Thursday, January 29, 2009
Happy Birthday, Dad!
My dad turns Old today, so I had to do something honoring such an event.
Yes, Elizabeth keeps trying to poke Henry in the chest with an oral medicine dropper from her Doctor kit, but other than that, aren't they cute?
Monday, January 26, 2009
अवार्ड्स
It's just minutes from the ALA announcement of the Newbery and other awards. I'm so excited!
Again, my title is in another language. It seems only to happen when I use my hubby's computer. Hmmm. I shall investigate this further.
This week marks my official jumping-back-into-writing time. Henry takes a bottle just fine, so if I need to, I can drop both him and Elizabeth off at the temp. daycare for a few hours and get some writing done. I can't drop him off for longer than that, though, because I haven't been able to get enough milk made to last more than one feeding at a time and I just can't give him formula. (My guilt would skyrocket. Taking him to daycare would give me more than enough guilt to digest in one sitting.) At the very least, I can take Elizabeth to "school," as she calls it, for half of a day and pray that Henry will take a long nap.
As you can see, I haven't quite figured out the writing-with-two-kids factor to being a writing mom. But it will happen. It has to, or I never will have a career in writing.
Ok...Elizabeth is currently putting a DVD in the player by herself so I should stop blogging and start watching my children.
Again, my title is in another language. It seems only to happen when I use my hubby's computer. Hmmm. I shall investigate this further.
This week marks my official jumping-back-into-writing time. Henry takes a bottle just fine, so if I need to, I can drop both him and Elizabeth off at the temp. daycare for a few hours and get some writing done. I can't drop him off for longer than that, though, because I haven't been able to get enough milk made to last more than one feeding at a time and I just can't give him formula. (My guilt would skyrocket. Taking him to daycare would give me more than enough guilt to digest in one sitting.) At the very least, I can take Elizabeth to "school," as she calls it, for half of a day and pray that Henry will take a long nap.
As you can see, I haven't quite figured out the writing-with-two-kids factor to being a writing mom. But it will happen. It has to, or I never will have a career in writing.
Ok...Elizabeth is currently putting a DVD in the player by herself so I should stop blogging and start watching my children.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Pride and Prejudice or, Zombie Mayhem
I love the Library of Congress. I just found out today that I can do loads of research on it without actually driving the two hours to the library (which I've been dying to do). Anyway, in some of my research for Novel #3* I came across this title:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance+Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! (Paperback)
by Kenneth Grahame (Author), Jane Austen (Author).
Did you giggle? I did. Then I had to find it on Amazon. It's not "out" yet, so there's no cover photo, but I'm looking forward to the classic tale with bits of gore thrown in. I know some of you would enjoy such a thing. Am I wrong?
Now, back to story creation...
* Novel #3 is in the works. At the moment it's a nebulous cloud of ideas and characters, but soon the bits will start to stick together and form my new Story Solar System. No, it's not sci-fi. It's historical fiction. I just like science-related analogies.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance+Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! (Paperback)
by Kenneth Grahame (Author), Jane Austen (Author).
Did you giggle? I did. Then I had to find it on Amazon. It's not "out" yet, so there's no cover photo, but I'm looking forward to the classic tale with bits of gore thrown in. I know some of you would enjoy such a thing. Am I wrong?
Now, back to story creation...
* Novel #3 is in the works. At the moment it's a nebulous cloud of ideas and characters, but soon the bits will start to stick together and form my new Story Solar System. No, it's not sci-fi. It's historical fiction. I just like science-related analogies.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Forgotten English
I got a one-a-day calendar for Christmas/Birthday and just wanted to share a few of the words.
On my birthday (Jan 6th), the word was: cockwalk. Now, it doesn't mean what you might think. It's "a fine or blackmail levied on a man who courts a woman residing out of the limits of his own parish." Strange...
And today, the 10th of January: corn-coffee. "A drink made of Indian corn, parched and used as coffee (1800s)."
So, for you coffee drinkers, if you're ever out of sufficient beans, there are other alternatives. According to Early American Cookery, the best substitute is "toasted crust of bread, but it is cheaper to drink water, and if taken for little time will be as palatable." And in a vignette by Alan Lomax in his novel The Rainbow Sign, you can do this: "Mama sift[ed] meal and she parch it dark brown and put it in a bucket and pour boilin' water over it, put the lid on it, and let it stand for a while--and that was our coffee."
Now you know what to do if you can't make it to Starbuck's.
As for me, I'm a tea drinker. Earl Grey with honey and milk or straight green tea. If I don't get my Earl Grey in the morning I'm not quite the same person.
How's that for a blog post? It's the best I can do these days. It seems whenever I sit down at the computer one of my kids (or my hubby) comes and pulls me away. Amazingly, no one needed me for these past ten minutes. I'm too tired to write anything witty, intelligent, or entertaining.
Oh, since no one has pulled me away yet: Has anyone been watching Masterpiece's Tess of the D'Urbervilles? It made me positively sick. But I liked it. I can't wait until part two, which airs tomorrow. The storyline isn't the most optimistic, is it? After part one was over I immediately watched Devil Wears Prada just to lighten the mood. Then, today, I got a chance to watch a bit of Pride and Prejudice, which always makes me feel as if someone is pouring warmed golden honey on my soul.
On my birthday (Jan 6th), the word was: cockwalk. Now, it doesn't mean what you might think. It's "a fine or blackmail levied on a man who courts a woman residing out of the limits of his own parish." Strange...
And today, the 10th of January: corn-coffee. "A drink made of Indian corn, parched and used as coffee (1800s)."
So, for you coffee drinkers, if you're ever out of sufficient beans, there are other alternatives. According to Early American Cookery, the best substitute is "toasted crust of bread, but it is cheaper to drink water, and if taken for little time will be as palatable." And in a vignette by Alan Lomax in his novel The Rainbow Sign, you can do this: "Mama sift[ed] meal and she parch it dark brown and put it in a bucket and pour boilin' water over it, put the lid on it, and let it stand for a while--and that was our coffee."
Now you know what to do if you can't make it to Starbuck's.
As for me, I'm a tea drinker. Earl Grey with honey and milk or straight green tea. If I don't get my Earl Grey in the morning I'm not quite the same person.
How's that for a blog post? It's the best I can do these days. It seems whenever I sit down at the computer one of my kids (or my hubby) comes and pulls me away. Amazingly, no one needed me for these past ten minutes. I'm too tired to write anything witty, intelligent, or entertaining.
Oh, since no one has pulled me away yet: Has anyone been watching Masterpiece's Tess of the D'Urbervilles? It made me positively sick. But I liked it. I can't wait until part two, which airs tomorrow. The storyline isn't the most optimistic, is it? After part one was over I immediately watched Devil Wears Prada just to lighten the mood. Then, today, I got a chance to watch a bit of Pride and Prejudice, which always makes me feel as if someone is pouring warmed golden honey on my soul.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Ten True Things
Cindy tagged me on this... Ten true things about me (that I'll share):
1. I had a crush on a boy in first grade. And I still remember his name. (No, I can't find him on facebook.)
2. I used cloth diapers on my daughter. But now I'm too lazy to do it for my son. And I feel guilty.
3. I don't like football.
4. I used to play rugby. (I love rugby.)
5. Anything science-related is super exciting for me. I've been glued to the Science Channel and Discovery Channel too much lately. I say it's for my future sci-fi book, but I really just use that as an excuse to stay on the couch.
6. My mom kept me backstage when she was doing dozens of plays, but I've only been in two myself.
7. In fourth grade, I told a boy I was going to name my daughter "Rebma" because it was my name backwards.
8. My math skills are subpar. I rely too much on hubby.
9. I killed a deer with my car and then spent a year without eating meat in penance.
10. I have nearly converted to half a dozen religions, leaving me confused.
Yeah, they're a little random. I was going to nominate other people, but hubby is calling for help so I must go now.
1. I had a crush on a boy in first grade. And I still remember his name. (No, I can't find him on facebook.)
2. I used cloth diapers on my daughter. But now I'm too lazy to do it for my son. And I feel guilty.
3. I don't like football.
4. I used to play rugby. (I love rugby.)
5. Anything science-related is super exciting for me. I've been glued to the Science Channel and Discovery Channel too much lately. I say it's for my future sci-fi book, but I really just use that as an excuse to stay on the couch.
6. My mom kept me backstage when she was doing dozens of plays, but I've only been in two myself.
7. In fourth grade, I told a boy I was going to name my daughter "Rebma" because it was my name backwards.
8. My math skills are subpar. I rely too much on hubby.
9. I killed a deer with my car and then spent a year without eating meat in penance.
10. I have nearly converted to half a dozen religions, leaving me confused.
Yeah, they're a little random. I was going to nominate other people, but hubby is calling for help so I must go now.
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