After Christmas

Glad it's over?
I don't know if I'd want to go that far.

The day was special. Family and friends gathered here with a delicious meal (even if I fixed the majority of it!).

The guys gave me one of the gifts on my Christmas wish list. Can you guess which one? I love it.

Some special notes of interest about the day:

Son # 2 was in a especially good mood.
Son # 1 invited a friend from work who enjoyed the food with us.
Cream Puff visited that day.
The Christmas tree twinkled beautifully all day.
Boys were happy with their presents.

Animals were spoiled rotten by my two nieces.
Everything ran smoothly.
My new desktop scene is striking.
A beautiful day outside.
Love and goodwill were in the air!


Have a good week!

Quote:
Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit. --Hosea Ballou

Blessings

This is Amazing!

Who is your most likely Role Model? It is really amazing!
Try it without looking at the answer: NO PEEKING!

• Pick your Favorite No. from 1-9
• Then Use that no. Multiply by 3.
• Then add 3, then Again Multiply with 3
• You'll get a 2 digit no. or a three digit number
• Add the digits together

Scroll down . . .

Now with that number, see Who Your ROLE MODEL is from the List below:

1. Einstein
2. Nelson Mandela
3. Jacob Zuma
4. Tom Cruise
5. Bill Gates
6. Gandhi
7. Brad Pitt
8. Hitler
9. Caroline
10. Barack Obama

I know . . .
I just have that effect on people . . .
One day you, too, can be like me.
Smile.
Believe it!

PS: Stop picking different numbers. I am your favorite, just deal with it!!
Ha, ha, ha !



Quote:
The world is round,
And the place which may seem like the end,
may also be only the beginning. --Ivy Baker Priest

Blessings

WICOE
(Women In Charge Of Everything)

is proud to announce the opening of its

EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN!
OPEN TO MEN ONLY

Note: due to the complexity and level of difficulty,

each course will accept a maximum of eight participants.

The course covers two days, and topics covered in this course include:

DAY ONE:

• HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS

Step by step guide with slide presentation

• TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?

Roundtable discussion

• DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR

Practicing with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

• DISHES & SILVERWARE; DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?

Debate among a panel of experts.

• LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS

Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while screaming - Open forum

DAY TWO:

DO THEY BELONG

IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?

Group discussion and role play

HEALTH WATCH; BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH

PowerPoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST

Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?

Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS; BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER

Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION

Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE

Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT; LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME

Individual counselors available

This is a "just for fun" blog. Sorry, guys, couldn't resist it. It's not really my thought or sentiments.


Quote:
Never let yesterday use of today. --Richard H. Nelson


Blessings

The Wonder of Christmas


What have I seen this month that's been special to me?

Big snowflakes falling
Piney branches of a real Christmas tree
Lights strung in a simple, creative manner
Snoopy in a musical globe
A beautiful manger scene, colorful and attention-grabbing
Gingerbread men cards
Some old cards I had with a snowy scene and a cowboy on it
Good emails
citrousy oranges
Eggnog
Cider
Burning logs
A funny, good Christmas play
Shopping with a friend and having fun picking out our favorite decorated trees
A beautiful homemade-looking card
An elementary and high school Christmas sing
Delicious bread



Quote:
He who limps, still walks. --Stanislaw Lee


Blessings

I Can't Change the World

In the Snoopy cartoons, at Christmas time, Charlie Brown is upset at all the commercialism going on. He's so discouraged, that he begins to believe that everything he touches or does, goes bad or wrong.

So what bothers you about our Christmas season? About our celebration?

I can tell you what I fight against:

The stress.

Yeah.

Every year, beginning in November, it starts piling up.

There are (tons of) cards to send.
There are Christmas programs and plays to attend.
There's shopping to do.
There are crowds to avoid.
There's the worry of getting 'just the right thing.'
Traffic is heavy.
Weather is bad.
Dinners to attend, prepare, plan.
Homes to clean.
Decorations to arrange.
Keeping a budget.
Gift exchanges.

And whatever else is on your list.

Do I hate these things?
Never!!

I love them. Enjoy them. Anticipate them coming.

What is it then that causes me to feel Monster Stress attacks?
Too much of a good thing.

Several years ago, I purposed to cut back, to do less, to attend fewer.
And it helped. But it's an ever-encroaching thing to fight back doing that one (or more) thing too much.

I love Christmas. But give me simple. Give me homespun. Quiet. Peaceful. Relaxing. Laughter. Joy. Worship.

That is the secret to a real Christmas. Keeping Christmas in my heart in a way that is meaningful and real to ME.

Merry Christmas!



Quote:
When some folks begin to agree with my opinions, I begin to suspect I'm wrong. --Kin Hubbeard

Blessings

Christmas is Comin'

And have I been a good girl?

Well, I don't know about that. I think I have. Decent at least, well, better than some. Okay, I've been okay.

So, can I make my wish list?

If I could have whatever I wanted, this would be some material things:

• A new digital camera
• my jeep fixed
• a new computer
• a new laptop
• some traveling time where I could relax, write, and perhaps visit a few quiet places

But my supreme wish is: to be published. I'd give all of the previous listed stuff up just to be able to say, "I'm published."

I know "they" say it's all in God's timing. And I know that too. I try to keep it in mind, especially when my anxiousness tries to get the upper hand. Or when my sense of urgency says, now or never. After all, when did those two birds ever know anything, right?

And it's not like I haven't honed my craft, spent days at conferences, researched the market, and studied, written in genre's that's not my thing--usually, and struggled through hundreds of mind-blocks.

It's not as if I haven't bearded the dreaded lions (uhm, editors and agents and all those real people) in their dens. And seriously, they are people. Some are harder to talk to than others, but most are seriously interested in finding that next manuscript that will fit their house.

I mean, after all, who wants to sit for days at a time listening to eager, pushy writers who all think they have the next best thing to a best seller; writers who are willing to give you (the editor) a chance on publishing this novel, because it's really going to hit it big. I mean, do you want to miss this chance?

Fat chance.

Only an editor will endure all that stuff and love it.

But I digress.

Back to my wish list.

So, if I could have the one thing that supercedes everything else materially that I wish for, it would be being published.

Of course, I may not know whereof I'm wishing. "They" tell me it only gets harder.

• You have to worry (if you are a worrier) that after this contract you may not get another one.
• You have to market, market, MARKET (did I mention market?), and it never gets finished?
• You have deadlines, those dreaded things.
• You're suddenly feeling very competitive to come up with the next great plot.

Irregardless. Let me be published and I promise I'll give up the rest.

At least until afterwards. (snicker!)

Toodles!

Quote:

I know so many writers who are a hundred times better than me and have longer, greater ideas than mine, but they gave up; they stopped. The biggest talent you can have is determination. Do you use the writing process as your ongoing excuse to keep exploring the world, meeting people, and learning things? If you can do that, then the writing itself will be its own payoff and reward. --Chuck Palakniuk

Blessings

A Great Gift

Any of you remember the blog where I featured the book "A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts?"

Well, I got my free copy for doing that (which was a pleasure to do).

It's a beautiful book and well deserving of praise.

Gorgeous cover, with scriptures, reflections, memories, simple stories, family snapshots, crafts, delicious recipes, family activity suggestions, trivia treasures, lists of favorite things, quotes, and so much more.

Attractively put together in hard back cover, this book is a treasure for years to come. A wonderful gift to give. I heartily recommend it!

Amazon this morning listed it for $11-12. Perfect! Buy several. One for yourself to keep and others to give away. You won't regret it.



Quote:
A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald, but if he has fire, women will like him. --Mae West


Blessings

Crazy Writers

Yeah, we're crazy.

• Who else would humbly lap up critical remarks about our works-in-progress and beg for more?
• Who else would work for hours, days, months, years . . . for mere pittance, at times?
• Who else would spend literally hours researching to get it right?

• Who else would research the craziest things, ignoring the strange looks from librarians and knowledgeable people we've begged information from?
• Who else would spend their last dime to get to a conference?
• Who else would go crazy over a dying computer?

• Who else would have lofty feelings of superiority that "those others" aren't a writer?
• Who else would jealously guard your backed-up, saved manuscripts above anything else. Steal everything else, lose everything else, forget about insurance for everything else, but our writing? We're talking valuable stuff here.
• Who else would ignore the continual questions about when you're going to "get" published? After all, un-normal (uh, those who don't write. Smile) people have no idea how hard it is.

• Who else considers all this normalness?
• Who else waits forever to get published?
• Who else endures rejections, critiques, failures, mind blocks, hand cramps, headaches (from concentration and eyestrain), and work, work, work?

Why, crazy writers, of course.

Me.


Quote:
Persevere. Even the snail made it to the ark.


Blessings

Gone, But Not Forgotten

Not someone.
Just Thanksgiving, 2008.

Someone said something the other day and I've been wanting to post about it, but . . . see previous post! Laugh.

Anyhow.

You know how people list things they are grateful for this time of the year.
Well, here are some things I'm thankful I don't have:

• I'm thankful I don't have (as of yet, or that I know) any serious illness in my close and dear friends or family.
• I'm thankful I'm not homeless. A mansion it's not, but home it is.
• I'm thankful I don't have to eat from garbage cans (I know. It's gross to think about, but it does happen.) or eat strange food that causes my stomach to turn over just thinking about it.

• I'm thankful that life is not hopeless--yet.
• I'm thankful that I haven't gotten a hundred rejections--yet.
• I'm thankful that I don't have blindness, crippling arthritis, deafness, or loss of smell--yet.
• I'm grateful I'm not dead-yet.

• And I'm happy that I don't not have a computer.
• And I'm glad I don't live in the 1800's or farther back (shiver) no matter how romantic those crazy writers paint it.
• I'm thrilled I don't live (although I'd love to visit) in Alaska where you have (I think) six months of semi-darkness and six months of light. Talk about depression!
• I'm hysterically happy that I haven't lost the zeal to write!!!!

Quote:
The writers who succeed are the ones who refuse to buckle under the failures that are heaped upon them; who reject the notion that they are as mediocre as industry professionals say they are. --Jody Piccoult


Blessings

I'm Tired, Sleepy, and Don't Feel Good!

At least, that's what my younger brother use to say when he didn't want to do something. I guess one excuse is as good as another, huh? when you know you should have done something, but you didn't, for one reason or the other.

Now, after that long drawn out explanation, I'll tell you what I'm talking about. My failure to blog much last week. Whatever the reason, I didn't get it done. I can blame it on busyness, laziness, or forgetfulness--but that doesn't change the fact.

So--here's hoping this week will be better.

You all stay in touch. I'm easily depressed when I don't hear from you! Laugh. Touche'.


Quote:
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. --Hannah Moore


Blessings!

What's Going On?

What's going on in my life right now?

Coffee.
Computer on.
Quiet. (Sigh of contentment here)
Fire sizzling in fireplace.

A nip in the air that promises snow.
Pre-dawn.
Warm, comfortable sweatshirt.
Old, raggedty socks that need to be thrown away. Laugh.

Thoughts soaring in my head.
Walking machine waiting on me to do the right thing. Ugh.
Urgency nipping at my conscience to get stuff done.
Worry over a lone-ish cat.

Nice thoughts about certain friends.
Anticipation of seeing old friends this week.
A warm memory of another quiet Thanksgiving day.
Eagerness to decorate for Christmas.

Quiet
Contentment
Anxiousness
Energy



Quote:
On the road to success, you can be sure of one thing: there is never a crowd on the extra mile.

Blessings!