Temporary - a powerful word until it meets Hope...!

"If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell."

-Lance Armstrong

***

I don't think anyone is ever ready for a disease. Any disease. We all know that life is temporary, that our time here is limited. We know that there are things we each have on a list, a list we want to check off, to say we did that we saw this. There are people we want to meet, grandchildren we want to hold and changes in the world we wish to witness. So many of us get to do just that, we live a long, yet temporary, existence and exit the world knowing we did not do it all but we did so much. We all grow up with the belief that we can change the world, own it, find a purpose, develop a path and hope to see all our items checked off.

But there are some of us, some who walk into a cold stark room clutching not only a purse or hand but also grabbing tightly the idea of temporary - the definition of the word that is unique to each and every one of us. It is in those seconds, I am told, that hope feels fleeting - that the air is heavier and that temporary becomes a word much shorter than it began. Hope lingers around the room, dancing along the walls, trying desperately to prove that though its letters are few its strength makes it the most powerful and longest word.

Hope, fighting, belief, strength, faith, love, laughter, family - words that make temporary... immortal. I know that I am blessed - those around me who have fought disease (Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer...) most have won the battles and made their "temporary" more ordinary than most. But there are so many who still need signs that the words of hope, fight, faith, belief and strength to remember that temporary can be longer than we think and that no matter how long it is - each one of us must find the joy in our life that reminds us of why we love our time here.

My sister, Nina, is a Jazzercise instructor. This past year her best friend of 38 was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She fights every day to make her "temporary" as long as she possibly can - her young son is grateful to those who remind us how wonderful life can be no matter how hard it seems. My coworker, Danny, has a 14 year old son named Cade (his caringbride site is here http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cadeainsworth ). This young man is battling rhabdomyosarcoma - Stage 4 cancer - he is amazing. So young, so strong and so willing to fight for temporary. So many things can change that word, can make it so powerful to each an everyone of us.

That sister of mine, Nina, she is doing a Jazzercise fundraiser for Susan G. Komen Foundations this Sunday - February 13, 2011. I know that asking for charity is often frowned upon, but in this case I am going against etiquette. She is only trying to raise $300.00 - such a small amount that can go to helping so many...if you have a moment and you want to help someone else's temporary time here please visit the below site...donate a $1, $5, whatever you can. Hey - make a note of it and next year around this time remind the IRS that you gave a little to help a lot.

Please click on the following link: Nina's Team Page! Support Susan G Komen!!

You will see a button with Support Nina! that is where you click and it will take you to the donation page! Easy Peasey... ;o)

Please give whatever you can. Every little bit brings hope and we all know how big of an impact that can make...

Have a Whimsical Thursday!

First Line Blogfest...

The lovely Brenda Drake is hosting this first line blogfest and I am ecstatic! There are so many entries (OVER a 100!!!) that it has taken me forever last night and still today to visit these great opening lines...

Name: Courtney Barr

Title: BOUND

Genre: YA Paranormal/Romance

First Line:

Outsiders never understand.

First Paragraph:

At first glance they see the simple houses, the bustling streets, the neighborly waves and the perfect blue sky. They never look down the alleys or beyond the clapboard homes. They see the young man raking leaves but they don’t see his face. Even if he stops to smile and share a friendly glance they don’t see the truth. The young woman in the diner brings their coffee as they rest from the drive, yet they don’t see her furtive glances and nervous fingers.

Now go, visit all the other wonderful entries at Brenda Drake They are so fun and such a mixture of genres...

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

(for those who have followed my blog prior to today - please note this first page has once before been placed in a blogfest, only now you are viewing the tweaked version - hope you still enjoy!)

Wednesday Wants & Wonders: SNOW

"I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines."

-Henry David Thoreau

***

I am not sure if Thoreau saw a winter like ours this year but if he had I know he would have seen wonder in it not aggravation. I myself have not exactly found wonder with each cold degree on the thermometer but I must say I have found some delight in the unexpected. It is rare that I get to wear sweaters for so long or boots EVERY single day, that I visit somewhere with 6 foot snow drifts, or that I yearn for humidity (yes humidity - only a true crazy southerner wishes for the humidity). Thoreau would have found beauty in the chilled air, cleansing of the snow and how nature is such a wonder. I also think that he would have seen it as a wonderful opportunity for writing. I also like to believe that he would have found humor and delight in some interesting things that we don't often run into. For that I toast him and his appreciation. I will now present this week's Wants & Wonders:

I thought it would be fun to showcase the white fluff in a different way...For those that don't have snow or haven't seen any (bless you) the first Wonder might catch your eye

The SNOW FACTOR SCIENCE LAB!

amazon.com $5.99

DESCRIPTION: This kit is suitable for ages 8+ with adult supervision, but it's also a great project for an intrigued grown-up! This kit allows you to make up your own heap of snow, whatever the weather. Just add water and follow the instructions and it'll only be a few minutes before you've got your own pot of white 'snow', but without the cold. Includes full instructions, mixing tools and non-toxic ingredients.

For those of you completely tired of the white fluff and needing a safe way to vent while also using a practical item (this also might just tickle the recipient as well...) If you are a Bill Watterson fan you will love this:

SUICIDAL SNOWMAN WRAPPING PAPER!

amazon.com $4.95

I love the tanning bed...

Okay for those of us who don't want to step outside but yearn for the good Summer treats...give Snoopy a call:

amazon.com $16.95-$19.99

(I had one of these as a kid rather than an Easy Bake Oven - I'm ALWAYS in the mood for a sno cone!)

Now on the fact that Thoreau would have found time to write, actually that he would have reveled in the setting to write here are some things that might make this wintry mix more pleasant on the writing front:

To keep your mind fresh and your body warm delight in my favorite tea

Nobo Whole Fruit Tea

tealeaves.com $17.95

It is a wonderful sweet berry full bodied flavor & aroma!

Don't forget the French Press amazon.com $17.00

If your story requires you to travel outside, please don't forget the hand warmers or foot warmers: (amazon.com)

Last but not least, for those of us who have problems with our fingers getting cold while at the keyboard here is a little monkey business for your characters....(I want these - SUPER CUTE)

A pair of monkey-shaped USB hand warmers, for when you're typing in the cold or you're a sufferer of chilly hands! (they can get up to 46 degrees in 5 min, have a built in wrist support, and when they reach the temp you can disconnect & still have warm hands!) gadget4all.com $21.00

I hope everyone found something useful today! I know I seriously want those Monkey Hands!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!!

Significant Other Blogfest! Marcus

Okay guys, one of my amazing CPs, DL Hammons and the always wonderful Talli Roland are hosting a Significant Other Blogfest. Now this is no ordinary Blogfest...no ma'am! This is where our significant others (children, spouse, boyfriend, friends) are able to take over our Blogs today and share their thoughts on living with a writer! I know- what are we thinking? Well my adorable husband is going to be answering some questions and commenting today. His name is Marcus and he is very aware of the Royal Court, so no worries - he aims to please.

Please be sure to check out the other lovely significant others by visiting Mr. Linky

Well I will let him have the floor now...

Hi, I'm Marcus. The Prince. Well I used to be just the most popular Stable Boy in the Kingdom until the Princess finally married me. Of course I had to keep her on the hook for 10 years before we could make it official - got to date a decade I say! I am very excited to be in charge at the Kingdom today. Princess Courtney is quite nervous as to what I may say here, but I aim to surprise her by being brutally honest. So bring on the questions:

1. What food or drink is guaranteed to return your loved one to a good mood, even after a bad day writing?
Drink: Cherry Coke & Root Beer (separately) Food: Sno Cone & Coconut Cake

2. What one thing would you change about your others writing habits? She likes to read me things when football is on the television - I don't know why.

3. How hard is it to sit by and watch someone you care for struggle to attain a dream...knowing there's very little you can do to help? Courtney does not have that problem. She is always creating, if a story line has her stumped she gets up and cleans, redecorates, cooks, something! Her creative juices are always flowing.

4. How do you feel about being used as a "prop" for character study? Used. Vulnerable. Violated. Dirty.*insert snicker here*

5. What is it like to live every day with someone who writes? Its very freeing for me. She really gets in a groove sometimes and it allows me to get away with a few things. I get to play PS3 for hours, watch football, relax, but also know that I am there if she needs my advice or to bounce ideas off of.

6. What is your one favorite thing about living with a writer? The input. There is something very special about having someone ask you to take part in their creation. To know that they value your opinion so much about something as personal as their story. It is pretty awesome. Besides the conversations are hilarious when dining out - "He cheated! No, don't let him cheat, he's a murderer!" You should see neighboring tables!

7. How does living with a writer affect "your"dayjob? It's great. I have a personal spell check just a phone call away!

8. When you first started realizing that writing was going to be a big part of your relationship were you open to it or did you think it just a silly hobby? I was very open to it. When are we signing the papers for movie rights? :) Truthfully, I don't doubt Courtney doing anything. She will be exactly who she wants to be and writing has been a part of her long before I came along. It is one of the reasons I love her.

Okay, thanks for letting me on here today. I enjoyed this. Now - um you all do know that there is some football this weekend so I better get off of this thing so she can get to writing. Oh and thank you all, she talks all the time about each of you and I feel like I know you. It really makes me smile to see her getting to know such great people. Our Kingdom really loves all its Court and really enjoys that you all let us share this journey with you. Have a good weekend.

Wednesday Wants & Wonders..

Samantha: "Carrie, honey if it hurts so much why are we going shopping?"

Carrie: "I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit!"

-Sex & the City

***

Okay, Wednesday is going to shift themes a bit...I plan to do Wednesday Wants & Wonders. Don't worry the other days will still be focused on Writing this just will help break up the monotony of the week! A Blog day about things out there that writers might want/need/desire, etc. or sometimes just the odd items found in the retail world but also focus on the Wonders. Now I am using Wonders vaguely so that it can be a completely open idea. What is a wonder to me may not be to you and vice versa. So really who knows what could appear on Wednesdays but with it being the middle of the week, sometimes a little retail therapy can help with weekly doldrums... dontcha' think? ;o)

But FIRST I need to recap Birthday Week Shopping:

There is a possibility that you all know I celebrate Birthday Week (7 days of Birthday Bliss - no chores, all choices). Well it just so happens the lovely and beautiful Kristin turned 17 two days after my birthday, needless to say "Marcus needed your prayers." ;o)

Oh the shopping trip - A wonderful day spent with my mom! I look forward to seeing her every time I get the chance, throw in food & shopping and Watch Out!

As for the shopping: I went knowing EXACTLY the color purse I wanted but discovered something else and love it!:

L.O.V.E.

I have never had a printed purse like this (I know!) but for some reason this one spoke to me.

Oh Michael Kors...how I love you - this is beyond perfect for traveling.

Then there was the lovely cake selection. I first wanted polka dots...then I saw a cake similar to my final selection...and oh mama! Check out this beauty:

Even Peanut is amazed!

Then there is the discovery of something I did not even realize I wanted or needed...

My darling hubby sent these as a surprise...46 gorgeous petite roses. They are stunning! The week was also full of wonderful dinners, great movies, AWESOME PRESENTS!!! I have a necklace, some DVD's, gift cards...I mean my hubby knows me too well!!!

Now for the Wonders:

Okay Amazon, now I know you have everything but who would ever expect this -

Bacon scented car fresheners....yeah...I'm at a loss.

Then when you really just want to complete your breakfast ensemble, that cholesterol induced high stress episode or when that character in your story has REALLY made you angry you can enjoy this eggy wonder:

SMASH IT EGG YOLK STRESS RELIEF SPLATTER TOY!!

Well I cannot say I want it but I do Wonder about the creators...

Now this I DO want:

One of my amazing CPs has something akin to this and it is awesome!

LiveScribe Pen - AWESOME!! Check out the website! If you are interviewing sources then this pen would do wonders for you! Livescribe.com

I WANT THIS!!!! Would love it for home & the office!

The iHome version is on sale for $28.92 on Amazon

Oh and this is so cool!! Last but not least:

The Conceal Bookshelf!

Amazon.com - I am buying one of these! Only 14.95$

How about you? Have you discovered any odd & wonderful items lately?

Have a WONDERful Wednesday!

Monday Memos: Martha Washington

"Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance...is a celebration of that miracle."

-Martha Washington

***

It is quite normal for me to find myself in our kitchen singing along to music streaming from a local station.

I sing loudly and enjoy the feeling of the words bursting from within. They flow out and around me, forcing a smile, making me laugh or commanding a tear. My voice is not one you might hear on the radio or even on the stage. The melodies have me spinning in place, sometimes flinging cake batter or dropping a spoon in the process. Peanut, my precious dog who is always under foot, will stand on his back legs and "dance" around me. Marcus will more than often wander in, sing along and sweep me into a quick step or a slow turn. Our bodies do not move with the precision of a ballerina or the quickness of a contemporary dancer. Yet we dance often in our home, we sing more than most people would probably like, we create silly songs to familiar beats and we laugh - loudly.

Those words that come from the radio, those painstaking lyrics flying so simply with that beautiful melody are someone's dream. They are a piece of someone's vision. I dance in my kitchen surrounded by magic when the radio plays. I am celebrating a miracle with every awkward spin or silly dip.

Normally while whatever I was cooking is finishing up I wander into the living room and sit on the couch or a favorite chair and read a magazine or book. My mind imagines the characters or family faces, it enjoys the newest adventure or revisiting the old one. I might wander to my own work and continue the painstaking process of revision or creation. Again, I am seeing a dream. I am surrounded by magic when those pages turn and the images burn into my mind. I am celebrating a miracle with every sentence...with every phrase.

At night I often dream of the stories I read or write, of the memories a song reminds me of or the activities of the day. These type of things stay with me.

Take a few tidbits about Martha Washington, she not only followed her husband into battle to aid the troops and support the man she loved; she stepped into a miracle. She surrounded herself with the magic of perseverance and faith. Those men were painstakingly fighting for freedom, for a dream of a nation. Battle is brutal, friends are lost, friends are made, enemies are destroyed and families are missed. The smallest things in life are thought of as comfort. She is said to have led the men many nights in song or story, where each sitting together must share. Men said that those nights of words and melodies made a difference...yes words and melodies - their magic is like no other.

Think of the magic of the pen, the finger, the pencil...also comparatively small, upon which your dreams rest, the weight of that is immeasurable. It is also a miracle, and the words that you share? They are a celebration of that miracle...who knows where they will pop up: a kitchen, a living room, a battlefield....what a way to share a dream...

Happy Happy Tuesday!

(It's a Monday Memo, but we all celebrated another type of Dream yesterday ;o) )

Something Beautiful...

I awoke with a start this morning. The alarm clock blaring its call of daylight had me swinging my arm into the darkness. I turn to glance at the clock; as usual I am not surprised that the wretched noise is right on schedule, I don't know why I tend to hope the clock somehow got it wrong and I still have hours to sleep. That only happens in dreams. I cannot stop the grunt that escapes my lips.

***

January 3rd my calendar shows me....2011. My eyes want to blink it back to sometime before, anytime before. The new year has come. It is not waiting patiently for midnight to release the chimes, to drop the ball, to welcome the new beginning. No, the day of celebratory drinking, kissing strangers at the stroke of 12, singing loudly amongst people you may never see again, it is now in the past. As are the things I did not do, the time wasted...A chill falls over me as my wet hair clings to my forehead, I must get dressed and go back to work....another thing telling me the new year is here...2011.

***

A fast, fun beat fills my car as I travel the familiar road to work. My voice lifts on a chorus

Hey now, this is my desire,

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful...

Oh, oh, oh something beautiful.

I cannot contain the grinning... yes 2011 is here, we are all waiting...hopefully we are all in reach...at that moment I think of the blaring alarm clock, the want to sleep later and the chill of the morning air...how silly I can be..

Yes, 2011, I am always going to think about the speed the previous year traveled, the opportunities squandered by not having enough belief in myself, the people I was unable to see, the traveling I was unable to do...

It is not what we were unable to do that we should waste time on, it is not the sorrow of moments missed... it is the waiting...the expectation... the anticipation of something beautiful in the new year; for it will come, we will discover new things, make new goals, and if I am lucky, I will glare at the alarm clock next year, feel the stinging cold on my cheeks, sing as loud as I can and reminisce with the same smile on my face...

Welcome 2011, you are already something beautiful....

A Christmas List for All...

Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness

To an opponent, tolerance

To a friend, your heart

To a customer, service

To all, charity

To every child, a good example

To yourself,...respect.

-Oren Arnold

***

December 7, 2010.

The list seems daunting. So many things that in the moment we hesitate.

• Forgive an enemy? But they are the enemy....
• A good example? How do I do this and know that it is enough to make the child notice?....
• Tolerance to the one I am competing with...yeah those snarky comments about their slowness/lack probably is not tolerance...
• A friend my heart? Don't I do that, don't I always lend an ear....or do I?...
• A customer? I am friendly and try my best to work with my business associates in a serviceable manner - is it enough?
• Charity...for all? Did I ignore the bell and walk on in, hurrying out of the cold? Did I let the door slam on the couple as they entered the store?
• Respect...for me. For the one person who must look at the list and take in all its tasks, place them within my heartstrings and become better with each item...yes...respect:
• for the little girl in me who still stands amazed at the dazzling Christmas lights...
• for the teenage girl in me whose heart beats faster every time her beau holds her hand...
• for the young woman in me who marvels at the places in her life she has seen and excites at those to come...
• for the person I am who is a work in progress, a person who knows that every day she must accept her flaws and love them all the same, make decisions to be proud of and learn to accept the things we cannot change with dignity...

Yes, a list. A Christmas list that should last the whole year through. It may appear to be daunting, you may wonder whether or not you have checked it twice; but the most important part of all is that you acknowledge the list.

Memorize it.

I have many lists...this is merely one. Small and simple, easy to remember but quite possibly the hardest to complete - therefore my most important.

Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays...Happy Lists!