(sorry Shell, this letter goes to Santa this time...)
Dear Santa,
I have been a very good girl this year. I even have a list of why I was a good girl this year, just in case you lost your list. I know how busy you can be around this time of year.
*I didn't surrender to road rage more than 3 times this year. Of course part of that could be because I'm rarely on the roads...but we'll just ignore that part of the equation.
*I didn't cuss (too loudly) when I had to park at the far reaches of a parking lot when I had to go shopping. I politely told myself that it was good exercise and that by parking further out, someone else would have a chance at parking closer. Even on those days when it was cold, windy, rainy, snowy, or otherwise miserable.
*I limited the swearing in my novels that I am writing. I think I have a total of 3 swear words out of 4 novels (one novel almost completed, one half done, two others started to get the ideas down). I may have a bit of swearing in the one novel...but that one shouldn't count until next year's good/naughty list since I won't start serious work on that novel until my current one is done with the first draft.
*I didn't eat all the Christmas cookies this year. Of course, I haven't made any this year, but it still counts...right? I do have some cookies I could bake, but I'm not sure they would last until you get here. (we have a cookie monster in the house!).
There is more, honest, I've been a really good girl. Can I please receive something other than Coal this year?
Thanks!
Shell
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Christmas Is Just Around The Corner
Dear Shell,
How did it get to be almost Christmas already? I swear it seems like we just had people over for Thanksgiving last week. Next thing you know, it will be 2009. We don't even have our tree up yet, although we really don't have room for it anymore. The only place would be near the furnace and I really don't feel comfortable with it being that close.
I have not started Christmas shopping yet, except for a small item I found a couple weeks ago that I thought my mom would like. I at least need to get two $10 gifts before Saturday, since we have a family party on Saturday where we do a gift exchange game (its the only gifts we exchange at that party). Maybe J and I will go shopping for gifts for everyone else after the party. I should check with Jenn to see if her and I are exchanging gifts this year or not.
J and I decided that for each other, rather than get gifts, we'll set money aside so we can take a nice week-long trip somewhere in the spring or maybe summer. We're not sure where we will go just yet, but it'll be somewhere where we can just relax, enjoy the scenery, and have fun. I couldn't think of anything I wanted or needed when he asked, so this sounded like a really good idea for us.
There's only one thing that I could think of that I'd like to get, and it's not an item I would ask for for Christmas since it is pretty expensive.
Well I need to get back to writing on my novel instead of my blog. My main characters have just neared the fortress where the evil sorceress is waiting for them. They have an ally on the inside...or do they?
Shell
How did it get to be almost Christmas already? I swear it seems like we just had people over for Thanksgiving last week. Next thing you know, it will be 2009. We don't even have our tree up yet, although we really don't have room for it anymore. The only place would be near the furnace and I really don't feel comfortable with it being that close.
I have not started Christmas shopping yet, except for a small item I found a couple weeks ago that I thought my mom would like. I at least need to get two $10 gifts before Saturday, since we have a family party on Saturday where we do a gift exchange game (its the only gifts we exchange at that party). Maybe J and I will go shopping for gifts for everyone else after the party. I should check with Jenn to see if her and I are exchanging gifts this year or not.
J and I decided that for each other, rather than get gifts, we'll set money aside so we can take a nice week-long trip somewhere in the spring or maybe summer. We're not sure where we will go just yet, but it'll be somewhere where we can just relax, enjoy the scenery, and have fun. I couldn't think of anything I wanted or needed when he asked, so this sounded like a really good idea for us.
There's only one thing that I could think of that I'd like to get, and it's not an item I would ask for for Christmas since it is pretty expensive.
Well I need to get back to writing on my novel instead of my blog. My main characters have just neared the fortress where the evil sorceress is waiting for them. They have an ally on the inside...or do they?
Shell
Friday, December 12, 2008
Where Do All The Socks Go?
Dear Shell,
Time for another writing assignment! This is actually a writing prompt/assignment that I got over a year ago from Writer's Digest, but never worked on it. I found it again yesterday and thought, hm, this one looks fun!
Lost Socks Assignment:
3 weeks ago, a sock was lost in the laundry. 1 week ago, another sock is lost. You hide a micro-camera in a sock then start a load of laundry. Describe what is happening to your socks in 500 words or less.
“Mommy, where do all the lost socks go?” my three-year old asked as he tried to peer into the washer. He stood on the tips of his toes and could barely see inside.
Looking down at his curious face, I decided we would solve this mystery together. “I don’t know sweetie, but you and I are going to figure this out.” Grinning at each other, we snuck into the garage and over to the workbench.
“Daddy’s been working on a new project.” I picked up a small object from the bench. “It’s a very tiny camera, and it’s safe to go in the water. Let’s tie it to a sock and see what happens.”
We carefully attached the tiny camera to the ‘spy sock’ and tossed it into the washer. My son and I settled down to wait, our eyes glued to the monitor that the camera was broadcasting to. Clothes spun around in the swishing water, flashes of blue, green, and purple.
“What is that?” I leaned closer to the monitor to get a better look at the brown lump that swirled past the camera’s view.
“That’s Teddy, Mommy! He wanted to help.” My young son proudly told me.
“You put your teddy bear in the…” my voice trailed off on a sigh. I looked down into his grinning face. “Well, let’s hope that Teddy can help us.”
Thirty minutes passed without anything else unusual happening.
“It looks like the socks are safe in the washer. Shall we try the dryer now?”
“Yes!” he jumped up and down enthusiastically, clapping his tiny hands together.
I quickly transferred the wet clothes, and Teddy, into the dryer and turned it on. We settled in to watch the monitor again.
Ten minutes passed and nothing happened.
Then fifteen minutes passed with nothing.
After twenty minutes I was beginning to suspect that nothing was going to happen, that the disappearing socks would continue to be an unsolved mystery.
“Mommy! Mommy!” my son tugged my hand. “Look!”
Amazed, we watched in complete silence. The back of the washer fell away, opening up onto a miniature world. Two small creatures reached into the tumbling mass of clothes and pulled out a sock. We could see their little mouths chattering excitedly as they held up the blue sock, part of my favorite pair. The back of the washer closed, blocking our view of the little creatures and their miniature world.
My son and I exchanged a long look. “Um, I think maybe, this should be our secret.” I told him.
Keep the pencil sharpened,
Shell
Time for another writing assignment! This is actually a writing prompt/assignment that I got over a year ago from Writer's Digest, but never worked on it. I found it again yesterday and thought, hm, this one looks fun!
Lost Socks Assignment:
3 weeks ago, a sock was lost in the laundry. 1 week ago, another sock is lost. You hide a micro-camera in a sock then start a load of laundry. Describe what is happening to your socks in 500 words or less.
“Mommy, where do all the lost socks go?” my three-year old asked as he tried to peer into the washer. He stood on the tips of his toes and could barely see inside.
Looking down at his curious face, I decided we would solve this mystery together. “I don’t know sweetie, but you and I are going to figure this out.” Grinning at each other, we snuck into the garage and over to the workbench.
“Daddy’s been working on a new project.” I picked up a small object from the bench. “It’s a very tiny camera, and it’s safe to go in the water. Let’s tie it to a sock and see what happens.”
We carefully attached the tiny camera to the ‘spy sock’ and tossed it into the washer. My son and I settled down to wait, our eyes glued to the monitor that the camera was broadcasting to. Clothes spun around in the swishing water, flashes of blue, green, and purple.
“What is that?” I leaned closer to the monitor to get a better look at the brown lump that swirled past the camera’s view.
“That’s Teddy, Mommy! He wanted to help.” My young son proudly told me.
“You put your teddy bear in the…” my voice trailed off on a sigh. I looked down into his grinning face. “Well, let’s hope that Teddy can help us.”
Thirty minutes passed without anything else unusual happening.
“It looks like the socks are safe in the washer. Shall we try the dryer now?”
“Yes!” he jumped up and down enthusiastically, clapping his tiny hands together.
I quickly transferred the wet clothes, and Teddy, into the dryer and turned it on. We settled in to watch the monitor again.
Ten minutes passed and nothing happened.
Then fifteen minutes passed with nothing.
After twenty minutes I was beginning to suspect that nothing was going to happen, that the disappearing socks would continue to be an unsolved mystery.
“Mommy! Mommy!” my son tugged my hand. “Look!”
Amazed, we watched in complete silence. The back of the washer fell away, opening up onto a miniature world. Two small creatures reached into the tumbling mass of clothes and pulled out a sock. We could see their little mouths chattering excitedly as they held up the blue sock, part of my favorite pair. The back of the washer closed, blocking our view of the little creatures and their miniature world.
My son and I exchanged a long look. “Um, I think maybe, this should be our secret.” I told him.
Keep the pencil sharpened,
Shell
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Mother Nature's Cold Creation
Dear Shell,
Snow is a funny creation of Mother Nature. Snow is cold and wet, it soaks through your clothes and into your skin, until your very bones are chilled. Your nose turns red, your fingers turn white with cold. Uncontrollable shivers take over your body. You crawl under a mound of covers and lay there cursing the snow that covers your world outside the front door.
Snow can be very dangerous, especially when it turns into ice. It makes the roads so slick that people cannot keep their cars on the road. They slide into the ditches, or worse into other cars. It can take hours to travel a distance that normally takes a short time. People slip and fall going from their house to their car or vice versa. Snow and ice can be brutal, unforgiving killers.
Then there is the other aspect of this deadly creation. Snow is beautiful. It is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. The world outside the front door is covered in a blanket of sparkling white. The trees are no longer bursting with green life, instead they stand tall and proud in their winter slumber, stark limbs dusted with white. The snow brings a clean smell to the brisk air.
Monday morning, I was out at 4am, shoveling the snow off our driveway. It is not a chore I enjoy, and normally J is the one who handles it. But Monday morning, at 4am, there I was with shovel in hand, pushing the snow off the driveway and into large piles along the side. The air was crisp and clean. The snow reflected the light from the street lamps and seemed to glow around me. It was quiet in the neighborhood; everyone was asleep.
I stopped at one point and just stood in the driveway and looked around at what seemed to me at that one moment in time, to be a magical world covered in sparkling winter fairy dust.
Shell
Snow is a funny creation of Mother Nature. Snow is cold and wet, it soaks through your clothes and into your skin, until your very bones are chilled. Your nose turns red, your fingers turn white with cold. Uncontrollable shivers take over your body. You crawl under a mound of covers and lay there cursing the snow that covers your world outside the front door.
Snow can be very dangerous, especially when it turns into ice. It makes the roads so slick that people cannot keep their cars on the road. They slide into the ditches, or worse into other cars. It can take hours to travel a distance that normally takes a short time. People slip and fall going from their house to their car or vice versa. Snow and ice can be brutal, unforgiving killers.
Then there is the other aspect of this deadly creation. Snow is beautiful. It is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. The world outside the front door is covered in a blanket of sparkling white. The trees are no longer bursting with green life, instead they stand tall and proud in their winter slumber, stark limbs dusted with white. The snow brings a clean smell to the brisk air.
Monday morning, I was out at 4am, shoveling the snow off our driveway. It is not a chore I enjoy, and normally J is the one who handles it. But Monday morning, at 4am, there I was with shovel in hand, pushing the snow off the driveway and into large piles along the side. The air was crisp and clean. The snow reflected the light from the street lamps and seemed to glow around me. It was quiet in the neighborhood; everyone was asleep.
I stopped at one point and just stood in the driveway and looked around at what seemed to me at that one moment in time, to be a magical world covered in sparkling winter fairy dust.
Shell
Sunday, November 30, 2008
I Can't Believe it...
Dear Shell,
I can't believe it. I actually finished the challenge. Final word count verification was 50,238 words. the last 5-8,000 words are very rough. I am going to set the novel aside for a couple weeks then I will bring it back out and start the first edit. I need to add more description, fix the battle scenes, and definitely fix the last 5-8,000 words. As someone said on the Nanowrimo forums...sometimes you need to have word vomit to just get the words spilled onto the page. Then you can go back at a later date and clean up the mess and make it pretty.
Now is the time to celebrate!
Shell
I can't believe it. I actually finished the challenge. Final word count verification was 50,238 words. the last 5-8,000 words are very rough. I am going to set the novel aside for a couple weeks then I will bring it back out and start the first edit. I need to add more description, fix the battle scenes, and definitely fix the last 5-8,000 words. As someone said on the Nanowrimo forums...sometimes you need to have word vomit to just get the words spilled onto the page. Then you can go back at a later date and clean up the mess and make it pretty.
Now is the time to celebrate!
Shell
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Turkey Day!
Dear Shell,
Happy Thanksgiving! The turkey is in the oven, the pies are in the fridge, the potatoes are waiting to be peeled, cooked and mashed.
Bring on the calories... err, food!
Shell
Happy Thanksgiving! The turkey is in the oven, the pies are in the fridge, the potatoes are waiting to be peeled, cooked and mashed.
Bring on the calories... err, food!
Shell
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Well...
Dear Shell,
I don't know if I'll make it in time. The nanowrimo challenge deadline is November 30th, only a few short days away. I have 5 days left (4.5 if you count time away from writing to prepare and eat a good Thanksgiving dinner), and I am at 37,103 words and counting. That leaves me with 12,897 words left to write between now and sunday night. I would need to write close to 3,000 words per day every day. I have had some days where the words just flow and I get 3,000 per day. And I have days where it's a struggle to get even 500 words out.
I did learn something interesting tonight though. I'm currently using Times New Roman 12-point font to type up my book, with 1.25" left and right margins. This is basically the default settings on Microsoft Word 2003. 37,103 words puts me around 120 pages total.
What I learned was, most publishers want a manuscript submitted using Courier 12 point font with 1" margins all around. So I saved my book under a new file and changed the settings to fit the publisher standards. My book ended up being 156 pages typed so far. I think I like Courier 12 point... it looks like i've written more!
Well it is after 4am, and I still have some writing to do, so I better get back to my writing.
Shell
I don't know if I'll make it in time. The nanowrimo challenge deadline is November 30th, only a few short days away. I have 5 days left (4.5 if you count time away from writing to prepare and eat a good Thanksgiving dinner), and I am at 37,103 words and counting. That leaves me with 12,897 words left to write between now and sunday night. I would need to write close to 3,000 words per day every day. I have had some days where the words just flow and I get 3,000 per day. And I have days where it's a struggle to get even 500 words out.
I did learn something interesting tonight though. I'm currently using Times New Roman 12-point font to type up my book, with 1.25" left and right margins. This is basically the default settings on Microsoft Word 2003. 37,103 words puts me around 120 pages total.
What I learned was, most publishers want a manuscript submitted using Courier 12 point font with 1" margins all around. So I saved my book under a new file and changed the settings to fit the publisher standards. My book ended up being 156 pages typed so far. I think I like Courier 12 point... it looks like i've written more!
Well it is after 4am, and I still have some writing to do, so I better get back to my writing.
Shell
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Short Scene from Dragon Eye
Dear Shell,
Here is another short scene from my nanowrimo novel.
He watched her from atop a small rise in the clearing above the lake, thinking she looked like a golden goddess offering herself to the moon. Unable to resist, his feet drew him down the rise toward the lake, toward the goddess he saw before him.
She sensed his presence before she saw him. Turning slightly, she watched as the tall handsome man gracefully made his way across the clearing to come stand next to her. He raised his hand, hesitating briefly before gently touching her face. His fingers traced along her eyebrows, her temples, before resting lightly upon her cheek. His thumb brushed carefully across her full lips. Her eyes flickered shut. She slowly opened her eyes to look into his dark gaze. His hand fell away from her face to reach down and grasp her hand. A question formed in his eyes, she looked away then back into his eyes again.
He led her away from the lake, following the short river to the vision pool beneath the waterfall. They didn’t speak as he led her behind the waterfall to the small inlet that lay behind the curtain of water. He stopped and turned her to face him, reaching his hand up to cup her cheek again. He leaned toward her, his face slowly coming closer to hers, his lips stopping within an inch of her lips. He stared into her green and gold eyes, searching for acceptance. She tried to tell him not to stop, that she was not afraid, but the words would not form. He smiled and moved closer to her. Her eyes slowly closed, waiting for his kiss.
“He will betray you.” The voice slid through her mind, the same voice she had heard in one of her dreams that night. She pulled back and stared at him, her eyes wide open and frightened. She shook her head and pulled her hand free from his.
“No, I cannot.” Ny’eass turned and ran from him, out from behind the curtain of water, across the clearing to her camp.
----
I hope you enjoyed it,
Shell
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
First Goal Met
Dear Shell,
Today I met the first small goal that I had set for myself, in my journey to write a Nanowrimo novel. I hit just over 15,000 words this afternoon, and still have more writing to do today. I am behind on where I should be for word count, technically I should have a minimum of 20,000 words by the end of today in order to stay on schedule, but I have to say, I am very happy to hit 15,000 finally. And the more I can get written today, the less I'll need to catch up later.
Most of what I have written in my life has been poetry and short stories, and some aborted attempts to write a novel. This current novel is the longest story I have ever written, and I'm not done yet! I still have plenty more to write about before I reach the end of the story.
Will it fill 50,000 words? I don't know. I may have to go back and do some editing to add more in to the earlier story, if I hit the end of the story before 50,000 words.
Will it be good? Well...no, it's a first draft. It's not supposed to be perfect on the first draft. That's why it's called (drum roll please) a first draft! But I think it has potential. I hope it has potential. I'm enjoying the story, even when I'm sitting here staring at the screen yelling 'do something' to my characters. And of course, they decide to do something finally, and it's not always following the outline I had set out.
Outlines can change though; I've altered, changed, and re-written my outline a few times so far. I know how I want the story to end, but my characters are deciding how they will get there.
Shell
Today I met the first small goal that I had set for myself, in my journey to write a Nanowrimo novel. I hit just over 15,000 words this afternoon, and still have more writing to do today. I am behind on where I should be for word count, technically I should have a minimum of 20,000 words by the end of today in order to stay on schedule, but I have to say, I am very happy to hit 15,000 finally. And the more I can get written today, the less I'll need to catch up later.
Most of what I have written in my life has been poetry and short stories, and some aborted attempts to write a novel. This current novel is the longest story I have ever written, and I'm not done yet! I still have plenty more to write about before I reach the end of the story.
Will it fill 50,000 words? I don't know. I may have to go back and do some editing to add more in to the earlier story, if I hit the end of the story before 50,000 words.
Will it be good? Well...no, it's a first draft. It's not supposed to be perfect on the first draft. That's why it's called (drum roll please) a first draft! But I think it has potential. I hope it has potential. I'm enjoying the story, even when I'm sitting here staring at the screen yelling 'do something' to my characters. And of course, they decide to do something finally, and it's not always following the outline I had set out.
Outlines can change though; I've altered, changed, and re-written my outline a few times so far. I know how I want the story to end, but my characters are deciding how they will get there.
Shell
Friday, November 7, 2008
Unknown Texter
Dear Shell,
It's that time again, time for another writing assignment. This one I thought would be fun, but it ended up feeling more like work instead.
Writing Prompt #6. You're sitting at work one day and receive a text message from an unrecognized number. The text says, "I have the money and hid the body." You think this is a practical joke from a friend, so you play along at first. But the more texts you receive, the more you realize that it isn't a joke. Write the text conversation you have with this unknown texter.
I glanced down at the display on my phone; I had an incoming text message from a number I didn’t recognize. Knowing how often my friend Mary changed her cell phone number, I hit accept.
“I have the money and hid the body.”
“Hey Janice, come check this out. Mary is sending me cryptic messages from a different cell phone number.” I called one of my co-workers over. She looked over my shoulder and laughed.
“Hm, how’s this for a reply.” I quickly typed out the words “Was the money where I told you?” and hit send.
“Yes. You were right; the old lady didn’t trust banks.” was the reply.
“Old ladies never do.” I replied in text.
“It was too easy.”
“Did she put up a fight?” I hit send again.
“No, I went in as you suggested, pretending to be a friend of her daughter.”
“I told you that would work.”
“Like I said, it was too easy.” The reply from the unknown number sent shivers down my spine.
“How long did it take?” I paused before hitting send.
“Not long. They shouldn’t find her body for a long time.”
I started to feel uneasy. “Janice, I don’t think this is Mary. She wouldn’t go this far for a joke.”
Janice and I looked at each other. “I’ll call the police. See if you can find out any more information. A meeting place or something.” She wrote down the cell number of the incoming texts and ran back to her desk to call the cops.
“Where are you?” I sent another text, my stomach churning at the thought of some poor old woman being killed.
“At home. Don’t forget, you’re meeting me here at 4 to get your half.”
“Janice! The killer says I’m meeting him at his place at 4. See if the cops can trace the text messages.” I yelled across the office.
“They got it! I gave them your cell number and the number that the text came from. They said they know where to find the killer at.” She ran back over to my desk.
Later that night, watching television, I saw a news clip where the police were dragging two men out of a home. The newscaster mentioned how an anonymous tip told them where to find the two men responsible for a series of murders across town. Their latest victim was a rich old lady from the better part of town.
As of 10pm that night, they still hadn’t found her body.
Shell
It's that time again, time for another writing assignment. This one I thought would be fun, but it ended up feeling more like work instead.
Writing Prompt #6. You're sitting at work one day and receive a text message from an unrecognized number. The text says, "I have the money and hid the body." You think this is a practical joke from a friend, so you play along at first. But the more texts you receive, the more you realize that it isn't a joke. Write the text conversation you have with this unknown texter.
I glanced down at the display on my phone; I had an incoming text message from a number I didn’t recognize. Knowing how often my friend Mary changed her cell phone number, I hit accept.
“I have the money and hid the body.”
“Hey Janice, come check this out. Mary is sending me cryptic messages from a different cell phone number.” I called one of my co-workers over. She looked over my shoulder and laughed.
“Hm, how’s this for a reply.” I quickly typed out the words “Was the money where I told you?” and hit send.
“Yes. You were right; the old lady didn’t trust banks.” was the reply.
“Old ladies never do.” I replied in text.
“It was too easy.”
“Did she put up a fight?” I hit send again.
“No, I went in as you suggested, pretending to be a friend of her daughter.”
“I told you that would work.”
“Like I said, it was too easy.” The reply from the unknown number sent shivers down my spine.
“How long did it take?” I paused before hitting send.
“Not long. They shouldn’t find her body for a long time.”
I started to feel uneasy. “Janice, I don’t think this is Mary. She wouldn’t go this far for a joke.”
Janice and I looked at each other. “I’ll call the police. See if you can find out any more information. A meeting place or something.” She wrote down the cell number of the incoming texts and ran back to her desk to call the cops.
“Where are you?” I sent another text, my stomach churning at the thought of some poor old woman being killed.
“At home. Don’t forget, you’re meeting me here at 4 to get your half.”
“Janice! The killer says I’m meeting him at his place at 4. See if the cops can trace the text messages.” I yelled across the office.
“They got it! I gave them your cell number and the number that the text came from. They said they know where to find the killer at.” She ran back over to my desk.
Later that night, watching television, I saw a news clip where the police were dragging two men out of a home. The newscaster mentioned how an anonymous tip told them where to find the two men responsible for a series of murders across town. Their latest victim was a rich old lady from the better part of town.
As of 10pm that night, they still hadn’t found her body.
Shell
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
3,621 and counting
Dear Shell,
I'm behind schedule on writing for the challenge. I hit 3,621 words last night, and I should have been closer to 5,000 words. But that's okay because I have plenty of time still to get caught up and on schedule. The story is going fairly well so far. The hardest part is stopping myself from going back and editing as a) the story progresses and things change or b) when I read back over what I wrote to make sure I'm on the 'write' path and realize I made a mistake.
Here is an excerpt from my story:
Well I need to go pick up some veggies to toss in the chicken soup, then get back to writing. I hope you enjoyed the little peek into my novel.
Shell
I'm behind schedule on writing for the challenge. I hit 3,621 words last night, and I should have been closer to 5,000 words. But that's okay because I have plenty of time still to get caught up and on schedule. The story is going fairly well so far. The hardest part is stopping myself from going back and editing as a) the story progresses and things change or b) when I read back over what I wrote to make sure I'm on the 'write' path and realize I made a mistake.
Here is an excerpt from my story:
The other man stared at the wizard, a curious look in his dark brown eyes. “Do you know who she is, or how will I be able to tell it is her?”
Jolenek spun around again. “She has the dragon’s eyes. She alone has the dragon’s eyes. Blonde. My seer tells me she is blonde, and tall for a female. He could not see her face.” He glared at his seer. “Namak! Why can’t you ever see what I want you to see.” Disgusted, he stalked to the table, picked up a goblet and drained the contents.
“So, I am to search all the tall, blonde females I find then, to see if they carry the dragon’s eyes?” the man said sarcastically before folding his arms across his chest and leaning back against the table. “While it would be fun, that could take forever. There’s something else you’re not telling me.”
Jolenek threw the goblet against the wall, shattering the cup, red liquid droplets splattered across the grey wall. “You don’t need to know any more. Just find her and bring her to me!”
Well I need to go pick up some veggies to toss in the chicken soup, then get back to writing. I hope you enjoyed the little peek into my novel.
Shell
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Nanowrimo Challenge
Dear Shell,
Well I did it. I signed up for the Nanowrimo Challenge. What is the Nanowrimo Challenge you ask? Well, it's a commitment to write a novel in one month. 50,000 words minimum. The challenge starts on November 1st, and participates cannot start writing on the novel until that day. We can figure out characters, plot, outline, but cannot actually start writing the novel until Nov 1st.
Participates have until November 30th at midnight to hit 50,000 words. If I understood it correctly, winners receive a logo they can use on their stationary/etc from Dec 1st until Oct 31st the next year.
No editing is to be done through the month of November, just write, write, write. Editing comes after the November 30th deadline when the challenge is done.
I have a storyline figured out I think. I have character names and some descriptions started, the plot mostly figured out and a synopsis done. It's in the fantasy genre, and we'll see how it goes. J said that he would help with figuring out any battle scenes that I decide to put in (ideas, etc).
Wish me luck!
Shell
Well I did it. I signed up for the Nanowrimo Challenge. What is the Nanowrimo Challenge you ask? Well, it's a commitment to write a novel in one month. 50,000 words minimum. The challenge starts on November 1st, and participates cannot start writing on the novel until that day. We can figure out characters, plot, outline, but cannot actually start writing the novel until Nov 1st.
Participates have until November 30th at midnight to hit 50,000 words. If I understood it correctly, winners receive a logo they can use on their stationary/etc from Dec 1st until Oct 31st the next year.
No editing is to be done through the month of November, just write, write, write. Editing comes after the November 30th deadline when the challenge is done.
I have a storyline figured out I think. I have character names and some descriptions started, the plot mostly figured out and a synopsis done. It's in the fantasy genre, and we'll see how it goes. J said that he would help with figuring out any battle scenes that I decide to put in (ideas, etc).
Wish me luck!
Shell
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
How Much Do You Tip?
Dear Shell,
I just read an article and it's accompanying comments, about waitstaff at a restaurant and tips left by customers. It seems the standard acceptable tip for decent service is now 20%. It used to be 15-18% was for decent service and 20%+ was for exceptional.
I normally leave a 15-18% tip for 'regular' service. They seat you, give you a menu, give you time to look at said menu, take your order, and bring it out the way you ordered it. No excessive chit-chat or hovering, maybe i need to flag him/her down for something but for the most part, it's a 'order food, bring food, bring bill' type deal.
10% or less is reserved for those that just really tick me off with their service. Have I been sitting there for 20 minutes, with a folded up menu still sitting on the end of my table as I wait (now impatiently) for my waiter/waitress? Did I have to request, 3 times or more, for something and STILL didn't get it? Was my food wrong, even after the third time of sending it back?
It's very, very rare that I've had what I would consider bad service. Sometimes the service is slow, but if you study your waitperson, you may see they are rushing around trying to take care of half the tables in the restaurant. A quick question of "Did someone not come in to work today?" can usually help you find out that yes, 2 waiters didn't show up and now the people who are there are working their asses off trying to cover. Or, is your waitperson new? Maybe they have only been working a week or two and are still learning the ropes. Don't jump to assumptions that they suck or are treating you bad, they might be overworked or still learning.
BUT, if you are one of the only customers there, and it's still taking forever to get service, and your order is wrong repeatedly... then yes, the tip gets smaller and smaller as the night goes on.
So then the question becomes, what is exceptional service? What do I consider to be worthy of 20% or more? Exceptional service is where your waitperson is there when you need him/her, takes the time to answer your questions, brings your food out in a timely manner so it's not cold, offers take-out containers if you are finished and still have food left, is polite and friendly but not hovering over you, and seems to care about you as a person and customer.
I've had what i would consider truly exceptional service once. Service where, if I had been footing the bill, she would have received close to 25% as a tip. J and I were with a friend going to a restaurant about 45 min from us. The waitress we had was friendly and polite, answered our questions and offered suggestions. When I mentioned a couple food allergies that I had (one of which is life-threatening), she was very helpful in going through the menu. She also notified the kitchen so they could make sure the food was kept separate. The biggest thing though, was almost 2 hours later, when we were done with appetizers, dinner, drinks and chatting. She asked if we would like dessert, we said yes so she brought over the dessert tray. Now mind you, this is almost 2 hours after I had mentioned my allergies, and it was a very busy night at the restaurant. She still remembered my allergy and pointed out which desserts to avoid and which one was safe if i requested the second item to be left off the dish.
A waitress that is polite, friendly, does her job, AND remembers her customers after several hours of being busy? That's truly exceptional.
Shell
I just read an article and it's accompanying comments, about waitstaff at a restaurant and tips left by customers. It seems the standard acceptable tip for decent service is now 20%. It used to be 15-18% was for decent service and 20%+ was for exceptional.
I normally leave a 15-18% tip for 'regular' service. They seat you, give you a menu, give you time to look at said menu, take your order, and bring it out the way you ordered it. No excessive chit-chat or hovering, maybe i need to flag him/her down for something but for the most part, it's a 'order food, bring food, bring bill' type deal.
10% or less is reserved for those that just really tick me off with their service. Have I been sitting there for 20 minutes, with a folded up menu still sitting on the end of my table as I wait (now impatiently) for my waiter/waitress? Did I have to request, 3 times or more, for something and STILL didn't get it? Was my food wrong, even after the third time of sending it back?
It's very, very rare that I've had what I would consider bad service. Sometimes the service is slow, but if you study your waitperson, you may see they are rushing around trying to take care of half the tables in the restaurant. A quick question of "Did someone not come in to work today?" can usually help you find out that yes, 2 waiters didn't show up and now the people who are there are working their asses off trying to cover. Or, is your waitperson new? Maybe they have only been working a week or two and are still learning the ropes. Don't jump to assumptions that they suck or are treating you bad, they might be overworked or still learning.
BUT, if you are one of the only customers there, and it's still taking forever to get service, and your order is wrong repeatedly... then yes, the tip gets smaller and smaller as the night goes on.
So then the question becomes, what is exceptional service? What do I consider to be worthy of 20% or more? Exceptional service is where your waitperson is there when you need him/her, takes the time to answer your questions, brings your food out in a timely manner so it's not cold, offers take-out containers if you are finished and still have food left, is polite and friendly but not hovering over you, and seems to care about you as a person and customer.
I've had what i would consider truly exceptional service once. Service where, if I had been footing the bill, she would have received close to 25% as a tip. J and I were with a friend going to a restaurant about 45 min from us. The waitress we had was friendly and polite, answered our questions and offered suggestions. When I mentioned a couple food allergies that I had (one of which is life-threatening), she was very helpful in going through the menu. She also notified the kitchen so they could make sure the food was kept separate. The biggest thing though, was almost 2 hours later, when we were done with appetizers, dinner, drinks and chatting. She asked if we would like dessert, we said yes so she brought over the dessert tray. Now mind you, this is almost 2 hours after I had mentioned my allergies, and it was a very busy night at the restaurant. She still remembered my allergy and pointed out which desserts to avoid and which one was safe if i requested the second item to be left off the dish.
A waitress that is polite, friendly, does her job, AND remembers her customers after several hours of being busy? That's truly exceptional.
Shell
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Cabin
Dear Shell,
The cars straggled in one by one, pulling up to the side of the 3 story cabin. Road-weary bodies tumbled out of the cars, stretching sore muscles and staring in disdain at the torture devices they had been trapped in for hours. They gazed up at the wood-sided Tennessee cabin where they would rest their tired bodies for the next four days. Grabbing their bags and various other items, they struggled up the stairs to the main entrance of the building.
Opening the front door, they stared at the huge open room before them. To the left was a long dining room table that could seat 10 of them, with another smaller table nearby for another 4 people. To the right of the door, in front of the tall windows, was a small living area with two soft couches and a fireplace. The back of the main room held a kitchen with counters that made the women dream of everything they could create upon them.
Two bedrooms were off the sides of the main room, with king sized beds and jacuzzi bathrooms. Stairs leading upstairs took the visitors to three more bedrooms, one of which was open to look down upon the main room below. Another set of stairs led them downstairs, to a couple more bedrooms and a large game room complete with pool table and air hockey table, plus a couple arcade machines.
The first day was mostly spent figuring out who would sleep where, what food still needed to be purchased, and setting up the various laptops that had been brought, because this crew, a crew of people who are called 'Gamers', could not travel anywhere without their electronics. Late that night, they gathered together on the the covered upper deck to exchange stories and tales of adventures they have had together within their online gaming community. They teased each other about things that had happened the previous year when they had gathered in Orlando, Florida.
This crew of people, these gamers, these individuals from all over the United States, came together within their online game to accomplish various quests and objectives. This teamwork led to in-game friendship, then has since led to a friendship that has extended beyond the boundaries of the game. We are no longer just gamers. We are friends, we are family.
Shell
The cars straggled in one by one, pulling up to the side of the 3 story cabin. Road-weary bodies tumbled out of the cars, stretching sore muscles and staring in disdain at the torture devices they had been trapped in for hours. They gazed up at the wood-sided Tennessee cabin where they would rest their tired bodies for the next four days. Grabbing their bags and various other items, they struggled up the stairs to the main entrance of the building.
Opening the front door, they stared at the huge open room before them. To the left was a long dining room table that could seat 10 of them, with another smaller table nearby for another 4 people. To the right of the door, in front of the tall windows, was a small living area with two soft couches and a fireplace. The back of the main room held a kitchen with counters that made the women dream of everything they could create upon them.
Two bedrooms were off the sides of the main room, with king sized beds and jacuzzi bathrooms. Stairs leading upstairs took the visitors to three more bedrooms, one of which was open to look down upon the main room below. Another set of stairs led them downstairs, to a couple more bedrooms and a large game room complete with pool table and air hockey table, plus a couple arcade machines.
The first day was mostly spent figuring out who would sleep where, what food still needed to be purchased, and setting up the various laptops that had been brought, because this crew, a crew of people who are called 'Gamers', could not travel anywhere without their electronics. Late that night, they gathered together on the the covered upper deck to exchange stories and tales of adventures they have had together within their online gaming community. They teased each other about things that had happened the previous year when they had gathered in Orlando, Florida.
This crew of people, these gamers, these individuals from all over the United States, came together within their online game to accomplish various quests and objectives. This teamwork led to in-game friendship, then has since led to a friendship that has extended beyond the boundaries of the game. We are no longer just gamers. We are friends, we are family.
Shell
Monday, October 13, 2008
Chemo sucks
Dear Shell,
As I mentioned earlier, my Grandma started Chemo again. They ended up putting in a port to make it easier to do the Chemo, since they were having issues with sticking needles in her veins. I talked to mom tonight, and she said that Grandma is getting real sick again from the Chemo. The first time she was on Chemo, she ended up in the hospital because she was so sick from it. She couldn't eat anything and her mouth was raw. I'm scared she's going to end up in the hospital again.
I went to see her when she was in the hospital the first time, and at my first glance, it looked like an empty bed, then I saw her face nestled into the curve of the pillow. Even as sick as she was, she knew who I was right away and even managed to do a small wave with her hand. I visited her again about a week later when she was starting to feel better and her skin was healthier looking. Still very pale, but she didn't look like a ghost anymore.
I haven't visited her since she's been home from the hospital. With her being so sick and going through the chemo, she can't have any germs brought around her if at all possible. And since I'm sick a lot myself, I haven't wanted to risk bringing germs over to her home and making her worse. It's driving me crazy not being able to go see her, but I don't want to put her life at more risk by stopping by.
She's a very strong woman. She was diagnosed with Kidney cancer back in the spring, and she is still fighting. She's not giving up like so many other people do. Her and Grandpa even have plans for going back to Florida once this latest round of Chemo is done. I don't know if she'll put herself through more Chemo after this round, it depends on how successful it is at beating back the cancer. But she's definitely someone to admire, for her strength and her courage in this battle.
I know she doesn't read this, but I'll say it here anyway. I love you and admire you Grandma.
Shell
As I mentioned earlier, my Grandma started Chemo again. They ended up putting in a port to make it easier to do the Chemo, since they were having issues with sticking needles in her veins. I talked to mom tonight, and she said that Grandma is getting real sick again from the Chemo. The first time she was on Chemo, she ended up in the hospital because she was so sick from it. She couldn't eat anything and her mouth was raw. I'm scared she's going to end up in the hospital again.
I went to see her when she was in the hospital the first time, and at my first glance, it looked like an empty bed, then I saw her face nestled into the curve of the pillow. Even as sick as she was, she knew who I was right away and even managed to do a small wave with her hand. I visited her again about a week later when she was starting to feel better and her skin was healthier looking. Still very pale, but she didn't look like a ghost anymore.
I haven't visited her since she's been home from the hospital. With her being so sick and going through the chemo, she can't have any germs brought around her if at all possible. And since I'm sick a lot myself, I haven't wanted to risk bringing germs over to her home and making her worse. It's driving me crazy not being able to go see her, but I don't want to put her life at more risk by stopping by.
She's a very strong woman. She was diagnosed with Kidney cancer back in the spring, and she is still fighting. She's not giving up like so many other people do. Her and Grandpa even have plans for going back to Florida once this latest round of Chemo is done. I don't know if she'll put herself through more Chemo after this round, it depends on how successful it is at beating back the cancer. But she's definitely someone to admire, for her strength and her courage in this battle.
I know she doesn't read this, but I'll say it here anyway. I love you and admire you Grandma.
Shell
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
2nd Letter of the day
Dear Shell,
You're lucky today, you get two letters! Writers Digest had a new writing prompt today, and I couldn't resist it. This is another of the 500 words or less challenges.
You're lucky today, you get two letters! Writers Digest had a new writing prompt today, and I couldn't resist it. This is another of the 500 words or less challenges.
After 42 years with your company, the day has finally arrived: your last day of work. Your coworkers throw you a lunch retirement party. After cake, one coworker asks you to reflect on your years with the company. So you do—and you hold nothing back.
“Lunchtime!” Mary called out as she glanced into our department. “Joanna, make sure you’re at the lunchroom on time today!” she took off running down to the next department.
I closed the program I was working on, grabbed my purse and headed toward the lunchroom. My co-workers thought they were surprising me with a party, but none of them was capable of keeping a secret, unlike me. Oh well, I’ll pretend to be surprised to make them happy.
I turned the corner and opened the door to the lunchroom. “SURPRISE!” I jumped back, put my hand to my heart and opened my eyes wide. “Are you trying to give an old woman a heart attack?”
“Old woman, my ass,” Jack grinned at me as he handed me a plate. They had gone all out on this luncheon; they ordered sandwiches and salads from the deli across the street, and someone baked a cake.
I finished my sandwich and headed straight for that cake. Cutting a generous slice, I stood next to the table and slowly ate the delicious treat.
“So Joanna, you were here for a very long time. Can you tell us about how the company’s changed over the years, or things you really liked?” Connie asked.
I thought for a few moments, after all, 42 years is a long time. “I hired in at age 18 and I was just an office drone at first. I filed papers, I made phone calls. And I worked my way up through the offices to my current position. I helped push to get a 401K program for the employees, and was on the campaign for better health care. Actually, I’m surprised they didn’t fire me a few times for all the fuss I raised.” I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts.
“The 401K program has only been active in the company for the last 10 years. That’s not a lot of time to build up a retirement fund. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Connie looked at me, worry crossing her face.
“Yes I’ll be fine, I knew long before we got that program that I needed to save what I could. I’ve been saving for a long time.” I answered her question. I continued reflecting on my years at the company “This is a very good company to work for. They’ve always treated their employees fairly, and they are not constantly looking over people’s shoulders to see what they are doing. People are able to just do their work and go home, without feeling like they are watched all the time.”
Connie still didn’t look convinced. “Joanna, I’m just worried about you. Our economy is so bad right now, what little you would have had in your 401K is even smaller now. And savings accounts never make much in interest.”
I just smiled at her, because I knew how much I had saved. I’m an accountant. I was very, very good at my job.
(498 words)
Thanks,
Shell
Vacation
Dear Shell,
J and I are getting ready to go on vacation soon. We are meeting up with about 15 of our friends in Tennessee for a 3 night, 4 day vacation. We rented a 7 bedroom cabin that is halfway up a mountain, without any other cabins nearby from the looks of it. Looking at the pictures, the view is amazing. It looks out over a large valley over to another mountain. You can also look out a side window to see the forest, or another side window to see an old logging road winding its way up the mountain.
The cabin has 7 bedrooms as I mentioned, plus a game room with a pool table and air hockey table. It has several living room type areas, a large kitchen and dining area, and a 2 story deck. The upper deck has a charcoal grill plus picnic tables so we can sit out at night and grill hot dogs and hamburgers. The lower deck has chairs and a swing, for just relaxing. I'm going to take my notebooks with me and take some time to sit on the lower deck, relax, and see what comes to mind.
Most of the people who are coming are people we've known at least 5 years, although J has known some of them almost 10 years now. We met them through an online game called Everquest. About 2 years ago, we all decided to try a new game and moved over to World of Warcraft. Last year, we decided, "Hey, we've known each other through the game for this long, we talk daily through internet voice chat, we know each other's lives... lets meet!" So last October, we all met down in Florida in Orlando for a week. One of our friends has a Time Share down there and they were able to get 2 extra condo units for the week. We all had a blast meeting each other, and it's really strengthened our in-game friendships as well.
So here it is, almost time for another 'meet'. In a little over a week, we will all be together again having fun. We have bedrooms assigned, meals are mostly planned, and some touristy ideas are on the table but we don't know who plans on actually going out and being a tourist and who plans on just chilling at the cabin.
I most likely will not 'send' any letters while we are on vacation, although we are taking the laptop with us. I plan on just relaxing and having fun.
But do expect a letter or two afterwards, describing the cabin and the view, and talking about the fun we all had.
Well it's time to go do the dreaded chore called grocery shopping. /sigh.
Shell
J and I are getting ready to go on vacation soon. We are meeting up with about 15 of our friends in Tennessee for a 3 night, 4 day vacation. We rented a 7 bedroom cabin that is halfway up a mountain, without any other cabins nearby from the looks of it. Looking at the pictures, the view is amazing. It looks out over a large valley over to another mountain. You can also look out a side window to see the forest, or another side window to see an old logging road winding its way up the mountain.
The cabin has 7 bedrooms as I mentioned, plus a game room with a pool table and air hockey table. It has several living room type areas, a large kitchen and dining area, and a 2 story deck. The upper deck has a charcoal grill plus picnic tables so we can sit out at night and grill hot dogs and hamburgers. The lower deck has chairs and a swing, for just relaxing. I'm going to take my notebooks with me and take some time to sit on the lower deck, relax, and see what comes to mind.
Most of the people who are coming are people we've known at least 5 years, although J has known some of them almost 10 years now. We met them through an online game called Everquest. About 2 years ago, we all decided to try a new game and moved over to World of Warcraft. Last year, we decided, "Hey, we've known each other through the game for this long, we talk daily through internet voice chat, we know each other's lives... lets meet!" So last October, we all met down in Florida in Orlando for a week. One of our friends has a Time Share down there and they were able to get 2 extra condo units for the week. We all had a blast meeting each other, and it's really strengthened our in-game friendships as well.
So here it is, almost time for another 'meet'. In a little over a week, we will all be together again having fun. We have bedrooms assigned, meals are mostly planned, and some touristy ideas are on the table but we don't know who plans on actually going out and being a tourist and who plans on just chilling at the cabin.
I most likely will not 'send' any letters while we are on vacation, although we are taking the laptop with us. I plan on just relaxing and having fun.
But do expect a letter or two afterwards, describing the cabin and the view, and talking about the fun we all had.
Well it's time to go do the dreaded chore called grocery shopping. /sigh.
Shell
Friday, October 3, 2008
Writers Digest
Dear Shell,
I recently started visiting the Writer's Digest forums again. I had forgotten how much information, and advice, could be found on the forums. Writers can share what they've written, for others to critique, plus you can critique what they have written. There is also information on getting published, dealing with rejection letters, and more.
Writer's Digest also has something called Writing Prompts, which is similar to the 'Write two pages on..' assignments I've been doing. The difference is that they give you a scenario, and you have to write about what happens, in 500 words or less.
I decided to try one last night.
Scenario: "After years of leading a normal life, you discover you have a special ability. Afraid to share this information with anyone, you confide only in your closest friend. To your surprise, your friend shares some information with you - he also has a super power."
-----------------------
This was fun. I can even see something like this turning into an actual story at some point. Character finds out she has a power, and she's not alone. has to learn to control it, then use it against.. something, or someone. Maybe against those who gave her the power? Hm.
I've hit a bit of a block on my book. My chapters are fairly short, but I plan on this being more of a novella/short story than a novel. I'm on chapter 10 right now, I'm staring down at the water, and my character won't tell me what's next.
I actually think I have a way to do a 4-in-1 book with this story and 3 others that go with it. But i need to finish the main story first. And my character isn't talking to me right now.
Well, my stomach is telling me that it's way past lunchtime, so I better go get something to eat.
Take care,
Shell
I recently started visiting the Writer's Digest forums again. I had forgotten how much information, and advice, could be found on the forums. Writers can share what they've written, for others to critique, plus you can critique what they have written. There is also information on getting published, dealing with rejection letters, and more.
Writer's Digest also has something called Writing Prompts, which is similar to the 'Write two pages on..' assignments I've been doing. The difference is that they give you a scenario, and you have to write about what happens, in 500 words or less.
I decided to try one last night.
Scenario: "After years of leading a normal life, you discover you have a special ability. Afraid to share this information with anyone, you confide only in your closest friend. To your surprise, your friend shares some information with you - he also has a super power."
I don’t think anyone forgets the day they realize they are different. For me, the moment seems frozen in time. Probably because the moment that I discovered I was different, time really was frozen. It was one of those stressful, chaotic, pull-your-hair-out days. I finally got so fed up, I threw my hands up in the air and yelled for everyone to just stop for a moment. And they did. At first, I thought everyone was joking around, until I realized the cup of coffee that Joe knocked over just as I yelled was just hanging in the air. Time stood still for only a few moments then the chaos continued without anyone seeming to realize that something strange had happened.
I went back to my office, almost closing the door in Joe’s face but he stuck his coffee-soaked shoe into the gap before I managed to close it. He just sat down and looked at me, not saying a word. I looked back him, debating whether or not I should tell him what happened. He was my best friend after all and hopefully would understand.
I looked down at my hands then back up at him. “Joe, something very strange happened out there. I’m not sure how to explain it though.” I paused, looking away. Before I could continue, he spoke up.
“Freezing time would be hard to explain,” he said. I quickly looked back at him and he shrugged, “I can see the future. I do wish you had thought to grab the coffee though before time started back up. Do you know how uncomfortable it’s going to be walking around in coffee-soaked shoes?”
“What is going on? I know I’ve never done that before.” At least, as far as I knew I hadn’t stopped time before. Maybe some of those times that it seemed like I was waiting in like forever were times I had unknowingly stopped time. Nah, customer service is just really slow.
“There are a select few of us that have been given special abilities,” he started to explain.
“Given?” not in the mood to be polite, I interrupted him. “What do you mean given? Are we some kind of government experiment? How did they give me this ability? And who are they who did this to me?” I hate to admit, my voice was getting shrill at the end.
“You don’t need to know who they are. Just know it's because you’re a good person and they know you’ll do good things.”
“Just, just stop,” I flung my hands out in front of me as I said it. Joe froze in place, a rather comical expression on his face.
I got up and went to the window and contemplated throwing him out it. We’re on the ground floor so it’s not like it would actually hurt him.
-----------------------
This was fun. I can even see something like this turning into an actual story at some point. Character finds out she has a power, and she's not alone. has to learn to control it, then use it against.. something, or someone. Maybe against those who gave her the power? Hm.
I've hit a bit of a block on my book. My chapters are fairly short, but I plan on this being more of a novella/short story than a novel. I'm on chapter 10 right now, I'm staring down at the water, and my character won't tell me what's next.
I actually think I have a way to do a 4-in-1 book with this story and 3 others that go with it. But i need to finish the main story first. And my character isn't talking to me right now.
Well, my stomach is telling me that it's way past lunchtime, so I better go get something to eat.
Take care,
Shell
Monday, September 29, 2008
Interesting Writing Assignment
Dear Shell,
My good friend Ceri gave me a few writing assignments to add to my ever-growing list. I ended up choosing one of them for my next assignment, although it did end up being over two pages long, probably because I babbled on with some philosophical nonsense at the beginning. But hey, that's my prerogative as a writer!
Assignment #4: Write Two Pages about How The Choices You Have Made Changed The Path of Your Life.
My good friend Ceri gave me a few writing assignments to add to my ever-growing list. I ended up choosing one of them for my next assignment, although it did end up being over two pages long, probably because I babbled on with some philosophical nonsense at the beginning. But hey, that's my prerogative as a writer!
Assignment #4: Write Two Pages about How The Choices You Have Made Changed The Path of Your Life.
Every time we make a choice, it changes the path of our lives. Some decisions are minor enough that it barely puts a curve in our life path. The path we choose and the path we could have chosen run side-by-side, occasionally crossing again at a time where another minor choice needs to be made. Again, the choice we make still keeps us heading in the same direction as the alternate path.
Then there are the choices that, when we make our decision the paths veer away from each other, going in vastly different directions, leading to a completely different life than the other path would have led to. Which path we follow depends on that critical moment, when you are standing there at the fork in the road looking at the decisions before you, and then choose the path that you hope is correct.
Some people only see one critical fork in the road on their life path, or they may never have those critical moments in life. They have nice smooth paths, never a curve or a rock to slow their journey.
The rocks are those things that happen that you can’t control, that happen without you choosing for it to happen. Some people trip on the rocks and fall and cannot seem to get themselves back up. Others come to the fork in the road and stand there, unable to choose a path out of fear that they will choose the wrong path.
I’ve tripped over several rocks on my life path. Many times I wanted to just sit there, nursing the hurts that the fall caused, not wanting to look past that rock to what was beyond. Somehow, I always got back up and moved forward. Sometimes I had a helping hand life me up, brush off the dirt, and face me forward again. Sometimes I struggled to my feet alone, not because no one was there, but because I had to do it alone to get past that rock.
I’ve had several critical forks in my life path so far, and I’m only 32. Decisions that have drastically changed what my life could have been, and some that were big changes but not quite as drastic of a change.
One of what I would consider to be a very critical fork in the road that I stood at for a few moments in time was at the age of 17, my senior year of high school. I had the chance to join the Military. I took the tests they wanted me to take and scored very high on them. Then the recruiter mentioned sending me into the Nuclear field of study. The thought of being around something that could potentially kill thousands of people from one little mistake, combined with the fact that I could hardly walk 10 steps without hurting myself, bumping into something or dropping something, made me turn away from that path to head down the one I hoped would be less dangerous.
Where would I be now, if I had chosen the other route, if I had joined the military? Would I still be a proud member, serving my country? Would I have gone to war several times already? Would I be back in
Would I have met my husband, the man that I plan to share the rest of my life with? He is former military, but from the Army branch whereas I was looking at the Navy. He might not have been on that other path. Or...we may still have met but under different circumstances.
You may never know what that other critical path would have led you to, even though you may sit and wonder about it, questioning yourself if you made the right decision. But once you turn away and head down another way, that alternate path is gone. You may have another opportunity someday to head in that direction again, but everything in-between cannot be changed, that option is gone. The path we choose is the path we must live by. You cannot go back and erase the steps you’ve already made to choose another path.
A more recent critical fork in my life path happened a little over a year ago. Through much careful consideration and discussions with my husband, I took the fork in the road that meant quitting my job and finishing my college degree.
Where as that path taken me so far? Well so far, I have graduated college with a bachelor’s in Management. I am still unemployed; our country is in a recession and
If I had stayed on the other path, continuing to work where I was? Well…who knows what would be going on now. That path is gone, in the past.
Time to keep looking forward. Time to see where this path leads me.
Shell
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Busy lately
Dear Shell,
Sorry I haven't written in the past few days. Between fall cleaning (same as spring cleaning, but done in the fall.. the deep down, crawling in the corners, standing on counters to reach the ceiling, etc type cleaning), working on my book, and a stupid migraine, I haven't had time to write a letter.
It's weird, the migraine I had a couple days ago. It hit in the late morning/early afternoon. Normally I wake up with them if I'm going to have one. But I laid down around 7pm until 8pm in our dark bedroom, to see if I could get any relief from it.
Then I talked to mom the next day and... she had a migraine, at the same time. And she laid down at about 7pm until 8pm to try to get relief from it...
Talk about weird! and this isn't the first time it's happened either. I'd say at least 3-4 times in the past 6 months, Mom and I have had migraines on the exact same days. It's not like we saw each other that day or the day before each time and had the same triggers hit us. It could be weather related I suppose, we live only about 15 minutes apart so we'd be experiencing the same weather conditions daily. But there has to be something in common that's triggering migraines in both of us the same days.
Could be stress, God knows there's plenty of stress in the family right now.
Grandma started Chemo, the type where they inject it into your blood. I guess they had some trouble with her veins rolling so they couldn't get the needle in. She may or may not go for another treatment tomorrow, Mom said they were looking at doing a port to make it easier, but I'm not sure if they decided yet or not. Mom said that Grandma wasn't feeling too well this week, I think the Chemo is already making her sick. At least this time, she's seeing a doctor every week, so she hopefully wont get as sick from the Chemo this time around. Before she was on the pill form of it I think, and got very sick from it. That's when she ended up in the hospital.
Well I need to go work on my book, plus I need some lunch. And, I need to do another writing assignment soon. So I better get busy!
Thanks,
Shell
Sorry I haven't written in the past few days. Between fall cleaning (same as spring cleaning, but done in the fall.. the deep down, crawling in the corners, standing on counters to reach the ceiling, etc type cleaning), working on my book, and a stupid migraine, I haven't had time to write a letter.
It's weird, the migraine I had a couple days ago. It hit in the late morning/early afternoon. Normally I wake up with them if I'm going to have one. But I laid down around 7pm until 8pm in our dark bedroom, to see if I could get any relief from it.
Then I talked to mom the next day and... she had a migraine, at the same time. And she laid down at about 7pm until 8pm to try to get relief from it...
Talk about weird! and this isn't the first time it's happened either. I'd say at least 3-4 times in the past 6 months, Mom and I have had migraines on the exact same days. It's not like we saw each other that day or the day before each time and had the same triggers hit us. It could be weather related I suppose, we live only about 15 minutes apart so we'd be experiencing the same weather conditions daily. But there has to be something in common that's triggering migraines in both of us the same days.
Could be stress, God knows there's plenty of stress in the family right now.
Grandma started Chemo, the type where they inject it into your blood. I guess they had some trouble with her veins rolling so they couldn't get the needle in. She may or may not go for another treatment tomorrow, Mom said they were looking at doing a port to make it easier, but I'm not sure if they decided yet or not. Mom said that Grandma wasn't feeling too well this week, I think the Chemo is already making her sick. At least this time, she's seeing a doctor every week, so she hopefully wont get as sick from the Chemo this time around. Before she was on the pill form of it I think, and got very sick from it. That's when she ended up in the hospital.
Well I need to go work on my book, plus I need some lunch. And, I need to do another writing assignment soon. So I better get busy!
Thanks,
Shell
Friday, September 19, 2008
Difficult Assignment
Dear Shell,
My husband J helped pick out this assignment. I have a list of 28 possible topics (which has since grown to 37) and I asked him to pick a number between 1 and 28. He chose number 16, then asked "did I win something?" hehe
Number 16 ended up being one of the assignments from the article, but this one has a little twist to it to make it interesting. Every sentence can only be three words long. Not two, not five, only three words per sentence. Lets see how I do with that. (it's not all necessarily in chronological order, some of it would make no sense at all if i put it where it 'should' be in the list, since I'm limited to such short sentences).
Assignment #3 - Write 2 pages about any 10 years of your life: I chose Age 22 to 32
Laughed a lot. Cried a lot. I made mistakes. I repeated mistakes. I made friends. Lost some friends. Occasionally got drunk. Normally designated driver. Danced on bars. Fell in love. Got heart broken.
Went to parties. Tried being wild. I wasn't wild. I learned drums. Wasn't too bad. Met someone new. Heart broken again. I left him. Learned from mistakes.
Cousin Jason died. Injuries from fire. Memories still hurt. He was twelve.
Worked afternoon shift. Transferred to midnights. Started college classes. Went part time. Found someone else. Moved in together. He got mean. Feared for life. got myself out.
Bought new house. Tried online dating. Met new people. Met future husband. Had first date. Lasted six hours. Dated three years. Finally got married. Travel every year.
Transferred new department. Transferred to days. Had health problems. Health got worse. Transferred midnights again. Quit my job. College full time. Classes got canceled. College part time. Celebrated third anniversary. Went on vacation.
I finished college. Graduated highest honors. Can't find job. Economy in recession. Presidential election soon. Obama versus McCain. Don't like McCain. Unsure about Obama. Gas prices high. Oil prices high. Grocery prices high.
Great-grandma died. 98 years old. Was old age. Had six sisters. One still alive. Rest died old.
Grandma has cancer. Tumor around kidney. Got real sick. Was in hospital. Back home now. Chemo every week. third generation cancer. Family high risk. Scared for mom.
Have new ideas. Writing a book. Actually writing two. May write more.
**********
This assignment was difficult. It did end up being barely 2 pages handwritten (double spaced..haha). I know more happened in the last 10 years, but some of it I don't remember. Some of it, there was just no way to fit it into only three words and have it somewhat make sense. Some other parts, i can make it fit into three words per sentence, but the emotion is missing. It feels kind of clinical in a way, "don't express emotions, just give it to them straight". It really made me think though, what I have accomplished in the past 10 years, what have I learned, what can I change now, what can I do differently?
Shell
My husband J helped pick out this assignment. I have a list of 28 possible topics (which has since grown to 37) and I asked him to pick a number between 1 and 28. He chose number 16, then asked "did I win something?" hehe
Number 16 ended up being one of the assignments from the article, but this one has a little twist to it to make it interesting. Every sentence can only be three words long. Not two, not five, only three words per sentence. Lets see how I do with that. (it's not all necessarily in chronological order, some of it would make no sense at all if i put it where it 'should' be in the list, since I'm limited to such short sentences).
Assignment #3 - Write 2 pages about any 10 years of your life: I chose Age 22 to 32
Laughed a lot. Cried a lot. I made mistakes. I repeated mistakes. I made friends. Lost some friends. Occasionally got drunk. Normally designated driver. Danced on bars. Fell in love. Got heart broken.
Went to parties. Tried being wild. I wasn't wild. I learned drums. Wasn't too bad. Met someone new. Heart broken again. I left him. Learned from mistakes.
Cousin Jason died. Injuries from fire. Memories still hurt. He was twelve.
Worked afternoon shift. Transferred to midnights. Started college classes. Went part time. Found someone else. Moved in together. He got mean. Feared for life. got myself out.
Bought new house. Tried online dating. Met new people. Met future husband. Had first date. Lasted six hours. Dated three years. Finally got married. Travel every year.
Transferred new department. Transferred to days. Had health problems. Health got worse. Transferred midnights again. Quit my job. College full time. Classes got canceled. College part time. Celebrated third anniversary. Went on vacation.
I finished college. Graduated highest honors. Can't find job. Economy in recession. Presidential election soon. Obama versus McCain. Don't like McCain. Unsure about Obama. Gas prices high. Oil prices high. Grocery prices high.
Great-grandma died. 98 years old. Was old age. Had six sisters. One still alive. Rest died old.
Grandma has cancer. Tumor around kidney. Got real sick. Was in hospital. Back home now. Chemo every week. third generation cancer. Family high risk. Scared for mom.
Have new ideas. Writing a book. Actually writing two. May write more.
**********
This assignment was difficult. It did end up being barely 2 pages handwritten (double spaced..haha). I know more happened in the last 10 years, but some of it I don't remember. Some of it, there was just no way to fit it into only three words and have it somewhat make sense. Some other parts, i can make it fit into three words per sentence, but the emotion is missing. It feels kind of clinical in a way, "don't express emotions, just give it to them straight". It really made me think though, what I have accomplished in the past 10 years, what have I learned, what can I change now, what can I do differently?
Shell
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Shopping
Dear Shell,
More and more I'm realizing, I really hate shopping. Clothes shopping is the worst but grocery shopping is starting to climb up the list rather rapidly. Prices have gone up, doubled coupons are a thing of the past, and product sizes have gone down.
One grocery shopping trip worth of food usually lasts roughly 2 weeks. So I go grocery shopping twice a month, picking up the staples (pasta, sauce, rice, cheese, meats...etc). then usually once a week I go to the corner store and pick up milk and bread, since we go through those fairly regularly. I usually get our ground hamburger/sirloin from the corner store as well, the quality of the meat is worth the 10 cents more a pound over Wal-Mart's price (when I cook the Wal-Mart meat and have to drain over 1 cup of grease out of a 1 lb package of hamburger at a 90/10 mix...but with the corner store I don't have to drain ANY grease...the quality is much better at the corner store).
The past three years, I've had our monthly grocery budget set at $250 a month, and for the two of us this was plenty. but in the past six months, I'm seeing our grocery bills climb, and climb, and climb. This month alone... $195 two weeks ago, $169 today. And that's WITH coupons. I saved over $40 with coupons this month. So for September, we've already hit $364 just counting the two grocery trips. And we're buying the same damn things we always buy, but it doesn't seem to last as long as it used to (and this is even with me cutting down how much I cook for dinner, watching portions, etc).
We're cutting down on our miscellaneous/fun spending, to help funnel some of that budgeted money toward groceries, so we haven't had a huge impact overall on a monthly basis.
I need to finish my book, get it published, have it hit best seller lists... and get rich! yeah, that's it! :)
Shell
More and more I'm realizing, I really hate shopping. Clothes shopping is the worst but grocery shopping is starting to climb up the list rather rapidly. Prices have gone up, doubled coupons are a thing of the past, and product sizes have gone down.
One grocery shopping trip worth of food usually lasts roughly 2 weeks. So I go grocery shopping twice a month, picking up the staples (pasta, sauce, rice, cheese, meats...etc). then usually once a week I go to the corner store and pick up milk and bread, since we go through those fairly regularly. I usually get our ground hamburger/sirloin from the corner store as well, the quality of the meat is worth the 10 cents more a pound over Wal-Mart's price (when I cook the Wal-Mart meat and have to drain over 1 cup of grease out of a 1 lb package of hamburger at a 90/10 mix...but with the corner store I don't have to drain ANY grease...the quality is much better at the corner store).
The past three years, I've had our monthly grocery budget set at $250 a month, and for the two of us this was plenty. but in the past six months, I'm seeing our grocery bills climb, and climb, and climb. This month alone... $195 two weeks ago, $169 today. And that's WITH coupons. I saved over $40 with coupons this month. So for September, we've already hit $364 just counting the two grocery trips. And we're buying the same damn things we always buy, but it doesn't seem to last as long as it used to (and this is even with me cutting down how much I cook for dinner, watching portions, etc).
We're cutting down on our miscellaneous/fun spending, to help funnel some of that budgeted money toward groceries, so we haven't had a huge impact overall on a monthly basis.
I need to finish my book, get it published, have it hit best seller lists... and get rich! yeah, that's it! :)
Shell
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Another Assignment
Dear Shell,
Writing Assignment #2 - write two "pages" on where you would fly if you could.
When I first saw this assignment in the article that Mom gave me, I thought to myself, "well you can fly just about anywhere nowadays, just get tickets and go on an airplane." But then I thought further about it. Where would I fly, if i could FLY! Like Superman, or like a bird. High in the sky, above the trees, above the clouds, above the world.
There are times I wish I could fly. I'm sure everyone has those days occasionally. When everything just feels like it is weighing down so heavy on your shoulders that you walk around stooped over, your eyes dimmed, a non-smile on your face. I say a non-smile, because not smiling doesn't necessarily mean you're automatically frowning. You could be just ... not smiling.
It's the days like that, that I wish I could fly. I would fly above the pain, above the stress, fly above the dark cloud that was weighing me down. I would fly up and up, until I reached the beautiful cottony clouds in a light blue sky. I would curl up on one of those soft clouds and let the rest of the stress drain away, imagining it falling back to the earth like huge drops of rain. I would stay on my own personal cloud until the pain and stress finished falling away, then I would slowly float back to Earth, relaxed and free enough to battle the daily grind of life again until the day came, that I needed to just fly away for a little while again.
There are other times I wish I could fly as well. Happy, carefree days. The days that I have a permanent smile on my face, a bounce in my step, a ready laugh. Those are the days I like to spin around in pure happiness, then if I could, I would fly straight up in the air and come spiraling back down to land gently on my feet. The sky is a brilliant blue, with light wisps of pure white scattered about. The air is crisp and clean. Flying around feels so free, so happy.
There are places in the world I could fly to, I would love to visit Ireland again. Someday I'd like to see Texas, Montana, maybe even California (if it doesn't fall into the ocean... ). But overall, just the sheer joy of being able to visit the clouds and lay on their soft cottony surface, to spin around happily in the sky, that would be enough.
That is where I would fly, if I could fly.
Shell
Writing Assignment #2 - write two "pages" on where you would fly if you could.
When I first saw this assignment in the article that Mom gave me, I thought to myself, "well you can fly just about anywhere nowadays, just get tickets and go on an airplane." But then I thought further about it. Where would I fly, if i could FLY! Like Superman, or like a bird. High in the sky, above the trees, above the clouds, above the world.
There are times I wish I could fly. I'm sure everyone has those days occasionally. When everything just feels like it is weighing down so heavy on your shoulders that you walk around stooped over, your eyes dimmed, a non-smile on your face. I say a non-smile, because not smiling doesn't necessarily mean you're automatically frowning. You could be just ... not smiling.
It's the days like that, that I wish I could fly. I would fly above the pain, above the stress, fly above the dark cloud that was weighing me down. I would fly up and up, until I reached the beautiful cottony clouds in a light blue sky. I would curl up on one of those soft clouds and let the rest of the stress drain away, imagining it falling back to the earth like huge drops of rain. I would stay on my own personal cloud until the pain and stress finished falling away, then I would slowly float back to Earth, relaxed and free enough to battle the daily grind of life again until the day came, that I needed to just fly away for a little while again.
There are other times I wish I could fly as well. Happy, carefree days. The days that I have a permanent smile on my face, a bounce in my step, a ready laugh. Those are the days I like to spin around in pure happiness, then if I could, I would fly straight up in the air and come spiraling back down to land gently on my feet. The sky is a brilliant blue, with light wisps of pure white scattered about. The air is crisp and clean. Flying around feels so free, so happy.
There are places in the world I could fly to, I would love to visit Ireland again. Someday I'd like to see Texas, Montana, maybe even California (if it doesn't fall into the ocean... ). But overall, just the sheer joy of being able to visit the clouds and lay on their soft cottony surface, to spin around happily in the sky, that would be enough.
That is where I would fly, if I could fly.
Shell
Monday, September 15, 2008
Quick Update
Dear Shell,
I had planned on doing another writing assignment today. But then I got started working on my book, and here it is several hours later, and I'm still going strong on it. It's amazing what can happen when you find the way around the big brick writers block/wall... at 4am in the morning, and finally realize how you want a particular story to go.
The book I'm working on, most likely wont be a very long book. And I might gear it more toward the teenage crowd when I get ready to send it off. Of course I need to finish it first!
So with that said, I better get back to writing. I may be back later tonight to add to this or to write another letter.
Take care!
Shell
I had planned on doing another writing assignment today. But then I got started working on my book, and here it is several hours later, and I'm still going strong on it. It's amazing what can happen when you find the way around the big brick writers block/wall... at 4am in the morning, and finally realize how you want a particular story to go.
The book I'm working on, most likely wont be a very long book. And I might gear it more toward the teenage crowd when I get ready to send it off. Of course I need to finish it first!
So with that said, I better get back to writing. I may be back later tonight to add to this or to write another letter.
Take care!
Shell
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Personal Writing Assignment
Dear Shell,
A couple months ago, my mom gave me an article from a magazine. This article was about writing, and had several writing assignments in it. Most of it is 'write 2 pages on ________' and will have a specific thing you need to write about. Such as write two pages in which something is too small, or write two pages about a jinx. It's more to get you to think and to just write, than to write a story for each. Even random ramblings are acceptable as long as it pertains to the subject. I've come up with a few of my own assignments but will also work on ones from the article as well.
In a blog, you can't really define where one page starts and another ends, since it's one long post until you end it and start a new post. But you can do two long paragraphs, or use a symbol to designate where one 'page' ends and another starts.
Assignment #1: Write two "pages" about nature.
I've always loved nature, the trees, the animals. The peace and quiet you find only when you're deep within the woods. You can't hear vehicles or people shouting, you don't smell fumes from the factories. All around you is the bright, vibrant colors of the season. In the spring, the leaves on the trees are a greenish-yellow color. Flowers are starting to open and face the sun with their colorful faces. In the woods you might find little purple violets covering the ground, smiling up at you in joy. The petals are a dark royal purple while the center is a bright yellow. No human has planted them, they were placed there by Mother Nature's own hands.
You may also find a wild flower that stand a couple feet tall on a long narrow stalk. The flower itself appears to be a large white flower from a distance, but when you come closer, you see that it is actually tons, maybe hundreds of very tiny white flowers clustered together. It is commonly known as Queen Anne's Lace, but is also known as a wild carrot.
In the summertime, the leaves on the trees appear to be a deeper green, filtering the sunlight so that only the rare sunbeam makes it through, like a spotlight onto the mossy ground. Under the canopy of leaves, the air is cooler, somewhat moist even. The scent of damp earth mixes with the fragrance of the flowers and trees.
With the fall, many more colors enter the portrait of nature. In enters the rusty brown, the burnt orange, the russet red. The leaves on the trees lose their brilliant green as they accept the change that comes every year. The trees explode with color. You'll see a tree with bright yellow leaves next to a tree with leaves so brightly red. If you catch the woods at the right time during the fall, it appears the whole forest is on fire with a riot of colors.
Wintertime could look bleak, if you look only at the trees missing their canopy of leaves. Stark, bare limbs stretched out. But winter brings it's own beauty to the woods. The snow is a pristine white, undamaged by the touch of humans. Ice glistens on the limbs of the trees, sparkling like diamonds in the air. The air is cold and crisp.
As a child, I loved to roam the woods around our house and the neighboring homes, during any of the seasons. I had several places where I would go to, to just sit and listen to nature, to enjoy the colors, sounds and smells of the beautiful portrait that Mother Nature painted that day. Some days that place might be up in a tree, watching the animals scurry beneath my hiding place, as they hunt for food. Other days that place could be a small clearing in the center of the woods, where the ground is soft and mossy, and I could lay on my back and stare up, looking at the trees, the sky. Watching the birds fly between the branches of the trees, or even higher up in the sky. Or, I could lay on my stomach and watch the smallest creatures as they moved among the rocks and moss. I could create a world for them in my mind, deciding where they are heading, what they are thinking or doing at that moment.
Regardless of where I will go in life, where I will end up, I will always hold dear to me, my love of nature. Mother Nature is a true artist who does not get the credit she deserves, for this masterpiece she creates every day of our lives.
Shell
A couple months ago, my mom gave me an article from a magazine. This article was about writing, and had several writing assignments in it. Most of it is 'write 2 pages on ________' and will have a specific thing you need to write about. Such as write two pages in which something is too small, or write two pages about a jinx. It's more to get you to think and to just write, than to write a story for each. Even random ramblings are acceptable as long as it pertains to the subject. I've come up with a few of my own assignments but will also work on ones from the article as well.
In a blog, you can't really define where one page starts and another ends, since it's one long post until you end it and start a new post. But you can do two long paragraphs, or use a symbol to designate where one 'page' ends and another starts.
Assignment #1: Write two "pages" about nature.
I've always loved nature, the trees, the animals. The peace and quiet you find only when you're deep within the woods. You can't hear vehicles or people shouting, you don't smell fumes from the factories. All around you is the bright, vibrant colors of the season. In the spring, the leaves on the trees are a greenish-yellow color. Flowers are starting to open and face the sun with their colorful faces. In the woods you might find little purple violets covering the ground, smiling up at you in joy. The petals are a dark royal purple while the center is a bright yellow. No human has planted them, they were placed there by Mother Nature's own hands.
You may also find a wild flower that stand a couple feet tall on a long narrow stalk. The flower itself appears to be a large white flower from a distance, but when you come closer, you see that it is actually tons, maybe hundreds of very tiny white flowers clustered together. It is commonly known as Queen Anne's Lace, but is also known as a wild carrot.
In the summertime, the leaves on the trees appear to be a deeper green, filtering the sunlight so that only the rare sunbeam makes it through, like a spotlight onto the mossy ground. Under the canopy of leaves, the air is cooler, somewhat moist even. The scent of damp earth mixes with the fragrance of the flowers and trees.
With the fall, many more colors enter the portrait of nature. In enters the rusty brown, the burnt orange, the russet red. The leaves on the trees lose their brilliant green as they accept the change that comes every year. The trees explode with color. You'll see a tree with bright yellow leaves next to a tree with leaves so brightly red. If you catch the woods at the right time during the fall, it appears the whole forest is on fire with a riot of colors.
Wintertime could look bleak, if you look only at the trees missing their canopy of leaves. Stark, bare limbs stretched out. But winter brings it's own beauty to the woods. The snow is a pristine white, undamaged by the touch of humans. Ice glistens on the limbs of the trees, sparkling like diamonds in the air. The air is cold and crisp.
As a child, I loved to roam the woods around our house and the neighboring homes, during any of the seasons. I had several places where I would go to, to just sit and listen to nature, to enjoy the colors, sounds and smells of the beautiful portrait that Mother Nature painted that day. Some days that place might be up in a tree, watching the animals scurry beneath my hiding place, as they hunt for food. Other days that place could be a small clearing in the center of the woods, where the ground is soft and mossy, and I could lay on my back and stare up, looking at the trees, the sky. Watching the birds fly between the branches of the trees, or even higher up in the sky. Or, I could lay on my stomach and watch the smallest creatures as they moved among the rocks and moss. I could create a world for them in my mind, deciding where they are heading, what they are thinking or doing at that moment.
Regardless of where I will go in life, where I will end up, I will always hold dear to me, my love of nature. Mother Nature is a true artist who does not get the credit she deserves, for this masterpiece she creates every day of our lives.
Shell
Monday, September 8, 2008
Introductory Letter
Dear Shell,
I just turned 32 about a week ago. I don't know why so many women dread hitting their 30's. It's a great age for women. We're no longer teenagers, we're no longer struggling through our 20's trying to figure out just who we are. We're in our 30's. We're mature, we're adults, and we have it good. Women in their 30's receive more respect in the working world than they do in their 20's.
Of course, there's also the fact that my husband J won't let me 'stay forever 29'. If I even try to say I'm 29, he's quick to tell what my real age is, and tells me to embrace my age. I could be mad at him for telling the world my real age, but why? He wants me to feel secure and comfortable with myself. He's proud of me.
I look back at what I accomplished in my teens. I babysat, I worked 2 jobs while in my senior year of high school, and I know I did things I should have gotten in trouble for... if i had been caught (sorry mom!). I made friends that today, I don't remember their names or why they were considered friends in the first place.
My early- to mid-20's: those were rough years. I'll probably write letters at a later date explaining things more, but we'll leave it now as they were really rough years.
Then came the end of age 25. A couple months before I turned 26, when I was trying my hardest to be 'wild' but still couldn't quite break completely through that responsible shell that wrapped around me, I met J. It wasn't love at first sight, but we really hit it off right from the first date.
Three years later, we married. We had a very nice, private ceremony with around 20 of our closest friends and family. I still receive compliments today from those who celebrated that special day with us.
We just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary a few months ago. Yes, we've had a few rough times. Who hasn't? But we communicate and work things out. After all...who else would put up with us!
Since hitting my 30's, after many years of hard work and dedication, I have graduated from college with my Bachelors in Business Management. (one month before my 32nd birthday to be exact).
Well looking at the clock, it is after 4am and J is due to wake up for work in less than 2 hours. I should try to get some sleep, as I have work to do tomorrow as well. I need to re-write chapter 2 in my novel (I didn't care for how it was flowing), and try to get another couple chapters written. Plus research... that's the worst part about writing, the research. Wish me luck in getting the novel finished and published!
Talk to you soon,
Shell
I just turned 32 about a week ago. I don't know why so many women dread hitting their 30's. It's a great age for women. We're no longer teenagers, we're no longer struggling through our 20's trying to figure out just who we are. We're in our 30's. We're mature, we're adults, and we have it good. Women in their 30's receive more respect in the working world than they do in their 20's.
Of course, there's also the fact that my husband J won't let me 'stay forever 29'. If I even try to say I'm 29, he's quick to tell what my real age is, and tells me to embrace my age. I could be mad at him for telling the world my real age, but why? He wants me to feel secure and comfortable with myself. He's proud of me.
I look back at what I accomplished in my teens. I babysat, I worked 2 jobs while in my senior year of high school, and I know I did things I should have gotten in trouble for... if i had been caught (sorry mom!). I made friends that today, I don't remember their names or why they were considered friends in the first place.
My early- to mid-20's: those were rough years. I'll probably write letters at a later date explaining things more, but we'll leave it now as they were really rough years.
Then came the end of age 25. A couple months before I turned 26, when I was trying my hardest to be 'wild' but still couldn't quite break completely through that responsible shell that wrapped around me, I met J. It wasn't love at first sight, but we really hit it off right from the first date.
Three years later, we married. We had a very nice, private ceremony with around 20 of our closest friends and family. I still receive compliments today from those who celebrated that special day with us.
We just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary a few months ago. Yes, we've had a few rough times. Who hasn't? But we communicate and work things out. After all...who else would put up with us!
Since hitting my 30's, after many years of hard work and dedication, I have graduated from college with my Bachelors in Business Management. (one month before my 32nd birthday to be exact).
Well looking at the clock, it is after 4am and J is due to wake up for work in less than 2 hours. I should try to get some sleep, as I have work to do tomorrow as well. I need to re-write chapter 2 in my novel (I didn't care for how it was flowing), and try to get another couple chapters written. Plus research... that's the worst part about writing, the research. Wish me luck in getting the novel finished and published!
Talk to you soon,
Shell
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