Update

Dear Reader,

After some reconsideration I have created a twitter account under my pen name.  It's going alright, and I've found that it helps me with my confidence in my writing.

In other news, I realized tonight that I can recite Monroe County 4-H club names like Bran Stark recites house sigils. :)

Writer Incognito

Dear Reader,

It is not well known that I have a pen name, and that pen name has a website and blog attached to it.  I have no idea what to put on the website, as my writing is not something I put a lot of time into at the moment and I would feel like a fraud promoting something that is not going along at any steady rate.

However, I have spent several minutes this morning using various search engines to see what page the website comes up on.  The name by itself is not findable on Google, but if I add "fiction" I get a first page result and adding "weebly" give me number one.  :)  Webcrawler, Bing and Dogpile all yield first page results for the pen name alone, although Bing put me at the very bottom. 

I am considering twitter and facebook accounts, but there again, I'm not sure I could generate enough content to make them worthwhile to anyone who may like or follow them. 

Writing

Dear Reader,

I've started my fantasy/adventure story.  I have many ideas and an eight year story arc, so I'm expecting it to be at least a trilogy.  The hardest part will be world building, something with which I have very little experience.

With other stories, I have tried simply writing them(which is the most fun, when I can do it), making an outline(helpful but not so fun), and now I've started using note cards.  I expect I'll be using a ton of note cards as I start filling in details of my story world.

This story is going to take a long time to write, which is ok because I'm enjoying the creative process.  Lots of reading and writing and editing are in my future.  Wish me luck!

Running for My....

Dear Reader, 

In the past couple of years, while I've been away from the blogosphere, I have attempted running for my life, or health, or just fitness in general.  I enjoy it when my body cooperates.  Having weak knees has gotten in my way, but some low-end braces and a couple of physical therapy consults have helped.

I started with knee strengthening exercises.  They helped enough to convince me to try a couch-to-5k program I found on Pinterest.  Things were going well until week 3, when my exercise induced asthma kicked in.  My lungs were not ready for such a workout.

I have since changed inhalers and added a rescue inhaler to use before exercise.  And I have set myself walking and biking goals for the year.  Unfortunately, I'm way behind on my walking, so I'm not sure I can make that one, but biking should be good.  Anyhow, I'm gearing up to try again on jogging/running.

This time of year, the best time to exercise is way early in the morning, before it gets hot(or hotter) out.  I just read an article with tips for becoming a morning runner.  Here are some tips of my own, that I think are just as useful:

1. Get your butt to bed at night.
2. Get your butt out of bed in the morning.
3. Drag yourself onto the treadmill or out the door, wherever you prefer to run.
4. Brag about your progress somewhere.
5. Repeat.


It also helps to develop a competitive streak.

Now all I have to do is stop procrastinating and get going.

The Next Big Thing

Dear Reader, it seems I haven't kept up with this blog after all.  However, in my absence I have been tagged in a blog challenge.  Since I have started writing again, I may as well participate.  It might even be fun. :)

How it works:  First: Answer the 10 questions below.
                         Then:  Spread the fun and tag 5 more awesome people to participate.
                         It's also nice to link back to the person


I don't happen to know any fiction writers other than the one who tagged me, so I will link back to her in my one tag.

1. What is the title of your book / WIP?

The Bible Study

2.  Where did the idea of this book come from?

I've been wanting to write something with more religious content, and something a bit adventurous.  This is sort of a combination.  I'm not sure how the idea itself formed, it just sort of popped into my  head.

3. What genre would your book fall under?

I don't really know.  Spirituality/suspense?  Supernatural mystery?  Something along those lines.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

It's a little early yet for casting, as all I've done so far is a basic plot outline.  Not much character sketching has been done.  There are a number of actors I would love to see play any of my characters.  I would try to put Aidan Quinn or Sir Anthony Hopkins in there somewhere.

5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

   Hmm, I'll try to do this without making it sound like a comic book....

A parish Bible Study opens a door to [Unnamed Heroine]'s past, sweeping her up in the ever raging battle between good and evil.

6. Is your book published or represented?

When/if completed, my publisher will be Collier Bluff Books

7. How long did it take you to write it?

Time will tell....

8. What other books in your genre would you compare it to?

I've never written anything like this before, and I don't read much of this type of story either, so I don't really know.

9. Which authors inspired you to write this book?

Nobody in particular.  Maybe every author I've ever read.

10. Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book.

I try to make my characters realistic and sympathetic, even with the wildest plot lines.  There will be humor.  I can't write a story that doesn't have some humorous parts.  Lots of faith-based content and characters you can feel comfortable rooting for.

The One Awesome Fiction Author I'm Tagging:

Kate Warren



*To officially apply for the four vacant tags, please leave a link in the comments.

Yes, I am Still Here

Dear Reader, I realize it has been a few years since my last post. Life has gotten quite busy. My eldest brother passed away a year ago this past January, which pretty much spoiled 2011. I'm not sure where 2010 went. I will make an effort to post more now that I have some time with all my kids in school, and maybe even keep it up over the summer.

If you're still reading this, I apologize for the long silence and marvel your unbelievable patience.

One Down, One to Go

Dear Reader, I am happy to announce that I have completed my biking goal for this year. I rode 100 cumulative miles. It's an awesome feeling. Next year I'll have to bump it up to 125 or maybe 150.

I'm still working on my reading goal. I've read 17 of the 25 book goal. I'd hoped to finish them over the Summer, but I got too busy with gardening, so now I've given myself to the end of the year.

Driving

I forgot to mention this last week, but I passed my driver's test! I'm still learning some things about driving etiquette, but it's nice to have finally gotten my license.

CCD

Tonight was my first full length catechism class, and it was really awesome. My third graders are good listeners, and they participated well. We got through all of the things I wanted to cover and most of the extra activities as well. I might be able to work in a snack next week. The kids would love that. :)

Catechism

I am now officially a catechist. I'll be teaching the third grade catechism class, starting next week. Last night was the teacher in-service, where we handed in all of out paperwork and went over the schedule for the first semester.

I've been researching and writing down ideas all week, and am really looking forward to teaching. Some of the anxiety may return come Wednesday, but I'm feeling pretty good about it right now.

Mystery Solved

These mysterious plants voluntarily came up in my vegetable garden. I knew they weren't the cucumbers I'd planted there, but I also recognized that they were vegetables, so I let them grow. After weeks of watching these things expand and try to take over the entire garden, my suspicions have been confirmed. They are the dreaded mini-pumpkins. I thought I was rid of the little Napoleons, but they're back again trying to conquer the melon patch and strangle my green beans.

I may just let them have the beans. I've put up 39 quarts so far, and today I'm freezing some in mixed veggies. I'm one quart short of my canning goal, but we're still working our way through the last set of 40 I canned 3 years ago.

The kids will be happy to have all those tiny pumpkins around, and at least I don't have to worry about weeding them. Still, I hope they don't come back again next year.

Biking

Dear Reader, I'm up to a seven mile ride now. I'm not paying too much attention to my speed, but it's likely somewhere in the 10-12 mph range. As of yesterday, I'm more than halfway to my 100-mile goal. I should make it sometime in August. Then I can concentrate more on my summer reading goal, which is at the same point, progress wise.

Summer So Far

Dear Reader, Summer is very busy so far. My driving test is scheduled for early September, so I'll be practicing more. Summer homeschooling makes the mornings go by much faster, and should be excellent practice for teaching CCD classes in the fall, which I've volunteered to do. I did my first 5-mile(approximately) bike ride this morning. Due to weather and knee pain, I've only ridden 22 miles thus far, but since I've taken to riding on the road instead of the leg-killing dirt lane, my 100-mile goal is still viable.

I've ventured into the realm of home owning, which has me looking for more ways to save money. For instance, today I made a rag mop out of an old towel, a wooden handle and some baling wire. It doesn't hold together very well, but it serves its purpose, and should save a bit over time. Those sponge mops just fall apart after a short time, and are a big waste of money.

The garden is bigger this year, and everything is growing well except the watermelons, which needed replanting. They may not have time to be more than ornamental, but I'm hopeful for a long growing season. The weeds are being kept at bay, and I'll be canning beans before the month is out.

Only two more months before school starts. It doesn't seem like an eternity this year.

More Driving Stuff

The driving is actually going well. I've improved a lot, and am just awaiting an opening in the DMV schedule so I can take the road test again. I'll probably have another lesson sometime before then to make sure I've got it down. I've had three lessons so far, and they've been a great help to me.

Driving Revisited

Dear Reader, tomorrow I will meet my new driving instructor. We'll be driving around town for an hour so he can assess my driving skills. He just recently opened the driving school, a service that was very much needed in our area(especially by me).

Mr. Allen has been forewarned about my extreme nervousness while driving, although I assured him I've gotten much better about it. Maybe he can help with that. In any case, this is an excellent opportunity for me to get some behind-the-wheel experience, and with any luck, finally get my license.

I'm a little nervous just thinking about it, but I think it'll go well.

Late Night Round Up

I was going about putting the house to bed for the night, when I looked out to see why the motion sensor lights were on in the driveway. A few of the steers had decided to go out for a stroll. It didn't take long to run them back in, although one of them took off into the bean field. It's hard to see the black ones in the dark. That little guy was out for a walk early in the afternoon, and I'd put him back in myself.

Now they're all back in their pen, which is blocked with a swinging gate. I think the electric fence is broken. My husband and father-in-law are looking into that now.

Just part of the fun of living on a farm....

Death by Bicycle

Dear Reader, I did my first full mile on my bicycle today. I think my legs are about ready to go on strike. I'm keeping track of my miles this year, but I haven't got a goal in mind. Maybe 100, if my knees hold up. Seems a decent goal for Summer.

Lent and Fitness

So far, I've spent half of Lent being sick. I get really sick about once or twice a year, and I'm hoping this will be it for 2009.

I gave up pop again this year, as well as snacking. The snacking is actually the most difficult. I didn't realize how much snacking I've been doing.

I'm hoping the self discipline I'm learning will help me with my fitness goals for the year. I haven't quite given up on the idea of jogging/running(which I tried last year until my knees made me stop), so I asked my doctor about my knee problems, and he suggested I get knee braces and take up bicycling. Walking is still my preferred exercise at the moment, but if the braces help reduce the irritation, I might be able to step it up a bit. Riding a bike up and down a half-mile dirt lane ought to be a good workout. Regardless, I'll be making good use of our treadmill.

On the Road Again

Today marked my return to driving practice. I'm going to try again to get my license. It took a long time to recover from the failed road test, but I'm back at it.

My sister came up this morning to be my designated passenger. I did alright, although I still have several things to work on, such as: picking out landmarks for deceleration; maintaining speed while changing lanes; watching out for old ladies who come to a complete stop before turning off the main highway; and negotiating the Walmart parking lot.

I managed to find my way around town alright. I found the church, Walmart, and Taco Johns. Then I found my way home again without getting lost. I consider that an accomplishment. That and not being nearly as nervous as I had previously when behind the wheel. Other drivers still make me nervous, but not so much as before.

I think the next time I drive, I'll cruise the residential neighborhoods for places to practice parallel parking and y turns. I got pretty good at the former, but I haven't done it since I failed the road test and stopped driving in town.

All in all, it was a good driving experience, and should make the next excursion that much better.

Year of Reading

Dear Reader, this year, I intend to do a ridiculous amount of reading. I'm off to a fairly good start, having finished the Bible in less than two months. But since I started that back in December, not all of it counts toward this year, I suppose. Still, I've got two more Bibles to read, which will make three within a year. I'm saving the King James Version for last. So far, I much prefer the New American Bible to the New Jerusalem. It's easy to read, yet still somewhat poetic.

I have five fiction books to read, two of which I've already started, and a couple of borrowed nonfiction that I really need to read and get back to my sister. If I get those read in good time, I'm going to attempt to read my old Business Law textbook. I'm already planning to buy some books from Amazon, so it's doubtful I'll get the textbook read.

In the middle of all of this, I'll continue to write, and perhaps find some inspiration in the gazillions of words I'll be taking in over the course of the year.

The Catching of the Shrew

We knew we had mice, or something like them. We heard them at night, and sometimes even saw them scurrying from one major appliance to the next.

One of them was suspiciously slow, and dark in color. We thought it might be a shrew. We had one or two in the house last summer, one of which I squished with a toy box.

I set out a mouse trap: the classic Victor finger-smasher. On night one, we caught a mouse. On night two, the trap was set off, the cheese taken, but the trap was empty.

After a couple of trapless nights that lured the furry one into a false sense of security, we did some research on shrews and set the traps accordingly. Two traps this time. Come morning, one of the traps was gone. No cheese, no animal, no trap. It has vanished. We looked around to see if it had been dragged and discarded under the furniture, but we still haven't found it.

Last night, we finally caught the shrew. I gave it to the cat this morning. There very well could be another one, but I shall still consider this a victory.


Update:

The missing trap has been found. The score is now 3:0.

Goodbye 2008

Dear Reader, this was actually a pretty good year, despite economic difficulties, and being afflicted by chronic writers block from Summer onward. I only had one New Year's resolution for '08(saving money), and I kept working at it. I think I can consider it kept, although December managed to undo all my progress. But what do we save for if not to spend?

It was a good year for gardening, especially for tomatoes. I've got so many tomatoes put up that I shouldn't need to can any for at least the next two years.

I read many books, and started about the same number, which I'm still working on reading.

I completed my first quilt, which turned out alright for a first.

All in all, it was a good year, but I look forward to the next one.

Quilt

Here is my first quilt. One corner is messed up, but it's not too bad.

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving cooking has officially begun. I made the cranberry-orange relish tonight. Tomorrow I will bake bread and cookies. I'm not sure when I'll make the pumpkin pies because I'm not hosting this year, but it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them.

The daily writing strategy failed. I got distracted by economic worries and quilting. At least the quilting is going well. The writing is coming along, but very slowly. I've invented a new character.

Quilting

Dear Reader, I have decided to take up quilting. I'm making a nine-patch quilt for the angel, and I'm sewing the patches by hand. It's good practice, and it saves me the trouble of making the sewing machine work on unevenly cut squares. I might use the machine to sew the blocks together, and definitely will for the finished edges.

I took pictures of the two blocks I sewed tonight, but I don't know how to get them off the camera.

Not Not Writing

I swear, I am writing every day, but the little writing I am doing is hardly worth posting. It's mostly work on the fanfic. Today hasn't gone so well, as I've written a total of one word that happened to be missing from a sentence I wrote a week ago.

It's 9:30 pm and I'm waiting for bread to bake, so I'm going to go and write something quickly before I decide to give up and just go to bed. Probably more fanfic, but I will write something post worthy this week.

Excerpt

Yesterday's writing was confined to fanfic, but today I worked on one of my stories. I wanted to write at least 100 words. Here is what I wrote tonight. Consider it an excerpt from a future book.

"Alex sat, unnoticed, in the corner of the ballroom. The guests were leaving by twos and fours, slowly improving his view of the couple in the center of the dance floor. They weren’t dancing. The music had stopped long ago. But they talked and smiled, and seemed oblivious to the people around them.

He slumped in his chair and glared at his brother so hard he felt sure the jerk would feel it. Jealousy was a new experience for Alex, at least where Preston was concerned. He’d always been proud of his brother’s easy success. But not tonight. Not with her."

New Poem

Today's writing project was a poem with two endings. I couldn't find the html code to make a spoiler box, but I did find one for hidden text than can be highlighted.


The Door

As toward the door
I walk once more
Slow apprehension growing
Familiar fears
Of younger years
Old dreams unfinished flowing

A swirling mist
A brand new twist
On a scene once known so well
Will it open now
Be revealed somehow
Or remain an unreachable cell?


Highlight for ending one:

I reach out a hand
The door crumbles to sand
I stand and I stare at the glory
Of angels singing
Their praises ringing
To the author of this age-old story

Walking through light
That banishes fright
I calmly approach the throne
My sins all forgiven
Pain far away driven
I smile, for now I am home



Or ending two:

I draw within feet
Of a strange new retreat
As the door pulls away from my grasp
I try it again
Lest the dream never end
And forward I pitch with a gasp

Floating or falling
One name I am calling
I know he will save me once more
But he can’t get near me
Although he can hear me
From the other side of the door

Writing Exercise

Dear Reader, after an irritatingly long bout with writers block, I am making an effort to really get back to writing. I will try to write something every single day.

I started tonight with a simple writing exercise: write fifty words about a topic. I've just finished, and haven't edited, so it might be a bit rough. The topic is coffee.

"Coffee is the friend whose call is always welcome. The lover you don’t have to hide. Warmth and wakefulness float on ribbons of steam, a comforting contrast to the blaring shock of the alarm clock. Clouds of sleepiness parted rather than broken, bringing a more peaceful start to the day."

Plumber or Archaeologist?

We're having our septic tank replaced. The yard is all dug up, dirt everywhere. But the most interesting thing is the plumber. He may be a plumber, but he looks like an archaeologist, from the perfectly trimmed gray beard to the oddly exotic-looking straw hat. It makes the excavation project much more fun to watch.

God and Grandpa

I have my grandfather's Rosary, which my mother gave to me. It has a unique scent, which I assume smells something like Grandpa. He died when I was two, so I don't remember him, or even if we ever met, but I've always felt connected to him.

When I was four years old, I was sick with a really high fever. My grandpa visited me in a dream. He was wearing a crown, which my mom said means he's in Heaven. Since then, I've thought highly of Grandpa, and I'm honored to have his Rosary.

Whenever I'm feeling really sad or scared, I take out Grandpa's Rosary, and go outside to sit under the stars or take a walk. Sometimes I pray with it, in times of crisis. But usually I'll just hold it, smell it, kiss it, and it's comforting.

Tonight I took a walk in the darkness. No moon tonight, so it was very dark, and the stars were very clear. I walked up this lane that runs out behind the barn and through the west fields to a back road. I walked halfway down, clutching Grandpa's Rosary, talking to God and to myself and some to Grandpa. I didn't really have much to say, but I wanted that connection.

Sometimes I feel very much alone. I talk to myself a lot, but I figure that so long as I'm not talking to invisible people, I'm still sane. :) I have the misfortune of wanting to talk to someone when everyone is busy. So that's when I go outside and talk to God and Grandpa. They always listen, and I know they're there.

Nancy Pelosi

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Harvest Time

Dear Reader, we're in the midst of sweet corn season. I'm going out in a bit to pick eight dozen ears for freezing. I should get about nine quarts out of that many.

After that, I'll be canning the carrots I pulled and cut yesterday. I'm hoping to can 12 pints of carrots, though I'll save some for frozen mixed vegetables.

It was a good year for gardening.

John Jakes Revisited

Dear Reader, I'm still having trouble getting into "Love and War", but I've had a breakthrough with "North and South". Technically, I should have started "North and South" first, but I didn't see it there in the bottom of the bag. I picked it up yesterday, and started reading during commercial breaks from the Olympic coverage. This book is great! It's everything "Love and War" is not. I will finish both books, because I'm too stubborn to let a book defeat me.

New Story

I'm working on a new story. So far, I've written three pages of dialogue. I have a few more scenes and lines to type out before I forget them. I'm considering writing this as a screenplay. I'll have to do some research first, because I don't know much about screenplays. I'll probably write it as a book, too.

Supermom and the Toddler

Toddlers are adorable. Even when they throw fits, they can do it in an adorable way. This afternoon, the angel was upset because her cookie was broken. After several failed attempts to explain that the cookie was still ok to eat, I finally figured out the secret. I gave the cookie a kiss to make it "all better" and that was all that she needed. Snack time was saved!

Right now, the angel is standing next to me singing "Mommy Beluga." :)

A Little Exercise

Dear Reader, I'm having a bad day. So I'm going to try something to make myself feel better. I'm going to make a list of things that could make my day worse.

1. Being kicked in the face
2. Decapitation
3. Uninvited company
4. Invasive surgery
5. Falling down a flight of stairs

Gardens and Storms

My garden is far from weed free, but it's in a lot better shape than last year's was at this time. This afternoon, I weeded the sweet corn and the sunflowers. I was just finishing up when it started to rain. Then the wind came up, with 50+ mph gusts that blew over half the corn, and broke at least one sunflower.

I'll have to go out tomorrow for a closer look. The corn should be alright if it was just bent over.

Reading and Writing

I am slowly trudging through "Love and War", and it is getting more interesting now that the villain has been introduced. Having seen the North and South mini-series, I'm already familiar with the villain, and I know he'll add to the story immensely. I'm really hoping things will pick up, because I want to like John Jakes' writing.

My own writing has picked up lately. I've given up on the idea of adapting my fanfic for publication. My original characters are taking the story in entirely new directions. It's exciting to see the story unfold, even though it's still mostly inside my head. It's going to be so different from what I first thought, but hopefully so much better. I don't think the book will be ready for publication by the end of the year, as I'd hoped it would, but I am making progress.

More Reading

I have finished The Age of Innocence, and since read The Magnificent Ambersons. Over the weekend, I started The Scarlet Pimpernel. By the end of Summer, I'll have read more books than I have in the past few years.

I've also decided that John Jakes is kind of boring. I loved the North and South movies, and have an attachment to some of the characters, but Love and War is boring me terribly. However, I know from reading Hawthorne that some books don't pick up for a few chapters, so I'll keep plugging away at it.

Books

Dear Reader, last night I finished the three books I was reading, and started another one. I think I'll read three at a time again, since the books I've chosen are so completely different from each other.

Books I just finished:

It Doesn't Take a Hero - autobiography of General Schwartzkopf
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
The Night Before Christmas - a collection of short romances that I borrowed from my sister

Books I'm reading now:

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Civil War Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
Love and War by John Jakes

Weekend of Reading

Dear Reader, I plan to spend the holiday weekend finishing the three books I am currently reading. I've been reluctant to start any new books because I've already started so many. But next week, I'll be free to start a couple more. Finishing a book always gives me a sense of accomplishment, and that would be very helpful right now, as I feel like I'm stuck in a rut.

Age

Dear Reader,

You know what the best part is of being 25? I'm finally at an age where people will take me seriously. Age discrimination sucks.

Anniversary

Today is the 23rd anniversary of my brother's brain surgery. He's a 23-year cancer survivor. He wasn't expected to make ten years. Shows what doctors know.

More Weather

The sun is shining today! It's been a week since I've seen it. I feel creative today. I think I'll make a music video, or do some writing. I should probably write, because I haven't written anything for days; but music videos are fun too. Maybe I'll do both. :)

April Weather

April weather is depressing. The forecast calls for one day of sunshine -- an island of sunshine in a sea of gloomy rain/snow. It's a ten day forecast, which is about as accurate as you'd expect for one so long, and it changes daily(sometimes hourly). But at the moment, it's quite depressing, and threatening to ruin my good day.

Finally

Lent is finally over. I got through it without cheating or slipping up. Six and a half weeks without caffeine.

Now that I can have coffee again, I'll see if I can restore my writing routine to successful results. I haven't written anything in a week. I'm far behind, and out of practice. I'm hoping to get back to normal now.

Banner Ads

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I just saw the most amazing banner ad for McDonald's. When you roll over it with your mouse, a plate bearing a McSkillet Burrito comes out of the banner at you. You can then roll over the enlarged burrito to see what the ingredients are. Just like this:

http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat/features/mcskillet_burrito.html

The burrito page is not as impressive as the banner, but it's still a neat way to advertise food.

Five Weeks

Today I reach the five week mark. Five weeks with no caffeine. It's been rough, and I still have a week and a half to go. I'm very tired today, and I want my coffee. I've already forgotten today's country. I picked it at 6 am. I can't remember more than three of the last 8 countries. I'm too tired to think.

Day 28: Yemen

According to its BBC profile, Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East. countryreports.org lists Yemen's GDP as $52,610,000,000 in U.S. dollars.

Been Awhile

It's been awhile since my last update, and I'm not sure I can remember all of the countries in the correct order, but here's the list:

Spain, Australia, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Italy, Liberia, Germany, Sweden, and I forget the other two.

I'm closing in on four weeks without caffeine. This is a real test for me now, because there's a big chocolate birthday cake in my kitchen that I can't eat. I'm learning to live without coffee, but living without chocolate really limits dessert options.

Day 15: Cambodia

Cambodia is home to the single largest religious structure in the world: the Angkor Wat.

Lent Blues

I've fallen behind on my posts, but I have been picking the countries and saying the prayers.

Day 12: Panama
Day 13: Argentina
Day 14: Portugal

Giving up caffeine is proving harder than anticipated. I have to constantly remind myself of what I can't have. I miss coffee throughout the entire day, and I'm having dreams about eating chocolate. Three nights in a row, I've dreamt of eating chocolate, and then feeling guilty about it. Three dreams, three different kinds of chocolate. This is driving me crazy.

I got so tired of drinking water that I downed four glasses of orange Tang last night. 160 calories of delicious variety. When and if I get tired of Tang, I'll probably move on to lemonade. I have another 33 or so days until Easter. I'll usually slip up once during Lent, but not this year. I intend to get through this without any mistakes.

Days Ten and Eleven

Yesterday got busy, and I forgot to post. Yesterday's country was Lithuania. Lithuania is predominantly Roman Catholic, and has been since Christianity came to the country in the late 14th to early 15th centuries.

Today's country is Brazil. Interesting fact: "The Amazon River got its name from the Spanish explorers in the 1500s. They were attacked by women warriors and they remembered a Greek legend about women warriors called Amazons." -- massgeneral.org

Day Nine: Romania

Sorry for the late post. Today's country was Romania.

Transylvania is a central region of Romania, and was home to Vlad the Impaler, the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker's Count Dracula.

Day Eight:: Denmark

"The runic stones at Jelling is recognised as a national symbol and the Danish kingdom's birth certificate - indicating that Christianity had come to Denmark for over 1,000 years ago. Since, more than 3000 rural churches have been built and spread all over the country." -- copenhagenet.dk

Day Seven: Papua New Guinea

According to National Geographic, the life expectancy of a citizen of Papua New Guinea is 57 years.

Day Six: France

Interesting fact about France: According to a 2004 IFOP survey, 44% of French people are Atheists (up by 24% since 1947).(eupedia.com)

Day Five: China

I haven't had much time for blogging today, but today's country was China.

Day Four: Portugal

Today's country is Portugal.

Interesting fact: Due to the influence of Roman Catholicism, Portugal is one of the most socially conservative countries in Europe. Abortion was only legalized through a referendum in 2007, causing much controversy. A Catholic priest vowed to excommunicate all people voting in favor of legalizing abortion.(eupedia.com)

Personally, I think it's sad that only one priest had the courage to stand up for doctrine. It's terrible, the times we live in.

Day Three: South Africa

Interesting fact about South Africa: The world's first human-to-human heart transplant was performed in South Africa in 1967 by South African Dr. Christiaan Barnard.

Day Two: Chad

The globe I'm using belonged to my grandmother, so when my finger landed on "Equatorial French Africa" I had to look up a modern map to figure out what country it was today. Today's country is Chad.

For those who don't know, Chad is a country in north-central Africa. Industries of Chad include: oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, and construction materials.

Chad is in turmoil right now, as rebels are trying to overthrow the government. Tens of thousands of civilians are fleeing the country to escape the violence.

Day One: Canada

I chose today's country by closing my eyes, spinning a globe of the world, and stopping it with my finger. It landed on Canada. Now that I think of it, the odds of hitting Canada and Russia are awfully big using that method, but that doesn't mean they don't need prayers. So, throughout the day today, I shall send up prayers for the people of Canada.

Interesting Fact: Canada's highest temperature, 45 degrees C (113 degrees F), was recorded at Midale, Saskatchewan. The lowest temperature was minus 63 degrees C (minus 81 degrees F) measured at Snag, Yukon Territory.

Lenten Prayer Project

Dear Reader, I wanted to do something different for Lent this year. I've decided to pray for a different country every day from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday. I'll pick a country at random, and pray for it throughout the day. I'll try to learn something about each country so that each day will also be a learning experience.

This project may require daily posting, something I've never really attempted. :)

It all starts tomorrow. Feel free to join in with prayers or suggested countries.

Lent

Dear Reader, Ash Wednesday comes early this year. It wasn't hard to decide what I would give up for Lent, but it will be hard to do without it. I'm giving up caffeine. That means no chocolate, no Pepsi, and no coffee. I practically live on coffee these days. Not to keep me awake, but to keep me warm. Hot coffee on a cold day is wonderful. I drink it pretty much all day, or at least all morning.

This year will be tough.

Adventures in Parenting

My five-year-old daughter has managed to get her winter boots completely soaked, something I realized as she was going out the door this morning to get on the bus. I'm trying to figure out how to dry the boots before tomorrow. Meanwhile, she's wearing another pair of boots, also soaked, but hopefully not quite as much.

Fifteen minutes under a hair dryer didn't seem to help. Right now they're propped up on the heat register, which I already know does a fair job with drying soaked mittens. I guess I'll try leaving them there for a few hours and see if that helps.

Meanwhile, I'm still searching for the tennis shoe she lost over the weekend.

Resolution

Dear Reader,

Last year's New Year's Resolutions didn't go so well. This year, I have only one: to save money. I'm not going to waste any money this year. I'm hoping that I can get myself into the habit of saving, because that would be very beneficial for the future. Here's hoping I have better luck this year.

Law School

Earlier this year, I had an epiphany of sorts. Up until then, I'd been resigned to the life I have, not really thinking about doing anything different, and feeling kinda old. Then one day I realized I'm only 24 years old. I'm still young. I still have my whole life ahead of me. People my age are still going to school.

That got me thinking about how much I liked college, and how long it would take me to finish my degrees. And then I started thinking about something that I've thought about off and on over the years only to dismiss it as something I didn't really want to do. I was thinking about going to law school.

I've always liked the law, and I love lawyer shows(yes, I know they're not real). The one thing that always kept me from seriously considering pursuit of a law degree was the courtroom. It would be a constant battle against performance anxiety.

However, this didn't seem such an obstacle this summer, when I was thinking about it again. I sent for an updated transcript and course evaluation from my school. I'll need two full semesters to graduate with my double major. They don't have a pre-law program, so I would have to find another school.

Enter problem #1: travel. The nearest school with a law program is more than an hour's drive from home. I haven't yet gotten my driver's license.

Problem #2: child care. We have four children. The three oldest are in school full-time, and the youngest just turned two. My mother-in-law would watch her for a reasonable price, but we can't afford that on one income. Also, I would miss the angel terribly.

And problem #3: We might decide to have another baby. We've been talking around it for awhile now. I get terrible morning sickness that would interfere with studying, and I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving a newborn with a babysitter(not even Grandma). That last part would depend upon timing, as I can take courses online to finish my degrees, which I want to do rather than transfer and face losing credits.

So I decided to wait it out, and see if this was a passing fancy. Here after several months, and one awkward conversation with my husband about it, for some odd reason, I find myself still wanting to be a lawyer.

I'm not sure what to do about it now, because it's a most inconvenient path to take at the moment. Perhaps I should stick with writing, and settle for writing about lawyers. I really don't know. I welcome advice from anyone who has some to give.

Thursdays

I figured out my least favorite day of the week, and today is it. Thursdays suck. The week's more than half over, but it's still not Friday. The kids had a short night due to religious education classes. I have no more patience than the sleepy, whimpering five-year-old who can't remember how to dress herself. There's nothing good on television tonight. Oh, and it's -7 degree this morning, which doesn't help at all. Thursday is the worst day of my week.

Late Night Television

The beauty of late night comedy is that by the time it's on, you're so tired, everything is funny. Conan O'Brien can keep me in stitches when I'm exhausted.

Misadventures in Cooking

Dear Reader, I made macaroni salad today. I forgot to make sure the macaroni was cool before mixing. The result was half-melted cubes of cheddar cheese. The salad still tastes delicious, but it's a bit stringy. I highly recommend following the directions when cooking, even if you've made something a thousand times.

New Appliance

My new carpet cleaner arrived today. This is what I got. Not a very good picture, I know. It was the best one I could find.

I know just where to try it out. The carpet in the downstairs hallway is in desperate need of cleaning. It's really too bad I got this just in time for the weekend. I probably can't use it until Tuesday, when the kids go back to school, or they'll be walking all over the wet carpet.

Snow

It's snowing! This isn't the first snow, but it's still kinda exciting.

Patience

Is it normal to have less patience as you get older? I've gotten to the point where I can't stand to sit in one place for too long at one thing. Case in point: I used to love jigsaw puzzles, but the last two times I attempted to put one together, I got bored with it, and had to put it away.

I can't seem to sit through an entire movie, either. They take up so much time, and I keep thinking about all the things that I need to be doing, and how late it's getting. I don't go to the theater more than once a year, so most of my movie viewing is at home.

I think I can still read for hours at a time, and maybe write too if I'm on a roll, but anything else gets boring fast. I don't know if this is good or bad. On the one hand, I get more exercise when I go from task to task. But I don't like the short attention span. I'll have to think about this more later because I have things to do.

Forgotten Blog

After my driving test failure, I haven't felt much like updating this blog. Nothing much has happened anyway. I'm still writing. I'm closing in on 168,000 words. I'm fairly certain I'll break 200,000 before the story is finished. I can't imagine what I'll write next. After putting two or so years into one story, I'll have to start another one, or I'm apt to feel lost. Or worse, give in to the temptation to write a sequel. I do have other stories started, so perhaps I'll feel inspired to take up one of those to finish. I'll just have to make sure I create characters I can have fun writing.

Farmer Girl

I got to help a bit with the harvest this week. I was babysitting the hopper to make sure it didn't overflow with corn while the wagon unloaded. I only helped for a few hours while the angel was napping, but it was fun.

Failure

Well, I failed the road test.

Apprehension

Tomorrow is my driving test. Last night, as I waited for sleep to come, I envisioned all sorts of horrible accidents I could get into. This is not helpful. I'm anxious enough as it is without thoughts of injury or death. I'm not so worried about myself, but that I might hurt someone else. I don't think I could forgive myself if I hurt someone with my car.

On a somewhat unrelated subject, I saw Bourne Ultimatum yesterday(lots of car crashes in that movie). It was beyond awesome, and everyone must see it.

Break Time

After 18 months, I'm taking a break from writing. I figure a month should be long enough. No updates, no deadlines. I can write what I want, when I want; or not at all. It's good to have the pressure off. Granted, I put all that pressure on myself, but I've put more effort into my story than I have into just about anything I've ever done. I think it's good for me.

I can't quite relax though, because my driving test is next week. I haven't driven in over a week. A neck injury prevented driving practice for a few days last week. I've been reading the Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook and Study Guide. A little more practice with parallel parking and negotiating parking lots, and I should be good to go.

Movie Review: The Others

I've been watching some creepy movies lately. With the older movies, it's more of a film study, and I don't get too into the story, but watch for things that made them creepy. The twists are usually predictable, or at least not terribly surprising. But the twist in The Others was great.

The film started out alright. The music wasn't really creepy, the main character seemed a bit odd, but her strangeness was explained away. I settled in for two hours of what I figured would be more mildly creepy stuff with increasingly creepy music.

As the movie progressed, things got weirder and weirder, and I wasn't quite sure what was going on. It was starting to seem like some sick practical joke, 1940s style. Then the twist hit. Wow. I did not see that coming. Rarely does a movie have such a surprise ending.

On a scale of 1 to 10:

Music: 8
Creepiness: 6
Acting: 10
Plot Twists: 10

School

It's finally here: the first day of school. I had the kids ready to go nearly half an hour before the bus came because I figured it would come early due to road construction. It came maybe five minutes early, though we waited about twenty. We had to wait for it at the end of the driveway because the view of the road from the kitchen window is blocked by corn and a tree branch.

All of that waiting would have been alright if I hadn't injured my neck yesterday. I woke up yesterday morning, adjusted my neck as I usually do, and got a cramp, or so I thought. Turns out I pinched a nerve or ligament or something. I've done this before. It takes a few days to get better. Meanwhile, my head is almost constantly tilted to the left, I can't make sudden movements, and I can't turn my head very far to the right.

The limited range of motion will keep me from practicing my driving for a few days. The last practice went rather well. I didn't get lost, but the Wal-Mart parking lot continues to torture me. Hopefully, my neck will get better soon, and I'll get more practice in before my road test in two weeks.

Driving #3

The last driving session went very well. I'm still getting the hang of some of those hills and get going a little fast on the downhill side, but aside from the incidental speeding, I didn't break any laws.

I was also able to get to my destination without first getting lost. This is very big for me. Unfortunately, I wasn't in my hometown. I still don't know my way around very well, and I don't know why I can't figure it out.

My road test is scheduled for mid-September. I get nervous just thinking about it, so I try not to. At least I have a few more weeks to practice.

Little Known Artist of the Month

The Little Known Artist of the Month for August:

The Elected

This band has an old sound that's great on rainy days or when you just feel like taking it easy. Check out their website and listen to "Fireflies in a Steel Mill." You'll swear you've tuned into an oldies station. You can even buy their albums in vinyl format!

This video is pretty neat, too:

More Driving

Today's driving went very well. I only missed one turn, and had to go around the block, but in my defense, I didn't have enough room to get into the left lane on the first pass.

I have no sense of direction. I just don't know my way around. For example: I know how to get to Kwik Trip coming into town from the North. I can even get there from the back way around the church. But I don't know how to get there from the Hospital.

Hopefully, I'll figure this all out with practice.

Driving

I'm learning to drive this year. My husband is my driving teacher, so that adds a new level of difficulty. His favorite teaching methods are overreacting, and explaining what would happen if the roads were icy and how our insurance rates would go sky high.

Every time I drive, I run into some new situation that I need to work on. First, it was slowing down for turns. After that, pedestrians on the road. Then came farm machinery. Now I'm having trouble with parking, and stop lights.

I did stop for the red light, barely. I was thinking about where I needed to turn, and didn't slow down soon enough. So, I need to work on my concentration, which is nothing new. I've always had a one-track mind, so multi-tasking is difficult.

The next driving adventure should come on Tuesday.

Tired

I think I'll start a new feature here at the Soap Box: You Know You're Too Tired When...

...When you try to wash your hands with toothpaste.

I did that today. It took me a minute to figure out that it was toothpaste and not soap, never mind that soap doesn't come in tubes.

My Day

Dear Reader, today was very busy. We have company coming tomorrow, so I spent most of the morning cleaning. To break up the monotony, I cleaned in shifts, spending 15 minutes in one room, then 15 minutes in another and so on. The house looks great, but I'm exhausted.

I gave the three older girls haircuts, and they all look pretty decent.

The angel is sick. She threw up in the van on the way home from church. Poor little thing. She had to take another bath(she hates baths), and go straight to bed. Hopefully, she'll be better tomorrow.

Guitar

I've been playing my guitar a little bit every day. I'm getting much better at playing the same songs over and over, but I've been thinking about getting some sort of instructional video to improve my playing over all.

In other news, I had another actual conversation with my father-in-law yesterday. We talked for about an hour, covering subjects ranging from driving practice to disciplining children. This is good.

Locked Out

I wasn't having the best day today. Mostly because I'm foolish enough to let my husband teach me how to drive. Between him and the attitudes of my in-laws(that's a whole other post), I'm stressed out to the point where I don't care if I ever get my license.

So, I did what I often do when I'm stressed out on a Summer's evening: I grabbed my guitar and headed out to the nearly empty barn for a little concert for the cattle. I was out there for about 45 minutes. When I came back to the house, it was locked. My husband only remembers to lock the door half the time, but Murphy's Law dictates tonight should be one of the nights he remembers. I knew he wouldn't hear the doorbell. I couldn't call him because the barn phone has been disconnected. I went around to the back porch, which is next to our bedroom, and knocked. He was sound asleep, and couldn't hear me.

I went out to the shop and got a screwdriver, pried open the bedroom window, and shouted at him. I asked him politely to let me in. He got up sleepily, and unlocked the door. He did apologize for locking me out, but I'm still not too happy about it. I'm sure some day I'll think it was hysterically funny, but that day is far off.

Little Known Artist of the Month

I think it's time I resurrected this feature. This month, we have an accompanying video. The Little Known Artist of the Month for July is:

Debra Lyn

Here is the video for Debra's single "I Can't Remember to Forget You":

Feelin' Hot

I really don't care for hot weather. July is terrible for heat, and it only leads to the humidity of August. Thanks goodness for rain and air conditioning.

The garden plants love this weather. They're growing like crazy. Unfortunately, the bugs seem to like this weather, too. Hundreds of little grasshoppers ate the tops of my carrots. I have done better keeping the weeds at bay, but the insects have gotten the better of me. Next year's gardening strategy shall include some kind of bug spray.

Writing

Dear Reader,

My writing pace is bugging me. It seems awfully slow. I write about one chapter a week, each chapter being approximately 2,000 words long. At that pace, I can write a bit over 100,000 words a year. It may sound like a lot, but once I get to editing, about half of that will eventually be deleted, and I'll have to add a lot more before the story is in decent enough shape to be published.

This is my first novel, and I want it to be as good as I can possibly make it. It may take another year after I finish the first draft. I've been writing it for over a year already. Tolkien took twenty years to write the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I guess there's no big rush, though I don't expect to write anything of that caliber or popularity.

Anyway, I should get back to writing. I'd like to get 5,000 words written this week, and time's a wastin'. Wish me luck.

My Rules of Writing

Dear Reader, my last post gave me an idea. I'm going to list my Rules of Writing. I may add to them later on. If you should have any suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments section.


Patronized Saint's RULES OF WRITING:
-------------------------------------

1. Don't Write Crap*
2. Stay True to the Characters
3. Review and Revise
4. Editing is Never "Done" Until Publication


*This rule may be broken only in extreme cases of writer's block, and anything written in such cases is then especially subject to rule number 3.

Procrastination

My procrastination has spread to my writing. I've spent days with the intention of writing chapter 92, and I've written maybe one of the five pages. The short length of the chapters makes the offense worse.

I think I need to just sit down and write four more pages, even if they turn out to be crap, just so I get it done. But that would violate my first rule of writing: Don't Write Crap. However, I may have no choice, as re-writing doesn't seem to be so difficult.

The Orchard

A few years ago, my husband and I started an orchard. We now have a cherry tree, two apple trees, and a pear tree. The past two years, the apple trees and pear tree have come under attack by tree-hating rabbits. Or maybe they're tree-loving rabbits? Anyway, we thought the smaller trees were done for, but they grew back a couple of times. Something is eating the leaves off the little apple tree again, but not stripping bark this year, so we have hope for it.

We actually have apples this year! We've never gotten apples, not even from the old McIntosh that grew out of a bunch of apple cores that were buried 10+ years ago, so this is exciting.

We also got cherries this year! Yay! We got enough to make into a pie, which I made yesterday. It was delicious. I look forward to many more years of making pies from homegrown fruit.

Teeth

On Wednesday, I had my wisdom teeth extracted. I do not recommend this procedure unless it is absolutely necessary(or you really like pain and swelling).

The procedure itself was interesting. For some reason, the top teeth were much easier to extract than were the bottom teeth. Not having had my wisdom teeth removed before, I have no idea if this is the norm. I would have asked, but the surgeon had his fingers in my mouth, and I was pretty numb from the Novocaine.

Here it is, Saturday night, and the swelling in my face has finally subsided to where I look half-way normal. My jaw is still plenty sore, but I'm avoiding the prescription painkillers. I don't want to take anything that powerful or addictive, so I'm alternating between acetaminophen and ibuprofen. The pain is worse at night, so I'm not sleeping well, but I haven't had any major complications.

Chewing is an adventure, but I managed to eat some pizza tonight. Hopefully by this time next week, I will be recovered.

More Stewie!

Mothers of small children can relate to this. This is my favorite Stewie scene.

Weed Massacre

So one of my New Year's Resolutions was to keep the garden free of weeds(or within a reasonable range). I haven't exactly managed that, but I did conduct an all-out assault on the weeds this evening. I have found the four rows of carrots, and several bean plants that I didn't know I had. The hoeing I shall save for another day, because I'm already exhausted from today's events(no, not just from the weeding). It was a good day for gardening.

Irish Humor

Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and says to the first man he
meets, "Do you want to go to heaven?"

The man said, "I do, Father."

The priest said, "Then stand over there against the wall."

Then the priest asked the second man, "Do you want to go to heaven?"

"Certainly, Father," was the man's reply.

"Then stand over there against the wall," said the priest.

Then Father Murphy walked up to O'Toole and said, "Do you want to go to
heaven?"

O'Toole said, "No, I don't Father."

The priest said, "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when
you die you don't want to go to heaven?"

O'Toole said, "Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group
together to go right now."

Blues Clues

You'd think by now, children's programming would be perfectly safe. Did you ever notice that in the beginning of Blue's Clues(the older ones at least), Steve asks the kids to help him find his puppy?

And then we try to tell kids not to help strange men look for lost puppies at the park.

We're sending mixed messages here.