I survived reading deprivation week and I survived Christmas. Also, I handed out the 2nd 50 and am working away on the 3rd.
So, things are fine! But a dedicated, interesting blogger I have not been of late. Sorry! Thanks to anyone still bearing with me. I'll try to come up with something new here soon!
Happy 2007!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Reading Deprivation
As I mentioned a couple of entries ago, I'm doing a creativity program called The Artist's Way. Each week we're supposed to do exercises to help us become more creative. This week I'm not supposed to read. Anything.
I'm panicking!
I read so much. It's a huge part of my life. But I also know that one of the reasons I read is to block out my own thoughts. By depriving myself of other people's words and thoughts for a week, I should become more in tune with my own.
I don't want to do this. I can't imagine doing it. But I'm going to do it.
It means no reading on line either. So I'm going to un-plug.
See you next Saturday.
Ack!
I'm panicking!
I read so much. It's a huge part of my life. But I also know that one of the reasons I read is to block out my own thoughts. By depriving myself of other people's words and thoughts for a week, I should become more in tune with my own.
I don't want to do this. I can't imagine doing it. But I'm going to do it.
It means no reading on line either. So I'm going to un-plug.
See you next Saturday.
Ack!
Saturday, December 02, 2006
I'm it and I didn't even know it!
Cindy tagged me, but it took me a couple of days to figure out what that meant. Whoops! Sorry about that. But better late than never, I suppose. So, without further ado, here are some of my thoughts on the Christmas season.
1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. Although my sister's eggnog lattés are pretty good too!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa wraps everything--including the stocking gifts!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have colored twinkly lights on our tree, but white outside.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not usually.
5. When do you put your decorations up? We put some up the weekend after T-giving. We're doing the tree this weekend.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Stuffing. Yum!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Well, nothing as good as Cindy's pony! (Wow!) But I remember one Christmas my sister and I woke up around 4 in the morning and tiptoed out to see the tree. It was so exciting to see all of those presents. We were too jazzed to go back to sleep, so we lay in bed and listened to my Grandpa tell us stories to distract us until it was time to get up. He was an actor, and a great story teller and it was so much fun being up in the dark, with presents only a couple of hours away, listening.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I asked my mom point blank when I was five, and she told me the truth. Both of my kids (ages 7 and 5) still believe, and I wish they would ask so I can finally tell them and stop feeling so torn between the fun and magic of perpetuating the myth, and the guilt I feel about lying to them.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When I was a kid--never. Everything was on Christmas. But now we celebrate Christmas Eve at my husband's grandma's house and open presents there.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? There's no theme, and it's certainly not designer. Our tree is covered with a hodgepodge of ornaments from my childhood and ones we've accumulated since we were married. I think our tree always turns out beautifully, but it wouldn't win any awards!
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it because we don't have to live with it! It doesn't snow often here, and when it does, it doesn't last for more than a few hours. We live close enough to the mountains that we can easily go visit the snow whenever we feel like playing in it!
12. Can you ice skate? It's been years, but I think I could still make it around a rink. I've never ice-skated on a frozen pond, but I'd love to do that someday.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Hmm--I don't think I could pick just one. My ten-speed bike when I was seven was very exciting, as was my Walkman when I was 13. Recently, it was probably the pendant that my husband had re-set with a diamond of my grandmother's that had been on a very old fashioned pin, I never wore. It's beautiful and I loved that he thought to do that for me.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Sharing with family. I love the tradition of it all.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Apple pie, alamode--although, I also love pumpkin pie. Usually, I have a sliver of each.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Gift! It's hard to explain, but it's something my dad's side of the family does. The goal is to be the first person to say "Christmas Gift" on Christmas day to another member of the family. Basically, you want to remember to do it before they remember. Some years there's lots of plotting to distract the other person so they forget all about Christmas Gift and you can "get them" first.
17. What tops your tree? An angel ornament.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving. (Really. Honest!)
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I have two. "Sleigh Ride" and "O Holy Night"
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I used to like them a lot, but now they taste too sugary for me. Now fudge on the other hand, is not a problem!
I'm going to tag my dear friend wyo even though she certainly doesn't need me to give her a topic to blog about, and Karenna in the hopes that it might prompt her to post an update. :o)
1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. Although my sister's eggnog lattés are pretty good too!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa wraps everything--including the stocking gifts!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have colored twinkly lights on our tree, but white outside.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not usually.
5. When do you put your decorations up? We put some up the weekend after T-giving. We're doing the tree this weekend.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Stuffing. Yum!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Well, nothing as good as Cindy's pony! (Wow!) But I remember one Christmas my sister and I woke up around 4 in the morning and tiptoed out to see the tree. It was so exciting to see all of those presents. We were too jazzed to go back to sleep, so we lay in bed and listened to my Grandpa tell us stories to distract us until it was time to get up. He was an actor, and a great story teller and it was so much fun being up in the dark, with presents only a couple of hours away, listening.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I asked my mom point blank when I was five, and she told me the truth. Both of my kids (ages 7 and 5) still believe, and I wish they would ask so I can finally tell them and stop feeling so torn between the fun and magic of perpetuating the myth, and the guilt I feel about lying to them.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When I was a kid--never. Everything was on Christmas. But now we celebrate Christmas Eve at my husband's grandma's house and open presents there.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? There's no theme, and it's certainly not designer. Our tree is covered with a hodgepodge of ornaments from my childhood and ones we've accumulated since we were married. I think our tree always turns out beautifully, but it wouldn't win any awards!
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it because we don't have to live with it! It doesn't snow often here, and when it does, it doesn't last for more than a few hours. We live close enough to the mountains that we can easily go visit the snow whenever we feel like playing in it!
12. Can you ice skate? It's been years, but I think I could still make it around a rink. I've never ice-skated on a frozen pond, but I'd love to do that someday.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Hmm--I don't think I could pick just one. My ten-speed bike when I was seven was very exciting, as was my Walkman when I was 13. Recently, it was probably the pendant that my husband had re-set with a diamond of my grandmother's that had been on a very old fashioned pin, I never wore. It's beautiful and I loved that he thought to do that for me.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Sharing with family. I love the tradition of it all.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Apple pie, alamode--although, I also love pumpkin pie. Usually, I have a sliver of each.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Gift! It's hard to explain, but it's something my dad's side of the family does. The goal is to be the first person to say "Christmas Gift" on Christmas day to another member of the family. Basically, you want to remember to do it before they remember. Some years there's lots of plotting to distract the other person so they forget all about Christmas Gift and you can "get them" first.
17. What tops your tree? An angel ornament.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving. (Really. Honest!)
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I have two. "Sleigh Ride" and "O Holy Night"
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I used to like them a lot, but now they taste too sugary for me. Now fudge on the other hand, is not a problem!
I'm going to tag my dear friend wyo even though she certainly doesn't need me to give her a topic to blog about, and Karenna in the hopes that it might prompt her to post an update. :o)
Friday, December 01, 2006
Remember me?
Yikes! It's December 1. I didn't blog much in November, did I?
But I'm still progressing on my novel in my typical snail-like way. This morning I finished the outline! And I've patched all the holes in the plot...I think, anyway. Now I'm going to get back to editing.
A couple of new developments:
First of all I gave the first 50 pages to a few people. (It was weeks ago, but the problem with sporadic blogging is that things don't always get mentioned in a timely manner.) That was both scary and exciting. And now I've got several people clamoring for more! I'm going to continue to pass out the manuscript in 50 page chunks as I finish editing them.
Secondly, I started doing The Artist's Way. It's a 12 week program to help one become more creative. I think it's mostly geared toward blocked artists, who can't bring themselves to start creating, which isn't my problem. But I was hoping that it would help me deal with those darn fear-filled creative slumps I slog through so regularly. So far, I think it's helping. I'm definitely feeling more relaxed while I'm working.
So, that's where I am. :o)
(And I can now cross "update blog" off my list! Yay!)
But I'm still progressing on my novel in my typical snail-like way. This morning I finished the outline! And I've patched all the holes in the plot...I think, anyway. Now I'm going to get back to editing.
A couple of new developments:
First of all I gave the first 50 pages to a few people. (It was weeks ago, but the problem with sporadic blogging is that things don't always get mentioned in a timely manner.) That was both scary and exciting. And now I've got several people clamoring for more! I'm going to continue to pass out the manuscript in 50 page chunks as I finish editing them.
Secondly, I started doing The Artist's Way. It's a 12 week program to help one become more creative. I think it's mostly geared toward blocked artists, who can't bring themselves to start creating, which isn't my problem. But I was hoping that it would help me deal with those darn fear-filled creative slumps I slog through so regularly. So far, I think it's helping. I'm definitely feeling more relaxed while I'm working.
So, that's where I am. :o)
(And I can now cross "update blog" off my list! Yay!)
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