Thoughts Like Pebbles

NaBloPoMo 2009

2009-11-02T21:10:00.002-05:00

Well, I have decided to participate in National Blog Posting Month in order to further motivate myself to continue with my everyday writing habit. I tried to follow through on participating in NaNoWriMo last year, but my efforts did not quite pull me through the entire month. A daily blog post seems to be more doable than writing a novel in a month.

Today, I am thinking about a book I just finished reading--The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I picked it up because a dear friend recommended and loaned it to me. And I am so glad she did. It is truly one of the best books I have ever read. The characters were very well written--emotionally engaging and believable. The plot centers on the work of three women to give voices to those who had not historically had a voice--the colored help who served in white households in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. I won't tell you how it turns out, but I will say that you will laugh and cry as the characters bravely work side by side to accomplish what turns out to be an extremely dangerous task. If anyone reading this post has read the book and wants to discuss it online let me know. I would love to hear what others have thought after reading the novel.

And although I am not participating in National Novel Writing Month, I am still working on planning a novel that will take me more than a month to complete. In fact, I'm sure it will be a multi-year project because I plan to write a series. More about that some other time, though.

One Year Later

2009-11-01T15:45:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been one year of dodging writing intentions for who knows what reason. I looked today and saw that the last post I published came in on November 7th, and then I started to wonder why it is that I do not write more. I give in to unnecessary timesucks, so I need to eradicate them so that I can be a more productive writer. I have about a novel (or seven) lurking in my grey matter at the moment, and I am the only one paralyzing myself. So here goes. I am going to make this blog my 'morning pages' outlet. If you read this, comment if you wish. If this all seems like a bunch of navel-gazing dross, skip over it. I'm doing this for myself, so read or don't read...this isn't the stuff I care about others reading at the moment.

So what are my unnecessary timesucks...what do allow to absorb my time? Well, I suppose I spend too much time daily on silly Facebook apps...this is something as I write it that I think to myself I will be more embarrassed about in five years when I think back to all of the hours for which I have nothing important to show. Really, let's say I'm playing, um, Farmtown; all I'm really doing is participating in a very Skinner-esque activity of button pushing...but I am actually dumber that the rats or birds that Skinner tested on. They got food for their efforts. I get pretend rewards that have no value or meaning in real life. Not only that, there is really no game to the game. I feel silly now even writing it. Okay, so that is timesuck number one that will be shown the door.

Timesuck number two that has been slowly making its way out the door is clutter. It looks back at me so balefully from the garbage bag/box that is its vehicle to its new home. Take me back! it whines. But really, I have become better at turning a deaf ear on its seductive whispering.

That's it. Those are the big two...but they're huge. They keep me from writing, from being a better friend, a good sister, a wonderful mother...the list goes on. But I am saying no more! I'm starting a new life here and now. No more excuses. To get things started and get my imagination churning, I am going to choose a meme to respond to. Here goes. This comes from Sunday Stealing. Let's see what happens.

Sunday Stealing: The Strange Question Meme, Part 1

1. What is the color of your toothbrush? This shade of blue and white.

2. Name one person who made you smile today. Abigail Bowers

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Getting ready for Sunday School

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Having a good talk with my mom

5. What is your favorite candy bar? Ha! This has come up a million times this weekend. My favorite is Toblerone.

6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nope

7. What is the last thing you said aloud? Do you need my help with that?

8. What is your favorite ice cream? How to choose? My absolute favorite is Edy's Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint flavor

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Ginger Green Tea

10. Do you like your wallet? I don't carry a wallet. It's just one more thing for me to misplace.

11. What was the last thing you ate? A teeny-tiny Snickers bar from my daughter's Halloween stash...with her permission, of course.

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No, not even socks

13. The last sporting event you watched? The Steelers game last Sunday...until half time. Then, we listened to the rest in the car.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Just regular with hot butter.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? I don't text.

16. Ever go camping? It's one of my favorite summer activities...yes!

17. Do you take vitamins daily? I mean to, but I don't.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday? No. Most, though.

19. Do you have a tan? No...burn and peel is my pattern.

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? No, I like both equally. And both usually make me equally ill from overindulgence when I do have them.

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? No. I don't like to use straws because someone once told me a horror story about how she went walking on a beach in Jersey only to see a bunch of straws washed up on the beach. Seems that someone's garbage that had been dumped in the ocean had broken open and made a mess. Straws aren't a necessity, so I don't like to use them.

22. What did your last text message say? No texting here.

23. What are you doing tomorrow? There is a list...daughter to school, TB test read, lunch with a good buddy, cleaning, reading, writing, dance class taxi, dinner-making, homework supervising, bedtime ritualling.

24. Favorite color? I go back and forth between blue and green all of the time.

25. Look to your left; what do you see? Part of the couch, pillows, and an afghan that my husband is supposed to repair for his mother.

So, this is the beginning. I'll be back tomorrow.

Hoo-ray Friday!

2008-11-07T13:22:00.003-05:00

Well, it's time for the Friday Fill-in this week. If filling one of these in seems like a fun way to spend a few minutes, click here.

Here are my answers:

1. My blueprint for success includes the idea that even failure is a part of success.
2. A mini Nestle’s Crunch was the last candy I ate.
3. The best facial moisturizer I've ever used is olive oil (extra virgin) dabbed on a few trouble spots.
4. Crying is good therapy.
5. I'd like to tell you about anything. I love a good conversation.
6. My kindness is my strongest characteristic.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going home from work and trying to forget about this week, tomorrow my plans include starting with a clean slate and Sunday, I want to relax any which way I can!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T10:39:00.001-04:00

Well, it's once again time for the Friday Fill-in...I hope everyone has a great weekend!

1. My favorite food seasoning is tarragon…especially in chicken salad!
2. A raging thunderstorm is music to my ears.
3. Lucky is realizing the importance of being happy with what you have.
4. Teaching people (young and old) to read and write well is something I take very seriously.
5. Many people are absolutely wonderful, beautiful, shining souls.
6. Halloween candy (peanut butter cups!) was the last thing I bought at the store.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking my little witch trick-or-treating, tomorrow my plans include possibly attending a Halloween party and Sunday, I want to take my daughter to the movies!

Eat Local Challenge

2008-10-23T20:59:00.006-04:00

I was thrilled to see my blog named on Jennifer Maiser's roster of Eat Local Challenge participants who were blogging about their Challenge experiences of the month...and chagrined to think that I have spent hardly any time blogging about my experiences with eating locally this month.

I set out with sterling intentions for participation in this challenge and for documenting that participation. What I have found, though, is that my intentions and my actions have intersected very little this month. I am a mother, student, full-time worker, wife, friend, and dedicated committee member to name a few of the roles I play. Dovetailing my desire to eat mindfully AND locally just has not happened often this month. However, I have not quite given myself up as a complete disappointment in this endeavor. I have learned a lot about food, the way I view and consume it, and how I can improve those habits. Here are a few of the lessons I have absorbed so far this month:

Being too busy to slow down enough to eat mindfully is a state of living that needs to be altered quickly.
There are MANY delicious, simple recipes that can be made quickly using low impact ingredients. What do I mean by low impact? Well, ingredients that can be procured locally and ingredients that are minimally processed.
There is a lot of room for improvement in my community for establishments to commit to using local ingredients. I sense in this a future community advocacy project and will keep you posted.
I can be a culinary magician when necessary. See two (modest) recipes I recently invented, below.

Kitchen Cupboard Onion Bulgur Soup
Ingredients:
2 C thinly sliced Vidalia Onion
1-2 t butter
6 C Vegetable Stock
1 C Bulgur
Other cooked, canned or frozen veggies you have on hand
To make:

Saute the sliced onion in the butter in a large saucepan or stockpot on medium high heat until the onion is nicely browned and crisp in some parts. Don't crisp them up entirely.
Add the vegetable stock and veggies on hand, scraping up the browned bits of onion that may be sticking to the bottom of the pot. I used garbanzo beans and frozen spinach. Bring to a slow boil.
Add the bulgur and reduce heat to simmer. Allow to cook for 10 - 15 minutes.
Serve with good crusty bread for sopping up the broth.

Last Minute Inspiration Kale and Onion
Ingredients:
1 small, thinly sliced red onion
olive oil for sauteing
2 C torn kale leaves
asiago cheese
To Make:

Saute the red onion in the olive oil over medium heat until soft.
Add the torn kale leaves and cover, stirring occasionally. Cook until kale leaves soften and brighten in color.
Remove from heat and plate. Shred asiago cheese over kale and onions to your desired taste while still warm.
Delicious with a glass of red wine!

The challenge will be on for another eight days. I will do my best to update again before all is said and done. Happy eating!

Review, Long Overdue

2008-10-19T17:52:00.006-04:00

Title: i love geeks: The Official Handbook
Author: Carrie Tucker
Publisher: Adams Media

Who knew there were so many different types of geeks? And who knew that they have an attraction factor that is nearly impossible to resist? Carrie Tucker, that's who.

From start to finish, i love geeks is an accessible guide for anyone who is puzzled by his or her strangely-obsessed significant other. Tucker takes the reader on a tour of geekdom, beginning with a brief introduction to the evolution of geeks followed by six chapters devoted to deconstructing some of the more common species of geek.

Each chapter provides an introduction to the highlighted geek, the Video Game Geek, for instance. This introduction is followed by good-to-know technical terms--before reading this book, I had never heard of filk (sci-fi folk music)--a time line of important events in the history of each unique geekdom, and suggestions for ways in which you can connect with both your significant geek and your own inner geek.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was entertaining and enlightening. Tucker writes with a quirky humor that reflects many of the observations made by my friends and me about the geeks we love. I chose to review this book because I am married to a Video Game Geek, and I was not disappointed as I read Tucker's light prose, which described the love of my life to a tee. Read this book if you want to decode the strange behavior of a friend, lover or brother.

My grade: B+

Time again...

2008-10-17T16:37:00.002-04:00

...for the Friday Fill-in. It has been a roller-coaster ride of a week, and I am glad to be standing on the exit side of the tracks. I hope everyone has a great, relaxing weekend.

1. Follow the beat of your own drum. Far too many people devalue themselves trying to live up to someone else’s ideals.

2. A good book and a journal are two somethings I always take with me on vacation.

3. To achieve your goals, you must make decisions, stick to them, and take responsibility for your successes and failures.

4. That I am incredibly saddened and embarrassed by the displays of racism exhibited by people who live in my neighborhood and community is something I'd like you to know about me.

5. I have a hankering for a nice glass of red wine.

6. Very small rocks float. Ha! Ha!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to actually seeing my husband and child, tomorrow my plans include celebrating my brother’s birthday and Sunday, I want to take my daughter to the pumpkin patch!

So glad it's Friday!

2008-10-10T09:28:00.003-04:00

...of a loooong weekend. I'm so in need of a few rejuvenation days.
Cheers!

Friday Fill-in for this week:

1. One of the best concerts/plays/movies I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I thought it was just all a lot of hype, but seeing that movie led me to reading all of the books (and loving them!) and seeing the rest of the movies that have been produced to date.

2. Pantry shelf Soup is a recipe I recently made (or meal I recently ordered) that was delicious! We had an ‘Old Mother Hubbard’ week at my house last week and cooked with just the things we had lying around the house. I made a really (surprisingly) delicious caramelized onion and chick pea soup.

3. It's time for paying some close attention to what is really important in life.

4. Taking a five a.m. walk with a good friend is quite refreshing.

5. If I never hear the word webinar again, it'll be too soon.

6. To one side of the curving road was a slender shade tree, and on the other was a lemonade stand.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with great friends, tomorrow my plans include deep fall cleaning and Sunday, I want to take a mini road trip!

It's Friday!

2008-10-03T09:44:00.002-04:00

I'm so glad we're approaching the weekend once again.

1. October means cozy nights under thick quilts with hot cider and a great book.
2. These next couple months scare me! But in a good way: I am going to be making a lot of life changes.
3. Leaves are falling all around, it's time to gather them into piles for little leaping children.
4. My favorite horror movie is Mean Girls because it makes me chuckle to remember the good old days and how awful we girls could be to each other. Sorry, I know that answer does not make a lot of sense!
5. My little girl + any time I spend with her = good memories.
6. It was a dark and stormy night, and I was sitting at the window watching nature’s fireworks.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going on a date with my husband, tomorrow my plans include reconnecting with my brothers and Sunday, I want to bake a kitchen full of yummy things!

Happy weekend, everybody! Stay toasty.

Hooray for the Friday Fill-in

2008-09-26T12:18:00.003-04:00

Here is this week's installment. Thanks for reading!

1. Early evenings spent toasty in the kitchen making casseroles and stews are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I ignore the ringing telephone.

3. People are completely unpredictable, and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I watch a sad movie so I can cry it all out; then, I feel much better.

5. Curled in a comfy chair reading a book is where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for having a marathon picture book reading with my munchkin in my lap.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my daughter (it’s been a busy week!), tomorrow my plans include following the day where it takes me and Sunday, I want to reorganize my schedule and my desk! I know, fascinating stuff, that.

I can't believe...

2008-09-19T14:02:00.001-04:00

...a whole week has gone by since my last post. And I had such good intentions! Well, here is another stab at the Friday Fill-in. Enjoy your weekend!

1. There is no need for violence. Violins, yes. Violence, no.

2. Where in the heck did the spider that was just on the wall above my head go?

3. Filling in these answers is all I managed to do.

4. Prospects for spending a lot of time writing this weekend are looking good.

5. Don’t forget to call your mother and tell her you love her…and your dad, too is the message.

6. Simplicity and tranquility are two essential qualities of a happy life.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to popcorn and a movie with my daughter, tomorrow my plans include staring longingly at the sunshine from my desk at work and Sunday, I want to have a picnic with family and friends. Yay autumn!

Hard to keep up!

2008-09-12T16:36:00.003-04:00

I thought I would be posting more often as the summer wound down only to find that the start of the school term was waiting in ambush! To make good on my intentions, I am taking time to post today. I was turned on to a fun little blogging activity called Friday Fill-Ins. As indicated by the title, a kind soul named Janet posts sentences for bloggers to fill in; here are my thoughts for the week:

1. I enjoy taking a walk during a warm morning rain shower.

2. Why many people I meet seem to spill their deepest secrets to me is something I wonder about often lately.

3. In your heart, you knew that security was not always an ingredient of happiness.

4. Take laughter, add a little love, and you end up with family.

5. Life has gifted me with a surplus of love, patience and things about which to be curious.

6. A well-prepared cup of coffee is an instant vacation.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to spending grown-up time with my husband, tomorrow my plans include taking the English-certification Praxis exam and Sunday, I want to catch up on pleasure reading!

Thank you, Janet, for the creative outlet!

Click - My First Book Review

2008-08-11T09:09:00.004-04:00

I recently got turned on to a great site called Mini Book Expo for Bloggers, and it is fantastic! On the site, a blogger can peruse posts containing synopses of new/pre-release books. If she sees a book she likes, she can check within the item's post to make sure the book has not been claimed. If it has not yet been claimed by another blogger, she can claim it...for FREE! The only catch is that she has to read it and post a review. This deal is not too shabby for a bibliophile, who wants to build her collection with new and interesting titles.

Upholding my end of the bargain

Here is the lowdown on the first book I chose:

Title: Click: Unexpected Insights for Business and Life
Author: Bill Tancer
Publisher: Hyperion

Why I Chose this Book: The synopsis I read described a book whose focus resembled another book I read and loved: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.

My Review

The cover of Click, is covered with praise for its author, Bill Tancer. Encountering the book for the first time, a reader may expect that he or she is going to embark upon an odyssey of reading enlightenment. In fact, that is what I thought when I claimed the book. It is endorsed by Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics and contains chapter upon chapter dedicated to enlightening the reader on the Net and the way it is used today.

The book opens with a teaser of a first chapter--an obvious attempt to hook the reader with a peek at the tawdry underbelly of the Internet. However, chapter One, entitled PPC--Porn, Pills, and Casinos, is just that: a tease. There is very little delivered in the way of interesting, insightful material. The potential is there, but it does not appear that Tancer has taken care to arrange the information in a way that is helpful to the reader. The prose jumps all over the place and doesn't appear to coalesce into a recognizable whole by the chapter's end. Unfortunately, the remainder of the book follows in the same fashion.

Tancer returns to the idea that actions speak louder than words and that this is why analyzing our online habits is important. He ends his book with the pithy summary, "Simply stated, if you want to understand the new connected world and how we choose to live in it, look no further than our Internet behavior; after all, we are what we click."

I do think the book could have been interesting. The premise was intriguing, and its comparison to Freakonomics bespoke a work with new insight into human behavior. Perhaps with further editing, the book could become what the author had intended.

My grade: C-

26 Habits/Skills in 52 Weeks—Habits/Skills I Want to Adopt or Stop

2008-07-29T15:31:00.006-04:00

Recently, I have been flip-flopping around about what sorts of things I think are good about my life and what sorts of things I want to change. I decided that I would make a list of those things in my life that I want to change or do better and post it.

If you are reading this list, and you see something that you have successfully incorporated into your own life habits, please leave a tip as a comment so that others might benefit from your wisdom. If I stumble upon a really fun or interesting idea for incorporating any of these life changes, I will make a note of it.

Drink more water every day.
Spend more quality time with my child, being present in the moment and not ready to rush off to the next thing.
Start a graduated running plan.
Drink less coffee every week until I am down to one treat a week.
Take time to review information critically before forming an opinion.
Do yoga at least every other day.
Spend more time doing things that I really think are important.
Find ways to practice more self discipline.
Show more gratitude to those in my life.
Listen more carefully.
Slow down and be as present as possible.
Write every day.
Start adopting freelance projects.
Evaluate where I am on this list and adjust accordingly.
Meditate every day.
Cook more/eat out less.
Bake at least once a week and make enough to share.
Make a budget and stick to it.
Spend less impulsively.
Take a deep breath before jumping on the defensive...to avoid becoming defensive.
Stop eating meat.
Consume less sugar in every form.
Begin completing a chapter of my writing project each week.
Begin working on sewing projects.
Try a new food every two weeks.
Write more letters to friends and family.

I promise, also, to write a less navel-gazing oriented post in the near future. I am in the midst of a really good book and will be posting a review of it soon.

Just Practicing

2008-03-21T20:32:00.004-04:00

Today marks the birth of my blog. Other than writing academic papers for classes, I have rarely written for an audience...if this blog ever has an audience.
For these first few posts, I am sure I will just be pumping my wings, so to speak before I take off completely. Right now, I am in my home thinking about my life. My daughter is in bed sleeping, and my husband is off reading a book. So I have a little space to think...something that is a bit of a luxury these days. I'm working through down-shifting right now after a long work day, adjusting to the quiet of evening.
Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed reading many quality words written by others here on the web and have been inspired by their generosity and courage in sharing. I hope that I, too, will write something that is worthwhile to someone. Soon, soon.

**The photo above came from http://www.geocities.jp/deal_steal/bui2**