Hurrah! Silk: Caroline's Story can be given away!

Yay!  The Kindle promotion is a success!  Thousands have downloaded Silk: Caroline's Story for free... At least it's a start in getting my book out there and hopefully will translate into more Silk visibility and future Tapestry purchases.  Today's the last day, and I'm watching the sales with eager cheers, along with my family. 
I'm a little nervous, as I've yet to see Tapestry selling like hot cakes--and that's sort of the point, beyond simply raising Silk to visibility status.  Tapestry has a meager two purchases since the promotion began.  Michael says to be patient, that folks will get to it, but I'd hoped for a few all-night readers among the thousands--folks who were so entranced that they couldn't put Silk down and would buy Tapestry right away!  Oh well...
But who's complaining?  Not me!  I'm actually quite thrilled to have Silk moving, whether or not I make any money at this point.  Another hope is that some folks will actually start talking about Silk, getting the word out.  No new reviews as of this point, however...
Anyhow, just thought I'd get on here and share about the excitement.  And it does partly have to do with wanting to be able to say that 'thousands' have downloaded my book--because just a short time ago we surpassed the 2000 mark, which was a big deal for me.

So, just to clarify...  I am the poorest , most pitiful advertiser/self-promoter out there!  I have done zilch to get Silk on the market, beyond putting it up for sale to begin with.  However, I'm tickled that Amazon offered this free promotion and hope that somehow I'll magically make it, despite myself.  That is, assuming that I can write at all...  And, you know, I've stared at these books way too long, so I really don't know!  It'll be absolutely fantastic if a good number of those new readers are moved enough to actually shell out for book #2...  Perhaps I'll finally feel like a 'real' author after all!

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to pop on here for a moment and wish everyone Happy Holidays!  I am amazed at how long it's been since I've blogged, so I just thought I'd post a quick note to say all is well and I'm sort of muddling through a ton of books and films about the Hanoverians and British monarchs in general.  Not much writing or exercising or anything very productive these days...but hopefully the new year will bring some fresh focus and completion of at least one of a couple of different projects...  For now, though, we're up to our ears with stuff to do.  Best wishes for a Merry Christmas!

Football Jersey and a Moustache

Alex has his first flag football game of the season today.  I was surprised to learn that he could wear his football jersey to school, in lieu of his regular school uniform.  So there went my son this morning, in his football jersey--I believe it's what he'll wear for the game, as I don't think they wear all that traditional padding.  I was quite fazed at the idea of my little boy wearing a football jersey, like a teenage jock in high school!
He is really the character lately, though.  I guess he's still in the in-between stage.  I declared last night with conviction, "Alex, you're two!"  The silly boy drew a moustache and goatee on his face with a marker--a permanent Sharpie marker!  He didn't realize it was permanent marker--but neither does a two-year-old!  Luckily, I realized what he was doing the moment it was done.  I'd seen him carrying that Sharpie into the restroom, and it hit me in a few moments, "Alex, that's a permanent marker!"  Fortunately, it mostly came off...  He thought it was quite hilarious.  I wondered if his behavior was due to some sort of strange food reaction...
I'll have to remember to take the camera today, to catch my boy in action--if he gets to play.  Not sure exactly what his role is...mostly because I know nothing about the game and don't attend practices.  I think he does the kick-off thing at the beginning of the game...

Hanoverian Line

My new passionate interest is actually quite an old one--in more than one way!  The most distant genealogical line in my family is that through the royal line--King George II of Hanover being the most recent monarch to grace the family tree.  From there, you know it goes wild with info.  Not that I think 'royalty' have greater inherent worth than commoners of the time--it's just that there simply aren't the same sorts of available records and histories of the commoners.  And the royalty does have the added benefit of hobnobbing with all sorts of other famous people from history--bringing history very much to life for me!  My ancestors rubbed elbows with and even employed famous philosophers, authors, and artists.  They associated and clashed with other European royalty. 

You know, there is some question regarding whether the line actually holds that far back.  The scandals go on and on for these folks (including multitudinous affairs) and I have somewhere in the vicinity of 10 SC generations before we even get back to William, Duke of Cumberland in England--that's 'Butcher' Cumberland, for those in the know!  Despite the very real skepticism of whether the blood lines hold, I'm going on the assumption that they do for now, as there's a very real excitement in thinking that I am descended directly from Mary, Queen of Scots.  Pretty fantastic, right?  And that my ancestors employed Liebniz, hosted Swift, elevated England to a super-power, etc., etc...  They may have a been louts and scoundrels, but they were notable louts and scoundrels--and, simply, the info is there and available and interesting!

So, as we learn more about these folks, more associations are being made, and Michael made one yesterday that was quite exciting for me.  We are looking into horseback riding lessons for Fiona (a couple of months of lessons were promised in lieu of a birthday party back in May!), and the stable that he'd been referred to specializes in Hanoverian horses.  He called to relate that tidbit.  Yep, folks...that's my gggggggggggggggggg(#?)-grandaddy's doin's!  King George I was known for his love of horses, and he bred the Hanoverians from thoroughbreds and Holsteins in Celle (his wife was Sophia Dorothea of Celle).  Know how I know?  Well, when Michael heard of the breed, I simply opened up a book I have on horses (that I also referenced for my Silk trilogy), and there was the bit about King George!  See how very available that info is?  And once you have the hooks, it just opens those doors wide...

Precious Water

"It's not fair!  Why does Alex get to wash his hands?" 

Not something I hear every day, right?  Yes, the fortunate, privileged Alex stood at the kitchen sink this morning luxuriating his paws in a stream of water (poured by yours truly).  We had bar soap and everything.

The children had been awake for less than a half hour and yet were already feeling the water crisis acutely, as the household water had to be shut off last night due to a kitchen leak.  Fortunately, the leak began while Michael and I were sitting at the kitchen table after the kids were already settled in bed.  If we'd gone to bed at the same time, we'd have woken to find the downstairs flooded, as the leak involved a steady pour of water from the icemaker dispenser.

As a sidenote, this is really quite the curious event, as an almost identical situation occurred last month at our home in SC (my grandparents' old place).  There, however, we didn't get to it in time, and the 'fix' included ripping up linoleum and dealing with fungal growth in the wall behind the leak.  Quite the awful experience--so, yes, I truly am very grateful that we were present when the water started pouring from the fridge last night!

Poor Alex had gotten blamed by me for prior hints and indications of the impending crisis, as he's our 'ice boy'.  Fiona and I rarely get ice, but Alex loves ice water.  In both locations, I'd been having repetitive occurences of puddled water in front of the fridge, and I assumed it was his fault--and I have often seen him drop pieces of ice on the floor, so the blame was not entirely without justification!   

So, until our personal handyman Michael (a.k.a. 'Pa', think Charles Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie) can get this leak fixed, we are without household running water.  It's not actually the horribly unpleasant experience it was when I was a girl, though, as we have a backup water supply.  No, not a couple of jugs stashed away.  We have two huge barrels of water outside!  Yes, Michael installed rain barrels a year ago or so, and this is the first time that we've actually really needed the water.  We've used the water for watering plants a bit, but today the gratitude sets in, for I have already brought in several loads of water--for handwashing, for the toilet...  It's nice to have water to wipe down the counters and all such.  Oh, and yes, Fiona did get to wash her hands! 

I'm not actually sure what the potability of the water is--and I don't think I'm going to find out either!  Not this go-round, anyway (though it looks and smells fine)!  Luckily, I'd already filled water bottles for the kids' lunches last night and put them in the fridge.  That actually doesn't often occur, but it was nice. Fiona asked, with big eyes, "Mom, could I have a sip of my lunch water?" this morning.  She was thrilled to have the water available. 

You know, I've always wanted to have a hand pump for water--just in case.  I often have worried about emergency scenarios--and, on the multiple occasions that we were briefly out of water in my childhood, I always thought how grateful I'd be for that alternate source of water.  Now, with two huge barrels of water, I feel pretty luxurious about it all!  Isn't that funny?  Oh, the things we normally take for granted!

Pecan Crackin'

We gathered some pecans this past weekend at my grandparent's place in SC.  Michael thinks the tree is over a hundred years old.  It is huge!  Anyhow, so fun to harvest something at last, as the pears and figs didn't make at all this year.  Or, if they did, the birds and squirrels got them!  This afternoon Alex helped me shell enough to make pesto--with our own basil plants, as well.  I toast them and use them instead of pine nuts, and we all approve of the switch-up!  After dinner, I suggested that we crack some more for cookies tomorrow, and Michael, now home from work, pulled out the Rocket Pecan-Cracker!  It's fantastic!  The pressure is applied at the ends so that you end up with far more whole nuts in the end, rather than all those little pieces.  We're not entirely sure who we inherited the device from, but we've had it for a while and I was fairly clueless as to its purpose.  Now I know!  Fiona played the piano--between dashing over to try out the rocket-cracker--and it was quite the lovely old-fashioned evening!

Sticking to all sorts of Budgets

Hello!  It's early October and absolutely beautiful weather.  Sound vague, don't I?  Yes, actually, I'm feeling rather vague these days...  It seems as though I'm sort of in my cycle of the same old, same old and simply am not bursting with any new insights...well, except for the insight that it's okay not to have new ideas and insights for a time!  Sometimes, I'm afraid, I tend to jump from one fascinating subject to another.  And that's alright, at times.  However, there's something to be said for simple tenacity and seeing things through--especially when you've found something good. 

You know, Alex is in his 9th year at Ellis Montessori.  Nine years is a long time, by pretty much anyone's standards--and he has yet another year there.  Fiona's in her fifth year there (she missed out on the pre-K lottery, so she'll have one year less than him there--a measly nine years when she's done!).  So, between the two of them, that's nineteen school years.  My point?  Well, I did my homework.  We visited schools and I talked with teachers, we looked at the fantastic public school funding and were satisfied.  We moved to Savannah and enrolled Alex.  Now, given the oft-precarious state of our finances, I am ever more convinced that the move was a good one.  No matter how I loved any of the fantastic Montessori or Waldorf schools in Washington--well, I'm not sure how we could have consistently afforded them.  That said, though, isn't it always that way?  Whenever a bill disappears--say you pay off your car, for instance--it's not like you have that extra $300 every month on hand.  Of course, we've never had a paycheck subsistence, so perhaps it is like that for some folks.  Maybe our income would have met our need.  That aside, though, I actually did think that Ellis Montessori compared quite favorably with the private schools I visited and was more beautiful, besides.

Okay, so this blog is about tenacity and not finances, right?  Except that finances have very much been on my mind lately.  Deep breath....whew.  My sister posted a youtube rant on FB about the federal government's deficit this morning, and I found it absolutely hilarious--especially after I'd just been paying bills.  The fellow was right, though.  How ridiculous is it that we tout capitalism as the model, and yet we borrow all our money from the Communists?  We're proving ourselves stupid.  And the fact that us normal folks have to qualify for car loans and mortgages, but our hoity-toity government folks don't think they have to look at their own 'credit score' and stop borrowing money?  Anyhow, I'm just repeating his rant here, but it struck a chord, especially when each of us as individuals is worriedly scanning our own bank account in the meantime, trying to stay within our means.

And that, my dears, along with a subsequent conversation with said sister about her dissatisfaction with the local elementary school in her area, is where the little love note about Ellis came from.  I love the fact that my children can go there without concerns about having to withdraw due to insufficient finances.  We've been blessed with, hmm, about 14 years cumulatively thus far of zero tuition there.  Heavens!  Can you even begin to do the math?  Don't forget interest!

So...see?  You haven't been missing anything with my lack of postings lately, as they would have all been along this vein.  This appreciation for Ellis is occasioning me the thought to pat myself on the back a bit for finding it--and to remind myself of the benefits of sticking with things.  

I've been struck with a new inspiration for a book, actually.  Mind you, I'm not certain about it all, but it came on in a burst and I've had a little of that will-o'-the-wisp feeling of following that notion.  I've been gathering some reading materials and researching on-line in that vein.  However, I'm in the midst of my French study and still need to finish book #3 of the Silk trilogy.  I've also been trying to deal with my grandparents' home that we've inherited.  I hesitate to say 'remodeling', as I'm not structurally altering anything, really.  It's amazing what bleach, primers and paints can do for a room--along with some basic furnishings (used, of course!) and decorations.  

Between kids and all these things and my own regular home maintenance and daily chores and general inclination towards somnolence :), well, I've just been finding it difficult to structure myself and find that right balance.  Balancing time, balancing checkbook...yep, I guess those are my issues right now.  And this blog generally helps me to clarify what it is that I want to focus on, for you know how OCD I can be, when I get the inclination.  Today, I'm reminding myself of the importance and power of tenacity. 

We should make our decisions with great care and deliberation and then stick to them--unless, of course, some unexpected factor arises that really does cause things to weigh in differently.  I've had a couple of friends who have driven me absolutely mad with their constant wondering, even after they'd begun a course of action.  As much as we'd like to think that there's one right answer, though, it sometimes just becomes a matter of sticking with the decision we've made.  Not that the other decision was wrong or that we've chosen the 'one' path that fate deemed correct--simply that we need to function and move forward.  I'm not saying that we can't change our minds--only that there should be a reason to do so, and not simply a whim based on momentary capriciousness.

So, yes...I have quite the capricious mind at times.  I found a language course in Spanish that I've had in the garage and was quite excited about it.  Alex and Fiona are taking Spanish, and I had years of Spanish in school.  It would be easy, right?  I could set aside French for a little while and refresh my Spanish, right?  Yes, that's the sort of whim that takes hold of me.  And I have dusted off the course and brought it upstairs...oh so tempting to deviate from my French study.  And, frankly, there is perfectly good reason and value in doing so.  Except that I am reminding myself that I'm studying French now.  The Spanish course can wait.

I do allow a certain amount of capriciousness, especially with regards to things that don't matter and are simply for entertainment.  I've started tons of books and not finished them.  I never used to be like that.  I wasted countless hours in tenaciously finishing books with no real worth--simply because I'd started them.  However, I'm finding the converse to be true now.  I'm not finishing books that I really do enjoy.  And I find it a little unsettling and unsatisfactory.  I think that I need to strike a balance there--to show some tenacity for tenacity's sake--for stability's sake--unless there's good reason not to do so.  For instance, the boring books should be chucked, but I should try to finish those that I think are worth finishing before starting another based on the slightest whim.

So, at this moment, on a broader level, that means sticking with French, listening to the rest of those 'intellectual devotionals', and finishing my trilogy this fall.  Fascinating and inspiring future work, which may include researching/writing the new Hanoverian novels and refreshing my Spanish, can hold.  It's kind of like sticking to a budget...and I suppose it is a sort of 'time budget', right?    

Alrighty, now that that's settled, I'll get back to it!

Hairdressers

Given my recent blog about 'service folks', I thought I'd mention something that illustrates my avoidance of such.  It's not just avoidance of them for money's sake, truly!  I see going to them as a hassle, as time-wasting, etc., if I can just take care of things myself!  It's certainly not because I have control issues, either, right? ;)

Anyhow, I've been cutting my family's hair forever, but my own hair has typically been taken care of by a professional, though I'd taken to putting on the coloring myself, generally, when my long-standing hairdresser moved away (and we'd been operating on a barter system!).  Anyhow, this week marked an advent, though.  For the first time, I had Fiona cut my hair!  She was very nervous, but I assured her that if she messed up it would grow out again, and I could always get it fixed at a salon.  Well...I think she did a pretty great job!  After she finished, I cut her hair, too, of course.  I'll have to get a pic to add to this blog, I guess!  So, I'm tickled to be able to avoid yet another service person.  Michael takes care of virtually all home and car maintenance, and I do what I can...now Fiona's in on it--and she's excited about it.  You know, a lot of these projects are actually fun when they're only occasional chores!  And there's a bit of satisfaction in our work and pride in our artistry that comes from projects like home remodeling and haircutting!

Another fringe benefit is that mistakes don't gnaw at you like they do when others make them--somehow, I can deal with my own incompetence better than I can deal with a paid professional's!  All that said, though, I am incredibly grateful that there are service folks out there--I have NO plans to reshingle the roof myself, spray for termites, etc.!

Nerd Story, Please

Just thought I'd relate a humorous tidbit from this morning...  I've been listening to the 'Intellectual Devotionals' by Kidder & Oppenheim lately, and I had them playing this morning while the kids ate breakfast. 

Now, we're big fans of stories on audio CDs.  We often listen to children's literature while taking trips in the car, and even while cleaning at the house and such.  Anyhow, when I pause the story in the car (which I do frequently), the kids will generally chime, "Story, please!" in unison if I don't resume the CD in a timely fashion. 

So, this morning, I'd paused the CD, which was in the midst of discussing some sort of historic peace treaty (no, I can't remember the name of it!), and was pleasantly surprised by Alex's eventual, "Nerd story, please!"  He's a funny little fellow, isn't he? 

Etiquette Schmetiquette

Alors!  I have been studying French with an eye to the language only, but culture seeps in through the dialogue, of course.  Unfortunately, I have the continually disconcerting reaction to the dialogue, in which actions are continually perceived as rude which seem just fine and normal to me!  It's a very uncomfortable feeling, and, Zut!, I just don't like squirming in my seat like that!  It's probably a good education for me, though, I suppose...and I wonder about whether the etiquette pertains more to class distinctions than to foreign culture.  I suppose the argument can be made that different classes are rather a foreign culture, eh?  Whew...  Perhaps it doesn't happen all that often, actually.  I do tend to be a wee bit sensitive, right?  Today's issue had to do with a girl's mother getting stranded while out doing errands when her car breaks down.  Her call for help was seen as an imposition, which bothered me--having been in that situation before.  The perception seemed to be 'get a taxi, lady!'  Yes, I know it puts folks out to get those calls, but isn't that what family's for?  However, I suppose perhaps a slightly more affluent class sees hired help as a part of life. 

In my course of study, there's also simply the constant chat with concierges and a huge variety of service folks, which is simply not part of my own life very often--and I'm rather stricken with the feeling, 'I can't afford to learn French!'  Of course, maybe those feelings will quell if I ever do visit France, as of course I'll have to deal with those 'service' folks continually.  As it is, though, I rather freak whenever a valet is involved in any event.  I don't know what to do here, in America, when speaking English!!!  I'll be a lost puppy in France and utterly dumbfounded, whether or not I know the words!

'We' employed Handel

Correlations are so fun!  I just found out that Handel (you know, the Christmastime Messiah music...) was employed as court composer by George I--supposedly my ancestor.  I'm embarrassed to say that I'm not totally clear on all the distinctions between country names and titles.  The Hanoverian heir to the English throne would be correct, I suppose, when he was still in, um, Germany?  Was it Germany then?  Anyhow, neat story...Handel talked the future George I into allowing him to travel to London, in preparation for their time in England.  Once Handel got there, he didn't want to go home.  Apparently, Handel was quite the sociable, cosmopolitan fella.  When George I finally inherited the throne and came to England, Handel was so worried about the fallout from his extended stay in London that he composed the Water Music Suite to appease him.  Not only did it appease him, but George I doubled his salary!
Hmm...curious there, isn't it, that George I is heir, sends his lackey to England, then soon inherits the throne and subsequently DOUBLES the lackey's salary?  Hmm!  Alternate plot screaming out there! :)

Mark Twain Quotes

"She is easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced."--Mark Twain regarding "Saint Joan of Arc"

"Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry."--Mark Twain

"The introduction of homeopathy forced the old school doctor to stir around and learn something of a rational nature about his business. You may honestly feel grateful that homeopathy survived the attempts of allopaths (the orthodox physicians) to destroy it." -Mark Twain

Within the past week, I have been deluged with random, unsolicited quotes by the 'father of American literature', Mark Twain.  I have always found him to be delightful, and I mention him in my first novel with respect to his anti-Imperialist stance.  Well...I suppose that it isn't true that I've 'always' found him delightful.  I had a bit of trouble getting through his Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court the first try, but, a few years later, I loved it.  Not sure what the issue was...

The 'endeavor to live' quote was happened across in an e-mail, and the homeopathy quote in the flap of a family homeopathy guide.  The homeopathy quote was of particular interest, since I'd also mentioned homeopathy in Silk. 

Anyhow, I suppose I've just had my curiosity about the progressive fellow kindled.  I didn't realize just how progressive he was and had known him primarily as a humorous author of Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn note.  A recent perusal of the wiki article about him revealed a couple of random but fascinating facts about him, which I'll mention here.  One--he was neighbor to Harriet Beecher Stowe (author of the compelling novel Uncle Tom's Cabin and termed by Lincoln as the 'little lady who started this great big war').  Two--he was born as Halley's Comet passed through the sky and died the day after it passed again, as he'd predicted the year before!

Of most recent note in my random exposures to Twain is a small biographical blurb that I listened to last night about Joan of Arc. I was surprised to hear that Mark Twain spent 12 years researching her life--the only 'research' he ever did for his books. He considered his novel about her to be the best he'd written, but I do have reservations about that, as the novel is purportedly more mature and devoid of humor...Mark Twain's writing devoid of humor? Not an appealing thought. I may give it a shot, though, as he's intrigued me with his passionate praise of the young woman!

[Moments later]

Ohh...I see...  Well, perhaps the novel about Joan of Arc is his best work, but perhaps personal issues color this matter.  Upon a bit more perusal, it seems that Twain was stricken with grief at the death of his most beloved daughter, Susy, who had wished for him to present himself as a serious author and not just a 'funny man'.  It seems that he wrote Joan of Arc whilst mourning extensively for his daughter, who he largely modeled after his memories of his daughter.  So, perhaps this explains the passionate fervor he felt for the French heroine, as he likely projected those feelings about his daughter onto her. 

How sad, hmm? 

Oh well, perhaps I'll give his 'greatest work' (as he saw it) a go sometime, but not today.  I'll let you know if Twain continues his constant random surfacing in my life! 

 

P.S.  On a very loosely related note, I find it interesting that Michael has been called 'Mark' repeatedly and consistently by folks since I've known him.  Very strange.  At one point in Washington I'm pretty sure more folks were calling him Mark than Michael!  I've asked other 'Mike' and 'Michael' fellows about this phenomenon, and they deny it happening to them.  Anyhow, with my fascination regarding former lives, you know where my mind takes me...

Regarding that general topic of misnomers, a church acquaintance called to me today, "Hey, Sophia!"  I was surprised and waited for her to mention my books, but she had a question about the kids.  To my knowledge, she doesn't know about my writing at all...  Curious, isn't it?  Maybe she's heard through the grapevine, I suppose.  No, that doesn't happen often.  In fact, I haven't been 'accidentally' called that name, ever, really, though Sonya is supposed to be a derivation of Sophia (hence the choice for my pen name).  I'd say that the names I've most often been mistakenly called are Sondra (ugh, I get shudders with that one, for some reason!) and Sarah (a sweet name, isn't it?  Fiona uses it quite often as her character name in games). 

A Transient Blessing

I am trying to relegate myself to the idea that our new UU minister will only be with us for one year.  Reverend Amy Kindred is only an interim minister for us, but I'm ecstatic to have her with us for any length of time.  I liked our last interim minister fairly well--quite well, as a matter of fact, but Rev. Kindred has given three sermons to my raptly listening ears thus far, and I've adored them all.  In the first, she referred to paranormal phenomena; in the second, she discussed poetry; and, finally, in yesterday's sermon, she discussed us congregants through the metaphor of fish and seaweed.  I'm dazzled! 
Again, I will put out my hope here--that the Ministerial Search committee will realize what a treasure she is and that we will get to sign her on as our full-time, permanent minister!  Oops...I forgot my resolution to try to fully appreciate her for the time that she is with us--for that is significant, too, regardless of long-term developments, right?  Me and my end-product mindset--sheesh!  That was actually supposed to be the point of this blog--how even just a year of sermons can be a significant, meaningful factor in my life.  Everything doesn't have to be permanent!  (Yes, I'm preaching to myself now, but I probably won't listen and will just obsess about the endpoint!  It's very hard to sway my stubborn mind, once it fixates on something!)

My Time and My Lady

Good morning!  It's Monday morning on the fourth week of school for the kids.  You know, I say that not as a focus on the kids, but as a way of metering my own time, for the school year truly does dictate my own schedule, of course.  So, when I say "fourth week" here, what I actually mean is that I've had three weeks for 'getting stuff done'.  It would be a little too complicated to weigh in other predictable complicators--like holidays and birthdays and such--so I do just look at the school year as my own structured schedule, knowing that holiday seasons will be more difficult for my project completions.

What have I accomplished thus far?  Well, my big objectives--that third novel and my skinnyfying diet--have been sidelined in the rudest manner.  I have snubbed them unpardonably.  All that hard work on my diet, and guess what I've done?  Yep, I've gone junk-food-crazed.  I am at an all-time low.  I was rather reveling in it, but I think I've started to freak myself out a little.  If only for myself, I'll feel better if I get a grip and eschew those dastardly delights!  At least to a certain extent...once I finish them up, of course...

My poor, poor novel probably thinks I don't love her anymore.  I haven't so much as caught myself up on where I was at the end of last school year.  But I will, right?  Maybe...

Again, what have I been up to?  Certainly not focusing on the kids!  Nope, my objective this school year is less-than-exemplary-parentwise.  My objective has been to take on as little responsibility as possible so that I can focus on other stuff.  The kids had my summer, and now it's time for my projects, right?

Except, you know, as much as I wanted to avoid responsibility, I got sucked into taking on a big new responsibility.  I suppose you might say I 'chose' the new responsibility, but I did feel that it 'chose' me, rather. 

Alright, I'll explain a bit.  A beautiful, gentle, sweetheart of a cat found us in Greeleyville.  Now, alone, I'd have spoken briefly to her, maybe petted her a tad, and then forgotten her.  However, my soft-hearted hubby and son took the notion to buy her milk and start trying to feed her a little (quite a humorous endeavor, given our vegetarian offerings to the carnivore!).  Of course, given my end-product consciousness, I was stricken with a feeling of responsibility at this behavior.  If we feed her, then she'll be more likely to reproduce, and we'll have exacerbated the stray cat population and caused MORE hunger and suffering, not less.  "But she's so sweet and gentle!" they say.  Hmmm...well, yes, she is. 

Okay, now to a fundamental truth that pertains to me.  It's my hard-core bottom line reality that reveals me for the innately selfish creature that I am.  There's always a 'what's in it for me' element to me bestowing actual energy and work in a relationship.  Sure, I may try to avoid inflicting harm out of respect for other creatures--and, again, there's probably a bit of a tit-for-tat mentality there...certainly an "I wouldn't want them to eat me!" thought process--but for me to expend my time and energy and love on someone...well, I'll just say that I'm far more satisfied when I see a return on my investment.  Not that I won't live up to my responsibilities--but, for example, I love our chickens far more than our bunnies.  I know this is because they give us eggs while the rabbits are nothing but a hassle.  Sure, they're cute, but I can do without.

What in the world does that have to do with My Lady Thumbelina?  Oh, that's our cat's name.  Yes, she's 'our' cat now.  I can't actually believe that, you know.  I never, ever thought we'd have a cat as a pet.  Anyhow, it has to do with a problem that popped up at precisely the point that sweet, blue-eyed My Lady showed up.  Rats--or mice, perhaps--showed up in our home.  That is, my grandparent's old home.  Eerie, almost, the coincidence--but surely My Lady didn't bring them with her?  That would be good scheming, right?  :)  No, surely she tracked them there. 

For the icing on my causality cake, I entered an arena of great personal susceptibility at the same time.  I began a new story by my newest favorite author, Shannon Hale.  I've only been exposed to her stuff for the past year or so, but she has blown me away with her simultaneous intensity and groundedness, mixed with total fantasy mentality.  It's a heady mixture, to be sure.  I adore Hale and most of her books (actually, I have an issue with her latest works, but only because I don't think they foster her talent so well--that's another conversation, however), and I finally listened to one of her earlier works, Book of a Thousand Days.  Hale's heroine adopts a new cat, with whom she is completely in love.  She calls him My Lord.  Hale's gift of conveying the feelings of her heroines really grabs me, so you can see how that feeling, combined with my sense of responsibility about us 'feeding' the cat, plus the new evidence of rats or mice (and, yes, My Lord does rid the heroine of an extreme pest problem while he's around), led to our adoption of My Lady Thumbelina. 

We did this despite our allergies (extreme, in Alex's case, and possibly a deal-ender) and our vegetarian stance.  Yes, I did succumb to reality and purchase cat food for her, but I was semi-comforted to find one which features mostly vegetable sources and only animal byproducts, really.  Probably not My Lady's favorite choice, if she had one, but she seems quite glad to eat the food. 

The rodent issue, combined with Hale's very clear message about My Lady's role in that, has us in uncharted territory with our new cat.  Upon deciding to adopt her, I promptly scheduled her spaying surgery and am so glad we took her in to the vet, as she also had ear mites and intestinal worms.  Poor baby!  I've applied the ear mite medicine and have waited until today for the worm pill, as it makes them quite sick and she's already been terribly out of sorts from the surgery.  Hopefully she'll be back on track soon and we'll get this all figured out.

So, aside from My Lady, my time has been taken up with remodeling my grandparents' home (the one we 'inherited' in SC) a bit and studying French.  Now, again, I can relate these endeavors directly to a favorite author.  Actually, even My Lady plays a role, for Lloyd Alexander adored cats.  Lloyd Alexander, like my grandparents, has recently passed away, and his wife was French.  In fact, he was a French translator in WWII, stationed in Paris for a time.  In one of my all-time favorite books, Janine is French, he describes life with his French wife, who actively remodeled the old home that they bought near Philadelphia.  He has several books featuring cats, as this one does, as well.  Anyhow, just thought I'd point that out!

I'm not sure how much I've gone on about the French language in my blog, but I've sort of determined that it's a step on that author journey, actually.  It seems like most of the authors that I'm familiar with know French.  I could go on and list them all and their association with the language, but suffice it to say that I have come to regard it as part of the package in becoming a 'real' author.  So, my French study is somehow correlated with progressing on my writing, even if I'm not actively writing in the moment.  I've been studying pretty devotedly, much as my writing generally overtakes my schedule when I'm committed to it.

So, that's pretty much it.  I am excited about the improvements in my grandparents' old home, but it was a little stressful to be given pressure regarding it.  We were gifted with a bedroom suit from Michael's mother for Alex's room, which required that I get the room ready much more quickly than I'd anticipated.  That situation, actually, was what pushed me into the focus on French rather than writing again, as I don't feel the pressure with French that I do about my word counts.  If I'm writing, THAT has to be the focus--not a remodel or anything else, really, though they can play a side role.

Michael's been a saint regarding allowing me time for all that--taking on kids and regular home maintenance while I focus on all that--and here I haven't even begun working on my novel again.  I hope he can stay patient with me!  And, again, the kids are in a fabulous situation with a school that I am so grateful to have and their daddy's office so close by and all...I am lucky to have this time to write and remodel and study.  Hopefully I'll put it to good use!  Oh, actually, I wish I'd taken before and after shots of my writing parlour and Alex's room.  It would have been nice to have the evidence in my favor, eh? :)  Maybe I'll still take pics when we're fully done--absolutely nothing is complete at this point, but soon, soon...

 

Back-to-School Shopping

School supply lists and classroom wish lists and uniform shopping and logo clothing orders...yep, it's that time of year again.  Each year there's the debate between 'how much' and 'what do we really need' and all such.

This year, there are a couple of favorite items that I think I'll mention in my blog here.

1.)  Neoprene lunch bags.  I don't understand why these aren't more popular!  Fiona had one last year.  It is made out of the same material as many laptop covers and zips up like them.  It's fantastic!  It doesn't stain, and it stays brand-new looking perpetually.  Food spills inside and we simply turn it inside-out and pop it in the wash!  Perfect.  So, this year I bought her another pattern and she alternates between her polka-dot lunch bag--which, by the way, looks like a cute purse, really--and her new heart-patterned one.  Except for maybe the little BYO brand label being more worn on the polka-dot bag, you can't really tell which is older! 
Unfortunately, except for a skull and cross-bones one, I couldn't find a boyish design, so I've just ordered a different style, Built brand, black neoprene lunchbag for him on Amazon.  I hope it's the right thing!
As soon as it comes in, I'm going to throw away our old, cruddy bags--which never stayed nice for more than a week or two!  I'm convinced the neoprene bags aren't being advertised because the companies will sell so much less once folks get them, so the companies don't want to promote them!  It's another conspiracy theory...

Ahem, on to
2)  Logo clothing.  Yep, I'm a sucker for the logo clothing.  I love the embroidered Montessori school logo, and I'm about to place an order for some new tops for both kids.  We've had them before, and they just look so much better than the plain shirts.

Now, my personally exciting novelty,
3)  A plaid skirt.  Fiona came home and reported that she could wear a plaid skirt to school this year.  I double-checked the uniform guidelines and found, to my utter surprise, that it was true!  I was tickled that I'd bought a navy, blue, and white plaid skirt for her at Once Upon a Child for no particular reason (at least, I thought not!), and the colors are perfect for her school, so she has that on today. 
So, I was telling Michael about the skirt and relating how I figured it was from Country Day.  Nope, wrong color, he points out.  Oh, right!  Maybe Calvary?  Nope, etc....
That night, I had the urge to watch Gilmore Girls, one of our favorite shows, again.  Lo and behold if Fiona's skirt isn't identical to Rory's Chilton skirt (Chilton is an elite private school, and the skirt is a big part of the first episode.  I'd totally forgotten--at least on a conscious level).  Yep, I was delighted!  And, you know, it made me again think about the point I made about Harry Potter's world being more real to us than the thousands starving in the horn of Africa.  That private school in the Gilmore Girls world has certainly occupied more of my thoughts than any of the private schools around here!

Oh!  I forgot the original point I thought the blog was going to be about, and that has to do with frugality and environmentalism versus trendy styles!  Now, you might assume I'd weigh in heavier on the first end, at least theoretically, but I would like to point out that, while both are important, that frequency of use is a major consideration.  So, to my own surprise, I was more than willing to buy Fiona the cute, new notebooks and pencil bags and such, as she'll be using these every day.  Sure, we had perfectly serviceable stuff at home, and I was so proud of Alex for wanting to use these, but I even tried to persuade him to get a few things that he liked as well.  Enjoying the things we use most can make our experiences so much more pleasant...and that is important.

Not trying to persuade anyone to not be frugal, by any means!  However, I think our most-oft used items really should be a priority in the stylish/pricy/comfy category, you know?  So yay for Fiona and her sparkly purple binder!

AND, of course, hurrah for Alex reusing his perfectly serviceable blue binder from last year! 

I suppose that's why I particularly love items such as the neoprene lunch bags--BOTH trendy and eco-friendly in that you don't have to keep replacing them! 

Real, professional, official author!

So, my books have been out on Amazon and B&N for just a bit, but they're terribly hidden and I haven't really tried at all to market them.  However, my sweet hubby has posted a notice about them on his workplace door, which I squirm a little at--given that they have nothing to do with healthcare in the least and aren't necessarily part of that 'professional' image a clinic should try to convey.  He and a couple of friends have also posted my link to Silk on FB, but otherwise not much else has been done as of this point.

Marketing and sales are not my strong suit.  Nor do I have even a remote interest in that realm (beyond doing what needs to be done--sort of like cleaning my house!  Ugh!).  My wish is that some big bookseller's agent will be purusing the e-books--I'd like to imagine this is now standard protocol, though I hear they have more than enough direct submissions to keep them busy forever--and that this sage and wonderful gentleman will come across my books whilst I'm finishing Homespun.  He'll make me a fabulous, gracious offer and Silk will be published in hard cover en masse just as I'm finishing up with Homespun.  I'll be raking in the big bucks and fan letters in no time!  Sounds good, doesn't it?  A girl can hope! 

Anyhow, just thought I'd put that out there.  I suppose I'm a bit of a believer in The Secret, a somewhat silly and simple book about the concept that we get what we clearly wish for.  I don't buy it wholeheartedly, but I think there is a grain of truth to the idea.  Can't hurt, right? 

So, back to the point of this blog entry!  I've heard responses from a couple of readers--complete strangers who voluntarily bought and read Silk.  Actually, one has read both and is eagerly awaiting book #3, whilst the other has recommended Silk to a couple of friends and plans to buy and read Tapestry.  Woohoo!  What if it were just that easy?  If word of mouth spreads like wildfire, and my books make it 'just like that'?  Actually, credit goes to Michael for both--one from his FB post and the other from the flyer on his door.  Still, they don't know me and were under no pressure whatsoever to purchase or respond to my books--unlike my own family and friends, who have a personal interest (and pressure) regarding the whole matter! 

Anyhow, my point is that I was sort of a 'real' author, I suppose, already--in that I had written a couple of books.  But when unknown folks buy and read your books of their own accord, and they eagerly await the opportunity to buy more...then, well, that makes me a bonafide professional, official author, doesn't it? 

I suppose that first itty-bitty royalty check (virtual in this day and age...sigh) and perhaps a good ol' bound, printed copy in the store will be my next steps towards feeling like a pro.  Lots to look forward to--hopefully fairly soon!

iRobot

I have a brand new toy, just to my taste.  Actually, I guess most toys for grown-ups are more practical than children's toys...just thinking of fancy cars and power tools and such.  My new toy is the iRobot Roomba 560, a robot vacuum cleaner.  This is more than just a vacuum cleaner, oh yes!  It's to be my personal base-level housekeeping coach.  Most folks probably don't need this, but your truly certainly does! 

The extra-special thing about the iRobot 500+ series is the scheduler.  So, if it is set to get to work every night, I'm going to be motivated to get stuff off the floor and keep the place maintained on an every-evening basis!  At least, that's the plan!

The down side?  Well, I can't be sure yet, but, ironically, it looks like the Roomba might not handle our upstairs carpet so well.  It stops every few minutes with issues.  I'll keep going with it for a while up there, but I'm suspecting I may have to use a more traditional vacuum for the upstairs on an as-severely-needed basis, while keeping up the first floor on a nightly basis, where the Roomba does just fine (Persian carpets and linoleum and Pergo flooring).

Will let y'all know how this goes--it's new and I haven't even begun the scheduled cleanings.  My hope is that I'll soon be able to report reduced overall anxiety due to a fairly maintained first floor!  (The chronic mess is one of the banes of my existence!)  If the Roomba get itself acclimatized to the upstairs, we may see a second Roomba living here soon!  And then there's the Scooba for automated mopping...  Maybe dreams do come true! :)

2011 Open House at Ellis

We had a big day yesterday with open house and all. Not for Fiona, so much, as she has been assigned a teacher we’ve had before and the one we’d hoped for this year. We’re absolutely delighted. We already have a couple of wonderful years with her already, between the kids, and there’s a good chance that Fiona will get to stay in her class for both 4th and 5th grades. Honestly, her teacher is not much like me—really a hands-on, energetic, enthusiastic sort--‘let’s get dirty and have fun and be engaged’, really practical, really no-nonsense type. Not like me at all, but still considerate and intellectual and idealistic. Just love her!

In fact, Fiona’s teacher actually became vegetarian back when Alex was in 5th grade with her. Her daughter already was veg, and she seemed to be influenced by Alex. Pretty cool, right? I think she requested Fiona this year. Super! She treats me really well, and, you know, sometimes I feel like I get a lot of undeserved credit for my fantastic kids!

Anyhow…Alex is the one who was confronted with the ‘big day’ at open house. He’s entering middle school with the big leagues now! Well, in comparison to last year, that is! Maybe this is really ‘little leagues’ still, as they’re still sequestered at Ellis Montessori with their small group of sheltered classmates. Will delay those ‘big leagues’ as long as possible, right?

So, Alex will be taking classes in blocks now, with teachers for each subject. This is a total shift from 6th grade, where he had two primary teachers deliver all his core classes. It was a little overwhelming, honestly, to visit with five instructors for him alone at the open house (four were male—how unusual for us and nice for Alex, for a change!). And that didn’t even include his Spanish teacher—from whom he’ll be taking classes daily!

I noticed with annoyance that the seventh graders begin their year with a quarter of ‘Health’ class, as well. Now that I think about it, though, that is completely optimal. At least, it should be. I think the issue is that we always had health classes administered by some bored, middle-aged gym teacher who could have cared less about all the important physiological and psychological issues that burgeoning teenagers are facing. They were saddled with the health class when they’d have preferred to be directing some team game. (Again, even more opposite of me!) Ellis, of all schools, however, is probably one of our best hopes for having an enlightened health teacher, and, upon second thought, I’m fostering a small hope that this health class might be just what we need. Alex is certainly going through major physiological changes at this time.

Alex’s gifted program is undergoing some changes at this time, as well, due to the middle school schedule. He won’t be attending GEP classes as such, directly. It’s becoming really more of an extracurricular outlet. It sounds as though he’ll be playing a 10-week virtual stock market game this fall and participating in Model UN in the spring, most likely—and I’m not sure that even includes the entire GEP middle-school population. As with extracurricular activities, I think it might be just on an as-interested basis. The GEP teacher shared that he will basically try to divvy up stolen time from the kids’ different classes. Not terribly structured, hmm? But how else to do it without eliminating one of their other classes, which no one wants to sacrifice—especially since these very same kids are already required to have a foreign language for their high school and college transcripts, taking one of the two ‘elective’ slots (and health the other ‘elective’ for the first quarter—so much for elective electives, right?)?

Summer seemed all too short, and the kids will be immersed in their studies come Monday. So lovely, at least, that they know the school and their classmates so well…

Encore a la Francais

So, I have again plunged into the study of the French language. Plunge, I say? Nah, more like wet my toes. I’ve touched on it a couple of times in the past, but I’ve always really wanted to do it—to really learn French, or any foreign language really, fluently. Perhaps you already have learned one well. I do know a little Spanish, from three years in Junior High and High School and then two semesters in college. And I value that, truly, though I’ve never been close to fluent.

I’ve always dreamt of living abroad and really immersing myself in a foreign culture. One day I may still. I mean, I still have half of my active lifespan left, right? Maybe? And, Lordy, think of all that I’ve already gotten to do in my life! I actually did live in Germany for six years of my life when I was really young and did learn just a few words of German. Of course, we lived in an American community and my folks didn’t have any grand aspirations to experience the German culture—darn it—so I actually will have a bit more say in this last half of my life and will be able to direct the experiences more to suit my personal taste. At the moment (and, thus far, always), that includes the notion of future foreign travel and culture immersion.

Of course, that’s an expensive proposition, and the likelihood of funding such an expedition is questionable. However, if I were in such a fortunate situation, I would like to be prepared, and I’m certainly able to do that, right? So, I’m engaging, for a time, in the ‘study’ of the French language.

We’ll see how this goes come next week. My enthusiasm can suddenly lose steam completely, which is a disconcerting and disappointing development, but I wouldn’t do a whole lot with myself if I just waited forever to see if it holds out, right? Besides…it’s not totally wasted. I think tidbits here and there do build, if not as neatly as in a more structured study.

So, yes, I’m dying to tell you what I’ve been doing to study French, besides the ‘Learn French Together’ course with Fiona. Oh, we made ‘maracas’ yesterday, which we decorated with flags from French-speaking countries. Not all of them…oh no! I had no idea how many countries have French as their official language. I counted about twenty, and I’m sure there are probably more… It should serve us well if we are ever to go on safari in Africa. Now, wouldn’t that be fabulous?! Oh, we did learn a few French words with our activity, too. It’s such a cute, engaging course—totally unlike anything I’d normally bother with, but totally to my little girl’s taste.

I’ve also re-downloaded an old French CD-ROM that I’ve had forever. I did once learn to count in French and to speak some introductory phrases with that CD, which has sample videos of conversations and a not-very-good meter to listen to you say words back. It’s nice to contrast the recording of your own voice with the sample voice, anyhow, though. However, I’ve only downloaded it at this point and am just hoping that I will put it to use.

I did sort of drop the Pimsleur Conversational French CDs once Fiona and I began the Living Language children’s course. One can only do so much, but I do mean to get back to them. Those CDs are just on hold for now.

I’m happy about my progress, honestly, so long as I’m engaged in some form of study of the language. I figure that structure doesn’t matter as much as consistency. Variety will only cement it, right? Honestly, it does…when I hear a word or phrase from a different source, it tends to verify the importance of the word in my mind, which is a bit silly, right? But not so silly…it’s hard to know the frequency with which other words are employed, as they’re not always the same as in English.

So…back to my ‘exciting’ venue of French study...I have been watching Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Yep, that’s right! Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Giles are teaching me French. What have I learned from them? Well, they don’t spell it for me, so it’s entirely phonetic, but I certainly get a lot of ‘de cor’ (sp?) for ‘of course’ and ‘Alors’ for ‘well’ and ‘so’ and, honestly, the filler words are the ones I catch most! Those and the greetings. But I do fancy that I’m absorbing little bits and get excited about recognizing and deciphering the occasional bit of conversation. I have high hopes!

I’m watching the French dubbing with English subtitles, and, meanwhile, I’m trying to get back into working out on my elliptical. My exercise has gone to pot this summer, and I’m really a total blob. I’m hoping that I’ll be super-efficient and get my French study and exercise and entertainment in this next school year all at the same time, in the same hour, so that I can still have adequate time to be mommy and author and self-indulgent lazy-bones (always a priority), too. I’m still hoping to continue the course with Fiona, too, but perhaps on a weekly basis or so, if she’s not too overwhelmed with school and her other extracurricular activities. We’ll see how it all goes. Big plans, right? But plans really do help us in carrying out our goals.

You know, all this talk leads me to the basic question of ‘why?’ I’ve always had that question. With so many important issues in this world, with so many home tasks that need attention, why do we bother with foreign languages, art, and music? Reading and writing of novels, too, for that matter? I suppose the best answer that I’ve heard goes something like this—after our basic needs are met, art is what makes life enjoyable. Well, art and friendship, I suppose. Hmm, I suppose I’d better not think too hard about it, so I’ll just leave it at that before I confuse myself completely! Time to go work on some of those home tasks…

More Lexile Thoughts

So, I did go back and check out Tapestry on that lexile analyzer, and I was relieved to see a 1200 (versus that whopping 1340 for Silk’s first chapter). Truly, I was a little stressed about the situation. Dan Brown and JK Rowling hang out around 850 or so, and thus what they do must be pretty darn optimal, right? Stephenie Meyers hangs out even lower than that.

Anyhow, though, Michael reframed the situation for me in a light that made me feel a little better. He called my writing ‘literature’. Literature? I hadn’t even considered it as such, honestly. I was goin’ for that even more enviable title—‘bestseller’! I scoffed at the idea at first, but my ego sort of likes the idea, so I’ve been reconsidering the matter a little bit.

Jane Austen and Nathaniel Hawthorne have these 1200-ish lexile scores as well, and, you know, they deal with romance and psychological issues as well. Not bad company, except they’re in their graves, of course! Not sure any modern popular author has such a cumbersome rating, though I obviously haven’t checked on everyone! That said, I haven’t checked on book 3, Homespun, either. I do realize that Silk begins with a more refined air, and each book becomes a bit more vernacular and down-to-earth, so to speak.

No, I don’t want to give the lexile scores too much importance, but it’s rare to have an objective measurement for your text—and I think I tend to cling to those few objective elements. So far, those word counts outline my writing days, giving me some hook for gauging my progress, so forgive me if I seem a little hung up on my lexile score—a new parameter and tres interesante, oui?

P.S. I submitted the Homespun sample and received a 780! Yikes! Or maybe Yay?!!?! There certainly are different ways to look at it, and I had anticipated a lower reading level on this one…overall, perfectly great, as that’s a perfect range for successful novels!

Lexile Measurement for Silk

Most recently, the schools have converted to 'lexile measurements' as a standardized way of measuring reading difficulty.  I've been checking on the levels for my kids' books, as the schools have requested that their summer reading remain within the parameters of their tested reading levels.  Fiona's pretty much able to read anything, but Alex has a hard time finding good books at his level.  Anyhow...I was surprised to see a feature on the Lexile website with which you can measure the lexile for articles and such, so I checked part of Silk's first chapter (1000 word limit on the measurement).  By the way, I felt the first chapter was pretty light reading...  I was hoping to achieve higher than a third-grade reading level (any lower would just be embarrassing) and optimally somewhere between 6th to 11th grade levels, where most of my own preferred reading falls--Harry Potter, Nancy Farmer's books, Isabel Allende's stuff...  So, I was a little appalled to get a 1340, which is college level!  I really, really did not mean to write something at the difficulty of a college text, but my comfort lies in the fact that there are anomalies.  For example, Lemony Snicket's 'Series of Unfortunate Events' all lie close to that realm, somehow.  So, slight boost for my ego that my books aren't too basic, but a bit worrisome that they might be cumbersome for the average reader.  They're supposed to be recreational reading, for goodness sakes... 

End of Summer

Time to wrap the summer up...  The kids have just this last week of vacation before school starts all-too-soon.  So strange how I always dread the end of the school year, when I'll have them 24/7, but then I'm never ready for school to start back.  There's still so much to do with our summer!  We haven't been to the pool nearly enough--and I won't even go into how I haven't been to the ocean often enough.  I just can't understand my children, who vastly prefer the pool to the ocean.  In fact, they adored the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon.  Yes, the lifeless, chlorine water and hard pool bottom wins out over the sandy beaches of the ocean.  I don't get it.

The kids did wrap up those music theory workbooks before we left for Orlando--at least for now.  Next summer Fiona will hit book 3 and Alex will start with more advanced scale and chord work.  However, Fiona and I have only just begun a program called 'Learn French Together' by Living Language.  It's designed for young children (ages 4-8) and their parents, but she's completely into it.  In fact, she likes the idea of being the baby of the family and always argues with me that she's still 'little' when I exclaim over how grown-up she's getting!  Anyhow, the program calls for lots of miscellaneous activities, which are now the point for Fiona.  Yes, she's far more excited about working with clay or drawing a picture or playing hide-and-seek than in learning the accompanying French words, but it's going well and we're having fun--even singing French folk songs.  It's pretty time-intensive, though, and I don't know what's going to become of it once school begins.

You know, to be honest, I think I'm also reluctant to face the completion of my third book in the Silk Trilogy.  I didn't want summer to begin, as I'd only gotten half-way through, and now it looms large.  I am actually quite pleased with my first two books, and I want the third to measure up, but I'm not sure if I'm up to it.  You don't want just anything scribbled down--a crummy ending to a series, you know?  I actually feel, at the moment, that I'd love to do a children's fantasy book--or at least try.  Thing is that I had so much fodder for this Silk series based on genealogy stuff that's pricked my curiosity for ages, and I don't really have an analogous basis for a children's fantasy series.  Guess we'll see, hmm?  Eventually, that is, as I first need to devote myself to finishing Homespun.  

At the moment, though, I'm more interested, honestly, in playing French hide-and-seek with my little girl!  Darn that impending school year! 

The Holy Land Experienced?

The kids and I finished our Orlando trip yesterday with a day at The Holy Land Experience, a historic and religious theme park which is designed particularly for Christians.  I was intrigued at the notion of the recreated famous elements/scenes/places of the Holy Land, as who knows if I'll ever get to visit there myself!  I love the World Showcase in Epcot, and this promised even more--with dramatic reenactments and such as well.

Alrighty, I'll begin with my very favorite park feature.  The Scriptorium Museum is fabulous and ranks as high as virtually any Disney feature, in my book (unless you count the Cirque du Soleil as a 'feature'!).  Kudos to them on a job well done!  Of course, given my writing aspirations, it does make sense that I'd be in love with this museum.  The entire museum is about a book and the historical developments leading to it.  Exhibits begin with authentic Cuneiform tablets and progress to papyrus scrolls and then parchment codices.  An animated voice explains the history of writing and progresses to particularly important historical events leading to our modern Bibles.  I was entranced by the 1300's authentic Bibles opened to pages that had been illuminated by monks.  Fascinating!  And a great history lesson!  This museum was so well done that I'm definitely interested in returning to this theme park at some point, if only to visit the museum a time or two again.  Amazing!

Of interest was the one 'play' that we attended.  King David (and Bathsheba), the apostle Paul, and Hosea's wife, Gomer, were the subjects of the play, which was only 45 minutes long.  I was a bit surprised at the subject matter, the sins and forgiveness each underwent, and, though nothing was technically too inappropriate, I might have avoided the play if I'd known the contents, given that the kids were with me!  The intensity of the play reminded me a bit of 'Passion of the Christ'.  Immediate emotional immersion--and, yes, I was brought to tears pretty quickly by the dramatizations.  So, well done, all in all.  The kids were pretty riveted, as well, and they left mostly upset that David's eldest son with Bathsheba was 'sacrificed' by God for his sins.  "It wasn't the baby's fault!" was the repeated protest, which I tried to hush until after we left the park!  But, yes, I concur with the kids--and I find it a bit offensive--that whole idea of 'sacrificing' someone else to wipe clean our own slates.  How very sick is it to think of the high priests of the line of Levites dedicating their days to ritual sacrifice--feeling 'holy' as they murdered creatures--and believing that it somehow 'purified' them?  So sick and twisted and the opposite of the truth!  Anyhow, in David's case, the dramatization claims that God forgave David and Bathsheba, and, after the terrible 'loss' of their baby son, they were able to go forth and produce the amazing Solomon and live happily after that.  Messed up...and the kids knew it, too!

Hmm, I didn't mean to go on so about the dramatization, but I do want to say something about Paul.  He is a clear example of why it is harmful to become militantly attached to your beliefs.  I suppose it's just personality, but he caused much suffering before becoming Paul, and then, I believe, he turned around and inflicted some suffering in the opposite direction.  Paul was a powerful, controlling, and scary man, in my opinion.

If the entire 'Holy Land Experience' was like the Scriptorium and the dramatization, I think I'd have been on here giving the theme park a huge 'Thumbs Up'!  However, there were many elements that were too hard to ignore and which typify what I--hmm, I'll be frank--completely despise about the common Christian movements.  Honestly, I don't even know the terms for what I'm critiquing, I guess.  There's something so very unpious and sacreligious in all the bling, in the blonde Jesuses and the sparkly crosses.  "Praise the Lord that I'm a hot thing!" type stuff that just makes me want to vomit.  

I've been wondering about this reaction that I have.  It's true that I don't think that a loving God would want us to cover up, hide our looks and be Puritanical about everything.  But to claim the opposite is just as ludicrous--even more so...  When a singer croons something about "Jesus loves me even though I smoke and spit and sleep around and drink my booze...he understands!", she's missing the point entirely.  If she had any respect whatsoever, she'd just try to clean up these offenses before invoking his name.  His love is there despite--hear that, DESPITE--our sins.  He embraces the sinner, not the sins.  OMG--listen at me!  I don't even hold to all this dogma, but I do at least have a certain respect for what is holy, I think.   My point is that it is disrespectful--a slap in God's face, so to speak--to bling up his religion, to shake sparkly butts around and cake on makeup and revel in our lusty ways while claiming with self-satisfaction about how much 'he loves me anyway' and 'I sure do love him!'.  And, I swear, it's gotten to the point where folks believe that they're right to mix their common, cheap behavior with what should be held sacred.  Agghh!   

So, whew!  I typically stay in theme parks until they shut down.  Always gettin' my money's worth, you know.  But the dichotomy between the psychotic, blingy version of the Holy Land--which blared contemporary Christian music the entire time--NOTHING that sounded remotely period of regionally appropriate, excepting this fantastic horn and chants within the Wilderness Tabernacle--and what I imagine the Holy Land to really be like was too much.  I didn't feel in the slightest like I was in the Holy Land.  Not even remotely. 

I entered 'The Jerusalem Marketplace' with high expectations.  I was hoping for booths with vendors, for street performers.  There were artificial displays and then real stores.  Nothing like the outdoor marketplace implied.  I swear, our local Farmer's Markets are much closer to the reality of the 'Jerusalem Marketplace' than that was, and I'm pretty certain about that, despite never having been there.  Like I said, it was not even alike enough to be suitable as fodder for our imaginations...

Cirque: Perfectionistic Inspiration or Too Darn Jaded?

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Here’s another post inspired by the Cirque du Soleil visit.

As I watched the circus performers, I was struck simultaneously with two completely contrary notions. On one hand, I was slightly disillusioned by the obvious jadedness of the performers. They are almost robotic in their performance. It’s canned, perfect and clearly repetitive. They do this twice daily, year in and year out. Given the sheer quantity of performances and the negligible window for mistakes, there is really no other choice. Every performance must be perfect, 100% of the time. Audience interaction is solicited, well, just for show.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I was truly inspired by these incredible perfectionists. I kept thinking, “each of these performers is as coordinated as the single most coordinated person I’ve ever known, but he or she has honed that skill to perfection.” It was somewhat mind-boggling. Honestly, there were so many stimuli that I didn’t adequately take it all in.

As I considered the mind-blowing levels that their perfectionism has achieved, I felt inspired. See what dedication can do for those who have some innate talent? Obviously, I would never be a circus performer, but, in my case, dedication to my craft of writing would be the clear correlation. Yes, I was inspired. Those performers weren’t just lucky—it takes both innate talent and years of dedicated work to do what they do.

So, those are the two contrary notions—hence my claim that the performance was both inspiring and a bit uninspiring.

Now a word further on contrasting the uninspired elements of this incredible performance with the more inspiring performances I have in mind—despite my reservations about in any way diminishing my point about ‘visiting the best circus’ in my last post.

In Savannah, most of our live entertainment comes from local venues with local performers—generally in the form of students. No, I’m not talking about the tedious children’s performances—sweet but not generally inspiring, of course. I’m talking about performers who are dedicated to their crafts. The Savannah Arts Academy may only be a high school, but those performers have been hand-selected through a jury process from applicants throughout the county and then have worked daily to achieve their dreams, which are still their dreams. Same goes for SCAD and Armstrong college performers. When they get to the point of performing for an audience, it’s a thrill. They are incredibly receptive to the audience’s energy, and I feel extremely participatory in the whole process and get a certain satisfaction from that participation. Yes, the vibe is palpatory, and I can completely tell that my responses and energies are felt—just as, in contrast, I felt that my energy, as well as the rest of the audience’s energy, was completely beside the point for the Cirque performers--as far as that participation element goes, we may as well have been watching a film!

So, I suppose I’d say that the level of incredibly sheer perfectionism and ability wins out on the inspiration front as an occasional thing. I’m sure I’d have a similar report for a Broadway experience (which I do anticipate reporting in the next few years, at some point!). And this is perfect, by the way. However, while I do appreciate occasionally seeing these heights of perfectionism and am inspired by them on a completely intellectual level, on a daily basis I think I prefer the responsive, more human artistic ventures at a local level. That interaction and human element is the crux of what I truly love about live performances, honestly.

Enjoying Cirque du Soleil, the Ultimate Circus

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The kids and I are in Orlando this week. We’re fortunate enough to have a flexible timeshare with units here—which turn out to be the best vacation resorts at our disposal within reasonable proximity. Williamsburg, VA has the next-best set—despite being much further away from our hometown—but somehow those units are even less available than the Orlando ones. Yes, it takes a little planning!

We’ve done Orlando’s Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios before—on those huge, no-expiration ParkHopper passes. Actually, I purchased these passes years and years ago in 2004--and we've been back, using them, in all but two of the subsequent years! I found some phenomenal deal online—and, believe me, I’ve looked more than once for a similar deal in the past year or two to no avail—and bought these passes when Fiona was under the age of 3 and could get in free! She’s nine now and using the ‘child’s’ pass that I originally bought for Alex.  Anyhow, the passes each had 7 days of those main theme parks and several ‘bonus’ park days—which, for our intents and purposes, include primarily their two water parks. We’ve just about used them up—today might be our final day, and I think I’m going to have to purchase one additional ticket today to finish up the passes (yes, we’ve gone in different groupings several times).

You know, there is one other big theme park in the Disney package that we’ve avoided. It’s the Animal Kingdom. While we find exotic wild creatures to be as fascinating as does anyone else, we hesitate to support any industry that may harm them—and I do include capture and confinement as a form of ‘harm’. Yes, I do realize I bought a multi-theme park pass whose proceeds is likely divied up without regard to which we actually choose, but I’ll only go so far to make my point—and I’m sure somewhere they’re tallying how many visits each park gets.

Now, I don’t think I’ve expended much effort on this topic on my blog—partly because I find the factory farms to be so overtly offensive and noxious—pure evil. Zoos, circuses and pet shops run the gamut in offensiveness, but are, dare I assume, never even close to as offensive as those factory farms? So, no, I don’t make a big deal about them, generally—only trying to avoid supporting any cruelty to animals that we can ‘easily’ avoid.

Despite not being a daily issue in our life, I have been confronted with making choices around this more often than I prefer. I’m definitely one of those folks who enjoys a good show, and the call of the circus and the zoo does not fall on deaf ears here. In fact, I have a hankering for traditions, as well, and the idea of children going to the zoo and circus strikes a nostalgic chord in my veins. Therefore, I felt particularly pained for several years in a row when my children’s classmates attended the travelling circus in Savannah and my children sat out. Alex and Fiona were in agreement with my reasoning, but I felt terrible that they were the only children missing the circus, time and time again.

I think I occasionally made an effort to make it up to them, but last night’s visit to see the ultimate circus, the Cirque de Soleil, was more satisfactory than I had anticipated. See, I hadn’t really been considering the above issue—not beyond thinking, “Whew, we can go, since they don’t use animals.” I knew that simply from reading animal-rights lit in the past. However, when we got to the circus last night and bought drinks and popcorn and cotton candy, I was suffused with excitement. I haven’t been to the circus since I was a little girl, and my kids had been never!

Poor Michael got to hear me excitedly recount the rundown of different acts on the phone late last night—the incredible bicyclist act and the unbelievable trampoline finale in addition to the more traditional clowns and trapeze artists, etc., etc. Those traditional elements really completed the show for me, actually. Now, when my kids hear the other kids relating, “I went to the circus…”, they’ll be able to shrug and think, “Yeah, but I’ve been to the best circus in the world!” instead of feeling like they’re missing out. Hurrah! How soothing to my ‘mama’ conscience!

Yes, the ticket price was exorbitant, and I compounded that after the show in Cirque’s gift shop. As I walked into the store, my gaze fell on a brightly colored, funky handbag that I exclaimed over. Fiona loved it, too. Totally not in my general taste, but so fun and fabulous…anyhow, as usual, I checked the materials and found, to my surprise, that the bag was not leather—so, in addition to not exploiting animals for entertainment purposes, Cirque also avoids using them for their products. Fantastic! Again, I don’t give leather too much thought beyond not wanting to support the general industry—but I love the look and feel and utility of it, in general, and have many times purchased second-hand leather items with much happiness. I’ve been sad, though, that I have a tough time finding the most desirable items in the best shops in non-leather versions. So, that I could buy this featured handbag that I’d been drawn to, guilt-free, well, was too good of an opportunity to refuse! It really wasn’t such a ridiculous price, even though it was over twice what I’ve ever paid for a purse--$79! Nope, not bad in comparison with a host of designer bags, right? Still, it took a little pep talk to myself to do it!

What a treat to be able to participate in a huge, mainstream event that we usually have to avoid. And the handbag was the icing on the cake. It was akin to what I imagine it would be like walking into a vegetarian McDonald’s! You have no idea what it was like as a veg teenager to stop with my track and swim teams post-away-games every single time and only be able to eat French fries—and, yes, I’d be just as starving as the rest of my team and for some reason never considered bringing anything else to eat. Just awful. Blessings on Burger King for now having a veggie burger! Again, my satisfaction as an adult was great at being able to take my own veg children to a fast-food restaurant and let them play on the Burger King’s mazes and such there—just one of those parts of being an American kid. However, in that case, the kids, for some unfathomable reason, didn’t like the veggie burger—so that satisfaction was somewhat abbreviated, though it still completed my American mama’s experience, at least (and healed some of that old deprivation)! In Cirque’s case, though, the kids loved every minute of it!

I suppose, you know, that it’s one thing to make a choice myself. I chose to be a vegetarian and thus chose to forego certain traditional choices on principle. I made that choice myself, and I sacrificed according to my beliefs. It’s a little different feeling, though, with my kids. While they are in complete agreement thus far, thankfully, on the principles of being vegetarian, I still strongly wish to minimize their sense of sacrifice—as much as possible. I suspect part of that may be out of fear that the alternative—to turn their backs on animal welfare—may look too attractive, for the most selfish, obvious, pleasure-seeking reasons, of course. So, again, yes—it was a fantastic relief to be able to participate in enjoying the most ultimate circus last night with them!

The Harry Potter Saga

We finally saw the final Harry Potter movie last night, after investing several nights over the last month in watching the preceding seven movies of the saga.  It's been semi-satisfying.  I adore the story and have grown to identify the actors as personifications of their characters.  It's difficult to imagine anyone but Daniel Racliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as Harry, Hermione, and Ron, isn't it?  Even Alan Rickman, a poor casting choice in my opinion, is forever Severus Snape.  Yes, I've gotten used to it over the years!

However, as is often true, I have come to my blog to vent!  I believe I've become so attached and invested in the Harry Potter world that I feel offended when they don't get things quite right.  Or, let's be honest--when they totally botch it up.  "Bloody hell!" as Ron would say.

I cannot believe, with the sheer number of folks involved in making the movie, that they don't have better end-stage review.  The digital artists completely missed the boat.  Oh my goodness...that scene where Voldemort kills Snape?  His nose is nothing but a haze!  They remembered to block the real nose of the actor, but then they didn't finish the digital one!  Now, we did see it in 3D, so I pray that wasn't true for the 2D movie, or at least that they correct it for the DVD release--in which it won't be as noticeable.

What an extreme and most obvious, glaring mistake.  Unbelievable. 

But to me, that most obvious mistake was less chafing, less insulting than their casting of Lily Potter as a girl.  One of the phrases we heard most often throughout the series was, "You have your mother's eyes."  Right?  Right?  Those were the words on Snapes' lips as he lay dying, for heaven's sakes!  So, of course, moments later we're transported into the past via the pensieve and meet Lily as a girl.  Lily with small, brown eyes and wavy Weasely-red hair.  Never mind Mama Potter's big blue eyes and something closer to strawberry-blonde straight hair, of course.  And, most importantly, never mind that Harry Potter has big, blue eyes, too!  How could they?  I think the book specifies green eyes, actually, but I had no trouble getting past that.  It was just such an insult to the audience's intelligence, to the consistency of the story line, for them to ignore the most-discussed identifying feature in the whole story line.  I pray that it was a more unintentional mistake, that the girl was cast with an expectation of having her eyes digitally altered to be blue, minimally.

Whew!  Those were the two most glaring and apparent mistakes, from my perspective.  I don't think the other family members noticed the eye color problem, to my astonishment.  In fact, Michael said, "I thought Harry's eyes were brown..."  That had to be a joke, right?

However, Michael was thrown by the fact that Harry apparently decided to shed his robe while Snape fled Hogwarts' hall in that dramatic black whirlwind through the large windows.  Yes, apparently he realized that he was a bit warm at that very moment.  Disrobing must be easier for wizards, eh?  One moment the robe is on, the next it's off--cast on the floor behind Harry (a later digital addition, to remedy the discrepancy in clothing?).

Whew...after those most annoying mistakes, there are smaller things I can still nitpick, of course.  Just stuff that would have been nice to see a little better, but still subject to personal opinion and preference differences, as opposed to the above mistakes.  Ron and Harry as parents were "brilliant!" of course.  I loved the age progressions.  They looked fabulously middle-aged (if that's what we are!).  Hermione could have used a few more lines around the eyes, maybe, but Ginny still had a babyface.  Not sure why the gals weren't anywhere near as convincing as the guys.  Just a little disappointing, but no biggie. 

On the other hand, Lily Potter, in the recreation of her death scene, looked to be in her 50's--as did Snape, for that matter.  Come on!  They were supposed to be young!  Couldn't the digital artists have corrected that problem?  And, you know, I thought that Harry's parents looked a bit old from the get-go.  The memory shots shouldn't have been age-progressed to parents suitable for Harry's current age.  His folks should have looked like they would have when he was just a baby.  Ridiculous.

Yes, I'm invested.  How awful that I just critique and criticize, when I love the movies so much!  And the books, and J.K. Rowling!  You just want them to be perfect, you know? 

Rowling's depth as a writer truly humbles me.  The mass of subtle mythological references and word plays extends past what I'll ever realize.  However, she had inconsistencies through the course of her writing.  It seems as though I did recognize some of those in reading the series, and I read an interview with Rowling where she said, to my tickled surprise, that devoted fans will remind her of the earlier discrepancies, and she'll have completely forgotten.  "Oh really?" was her clueless response to their detailed explanations, as she truly had forgotten those earlier elements of the story!  How very funny it is that the fans know it better than the author!

You know, Rowling claims that the story came to her all at once, sort of, while she was at King's Cross station.  She didn't know where it came from and felt almost as though she were channeling the story.  I feel a little that way about the stories I've written, as well--though elements brewed for a long time in the back of my mind from speculation and contemplation about real events and mysteries in my own genealogy (not that I adhered to history in the telling, however).  But, anyhow, the correlation is that we don't exactly feel as though we're making it all up--almost that we're channeling from somewhere else and don't know where it all comes from.  Sounds like nighttime dreams, doesn't it?  It rather is.

Cornelia Funke in her 'Inkheart' series creates a most relishing scenario, in which an author's writing literally creates another universe.  That is, it seemed to.  Or was it that the author picked up on the existence of the other universe?  The story becomes really powerful when the author himself gets sucked into the world.  Issues of perspective really became powerful then.  He regarded himself as godlike for creating the whole place, but the characters didn't generally have the same respect for him, and he became subject to their wrath.  Yes, this is chocolate for an author's imagination! 

Anyhow, Rowling's Harry Potter universe has become so powerfully real that countless folks have become truly invested in the stories and have imbued them with such psychically-laden force that we almost regard them as real.  And, in a sense, they almost seem to be.  What's more real to us--Harry Potter or the tens of thousands of victims that are currently dying from the drought in the horn of Africa?  Tens of thousands of nameless victims, or a handful of imaginary folks?  Whew...

My church friend Margaret suggested that Harry Potter has become a sort of religion, and I laughed at the analogy, at first.  Upon further scrutiny, though, I'm not laughing quite so much.  It's actually quite intimidating to consider the potential that certain stories carry--including the ramifications of many real, existing religions, which are comprised of stories, truly.  Exclude your own, if you must, but consider all the others--which have generated wars as well as inspiring great deeds and societies.  Pretty amazing, powerful stuff, stories can be...