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December 21, 2006
This will be my last post until the New Year! This past week has been a rollercoaster. I left last Friday to spend a week helping my mother and stepfather get her settled in at home after she had surgery to repair a shattered ball joint. Things headed south very quickly when she became catatonic Sunday evening. 911. Ambulance drive to the ER. The EMT’s thought she’d suffered a stroke. Once we arrived at ER she was staring into space and talking gibberish. Not muttering or slurring words — gibberish. Terrifying.
Final outcome. No stroke. They don’t really know what happened. Two nights in the hospital and she’s back home and fine. Finally talked the parents into having someone come in to stay with her four hours a day for the next couple of weeks until she’s stronger. It was as frightened as I’ve ever been but she’s fine now and I’m just thankful because it could’ve been much worse.
Arrived home last night. Repacking today. The DH, Girl, and I have a bright-and-early flight out to Sedona tomorrow morning. Christmas in Arizona. Can’t wait to see the Grand Canyon. 
Thank you for a great blog year!! I look forward every day to *seeing* those of you who post and I know there are many more who stop by without posting. :wave:
Whatever your plans, I hope you have a safe and blessed holiday and I’ll see you next year.:thumbsup:
December 15, 2006
I’m not so fond of cold weather. I don’t want to live where there’s snow for any extended length of time. However, I’ve got some nice winter clothes and I sort of have his obsession going with outerware — lots of nice coats hanging in my closet.:thumbsup: And it is the holidays. You know, chestnuts roasting on an open fire…JackFrost nipping at your nose…oh, the weather outside is frightful…let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
How about let it drop below friggin’ 60-something degrees? Saturday and Sunday the highs are going to be an obscene 75. You know, it’d be one thing if I was on the beach in Costa Rica or Hawaii but stuck here in landlocked suburban Atlanta — this is just wrong!
No icestorms, no frigid temps, no snowstorms, but couldn’t we just have some nice 40 degree weather. At this rate I could almost roast those chestnuts on the sidewalk.:evil:
December 14, 2006
Guess what the DH and I did on Friday night while Girl was at a birthday party? No. Not that. We actually went to see an R rated movie. No PG or PG13. Good old sex, violence, and bad language R. I had plenty to do — Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, pecan pies to bake, and I needed to pack for a weekend trip, but hey, sometimes you’ve got to stop and watch the R movies when you can.:happy2:
The Departed with Nicholson, DiCaprio, and Damon. Not a lot of sex, but plenty of violence and bad language. The DH thought it was too long and slow at the onset. Not me. The pacing felt right. I really liked it. And I’ve never been much of a DiCaprio fan but Leo has grown up. Quite nicely. Wow!
Have you sneaked out or stolen a break from the season’’s madness?
December 13, 2006
I’ve been going to a Dirty Santa party for a couple of years now and simply didn’t know it until the gals over at The Writing Playground told me that’s what it was.
For you other neophytes, I’ll explain. Everyone brings a gift. Everyone draws a number. Number One chooses any gift except not their own. Now Number Two has a choice. They can steal Number One’s gift, leaving number one to choose another gift, or they can pick a gift from under the tree. Number Three comes up. Say they steal One’s gift. One can now steal Two’s gift or choose from under the tree. Got it? A gift can only be stolen 3 times. After the third steal, that third owner gets to keep it.
So…I don’t steal anyone’s gift. Instead I go for the one under the tree in a dog/cat gift bag. It’s a lovely, lovely vase and I’m very happy. Next person opens her gift and it’s a piece of paper. The gift has been delayed but ultimately she’ll own a hand-crafted Celtic Goddess necklace with moonstones and faceted amethysts. In the picture, it’s beautiful. Next person says…”Hmmm. I like the looks of that necklace.” I pipe up, “You can’t steal her necklace.” “Okay then, give me your vase.” :present:
Ohhh. Now I am in a hard place. That wasn’t a ploy on my part. Unfortunatley, I don’t think two moves ahead which is why I’m a terrible chess player. But now I have a real dilemma. Have I mentioned I’m a jewelry sl…, uh, I mean fan. Yeah fan, will do. I like jewelry. Really, I have quite a weakness for it. So, I protested that Kelli couldn’t steal the necklace, but now I can. :twisted: I did.:oops: I was really conflicted. Truly. But my desire to have the necklace outweighed my remorse.
Then to cap it, my bud I stole it from…the next gift she opened was a foot soaker. Hmmm. Celtic Goddess necklace or foot soaker. Dang. I felt worse than ever.
I thought about it and decided the really decent thing to do would be to trade back with her. But then I made a bad discovery. I’m not really decent.:bat: I just couldn’t do it. So, instead I’ve proposed necklace sharing. Two weeks on, two weeks off. With the necklace that is…I don’t want to share the foot soaker.:thumbsdown:
My necklace was delivered yesterday. It’s BEAUTIFUL. If you’re into blowing time, check it out at www.silverenchantments.com. Celtic Goddess Necklace with Genuine Rainbow Moonstones and Faceted Amethyst Gemstones.:thankyou: And let it be known that I don’t have a decent bone in my body because I can share her, but I can’t give her up.:bowdown:
December 12, 2006
The sun is still rising in the east and setting in the west. It’s one of those things you can count on. There’s yet another inevitable, count-on-it-too-hold-true fact — it’s the holidays, my kid had her first band performance last night and she was home yesterday with a fever, headache, cough. Took her to the doctor and she tested positive for strep. I am grateful she tested negative for the flu. She’s home again today. Now she’ll have a final to take on Wednesday and two finals to make up. :wallbash:
The poor little dumpling spent her first day of Spring Break having her tonsils out and the rest of Spring Break miserable during recovery. All because the doctors assured us removing the tonsils would be the end of her bouts of strep. This is her second strep since she had them out in April. :cursing: Where do I go for my refund?
December 11, 2006
We went to my mom’s this weekend to celebrate Christmas with my brother and his fiance who come down once a year. Unfortunately, Mom got tripped up and fell yesterday. The upshot of two emergency rooms is that she shattered the bone just below the ball joint of her left shoulder. This morning she’s in surgery. An orthopaedist is putting in a new ball joint and cementing a shaft down to the bone. Please pray that she tolerates the procedure and that afterwards her body doesn’t reject the artificial ball joint.
It is the sobering reality of aging. I appreciate any prayers you send her way.
December 8, 2006
Desperate and dumb is the only way I can think to describe the latest rash of celeb flashings guaranteed to get the flashee one more piece of pr. :doh: Well, I don’t suppose we can forget GROSS. I’m not a prude and I’m not particularly modest, at all, but I do have a clue as to what’s skank and what ain’t. For Pete’s sake, put on some panties.:fryingpan:
December 7, 2006
In a sudden onslaught of health-consciousness the DH has started working out and has given up the junk food. Hallelujah!:bowdown: In fact, mark it on the calendar, he actually ate some…fruit for breakfast.
Last night while Girl was at basketball practice. he and I went to the workout center together. Afterwards I went to pick Girl up and he was returning a movie to Blockbuster. Girl and I get back in the car and he’s alerting my Nextel.
DH: Hey, I’m over at the Steak-n-Shake drive-thru.
Me: What are you doing at Steak-n-Shake?
DH: I’m getting an eggnog milkshake. Does Girl want one?
Me: Why’re you getting a milkshake after you just worked out?
DH: The nutritionist at the workout center told me not to eat after 9 at night. He said have five small meals a day and a shake in the morning and a shake at night.
Me: (Girl and I look at one another and burst out laughing) Uh…I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean a Steak-n-Shake shake.
DH: But he said a shake in the morning and a shake at night.
Me: Slim-fast, babe. Nutritional shake with viamins and minerals.
DH: Oh. Well, this eggnog shake is really good.
:happy2::fryingpan:
Got to love him!
December 6, 2006
Yesterday I was a guest blogger on The Writing Playground and the discussion turned to self-doubt. As promised, today I’m posting an article I wrote several years ago when I had three books under my belt. Today I’m revising number fifteen and the dragon is much better than it used to be, but there are still days….
This is a lament, a confession, and a celebration.
Today, as a writer, I successfully stared down the dragon of self-doubt–I put my three sample chapters and two proposals in the mail. I am not so foolish as to believe him slain or even mortally wounded, but he has, for now, retreated.
The dragon roams at will, preying on writers at large. Perhaps you’ve encountered his frightening visage. Oh, the dragon is a very clever nemesis, often disguising himself. But, he relentlessly pursues the same end. The dragon seeks to slay our creativity, feast on our persistence, and destroy our self-confidence until we bow before the beast and proclaim ourselves writers no more.
It is an odd day indeed when my dragon does not rear his ugly head. Most days he scorches me as he breathes down my back with the fires of self-doubt. I have completed and revised three contracted books. Nonetheless, writing is no easier. I have yet to complete a manuscript without vowing I will never write another. It is too painful. Too hard. I am not as fast/eloquent/gifted/clever/original/smart/ambitious/dedicated as others. The dragon singes me as he shouts that I am merely an imposter.
Several years ago, the dragon nearly did me in. Beyond battle weary, I stopped writing. I went for months without attending a GRW meeting. Each month I would toss aside the RWR and The Galley without opening them–it was too painful, for the dragon sneered at me from each page.
And then one day I read a book. I had no idea how fast, smart, ambitious or dedicated this writer was. However, I knew without a doubt that I would never possess her level of gifted/clever/original talent. It stood alone as one of the best books I had ever read.
And then I had an epiphany. I have read hundreds of great books–marvelous stories in which I lost myself. Thousands of wonderful books await me. What if all those writers had laid down before the dragon of self-doubt and given up? Surely each one of them could name a writer they thought possessed more talent or drive. What if we all voted on best writer of the universe and no one but the winner was allowed to write?
The goofy point is there will always be writers better than me, writers who are more…well, you know the drill…but, there is room for everyone who is willing to stare down the dragon and pursue the craft of writing.
December 5, 2006
Today I’m doing something new and exciting that I’ve never done before. No. I’m not waxing my legs.:happy2: I’m guest blogging. Woohoo! I’ve lurked, I’ve posted comments before, but I’ve never guest blogged before. Someone pass me a tiara.
So, come on over to The Writing Playground and check it out. I love playgrounds and it’s a fun place. Me and my friends always shared secrets at the playground. Shhh! Keep it to yourself but today I’m sharing a big secret over there. I’m also giving away a Secret Santa book.
Before we go, I just want to cofess that I’m absolutely addicted to emoticons. Seriously. Especially my new ones. You’ve probably figured this out because I use them all the time even when they don’t exactly fit, but I use them anyway cause I like’em. Top five faves in no particular order: :fryingpan: :wallbash:
Tell me your faves and then c’mon, let’s skip on over to The Writing Playground….
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