The Final Blogtier

A new occupation in a new year

2012-01-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

This spring the first two of my homeschooled kids graduated. Thankful as we were once the tassel had shifted from right to left, I was struck with a sudden thought.

In a few years, I will be an unemployed homeschooler.

So with half of my student body gone, I decided this year would be a good time to re-enter the working arena as an artist (which was what I was before I started having kids). I'm not quite up to starting up my own website yet, so for now, I'll post my work on this blog. If you're interested in commissioning a portrait, please drop me a line via the comments and I'll get in touch with you to explain pricing, etc.

Carissa

Big sister and baby brother

First haircut

: ) Beth

Normal Mom Blog: Tired

2011-01-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Some days, you just get to the end and you're tired. Do you ever feel that way? We had a snow day, and I'm trying to figure out how I got to the end of it feeling so tired. Sigh. I find that I can't wait to go to sleep after this one. Time to recharge the batteries.

Normal Mom Blog

2011-01-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

No stardate. I sacked the captain so I can just be myself for awhile.

I've been planning and strategizing for the new year. Last year was a challenge because of some personal issues our family had to deal with. These generally translate into writing challenges for me, because it's not easy to keep your mind focussed when other things are weighing heavily on it. However, I'm very excited about the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp that we're doing as a family, and I'm also excited that I'm continuing to write as a children's literature examiner for Examiner.com.

No matter the troubles of last year, I have decided that this is going to be a great year!

Captain's Blog—Are We There Yet?

2010-12-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

Stardate: You'll have to just guess. I don't feel like telling you today.

That stardate may communicate some of the attitude of the captain at this point, but she just finished writing a 50,000 word novel, and has to get the rewrite done fast. The crew is trying to get their homework done, and she can't find the admiral. Christmas is coming, and the captain really dislikes shopping (especially in cold weather) unless it's online.

Need I say more?

Captain's Blog—Turkey Nebula dead ahead

2010-11-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

Stardate: turkey baster

Powering up engines for the challenge of the Turkey Nebula. Have told the ensigns to set phasers on preheat and to quit drooling on their uniforms. We believe relatives will be beaming in on Thursday in order to participate in Turkey Nebula reconnaissance mission.

A captain's job is never done.

A word

2010-11-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

My husband has been nagging me about posting, and since it's been over a month, I have to say that he's right. But it's not like I've been lazy, or anything. I've been writing for Examiner.com, posting to the Last Draft blog, and writing two novels. Gee, it's like I'm going to have big bulging finger muscles after this month. (Did I mention that it's Nanowrimo?)

Captain's Blog—Under attack!

2010-11-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

Stardate: It's raining

We are defending our position, but the leaf creatures are closing in everywhere. Shields failing! Quick! Grab a rake!

Captain's Blog—Winter approaching

2010-10-08T22:18:00.001-07:00

Stardate: Stormwindows

Today I had to roll up my sleeves, captain though I am, and wash the screens and windows of the space ship to prepare it for the harrowing journey ahead. I'm hoping that we can do a little remodeling at some point so that we don't have to change out the storm windows twice a year. The Admiral was vital to the process, since he has more muscles than me, and storm windows are kind of heavy, especially for a top of the line space ship like this one.

The question? Will it be enough to withstand the gale force winds of the Snowflake Nebula? We hope so.

Moving in on Nanowrimo

2010-10-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Between blogging on my writing group's blog and writing for Examiner.com, I don't have a lot of extra words left for my personal outlet here, so I'll just write a bit today about what I've been doing.

My goal is to finish my middle grade novel this month, because I want the first draft done and able to gel awhile while I'm knocking out a Nano-novel in November. With that in mind, I'm trying to put out at least 1000 words a day. It's coming along. Some days I don't quite make it, and some days I do extra. From this week on, I'm going to try to push it up and make sure I finish. I'm already over 17,000 words, so I'm almost halfway, I think.

I'm also compiling note cards with scenes of two more books. One is a sequel to my pirates book, mentioned above. I was thinking about how authors sometimes are asked to sign multiple book deals and considering how difficult I would find this to commit to. As I let my mind wander (I always do this while I'm getting ready in the morning) I had an idea for a possible sequel. It sounded even better than the first book, so I started working on scene cards during my daydreaming sessions. Scene cards are great because they allow me to go further ahead in the future of my characters actions than I can without them. The second group of scene cards are for a book I've been considering for almost two years. I think I've finally hit on a plot thread that can take me through the book, and I might try it out during Nanowrimo if I can get prepared in time.

Finally, I'm still trying to get a few Examiner.com articles out each week. This is a little harder, because they count and you have to make them good, not just first drafts. Someone actually reads them, as far as the stats show.

Also, I'm reading a lot right now: Uncle Tom's Cabin, Great Expectations, and multiple children's books as fast as I can for reviews.

So if you're out there, reading this, and you're a writer, what are you working on right now? If you're a reader, what are you reading?

Normal Mom Blog—Must Have Sleep

2010-09-28T08:04:00.001-07:00

Condition: depleted energy cells

Diagnosis: must recharge with sleep and chocolate, preferably the good stuff

Captain's Blog—Approaching ground zero

2010-09-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Stardate: memo to the crew

One of the little people is approaching her birth anniversary, and secret preparations are being made. I can't say any more except that this event involves chocolate, balloons, and wrapping paper. If you receive this memo, please understand that it will self-destruct in five seconds.

Take cover!

Normal Mom Blog—Mission Possible

2010-09-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Does it really matter?

This is a normal mom blog, so the stardate isn't important. Suffice it to say we're deep in school year territory, having completed our first month in the trenches. I'm back in writing mode, and have been able to post regularly on The Last Draft, but only semi-regularly on my Examiner.com page. I'm back to making steady progress on my book, but not enough to satisfy my avid family readers. Oh well. If they're not going to help, they'll just have to be satisfied with what I do on my own.

We're having a few issues with A.J. She is sort of tri-lingual, if you don't count the one she made up. The problem is that she won't duplicate a word in any language. If you ask her to say, "Cookie," she'll sign it. If you ask her to say, "Yes," it only comes out in Spanish. If you ask her to say, "yellow," that's what you get. We're looking at it as a temporary technological glitch, but we're working on it.

Beyond that, God is good, all the time!

Captain's Blog—Attack of the mutant kamikaze acorn creatures

2010-09-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Stardate: After dinner

For days now, we have been under attack by the tiny mutant kamikaze acorn creatures. They periodically launch themselves from their perches in the oak trees surrounding the star base and hurl their small bodies at the roof. Only this week, one of the ensigns took a direct hit in the head while stepping out of the rover to get the mail. We are working on personal shields which will vaporize the small hostiles, but in the mean time are reduced to using umbrellas to fend them off.

It's a strange world we inhabit.

Captain's Blog—August

2010-08-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Can I have a glass of water?

Our situation has become more dire. The Slip-n-slid-aton has been damaged and the temperature is climbing. Meanwhile, the vile enemy Mosquitians are attacking from every side. Our Cutter's force shields are down to 12 percent and failing quickly. Have sent out distress beacon with hopes of reinforcements.

Captain's Blog—July

2010-07-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Stardate: hot and humid

Trapped on the planet's surface, the sinister Dr. July is sending his scorching humido-rays to suppress the populace. The ship's ensigns are flailing about and moaning for relief in the form of a popsicle drop from the U.S.S. Groceries.

When will help come? Will the secret weapon, the Slip-n-slide-aton, be enough to get us through?

They Plead Safety First, but in This Case, Stupidity First?

2010-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am amazed that anyone would even consider removing the American flag in schools. This link takes you to a poll by Fox to determine what the people think about such a move.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/05/06/american-flag-banned-america/

Let's just go over a few common sense thoughts before you vote.

• This is America. If you're offended by the flag that represents our country, then why don't you move to a different country where you aren't offended by the flag? Seems like common sense to me. (Probably because in most countries you don't have the right to be anywhere near as vocal about what you believe as you do here.)

• If you are an American citizen, this flag is your flag now. Period.

• Offense is a choice. That's why two people can view the same issue either with offense or without it. If you choose to be offended by a flag, that's your problem, not anyone else's.

• The school's job is to teach and to enforce discipline. If a student has broken the rules, expel him or her until he or she decides to comply with school rules. Do not remove our national flag so you don't have to correct inappropriate behavior. That's about the same as the parent in the store with the screaming kid buying candy to get him to be quiet.

• Political correctness is not correct. In most cases, it is the cowardly majority giving into the terrorist minority who is throwing a tantrum to get their way. That's why we have less freedom in America today than we did yesterday, and why the outlook for tomorrow isn't good.

I'd like to see an America that uses a little common sense. Just to set the record straight, here are some things that I'm for. Some of these have to do with the issue above. Some just deal with the erosion of general freedoms and I'm getting them off my chest. I believe we should:

• Display the flag of our country prominently and correctly.

• Educate people so they realize that the separation of church and state was originally designed to keep the state from controlling the church rather than to keep God out of government. (I'm amazed at how many people don't know this.)

• Not rewrite the text books to leave out important information and quotes that include God.

• Promote only LEGAL immigration. (After all, that's how most of us got here, including me.) If you didn't follow the rules to get in, back you go. Either do something to fix the country you are a citizen of, or get used to it being awful there. America didn't turn out the way it is because no one was willing to pay a price for freedom.

• Have a strong military. You just have to look at history to figure this one out. If no one had listened to the pacifists, Hitler's war would have been a contained conflict rather than a World War and millions and millions of people would not have died, plus, we might not have had to resort to an atom bomb to get Japan to back off.

• Allow ALL differing opinions. You may think that we already do that, but it's changing fast. You're freedoms are being legislated away. You don't have to agree with one thing in this post, and I won't think any less of you for it. (If you hate everything I've said up to now, the good news for you is that I'm the one who will probably be silenced and not you. If that doesn't bother you, though, it should.) It is not hateful to disagree with someone else's opinions. It's normal. We're all different, and we do not all think alike. We have laws to protect us from people who use criminal actions to inflict their opinion on others. Beyond that, think and talk as you like.

While you can, that is.

The Big Storm

2010-06-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a big storm. It took out electric to 250,000 people in the Chicago area, knocked down well over 1100 trees, and had winds which were close to 80 mph in some areas. After it was over, one of our chickens wandered out from under the bushes by the house where she had been waiting out the storm. She looked wet and bedraggled for a chicken, and the first thought that came to me was a line from one of Jesse Duplantis's funny videos.

"I never thought I'd drown standing up."

That poor little hen had to take her chances out in the storm while I was comfortably watching it through our big front window. That's a little like what happens when you write a story. You write your book from the comfort and safety of your desk while your characters struggle through the story, bedraggled, worn, and barely alive. Circumstances progress from bad to worse until it looks like there's no way they can possibly make it out alive. Then, you, great author that you are, come to their rescue to orchestrate a perfect ending that pulls them out of a fate worse than death at the last second. When the protagonist gasps out a thank you. You look modest.

"It was nothing, but if you think that was something, just wait until the sequel."

Your protagonist pales and passes out while you boot up the computer.

The thing about storms is that after you pick up the pieces, there's no guarantee there won't be another one rolling through later.

And the Winner Is...

2010-06-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Not me. Not this time, anyway. The Highlights for Children's 2010 Fiction Contest is over for this year, and I just got a letter in the mail announcing the three winners. I can't wait to read the three stories. One thing I love about Highlights is their quality fiction. I'm sure these three winning stories were good ones.

And yet, I felt like a winner too, because my form letter from Highlights had a little note scrawled in the bottom right hand.

Dear Ms. MacKinney,

We like your writing . Please try us again!

Best wishes,

Joëlle Dujardin

Just a few words, but great encouragement for a writer. Editors have zero time. Likewise, associate editors are busier than proverbial bees. A hand written note means a lot. So I'm dedicating this post to Ms. Dujardin. Yeah, I didn't win this year, but it made my day to know that you enjoyed my story. I felt like a winner, because what greater pleasure is there for a writer beyond knowing that she wrote something that provided reading enjoyment for a reader? Thank you for spending a little of your valuable time on that short note.

Anniversaries and other things

2010-06-14T08:43:00.001-07:00

This weekend my husband and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. We had fun, going out to eat with our youngest who happened to have a reading program certificate for the restaurant we chose. I'm glad we took her with. She was very entertaining, and it was nice to get to know her alone without three older kids competing for equal time. The next night all the kids were gone but our son, and we had a movie and popcorn night with him. Again, it was nice to connect with only one child at a time, and to really see what he's about.

Challenge to you parents for the month: Take just one of your children out and do something alone with just that child, if you possibly can. Or ship the rest off to friends' houses and stay home with one. And spend time with that child. It will bless your kids, and you'll get to know them in a different context.

Enjoy!

My Daughter Starts Driving School Tomorrow!

2010-06-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, this is exciting news. Do I have to say more?

OBSRVE

2010-05-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

I loved Christine's post yesterday. I felt like I was on the walk with her, hearing the gravel crunch under the stroller. She talked about opening our senses (not just our eyes) to the world around us. Seems kind of basic, but what a great idea. I think as a general rule, people get comfortable in their everyday space and forget to pay attention to what's around them unless something new pops up. If you're a writer, you've got to live an observant life. You can't afford to become deadened to the details that are around you.

When I was in high school, I had a science teacher named Mr. Jurgenson. Since it was a small school, I was fortunate to have Mr. J for general science, Physics, Chemistry, and all my computer science classes. The first day we walked into his class, he had written "OBSRVE" on the blackboard. We snickered quietly to ourselves, wondering if he realized he had spelled the word incorrectly. Of course he had. He told us that the main thing we were going to learn in science was to observe. If we were somewhat observant, we might have noticed that the "E" was missing. If we were a little more observant, we would have noticed that the small "E" to the right at the front of the room. But then Mr. J walked all the way to the back of the room behind our desks. There in the very back on the wall was a small letter "E" by the clock. If we were exceptionally observant, we would have noticed that one little letter at the back of the room.

Most of us did figure it out. We all thought we were pretty smart to find the "E" at the front of the room. But if you're livelihood depends on your ability to absorb and recreate details of the senses, you're going to have to stretch yourself every day to be the person who finds the "E" at the back of the room.

This week challenge yourself, just as Christine said, to open your senses. Share something that was there all along, but that you opened yourself up to experience as thought you never had before.

Tired

2010-05-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

Today I just don't feel like writing anything. Does anyone else have days like this or is it just me?

Don't Have Time to Be Patient?

2010-05-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

The writing gig is basically about three things.

1. Writing no matter what, day in and day out

2. Hard headed determination used for good ("I won't give up," as opposed to, "No one can tell me anything.")

3. Patience

There's a lot of waiting involved in writing. You have to wait for your writing to cure after you've written it before you revise it. (Queries need this too.) Once it's ready, you also have to wait to hear from publishing houses and agents. There won't be a note in the mail after a week. The general waiting period is about four months to almost a year. Queries take less time to wait for than unsolicited submissions, but almost as much time to write (for me anyway). If you're not in it for the long haul, there's not much point in being in it at all.

The patience part is tricky. If you're not careful, it can slide over into procrastination masquerading as patience. Writing procrastination is generally fueled by fear. It's easier not to write or not to submit rather than face possible rejection by your inner editor or the outer editors. The key is to keep on with number one while still doing number two and number three. It doesn't hurt to send your inner editor on vacation to Cancun during first drafts, either. Keep a close eye on her during rewrites, because her negativity can stall a project that has potential but needs work.

I'm still contemplating Randy I's words about scheduling success. There are so many advantages to writing by schedule. It develops discipline. It keeps you from thinking of writing as a hobby. It causes you to become better than you were yesterday. It produces something that will finally be worth publishing.

Conclusion? The formula for writing is easy. It just takes doing. It is not for the faint of heart.

Don't expect polished posts this week. We're getting near the end of the school year and I don't have much free time. I've been thinking about this as I work on my novel, which takes more grit in the writing area than the picture books have for me. I feel a lot more like giving up, so I'm assuming this is when the hard headed determination needs to kick in.

Car Names You'll Never See

2010-05-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder who decides what the names of cars should be? I'd like to know. But whoever it is, I'll bet anything that there are a few names they will NEVER use. Relatives rolled in last weekend for a family wedding and we had a few spare minutes so we passed the time making up car names for cars that will never be. (Names of individuals participating have been changed to protect the innocent—er—sort of innocent—participants.)

10. The Ford Fungus—A personal favorite. I can really see this model in a mottled greenish-grey.

9. The Hyundai Hopeless—The advantage to this car is that you don't have to drive it off the lot for it not to work. It's hopeless. Just take it to the mechanic and forget you ever saw it.

8. The Dodge Danger—An SUV with attitude.

7. The Honda Hiccup—Available in pickup model as the Hiccup Pickup, this car drives beautifully but always feels like the spark plugs need to be replaced.

6. The Nissan Nausea—Particularly built for people like me who couldn't stand the "new car smell" that came with our new cars in the late 70's. Keep your eyes on the horizon, eyes on the horizon...

5. The Subaru Smash—There are some things that you'd rather not have become a smash hit. Your car is one of them.

4. The Volkswagen Varmint—Forget the Beetle, Mustang, and Thunderbird. This baby rolls them all into one.

3. The Lincoln Luxury Lemon—It comes with all the worst features you can think of. There always has to be a lemon, and since Lincoln starts with l...

2. The Volvo Victim—We're not sure who the victim was, but it could have been the person with the bill of sale.

1. The Kia Pet—Need I say more? Smear on the seeds and don't park in the garage when it rains.

Runners-Up: The Cadillac Crunch, Toyota Ticket, Suzuki Sabotage, and Porche Push.

Captain's Blog: The Infamous Friday Nebula

2010-04-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Stardate: 1-800-SAVEUSQUICK

We have entered the infamous Friday Nebula and bizarre things are occurring all over the ship. After turning my back briefly, the sink is overflowing with dirty dishes. The Advanced Math teacher booklet has mysteriously vanished. Wailing babies are heard echoing through the corridors. Someone has eaten all of the banana bread.

Worst of all: no one wants to take a nap but the captain.

When will it end? Will we ever escape...the Friday Nebula?

There's No Place Like...

2010-04-27T18:27:00.001-07:00

I can now understand why people get those handy little GPS units. Talinda had one, I'm happy to say. She and her husband have named their little electronic helper Richard. He was invaluable on this trip.

There Talinda and I were, in the bowels of downtown Chicago. If you're not a person who jogs around downtown very often, it's easy to get turned around. Not that Talinda couldn't handle driving part. She did. (I was there for moral support, cheering from the passenger seat.) Generally you do okay if you just keep moving. But if you don't know your way around and you have to find a specific address and get your car parked nearby, it can be a little dicey when you don't do it every day. Throw in a baby in the back seat who really doesn't want to sit in her car seat any longer and a better-be-there-on-time appointment, and little beads of perspiration begin to break out on your brow as the clock ticks on.

Richard helped us numerous times as we wove through the streets. The only glitch was that Richard doesn't have eyeballs. He didn't notice that he was trying to route us to turn right onto a street that was clearly blocked off with large orange signs that said "DO NOT ENTER." But, polite as ever, he pleasantly rerouted us when we ignored his instructions, and we arrived safely at the desired destination after more turns.

We finally discovered a parking place where they charged something like a mere $15 an hour to wedge Talinda's SUV into a space on a lot never designed to hold that many cars, but it was right across the street from the building for her baby's audition, so hey, no complaints from us. An hour later, we were on the way back to the burbs, mission accomplished.

Tonight as I listened to the birds in my back yard competing with the roar from I-90 a mile or so away, I found myself quite happy to reflect that I live nowhere near the loop. Love the museums. Lots to see. Endless restaurants. Probably a shopper's paradise for people who like to shop (not me). But when the day is over, there's no place like home.

Driving School for Parents

2010-04-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Since I have a child entering driving school soon, I was wondering why they don't have a driving school for the parents of soon-to-be-licensed teens. Certainly there are a few things that we need to learn, too. The DMV could make a mint with a required parent-of-new-drivers course. Here are some suggestions for material that such a course might cover:

• How to remain calm while hurtling down the road with a teen at the wheel

• How to scream in muted, non-threatening tones during high pressure situations

• How to avoid duress while your teen parallel parks for the first time between a jaguar and Mercedes Benz

• How to bribe your spouse into riding shotgun in your place

• How to install an ejection seat in your car for quick escapes

And last but not least...

• How to pray effectively as a parent of a driving teen

(Somehow people forget all about that separation of church and state business when there's a teen behind the wheel. Same tendency when they're in a jet with engine trouble.)

Captain's Blog: Sunny Day

2010-04-01T11:26:00.001-07:00

Stardate: Sunshine

I took a deep breath today of 20% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and a little less than 2% other gases. It was great. I could smell things and breath again. There's nothing like a head cold to make you appreciate not having a head cold.

Captain's Blog: I hate head colds

2010-03-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Nasal Decongestant

I can't tell you how much I hate head colds. I can't think of one good thing to say about a head cold.

Top Story: Easter Eggs Go Into Hiding

2010-03-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

Reports have reached us that Easter eggs all over America, stuffed to capacity, are preparing to go into hiding. Red, green, blue, yellow; it doesn't matter. They all wait nervously for the final word which means they must disappear before voracious egg-hunters begin the search.

Who will survive?

Terrible Log Line Contest

2010-03-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

If you aspire to write terrible log lines, check out this:

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/

Captain's Blog: If I Was Floating in Space, My Feet Would Not Hurt This Much

2010-03-15T20:27:00.001-07:00

Stardate: Way past bedtime

The little people are in bed, and I'm trying hard not to be envious. They don't have to grade papers, and there are four of them to generate schoolwork and only one of me to deal with it.

(Although two of the little people aren't really so little anymore, and they insist that they're really ensigns by now. I maintain that unless you clean the bathroom once a week, you cannot be promoted to ensign. Also, ensigns must be able to swab. It is a longstanding tradition, and I refuse to be the kind of captain who doesn't observe the formalities of swabbing.)

Also, two of them don't have to deal with physics or trigonometry. Somehow that should benefit me, but I can't quite figure out how yet.

It's been a long and busy day, and I decided to make it longer by making banana bread and streusel topped strawberry muffins. (Please note that being able to bake floofy snacks is not required in order to be a captain, but it does make for a happier crew. Also note that spell-check denies floofy is a word. It's objection to my using the word is duly noted and ignored.)

Somewhere along the way, my feet got really tired of standing in the kitchen. I think it was because I was wearing my old shoes. All I know for a fact is that if I was floating in space, my feet would not hurt this much. But on the other hand, I've gotten sort of used to oxygen. Decisions, decisions. I think I'm better off here.

Muffins, anyone?

Nothing Like a Warm Brownie and a Smile

2010-03-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a busy day. I didn't save the universe. I didn't discover anything that altered life for mankind. To be honest, I didn't even get my house cleaned and all the papers graded for school.

But I did get to make brownies with my youngest child. We had a good time, just doing something fun together. You know, sometimes, that's enough.

When Really Bad is Really Good

2010-03-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many people look forward to exercise. Probably very few. But we do look forward to the results. So here's an exercise which I hope will help us all come up with some great ideas as we work on our books. (P.S. I didn't come up with this, but am adapting it for my own current needs.)

1. Lift pencil

2. Lift paper

3. Choose character

4. Duct tape mouth of inner editor

5. Drop and give me twenty-five terrible things that could happen to your protagonist (You heard me, mister. I said twenty-five.)

Because really bad is really good. The worse things get for your protag, the better it is for you. I'm not good at making my MC suffer, so I'm hoping that doing this is going to help me get past a stuck place on a ms that I'm working on, especially since I only have a vague idea of where I want to go with it. Hope it works for you too!

Who Are The Manufacturers Kidding?

2010-02-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Today I fed a friend's baby some babyfood. Having eaten mushed pears and raspberries earlier, she was an unsuspecting victim when I gave her the first bite of Herbed Chicken and Pasta. Her expression and subsequent wails as we continued the meal clearly said, "Why are you trying to force me to eat Weirdly Flavored Chicken Gunk and Pasta Globs?"

It was not fun for either of us.

Personally, I'd eat chocolate cake for every meal if I could get away with it. Alas, that's not possible. I remember my college meals of popsicles and cold cereal. Cooking was not a skill I had acquired at that point in my life, plus my roommates never cleaned up after themselves in the kitchen. After helping them get organized once, I wasn't interested in staying on as their housemaid. Thus the strange uncooked meals.

But I do feel a little bit for those under the age of 18 months who have to eat baby food. You don't even know how to say the word "yuck," and you are totally at the mercy of the adult with the spoon. In my case, I can't quite bring myself to try out Weirdly Flavored Chicken Gunk with Pasta Globs. But I guess in the baby's case, it's a good thing that people don't remember much of what happens to them before the age of three.

Writing Vaccination: Purple Prose (This Won't Hurt a Bit)

2010-02-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of purple prose? For a writer, it is a fatal disease, the true way to kill a sale.

Purple prose happens when a writer tries to make his writing sound more writerly by using fancy words. The result is that the reader hits a speed bump in the reading road and is yanked up short because the words draw attention to themselves rather than telling the story.

It ain't pretty.

Words should never get in the way of the story we're trying to tell. This little poem has been attributed to either anonymous or Madelaine L'Engle. (Either she wrote it or quoted it from an anonymous source.) It doesn't really matter who said it first; it's the best medicine for the purple prose bug:

The written word

Should be clean as a bone,

Clear as light,

Firm as stone.

Two words are not

So good as one.

The problem with purple prose is that it is not any of these things. When a writer thinks that he's going to juice up the fancy end of his writing a bit so the can impress a publisher or agent, he's probably got the heinous sin of purple prose in mind. Don't try to sound like a writer. Just tell the story in as clear a way as you can, using your own words, simple may they be.

There's a line I like from the movie, The Rocketeer, that can be applied: "Acting is acting like you're not acting. So act!" That's also true about writing. Writing isn't supposed to sound like you're writing. If the reader feels written to, something is wrong, and it's quite possible your purple prose showing.

The right words are important. As Samuel Clemens said, it's either the lightning or the lightning bug. Take your pick. Purple prose is the lightning bug that needs to be squashed.

What's New?

2010-02-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

And now, time for another gripping episode of What's New?

Still waiting for word from Magination Press, but not expecting any for a couple of weeks or so. It would be great if they take the book, but it won't be the end of the world if they don't. (Please note: the earthquake we felt recently in Illinois didn't happen because I'd gotten word that they didn't take the manuscript, although at 4 a.m. in the morning, you might have been so shaken you would have believed it.)

Been thinking about pirates a lot lately. Not sure why. Just finished reading and taking notes on James Scott Bell's Plot and Structure, and I'm considering how I can use some of his methods to create a better foundation for a story with said pirates. Trying a new method doesn't feel natural yet, but I believe it would produce good results in the long run, so I'm up for trying it out.

My driver's license is about to expire, but they're letting me renew by mail. This is good news, since I tend to be reclusive in some respects. (But yes, Christine, I am going to try to force myself to go to the mall and shop with you very soon. The girls can't wait.)

I need to go to the dentist. This is not earth shattering to anyone but myself. I'm planning on making the fateful call tomorrow. Now that I've told you all, you can hold me accountable. I feel a lot better now that that's off my chest.

Aren't you glad you tuned in?

Captain's Blog: Tofurkey and Beyond

2010-02-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

Stardate: Dinnertime

The Admiral has decreed that we condemn no food without trying it out first, so tonight we're trying tofurkey. As I see by the underlying dotted red line, not even spell check believes it's a real food. Yes, it has come to this. I find myself wondering, did the tofu want to masquerade as a turkey? Did anyone ask the tofu's opinion before dressing it up in giblets and gravy? (Perhaps toblets would be a more appropriate choice.)

Certainly not.

I believe this is a gross violation of the tofu's right to be tofu. In fact, because of the magnitude of such a crime, it's only a matter of time before the tofu police catch up with us all. In fact, I think now would be a perfect time to explore a hostile new planet.

This is Only a Test

2010-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is a test of your Emergency Cookie System

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.

This has been a test of your Emergency Cookie System. If this had been a real Cookie Emergency, you would have been informed of where to tune in for more cookie information.

Captain's Blog—Why We Do What We Do

2010-02-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

Stardate: Friday

Have you ever wondered why captains go off into uncharted regions to explore where no one has explored before, braving the unknown and darkest recesses of space? It's not fame. It's not the money. It's not the status. It's not even to escape the IRS.

It's paperwork.

I bid you adieu as I begin to grade papers.

Ensign, engage engines.

Journal of a Private Eye—Tremors in the Earth

2010-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

In the early AM hours, the inhabitants of the house snored placidly, their gentle breath going in and out with the practiced ease of travelers through a turnstile. Such innocence. Such trusting. Little did they know what dire twist of plot was heading their way.

Suddenly, a rumbling roar erupted from the bowels of the earth, tossing sound sleepers from their bed. They groped about in the dark, trying to find their cell phones so they could open them for light. The husband was quickly dispatched in pajamas to wade through six inches of snow and secure the perimeter of the house. He returned quickly, none the wiser. (The wife made mental note to remind neighbor to keep dog from using yard as bathroom.)

All was quiet.

Had it been a sonic boom? Had a tree fallen on the house? Had the gas company finally discovered that pesky leak a few blocks over?

None of the above.

Earthquake. Pure and simple as the new fallen snow that carpeted the eerie winter night's landscape. Wakeful, the family waited for something more to happen until it did...

Zzzzzzzzzz

Captain's Blog—The Chill of Space

2010-01-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

Stardate: 5 degrees

We were lulled into a false sense of security as we swung through an unexpectedly balmy portion of space called the Southern Nebula. As we emerged, however, cold gusts of subspace crystals slammed into the hull of our intrepid little ship.

The question on everyone's mind? Will our fuel oil hold out until we land and escape the cold reaches of space?

Captain's Blog—Winter Déjà vu

2010-01-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Stardate: Dinnertime

Despite my best efforts to manipulate the time space continuum, dinner time rolled around again tonight. I believe I'm caught in some kind of diabolical time loop. The crew still resists the idea of fasting, so I made pancakes in self-defense.

Captain's Blog—Winter

2010-01-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

Stardate: Dinner time

Suggested today that we fast tonight in order to avoid having to make dinner and clean up afterwards. Idea not well received by the crew.

Fe-e-e-e-eelings (insert music here)

2010-01-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

I really don't feel like writing today. The past couple of weeks have not been easy, and the emotional drain that came with them makes me feel like curling up in bed and going to sleep for a LONG time or escaping in a book (written by someone else). Sigh.

So it's time to overcome the feelings and get to work. Face set like flint. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor darkest night (in my case, deepest snow) shall stop me from my appointed word count.

I'm only letting you all know this because it's on my mind, and I haven't blogged for a few days.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T07:45:00.001-08:00

I say this with the possibility of being redundant. I was in a classroom with 28 four- and five-year-olds. We had a short service and then moved on to what was top in all of their minds: popcorn and a movie (Bolt). As one of my assistants remarked, they were surprisingly quiet. And as I carefully avoided giving them anything with sugar in it, they remained so for the entire evening. With ten or eleven assistants, counting Crew, we had an excellent adult to kid ratio that we don't often enjoy.

I remember the first New Year's Eve service in what was at that time the new church building. I think we had over one hundred four- and five-year-olds. And not enough assistants. And it was a four hour service instead of three. That was a wild ride that makes you appreciate evenings like last night, where we just had fun, and it was not overwhelming for the kids or the assistants.

How did all of you spend your New Year's Eve? I hope that however you did it, it was a blessed time to look back at a good year and forward to a better year. Happy New Year!

Captain's Blog—Christmas

2009-12-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

Stardate: Christmas Day

Even captains make mistakes, and so I have to make an awkward confession to make. There we were, zooming through the stratosphere, when we detected a small blip of unidentified nature on the imaging radar. Believing it to be of enemy origin, we launched a warning shot off its starboard bow, and it would have sailed safely past, except the blip made a hard right.

For those of you who previously believed in Santa Claus, you may want to rethink that in the 364 shopping days we have until Christmas rolls around again.

Good News!

2009-12-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

Are you sitting down? Are you composed and ready for news? Good!

I am pleased to announce that Magination Press has contacted me about my favorite picture book manuscript, Melba Sue and the Cactus Kid. They would like me to make some revisions and then resubmit it for possible publication.

I Married Mr. Perfect

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

This morning I was meditating on the idea that most women would give anything to be married to Mr. Perfect. In their dearest thoughts, he would always be gentle, funny, caring, protective, conversational, intelligent, and loving. He would never notice any of their faults, and always magnify their strengths. He'd be encouraging and the best companion they could have. If they smashed the family van, he'd laugh it off and say, "That's okay, honey. I never liked that van that much anyway. Why don't you pick out the car of your dreams to replace it."

Now I'll let you in on a little secret: I married Mr. Perfect.

In those times when I'm really struggling, he is there for me. He never let's me down. I never hear an unkind word from him, and he's always cheering for me. It doesn't matter how I look in the morning. He believes I'm beautiful just the way I am. You might say that love is blind, in that case.

But here's another secret. You can marry Mr. Perfect, too.

I'll never forget one of the times Pastor Grace was talking to the ladies at our church. She said that whether you're single or married, you need to be married to Jesus. She was right. When you have the relationship with God's Son that He created you to have, you will be fulfilled in a way that no earthly relationship is able to satisfy you.

But you'll be happier married to Mr. Perfect if you understand his character better. This means you'll have to get rid of some of those goofy religious ideas about him. He doesn't walk around wearing a bathrobe while carrying a lamb in the crook of his arm. He doesn't sing Gregorian chants in Latin as he somberly struts down the streets of gold with never a smile on his lips.

He's got a good sense of humor. (I don't think he's just laughing with us.) He's so smart that he not only knows calculus, physics and chemistry, but he created them. He's fluent in thousands of languages and dialects, and he knows everything about everything, but never comes across as arrogant. He not just capable of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, but he's made up of them. And he loves us so much he actually died for us, but was raised from the dead so that we could spend eternity with him. Now that's commitment.

So if you have a little free time this Christmas season, give some thought to how awesome it is to be married to Mr. Perfect. (And just in case my earthly husband is reading this, I think he's pretty cool too!)

Captain's Blog—War Zone

2009-12-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

Stardate: Black Friday

My mission? To try to eradicate those body snatching aliens who turn mild-mannered individuals into crazed lunatics from the hours of 4 A.M. to 1 P.M. on Black Friday. The timid need not apply for this mission.

Nothing at the academy has prepared me for the shock of Black Friday. As I donned my regulation army boots, fatigues, and a 40 pound pack, I wished for those standard issue gas masks, just in case one of those insane shoppers had tear gas canisters hidden in her tote-disguised-as-a-purse. My first stop was a JMart (names have been changed to protect the innocent), where I did a survey of the interior. Shoppers were packed in like sardines. This was bad, because from what I understand, the snatchers can race from human to human faster than a blue light special, driving them to maniac lengths to obtain the bargain of their desire.

It was near electronics that I made an almost fatal mistake. A wife yelled a message to her husband, who was standing down the aisle about 20 feet. Thinking that she had said, "Bob, they only have one 200 dollar big screen TV left," I relayed the message. Instantly, the eyes of fifty shoppers in my vicinity glazed over, and they made a mad rush for the opening of the department where I was standing. If it hadn't been for the heroic actions of an employee armed with a heavy gage shopping cart who headed them off, I'd have been toast.

Store by store, it was the same. We called for reinforcements, and even they began to wear down as the battle raged on. At last, victory. Our mission accomplished. The body snatching aliens had been driven off for another year, making it safe for mankind to shop once again.

Merry Christmas

P.S. You do know this was totally fiction, right? (Twilight theme here.)

It Is Finished

2009-11-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it's almost finished. I did make it over the 50K mark, but I'm still wrapping up the story. But for all practical purposes. It's done.

Whew!

2009-11-21T20:09:00.001-08:00

I don't think I ever shared our other family novel picks. Here are Nathan's, Kathryn's, and Dwight's, in order.

Nano Post: Day 15 (Panting my way through the desert)

2009-11-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

Did I drop off the planet? Nope. But I have chalked up over 32,000 words on my Nano Novel, Deep Secret. They aren't the words of fine literature, but hey, at least there are 32,000 and I'm 2,000 ahead of schedule my personal schedule and 7,000 ahead of the daily minimum. But it doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging, so I haven't had any words of wisdom from the captain lately.

It's been fun doing the Nanowrimo. I'm a terrible procrastinator when it comes to finishing a novel. Especially if I get stuck. But this time I'm committed to doing it, so I have no choice but to press on. My characters may have weird dreams or strange conversations in order to fill the word count, but there is no turning back. (Also because Dwight, Christine, Laura, Nathan, Carissa, Susan, and Kathryn are all doing this too, and if I don't finish, they'll all get me!)

Mission Nano: Day 5

2009-11-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and stormy night. (Oh great, that's only seven words. What do I type now?)

Thus goes the Nanowrimo. Not to be a word counter, but when you have software that allows you to keep one eye on the word count and one on the manuscript, it can be discouraging. Too late I understand that chapter in C.S. Lewis's book, The Horse and His Boy. During said chapter came a point during Shasta's desert crossing at which no matter how far he had travelled, what was behind didn't look any farther away, and what was in front didn't look any closer. Guess what. That's where I am right now.

That must be why people give up around 12,000 words. That is where I threw in the towel last year. Of course, I wasn't officially signed up, so I didn't care that much. Not having told everyone under creation that I was going to write a novel in one month and then trying to get them to join me in the literary misery, I was easily able to skulk quietly away and wait a year to try again.

2009. The year of a finished novel. This year (sigh) I signed up for real, which in my book is tantamount to a total commitment. There is no cutting out because, quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of this. The bridges are burning, and I can still smell the acrid char from my computer keyboard. Only one option remains. Finish by midnight, November 30th.

You also have to understand, this is a big deal to a picture book writer. My manuscripts are usually only about 600 to 800 words. Total. To have to do three times that every day goes against everything in my inner editor, who has been sending me endless telegrams from Tahiti saying that I need to go back and fix early problems. Again, another reason why people quit. If you let yourself decide that you need to go back, you'll never move forward.

So that's how it's going. Any comments from those of you who have left me (the tortoise) in the dust? (That would be Christine and Dwight, who have blasted past me in their word counts.)

I may not be fast, but at least I'm consistent.

WWJD?

2009-11-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

What would Jesus do?

He'd write a story for Nanowrimo, of course.

Jesus was into stories. He understood how a story could reach a person's heart, providing revelation and entertainment in the same stroke. People liked listening to Jesus! Jesus used stories to make ministry fun. (That will sound familiar if you've ever served in Kids Town at church.)

So here we are on the third day of Nanowrimo. It is a purely secular event, true, but you don't have to leave it that way. Ultimately it's just a lot of people who like to write creating novels in a short time in the same month. It's a great way to finally get around to writing that story you've been mulling over in your mind all this time. In case you didn't start on Sunday, it's not too late!!! Remember, you have a message.

Perhaps you're shaking your head in disbelief.

"50,000 words might as well be as far away as the moon!" you say. "What person in their right mind would even attempt it on day three?" you add.

Not so, my friends.

Consider that when I checked the word counts on the site, one gal is already at over 70,000 words. Many more have already passed the 10,000 word point. They seem bent on finishing this week so they can enjoy their Thanksgivings in blissful quiet while the rest of us toil over a keyboard. Probably none of them home school or have four children (I can hear the competitive Christine saying, "That's not fair!") but it's okay. We will still finish!

And last, but not least, here's a verse for those of you who really want to write a novel this month but just don't think you can.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Selah.

Nano Day One: I'm Begging You to Write a Novel!

2009-11-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is our first day of Nanoing. (Spell check doesn't think that's a word.) Hit it hard! Now is the time to get those words out there as fast as you can type. I believe that Christians so have an obligation to write a novel this month. There is an enormous void in real faith fiction (particularly for kids) and we need to fill it.

I've got a loaded month, and today I didn't even get to begin typing until well after 3:00 p.m. because of the big Fall Fest at church. Fortunately, the blueberry wound has healed nicely so I'll be typing with my fingers because the aforesaid agile toes are absolutely beat.

The slogan for us all this month is carpe tempus temporis. I'm only a rudimentary Latin scholar, but I think that means "seize the time" or "seize time." I thought it more appropriate since my days don't come in nice complete chunks, but are extremely fragmented.

Don't think you'll have time later. You won't. You must act NOW! I used scratch paper to get going this morning because I could type while I was blow-drying my hair.

So that's my pep talk to all of you. I'm going back to my novel now. I left my protagonist chewing out one of the militant youth under her for daring another kid to go into some dangerous cave systems. All I can say is, she better watch her back, 'cause this other gal is a grudge-nurser and is going to go for the jugular pretty soon.

Nanowrimo In Two Hours

2009-10-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

I want to know how weird it is for the time change to happen on the eve of Nanowrimo. Technically, if you're one of the midnight writers, that means you get an extra hour of nanowriting. For me, it just means I get an extra hour of sleep, for which I am thankful.

Here we are on the countdown, and for all the planning I did, it was for nothing.

Why, you may ask?

Because I've dumped the whole idea of Eleanor for a thriller/mystery called Deep Secret. I'll run an excerpt every now and then.

Happy Nano's Eve.

Subliminal Message Alert

2009-10-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

You'll all be glad to know (if you read The Last Draft and heard about the chunk I carved out of my finger with a steak knife while cutting frozen blueberries) that my finger is healing nicely. SIGN UP FOR NANOWRIMO. I'm down to one or two bandaids, and the nerves don't send painful impulses to my brain anymore when I'm typing. SIGN UP FOR NANOWRIMO. This is very good news, because here at almost the eleventh hour, I am planning to change my entire story and go with a new inspiration that I captured on the back of an envelope a couple days ago. SIGN UP FOR NANOWRIMO TODAY!

So Eleanor will just have to go on having a secret life that none of us (including me) know anything about. For the next year, she will dream on of being a secret agent who uses her super-klutz powers for good SIGN UP FOR NANOWRIMO while I explore the suspenseful betrayal in Deep Calls to Deep. SIGN UP FOR NANOWRIMO AND GET A PROOF COPY OF YOUR BOOK IF YOU FINISH. The only problem is that I have to come up with a totally new cover, because the pink and silhouettes just don't go with this new idea at all.

I really liked Susan's cover the best of the ones that I did. Some of the kids did their own, and they were very nice too. YOU NEED TO SIGN UP FOR NANOWRIMO. Carissa is doing a story on The Robot Chicken and drew her cover. I thought this was quite creative for her to come up with. Dwight is still waiting for a cover, but he's being difficult since he wants me to actually do (gasp! do people do this anymore?!) original artwork. SIGN UP FOR NANOWRIMO BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. Since it's highly unlikely that I will have time for that, he'll just have to settle for something digital like the rest of us.

You know, I suddenly have this strange feeling that I should write a book next month. I don't know what's come over me. Do you feel it too?

Fuzzies Are Not Nutritious, and Allowed Only in November

2009-10-27T13:37:00.001-07:00

Today A.J. spit out her pacifier on the blanket she was sitting on. I fished it up and prepared to return it to it's previous location, but pulled it back just in time. It had (ewww!) fuzzies stuck to it. I explained the delay to A.J. by stating that fuzzies are not nutritious, and therefore must be removed so they are not ingested.

A.J. was not impressed.

A.J. wanted the pacifier.

She wanted it NOW.

Conclusion: Babies are only interested in results. The journey means nothing to them. They will take the pacifier even if it is one big ball of fuzz.

You may be wondering what this has to do with anything. I wondered that myself, for awhile. Then I got it. It has to do with Nanowrimo, of course. The journey doesn't mean anything in November. It's all about word count at the end.

• It doesn't matter if you can't even spell "cat."

• It doesn't matter if you use the word "ain't" in polite conversation.

• It doesn't matter if you write lousy poetry that has too many feet and doesn't rhyme.

All that matters is 50,000 words by midnight November 30th.

Don't you feel better now? See, anybody with fingers or agile toes can do this. So lay in a good supply of your favorite snacks before November 1st and prepare to become a full-fledged novelist. But while you're typing, watch out for your internal editor going after those fuzzies. It's not allowed until December 1st.

Special Nano perk: Create Space is giving the "winning" authors who finish their word count, and this includes kids who have shorter word counts, a free proof copy of their own book. Details below:

https://www.createspace.com/nanowrimo?ref=438265&utm_id=4925

How cool is that?

Journal of a Private Eye: A Dark and Stormy Night

2009-10-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

The night was dark. Very dark. Rain gushed down the windows like my nephews nose when he gets a nosebleed. But when you're a private eye, you learn to deal with whatever life sends you.

As I sat at my desk, I heard footsteps on the stairs. They stopped outside my door, so I knew what was coming. There was a knock.

"It's open!"

A blond head craned around the door. This character wasn't taking any chances as he scuttled in and sat down, glancing warily over his shoulder. I leaned back in my chair and planted my feet on the desk. My air of confidence always had a way of putting clients at ease.

"What's eating you, son?"

"Mom, I can't find my dictionary. You know, it's the little one you got me that everyone else always wants to use. Somebody took it and lost it!"

I stroked my chin, staring up at the ceiling. This was definitely going to be a tough one. I hadn't seen that dictionary around for weeks, much less days.

I fixed a stern eye on the client. "Did you look in your homework pile?"

He squirmed. "Yeah. Sort of. But I'm sure it's not there."

Tough character. He wasn't going to make this easy.

"How about under your desk."

"Not there."

"Your bed?"

He shook his head. "There's no way it would be under my bed."

"Did you look."

He hung his head. "Well, no. But there's no way it's there."

"I can't help you if you won't let me."

"Oh, all right." He jumped up and ducked out the door. "But I'm just wasting my time."

"Yeah," I responded. "We'll just see."

The call came later that day. Dictionary located. It was under the bed all the time. I stared out the window at the still pouring rain. Yeah, sometimes life threw you a curve, but you had to step up to the plate anyway. It was a good feeling to help one's fellow man. To put him on the path to...

...finding his dictionary.

Miserable weather, but still, a good day.

Laundry Attack!

2009-10-18T22:16:00.001-07:00

Do you realize the kind of laundry a family of six can generate? Single people just can't fathom it. Future mothers and dads (mostly mothers because we know they're the real laundry engineers), don't say you weren't warned.

We were gone for four days plus a day of travel. That's five. For a family of six, that means we generated in the sock department alone, 60 dirty socks. If you consider all the other items of clothing, it's a veritable wonder we don't need a periscope to take in the world at large by the time we got home. And since this is cold weather, there are jackets and coats, some of which were closely associated with horses and cats (and even a dead raccoon) in various barns and pastures.

(But let's look at the bright side. None of us hunt. Otherwise, I'd be doing an orange load like half of the mothers in Wisconsin.)

Another possible for NaNoWriMo

2009-10-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

I hope the peer pressure is having a positive affect on all of you out there and you feel yourselves crazily crumbling as you succumb to the need to write a novel in November. (You know, it's really hard to exert much peer pressure when you're only one person unless you have a multiple personality disorder of some kind, but I'm doing my best.)

Not to make your decisions harder, but here's another possible for the Nano book:

The Sad Tale of Horace VonFinkle, Villain Very-Not-Extraordinaire

I really don't identify with Horace much. After all, he is a villain. He just can't seem to do villainy effectively. Every time he tries, things turn out well. Sort of an opposite of Eleanor Blunt. She's still the front-runner (those two votes really turned the tide) since I have been thinking about her journey for awhile. Richard Peck says you need to decide on a journey, and then decide which character will benefit the most from it. Eleanor's journey is to discover that one's worth is not determined by one's perfection.

Call to Arms (or Fingers, Rather)

2009-10-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

As we're going forward with this NaNoWriMo thing, I need to say a few words to the relatives who occasionally check out this blog.

You need to participate.

See, it was a painless four words for you this week. No "I'm too busies" will be accepted. I home school, babysit six days a week, give piano lessons, teach art, coordinate a Preschool department at church, and write meet regularly with my writer's group. Once in awhile, I get to sleep and eat, but unfortunately, bedtime is regularly way too close to midnight. I understand busy. Everyone is busy. But November is a chance to do something special. This event is largely controlled by non-Christians, so we need to get involved and make an impact. Make it a family event and do it with your kids. (There are tons of kids involved in the Young Writer's Program.) You have a voice, so use it!

Don't be sticks-in-the-mud!

Captain's Blog—Mission Draws Near

2009-10-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Thursday

As the mission to the outer quadrant draws near, nerves are taut. There are bags to pack. There is the ship to load. Questions arise. Will we get a signal on our cell phone in the outer reaches? Most importantly, will we make it to our secret destination, code name, Grandma's House? We hope so.

There is lefsa at stake.

Vote Early, Vote Often

2009-10-04T10:26:00.001-07:00

Two votes for Eleanor right now, but I'm thinking of changing her name to Theodora because it has more scope for the imagination as well as the fact that you can use Theo as a sort of cool nickname. (If someone calls Eleanor El, she might think they're talking about the elevated train in Chicago.)

And speaking of the great Chicago tradition we have here that enables even dead people to participate in the political selection process, vote early and vote often for your choice for my NaNo novel. Only two votes in so far, and Eleanor is way out in front with...two votes. Need I say more? You're probably hoping not, so I'll let you all get back to the real world.

P.S. For those of you wondering what's happening to the Admiral, the Captain, and the rest of the crew, they're still making applesauce, because you simply cannot have too much applesauce. But we are working on the engine systems of our ship to get it ready for a dangerous mission in the outer reaches of the quadrant. You've probably heard of it: Wisconsin.

It's coming!

2009-10-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

I've taken a little time away from the blogs (except the Last Draft) to catch up on life. I read a book about how to complete NaNoWriMo and had to catch up with Physics and some design projects this weekend. But I just thought I'd do a little poll here to see what you all (I am assuming there is a you all out there) think would be my best bet for the NaNoWriMo challenge of a 50,000 word novel in a month. I'm not too concerned about making it good. It just has to be 50,000 words, even if they're all the wrong words.

Here are my ideas so far:

• The Girl From Left Foot Lake

This will sound familiar to my writer's group, because I've been bantering this title around in my head for some time. Yesterday I had an idea to go with the title (always good) and it would be a WWI historical fiction. (Like, WAY fiction, so don't even bother to check up on my historical facts. This is for NaNoWriMo, after all.)

• The Secret Life of Eleanor Blunt

Klutz extraordinaire, the young mild-mannered librarian Eleanor is caught up in the world of spies and espionage. And no matter what she does...well, you know. It doesn't turn out exactly as expected. This one is a good choice because if I get stuck, I can always have her knocked out, kidnapped, and waking up in some exotic location like Tahiti or North Dakota.

• What You Make It

A story about two people, one with an easy life where everything starts out right, and one with a not easy life where everything starts out wrong. And of course, life is what they choose to make it. I like the title more than the story idea right now, but lots of room for 50,000 words.

But decisions are my hardest thing! Comments?

A new use for blogs: The string around the finger

2009-10-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

I just don't want to misplace or forget this web site. This is a meaningless post. Hope you all had a great day.

http://www.hanksclothing.com/waterproof_duck_boots_and%20_shoes.html

Captain's Blog—Birthday invasion

2009-09-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Friday

Will encounter invasion forces at 18:00 hours. Plan to placate them with dinner followed by decorated cupcakes and ice cream, a puppet show, and a craft project.

If we get in over our heads, I plan to call this help line:

1-800-THERE ARE SEVEN LITTLE GIRLS HERE-HELP ME QUICK

Captain's Blog—Admiral's Got KP

2009-09-21T16:38:00.001-07:00

Stardate: Monday

Yes, it has come to this. As a personal favor, the Admiral is pealing apples for applesauce as I grade papers, study Physics, and write children's stories. He may be thinking that this is not what he signed on for, but such is the nature of love. It causes you to do things for people even with a cut thumb from the batch on Sunday.

Normal Mom Blog—Practice Makes Perfect, Or at Least Better Than Yesterday

2009-09-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

It's time to diversify. Teaching and writing take time, but I haven't had a story sale in awhile, so I've decided to take on a few piano students. The only problem is that when you haven't practiced for twenty years, it shows. So today I practiced. And practiced. And practiced. My brain knew the music. Some of it had been ingrained when I minored in music under the watchful eyes of Dr. Keene. But apparently there was a short somewhere between brain and hands. Also, the technique practices were very quick to produce that unpleasant burning sensation in my forearms. Sigh. This endeavor is going to be a ton of work. Oh well. Nothing ventured; nothing gained.

Captain's Blog—Deep in the Bowels of the Facility

2009-09-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Wednesday

We had a near mutiny today when the crew found out there was no hot water. Fortunately, it is easier to find a hot water heater repairman than it is to find a transporter repairman. I was reminded of such a search for repairmen when I found the original log to the space ship Genesis in the bowels of the facility. I was transported back to Faith the Final Frontier in the Omega Quadrant. Those were some fun days!

Captain's Blog—Cookie Vultures at Three O'clock

2009-09-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Friday

It became necessary to lay in a supply of chocolate chip cookies today. Almost immediately the cookie vultures, another strange species of this planet, swooped in to get their share. I had to fend them off with a spatula and an oven mitt. Although I sustained no wounds, several cookies were consumed before I could get them into freezer bags.

Normal Mom Blog—How Does Ketchup Get Into Pockets?

2009-09-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a holiday weekend for fun with family.

And laundry.

Weird laundry.

As I pen this literary tribute to laundry, I find myself growing philosophical. For example, I begin to think deep thoughts such as, how, exactly, does ketchup find it's way into a child's jacket pocket? I don't even remember said child wearing said jacket while eating said ketchup. Generally speaking, ketchup, with the help of gravity, tends to drop on a child's front, where it is easily visible and removable. And there were no fries secreted in the pocket. Hmmm.

My eldest daughter pointed out today that laundry is like rabbits. It multiplies while you're not looking. We agreed that this must be the case. How you get seven loads of laundry from one overnight stay at a relative's house when you only packed four small suitcases is beyond me.

Way beyond.

And we came to a second conclusion about laundry and rabbits. It's when they start hopping that you're really in trouble.

Captain's Blog—Sigh. Is the Universe Saved Yet?

2009-09-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Friday

Yes, it's finally Friday. But if you'll notice when you're off-planet, there's really no such thing as days, weeks, months, and years. Not of the earth variety that we're used to anyway. Imagine the work-week on Venus. Yikes! One daily rotation takes about 243 of our earth days. Imagine a four day business trip. "I'll see you in about three years, honey."

So I guess you have to look at the bright side. There are only 24 hours in a day on earth, and since you sleep during eight of them, that only leaves about 16 to goof up in. That means that during approximately a third of your life, you can't possibly do anything wrong. On that happy note, have a great weekend! (Oh, by the way, the weekends on Venus are 486 earth days long. See you next year.)

Normal Mom Blog—The Captain is out to lunch

2009-09-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

We seem to finally have settled into our routine with school. I am making myself as available as possible to Kathryn and Susan, since Advanced Math has proven to be something of a trial to them. I have suggested for the month of November that both of them, myself, and Dwight participate in the Nanowrimo. The idea behind Nanowrimo is to write a novel in a month. Will it be a good novel? Well, no. It will most likely be hideous since the whole point is to churn out a daily word count, ending in monthly total of 50,000. First drafts are generally pretty awful anyway, but by getting them on paper you have something to work with in the end. (Kathryn and Susan can choose their own monthly total since they would be participating in the Young Writer's Nanowrimo.)

Now it does seem a little crazy that someone chose November for this. I don't know what they were thinking. There's a major holiday near the end of the month that brings relatives out of the woodwork in droves and involves strategically dressing and cooking an enormous turkey with all the fixings. And how is one to do this while making sure one has typed in 1766.66 words that day? I ask you, is this reasonable?

Probably not, but then, I don't think writing an entire novel in a month is reasonable either. But fun? Doable? Yes to both. About 15% of the writers who commit to the Nanowrimo accomplish their goal. Some are even able to sift through the results for a publishable book in time.

Challenge for you: write your novel in the month of November and see what you come up with. I believe there is at least one novel in every person out there. Wouldn't it be fun to see what happens if you write it down?

Captain's Blog—Attack of the Mutant Math Fiends

2009-09-01T18:42:00.001-07:00

It's been a rough day at the facility. After we beat back the alien laundry cruiser, we were blindsided by the sinister mutant math fiends. Similar triangle proofs hurled through the air, followed by contrapositives and congruency postulates. One of the ensigns was down and had to be resuscitated with chocolate and promises of a chick-flick on the weekend.

Captain's Blog—Under Fire!

2009-08-31T08:34:00.001-07:00

Stardate: Monday

Returned to the facility at 2030 hours on Saturday after accomplishing mission and encountering many bizarre creatures (some determined to consume shoe laces). During my absence the little people had fallen under heavy fire from an alien laundry cruiser. It was threatening to overwhelm them when I arrived on the scene with reinforcements. Have quelled the invasion, but we are wary. When and where will the alien ship strike next?

Captain's Blog—Parts Unknown

2009-08-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Thursday

I have been authorized by the admiral to go on a 30 hour reconnaissance mission. I'm grateful for a chance to explore beyond the facility, but the little people are definitely suspicious about my planned absence.

Coded message received by the admiral at 1200 hours:

The melted chocolate ice cream is on top of the refrigerator.

Normal Mom Blog—Where's that dratted captain when you need her?

2009-08-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today I am tired.

I'm trying to figure out how I came to be so tired on a Monday. I didn't even write this weekend. Last week we had it all together, which was good since it was our first full week of school, and life was smooth. Extra babies and all. We'd kicked into overdrive and I could see the school year unfolding before me, a land of tranquil academic bliss. And then—impact.

I found that during full-fledged teaching I cannot run for 48 hours without studying, grading papers, or doing laundry. (There's also that sleep thing that keeps coming up. A part of me thinks that life would be so much easier if I didn't have to sleep, but the other part of me is pretty sure that there's a good reason God designed us requiring a regular eight hours of it.)

So we just finished the tenth load of laundry, but I might have lost count. It could be number eleven. Since I like to hang ours out on the line, not for reasons green but because I just like to, dry weather is allowing us to run it around the clock. Radioactive fallout is NOTHING compared to laundry fallout when you have two sets of company and a good-sized family. But of course, they're all worth it. Still, you're a little gaspy by the time you deal with it all. And the beauty of getting together for a wedding is that there's so much food that cooking is virtually unnecessary.

And cake rehab won't be necessary. We finally ran out. I considered using a cake patch to alleviate withdrawal, but I was sure it would make even more laundry issues so I'm going cold turkey. I think I'll survive.

Oh, and I almost forgot. More company is coming tomorrow! Let's see, I'm going to have to...

Captain's Blog—Drifting in Space

2009-08-23T20:54:00.001-07:00

Okay adults. It's time to use your imagination to cross the time-space continuum and get back to real time Chicago. As a special feature today, we have no stardate. (I suspect that grading advanced math burned out my hyperdrive engines, so I'm probably drifting in space somewhere.)

We had a great weekend. I've never been to a three-day-long wedding. It's worth noting. I'll probably have to go into cake rehab, though, because as with all weddings, there was a lot to begin with and it seemed like even more left over. If Jesus really wanted to feed large crowds of people, I'm surprised He didn't use wedding cake. It seems to multiply on its own, no matter how much of the stuff you give away. However, it probably wouldn't have been a miracle in that case, and it's definitely is not as nutritional as bread and fish. Still, there is something appealing about layers of chocolate with more chocolate and raspberry between them.

It is a known scientific fact that women cannot have too many shoes or too much chocolate. Thus, shoes and chocolate have a lot in common. However, the resemblance pretty much ends there since shoes do not melt when put on your feet and chocolate does.

Can you tell I'm tired of grading papers. One week of school down. 37 to go.

Captain's Blog—Invasion Imminent

2009-08-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Thursday

Have received communique from the admiral of the fleet. According to recent reports, a large squadron of relatives is heading for us. They will converge on us Friday at 1400 hours. We are taking measures to secure the facility before invasion, but believe it will be to no avail since at least four of the invaders are under the age of five.

Checked play-dough weapons systems and found them operational.

Captain's Blog—Homing Beacon

2009-08-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Monday

To continue from my last post: the little people finally returned. The chocolate brownies were no doubt a homing beacon left there to insure their safe return. Brownies appear to work as an instinctual directional device not unlike those which send geese south in the winter and salmon up-river in the fall.

Ingenious.

In the mean time, I am very proud of the little people on their first day of "school." They did not grown over-much at the rising sun and worked hard.

Captain's Blog—Ominous Silence

2009-08-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Saturday

It is strangely silent here today.

At first I thought that perhaps the little people had evacuated the facility for reasons unknown, so I ventured out of the sleeping quarters cautiously. All seemed well until I entered the mess hall. A lonely tray of fresh brownies laced with chocolate chips perched conspicuously on the counter.

An ominous trap. And what of the fate of the little people?

Captain's Blog—It's a Hard Job

2009-08-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Thursday

Being the captain is a hard job. When there's a spider on the ceiling, guess who they come to? When they can't find articles of clothing, guess who they come to? When the toilet overflows, guess who they come to?

I realized recently that the admiral of the fleet is evidently so awe-inspiring that the little people rarely approach him for anything, even if the captain is on the phone. Rarely, that is, unless they think they will obtain a more favorable answer, in which case they quickly go over the head of the captain.

(Beware, little people. This only works when communication systems are on the fritz. You could be court-martialed for less.)

Ensign! Where's my chocolate?

Captain's Blog—Shocking Discovery

2009-08-09T18:36:00.001-07:00

Stardate: Sunday

High temperatures drove us below ground for the duration, since there is no air conditioning in this facility. The little people think this is a lot of fun since we ended up playing games like Uno, Dutch Blitz, and Mastermind. I held my own, but was shocked to discover that the 8-year-old is suddenly good at games she found challenging before. I'm pretty sure what she has in mind for me.

I'm toast.

Captain's Blog—Study Continues

2009-08-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Friday

Rain drove the little people indoors today, looking for something to do. I find they are quite endearing most of the time. The instructional period they call "school" will arrive soon. I plan to study it in detail and report accordingly. I have heard rumors that during this "school" period the little people perform a ceremonial ritual which consists of getting up at an early hour and groaning strangely toward the rising sun.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the approaching meteor shower of the Perseids in mid-August. Hmmm.

Captain's Blog—Withdrawal

2009-08-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Wednesday

Banned video games for a day to experiment with effects on the population. The little people took it well and have suffered little withdrawal.

Through consistent use of space and time anomaly called "book" I think the long term effects will be minimal.

Captain's Blog—Drastic Measures

2009-08-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Tuesday

Once again, the little people surround me. Relations are becoming strained, however. Have assigned tasks for them to complete, but they lobby for video game training instead. Drastic measures may become necessary.

Am looking for escape pods.

Captain's Blog—Captive!

2009-08-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

Stardate: Monday

Arose to find myself on a planet of many little people who have taken me captive. I hear them say the word "mom" frequently when they are around me, and I think it must be their name for me. They routinely make me cook their meals and pick up after them.

Reserves are running low: must have chocolate soon.

What's new?

2009-07-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't contacted an agent.

Yet.

I think the problem with writing is that it takes quite a bit of time in itself. Actually looking for representation beyond that can be sort of tough to fit in. Take heart and know that at least I'm doing some research on agents. (Like anyone but me cares anyway.) Finding the right agent is a little like finding the right shoe, except that it's more of a mutual agreement between the foot and the shoe. It has to be the right fit for both.

In the mean time, I'm doing a self-study course on the book Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul, and I'm learning a lot. The latest, which has slowed me down in writing but should help eventually, is that character sketches are extremely important, even for picture books. If you don't know your character, you cannot write about him or her effectively. He will come off as shallow as a sidewalk puddle, and then where will you be? STUCK IN THE SLUSH PILE OF DESPAIR!

So I'm on something like rewrite 40 of Cluck Lays an Egg, but this time I'm going to explore the inner workings of Cluck. Who is Cluck? What are her likes and dislikes? How does Cluck think? When I'm done I'll give character treatments to my other manuscripts too, even though I feel happy with some of them already.

Here's a plug for Ann Whitford Paul. Her book is informative and insightful. Top notch and you can't get by without it if you're a picture book writer. And like many books on writing for a specific genre, the wisdom bleeds over and works in other genres also. Since it's set up like a class, you have writing assignments (thus the character sketch of Cluck) and reading assignments (one of the many picture books she recommends) at the end of each chapter. School was never so much fun! It's definitely my favorite writing book of the year.

Writing news: Finding an Agent

2009-07-20T13:44:00.001-07:00

I think the time has come to look for an agent. I've finally been able to resolve something that was still bothering me even after the last revision of my favorite manuscript. Since my least favorite thing to do is to market stories once they're finished, an agent is a good solution. Unfortunately, the process for finding an agent is the same as finding a publisher except that you don't get paid anything when they say, "Sure, I'll take you on." Laura K. pointed me to at this site.

http://om.ly/?qAX

After looking at the figures, I decided that, economically speaking, there's a lot to be said for agents. Their know-how basically doubles what you would make without them, so they are worth their cut.

Let Us Eat Cake

2009-07-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

This is two posts in one day, which I shouldn't be doing. Someone might get the idea that I blog all day long, and then where will we be.

I finished grading Chemistry!!!!!

Let's have a cake to celebrate!!!!! (Next Wednesday, since I'm sworn off sugar for a week. I can dream until then.)

On a side note, I have agreed with a friend to give up sugar for a week while she gives up bread. (I think I have the easier end of this partnership.) Alas, when I got into the 40s I realized my metabolism wasn't quite keeping up. This project is in the interest of losing about 3 to 5 pounds so I can be just where I want to be. Not that I'll do that in a week, but if I can shake the sugar, I could potentially do that in the end. It has been a tough row to hoe so far, but it helps that I'm writing down what I eat and the calories involved. It also helps that our riding lawnmower is now working right now, so we're all taking turns hitting 2.5 acres with a push mower which is NOT self-propelled.

While pushing, I meditate on the fact that there are people who shell out hard-earned cash to make themselves sweat like I am doing right in the comfort of my own yard.

I told you so

2009-07-18T12:37:00.001-07:00

Okay, did I, or did I not say that there would be a response to changing the name of the blog again. Considering I have all of three followers (I don't count the twice that Christine put herself in), I think that's fairly prophetic. It's a byproduct of being a mom, I think.

Anyway, in response to Christine's suggestions (and please note that she's only changed the name of her blog once, I think) I will say the following:

Life with Beth. The truth is, there are a lot of people out there who really don't want a life with Beth, so I'd hate to impose on them. Sometimes I have enough trouble with a life with Beth myself, and there's absolutely no way I can avoid it.

Beth's Blurps. Nope. Sounds too much like Beth's Burps. That would be bad. Very bad.

The Best of Beth. This won't work either, because, as anyone who has read this probably can see by now, often times it is the Worst of Beth that is funnier, more interesting and sometimes more abundant than the Best of Beth.

So for now, we'll just have to stick with Beth's Blog. Not exciting. Not adventurous. But more stable than the American economy, and at least it has alliteration going for it.

Summer Words

2009-07-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

I know I'm going to hear about this, but yes, I changed the name of this thing again. I'm new to blogging anyway, and pretty much view this as a good place to keep family and friends up on our lives since we don't do Facebook. At least for now. But Life Story? It didn't wear well. Way too serious.

What are we up to? Kathryn and Susan will be returning from two weeks on Grandma's farm. They said it was quiet there when the rest of our family left. We thought it was quiet here without them. I wonder where the noise went. They learned lots of wonderful things during their stay, like quilting and kitten taming. (The kitten was unusually tame already this year, but they were ready.) I love giving them this time with Grandma Ruth, because I have so many great memories from the time I spent with my own grandmother.

On the writing front, I am studying Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul. It's a great book recommended by Kristi Holl, and was fortunately available through our inter-library loan system though it was just released this year. My brain just thinks like a picture book, so I can't abandon the genre even though it's a tough area. But while I'm picking up some pointers there, I'm working on an upper middle grade novel. Although my writing group knows about it, it's a secret so I won't give you any hints about it just yet except that it is historical fiction from World War II. I began it during the Nanowrimo (write a novel in the month of November), but decided to go back to it now after more research.

Lately I reread Richard Peck's Fair Weather, since I like many of his books. Tucked away at the back is an interview with him that was very helpful. Peck says that before he writes a book, he first decides on the journey and then on which character would learn the most from that journey. Ever since I've been thinking about my Nanowrimo attempt. Since it was just a write-like-crazy-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of event with the only goal of a word count of 50,000 words in a month, it didn't call for much planning at the time. But it has value in that after you purge yourself in that way you have something to go back over and work with.

Ah the writing life. Not the easiest profession, but satisfying.

2009-07-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Balancing Act of Life

2009-07-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

Balance. If you're alive, balance is probably something you struggle with daily. As a wife and mom, I find it particularly challenging. Right now, I'm enjoying the summer respite from home schooling, and in this temporary quiet time, it's easy to be lulled into thinking that it last forever. It won't though. I can feel the second week of August breathing down my neck. It is not that far away.

Not that we're not still busy during the summer. We're putting the finishing touches on that townhouse, and just had Bible Camp 2009. There are art classes and piano lessons, writing to be done, and organization to be completed before the foray into school in the fall. The absence of that extra straw of home schooling, study, and grading does makes for a load that feels lighter, though. Some school days I feel like I'm losing control of our schedule because of the sheer amount that must be accomplished. This summer I find myself standing on the precipice of the coming school year wondering how to avoid the imbalances that we inevitably experience. How to keep life in control? How to create balance for our family? I think these ideas might help.

1. Say yes

Look for the things that only you can do. Only you can have your own relationship with Jesus each day. Only you can be a wife to your own husband. Only you can be a mom to your own kids. There are many things that you can do, but just a few that can be done only by you. These are things that you say yes to first.

2. Say no

A much harder task. No one likes to be the bad guy who says no when asked for help. I try to be available in the important areas, but during the school year, I try not to pick up any extra responsibilities. An example of this is children's author Kristi Holl, who gave up going to any kind of house party in order to preserve her writing time, which was getting eaten up by unimportant extra activities. In a business vein, evaluate your time usage and check whether activities are going to pay you, or make you pay.

3. Say maybe

Use caution when making commitments. THINK IT OVER FIRST!

If you are married and/or a parent, then there are other people in your life who depend on you in some capacity. They need to be considered before you make time commitments. This consideration takes time and should not be done on the fly. Weigh the pros and cons before you make a final commitment.

Also, note the difference between considering and consulting. Children should be considered. Your spouse should be consulted. In society as we know it nowadays, adults often allow their children to call the shots for the family schedule. This is not healthy for children, who will end up thinking the world revolves around them as a result, or the parents, who will be run ragged trying to do everything on the calendar. You are the leader. Your children must adapt their schedule to yours first and foremost. (Some friends of ours allow each of their three children to choose only one extra-curricular activity to keep their family balanced.)

4. Get into the Word and remember: life wasn't meant to be stressful.

Although God created you with the resilience to endure great pressure, He doesn't want you to live under it daily. We're not supposed to be anxious for anything. We like to blame our schedules for our problems, but a lot of us have created the stress in our own lives by not making good decisions for ourselves or our families. By being grounded in the Word of God, you'll make better choices. God has a destiny for you and for each member of your family. As you press in for the wisdom and understanding He has put in His Word for you, the right choices will be more obvious. It will be easier to hear that quiet voice of the Holy Spirit guiding you daily. Life will still be busy, but you'll have the balance that you long for.

If you have more ideas for maintaining balance, share them with us all!

Some thoughts

2009-07-08T11:13:00.001-07:00

A chore done because it must be done can be onerous, but when it is done to bless another, it becomes a task of beauty rather than a task of duty.

Lasting marriages are developed by those who can not count only to ten, but far beyond.

Bible Camp Reflections

2009-06-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm still pondering on this one, but I noticed something about last week during Bible Camp. I had more peace running through the building making sure my department was operating smoothly than I usually do during a week at home. Hmmm, I thought. How can that be? Camp is such an intense week of ministry, with volunteers hither and yon that I'm responsible for. How can that be less stressful? I surely wasn't expecting that going in; that's for sure. In fact, how could a camp with so much going on be perfectly peaceful?

I think there are a couple of reasons. The first is that I know this is what I'm supposed to do. Ministering to children is where I belong in the church, and I'm certain of it. It's not glamorous, and there are probably more than a few people who don't consider working with children as serious ministry, but it is a whole lot of fun and a ton easier than trying to get through to tough-hided adults. We get to change the future of these children before it begins.

The second is that my family is so kind as to allow me to put the rest of life entirely on standby while I serve this one week at church. It's our family's ministry priority in the summer, and for a solid week I don't feel pulled in ten different directions.

The third is that I don't do Bible Camp in my own ability. If I did, I'd probably pull my hair out and run screaming from the building. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and there are probably lots of people who could do the job better than me. But it's better to be the person who does what he does because he trusts God in order to do it rather than the person who does what he does because he thinks he can do it alone. (I'd hate to diagram that sentence.)

So all in all, I had a very peaceful week, and I'm sad that Bible Camp is over. It's one of the most restful weeks I have all year long!

2009-06-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like life it running in circles around you like a small child, and you're trying to keep an eye on it? I felt a little like that this week. My portion of painting our little townhouse is almost done. It took me awhile, but it looks nice. Bible Camp will be on us next week, and all the materials are almost ready. Chemistry is all that remains of school of the year, and we're working hard to finish it out. But I'm looking forward to a little rest coming up soon.

Book of the Week Pick: Snow Treasure (Great Summer Reading)

2009-06-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

It may seem as though all of my book picks are in the genre of historical fiction, but I'm really more diverse in my reading that it appears. However, for this week's book of the week pick, I'm still choosing Snow Treasure, by Marie McSwigan, since it has long been a favorite of our entire family.

Set during World War II, Snow Treasure is the story of several Norwegian children whose lives are shaken by the Nazi invasion. As the Nazis invade, the small group of children from Riswyk find it necessary to risk their own lives in a daring plan to keep the gold of Norway out of enemy hands by sledding it down the mountain under the very noses of the invaders. Will the snow hold long enough for them to accomplish the task? Will the children be found out? Who is the Nazi soldier who has been seen poking around the village so often? You'll have to read to find out, and once you start, you won't be able to put it down.