Tag Archives: life

Quote For The Weekend (early edition due to MWO beginning Friday a.m.–yee haha–er, sorry)

In honor of this writer’s upcoming MWO (Mama’s Weekend Out) at a spa in a tiny dry patch of non-descript California where she will experience mud, warm, constant bubbles and pools filled with bodies floating privately on provided rafts (the kind … Continue reading

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Gypsy Sunset

Now that summer preschool camp has come to an end, life is extremely busy as I organize excursions that will benefit the small mind and help it to expand in positive, utterly enriching ways (I’m talking about the enrichment that … Continue reading

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Reveries

I’ve been seeing so many people from my past lately—I mean the past past, hazy-rocketing back to elementary school and working up from there—and it’s affected my dreaming. I have hosted reunions in my dream homes, welcoming total strangers to parties … Continue reading

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Rocking Muses

YA Muses are having another contest/giveaway and all week have reposted tons of valuable writing advice. Their story is inspirational–seriously, check them out, especially today’s post. Really wish I was going to SCBWI-LA this year so I could meet them … Continue reading

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See World

Soon, this extremely amateur marine scientist, dolphin lover, anti-orcas-in-big-pools-putting-on-shows type, One Who Is Against Ray Petting Whether 2 Fingers Are Used Instead Of Your Whole Hand Or Not As You’re Still Diminishing The Ray’s Mucus Layer And Once That Happens They Get … Continue reading

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Quote(s) For The Weekend (Carmageddon Edition)

A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after.  ~Peter De Vries The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it.  ~Dudley Moore The longest journey begins with a … Continue reading

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Watermelon People, For Instance

My head and my brain are still at the writing retreat, clicking away, processing vitals, etc. I hope they are enjoying themselves. I returned home with my son to a house packed with visitors both human and canine, dinner for 8 … Continue reading

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The Baby Blessing (With Writers)

So the baby blessing took place in my mother’s faintly overgrown backyard, guests’ heads thunked by falling trumpet vine blossoms (they are as large and as heavy as some sandwiches), the mingling of shadows and vines and succulents forcing the … Continue reading

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Retreat

Tomorrow I go off the grid and to my borrowed writing-house, get-away-pad, writing-retreat-with-fountain for a few days. Since there will be no wireless connection, I will revise sans the usual distractions (Facebook, The Pioneer Woman, Yahoo “News”, hulu) while my son eats … Continue reading

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Quote For The Weekend: Holiday Edition

The American Flagfish (captured edition) The best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation. —Jimmy Carter

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When I Write

I might wake up many times during any night due to: Nightmares involving fedora-wearing aliens intent on making off with my son. The certainty that I have heard a loud noise, which means rising from bed and checking my son’s room and the rest … Continue reading

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Going Home

The problem with zipping up to my hometown some weekends is not the going-home-traffic turning 75 miles into 750, not that I rarely get any writing done because of the endless activities, not the June gloom (kindly vanishing for the … Continue reading

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Monday Tussle

Welllllllll…Soooooooooooo…It’s one of those mornings when you use that refrain as you do a Trader Joe’s run, a shoestore run for the little guy, a Target run and a Lowe’s run because you can’t live without knowing if they have … Continue reading

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Notes From Here

Beach as mental equalizer (despite persistent wind). Impossible to crack open a book or uncap a pen here (though not because of wind). The way the sand is riled, looks as though whole, transportable cities (twirling towers of particles) are whisking … Continue reading

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New Muse

A kitten after my own heart. We have a new muse around here since Mother’s Day. He was this writer’s huge, completely unexpected, big-deal surprise. I’d forgotten how much joy kittens bring, endless chuckles for both adults and a little boy excited to … Continue reading

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No Whining

No whining when it’s hard to write/revise because: 1. because a dog charged your cats at 6:00a.m. and in her haste to control her animal, the owner, lunging across your front yard and bashing into the wall below your kitchen … Continue reading

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YA Muses Contest

If, like me, you welcome critique on your WIP, which is actually a complete novel you can’t stop revising, then visit the YA Muses and participate in their contest. The prizes are very generous. I hope I win. Something. Thank … Continue reading

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The Chalk Speaks

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There’s No Place Like Hush

It’s April. I’m quiet. I’m revising. Being a vigilant mother. Cooking for house guests (i.e. Costco-ing for house guests). Hulu-ing Parenthood (help me, Obi Wan—it’s my only vice). Typing in my quips on Facebook (help me, O.W.—it’s my only other … Continue reading

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Welcome Vibrations

A striking thing happened this morning after dropping my son off at his preschool. I returned home, did not check email, vacuum up dog hair, make a Trader Joe’s list, stare intently at Yahoo news while groaning at the spelling … Continue reading

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Tides

Amazing minus tide Friday in Santa Barbara (coinciding with—or because of?—the Super Moon). I forgot my camera, but my sister had her phone and all its very cool, very smart apps. The wind was up, so we couldn’t stay long—my … Continue reading

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Valuable Information

The ever helpful YA Muses blog has wonderful posts up on the writing process and revision and what the heck writers do to make novels make sense (including cutting mass portions, creating charts—oh, go see, go see). The YAM posts … Continue reading

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Fever!

I need the sort of writing fever that allows multi-tasking. I need to be able to be ill AND revise a novel and engage the 3 year old and toss the tennis ball for the dog, fold laundry, garden (i.e. yank … Continue reading

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Moon Night

Shawls of cool sea fog wafted along Anapamu Street just in time for the event, chilling the artists set up on the gallery’s front patio and across the way—in front of the hushed, monolithic library—attempting to capture the full moon … Continue reading

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Writing Fever

It’s going to take longer for me to reach my number one goal. I can’t rush this revision, even if I wanted to. Yes, domestics ALWAYS come into play when it comes to writing, such as: My son’s flu, this … Continue reading

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