Inspiration!

Weddings.......Christmas.......3 birthdays in two weeks.......
Those are my excuses for my lack of posting and book reading. Ahh priorities....

It's amazing how little things in your life can cause an explosion of inspiration. A special song, a cup of your favorite piping hot drink, a particular idea that blossoms in your mind and causes a wave of stories flowing out onto paper.

For me it is a mixture of things. Snow, Dorothy's Huckleberry White Hot Chocolate *sigh*, and...for this particular morning....chips and salsa.

I never knew huckleberry's, white chocolate, and chunks of tomato and cilantro could taste so good together.

Snow itself is an inspiration to almost anyone, I am sure. The sparkling pureness is just a landscape of stories in itself. You can make tracks in it....imprinting ideas forever...or you can just stare at the pure awe of something so cold...yet so perfect.

Weekly Assignment - Find things that inspire you!

Inspirational Bible Verses :

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope - Jeremiah 29:11

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand - Isaiah 41:10

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you - Psalm 32:8

Thoughts from a God-loving girl

Dip your paintbrush in poetry and color my heart

Let the ripples of your love cascade through my soul

Sink your fatherly eyes into my pleading mind

Embrace me in your arms of peace and love

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." 1 John 4:18

Look no further!

This morning held a small miracle in my life. I had just taken a shower, and my hair was in a nice wet mess. Now I am the kind of girl who, instead of curling and fixing my hair when I am annoyed with it, just sticks it up in a ponytail and leaves it for however long I wish. I happily skipped into the bathroom, opened the cupboard...and stared at the horror beneath me.

No hairties.

This is disaster in my life. Thick, frizzy, dripping wet hair and no hairties? Kill me now.

I went to the next step, look under the cupboard and the bathroom mat. I did. Nothing. I then desperately ran into my room, clinging onto the small string of hope that there would be a hairtie somewhere in my room, just waiting for me to grasp down and be happy once more. My string of hope snapped instantly.

15 minutes and a messy room later...I was still looking. Alas...no hairties. At this point I didn't even care about using the hairtie, I just had to win the challenge and find one. It is amazing how such small things in our lives become so important isn't it?

After a few more minutes of searching, my mind began to play scenarios in my head:
"Drive to town and buy some."
"Gas is way to pricey!"
"Well fine, improvise. Make one!"
"Yeah right...I have a better chance at not killing a plant."
"Fine...then don't use a hairtie."

The inward mind battle went on and on for a few moments. I finally, in a desperate moment, sat down on my bed and sent up a silent plea to the Lord. Yes that's right...I prayed to find a hairtie....and the Lord decided to help out. I sighed and looked down, and right next to my hand was a hairtie. It is incredible how, in just little things every day, the Lord shows his love for us.

I of course, am going to twist this some way or other to make it relate to writing. Don't I always? *sigh*.

Sometimes you just cannot find a way to write your story, no matter how hard you look. You run through every single place in your brain that you can find an idea, all of the boxes of information and inspirational thoughts....but nothing comes.

Sometimes you just have to lean on the Lord...after all, who are you writing the story for. Him, or the world?

The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Psalms 28:8

Christmas Already?

Is it possible? Christmas is almost here...already? Let's see if the necessary steps have been completed to allow Christmases passage:

Snow - Check!
Freezing Cold Air - Check!
The Feel Of Christmas - Check!
Eggnog - Check!
Christmas Music - Check!

Hmm....sounds like it is time! :) I have been listening to so much Christmas music, it is almost pathetic (not to mention all of the Christmasy treats and piping hot drinks that I have gulped down...) I guess I actually missed the Winter! (Shhh! Don't tell anyone!)

Here is a song to listen to while you enjoy the Holidays!
Jingle Bells (AFRS Rehearsal) - Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters

(Or listen to Pandora Classical Christmas Station!)

Yay for Christmas!!!

Note:
My challenge is going awesome! I am currently reading 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'...although I am not enjoying it as much as I did when I was ten :P

Snow!

I was just waking up...my eyes groggy from both lack of sleep and concentration from the night before. I had been up late studying...and as I woke my eyebrows once again ruffled in concentration as I attempted to figure something out. I could sense something, What? I wasn't sure. I stretched slowly...my fingertips reaching for the ceiling, my imagination swirling. My mind imagined my arms stretching and stretching until they landed on the stars beyond. But still...I was awake...and something wasn't right.

You know those mornings when you wake up...and you can just tell that something has changed? Maybe your wheelbarrow has tipped out of it's rut for the morning...and you have to rush to put it back. The wheels in my mind started to turn...slowly and creakily, as they always do in the morning. I sniffed a little, and then rubbed my arms. The lighting was different...and it was cold. Too cold. My room, the furnace of the house, has always been unnaturally warm. No matter what I try to do, I always feel as if I am baking alive in my own living quarters.

But today was different. Thing's are NEVER different.

I rubbed my eyes wearily, noticing that yet another mystery had come to haunt me and force my numb mind to think. I gazed at my limp curtains...and then I knew what was different. The light WAS different...it was white, the sun rays brighter than usual. A feel in the air seemed to spill through the windows like a faucet accidentally left on. Snow.

The word took a few minutes to register in my mind. I sat staring...wondering if I was hallucinating, or if my eyes were just fogged up themselves and that the snow outside was just my mind freezing over. But I knew it wasn't true. There was something else in the air. Horror.

Now now...you may be wondering WHY horror would be in the air when such a magnificent thing has come to pass....but the explanation is simple. The rest of the valley doesn't want snow. They us excuses like 'not yet!' or 'it's only November!'...but alas...their dreams had been shattered, and the broken pieces had been glued back together and shoved into my 'dream slot'...filling all of my dreams completely.

I could sense the wailing 'NO!'s and the 'WHY!'s....they were leaking from town to me, but nothing could dampen my spirit. It was SNOW!

Now I would love to say that I rushed outside in my fuzzy boots and scarf, snapped pictures of everything that came into sight, and did snow angels until there wasn't an inch left in the yard...but alas, I can not. Sadly I had responsible things to do. (sigh...I can't believe responsibility would DARE intrude on such a beautiful snow day...)

But nevertheless! SNOW IS HERE!

Here is one of my FAVORITE bible verses...yes I have already posted it on this blog, but I just thought I would share it again.


Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments, Who can stand before His cold? He sends forth His word and melts them. He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.

Psalm 147:12-18

Thank you Lord for creating this beautiful thing...it is just another way you share your majesty! :)


Update:
The Challenge:
Books To Go : 327.5
Days To Go : 351

Hidden books waiting to pounce....

Little did I realize, that when I counted all of my books, I forgot to include the books inside of books. Yup, that's right. They are hidden, the dark pages camouflaging their every move, their slinky thoughts coiled up just waiting to pounce at the right moment. The books like these are few in number, but very deadly. They look so innocent on the outside, but on the inside it is a pit of death just waiting swallow you whole...

Ok, enough Alfred Hitchcock writing...let me explain. I counted 330 books lined on my shelves, and I allowed myself 365 days to read them. Difficult? Yes. Durable? Of course. Until I realized something. A few of my books have several volumes IN them. That's right. I have one volume (I counted it as one book) that has seven Jane Austen books inside. And it only counts as one of my 330 books!

This challenge is seeming to become more difficult every day. On the bright side however, the side effects of must-read-books syndrome is beginning to hit! So far my symptoms include:

Random thoughts of the book I am reading.
Itchy fingers for the bindings.
I have to read before I go to bed or else I can't sleep.

Yay! Finally! Took long enough for it to come.

I feel as if I need to inspire some writerish thoughts out there! I have been slowly trying to incorporate 'weekly assignments' back into my posts...but alas, my life is hectic! (Hey...you try helping a dog give birth to puppies, driving an hour (each way) for a dentist appointment, babysitting your nephew, AND having an interview for a job (I got the job!) all within 7 hours after only getting 5 hours of sleep. Yeah I thought so...)

So I have decided to do something new! YOU readers, whoever you are, are going to assign the weekly assignments! Either email me or reply to this post, and then depending on how many replies I get, those will be the assignments for the next few weeks (Hopefully...just long enough for me to get my life back in order!)

Until we meet again! I look forward to seeing your fabulous ideas! Ciao!

Books To Go : 328.5
Days To Go : 354

Weed....

I have discovered something that is quite horrifying. I have this odd thing sticking out of my head. It just sits there, all day. Sometimes it gets defensive, frizzy, and attacks my face...other times it is just so weak it sits limply and does absolutely nothing. Useless thing. I have decided to name it 'weed'...two feet of absolute misery.

The real name?
Hair.

That's right, my hair is my weed, my 'crowning glory' of pure annoying. What do I plan to do about it? Heehee...get ready hair, scissors are coming...

Sadly...I have quite a debate going on whether or not I should cut my 'golden locks of dread.' What do you guys think?

As for my book reading, well? What can I say....

I've finished half a book...

I know! Don't scold... it takes time to get into 'read books!' stage...but as soon as I am there they will be piling up in the 'done!' pile. :)

Books To Go : 329.5
Days To Go : 361


I found this picture, and I thought you would enjoy it.... (credit - click here)

The challenge...

I have decided to challenge myself with a difficult yet full filling task. Yes, it may end in papercuts, tears, and a small bit of hair-pulling...but in the end it will be worth it. Right? Right...

The Challenge: Read every single book that has ever passed through my room doors...in a year. 330 books. 365 days. This...will be interesting.

The Challengee: A girl who has decided to do this slightly interesting, slightly idiotic thing. The point? None whatsoever.

The starting point: Book 001 - Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

Wish Me Luck.... :) I will need it.

Books To Go : 330
Days To Go : 365

Let the countdown begin!

Books Books and more Books

Now it is only natural that because this is a writing blog, I must mention books.
I love them. The crisp pages, the colorful bindings shining like a rainbow on the shelves...books are beautiful.

And then I realized how many I have....

330 books are crowded onto two tiny bookshelves. Lined up like mini soldiers in perfect formation...just waiting for my cool fingertips to grasp their thick and expecting covers and start the adventure awaiting within. Yes yes...many people have more books, but still...I'm not even an adult...and I ALREADY have 330 books? Imagine how many I will have when I am 80. *shudder*

Weekly assignment - (Yes weekly assignments have been...well, slightly invisible lately. But here it goes!)
I think it would be fun for YOU to count YOUR books. It is fun...and always adventurous too see how many novels you have gathered throughout the years. :)

Small note!

I almost wonder if that is how it is with the Lord. There are so many people in the world (like the books on my shelves.) I mean billions of people, and yet he loves every single one of us. We are all precious to him...even though most of us have stories that we are not proud of at all....and yet, he STILL loves us.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

It's official. I've gone crazy. Of course, I guess this is typical for a somewhat insane family...but still, I thought I could last a little longer.

After sitting in this lumpy chair for several hours and writing 6 essays, I am insane! It's September...not even FROST season yet, and here I am listening to Christmas music and thinking about twinkle lights (either thinking about them, or I am seeing stars from lack of sleep...)

I want Christmas! Snow...candycanes...jollyness! It just sounds so pleasant. Doesn't it? Oh right, I forgot, it's STILL September.

Sigh...A winter-loving-girl stuck in a non-winter-loving-world. (yes depressing right? So dramatic) :)

Winter will come! And hopefully along with it I will actually stop being responsible and ignore school long enough to AT LEAST write one post a weekish :) Who knows! Miracles happen right?

The stork is on its final approach

After seconds of holding our breath, minutes of jumping up and down excitedly, and nine long, terrible months of waiting....it is time.
At 3:30 this morning the phone rang. I heard my mom scrambling like only moms can, and then the ringing stopped and I heard her talking. The very second I heard it answered, I leaped out of bed, muttering to myself that it was time, hurriedly got dressed, and ran to the kitchen. As soon as I entered I couldn't help my mouth blurting out in a half-yell 'IS BETH IN LABOR!"
The answer was YES.
I of course, being inexperienced at this whole thing, expected us to only have time to brush our teeth and then rush to the hospital quicker than you can say 'The stork is here!' or 'push!' Sadly my mom calmly explained that we would leave in the morning.
I have never had more trouble falling asleep in my life.
When I DID wake up, at 7:30, it was a rush of getting changed, trying not to look like a dead zombie, shoving fruit into a blender and hoping it doesn't get clogged, and running your body with a 4-hours-of-sleep brain. It didn't go so well...but ahh, here I am in the hospital waiting for the little bundle of nephewness to be popped right out and stuck into my sisters arms.
My brother and I, of course, felt it was our aunt and uncle - ly duties to take a picture of how excited we were on the way to the hospital. First, we had to harbor our joy and do a normal smiling picture.

Do we look tired? Not at ALL right? (Play along....)

And then to our joyful hearts, we did a picture expressing our TRUE feelings. I think that the picture of our real mood will tell you what an exciting and --->
brilliantly adorable day this is going to become. :) <----Smiley face!

BUT....one question....

WHAT IS LABOR WITHOUT STUFFED PUPPY DOGS?

Exactly.....it doesn't count unless a puppy dog in involved. I must say, my dearest sister ( look at her blog here ) and I will have quite the competition going on so we can decide who is the most doting aunt. As of right now, I am winning (that's right Nadine!) Back on track...yes I did buy little Levi Ray a stuffed dog, and it is CUTE.

All in all...it will be born soon!  I can't wait! When the stork lands on the runway...there will be an aunt (or an ant...I am black and slimy (not really)) waiting anxiously to take the baby to baggage claim....yup...that makes no sense, but I have no end to this post. So...
 THE END! (Theme song!)

Christmas Shopping?

The weather has tricked my brain. It was beautifully sunny, heat beaming down like a giant flashlight...when suddenly it rained and rained and rained...for a week or more. That feels like spring...but it is SUMMER. That is when it started its backward trip. It started hailing, back-peddling to may....and then SNOW! Yes...snow in June! It had reached December, and my brain, along with it, had reached shopping for Christmas. All I can say is that I now have an entire list of what I am getting my family!

Ho Ho Ho and a Merry Juneness!

Life defined in two days...

My life has officially been defined ! I do believe I will start a tradition of starting my summers how I did this year....for they came up with the definition of my life and hometown. The word?

Dorkefiscent

Yes I am a 'tiny' bit of a dork...but that is not why I think this defines my life. It just sounds plain goofy and 'country'. This is what I did in the past two days...

Went to the 'Spud' Drive-in (yes it is named after a potato) and waited in a 'car' line for a half hour. I then got a hamburger (one of the famous 'spud' burgers) chocolate milkshake, and put on my pout face when their famous face sized (small exaggeration) bugget of sticky, fork-worthy caramel corn had JUST sold out. I then missed half of the movie waiting in lines, and froze in the back of a car with 5 blankets and my best friend

Next morning-------




I went to the famous LAWN MOWER RACES! Vroom! Filled with dirt, broken lawnmower belts, and lawn mower's racing around a dirt track at 30 MPH (yes that is actually how fast they go). It was a blast.


Afterwards....I looked at broken down pickup trucks that I might get for my 'first car'. Yes...they are covered in rust, dents, and lumps of who knows what...but hey! I live in the country ;)

Followed by....softball!

Sigh. My life. Spud Drive-in, lawn mower races (they have numbers on their lawnmowers and everything) pickup trucks, and softball. My life...so eventful and, well, frankly, amazing...not to mention blessed! I am now suffering from having to much fun with sore EVERYTHING and my arms are actually the color of cooked lobster (Aloe vera, pickle Juice, and ice cold baths....I think I may be in love with you.) but this was just the first TWO days of summer vacation! Next comes tubing, climbing huge trees, and being dorky ol' me. :)

Life's a piece of cupcake

Despite the differences, cupcakes and stories are very much the same....

They are both easy to make/write, but it takes an expert to write/make them WELL.

If written/made correctly, they will rise up, but if made/written wrong, they will collapse.

I love cupcakes, and after just now spending an hour making them for my sisters baby shower tomorrow, I have decided that I love them even MORE when someone ELSE makes them....

*cheers* for cupcakes!

An Apple A Day Keeps MY Doctor Away

Ahh, cars. Some love them and some don't. Personally I like them and think they are a great way to get around..however a few days ago I hated a particular car with a loathing that could not be lessened.
I stepped into the jail of a car, and it knew it was going to take me on an adventure I did not want to go on. When the door closed...assuring my kidnapping....the car chuckled softly to itself knowing what was coming. I, of course, as oblivious as I am, took out a book and started reading. The car couldn't have decided to start its fun in a more fabulous way than it did.

It rolled my fingers up in the window.

Between my yelling...my sister yelling...my fingers trying to wiggle out, and my mom frantically scrambling for the window roller-downer (and hopefully not rolling it UP instead of down) my stomach did a front flip and forgot to land. This wasn't the first time...so I of course, like a true pro, asked for the air conditioning to be turned up, closed my eyes, loosened my seat belt, and tried to imagine my story. My mind however, decided to be in cahoots with the car, and all it could think about was:
A. The chunky chili I had had about an hour before, and I definitely think there was something in it that my stomach did NOT agree with, and-
B. Allowing my nasty chili to once again meet the sunny air shining through the window...

When we stopped at the gas station, after about five minutes of relaxing and trying to control my frantic breathing, I knew that the future windy road would not come easy, and so..naturally, I instantly went into survivor mode. I lay down, and thought about falling asleep. As we wound around the speedy road, my stomach did a few more front flips, and I asked my mom to pull over in one of those Mom-stop-the-car-now-or-else-I-think-I-am-going-to-die voices that only comes when you really DO think you will die. She did, and we sat there for maybe 15 minutes, where I shakily walked across the road to a pleasant stream in the 'nose hair-freezing' outside air. After that I switched with my sis to the front seat....and I some how hung on to the invisible rope of life until we got to town where my mom bought my 'magic fruit'...

*Drum roll please.......*

APPLES!!!!!

I really can not explain how much I love them. After my first bite....I fell asleep until we reached the airport, where we took a plane home (another adventure in itself...)

The moral: Always carry apples in your purse.



Keep me as the APPLE of your eye; hide me in the shadow of the wings.
-Psalms 17:8

The look for the book....

The look for the book....

It was a snowy, slushy day when I arrived at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. My sister Nadine and I rushed to the auditorium to meet up with a friend we met last year, Elizabeth, and to escape the chilly frost settling into more than one layer of our skin. We exchanged quick greetings, and then walked 'casually' up to the beautiful table that held the books.....but our eyes were searching for just one.
After waiting all year to buy 'From Darkness Won', the final book, from the trilogy 'Blood of the Kings' by Jill Williamson...we scanned the small amount on the table. Our hearts seemed to stop when we only saw the second book. Not the first, not the third...JUST the second. After a moment of staring in bewilderment....we knew the 'suspect' to question. The publisher and supplier of the stash of books.....Jeff Gerke

We decided to corner him.

After he rushed by us with a smile and a hello, we caught him. We politely asked where the book was, and when he explained that he had 'forgotten' it...the war started. Elizabeth, Nadine and I went crazy by making our displeasure known....


After several hundred pieces of ripped out notebook paper filled with tear jerking poems and sayings, and explanations of our horrible misery...it kind of became a morning and daytime ritual. Well equipped with tape, pens, notebooks, and a mind full of fun....we made the conference more than memorable.

Ahh Jeff Gerke...we thank you for putting up with our adventures. It was a blast! And as Nadine said...

'Jill Williamson, we love you, your books, your passion, and your publisher.'

Another memorable conference! Who knows what next year will bring....

As I sit peacefully typing away at my story and other tidbits of joy, with a thud in my stomach I realize that my priorities have marched by.....leaving my poor little blog 'smooshed' in the mud. I will try to keep my priorities less violent, and attempt to save my blog from the thick goo that now covers it......I do apologize....

Christmas is over and Winter is here......so what next? Freeze in the chill? Burrow under blankets and sleep until spring? No....what next is something much much more.
We can all decide what to do with our days. Usually the most common suggestion....and the most common road taken....is to be lazy and try not to let any cold air touch you as you eat cookies and possibly read a book all day.



Sure...that is not a bad thing if you want to have a lazy day 'once in a while', but 'once in a while' sometimes turns to 'once in a week', then 'once in a day', then from there you are History. If you find yourself in the rut of doing this....a rut that grows deeper every day.....then throw your head up high, wrap a scarf beneath it, and run outside and do a cartwheel in the snow. A few weeks ago I surprised myself by rushing outside, in jeans and a short sleeve shirt mind you, and doing a snowangel. Nevertheless I must admit I hugged the fireplace for about an hour. One of these days my random exploits will lead to my death....

It is up to YOU to decide what you do in your days. Sit and be lazy or do something productive (but less deadly I imagine). Good luck!

(I know this has nothing to do with writing.....but ahh....such is life! Sometimes things may come unexpected.....)