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 |  A place for me to write about life and the happenings in my little corner of the world. |
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| What three topics do you read the most about? Are they the same three topics you think the most often about? I would have to say that the three topics I read most about are education, politics, and food. Education and any articles that have to do with raising and educating children are probably my top choices simply because my circumstances dictate my interests at the moment. I don't read to much politics but I do try to stay informed. I worry that we are in a place where rights are tossed around as if they were mere privileges and privileges are being touted as rights. And it frightens me a bit. I don't want my children to live in a world where they have no say over their own bodies or where everyone on the block open carries an assault rifle or where only people of the same religions, same race, and opposite gender can marry, so I pay attention in order to do what I can to keep that from happening. And finally, food. Once again, interest dictated by circumstance. We can have Taco Tuesday only so many times before my family mutinies, so I have to change it up a bit. The food articles contain lots of recipe ideas and the like to keep things interesting when I'm opening boxes and heating dinner. I would have to say that the Education category occupies my thoughts the most, again, mainly because of my circumstances. I'm homeschooling my girls, so of course their education would be foremost in my mind. Politics and food are there, but I don't dwell on them. (Unless it's election season. Want to feel important? Live in Ohio during election season.) Otherwise, there are lots of things that occupy my mind. Mostly writing. And I guess that's the other topic that I read about most often, probably more than even education if I'm honest with myself. I'm always reading writing articles and looking for a better way to work or a new way to present characters or ways to improve. I would call myself obsessed, but I think it's more that I want to be good at my job. |
| Using these lines from Dr. Seuss as inspiration write about something that you can make better. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” ― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax There's a line at the end of the Girl Scout Law where we promise to make the world a better place and be a sister to every girl scout. My girl scouts make this promise each time we meet. And, if you think about it, it's a pretty big promise to make. What does it mean to make the world a better place? What does it mean to care and awful lot? These are not easy questions to answer. This past week I posted a picture on my Facebook page about how we need to stop telling girls that their bodies are shameful and distracting to boys (and that they are distracting is the girl's issue and not the boy's). And a brief discussion ensued which made me think. The conclusion I came up with was that I want to make this world as open for my two daughters as it is for my four nephews. I want my girls to experience the same freedom that the boys are allowed. I want to make this world a better place for them. I want the glass ceiling shattered. And I want them judged for the content of their character and not the hem of their skirt. I want them seen as living, breathing people of worth and not simply decorations for another person's arm. I want this for all of my girl scouts. I want them to know that they are worth so much more than one person's opinion of them. I want them to feel amazing and incredible and to live their passions unapologetically. And I think it starts by allowing them pride in their bodies. I think it starts by letting them be who they truly are and enjoy what they want. I notice that when people don't want to face an issue, they claim that the media has blown things out of proportion. We use words like 'affirmative action' and 'politically correct' as buzzwords to show our displeasure. And I am part of the problem. I've felt the irritation. I've said that people need to just 'let it go' and focus on the future. I was wrong. Not that they need to focus on the future, we all do. But if we allow the language and the shaming to stay, then the future we focus on will look just like the past we've left. What does it matter to us if a girl wears a tank top with spaghetti straps to school? Does that make her less smart or is she trying to stay cool during a hot day? How does it infringe on his education if a boy wears his pants low? The fact of the matter is that if we're honest, we see that the girl's body is developing and showing evidence of her budding sexuality. It makes us uncomfortable. What would happen if that girl and all the rest claimed their sexual identities and didn't hand them over during puberty? And the boy, well, we don't want him to look black now, do we? Think about it. The Pagans have a wonderful rede that ends with "And it harm none, do what you will." And the Christians are taught to follow the golden rule of 'do unto others and you would have done to you." And Wheaton's law states "Don't be a dick." I wonder, though, what would happen in our society if we did leave people to be who they are. What would this world look like if everyone was allowed to live their passion? If what they are doing doesn't harm them and it doesn't harm anyone around them, why do we care? |
| Prompt: What is your favorite month of the year? Which do you think goes by the fastest? Slowest? I would have to say that my favorite month is June. The weather here starts to warm up in May, but in June it really becomes consistent with the warm temperatures and the rain slows down a bit (although not this last year). Plus my birthday is in June, which, if you celebrate Christmas, is the best month of the year to have a birthday in my opinion. This way you're receiving presents every 6 months.  August is definitely the month that flies by the fastest. I think it's because it's deceptive in how much goes on during August. This year, we're homeschooling the girls and we have decided that we will start after Labor Day in September. And yet it seems that, even though my girls didn't start school with the rest of the kids here, we've been caught up in the whirlwind that is the start of the school year and have been swept completely through August. As for the slowest month, this is February. It's funny because it's also the shortest. But there's something about this month. The temperature outside is frigid and more often than not lately there's snow and ice on the ground. When the kids were in school, they would miss days and days of school and activities because of the weather. So there's lots of together time inside and we get a little sick of each other's face by the end of the month. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Today's prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E].Have you ever created a list of the things you are proud of in your life? Create a list of ten things... now look at your list. You don't have to share your list. What does your list say about what you value? Are you adventurous? thoughtful? Do you need physical or intellectual stimulation? Knowing what experiences were important to you is a clue... should you do more of something to expand your writing knowledge? Creating the list of things I'm proud of in my life was a bit harder than I expected it to be. My husband, marriage, and kids all topped the list, of course. And then there was my degree, even though I don't use it, I am proud of having earned it. And then I'm proud of my writing and the time that I dedicate to creating stories. Whether I'm ever published or not (though I desperately hope to be someday soon), I'm proud that I've given myself this opportunity to fulfill a passion. After looking over my list, it becomes evident to me how much value I place on the people in my life and my relationships with them. The pictures that hang in my house are of my family. The paintings were all done by my daughters. I'm not the person who goes to the art gallery to buy a painting from someone I'm not connected with. Because what I display in my home represents the things that I love the most. And those things are the people that I spend my days with. So, for me, I need connection. The intellectual stimulation is nice and I do enjoy that, but clearly it does not top my connections. Perhaps this is a big clue in telling me what I need to do to fix my writing. I need better connections between my characters. When reading books on my own, it's the characters and their relationships that keep me interested. Perhaps if I focused on this in my own stories, I would create tales that I would like to read. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| And for "Welcome To My Reality Forum" [E] Here are my prompts for week 87 2. Where do you consider to be home? Is it the place you live now? The place you grew up? Where your heart longs to visit? Where is home? First, this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ozgNVJ_QU So, I normally don't start my blog posts with songs, but this one just seemed to fit perfectly. And, bonus, I was actually at the concert where it was filmed. So come join me as I reminisce. The idea of home is an interesting one. I grew up in a family that changed houses frequently. In fact, I don't think I went to a school for more than a year at a time until I reached high school. With so much change, it made it difficult to attach to houses or rooms (or sometimes even furniture). The only constants in my life during that time was my family. So it became that home was wherever my family was. And then I was accepted into Ohio University. (Interesting fun fact, O.A.R went to Ohio State University, which is NOT, in fact, the same college as mine. OU was founded in 1804, OSU in the 1850s.) My first year of college was a tough one, but then I met some of my best friends. I met my future husband on that campus and I made more memories than I think I can even remember at a time. I loved my time there. I still love my Bobcats and there's a comradery whenever I see someone wearing a green and white shirt. Athens, Ohio is the place that I found myself. So while it may not be my 'hometown', it's the place I love the most. It's the place that my life truly began and I started to see all the possibilities that lay before me. I would never go back and redo high school. But, if given the opportunity, I would go back to college and relive those days in a heartbeat. But again, that place isn't my home. I love it and I have the fondest of memories there. But, things change, including the college. The place my friends and I used to spend hours upon hours is no longer there and a new, incredible Student Union has been built. It's not the same college that I went to any longer. No, my home now is just north of Columbus, Ohio with my husband and two girls. We live in a house, but I know that this isn't our home. If we lost everything inside here, we would go on and we would make a new home because that's what home is. It's not the place you live in, but rather the people that you share it with. It's cliché, but oh so right, to say that 'home is where your heart is.' Except that home is never a place. It's people. |
Thanks to Smee  's influence, I've decided to also take on the task of blogging with the "Blogging Circle of Friends " [E]. Today's Prompt: Do you think people really change during full moons? Do you notice people acting crazier when there's a full moon? This is an interesting question. I think there is some correlation between certain behaviors and the phase of the moon. Most nurses I've talked to hate to work shifts during the full moon because the patient counts seem to go way up and the people seem a bit crazier. Whether this is perception on their part or a fact, I'm not sure. But I notice a change in my own energy when the moon is full. Perhaps it's the larger gravitational pull or something more supernatural, but I definitely believe that behaviors alter during full moons. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| 1. We all have different definitions of family and what it means to us. Share who makes up your family and what family means to you. I learned long ago that family does not consist of the people related to a person through DNA. Growing up, I had several aunts and uncles who were not birthed by either of my grandparents. And I had a father who could not have cared less about my sister or myself. It's a hard lesson to learn when you're a pre-teen, but it also taught me that some bonds were indeed shakable. Throughout college, I met people who made a huge difference in my life. And then once Paul and I moved to our current city and settled here, we began to look around and have found a wonderful network of friends. We have people in our lives that are closer to us than our own siblings and I would even go so far to classify them as our family. This past week, they redid their will and have asked Paul and I if we would be the legal guardians for their kids as a backup to their first choices. It was such an honor that they asked us. It's always a difficult decision to think about who you would trust to raise your children in your absence and that they trust us with that task speaks volumes. So for us, family is more than blood. Family is people who care and love and respect each other. Family is being able to call a person and knowing that they'll be there for you. Family is connection. Sometimes I mourn the relationship that I will never have with my dad, but through it all I know that I am more blessed than I deserve because of the friends that I call my family. 4. WDC's 15th Birthday is around the corner. Share with us the impact that WDC has had on your personally and on your writing. What can I say about WDC? When I came here last year, I'm not quite sure what I was expecting. Perhaps a place where I could post my stories, get some inspiration for new stories, and improve my writing. I never expected to find my people. I never expected to meet anyone offline. But that's exactly what has happened. Over this last year, my writing has improved so much. I feel like it is so much tighter and more cohesive now. And because of WDC and the contests here, I've explored topics that I don't think I would have ever touched otherwise. I've written several lgbt themed stories that never were on my radar before finding the lgbt contest. And the flash fiction contest has really helped me with my word economy and tightening my stories. But I would have to say that the biggest change is the friendships that I've made on the site. I've met a couple of people in real life and have added several more to my Facebook page where I get to learn about them and they get to learn about me. I love finding out how other writers function and getting to know so many interesting people. WDC is truly a one of a kind writing community. I love the anonymity it provides when I need that and the socialization it gives when I need that. It's a wonderful place and I'm looking forward to spending many, many more years here. |
| 5. What was your favourite age and why? I'm not sure I have one age that was my favorite. I mean I had years that were much better than others. I liked being thirteen because I turned thirteen on Friday the thirteenth! Twenty-one was a pretty good age because that's when I met my husband and fell in love for real. Twenty four and twenty six were nice because that's when I had my girls. But, I guess if I really had to pick a favorite age, and by that I mean the age that I think I would want to be forever, it would have to be thirty. At thirty I still felt young, but not overly young. My kids were still young enough to need me and I still knew my place in the family. Yet, they didn't rely on me constantly and I was allowed some freedom as well. It probably was as close as I could come to the perfect time. Otherwise, I tend to enjoy the age I am at the moment. There are always good moments to be found so long as we're looking for them. And the bad moments are there to help us better appreciate the good ones, or to teach us a lesson that we need to learn. 2. Share a memory of something/someone that made an impact on who you are today. When I was in the 8th grade, I was a gangly, awkward girl. My family moved around a lot. I was going through puberty and knew that I wasn't nearly pretty enough to get the attention of any boys. And I was shy. And then I met Mrs Steidle. She was my 8th grade Language Arts teacher. The year before I had Mr Strosneider (or however it was spelled. It was a long time ago.) and I took him the very first poem that I had ever written. He looked it over, told me a 7th grader couldn't have written it and flung it back at me. Disdain dripped from his every pore. I was crushed. I don't think I wrote anything else that year. Which leads me to Mrs Steidle. She was the kind of English teacher that every kid should have every year. She was so kind and encouraging. I loved her. Once we had to write a diary entry for the Diary of Anne Frank. I remember vaguely what I wrote, but her comments I'll never forget. She called me a hopeless romantic. I still am to this day. I have stories that I wrote that year with her handwritten comments and encouragements all over them. She lit a fire inside of me. She helped me find my passion. I had a feeling at seven that I liked writing, I loved reading, and being a writer would be a super cool job. It was Mrs Steidle who showed me the gift that I had for the art. Without her nurturing, I'm not sure I could have been brave enough to come back to it 20 years later. I owe her so much. |
Week 86 prompts are up at
3. If you could go back and give advice to your sixteen year old self, what would it be? Normally, I try to do these blogs in some sort of order, but I'm a sucker for these kind of "if you could go back" deals and so I'm going to start with it. If I could go back and give sixteen year old me some advice, what would I tell her? Stop worrying so much. Oh, and please, please, please realize how absolutely gorgeous you are. You have it all and the best years of your life are just ahead of you. College will be amazing and you will meet your best friend for life there. Just wait because he will be worth it! I'd also tell her to walk away from anyone who makes you feel less than the amazing person you are. They're toxic and not worth your time. You will find friends who lift you up and make you feel special. But you also need to know that you are special and so beautiful. Why do we never realize how gorgeous we are at the time? Why is it always seen as a look back? And, I'd tell her to stick with writing. Write every day. Write short stories. Write poetry. She has a habit of letting her writing slide when things get busy and other distractions get in the way. Don't do that. Pick a writing major or double major, but don't stop writing. That thing you wanted to be at 7 is still the thing you want to be at 36, so don't give it up. And I'd tell her to just be patient because her life truly will be amazing. It won't be anything like she's planned it, but she will realize that those weren't the things she wanted anyway. |
Part 2 of Week 85 for
3. Share some songs that remind you of your childhood. While growing up, I absolutely hated my mom's music. She listened to bands like Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Warrant. Me, I preferred Madonna and Cindy Lauper. But the funny thing is that it's these songs like " Faithfully," "Can't Fight this Feeling," or "Cherry Pie" that take me back to my childhood. In my adult years I've found an appreciation for the music that I couldn't love as a kid. And then, there are the songs and the bands from my own teenage years that transport me. But the funny thing is that they aren't the songs that I listened to all the time. They're not the ones that I grew up with that take me back. Instead, they're the songs that I hardly listen to. For example, yesterday "Whomp There It Is" came on the radio and I was fourteen years old all over again. And my poor girls were completely freaked out. They were all like "Mom what IS this song?" I had to laugh. And then, of course there is O.A.R. Of A Revolution. They were doing bar tours when I was in college. I remember seeing posters advertising their shows around campus, but I never took the time to go to the shows. I'm not sure why not. After graduation, Paul introduced me to their music and I kicked myself for not listening. Their song "Road Outside of Columbus, Ohio" perfectly describes my entire college career. Music is a special medium. I have certain songs that bring me to tears every time I hear them. They hold such meaning for me. When I was growing up, my dad decided he didn't like being a father, so my grandpa stepped into the role. I can't hear "Wind Beneath my Wings" without thinking of him. And my uncle used to pick me up from school on Fridays and take me to his house for the weekend. So everytime Hootie and the Blowfish comes on, I hear his voice singing the songs. Music is pretty powerful stuff. 7. Create a list of favorites. Favourite blog posts from your entire blogging history, favourite foods, favourite authors, favourite books, whatever you like. Be as creative as you want. Choosing my favorites of anything is pretty tough. I have such varied tastes that I listen to several music genres in the same day. I read books from all corners of the library. And I watch everything from documentaries to romantic comedies to action adventures for movies. Choosing just one thing to say it's my favorite is too hard. But, I do have some things that rank pretty high on the list. Like, for music, anything by OAR or Pink, I'm almost guaranteed to like. I love their sound. I really like Taylor Swift's stuff too. And I'll always be a Garth Brooks fan. He's just incredible! But ask me to pick just one song that I love and I can't do it. And if we're talking books and authors, forget it. There are just too many to pick from. Laurell K Hamilton, Jeanienne Frost, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Linsay Sands, VC Andrews, John Green, Mitch Albom, and Nicholas Sparks are all great in their own right. How can I just pick one to love? And then there are the old favorites; Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Charlotte Bronte. The list is just too vast and even now I think of those that I have left off. I think to ask a writer to pick their favorite writer is an exercise in patience. Because the questioner will need all kind of patience to listen to our answer. Hmmm, other categories I could pick. Well, television shows could be easier. Doctor Who is one of my big favorites. After that it's probably The Walking Dead, Outlander, and Game of Thrones. But I also very much enjoy Cupcake Wars, Chopped, and Dance Moms. Even with colors, I can't just pick one favorite. I love green, but not always. Sometimes I prefer purple or blue. And on rare occasions, I'll pick pink or yellow. So yeah, I don't even have a favorite color. If you think about it, do we really need to have something that is our favorite? Isn't variety the spice of life? And doesn't it make more sense to have a list of things that we enjoy on the off chance that we can't have the thing we love the most in the world? Besides, who hasn't gotten sick of a song after hearing it for the hundredth time on the radio? What happens to that favorite when you're sick of it? You have to find a new favorite anyway. No, I like this way better. I have my long list of things that make me smile and then each time I hear them, I can think "hey, that's my favorite!" |
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