Symphony and Cacophony

I'm feeling soooo much better since I started physical therapy--fewer muscle spasms, better sleep, no more crying. We even went out to eat at Little Miss Ha, a new Vietnamese restaurant--so good. I was quite successful wielding my chopsticks with my left hand. I enjoy a glass of wine with my meal but this time got the Bushido sake because it said Way of the Warrior. This cute little can now sits on my desk. Why yes, the pen is mightier than the sword, and the rosary even more so. I'm battle ready. 

This reminds me of the wonderful little book, Jim Bell's The Art of War for Writers, that I won on Carol Baldwin's blog. She writes detailed reviews, using them to teach writing, and last month, reviewed and gave away a copy of Little Thief! Chota Chor! She also made a darling video. Please do take a look. It is so lovely to have friends promote your work when you are unable. So thank you, Carol.   

I've been listening to Handel's Messiah by Voces8 with the pets. Sublime--I love the intimate orchestral setting, the conductor, the pure voices of all the soloists and how they sing like one when together--I wonder whether angels stoop to listen. What a contrast to the media circus. I mostly avoid it. Today, we celebrate the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (link has beautiful history and art) and tomorrow the Kingship of Christ. Oh, to remember what's truly important. God help us all.   

The Longest Lent--Easter Blessings

God is pouring so many blessings upon our family during this pandemic. Books are just one of them. A while back, I'd read in Publisher's Weekly about a new book, The Boy Who Dreamed of Infinity: a Tale of the Genius Ramanujan by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by Daniel Miyares. Holy smokes! I love his work. And after I took a peek with the Amazon Look Inside feature, I began to drool and knew I had to have it--the writing lyrical and luminous, the art capturing the beauty and pathos of this great mind. Then I read an interview over on Picture Book Builders and entered the giveaway and I WON!!!

The book arrived last week, along with a letter and a card made by Meltem Aktas. I love Byzantine art so what joy to know of Meltem and her work. I'll be sending links to our pastor at St. Clare of Assisi because we'll need art for our new church! I've read the book numerous times and shared it with the whole family. It is amazing how Amy has written about something complex so beautifully. It really does give you a glimpse into the mind of God. I felt the same way as a scientist--there is such beauty in numbers and patterns. I wept reading about the "thoughts of God on your tongue." How frustrating to not be able to share them with anybody! But thank God, Ramanujan wrote to Hardy and decades later Amy's father went to Cambridge and came across a box of paper including the Lost Notebook by Ramanujan. This book wouldn't exist otherwise and neither would I have gotten to know Amy. I've been perusing her gorgeous website with an invitation to Enter the Stories. I discovered that she was at the movie premiere of Ramanujan among other interesting bits... 

Amy has two more picture books coming out this year--The Strange Birds of Flannery O'Connor and Flying Paintings: the Zhou Brothers: a Story of Revolution and Art. Soooo exciting!!! You all know my own love of Flannery. I'm going to have to wait to get these books but in the meantime, I bought her memoir, Love and Salt: a Spiritual Friendship Shared in Letters. What a joy to read these private thoughts of two friends as they navigate marriage and motherhood and careers. They walk together, and together seek God. I loved this format because it is so raw and personal and honest and echoes so many of the thoughts I've shared with my sister and friends on my own spiritual journey. I'm in the middle of it and bawling. I'm also delighted by our similarities--the Ayn Rand phase, the Teresas, the preoccupation with death, the acedia, vainglory, and wonderment. This book is a treasure. I often think the most important writing I do is hidden--writing letters, writing prayers, writing hopes and dreams--and this book reminds me that it's good. To parody the last line of Charlotte's Web and Casablanca: It is not often that someone comes along who is a convert, a mathematician, and a good writer. I pray this is the start of a true and beautiful friendship. Deo gratias!

Tongue-Tied, Conferences, and Quiet

I've been sitting on this news for FIVE years!!! TONGUE-TIED is finally out. Isn't it pretty? I love it. It's my memoir for kids about stuttering. It's part of Heinemann's Fountas & Pinnell series of leveled books for classroom use. 

This book also has my first art (calligraphy). See the writing in Hindi? I wrote one stanza of the poem Jhansi ki Rani, the one I mention in the text. If you want to know the story, check out this movie Manikarnika: Queen of Jhansi. Note, it's violent, so definitely not for kids who aren't at least teenagers.

I am thrilled because I can finally include Tongue-Tied in the memoir workshops that I'm offering this September at Write 2 Ignite Conference (Sept. 20-21) and the Carolinas SCBWI Conference (Sept. 27-29). I would love to see you there, so please prayerfully consider coming to these wonderful conferences for children's writers.  

I've been unusually quiet because as I prepare to begin a new phase in my life without the day-to-day care of kids (yes, even teenagers need it), I've been evaluating how I use my time, and I'm sad to say that half of it is dissipated in the shallows. I've discussed this before when we bought the first cell phone for Max (he was 15). He had to read The Shallows by Nicholas Carr first so that he knew the dangers a smart phone and all that connectivity posed. Last year, I inherited Dagny's cell phone and I've seen how easy it is to spend 30 min scrolling through Facebook. I must admit that when I'm in the backseat of the car, it is the only way I can distract myself from her driving. But she too, is leaving home, so there's no need.

I've been practicing Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport for the past month and I highly recommend it. He lays out the groundwork for how to reorient your life around the things you care deeply about. And because I care deeply about writing books that matter and music that elevates the heart and soul to God, I bought a copy of his Deep Work. It is brilliant. I am, in essence, retraining my brain to work deeply. I am working on my lectures for Sept. and I want to be So Good They Can't Ignore Me (another one of Cal's titles I've amended slightly--isn't it just the best?). I doubt I will continue to use Facebook. I don't like the format even after three years and the benefits are too small compared to the noise it creates in my head. The blog will remain. I enjoy it tremendously. 

I have been reading other good books. Loved Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Beautiful, powerful writing. A story that will resonate with many teenagers, especially those who are questioning their faith. And I'm getting ready to dive into a couple more good books, and the beach too :)

Facebook: Crossing Over to the Dark Side

Ummm, I never thought I'd join Facebook (I said the same about blogging many years ago), but this week, when the chapter I was revising was driving me nutty, I decided that I'll make a Facebook account so that I can keep in better touch with many of my family and friends. Is this the height of procrastination or what?

It is an easier way to stay in touch and I can see why so many people prefer it to writing letters. But I could never give that up. I'm just too old-fashioned. 

I have a lot to learn about using Facebook. I'm not sure I will ever get used to the busy platform and it's too early to tell whether it is a blessing or a burden. I have enjoyed seeing lovely photographs and funny family moments. It's been great to connect with some of my old friends. I even discovered a group of parents here who swap textbooks and such. I suppose, like anything we do on the computer, I'll need to watch how much time I spend *connecting* and not doing the work I need to be doing. We shall see. Even if I'm not active, I'll probably still keep my account to catch up on my family and friends' lives.

Oh, that chapter I was revising ... I did finish ... two days later :) It's funny how I resolved to not procrastinate the month of June. Look at the backlash! Oy! Pray for me.

This is my page.
It's a lot easier going to people's pages.
You can catch up on all their news.

This is my feed page.
It's a constant stream of information,
not organized in any way, just by the time it was posted.

On Writing and Losing

Two years ago, I redesigned my blog and asked St. John the Baptist to pray for me and to bless the writing I do publicly and those who read it.

Since then, I've lost readers. I don't check stats often but at the beginning of this year I was not surprised to see the results. I write to share what I have, which is faith. I prayed for faith and received it. But as a mother, I have discovered that you cannot give to your children (or to anybody) what you do not possess. And once you possess the greatest Treasure, you discover you simply cannot keep it to yourself. It's not like any earthly treasure. So I keep on writing because it gives me great joy and if it helps even one person, all the effort has been worth it.

I am so very thankful for this space on the internet to share my thoughts. If I have hurt you with my writing, forgive me. I pray to God to guard my tongue and fingers, to never forget love. God bless you for reading. St. John, pray for us.

Fact: The Church typically celebrates the heavenly entrance of the saints -- their death day -- but only three people have the honor of their earthly birth celebrated. Jesus (the God-Man), Mary His Mother, and St. John the Baptist His cousin.

Today is the Feast of St. John the Baptist's Nativity! He prepared the way for our Lord.

My Writing Process Blog Tour

I first got to know Patty in the pages of the ICL newsletter chock full of writing tips and marketing information. A last name like Pfitsch really pops. She’s the author of the MG novels Riding the Flume and Keeper of the Light and also numerous articles and short stories. You can read more at her blog Brooklyn Bound, where she chronicles her adventures in the Big City after being a farmer in Wisconsin for 30 years. All for the love of a child. Grandparents are really wonderful.

I was delighted when she asked me to participate in this blog tour. Being a process junkie, I hopped on the bandwagon right away. Thanks Patty.

1) What are you working on?

After a summer of scribbling in my notebook, sipping tea on my back porch (am I approaching the stereotype of a Southern writer yet?) and writing on the go – in the park, at the beach, in the car – it is nice to sit in my office and finally do a bit of productive writing. I am revising a nonfiction children’s book and a contemporary young-adult novel, and for fun, playing with some picture-book texts. I realize this makes me sound like a dabbler, but I've always juggled multiple projects, allowing me no time for writer's block. Like housework, there is always something on my desk that needs attention. 

2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?

I don’t really know how to answer this. Most of my nonfiction is commercial and market driven but I bring my own sensibility of the topic to it. The current nonfiction book is a memoir, so only *I* can write it! I have written personal essays but this is the first time I’m writing one especially for children. Since I’m bound by a nondisclosure clause, mum’s the word. The young-adult novel is different from many other contemporary YAs because it is a story about making deep personal sacrifices, which is countercultural in today’s world, especially in YA, which tends to be more self-centered. You see self-sacrifice much more in MG fiction than in YA, but I believe teenagers are capable of greatness too.

3) Why do you write what you do?

I write to understand. I write to give a voice to the voiceless. I write to educate and to entertain.

4) How does your writing process work?

I've always had too many ideas. Perhaps this is why I enjoy writing short stories and articles. It satisfies my curiosity. Usually an idea takes hold of me and will not let go. I know when I keep circling it in my notebook (the old fashioned kind, made of paper) that it's time to switch to the computer and give those amorphous thoughts some structure, but I tend to do my best thinking on paper. My hand knows stuff that even my brain cannot figure out how to access.

Nonfiction is much easier for me to write. The story is already there and all that I’m doing is trying to figure out what it is that I want to highlight. I typically make an outline, and these are very detailed, but this helps me to see the flow of information, whether it is logical, whether I am going from simple to complex, etc. And in the outline form, I can see some overarching ideas emerging. I write an exploratory draft and by the end of it, I usually know how I will present it. Then I revise so that everything points to the big idea I'm trying to convey. I’m usually working with an editor at some point, so we go back and forth. And having to explain things clarifies them for me. I have been blessed with wonderful editors who ask the right questions and help me to bring depth to the manuscript. 

For short fiction, I write the story in one fell swoop. It’s only after I finish that I figure out what the story really is about. Then come many rounds of revisions until I am happy with it. I will send it off to my critique partners, who will point out the various blunders and help me to make the story better. I'm happy to say that by the time it gets to the editor, there are very few revision passes, if any.

For novel-length fiction, the process is similar, though it may take years for a story to gel. Once I am committed to writing a story, I try to outline it roughly so I have a road map of sorts. I know the beginning and ending and some of the high points of the story. I have written two novels and for both, and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know what the story really was about until after a few drafts. But once I know, revisions go  faster. My critique partners are wonderful because they keep me honest. I tend to be plot driven and they always question whether my character would do something I want them to.

I make the process sound easy, but the truth is, writing is hard for me. I fight with myself about what I want to write. Ideas and story-people compete for attention. Time is limited. I procrastinate. Pray. Pet the cat. Go for a walk with my dog. Watch the children. Play the piano. Cook. Clean. And read, read, read. But all these activities somehow help me to figure out the stories. As you can see, I don’t often know what’s in my head until I start writing, so it is a messy process, with false starts, sputtering and choking. But somehow I manage to write … with the help of saints and angels, the "mews" giving me love bites, and just keeping at it even when the writing doesn't feel like it's going well. I am tenacious to a fault, but I always feel better when I write and figure things out. There's a satisfaction that is unparalleled in getting a story just right. I'm very thankful to have a writing life with my family. 

I am going to tag three of my favorite writer buds -- Marcia Hoehne, Faith Hough and Nancy Butts. I know Marcia is taking a blog break but I have powers of persuasion! She is a mystery-writer extraordinaire. I can’t wait to see her books in print! Faith is raising four little women and still manages to write gorgeous historical fiction (I don’t think she sleeps much). And Nancy taught me how to write a big story. I will always be thankful to her for all the time and effort she put into me. Please consider adding Spontaneous Combustion to your writing library ... I have pulled it out several times already. All three of these women inspire me to do my best. If you’d like to share your writing process, consider yourself tagged and play. Please let me know so I can share a link.

Happy reading, writing and ruminating, y'all.

Blog Redesign ... and a Companion

And who should come, but Saint John the Baptist! Today is the feast of his nativity and I just love how the Christian calendar is fixed so that he is born near the summer solstice so that his light is steadily decreasing until Christ is born at the winter solstice. I doubt any of this is an accident.

Blessed John Henry Newman states: Saint John the Baptist had a most difficult office to fulfill; that of rebuking a king.
And so it follows that: We who now live have not that extreme duty put upon us with which Saint John was laden; yet every one of us has a share in his office.
He gives us some direction: Aim at viewing all things in a plain and candid light, and at calling them by their right names. Be frank, do not keep your notions of right and wrong to yourselves, nor, on some conceit that the world is too bad to be taught the Truth, suffer it to sin in word or deed without rebuke. Do not allow friend or stranger in the familiar intercourse of society to advance false opinions, nor shrink from stating your own, and do this in singleness of mind and love.

This blog is now under the patronage of St. John the Baptist.
Pray for us, St. John, that we may write boldly, truly, and in love.

Blog Tour Q&A

When I met Becky Shillington at the Carolinas SCBWI Conference, she asked me whether I'd like to participate in a blog tour. I wasn't sure, but she said she'd email me instructions. In my physics lab the motto was: If all else fails, follow the instructions. 

What are you working on right now?

My YA historical, Emergency. I’m polishing my manuscript right now and giddy with excitement.

How does it differ from other works in its genre?

Although there have been many scholarly works published by journalists about this period in India’s history (1975-1976), there’s not much fiction, save that of Rohinton Mistry’s A FINE BALANCE, and no children’s books. Actually, this is the book that turned me into a writer, as I delved into my own memories of this period. Shortly after, I bought Anne Lamott's BIRD BY BIRD, and filled a half-used biochemistry notebook with words. My story looks at this period through the lens of a 13-year-old who is directly affected.

Why do you write what you do?

I write in a great many areas, spanning many ages. But it is curiosity that drives the writing. I write to understand, to make sense of the world we live in. I write to make a difference in people’s lives. I write to give a voice to those who have none. It reflects what I read once by Anais Nin: "The role of the writer is not to say what all can say but what we are unable to say."

How does your writing process work?
 

Write, Research, Revise, Rest.

Repeat as needed.
But in all honesty, I bite nails, procrastinate, read, read, read, clean house, blog, cook, walk, journal, goof-off, play, and pray far more than I actually place my BIC and write. But all these other activities feed my writing (except when they don't).

Any departing words of wisdom for other authors?

Write. Just do it. Throw out the TV. Stop browsing the web. Don't talk. Be still. Write.

Look at these writers to find out how they answer these same questions next week. I hope they all share something about their wips.

1.      Ruth Schiffman
2.      Anne Bingham
3.      Rosemary Freeman

Sunday Sweets

Sweet … moi? I’m more of a salty person … But Faith nominated me for "Super Sweet Blogger Award" and I accepted. Because I can be sweet sometimes …


The rules copied from Faith: answer the following five sweet questions and nominate five sweet bloggers. Easy-peasy.

1. Cookies or Cake? Cookies! Ideally, ginger snaps. I cannot resist a little sweet something, probably to counteract all the salt and spice.

2. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate. A luscious Belgian chocolate (I got spoiled living two years in Belgium). But I’ll settle for a Cadbury.  

3. Favorite Sweet Treat? Fresh mangoes. It's as if I've died and gone to heaven.

4. When Do You Crave Sweet Things The Most? In the afternoons, when I need a little pick-me-up.

5. Sweet Nick Name? My brother nicknamed me Winkie and it has remained. I tried to teach my husband a few Indian terms of endearment, but not one stuck. But he need only look at me ... and I melt.

Five bloggers who've added sweet goodness to my life (and who've not yet rec'd this award).

Marcia Hoehne, a dear, dear friend with whom I discuss life, faith, and writing.
Mgsr. Charles Pope, a holy priest who has taught me much about my faith.
Kristi Holl, whose Writer's First Aid is a great gift to all of us who are writer-mamas.
Verla Kay, who created the Blueboards, the best community for children's writers to support one another in their journey and where you can find me moderating/procrastinating.
Shannon Grogan, a writer from WA who sent me a copy of a book featuring my poem, and who is coming out with a new YA suspense FROM WHERE I WATCH YOU.
Becky Shillington, is a writer whom I'll get to see this coming weekend at the Carolinas SCBWI conference.

Is that six? Shucks, I can't count ... as it was quite apparent at choir practice last Wed.
 

Weekly Dose of Chesterton

On my lunch break today, I discovered a gem of a blog: http://chesterton.wordpress.com/ 
Consider this little poem -- isn't it a delight?

Lines Written in a Picture Book (1906-1912)

 

This is the sort of book we like
(For you and I are very small),
With pictures stuck in anyhow,
And hardly any words at all.

 

You will not understand a word
Of all the words, including mine;
Never you trouble; you can see,
And all directness is divine —

 

Stand up and keep your childishness:
Read all the pedants’ screeds and strictures;
But don’t believe in anything
That can’t be told in coloured pictures.

 

But the deadlines are pressing down around me, so I must write instead of read, even as my cat paws me to pet her (I do think cats are an essential writer's companion). Why yes, I'm typing with just one hand ...

A few days ago I also learned that a bishop is opening a case for the sainthood of Gilbert K. Chesterton. This is beyond cool ... I've already begun asking him to pray for my writing endeavors. As I do JPII and Teresa de Avila.

Decorating my Blog

I've been spending a fair bit of time blogging and something seemed amiss. And it hit me. No Catholic sacramentals. This is my online *home* and I wanted to have some beautiful reminders of my faith. I was half-tempted to copy some of the artwork in the new Campion Missal, but there are a number of free symbols available. You can see my choice -- it reflects my love of the traditional Roman Catholic rites. I even catch myself dreaming in Latin sometimes, singing the Gloria or Credo, or a bit of text from the Introit. I'm at Mass, where heaven and earth meet. I can no longer separate myself from my faith. By grace, it continues to grow.

The Next Big Thing

Okay, if you are expecting conference tidbits, you'll just have to wait ... because Faith tagged me and I can't pass up a chance to talk about my book. This is the same one that got the third prize in the Carolinas writing contest.

What is your working title of your book?


EMERGENCY

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I lived through this period in India (1975-76) without really understanding what happened. Political opponents were imprisoned, journalists were censored, and personal freedoms of common citizens were severely restricted, and I just went along with whatever I was told to do. Years later, when I was a post-doc at Purdue, I picked up Rohinton Mistry’s A FINE BALANCE. I avoided reading it. But when I was finally ready, I could not stop reading and remembering and putting pieces of the puzzle together. I still think about those characters and their lives … and so it was very natural for me to turn to this period to ask the questions I am still struggling to answer.

What genre does your book fall under?

Historical Fiction.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I see all my stories as movies in my head, so I have definite ideas. I don’t watch many Bollywood films, nor do I know the names of various actors and actresses, but I’d love an Indian Kate Winslet, someone like Madhubala and Gopi Krishna (in their prime). I looked up some current leads and I’m leaning towards Kareena Kapoor and Shahrukh Khan. And if you’ve never watched Bollywood movies, go check some out. They are almost all musicals with tried and true plots.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

More than anything, Reshma wants to become independent, but the political climate in India forces her to endure toxic relationships until she finds the courage to not only escape, but take her family with her.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Traditional route.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Ahem, I don’t rightly know. This is a book that I wrote in fits and starts, because I was doing lots of magazine work and work-for-hire. I also scrapped the original draft midway because it had everything in it – political unrest, industrial accidents, prime ministerial assassination, along with love and betrayal, and religious conflicts. Did I mention time travel? It had that too. Thud! When I finally ironed out the plot, it took me a couple of years (yes, still sporadically) to write it. By the way, any writers out there looking for advice, this is how-not-to-write-a-novel.

May we see an intro?

Of course!

I left my childhood dolls behind and became a woman the year Faisal thundered into our lives on his blood-red Honda.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmmm, the only fiction set in this time period I know of is Rohinton Mistry’s book and it’s an adult book, not YA. The closest would be Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. However, if you like the books of these other authors as well – Arundhati Roy, Jodi Piccoult, Sara Zarr, and Khaled Hosseini – you will like my book.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Rohinton Mistry! I didn’t even know I was going to be a writer until I had my babies, but he (along with AJ Cronin) planted the seeds. Shortly after I bought his book, I took out a half-used biochemistry notebook and started writing random thoughts.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

Aspects of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Oh, and food. I have lots of food in my book. In fact, I am incapable of writing a book without food in it. Bring on the samosas, the jilebees, the naan, and curries.

I am tagging these five writers to have a peek into their books:

Marcia Hoehne

Bish Denham

Molly Blaisdell

Mystery Robin

Nelsa Roberto

Please play! And let us know when you do. Thank you. 

Conference tidbits coming soon! I promise.

***

Rules of The Next Big Thing:

*Use this format for your post
*Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress)
*Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

What is your working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
May we see an intro?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

***

Kreativ Blog Award

Jody tagged me with the Kreativ Blogger Award, and after I told her that everybody I knew must've already played, that we two were the last ones ... I found out that I had actually participated a couple of years back. So I'm redirecting y'all to seven beloved books. The list has not changed.

Happy reading and writing.

In Progress

As you can see, I'm monkeying around. My husband says this is a giant procrastination tool and he's ... right. But I do need to update my website and thought the easiest thing to do would be to transfer some of the stuff to the blog. I'm having a bear of a time copying my book covers and placing them in an aesthetic manner instead of just a row of book covers. So, pardon the mess ... my house is worse, I promise :)

And what of the revisions? I'm having a terrible time immersing myself in the book enough to really write. And I don't trust myself to make the right changes either. It would be so much easier to write a first draft of a book that's been percolating in my head, but I don't want it to be a royal mess like my second book (I still haven't done a thing with it because it lacks the basics -- a strong structural foundation).

What to do? Clean house, monkey around, try to work on revisions and steal time to work on the shiny new idea. Yup, I'm procrastinating.
*

A Tag

Amy at the Green Bathtub tagged me:

Are you hot?

My husband says so :)

Upload a picture or wall paper you are using at the moment.

My son took this picture and I love it because it reminds me of the Holy Spirit.

When was the last time you ate chicken meat?

This evening after a lovely day at the zoo, I had a chicken sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato and guacamole. Yum.

Songs you listened to recently?

Jesus My Lord, My God, My All

Divine Mercy Chaplet

What were you thinking as you were doing this?

How grateful I am that the Lord gave Himself to us in the Eucharist. Tomorrow is the feast of Corpus Christi, where we celebrate the Body of Christ that is consecrated during Mass. I blogged about it here.

Do you have nicknames?

Oh, yes. My brother is responsible for them. In fact, I don't recall knowing my real name until I went to school because I was always called Winkie, Venkat, or Venkatli at home. The only nickname that has survived is Winkie, though when I visit my brother he often refers to me as Venkat.

Tag eight blogger friends.

Boy, this is hard. Most folks have already played. If you haven't and want to play, consider yourself tagged.

*

Followers and Friends

It being summer and all, I've not checked out some blogs, but realized they were still on my "follow" list. A while back, when I discovered the follow feature, I thought it would somehow be an easier way to read everything I wanted to read, but the better way is to have an RSS feed. The follow feature is independent of it. I hate clutter and redundancies so decided to "unfollow" everybody. This was no easy feat because there was no such button ... I did find it eventually buried under the features of the blogs I follow.

I can't believe how cantankerous I am. I don't like words like "friend" or "follow" when all you're doing is reading someone's blog. What's wrong with "reader"? I only have a handful of friends, the rest being acquaintances or colleagues, and so I like to reserve the term "friend" for those special people. And as to follow, I only want to follow Jesus Christ. Words are so important to me, and when people use them casually, it irritates me. I won't go into turning verbs into nouns and vice versa ... they grate on my ears, even though I know language is always evolving.

Anyway, I got rid of the "follow" thingie on my blog as well because it makes no sense to me. Besides, my paltry numbers (20 or so) make me feel terribly unpopular (not that it's anything new). Nathan Bransford as 4,000+ followers. Wow! But I wonder how many of those followers actually read his posts. I was reading his stuff for a while when I was considering getting an agent and even entered one of his contests, but what's the point of saying I follow him when I am no longer reading his blog? Sorry Nathan, if you're reading this. When I am ready to look for an agent, I will most likely go back to reading his posts because they are full of agent-wisdom.

I've seen many contests lately about collecting more followers. I must be the only person on this planet who doesn't get it. Can someone enlighten me? For me blogging is about making a connection with my readers, and I enjoy the company and community of those who are sincere. But this entire "friends" and "followers" business feels more like a popularity contest than anything else. It's high school all over again ...

And now I'll probably lose the 20-odd followers and the 5 or so friends I do have ... but that's okay. I really am a crankypants. I'm nothing if honest.

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Happy

My dear friend Bish is passing on the happy meme.

When I was in India, my mother had a book called "Happiness is a Habit." I never read it so I don't know if the link I've made is the correct one but the title always stuck with me because it resonates. Happiness is a habit. When one has a grateful heart, just being alive makes one happy.

Let me list a few things that bring happiness in my life:

1. Walking with my kids and dog to school.
2. Snuggling up with my husband to watch a good movie.
3. Reading.
4. Writing. Fast-flowing pens, sharpened pencils.
5. Cooking. And eating.
6. Cuddling with the kitties.
7. Reading and writing letters. Being connected with family and friends.
8. Sitting in church, listening to the Word.
9. Our home.
10. All of nature, but especially the sunshine.

As you can see, these are all so very simple things, but they bring me great joy every day, even on gray and cloudy days.

Be well. Be happy. And let me know what makes you happy. If you follow my blog, I'll be checking your blogs in the next few days.
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Ten Honest Things

"Scrap means left over, fragments, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. People like us need to tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will. There are 2 guidelines for receiving this award. One, you are to list 10 honest things about yourself. Make them interesting, even if you have to dig deep. Two, present the award to 7 other bloggers."




My friend Bish awarded me this a while back and I completely forgot about it. Sorry Bish.

1. I have an excellent memory -- hey, I did finally remember this award.
2. I stutter and there were times in my life when it was all I could do to literally spit out the words. Thank goodness for writing.
3. I enjoy writing letters -- have been doing it since I was a wee little girl, thanks to a fractured family.
4. I am a very good listener -- even strangers tell me their stories without any prompting.
5. I can curl my tongue into three petals.
6. I hate eggs unless I prepare them myself. And liver. Oh, brussel sprouts, too, even though they look like cute little baby cabbages.
7. I love babies -- plants, animals, rocks, you name it -- except perhaps baby cockroaches.
8. I am curiouser than a cat.
9. I have read my school books for fun. Still do. Will read my kids' school books as well.
10. I am still reading picture books.

Many of you have already played, but if you haven't, consider yourself tagged. Let me know so I can read ten honest things about you as well. Thanks, Bish.
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I Love Your Blog

I am very new to blogging so I was delighted to receive this nomination from Molly who blogs at Seize the Day. She didn't tell me, but I love her blog and have it on a feed and that's how I discovered. Thank you, Molly.

Here are the rules:

1. Add the logo of your award to your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

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I'm going to pull a Molly and not say anything on the blogs that I'm nominating, but folks, if you're reading my blog, go check these out:

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1. itty bitty kitty committee -- I wrote about them earlier. If you need a kitten fix, check them out. Can you hear me say, "Aw!"

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2. The Daily Coyote -- ditto as #1 except it's a coyote. More ooohs and aaaahs.

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Are you wondering whether I'll ever have any writing blogs? Here they come ...

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3. The Bookshelf Muse -- Angela and Becca have done an incredible service with their Emotion Thesauraus, and they've begun their Setting Thesaurus. Check it out.

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4. Random Thoughts -- Bish has the most interesting thoughts, though they don't seem random at all. I've learned much about island life from her.

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4a. Freefall -- Anna Levine has a new book and a new blog. And I'm learning a bit more about her daily life in Israel.

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5. Revision Notes -- Darcy Pattison is an incredible teacher. Read her blog. Read her books.

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6. Planet Esme -- Thoughtful, insightful book reviews and more by Esme Raji Codell.

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And now I depart from writing blogs to ...

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7. The Doctor Is In -- A physician looks at medicine, religion, politics, pets, & passion in life. That subheading on Dr. Bob's blog says everything. Some day I hope to be able to articulate as well.

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I know I cheated, but hey, rules are meant to be broken ... Besides many of the blogs that I read regularly have already gotten the love. Probably some of these as well.

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Happy reading folks. And remember to keep writing as well.

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Tagged ... Five Things

Fiona tagged me again to play and I'm feeling mighty playful. However, a meme of five things should really have five questions to make it a perfect square.

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read the player's blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?
I gave away most of my science stuff because I started to write seriously, two hours every night, after the toddlers and husband were tucked into bed. Writing brings me home.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?
Finish revisions on a magazine article, pick fresh spinach and lettuce for supper, refill bird feeders, write to my sister and two aunts. Mission accomplished since it's late in the day.

What are five snacks you enjoy?
Tim's vinegar and sea salt potato chips, spicy chewda (fried spiced lentils), samosas (spicy potatoes in a pastry), cherry red tomatoes off the plant, blueberries off the bushes.

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
Become a publisher, write more, travel more, rest more, give more.

What are five of your bad habits?
Chewing my fingernails ... gosh, that's the only one I can think of. Feel free to tell me more.

What are five places where you have lived?
India, Belgium, and in America -- Pullman WA, Long Beach CA, West Lafayette IN. I love small university towns, wheatfields for miles and miles around.

What are five jobs you've had?
Dishwasher, fortune-teller, teacher, scientist, mom (and I'm still washing dishes).

Five people I'm tagging:
Let's see, who hasn't been tagged yet --
Bish at Random Thoughts
Rachel at Rachel Writes for Kids
Darcy at Revision Notes
Jacqui at Jacqui's Room
Peggy at A Sound from My Heart
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