tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135052552024-03-07T05:01:25.731-05:00Lory's blogI never know what I think about something until I read what I've written on it.
~ William FaulknerLoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.comBlogger686125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-5230587027011447102020-11-14T21:08:00.003-05:002020-11-14T21:09:50.026-05:00I hate to go and leave this pretty sight<p>It is time to say farewell. I've neglected this site in favor of shorter posts on Facebook and Twitter but it's time to get back to blogging! That said, it feels like it's time to start over. I'll leave this blog here and will come back and visit but it needs a renovation which right now, feels overwhelming! </p><p>I will come back and do some remodeling, some redecorating, update the links and touch base once in a while. I'm not selling this home but I am moving to a new one!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGGNfFw_9Oi13Y62BjEWzI0h_a3pqcvC7XIJiWEYjP0yV8jq01QlR2MddOKHd_PBBUVKZrR9TQa7dyxnU-xcgEMvpLuhxkOLDPFxHs62oEKXgJnp5ZnwQJOXePqA56KGakvB8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="354" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGGNfFw_9Oi13Y62BjEWzI0h_a3pqcvC7XIJiWEYjP0yV8jq01QlR2MddOKHd_PBBUVKZrR9TQa7dyxnU-xcgEMvpLuhxkOLDPFxHs62oEKXgJnp5ZnwQJOXePqA56KGakvB8/" width="318" /></a></div><p>Feel free to stop by and visit, anytime at <a href="http://loraynecupero.com">loraynecupero.com</a>! I'm still moving in and decorating but it's shiny and new! </p><br /><p></p>LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-16758334148274596352020-11-10T11:22:00.001-05:002020-11-10T11:24:47.296-05:00If you give a Teen a Turducken<div>Now that it's a year later, I realized I hadn't published this one.</div><div><br /></div>If you give your teen some turkey, it will make him think of Thanksgiving. And if your teen thinks of Thanksgiving, he will think of all the food he can eat! And if your teen thinks of all the food he CAN eat, he will get curious. <br />
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A curious teen will want to search the internet. If you give a curious teen internet access, he may find cooking videos. If your curious teen looks at cooking videos, they will probably make him hungry. A hungry, curious teen will want to look for the largest portions of food available. If you let your hungry, curious teen search for copious amounts of food, it will remind him that a turducken is a thing. If your curious, hungry teen remembers a turducken is a thing, he will search for it. <br /><br />Chances are, if your teen searches for something on the internet, he will find it.<br />
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If your teen finds videos on how to make a turducken, he will want to show them to you. If you let your teen show you how to prepare a turducken, he will want you to prepare one. <br />
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If you begin to prepare a turducken, chances are, the rest of your family will deem you insane. They may or may not offer to help in the process but they will watch because, chances are, they cannot look away. If you are successful in both preparing and serving a turducken, chances are family will be surprised at how much food three birds really are! You will have plenty of food for a while!<br />
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If you have this food for a while, people will get tired of leftovers. Chances are that no one will request a turducken for Christmas. But if you were successful, chances are that your teen will want to see if you can prepare cornish hens.<br />
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If you successfully prepare cornish hens, your teen will be happy but chances are, he will still be hungry soon after. Cornish hens are small. You will go back to making lots of food. Your teen will mention chicken but if you make chicken legs, chances are your teen will ask for another cornish hen.<br />
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If it has been a while, you may give in and purchase two cornish hens and roast them in the oven. But chances are, if you roast two cornish hens, it will remind your teen that Thanksgiving is coming up and he will probably ask you if you can make a turducken.LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-86858900594846608462018-06-30T18:16:00.002-04:002018-06-30T21:15:17.878-04:00A walk to rememberI get my best ideas (for both writing and life) either in the shower or when I lay my head down to sleep.<br />
<br />
As I finally lay my head down, last night, I realized that I need to lace up my walking shoes and head out, on foot, to Brownsville, Texas. (It is roughly the same number of miles from my house to the ICE detention center in Brownsville, Texas as it is from a random city in Guatemala.) I would blog my experiences and progress daily. Then, upon arrival, I would try to see if I could compare notes with some mothers who have made the journey north.<br />
<br />
I'd love to talk my teenaged son into making the trek with me. I have the privilege of believing he will not be separated from me before we are able to come home.<br />
<br />
Would you all follow along with me, here?LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-16453271258751641952017-03-13T14:25:00.000-04:002017-03-13T14:25:10.515-04:00When he won't answer you...<br />
Please, pay attention. I know. You're tired of hearing about Russia but Rex Tillerson is still there, quietly not saying anything. A man who, for years, has wanted to make it easier to do business with Russia and get his hands on Russian oil is now our Secretary of State and isn't talking. He not only has no deputy, he's fired most of the experienced State Department officials. Yes, of course this is a new administration and you can hire who you like but that's the thing. They've fired much of the staff, some people had been there thirty and forty years but they have not been replaced. He didn't fire them to bring in his own people--he isn't bringing people in. Why?<br />
<br />
Rachel Maddows is much better at this than I am. Please give her a few minutes--especially at the 3:20 mark:<br />
<a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-tillerson-weaken-state-department-as-putin-would-want-893658691850">http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-tillerson-weaken-state-department-as-putin-would-want-893658691850</a><br />
<br />
(Rachel Maddows is MUCH better at this than I am. The Advocate noted her work, here:<br />
<a href="http://www.advocate.com/politics/2017/3/09/rachel-maddows-dogged-reporting-may-take-trump-down">http://www.advocate.com/politics/2017/3/09/rachel-maddows-dogged-reporting-may-take-trump-down</a>)LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-58190359739272992752017-02-02T22:31:00.002-05:002017-02-22T07:46:22.655-05:00He's just not that into you, AmericaHe wants your love. He wanted your vote. He's just not that into you.<br />
<br />
You know the old adage, "Once a cheater, always a cheater," but your guy is different. When you suspected, months ago, that there was a secret server in Trump Tower communicating only with Alfa Bank in Moscow, he reminded you of Hillary's private server. Her emails are the ones you really want to see. Sure, he was attracted to Russia, but he never pursued her.<br />
<br />
He behaved. That forgotten, extra server in Trump Tower that was just sending spam marketing for his hotels stopped all communications. So you let it go. It was probably all in your imagination, anyway. But one day, you had that nagging feeling. You just couldn't let it go. After a little digging, you found another, brand-new server with a new name in the same location and only receiving sporadic communication from one other address: hers. Russia just won't leave him alone. But when you confronted him, he stood up in front of all your friends and dared Russia to hack Hillary's emails! He wouldn't have said that, in front of everyone, if he had anything to hide.<br />
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You tried to make it work. You prayed. You read. You wondered if your mom was right and Bernie was the guy for you, after all. When Hillary tried to tell you she isn't your enemy and she can help you get away from this guy, he became very passionate about babies! Finally! He was ready to commit to you and have all of the babies with you.<br />
<br />
So you're in! Sure, it's complicated but what relationship isn't? His friend Rex is around all the time but that's okay. It's a tough adjustment making this big commitment and the pressure of all of the babies and their healthcare, you aren't going to make him stop spending time with his guy friends. It's just, well, this friend Rex has also had a thing for Russia. So you're not thrilled. He didn't have an affair with Putin but...Putin's second-in-command? That guy is totally infatuated with Rex. Rex wants to spend more time with them but everybody is always against him. It isn't fair. If only he knew someone who could relax a few regulations or change a law but don't worry about that. Russia just sold their biggest oil "jewel" without having to name who they sold it to so there is a whole international mystery there for the world to solve when they aren't watching the Tillerson-Sechin love story. It's like a double-feature.<br />
<br />
Try to relax. Rex is getting ready for his new job, anyway so he'll be busy with that. Other friends are here, all the time, too. His friend Bannon? Of course, you have to keep an eye on him. He keeps cautioning your guy to be wary of at least half of your friends but he doesn't even know them. Bannon keeps saying he can tell, just by the looks of them. You're afraid though, to put any conditions on this fresh, new relationship so you're giving it time.<br />
<br />
Your guy just started a brand new job, after all and he is already making his mark! He is going to be so great at this new job! He will be the best! We're all going to have tough days, of course but just surround yourself with positive people. Ask that Louisiana guy out for coffee. David something. King? Knight? Duke. I think it's Duke. Try him. He has some really good things to say about your guy. That other group trying to keep his attention? Congress? They're super busy so you'll still be able to distract your guy.<br />
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He wants your attention. So give it to him. Pay attention. <br />
<br />
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<br />
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<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-46548088864883185762016-12-31T22:33:00.002-05:002016-12-31T22:33:35.289-05:00A toast to our new chapters, or at least a new page!Happy New Year's Eve! I haven't posted about writing in a while but have been trying to actually write more. Now is the time to pour a glass of wine and send some of send those new creations out into the world.<br />
<br />
As my kids have started to look towards their futures, I have been reminding one artistically-inclined teen to test the waters by sending his work out or entering contests. It's been easy for me to SAY, while my novels and novels-in-progress sit safely in their Scrivener folders because they just "aren't ready." <br />
<br />
So as 2016 winds down, I'm submitting the first page of the latest novel to this contest! <br />
<a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/29th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-historical-fiction">http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/29th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-historical-fiction</a><br />
<br />
Any other historical writers out there, you still have time to do the same! It's open until the end of December 31st Pacific Time! Proofread once more, if you must, take a deep breath and hit "send!" Then pour a glass for yourself and trust that I'm toasting you, from here!<br />
Happy New Year!<br />
<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-46634044622565286772016-11-06T20:44:00.006-05:002023-07-25T06:53:18.494-04:00God does not care who wins this electionHe exists outside of time. He already knows how Tuesday will turn out. He isn't worried about this election.<br />
<br />
He cares about you. He created you. He wants to know that you care about Him, your neighbor, your enemy, your family and the stranger you haven't met yet. <br />
He created and cares about Hillary. He created and cares about Donald.<br />
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Pray.<br />
<br />
A few months ago, I posted a similar thought on Facebook. I mentioned that as I sat in Adoration, flipped through the Bible and prayed, I asked God about this election. What I heard in response was to "tell everyone to pray." <br />
<br />
Keep it up.<br />
<br />
If you haven't yet cast your ballot, pray. Even if you've known for months or all along who you will vote for, ask for His guidance, anyway. Not to justify <i>your</i> choice but to make His will known to you. I believe one particular candidate will destroy this nation. Some of you believe another candidate will do the same. We have the same hopes and fears, have the same access to information and we both believe we're right. But this isn't about me and it isn't about you. This is about us. <br />
<br />
Listen to what your religious leaders say but don't follow blindly. Listen and pray.<br />
Look at what your government has done but don't react reflexively. Think and pray.<br />
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And then have faith. God is forgiving and can bring something good, if not great, out of every situation. <br />
<br />
A couple thousand years ago, religious leaders were fearful and took their concerns to the government. Political leaders saw no legal wrongdoing but were concerned about popular opinion and allowed the people to decide. The people chose Barabbas.<br />
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As much as I'd like to end with that, I prefer to go with hopeful endings. To do that, you need to remember what happened next. Jesus, nailed to a cross, asked God to forgive his tormentors. If the people who put nails in Jesus's body were forgiven, I feel a little less stress about this one election. Don't let it keep you up at night--we're almost done with this. If you've already voted, pray. If you've not yet voted, pray. This is a little blip compared to eternity. This matters but really, this isn't what really matters. Breathe. Pray.LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com14VR3F5HR+49-33.5222251 161.190875-61.832458936178845 126.034625 -5.2119912638211545 -163.652875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-73452881244503723222016-07-04T22:44:00.000-04:002016-07-04T22:44:05.916-04:00“Independence forever.” --John Adams<div class="p1">
Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. In memory of two great men who worked to obtain our Independence as a nation and ensure our continued freedom, I thought I’d share some of their wise words, today!</div>
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<span class="s1">“Independence forever.”</span></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Adams, last public words as a toast for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826.</span></span><br />
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<span class="s1">“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">“The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If `Thou shalt not covet' and `Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Adams, A Defense of the American Constitutions, 1787</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">“Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Adams, Defense of the Constitutions, 1787</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thomas Jefferson, September 8, 1817</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">A rigid economy of the public contributions and absolute interdiction of all useless expenses will go far towards keeping the government honest and unoppressive.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thomas Jefferson, letter to Lafayette, 1823</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thomas Jefferson, September 6, 1789</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. Do not be too severe upon their errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, Judges, and Governors, shall all become wolves.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thomas Jefferson, letter to Edward Carrington, January 16, 1787</span></span></div>
LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-77284531986440903742015-10-09T21:06:00.001-04:002015-10-09T21:06:13.127-04:00Gunning for a fight<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="1eb6p-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$1eb6p" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; line-height: 16px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="1eb6p-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$1eb6p.0:$1eb6p-0-0"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was gunning for a fight I just didn't get the one I was looking for. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm very angry about the number of guns showing up in schools. What do we do about it?</span></div>
<div style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6m4mb-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6m4mb.0:$6m4mb-0-0"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ALL life IS sacred. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I started a fight on Facebook. As we've proven in my fb posts, people get FIRED UP when it comes to the rights of the unborn and you should! I promise I can sympathize with both sides and will continue that discussion if you want but I want to know what we are going to do, as a nation, to protect the people who have already been born and should be SAFE at school!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A few weeks ago, a student at an alternative high school near my teens' high school brought a gun to school. No one was hurt and it was a blip in the local news.</span></div>
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<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="6njua-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6njua" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="6njua-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$6njua.0:$6njua-0-0"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last Monday, a student at a large high school very near the alternative brought a gun to school in his backpack. Still just blocks from my kids' school. No one was hurt, thank God, so just another blip in the news. </span></span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two days later, at that same school, two students spray-painted threats in a school bathroom saying there would be a shooting "like Columbine." They were caught and hadn't planned actual violence but after hearing about the gun at their school, thought their threat would cause school to be closed for a day. They just wanted a day off and over 300 students were kept home, just in case.</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm angry that CHILDREN have GUNS in their BACKPACKS.</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am very angry that CHILDREN HAVE GUNS IN THEIR BACKPACKS.</span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="gf29-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$gf29" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; line-height: 16px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="gf29-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$gf29.0:$gf29-0-0"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No one was hurt in these cases and no one made a big fuss.</span></span></div>
<div class="_209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="2b4c9-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$2b4c9" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; line-height: 16px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="2b4c9-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$2b4c9.0:$2b4c9-0-0"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But CHILDREN have GUNS in their BACKPACKS.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In a Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, people were killed. They weren't "children" but every one of them was someone's child. My oldest attends our local community college in the mornings before she goes to high school. It's far away from Oregon but the tragedy still hit close to home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today, we had two school shootings. TWO shootings on college campuses on one day.</span></div>
<span data-offset-key="a7idf-0-0" data-reactid=".3.1:6.0.$right.0.0.0.0.1.0.0.$editor0.0.0.$a7idf.0:$a7idf-0-0"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you bother to look at the national statistics, somebody's child is shot every day in this country. Every day. Shootings on a school campus should be shocking! Any shooting should be a wake-up call but TWO in ONE day? We cannot afford to just shake our heads and light candles. We should pray, of course! All of us should be praying right now but my prayer includes a plea that someone has an idea. Maybe not THE answer but AN answer! </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A bunch of moms got together after too many children were killed as a result of drunk driving. MADD is now a national organization that has saved countless lives. Yes, we still have drunk drivers. But they didn't ignore the problem. Someone stood up and did something.</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need to do something. Gun registration for all is a start. My car is a lethal weapon and I must register it and have a license to drive it, even though I don't plan to run anyone down with it. People buying handguns may hope they don't use them but they aren't buying them for any other purpose than to aim them at another human being. Register those suckers. Lock them up. I'm not trying to take them away from you but I want you to keep them from your children. Please!</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm not asking hunters to give up their rifles. I'm not asking people who have that gun by their bed to give it up. I am asking you to put it away. In the unlikely event an intruder enters your home, it is far more likely that you or your family will be hurt by that weapon than the intruder. But that is another argument, too. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Children have guns. Teens have guns. Young adults have guns. America, our children are armed and dangerous. It is time to take action.</span><br />
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LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-56144594122054917652015-09-02T12:28:00.002-04:002015-09-02T12:36:40.085-04:00Second Guessing, Parenthood Journeys down Memory Lane are full of speed bumps, curves, detours and bridges but it's cool to look back and see how even perceived forks in the road were still part of the same main path. On my road, I see how the billboards and road signs were clearly there but I must have been speeding by too fast to read them or too busy looking for my exit.<br />
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No. I am not second-guessing parenthood. With three children in school (most days), one of them being home sick today, it's a little too late to wonder if we're up for the job! I'm thinking of R.E.M.'s song, <i>Second Guessing</i>. If you're going to take a drive down Memory Lane, it's a good one for your road-trip playlist! I loved the song back in high school. I didn't own the album but had great memories of listening to it in friends' cars. I said as much to a guy on our first (second) date. I've mentioned both the date and the song <a href="http://lorykc.blogspot.com/2011/02/reckoning.html">here, before</a>. Our very first date was a lunch date in the dining hall so our second date was the first time I got into a car with him. It wasn't my first time in that car. I dated a friend of his the prior semester and they'd both borrowed the same car from yet another friend! I was in a familiar car, with a fairly un-familiar guy, on a date I was pretty sure I didn't want to be on when he popped <i>Reckoning</i> into the tape deck. As Michael Stipe started singing, I relaxed a little and looked at this guy, again. First impressions being what they are, I was surprised. He was dressed for a date, not just coming from class so he was no longer wearing a t-shirt and a white baseball cap. Guys who wore white baseball caps didn't listen to R.E.M. Did they? Maybe dinner wouldn't hurt. We went to a little Italian restaurant where he gave the host a fake name, with a grin. He made me laugh. By the time we finished dinner, he asked if I wanted to go home. I didn't. <br />
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We agreed to go see a movie and ended up at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgrbuRNc-AQ">Parenthood</a>. Who goes to see a movie titled "Parenthood" on their first date? Halfway through the movie, he asked if he could "have" my hand! No weird stretching to get an arm over the shoulders, no slipping his hand over mine but actually asked first. Who does that? Still holding hands as we walked out of the movie, he asked if I wanted to go home. I didn't. <br />
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While trying to figure out what to do next, I think he noticed my glances at the daiquiri stand and suggested we go back uptown for drinks. We went to O'Henry's, had long island iced teas and talked and talked until the bar closed. Then we said we should probably call it a night. We didn't.<br />
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We drove down to the French Quarter. Along the way, at a red light on Canal Street, he kissed me. The guy who, when sober, politely asked if he could hold my hand, simply leaned over and kissed me. He will deny that. He told everyone that I looked over and kissed him. I didn't.<br />
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We parked the car and walked down to the river. We sat on a bench and talked until the sun came up along the Mississippi river. By then, we were getting a little tired and decided it was time to go home. A full twelve hours after the date-I-wasn't-going-to-go-on began, I made it back to my dorm room and shut the blinds so the morning sun wouldn't keep me from going to bed. I didn't have to worry about waking my roommate as she was out-of-town for Labor Day weekend.<br />
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The thing about these trips down Memory Lane is that they're pretty quick day-trips and you can read the signs when you're going this direction. The signs letting me know that second-guessing was available with each and every exit? The flashing caution sign announcing Parenthood Ahead? There they are. There was a point along this road, almost twenty-two years ago where I married that guy that asked for my hand.<br />
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This was the point, twenty-six years ago, where two roads merged. I only remember it was the Saturday before Labor Day but now we have Google, which tells me that back in 1989, that would have been September 2.<br />
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<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-22167583356383085422015-08-13T12:51:00.001-04:002015-08-13T12:51:44.362-04:00Because survival is insufficient I do not play the piano, often. Many days, I will walk by the piano without touching it. (It needs dusting, badly!) Yet when I am lucky enough to attend a concert, symphony or just catch a talented performer on YouTube, I regret my lack of practice and want to sit down and practice. At that moment. It makes me want to put in the work. I want to play better.<br />
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Emily St. John Mandel's writing makes me want to practice. I want to write better. I will never play the piano in Carnegie Hall. I will never construct a novel as seamless as Station Eleven but appreciate that Emily St. John Mandel did. The literary landscape is a little bit better because this book exists.<br />
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After the end of the world as we know it, a traveling symphony roams the Midwest, performing Shakespeare's plays along with classical symphonies. "Because survival is insufficient," a quote a character has taken from Star Trek, is written on the side of their caravan. This is a beautiful theme for the novel as it explores less what the characters had to do to physically survive and more what they do in order to live.<br />
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The novel spans decades, effortlessly weaving in and out of time, connecting and contrasting the characters' lives before and after The Collapse. My favorite character in this novel is Miranda, an artist who creates Station Eleven and regrets nothing. LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-60209466239053940252015-06-19T10:34:00.000-04:002015-06-19T10:59:10.805-04:00Reality Bites"A little learning is a dangerous thing." --Alexander Pope<br />
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We still do not have a yard. We have mud. A little bit of grass is beginning to emerge here and there but it's mostly a vast expanse of mud and puddles bordering our new pool. I remembered seeing a post or two on Facebook listing flowers and plants that deter mosquitos. I remembered marigolds but did a quick search to see if the post had any basis in fact and what other plants would work. Different sites gave similar lists so I headed out for pots and plants! I couldn't find lavender in the garden center and forgot to look for an actual citronella plant (I didn't think to search the lists while actually at the store) but found marigolds everywhere. <br />
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I put pots of marigolds on my upper deck a month ago. I did not buy any of the large, pretty, colorful flowers as we already had large black bumblebees out there. (They tend to freak my kids out a bit. I've reminded my offspring that while they're sweet, they need not worry about a bee mistaking them for flowers so they'll be fine.) I put marigolds up there and was happy that we've been able to sit up there without many mosquitos!<br />
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Later, when talking with a landscaper, I asked him if it was true that lavender would deter mosquitos like marigolds. He didn't know of any plants that actually deter them and reminded me that my deck is higher and mosquitos prefer to stay low by the ground. Okay, maybe my marigolds weren't helping but I figured they weren't doing any harm, either so I left them on the deck and yesterday, bought many, many more to plant near my pool. While I was planting, the kids were having fun in the pool but had to duck once in a while to avoid a pesky wasp or two that were scaring them. (What happened to those big, fuzzy bees?) I suggested we take a break and go sit up on the deck for dinner. They could stay in their wet suits but get up and away from the pool and the bugs. They climbed the stairs half-way and stood there, waiting for another wasp to stop circling the deck, then went to sit down. My youngest started yelling that our dog "pooped on the chair!"<br />
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My Golden Retriever is capable of a lot of mischief but actually climbing up on a patio chair to do that? Not likely. I came up to investigate and did find something on the chair but it was not put there by my dog. I stormed into the house, complaining that I've been trying to avoid chemicals but I now we had a mud-dauber nest on a seat cushion and no spray to kill those suckers. My husband said he thought we had hornet killer in the garage but while I went to get it, he took care of the nest. He went out with a fly swatter and swatted the one trying to protect the thing, scraped it off the chair and kicked it somewhere! (I asked what we would do if it was still full of wasps but he said he stomped on it!)<br />
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It was gone but the kids didn't want to sit there, any more. One went inside and another came back down to sit by the pool, beside the large pots of marigolds as I went back to planting. I finished the pots up with ivy around the edges, just as a deer came by to investigate! (I'd forgotten the deer as I was planting my large pots of salad for them!) The deer left, I cleaned up, poured a glass of wine and got back online. I wanted to read more about marigolds and see if they really would deter any insects, at all. This time, I read a little further. One site said that both mosquitos and many gardeners dislike them for their strong smell but they are a good plant to place by windows and doors to keep the mosquitos from entering your house. The same site cautioned, however, not to put them on patios or around a pool as the large orange blooms can attract wasps.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.uark.edu/ua/arthmuse/muddaub.html">It does look like poop.</a></td></tr>
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LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-28358169537159950972015-05-28T10:10:00.000-04:002015-05-28T10:10:05.586-04:00Everyday miracles You can take the girl out of the South but there ain't no getting rid of her southern fears. At 5:30am, I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I walked down the hall. Some of you will recognize the following routine. <br />
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Keep walking and start praying. "Please God, don't let that be what I think it is."<br />
Stop walking, start talking to self. "Don't be stupid. It's not what you think it is. Can't be. CANNOT be."<br />
Turn around, slowly. "It isn't moving. That's a good sign. I should turn on the light. I don't want to turn on the light. PLEASE, God don't let it fly."<br />
Turn on light (while preparing to run). "OK. Breathe. It still didn't move." Actually breathe.<br />
Slowly retreat to go grab a shoe. Walk around complete opposite end of kitchen to get a paper towel. Continue inner pep talk. "You live in Indiana. That is not what you think it is. Repeat. Not.What.You.Think.It.Is."<br />
Move closer, try not to close eyes. "It's just a moth. Oh Lord, it's The Biggest Moth Ever."<br />
Try not to panic because deep down, you know it is still going to fly. "Please God, just don't let it fly in my face. Please God."<br />
Move in. "Please God."<br />
And it's just dog hair. "Thank you, God! Thank you, God. Thank You, God!"<br />
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I've just admitted my house could use a cleaning but we've not yet invited roaches and thank the Lord, Indiana roaches don't fly!<br />
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One more cup of coffee and I'll be ready to write another southern scene. ;)LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-52973496064914160712014-11-05T09:54:00.002-05:002014-11-05T09:54:19.739-05:00An open windowSometimes you just have to sit back and listen. Often, you need to pray. Some days, all it takes is opening a window.<br />
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I did not sign up for the first class of the day, today but at the last minute thought I'd try to run over there. By run over there, I mean last minute shower, grab a cup of coffee and pray I had time to make it over to the House of Seven Gables. (Those of you who know me, know that this is how I operate even though it rarely, if ever, works out successfully).<br />
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By the time I got my coffee, I realized I had 4 minutes. Still not feeling 100%, trying to run (with coffee) clearly wasn't worth it. I checked out the library board, went back to my room, opened the window and realized how to make the old draft (the one I'd shelved and resolved to let go) work.<br />
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Months ago, I saw this Tweet from Donald Maas: "It is THE event of the year for fiction writers, space is limited. Registration opens today. Go. Just. Go." with a link to Writer Unboxed. I was pretty certain he was talking to me, specifically and I signed up. I thought I was meant to attend his workshop but perhaps I was just meant to be here.<br />
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*Side note: I write historical fiction and am loving this hotel. If in any doubt however, you know you're staying in an older hotel when you open a window and find you could get out through it! ;)<br />
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<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-6307563772082023402014-11-04T21:25:00.003-05:002014-11-04T21:27:38.042-05:00The UnConference (Part 1)There is nothing like a writing conference to re-charge your creativity. Attending an "Un-Conference" is, so far, even better!<br />
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Unfortunately, I've been sick on-and-off since it started so I only imagine the level of awesomeness for attendees who attended all of the sessions, today! More to come...I'm here all week!<br />
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If you would like to follow along all sorts of writerly advice, go visit over on Twitter:<br />
<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/106414839381642986279" target="_blank">@Writer Unboxed</a><br />
#WUUncon<br />
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<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-17307977971550887442014-09-02T13:05:00.002-04:002014-09-02T13:05:17.741-04:00Summer Reading List On the other side of Labor Day, it feels like summer should be over. My kids have been in school for three weeks so our collective Summer Vacation ended a while ago. It flew by far too quickly, of course. I expected living in a hotel for the summer would slow our summer down. The situation has made it easier for the kids to reach out and touch each other, breathe on each other, look at each other...but routines and getting up early still came too quickly.<br />
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I have been out of school for quite a while but I still operate under the illusion that I will have more time to read during the summer and feel an obligation like I should be reading over the summer. My TBR list grows but I don't accomplish half of the reading I planned. I did manage to fit in a few!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Hunting-Tracy-Million-Simmons-ebook/dp/B00CADLDSI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409669763&sr=8-1&keywords=Tracy+Million+Simmons">Tiger Hunting </a>by Tracy Million Simmons had been sitting on my shelf for far too long. I "met" Tracy years ago, online, as part of a Kansas writers' forum back when I was one of those. I purchased a copy of her book as soon as it was available. I don't know why I waited so long to open it up but I brought it along on our flight in July. It was the perfect time to read her story. Along with searching for a white tiger in Kansas, her book is about finding your lost voice. I finished her book as we were landing in New Orleans which was exactly where I'd left mine. I started a new story while we were there but hers is finished and lovely and has circus folk. Go take a look!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Someone-Elses-Love-Story-Novel/dp/0062105655/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1409670145&sr=8-1">Someone Else's Love Story</a>, by Joshilyn Jackson, is her best yet. Yes. I know. If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I say that each time I pick up her latest book. It's still true. If you have read her books, you know what I mean. If you haven't read any of her books, are not sure where to start or if you aren't sure you have the time to commit to another whole novel right now, you are in luck! Two of the main characters in SELS also have parts in a separate short story, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Own-Miraculous-Kindle-Single-ebook/dp/B00CD36FTC/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409670548&sr=1-5&keywords=joshilyn+jackson">my own miraculous</a>. You can get the e-book version for ninety-nine cents. Go read it now. You will then purchase Someone Else's Love Story. It's like trying to eat one potato chip. Once you get a taste, you will not be able to stop and you will have to read more about Shandi and her extraordinary son, Natty. I have a vicarious crush on Walcott.<br />
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<a href="http://www.therentcollectorbook.com/about.htm">The Rent Collector </a>is a book I've read over a period of many months. This doesn't sound encouraging as you're looking for a book that you can't put down and I'm admitting I did. Lessons build upon each other however and this story was no less powerful read a few chapters at a time versus all at once. We've all had countless vicarious journeys as we read to "escape." This story is an excellent reminder of how learning to read is a true means of escape for someone who can't, otherwise. Camron Wright has set beautiful stories, some familiar, amidst the stinging smoke of a trash dump in Cambodia. Well worth the read.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Have-New-Kid-Friday-Character-ebook/dp/B004SE9UE6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409674831&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+have+a+new+kid+by+friday">How to Have a New Kid by Friday</a>. You've heard of this one. If you need it, you've probably already read it. If you haven't, it's stuff you already know, but written in a step format so you can read a little each day and put it all together at the end. (Of course, this is the one I read in one two-hour sitting). I'm guilty of giving too many choices and too many chances so my own mom recommended this one to me too many times. If you have the time, it has plenty of good reminders. Otherwise, say what you mean, once and mean it.<br />
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It is a "teacher in-service" day which means my kids have today off, giving them a nice four-day weekend to recover from the last three full weeks of school. Looks like rain. Maybe I'll get some writing in. I have to, as that is the only way I feel like I've earned time to read. I said I wasn't bringing many to the hotel but I still have a decent stack waiting to be opened. Next on the pile is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Invention-Wings-A-Novel/dp/0670024783/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1409676894&sr=1-1">The Invention of Wings</a>! What are you reading this month?<br />
<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-64563223089950709492014-05-24T21:20:00.000-04:002014-05-24T21:20:14.763-04:00Pocketful of SunshinePacking up "the library"/aka "my room" has been a slow, work-in-progress. Each time I try to fill a box, I find a book I've not yet read, a draft of a novel I never finished or a box of photos I swore I'd scan or, at least, organize. I've mentioned, I have a tendency to keep EVERYTHING.<br />
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Every so often, that makes it worth it. Determined to finish this room tonight, I finally got to my file folders. And I found artwork by and photos of Natalie and Christian from years ago. Much, much too cute!<br />
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Under those were some more novel drafts. Why didn't I finish those? Under those--my answer. A folder stuffed with "Volunteer Appreciation" certificates. Each and every time someone takes the time to print one out, I shake my head and swear that I don't volunteer in order to receive any recognition whatsoever. And I mean that. I don't. I don't need the certificates or thank-yous or gifts.<br />
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That said, I was tired from a busy day plus tired of packing and tired just thinking about moving and then to find so many things still unfinished...I will say it made my day to find a folder full of "thank-yous." <br />
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As it turns out, just because I don't have a folder full of finished products/novels/projects, that doesn't mean I haven't seen things through. I am just a little better at finishing things you can't really see. But for those who took the time to notice anyway, it's my turn to say <b>Thanks</b>!<br />
<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-32836221550768797832014-04-16T11:55:00.000-04:002014-04-16T11:55:48.131-04:00Sit stillI've tried to take some time this year to refocus--spending more time in prayer, or meditation or just sitting still. I don't have a job outside the home, I am not an overly ambitious person but as you know, life is busy. Lately, I have had to schedule quiet time to make it happen but it has made all the difference. It is amazing what happens when you take the time to sit still.<br />
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I signed up as an Adorer for Perpetual Adoration. For those of you that I just lost, the host, the body of Christ, is on the altar in the chapel. People sign up for an hour to ensure He is never left alone. I have to say, this is easily one of the best hours of my week. Once there, I am not required to do anything for an hour except <b>be there</b>. I pray, sometimes say a Rosary but most often I just sit. I sit and listen. It is perfectly quiet in there, of course, but I have learned more about myself, my faith and my place in the world by simply sitting still and listening. Sometimes I jot down a few notes/thoughts that come to me that I didn't expect. (A friend of mine once told me that her friend started taking a notebook with her to Adoration, started writing a book while there and is now a successful, published Christian author!)</div>
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I'm usually running to get in there! I have it on my calendar each week, else I would never get there but I still try to fit one more thing/task/chore into my day, right before I go. Whether you believe it is God, the universe or your subconscious that guides you, it is so hard for most of us to find the time to just sit quietly and listen. Put it on your calendar!</div>
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Of all of the books I've read to my children over the years, one of my favorites is <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Its-Hard-Be-Five-Learning-ebook/dp/B00BW3902I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397660681&sr=8-1&keywords=It%27s+hard+to+be+five">It's Hard to be Five</a></i>, by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell. Of course, my youngest doesn't want to hear it, anymore as he is SIX. The struggles are real for any age! <br />
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I stepped out of my comfort zone a week ago and attended a weekend retreat at church. I wasn't going to go; I have been avoiding it for years. In my quiet hours at Adoration, I kept hearing a voice telling me that I should go this year but I attributed it to my "guilt voice" as I knew I probably should go but really was not interested. Finally, just days before, after enough separate people had asked/encouraged/suggested that I go, I relented. It was lovely, of course, to meet new people and learn more about my faith but what I did not expect was to have quiet time, alone. This was exactly what I needed and never experience on a normal weekend!<br />
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I try to go to Mass on the days the kids have "All School Mass." It is nice for the kids to see that I go, too and my youngest still enjoys having me there. ;) But I'm rushing in the mornings, to get them all off to school, give the husband a kiss on the cheek and still make sure I have matching shoes on in time to get there. Today I was a few minutes late. Since then however, my day has gone so smoothly.<br />
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So many friends of mine who are also mothers say that they purposely get up very early to make sure they have quiet time for reflection before getting everyone else up and on their way. I haven't been able to do that, yet. I am not a morning person. I stay up far too late and know that I can send up a few prayers when I finally lay down to sleep. But the voices and the thoughts and the schedules all assault my brain at once and then it's tough even to fall asleep. But making time during the day--even if it is running into Mass in the morning, going to Adoration after lunch or just sitting somewhere in my parked car for a few minutes with the radio off--has made all the difference. Now, once I get to bed, I fall asleep immediately. I know if I would go to bed a little earlier and get up a little earlier, our mornings could start off much more smoothly. I am working on that.<br />
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Take some time to sit still, today. Enjoy!LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-11172016694410275492013-11-02T21:05:00.002-04:002013-11-02T21:05:59.357-04:00Two steps (or days) behind!I was not going to sign up for <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>, this year.<br />
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I am writing. I need to write. NaNo makes me write but I wasn't going to sign up because I felt guilty about not finishing the last thing I was going to write. But I really do love that NaNo status bar! ;)<br />
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So....I signed up today (late) to pressure myself (and gain access to that status bar) to add 50K to the book I need to finish. It is cheating as it isn't a new idea. I already have 13,000 words. Note: I did not say 13,000 good words. Just words. But 13K isn't anything. So if I can 50K this month, that would be approaching something. So...here we go!<br />
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Are you in? How's it going?<br />
(If you're in and are looking for buddies, I am "LoryKC" there, too!)<br />
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<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-16800107540245185832013-09-24T09:27:00.000-04:002013-09-24T09:27:32.920-04:00Tricky Tuesday morning<br />
Are you superstitious? How would you approach an obviously sinister threat, directly outside your door?<br />
Our fluffy, Golden attack-chicken would like to know.<br />
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Human visitors are easy. She will BARK loudly and be THERE. (Preferably ON THEM.) But what if the threat is more sinister? What if you were to look out and see the tall grass swaying in front of the corn fields, only to see a black cat taking her time, poking around the outside of your fence? Bark! Right? Yet one bark caused the cat to turn and look this way. Looking into the direction of the rising sun, her eyes were glowing.<br />
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Golden chicken looked back at me, to be sure she had human back-up, before proceeding half-way out the door, barking and wagging her tail, simultaneously. She cautiously made it all the way out on the deck, bark-bark-barking until the cat stopped. Sat. Stared.<br />
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Golden chicken came back inside. It's better to protect the home from the inside. When the cat was ready to move on, gc did go back outside to bark the dog equivalent of "that's right, you'd BETTER go!" until the cat finally sashayed to the next yard. Our fierce, fluffy protector then felt empowered enough to venture out into the actual yard (ever so slowly) for one last bark ("yeah!") before running back into the house to make sure I was okay.<br />
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She's chewing on her security blanket, now.<br />
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LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-44136535944816568742013-09-02T13:07:00.002-04:002013-09-02T13:07:29.504-04:00Jack, the ButterflyI wish I were smart enough to be able to craft children's books. Admittedly, it irritates me when my husband says I should write for children. He offers it as a suggestion because children's books are short. (I am eternally "almost finished" with my current draft.)<br />
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I spend much of my day with children. Every evening, I read to at least one child. Thus, my husband believes that I KNOW children's literature. When I have time of my own to write, however, I want to create something that I would want to read. I wouldn't even know where to get inspiration for picture books.<br />
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There were very few "slow" or "boring" days this summer but on one of those rare days, my youngest was bored and had no one to play with. I found him in the garage, talking to a small caterpillar. He showed me his new friend, and I asked if he had a name. He looked at the little green guy and said, "Jack."<br />
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I suggested we relocate Jack to the garden as he would starve in the garage. My son was a little worried he would lose him in the garden but didn't want him to die in the garage so we scooped him up and moved him. My son stood, put his hand over his 5-year-old heart and said, "So long, Jack. I will keep you in my heart, forever."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdI-Sl6i1i8MxBEf93KtO4E8IL6jUhaIBZmFx8he1uSGuupuNVzpE0TNxZ7ygHsd9P1k9YD4QkcKdkvXUVfXyhup1J_upH_CIDcjS6hzznmRPIQx-Q1hpFIrhkAgdAfKFCPVO/s1600/IMG_3216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdI-Sl6i1i8MxBEf93KtO4E8IL6jUhaIBZmFx8he1uSGuupuNVzpE0TNxZ7ygHsd9P1k9YD4QkcKdkvXUVfXyhup1J_upH_CIDcjS6hzznmRPIQx-Q1hpFIrhkAgdAfKFCPVO/s200/IMG_3216.jpg" width="150" /></a>He will, too. Five-year-olds, especially mine, do not forget. Just in case, though, he did draw Jack's portrait so he would always remember him! (The creature flying above Jack in this portrait is a bird. My son began talking to a bird in the grass after he drew Jack's portrait but the bird quickly flew away. Josh added him to this picture of all the friends he made and lost, all in one afternoon.) <br />
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My children, unlike myself, are artistic. Another reason I do not consider writing children's books is the number of illustrations! How would I find an illustrator?<br />
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All three kids are finally in school full-time, so on the four days that I am not going into the school as volunteer librarian (to read more picture books to more children) I fantasize about using those hours to craft grown-up, full-length sagas. I keep meaning to get to those drafts right after I throw the kids' clothes into the washing machine, wipe toothpaste from the bathroom counters and empty trash cans that have been decorated with basketballs or zebra stripes. <br />
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After taking the dog for a long walk recently, I decided to clean up the backyard. I paced the yard, thinking about the next chapter I really am trying to work out in a current draft. While I searched the yard for piles of dog poop and thought about escaped slaves in Florida, one lone, beautiful butterfly kept following me. By that time, I smelled. A sweaty human who had played with a dirty, smelly dog and was holding a bag of excrement cannot possibly smell like ANY type of flower this butterfly might be trying to find. He kept flitting in my face, darting back and forth. He would not get out of my face. I stopped thinking about Civil War battles, thinking instead that the butterfly looked like so many butterflies in so many children's picture books. He circled my head again until I stopped, smiled and said "Hi, Jack." He did a little spin in my face and flew away.<br />
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(This butterfly was not drawn by my son. This is a close-up of part of a picture my daughter drew years ago. It now hangs on a wall in our library/den/office so I have something to look at when I can't think of what to write next.)<br />
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<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-80407768487762282662013-08-27T19:40:00.001-04:002013-08-27T19:40:29.121-04:00Parental guidance 2One of my big challenges in parenting is recognizing that my child may not be able to be ANYTHING they want and guiding them towards areas that are similar to the skills and talents I see in them.<br />
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Having said that, my children can be anything they want to be. I stand by that.<br />
Having said that, some careers are going to be much easier than others.<br />
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Tonight, I heard myself say to my son, "There is no successful career path out there where you can procrastinate, find the loopholes around the work you should be doing and blame your mistakes on others."<br />
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As I shook my head (hoping he thought it was in dismay over the as-yet-not-completed homework), I realized that there is a career path where one can succeed with that particular skill set. And my son is charming enough to get enough people to vote for him.<br />
<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-26126369843240901442013-07-22T00:45:00.000-04:002013-07-22T00:45:09.236-04:00It's all in how you say it...<br />
For better or for worse, I have a tendency to pick up "local" accents wherever I go. I don't mean to do it, it is just a bad habit. (Not a problem until I hang out TOO long with friends from Canada as they start to look annoyed.) ;)<br />
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After 12 years as a military wife, you never know what I'm going to say!<br />
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Anyhoo....it comes with perks. Like drinking with my little brother one night and he says "with each glass of wine, you sound like you come from somewhere else!" Or...the cab driver in Miami, the other day who was listening to me talk to my kids. He finally asked "where are you from?" When I replied, "I was actually born here," he shook his head and said "that's not it." I said, "We live in Indiana, now. Do I have a MidWestern accent?" He nodded and said "THAT'S it!" *sigh*<br />
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Although I grew up in Florida, I acquired my "southern" accent more during college in New Orleans and it seems to show up again around family in the South, or when I drink. Ahem. So... I am going to feign innocence (as even the older kids are giving their little brother a "break" on this one) as it isn't TECHNICALLY wrong for him to ask, "What the Hail?"<br />
(Right?)<br />
LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-48610753665658133142013-04-19T12:16:00.001-04:002013-04-19T12:17:50.585-04:00If it's happened once...The fun part of writing historical fiction is that you can spend a morning reading ("researching") and call it "work." I have always been interested in the Civil War and Reconstruction eras in our nation's history and am currently fascinated with Natalie Benjamin (wife of Judah Benjamin, "the Brains of the Confederacy.")<br />
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I find history compelling but need to find a way to make it more accessible for my children.<br />
This week, I reminded my son, "those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it."<br />
It did not so much motivate him as give him a new motto. <br />
He keeps muttering, "I'm doomed! DOOMED!"<br />
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<br />LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13505255.post-42186075250649568842013-03-01T14:34:00.000-05:002013-03-01T14:34:17.138-05:00Parental GuidanceSwitching gears for a moment to review a non-fiction book (although the cynic in me suspects a few of the "correct" examples given in this book were fictionalized a bit). Having said that, the examples of what to say and do were invaluable to me as most of the "what not to do" scenarios are exactly what I might say or do on any given day!<br />
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<a href="http://www.gettingtocalm.com/authors.html"><i><b>Getting to Calm</b></i>, by Laura S. Kastner, Ph.D. and Jennifer Wyatt, Ph.D.</a> belongs on every parents' bookshelf! My copy now rests in a very easy to reach/consult spot, snuggled between T. Berry Brazelton's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186571.Touchpoints">Touchpoints</a> and Christie Mellor's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2422.The_Three_Martini_Playdate">The Three Martini Playdate</a>. As this book offers strategies for dealing with tweens and teens, I've come to it a little late but after reading it from cover to cover, I feel reassured that I may not be TOO late. (If you have younger children, get this now and read this now--before you are in the midst of some of these scenarios.) My two older children are 14 and 12 years old, and many of the chapters in this book apply to our situations today. (The authors suggest keeping this book to refer to the appropriate chapters when needed--when these issues arise--but I found at least 11 of the 14 chapters useful NOW and the other 3 were still worth reading. I WILL need them!)<br />
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I am still working on the calmness. The authors detail a four-step plan to achieving the calm. The stories/examples they provide in each chapter offer invaluable instruction as you witness parent/teen interactions. Some go swimmingly well and you see WHY. Some plummet quickly and things go horribly wrong and you see WHY. Changes have been implemented in our house and more are coming. And now, when I yell and nag, I understand where I've gone wrong much sooner. It's a process. ;-)<br />
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Speaking of where I've gone wrong however, the book made me feel better. Written by a professor of psychiatry and a psychologist, the authors show where parents go wrong without laying blame. <br />
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I usually use this space to discuss reading or writing fiction but once in a while, there are a few other must-have books out there that you should know about. This is one. If you are a parent, give yourself this book. If you are not a parent, give this book to someone else in your life--somebody needs it!<br />
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LoryKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160339071841599529noreply@blogger.com0