Thursday Thoughts

Tory asked me Tuesday if I'd seen the video of the dormouse snoring. I hadn't, so went off to look. I have a soft spot for rodents, so this was definitely an "awww" video:



I've been looking for stock pictures for "Now and Forever". It's amazing how hard it is to design your own cover -- I have much greater empathy for the cover artists now, though I wonder: is it harder or easier to design a cover for a book you haven't read?

I've been trying to write as well, but am having a tendency to flit between stories and, as a result, am getting little actually accomplished. I need to settle on one, I suppose.

Other than than, things are pretty quiet. That's a good thing...

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You Are a Carrot Cake Cupcake

You are a complex person. You have many interesting layers to your personality, though others might not know it. You are drawn to a cross section of people. You friends play different roles in your life. You are like a cupcake because you are are deceptively simple. There's actually a lot to you! There are many ingredients in your life, and you only want them in proper amounts. Being you is a delicate art.

What Flavor Cupcake Are You?

Hmmm.... maybe 50/50.

Just Two More

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. ~Vita Sackville-West

Two more scenes.

That's all I need to finish for the sequel to "Kitchen Matches" to be complete. More, I've already sent it through a couple of CPs for crits on what was there and polished it up.

Two more.

Why is that so hard?

*sigh*

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My dog is going to peel her skin off. This morning, she couldn't even walk to the door, her back legs were twitching with each step in the need to scratch. We gave her a bath with medicated shampoo and two kinds of soothing leave on spray and it helped for a while. Last night, though, she woke me up several times scratching. And she has a big, red welt on her shoulder.

I've never wanted it to freeze early before, but I'm kinda pulling for one good hard freeze. Then in can warm up again.

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No, I didn't feel the earthquake yesterday -- we were driving, and I expect that hid it from us. My SIL felt it pretty significantly, as did others around here. Poor folks down in that area! Hurricane Irene is supposed to come through, too. God's not pleased with that area right now.

Of course, Irene is supposed to hit US, too. So if I'm offline, it's cuz I lost power folks. We're pretty far inland, though, so hopefully it'll just be heavy rain and a little wind.

Whee.

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You Are a Pretzel

You are reliable and dependable. You can be counted on, through thick and thin. You enjoy relaxation and quiet. You don't have a need to make things exciting. You are comforting and stable. You know what you do best, and you stick to it. You prefer a steady life, but you have been known to add some spice when things get routine.

What Baseball Park Snack Are You?

That's about right!

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Writing, a Doe and Bugs

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. ~Norbet Platt

Yeah, I suck at titles... lol...

I got my weekly writing tips newsletter from Holly Lisle. This week she answers the question, "Why write fiction" with this (in part):

Reality was a caveman freezing.

Fiction was that same caveman wondering, "What if a god were to give us the magic of fire?"

And then telling his imagined story to someone who saw past the gods and figured out a way that a man might capture fire, and touch the realm of gods in the doing.

Fiction---good fiction, anyway---is dream made flesh, given purpose and drive, and set on a quest to show us the best in us and to give us the power and the tools to dream beyond reality's 'merely good enough' to a vision of what is truly great...

...and then to give us the stories of men and women of character who in turn inspire those of us who dare to reach for the truly great within ourselves.

Inspiring... thanks, Ms. Lisle. I do like her newsletter -- it's never very long, comes weekly, and usually makes me feel motivated and happy.

Yesterday we had a huge doe (a deer, a female deer) in our backyard. My DH hasn't cleared back there this year (the way things grow here, it'll be a forest by next spring) so there was plenty to eat. She just walked along munching on all the saplings, maple and oak appeared to be her favorite. She saw and heard us, but didn't appear to be overly spooked. It's pretty amazing how large they are -- especially their ears, which are a bit like satellite dishes.

Since my garden is pretty well caput anyway, I didn't mind having her there.

Speaking of my garden, my summer squash is infested with squash borers. The bases of all three plants is rotted and covered with frass. I sprayed the pogees out of them with some natural pesticides I have (used about half a bottle to make sure it soaked in really well and got those buggers) and then covered the base with dirt. The plants may not make it, but I don't want any babies surviving. :::grumble:::

I may mark summer squash off my gardening list next year, too. At this rate, all I'm going to plant is beans and cucumbers...

Not a lot planned for this weekend. Hopefully it'll be peaceful and stress-free. Wishing you all the same!

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You Are an Amaretto Chocolate Cherry Cupcake

You have a deep desire to leave your mark on the world. You want to change things for the better. You are an object of fascination for many. You shine brightly and boldly. You are youthful in spirit and appearance. You refuse to grow up! To be honest, danger excites you a little. You believe that anything that is worth doing has some risk.

What Exotic Cupcake Are You?

Maybe 25% right ...

Wednesday?

"Pursue one great decisive aim with force and determination." - Karl von Clausewitz

The quote has nothing to do with today... I just liked it. :-)

Aside from the fact I kept forgetting it was Tuesday, yesterday was a pretty good day. I'm still fighting a raspy, mostly non-productive cough that I got following my sore throat escapade last week. It's bad enough it wakes me up 2 - 3 times a night. It has DD worried enough (granted, she IS a drama queen) that she keeps hugging me and saying, "Don't die." Aside from the cough and being really tired, though, I feel fine. It's weird.

Liz Fichera said yesterday that she's living vicariously through my pix because of the greenery in the back. While I understand -- Liz lives in the desert, and I remember living in Colorado Springs (which is high desert and oddly devoid of plant life and trees) and missing green stuff fiercely. Now though? Not so much. Things grow SO well in New Hampshire, it's a little scary. 100 years ago, the state was largely pastureland, pretty much cleared of trees. You saw the picture of my yard, right? That's how most of the state looks now. DH says he'll be out in the wild, hunting or hiking, and stumble across things like rock walls in the middle of nowhere (that's the other thing NH grows efficiently ... rocks.) and ruined buildings, so it's clear folks used to live and farm there.

Brandy asked on Friday if I'll have more time to write once DD is in school. I hope so. I'm not sure what my days will look like, how much volunteer time I'll be putting in at school, since they strongly encourage that, and how much of my time will be spent on other things: errands, etc. But I have very positive thoughts on finding more time to write.

Today we have to go get some new flippers for DD. Remember the flipper fiasco of last year? She still has the Visa gift card the manufacturer sent to cover the cost of the flipper and since the lake water is finally about warm enough to swim in (it's 65 degrees as of last weekend), she's eager to go get a pair. Otherwise, we'll stay home and work/school because I want to GET DONE with her school. She's only got 6 more days to go... I think I'm as antsy as she is!

Have a great day all.... I hope the weather is gorgeous and the day calm.

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You Are Strong

You are independent and resourceful. You prefer to rely on yourself and not involve others. You are a rock. There may be a world of chaos swirling around you, but you stay steady. You may have had a difficult time earlier in life. You are highly sensitive and a little cautious. You lay the groundwork for months or years before you act. You like to be completely and totally prepared.

The Window Test

About 75% right...

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Sun!!

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. - John Denver

Holy smokes!! The sky is clear and blue outside.

:::faints dead away:::

Seriously, folks I don't know what I'm going to do with myself today -- it's supposed to be sunny and nice. Probably I'll go out and weed, and see if my garden survived the flood. My cucumbers, eggplant and squash weren't looking so great last time I checked on Saturday...

Didn't get my writing done yesterday -- but I have high hopes for today. DH has stuff to do, so shouldn't be underfoot.

Speaking of which, he's awake, so I'm going to sign off early. Today, I'll check for pillars and take some pix of my green, growing things.

Wishing you all a great day!



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You Should Celebrate with Champagne

You have high standards, and you are nice to everyone. Manners are important to you, even if that's old fashioned. You tend to follow norms. You figure why rock the boat unless there's a good reason to? You think of yourself as regular gal or guy next door. You do your best to make life a little special sometimes. You don't have a jealous bone in your body, and you're truly for happy for others when they succeed.

What's Your Celebration Drink?

About 3/4 right and champagne is the only alcohol that gives me a hangover, so I abstain. *G*

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Wednedsday Writing and Weather

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Yesterday, I took time to write -- and tried not to feel guilty about it. I went back to my NaNoWriMo roots and brainstormed the silliest scenes I could think of and then figured out where they might work in "Now and Forever". I got most of one written AND I think I figured out how to make my ending more "Awwwwwwwwwww....", which is what I strive for in all my endings.

Speaking of NaNoWriMo... they're having a NaNo THIS SUMMER! I'm so excited... though I may not be able to participate (because I have to learn three new computer languages AND rebuild the LASR/WC website -- theoretically) I'm thrilled they're doing this because someday I hope to actually have "me" time again and be able to participate twice a year. I love NaNo. There is something incredibly freeing about NaNo. It helps bring back the joy of writing for me, and I miss that.

In other news: it's raining. Again (or is that "still"?). It's awful. I hate it. The overcast, the lack of sun, the inability to get outside and walk or garden or play with the dog. UGH.

Thankfully, this should be done by Saturday. Then I get a whole 'nother pile of fun because DH is taking all of next week of. For no reason. Just because. And you know what THAT means... he'll be finding chores for us to do. DD is already behind a few days in school, I have neverending work to do (learning new computer languages for one) and I KNOW he's going to be taking down trees or tiling the kitchen or something. *sigh*

If he would just stay home and be calm, relax, recreate ... I could handle it.

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You Are Grounded

You don't put bounds or limitations on your thoughts. You are a down to earth daydreamer. You are compelled to help everyone around you. You are naturally selfless. You like to be around others even if you don't share easily. You enjoy camaraderie. You don't try to understand the world around you... it just comes naturally.

The Rooted Tree Test

I agree that I'm pretty grounded, but the rest is only about 25% right.

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(Over)thinking Things Through

A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket. ~Charles Peguy

It's amazing how one comment can derail your writing. I've had it happen dozens of times, with dozens of stories, and it's occasionally a small thing that I then fixate on and can't get past.

I used to belong to a crit group where I was the only romance author -- the rest were either literary authors or mystery authors (without romantic elements). Two of the group were men.

While I credit a great deal of my growth as an author to them, and truly miss being part of the group, it also messed with my mind on a regular basis. Genre fiction is completely different than literary fiction, so frequently the crits, at least when they pertained to plot, weren't really applicable. Still, I'd grab hold of something they said and gnaw on it like a starving dog with a bone.

Overthink much?

It's happening again with a couple of my stories that have gone out for crits. And, while thinking through things isn't a bad thing necessarily, it can be if it keeps you from moving forward.

So, after gnawing on a couple of things lately, I think I'm going to have to go with my gut. Move forward and hope that my gut is right. But it's going to be something I worry about from here on out ... and heaven help me if (assuming it's published) a reviewer nit-picks any of those things I've spent the last few days agonizing about and second-guessing.

*sigh*

In any case, I'm waiting on one more set of crits for "Now and Forever" so I can finish up my edits and move one step closer to submission. After that will come the Dreaded Synopsis.

Oy.

In other news, I think I'm planting my chard and spinach seeds this weekend... spinach in the pots and chard in my front flower garden. I think I have most of my perennials popped up enough that I know where things are now, so it should be safe.

Yay spring!

And, check out a few of the earrings I'll be putting up on DistinctivelyDD today -- DD's into dangles lately:





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You Are Dramatic

Witty and talkative, you entertain with your stories and gossip. You know how to delight a crowd. No matter what, you're the life of the party or conversation. And you like to be talked about. You enjoy the honeymoon phase of friendships and relationships, but after that it's hard for you to stick around. Life is too short to be bored! When you get in a rut, you immediately shake things up.

The Little Cake Test

Uh.. no. That's so not me. I just like chocolate...

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This and That Thursday

Weather means more when you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans. ~Marcelene Cox

First, let me address a couple questions / comments from yesterday.

Angelina, I used the word "fired" from Samhain for lack of a better one. Basically, any author who hadn't been contracted by them in two years was told that they had to go through the slush pile again. I suspect this one an effort to free up their editors a little. Don't know -- I do know that a BUNCH of authors were affected. They aren't saying I can't ever go there again, they're just saying I can't go through my editor. Truthfully, I'm not that concerned. The editor they had me with had never actually edited for me before... I went through a bunch of editors there as mine kept leaving and I was reassigned. This might be a blessing, truly, as my previously assigned editor kept saying she was looking for GLBT erotica most, and that is certainly not what I'm writing. Maybe I'll find a better match this way.

Brandy and Dru, I might submit other places besides Samhain. I'd like to keep the series together but they might not want the story. I have a few other publishers in mind as well, which is always a good thing, but I'll go to Samhain first. I have another story I'm working on that isn't part of that series that I may submit elsewhere first.

In other news, my manuscript went off to two people yesterday. This is always the hard part, especially since I really hadn't sent this out in pieces first. Way back when I actually was part of an organized crit group, I'd usually have had the story critiqued in chapterlong bites first, so doing it this way is a little nervewracking.

We had a gorgeous, sunny -- though incredibly windy and cold -- day yesterday, and it looks like we're having another one today. Maybe I'll have a chance to get outside soon and clear out all the leaves and such from my gardens. I did it a little bit in the places I know I have daffodils, so they could grow (they're about 6" tall and have buds now, yay!), but there's a lot more work to be done. It's also about time to plant seeds for my annuals and my veggies. I should be able to put in my "cold" crops like peas and spinach in the next couple of weeks, and then mid-to-end of May I can put in everything else.

I love warm weather. I really with DH wasn't so attached to snowy winters...

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You Are Reflective

You don't expect perfection. You accept yourself, flaws and all. You are good enough! You are proud of what you know how to do. And you know that you're improving every day. You tend to keep good news to yourself... or only share it with a few very close to you. You are self-sufficient and don't need many friends to live a happy life. You are very private.

The Skirt Test

Mostly right.

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Monday Meandering

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. ~Pablo Picasso

We had a pretty decent weekend... fairly quiet, which is always a good thing. DD had her art show last week. I wasn't impressed with the projects this time, but the class is for a wide range of ages and this time it included some very young kidlets, so the projects were not as complicated.

I did like the idea behind this handprint:


But her mosaic wasn't as difficult as last time:



And then there was this odd modernistic collage:



And a study of complimentary colors:



Still, she had fun so I suppose that's what matters -- not turning her into the next Monet.

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I read an excerpt of a book last week that nearly made me cry. The premise sounded interesting, but the writing was so poorly done and edited that, considering the excerpt was supposed to intrigue me and cause me to buy the book, it failed and also made me want to slap the editor first, then the author.

It went something like this, in part:

Martha ran down the trail. Martha loved to run in the mornings. It was pretty, and clear and the air was fresh. Mornings were her favorite part of the day. She was so involved in her enjoyment she didn't see the knife flash down. She didn't see it cut her throat, or the enjoyment on the face of the man who attacked her.

Sadly, I'm not exaggerating.

Those of you who are readers only were probably a bit bored. Those of you who are also writers should see several errors in this finished product.

First, it's all "telling". Apparently this author missed the lesson on "show don't tell".

Second, it slips from third person POV (Martha's) into some odd omniscient narrative, which is a no-no. Head-hopping isn't great IMHO, but in this one we don't have a second head we hop into ... we just get told what's happening by the author. If Martha "didn't see" what was going on, she couldn't relay it to us.

I nearly screamed in frustration. First, this author should have done her homework. But in the absence of that, her editor should have either NOT contracted this work or TAUGHT her the correct way to write this. Shame on both of them.

Something like this is how it should have looked for publication (I'm writing this off the cuff, so it's not perfect):

Martha's feet thumped the dirt as she ran. She filled her lungs with the crisp, cool morning air and smiled as she made her way down the winding path. Was there anything better than a morning jog through the woods? She didn't think so.

A snap of a twig was the only warning she got before the knife swung down and sliced the tender skin below her chin. The pain burned and she stumbled on the path, grabbing her throat with one hand in an attempt to stop the blood pouring from the wound. The last thing she saw as she fell was the look of glee on her attackers face.

It's a shame. Truth is, a good editor is the best thing any writer can have.

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You Are a Kiwi

You're a very outgoing person. You start each day excited about the people you'll see and meet. You're the type of person who's just comfortable around others. You are a very social creature. You are quite opinionated. You can't help but have a view on everything, and you don't mind sharing it! You are prepared for whatever comes your way in life. You plan for the worst and expect the best.

Which Exotic Fruit Are You?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

The first part, not so much, but the second half is right on.

======================

My Weekend

Adolescence is perhaps nature's way of preparing parents to welcome the empty nest. ~Karen Savage and Patricia Adams, The Good Stepmother

Loooong weekend this weekend. DD and I had a bit of a struggle last week about her schooling and I put my foot down about some things. She's facing loss of privileges due to her lack of desire to actually do the work required of her, so this weekend was full of more conflict as I required her to do some studying and work to prepare her for tests she has today. There was much drama. She's a sensitive, emotional girl and I can tell the teen years are going to be ... interesting.

The weather wasn't exactly the best, either -- it LOOKED beautiful: sunny and clear. But it was cold (in the low thirties) and VERY windy, making it unbearable to be out in it for very long. I'm getting so itchy for spring, for going outside and puttering, for walking the dog and such that it was sheer agony to be indoors. But every time I ventured out, I froze my can.

There was humor and fun, too. I got another of DD's notes one afternoon (I'd run out for a quick errand and returned to this):


She was a bit fascinated by a spider we have living in our front door area (there are a few little "cracks" in the jamb around the storm door and he's hanging out there -- but ventured into public to soak up some sun).



She also made a little jewelry and I uploaded it to her store. I especially like the turquoise-like stones (it's howlite, a substitute for turquoise) she used for these:



And even better? I managed to get a little writing done -- a couple thousand words in total. I have to finish the scene I'm one (it's nearly done) and then write the final scene (it's started) and my first draft is complete. Then I need to do a quick edit and send it to one or two people for an eyeball to see if it works.

It'll be good to submit something again.

How was your weekend? Anything exciting? I know Melissa McClone got a RITA nomination for her book, "Christmas Magic on the Mountain". Who else has something to share?

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You Are Carefree Like Summer

You are open to the world and whatever it has to offer. You are comfortable with and really appreciate freedom. You try to keep things flexible because you're always picking a new path. You have changeable moods. You don't like to stick to a routine, and you prefer a lifestyle where the rules are flexible. You have a sharp and lively intelligence. Your mind is active and often restless.

What Does Your Favorite Season Say About You?

About 60% correct.

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Spring in New England

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson

Taken this morning:






My lovely crocuses:


Yes, I gave them a little greenhouse, so the flowers wouldn't die. I want THIS to be there when it melts:




Those are DD's artsy pix of our flowers :-)

In other news, I got a shot in the arm yesterday re: my writing. Got a fan note on "Kitchen Matches" which basically demanded the sequel (Cori has a pile of brothers who need their stories told!!), so I sat and wrote some more. It's SO close to being done, I need to just sit my butt down and get it finished. I know what's going to happen, I just need to get the words down.

If I hunker down and get 'er done, I could easily have it finished this week. Just need to practice:


That's "Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard" for you non-writers out there...

*G*

Have a great day!

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You Are a Newspaper

You enjoy order and structure. You don't like it when things change much from day to day. You are primarily concerned with the present. You don't like to speculate about the future. You are straightforward and honest. You pride yourself on being easy to read. You are a people person. You wish you could connect with every single person in the world.

Are You a Book, Magazine, or Newspaper?

Except for the last line, it's totally right!

====================

Snow Melt and Strange Fruit

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

It rained most of the weekend, and what amazes me is how quickly the snow melts. We've lost probably half of what we had out there in just two days. In fact, the gardens in front of my house are completely open and I have daffodils popping up (which, despite my joy in the potential of spring, is not a good thing -- it's too early and they might get hit by more snow or a hard frost).

DD is sad -- she had a complete town in our front yard. She'd been using a square plastic container and making snow bricks for walls, she'd shoveled out roads and even had a huge cave. That's all gone now.

I'm sad for her, but I'm not sad.

Yesterday I bought a fruit I've been looking at the last several times I've been at the grocery store. I've never been able to find a name for it. The sticker only says "Caribbean Red" on it, and even the lady at the checkout said it just comes up "melon" on the register. It looks like a papaya on steroids, and tastes a bit like a cross between a catalope and a papaya (neither of which I'm overly fond of, so DD gets to eat it). Anyone know what this is?





The seeds are soft and squishy and remind me of fish eggs. DD is drying some and then wants to plant them to see if they grow.

Okay ... I just took some time to research it on the 'net and found Melissa's Produce which tells me it's a papaya. Alrighty then.

I actually managed to do a little writing this weekend. I've figured out what needs to happen in "Now and Forever" (the Kitchen Matches sequel). It means going back and adding some scenes, but then I'm done. Yay me.

Today, I'm just grateful it's Monday.

How was your weekend?

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You Are Business

You are a born leader. You are a visionary, even if you don't have a vision yet. You are both a problem solver and a number cruncher. You can think big or think small. You are a natural entrepreneur. Building something other people like brings meaning to your life. You have a competitive streak and are driven by money. You'd like to get rich... and to help other people get rich as well!

What Popular College Major Are You?

Yep.

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Pure Silliness

"Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer." - Barbara Kingsolver

As most of you know, I've been struggling with my writing for some time now, though setting a small goal of 250 - 500 words a day has helped. Even so, writing that little bit had become a chore and my story was showing it. Not a good thing since it's supposed to be just this side of romantic comedy (my own genre that I call "romance that doesn't take itself seriously"... not "laugh-out-loud" funny, but still light-hearted).

A few days ago I decided that was enough. One of the ways I always got through my NaNoWriMo books (back when I actually won NaNo regularly) was by taking silly "dares" and popping them in -- whether I thought they forwarded the plot or not. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't (and were edited out), but mostly they just kept me writing, made me think outside the box (how can I add six live chickens to a book set in the city? How can I give my alpha male hero a frilly pink girl's bedroom set?) and made it fun.

We've all heard the adage: You can't edit a blank page.

So, agonizing in my first draft as to whether something is really important, whether is forwards the plot or not, staring at the keyboard worried that what I'm writing isn't appropriate for the story, thinking about the fact I might just have to take it out again, or that it might lead the characters down a road I wasn't expecting ... That had to stop.

The past few days, I've written the silliest things I can think of. IMHO they work within the story, they're fun to write (and hopefully to read) and I just don't care if they're moving the plot forward (though so far, I think they do). I start each writing session with the thought, "What can I do that's just plain silly in this scene? Something unusual, unexpected, possibly even out of character?" And then I do that thing.

Whether or not the story ultimately gets published, whether or not I end up red-lining half of what I've written, I don't care because it's slowly bringing back the joy in writing for me. That's something that's been missing for a long, long time. And then maybe once that's accomplished, I can be more productive. But for now, I'm just happy I'm writing.

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You Are a Strawberry Milkshake

You are a patient and compassionate person. You are willing to accept people as they are. You have a natural sweetness to you that others appreciate. You have a sense of humor about everything. You are easily delighted and inspired. You think life is pretty great. If things don't go your way, you always believe that you will persevere.

What Flavor Milkshake Are You?

About half right ... I do like strawberry milkshakes though (as a strong second to chocolate).

Waiting For Spring

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

I've made some jokes about the snow melting here by June... but I gotta tell you, I suspect once it warms up above freezing on a regular basis, it'll be gone lickety-split. We had days in the low 40s this weekend -- two of them -- and we lost a good 8 - 10" of snow to the melt. Our mailbox is now above the snow!

I've started getting gardening catalogs in the mail -- it's so tempting to buy stuff, but honestly I don't need any more ornamental plants. I will go to my local Agway and get seeds (they have SO MANY CHOICES!) and then get some annuals later, but I'm avoiding the temptation of the catalogs so far. I think I'm going to plant at least one or two new veggies this year, just because. And, if my knee holds up, I'm going to expand the area of my garden a bit because you can't grow too many veggies.

I can't WAIT until spring.

I've written another 255 words and am actually thinking I might finish this story. Amazing ... I have a screwy timeline I need to figure out, though, because this story -- "Now and Forever" is actually going to be happening at the same time as the next story in one has apparently become a series in my brain, "Drive Me Crazy". Still, it's moving forward, slow and steady.

=======================

You Are a Zebra

You are a multifaceted and complex person. The front you provide is even a bit of an illusion. You are a study in contradictions and strong contrasts. You believe that there is more than one way to look at things. You also believe in accepting yourself. You feel different from everyone else, and you embrace that. You inspire others to be their true selves and even flaunt what they've got!

What Black and White Animal Are You?

Um .... okay. Maybe?

==============

Jury Duty part Deux

“I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.” - Thomas Jefferson

“I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system -- that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up.” - Harper Lee

So ... my DH showed up for the jury pool (for the last time) yesterday. He'd just finished serving on the jury last week for the civil case he was selected for. Yesterday, they were seating five cases (with alternates, it comes out to needing about 70 jurors) and there were only 100 people in the pool.

Odds were good he'd get chosen.

The scary part? Two cases were for three months and one was for SIX months.

He laid it all out for the judge. Explained about how his job wouldn't let him take off that long, that he was the sole-breadwinner and long cases were a hardship he couldn't afford. The judge said he'd see what he could do, but no promises.

In a good news / bad news situation, DH was seated again, but only on a case that's scheduled for three days.

Phew.

Then he's done. Hallelujah.

It's snowing. Not a ton (they predict 2" by the end of the day), but enough to make it sloppy and for stupid people to cause accidents. Of course, it's on the one day I have to go out -- art lessons. I swear, it only snows on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. At least we won't miss agility (again) since it's supposed to be clear.

I'm having fun with my story. It's refreshing to actually enjoy what I'm writing for a change. I'm interspersing writing with reading, so haven't gotten tons done, but the reading I'm doing is as a writer, not a reader, so it's part of the whole "writing" gig.

Only got 230 words yesterday. But every word counts.

My local Agway has their seeds out. I almost bought some yesterday ... I'm planning my garden and, assuming the snow melts by then, will put in my "cold" crops at the end of April: peas, spinach, swiss chard. In May, I'll plant my summer stuff: cucumbers, squash, tomatoes. I might try carrots, though we don't usually have a lot of luck with them, and I'm thinking about beets (I don't actually like beets, but beet greens are good).

I'm SO ready for spring.

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You Are a Crow

You are highly intelligent and have a lot of mental strength. You value self-reliance, and you work hard every day to improve your life. You believe that life is magical, and you are always looking for new and exciting opportunities. You follow your own path, and the turns you take are often unexpected and inspired.

What Bird Are You?

Except that crows always make me think of "The Stand", the rest is true. I'm just not sure I like being a crow ...

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Super Superbowl

Pro football is like nuclear warfare. There are no winners, only survivors. ~Frank Gifford

Watched the Super Bowl all the way to the end last night -- for those of you not on Eastern Time that may not seem that hard, but OY, it was for me. I miss California time...

Best part about the game? That is WAS as game. I watched to the end because, even though at halftime it seemed over, the Steelers rallied and it was any teams game after the third quarter. Well done, both teams.

Anyway ...

Before it started, DH said, "Who do you think is going to win?"

Being ever informed, I asked, "Who's playing?"

"Steelers and Packers."

I thought for a moment, having no idea who was expected to win. Went with my gut for the Cheese-Heads. "Packers."

"Cool, cuz I think the Steelers are going to win."

See ... that way, we could root against each other and make it fun.

A few things: I absolutely *HATE* the GoDaddy commercials. They're one of the reasons we don't let DD sit and watch the show. I swear, there is no more "family" entertainment anymore, and it frustrates the snot out of me.

Loved the Volkswagen Darth Vader commercial, but was sad how much was cut out from when I watched it at Melissa's blog. Here it is again, in its entirety, for those of you who didn't see it:



And I thought the Packers QB, Rodgers, was the reason they won. He got hit a dozen times (hello, offense... protect your QB!), his one wide receiver (Nelson, I think) was a fumble fingers (reminded me of Clifford Franklin in "The Replacements") but he kept it together. Every time I saw him, he looked focused and completely un-rattled. I was thoroughly impressed.

So ... good for you, Packers!

Speaking of "The Replacements" makes me have to post this:



In other news, I wrote 320 words last night during the game. LOL... usually I can't write with distractions, but it worked for me for whatever reason.

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Your Love Word is "Devotion"

For you, love is a doing word. You prove your love with the actions you take every day. You are loyal and true to whoever you're in a relationship with. You don't give up unless things are absolutely hopeless. You don't love easily or quickly. You only will fall for someone you truly and completely adore. Once you love, you love intensely. You take love very seriously.

What's Your Love Word?

Yep.

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The Blog Post That Has No Name

You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. ~Clay P. Bedford

Melissa mentioned being jealous of all our snow. Melissa, I'd ship it off to you if I could. There's a guy down the road who stuck a sign in one of his drifts that says: FREE SNOW. :-)

LONG day yesterday ... DD and I didn't agree on a few things about school, like what it means to actually be "done" (yes, that means that your quiz AND your homework is finished) and how many times I should give her hints during a poem she was supposed to have memorized before we decided that it wasn't really memorized after all. There was much fussing and stomping of feet and "but, mom-ing".

Usually it's much easier, but our routine has been messed with this week with DH on jury duty (which means he's home a LOT more -- he leaves later and gets home earlier) and Wednesday with all the snow and DH home. I think it was Weds that really did it this time. Drama, drama, drama.

I'm in the midst of changing all my bank accounts to a new bank. Our old one started imposing fees on pretty much everything starting January 1st without any way to waive them (except having massive amounts of money with them ... uh, yeah, I'm going to keep my millions - ha - with you a 1 1/2% interest. Are rich people really that stupid?). It's SUCH a pain, though. With automatic deposits and payments set up and having to switch those and just all the other crap that comes with it. Thankfully, I've been able to do almost everything either online or via phone, so it's saved me many, many hours of running around.

Yesterday, I did not get any writing done, BUT -- and this was huge for me! -- I had an epiphany about the story and how to get through this painful part and on to the end. I swear, that moment at night when I'm laying in bed all half-asleep and dozy is the absolute BEST time for brainstorming. I think my brain is looser and more willing to think outside the box then. I wish I could simulate that during the day... I suppose I could do what Samuel Taylor Coleridge did when writing "Kubla Khan" (the poem was composed one night after he experienced an opium influenced dream), but I'll probably pass on that.

I have high hopes for writing today, provided DD keeps the drama to a minimum.

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Your Dominant Personality Trait is Ambition

You are a very confident, take charge type of person. You know who you want to be, and you're going to do everything in your power to achieve your goals. You throw caution to the wind. You know that risks are necessary to get ahead in life. If you fail, you learn from the experience... and try harder next time!

What's Your Dominant Personality Trait?

Okay .... I'm good with that.

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Baby, It's White Outside!

Spring, summer, and fall fill us with hope; winter alone reminds us of the human condition. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

It snowed all day yesterday, tapering off late at night as the first of our two big storms passed. We got a good ten inches yesterday and they're expecting at least 12" more today.

Art classes were NOT canceled, however, so we headed out in the snow. About 2" of snow had already fallen by this time but most of the main roads were clear. I dropped DD off at the art center, but there was nowhere to park, even on the streets (which I may not have done anyway. The drifts have pushed out so far, when people park on the street there is barely room for even one car to drive through -- and it's meant for two cars going in opposite directions. That's just asking for someone to hit you). Her lessons last almost two hours, so I opted to drive home. The roads were already getting worse, though, so the drive back an hour later made me a nervous wreck. Thankfully people were driving sanely, for a change (with one exception: note to the guy driving the Nissan Pathfinder 50 MPH in the lane that wasn't really a lane in order to get past the line of cars going 30 MPH... you're an idiot and 4WD does not help you stop any better than the rest of us) so our trip was uneventful.

Even so, I had one doozy of a headache when I got home, probably due to being so tense in my shoulders while driving.

I'm SO ready for spring. I wonder how long it's going to take our mountains of snow to melt?

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I managed to write 255 words yesterday. I'm clinging to my goal by the skin of my teeth ...

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You Are a Green Cake

You are a highly sensitive person. You can't help but be keenly aware of the environment around you. You are naturally quite spiritual. You find happiness from living a slower pace of life. You take time to savor every moment... and that includes every bit of cake. You are not confrontational or aggressive. You believe that everyone should be given space to do their own thing.

What Color Cake Are You?

And again, no. The last couple of quizzes have been completely wrong.

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No Vacancy

"February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March." - Dr. J. R. Stockton

I wish that was the sign we could hang up for the snowstorm.

I spent the day running errands. I don't have time today (DD has art lessons), and I knew I'd be stuck in the house Wednesday and possibly Thursday. All over town (including on my street), there were bulldozers in action, scooping up snow and shoving it back from the sides of the streets and highways. Moving it elsewhere when there just wasn't anyplace to put it nearby. The drifts on the sides of the road are already almost as tall as I am, and we just don't have anywhere to put more snow. It's dangerous to pull out of stores and driveways because you can't see around the piles of snow to know if someone is coming unless you poke your nose out so far it could get taken off.

We went to the dog park for a little while yesterday, and I was amazed at how deep the snow was there. It's all packed down, hard as asphalt, but you can judge the depth based on other items in there. For instance, there are two picnic tables that have packed snow up to their benches and the teeter-totter doesn't teeter or totter. It's flat, lying on the snow. The gates only open one way and even then, just barely, thanks to the town digging out the ice and snow, but I'm really worried this next storm may put the place out of commission until spring and that would be very sad.

The joys of living in the frozen north.

I met my half-goal in writing yesterday. I did 258 words. My goal is 250 - 500, with a deep desire to hit the 500 mark. But I was out of the house for several hours and then had tons of work to do once I got home. I'm okay was 250. At the rate in which I'm writing, I'll have the first draft of "Now and Forever" done in 20 - 40 days.

All the errand running also meant I didn't visit any blogs yesterday. I hope to rectify that today!

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You Are Modest

You are a team player, and you like to make valuable contributions to the group. Compromise comes easily to you, and you're willing to work hard to get the job done. You are a peacemaker. You are very uncomfortable with conflict and confrontation. You are highly observant and in tune with your surroundings. You like to blend in.

The Zen Rock Test

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... no.

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Stuff and Nonsense

"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction." — George Horace Lorimer

Only made 164 words yesterday... it was a crazy day all around, so I know I can make excuses, but I hate not reaching my goal. Holly Lisle says not to play "make up" (i.e. I don't owe 836 words today, only my original daily goal of 500) but it's hard not to try.

I'm tired this a.m. ... went to bed early last night, but we've been sleeping with the door open so that the wood stove can heat the bedroom and not the heater. So, DH gets it in his head he has to reseal DD's bathroom floor at 9:00 pm. I *was* asleep until the light went on and work commenced (her bathroom is about 3 feet from our bedroom).

That finally ended but the smell gave me a crazy headache. Even so, I nodded off until DH came to bed a few hours later. And tossed. And turned. And tossed. And turned....

I finally told him I was going to crash on the couch because I HAD TO GET SOME SLEEP. I got all comfy and dozy and then, next thing I know he's upstairs walking around all over the place. Really? It's after midnight ...

I get up and ask him what he's doing. "There's a buzzing sound. It's driving me crazy." So he proceeded to go all through the upstairs and unplug everything (turned out it was from the keyboard in the spare bedroom which shares a wall with our room). How he heard that, I have no idea. But OY.

Finally, everyone was able to rest, but I dreamed all night about the things I had to do for the LASR/WC and the Goddess Fish sites... stressed out even in my sleep. Sheesh.

I woke with a start at 4:40 a.m., jumped up and looked at the woodstove because I didn't see a glow (it's really hard to get a fire started, so we keep it burning 24/7). There were a few coals left, but not many, so I had to put on wood. And of course, Dakota got up with me and wanted to potty ... and the cat wanted food. And I was up and about and ready to tackle my tasks that were haunting me, even in my sleep.

I swear, I look for ways to worry. I wish I could be a little more laid back.

Today, DH starts his jury duty. The case is only supposed to last a week, but we're expecting a huge storm on Tues/Weds (DH says upwards of 2 feet of snow are predicted, but everywhere I look, it only says a foot... "only"... ha) and if that happens, they'll cancel court. So ... his jury duty may extend into next week. Ugh. Poor guy.

Dru Ann, are they expecting your neck of the woods to get whomped again, too?

Those of you in 70 degree weather don't have to share that information with me. Just saying. ;-)

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You Are A Fir Tree

You love anything beautiful, and you have extraordinary taste. And while it's hard for you to trust, you care deeply for those close to you. You are a social butterfly, and you have many friends. You handle stress well - and you are a master at relaxing after a hard day. Overall, you are modest, talented, unselfish, and very reliable.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

The first half fits, the other half? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... no.

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