Letting Go and Starting Over

"Letting go is an act of strength and courage.

It helps healing begin, frees you of the weight of the past,

and opens doors to a new future." 

~~Stephanie Tourles, Lift Me Up

My mother's voice is screaming in my subconscious, trying to strangle me into the belief that I failed miserably in 2011.  I did not complete my reading challenges.  I did not get 50K written during either Camp NaNoWriMo session, nor during November--in fact, I don't believe I got 50K written on my novel this year.  I did not make, much less post, a lot of cards--even my best friends did not receive handmade birthday greetings (some were lucky to get a quick e-mail acknowledging their big day).  I did not lose weight.  I did not pay off all my debt.  

Mother, I loved you, but your unrealistic expectations for me while you lived damn near drove me into insanity and helped encourage some really bad behaviors for years, so please allow me to kindly (but firmly) tell you to be quiet.  I'm grown and I make my own decisions (and accept the consequences of those decisions).

I hereby let go of the unfinished idealized list of accomplishments I had set for myself for 2011.  No more weighing myself down with regret or negative self-talk.  No more wallowing in what did not happen the way I wanted it to.

I did accomplish many things in 2011:

• Attended on-site training at my job (which helped me stay actively employed all year)
• Paid off one of five student loans
• Kept my Stampin' Up! demonstrator status active (and increased my customer base)
• Learned multiple new software programs
• Set up a complete wireless network in my apartment to maximize the connectivity of my work equipment to the company network (allowing me to continue to work remotely)
• Decreased my carbon footprint by decreasing my electrical usage in my home (even with record Texas summer heat)
• Replaced my microwave after accidentally almost starting a fire in it one night while I was busily writing
• Upgraded my laptop after managing to fry the hard drive in the old one

I also read for pleasure--primarily on my Kindle or my Kindle for Android app.  Between Paperback Swap and donations to my local public library, I succeeded in moving over 300 books out of my apartment.  On the other hand, I  brought in about 150 physical volumes because I still cannot seem to do historical research without actually highlighting passages and making margin notes LOL.

Speaking of historical research, I did a lot of it--and read quite a bit about the craft of writing and publishing (and about marketing yourself).  I didn't reach my goal of 100 complete books in this year, but I did manage to read portions of over 100--see, research to me doesn't always mean reading from beginning to end; some of the Civil War material I have accumulated may never be read cover-to-cover, but it is being read as necessary to help with accuracy for a specific scene.  The same with various texts on using software programs--most of these texts are getting used weekly and marked accordingly, yet only as the information is required.

Was I a success in 2011?  Why, yes--I may not be rich monetarily, or have a managerial position at my job.  I don't own a home or a car.  But none of these things define success for me.  I have friends.  I have a comfortable apartment and a lease until 2014.  I have a wonderful job with nice benefits.  I have my health.  I have a slowly increasing retirement savings account and a slowly decreasing debt load.  I have hope for both my future and the future of this great land (still the best place in the world to live). 

What else could a woman hope for?  My Blessings are many and my regrets for the past are very few.  With that attitude toward my future, my end of year message to my Mother's ghost is simply this--I am indeed a successful, happy human being full of delight in the present and ideas for the future. 

Here's to opening doors of wonder and delight for 2012!

I've Extended my Camping Trip

July's version of Camp NaNo kinda sucked...it started well, but the Texas heat plus my day job doing data entry made it very difficult for my right wrist/elbow/shoulder to allow extensive additional typing.  A series of surgeries over a decade ago left weaknesses in my right arm and while it usually causes me more trouble in extreme cold, this summer's extreme heat (today was--I believe--the 30th day in a row of 100 degree days; the second longest streak of consecutive days Dallas has seen) has totally worn out my arm.  (Extra weather trivia--the longest streak was in 1980; I was pregnant that summer with my youngest son, and pregnancy in this type of heat was no walk in the park either LOL.)

Okay--so little writing got done.  Not to be defeated permanently, I have changed tactics.  I'm allowing technology to help me for the August camp session.  I've loaded Dragon Naturally Speaking 11.5 onto both my personal computers, so I will be dictating "Louisiana Lightning" and hopefully be much more successful in "writing" 50K in 31 days.

I will confess that I did read a bit in July, and this past Thursday made time to see Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part 2.  I'll be adding the books I read to my challenge lists, and perhaps write reviews later.  The movie will receive its own review here soon.  Suffice it to say--I loved it!!  Thank heavens they split the last book...

July also started the new Stampin' Up! year and the new Idea Book & Catalog is the best I've ever seen!  Our Summer Mini catalog will end August 31, and the Holiday Mini will begin September 1 (I'll be able to post links then).  So, I'd love to be stamping and having fun--I miss my card challenges tremendously--and if the dictation works like I believe it will, my arm may allow some creating soon (I hope).

Stay as cool as you can, and I appreciate all my followers being so patient with me as I try to work thru health issues and get back to sharing online on a more regular basis.

I'm Going to Summer Camp!

Camp NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow!  I'm planning on another 50K and since July has 31 days, I only need 1613 words each day to be a winner!  November was a bust for me last year--I was a "pantser" rather than a "plotter"--and so when the wonderful people at The Office of Letters and Light decided to have a summer camp program, I jumped at the chance to escape from the Texas heat and spend time in 1862 Louisiana (yeah, I'm still writing about the Civil War).

Not that I expect July to be an easy road of writing.  I have a working outline (no more being a "pantser" for me, LOL), but July holds its own set of writing challenges--the new Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog debuts tomorrow!  It's the yummiest one I have ever seen!  And of course, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II debuts on July 15...even though I know the ending, I have to see this one on the big screen as I have all the prior seven. 

However, I have a wonderful inspiration piece to keep me motivated.  My dear friend Beverly over at GottHeartArt is a published artist in several card making magazines and has recently branched out into mixed media.  She decided to gift me with a beautiful piece for my writing area:

Isn't this the most awesome gift ever?  The acorn idea came from reading Sage Cohen's The Productive Writer and I encourage any creative soul to read this book, as all the tips and techniques are inspiring for anyone who wants to pursue a dream.

So--even though my idea of camping out usually means a cheap hotel room without cable (I used to say with a black and white TV but that would really prove how old I am LOL), I am headed to writing camp!  I'll try to check in here more often than I have been (which would really be ironic given the scarcity of posts the past few months), but I will surely post my win come July 31 (nothing like the power of positive thinking LOL).

For any Canadian readers, Happy Canada Day on July 1 and for the Americans, Happy Independence Day on July 4!  If you are visiting from anywhere else--welcome and I hope to get to know you better ;-)

"If You Can't Say Something Nice..."

Anybody old enough to be able to finish that phrase as it came out of your mother/grandmother's mouth?  If you wonder where I've been, life threw some curve balls recently. 

Because I understand the word "responsibility" to mean that I adjust my work schedule to help the company that pays my bills and buys my groceries, I just spent several weeks working odder than normal hours.  Blogging took a back seat, especially as I don't want to be known for ranting incessantly and recent American political events have certainly been rant-worthy in my eyes (although I did get quite a few laughs when Donald Trump attempted to make me take him seriously as a Presidential candidate).

I did get some enjoyment while away from the blogosphere--the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was absolutely breathtaking.  It was a real treat and so very different from the weddings of Prince Charles and Prince Andrew.  Yes, I'm a Royal watcher and not ashamed of it and feel that "The Firm" has learned much this past decade or so--the young Royals will serve Great Britain well (as long as Princess Beatrice picks a new designer for any future hats LOL).

And, I slipped in some historical fiction between work shifts--three wonderful novels set in the South during the American Revolution:  Paper Woman, The Blacksmith's Daughter, and Camp Follower.  All by Suzanne Adair, they can be read as stand-alone stories, but as they share characters, they work best read in order.  I loved them and can hardly wait for the next volume--without giving too much of a spoiler, she has created a villain that you absolutely love to hate.

My schedule at work may be returning to a sense of normalcy, so I hope to get back to regular posts--the Stampin' Up! catalog transition begins June 1st when the Last Chance Lists post in preparation for the July 1st launch of the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  NaNoWriMo is holding summer camp this year--they'll be announcing more details on May 25...

Finally, I want to get back into my studio and participate in card challenges again (plus let's not even mention all the great movies coming out this summer), so I am quite grateful my job is allowing some time for some fun for the next few weeks.  Let's see if I can post some fun stuff here this summer ;-)

Putting My Butt in My Writing Chair

Found this over at Confessions of the Un-Published! today.  Great "tough love" for writers!




It has been a really strange day for me.  My schedule change threw me for a bigger loop than I expected, because I am a creature of habit--I've worked a lot of jobs and worked weekends on many of them, but it has been years since my days off have not been consecutive...so today was spent doing housework, laundry, grocery shopping (aka general living), and I just looked up to realize a full day has gone without getting to write or create :-(

Jackson's great video reminds me that I will never have a finished novel if I don't write the danged thing LOL...similarly, I won't have any more cards made for OWH or challenges if I don't sit at my studio table and create them.  So, even though my TBR mountain has been calling my name, and there are many new Blu-Ray/DVD movies out that I want to watch, and I want badly to blog-surf to see what new inspiration is out there (like Jackson's video for instance), I am signing off the Internet for the rest of the night...TGAN and writing chair, here I come!

"Lazy?" Really? Let's Look Again

I want so badly to scream sometimes when people think that because I work from home I sit around eating chocolate bonbons and watching TV while wearing my pajamas.  It is true that I eat too much and exercise too little and it is also true that I have music playing softly in the background while working (or sometimes I may play the sound of a documentary with the video off--my home PC sits behind me when I am working and I can turn off the monitor and listen to the audio track as background noise).  I do not however "play around" while on the clock; I stay tethered to my phone and to my data entry screen as much or more than anyone at our actual call center.  Even bathroom breaks are shorter because I don't have as far to walk LOL.

My brain is wired in such a way that if I am in pajamas, I am "lounging" and "lounging" is far different from "working."  It's true--I'm not in shoes all the time (I hate shoes), but especially on cold days, I have on socks or booties.  It's also true that I may be wearing a scrub top (I love the pockets) or a t-shirt and jeans, but I wear nothing while working that I would not wear on a trip to the grocery store.

We are quite shorthanded right now, so we are all working extra hours to ensure adequate coverage.  The folks in the office are often the recipients of catered lunches--pizza or boxed lunches are the usual choices.  Me?  I fix lunch here.  The result?  More dishes in the sink at the end of the day, and more electricity being used (let's not even talk about needing to keep a heater on in the office).  Sure I don't travel back and forth to the office...that makes it easier to count on me to work oddball hours like split shifts ;-)

So, am I lazy?  I think not...especially after watching this video again.  One of my favorite singers singing one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite movies:


I'd love to know your thoughts...what do you define as lazy when you are at home all the time?  Does working from home mean "hardly working" rather than "working hard"?

More 2011 Reading Challenges--See My Left Sidebar

Peeking Between the Pages has set some fantabulous reading challenges for 2011 and I've featured them on my left sidebar, even though I may not participate in all of them.  "If I'm not participating, then why am I featuring?" you may be asking.  Well, two of the challenges--"Harry Potter" and "Outlander" are on my top ten all-time absolute favorite book series ever list and contain books I re-read (in order) on at least a bi-annual basis. 

I already plan to re-read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" before the final movie premieres this year (July 15), but may not be able to fit the other six into my schedule.  Some of my friends tease that I spend way too much time in the world of Jamie and Claire Fraser--"Outlander" novels are truly sagas and aren't particularly short, so I may revisit the latest, "An Echo in the Bone" since I now own the U.K. paperback version (autographed, no less!), but I may not re-read all of them--I'd really like to read some other historicals this year and I also need time to write my own books ;-)

My TBR mountain has included the books in the other three challenges for a while, however, so don't be surprised to see reviews here this year for the Earth's Children novels by Jean Auel, the Wilderness series by Sara Donati, and the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.  I read the first two Auel's many years ago, loved them, but got sidetracked and never finished the series.  I also read the first Donati while in New Orleans but that series got interrupted by a rude hurricane called Katrina.  And although I own most of the Sookie series, and I love "True Blood" (the HBO adaptation), I've never taken the time to read them because I would obsessively read one right after the other; I keep putting other books ahead of these (like my current read-a-thon of the Lauren Willig series).

Reading books I already own is frugal entertainment.  Crossing books off my TBR mountain is an accomplishment.  Let's see how well I combine the two and see how many of these three challenges I can complete in 2011.

Who wants to join me?

Deathly Hallows Part One (four months away LOL)

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Okay, I am having trouble waiting... thanks to the recent Harry Potter weekend on ABC Family and the little sneak peeks of the final two Harry Potter movies, I'm really looking forward to seeing how they have translated the final tome of the series onto film.

Of course, the timing of the film's opening creates challenges for me.  Yes, it opens the day before my 55th birthday--a great birthday present!-- but having attempted an opening day viewing of OOTP (Order of the Phoenix for the Muggles reading this), I find I enjoy any movie more when the theatre is less crowded. Usually, the second weekend would suffice--in this case, probably not so much as that will be Thanksgiving weekend.

Of course, November is NaNoWriMo, so I will be totally committed to writing 50,000 words in thirty days that month and will also be working full-time at my day job.

So, when can I finally see Part One?  Rest assured, it will definitely be prior to Christmas--after all, Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes out at Christmas LOL...

The Good Life

I'm back--Most of my network problems are fixed here at the house.  The early heat wave caught my A/C by surprise, but it is now working (it looks to be a long, hot Texas summer).  My laptop's replacement battery should be here any day now.  My day job is back to "normal" after software changes and upgrades.  In other words, general living is giving me a short break LOL.

When the network was down, I managed to study the art of writing historical fiction. I also managed to do quite a bit of research the old-fashioned way, and I am now back to crafting scenes.  I do so love being productive ;-)

Several home projects are also in the works.  I've decided that the room I spend the majority of my time inside should be the largest and coolest room in the house, so I am in the process of switching my office/studio and my bedroom.  It is giving me an opportunity to cull non-Stampin' Up! crafting items (my granddaughter is a budding artist and always loves supplies) and to replace my mismatched desks with coordinating pieces.  Of course, this will take several months--and a couple of vacation days while I do the final switch as new Ethernet needs to be run--but I hope to have it all in order by Labor Day.

Speaking of Stampin' Up!  I just got My Digital Studio and I am so excited!  I'll be posting a video later this week about this great software.  We've just posted our Last Chance List for the 2009-2010 catalog year, and I have already placed my first order for 2010-2011 Idea Books and Catalogs (they go "live" July 1st).  Feel free to check out all the goodies (including info on our new Color Collections); they are on my recently updated website.

And, I must admit--I played a bit (not something I do often).  I went to see Iron Man 2 and Robin Hood.   Both are excellent in their own way; my tip of the hat goes to Robin Hood for the most realistic portrayal of the original folk tales (and this comes from a person who has loved the Errol Flynn version since girlhood).  These will definitely be added to my DVD library as soon as possible, to be watched and enjoyed again and again.  Robin Hood actually ranks up there with Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Indiana Jones (and my friends all know how often I watch those LOL).

It's good to be back in the blogging world.  I hope to post more regularly now that the PC issues seem to be under control.  Thanks for not leaving while I was M-I-A.

Challenges Can be, well, Challenging

December 31, 2009 is here and I only read 92 books this year, so I missed my 100-book Challenge.  Most of what I read turned out to be nonfiction writing guides or other research for my novel-in-progress.  Since TGAN (now "officially" titled Don't Trust the Rain) is set in Civil War New Orleans, my four memoirs for the "In Their Shoes" Challenge didn't get read either, much less the mysteries for the "On the Porch Swing" Challenge.

Usually, not succeeding in something like this--even though it was voluntary and "for fun"--would depress me tremendously.  This year, it has not.  Whether I am finally maturing in my attitudes (at 54, one would think I was already mature) or whether I am simply loving myself more these days I cannot say.  Perhaps both, with a healthy dose of Hacuna Matata and Que Sera Sera thrown in for good measure.

Just for today, I choose to close out the old year celebrating my accomplishments and not dwelling on what could have been done better.  After all, writing 50,000 words in November despite what life threw my way was a tremendous feat.  I did take a short break, but am back to writing on a regular basis.

I also started crafting regularly again, enough so that I re-established my sales relationship with Stampin' Up!  Not a lot of customers yet, but I joined primarily to collect their products at a discount and have fun using quality papers, inks and stamps.  Therefore, this venture is successful and can only grow from here.  For a personal challenge this coming year, I want to post at least a card or project here a month that uses exclusively SU! components.

And I posted much less here than I would have liked.  I missed opportunities to post my reviews of several fantastic books and even better movies (you HAVE to see "Sherlock Holmes" by the way, and they simply MUST make a sequel--preferably with Jason Isaacs or Ewan McGregor as Professor Moriarity; but I digress once more LOL). 

So, I'll end the decade on a positive note--I have a wonderful job and two fantastic avocations that are supported financially by the wonderful job.  I have my health.  I have great friends who support not only my paper crafting but my writing, and who even (usually) tolerate my reduce/reuse/recycle idealogies.

Here's a final toast to 2009--Thank you for the opportunities to learn and grow and develop into a better person!  Challenges are simply ways of expanding my horizons. 

This is a post to look back; tomorrow I will move forward.  Lots of exciting plans so check back often.

Merry White Christmas!

It's snowing here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and in some sections of the Metroplex, it is actually sticking!  I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl--I love snow!  And there is nothing more fun than watching "White Christmas" on Christmas Eve with it snowing outside LOL!

Of course, I've rescheduled my Christmas plans with friends due to the weather; I may love snow but it puts a crimp in traveling, even with public transportation.  No youngsters are involved with our plans, so we can see "Sherlock Holmes" on Sunday after the weather clears.  I also can watch a "Star Wars" marathon on Spike TV if I tire of AMC and "White Christmas".  I have food in the house and am off work tonight and tomorrow.  What else could someone ask for at Christmas?  (Well, I could ask for a lot actually--like world peace and increased participation in green living and better treatment for the mentally ill among us and increased literacy in Appalachia and other depressed areas of our country and the world, and--well, I am sure you get the drift LOL).

The gist of it all I guess wraps around the fact that I can ask for nothing more for Christmas than I already have--good friends, a home, food, my health, a job--and the ability to make healthy decisions in my life today.  Some folks don't have those things.  I am truly Blessed.

So again, to all you reading this--Have a Merry Christmas and may you be surrounded this holiday season by all you hold dear...

Fantastic Interview!

Exclusive: Producer David Heyman talks HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

I know, I know--I never post twice in a day, but I just found this exclusive interview regarding the two Deathly Hallows movies coming in 2010 and 2011 and I just had to share!

(The posted photos from Half-Blood Prince are cool too LOL!) Guess it's time to go back for another showing this weekend...

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince--I Loved It!!!!!

Voracious fans of the book series are having discussions all over the Web regarding the storyline of the books versus the movies--it happens every time and will certainly happen with parts 1 & 2 of Deathly Hallows in 2010 and 2011.

Half-Blood Prince was different than I expected (not better and certainly not worse). On site reviews and preview videos showed me scenes not in the book so I knew something of what to expect. The movie left out parts of the master story line and yes, I walked out wondering how certain "necessary" parts of Deathly Hallows can be filmed if the essential back story was not.

Movie audiences are not always readers. My friend watching with me only knows Hogwarts and environs through the movies and has no desire to read the books. She was quite happy with the balance between the main story and the little sideline romances, and I agree. We were both pleasantly surprised that the darker tone was present but not overwhelming. Voldemort has returned and is causing havoc everywhere, yet the young people at Hogwarts still have time to fall in and out of "love" and there is much to laugh about. The comedic timing of Rupert Grint in so many scenes had me laughing far more than I had expected. Emma Watson also had moments that just floored you and showed a totally different side to the usually serious Hermione.

Not that there were not tears--there were many. I knew I would have sad moments throughout but I did not expect to feel sympathy for Tom Felton. Crying through the books was one thing--the tears were NOT shed for Draco. Watching the performance, I cried as much for Draco's plight as I did for Dumbledore.

Yes this post is long and was hard to write without spoilers, but please see the movie. We need morality tales today. We need to see the consequences of poor choices. We need accountability for our actions. Harry offers all this and more in a movie that entrances adults as well as older children and it does all this without fire and brimstone preachiness. Where else can you see honest affection and caring between young people today without seeing them jump into bed? Where else do we see that bad choices made in the past do not force a person into bad choices in the future?

I'm anxiously awaiting 2010 and Deathly Hallows #1...

Movie Mania

I love movies but I am frugal so movie going in the evening has not been a part of my life for a long time. I recently found (through a frugal friend) a Cinemark theatre here in the D/FW Metroplex that has $2.50 adult ticket prices (even on weekends) for any showing before 6 PM. Awesome!

Needless to say, Sunday was movie day. This summer will be a bumper crop of movies for me (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince anyone?) and I will be looking for Cinemark theatres for as many of them as possible: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen; UP! (which was sold out Sunday and full of kids); Public Enemies (eye candy AKA Johnny Depp and Christian Bale); Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs...without cheap matinee prices, I'd go broke trying to see everything that is soon to hit the big screen.

BFF Ruth and I spent a wonderful day together; we started with Star Trek and then took a break for lunch at Luby's and ended with Angels and Demons. If we hadn't done lunch and a quick run through DeSoto (I grew up there and graduated from DHS; she lived there for many years), we might have had time for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but I'm a bit glad we didn't as I am not sure I could have handled all the excitement LOL!

I'm really going to try for no spoilers here (sheepish grin). Star Trek had me crying before the opening title sequence. Fantastic movie and great casting. Yes, as stated in an earlier post, I am a die-hard Star Wars fan, but this Star Trek reminded me that I was once a fanatic Trekkie and I am now enjoying the various Trek incarnations on cable whenever possible. I found myself wondering what the surviving cast members of the original Trek (especially Nichelle Nichols) think about the way their characters are portrayed. I was personally quite excited and sitting on the edge of my seat for much of the film. This is a "buy the 2-disc + digital copy version the day the DVD comes out" film. And, are they filming the sequel yet?

Then, after that wonderful experience, what can I say about Angels and Demons? I had loved the book and can think of no better Robert Langdon than Tom Hanks. Ron Howard's direction is exacting and particularly suited for this material. The screenwriting was tight. We were able to get enough information about the Vatican's policies and procedures to understand the conclave (I really love to go to movies where I learn just enough about something that I am intrigued to go do further research on my own). I also had read the book long enough ago that I was totally engrossed in the ending. Of course, any movie with Ewan McGregor will hold my attention while he is on screen...and I'm saving my pennies for the 2-disc version of this movie as well.

Both movies were thrilling. They each had thought-provoking scenes and edge-of-your-seat moments, and I got to see them both for $5. Who could ever ask for more?

Live Long and Prosper!

Paperback Swap is Fantastic!

Please, if you are a voracious reader, go spend some time at PBS

I love this place (and so does my pocketbook LOL!) Music lovers can also join Swap-A-CD and video buffs have Swap-A-DVD. I've just joined the DVD site as well, although I seldom buy DVD's that aren't for my keeper shelf. They have a great selection and an intriguing way of managing your Wish List. We hope you join us at one or all of these sites!

Fate of the Jedi

I have been remiss in not sharing my deep abiding love for all things Jedi. Perhaps my personally eclectic belief system feels a deep resonance with The Force, or perhaps I just love old-fashioned serial adventure stories, but Star Wars has become an often-visited alternate universe for me for several decades.

Unfortunately, until now, my travels to Tatooine, Courescant, and Endor have all been courtesy of video. I am quite ashamed to admit that reading the serials has never been a priority. Somehow, I keep hearing my mother's rather inane refrain that good girls did not read books written for boys. Mother, prepare to roll over in whatever domain you now inhabit--I intend to read Star Wars! As great as the newest chronicles look, I'm actually going to start with the original trilogy and move backwards and forwards as necessary--The Han Solo Trilogy, Lando Calrissian's tales, Luke's rebuilding of the Jedi Order...I have skirted around these for quite some time as I instinctively know I will want to collect them all and my apartment is already somewhat overrun with books.

So, since I have the Trilogy, I shall begin. Expect my book postings to be of this overall genre for a while--science fiction and fantasy will make a wonderful distraction from my novel research and the topics and styles differ enough from mystery that my novel's plot line shouldn't receive undue influence. (Stay tuned for more postings on learning to craft a novel--that is also a tremendous learning experience).

May was Manic!

Where did the month go? Movies were seen (Iron Man and Prince Caspian--both ranked 5/5 with me), and Prince Caspian is on my "Buy" list when it comes out on DVD. Iron Man ended in such a way I really feel they are planning a sequel. Also saw Smart People and now I understand all the buzz about Ellen Page; having had NO desire to see Juno, I was unaware of this young woman's talent. She is certainly an actress whose career I will follow.

Books got read and my Paperback Swap BIR list got updated with the reviews--25 total with the majority being cozy mysteries. I also read both of Claudine Hellmuth's collage books from the library and simply must track down copies for my own. The stand-out book of the month was without a doubt Trace Adkins' A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck which now ranks as one of my all-time favorite reads. He has always been a favorite performer of mine, but my admiration grew as I read his well-reasoned commentary on America today. Lots of deep thinking in that slim volume!


New shifts at work ate up some of the month as well. I temporarily have the mid-day free and work mornings and evenings while we train new staff. That has turned out to be quite fun in a way and a blessing in disguise because of the errands that can be done locally in the afternoons--I will almost regret going back to the old 8-hour straight schedule later this summer.


And speaking of summer--it has come to Dallas! I am trying to be as energy-efficient as possible but must admit that I had to turn on the AC and lower the thermostat to 80. Whether it be obesity, age-related hormones, or just plain being spoiled, I can no longer work well if the room is hot. The blinds are staying closed except in early morning and I purchased fans for the bedroom and living room (already had one for the office where the biggest majority of my day is spent).


Speaking of the office...courtesy of my IRS refund, my crafting area is slowly coming together! My home PC is on a more suitable desk, my sewing machines have a table soon to be dedicated strictly to them, and my crafting table is ready to be organized (do piles of things count as organization???) The digital camera is scheduled for pickup this weekend. June planned purchases include 2 Iris carts to organize my supplies as well as the long-awaited all-in-one printer. There are currently stacks all over the floor, but I really want it organized by the end of June. I plan on a couple of hours of cleaning and organizing tomorrow because Saturday is our monthly stamping group (gratefully not here LOL!)

Memorial Day was of course a workday for me as most holidays are, but before I close, and although I am tardy in saying so, I am truly grateful for all those who have put their lives on the line to defend our freedom, and I light candles for those who paid the ultimate price that I might live in this great land. May those in uniform be always cradled in the Creator's hand. We are indeed the home of the free because of the brave.

Movies, Messes, and Musings

It's Sunday, and I had plans to accomplish a lot of things around the house. My craft table (AKA dining room table) is covered with unfinished St. Patrick's Day card elements. My desk has Memory Works paperwork to be reviewed, classical music notes to be filed, unpaid bills to sort, quotes to add to my quotes file...it's after 6 PM and "John Adams" starts on HBO in an hour, so this blog entry will be the last thing done before then.

Yesterday was a great movie day--I braved the Dallas St. Patrick's Day parade throngs to see "The Other Boleyn Girl" with my dear friend Ruth. Neither of us had been to the Angelika Theater before and we loved not only the surroundings but also the fact that we were two of less than a dozen people at the early showing. The movie is marvelous (note to self: research what happened to Henry's illegitimate son by Mary Boleyn--unless that was a plot device). Both Ruth and I are Tudor buffs and I have adored Natalie Portman for years (another note--research her new line of vegan shoes). After a great lunch at a rather over-priced but still wonderful seafood restaurant (Hook, Line and Sinker at McKinney and Lemmon), I ran a few errands and came home to empty some of the saved programs on my DVR.

I pulled one of the 3 Johnny Depp movies I had recorded--"The Libertine" and thought I would stay with historical, period piece movies. As it not only had my heartthrob Johnny but also John Malkovich (another perennial favorite), I thought it would be a very enjoyable movie. Well--why didn't I remember that Johnny loves off-the-wall characters. Great story (based on a real person) but I was a bit caught off-guard by some of the visuals. I guess I had forgotten some of what is allowed with an "R" rating. Still, I cried at the end and will be researching John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (can anybody see what a nerdy geek I really am?). Okay--so it is not a movie I choose to buy for my collection; perhaps one of the other two on my DVR will be ("Benny and Joon" and "Sleepy Hollow").

Over the past 48 hours, I also cleared a 2-hour History Channel program on Alexander the Great, several Carol Duvall episodes, another History Channel program on Judas Ischariot, and spent 45 minutes on hold with Time Warner Cable to ensure I would have HBO in time for "John Adams" tonight. Do they call that customer service? Yes, thanks to cordless phone technology, I managed to monitor my corned beef on the stove, read thru some e-mail, search the web for paper companies and place a Memory Works order, but still--holding for 45 minutes? My company (my day job is phone customer service) would never stand for those hold times! And, once I got the repair division, the agent could only make an appointment for a technician to come out; he could not/would not send a signal to the box to reset it, saying that I might lose service altogether if he were to do so??????????? So, next Saturday morning will be spent awaiting the TWC repairman.

Lest it look like all I have done is stayed glued to my TV, I must interject here that I read and do paperwork often while emptying the DVR. My craft table is arranged in such a way that I can watch TV and work simultaneously. My TV is on a turntable so it can be repositioned to be seen from the kitchen if I have my contacts in (I only have a 20" screen). I am Blessed with remarkable recall--I needn't watch a documentary to retain much of the information; listening closely is often enough and if I do miss a point or two, a DVR makes it easy to rerun a section of a show. The DVR is probably one of the greatest technological advances of my lifetime.

Oops--it's 6:58, so to HBO I go for now...more musings later.