
night. Daughter and I were a tad disappointed, only a handful of the colleges
and universities she’s interested in attended.

She checked into Bridgewater
and Mary Washington, George Mason, UNC at Greensboro
all of which were on her list. She stumbled into the path of a Wake Forest
rep, liked what the representative had to say all the while DD’s Dad and I
almost fell over at the 52K year tuition. Between financial aids, scholarships
and so on she could go but it’s still sobering to see that price tag.

Daughter still needs more information from University of Vermont,
Univ. of Michigan
and MI State, Princeton, George Washington and
a few other smaller schools I can’t remember. If she were to attend a MI school
she could live with her GP’s and after a year claim residency to get in state
tuition. The husband and I plan to make arrangements with the GP’s to visit
above schools, but for now getting on their mailing lists is the first step.
Some of the above schools are already in contact with DD because of her PSAT
scores and current GPA. Yippee! Right, this is all good. Is my excited mood going to change the closer she gets to leaving? I didn't cry when she went to kindergarten so that means I won't break when she leaves for college...right?

I guess there are worse ways to feel your age and having a
kid that’s almost the age of consent is one of the better ways.

Until next time, live well now.

Scary Stuff

2009-10-15T08:49:00.000-04:00

My latest cooking attempts haven’t gone over as well as I
thought. Last Saturday I made nachos with the pork tenderloin. It tasted
fantastic, but took too long to make. I’m into making anything that takes less
than 30 minutes and this took a little over an hour. I went with one of my
regular dinners the other night and cooked a whole chicken in the crock-pot.
Tonight I am going to use a portion of the leftovers to make chicken noodle
soup and then I’ll take the last of the chicken and do chicken tacos. My daughters
like those but the husband doesn’t so he’ll need to cook a hamburger.

I run a before and after school program from my home for
school age kids and right now we are getting ready for Halloween. Funny thing
is that Halloween is probably one of my least favorite days of the year. I love
the scary stuff but I dislike the trick or tricking. Didn’t like it as a kid
and still don’t like it. Nevertheless, that’s unimportant when you care for
children who love the holiday. For the last week, we’ve been making origami
bats and skulls and today we are making skulls out of fake pears turned upside
down. Today we’ll do the first step of painting them a gray-black color and
then hang them to dry and finish them tomorrow with white paint and the faces.

Since it’s raining here and we’re stuck inside I also have a
skeleton project for them to make out of cotton swabs and little spiders made
from the Crystal Light singles containers. Pictures will follow. Wish me luck I
live in a county that just cut our children’s recess time down from 30 minutes
to 15 minutes.

Until next time, live well now.

Office Supplies and Music Woes

2009-10-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a holiday for my husband but not for me,
though it was a light workday. I bought an external drive to back up my daughter’s
decrepit computer. I’m in the process of moving DH’s iTunes to the laptop I am
currently working on, so DD can have the newer desktopCPU. Why is it such a
nasty task to move your iTunes from one PC to another? He has over 1000 songs
and only 500 transferred from his iPod to his iTunes on the laptop. If you know
why please let me know. How do people change PC’s so often and not have a
problem. DD has cleaned out all the crap from her computer and like a good kid,
she’s been backing up all her music and videos to CD’s so moving her iTunes to
the new to her computer should be a breeze…knock on wood. DH on the other hand
hasn’t backed up anything!

On to the next thing before I blow a blood vessel. Do you
like office supplies? I LOVE office
supplies, I love them so much my kids call me a nerd! The nerve, not really I
don’t mind owning that title. The reason for the title took place over the
weekend. I went to Office Depot to get index cards, but I couldn’t just get
plain cards I had to get the color-coded ones. I decided to let my anal
planning side take over my new novel and that means each character will have
their own color and the climactic scenes with have colors too. I will also add
a new roller ball pen. I get a new one for each novel I write. This one will be
lucky 13! I’m searching for a pen that has a fresh, fun, clean and green color
and good feel in my hand. I am planning a trip to downtown F’burg soon to find
my pen.

Until next time, live well now!

Favorite Thing to Do

2009-10-09T07:56:00.000-04:00

What do you do for you? You know that one thing or things
that lift your spirit and fill your soul. Two of my favorite things to do are
go walking with my dogs and play ball with my dog Wyatt while the other dog
Josie sits beside me. If I have her look figured out, she’s laughing at Wyatt
for his repetitive OCD behavior. Lady throws the ball; Wyatt returns the ball
and waits for the lady to throw it again. How many times can he do this…Apparently
all day!

My dogs are a huge part of my stress relief regime. Life is
simple for them. Mom (me) gets their food, lets them out to potty, plays games
to wear them out and then walks them to keep the pounds off their body and to
melt them off mine. All they want is a little time and I can give that to them and
the best part is it benefits both of us. Even during these stressful times, I’ve
remained calm. The exercise I get helps me keep a clear head and when they sit
with me and I pet them, it lowers my blood pressure. They love the simple
things and they remind each day to keep it simple.

So what lifts your spirit and fills your soul?

Until next time, live well now.

Good Eats and Words Flow

2009-10-08T10:36:00.000-04:00

Dinner last night was delicious! I made shrimp and pine nut
spaghetti minus the pine nuts. I’m not a huge fan of nuts in my food and
neither are my kids so I left them out. I loved the sauce and the parmigiano-reggiano
cheese was worth every penny. It was easy to make and took 30 minutes from
start to finish; this one is worth keeping.

I’ve added more layers to the main female character for this
year NaNo challenge. I have her occupation or former job planned and her
unexpected rise to fame via the Internet. I’ve gotten the beginning sketches of
three more characters and the plot/story is coming into focus. This is the
first time since 2003 when I jumped into fiction writing that I’ve seen a story
so clearly. I usually write by the tip of my pen and so far, 12 novels written
I haven’t been able to get past the agents desk. So plotting with index cards
and detailed character sketches appears to be working for me. The hardest part
is waiting until November to start writing.

Currently I’m spending an hour or two on the NaNo project
and then a couple of hours working on my NaNo novel from 2007. It’s been
through at least three total rewrites and something is still compelling me to
rework this story. I can’t quite put my pen on what is missing but it will show
eventually, it always has in the past.

Until next time, live well now.

What are You Watching

2009-10-07T05:21:00.000-04:00

Well the fritatta flopped with my youngest daughter and my
husband. The husband said it was ok but the mushrooms were too fresh! Meaning I
should have used the canned variety. The freshness of the mushrooms is what I
liked about the meal. I would make the meal again.

Let’s get away from the food talk and talk TV. What are you
watching or recording on your DVR?

I must admit I am a television addict. I love TV more than
my computer and the Internet.

Network TV has disappointed me in the last few years. The
shows I watch on network TV are ones that have been on for more than two
seasons. The best shows in my opinion are showing on channels like USA,
TNT and so on. Notice not a Law and Order or spinoff in the mix. Here’s my long
list-

General Hospital (ABC)

Ace of
Cakes

HawthoRNe

Warehouse
13

Criminal
Minds (CBS)

Medium
(CBS, formerly NBC)

Ghost
Whisperer (CBS)

The
Big Bang Theory (CBS one of the funniest shows on network TV)

Fringe
(Fox)

Bones
(Fox)

NCIS
(CBS)

Focus
Earth with Bob Woodruff (Planet Green)

House
(Fox)

The
Mentalist (CBS)

Eureka (SyFy)

Leverage
(TNT)

In
Plain Sight (USA)

Phineas
and Ferb (Disney DX)

Wipeout
(ABC)

Burn
Notice (USA)

Being
Human (BBC America)

Doctor
Who (BBC America unfortunately no new episodes after the movie aired early
this year.)

Torchwood
(BBC America also sad there won’t be any new episodes)

The
Vampire Diaries (DC 50 this is more for my daughters reminds me too much
of the crappy Twilight series. It’ll probably leave my list.)

The Dr.
Oz Show (CBS)

Design
Star (HGTV my guilty pleasure)

Modern
Family (ABC the jury is still out on this one. I thought it would be
funnier.)

The
Middle (ABC I thought this one was funnier than Modern Family but not
funnier than Big Bang Theory.)

Sanctuary
(SyFy not sure it’s coming back on)

The
Philanthropist (NBC enjoyed this over the summer which is probably why NBC
won’t renew.)

Not all of the shows are on at the
same time. At least half of them air during the summer. I’d be bug eyed if I
watched all that TV at once .I’d never get any work accomplished. One show I
loved was Life. It aired on NBC. It was written well and the acting was superb,
that’s usually a good indication that NBC will cancel.

Tell me what you’re watching.

Until next time, live well now.

Food and Words

2009-10-06T07:59:00.000-04:00

I was going to write about a pet peeve and I actually had
half a page written but then I deleted it. I decided that the negativity of my
peeve wasn’t worth the time and words it was taking to tell. I got most of it
out and when I deleted the half page I felt better and I didn’t whine to anyone
coming across this post.

Now what am I going to write. Well about last nights dinner
of Spice-rubbed pork chops and Sweet Potato fries. It was excellent. I thought
I didn’t like sweet potatoes but it turns out I do and what I don’t like is the
syrupy crap that they’re usually prepared with especially during the holidays.
I’ve added another food to my cooking repertoire.

Last night I figured out the career of the main female
character in my new novel. The whole subject and plot of the book is timely and
a genre I’ve not thought of writing, no it isn’t a romance. There’s nothing
wrong with that genre, I know that it’s not for me. I have a great respect for
romance writers. My new story also has nothing to do with horror, paranormal
and the like. I’m actually questioning whether I now how to write for
characters that aren’t furry or have a mouth full of fang. That’s why I am
participating in NaNo. November is my chance to stretch my quill. Okay I could
do this any time but NaNo has become a fall tradition for me. It’s a chance for
me to write outside my lines and renew my writing spirit.

How do you renew your spirit or refill your well?

Until next time, live well now!

Cooking This Week

2009-10-05T08:08:00.000-04:00

In my dreams, I’m an accomplished chef; however, I live in
reality where I cook passably. I don’t like to cook, bake or anything that has
to do with the kitchen. And the funny part is that anyone who eats my cooking
says I’m good. Since I am a mom and wife I have to cook because if I didn’t no
one else would. It’s no easy task to cook when you don’t like the process. I
don’t find it relaxing actually, it’s a chore to me and like any other chore,
it needs to be completed. Since I have to cook I’ve became a regular reader of
Cooking Light magazine and over the last month, my family tried pork chops and
tenderloin for the first time. You read that right my kids had not eaten pork
until a month ago. This week alone we are trying five new meals from the
current Cooking Light magazine.

Tonight’s menu Spiced Rubbed Pork Chops page 86

w/Sweet Potato Wedges and Lemon Green Beans

Tuesday night we’re going to have a Mushroom Frittata
w/small green salad page 168

Wednesday Pork and Pinto Bean Nachos page162

Thursday Green Curry Chicken page 166

Friday Homemade whole wheat crust pizza my own recipe.

Saturday Udon Soup with Shrimp page 122

I am not a foodie either, if it tastes good I eat it. If it
tastes nasty, I don’t. The best part of using Cooking Light magazine is that
the recipes are light on the calories and high on taste so everyone in the
family can eat and enjoy the foods. I can lose weight and eat great too.

Today’s exercise plan 2.5 miles brisk walking with the dogs.
10 minutes of stretching and 30 minutes using the resistance bands, all
completed by 10 am today. Tomorrow I’ll be walking 2.5 miles and doing 30
minutes of yoga.

What’s your favorite exercise plan and/or favorite meal?

Until next time, live well now.

Reading and Writing

2009-10-02T07:37:00.000-04:00

What are you reading? I have a list on the left and right
columns that show what’s on my bookshelf and what I’ve recently read. Currently
I am reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I must admit I’m not a Jane Austen
fan and the only reason I am reading this is that there are zombies! I have
seen the PBS adaptation of P & P and liked it. I am almost finished and the
book is only okay. I love the zombie parts but the rest of it is a tedious read.
I’m not a fru fru reader. I’ve never liked romance novels and after reading P
& P Zombies, I probably won’t read any other Jane Austen. In movie form, I
might sit and watch.

I’ve written several
novels, 13 to be exact. I’ve edited revised and rewritten 10 of them. Seven of
those 10 suck completely; the only salvageable parts from the others are a
couple of characters from each story. Two of the three left are making the
rounds to agents. The last one I’ve been working on since 2007 and I made the
decision to file the manuscript for the time being. I’ve reached a plateau on this
manuscript. I’ve rewritten the entire novel twice. As it currently stands, my
story doesn’t resemble the first draft in any form. I know I’m not finished
with the novel, but I need some distance to figure out what is wrong and/or missing.

During the month of October, I am going to flesh out the
story and characters for my next novel, number 14. I am going to use index
cards to build the plot and storyline. This is a different method for me
especially since I usually write by the tip of my pen. Something needs to
change so I’m changing my method. By the end of this month, I will have the
bones of my next novel and then I will NaNoWriMo through the month of November.
I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month every year since 2003 and
every year I have written at least 50 K to win the challenge of writing a novel
in a month. I have a blast participating. I hope that my preparation will aid
me in finishing a more complete novel than in past years.

Tell me what you’re reading and will you NaNo?

Until next time, live well now.

KISs - My Plan

2009-09-30T08:08:00.000-04:00

What’s my plan, how am I losing weight and shrinking the
waist and BMI percentage? I am the queen of simple. The simpler I keep things
the better and easier time I have sticking with something, well anything.

When it comes to food, I have two weaknesses, pizza and
candy and I won’t give up either. How can I eat these foods and continue to
lose weight, well it’s simple I do so in moderation. With my pizza addiction, I
make my own crust with whole-wheat flour, olive oil and a whole host of veggies
with mozzarella cheese. I don’t use cheese with less fat because I don’t like
the taste, I do use less because the veggies take more space. I’ve also learned
to control my portions. Instead of heating half the pizza, I eat two slices. The
candy on the other hand is a harder addiction to control. I love the
sugar! I’ve cut most of the sugar and white flour from my diet except when it
comes to candy. Rather than say no I give myself permission each day, to have a
handful of M&M’s, Skittles, or whatever was on sale when I went grocery
shopping. And knowing I can have the candy there are many days I don’t eat it.

I eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks everyday. My
largest meal is breakfast. I stick to whole foods. There’s no white bread, only
whole wheat. I eat at least the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables
each day, thus getting the recommended 25 grams of fiber suggested for women.
Fiber aids digestion and helps increase weight loss. I always have some protein
whether it’s from poultry, legumes and the like.

When it comes to keeping hydrated, 90% of my fluid intake
comes from water and the food I eat. And yes, I do occasionally drink a soda. For
food and drink, it’s all in moderation. Instead of super sizing, I’ve down
sized my portions and plate and Cooking Light magazine and cookbook have become
my eating and cooking bibles.

In order to lose the weight I’ve had to exercise. I despise
exercising, and dislike gyms but you have to do it if you want to lose. I have
two dogs and their breeds are moderately active so I use that to my advantage.
I walk both of my dogs at least 2.5 miles five days a week. Three days a week I
use resistance bands to build muscle because we all know by now that muscle
mass helps to burn the fat and calories. I am just starting to add yoga two
days a week to help manage stress. I also go to bed and wake at the same times
each day.

I’ve already cut my calories to 1700 a day. I may need to
cut 200 more out and bump up my walking time to keep from hitting a plateau.
But we’ll see.

Until next time, live well now!

What Are Your Numbers?

2009-09-29T07:18:00.000-04:00

Do you know your numbers? I didn’t when I started on the
path to a better quality of life. I watched all the shows where Oprah, Dr. Oz
or some other person would shock the audience with the overweight or obese person’s
terrible numbers. By the time the show was over the shock wears off and you
move on, well I would though I had that nagging voice in the back of my mind
saying, ‘Hey, that’s you!’ my reply, “Yeah, yeah I’ll get to it.

By the time 2008 rolled around, I had my diagnosis and my
overall health stunk. January 2008 marked three months on the thyroid
medication and what a wonder drug that was. It still is and I’ll take it the
rest of my life. With the new year, I literally saw my health and lack of
quality in my life clearly. The fog was lifting and my blasé attitude was
changing. First, I felt shame for getting fat, and then came the anger for
feeling the shame and for getting fat. After I wallowed in my self-pity for a
few days, I set out to create a plan that would work for me. I’d read all the
books and watched Dr. Oz, Oprah and Bob Greene and countless others preach the
rules of dieting or life style change. None of them ever explained how to mold a
plan or plans to fit me the individual. I made a list of the different changes
I learned and then I searched my soul (wow that sounds so trite!) but I did to
choose the changes I knew I could easily implement and continue.

I don’t remember my list exactly but I knew I couldn’t
follow a plan like South
Beach or Atkins. They’re
too restrictive and I’m not keen on someone telling what I can and can’t eat. I
tried Bob Greene’s Best Life Diet Plan basically it was another person and plan
telling me how to handle food and which foods were best, but best for whom? I
took bits and pieces of different plans and fit them into my life and
personality. However, before I could even begin to put my plan to work for me I
needed to know my numbers. What numbers am I talking about well I talking weight,
BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and waist size.

MY NUMBERS

Blood
Pressure 115/65 I’ve always had good numbers even at my heaviest weight.
Anything over 120/80 is considered to high by the American Heart
Association

Weight
175 I started at 225 in January 2008.

Waist
35in down from 39 in

BMI
30% still considered obese but it’s down from 42%

Cholesterol
175 overall, HDL 65 LDL below 100. Before my thyroid medication, my
cholesterol was 350 (anything over 200 is considered high, my HDL was
below 45, and my LDL was above 100. HDL (the good higher is better) below
60 for women makes us more susceptible to heart attack and stroke. High LDL
(the bad the lower the number the better) numbers increase your risk of
heart attack and stroke. Hypothyroid can cause high cholesterol, so if
your numbers are high and you have several symptoms for an over or under
active thyroid get your thyroid function measured.

Overall, my numbers aren’t too bad, but I still have work. I’d
like to lose 50 more pounds, lower my BMI to at least 25% and trim my waist
size by another three to four inches by the end of 2010. And while I’m working
on those numbers, I need to maintain the others.

So do YOU know your numbers?

Until next time, live well now.

The Start of a Healthy Sustainable Life

2009-09-28T08:17:00.000-04:00

Nearly three years ago, I was sick and I needed to make
changes. The changes I needed had to be life altering. I was tired beyond words.
My days consisted of me getting out of bed to get my kids to school and then me
to my split shift job. I’d come home from my morning shift of work and sleep
from 9 am to 2:30 pm. I’d wake thirty minutes before I had to be at my
afternoon work shift. I’d eat a quick snack and leave. I’d arrive back home a
little after 6 pm get dinner going, check in with my kids, help them with
homework, eat, chat with my husband and then fall asleep on the couch. Along
with the fatigue, I had trouble breathing, a persistent cough and I was
overweight. I would have loved to exercise but I had no energy. I tried every
over the counter medication for the cough and nothing worked. Finally, I went
to a doctor.

I spent the next six weeks with the doctor telling me all of
my ailments were in my head because none of the prescribed medication was
helping me. I was depressed; well that’s what the doctor said, despite me
saying I wasn’t. I changed doctors and I begged for and received the thyroid
test and a chest x-ray. I feared lung cancer because I was a smoker (reformed for
about a year at that time). I found out that I had a non-functioning thyroid and
I had suspicious looking nodes on my left lung. My thyroid was so bad that my
doctor asked me how I even dragged my ass out of bed. To this day I have no
idea other than I had too. The suspicious nodes are still present in my lung
today. Diagnosed with asthma, emphysema and hypothyroidism is difficult at any
age but at 37, it made me feel old.

That was and still is my reality, however I have a dream and
slowly over the last three years, I’ve made small strides to making it come
true. My dream is to live a healthy life that is easily sustainable. I don’t
mean Green though going green has played a small part with my improving health.
No, when I say sustainable I’m talking a life plan that I can work everyday and
not want to quit. Three years ago, I couldn’t breath and I weighed 225 pounds.
Today I have my asthma under control with medication and my emphysema has not
gotten worse. I can now walk my dogs up to five miles a day. Instead of me not
being able to keep up, my dogs are now trying to keep up with me. My diet has
changed too. I eat a mostly vegetarian diet. I do eat poultry, fish and
occasionally pork. I’m doing it for health reasons not because I think it’s
cruel to eat animals. For nearly two years, I’ve been eating a vegetarian diet,
exercising and taking my medication as prescribed and can say that I feel 10
years younger today than I did when I got sick. I’ve lost 50 pounds too! My
goal is to lose 40 to 50 more over the next 18 months.

From this point on I plan to journal my highs and lows
losing the next 50 pounds. My dream is to be healthy and that means a healthy
weight, a healthy mind and soul. I’ve found a sustainable plan for me and as I
move along my journey, I will share it along with more dreams and realities.

Until next time, live well and in the now.

ReDo

2009-09-23T08:33:00.000-04:00

I’m redesigning, revamping, scaling back or beginning again,
whatever you’d like to call it and I’m starting with the look of my blog. I
want something fun and fits with my Dreams and Reality theme. I think I found
it. Some who think they know me might think it doesn’t fit my personality and
on some level that might be true. But that’s part of my redesign.

For the past two years or so, I’ve been working on the total
package, mind, body, soul and getting back in the habit of blogging. The mind
is stronger. The body is getting smaller and stronger and my soul is full. The
blogging part not so good, just look at the post below…April something or
other!

Today is my new beginning. My personal and professional
redesign is both my dream and reality. I want to share the highs and lows of
getting to where I currently stand and where I will stand in the future. I’ve
shaved the bulk of my categories in order to lessen the overwhelming feeling of
not writing the right thing. There are no right or wrong dreams and my reality
is just that mine. The in between…well that’s that parallel universe that I
wish for when life is off kilter. And lately like most of the world, my life is
off kilter. But that doesn’t mean life sucks on the contrary it’s getting
better despite the curves in the road. Curvy is good most of the time. Lately the
curves are giving me the most satisfaction.

Ah, I’ll write about the curves later. Baby steps here I’m
getting back in the groove of blogging. For now, I’m going to ponder my next
post…

Sink and Wading Pools get a Second Life

2009-04-26T07:48:00.000-04:00

What a jam packed weekend. The DH and I haven’t sat still. Saturday we spent the day gathering the organic soil to add to our garden. We bought a few plants and some seed packets. My wonderful husband tilled the garden and today we’ll add most of the organic soil and till that in. Tonight when the sun starts to go down the kids and I will transplant the plants we bought.

There are still a couple of small projects for the garden and they fall under the recycle and reuse categories. Late last year we replaced our porcelain kitchen sink with stainless steel and the old sink has sat on our back porch for the last six months. Well no longer will it sit on the porch without a purpose. This week it will become the home of my new herb garden! That’s right I’m going to turn it into a planter. I figure if people use old bathtubs why not use the old sink. But that’s not the only item around our home that’s getting a second life. We are making a raised bed planter out of the broken wading pools from last summer. The sides are in tact. The bottoms are shot, so we’ll cut the bottoms out, place them on some garden screen and then fill them with organic soil. One will become the home of our strawberry patch; the other will be home to broccoli and carrots. By next weekend our garden will be well on its way to feeding us. I can’t wait to eat the first of the fresh veggies!

Not only have the hubster and I tackled the garden we also cleaned out the garage earlier this morning! We now have it ready to put in some new shelving. Next weekend we’ll take all the give away items to the respective charities. Then take the old refrigerator to be recycled. I want to set up a convenient and organized recycle center under the new shelves. I’m cleaning out the house and now it’s time to clear out the garage!

With each small step of getting the clutter out of the yard, garage and home I feel lighter. I feel more creative and I’m writing more. Check back next week to see my new planter.

Until next time Breathe Easy and Live Life.

Simmering Beans and Cake on the Counter

2009-04-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

The red beans are on the stove. My oldest child is a chef in the making. While the red beans smell fantastic, it’s the cake she baked from scratch that I want to dig into. She made a basic yellow cake with an orange and vanilla icing. I love vanilla and I wasn't sure if it would taste good with the orange. She let me taste it and it was delightful! I guess she was bored today because she spent the entire day cooking when she could have sat in front of the computer.

The youngest spent her day coloring and making those awful fortune teller papers. I really dislike them! What a waste of paper. If I’d known that’s what she was using my white paper for I would have said no.Now she's sitting next to me watching a rerun of Bones. She's a chip off my block. It's sort of scary how much like me she is.

I spent my day fixing my Internet connection, talking with my kids, and reading, then I napped. I should have worked on rewriting my novel, but I needed a break so I took it and was present in the various moments of the day.

Currently I am rewriting my 2007 NaNo novel Beneath the Surface. I’ve renamed it and it doesn’t resemble what I thought the story would be. I had an aha moment about a week ago. It was 2 am and I woke talking a mile a minute. The miraculous part was I remembered most of what I was saying. Now my excitement has cooled, but not my desire to finish and get the story represented and published. My goal is to have it rewritten by the end of the summer. What would be really cool is to have it represented and under contract before my 40th year moves on to my 41st at the end of 2010.

Until next time Breathe Easy and Live Life.

Cooking, Cleaning & a Bit of Chatting

2009-04-13T15:38:00.000-04:00

Today I cleaned the entire first floor of my home, with my 12 year-olds help. But before that I fit almost two hours of writing in, I read a couple of chapters in Untamed by P.C. Cast. Then I watched a little TV and started cleaning. It’s nice to have the entire floor clean. We even washed the walls. That was more to prep them for the fresh paint I’m planning. Now all I need to do is tackle the second floor. That will have to wait until the weekend because the next four days are full of activities with the kids and writing. It’s Spring Break Week!

I capped off the day cooking vegetable paella with my 12 year-old. She always says she doesn’t know how to cook or do anything in the kitchen so tonight she learned to chop vegetables and mince fresh garlic. My husband won’t eat it, but then that doesn’t matter because he’s working part-time in the evening for the Census. My girls and I are taking this opportunity to try many of the vegetarian recipes we’ve acquired. Many of them we can add ground turkey or cubed meats that way their dad won’t starve and we don’t have to cook two dinners.

It was nice cooking with her. She likes to talk and tonight she talked quite a bit. I learned many things about her and what she likes. I do believe I will start making the cooking a family affair. I loved hearing her stories. While talking and cooking I discovered that she would like to enter the local photography contest. I definitely think that can be arranged.

Overall today was a ten! I wouldn’t change a thing, well I’d change one thing, I’d like my 16 year-old to join us next time.

Until next time Breathe Easy and Live Life!

Not Enough Time

2009-04-05T10:35:00.000-04:00

It’s been quite a while since I posted. I’ve been busy working. I work a split shift job and I’ve done some substitute teaching in between shifts and that’s draining. I’ve been writing and I’m working on a new story about a man married 40 years and coming to terms with his wife’s Alzheimer’s. The story is literally spilling onto the page, it’s a miraculous feeling. I’ve let go of my inner critic and editor and I take the good days with the bad. I learn more from the bad days so now the bad days aren’t so awful. You really can’t have one without the other and quite frankly I wouldn’t want to live without either. Could you imagine how boring life would be if it were all good or how terrible it would be if there were always problems? I’ve come to terms that both will happen whether I ask for them or not so I am going to live life with whatever is thrown my way and that includes writing.

The last few weeks I’ve heard quite a few people complaining they don’t have enough time to get everything finished. I admit I don’t understand because I tend to complete what I need to do each day. I know that sounds smug but I don’t mean it too. I just prioritize what I need to accomplish. Three areas of my life need to be taken care of each day and those are work, family life and my writing. If I take care of those three things I’ve completed everything that’s necessary in my day.

I started talking more in depth with some people and realized I don’t do many of the things they do with their time. I have a blog the same as them but as you can see this is the first time I’ve written since 2008. Each of them have MySpace, Face Book, YouTube and Twitter accounts and I’m sure there are others but the people I’ve been talking too have all these networking services and participate heavily on them. When they complain to me that they have no time for things like their writing or art I wonder if it has anything to do with all their networking? Because I have plenty of time, I work a full time job, get dinner made, usually get in two to three hours of writing a day (not on weekends) I help with homework if I’m able, that’s difficult when your children are doing math you never learned. My sophomore is doing advanced algebra II. I’m there if they need research or writing help, I even help with the sciences. I only clean house on the weekends, but I do mini cleans during the week. And I get the whole family involved in the running of our household. And yes, even when my children were toddlers they made their own small contributions to our household.

I’m rambling and what I’d really like to know is what is so wonderful about these networking sites if you’re unable to complete what you consider necessary in your life? Do you really need to know if your favorite celebrity or best friend is using the toilet or listening to some song you can’t stand? It’s another excuse for people to avoid living life and I’d rather be out of the social networking loop if it means I am living life!

Until next time- Breathe Easy and live life!

A Book A Week in 2008

2008-12-29T06:40:00.000-05:00

This is the page that will eventually list all 52 books read during the year 2008. The date I finished them will appear after the title.

73 books read as of December 24, 2008

December 2008 Books (8)

Carol L. Schroeder: Specialty Shop Retailing: Everything You Need to Know to Run Your Own Store December 24, 2008 (****)

Laurie Notaro: An Idiot Girl's Christmas: True Tales from the Top of the Naughty List December 18, 2008 Totally enjoyed her wit! This is the first of Notaro's books for me and I will definitely be reading more! (****)

L. Frank Baum: The Wizard of Oz Book and Charm (Charming Classics) December 17, 2008(****)

Jessica Morrell: Between the Lines December 16, 2008 Excellent addition to any novelists library. (****)

Stephen; Hawking, S. W.; Mlodinow, Leonard Hawking: A Briefer History Of Time December 12, 2008 Surprisingly I enjoyed reading this. A layman can definitely understand this edition. (****)

Kate Jacobs: Comfort Food December 10th, 2008. I
enjoyed this read much more than her first. Comfort Food's characters
were more engaging and real. I loved Jacobs easy style. (****)

Tess Gerritsen: The Bone Garden: A Novel December 6, 2008 (****)

C. S. Lewis: The Magician's Nephew (paper-over-board) (Narnia) December 4, 2008 (****)

November 2008 Books (5)

Nancy Horan: Loving Frank: A Novel November 27, 2008. They
say truth is stranger than fiction, well this story is a magnificent
blend of both. I already knew the facts about Wright's love affair with
Mamah but still felt the shock at the end of the book. This will likely
be my top favorite book of 2008. (*****)

Gail Carson Levine: Ella Enchanted November 20, 2008 Wonderful read. I read this out loud to a group of children and they enjoyed it as much as I did. (****)

David Sedaris: Holidays on Ice November 14, 2008 Darkly funny. (****)

Debbie Macomber: Mrs. Miracle November 10, 2008 Predictable.
The only reason I read this was because it was chosen for my book club.
I gave it 3 stars because it was well written. (***)

Stan Hutton: Nonprofit Kit For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)) November 7, 2008 Good information and the CD adds more great info. (***)

October 2008 Books (8)

Bruce Coville: The Monster's Ring: A Magic Shop Book October 31, 2008 (****)

David Wroblewski: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (Oprah Book Club #62) October 29, 2008 (****)

E. B. White: Stuart Little October 24, 2008 (****)

Karen White: The Memory of Water October 22, 2008 A tad depressing but beautifully written. (***)

Andrew Clements: A Week In The Woods October 17th, 2008 (***)

Chris Baty: No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days October 11th, 2008. Fun read and way to approach NaNo. (***)

Dan Gutman: The Kid Who Ran For President October 8th, 2008. Entertaining and educational. (****)

Bruce Coville: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher: A Magic Shop Book October 4, 2008 (****)

September 2008 Books (5)

JeAnne DuPrau: The City of Ember September 29, 2008 What a fantastic story. I read this in one sitting. (****)

Garth Nix: Drowned Wednesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 3) September 26, 2008 Continues the excitement from the first two. (***)

Elie Wiesel: Night (Oprah's Book Club) September 18, 2008 (****)

Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Italy, India and Indonesia Even if you aren't on a journey of self discovery you'll enjoy Gilbert's wit and wisdom. (****) September 12, 2008.

Dave Barry: Big Trouble Disappointing.
I love his humor and was excited to read his novel. I read til the end
hoping I'd find the humor, but didn't. (**) September 5, 2008

August 2008 Books (5)

Kathy Reichs: Death du Jour (Temperance Brennan Novels August 29, 2008 (***)

Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics) August 17, 2008 Too
wordy for my taste. As a play write Wilde is far better. I think he's a
classic showcase that just because you're able to write plays doesn't
me you can write fiction. (**)

Louise Hay: You Can Heal Your Life (Gift Edition) August 12, 2008 I've
been on my own spiritual journey trying to find what works and fits me
and my current life. I found this book interesting and after thinking on it a while realized that I already used the affirmations in some
areas of my life. I believe it works but you have to do the work to see
the results. (****)

Garth Nix: Grim Tuesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 2) August 8, 2008 Even
better than the first. It's action packed from beginning to end. The
Architect's world is visible to the reader from the start. (****)

Jim Fergus: One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd August 7, 2008 Fantastic!
I felt like I was there, a part of history. Fergus writes so
convincingly that you'll have a hard time believing it's fiction. (****)

July 2008 Books (4)

Garth Nix: The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1: Mister Monday July 31, 2008 Really enjoyed this. It was my first Nix book and I'm itching to read Grim Tuesday. Action packed from beginning to end. (****)

Harlan Coben: No Second Chance July 28, 2008 (****)

Anne Tyler: Digging to America: A Novel July 25, 2008. Boring with whiny characters. (**)

Martha Beck: Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live July 5, 2008, I
rated this highly because the writing is fantastic. I am working my way
through her plan and have been for the last year. So far it's working
for me. I am finally finding my way to the life I really deserve. (****)

June 2008 Books (4)

Joshilyn Jackson: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming June 4, 2008 (***)

Carol Goodman: The Ghost Orchid: A Novel June 11, 2008 (****)

Gordon Korman: Swindle June 18, 2008 (****)

Stu Campbell: Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey's Down-to-Earth Guides) June 27, 2008 (****)

May 2008 Books (9)

Kate Jacobs: The Friday Night Knitting Club May 28, 2008 (****)

Dan Gutman: The Get Rich Quick Club May 19, 2008 (****)

Alison McDonough: Do the Hokey Pokey May 18, 2008 (***)

Douglas Evans: The Elevator Family May 18, 2008 (****)

Dan Gutman: Honus and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure May 17, 2008 (****)

Gorgeously Green, Sophie Uliano Awesome read! Loved the way it was sectioned and it took the overwhelmed feeling I had away. May 16, 2008 (****)

The Piano Tuner, Boring and bogged down by too many details. May 11, 2008 (*)

Holly Black: Mulgarath's Rath (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 5) May 8, 2008 (****)

Holly Black: The Ironwood Tree (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 4) May 5, 2008 (****)

April 2008 Books (7)

Erik Larson: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America April 28th, 2008 Bored me to tears. (*)

Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants Fantasic story! April 25, 2008 (*****)

Holly Black: Lucinda's Secret (Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 3) April 23, 2008 (****)

Jenn Savedge: The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Environmentally-Friendly Living April 19th, 2008. Awesome little guide. (****)

David Bach: Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying April 16th , 2008. Simple green concepts paired with money and how going green can save you green! Awesome. (****)

Holly Black: The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2) April 9th, 2008 Wonderful and engaging. (****)

Holly Black: The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1) April 1, 2008 Wonderful and enchanting! I'm reading it to the kids at school. (****)

March 2008 Books (5)

Paul Edwards: Home-Based Business For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)) (***) March 26, 2008

Mark Haddon: A Spot of Bother (Vintage) I enjoyed this but I liked Curious Incident more. The family dysfunction was written brilliantly. March 19, 2008 (***)

Philip Ardagh: Dreadful Acts (The Eddie Dickens Trilogy, Book 2) March 12, 2008 (***)

Philip Ardagh: A House Called Awful End (Eddie Dickens Trilogy) March 11, 2008 (***)

Jim Butcher: Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2) Mar. 8, 2008 (***)

February 2008 Books (7)

Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo (Signet Classics) Feb. 1, 2008 I know it's a classic, but I just didn't find it engaging. I found the whole story rather boring. (**)

Jim Butcher: Storm Front Dresden Files Book One Feb. 5, 2008 Good read. (***)

Lalita Tademy: Cane River (Oprah's Book Club) Feb. 13, 2008 Excellent and engaging read! (****)

Bob Greene: The Best Life Diet Feb. 14, 2008 Simple easy to follow for life plan. I've been following the plan for a year and have lost 30 lbs so far. (****)

Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveler's Wife Feb. 21, 2008 This
started slowly for me. I almost stopped reading but decided to push
through the slow beginning. I was pleasantly surprised with a
satisfying story. I will definitely search out more by Niffenegger.
(***)

Elyse Schein: Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited Feb. 25, 2008 Their
TV spots were more interesting than their writing. For two women that
are writers I felt the writing was flat. Their writer's voice came off
as indifferent and uncaring about their own story. Upside is I learned
a few new things about DNA. (***)

Eckhart Tolle: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) Feb. 29, 2008 (****)

January 2008 Books (6)

Harlan Coben: Gone for Good Jan. 25, 2008 What a ride! This book kept me guessing until the end. (****)

Stephen King: Cycle of the Werewolf (Signet) Jan. 16, 2008 Good quick read but not his best writing. (***)

John O'Hurley: It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump: And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs Jan. 12, 08Enjoyable and funny read. (***)

Jeannette Walls: The Glass Castle: A Memoir Jan. 10, 08 If memoirs are your fave then don't miss this beautifully written story. (****)

Debra Dean: The Madonnas of Leningrad: A Novel (P.S.) Jan. 6th, 08 The detail and simplicity of this story are what make it beautiful. (****)

Caitlin
Friedman: The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid
Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur Jan. 2, 08 A good reference. The authors gave an in depth overview of the steps it takes to open your own small business. (****)

50K Knocked Off and 30 to Go (NaNo goal Complete)

2008-11-15T04:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finished NaNo. I reached the 50K mark in 14 days, that beats the 18 days it took me last year. I reached the finish line according to NaNo guidelines but I am far from the complete story. Actually I’ve only reached the middle. I’ve completed NaNo five years prior to this year and the major difference with my sixth NaNo is that I’ve learned to write with more detail and the research I did the week before writing began definitely pushed my story along. And I’ve learned to leave a note in the story to remind me that I need to fill in later if my research didn’t cover something.

I’ve made the 50K goal of NaNo and now it's on for me to make the next 30 to 40K by November 30th.

In the midst of NaNo I finished reading my 63rd book of the year. It was Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris. It opens with a funny story about working at Santa Land at Macy’s in New York but then goes into darker tales of the holiday season. It was an amazing read but if you’re looking for laugh out loud you’ll want to read something else because the stories while funny in places are much darker.

Until next time good writing and reading!

Too Hot, Too Cold

2008-11-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

Every house has room that’s either too hot or too cold right? We do and it’s my teenager’s room. In the summer it’s too hot and now that winter is coming she’s already complaining it’s too cold. We use a reversible fan but what I think the problem is that her room faces the sun all day during the summer which makes it hot (plus she leaves her PC on) and then in the winter the sun doesn’t hit from the same direction which makes it colder. Anyway…yesterday the DH and I added an insulating film to the windows. It’s supposed to help keep the heat in the winter and keep it out during the summer. I guess we’ll see if it works.

We’ve lived in our home for almost seven years and I’m starting to think they forgot to insulate the walls in that room. It wouldn’t surprise me with all the things we’ve already corrected since we moved in. Yesterday we replaced the caulk around the windows and I was afraid if we continued to scrape one of the windows it would fall out. Another item to add to the already long TO DO List, the next item on the list is to reinsulate the attic. I see where we can get a tax credit if we use Owens Corning, but what if I want to use a greener product? I’ve been searching for the answer but haven’t found it yet.

I’ve added two more books to my recently read list on the right and that brings my total books read for the year to 62. I finished the Nonprofit Kit for Dummies last week. It was an easy read with good information. I also finished Mrs. Miracle this morning, Debbie Macomber. This was the Christmas pick for my book club. We wanted a feel good book or something that made us laugh. I don’t like the romance genre and this fell into the category. It was written well, but predictable. I would have preferred to read Holiday on Ice by David Sedaris, at least I would have laughed and he is anything but predictable. Well, I’ll be reading it later this month after I finish NaNo.

I am almost to the 26K mark. I’m ahead and I might be further along if I were writing longhand like I normally do, but I decided to write directly into Word. I find it much harder to type and think. When I write longhand I just write not worrying about spelling or if the grammar is correct. Last year I was almost finished with my 50K, not the story. Oh well I will continue with my experiment so that I can say I’ve tried writing with my laptop.

Until next time good writing, reading and home improvement.

Old and New

2008-11-03T06:23:00.000-05:00

I don't think I'll miss my office except for saying it's mine. I like being in the family room. Here's a couple of photos showing my old digs and my new.

Old office space.

Old office. This bookcase didn't make the move.

New office space. My cozy little corner. I'm trying to decide whether to hang the pictures or not.

Until next time good writing! And Don't forget to VOTE!

Full Circle, Well Sort of

2008-11-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

My work life has come to a sort of full circle. In 2003 hurricane Isabel blew through my neighborhood and my basement office was flooded. I moved temporarily to the dining room which is now the dogs room same initials different first word. After I moved from the dining room I moved to what I thought would be my permanent office. Well like the word “never” you shouldn’t use the word permanent because the hubster and I spent the weekend dismantling most of my office to make way for a TV room for the kids. Last spring our basement flooded again and the kids TV space was gone too! We have gutted the basement and have no plans to finish it off again, at least not until we decide to downsize into a smaller home.

Actually if the market wasn’t down in my area I’d downsize now. I’ve discovered that more space (3000 sqft) breeds more clutter. My family of four used to live in a 1200 sqft home and it wasn’t hard to live small. It actually made us think twice about what we purchased. I never (there’s that word) thought I’d miss my first small home, but I do.

Anyway back to the full circle of sorts since we made my office into the TV room for the kids that left me with the problem of no office. It really wasn’t that big of a dilemma because I bought a laptop back in 2005 and once I had my freedom from my desk I rarely used my office. I sat in the family room to write and work (better sound system). I took the largest part of my L-shaped desk and moved it to my family room and moved my comfy reading chair up to my bedroom. (Please don’t ask the hubster how that went; he’ll probably use words that aren’t good for young eyes/ears.) Now the kids have a sofa, TV and the family PC in one room and I have a cozy corner in the family room.

Actually, I’m a happy woman and writer now because I get to work in my absolute favorite room in the house. I now have all the things around me that make me happy. The kitchen close so there’s plenty of coffee, lots of light, my favorite art work and my dogs. I didn’t say family because they aren’t home when I work they’re at school and work. I don’t write nor do any other work when the kids and hubster are around. I’d never get any writing let alone house work accomplished. Now I’m off to feed the dogs and get 2K written on my NaNo novel.

Until next time good writing and redecorating!

One Thing I Know For Sure

2008-10-22T05:33:00.000-04:00

Oprah has a column at the end of her magazine where she talks about one thing she knows for sure and I love reading that. I started a daily ritual about five months ago writing down the “One thing I know for sure.” It didn’t matter if it was a frivolous thing or something Zen. The point was to write something down and let myself know that whatever I know, I matter.

Here’s a small sampling of the things I know for sure about me and the world around me.

1. I am a writer.
2. I am a mother, and so much more.
3. I am not, nor will I ever be perfect and that’s okay!
4. I learn something new each day.
5. We aren’t guaranteed a tomorrow or a later in the day.
6. Living in the past is not living.
7. Life is too short not to follow my dreams.
8. I owe it to myself and children to make my dreams come true.
9. Given the chance I will procrastinate.
10. I actually like being with people and making new friends.

The past two weeks have shown me that I know people are basically good and following your instinct is the right thing to do. I know now that I will be starting my literacy and arts program. There is no right or wrong time only the time you’re presently living.

I am in the process of narrowing my focus and getting feedback in my local area. I’ve also gotten in touch with a friend to join me on the journey. She loves kids, art and reading as much as me and if anyone can help me pull this off it’s her.

So today the one thing I know for sure is “There is no right or wrong time only the time you’re presently living.” For whatever you chose to accomplish today.

Until next time good reading, writing and living!

Books and Writing

2008-10-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve blogged! I’ve done tons of writing and reading since my last entry. I’m halfway through the first draft of my newest novel. I hope to have it finished by October 31st. I am doing my own NaNoWriMo this month. I also plan to do to NaNo in November.

Reading wise I’ve surpassed 52 books read this year! For my book club we just read and discussed Big Trouble, by Dave Barry and Night by Elie Wiesel. Big Trouble was a huge stinker! Normally I enjoy reading Dave Barry but this; his first novel was poorly written and edited. He says at the beginning of his book he had no clue how to write a novel. Well that should have prompted him to do what all of we wanna be novelists do…and that is research and learn the craft. If I submitted his novel I would have had no chance at publication. Writing a novel is different than writing humorous essays. Now if you want a fun and wonderfully written book by Barry try reading The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog (2006).

That same night my book club also discussed Night, by Elie Wiesel. I found this to be an excellently written book. It broke my heart. I felt like I could almost walk in his shoes. There were times when I cried and when I wanted to shout at him for not doing enough. It’s a thought provoking read. It’s a quick read too at 121 pages and well-worth it!

Our next book at book club is City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau. I loved reading this book. I was hooked and immediately went out and bought the second book in the series. It’s a wonderful story and one I highly recommend whether you’re an adult or child.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Hanna Came and...

2008-09-08T05:52:00.000-04:00

Hanna came and left my area with almost seven inches of rain. Our basement did take on water, but we were able to use huge fans to push the water to our sump pump and keep it from filling the entire basement. Yesterday I sprayed a natural anti-fungal to help prevent mold and today I will reapply. If it stays dry this weekend I’ll get the DH to patch an area on the front porch that I believe is part of our water problem.

Saturday could have been much worse and I’m thankful it wasn’t. Since I couldn’t control the rain or the fact that it was seeping in my basement I decided to read. I finished Dave Barry’s first novel Big Trouble. Well, the title foreshadows the book. I was quite disappointed. This novel was in Big Trouble from the start. Too many subplots and the POV were convoluted. Stephen King said he fell out of his chair laughing, was that his polite way of saying, ‘Dave, my friend stick to humor from life essays?’ Because that’s my thought, now I’m trying to decide whether to take the time to read his novel Tricky Business.

My next book club book is Night, by Elie Weisel. I read this a while ago and was moved to tears. It’ll be interesting to see if I have the same reaction with my second reading. This book is also on my 15 year old’s 10th grade reading list. She is a reluctant reader so I’m interested to hear her take on this horrific time in history.

Until next time good reading!

Back to Work and School

2008-08-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

I’m back to work and the kids went back to school this week. I work a split shift. I get to come home, write, read, clean and play with my dogs while school is in and then I go back to work when school lets out. We’re working some kinks out with the kids and coming home and what they’re supposed to do.

Neither kid likes the rules of no Internet but I don’t want them on the computer unless I or the DH is home. If they need to use it for homework it can wait until we get home from work. They can get their other homework finished and then they can work on their chores. The fifteen year-old got the paperwork she needs for a work permit this week, filled it out handed it off to me for my signature and then went to the job and turned it in today for her permit certificate. She’s allowed under the state law to work until 7 pm Sunday through Thursday and up to 8 hours on non school days. She wants a car and more clothes than her Dad and I am willing to buy. I’m proud of her initiative.

Until next time good reading and writing!

The Picture of Tedious...Err Dorian Gray

2008-08-18T07:24:00.000-04:00

I finished my book club book yesterday (#46) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It’s too bad that the novel didn’t read like the story had been retold in movies or other novels. Oscar Wilde’s writing is verbose. I realize that might have been the styling of the 1890’s but even back then he was slammed in the reviews. I will say that it was definitely better than The Piano Tuner that I read earlier this year. Thankfully it was a short read.

Now I can move onto a fun read! My book club is going to read Kathy Reichs, Death Du Jour. I’m a huge fan of the show Bones so I’m betting that I will love this book.

Next week summer vacation ends for my kids. Both of my kids are now out of elementary school. My youngest is excited and anxious about moving on to middle school. I’m sure she’ll be fine after she goes to the school Thursday to pick up her schedule and take a walk through. My oldest is entering her sophomore year! She’ll get to play in the land of the PSAT this year and visit her first college night. She’s not anxious at all, no that feeling goes to her parents. We’ll have to get over it and make sure we can help make her dreams come true.

Until next time good reading and happy back-to-school!

Another Book Read

2008-08-09T05:56:00.000-04:00

I've finished number 44! It was the second book in Garth
Nix’s series The Keys to the Kingdom: Grim Tuesday. It’s a young adult book in
the Fantasy genre. The second was as action packed if not more than the first.
I loved the pace and for the younger reader I think the pace is crucial. Most
kids that I know don’t want to read anything that is slow or boring and Nix’s
books are neither. Boys as well as girls will enjoy the series. Young Arthur
Penhaligon is likeable as are the secondary characters he meets along his
journey. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series and Nix’s
previous books.

I’m waiting for my next book club book Oscar Wilde’s The
portrait of Dorian Gray to arrive, which means I need to figure out what I will
read next. I could read another Coben because I know it will read quickly and
will be well written or I could start Kathy Reichs Déjà Dead. I’ll have to
review my list and see what I connect with.

Until next time good reading!

43 Books Read

2008-08-07T13:45:00.000-04:00

I finished my 43rd book. I’ve read a few
stinkers, but most have been decent. Then there have been a few that just blew
my mind and 1000 White Women was one! I am a fan of books that use the Wild
West, Indians and so forth but 1000 White Women was more than a Wild West and Indian
story. It’s a fantastically written story with nuggets of truth. It’s written so
well that it’s hard to wrap your brain around the fact the book is fiction. May
Dodd and her female cohorts are written with such depth you think they have to
be real. I highly recommend 1000 White Women, by Jim Fergus.

Last week I read a Young Adult (YA) novel by Garth Nix
called Mister Monday and enjoyed it and will start the second book of the
series tomorrow called Grim Tuesday. Mister Monday was fast paced and packed
with action from beginning to end. The main character Arthur is 12 with a
serious asthma problem. He is pulled into another realm because The Will says
it’s so. This is a wonderful book for young and old. I definitely recommend if
you’re looking for a fun fantasy novel.

With 20 weeks left in the year I am 9 books from finishing
52. If I keep going I should finish the year with 63 books read. I realize
there are others who read more than one a week but this is a huge
accomplishment for me because I’m working outside of the home, writing a novel,
taking care of my family and home. It feels good to read and do it just because
I want too.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Boring Book

2008-07-25T01:40:00.000-04:00

The birthday redo is complete. DD actually did most of the painting because she said I want to paint too. I gave up my painting control and handed her a roller and said have at it! She did a fantastic job. Yes, I was a tad surprised because she is always in such a rush to finish things and painting is not something you rush if you want it done right. I’ll be photographing her room this weekend.

I’ve been struggling to finish a book. I’m reading Anne Tyler’s, Digging to America and I am bored. I’m can’t figure out what is captivating about this story? I find all the characters boring and whiny. If I wasn’t reading this for my book club I would just put it away for my trip to the used bookstore, but I will finish it today and then I will read something fun by Harlan Coben. I’ll need to try and read two books by the end of the month to stay on my book a week or more paces.

The family and I are still struggling to bring Dexter back into the main family environment. He does well outside but the moment we get into the house he doesn’t want to share the family room and kitchen space with Wyatt. He’ll block the walk way and growl at Wyatt. Once or twice he’s lunged. I removed both Wyatt and Josie to the back porch and then escorted Dexter to the dining room and then let the others back inside. It breaks my heart because our vet says nothing is wrong with him medically even though we’re almost positive we’ve witnessed a few seizures. She suggested an MRI and while I wish I could I just can’t afford to spend $1800. What I will continue to do is work on training, management and getting them comfortable with sharing the main house again.

For now though the dogs are sleeping and I have a novel to write. Until next time, good reading, writing and DIYing!

Big Birthday Present Redo

2008-07-13T15:47:00.000-04:00

Next Sunday is my oldest DD’s birthday, she’ll be 15! I don’t feel old enough to have a kid who’s 15. Back in January she asked if she could redecorate her bedroom and could she have a double bed?! So the DH and I said sure and DD and I started planning. I told DD if she wanted her room redone then it will be her birthday present because we would be spending a goodly sum. She agreed and back in March she received her new double bed, end table and mirror to start off her redecorating journey. Yesterday we finally purchased the paint. She’s decided on blue walls and chocolate and black accents. Today she helped me prime the walls and put the first coat of blue paint on the walls.

I’m not a fan of blue, if I were a mean mom, I would have said no to the blue, but because of the shade she chose I went with it because it’s actually a popular color and will do well when and if we decide to sell in three or four years.

The redecorating project is also a green redo from the paint to her mattress. We’re using Olympic paint that is rated low to no VOC and odor. Olympics primer was thin. I was disappointed with the coverage. The paint itself worked well. The coverage was decent but it still had an odor and gave me a head ache. I would definitely recommend Freshaire paint over the Olympic based on smell alone. Freshaire’s color palette is much more limited so I decided to try out the Olympic brand and so far it’s decent except for the odor.

Here’s the bedroom before photos ( actually you'll be able to see the room as it was when we moved in and the after photos of the green and yellow are what we're painting over now) and as soon as we finish the redo I will photograph and post. Now I’m off to relax and try to finish Digging to America by Anne Tyler.

Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing!

Best Laid Plans

2008-07-03T06:06:00.000-04:00

You know what they say about “Best laid Plans…”? They often
go astray. At least that’s what I think the quote is. And it was true for me
during the month of June.

The first weekend in June brought a visit from my in-laws.
They came down from Michigan to play in a golf tournament with my husband. Of course it was one of the
hottest weekends on record for June. It was also the night that my greyhound
Dexter chose to attack my retriever/poodle mix Wyatt. To keep the story short
Dexter got up from his bed and for no reason that I can figure attacked my
other dog that was sleeping on the floor. Both dogs are okay now but I am
having a difficult time reintroducing Dexter to the main house with all three
of my dogs. He’s still growling at Wyatt. For now I’ve been walking them
together and bringing them together for short periods outside. I see a
difference outside, Wyatt gives Dexter a wide berth, and he’s definitely not
comfortable with him anymore. Dexter has had a few seizures and some behavior
that is not in character with his past so we are working with our vet and I’ve
started back with basic training for all three dogs.

School ended and I’ve been enjoying the time with my kids.
We’ve been tending our garden and getting projects ready to complete for our
Greentastic, No More Plastic blog. I’m still reading a book a week and I have
been writing some each day now I need to get organized and get a scene or two
together for my critique group. I guess I should start now.

Until next time good reading, writing and living!

Finally, OBAMA is Declared the Candidate!

2008-06-04T06:39:00.000-04:00

Finally we can get on with the general election campaign! I hope McCain and Obama can leave the mud slinging behind and concentrate on the issues. I want to know what they are going to do to improve the quality of living for the middle class. Don’t tell me you’re going to fix health care, show me your plan and tell me why it’s going to work. Don’t tell me you’re not going to raise taxes because I know they will be raised. Don’t tell me you’re going to pull out of Iraq by such and such date because it’s not that easy. Don’t give me a gas tax break for the summer; I want a long term fix. In short don’t just talk at me, show me your plans and how you will implement them and get the government to follow your lead! And finally Senator Obama please find someone other than Senator Clinton to be your running mate!

School is almost over. Officially my kids have six days left
of school, two more full days this week and four half days next weeks. I too
get the summer off. Well I took it off because I didn’t want to work the summer
camp. I’ll be spending my summer going greener with my daughters and hopefully
finish my 11^th novel.

I’ve finished another book! Well, last week I finished The
Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. It was a wonderful read. The
characters had depth and the whole story was layered well. I’ll be discussing
this book tomorrow night with my book club and it appears we’re attracted to
first books because over the last 14 months over half our books have been first
books and Knitting Club was no different. I bought Kate Jacobs next book last
night, it’s called Comfort Food and from the front flap it sounds delicious!
(ha, ha) By tonight I should have our next book club pick finished and that one
is Joshilyn Jackson’s third book The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. If you’ve never
read her books, you should! Each one is better than the last and I love The
Girl Who Stopped Swimming! If I’ve counted correctly I’ve read 37 books so far.

Until next time good reading, writing and politicing!

29 Books in 20 Weeks

2008-05-17T12:53:00.000-04:00

We’re 20 weeks into the year and I just finished reading my
29^th book! I’ve been trying to add the books to my recently read
list on the right but it’s not working at the moment. So I’ve updated my Book a
Week page.

The next book for my book club is the Piano Tuner; I was
totally disappointed in this book. If you want a history of Burma then go for the read. I
expected more story and less of a history lesson. Not a book I’d recommend. I
apologize to my book club for suggesting it. Our next two books are Friday
Night Knitting Club and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming.

May 14^th my girls and I posted our first blog
entry on Greentastic, No More Plastic and today my 15 y/o wrote her first post,
a review of Burt’s Bees skincare.

Until next time good writing and reading!

Greentastic Coming Next Week

2008-05-08T06:20:00.000-04:00

The bulk of the painting is complete in my kitchen! Today I
have a few touch ups to make and then I can move everything back to its proper
place. I’ll need to find switch plates, hinges and pulls the old ones will not
do with the new fresh color. I’d love to find enough used pulls but that is
proving tough but I will keep looking. Look for the “Green” kitchen makeover on
Greentastic, No More Plastic.

Next week my daughter’s and I plan to launch our Greentastic
Blog. My youngest is excited but my oldest is having an attack of the “I can’t
do this”. She can do anything and she does it all the time. She doesn’t like to
write and it is her weakest area but when she works at it she does exceedingly
well and I’d like this blog to act as confidence builder for her. I stressed to
her that she doesn’t have to write a novel, but I would like to see at least
one 100 word post a week. She’s into fashion so I’ve asked her to be our Green
Fashionista. So far she likes that so we’ll see how it goes.

Tonight at book club we will talk about the fabulous book
Water for Elephants. What a brilliant, beautiful story! I can’t wait to read
more of Sara Gruen’s books.

Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing!

New Green Redo

2008-05-05T08:13:00.000-04:00

I have moved onto the next “Green” project in my house. I am
finally painting the kitchen! I am using a color called Stem Green for the main
wall with the cabinets. I’m using Benjamin Moore’s new line of paint called
Aura, a low VOC paint. I decided to use it only because the color pallet of the
Freshaire paint didn’t have what I needed. Aura’s color is beautiful but I
found the paint difficult to work with. I found it difficult to keep a wet edge
and if it set up even a little and I painted over the set edge it streaked. I’m
not a slow painter so I found the quick dry time annoying while rolling it on
but it’s also good because it makes it possible to get second coat if needed
done in one day.

I’ll be using the Aura in my daughter’s room too, not
because I want to but because she can get the colors she wants and I’ll be able
to do the painting. Today I painted the ceiling. I know I did it backwards, but
I was excited to see how the Aura paint worked so I painted the wall first. I
used Freshaire’s white ceiling paint for the kitchen ceiling and I plan to
carry Freshaire’s Slender Reed color from my family room into the kitchen.

Over the weekend the DH tilled an area in our back yard for
a garden and he also set posts for a fence to go around it. Once we get the
gate on we’ll add our soil mixture and compost. My girls will then plant a row
of cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, peppers, squash and they might try broccoli. My
kids and I will chronicle all of this more in depth on our new blog
Greentastic, No More Plastic (coming soon).

Until next time good reading, writing and living!

Books and Blog

2008-04-28T06:04:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday I had hoped the big dryers in the basement
would be gone, but alas the basement was still wet. It didn’t and doesn’t look
wet but underneath the surface was off their meter so the ServPro people will
be back today to check. Our washer and dryer survived the water so I’m doing a
week worth of laundry today. Hopefully the last four days with the dryers
blowing in the basement did the job and they’ll pack them up.

I finally finished Devil in the White City! Oh my, this book bored me to tears. I found the attention to detail over the
top. While details are needed I really didn’t need to know how many times they
poured a foundation. I really didn’t need to see lists or read the details of
permits. It’s finished and thanks goodness. Next book club book is Water for
Elephants and it was a wonderful and beautiful story! I can’t wait to discuss
it next week.

My girls and I are gearing up for summer! We’re going to blog
about our efforts to green our home and life. We’re going to plant a small
garden and do it organically. We’re also starting a compost bin and we’ll also
be using worms to compost our dog’s poop. Greentastic, No More Plastic ~One
Family’s Path to Creating a Green Scene will debut soon.

Until next time good reading and writing!

It Rained, It Poured My Basement was a Rain Barrel

2008-04-23T10:11:00.000-04:00

Finally the sun has appeared! It has been raining or cloudy
here since early Sunday. Sometime during that night my indoor sump pump decided
to get backed up and flood my basement! By the time I stepped into the water it
was almost six inches deep. Gone are the new upgrades we made after hurricane
Isabel in 2003. Our basement looks like a miniature war zone. WAAAHHH!!! Here
are a few photos-

Water outside basement door.

Inside main basement area.

Inside basement door.

Thankfully though I have a sump pump rider! My insurance
covered the damage. This weekend my entire family will work to remove all the
water ruined items. We called a water mitigation company and they came and
sucked up all the water and left us with two industrial size dehumidifiers and
several fans to dry the basement out. The noise is annoying but these machines
will help keep mold from forming. Tomorrow with luck the noise will be over and
the water mitigation company will remove their equipment. Friday the kids have
no school and I don’t go to work so the girls and I will work on cleaning and
sorting all the junk from the basement. Most of it we’ll give away or get ready
for a yard sale. So here’s to a full day of work on my day off! Then the garage
is slated for Saturday.

Until next time good reading, writing, DIYing and cleaning!

Finally! My Green Friendly Family Room

2008-04-19T14:20:00.000-04:00

I finally have the after photos of my family room ready!
Though I still have one wall next to my TV that I need some kind of art work
for, what I did photograph will give you a good idea of what the DH and I
accomplished. On the walls we used Freshaire’s Slender Reed (Eggshell). We
installed new four inch white baseboards after we installed the spice colored
bamboo floor.

The art on the walls was moved from my bedroom. I figured
I’d enjoy it more while I was awake. I reused and painted some cube shelves I
was no longer using in our closets. I painted them a green apple color that
I pulled from the new formaldehyde/chemical -free rug. I plan to add a few
plants and maybe an orchid or two, I only hope I don’t kill them with my brown
thumb. Below are the photos-

Before

After

Close up of the bamboo floor.

I’m in the process of repurposing the smaller black bookcase
in the before photo. I repainted the outside with left over Freshaire paint and
added doors. I’ve painted the doors the same apple green as the cubes. I have
one more coat of green to add and then I will fill my new bookcase turned
cabinet with small kitchen appliances I have on my counter. I’ll post a photo
when I finish the last coat of paint.

BOOK A WEEK UPDATE

This past week I finished reading book 21 and 22. Both were
on the subject of going green. The first Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach was
a quick and interesting read and different because he used his money sense to
show the reader how to make money from the green changes we make. Book 22 was
called The Green Parent, by Jen Savedge and it’s a wonderful resource for anyone
but especially for parents or someone just starting to make the switch.

I’m still wading through Devil in the White City,
I don’t want to forget about it but I am tempted to drop in my yard sale pile. The
next book for my book club is Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, I have 100
pages left to read and so far I have loved every single page! WFE is definitely
in the running for my favorite book of 2008.

Until next time good writing, reading and DIYing!

Monitoring My Health

2008-04-09T17:42:00.000-04:00

Here I will post my blood pressure and pulse readings as well as my periodic weigh in. The asterisk means pressure was elevated. According American Heart Association a normal blood pressure reading should not be higher than 120/80.

Daily Blood Pressure

March 2008

3/12/08- 113/78, Pulse 58 taken at 9:20 am
3/11/08- 116/74, Pulse 55 taken at 9:37 am

February 2008

2/1/08- 117/73, Pulse 65 taken at 11:50 am
2/2/08- 115/74, Pulse 63 taken at 5:10 pm
2/3/08- 113/75, Pulse 75 taken at 3:45 pm
2/5/08- 117/77, Pulse 61 taken at 10:00 am
2/6/08- 112/69, Pulse 68 taken at 8:15 pm
2/11/08- 110/70, Pulse 60 taken at 7:00 pm
2/18/08- 114/78, Pulse 64 taken at 6:00 pm

January 2008

1/24/08- 117/86, Pulse 74 taken at 10:00 am *
1/25/08- 132/76, Pulse 67 taken at 11:35 am *
1/26/08- 119/82, Pulse 66 taken at 11:02 am *
1/27/08- 115/70, Pulse 62 taken at 12:53 pm
1/28/08- 119/73, Pulse 69 taken at 11:00 am
1/29/08- 125/78, Pulse 63 taken at 2:26 pm *
1/30/08- 111/75, Pulse 66 taken at 11:35 am
1/31/08- 105/73, Pulse 72 taken at 10:33 am

Weight

1/6/08 226
1/24/08 223
1/26/08 222
2/3/08 220
2/18/08 218
3/11/08 211
3/13/08 209
3/27/08 205
4/9/08 195

Running for Charity and Green Dogs

2008-04-02T07:46:00.000-04:00

I wanted to put a shout out here for someone who is doing a wonderful thing. Her name is Lisa and she is my niece. She runs marathons for charity. Her specific charity is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At the present time she is fund raising for her first triathlon One Recipe at a Time. If you’d like to find out more about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Lisa and her efforts to raise money you can visit her web site at Go Lisa Go!

Lately I’ve been working on my new green family room and the short update is that the walls are painted and the bamboo floor was laid last Saturday and Sunday. I haven’t posted after photos because the DH and I still need to install the new four inch base molding. I love the floor! It’s beautiful and the color is rich, warm and inviting. We installed it ourselves with no real problems. It was time consuming but with the floor nailer it went faster than if we swung the hammer ourselves. I definitely want to redo the floors in the dining and living rooms with the bamboo but I’m not sure we’ll DIY it. We might just say, “Been there, done that!” This weekend the DH and I will finish the molding and finish loading only what needs to go back into the room.

I’m also trying a natural, green way to control fleas and ticks with my dogs. I am using a product called Bug Off! Available through a company called Springtime, Inc. It’s a natural herbal product (garlic) that is given to them everyday with their meals. I’ve used several of their products with great success with my dogs and decided to try Bug Off because two of my dogs get irritated by the Frontline. Now I am enthusiastic about this working but I’m not holding my breath either and I have enough Frontline on hand to use on my dogs should I notice scratching or see fleas on them. I believe I owe it to my dogs to give them the most natural products possible and if I’m able to eliminate an irritating chemical then it is beneficial to them. The cost is comparable; actually it’s $80 less a year than the Frontline. I can almost treat my three dogs for the price of two.

Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing!

Office Cleansing Started

2008-03-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

I started clearing my desk this morning. I took all the
piles of crap and put them in my clothes hamper because I didn’t have a box
large enough to move it all to my family room. I spent close to three hours
today sorting through the junk mail and shredding bills. I filled one black
trash bag with trash and shredded paper. I ended up with one small stack of
papers to be filed. The sad part is my desk is still covered. Now it’s covered
with stuff I think I still need. Tomorrow I will go through what’s left again.

Yesterday I finished my dummy book on home based business.
Most of it I knew in theory. I’ll keep the book because it has good
information. That’s 18 books read 34 to go.

Until next time good reading, writing and decluttering!

In Search of a Green Rug

2008-03-26T10:49:00.000-04:00

Last night I was thinking about my family room floor and trying to picture what it will look like when I realized I will need to put a large area rug in so that the kids have a comfy floor to lay on. But I don’t want just any rug; I want…you guessed it a Green carpet with low to no VOC’s. So the search is on. I am open to suggestions! Please leave them in the comment area.

I still need to work on my office. I would rather do anything than tackle the mess in my office. So I’m writing the post and then I’m going to finish reading my book on starting a home based business. Then I’m going to watch Oprah, it’s the second part of a decluttering/hoarder series. Then when my kids get home from skating I will head off to my office while they play with the dogs. My goal today is to separate all the stacked papers into file, shred and trash piles. While I file the papers I might ask my girls to start shredding.

Now I’m off to read or maybe search for a rug. Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing.

Painting Complete

2008-03-25T12:46:00.000-04:00

I rolled on the second coat of paint this morning. I am extremely pleased with the result. I’ve used all brands of paint and Freshaire is comparable. Freshaire’s texture is thicker than Behr or Valspar but I didn’t see any noticeable coverage differences. It was easy to apply and clean up was a breeze. The best part was no nasty paint smell! I have been painting for two days and couldn’t open the windows because it’s too chilly and it’s okay because there is no smell. So my initial impression of Freshaire paint is fantastic. The big test will come over the next 30 plus days as the paint cures. Once it cures if it stands up to washing then it will be worth the $37.00 per gallon. I used the color Slender Reed from the Waterscape pallet on the walls and white for the ceiling and base boards.

The next part of the project is the bamboo floor and new base molding. The DH and I will start that on Friday and hopefully by Saturday afternoon we’ll have the floor finished. Then we can spend Sunday putting everything back where it belongs and on Monday I’ll post the after photo.

I now have no reason not to clear out the clutter in my office since I need to wait until Friday to do the floor. So tomorrow I will wade into the sea of paper and throw away or shred it. Whatever I haven’t touched or used in the last six months will either be thrown away or given to charity. I’ve already packed 4 boxes full of stuff to give away from other rooms and now it’s time to clean the office.

Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing!

Before Photo and Primer Up

2008-03-24T09:13:00.000-04:00

The baseboards have been removed and the primer has been rolled onto the walls. I am now waiting one more hour and then I will apply the first bit of color. The initial coat of primer covered okay. I would already have the first coat of color up it I hadn't had to roll on a second coat. Anyhow here's the before photo. It's not great and the dogs and kid insisted on being in it.

Got My Paint!

2008-03-24T02:31:00.000-04:00

Saturday evening I found out that our local Home Depot already had the Freshaire paint in stock. I was excited; I don’t have to wait to paint! Yesterday morning after our early run to Lowe’s to purchase the bamboo floor we headed over to Home Depot for paint. Turns out HD had the paint in stock for two weeks and lucky me was the first customer to purchase it. I had the pleasure of watching the poor workers look for the pre-measured color packets that are used to tint the paint. These packets of color contain no VOC’s just as the paint (Volatile Organic Compounds). After about fifteen minutes they found the packets and five more minutes of prep and shaking the paint we were on our way. Most workers would have given up and said they didn’t have the packets and sent us on our way with out our paint, but Robin and Valerie hung in there. I was so excited to have my paint that I started cleaning and prepping the room before I took before photos. Before I go any further I’ll snap a few and post them later.

We also purchased our new flooring and we were surprised to find that this Green renewable product uses high VOC glue! Lowe’s didn’t have an alternative so we will install the floor using a flooring nailer which we’ll rent next weekend. We have 216 sqft of floor to lie which I figure will take us at least one day but no longer than the weekend. Eventually we’ll extend the bamboo into our living and dining room.

On the Book a Week front I finished A Spot of Bother on March 19th and that brings my total to 17 books read 35 to go. I found it well written, especially the dysfunction of the family, I also found a few parts disturbing to read, especially the part where the father harms himself. I actually gagged while I read it! I found the book engaging but I must admit I enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night much more. Even so Mark Haddon is an author I will read again. Currently I am reading the Dummies Guide to Home Based Businesses and I’m also slogging my way through Devil in the White City. Devil is the next book for my book club and yikes it’s hard to read. Larson has left no stone unturned, it reads as if he included every single piece of research…BORING! Thankfully I have until April 3rd to finish it.

Until next time good reading, writing and DIYing!

Bamboo and No VOC Paint

2008-03-22T14:27:00.000-04:00

I have several home projects going on right now, but the one that has jumped to the head of the list is my family room. I’m going to paint and replace the nasty, doggy smelling carpet. I have decided to use Home Depot’s Freshaire paint. It’s a no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint meaning it has no odor and this is good for the environment because other paints release unhealthy gases. It’s also good because I have environmentally triggered asthma and this paint will lessen my chances of an attack. I also chose to go with this paint because the company is Green. The paint cans are made from recycled materials; the labels are printed with soy based inks and on 75% recycled paper.

I saw Carter Osterhouse on The Today Show last week saying Benjamin Moore’s Aura low VOC paint was priced comparably to readily available paints and had to giggle because I was at BM last week and a gallon of Aura cost right around $50 and a gallon of Valspar or Behr cost around $25 for their premiums. BM also has a line called Ecospec and that runs right around $40 this one is a low VOC. It’s rated low because when they put the pigment into the base paint it put VOC’s back in. Freshaire’s pigments put no VOC’s back into the paint. Since this paint won’t be available until April 1st I am guessing it will cost right around $40 per gallon. This will give me a chance to get a fan deck of colors and prep the family room walls.

The other project for the room is flooring. The DH and I planned to put Pergo laminate in the room but we happened to spy some Bamboo at the end of the aisle for $70 per carton. It is more expensive but it turns out that it’ll only cost $100 more than the laminate. The bamboo covers 24 sqft and the laminate 18 sqft. So we decided to go with the Bamboo. It costs more but it’s a hardwood and twice as thick as the laminate and we’ll get more of a return in the future if we decide to sell. Bamboo is also a Green choice since it’s a renewable resource and it gives off low or no VOC’s.

Hopefully by the end of Sunday April 6th the family room will be finished. Before then I will take before photos and post them when the DH and I start the project.

Until next time good reading, writing and decorating!

Getting Healthy My 90 Day Update

2008-03-20T15:31:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday I had a check in with my doctor and it was good news! My thyroid is getting closer to normal and I can really tell because I have energy to actually do more than work! The best news showed on the scale! I have officially lost 17 pounds as of March 13th! That’s 3 pounds off my goal of 20 pounds by April 22nd. My total weight loss since I began my thyroid medication back in November is now at 37 pounds! I credit part of my weight loss with taking the thyroid medication but most of the work has been mine. I have stuck to healthier eating. I worked on changing my eating habits first and then I started adding in exercise. I walk 30 minutes at least 5 days a week and I’ve also added resistance training to help add muscle and tone. I do the resistance bands 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes. I just started the bands two weeks ago and I’ve already lost close to one-quarter of an inch in my hips, thighs, waist and arms. I hate exercise but I am hooked because I have found what works for me.

I still have the scarring on my lungs but nothing has changed over the last year and that lessens my chances of developing lung cancer. I’m off the steroids and I’ve only had two asthma attacks since last April and both were brought on by environmental irritants and I now do my best to avoid them.

So my lungs are better and my thyroid is on the way down to normal and the weight is coming off, this year is excellent so far. I still have a ways to go with my weight but I’m not worried or afraid because I’ve lost 37 pounds in five months and hopefully I’ll have another 40 off by August and with the weather warming up I might add riding bikes with my kids to my exercise regime.

Until next time good reading, writing and healthy living!

I Am Me?

2008-03-11T05:25:00.000-04:00

Who am I? Who are you? If I were to ask “Who are you?” what would your answer be? If you asked me that question a few weeks ago I might have said I was a writer, photographer, wife and mother, today I would answer “me” because writer, photographer, wife and mother are roles I play, they don’t define me and I choose not to be defined by them. I am me nothing more and nothing less. My story is not more important or less than those around me because I’ve let go of my past and I’m living in the now. I’ve decided that I will not talk of my medical problems unless it is with my doctor because I’ve found that the less I vocalize it the better I feel. I’m able to find peace because it is what it is and I can’t change the fact that it happened. I can let go of it and begin to affect change the way I have over the last year by changing my diet, exercising and making peace with my life by living in the present.

I was asked this morning who am I? I replied me. This person laughed and said, “Really who are you?”

I said again, “Me.” Then I asked them if what they really wanted to know was what do I do and they said yes. I replied at this moment I am a child care provider. That seemed to make them feel better, but that’s my job, my role that was required of me at that moment, not who I am. I decided to leave the question “Who am I?” open ended because I am me and that can be anything at any given moment.

Until next time good writing and reading!

Ridge Vent DIY

2008-03-09T12:24:00.000-04:00

The winds have diminished and most of our roof is in tact. The ridge vent was toast! Boy those vent sure lets in quite a bit of wind when it’s not secure. This morning the DH and I went to Lowe’s and purchased a new ridge vent and then we came home and I promptly sent him up on the roof to replace the damaged one. Approximately one hour later the DH had finished the fix. Now hopefully it’ll stay put during the next high winds and keep the rain out. Next project is to pull the attic insulation that got wet over the last few days, YUCK!

Since I’m on the DIY topic I thought I’d update on my hottie potty, it’s all fixed! The plumber fixed the pipe and the DH cut and hung the new drywall and then I came in after and primed and painted. You’d never know that a repair was made.

I’m also in the process of choosing paint colors for our entire first floor. I thought I had the colors I wanted but then found out that they don’t come in a Low or No VOC paint! I’m trying to do this green for the environment but also because of my lung problems. When I find what I want color wise I’ll write about it and share the places I checked out as well as what I used. I’ve decided to choose neutral colors because we just might move in the next couple of years and it would be nice if I only needed to do some touch up later.

My oldest DD and I are also in the middle of redesigning her room. We just purchased a new full sized bed and mattress, mirror and side table. She’s also chosen some art that we are recycling from a large art calendar that I have. Since her colors are grey/blues and brown I plan on making our own frames for the art from the scraps I’ve kept from other projects. Once we start painting for that project I'll post more.

14 books read 38 to go on my B ook a Week in 2008!

Until next time good reading, writing and home fixin’!

Live Web Crash?!

2008-03-04T05:17:00.000-05:00

Were you one of the many hundreds that lost the connection to Oprah’s live web chat? What was your reaction? I was one that lost the connection. I knew it was going when my streaming started to dip below 300 and because the picture froze. Eventually it went black then came back up and I was met by a woman talking about her heavy periods and then it went black again. It all started for me around 9:18 and went black by 9:30 and by 9:35 I decided to go to bed slightly disappointed but also comforted by the fact that I’ll be able to download the entire show this afternoon. What I did see and hear was fantastic!

I decided to read Full Moon by Jim Butcher. I want a light read, something that brings me nothing but fun and joy. Right now that’s Full Moon. I’m also discovering that right before I start to write a new story I like to read books that are light, funny and even dare I say sweet. Now Full Moon falls in the light and funny range and sweet is usually something I avoid not because it isn’t good but because it’s not what I truly want to read unless it is handled with a sense of humor.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Cutting Hair

2008-03-03T04:20:00.000-05:00

I finished A New Earth on Friday and found it an enlightening read. I am signed up for the class that Oprah is offering. I’m curious to see what else I will learn. Today I am going to start either Devil in the White City or Full Moon the second book in the Dresden Files. That’s 13 books read this year. Hopefully I will be able to keep up this pace.

My youngest DD had her hair cut short this past weekend. I was shocked that she went short. All I wanted her to do was get a trim. I’m hoping to get a photo of her new do. Oldest DD goes next Saturday to get her hair cut. She won’t be going short because she doesn’t like short hair.

Now I must get back to working on my newest novel outline.

Until next time good reading and writing!

12 Books Down 40 to Go

2008-02-25T06:43:00.000-05:00

I finished my 12th book of the year, Identical Strangers this morning. I gave it three stars because it was an interesting story, but it played better on television than in the written form. Their TV appearances were more interesting than the authors writing. For two women that are writers I felt the writing was flat. Their writer's voice came off as indifferent and uncaring about their own story. Upside is I learned a few new things about DNA. I mistakenly wrote in my last entry that I finished my 12th book but I was wrong. The next two books on my book clubs list are Devil in the White City by Erik Larson and Spring and Fall by Nicolas Delbanco. I am looking forward to both. But before I start those I will finish reading New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and then I’ll read Minion by LA Banks. Right now I’m two books ahead on our list. We will discuss Cane River on Thursday and then we’ll discuss Identical Strangers on March 13th so I don’t want to be too far ahead and forget or confuse what I hope to discuss.

I am working my way through the Writing the Break Out Novel work book by Donald Maass. I’m finding the process enlightening because I usually write off the cuff with little planning other than knowing my characters names and a little of what they’re like. I’m a planner in other areas of my life so why not apply it to my novel writing. Now I need to get back to that planning.

Until next time good reading and writing!

What Kind of Smart Are You?

2008-02-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

All-Around Smart

You are all-around smart. Essentially, that means that you are a good combination of your own knowledge and experience, along with having learned through instruction - and you are equally as good with theoretical things as you are with real-world, applied things. You have a well-rounded brain.

20% theoretical intelligence
20% learned intelligence

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

I took that quiz for fun because I always find it surprising when it appears to ring true. I’ve always thought of myself as smart, does anyone ever think of themselves as not smart? I’ve always been a reader. Anytime I’ve had the need to learn something new I’ve always picked up a book to start learning what ever the subject I was interested in learning. I call myself a life-long learner, someone who learns best by doing, reading and outside a classroom. I’m not much for sitting in a classroom, but I am all for education and higher learning. I’ve often thought I’d go back to school especially since I want both of my children to go onto college. I try to model learning through my actions and have done so by letting my children see me read and do homework when I’ve taken the odd correspondence class.

Speaking of reading I finished my 12th book today. Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Travelers Wife was a satisfying read. It started slow but picked up pace, though I must admit I wasn’t as impressed with it as all the quotes on the books cover raved. I would definitely recommend it.

Until next time good reading and writing!

What's Your Passion

2008-02-18T07:50:00.000-05:00

What’s your passion? What drives you to get out of bed each morning? Think beyond your job and the need to make money. If you’re a woman think beyond your children. I say that lovingly we all love and should be passionate about our children but we are more than mothers. What truly makes you happy and tingle from head to toe?

Over the past year I’ve found several things beyond my family that get my ass off the procrastination couch. Some I’ve done my entire life or for as long as I could remember and others I should have been doing all along and others I am learning.

I’ve always been a reader even when I was a struggling young student failing reading in school. I loved the places books took me and I taught myself how to read when teachers couldn’t. I am dyslexic and it wasn’t a widely known learning problem when I was young. Today I am still a voracious reader. I read at least one book a week and this year it is my goal to read at least 52 books. I’ve always been a writer, but it wasn’t until seventh or eight grade that I knew I wanted to be one for a living. I was an athlete, I’m not now but I am getting myself back in shape and healthy again. I’m eating healthier than I ever have and I’m making a conscious effort to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. I should have done this all along.

I’m learning to be passionate about honesty with myself. Over the last year I’ve come to terms with the truth that I AM FAT. I have only myself to blame because I was the one who ate all the crappy food and put off the exercise for another day. Scarlett O’Hara I am not. Yes, I do have a thyroid problem, but I’m on medication now and it’s getting better. It’s no excuse for being fat. Admitting that I am fat has been the most freeing and gratifying event in my adult life since getting married and having my kids. The past year has been difficult but it’s also been one of my happiest. If I hadn’t gotten sick and had to deal with the possibility of lung cancer I probably wouldn’t have stood up to me and started on the road to being the best me possible.

I looked in the mirror and said, “You are fat, unhealthy and throwing your life away.” I cried for an hour. Then I wiped away the tears and looked in the same mirror and said, “I am going to change. I am going to love me the way I am. Fat or thin I am still me.” I embraced my truth. Today I’m still fat but I’m not as fat as a year ago. I’m healthier. I’ve gotten my blood pressure under control and the cholesterol is almost where it should be and I’ve accomplished this through a proper diet, exercise and getting my thyroid under control.

I asked myself a year ago what I was passionate about and I said writing, photography, art and my dogs. Today I ask myself the same question and I have a very different answer, I write ME. I am passionate about my writing, photography and many other things because they are what make me, me.

On a lighter note another quiz-

What Is Your Hidden Talent

This one cracked me up! It's not such a hidden talent :)

Your hidden talent is writing

Your hidden talent is writing. You have a unique way of viewing the world and are able to express your thoughts eloquently on the page. Some people might think that you are weird, but you are just the next Pulitzer prize winner.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Until next time good reading and writing!

What Kind of Pirate are You?

2008-02-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

Yarrrgh!

Your Pirate Name be ...

Mary Read

You are the bloodthirstiest of all pirates. Your name sends terror into every heart on the coast. Your intelligence and good sense allow you to avert all mutinies and keep your pirates happy.

'What is your Pirate Name?' at QuizGalaxy.com

I lifted this quiz from one of my crit partner's blogs :) Thanks, Lisa!

How Do I...

2008-02-16T07:13:00.000-05:00

The longer you write and the more people you tell you are a writer the more likely it is that someone will ask you, “How do you get published?” or “I have an awesome idea for you that you have to write.” Or “How do I get started?”

I get the first and last question the most and I usually answer it by stating the obvious…start writing. That answer is usually followed with a groan so I elaborate by saying “Really, start writing and then read, read, read.” If you want to write articles then read the type of articles you want to write in the publications you want to get published in. If you’re still interested in writing those types of articles then research and read on the subject of how to write articles for publication. Today with the Internet and information available there is no excuse for not educating oneself.

I started out as an article writer and did well. After a few years I realized I didn’t enjoy writing articles of any kind. What I really wanted to write was fiction, but I had no clue. Well I did have a small clue because I was and am an avid reader. I took my own advice and just started to write my stories. I wrote and write everyday. I’m a firm believer in practice makes me a better writer. Perfect doesn’t exist so I work to improve. I don’t believe in a muse either. If I waited for a muse to inspire me I’d never start let alone complete a story. Along side writing everyday I read. I read fiction and I read books, magazines and newsletters on writing. The key with reading about the craft of writing is not to get bogged down with everything there is to read. You need to practice what you’ve learned. If I’m having a plot problem I search out information on how to fix my plot problem. If my dialog is stale then you guessed it I search out resources on how to write effective and compelling dialog.

If you’re asking a fellow writer “How do I…” in writing you’re obviously a curious person so use your curiosity and take their advice. I don’t say Just Write to be short or get out of answering the question I say it because it’s true. I can relate my story of how I got started and I can share my favorite resources but it’s up to you to use the information. Writing is work and it’s definitely not easy, if it were everyone would be writing for a living.

So go ahead and ask me or any writer “How do I…” but don’t expect all the answers, expect that what you’ll get is a jumping off point. I believe that being a life long learner and reader is a huge part of being a writer.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Two Things to Ponder

2008-02-14T04:45:00.000-05:00

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to see it do the other trees make fun of it? and If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success?

Until next time good reading and writing!

9 Books Down and 43 to Go & V-Day

2008-02-13T07:14:00.000-05:00

Corn oil is made from corn, Olive oil is made from olives, so what does baby oil come from?

This morning my kids had a two hour delay due to ice on the road, which meant I also went to work two hours late. The delay enabled me to finish reading Cane River by Lalita Tademy. I was a fabulous book! Usually I find Oprah’s book picks depressing but not this one. It was a wonderful read full of strong women and a story of how they overcame their life’s struggles. It took place before, during and after the Civil War. If like historical fiction you’ll like this one. Nine books down 43 to go!

Tomorrow is the Hallmark Holiday of Valentine’s Day. The DH and I have never celebrated it because we choose to celebrate it everyday. Tonight is my book club meeting; we’re meeting a night early because of V-Day. As a bit of a joke, I made each of them a valentine. They’ll never expect it and I am using it to give each of them my new favorite office supply.

Here’s the front-

Here’s the inside-

I attached my new favorite office supply on the inside of each card. It’s the new Post-It Highlighter pens. I love being able to highlight and flag things at the same time! And V-Day is my excuse to share one of my favorite things!

Until next time good reading and writing!

Speed, Broken Bones, Books and Writing

2008-02-05T04:28:00.000-05:00

Things to Ponder

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?
---------------------
Last weekend was a meet weekend for my girls. Both of them participate on an inline speed skating team and both girls did very well. My oldest daughter finished third in a few races despite having broken her elbow during her warm up. The DH and DD figured it wasn’t broken because she could move it. Me I knew it was broken the moment I saw it. But when your 15 y/o tells it doesn’t hurt too bad what are you to do. Oldest DD came home from school yesterday and said it was killing her. DH took her to the emergency room and three hours later she came home in a splint with a broken elbow diagnosis and instructions to see an orthopedist. Youngest DD did exceptionally well in her races with three 1st places, two 2nd places and two 5th places. The two 5th places were races a division up with girls who were 12 and 13. Youngest DD will be 11 in two weeks.

I’ve just about finished Jim Butcher’s Storm Front and while it’s a good read it’s hard for me to get through it because I watched the TV show before reading. The last quarter of the book is moving much faster. I will read another because I love the character Harry Dresden. I just stated Cane River by Lalita Tademy and after only 30 pages I’m hooked! It’s about four generations of black women and their struggles to make the transition from slaves to freedom.

On the writing front I am getting back in the groove. Right now I am toying with the idea of taking a novel writing class to teach me how to work with outlines and other help aids. As it is right now I write my stories off the cuff. I always open to trying different ways of working.

Until next time good reading and writing!

Super Bowl Commercials

2008-02-04T06:16:00.000-05:00

Things to Ponder

If you're born again do you have two belly buttons?

---------------

I won’t ask if you watched the Super Bowl, I’ll ask who didn’t.
Much to my surprise I actually watched the game! Normally I fall asleep waiting
for the commercials. I’m not a football
fan and I don’t watch the games during the season so I didn’t really care about
who won. I tuned in for the commercials and this year I was not disappointed. My
favorites were the Career Builder especially the one where the girls heart
lept out of her chest and climbed her bosses desk and whipped out a sign that
said, “I quit!” I’d love to do that, the screaming squirrel for Bridgestone,
the baby for E-Trade, the thriller salamanders though I can’t remember what
they were advertising, the T-Mobile on was good too. I loved the one with the
Clydesdale and Dalmatian and the talking stain for Tide! You can view all the
Super Bowl ads here.

Until next time good reading and writing!