Thursday, March 18, 2010
In which I retract the idea that a new puppy is giving me more time to write!
While the pup still prefers to sleep on my feet, that doesn't allow me to go very far! While I would love to stand here all day and write, I can't really do that when the mountain of clean laundry to fold is as tall as me. Or can I?
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Our youngest
The good news is that I have no excuse not to write--the laptop is on the kitchen counter and our new pup lays on my feet WHENEVER I stay still. Of course, my family would probably prefer that I fold a little laundry--but she wakes up as soon as I move my foot--so I'm staying and playing, er, writing.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Historian
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, truly is worth sinking your teeth into! ;)
I've been trying to post a brief review for a few weeks now and may never get it done. Go ahead and read it, if you haven't. I might have an actual review by the time you're done!
(I realize it was a hit about five years ago but, as usual, I'm a bit behind!)
I've been trying to post a brief review for a few weeks now and may never get it done. Go ahead and read it, if you haven't. I might have an actual review by the time you're done!
(I realize it was a hit about five years ago but, as usual, I'm a bit behind!)
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Busted
Trying the "Sugar Busters" plan again but forget to check some things that really ought to be safe--at least, in my mind! My husband bought a platter of deviled eggs from the store for the SuperBowl. I usually make my own but he knows the kids like them and he was buying other snacks.
So, now that I've snagged quite a few for myself over the past two days--now...I look at the nutrition info and ingredients. Sugar AND corn syrup. Both. In deviled eggs. Why?
So, now that I've snagged quite a few for myself over the past two days--now...I look at the nutrition info and ingredients. Sugar AND corn syrup. Both. In deviled eggs. Why?
Thursday, February 04, 2010
In Xanadu...
Natalie mentioned Kubla Khan so I asked her if she had any idea who he was.
"We studied him!" she says.
"Who was he?"
"I don't remember."
"Good guy or bad guy?"
She has no idea. So while she's thinking, I start rambling...I've forgotten most of it, of course, but I remember the first line or two...
In Xanadu, did Kubla Khan, a stately pleasure-dome decree...
This is as far as I got. The toddler kept shouting "BE QUIET!" everytime I tried to recite the darn thing. Every. Time.
My pleasure dome would be silent.
"We studied him!" she says.
"Who was he?"
"I don't remember."
"Good guy or bad guy?"
She has no idea. So while she's thinking, I start rambling...I've forgotten most of it, of course, but I remember the first line or two...
In Xanadu, did Kubla Khan, a stately pleasure-dome decree...
This is as far as I got. The toddler kept shouting "BE QUIET!" everytime I tried to recite the darn thing. Every. Time.
My pleasure dome would be silent.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Inspiration is fleeting
It's revising time and the WIP has characters, locations, romance, strife...but it was lacking...something.
I think I've got it. Trouble is, I'm jotting notes before the ideas completely flee my head but don't have the time to fully flesh it out. The nights that one or more children wake repeatedly seem, inevitably, to be followed by days where I have a flood of ideas but neither the time--nor the alertness--to put them together.
Nevertheless, 2010 WILL be THE year this gets DONE. (I will look like a zombie but there are trade-offs for everything!)
How is your 2010 progressing?
I think I've got it. Trouble is, I'm jotting notes before the ideas completely flee my head but don't have the time to fully flesh it out. The nights that one or more children wake repeatedly seem, inevitably, to be followed by days where I have a flood of ideas but neither the time--nor the alertness--to put them together.
Nevertheless, 2010 WILL be THE year this gets DONE. (I will look like a zombie but there are trade-offs for everything!)
How is your 2010 progressing?
Monday, January 11, 2010
Mama said there'd be days like this...
My mother did teach me to use recipes to cook.
She also said (often) that I could not walk and chew gum, at the same time.
So--I stay away from gum and enjoy red wine while I cook, instead! Apparently, I cannot drink, talk and cook at the same time.
My husband and I are trying to kick a few pounds, together. So I found a recipe for a pasta sauce (to be enjoyed only with whole wheat pasta, of course) that I thought he'd like. He said it sounded good and asked me to double the recipe--so there would be leftovers this week. So I was sipping, talking and doubling. Rather than 1/4, I put in 1/2 cup of basil and crushed red pepper.
As it turns out, the original recipe called for 1/4 TEASPOON of red pepper.
She also said (often) that I could not walk and chew gum, at the same time.
So--I stay away from gum and enjoy red wine while I cook, instead! Apparently, I cannot drink, talk and cook at the same time.
My husband and I are trying to kick a few pounds, together. So I found a recipe for a pasta sauce (to be enjoyed only with whole wheat pasta, of course) that I thought he'd like. He said it sounded good and asked me to double the recipe--so there would be leftovers this week. So I was sipping, talking and doubling. Rather than 1/4, I put in 1/2 cup of basil and crushed red pepper.
As it turns out, the original recipe called for 1/4 TEASPOON of red pepper.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
When it's you...
In a book, a little foreshadowing is all it takes. You can see when something is not meant to be.
My kids? My husband? When things aren't going their way, I remind them to step back and take a look--if it's this hard, perhaps it wasn't meant to be.
But me? I'll never learn...
Even when it is a simple pot of soup. I've had a taste for a bowl of homemade black bean soup. With the winter storm marching this way, what could be better than soup--and soup stored for the next couple of days? I'm thinking black bean, pea soup, cheddar sherry and if my husband is lucky--even chicken tortilla soup.
What could be easier than a pot of black bean soup? Not much. And yet, it has quite literally been on the back burner for the better part of the day. With one child home sick, one eternally uninspired and the third, well, TWO--it has taken me this long. If any one of them had been going at this for this long, I would tell them that God, the Universe or Someone had decided it was not in the cards for today. Me? I just overflowed the food processor trying to blend some and (you can probably tell) have poured another glass of wine in the process but am I going to quit now? Ha!
In my fantasies, my family smiles and enjoys the warm house full of the smells of homecooking. In reality, who really wants to smell cooked onions and spilled soup? And yet, I persist...
(I even had all of the ingredients for this one. Not for all of the soups but since the child who stayed home sick today ONLY wants jello--I ventured out to the store--to get that, plus ingredients for the other soups. With the "winter storm" approaching, I thought soups sounded good. However, with the "winter storm" approaching, I could not find a parking place at my normal store. Who has to go to 2 grocery stores with 2-4 inches of snow expected? Puh-leeese.)
Part of it took this long because once the kids were IN bed, I found a few songs/rhymes/raps and other tactics to help the 3rd grader remember each of his spelling words for tomorrow's quiz. We were working on these at exactly the same time that my daughter began to feel better (God Bless Motrin) and was working on the math assigment sent home. She had missed the class and had no idea how to do each section, so I was teaching math and singing spelling and running downstairs to stir soup. Again, if it had been any of them...
My husband is re-reading The Celestine Prophecy again. This time, he reminded me--"you know, if this were in the book, it'd be clear that you weren't meant to finish the soup..."
And yet...
So, my dear readers, the foreshadowing is clearly there. It is 10:30 and I am finally about to pour a bowl of soup for dinner. My kids are reasonably ready for tomorrow. So there should not be a shadow of a doubt that tomorrow will be a snow day. But we will have soup. So far, just black bean soup. Which no one eats but me.
My kids? My husband? When things aren't going their way, I remind them to step back and take a look--if it's this hard, perhaps it wasn't meant to be.
But me? I'll never learn...
Even when it is a simple pot of soup. I've had a taste for a bowl of homemade black bean soup. With the winter storm marching this way, what could be better than soup--and soup stored for the next couple of days? I'm thinking black bean, pea soup, cheddar sherry and if my husband is lucky--even chicken tortilla soup.
What could be easier than a pot of black bean soup? Not much. And yet, it has quite literally been on the back burner for the better part of the day. With one child home sick, one eternally uninspired and the third, well, TWO--it has taken me this long. If any one of them had been going at this for this long, I would tell them that God, the Universe or Someone had decided it was not in the cards for today. Me? I just overflowed the food processor trying to blend some and (you can probably tell) have poured another glass of wine in the process but am I going to quit now? Ha!
In my fantasies, my family smiles and enjoys the warm house full of the smells of homecooking. In reality, who really wants to smell cooked onions and spilled soup? And yet, I persist...
(I even had all of the ingredients for this one. Not for all of the soups but since the child who stayed home sick today ONLY wants jello--I ventured out to the store--to get that, plus ingredients for the other soups. With the "winter storm" approaching, I thought soups sounded good. However, with the "winter storm" approaching, I could not find a parking place at my normal store. Who has to go to 2 grocery stores with 2-4 inches of snow expected? Puh-leeese.)
Part of it took this long because once the kids were IN bed, I found a few songs/rhymes/raps and other tactics to help the 3rd grader remember each of his spelling words for tomorrow's quiz. We were working on these at exactly the same time that my daughter began to feel better (God Bless Motrin) and was working on the math assigment sent home. She had missed the class and had no idea how to do each section, so I was teaching math and singing spelling and running downstairs to stir soup. Again, if it had been any of them...
My husband is re-reading The Celestine Prophecy again. This time, he reminded me--"you know, if this were in the book, it'd be clear that you weren't meant to finish the soup..."
And yet...
So, my dear readers, the foreshadowing is clearly there. It is 10:30 and I am finally about to pour a bowl of soup for dinner. My kids are reasonably ready for tomorrow. So there should not be a shadow of a doubt that tomorrow will be a snow day. But we will have soup. So far, just black bean soup. Which no one eats but me.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Slacker mom strikes again
I have mentioned before that my youngest likes to stash food in his pjs. And yet, I continue to feed him before getting him dressed.
Today Slacker Mom allowed him to have a peanut butter and chocolate granola bar. SM was able to take the trash out and he was still enjoying it so SM decided to steal a few minutes on the computer. Toddler lowers the zipper. Slacker mom thinks: "He'll learn. It will be sticky and he will remember for next time." Slacker mom keeps writing.
Toddler stays quiet and happy for a few more minutes. Slacker mom makes mental note to change him and get him dressed in just a minute. She continues writing.
Several minutes later, toddler is completely zipped back up and Slacker mom has, of course, forgotten about the hidden contents. She watches him tiptoe around the carpet, trying to play with his toys. "Ha ha! This will make him remember not to stash food in his pjs!"
A few more minutes and Slacker mom finally stops typing. He probably needs a new diaper by now, anyway. Yep...he's unzipping...oh...riiiight. Those blanket sleepers are cozy...and chocolate melts.
Today Slacker Mom allowed him to have a peanut butter and chocolate granola bar. SM was able to take the trash out and he was still enjoying it so SM decided to steal a few minutes on the computer. Toddler lowers the zipper. Slacker mom thinks: "He'll learn. It will be sticky and he will remember for next time." Slacker mom keeps writing.
Toddler stays quiet and happy for a few more minutes. Slacker mom makes mental note to change him and get him dressed in just a minute. She continues writing.
Several minutes later, toddler is completely zipped back up and Slacker mom has, of course, forgotten about the hidden contents. She watches him tiptoe around the carpet, trying to play with his toys. "Ha ha! This will make him remember not to stash food in his pjs!"
A few more minutes and Slacker mom finally stops typing. He probably needs a new diaper by now, anyway. Yep...he's unzipping...oh...riiiight. Those blanket sleepers are cozy...and chocolate melts.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Ssshhhh
The good news is that the two sick children are feeling better.
It was a little quieter here for a while, though. My daughter could not talk very well for a while so she was whispering to save her voice. Patiently, her brother played with her for at least half an hour before asking, "Why are we whispering?"
It was a little quieter here for a while, though. My daughter could not talk very well for a while so she was whispering to save her voice. Patiently, her brother played with her for at least half an hour before asking, "Why are we whispering?"
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Traditions over the years
Many of our holiday traditions have evolved as we had kids, and as the children have grown. I used to spend hours assembling our tree, then putting on (and trying to "hide") the lights. Now, I drag the pre-lit tree from the garage, put it up in ten minutes and spend another half-hour trying to find all the little plugs to make sure the whole thing lights up. The older two swarm in when I'm done and have the whole thing decorated before my husband gets home from work!
We've gone from bows and store-bought ornaments to mostly unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade treasures.
I'm thinking now of the evolution of the Christmas lists. (Maybe it's the writer in me?) It's amazing to see how we've gone from yelling that they want each and every thing advertised on tv, to drawing pictures, to making three page lists, to printing out web links to--this year.
My eleven-year-old's list is only one page but is divided into columns. This year, she has made a separate column for the items she wishes to receive in her stocking, as well as under the tree!
My eight-year-old has not made a list. He has worried aloud, many times, that he does not even know what he will do with coal when he gets it. (Although, when they wrote letters to Santa at school, his went like this: "Dear Santa, If you bring me an iPod Touch, I will give you cookies and fetchables for your reindeer.")
The two-year-old is not making a list, yet. He has discovered that there are PRESENTS under the tree! This makes sense, of course, as we are practicing singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus." I don't know if he has figured out how Santa fits in to all of this yet but he certainly knows who he is!
They have each picked out at least one present for each of their siblings already. They've carefully wrapped them and put them under the tree and keep giggling, wondering if the other will like what they've bought. I hope that tradition never changes.
We've gone from bows and store-bought ornaments to mostly unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade treasures.
I'm thinking now of the evolution of the Christmas lists. (Maybe it's the writer in me?) It's amazing to see how we've gone from yelling that they want each and every thing advertised on tv, to drawing pictures, to making three page lists, to printing out web links to--this year.
My eleven-year-old's list is only one page but is divided into columns. This year, she has made a separate column for the items she wishes to receive in her stocking, as well as under the tree!
My eight-year-old has not made a list. He has worried aloud, many times, that he does not even know what he will do with coal when he gets it. (Although, when they wrote letters to Santa at school, his went like this: "Dear Santa, If you bring me an iPod Touch, I will give you cookies and fetchables for your reindeer.")
The two-year-old is not making a list, yet. He has discovered that there are PRESENTS under the tree! This makes sense, of course, as we are practicing singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus." I don't know if he has figured out how Santa fits in to all of this yet but he certainly knows who he is!
They have each picked out at least one present for each of their siblings already. They've carefully wrapped them and put them under the tree and keep giggling, wondering if the other will like what they've bought. I hope that tradition never changes.
Monday, November 30, 2009
13 hours, 5 minutes
I only need 13,400 more words. So just a little over 1,000 words an hour...
(And then I just need to save this post to remind myself: If I can pull this off, I have no excuse during a summer month with no holidays!) ;)
(And then I just need to save this post to remind myself: If I can pull this off, I have no excuse during a summer month with no holidays!) ;)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Pushin' it
I do work best under a deadline but this puts procrastination at a whole, new level!
The good news is that I have written over 30,000 words in a month.
What that means, of course, is that to "win", I only need to write a little over 19,000 before midnight, tomorrow.
No pressure.
I'm not worried.
The good news is that I have written over 30,000 words in a month.
What that means, of course, is that to "win", I only need to write a little over 19,000 before midnight, tomorrow.
No pressure.
I'm not worried.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Writing 101
Show don't tell.
Don't talk down to your readers.
Don't use two words when one will work. Unless you're behind on your wordcount for NaNoWriMo. Then, see if you can squeeze in four.
Don't talk down to your readers.
Don't use two words when one will work. Unless you're behind on your wordcount for NaNoWriMo. Then, see if you can squeeze in four.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The skinny on the fat
I bought a Florida avocado which bears a sticker claiming "30% less fat than the leading California avocado."
It is also at least three times the size of the California avocadoes, so I'm not sure I come out ahead.
It is also at least three times the size of the California avocadoes, so I'm not sure I come out ahead.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The 10K race
I am WAY behind on NaNo stats but at this point, I will be happy if I can hit 10,000 words tonight. It does pain me a little to type words that I know will be cut as soon as I get into edit mode. No time to think of that now, though! Nanowrimo is about pushing forth and writing 50,000 words. No one said that they had to be 50,000 golden words to "win!"
I hope the words are flowing for all of my other, crazy Nano buddies! For the rest of you (likely saner) people, I hope you are enjoying your weekend!
I hope the words are flowing for all of my other, crazy Nano buddies! For the rest of you (likely saner) people, I hope you are enjoying your weekend!
Friday, November 13, 2009
No excuses
The most wonderful hubby took the older two to the highschool football game tonight and the little guy is in bed, which means: I have TIME to work on my wordcount!
Middle son is bringing a friend home from the game to spend the night. I usually try to stay up until I think they are asleep (which may not take long tonight) but otherwise, means time to up the wordcount!
(I wanted to have his friend over tomorrow night as my daughter has been invited to a sleep over tomorrow night but the friend really wanted to come tonight. Which works out better, now that I think about it. C will be so tired by tomorrow night that by the time we get N off to her sleepover, he may be ready for bed, himself! The little guy certainly will so there may yet be time to up the wordcount!)
Most wonderful hubby is then taking older two to a concert on Monday night. (Yes, it is a school night. Yes, they will be wiped out. The important thing here is that the little guy will go to bed, they will be gone and I will have another chance to seriously up the word count!)
Now I just have to stop blogging and...up the other word count.
Middle son is bringing a friend home from the game to spend the night. I usually try to stay up until I think they are asleep (which may not take long tonight) but otherwise, means time to up the wordcount!
(I wanted to have his friend over tomorrow night as my daughter has been invited to a sleep over tomorrow night but the friend really wanted to come tonight. Which works out better, now that I think about it. C will be so tired by tomorrow night that by the time we get N off to her sleepover, he may be ready for bed, himself! The little guy certainly will so there may yet be time to up the wordcount!)
Most wonderful hubby is then taking older two to a concert on Monday night. (Yes, it is a school night. Yes, they will be wiped out. The important thing here is that the little guy will go to bed, they will be gone and I will have another chance to seriously up the word count!)
Now I just have to stop blogging and...up the other word count.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
No dinosaurs in the Revolutionary War
The Veteran's Day program at my older children's school was a very nice production. The toddler did as well as could be expected. He was just confused when one class began to sing "Yankee Doodle Dandy." He kept looking for Barney.
Monday, November 09, 2009
The quest for the matching sock
New kids book idea:
I just have to come up with a story where a Young Indiana Jones-type kid battles seemingly insurmountable mountains of laundry, searches an 8-year-old's room for one small piece of a uniform that is the key to unlocking an even great mystery.
Perhaps there is cute, pre-teen, unknown vampire out there who is truly good and wants to protect a young girl who has found the secret to defeating evil, dirty dishes.
(No need to develop either idea into a video game. They would absolutely, virtually fold laundry but would never come upstairs to find two matching socks!)
I just have to come up with a story where a Young Indiana Jones-type kid battles seemingly insurmountable mountains of laundry, searches an 8-year-old's room for one small piece of a uniform that is the key to unlocking an even great mystery.
Perhaps there is cute, pre-teen, unknown vampire out there who is truly good and wants to protect a young girl who has found the secret to defeating evil, dirty dishes.
(No need to develop either idea into a video game. They would absolutely, virtually fold laundry but would never come upstairs to find two matching socks!)
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