S’More Reading

The only real difference to this list is that it’s going to be “S’more Reading” (as in I’ve already got a ton to do already for classes, but hey why don’t I add on some more, personal reading? Sounds like fun to me!). I figured that sounded close enough to the original to be kinda funny. Since I didn’t read them when I wanted to.

I’ll be reading them in no specific order. I am however grouping them by topic and author. I figure it’s not a bad idea to start getting my brain used to lots of reading, in different directions, and especially with “exercises”. So I’ve got a nice stack of books ready to go! And what a better way to share, but in a Thursday Thirteen post, too (though this is the only way you’ll know, LOL!) I’ll be back to edit it as well! If you’d like to read along, just click on the name of the book (I’m not getting anything from it, it’s just to show you what the book looks like!)

So, here you go:

Christian:

Stormie Omartian:

1. The Power of a Praying Woman

2. The Power of a Praying Wife

3. The Power of a Praying Parent

4. Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On

Cynthia Heald:

5. Becoming a Woman of Faith

6. Becoming a Woman of Purpose

Joyce Meyer

7. The Confident Woman

8. Look Great Feel Great

Debbie Macomber

9. Knit Together

I’ve got several other Debbie Macomber books, but they are her fiction ones. Since I plan to ALSO be reading fiction along with all these, I’m not going to include them here. I didn’t mention that? What, you don’t think I can do it? Just you wait and see. I’m also working on reading the bible (as I joined a Read the Bible in 90 Days bible study group at church).

10. Faithfully Fit – Claire Cloninger and Laura Barr

Flylady (since her movement, she’s a subject on to her own. Plus she’s a real person, so she fits under the author sectioning):

11. Both Sink Reflections and Body Clutter

“Feminist”

12. The Meaning of Wife - Anne Kingston

13. The Second Sex – Simone DeBeauvoir (NOT in the original French)

Bonus

The Mommy Diaries - Tally Flint, Ed.

This is how my vacation started…

With a call to the state troopers. Nothing too bad, just that one of my daughter’s ex-boyfriends decided it would be a good idea to pick up her cell phone and take off with it. His mom ended up driving him over so he could return it, about 2 hours after we went over to their house (I wanted to give him a chance to give it back without bringing the authorities into it), but at least it’s back. However, he did send some pretty nasty texts to her current boyfriend, and a friend of hers here in the trailer park (at least, who knows if he sent anything to anyone else?). If he comes back here, or calls her, we’re going to call the cops on him, and I will make sure he DOES get arrested.

Also, P has an ear infection. But you would never know it to look at him. He’s just as active as ever.

As for writing, I haven’t been doing much. I haven’t been doing much cleaning either. This place really needs it.

We were going to go to Erie to see New Moon. Totally spaced that D’s got Girl Scout cookie selling at a local store. I feel sad about it, because I was really looking forward to it. It’s not often that my parents can take both the kids, and that’s what was going to happen

Well, it’s late, and I’ve got to get up to clean around here in the morning.

Day 17 in the life of a novel writing author

I’ve been around, I just haven’t been around here. I’ve got things to do, like write a novel and take tests and do homework and suffer a weekend of MAJOR tooth aches. That last part wasn’t fun, the rest were.

Of course, with writing the novel, it’s starting to come a lot slower. I think it started last week, because even though I was doing research (on dresses, and hats, and asking the person who originally gave me the idea for what he wanted in the book), it was starting to feel stale. It’s halfway through the month, maybe it will pick up again in the next week or so.

Our counselor told me that it’s bad luck to call a book a novel before it’s published, until then you should call it a manuscript. Well, I guess then I know several thousands of people who are going to suffer from a serious bout of bad luck. I think he only said that because no one picked up his book. Oh well…I’d love to be published, but if all I do is write, I’m okay with that too. I know I have an amazing talent, but sometimes I just don’t feel as if I’m going to be able to measure up.

I know I can measure up okay when it comes to grades. I got 2 tests back yesterday. The first (American Constitutional Law) was only 1 point lower than the test before. The other, I didn’t find out the whole grade, just how I did on the multiple choice (Intro to Criminal Justice) — 29 out of 30. And I was the top person on the first page. Boooya!

Well, I have another class to get to, and I want to get there so I get my seat at the back of the room. I don’t like sitting anywhere else.

Oh yeah, and tomorrow is my 14th wedding anniversary. Seems like forever ago now.

Food 4 Thought Friday and Friday Fill-Ins 11/13/2009

Breakfast
You wouldn’t be caught dead, where?

In this house. Now. Around some of these people. Now. But I guess I have no choice.

Lunch
Was there ever a time you were frightened for your life?

Yes. All of the summer of 2006.

Dinner
What are you passionate about?

Writing, learning, crocheting and knitting. Not necessarily in that order.

Midnight Snack
Have you ever won a trophy?

Nope.

Recipe of the Week(instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?)

Keep on keeping on. And writing as much as possible.

1. The last band I saw live was Free Henry, a local band, about 2 or 3 years ago at a company picnic. They’re one of my friends on MySpace.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is the turkey. Always the turkey Alton Brown does on Romancing the Bird. As always, when I want things like that done perfectly, my husband gets to do it!
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is nearly non-existent for anyone other than my mom and my kids. We’ll see. I think I mentioned before that I’m planning on making a lot of scarves.
4. Thoughts of finding a new place that I actually like and the impossibility of it right now fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear skinny clothes.
6. Bagpipes are cool. I’m Irish, but Scottish stuff is okay too!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to the Harvest Dinner for P’s day care (it could have been better, but the food was good. The food was dish to pass ), tomorrow my plans include writing, writing, writing, writing, writing, writing, cleaning, writing, cleaning, writing and Sunday, I want to go to church and write!

100 Word Challenge – Examine

The newest entry in Velvet Verbosity’s 100 Word Challenge, for Examine. And it fits right in with the Clifton Saga, again! I was properly admonished—I must also include reference links. So, you can go to the Clifton Saga tab, click on Clifton Saga here (all 3) and to specifically read the entries from this character’s point of view from before, go to Resurrect (which, BTW, is a year old TODAY!) and Falter.

I thought there was a bible verse that could go with this, but I can’t seem to find it.

“I know I’m saved now, but I still feel horrible, Pastor Frank.”
“You’ve been forgiven of all your sins, but God is convicting your heart about something.” Pastor Frank put a reassuring hand on Phillip’s shoulder.
“How do I figure that out?” Phillip asked. Exasperated, he put his head in his hands.
“You have to examine your life today and before your decision.”
Phillip thought for a moment and then looked through his fingers at his pastor.
“I know what it is. I need to go back to my wife and kids.”
“Here, let’s pray for peace and their forgiveness.”

Thursday Thirteen – writing my novel

I haven’t posted in a while, because I’ve been working on that galdarn novel. Don’t let my potty mouth fool you—I’m enjoying it! I’ve also been busy with school work and the general busyness of life.

So, to keep you entertained, here’s 13 interesting things about writing my novel. There has to be at least 13, right?

1. It’s exciting to watch my word count go up – I average at least 300 words per sitting, because often I have to get the writing done in patches—before this class, between those two (only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, like now), after that one. I’ll sit with the laptop on my lap while I’m watching tv at home, usually I’ll put it on something my kids can watch or I really don’t want to pay all my attention to. Like CNN (which I like watching anyway.).

2. It’s having a definite affect on my other writing – Like there’s also a lot of that going on too. I’ve even turned my attention to the next entry for the 100 Word Challenge, I just have to write it out. Maybe in my next class.

3. I rely much too heavily on the auto-fix feature on Word – Because there have been at least 3 instances writing this blog post already that I expect and don’t immediately remember that I have to take care of, the computer’s not going to.

4. I’ve already come up with a cover for the book – Okay, it’s a rough draft, but I like playing around with Paint Shop Pro too, and I haven’t in a long time. So I’ve got one. If you check my profile, you’ll see it under Novel Info.

5. Speaking of my profile—yes, that’s me Simpsonized. I don’t know if they still have that site, but back when The Simpson Movie came out, Burger King had a site you could go to and, using a picture of you head and shoulders against a plain background, it would Simpsonize you. I saved myself a copy. Of Tom too.

6. I’ve got to back up more – I haven’t had a problem yet, but it’s a good idea to backup your work, in like a million different places, just in case say that cup of tea spills all over your keyboard!

7. I got that last tip from the Procrastination Station at the NaNoWriMo site. Interesting stuff. This girl makes cartoons too, those are a riot!

8. I don’t need the Procrastination Station – Not when I have Facebook!

9. My house has actually been looking better since I started writing – At least I think so. And that’s even while I’ve had a cold or something. I hope not the piggy flu, but I haven’t had it checked out, because they’d assume it was that anyhow. And there’s enough people around me who have had it. Classmates.

10. #9, in my opinion, is probably because the increased blood flow to my brain and fingers due to all this thinking and writing and typing – in my opinion. It did for me what going to college and walking there didn’t do. Hmm…

11. I have yet to just sit and stare at the computer for an extended amount of time – oh, sure, for a minute here or 10 minutes there. But, most of the time when I sit down to write, I’m tapping along. Or playing with Facebook which, as I said, is my own Procrastination Station.

12. Research – I’ve actually done some. Had to double check that there were speed boats in the 1930’s, and I needed to come up with some wallpaper from then that was really pretty and elegant, and I needed to make sure what a Victorian bed looked like.

13. Problems with Research – sometimes, when you’re looking for something in the Pre-WWII and WWII era (which is when the story is set), you run into things about people you don’t want to read about. Like things on Hitler and the Third Reich. At modern day Nazi sites. Ewwww….I’m not able to give you that link!

Just over a 5th of the way there!

Yay! I’m currently at (officially) 15,297 words. It’s been fun so far. And it’s still flowing.

The test today didn’t go the way it should have. I don’t know why, but I totally messed up on one question.

And now I’m super tired again. Also don’t know why there. Good thing it’s almost time to get this place picked up and go to bed! I’ve been battling a headache off and on.

Take care, later.

100 Word Challenge – Writ Large

A day late, but it’s justified and I got a pass from the teacher, so I’m good. I didn’t get the idea for this one until I was talking to a friend and telling them I had NO IDEA what I’m going to do with this one, but the suggestion I made to myself (to her) sparked this one. I hope you enjoy. It’s a continuation of the Clifton Saga, specifically the entries for Lemonade and Rain (if you’d like to go back and check them out.). Enjoy!

Michelle thought it would be harder to find her birth mother; that the woman wouldn’t even want to see her. But when she called, her birth mother jumped at the chance to see her.
So here Michelle was, sitting inside Writ Large, a café at the college. Her birth mother had suggested it, but Michelle had spent many a late night here while working on her degree.
The bell on the door rang, and Michelle turned around. No wonder her mother picked here, she used to work the counter.
Her birth mother spotted her.
“Michelle? I’m your mother.”

House is not a cure for end of the weekend itis. Sleep is.

It’s been a fairly dull weekend, but I’ve been busy the whole time. What have I been busy doing for the majority of my weekend? Sitting with my laptop in my lap, typing away. I joined one of many who decided to throw all caution to the wind and write a novel.

Yes, a novel. That means NaNoWriMo. And I’m in good company. The person whose participation made me decide to join in was Velvet Verbosity’s (btw, I’ve got this next challenge’s piece written, I’m just giving it a couple days to stew and veg before I go back and look it over and decide if it’s really the one I want to post. But chances are pretty good it will be, because it’s right along in the flow of the Clifton Saga ). I’ve seen other people who are joining in too:

Susie over at Susiej
Jennifer, who is forever writing to survive (though you know, some of us write just so we can breathe, because without it we would die. Or feel like we were dead. Which is something I’m starting to realize…)

Oh heck, ya know, it’s really late, and I’m really tired. I should be doing some studying, but I’ll just check it out later, in the morning at college.

If I missed people, it’s just because I’m tired and I’m sick of leafing through my blogs over at Bloglines.

Currently my word count is 12,367. I’m a bit behind where I should be, but I’ve got things still flowing and scenes boiling around in my head, so it’s not like I’m never going to get there. I think, if I slow down and have some problems on how to jump the short distances to my few background scenes for these boys lives, then I’ll do the big leap and do the big finish, because I do want to get to that too. It’s going to be interesting. And I have an inkling that it’s going to be a big portion of this story.

The good and important thing to remember is that editing is for December. For now, I’m just trying to make sure that the names are in the right order, so I know who is in what scenes.

Wish me luck. It’s bed time!

Food 4 Thought and Friday Fill-Ins 11/6/09

Breakfast
What is the last thing you watched on TV?

Before flipping through the channels and deciding to watch Ancient Discoveries on The History Channel, I was watching the end of Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN.

Lunch
Do you speak more than one language?

Ha. Ha ha ha. I took 4 years of French in high school, but can I speak it? Fluently? In a conversation? NO!

Dinner
What are your favorite websites to visit?

Right now, the 3 main websites that are CONSTANTLY open in my web browser are

1. Gmail. Love it!
2. NaNoWriMo – so I can keep my word count updated (right now I’m up to 5,115)
3. Facebook – so I can keep my games from losing. I play Cafe World, Rollercoaster Kingdom, Mafia Wars, Farm Town and Farmville. I also dabble in Hatchlings, Sorority Life, Island Paradise, Treasure Mania, Tetris, and Bejeweled Blitz.

Another place I like to visit a few times a week:

Bloglines – I have dozens of blogs I look at on there. The craft ones are the ones I like to look at the most often

Midnight Snack
You have won a prize. The prize has two options, and you can choose either (but not both). The first option is a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2,000. The second option is ten minutes on the moon. Which do you choose and why?

I’d pick 10 minutes on the moon, because there is no way I’d be able to make ends meet in France, which is where I’d like to spend the majority of my time in Europe, on just $2,000. Assuming that’s $2,000 American, then it’s only about $1,350 Euro, and it’s impossible to find a hotel and be able to EAT, let alone see any of the sites, on that much. Or that little.

Recipe of the Week(instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?)

Faking it until I make it.

1. Plans and schedules are great and have their place, but I also really enjoy being flexible and spontanious .

2. I’m happy when things run smoothly and everyone agrees. You’re right, I’m often disappointed .

3. The last thing I drank was water .

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is my family—my husband, my daughter and my son .

5. I like just cheese and pepperoni on my pizza.

6. Dear November, we’ve had our adventures, haven’t we? Let’s celebrate one more year (on the 18th!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to writing and a review for a test (already been to both), tomorrow my plans include writing, writing, writing, cleaning, more writing, more cleaning, more writing—making most of my way to the 10,000 words I’m supposed to be at— and Sunday, I want to go to church, help my dad with the leaves (for the second week in a row, LOL!), and more writing!

Windy (well, really, rainy…) Wednesday.

My day started with my daughter not feeling well. She got to stay home. I got to go to school. Which is fine, because I enjoyed it. As always, it was a good day.

I also managed to do some writing. I’m 900+ words into the novel. I already had 4 pages written, from back when I first started the story.

And I started finding the quotes for the next American Constitutional Law class. This next test looks like it’s going to be better because I’m getting time to study before and we’re into the material more, having already gone through this once.

I found that there’s a knitting group that meets at the store I have items at for consignment. I went to see if anything had sold (no, but I also asked if he was going to do the Farmer’s Market in the winter like last year, and he said yes and would keep me informed), and there they were sitting there. I had a project in the car (one of the pairs of socks I’m working on) and so I grabbed it and sat for a while. I’ve got a class when they meet, next semester, but I’ll definitely return next week and when I can until next semester. What wonderful yarns some ladies had brought back from an excursion to Connecticut (some convention or something).

Almost time to get P.