Teaser Tuesday: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Hosted by: MizB of Should be reading
*Anyone can play ~ Find your current read, share a quote from a random page plus do tell what you're reading.
*Remember, you are always welcome to share your teaser in the comments as well.
*For more details be sure to look up how on the links above.


My teaser:

"Something rumbled somewhere deep and near. The tower trembled like a ship run aground, and answered with a low, stone wail. The three travelers cried out, scrambling to keep their feet on the shuddering stairs, but their guide pressed on without faltering or speaking."

pg. 154 in The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Lessons while making Potato Soup and belated New Year's Resolutions

Today, as I prepared dinner which was one of our family favorites, Potato Cheese Soup, I was thinking about blogging as I often do, believe it or not, so I knew it's about time I broke the ice on this blog and wrote something even anything! As many of you, I have been invaded by the business of living my life. So, anyway, here's a little update about my life currently:
I tend and care for my own children and I'm currently running a small daycare on the side. I have one full time little boy and several part time with Tuesdays and Friday's now being my busiest days. It has been such a learning experience for me in caring for these children but I am actually learning a lot from them!

During the week, it feels like I have twin boys as my son and the one I tend are the same age being only one month apart in their birthdate's. I have discovered a simple fact about children that I now realize can help with the dynamic of my approach to helping them grow up. A lot of times, it is traits that I sometimes find annoying in children that also tend to be wanted traits in people as adults. People who are driven, busy, high powered and make it possible to get things done around them seem to be desirable for being able to succeed. It's all about how I continue their approach to growing, learning and dealing with the problems children need to overcome. How I overcome a challenge is so much of the battle I face in my everyday life. Adjusting is necessary in so many of my situations. Finding the right adjustment to wield the power I have within me is important in helping development in a child. This has helped me and I give my best effort each day in small ways to work with each child I care for. Limits are set, consistent efforts and follow through are helpful, and a schedule. Each day I have a new opportunity to improve which I find, thankfully, I need to do this a lot. Starting a new day can be nice.
Another thing I have been doing this year is making an effort to write down my thoughts each day in a creative way using poetry, prose or through a story. I've found that I thoroughly enjoy writing micropoetry. This is often found on Twitter which means you are sharing poetry in 140 characters or less. I love this exercise which has challenged my brain and I feel it is fun!
Recently, a friend has encouraged me to write a novel in prose so this is a goal I've set for 2011 as well.
Another goal is to find a way for myself to get back to formal education. I'm enjoying looking into the opportunities that can be available to me but it will be a lot of hard work. I finally feel that I am ready for this challenge.
Also, I've been making huge efforts to keep my house tidier this year. I think I do better and life runs a bit smoother when I can feel better in my surroundings.
Last year, I did a lot of things and I'm sure that I acheived a lot but I didn't formally write out my goals out or even set them in a post as I did the previous year on this blog. So, I didn't feel I had anything to gauge my success with so in the end I feel I have missed out on that in 2010. This year, I want to see my progress and how much I grow so that's why I decided that it's better now than not at all to set some New Year Resolutions and I thought of all of this, and so much more, while making potato soup today.

Here's a re-cap of my goals this year:

1. Continue to maintain and improve my efforts in dealing with my children and others on a daily basis. Make efforts to connect with them.

2. Write down my thoughts each day using a creative method. i.e., poetry, haiku, short story, prose, essay, etc...

3. Write a novel in prose.

4. Find a way to continue my formal education.

5. Keep my house tidy. Clean and organize too.

6. Read 25 books and write reviews for each.

7. Learn and improve speaking in another language as I'm a bit familiar with Spanish and German but know neither very well.

8. Continue my blogs. Don't re-invent but continue each one to the best of my ability. Let's face it - I like each one too much to give it up entirely. Goal: 2 blog posts per week.

9. Work on staying in touch better with my brothers, sisters and in-laws. Simple acts of kindness through e-mail, letters, facebook, phone calls and blogs. Work on family history projects and see if they'd like to as well.

10. Continue to develop my artistic abilities in papercrafting, scrapbooking, and rubber stamping.

Teaser Tuesday: Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Hosted by: MizB of Should be reading
*Anyone can play ~ Find your current read, share a quote from a random page plus do tell what you're reading.
*Remember, you are always welcome to share your teaser in the comments as well.
*For more details be sure to look up how on the links above.


My teaser:

"So let me get this straight-we're guiding our path based on a matchbook cover?" Gonzo asks.

~Going Bovine by Libba Bray pg. 146

Top Ten Tuesdays: Favorite Places To Read (Or Maybe Not) Plus a Wish

I enjoy the Top Ten Tuesday days hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I haven't participated in a while so I thought I would today. The topic is Favorite Places to Read and since I read pretty much everywhere I thought this would be fun to consider all of those places. I'm going to add, Or Maybe Not, because there are a few places that although I have read in that location they aren't my favorite places to read. I'll explain as I go along. Also, I've added, Plus a Wish, which is a place that I haven't read yet but I would like to someday.

Favorite Places to Read

In my big puffy recliner chair is my ultimate place to read but I don't mind any comfortable armchair or couch either.

In front of a captive audience which is usually my kids for now but I hope that when I'm not so busy I'll be able to volunteer to read to children wherever I'm needed.

At the library, although I tend to get distracted easily there because I can't limit myself to reading from just one book.

In a bookstore sitting on one of their chairs or I have been known to sit right on the floor reading away a few minutes.

In a cafe sitting at their cute table and with a cup of hot chocolate it's even better!

On a big rock settled by the lake that I happened to find just sitting there waiting for me after a 2.5 mi hike up the mountain - yes, I really did enjoy this recently, can't you tell? It's a known fact for a fishing trip, my husband fishes and I read.

At the beach even if it's sandy, I like the feeling of being outside by the water. Even by a stream or a river will have the same effect.

On a park bench while my children play happily at the park on a glorious day!

Or Maybe Not

In Moving Vehicles: (of course, using common sense I don't mean while driving!) - Although, I know I'll never learn and somehow I always do attempt to read on long road trips but I have found that it gives me a headache. This is where I'm very happy for audio books and although I have to make an effort to concentrate, in order to follow along, I've listened to some great books this way. Plus, you can drive and listen to an audio book safely.

In the Bath: Let's face it - I'm too afraid of dropping my book into the bathtub. I can't relax thinking about ruining the book which defeats the purpose of the bath, right?

In my Bed: Yes, my bed is comfy and I do read there but that's the problem. You see, if a lay down to read I inevitably fall asleep reading sooner rather than later.

Plus a Wish

On a beach in Hawaii comes to mind right away for a more dreamlike experience but for a more realistic version would be in a cozy bay window with lots of pillows if I had one. I suppose I could remodel but then that would take up my money to go to Hawaii.

In the end, it's about you as well. Where are a few places that you love to read? Or Maybe Not? Or Wish To? Feel free to let me know in the comments or join in and write your own post. I'd love to know what you're thinking!

Teaser Tuesday: A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

Hosted by: MizB of Should be reading
*Anyone can play ~ Find your current read, share a quote from a random page plus do tell what you're reading.
*Remember, you are always welcome to share your teaser in the comments as well.
*For more details be sure to look up how on the links above.


My teaser:

Krog: What do you mean by that?
Mrs. L: You said you were like a shipwrecked man clinging to some wreckage.
Krog: I had good reason to say so.
Mrs. L: Well, I am like a shipwrecked woman clinging to some wreckage-no one to mourn for, no one to care for.

pg. 52-53, A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

Original manuscript cover page, 1879

Image from Wikipedia

Be In Touch

Before Facebook or Twitter and before digital T.V. happened, I was a bit of an avid T.V. watcher with the local channels. I must admit that of all the channels I still really miss PBS the most and still make an effort to see some of my favorites from their shows online as they share them. I also was a fan of ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. I felt a uncomplicated sadness when he departed from this world in 2005 and from his anchorage on the news. His final sign-off still poignant in my brain because of its honesty and YouTube where I can view it and re-live that simple minute from time to time - "The journalist who doesn't value deeply the audiences loyalty should be in another line of work." I've not kept up with whomever is reporting now either. Since I was in high school, I was also a bit of a news junkie and interested in journalism in general. My Grandpa Hatch wrote human interest stories for a local station and I remember having conversations with him about different stories he thought about writing. I loved that he wanted to celebrate the goodness of humanity by writing the stories that should be told more often. So, as you realize, I basically used to enjoy watching the show 20/20 when Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs were hosting it. I enjoyed the stories they covered and always in anticipation I expected the closing line of the show: "We'll be in touch so you'll be in touch." I'm not sure why but that line was somewhat comforting perhaps because I knew that it was coming. For some reason, it caused me to reflect on what I would report from my own life and I felt even then that I needed to write down those reports. Sadly, I didn't always take myself up on that task. I'm still working on a remedy for when I fail to write because the truth is I do enjoy writing. I need to make it a significant part of my daily life and see where that leads me. I'm tired of missing out because I forget what's been happening around me because I didn't write a little something down. So, now's the time for me to change that and here's my way of making a come back to stay in touch with you.

We'll start in November where I had an excited and roaring start with NaNoWriMo only to fizzle out in the end toward an epic FAIL to make it to the 50K deadline. Even though I didn't make it, I'm still amazed with the writing I did do and what came out of attempting this goal. I was able to enter three poems I wrote into a poetry contest and I'm looking forward to seeing if anything comes from that. This definately helps me not feel like a complete failure and the writing I did does not feel like a waste of time at all. I'm alright with it and even like some of it. In fact, I look forward to my third attempt at NaNoWriMo next year. "Third times a charm," right?

Another significant thing that happened in Novemeber was the passing of my father-in-law, Melvin, on Nov. 9th. I still remember readng the text from my husband about it and feeling unbelief. Even though he was eighty-two, it felt so unexpected. I still remember reading his daughter Martha's facebook status when I heard the news: "Exactly one month to the day of my mother's passing, my father passed away. I like to think that it was because he was missing my mom too much." This affected me deeply and I can't explain it. Perhaps because I was looking forward to working with him on a family history project for his dear Clara. Since her death, he had seemed very urgent about it and I could feel his urgency but I didn't reciprocate it back to him like he deserved. I was worried about other non-essential things I realize in hindsight. His efforts to encourage and help me were huge and he fulfilled them right away. He wasn't waiting around, he mailed me what I needed to make sure that this project would happen. Now, I need to fulfill my end of the deal. I'm working on that including the grieving process. Most of all, even though I miss my parents-in-law, I am quite happy that they are together in heaven for their upcoming anniversary of 60 years of marriage this month. I'm learning the depth and scope of their lives and the difference they silently made in their efforts to help others as much as they could serve them. There are many things I hope to continue learning about their lives. I only lived close to them in the first four years of my marriage and I wasn't always as great in the gratitude department when I had that privelege. Looking back, I feel very thankful that they have been a part of my life and my children's lives. I know that we will continue to remember them.

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But He beholds the light, and whence it flows,
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

~William Wordsworth

NPI: FAIL plus Life, Death and NaNoWriMo Part 2

October has now come by and went so fast. I signed up for the NPI (novel push initiative) but FAILed out after only 14 days. Honestly, I can't pinpoint one apparent reason I just crumbled. Since then I've kept up with my writing through poetry and plotting my next course for NaNoWriMo in November and a new editing job that I'll be starting too. Emotionally, listening to music has been my complete solace at this point. I'm so glad for that as it has been so helpful to me.
My mother-in-law passed away on Oct. 9th. She found out that she had leukemia on Sept. 27th. It infested her and her death came quickly for those of us that weren't by her side to help with her hospice care. I'm very grateful that I was able to attend her funeral. I appreciate the efforts of many who were able to help me be able to go. I will not forget their kindness. I still can't believe that Clara's gone some days but I am so grateful that I knew her in my life. I know I'll find this out even stronger in the months to come. Time, in its existence and as a healer is such a unique notion when it comes to death. For the first four years of my marriage, I felt close to certain aspects of Jared's family as I lived near my mother and father-in-law at the time and then our family was whisked away to TX where we've started again here. Clara always called to express her love to us and to remind us to write and share an experience with the family in the "Carter Chronicle." I hate to admit now that I wasn't always happy or excited about doing this. Now, I've come to understand how valuable the written word really is and that is it all we have left of our legacy when we die. As a busy young mother, writing these little stories are the only journal I kept during this time. Now, I'm franctically trying to find copies of these letters to piece this time of my life together for my own reasons and life history. This is what I remember most of my mother-in-law, her devotion to her faith and her family, her love and insistence that we stay in touch as a family. I hope we always will.


Clara holding my daughter Grace on her birthday in 2005.

Please forgive my possibly infrequent posts during Nov. since I'll be participating in NaNoWriMo and also starting to edit a huge document that I've undertaken and plan to do my very best job. I'll be around eventually. In the meantime, look up some of my poetry under the Pocket page and hopefully you'll enjoy it. I'll add more poetry as soon as I can since that is one thing I'm very consistent in writing.