life as such

Time for change

2009-11-12T08:50:00.003-05:00

Nearly two months have passed since I last posted to my blog. Bad me. But I think the problem is that I never really set a purpose for my blog. I mean, why does it exist? What do I hope to accomplish with it? My blog needs a focus and I have decided to give it a huge overhaul. Stay tuned...

no post allowed

2009-09-16T08:24:00.001-04:00

I am trying to copy and paste my latest story here but for some reason Blogger keeps telling me the html coding is bad.
Grrrrrrrr!

Kami is not forgotten

2009-09-14T16:35:00.000-04:00

Eighteen years ago on Sept. 14, students at SLHS lost a fellow classmate. Kami Villanueva, a high school senior, was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by serial killer Leslie Allen Williams. Please take a moment today to remember the friend who was taken from us so abruptly, so brutally many years ago.

Latest book: Jemima J by Jane Green

2009-09-11T16:55:00.007-04:00

Lately I have found it necessary to get my hands on all sorts of mainstream books, just to compare writing and storytelling styles. Last night I finished reading Jemima J by Jane Green (http://www.janegreen.com/) -- my first by that author. I like Cinderella stories and this one starred a fat girl on her journey to find true happiness, which she, of course, believes she will find once a size eight dress can be slipped over her rump. It is mostly lovely story, told in a conversational tone with a unique voice (or voices since it uses two points-of-view throughout). I, being a fat girl myself at this stage in my life, could identify with Jemima quite often -- even laughed out loud several times. I was thrown out of the story twice, however, and I am not sure if that is because of my tired brain or writer/editor mishaps.

The first time I was jolted out of the story happened in chapter 8 when the Jemima does something she has supposedly never done before ... except she did do it in chapter 4, and I even went back to check on it. Then on page 124, Brad calls her by her name -- something she never told him. She only referred to herself as JJ when dealing with Brad! Well, despite these hiccups, I really did enjoy the book. I think I will try another Jane Green one just to see how her writing has changed over the years since she wrote Jemima J.

Meanwhile, I am pretty deep in some other books, such as My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki (http://www.ruthozeki.com/), Milk Glass Moon by Adriana Trigiani (http://www.adrianatrigiani.com/welcome.html), and another one that I can't recall off the top of my head because I just started it today and plan on it being my "read-while-I-wait-for-the-kids'-bus" book. That's it for now--more later.

Deadline

2009-07-18T17:36:00.001-04:00

AAAaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got my A

2009-05-31T23:53:00.001-04:00

I'm glad that class is done. I got my A and a week of vacation! Yay!

Research Paper Due

2009-05-21T10:27:00.002-04:00

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

It's not that I haven't written these things before (I've written no less than 14 since last September), but this one is just different.

I think I can.

fishy on the loose

2009-05-15T08:45:00.002-04:00

This morning, as I was on the porch trying to fix the railing that got busted by the slamming screen door in the raging wind the other night, I saw a large orange tail fin flip out of the stream behind my house. It's the second time I've seen this and I just couldn't resist tromping through the wet grass, dodging my neighbor's doggie's poo, and risking life and limb from duck attacks just to get a better glimpse of this fish. At first, I couldn't find it. But I waited a few seconds and there it was--the biggest goldfish I have ever seen! Brenna, too, thought the sight was worth facing the obstacle course that is our yard and joined me by the side of the stream. She was not disappointed. The fish flipped and flopped joyously in the water. What a fun and beautiful sight!

32 presentations

2009-05-12T17:01:00.004-04:00

From 9 a.m. until 3:20 p.m. I gave more than 30 mini presentations about being a freelance writer to grade schoolers. My name is Brenna's Mom and I'm the writer lady. I am going to write on the blackboard now in hopes that this message will sink into my brain:

I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.
I will never do that again. I will never do that again. I will never do that again.

Career Day

2009-05-11T09:31:00.002-04:00

I am scheduled to go to my daughter's school tomorrow and talk about freelance writing. All day long. From kindergarten through fifth grade. What was I thinking when I signed up for this? Oh, boy. I actually agreed to be a back-up, but as luck would have it, it didn't work out that way. They put me in the roster from the get-go. It'll be good experience, though. If nothing else, it will be an adventure of sorts. Speaking of adventures, I almost forgot about the one I had the other day...

I bought this large bookshelf from Salvation Army last week. I dutifully brought my tape measure to the store and made sure the shelf would fit in the back of my Rendezvous. My mom accompanied me, either for support or a good laugh. I think I nearly gave her a heart attack instead. So, the shelf did not fit in the SUV wannabe. I measured the inside of the car but not mouth of the hatch and the opening was roughly half an inch shy of four feet wide. And yes, the bookshelf is exactly four feet wide. No way, no how was this shelf going in that vehicle.

We set our eyes upon the luggage rack atop the car. Well, we thought, we brought three small bungee cords ... We had to drag this six-foot by four-foot monster through the store and out the door by ourselves (more about this later), and I was not about to leave the store without the shelf. A lady who had been watching us struggle with our dilemma decided to lend her man to us, you know, for brute strength purposes. The man and I hoisted this thing on top of my car; it straddled the luggage rack and took the entire length of the roof. I scrounged through the trunk compartments and found an adjustable tether. My mom and I used it and the wimpy bungee cords to strap the shelf to the inside handles of the car. And then we drove down 20 miles per hour down Grand River, detoured by Lake Chemung, came round by Latson by way of Golf Club, and ended at her house, where thankfully, my dad was able to better secure the load.

"I can't believe you did that," Mom said. See, I'm still a little unpredictable...

Mother's Day

2009-05-07T15:26:00.003-04:00

The best Mother's Day bouquet is made of dandelions, given with love with stems strewn through little, muddy, pudgy fingers.

Spring

2009-05-05T09:36:00.003-04:00

The trees are once again alive with color. That is what I love about spring--the greens and pinks and purples and all the other varieties that strike my eye. Also the breezes and soft, flowery scents. I am always inspired by the rejuvenation that takes place each year around this time. I have an annual struggle with my own good intentions for making my lawn pretty and welcoming that seem to fall short of expectation. So far, I'm on that familiar path--the one that leads from high hopes to a few random flower pots that guard the shed. I want to be more of an outdoorsy person, I do. So, let's get this party started! Today I will plan and price out a garden patio for the backyard. With any luck, I will be able to lure in some Mother's Day help and get the job done this coming weekend. Better run along. I've work to do!

Tuesday already?

2009-05-04T22:32:00.004-04:00

Most of my posts revolve around days of the week lately. Time just goes so fast! Tomorrow is Tuesday and I already have so much to get done. Car stuff, mostly. And cleaning...

Sunday, oh Sunday

2009-05-03T22:25:00.002-04:00

The kids are sleeping (finally). It's been a long day and I'm glad tomorrow is Monday. Mondays are free days for me. Matt has them off and the kids (except Paige) are in school. I can get so much done!

weekend? what's a weekend?

2009-05-02T14:54:00.002-04:00

Saturdays and Sundays are major homework days for me. I have six assignments due this week and they are in a subject I just don't get. Saturdays usually involve me taking my girls to grandma's house so I can get my homework done. Grandma and Papa keep the girls overnight and take them to church in the morning. Today is different, though. Papa needs a break from the chaos three young children often bring to a quiet house. I have no idea how I will ever get my homework done now, but I will manage. I started on it during the week, but as I said, I just don't understand the subject. My law class was much easier than this quality & project management class. Oh well. Time to take Brenna to a birthday party and Lisa and Paige to the park. Homework will have to be done after they go to bed.

What a week

2009-05-01T00:12:00.002-04:00

Thursdays are always hard on me. Those are my class days, and this particular class is wearing me out. I just keep counting down the days until it's over. And then I get a week off before starting the next one. One more year of this... Should I really go for my master's degree? That's a whole lot more class. I'm tired just thinking about it.

Tomorrow is Friday, but this weekend will bring little (if any) relief from my hectic routine. Homework, homework, homework. The kids will be home this weekend, too, which makes doing that homework near impossible. Oh well. I shall survive! I might not get an A, but I will make it through.

Wednesday

2009-04-29T08:54:00.002-04:00

I considered giving in to my natural need to worry. I almost kept the kids home from school today for fear that they might come into contact with that killer flu virus. But then I thought, "Now how much sense does that make? I keep them home from school and send Matt off to work at a college...either way, our family has high risk of exposure to all kinds of nasty bugs." So, they were sent to school and Matt will go to work today. This is more stress than I really need right now. How will I ever concentrate on the things I need to get done if my mind is wandering off to worrisome places?

Pinkest pink ever

2009-04-27T10:23:00.004-04:00

Brenna's room looks fantabulous. It looks good enough for me to use such a silly, made-up word to describe it. It's the pinkest pink ever, much like Pepto Bismol. She loves it and her sisters are insanely jealous. Their room is my next project, so it will be another busy weekend.

Lisa wants a blue room. Paige wants a pink one. It will be interesting to see how I pull that one off seeing that they share a room. I'm thinking polka dots...

Homework, paint, and thunderstorms

2009-04-25T19:53:00.002-04:00

It could be worse; I could live right in the middle of tornado alley. I have been in and out of the hall closet umpteen times today, hiding from those thunderstorms. At one point, I decided to flee my house and do some shopping. (If I'm going to die by tornado, I may as well be doing something I enjoy, right?) I have managed to get my homework somewhat under control, in spite of the thunder-dunders outside. I planned to paint Brenna's room this weekend. I hope the rain doesn't prevent me from splashing some pink on her walls. I'm a little nervous about holing myself up with paint fumes. We'll see what happens. Time to check the radar again ...

Thursday

2009-04-23T12:45:00.002-04:00

Ho-hum. Ho-hum.

Mailbox

2009-04-22T19:29:00.003-04:00

Okay, okay. I went to the mailbox. I braved the crazy Michigan weather to go around the corner and over to the next street to see what news had been left in my box. And there was a bill and two Girl Scout pamphlets. Needless to say, I was somewhat disappointed. Where was that good news regarding publishing that lady on Paranormal TV talked about? Ah, just as I was busy fretting, a thought popped into my head--maybe I had been looking at this situation all wrong. What if the mailbox I was supposed to look in was actually the inbox of my email? It certainly had been a very busy day for emailing, and guess what? The emails I was involved in all day had to do with one of my freelancing gigs! So, yes, my horoscope had come true. But I know it had nothing to do with the stars above, and that's okay. It gave me something to look forward to anyhow. (wink)

Do you believe in astrology?

2009-04-22T14:41:00.002-04:00

If my horoscope comes true, then today will be a very good day for me by way of mail. I enjoy learning about the paranormal and I believe there are things we simply can't explain, but I put little stock in generic horoscope readings. But what fun anyway! Although, if there is good news for me in the mailbox today, it will have to wait to be retrieved until tomorrow. I'm not going out in this crazy Michigan weather unless I absolutely have to. Until tomorrow ...

Darci Hannah

2009-04-21T08:33:00.003-04:00

Hi all,

My writer friend (from South Lyon Writers) has accomplished one of her biggest goals--she sold a manuscript! Just wanted to say congrats to Darci and thank her for allowing her friends to accompany her on this exciting journey of discovery and reward. Best of luck, Darci!

You can follow Darci at http://twitter.com/DarciHannah . Oh! And I have a Twitter account too. Find me at: http://twitter.com/kimhytinen .

Queries

2009-04-21T08:29:00.002-04:00

Writing queries is exhausting and fun at the same time. I know there's no need to reinvent the wheel every time I set out to contact an editor, but there's something to be said for originality. I currently have only two pending queries, but several more are in the works. If you have a good idea for a story, send me an email. I would much appreciate your input!

Back to the real world of writing

2009-03-30T00:07:00.000-04:00

Why do some writers shy away from writing? I have procrastinated for years, finding excuses to avoid something I love doing. Why? Well, no more of such silliness. I have returned to freelancing. Query letters, here I come!