Christmas Crackers...

Merry Christmas everyone! Thought I might share a few things to start off the season right...

The other night my husband and I were having a gentle discussion about finances and Christmas spending. We were both trying to reason with each other. I can't say it was an argument when my 7 yr. old Mia turns to us and says:

Mia: You guys need to stop fighting. I don't like Step-mothers.

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Mia was being particularly "Full of It" and with Christmas coming, it's always nice to get out the threats of Santa Claus's naughty list.

Me: Do you need me to call Santa and tell him all about you hitting your sister.

Mia: Mom, you can't call Santa. He's long distance. You don't even know the number.

Mom: Yes, but I'm sure he has a Facebook page and can look up and see all the things I posted that were about you being naughty.

Mia: Well, you will just have to de-friend him.

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We set up the Christmas tree on Saturday along with all other Christmasy decorations. The best thing though so far is the Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set. BEST THING EVER INVENTED! I can let them play and never have to worry about it getting broken. The girls were so excited to get it out and start playing.

We have lots of other Little People Play Sets and Julia grabbed some of the others and Kevin began teasing the girls telling them the story of Baby Jesus - how Joseph drove a tracker to Bethlehem and the dinosaurs were in the stable and the three kings came riding on an elephant, a unicorn, and a tiger bringing presents of a basket of fruit, a stroller, and a pet giraffe.

Julia thought it was hilarious, but Mia took it very seriously:

Mia: Daddy, why would you tease us about Jesus? He wouldn't want a stroller for Christmas.

Daddy: What would he want then?

Mia: I don't know... Scriptures?

Happy Christmas!!

Honey Hot Dogs

I went to Costco yesterday to stock up some seriously needed supplies. I mean, where else can you buy one package of TP that consists of 80 rolls? I had my wonderful 3 yr old with me, who kept putting stuff in the cart that I immediately had to return.

Well, while I was there she saw Hot Dogs. This girl can down hot dogs. She likes them cold, right out of the fridge. I found super cheap packages for a buck the other day and bought a couple which she ate all of them. One night she kept getting up and sneaking them to bed. So I know if you were me you are thinking the same thing. I looked at this package of hot dogs - 2 packages of 42 hot dogs. 84!! PERFECT!! She'd down that in a couple weeks right? So I splurged on the mega massive package of ground up pork parts that I know I or my husband will never eat.

I gave her one last night and didn't think much about it. This morning when I was getting her breakfast I noticed it on the counter with two bites out of it. So I just trashed it.

Tonight I tried the same thing. This was our conversation.

Jules: Mom, it's too hot!

Me: I just got it out of the fridge, it's not too hot. It's totally cold.

Jules: Mom, it has honey in it.

Me: No it doesn't.

Jules: Yes it does Mom. I don't like Honey in my Hot dogs.

Me: It's not a honey hot dog.

Jules: Yes...It... is!!

Me: If you are trying to pull a fast one on me- forget it. I invented that.

Jules: I'm not pulling anything! I'm not fast Mom. I'm slow! I like the REAL hot dogs not honey hot dogs. Humphf...

Me: Would you like to show me the REAL hot dogs?

Jules: No. But could I have some grapes... Please.....

Needless to say, now I have 82 Hot Dogs in my freezer waiting for summer to come... BBQ at my house in 8 months... Whoo Hoo!!

...ah that girl...

Nod to NaNoWriMo!

Well here we are in November! I still have green leaves on my trees and my roses are still blooming, but other than that I'm liking it so far. Autumn is my favorite time of year, and even though I love warm, I feel the need to crush some leaves. I MUST CRUNCH!!!

But with November comes NaNoWriMo! That is right! National Novel Writing Month. I signed up for it last year and didn't finish, but it started my vampire novel, which is now in the second draft stage. So I decided to again attempt it. This year I will be working on my second in the Everstar series. I so far have called it THE CONJECTRIX, but when all is said and done who knows what it will be called.

The point is of course, to complete a novel, or a first draft of a novel, that can be polish over the following months. Any one that has written a novel knows that it is never the first draft that gets sold. The point is to get the story down in writing. My goal will not be to complete it. Heavens... my first draft of Vivatera was 144,000 words. So my goal is 50, 000 - that is around 250 pages, which to be honest, will take me half way.

So this is my encouragement to you - I am a mother of two very active girls, I work full time, I have my daughter's 7th birthday party, I have my trip to Florida to see Harry Potter, I have my trip to Logan for Thanksgiving, and I teach in church. What am I doing writing a novel?

....I don't know.... but I'm excited to start!

WISH ME LUCK!!!!

An Inspirational Writing Speed Bump

Ever since my book became public a lot of people ask me how my writing is going, specifically how my 2nd book of my continuing series is coming. I think it is only fair to tell you -It's not... well not yet.

I did something stupid and ruined my story. Let me explain. I am stuck in the middle of a story. I once took some advice suggesting to have a side project when you are writing so you can redirect your thoughts and have better clarity of your vision when you return. Well, this side project started becoming my main project. I am talking about THE SULFA REACTION - my hypochondriac vampire story, a satirical look at vampire fiction.

In the creation of story I always have a rough idea of where I'm going, but I never know how to get there. But I really felt the pressure of finishing this project mostly to move on to what I felt more motivated to write. I thought of just quitting Sulfa and coming back to it later, but I am only a few chapters away from finishing - how could I stop? I wrote up a timeline - a good idea for any writing project - I was heading toward the finish line at a nice Sunday drive pace when I hit some inspiration speed bump within a chapter and in a few sentences ruined my timeline.

This is what I call - a Happy Accident - one of those inspirational moments when your characters take over and you just need to be there as the hands that tell what they need to say. This happened all the time in Vivatera: Zander for example was not in my original story and now I can't imagine it without him. So when I made this decision in Sulfa, I knew that this was going to ruin everything that I had an idea for, but only to make it better. So I had to reformulate my ending and am nearing the wrap-up, but it has taken the wind out of me and taken some time to regroup.

So in short, during these writing months, before girls camp season starts (as I call it), I expect to be done with Sulfa by the end of October, devote November (National Write a Novel Month) to my second Everstar novel and see where it leads from there.

You know, I just thought about something. A lot of people aspire to write A book, as in one book like the great J.D. Salinger. But once you write a book, you write multiple books, never just one. Writing multiple books seems like a lot of words and completely overwhelming, but completely realistic, and once you write A book who could never think about not writing another.

But one thing you should consider - living in a world that you created sometimes is a better and happier experience than the one you are actually in. I tell myself that every day when I look in my laundry room. That is my inspiration to finish.

Bagpipes are Beautiful!

I got a treat while visiting my In-Law's in beautiful North Logan Utah. Kevin's sister had the previlige of spending 2 years of her life in Scotland and while there she met a family - The Cruickshank's - now come on, can you think of a better Scottish name?

They were so delightful. When I first met them I really had to turn up my hearing. It was English they were speaking, but it was so low and grumbly it took me a minute to catch on. And we got a private bagpipe concert. Can you believe that they take them everywhere. I was super impressed.

Here are some things I learns about Scots -

• My Mother-in-law's house is HUGE! They couldn't get over how big and wonderful it is.
• When in Utah, Scots put ice in their Bagpipes. You heard it right. Ruaridh (Pronounced Rory) brought them with him and the dry air here will actually make the pipes shrink.
• When listening to the bagpipes - cover your ears. Ruaridh played for us and they are LOUD!!! But the droning can be muffled out when you cover your ears. Not that it's awful or anything.
• When about to play the bagpipes don't tell your neighbors what is about to happen. It's best to have all the heads out the windows and doors wondering what in the world the Thomases are doing now?
  
• Every Scot has a connection to Rob Roy or Harry Potter. Dave Cruickshank was in the movie Rob Roy and you can see him for about 5 seconds. JK Rowling lived not far from there home in Scotland when writing her books and they claim she took their last name for Hermione's cat - Crookshanks.
• Scots like Muse. So do I.
• Scots - well, the Cruickshank's were not so familiar with horses. It was rather funny watching Gary ride that horse.
  
• The Cruickshank's couldn't get enough of the blue sky.

It was a pleasant experience and I can't wait to become better acquainted.


Here is a picture of the lovely family -

Ruaridh, Bridgett - Dave's mother, Cheryl, Dave, and Lisa...

And here's Gary on the horse. Gittee Up!!