Blogoversary!!!!

My blog-o-versary is tomorrow. It's been three years since I started this blog. I can't believe it's been that long. And it's been even longer since I first started writing.

I've made good friends, had two kids, written a lot, gotten my hubby writing, and read a lot. I've seen friends get agents, sell books, and find success. It's so inspiring.

For all of you who have been part of my life during the last three years, thank you. I hope to be more active in blogging and writing again in the coming year!

Spreading the Good Cheer

I just wanted to jump on the bandwagon and celebrate with my friend, Kristi Chestnut!

She's one of the first blogging friends I made three years ago. (I can't believe it's been that long.) She's been through a lot on her writing journey, but she announced this month that she has signed with an agent and she's a really great one, Bree Odgen at D4E0 Literary Agency. I'm so excited for her.

She's having a contest to celebrate, so check it out. Go and say congrats on her blog.



Congrats, Kristi! You rock the world!

The Hobbit

I've got tickets already purchased for a Saturday matinee showing of Part I. I'm excited to have a date with sweet hubby. I'm excited to have a babysitter lined up. I'm excited to spend some time with friends before they move to Arizona. It should be good.

I remember reading the book as a kid. My dad had a copy on the bookshelf, along with the Lord of the Rings. It was the thickest book I had picked up at that point. And it was great! I skipped almost all of the stuff about Aragorn when I read Lord of the Rings, but read every word of Hobbit. I hope the movie lives up to the story.

What about you? Have you read it? Going to see the movie?

Thankful for YA

I've been meaning to write this post all month. After all, November is the month for giving thanks.

I've been reading YA since I was younger than the YA age range. I keep coming back because it resonates with me on such a deep level. I relate to the emotions and the experiences I read about in these books. I go back to them when I need something comforting or relaxing.

A part of me wants to keep a hold of those years. Sure there were bad times. (Some of them felt completely bad, though not as bad as what could have been or does happen to others.) But there were also good times. First loves. First dates. Learning new things. Feeling like I knew it all. Learning that I didn't. Growing to trust myself. All the things that made me into the person that I am. Reading those stories in a YA book brings me back. It also makes me glad that I've already walked that journey.

I love that I can escape from the current dilemmas of bills to pay and work and family. Grownup troubles are so different from teenage troubles. It's nice to step away from whatever is bothering me right now and remember how all-encompassing my troubles felt years ago. It gives me perspective for what I'm experiencing now, and a reminder that troubles, no matter what they are, do go away or resolve themselves. And I won't be permanently damaged by my current stresses.

I'm so grateful for YA books that I started writing my own. Maybe no one will ever read them, but I have written them and they gave me the same escape I get from reading. I hope that some day, others will read what I wrote and find the same love that I have.

You can join in the love of YA with Beth Revis. She's hosting a contest for a library of signed books. Just click on the banner here, or in the sidebar and it will take you to her blog. Or you can check out her post by clicking here.

The End of the World As We Know It

Or something equally dramatic. All this to say, thing have got to change around here.

It's funny how much the little things get in the way of the big things, if we let them. We're muddling along, trying our best to do what we think is important, but when we look back, are we satisfied by it? Does anyone else care if you did all the dishes or washed all the laundry or picked up the living room or swept the kitchen floor? There's an endless litany of things that should be done, would be done, could be done if you had more time or energy or *insert whatever adjective goes here.

Really, the laundry waits, but the crying baby doesn't. The living room waits, but the kindergartner's homework doesn't. The dishes wait, but reading with the preschooler doesn't. There's hundreds of things that are optional, but the handful of necessary ones need to be more important.

I don't know what those things are for you, but I do for me, and I'm going to do more to make the bigger things the ones that happen more frequently. And I'm going to give up the guilt when the little things wait for an hour or a day or a week.

NOVEMBER!!!!!!

Well, I'm trying something out. It's been a while since I had a regular writing routine. And I've done NaNoWriMo in the past. And I'm really interested in trying to get back to a writing routine. So, in that spirit, I'm going to be doing my own version of NaNoWriMo. I'm seriously doubting my ability to be the mom of 4 kids, keep my house from being overwhelmed by the chaos, still do my at home job, and write 2000 words a day. (That's my own usual nano thing, since I choose not to write on Sundays.)

So, here we are. I'm going to try to get at least 500 words in Monday through Saturday. I've got two different shiny ideas plaguing me, so we'll see which one wins out. I'm hoping to start each writing day with a blog post, so watch for more from me this month.

Praying

For all my friends and loved ones on the East Coast this week. Especially my sister and her family in Baltimore and my blogging friends.

Stay safe and out of harm's way.

She's here!

Well, I figured it was about time to introduce the reason I never sleep any more. She was born on August 30th at 10:11 in the morning. I was scheduled to be induced, but went into labor on my own. Labor was a whopping 4 1/2 hours. I pushed for literally only two minutes before she was born. So far, she's been the sweetest baby. And this has been my best recovery ever. I'm already down 20 lbs from my delivery weight and it's only been 2 weeks. I might actually get to my pre-first born weight. I haven't seen that in 6 years. (Only about 10 lbs. to go!)

Any way, she's here and we're all happy, if exhausted. Sometime in the not too distant future, I may return to regular writing and blogging. The two boys are in kindergarten and preschool in the mornings, so if I am caught up on everything else, that might be my new writing time. Yay!

Just popping in

Things of note today:

1. Baby girl, who still doesn't have a name, is making her appearance on Thursday morning. My OB is a two hour drive away and he doesn't want to risk labor on the freeway, so at the very latest, we are having a baby that day. It's exciting to be only a few days from the end.

2. Sweet hubby got me a kindle. It's kind of a pre-baby gift. I've never thought that I would enjoy one. I've always kind of equated it to reading on the computer, which I don't prefer. I have to say, I was wrong. E-ink is almost the same as a regular book. So, it's nice. And I like it!

3. I've turned on word verification. I know. I hate it too. I just have gotten 20 anonymous comments on the same post in the last two days, all of them trying to sell me on buying viagra online. Yeah. I don't like it too much. We'll see if it goes away.

See you all on the post-baby flip side!

Developments

Well, the writing is happening sporadically. I'm devoting as much energy as I can to it and to helping hubby with his writing projects. Thus, blogging isn't happening.

In other news, I'm sort of on bedrest. Not completely, as I can get up and do things when I need to, but I've spent the last several days doing pretty much nothing. I'm catching up on my TBR pile and spending lots of time cuddling with the kiddos on the couch. And trying not to worry about stuff. Only 6 more weeks until the newest Hamblin enters the world. It's going by super fast. I just have to keep from going insane before she gets here.

New beginnings

"The chairs in the waiting room of a doctor's office are the most uncomfortable things in the world."

This is the first line of the new, shiny idea that has taken over my free moments. This one is a complete departure from everything I have ever written before. It's first person, present tense. It's contemporary. Not even a hint of anything magical or fairy tale or fantastical. And it's driving me crazy with the need to write it all down.

Finding Fireworks

Well, as you may be able to tell, blogging still happens pretty sporadically. Just hit the third trimester last week and you'd think that things would be going well. And they were. Until I ran out of anti-nausea meds. And discovered that I'm still quite morning sick. (This is the longest I have been sick out of 4 pregnancies. I'm really hoping it doesn't last the whole time.) So, I lost 3 pounds over the weekend and got my prescription renewed again. Good times. But that's not what this post is about. This post is about fireworks.

 Photo courtesy of Ziptivity.wordpress.com

I visited my family in the great city of Cedar City, Utah last week, where they celebrated the Opening Ceremony of the Utah Summer Games. It's a highlight of the summer because they usually have a pretty spectacular fireworks display after the lighting of the torch. I've missed it the last couple of years because of really small children, but since we were in Cedar anyway, we stayed up late to see the show.

We usually go out on the lawn near my Grandma's house. She lives just a block away from SUU's campus where the ceremony is held. We could almost watch from her front yard, but there are lots of trees in the way. They have a big set up with music and timed detonations and lots of planning for effect. The fireworks were amazing and the kids loved it. Even little girl who is only 18 months old. And it was worth it.

It struck me as we watched that fireworks are a lot like writing a book. The fireworks started out with a big burst that caught our attention. It stayed pretty steady and even until it hit a climactic point at the end of song. I almost thought it had to be the end, but it kept going at a new level of excitement and frequency. Another climactic moment came and I just knew it had to be the end. But it wasn't. Finally, after one more round of fireworks, the finale arrived. And when it hit, you really knew it. There was no mistaking it.

We need to do that in our writing. Make people think they are hitting the climax, but then, keep 'em going at that new level. And do it again. And again, until they can't wait for the end. When they are anticipating that ending, hit 'em with everything you've got. Make it spectacular. Bring it to the biggest possible moment and throw it all at em. And they'll love it.

Never SURRENDER blogfest!

 

Well, if you haven't been around in the blogosphere to meet Elana Johnson, you have been missing out. Today, I'm joining her blogfest to celebrate the release of her new book, SURRENDER. So, today, I'm sharing a time in my life where someone refused to give up. This story is only mine by default, because I wasn't the one to not give up, but you'll see why it's important in a minute.

 I was a senior in high school when I first met Greg, my husband. We were both singing in the All-State choir and met at a rehearsal. He thought I was pretty cute and wanted to introduce himself. I, on the other hand, was very busy talking to a different boy who I had known for a while. I didn't even know that Greg was around. I don't know exactly how it happened, but out of nowhere, and in the middle of my conversation with this other boy, Greg came up behind me and scooped me up into his arms. He ran off with me down the hall, saying something cheesy about "sweeping me off my feet." I was surprised, but he was cute. He put me down and we talked for a little while. It came out in the conversation that he was a junior. This was the death knell for any possible budding romance. You just don't date older girls in high school. So, we parted as friends and I didn't see him again for a long time.

Nearly two years went by and I was at an activity at SUU where I was starting my sophomore year. I saw a guy who looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. He recognized me, too, and eventually we pieced it together. It was Greg! And he was still cute, but still younger than me. We saw each other frequently at different activities on campus, but I was dating someone else and he dated someone else. We just figured we would be good friends.

Time went by. I broke up with the boyfriend. I went on a mission for the LDS church. I came home and went back to SUU. And met Greg again. He had broken up with his girlfriend, moved to Ogden, come back to Cedar and was going to SUU again. And he thought I was pretty amazing. He wanted to date me. And I was pretty sure he wasn't the right guy for me. I said, "Let's be friends." So we were. I saw him every once in a while. He invited me to over to his house a few times. I met his friends. They were all weird. And nerds. (I was a closet nerd, but unwilling to admit it.) 

And through it all, he kept asking me out. I had an excuse for him every single time. "You are too young." "I'm way too busy with school and choir and work." "You haven't been a missionary." And every time I brushed him off, he came back again. I went out on lots of dates, but never really found a guy I wanted to date seriously. He dated other girls, but would always come back to me again. Finally, after two years, we started to spend more time together. He decided to go on a mission. And I said, "Oh, maybe we should date." So, two months before he was supposed to leave for Taiwan for two years, we started dating.

Right before he left, we decided that our relationship had real potential and I was going to wait for him to come home. I wrote to him for about 18 months and then, started to worry about if it really was going to work out. I even thought about dating other guys. It never really worked out, but I stopped writing. What did Greg do? He just kept right on writing as if I had never stopped.

When he finally got home, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to see him, but he just kept acting like nothing had changed. He got home in March. We got married in July. Greg knew what he wanted and never gave up on it. And I am so glad that he did.

If you want to read other stories of people who never surrendered, you can find the link list on Elana's blog by going here. And don't forget to never surrender!

Worry

I saw this on a friend's facebook wall: Worrying is like praying for what you don't want. I have no idea who first said it, but it's really true.

I've been thinking about this a lot recently. There's a lot of stuff out there that we can worry about. What if I never get an agent? What if I never sell a book? What if nobody else likes my writing? What if? What if? What if? And that's just the beginning. From what I understand, the fears and worries don't quit just because you pass one stage for the next. (I don't know this from personal experience in the publishing industry, but it sure happens in other places. Dating to marriage to motherhood, anyone?)

The thing is, if we only focus on what we're worried about, how can we ever focus on what we actually do want? So instead of saying, "What if I never get an agent?" we should be saying "I want an agent." Take every worry, every fear and turn it into something you want instead. It's amazing how much difference that can make.

What are you worried about? What do you want instead?

Monday's Muse #2

Sorry we missed last week, everybody. There was a trip to see doctors and dentists and also sick family and all kinds of things. But enough of that.

Here's this week's inspiration:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Flash Fiction Fridays #1

Hello all! Welcome to the first installment of Flash Fiction Fridays. The goal here is to just get words flowing. Start a habit of writing again. So each week, the inspiration is posted on Monday and the inspired work goes up on Fridays. If you want to participate, you are welcome to link to a post of your own or put your piece in the comments.

Before I get to the FF today, I just have to give my mom and hubby and shout-out. Mom is graduating from college after years of waiting, raising a family, and trying to fit in school with teenagers and schedules and  so proud of her for committing to a dream and following through. She's inspiring to me! And tomorrow is hubby's birthday. We may or may not be buying a car in Vegas tomorrow, so birthday plans are pretty vague, but it's still exciting.

And now:

The Scent of Lilacs

Mary had always loved the way the lilacs blossomed in the Spring. The scent filled her room when she left the windows open at night and gave her such nice dreams. That fake, lotiony smell wasn't the same. It never lifted her out of the dumpy trailer and into a fairy castle like the real thing did. 

The window was open again. Somewhere down the street, she could hear kids playing "Steal the Flag." They shrieked and whooped at each other. She'd never been invited to come and play. When she was younger, she couldn't understand why and she had cried herself to sleep as the lilac scent washed over her. Now she knew it wasn't her fault. She couldn't help it that her dad was in jail and her mom drank too much. 

Still, she listened to the game and wished she were out there. She wished she didn't have to take care of her mom after a night at the bar. She wished her dad had never met that guy who needed a body guard. She wished that she didn't live in the beat-up, rundown trailer with trash in the yard. And most of all, she wished that the lilac dreams were real and she could fly away to a better place.

"Mary! I need you." Her mom retched a few times, the sound echoing from the bathroom. 

She got up from her bed and crossed the small hallway to the bathroom. Her mom rested her head on the floor, right next to the cold bowl of the toilet. A dribble of pinkish slime ran down her cheek. Mary took the closest towel in her hand and gently wiped her mother's face clean. She got a bottle of aspirin from the medicine cabinet and filled the glass of water that sat by the sink. She helped her mom sit up and swallow a few pills and covered her with a blanket on the floor again.

Back in her room, the lilacs washed the tinge of alcohol from her nose. She closed her eyes and hugged her pillow close, letting the dream take her away again.

Monday's Muse #1

Here it is, folks. The first inspiration for flash fiction Friday. If you want to join in, just leave a comment on today's post and check back on Friday for my effort. You can post to your own blog or leave a comment with your flash fiction piece on Friday's post.



(I found this image at http://www.athomeinwyoming.com/at_home_in_wyoming/2009/05/another-missed.html instead of going out into the yard to take a picture of my own lilacs.)

Catching up again

Hello all.I didn't realize it had been so long between posts. Thanks for all the congratulations on baby girl (who remains nameless, so far. We usually don't pick a name until after we meet the kid.) We've passed the halfway mark with this pregnancy. I'm finally not wanting to toss my figurative cookies all the time. (Which is really, really good.) And I've been super busy with family, working, day trips, house work, and all the other stuff that piles up in the day.

I haven't had (or made) much time for writing in the last several months. It makes me wonder if I really am a writer. I've learned something new about the process again. It's kind of a use it or lose it sort of venture. When I'm writing, new shiny ideas come all the time. When I'm not, they are few and far between. And I miss them. How I miss them.

Sometimes, I look at what is going on in the blogging world around me and feel disconnected or disingenuous or some other word that starts with dis. I want to get back into the writing, but am at a loss for time and (to a lesser extent) desire right now. I keep passing through all these different options for making changes in some way, but only one seems really fun, so I might try it. And it would get my hand in again.

On Monday, I will post, either with an inspiration or looking for one. (I'll call it Monday's Muse! How alliterative.) On Friday, I'll post a piece of flash fiction based on whatever the inspiration was on Monday. (Flash Fiction Fridays! Yay!) We'll give it a try and see where it goes. If you want to participate, you are sure welcome to. And who knows. It might lead to some new ideas. Let me know what you think!

It's not a puppy

We're also not having surprise twins, thank goodness! (My husband's cousin found out they were expecting only about 6 months after their first. Surprise twins.)

This baby was much more stubborn about modesty than all three of the other kids. Would not uncross legs for the longest time, but we did finally get a good look. And it's another.... GIRL!

Yup, we're having the perfect family. Two older boys. Two younger girls. Except hubby says we'll need a tie-breaker. If I ever did have twins, that would be when it happens.

No real writing news to speak of this week. Just the exciting family news! Have a great weekend and enjoy Friday the 13th!

Waiting for big news

Today, I'm taking the long drive to Cedar City, where I will have a doctor's appointment with the OB. I'll also be getting an ultrasound. THE ultrasound. Wherein we find out the gender of the little thing that's squirming around more and more noticeably in my belly. It's a running joke that we're having a puppy, so we'll see what we're getting.

Any predictions? We've got two boys and a girl. Leave them in the comments.

LDS Writer Blogfest: The Laborers in the Vineyard

Welcome to the 3rd Annual LDS Writer Blogfest. Recently, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint held a General Conference. This is a time when leaders of the church address the worldwide membership. Each of the Twelve Apostles and members of the Quorum of Seventy expound scriptures and discuss doctrines of the Church. It's an uplifting and inspiring time.

One of the talks that was given really struck a chord with me. It was delivered by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Laborers in the Vineyard. (Full text available by clicking the link.) In this talk, he spoke about a scriptural passage from the New Testament, Matthew 20:1-15. In this parable, a householder hires several different laborers to work in his fields. Some come in the early morning. Some come in the middle of the day. Some come when the day is almost over. All of them work as hard as they can in the time they have. At the end of the day, the householder gives each worker their wages. The ones who worked hard all day receive the same wages as the ones who started working later in the day. The ones who worked all day are a little upset at this and complain. And this is the part that really struck me. The householder answer, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" Elder Holland distills the meaning down to something like this, "Why should you be jealous because I choose to be kind?”

And here's the take away. We can look at the good fortune of others and be jealous, or we can appreciate our own good fortunes. So what if someone got an amazing agent on the very first round of queries with the first book they ever wrote. Does that mean that the tenth book I'm writing is awful? So what if someone got an awesome book deal after being on sub for only a month. Does that mean that I have a terrible agent, who can't sell a terrible book? No! Some of us start working at the beginning of the day and some of start working at the end of day, but all of us are going to get a fair day's wage, as long as we finish the day's work.

In writing, it's super easy to compare ourselves to what is going on in someone else's life. But we we just have to remember that we don't need to jealous because of what someone else got. There's still something wonderful and meaningful and just right waiting for us.

If you would like to know more about General Conference, what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or what I believe as a member, please ask! I'd be happy to answer. And head on over the rest of the participants in the blogfest to see what they have to say!

Amanda Sowards
Angie Lofthouse
Ben Spendlove
Britanny Larsen
Cami Checketts
Charity Bradford
Danyelle Ferguson
Giselle Abreu
Julia Keanini
Julie Coulter Bellon
Kasey Tross
Kayeleen Hamblin
Kelly Bryson
Krista Van Dolzer
Laura Johnston
Melanie Standord
Rachelle Christensen
Rebecca Belliston
Sierra Gardner
Stephanie Worlton

Happy Easter

I hope you all enjoy your Easter weekend. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a special video for the season that I wanted to share with you all. I hope you enjoy it. I know He lives and loves us.

test post

And then there was sick

More specifically, the flu.

My entire family. Hubby, me, 5 year old, 3 year old, 1 year old. And we got it in spite of all the normal precautions, including flu vaccines. Let me tell you. If you have never had the flu, don't. It is one of the most miserable things in the universe. And if you have to get it, don't everyone get it all at once.

Nothing much else is coming to mind. It's hard to think with all this guck and ache behind my nose.

Back again at the end of the week.

And it's not too late to sign up for the LDS Writer Blogfest next Tuesday. Just leave a comment and I'll get back to you!

Celebrate!

I'm just thrilled to be able to announce it to the world that my good friend and writing buddy, Krista Van Dolzer, signed with agent, Kate Schafer Testerman. Join her celebration by visiting her blog at http://motherwrite.blogspot.com/2012/04/im-back-with-agent-and-contest.html.

She's giving away critiques, including a generous one from her new agent, so if you are ready to query, make sure you enter the contest.

Either way, go and say yay!

A few things of note

1. If you are planning on participating in the LDS Writer Blogfest, please grab the button from the sidebar. It originally had the wrong source code, but that's been fixed. It's not too late to join in the fun. Spread the word!

2. We've had houseguests all week. The kids have loved having friends to play with. It reminds me of simpler times when there weren't netflix and Wii's and internets. Also, the weather has been amazingly warm, so there has been lots of outside playing time, which makes for quiet inside and peaceful mommy.

3. Morning sickness just doesn't know when to quit. I mean, seriously. I have been taking nausea drugs to make things better, so I thought it was going away. After all, I'm almost halfway through this whole pregnancy thing now. Foolishly, I stopped taking the drugs. Looks like a few more weeks of morning sickness and accompanying drugs are on the horizon for me.

4. Have you visited thegregwriter.blogspot.com? I still think he's the better writer. And it's worth stopping in. He's got great insights into the world and writing and stuff.

That's it for me. How are you?

Out of Genre

So, small town Utah where I live doesn't have a big book store. Or even a big library. And in the library, the YA section is even smaller. (Although the romance/erotica section is pretty big.) That means my options for new YA books are pretty limited.

I recently looked the the collection of books at our house and found a fairly large stack of books by John Grisham. I thought to myself: "Self, you've never read one of these. Everybody loves them. You've seen a movie or two on TV and thought they were pretty good. Give it a try." So I picked the top book off the stack. A PAINTED HOUSE.

I started to read. It wasn't too long before I realized that this book was not what I had expected. I kept thinking, "Where's the lawyers? The judicial system? The thriller/suspense action." Turns out, I had picked the one book in the pile that was a literary work instead of a suspense book. I don't think I could have picked anything further from my chosen genre if I tried.

So, the book follows a 7 year old boy through the rigors of cotton picking in the 50s. There's no real action to drive the story forward. It kind of plods along. I found myself reading 5 or 10 pages and putting it down for the rest of the day. It took me almost a month (which is unheard of for me), but I finished it a few nights ago. And in true literary style, the book didn't really end. It just kind of dropped off in the middle of the next thing that happens.

So, why am I telling you all this? I learned something reading that book. While it was definitely not something I would have chosen, I did want to see it through to the end. There was something about that 7 year old and all the secrets he encountered in the course of the story that kept me coming back. And while it wasn't sweeping, crashing world of a young adult novel, I cared about the characters. I could see the places and the people.

While I doubt I will ever write something truly literary, especially for an adult market, there's a lot that can be incorporated from reading and learning about literary works.

What about you? Have you read out of your genre? What did you learn by doing so?

A quick question

So, I recently signed up for Pinterest. I've heard and seen lots of people using it, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do at this point. I don't have any boards or pins or whatever the terminology is. Help a girl out?

The Obligatory Post

I know! 3 posts in the same week! What's the world coming to?

There's a lot of buzz going on this week. It seems a certain book to movie adaptation is hitting theaters today. In case you haven't heard. Yup. It's the "Hunger Games" premier today. And I, sadly, will not be seeing it. Probably not for several weeks. If at all. There's two movie screens in our little town. Neither of them is known for being on top of the new releases, although, they do get movies while they are still first run. Current offerings are "The Secret of Arriety" (which I want to see) and "John Carter" (which I also want to see.) Notice a theme? Both are book to movie adaptations.

I've noticed this more and more lately. There's a lot (and I really mean a ton) of movies that are currently out (or coming out) that came from a book. And these things are generally done to more or less success, depending on which book, how faithfully they follow the story, etc. I think it has something to do with a ready-made plot, and in many cases, a proven track record of sales.

Greg (the hubby who now has a name, since he's also a blogging writer at thegregwriter.blogspot.com) watched a movie last night for the first time. Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. Don't judge. We have three kids and limited theater options, remember? Did you know it was a book first? Written by Tim Powers (who is an author everyone should read at least once.) I haven't read this book, but Greg has. I asked him how they compared. He said, "Well, the book has Blackbeard, and the fountain of youth. And Blackbeard is magical." Pretty much everything else is an invention of the movie. My favorite part? In the credits it says: "Suggested by the book by Tim Powers". Suggested by. Not even based on. And they got it right. It was definitely suggested by.

So, the ultimate question. Will I see The Hunger Games? Yes. Most likely. Not until most of the known universe has already seen it, but probably at some point. The great news about having read the book already? No real spoilers, except for what was left out (or possibly changed.)

What about you? Are you seeing The Hunger Games? What do you think about all these book to movie adaptations?

Something New

Just a head's up. My hubby has been a closet writer, but he's making the leap. He's started a blog at thegregwriter.blogspot.com. He's pretty good. (I might even say he's better than me.) It's worth a look. Go check him out!

Announcing the 3rd Annual LDS Writer Blogfest

I've never been shy of mentioning that I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church (sometimes called the Mormons.) For the past several years, Krista at motherwrite.blogspot.com has been hosting the LDS Writer Blogfest, in which LDS writers from around the country blogged about our beliefs and linked to everybody else’s posts. Since Krista recently had a baby, she asked me to organize it this year.

We're planning to hold this year’s blogfest on the second Tuesday in April, April 10. If you’re interested in participating, you can leave a comment here or email me with the name of the blog you'll be posting to. (Email address is in the sidebar.) I'll get in touch with you about the particulars and as we get closer to the date, I’ll send you a complete list of all the other bloggers so you can include that list somewhere in your post.

And if you know of any other LDS writer-bloggers who might be interested in participating, feel free to send them my way. We'd love to have anyone who is interested be able to join in.

You can also pick up the blog button from the side bar to spread the word.

Upcoming blogfest

If you've been around the blog for a while, you'll know that every April, I participate in the LDS Writers' Blogfest. It's an opportunity for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who also happen to be writers, share something about themselves and the church. In the past, Krista at Mother. Write. Repeat. has been one of the hosts (and founder) of the blogfest, but this year, she's a little busy. She just had a baby and is adjusting to that. So, I've taken up the reins and will be organizing the blogfest this year. If you have previously participated, or would like to join in this year, please drop me a note. I'll be sending out more information as the month goes by, so watch for more updates.

The moment you've all been waiting for

Okay. Probably not. But it's a pretty momentous occasion, all the same.

The reason I haven't been blogging as much recently is that I've been kind of sick. A lot. All day every day for the last couple of months. And I'll probably be sick for a while longer. Because baby number four is headed our way.

I get really sick when I'm pregnant. So far, I haven't thrown up every day like I did last time, but I have lost tons of weight. And it saps my energy. Between my other kids and housework and regular work and everything else, I'm pretty exhausted by the end of the day.

I'm trying to stay at least semi-active in blogging. And there are some really cool things coming up, like the LDS Writers' Blogfest. (If you are interested, drop me a line.) So, I'll still be around. Just kind of taking it easier.

What's new in your neck of the writerly woods?

That's All

There's a song on the first album Michael Buble put out back in the day. It perfectly sums up how I feel about my sweetheart and I wanted to share it with you. Happy Love Appreciation Day (otherwise known as Valentine's Day) to all of you. If you have your special someone, I hope this is how you feel. If you haven't found a special someone, I hope this is what you get.

"That's All"

I can only give you love that lasts forever,
And a promise to be near each time you call.
And the only heart I own
For you and you alone
That's all,
That's all...

I can only give you country walks in springtime
And a hand to hold when leaves begin to fall;
And a love whose burning light
Will warm the winter's night
That's all,
That's all.

There are those I am sure who have told you,
They would give you the world for a toy.
All I have are these arms to enfold you,
And a love time can never destroy.

If you're wondering what I'm asking in return, dear,
You'll be glad to know that my demands are small.
Say it's me that you'll adore,
For now and evermore
That's all,
That's all.

It's all in the words

I've been thinking about words recently. This happens mainly because of my almost 5 year old. He never really went through a "why" stage. He kind of circumvented it with "what." He comes up to me all throughout the day, asking "What does this mean?" "What does that mean?" "What kind of burger are we having?" So, there's lots of questions, just not why questions.

His newest trend is to ask what a random word means. Examples: except. Awkward. Neither. Actually. We're not talking the easy to define words here. Have you ever tried to define except? Without using a dictionary? Yeah. Not easy. Many of the words he asks about, my response is automatically, "It just means _________ (repeating the word to him again.)"

Sometimes, I ask him what he thinks the word means. For instance, awkward. His definition of awkward is when people eat in a silly way. I'm pretty sure that is awkward, but his use of that word with that specific definition will probably end up being awkward for him later.

I guess the point of this is that we use words every day. And a lot of the time, we don't even have a concrete definition of what the word means. You use it. You know how to use it. How often could you define it, if someone asked you to?

What are your favorite words?

*Sorry for the long absence. I'm still working out a few kinks and that may mean that the blogging schedule becomes really unscheduled. What I mean to say is, I'll blog when I can. And hopefully, it will be more often than not.

Nothing to see here

Just a writing ninja....

Still Alive

But not really kicking very hard.

Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and a new year have come and gone since last we spoke.

The allergy saga has deepened (thanks everyone for your kind thoughts). Boy #1 has allergies too. Wheat, soy, peanuts, dogs, horses, every seasonal/hay fever thing under the sun. So we are trying to be a wheat/soy/peanut/egg/milk free family right now. Challenging.

Everybody caught a really horrible cold bug around Christmas time. We traveled, visited, and coughed all over family. It was the first time in several years that all my siblings (with accompanying spouses and children) have been together in the same place.

Hubby and I took a kid free trip for Christmas/New Years. Overnight. To Salt Lake City. For fine dining and grown up entertainment. (Nothing of the weird or kinky sort. We went to museums and Temple Square and shopping at a mall.) Without the kids. It was blissful.

Other things are in the works or changing but I don't want to get into it right now. Maybe sometime soon when the mood strikes and things are more settled.

I just wanted to stop in and say thanks. And I appreciate you. And you are all great. And I wish you all the puppies. (Unless puppies aren't your thing. Then it can be book deals. Or something equally awesome.)

What have you been up to?