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A journal for 30DBC and other feline musings. |
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"This...is my lab. And THIS...is my LABORATORY!" Seriously, though. This blog is gonna be where I throw paint at the wall just to see what sticks, and sometimes just to throw paint at the wall because it's friggin' relaxing to throw crap. Welcome aboard, and please keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. "In case of emergency, the exits are here-here-here-here-here-here-here... ANYWHERE!" P.S. If you recognize one or both of the above quotes...you are automatically my new best friend.  AlyCatAuthor
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| July 20 30DBC Prompt: Tell us about a toy or memento from your childhood that you still have (or have the fondest memories of). Mine's not really a toy, per se. You know those sparkly Lisa Frank diaries that were so popular back in the late 90's? The ones with dolphins and Panda Painter and that cute little hummingbird? Well, I had those, and those were my LIFE. I remember the very first one I got, when I was about 6. It had this image  on it, or something fairly close. It had a little lock and key, and it was where I poured out everything in my little six-year-old heart. Random poetry that came to mind, how my day went at school, how massively excited I was for summer vacation, song lyrics I liked, plus loads of stickers and stick-figure drawings of stories I made up in my head. I even used it as my gradebook when I played teacher with my Raggedy Ann doll.  Journaling is still something very close to my heart, and it's a practice that's stayed with me throughout my adolescent and adult years. I can't go very long without pouring my heart out in words onto a document (or even on the Lisa Frank colored diary pages I printed out when I was feeling nostalgic).  It's helped me grow so much as a writer, and over the years I've built quite the collection of journals and diaries, most half-filled, some full to bursting, but all precious to me. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 19 30DBC Prompt: How do you effectively make a change in your life or in anything you do? (i.e. a habit, a routine, a system, etc) That's a really good question. The key word there is 'effectively.' You can make all sorts of changes to your life, but in order to be effective, to produce the good you desire, and to become a regular part of your life, certain things need to happen (at least for me). First, you need to evaluate if the thing is really going to bring about the good you desire. Is it a band-aid for a bigger problem? Is it just one more thing to add to your plate (and your plate's already full to overflowing)? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before adopting any new change. Second, once you've decided that yes, this thing is going to help you and not be a detriment to your life, you have to come up with an action plan. How are you going to implement it? When? With who? How? Where? All the concrete details need to be nailed down as much as possible. Otherwise, you'll just be spinning your wheels, daydreaming about the change, maybe even researching ways to put it into practice, but not really doing anything. Third, once you've come up with a plan, and you've fit it into your life, IMPLEMENT IT. That means (and I'm talking to myself primarily here), get off your hind end and actually DO IT. Don't make excuses. Fight off the temptation to be lazy. If you forget to do the thing, try again the next day. Keep trying until it becomes a habit, and you won't have to think about it so much anymore. It requires a lot of diligence and willpower, especially in the beginning. Be patient and allow the habit to form over time. That's the only way it's going to stick permanently and do the good it's meant to do. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 18 30DBC Prompt: I'm going to a writing workshop at my local library this Tuesday. Tell us about some of your writing experiences outside of WDC. Have you ever attended a workshop or taken a writing class? Have you ever participated in a writing group, or read to an audience? What was it like? Anything you can tell people who haven't done it before (or haven't done it in a long time)? Well, as an English major in college, I took as many creative writing courses as I could. I ended up taking Creative Writing I and II, and then retaking Creative Writing again my senior year (I loved it that much!) The classes would always be different because the people in the classes changed each semester, and since the class was workshop-based, that meant a whole new set of eyes for reading my assignments. The class also forced me to be prolific--I didn't have time to sit and dawdle over pieces. I just had to write them. Those workshops were a lot of fun. I got exposed to a lot of different writing styles and strengths, as well as getting acquainted with my own strengths and weaknesses. I made a lot of friends and had a great time helping my class edit the campus' literary magazine. In my Fantasy Literature course, I also had the really fun privilege of creating a fantasy world with two of my friends for a class project. Their attention to detail brought so much to our world's unique systems, races, and cultures, and I was honored that they chose to use the world map I drew for them, and incorporated my unconventional cultural ideas for one of the races we created. They even came up with a mythology for our world (!). As for something I would tell someone who's never done it before, DO IT. It's a great opportunity to get exposure as well as read some other great authors who are probably a lot more like you than you realize--a little nervous, excited, and protective of their brain children. Take to heart what rings true in their criticisms and praises, and don't be afraid to toss advice that doesn't sit well with you. Enjoy it, because it's not often that authors get to fellowship with one another. I certainly miss it. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 17 30DBC Prompt: Late comedienne Phyllis Diller, who was born on this day back in 1917, once said "I wanted to become me, totally me. The more me, the better. I instinctively knew this and I was right." With what piece of writing do you think you've achieved (or come the closest to) becoming you? Hmm. I think that's a really good question. My first published novel, oddly enough, feels the least like me of all the writing I've ever done. But it was SO fun to write. It was definitely still my own original idea, literally born of a dream, and the story fascinated me. But it's the one I feel the most removed from. Probably the one that's closest to my heart (and by that, I mean the heart of who I am) is my epic fantasy series, The Mending. It's what I like to call my magnum opus. It's developed with me throughout my angsty teen years and tumultuous college years to become something so expansive, and so reflective of who I am, that it's practically an autobiography. None of the characters are exactly like me, of course. They're all their own unique individuals. But each one reflects something about me, sometimes things that I am afraid to admit even to myself. My characters have drawn emotions and realizations from me that nothing else ever could. Even though the events of the plot are way too epic and earth-shattering to be a literal reflection of my life, my hubby often comments that certain elements sound really familiar. He'll wink at me and say, "Based on a true story." I have to smile because it's really true. No matter how wildly my plot might differ from my real life, I draw every reaction, every relationship, every deep-rooted characteristic from my own experiences. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 16 30DBC Prompt: Not really a news article, but I don't feel great tonight and the news lately is getting old and kinda depresses me, so you get this instead: What would you do with 200 pounds of confetti? 200 pounds of confetti?? That's an excellent question. I think I'd use 50 pounds to celebrate my husband's upcoming job leave (he's quitting his pizza delivery job to be a kindergarten teacher! Yay!). Then I think I'd use about 100 pounds to celebrate the birth of my child in a couple of months, and then the other 50 pounds I'd donate to someone who needed confetti for a party. Also, I think I'd hire a person to come clean up the mess, because let's face it, confetti is not easy to clean. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 15 30DBC Prompt: You're a famous author...how would you go about furnishing the perfect houseboat to live on while you continue your career? Money isn't an object, but you can only leave the boat once every three months. Hmmm, this is a fun one! Let's see. Of course, there would have to be a study dedicated to my writing, with a miniature library. It would be a joint study, as my teacher hubby would need some office space as well, and I don't like feeling closed off from him when he's home. My desk would be a hutch desk and would go in the corner, with a pull-out keyboard tray, built-in file cabinets, a spot for my printer and reference books/notebooks, and some stylish desktop/drawer organizers to keep everything in its place. The master suite would be beautiful, of course. Victorian chic, with calming blues and greens and off-whites. Cozy, with a king-sized bed and lots of pillows. The baby corner would have a Pack n' Play with a napper and changer built in, in colors that coordinate with the rest of our furnishings. Black-out curtains on the windows would complete the cozy feeling, along with a dehumidifier and fan for those hot summer nights. The kitchen would be another big part of the experience. We'd have big pots for cooking up crawfish, an island with a second sink, light gray-blue granite countertops with richly-colored wood cabinets. We love to eat, so we'd have lots of storage for our cookware and dinnerware, a big dishwasher, a spacious fridge, a chest freezer, and an easy-to-clean cooktop and oven. The houseboat would come with its own live-in cleaning staff (so I wouldn't be interrupted from writing by that darn laundry) who would have nice suites of their own on the opposite wing of the houseboat. My little one would also have his own playroom/nursery where we'd go to rock in the glider, read stories, and have tummy time on his floor mat. It would have his crib-changer, a monitor (so I can keep an eye on him while he's napping/I'm writing), my beautiful glider, a toy box, a cute, star-themed lamp, and a small bookshelf to hold all his board books (and some of my own reads as well). The master bath would have a walk-in shower and tub with jets, and the guest bathroom would have a place to keep all of baby's bathtime things nice and tidy. There would also be a guest bedroom for visitors, since I can only leave the houseboat every 3 months. I'll have to have some sort of company during that time to keep from going insane! It would be nicely furnished with a full-size bed, a sofa with a pull-out bed, a comfy chair, and a bedside table with a lamp. Every three months, when I get to leave the boat, it's cleaned from top to bottom, repairs are made wherever needed, and we go to one of our vacation homes stationed along the river for a week. It's always a fun time, and we get to experience all the seasons this way. During this week, we don't work, and we try to do it whenever Hubby has a week off from school. Once during Christmas break, once during summer break, once during spring break, and once during fall break. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 14 30DBC Prompt: On this day in 1946, Dr. Benjamin Spock’s The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care was first published. How useful really, in your opinion (whether you have kids or not), are parenting books? And (I'm not judgin' anyone, but...) what does it say about the person who is reading from anything sporting a title beginning with "The Common Sense Book..."? I think certain parenting books are quite useful, especially for those who are parents for the first time. It can easily lead to overwhelm, though, and parents have to form their own style of parenting over time and with their own experiences. Each child is different, each set of parents is different, and even within the same family, dynamics between parents and children are different. Some general guidelines, especially for first-time parents, are helpful, but I think the most helpful books are those which encourage the parents to get to know their children. Now, if we're talking about manuals detailing how to change a diaper, how to breastfeed/bottle feed, types of clothes which are good for certain situations over others, hacks for cleaning up kid's messes...those things can be immensely helpful to anyone, as it's more technical and doesn't preach a way to parent your child. As for those reading something with the title "The Common Sense Book...", I think it would be great if more parents showed an interest in learning about parenting, all different kinds of styles, rather than the sad neglect of upbringing and lack of interest in children that we see more prevalent nowadays. Even if they were reading "Parenting for Dummies," it would at least show that they're willing to learn and putting in the effort to be a parent and find the best ways to raise their children. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 13 30DBC Prompt: Today is the 13th, a number which many claim is "unlucky". Do you believe this, that a number can be unlucky? Do you have a lucky number? Or is it all just superstitious nonsense? "I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." -Michael Scott, The Office Eh, I really don't believe any numbers are unlucky. In fact, I don't really believe in luck at all. I think everything happens for a reason. Nothing is left up to the dice of "fate". If I'm going through a period of "bad luck," it's a time of growth for me, and I needed it. If I'm going through a good time, I needed that, too, and only hindsight will be able to tell me why. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 12 30DBC Prompt: What's the biggest challenge you've overcome so far this year? I think the biggest challenge I've overcome this year is the seemingly-impossible task of preparing for a baby. There's so much to consider financially, spiritually, emotionally, and otherwise, as well as trying to keep up with my physical health amid all the preparations. It's still not done, but we've come quite a long way, and I feel confident enough to say that if I gave birth tomorrow, we'd be okay. We have a car seat, diapers, and most of our other essential furniture and items, as well as our actual birth team taken care of financially. I've also been exercising as much as possible and eating healthier, and things are coming together for our baby showers, our choices for godparents, and postpartum care as well. For my husband (which also affects me), probably his landing his first teaching job this year. Weird timing, since we're about to have a kid RIGHT when school is starting, but we're grateful nevertheless. Now we just have to finish preparing his room, and hopefully things will (sort of) settle down a bit at the beginning of the school year. AlyCatAuthor |
| July 11 30DBC Prompt: Argue amongst yourselves about the best flavor of ice cream...unless you can convince us there's a better frozen treat. Oh, ice cream. It's my serious craving right now, and yes, I know that's SO typical. But it's CRAZY HOT here in the Ohio Valley right now, and ice cream seems to be the only thing that soothes my pregnancy-induced heartburn. It's also the culprit behind my surprising jump in weight between midwife appointments. As far as a favorite flavor...sheesh. That's like asking me to pick my favorite book. I go through moods and needs when it comes to ice cream. Plain ol' vanilla works best on my heartburn, just a couple spoonfuls at a time. Cookies and cream is a go-to flavor--it never disappoints. But when I want something super special that I can't get at Kroger, I usually order a big scoop of black cherry chocolate chip at our local Graeter's, or maybe even a bourbon ball flavored cone. Right now, at the house where I'm house-sitting, there's like 3 little containers of Haagen-Dazs chocolate just waiting to be devoured. Good thing we have to throw out the other 20 or so cups that are in the freezer in the garage (Hubby left the freezer door open overnight). Otherwise, they would have already been gone. AlyCatAuthor |
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