School Day Blues

This week has begun a new adventure for me.  An adventure of change. 

As I stood at the bus stop this morning and waved at my five-year old son, I felt that creeping plague I like to call the “school day blues” come over me.

Granted, I’d been shipping my oldest child off to school for three years now, but today was my son’s very first day of school.  Funny how us mothers cry when it comes to placing our children into the hands of another for several hours of the day. I did the same thing when my oldest started kindergarten – twice actually. We moved in the middle of the school year and it felt like I put her on the bus for her first day of kindergarten twice.

I was teary eyed on the first day of pre-school for my son, and I’m teary eyed today on this first day of kindergarten.

But my teary eyed days are not over, oh no not by far. There’s still next week when the school day blues will threaten me again. My youngest daughter will be heading off to preschool. And, in two years there will be another kindergarten first day.

It’s amazing how as a mother we can go from not wanting to part with our children to being anxious for those first days of school starting again. The bliss of a few hours to run errands, shop, or just have time to one’s self.  I’m in the middle. While I miss my children, my days are filled with activities.

I’ve started a new adventure.

How about you? Where is this school year taking you?

Published in: on September 1, 2010 at 1:29 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Scavenger Hunt

I apologize for my unannounced absence these past days.  Sometimes being a mom takes us on a multitude of scavenger hunts.

I can’t say the time was purely wasted. I served my family in many ways and found many rewards – hence the scavenger hunt.

But I must say the most interesting scavenger hunt came just a few days ago. I love the little quirks of my family.

My three-year-old daughter found my husband’s motorcycle keys laying on our dresser. She said, “Papa can I play with these?”

In which my husband replied. “Sure, just don’t lose them.”

Now being a mother, and a wife, there are times when you just give your spouse that look. The look that says, “are you crazy?” But, being a good wife, you remain silent, thinking for a moment that your spouse is indeed sane and knows what they’re getting themselves into.

Wrong!

Having the hubby home with the kids, I fully took advantage and ran to do all my errands. I never thought about the keys again. As a rule in our house, the kids know not to touch Momma’s keys.

So I would imagine that my hubby would have kept an eye on our three-year-old and as soon as she put the keys down, scoped them up and put them in a safe place.

Wrong again.

That evening, as we prepared wee ones for bed, my hubby says to my three-year-old. “Where are my keys?”

As sweet and innocent appearing as a three-year-old can be, my baby replies,”I don’t know.”

My husband appeared if he would shake our three-year-old, but instead he got down to her level and said,” I need my keys. Can you show me where you put them?”

So thus the scavenger hunt began. My three-year-old lead us to every room in the house. She truly didn’t know where she left them.  My husband was cringing. He needed his motorcycle the next day.

What was supposed to be a peaceful evening turned out to be a scavenger hunt. We tossed pillows, looked in the living room, under the couch, behind the television, and under the rug. We scavenged the dining room to no avail. Then we trudged down into the playroom. If the keys were there it would take a decade to sort through all the toys. We searched the play oven, the drawers in the table, shelves and on countertops. Sign…no keys.

So we grabbed our flashlights and headed outside. We searched the little tyke playhouse, around the swing set and the picnic table. No keys.

Exhausted we went to bed.

The next day when my oldest daughter woke up she asked what we were doing that day. “Finding Papa’s keys.” I told her. Less than fifteen minutes later she came and handed me a set of keys.

They were in the playroom in the cup holder of a camping chair that we often sit in to watch tv. Lol… the scavenger hunt had ended, and thus so has my absence.

Published in: on August 30, 2010 at 11:46 am  Leave a Comment  

Crafty Mom Moment

So here it is, the little strawberry shortcake backpack that I put together. Okay, really, all I did was iron on the strawberry shortcake patches.

I got these patches from a seller on Etsy. They’re pretty simple to make to. Just some fabric, Iron on adhesive, and I used a little fabric paint around the borders.

I’m happy with the results, most importantly so is my youngest daughter.

I spent the weekend spending time with me kids and hashing out my next project.  But in the mean time, I’m still scratching notes down in journals and getting the house, the kids, and myself prepared for the week when school starts.

I’ve got a spot picked out at the local library, quiet, peace…just me and my laptop for the few precious hours of when my youngest is at preschool.  Until then, I’ll keeping tapping away in the nook I call my office here at the house.

I’ve got several notebooks and journals spread across my desk as we speak. Characters are forming, names are brewing and the plot is beginning to thicken. Before you know it, a new title will be born and a story will once again be stirring around here.

But that’s for Wednesday. today, I’m just happy the backpack is finished the little ones are running around content.

Published in: on August 16, 2010 at 12:24 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

What Comes Next?

Whenever I finish the draft of a manuscript, whether it’s the first draft or the last draft, I like to take some time and spend with my children. The past few days we’ve been putting together puzzles, doing crafts, and playing out in the back yard. All fun things.

Yet, now that I’ve completed one work in progress, it’s time to start thinking about the next one.  My oldest daughter is always complaining, “When are you going to write something I can read?”

She’s going into third grade this year.

It’s like the puzzles my son has had me laying on the floor putting together lately, which new project to start piecing together do I choose?

Sometimes as a writer you get this thing called “writer’s block”, fortunately for me that’s not happening. My problem is I’ve got tons of ideas, like little puzzle pieces waiting to be put together. If only to choose which ones to work on first…

I think this week I’ll be retreating into the research mode, that stage before actually diving into writing. I have another work in progress from before “FORGOTTEN REINS” that  I’m thinking of picking up again, then there’s always writing a story for my daughter, and of course a screen play that I’ve been hashing out in my head for a few months.

Hmmm… the choices…

In the mean time, my youngest daughter’s strawberry shortcake patches have come in for her backpack and my oldest daughter has requested I teach her how to sew. Both adventures on their own, we’ll see if that leads me and my research to picking up the pieces of the next work in progress.

I hope your weekend leads to a great adventure as I’m sure mine will.

Published in: on August 13, 2010 at 11:47 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

Short But Sweet

Since my hunt for Strawberry Shortcake didn’t quite leave me with the backpack I was searching for, I decided to go on the adventure of making my own. So I bought my daughter a backpack at the local grocery store (of all places right?) It’s too cute. And then I headed over to Etsy where I bought some Strawberry Shortcake patches to iron on the backpack. As soon as I get them, I’ll let you know how it comes out. :)

In the mean time, I’ve been spending a lot of time with the kids.  It cuts my writing time short, but the kids will be going back to school in just a few short weeks. So, I’ve been working on some short anthologies and submitting them to Cup of Comfort and  Chicken Soup for the Soul.

These are great book series filled with personal stories. I encourage you, whether you have a story to share or not, to check them out. They can be both inspiring and heartwarming to those who read these themed books.

Cup of Comfort

Chicken Soup for the Soul

You never know when you might find one of my stories within their pages. :)

Published in: on August 11, 2010 at 12:35 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

The Hunt For Strawberry Shortcake

I’m always amazed at the things that other parents will do for their kids. Once in a while I’ll think, nope not me. Not in a million years. Then it happens… I become one of those parents.

Last week was my youngest child’s birthday. She loves Strawberry Shortcake! So, since she’s heading off to preschool this I thought, no problem, I’ll get her a Strawberry Shortcake backpack. Easier said than done!

Strawberry Shortcake isn’t exactly hanging on the shelves at our local Wal-Mart. So, I surfed the internet and found a lot of great things for my daughter that were Strawberry Shortcake.

 Like this adorable Strawberry Shortcake crayon tote from Emmigracekids.etsy.com. Perfect for carrying along in the car for all those trips we’ve been making this summer or off to Grandma’s house.

Then there’s always this cute little hair bow from ChicClips.

And then who couldn’t resist these sweet little necklace from ZWILLINE97.

Since these items aren’t easily found in stores, I love to search Etsy for unique and custom things. There are a great variety of talented people and you can find the cutest, custom, and on of a kind things. Like these too.

    

Alas, so much to choose from….

With my latest work in progress sent off to the betas, I’ll have plenty of time to find that backpack and doe a little more strawberry shortcake hunting (or shopping :) )

Published in: on August 9, 2010 at 3:53 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , ,

Bringing Out the Betas

WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING: A Soldier’s Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt.

WORK IN PROGRESS: COMPLETE!!

Last week I posted the deleted scene from my work in progress FORGOTTEN REINS. As for now, I’m leaving that for the title.

What you can’t see is me, doing the Snoopy dance of completing this expanded draft of the manuscript. Even though this is just one stage of the novel-writing process, I”m happy to be moving on to the next stage.

The Beta stage.

As I’ve completed the manuscript, now it’s time to pass on my project to three dear friends of mine for a preview read of my story. Thus, the beta stage.

During this stage I send off my manuscript to three separate people in three separate towns. Each reader does exactly that, they read it. No proofing. It’s like a private book club where as they get the first look at the book, complete with questions at the end.

These people help me to finalize and smooth out any rough edges and bumps the manuscript may before sending it off to an agent or editor. They give me their real opinion on the read, not the grammar. The grammar, if not in good shape at this point, is fixed in the final review.

So today, I’m sending out FORGOTTEN REINS to my betas. It’s sort of like sending one of my kids to camp. one part of me looks forward to having it back again while the other part is relieved to have it gone. In the mean time, I’ll just have to distract myself with another project.

Perhaps I’ll pull out my screen play from April’s script frenzy challenge and give it a little revision. Who knows, but first to close up my computer until monday, The kids are calling. It’s time to go play.

Heads up Betas, the manuscript is on its way!

Published in: on August 6, 2010 at 7:57 pm  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , , ,

How to Make Him Listen to You

WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING: A Soldier’s Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt.

WORK IN PROGRESS: 80,254 words

So many times I hear women expressing their frustration over their boyfriends and husbands, who don’t ever listen to them.  Over the years, I’ve been able to relate. It never fails. While carrying on a conversation with my husband, I’ll turn back and ask him what his thoughts are – and his reaction, “What did you say?”
He wasn’t listening.
 
It’s an all to familiar thing that tumbles through our house like balls of weeds pushing through a dusty road of an old ghost town in a black in white movie. He just doesn’t listen to me anymore. I chatter, he tunes me out, or just agrees with everything I have to say. It’s safer that way, he says.
Sound familiar? 
 
So what i is a woman supposed to do to get her husband or boyfriend to listen to her?  I found this advice from ivillage.com, “Encourage him to listen to you, by showing appreciation when he does. By the same token, show interest when he talks to you. Be aware that most men aren’t mentally programmed for conversation in the way women are. They need more silence and internal time. “

We can call up our girl friends and chat for hours, for our husbands and boyfriends every minute draws pure exhaustion. Keep your conversations direct and to the point. If you want him to participate…you’ll need to ask him questions. Men don’t usually voluntarily strike up a new subject to keep the conversation going like women.

On the other hand, make sure when he does talk that you’re listening. Ask questions and find out more about what he’s saying. If you don’t understand, let him know. He may feel more relaxed to explain it to you. If you’re bored, smile. He’s been listening to you for years, even though it might appear as if he’s tuned you out.

Many times we tend to give long lectures of explanation when a one or two-word answer will suffice. Many times I cringe at asking my husband to explain something, and halt him in the middle. “Can you say that again in English?” I’ll say. (Translation – “get to the point”).

When all else fails, there’s always the myth that a way to a man’s heart is through food. The same can be applied to getting him to listen. In our house it’s chocolate fudge brownies.

How do you get your partner to listen to you?

Published in: on August 4, 2010 at 6:59 pm  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Once Upon a Nation

WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING: A Soldier’s Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt.

WORK IN PROGRESS: 79,574 words

A few days ago, we packed up the kids and headed back to Philadelphia. We had an afternoon appointment at Children’s Hospital for our oldest daughter.  The doctor was pleased with her progress and made a few suggestions to help her scar heal. As her mother, I found relief when the doctor said we wouldn’t have to come back for a year and at that time he really just wanted to see a picture of her lip.

After the appointment, we headed for lunch at Pat’s Steak House, founder of the Philly Cheese Steak.

Then we headed to Franklin Square, where we sat on a bench and listened to a story about an old district in Philadelphia. This program, Once Upon a Nation, is a really enlightening and interesting way to find out more about our Nation’s history. All stories told were about old Philadelphia.

There are thirteen Once Upon a Nation benches within walking distance around Franklin Square. We were able to sit at two of those benches before story time was over.

We played in the park, rode the merry-go-round, and ate ice cream before heading home.

This is one story, I’m sure, I’ll never get tired of hearing. Especially, when it’s my kids retelling it with smiles and giggles of the day we visited Franklin Square.

Published in: on August 2, 2010 at 1:08 pm  Comments (2)  
Tags: , , , , ,

Deleted Scene From “Forgotten Reins”

WHAT I’M CURRENTLY READING: A Soldier’s Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt.

WORK IN PROGRESS: 79,224 words

As you know, my current work in progress is coming to a close. It makes my heart pound just thinking about finally being able to flip over the last page of this story. But I’ve got to admit, I’m also anxious to move on to the next story that’s been floating around in my subconscious.

The log line for my current work in progress goes  like this, “Sometimes the cost of saving a life is worth paying the price of yesterday’s sorrows.”

Working title: FORGOTTEN REINS, although I’ve been leaning toward renaming it SEVEN DOLLAR BRIDE, we’ll see when I’ve finished up the current re-write. (I say “current” because there is no such thing as a “final re-write” until the story actually hits print.)

Today, I decided to delete a scene. It wasn’t really moving the story along. So, I decided to share it since it won’t be in the final version.

Sarah and Michael are my two main characters, they’re at dinner party hosted by Michael’s step-father, Harold Kingsley. Most everyone at this dinner party is affiliated some way or another in horse racing, and this scene takes place in Lexington Kentucky.

FORGOTTEN REINS – DELETED SCENE

“Sarah, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Michael placed his hand at the small of her back directing her through the crowd. 

They walked up to a small group of men laughing and listening to Harold Kingsley entertain them with another one of his horse stories. Michael wedged them into the circle. When Harold was finished, Michael tapped an older gentleman on the shoulder. “Mr. Wilkes, I’d like you to meet Sarah Colvert.”

“How do you do, Mr. Wilkes,” suddenly, Sarah felt the stare of a dozen eyes turn in her direction. She glanced at Michael. What did he think he was doing pulling her into the middle of all these gentlemen?

“Ah, yes, Robert and Hannah’s girl. My…what’s it been now…seven-eight years? A real tragedy it was.”

“Six,” Sarah said. She glanced around the crowd and took a step back. Michael’s hand wrapped around her waist and held her from escape.

“Still ride like your mother?” Mr. Wilkes inquired.

“I haven’t ridden in years.” Sarah confessed. Not since Ethan was born.

“But I reckon she’ll be getting back in the saddle again, real soon.” Michael added.

“Seems a shame to waste all that talent.” Harold said.

Mr. Wilkes took her by the arm and drew her aside. He reached into the pocket of his tux and pulled out a handkerchief. “If you’re interested in riding professionally again, I could use someone of your talents. Robert and Hannah only bred the best.” He winked.

“That’s very kind of you,” Sarah replied. “But I’ve recently founded the Silver Wind Equine Rescue.”

“Rescue?” Mr. Wilkes’ eyebrows shot up as he dapped sweat from his forehead. “What possibly could a horse need rescued from?”

Several members of the crowd gathered close.  Sarah pressed the urge to flee down and smiled despite the catastrophic tremble in her arms. Michael wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She tilted her head up. “What do they need rescued from?” she asked. “How about abuse? Abandonment? Have you ever considered what happens to a prize race horse when it’s no longer bringing home blue ribbons? And what happens to the foals whose mothers are too busy racing than to raise them?

You ask what kind of horses need rescued–those are just a few of the types of horses that are saved, rehabilitated, and given a second chance at my stables.”

Mr. Wilkes appeared taken back, he and all the rest of them made mumbling sounds and some turned away.  “Isn’t that what you are doing, Dr. Wolfe?”

Michael grinned, pulled Sarah closer and responded, “Rehabilitate, yes. However, I’m afraid I’ll leave the rescuing up to Sarah.”

Several members of the crowd shuffled away. Harold and another gentleman lingered. “Now about that clinic of yours…” Mr. Wilkes moved away from Sarah and dragged Michael along with him.

Michael held up his empty glass and Sarah pointed toward the balcony. For a moment, at least, she’d retreat. A waste of talent. She shook her head. It didn’t matter what anyone thought, anyone but Michael.

Published in: on July 30, 2010 at 1:47 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries