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Why did she bother letting me go trick-or-treating, when all she would do later is take away my candy? This has been happening since I turned 6 years old. I spend all evening tracking through the neighborhood in my sparkly or spooky outfits, only to have my reward snatched from me after only one piece of ooey-gooey sweetness.
I may be 11 now, but I am not fat! In fact, my pediatrician keeps telling her I'm in the lowest 10 percentile for height and weight, but does she listen? Nooooooo. Just because she spent the majority of her teens and 20s as overweight and dumpy, doesn't mean I'm going to do the same thing. But she is so afraid that I will end up like she did. She keeps saying, "You are not going to end fat and unpopular the way I was!"
But this year, I've got a plan. This year I will get my candy and eat it too! My friend, Susie, is going to help.
After several weeks of pleading and begging, Mom finally agreed to let me go trick-or-treating with Susie and her mother, IF Susie's mom made sure I didn't eat any candy. Susie's mom promised to take my bag of candy as soon as we finished trick-or-treating.
Only mom doesn't know we have a plan - mom won't get away with it this year!
Susie's mom is really sweet, but she doesn't hover around as we go door to door. She waits on the sidewalk like most of the other parents, so this allowed us to pull off our plan. Susie was carrying her trick-or-treat sack, but she also had another sack hidden inside. After every house, I would put a few pieces into my hidden sack and one piece in the sack I was carrying.
By the end of the night, Susie's bag was overflowing because my hidden sack was also full. My regular sack was only half full and I promptly gave it to Susie's mom.
"I'm sorry you can't keep your candy, dear. But your mom will give you a few pieces at a time." Little did she know, that the candy would end up in the trash compactor!
Mom picked me up, and promptly took the sack from Susie's mom. When we got home, she allowed me to eat one piece before throwing the sack away. She did seem a little surprised I didn't kick up more of a fuss, but I told her I was just happy because I got to go trick-or-treating with Susie.
For the next few months, everyday after school I ended up at Susie's house. I ate Halloween candy until I thought I would be sick. It was the best Halloween ever because it kept on giving and giving and giving.
This will be my first year participating in National Novel Writing Month and I am very much looking forward to it. I may be moaning and groaning by Thanksgiving, but I'm going to give it my best shot.
Although I have written 50,000+ words before, it is always a daunting task. I currently have several novel residing in me, it's just getting them out and onto paper.
In the Writer's Workshop I am getting ready to complete, my teacher says the most important thing is to get the words/book onto paper. Once you have the basic idea written, then you can go back and begin the editing process. He says everything you write should go through at least 3 different editing processes. So, my goal for November is to write the novel that has been poking at my brain for over a year.Last year, there was a story in my local newspaper - The Harrodsburg Herald - about a baby skeleton found in a trunk a woman's attic. This woman had been a Registered Nurse for over 40 years, but was now suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. She had been moved to a nursing home and her family was cleaning her home out when they found the skeleton.
For months I have had questions about this skeleton: Where did it come from? Was it her baby? Was is a stolen baby from the hospital nursery? It was later determined that the skeleton was approximately 45 years old, but no other information was available.
This lady has since died, so the secret has died with her, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about the skeleton. My objective is to write a fictional novel and try to answer these questions. I may be way off base, but it has been fun thinking of suituations to add to the story.
With any luck, by the end of November, I should have the first rough draft. Wish me luck!
The 2008 Presidential election will be the most important election so far in my life. I am 46 years old and I can't imagine our country being in a worse shape than we are right now!
We are in the middle of 2 wars, with no end in sight. We are in the worst ecomony that I can remember, with maybe an exception for the early 1980s. We are losing our financial base as it is sliding over the abyss. And after thinking that racial tension was a thing of the past, it comes back with a vengence to bite us in the ass.
I am a registered Democrate, although I have been known to vote for a few Republicians. I try to judge the person I vote for on their merits and not their political party. However, I will be voting for Obama. I agree with his ideas, I agree with his tax plan, I agree with his green policy and I agree with his goal of health care. I think he will be a steady President who is able to think the problems through and then gather advice and recommendations from trusted people around him.
I, personnally, think McCain may be too old to be President, and with his health issues, I do NOT want to see Palin become President. Although this election is not about her, I feel she would sink our country even lower than it is right now. I don't like McCain's temperment, I don't agree with his tax plan, I don't know what his economnic policy is, and he has no plans to end the wars.
I think it is every American's right to vote for our political leaders. I don't remember a time when women or blacks were not able to vote, but I'm glad we are past that time in our history. It doesn't matter who you vote for, just get out there and vote.
Remember, if you don't take part in the election process, then you don't have a right to complain about how things are run.
Let me start by saying, I am already a heavy library user. I currently do weekly book reviews for my local public library, so it is not unusual for me to check out 5 to 8 books every week. Although I sometimes miss out on reading the "latest" best seller until months down the road, I am loyal to and support my library.
That being said, for the past 5 years, I rarely buy brand-new books, choosing instead to buy used books through Amazon, eBay, or library sales. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule ...
I have several authors that I truly adore, so I must have their hardcover books for my collection: Laurell K. Hamilton, Stephen King, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Silas House, just to name a few. These are books I plan to keep, and I ocassionally like to go back and re-read them. I recently added Stephenie Meyer to that list; even though I read her books first through the library, I enjoyed them so much, that I had to own the hardcovers.
I have never been a fan of paperback books, although many new authors I read are only published in paperback. If I have a choice between hardcover and paperback, I will choose the hardcover every time. The main reason I don't like paperbacks is because the printing is so small, and the older I get, the harder it is for me to read small print - even with my glasses on.
However, a funny thing has happened to me over this past year. I started a book review blog back in the spring - mainly to remind myself of books that I've read and enjoyed. As more people started to visit my book review blog, I started to receive review copies of books in the mail to read and review. Now, it is not unusual for me to receive anywhere from 5 to 12 books every week. My TBR pile is growing by leaps and bounds - almost to the point that I'll have people waiting months instead of weeks for me to post a review. Because I am a book whore, I love and treasure these books and my home library continues to grow, without me having to spend a dime!
One word about eBooks and the new Amazon Kindle: although I think it is wonderful that you can store books like an MP3 player, for me, nothing will change the sensation of holding that book in my hands, feeling the pages and smelling that sweet aroma of paper. Books may be a thing of the past in a distent future, but they are something I will always cherish.
Ghostly Moans
The ghosts whisper all through the of the home,
Chilling, cold and still;
So listen intently at the window sill,
To their distant wailing moan.
We're here, we're here, is the muted call,
From the chamber up above;
Wake up, wake is the cry of a dove,
As it bounces off the wall.
1.) Clowns - To me, all clowns are scary - all that white face paint and red, gaping mouths - ick!!!! I think my phobia of clowns began in my childhood when I used to watch the old soap opera, Dark Shadows (Dark Shadows is still one of the programs I love to watch; I own all the DVDs). There was one episode where the young character of David had a nightmare where he was trapped in a fun house. A large, scary clown was one of the images that kept popping up, and my parents said I had nightmares for weeks. I've been scared of them ever since. To read a blog post on my fear of clowns, go here.
3.) Severe thunderstorms - Again, I'm sure other people have a fear of storms. There is just something about loud thunder and bright lightening that makes my heart race and that fight/flight instinct takes over.
4.) Drunk drivers - Need I say more? I hate to eat out in restaurants anymore because it infuriates me to see people at the table next to me, or at the bar, drinking several drinks with their meal, and then leaving the restaurant and getting behind the wheel. I have three daughters, the youngest just turned 16 and is starting to drive - I don't want my children to meet these irresponsible people on the road.
5.) Religious zealots and extremists - I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, but for the past ten years, I have been exploring other religions. I feel religion is spiritually good for everyone, but the zealots and extremists just scare me. When you are killing someone in the name of your god, how does that make you a good person. I believe in an almighty creator - be it God, Buddha, Muhammad, the Goddess, Ali - but I will never believe that our creator approves of the murder and violence that goes on in our world today.
6.) The year 2012 - Although I don't think I am a superstitious person, the Mayan calendar is supposed to end in the year 1012. According to The End of the World website:"The Mayan calendar comes to an end on Sunday, December 23, 2012. Only a few people will survive the catastrophe that ensues."Although the logical part of my brain doesn't believe that, another part of my brain says the Mayans were highly advanced, so it may come true. I guess we'll all see in 4 years!
7.) Losing my hubby, my girls or my parents - I know I can't constantly worry about losing a loved one, so I've put my worry in God's hands and trust him to watch over my family. But the greatest fear of my life is to die before my parents (who have already lost one child), my hubby or my children. If God must take someone, please let it be me and not them.
They say the moon can't howl, but I swear it isn't so. I've heard the moon, its painful wails and it chills me to the bone.
On the night of a very full moon, when lightness colors the dark, the animals become restless and serenade the night with ghostly howls. But when the animals are all cried out and settling down to rest, that's when the moon really comes alive.
It whispers and caresses with promises of joy. It conjoles and teases with promises of more. It argues and pleads for your promised love and loyalty. It finally guarantees your very wildest dream, promising to always be there, but running away with sun's first light.
The witches feel the uneasy air,
Of people all around;
The turmoil and the rising fear,
A world comes tumbling down.
The ghosts all float to energy waves,
Of all the scared and lonely;
The negativity electrifies the space,
Where warm thoughts should be sparking.
"I don't like myself. I'm CRAZY ABOUT MYSELF!" -- Mae West
I've never been good at bragging about myself - bragging about my children, that's a big YES! But bragging about myself is hard. Although I dabble in any number of things, I wouldn't say I was profeccient at any of them.
One thing I am really proud of is the monthly column I write in the Mercer's Magazine, a subsidiary of our local newspaper, The Harrodsburg Herald. I have been writing personal essasys in the magazine for over 12 years, with no signs of slowing. Although I get much positive feedback from my family and other readers, I mainly write the column for me. It is a personal way for me to relate the memories of my past.
Recently, I've become involved in a writing workshop at the local public library. The gentleman leading the class has been very informational and he has helped me improve my writing tremendously. Last night, I was invited to attend a meeting of his personal writing group - a group of writers from the community who have been meeting together for years. After much soul searching to overcome my anxiety, I made myself attend. I'm so glad I did.I have never been much of a social butterfly, but in the three years since my baby sister died, I've been hiding away more than usual. I realized this summer if I was ever going to break out of the comfort zone I have surrounded myself with, then I was going to have to become social again. This has been a slow, agnoizing process for me.
I first started my blogs, mainly to get my work out into the universe of the world wide web. By doing this, I was moving out of my comfort zone, but not far enough for me to interact with people face-to-face. After a few months of blogging, I joined my first face-to-face book club. I had been reading the monthly books all year, but hadn't the courage to attend. One month this summer I challenged myself to go, and I have been attending for the past four months. Each month, my comfort level grows and grows.
My next step was signing up for the afore mentioned writer's workshop. I had tried this several years ago, but dropped out after the first class. This time I was determined to stick with the entire 8-week course. I am proud to say I am 6 weeks into the course and loving every minute of it. I have become comfortable with the other participants and we are starting to share ideas.
So you see, attending the writer's group last night was another big step for me. I wasn't totally comfortable being with people I didn't know (although I did know about half of the people), but I will continue to attend. It may not be bragging, but I'm proud of the efforts I have made this year, and I plan to continue working on putting myself into the public eye.
Who knows? Maybe I can make myself participate in a poetry/short story reading that will be taking place in our community the weekend after Thanksgiving. I couldn't make myself attend the last public reading, but with the encouragement of my new friends, I may give it a whirl.
Pride in myself is a hard pill to swallow, and bragging just makes the pill much harder to go down.
Since I was 13 years old, I have made time to write everyday, even if it is only for 5 minutes. I have always kept a diary or journal and I have dozens and dozens of them in a box in my closet. No one may ever read what I've written, but I know they are there. Occasionally I will pull one out from a specific time in my life and remember what was going on at that particular time.
In the past few years, I have started blogging more and more. This in no way replaces my journaling, but it is an extention of my writing. Blogs are a place for me to store my newspaper columns, the book reviews I write, or the answers to prompts I get from Musing Mondays, Write on Wednesday, Fictional Friday, and Sunday Scribblings. These prompts help to keep my imagination running and keep me away from some of the everyday worryings that pop up in my journaling.
I really wish everyone would take time to write every day, but just like with reading, I realize that will never happen. My youngest daughter keeps a journal, but right now her goal is to write at least once or twice a week. However, I hope she will gradually increase her writing time, especially after watching my journal day after day. My hubby is not a writer, but he does keep a journal in his truck to mark his gas mileage: actual miles, where he buys gas, what he pays for gas, how much he puts in, etc. It's not my kind of journaling, but it's what he does - he can tell me how much gas was 10 years ago and where we bought gas in 2000 when we drove to Washington, D.C.!
Writing is a part of me, but I totally understand there are people who never think about or have any desire to write. Writing is my way of artistic expression and it is something I hope to do until the day I die.
This week's Musing Monday concerns an article on NPR, Why Women Read More Than Men.Among avid readers surveyed by the AP, the typical woman read 9 books in a year, compared with only 5 for men. Women read more than men in all categories except for history and biography.
Well, I consider myself an avid reader, and I've already read over 100 books this year! For that matter, so has my 16 year old daughter. My hubby loves to read, but he doesn't come near the number of books we read because he simply doesn't have enough time - but he does listen to books on tape during his daily commute.
Of all the book reveiw blogs I read, the majority of them are women - but I do subscribe to several male blogs. Whenever I go to a book store, there are usually near equal amounts of men and women. Although the survey this article refers to is very unscientific, I think they should have been able to get a better sampling of readers. All they need to do is check the web - WE ARE EVERYWHERE!!!
And in my daughter's words: "5 to 9 books is just wimpy! 50 to 90 is more like what an AVID reader can do in one year!"
#133 - My Style 
Photo courtesy of Star Seed Gathering..
I honestly don't know what my personal style is, but I do know what I like or don't like. I have never been a person who runs with the herd. I've never gone in for the latest fashions or the latest gadgets. I am more "down to earth", than "living in the fast lane."
I guess the same can be said for what I like to read. In this day and age when it is more "hip" to read books on climate change or global economics, I'm still clinging to my fictional books that will help me escape from the everyday worries of living in the 21st century. Instead of requesting ARC or review copies from famous or popular authors, I normally request books from smaller publishing houses or independent publishers. By doing this I have discovered some interesting new authors.
Now, this is not to say that I don't enjoy a good Stephen King or Patricia Cornwell book, because I do. But King and Cornwell, as well as Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Sue Grafton are not the bulk of books I like to read. I have realized over the past few months, that the book reviews I do for Bobbi's Book Nook has been more mainstream book reviews - so I've decided to make a change.
For the next few months, I will only have infrequent posts on my book blog so that I can build the type of book blog that more reflects my style, or lack of style, as the case may be. In trying to compete with other book bloggers, I have lost my true voice; so this is going to change.The same can be said for my writing. For the past 12 years, I have written a column for the Mercer's Magazine, which is a subsidiary of our local newspaper, The Harrodsburg Herald. These columns are usually first person narratives or memoirs of my life. I am more comfortable writing these types of stories and articles. But again, for a little while I decided to run with the herd and I've been giving a hand at more contemporary writing. Want to know what I discovered? I don't like writing things out of my comfort zone. I enjoy writing first person narratives.
For the next few months, I have taken on a new writing project - a project I hope will help me find my true voice again. Not only will I be participating in National Novel Writing Month, but I'm going to be editing a book I wrote several years ago. This book has been in a file drawer awaiting the editing process, so I'm going to dust it off and get it finished. It may not be worth publishing, but I get it into a form I enjoy reading.
As I read back over this post, I realize I have finally learned what my style is. I can't sum it up in one word, or even in one paragraph, but I do know what I like. And from this day forward, I'm pledging to get back to my authentic self and spread my style around
I have been waiting for the first cool days of autumn for many long months now. When the weather changed Wednesday night, I was so happy! I am just not a hot weather person and I've been looking forward to working in the gardens again and enjoying the fresh air.
That being said, I now have my first cold of the season and I have no one to blame but myself. I made the BIG mistake of sleeping in front of a open window with the fan still blowing on me and viola` - now I'm sick and I can't even enjoy the cooler weather.
Like my granny always said, "Be careful what you wish for!" Hopefully by Monday, I'll be back up to snuff.
