So a few days ago on twitter I mentioned that I graduated high school with Mike "The Situation" on MTV's Jersey Shore. I promised a few 
people I'd upload old yearbook pictures and this is me holding to that promise. Unfortunately...my photo is on the same page as Mike's. I could have cropped myself out and never mentioned it, but I decided yearbook photos are for laughing at. Therefore, laugh away at both mine and Mike's. 
I did, however, crop out my name since it's different than my pen name, Shana Silver. Shana is my middle name and I go by it in real life, but in the yearbook my first name was printed. And Silver is just an easier to spell version of my real last name. (A last name I will only have for 5 1/2 more months!!!)
About Mike from high school. I remember him, but I don't remember much, which makes me think he has changed A LOT because I definitely would have remembered someone calling himself The Situation. Methinks this is all a desperate ploy to get on MTV and eke out a hosting career after this. I think Mike was popular in high school, or at least he wasn't unpopular. My high school had a graduating class of 492, so it was easy to get lost in the radar.
That being said, Manalapan High School's class of 1999 has had a lot of famous alumni! Another guy I graduated with was on MTV's Tough Enough. And we have two professional baseball players. (And hopefully...I will join the ranks soon as famous author?????)
I've seen people mention that the depiction of guidos at the Jersey Shore on MTV is way over the top and unrealistic. Well...I disagree. I've been to bars at the Jersey Shore, particularly Bar A in Belmar and well, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW SOME PEOPLE ACT! Not all people, obviously, but there ARE people who do act this way. There's an unspoken dress code that you are required to wear. If you're a guy, it involves a wife beater, a blingy gold chain, and hair spiked to the ceiling with enough gel to be flammable. If you're a girl, you shouldn't wear anything, or as close to nothing as possible. The one time I went to Bar A it was quite an experience. Now, I do not fall into the category of people-who-act-like-this nor did I leave most of my flesh exposed. Which is why I felt awkward and out of place at the bar. Still, it didn't surprise me that I ran into several people I knew that night.
I'm putting my favorite YouTube video ever under the cut. Because it is so hilarious, even if you don't live in NJ. I don't know these people, but this is just another example that this is how some Jersey Shore goers act.
( Clicky for YouTube video )
And now without further ado...yearbook photos. Sorry for the crude circles. I still don't have a computer, therefore I don't have Photoshop, so I had to use picnik.com and hand drawing with a touch pad is not the easiest thing in the world. I miss my tablet!
FRESHMAN YEAR. (The white streak in my hair is a braid because I had just returned from a cruise. Which is why I am so utterly tan.)
SOPHOMORE YEAR
JUNIOR YEAR
SENIOR YEAR
(Also, FYI my post with notes from the editor lecture last week will be up at the end of the week, probably Friday evening. I stupidly left my notebook in my apartment and now I'm away for the week, heading to Florida.)
people I'd upload old yearbook pictures and this is me holding to that promise. Unfortunately...my photo is on the same page as Mike's. I could have cropped myself out and never mentioned it, but I decided yearbook photos are for laughing at. Therefore, laugh away at both mine and Mike's. I did, however, crop out my name since it's different than my pen name, Shana Silver. Shana is my middle name and I go by it in real life, but in the yearbook my first name was printed. And Silver is just an easier to spell version of my real last name. (A last name I will only have for 5 1/2 more months!!!)
About Mike from high school. I remember him, but I don't remember much, which makes me think he has changed A LOT because I definitely would have remembered someone calling himself The Situation. Methinks this is all a desperate ploy to get on MTV and eke out a hosting career after this. I think Mike was popular in high school, or at least he wasn't unpopular. My high school had a graduating class of 492, so it was easy to get lost in the radar.
That being said, Manalapan High School's class of 1999 has had a lot of famous alumni! Another guy I graduated with was on MTV's Tough Enough. And we have two professional baseball players. (And hopefully...I will join the ranks soon as famous author?????)
I've seen people mention that the depiction of guidos at the Jersey Shore on MTV is way over the top and unrealistic. Well...I disagree. I've been to bars at the Jersey Shore, particularly Bar A in Belmar and well, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW SOME PEOPLE ACT! Not all people, obviously, but there ARE people who do act this way. There's an unspoken dress code that you are required to wear. If you're a guy, it involves a wife beater, a blingy gold chain, and hair spiked to the ceiling with enough gel to be flammable. If you're a girl, you shouldn't wear anything, or as close to nothing as possible. The one time I went to Bar A it was quite an experience. Now, I do not fall into the category of people-who-act-like-this nor did I leave most of my flesh exposed. Which is why I felt awkward and out of place at the bar. Still, it didn't surprise me that I ran into several people I knew that night.
I'm putting my favorite YouTube video ever under the cut. Because it is so hilarious, even if you don't live in NJ. I don't know these people, but this is just another example that this is how some Jersey Shore goers act.
( Clicky for YouTube video )
And now without further ado...yearbook photos. Sorry for the crude circles. I still don't have a computer, therefore I don't have Photoshop, so I had to use picnik.com and hand drawing with a touch pad is not the easiest thing in the world. I miss my tablet!
FRESHMAN YEAR. (The white streak in my hair is a braid because I had just returned from a cruise. Which is why I am so utterly tan.)
SOPHOMORE YEAR
JUNIOR YEAR
SENIOR YEAR
(Also, FYI my post with notes from the editor lecture last week will be up at the end of the week, probably Friday evening. I stupidly left my notebook in my apartment and now I'm away for the week, heading to Florida.)
I am in the midst of two final papers, one for each of my children's literature courses. Neither of which I have started writing, in the specific sense of the word, but there is focused thought. There is research. There is note-taking and highlighting and diagrams and maybe a little outlining.
Just a little though.
These are two very hard papers, and I have very limited time to write them. Paper #1 is a 8-12 page biocritical study on three of Lois Lowry's most recent works. I have chosen Looking Back, Gathering Blue, and The Willoughbys. An unlikely bunch. This paper is hard because it is eight pages long, and because what the heck is a biocritical work, really? Paper #2 is a 5-6 page critical paper, applying three literary theories to a single work, and using three articles from journals about children's lit. I am writing on The Giver, because we had to pick a book from our childhood. This paper is hard because the assignment is vague, the topic hard to pin down, and the sources few (not too many journals about children's lit floating around), and the professor a tough grader
But this could be something I do for the rest of my life, this writing, something I will certainly be doing for the next year, here at school. I am getting started.
And I get to write hard papers about books I find interesting. Issues I find compelling. Theories that pique my interest! I'm taken back to this moment, in eleventh grade English class, when Mrs. Hanneman (I love you Mrs. H, but I will continue to tell this story over and over again) assessed my choice in free reading material as trash. I needed to read more classics - Dickens, Austen - and put down The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
I didn't listen. I'm getting a Masters Degree in Children's Literature.
And another moment of circularity. When I was in twelfth grade, I filled out an application, wrote an essay (about a young adult novel), wrote another essay (about this kid that tried to flirt with me while I walked over to write the essay), and found myself on the line for a full ride to my chosen undergraduate institution. All I had to do was drive back up to Mount Pleasant in a month, submit myself to a teamwork exercise and an interview, and present a ten minute presentation on any academic topic of my choosing.
I had just read Feed by M.T. Anderson. I really, really liked it. It reminded me of The Giver, a favorite book from my childhood, and Brave New World, a classic I read without provocation in the eighth grade. I didn't know what these books were called at the time, I just knew they were cool and cool in a special way. And when my writing on The Giver, today, brings me back to this same idea - that dystopian novels are cool, I wonder how they work - I am glad I haven't changed too much in the last seven years, that I didn't have to become a new person.
That writing these Hard Papers feels like something I was meant to do, and that I'm excited to learn how to do them better.
So, a happy exam week to me :-)
Just a little though.
These are two very hard papers, and I have very limited time to write them. Paper #1 is a 8-12 page biocritical study on three of Lois Lowry's most recent works. I have chosen Looking Back, Gathering Blue, and The Willoughbys. An unlikely bunch. This paper is hard because it is eight pages long, and because what the heck is a biocritical work, really? Paper #2 is a 5-6 page critical paper, applying three literary theories to a single work, and using three articles from journals about children's lit. I am writing on The Giver, because we had to pick a book from our childhood. This paper is hard because the assignment is vague, the topic hard to pin down, and the sources few (not too many journals about children's lit floating around), and the professor a tough grader
But this could be something I do for the rest of my life, this writing, something I will certainly be doing for the next year, here at school. I am getting started.
And I get to write hard papers about books I find interesting. Issues I find compelling. Theories that pique my interest! I'm taken back to this moment, in eleventh grade English class, when Mrs. Hanneman (I love you Mrs. H, but I will continue to tell this story over and over again) assessed my choice in free reading material as trash. I needed to read more classics - Dickens, Austen - and put down The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
I didn't listen. I'm getting a Masters Degree in Children's Literature.
And another moment of circularity. When I was in twelfth grade, I filled out an application, wrote an essay (about a young adult novel), wrote another essay (about this kid that tried to flirt with me while I walked over to write the essay), and found myself on the line for a full ride to my chosen undergraduate institution. All I had to do was drive back up to Mount Pleasant in a month, submit myself to a teamwork exercise and an interview, and present a ten minute presentation on any academic topic of my choosing.
I had just read Feed by M.T. Anderson. I really, really liked it. It reminded me of The Giver, a favorite book from my childhood, and Brave New World, a classic I read without provocation in the eighth grade. I didn't know what these books were called at the time, I just knew they were cool and cool in a special way. And when my writing on The Giver, today, brings me back to this same idea - that dystopian novels are cool, I wonder how they work - I am glad I haven't changed too much in the last seven years, that I didn't have to become a new person.
That writing these Hard Papers feels like something I was meant to do, and that I'm excited to learn how to do them better.
So, a happy exam week to me :-)
CONFETTI GIRL by Diana Lopez
Lina's mother died suddenly last year, and she and her father are working through it with the help of Spanish dichos (sayings), their neighbors and best friends, and a boy. This book could've been very depressing, but the tone and voice from page 1 were fun and pulled me right in. Sweet girly MG.
UMBRELLA SUMMER by Lisa Graff
Annie's brother died suddenly last year, and now Annie is super-cautious of everything that could potentially make her injured or sick until an incident with her best friend and a visit with the old woman next door help her open her umbrella. Sadder than the book above, this book is well done and a good read for younger readers.
Lina's mother died suddenly last year, and she and her father are working through it with the help of Spanish dichos (sayings), their neighbors and best friends, and a boy. This book could've been very depressing, but the tone and voice from page 1 were fun and pulled me right in. Sweet girly MG.
UMBRELLA SUMMER by Lisa Graff
Annie's brother died suddenly last year, and now Annie is super-cautious of everything that could potentially make her injured or sick until an incident with her best friend and a visit with the old woman next door help her open her umbrella. Sadder than the book above, this book is well done and a good read for younger readers.
A month of mostly reruns continues. This was actually in a locked post, a handy livejournal feature, so only friends could see it. It was locked because it's really not a good idea to blog much about rejections, since you never know who is reading. But now that the book is published, well, perhaps it will give some of you a bit of hope!
Don't forget, I have a month of AWESOMENESS planned for January, so stay tuned for details on that...coming soon!!
***
(originally posted at livejournal on 7/3/06)
One of the things I made myself do this year was apply for the SCBWI Martha Weston grant. That's the one where if you win, you have to use the money to attend the SCBWI conference. I got an e-mail today that 43 people applied, and I didn't win. I suppose I didn't really expect to win, but it would have been so great to go and see some of you there!
I also got a very nice rejection from an editor on my verse novel. She wrote:
"Thank you for sending me I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, which I enjoyed reading.
I think your voice is strong and you really get at the nuances of a teenage girl grieving for her boyfriend. The ghost element certainly adds a fresh twist to a familiar subject. Even so, while I admire aspects of the project, I'm afraid that Ava didn't quite pull me into her story as much as I had hoped. Of course, this is only one reaction..."
I think this is the fifth rejection in the past week I've gotten (not all on this project). That string can stop ANYTIME now, thank you very much.
I think I'll go make myself a strawberry daquiri now. I'm tired and thirsty and I think that will just hit the spot.
***
(originally posted at livejournal on 7/3/06)
One of the things I made myself do this year was apply for the SCBWI Martha Weston grant. That's the one where if you win, you have to use the money to attend the SCBWI conference. I got an e-mail today that 43 people applied, and I didn't win. I suppose I didn't really expect to win, but it would have been so great to go and see some of you there!
I also got a very nice rejection from an editor on my verse novel. She wrote:
"Thank you for sending me I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, which I enjoyed reading.
I think your voice is strong and you really get at the nuances of a teenage girl grieving for her boyfriend. The ghost element certainly adds a fresh twist to a familiar subject. Even so, while I admire aspects of the project, I'm afraid that Ava didn't quite pull me into her story as much as I had hoped. Of course, this is only one reaction..."
I think this is the fifth rejection in the past week I've gotten (not all on this project). That string can stop ANYTIME now, thank you very much.
I think I'll go make myself a strawberry daquiri now. I'm tired and thirsty and I think that will just hit the spot.
Not only do I have a NEW hardcover YA novel, CHASING BROOKLYN, being released on January 5th (which will have a very nice review from Kirkus in the December 15th issue), but I also have a new paperback book being released.
Yes, isn't that exciting!?
Here is the beautiful new cover of FAR FROM YOU:
How many days until my book babies hit the bookstore shelves? Please, tell us, countdown widget!!
Tomorrow, your regularly scheduled reruns continue. Happy December!!
Yes, isn't that exciting!?
Here is the beautiful new cover of FAR FROM YOU:
How many days until my book babies hit the bookstore shelves? Please, tell us, countdown widget!!
Tomorrow, your regularly scheduled reruns continue. Happy December!!
- Mood:
busy
Kidlit in today's L.A. Times
"How do you define 'kid lit," the Los Angeles Times asks today, "It's grown so vibrant, with more sophisticated themes, that the question has become harder to answer."
Ho ho ho...If you write, illustrate, read and/or collect kidlit, you'll enjoy reading these answers! Alongside their well-considered responses to the question at hand, the reporters also list their favorite children's books of 2009.
The Best of Word Play in 2009
The big picture:
Eco Books for Kids: Saving the Planet, One Book at a Time
Global View:
Ho ho ho...If you write, illustrate, read and/or collect kidlit, you'll enjoy reading these answers! Alongside their well-considered responses to the question at hand, the reporters also list their favorite children's books of 2009.
The Best of Word Play in 2009
The big picture:
My pick as best picture book of the year, [Liz Scanlon's] "All the World" (Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster: $17.99, ages 3-7), could easily replace the traditional holiday greeting card as a perfect expression of peace and goodwill. (Read more.)
Which Titles Should You Choose For Your Kids?
Selected passage:
Selected passage:
We adults should introduce books they might not otherwise discover, books that can help them decipher what it means to be human. (Read more.)
With a Reluctant Young Reader, the Grosser the Better
Sneak peek: When it comes to getting a child to read, snobbery gets you nowhere. [...] In my opinion, any book is better than no book and far better than TV and video games. (Read more.)
Eco Books for Kids: Saving the Planet, One Book at a Time
Global View:
Kids don't need indoctrination; they'll draw their own conclusions soon enough. A parent's job is to give children the confidence to face things about which we don't yet have a clue. And among the components of confidence are hope and imagination, which are much more effectively fostered by good books than by well-intentioned ones. (Read more.)
25 Things I Like About My Life
an exercise to counter
this nasty headache I've woken up with.
i blame the combination of 30 degree weathe
and my memory foam pillow.
1. I am done with work AND papers on the same day, and then I get FOUR WHOLE DAYS of sweet, sweet nothing.
2. This video and song, of which I am inexplicably obsessed.
3.
High speed internet, that brings new Broadway musical soundtracks into my life in less than 90 seconds.
4. That vending machine... man, I love that vending machine.
5. My apartment lobby filled with packages, everyone doing their online shopping, getting ready for Christmas.
6. Homemade granola. Mmmmmm...
7. Being slightly geeked to write final papers. Such a strange, strange feeling...
8.
Fun Books With Gorgeous Book Covers, Volume I
9. Lance getting a raise. Or more like "Let's pay you for some work you were already doing." But our income is really more than I ever imagined at this point. I am really grateful for all that hard work.
10. My blue Christmas tree.
11. Excedrin. Love it. Require it.
12. Even though my apartment is constantly messy, I actually like cleaning. Especially as a procrastination tool.
13. Buying groceries every week, having cupboards full of food.
14.
Season five finale of Weeds. Shocked, jaw-dropped, and wishing this Celia subplot would have come two season back it looks like it will be hilarious
15.
Having Showtime for the first time in my life. New season starts in January!
16. Having a kitten to look forward to.
17. Sudafed. I like Sudafed.
18. RSVPing for a reading featuring
and featuring free wine and cheese and other such delights. this makes me REALLY like my life
19. Going to a party last night that was full of delicious Midwestern food and hospitality. And Catchphrase. Thanks, Sarah & Ben!
20.
Fun Books With Gorgeous Book Covers, Volume II
the inside jacket has this gorgeous pattern... pick this one up for a look
21.
Paper Mario!
22. New semester = new binders, notebooks, highlighters and pens.
23. The heady prospect of almost three weeks at home.
24. Not having any papers due on Monday. wow, this weekend feels nice.
25.
Since we've been talking a lot about Paige Parker this week, I wanted to share another exclusive photo from the shoot for the covers of books 9-12. I'm (on the right) posing with the awesome model who played Paige. We chatted a lot on set and had so much fun.
Starting in January, I'll begin posting video clips and more photos from the shoot. I'll be starting with pics of wardrobe and make up, plus tips via vlogs from top stylists on how to dress like a Canterwood model with an affordable mix of pieces. :)
Love and Light
To all my friends and loved ones,
May Love shine down upon you always,
And may you dwell forever in Light.
Hanukkah begins at sundown this evening (Friday, December 11). Want to learn more? Here's a Hanukkah primer.
A random drawing has selected the winner of LWL! Congrats to...KACY L! Kacy, e-mail me to claim your signed copy of Little White Lies. Thanks so much to everyone who entered. :)
TGIF! What's everyone doing this weekend? I've got a few errands and am working on CITY SECRETS.
TGIF! What's everyone doing this weekend? I've got a few errands and am working on CITY SECRETS.
- Mood:
lazy
Today is unofficial agent appreciation day, started by Kody Keplinger. For a list of participating blogs, check out: http://lisa-laura.blogspot.com/2009/1
Why I love my agent? I'm represented by Dana Bacher at The Stephanie Tade Agency. We've been together just under two years.
1. Communication. This one is so important, and I feel very lucky that I never have to stress about it. Dana always answers my emails within 24 hours of sending them. She reads my books in less than two weeks. I'm not impatient or anything, but it's nice to know that if I have a question, I'll get an answer. Also, she keeps me informed of things happening with submissions so I don't have to ask. I hear stories of others having to nudge their own agent, and I'm super glad I don't have to.
2. Patience. Let's face it, publishing moves slowly. I'm sure we both would have liked my book to sell within a week. But no matter what happened, she's stuck by me. We've worked on more than one book together. It's a nice feeling to know she's not going anywhere. And also, there have been times that it's taken my longer than we both would have liked for me to get a manuscript ready. But she waits, encouraging me to get it right and perfect and not to rush.
3. Career Guidance. She's helped me make decisions that put me in a better career position. Sometimes it's a decision to shelve a book I wrote for now until there's a better market for it. Other times she's had me change the tone from darker/literary to lighter/quirky in one of my books so I could better brand myself since that's what my first book was. I know she has my best interest at heart, and I trust her completely when she guides me.
4. Editorial. She gives AWESOME editorial suggestions. She "gets" my books and knows what they need to improve them. And because of her, I've improved as a writer. Often, we work together to figure out the best solution to problems in the manuscript. There have been times she's had me start over from scratch. I could have been discouraged, but I wasn't. She was completely right and now that manuscript is a thousand times better since I found a new plot angle for it. She helps strengthen my weaknesses so they no longer exist.
5. Enthusiasm. Her emails are so peppy. I can feel her excitement for me and my work in them. When she forwards rejections, there's always a pep talk at the top. When I'm feeling down, she always knows what to say to encourage me.
There are many more reasons that I love her. But I'll stop there (mostly since I have to do some work). I feel lucky I found her. And I love agent appreciation day so I can read everyone else's stories of feeling lucky!
(PS I went to a lecture in NYC this week with Krista Marino of Delacorte (talking about voice) and Lexa Hillyer of Razborbill (talking about organization/novel structure/outlining). I love lots of awesome notes on that I'll hopefully compile and post on Monday. I've been too busy at work to do it this week.)
Why I love my agent? I'm represented by Dana Bacher at The Stephanie Tade Agency. We've been together just under two years.
1. Communication. This one is so important, and I feel very lucky that I never have to stress about it. Dana always answers my emails within 24 hours of sending them. She reads my books in less than two weeks. I'm not impatient or anything, but it's nice to know that if I have a question, I'll get an answer. Also, she keeps me informed of things happening with submissions so I don't have to ask. I hear stories of others having to nudge their own agent, and I'm super glad I don't have to.
2. Patience. Let's face it, publishing moves slowly. I'm sure we both would have liked my book to sell within a week. But no matter what happened, she's stuck by me. We've worked on more than one book together. It's a nice feeling to know she's not going anywhere. And also, there have been times that it's taken my longer than we both would have liked for me to get a manuscript ready. But she waits, encouraging me to get it right and perfect and not to rush.
3. Career Guidance. She's helped me make decisions that put me in a better career position. Sometimes it's a decision to shelve a book I wrote for now until there's a better market for it. Other times she's had me change the tone from darker/literary to lighter/quirky in one of my books so I could better brand myself since that's what my first book was. I know she has my best interest at heart, and I trust her completely when she guides me.
4. Editorial. She gives AWESOME editorial suggestions. She "gets" my books and knows what they need to improve them. And because of her, I've improved as a writer. Often, we work together to figure out the best solution to problems in the manuscript. There have been times she's had me start over from scratch. I could have been discouraged, but I wasn't. She was completely right and now that manuscript is a thousand times better since I found a new plot angle for it. She helps strengthen my weaknesses so they no longer exist.
5. Enthusiasm. Her emails are so peppy. I can feel her excitement for me and my work in them. When she forwards rejections, there's always a pep talk at the top. When I'm feeling down, she always knows what to say to encourage me.
There are many more reasons that I love her. But I'll stop there (mostly since I have to do some work). I feel lucky I found her. And I love agent appreciation day so I can read everyone else's stories of feeling lucky!
(PS I went to a lecture in NYC this week with Krista Marino of Delacorte (talking about voice) and Lexa Hillyer of Razborbill (talking about organization/novel structure/outlining). I love lots of awesome notes on that I'll hopefully compile and post on Monday. I've been too busy at work to do it this week.)
(originally posted on June 30, 2006)
Last night I awoke to the sound of the dog barking. I came downstairs and heard talking and laughter coming from outside.
I peeked through the blinds and saw three cars, one behind the other. And outside those cars were 12 kids.
Now, you might think that as an almost-40-year-old mother of two sleeping boys, I might have wanted to go out and ask that they keep it down, or move their party somewhere else. No, I didn't think that.
I wanted to skip upstairs, run a brush through my hair, throw on some shorts and a tank top, and join them.
For just one night, I wanted to pretend I was 16 again, with no worries or cares in the world except, "Where can we go now to make some fun?"
Fun. I have recently discovered, or remembered, since I had certainly experienced it in those teen years, how much I LOVE TO HAVE FUN.
I have worked hard the past five years, writing, writing and writing some more. People would tell me I was so driven, so inspiring, and underneath those words, I think they were saying, a little crazy. I never let up. Never. My family would go places and do things and I would stay home and write.
Over the past two weeks, I had no writing goals even though I had lots of time. I was, after all, on vacation. But, my only goal was to have fun and enjoy the time. And boy did we have fun. We played, we laughed, we did LOTS of fun things, and even just curling up to watch a DVD on a Wednesday afternoon was fun because it's SO not something I'd ever let myself do.
A friend recently e-mailed me and said, you know, it's like a well. At some point, your well does go dry, and it's good to let the water seep back in, and fill up again.
I have never been good at balance. I'm pretty much an all or nothing girl. That is my goal now, more than ever, to find the balance of work and family and fun and writing. Honestly, right now, it seems impossible to me. But it's something to work on and strive for.
Certainly, there are times writing is fun. But in a much quieter kind of way. And it does fill me up in ways other things don't. But I think, right now, I need the other kind of fun. The loud, laughter-filled, people-filled, everything-in-your-body-sings-filled kind of fun.
And I refuse to feel guilty or bad about that. My well is is being filled. And it feels so good.
So hey - have FUN this weekend, okay!?
Last night I awoke to the sound of the dog barking. I came downstairs and heard talking and laughter coming from outside.
I peeked through the blinds and saw three cars, one behind the other. And outside those cars were 12 kids.
Now, you might think that as an almost-40-year-old mother of two sleeping boys, I might have wanted to go out and ask that they keep it down, or move their party somewhere else. No, I didn't think that.
I wanted to skip upstairs, run a brush through my hair, throw on some shorts and a tank top, and join them.
For just one night, I wanted to pretend I was 16 again, with no worries or cares in the world except, "Where can we go now to make some fun?"
Fun. I have recently discovered, or remembered, since I had certainly experienced it in those teen years, how much I LOVE TO HAVE FUN.
I have worked hard the past five years, writing, writing and writing some more. People would tell me I was so driven, so inspiring, and underneath those words, I think they were saying, a little crazy. I never let up. Never. My family would go places and do things and I would stay home and write.
Over the past two weeks, I had no writing goals even though I had lots of time. I was, after all, on vacation. But, my only goal was to have fun and enjoy the time. And boy did we have fun. We played, we laughed, we did LOTS of fun things, and even just curling up to watch a DVD on a Wednesday afternoon was fun because it's SO not something I'd ever let myself do.
A friend recently e-mailed me and said, you know, it's like a well. At some point, your well does go dry, and it's good to let the water seep back in, and fill up again.
I have never been good at balance. I'm pretty much an all or nothing girl. That is my goal now, more than ever, to find the balance of work and family and fun and writing. Honestly, right now, it seems impossible to me. But it's something to work on and strive for.
Certainly, there are times writing is fun. But in a much quieter kind of way. And it does fill me up in ways other things don't. But I think, right now, I need the other kind of fun. The loud, laughter-filled, people-filled, everything-in-your-body-sings-filled kind of fun.
And I refuse to feel guilty or bad about that. My well is is being filled. And it feels so good.
So hey - have FUN this weekend, okay!?
I've seen the Girlfriend a record 4 times this week, and every time, I was in a different scout uniform.
Like my mother, I can get very dedicated to things. (Others might call it obsessed, or addicted) But if I have to be obsessed with anything, Scouting is not a bad thing to be hooked on.
That said, I am really looking forward to the time when I'll be able to step down from everything and let the new parents pick up the torches. My ex once mentioned that scouting was a 'me' thing, which isn't entirely untrue, but it's not something I look forward to doing once the kids are grown and gone. Granted, there are certainly groups within scouting that look to retain experienced leaders... so only time will tell.
Like my mother, I can get very dedicated to things. (Others might call it obsessed, or addicted) But if I have to be obsessed with anything, Scouting is not a bad thing to be hooked on.
That said, I am really looking forward to the time when I'll be able to step down from everything and let the new parents pick up the torches. My ex once mentioned that scouting was a 'me' thing, which isn't entirely untrue, but it's not something I look forward to doing once the kids are grown and gone. Granted, there are certainly groups within scouting that look to retain experienced leaders... so only time will tell.
but one I made up that could probably be a pin/button for a number of people -
Warning - May flood during Kilt season.
Warning - May flood during Kilt season.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINGS by Robin Friedman
Roxanne moved to the United States from Israel with her Ema, Aba, and sister when she was four, but now at 13, Ema returns to Israel to take care of her sister, and Roxanne is left feeling alone...until a new Israeli girl moves into the Cursed House next door. Sweet, succinct story about blending cultures and the 1980s. (And "wings" in the title refers to the hair style!)
Roxanne moved to the United States from Israel with her Ema, Aba, and sister when she was four, but now at 13, Ema returns to Israel to take care of her sister, and Roxanne is left feeling alone...until a new Israeli girl moves into the Cursed House next door. Sweet, succinct story about blending cultures and the 1980s. (And "wings" in the title refers to the hair style!)
Creative Journaling: playing it forward
In a couple of previous entries, I mentioned the ways in which Creative Journaling helps inform and inspire my writing efforts co-mingles work with play. (If you missed those entries, you can access them here and here.)
I'm not the only one, of course. Earlier this week, author R L. LaFevers wrote a related entry for the Shrinking Violets' blog. Here's an excerpt of "Envisioning the Coming Year" (reposted with permission):
No lesser authority than Carl Jung has claimed that our best work originates in play.
The dynamic principle of fantasy is play, which belongs also to the child, and as such it appears to be inconsistent with the principle of serious work. But without this playing with fantasy no creative work has ever yet come to birth. – Carl Jung 
Now before you roll your eyes and think you left all that back in grade school, let me gently point out that collages and vision boards are a highly effective tool in helping focus your creative energies—either in a personal direction or in a project-related one.
There are a couple of different ways to approach a vision board. You can create one that focuses on:
Personal growth aspirations for the coming year
Professional goals
Creative goals
Spiritual areas you’d like to work on.
Qualities you’d like to more fully embrace or invite into your life
Whatever whispers to you, that’s what you should use for the focus of the board. 
But perhaps you’re more comfortable working on something to do with your work-in-progress, and that’s fine, too. Some story collages capture the overall mood and feel of the book.
They can also be representative of certain scenes or parts of the book, maybe even parts you're having a hard time nailing down. When you work on a collage, you let your subconscious take over and then, watch out!
We’d LOVE to see some of the vision boards and collages you create! If you get motivated over the next few weeks (even after the holidays) please do send us a jpeg of your collage/vision board and we’ll feature them here on the blog. (We can absolutely share them anonymously!) And while sharing your project is definitely not required, we might even have a prize drawing for all of those who participate. If you'd like to share, send your jpeg to us here at Shrinking Violets, and we'll do the rest.
So there you have it: an invitation (with incentives!) to try it on for size.
I think I might adapt the idea of a vision board, maybe glue the images into the pages of my sketchbook instead of creating something poster-sized. The possibilities are endless--form and function, entirely up to me.
I think I might adapt the idea of a vision board, maybe glue the images into the pages of my sketchbook instead of creating something poster-sized. The possibilities are endless--form and function, entirely up to me.
Like every morning, yesterday began with someone else's alarm and the brief interruption of that someone else looking for his pants in the dark. We don't have a dresser. Finding pants involves excavation. Noisy excavation. At quarter to six in the morning. We should get one of those headbands with the light attached.
Anyway, someone else was looking for his pants with a belt draped artfully around his neck, and then his phone rang. A minute later, he was back in bed.
Snow day.
Of course snow days are only good for elementary schools an hour and a half west of town. You know, where they actually have snow, instead of some kind of wicked "wintry mix." I got up when my own alarm went off and watched it fall, handfuls of slush dropping heavily from the sky and landing in my cement courtyard. I put on the thick socks my mother knitted for someone else and then my rainboots. I wrapped a scarf around my neck and wore my white winter coat, even though it looks weird with that dress.
Someone else woke up and asked if I wanted a ride to the T. Someone else even ran downstairs to start the car before we got in. And helped me find my advanced reading copy of The Willoughbys. And shoved my normal shoes into my backpack for me, so I could put them on later.
It's only a half mile between me and my train stop. So there were only a half mile's worth of cars backed up, trying to travel the same corridor my train would soon travel, but failing. We rounded the corner to see a car accident - tires slipping in the wintry mix - and a cop car, parked horizontally atop the tracks my train should be traveling on.
So someone else drove me to school, an adventure that took about an hour. And someone else has no sense of Bostonian direction and is in desperate need of a GPS, so the going home adventure took about an hour and a half.
The rest of my day was long and strange, good and bad. I was doing some work. I found a vending machine in the basement that dispenses Starbucks bottled frappucinos, in chocolate and vanilla, for two dollars. I tried the DoubleShot yesterday - I was just tired, tired, tired - and found out that despite the price of 2.50, the machine insists on charging me a dollar. A DOLLAR. I was at work, doing some work, drinking my coffee, eating my snacks. Thinking about this Lois Lowry paper I'm going to have to write. Thinking about how I'm going to write two major papers, simultaneously.
Then work was over and some of my classmates drove into Cambridge to go to Lois Lowry's house.
Don't worry, you'll hear more about that later.
It was really, really cool.
But it gave me a headache. The whole thing, the whole long day gave me a headache. It starts in my shoulder, my neck, and then runs up the side of my head to my jaw and then my eye and one side of my nose hurts and gets all drippy and then the pain makes me a little nauseous and sometimes I cry.
I have yet to figure out how to conquer or prevent these headaches, that seem to appear only when I have long days, like these, even long GOOD days. Except with a lot of sleep and then a lot of Excedrin, which is obviously a counterintuitive prescription.
So I came home, eventually, and had this headache, but I made dinner anyway because I was hungry and so was someone else. It was good. It was a sandwich. Someone else went into the other room to practice his trumpet and I lay on the futon and watched Glee and tried not to cry because I was feeling so miserable and stressed and how is it that I can be so stressed even when my days are good? Even when I have nothing overtly BAD going on in my life? Why can't I do a long day without physically breaking down?
All questions that I still don't have answers to.
But I went to bed early and someone else did the dishes for me and woke up and it wasn't snowing and maybe there would be sun. And I had my Excedrin. And that vending machine is still on my side.
Anyway, someone else was looking for his pants with a belt draped artfully around his neck, and then his phone rang. A minute later, he was back in bed.
Snow day.
Of course snow days are only good for elementary schools an hour and a half west of town. You know, where they actually have snow, instead of some kind of wicked "wintry mix." I got up when my own alarm went off and watched it fall, handfuls of slush dropping heavily from the sky and landing in my cement courtyard. I put on the thick socks my mother knitted for someone else and then my rainboots. I wrapped a scarf around my neck and wore my white winter coat, even though it looks weird with that dress.
Someone else woke up and asked if I wanted a ride to the T. Someone else even ran downstairs to start the car before we got in. And helped me find my advanced reading copy of The Willoughbys. And shoved my normal shoes into my backpack for me, so I could put them on later.
It's only a half mile between me and my train stop. So there were only a half mile's worth of cars backed up, trying to travel the same corridor my train would soon travel, but failing. We rounded the corner to see a car accident - tires slipping in the wintry mix - and a cop car, parked horizontally atop the tracks my train should be traveling on.
So someone else drove me to school, an adventure that took about an hour. And someone else has no sense of Bostonian direction and is in desperate need of a GPS, so the going home adventure took about an hour and a half.
The rest of my day was long and strange, good and bad. I was doing some work. I found a vending machine in the basement that dispenses Starbucks bottled frappucinos, in chocolate and vanilla, for two dollars. I tried the DoubleShot yesterday - I was just tired, tired, tired - and found out that despite the price of 2.50, the machine insists on charging me a dollar. A DOLLAR. I was at work, doing some work, drinking my coffee, eating my snacks. Thinking about this Lois Lowry paper I'm going to have to write. Thinking about how I'm going to write two major papers, simultaneously.
Then work was over and some of my classmates drove into Cambridge to go to Lois Lowry's house.
Don't worry, you'll hear more about that later.
It was really, really cool.
But it gave me a headache. The whole thing, the whole long day gave me a headache. It starts in my shoulder, my neck, and then runs up the side of my head to my jaw and then my eye and one side of my nose hurts and gets all drippy and then the pain makes me a little nauseous and sometimes I cry.
I have yet to figure out how to conquer or prevent these headaches, that seem to appear only when I have long days, like these, even long GOOD days. Except with a lot of sleep and then a lot of Excedrin, which is obviously a counterintuitive prescription.
So I came home, eventually, and had this headache, but I made dinner anyway because I was hungry and so was someone else. It was good. It was a sandwich. Someone else went into the other room to practice his trumpet and I lay on the futon and watched Glee and tried not to cry because I was feeling so miserable and stressed and how is it that I can be so stressed even when my days are good? Even when I have nothing overtly BAD going on in my life? Why can't I do a long day without physically breaking down?
All questions that I still don't have answers to.
But I went to bed early and someone else did the dishes for me and woke up and it wasn't snowing and maybe there would be sun. And I had my Excedrin. And that vending machine is still on my side.
Photograph copyright © 2009 Monica Stevenson.
Introducing...Paige Parker!
I got the okay from Editor Kate to share a pic of Paige, so here she is. Finally! :) The model who plays Paige is sweet, funny and I love this pic of her. Paige will make her debut on the cover of CITY SECRETS (CC #9).
Hope you're all as excited to see Paige as I am to share the photo!
- Mood:
busy - Music:Papparazzi
THE AMANDA PROJECT: INVISIBLE I by Melissa Kantor
Callie learns that her friend Amanda is missing -- and that two other teens were her friend, too, and Amanda is leaving them all clues that lead to...another mystery. I wasn't that invested in the characters, I didn't believe the MC's relationship with the stereotypical popular girls for her boyfriend, and the mystery I cared most about (Callie's missing mom) wasn't that much of a focus, but for some reason I skimmed most of this book until the end and logged onto the related website. Perhaps out of curiosity more than intrigue.
Callie learns that her friend Amanda is missing -- and that two other teens were her friend, too, and Amanda is leaving them all clues that lead to...another mystery. I wasn't that invested in the characters, I didn't believe the MC's relationship with the stereotypical popular girls for her boyfriend, and the mystery I cared most about (Callie's missing mom) wasn't that much of a focus, but for some reason I skimmed most of this book until the end and logged onto the related website. Perhaps out of curiosity more than intrigue.
I often don't follow celeb stuff (someone needs to pull the plug on the Jon and Kate stuff) but Tiger has got me pretty entranced. Partly because I've met the guy, and partly because the new photo spread of women looks like something out of Criminal Minds, and Tiger's "Golfer's Chub" has made him look as goofy as an "UnSub".
I'm also amused at how golfers are considered 'athletes'. I equate golf to Skeet or Trap shooting. You DO have to develop the right muscle memory, but since I've also met John Daly, Tom Watson, and Chi-Chi Rodriguez (while I was a rather svelte Marine) I should note that these are NOT guys who I would consider athletes.
I suppose it doesn't surprise me too much that Tiger is a swinger though... he didn't marry a high school sweetie, he married a model. Pretty fades... competence stays. Interesting note, given the people I know - some people are inherently non-monogamous at their core. Just like some people are decidedly monogamous, some people are homosexual, some are monotheistic, some are vegan, some feel an obsessive need to control body hair, etc. I wonder if this will come out as an 'illness' of Tiger's, or if he will reach down and come out as someone who prefers multiple more superficial relationships. Either way is fine by me... he's got a definite type, and a definite pattern of picking up gals for 6 months or more. As long as everyone is open and honest, I can see that working for them.
Or, we can stuff the round peg back in the square hole and continue to read about him for years to come, his personal life outshining his golf prowess.
I'm also amused at how golfers are considered 'athletes'. I equate golf to Skeet or Trap shooting. You DO have to develop the right muscle memory, but since I've also met John Daly, Tom Watson, and Chi-Chi Rodriguez (while I was a rather svelte Marine) I should note that these are NOT guys who I would consider athletes.
I suppose it doesn't surprise me too much that Tiger is a swinger though... he didn't marry a high school sweetie, he married a model. Pretty fades... competence stays. Interesting note, given the people I know - some people are inherently non-monogamous at their core. Just like some people are decidedly monogamous, some people are homosexual, some are monotheistic, some are vegan, some feel an obsessive need to control body hair, etc. I wonder if this will come out as an 'illness' of Tiger's, or if he will reach down and come out as someone who prefers multiple more superficial relationships. Either way is fine by me... he's got a definite type, and a definite pattern of picking up gals for 6 months or more. As long as everyone is open and honest, I can see that working for them.
Or, we can stuff the round peg back in the square hole and continue to read about him for years to come, his personal life outshining his golf prowess.
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- newport2newport : Creative Journaling: playing it forward [+22]
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- jessicaburkhart : Welcome, Paige Parker! [+2]
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