First, lets give a shout out to all of my Kappa Nu Ladies! I know you will be reading this.
Family milestones yesterday. Ryan and Mike turned 18 yesterday! They both seemed happy to have another birthday.
Our other "son", Drew's friend, C. J. and his wife Hannah just became the parents of a beautiful little girl, Gracie. I am almost as excited and Tim and Gerilynn, the actual grandparents.
I was really confused when Drew told me about it, since he said C. J. had called about 7:30 a. m. Since Gracie wasn't born until after 8:00 I didn't see how that was possible. Then I remember that Drew is an hour behind us. It is sometimes hard to remember what time zone all of our boys are in.
I had five or so days off last weekend. I was sick every single one of them! I only made it through this week at school by attending every other day. I hate wasting a break!
Mom came to visit during my days off. We did go house hunting and saw some nice houses. Bob, Rachel, the kids, and Robin were very good at visiting with Mom, when I would have to go to bed. Mom and Veronica got to go to breakfast and shopping. Veronica has a new favorite in the Country Kitchen Belgian waffle. Baby Cash was glad to see Grandma Martha, but she made the mistake of answering when he said, "Grandma." and he let her know that he WAS talking to Grandma Goldie.
Then Mom went home of Tuesday and has been sick ever since. I'm really sorry.
My ex-husband Dan's house burnt. Yeah, the one we built together. He and his family were okay and they had a rental house to move in. But there is great damage and he will either have a lot of renovation or have to rebuild. I am sorry he has to deal with that. Fire makes a mess of everything in the house.
Drew had a disappointment in that he didn't do well on the physical testing at sniper school and was sent back to his unit. He psychs himself out. However, his unit kept him unlike the others and he will just have a different job. He is still going to Afghanistan in June. He was disappointed about the school, but he is getting busy with all of the things he needs to do to deploy. He called me this week to talk about his will.
Rachel is doing fine. She is, as always, busy with the kids. Trying to keep them well in cold and flu season is a challenge.
Bob has been at home. He left for a couple of days on a job. When he got to Texas, they told him the job had been delayed. He had to wait to the next day to fly home. Bob has been at home A LOT. I have not.
Still busy at school. I am applying at a couple of other places. Don't know that I will make a change, but I am getting to the point that I need to make more money so that my retirement will be higher.
Tonight, Rach and the kids are coming for dinner. Then the week starts again. Five whole days at school...that will be different.
Have a great week!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Living it up in February
NO! It is a word I have apparently forgotten how to use. I need to learn it again. BUSY, so this will be very QUICK!
Bob was in NYC for awhile. He has been home. He is now flying to TX. Air travel has changed and it takes FOREVER to get places now, since there aren't as many flights available and he has to fly cheap routes. I do not envy him.
Drew is in AR for sniper school right now. He sounds good and is excited. He is getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan in June. I am NOT excited.
Rachel is working on being thinner by working out. I am supposed to be, but do not have time to get to gym.
Veronica is looking forward to Valentine's Day. Cash is still pottying in the toilet. He still loves them tractors.
Haven't talked to Mike and Ryan recently.
Me, organized and delivered some things for Career Ladder, gained weight, taught regular school, taught after school program, did inservice, worked on writing club for upcoming meeting, worked a little on social club for upcoming meeting, wrote a 1000 word article for writing club newsletter. I have an upcoming week that could kill a lesser woman and may get me yet. Then, thank GOD it should be better.
Mom is coming this coming weekend. I hope I have some time to see her.
I did take the time on Thursday to watch my shows. Ellen, My Name is Earl, Grey's Anatomy, ER, and Private Practice. I can't wait until next week when I have time to sit down and watch something again.
Today, all I need to do is shower, rewrite the HeRA bylaws and policy and procedure manual, go to school, find where I left the tax envelope, get and grade 100+ tests, and do my laundry.
Here is the article I wrote for the Heartland Romance Authors newsletter. Copies in columns.
Opossums, Klingons, and Crazy Love
As your president, I could choose to write
about all of the hard work our officers and committee
members have been doing to learn their
new positions in HeRA or focus on some of the
changes we will be asking you to consider as we
bring in new ideas. Or I could just write about
the topic that is most suitable for the month of
February, LOVE.
Isn’t Valentines Day a perfect celebration for
those in the field of romance writing? It is the
one holiday that exists entirely for sharing love.
No matter your beliefs, love is something all
human beings seek, crave, and need. Advertisers
knew what they were doing when they chose
the feel-good symbols of lacy hearts, sweet missives,
fragrant flowers, and abundant chocolate
to honor February 14. Is there a better personification
of this holiday than that of Cupid? He
spends his time being attractive, semi-clad, flying
above mere humans, competently handling a
dangerous weapon, and whose sole purpose is
to make a perfect match.
Even if we aren’t currently involved in a romantic
relationship, we remember or want to
know what it is like. It’s why we go to weddings.
It’s why we read cry during a sappy
movie. It’s why we can recall the adrenaline
rush of something we did during our “crazy in
love” phase. And it is why we write. No matter
our genre of choice, it is the story of the human
connections motivating us to be in this field. If
we are asked, “Ain’t love grand?” Our answer
will be YES! Not only are our glasses half full,
our hearts are too. And writing is our way to
share.
A challenge for writers can be coming up
with good romantic stories to tell. For that we
use a variety of resources. I like real life examples.
I often look at newspapers sections on
engagements, weddings, and anniversary
sections for a little detail listed in the text.
I find inspiration by talking to people about
their own love stories. I learn about the silliness
of first relationships, awkward kisses, going
together, breaking up, making up, and what
came beyond. I’ve heard stories of second
chances when love wavered because of obstacles.
The best stories have come to me from
two people finding love and a new life together
after the one they had lived happily for years
came to an end. And the common thread in
these stories was the willingness of people to
give love a shot.
One benefit of doing much of your research
by interviewing real couples is…there are some
crazy love stories out there. Chance meetings,
mixed-up messages, missed connections, unplanned
circumstances, and unusual characters
are all fodder for prose making accurate the
statement, “You just can’t make this stuff up.”
Every love story has unique experiences.
Sometimes the story of two people in love can
be touching or even tragic. My favorites are the
ones when two relatively normal people will do
things they wouldn’t usually and find themselves
in situations they never expected in order to
please and be with their beloved. I call this
crazy love.
I have two examples of crazy love of my
own. I am an anomaly for my age group as I
have only dated two men. I am more chagrined
than proud of the fact I married the first man I
dated and when that relationship ended, I married
the next man I dated. It was not my plan.
After you read of my experiences while dating
them, you will understand how crazy love can
get to you.
Typical date for relationship one begins
when I am picked up in the Datsun pickup
decorated with sturdy handmade roll bars. On
the way to some fast food , while listening to the
only cassette tape available, Meatloaf’s, Bat
Out of Hell, small glowing eyeballs are spotted
along side the road. Immediately, the truck
slides to a stop and the quarry, also know as an
opossum, is captured by the tail. I won’t go into
to detail about how it ends up dead in the bed
of the truck. But it does, and it’s a good night
because the opossum hide can be traded in for
$2.00, which is a lot of gas in a Datsun. Followed
by the promised dinner, a movie, and a
few stolen minutes attempting unsuccessfully to
get our braces locked, the evening ends.
Dating example number two begins with us
meeting at a restaurant by the mall. I drive myself
because we are still in the six month period
where I refuse to get in a car with my date. We
met on the internet and I like him, but am still
waiting for possibility of the serial killer side to
emerge. After dining at a real restaurant, we
wander hand in hand down the mall where my
date “just” happens to notice there is a comic
book/gaming convention. He has a friend who
collects and would I mind stopping in? My response
was a trusting, “Of course not,” until I
saw the actual Star Trek Klingons waiting by the
door. After he paid my way in, because there
was no way I was going to do so, I discovered a
secret world. One with displays of items I
would call toys, but those in the know call
“action figures”. I would meet many characters,
some in costume, some who should be, and
many retired bunnies of the magazine type. It
was not my cup of tea.
Dates like these are what being crazy in love
will make you do. And while neither activity is
something I would choose to do in my life now,
I enjoyed them at the time. We should all bring
a little of that crazy love into our relationships.
The thrill of trying new things with the one you
love is worth the effort.
This February, bring a little crazy love in to
your life!
Bob was in NYC for awhile. He has been home. He is now flying to TX. Air travel has changed and it takes FOREVER to get places now, since there aren't as many flights available and he has to fly cheap routes. I do not envy him.
Drew is in AR for sniper school right now. He sounds good and is excited. He is getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan in June. I am NOT excited.
Rachel is working on being thinner by working out. I am supposed to be, but do not have time to get to gym.
Veronica is looking forward to Valentine's Day. Cash is still pottying in the toilet. He still loves them tractors.
Haven't talked to Mike and Ryan recently.
Me, organized and delivered some things for Career Ladder, gained weight, taught regular school, taught after school program, did inservice, worked on writing club for upcoming meeting, worked a little on social club for upcoming meeting, wrote a 1000 word article for writing club newsletter. I have an upcoming week that could kill a lesser woman and may get me yet. Then, thank GOD it should be better.
Mom is coming this coming weekend. I hope I have some time to see her.
I did take the time on Thursday to watch my shows. Ellen, My Name is Earl, Grey's Anatomy, ER, and Private Practice. I can't wait until next week when I have time to sit down and watch something again.
Today, all I need to do is shower, rewrite the HeRA bylaws and policy and procedure manual, go to school, find where I left the tax envelope, get and grade 100+ tests, and do my laundry.
Here is the article I wrote for the Heartland Romance Authors newsletter. Copies in columns.
Opossums, Klingons, and Crazy Love
As your president, I could choose to write
about all of the hard work our officers and committee
members have been doing to learn their
new positions in HeRA or focus on some of the
changes we will be asking you to consider as we
bring in new ideas. Or I could just write about
the topic that is most suitable for the month of
February, LOVE.
Isn’t Valentines Day a perfect celebration for
those in the field of romance writing? It is the
one holiday that exists entirely for sharing love.
No matter your beliefs, love is something all
human beings seek, crave, and need. Advertisers
knew what they were doing when they chose
the feel-good symbols of lacy hearts, sweet missives,
fragrant flowers, and abundant chocolate
to honor February 14. Is there a better personification
of this holiday than that of Cupid? He
spends his time being attractive, semi-clad, flying
above mere humans, competently handling a
dangerous weapon, and whose sole purpose is
to make a perfect match.
Even if we aren’t currently involved in a romantic
relationship, we remember or want to
know what it is like. It’s why we go to weddings.
It’s why we read cry during a sappy
movie. It’s why we can recall the adrenaline
rush of something we did during our “crazy in
love” phase. And it is why we write. No matter
our genre of choice, it is the story of the human
connections motivating us to be in this field. If
we are asked, “Ain’t love grand?” Our answer
will be YES! Not only are our glasses half full,
our hearts are too. And writing is our way to
share.
A challenge for writers can be coming up
with good romantic stories to tell. For that we
use a variety of resources. I like real life examples.
I often look at newspapers sections on
engagements, weddings, and anniversary
sections for a little detail listed in the text.
I find inspiration by talking to people about
their own love stories. I learn about the silliness
of first relationships, awkward kisses, going
together, breaking up, making up, and what
came beyond. I’ve heard stories of second
chances when love wavered because of obstacles.
The best stories have come to me from
two people finding love and a new life together
after the one they had lived happily for years
came to an end. And the common thread in
these stories was the willingness of people to
give love a shot.
One benefit of doing much of your research
by interviewing real couples is…there are some
crazy love stories out there. Chance meetings,
mixed-up messages, missed connections, unplanned
circumstances, and unusual characters
are all fodder for prose making accurate the
statement, “You just can’t make this stuff up.”
Every love story has unique experiences.
Sometimes the story of two people in love can
be touching or even tragic. My favorites are the
ones when two relatively normal people will do
things they wouldn’t usually and find themselves
in situations they never expected in order to
please and be with their beloved. I call this
crazy love.
I have two examples of crazy love of my
own. I am an anomaly for my age group as I
have only dated two men. I am more chagrined
than proud of the fact I married the first man I
dated and when that relationship ended, I married
the next man I dated. It was not my plan.
After you read of my experiences while dating
them, you will understand how crazy love can
get to you.
Typical date for relationship one begins
when I am picked up in the Datsun pickup
decorated with sturdy handmade roll bars. On
the way to some fast food , while listening to the
only cassette tape available, Meatloaf’s, Bat
Out of Hell, small glowing eyeballs are spotted
along side the road. Immediately, the truck
slides to a stop and the quarry, also know as an
opossum, is captured by the tail. I won’t go into
to detail about how it ends up dead in the bed
of the truck. But it does, and it’s a good night
because the opossum hide can be traded in for
$2.00, which is a lot of gas in a Datsun. Followed
by the promised dinner, a movie, and a
few stolen minutes attempting unsuccessfully to
get our braces locked, the evening ends.
Dating example number two begins with us
meeting at a restaurant by the mall. I drive myself
because we are still in the six month period
where I refuse to get in a car with my date. We
met on the internet and I like him, but am still
waiting for possibility of the serial killer side to
emerge. After dining at a real restaurant, we
wander hand in hand down the mall where my
date “just” happens to notice there is a comic
book/gaming convention. He has a friend who
collects and would I mind stopping in? My response
was a trusting, “Of course not,” until I
saw the actual Star Trek Klingons waiting by the
door. After he paid my way in, because there
was no way I was going to do so, I discovered a
secret world. One with displays of items I
would call toys, but those in the know call
“action figures”. I would meet many characters,
some in costume, some who should be, and
many retired bunnies of the magazine type. It
was not my cup of tea.
Dates like these are what being crazy in love
will make you do. And while neither activity is
something I would choose to do in my life now,
I enjoyed them at the time. We should all bring
a little of that crazy love into our relationships.
The thrill of trying new things with the one you
love is worth the effort.
This February, bring a little crazy love in to
your life!
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