Thawed Fragments!

It's going to be 60 degrees today!  Yippee!  As a SoCal girl, that used to mean, get out the coat, there's going to be chilly days ahead!  Now that I'm a MidWest girl, it  means, put away the coat and get out the flip flops!  What a difference a few miles can make!

I'm so happy to be here at Friday Fragments, a safe place to come and visit, and share my exciting experiences of the week.  I went to work, had lunch at work, came home, had dinner, went to bed.  Another exciting week to report!  HOWEVER....my weekends are full of fun with new places and people to experience!

After three years of living with roommates, my oldest daughter decided to go solo.  I helped her unpack and watched her blossom as an adult as she "downsized" her stuff (some of that stuff being stuff that I let go of last year).  She is on her way!  Next month, my younger daughter will do the same.  She will go solo, and start fresh as her own person.  I am thrilled for the possibilities she will experience with this change.

I took a leap of faith and submitted a piece of writing about Motherhood to our local chapter of Listen To Your Mother.  This is a great organization that calls on women and men who have stories about themselves, their mothers, their sisters, etc. and the comedy or tragedy experienced in their lives.  LTYM is a forum for sharing and receiving life experiences that make us appreciate mothers everywhere.  I was thrilled that my piece got me to an audition for the show.  The writing talent in Chicago is massive and I felt honored that someone liked my story.  I didn't make it to the show, but just having the opportunity to read my story meant the world to me.  There are shows being cast all over the country, and I highly recommend attending one in your area.  You will be moved as you listen and relate to almost everything you hear.

Tomorrow, we will take the Tootsie to one of the fantastic public parks that our town has to offer.  The snow has almost completely melted and we all are excited to "get out" and rejoin the human race again! I hope you are able to do something fun and exciting and tasty this weekend!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Please visit Friday Fragments by and see what is going on with the many friends of Mrs4444 at Half-Past Kissin Time!

My Gutsy Story Anthology!

You simply MUST check out this new book by Sonia Marsh, author of Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family's Year of Gusty Living on a Tropical Island.  My Gutsy Story Anthology is the second book in her anthology series which is a collection of inspirational short stories submitted to Sonia's blog, Gutsy Living.

Sonia Marsh uprooted her family and spent a year living in Belize where her entire family learned a whole new way of living, as well as, a whole new appreciation for the things that so many of us take for granted.  Her blog, Gutsy Living, started as a working palette for her book, Freeways.  She received a flood of "you go, girl" responses from readers regarding her story. In addition her readers began relating gutsy stories of their own. She asked her readers to write about their experiences and submit them for posting on her blog.  From there, the submissions were compiled into My Gutsy Story Anthology (number one). As more stories have been submitted a second anthology (this one) was published.  A third is in the works as we speak (or read)! Please check out her books on Amazon where you will learn about Sonia, and the very inspiring stories she has chosen to publish. 

Sonia has been an incredible source of inspiration and encouragement for me and my writing.  She is always on the prowl for writing tools, classes, and events to help aspiring authors improve their talents.  There is always someone giving a talk on "how to" or "how I did" become a successful writer, and Sonia makes sure that everyone knows when and where the talk will take place! If she only lived in Chicago....

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  And please take a few minutes to check out her books...especially this one...you may just recognize the name of one of the authors...on page 17!

Fragments of a Workin' Stiff!

 

I've been away....way, way away!  Like the way, way back of the mini-van!  It's the place where nobody wants to be because one misses all the action when one is in the "way way back!" 

For two years, I have been looking for full time work, all the time brushing up on "Office Gossip 101" and how to politely tell someone to "get lost" without them knowing it until I have made my escape!  I feel lucky to have found a part time job in retail, along with a few "temp" jobs through the one million agencies with which I am registered!  Well, guess what?  I have been working a temp job for three months...a 9-5er...M-F...and I'm so exhausted that I can't write as often as I was accustomed to writing!  I thought it was a phase and I just needed to "get over the honeymoon" and all would be hunky-dory!  I'm still pooped! Well, welcome back to the real world baby! How do so many of you manage?  I guess it's like cooking all day Sunday to make meals for the week because-you-know-how-exhausted-you-are-gonna-be-and-don't-really-want-to-cook-during-the-week... Yeah, something like that!

I'm blessed to be working, but am feeling guilty about not writing more.  I think I will try the Sunday writing blitz and see what happens!  I've missed reading my "regulars" and have missed putting in my two cents every now and then, as well!  I plan to play catch up with everyone!

We had flurries this morning in Chicago!  The wind has kicked up and Walenda is walking the rope this weekend!  A few extra prayers would be appreciated, I'm sure!

I must have seen a thousand Elsa Princesses this week!  That's okay...she's my new favorite.  What a voice, too!  Hope everyone had a great Halloween!  And for those pumpkins that didn't get carved... hang on to them for front porch snowmen decorations! No, Tom Cruise does not come with the pumpkin...sorry ladies!

Thanks to Mrs4444 for always being my bright light with Friday Fragments!  If you haven't already, please stop by and enjoy the weekly musings of some really great bloggers!  Just click on the logo below.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a "oh-great-we-get-to-sleep-an-extra-hour" weekend full of fun stuff with good people!

Is It Friday, Already?

Wow!  Did this week zip by, or what?  And, I have just about nothing, nada, zilch, or zero to show for it, except that I'm still here, the dog is still here, and the Internet is still alive and kicking!  I'm grateful for these three things as my world would not be complete without each of them.  I'm also grateful for Mrs4444 and her Friday Fragments segment which offers us a place to come with our random thoughts, spilling our guts (if we choose to do so) and polishing our writing and/or photography skills.  Since I don't really have any photography skills, I will work on writing, writing and more writing.

I started an office job on Monday at 8:00am.  I was excited to get back into the work force doing what I thought I did best.  By 3:30pm, I was no longer a part of the work force and spent the rest of the day reevaluating my reason for existence.  When I lost interest in banging my head against the steering wheel of my car, I drove home and had a heart-to-heart with the dog.  She was wonderful!  She joined me on the couch and laid her head in my lap.  We both felt good.  We went out for some fresh air and invited the Big Guy (God, to me) to join in the conversation.  It hit me like a brick (funny how that works some times) that I don't have to make a living at something just because it's what I know and have always done. I began to think about other ways to earn a living doing what I know, what I like to do, and how I can be helpful to others at the same time.  I'm still thinking....

Please visit Mrs4444 by clicking on the logo below and see what a bunch of us have been up to this week.  Please also check out my post on Angel's Stairs which started out as a tribute to recent disaster victims, but also serves as a tribute to anyone who has given their life while in service to our great country.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!  Thanks for stopping by today!

College Lesson

From Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop, I give you a little story of a life lesson learned from a college experience.

I wanted, more than anything, to be an actress!  I took classes, called in sick to my day job so I could be an "extra" in non-union productions, and even took some work that could only be filmed from midnight to morning (grocery store commercial).  I was young and stupid, but not yet willing to let go of the dream.  When I tired of competing with the gazillion other young and stupids chasing the same dream, I thought about looking for work on the other side of the camera...writing.  I had no idea whether or not I was any good, but I had always enjoyed writing.  Let's give it a shot!  I went back to college and enrolled in a screenwriting class.  I was pumped!

For a project, I scoured the newspaper for a word or two that spoke to me. I found some, and began writing an outline and the first few pages of a script that included suspense, romance, and exotic locations.  I had a specific TV show in mind to work this story around.  It was fun, challenging and such a boost to my self-esteem to complete the project.  The creme was getting an "A" on it, which meant stamp of approval from someone who was currently working in the business.  "Someone who was currently working in the business" should have spoken to me, as well!

Flash forward a few years...it's a 2:00 a.m. feeding for my second wee one...I turn on the TV to a rerun of a favorite show of mine.  The story seems familiar, and I just think that maybe I've seen it already.  Then the proverbial light goes on.  IT'S MY STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's my story, with a few minor changes in dialogue. I curiously and patiently waited for the credits at the end of the show.  Guess what?  The screenwriter was one and the same as my teacher!  I felt robbed, and after the initial four-letter words spewed from my lips, I realized there was nothing I could do about it, and I actually conceded that maybe he needed the work more than I did.

My college lesson...and loving suggestion to all writers...protect your hard work. 

Please visit Mama Kat and enjoy some great pieces offered by some wonderful writers!  Just click on the link above!  Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you have a great day!

R & R for Mom

I took the day off today to soothe my battered body and psyche. (Whatever that means!) Instead of laundry, errands and cleaning, I went to an event called "The Big Read." Initially, I wanted to go meet Mary Engelbreit, buy her book, and get her autograph. Then I realized all of the other interesting things that were going on. Today was a day that I was sad that my kids were grown up. There was a ton of activities, storytelling, entertainment and sales geared to kiddos betweeen the ages of two and 14.

Instead of my fantasy meeting with ME, I attended two writing workshops. They were both awesome! The first was about how to get published, and the second was how to pitch an idea. I really enjoyed both of them and I came away feeling very motivated...(did I say motivated?) - one of my objectives of this post. Driving home, I thought about redrafting some of my stories. Then, I saw Dairy Queen....the one where Edwina and Katya work. Let's see...I have two bucks...what can I get with their discount? (Another improvement I want to make...I guess that today is not the day for this one.)

Oh, by the way, the owner of the phone came in to the office the next morning to claim it! He is now back in favor with his mom and dad.