Off kilter, and sideways

Ever have one of those days? What about one of those weeks? Yeah, well it's been a month of "those" for me. Besides the recession kicking our rear, we've had one sick child after another only to be followed by a sick hubs. My writing group--the one day of sanity I get a month--met on the weekend that hubs ended up having to work the launch...that still hasn't launched after nine days. Not to mention I have been a single mom for those days as he is working 12's and sleeping 5's, if that, only to turn around and head back to work.

My classes started which gives me homework--no, I am not smarter than a 5th grader--which takes up my writing time (both are becoming a labor of love). Hubs wrecked the truck which ate a hole in our funds with the deductible in order to get it fixed. Work took a left turn on Stupid Street and is now heading south on Huh Drive.

My youngest son was up most of the night running a fever--here we go with the sickness again. To top it all off, my oldest son is turning 11 this weekend which means not only are we dealing with raging hormones and girls, but we are also getting old! I have three other obligations to complete by the 31st (today is the 28th).

So much more is going on, but believe it or not I do keep a great deal private. In the midst of all of our chaos and off kilter days, I am very thankful. I have a wonderful family, home, friends (that I wish lived closer!), and opportunities that so many others don't. Instead of getting knocked down when we take a step forward, we are now getting knocked sideways, which I suppose is better.

My ultimate goal, besides winning the lottery and chasing down my sanity, is to remember my purpose, my priorities, and why I am so darn blessed. Don't forget to be thankful and humble for what you do have, and stop whining for what you don't...instead get off your butt and go get it ;-)

Brouhaha

I read the news every morning online or turn on the TV if it's an off day to see what the world has to offer. Today I read through a few different news sites (conservative, liberal, and fence) and in all three of them I saw the word "brouhaha" mentioned. This made me laugh as the last time I heard this word was at a Halloween party when someone was making Brew...ha ha. It was one of those 'had to be there' moments.

In light of my daily news intake I am making my word for the day to be BROUHAHA.

Definition:
brou⋅ha⋅ha 
–noun
1. excited public interest, discussion, or the like, as the clamor attending some sensational event; hullabaloo: The brouhaha followed disclosures of graft at City Hall.

2. an episode involving excitement, confusion, turmoil, etc., esp. a broil over a minor or ridiculous cause: A brouhaha by the baseball players resulted in three black eyes.
Origin: 1885–90; < F, orig. brou, ha, ha! exclamation used by characters repr. the devil in the 16th-cent. drama; perh. < Heb, distortion of the recited phrase bārūkh habbā (beshēm ădhōnai) “blessed is he who comes (in the name of the Lord)” (Ps. 118:26)

How would you use the word?

Blast from the Writing Past

WOW! I'm cleaning out my computer files to separate my newer writings from some that have been on the back burner for quite some time. This is an excerpt from one of my first attempts at historical romance...it's pretty self explanatory why I now write chick lit and paranormal!

This one was called Provocation:

The castle doors swung open as if the mighty hand of God had done so himself. The sheer force of the battering ram easily toppled the five clergy men that held fast against it with their shoulders.

“Run, Lady Malina,” she hears Father Markus yell as the doors give way, knocking them to the floor. His voice wrought with pain, Malina knows she can’t leave him and his brethren. A dusty steed stormed past the battering crew, past the trodden priests and into the grand foyer just below the stairs. Malina was almost to the top of the stairwell when she heard the beast nay, whirled around with fiercely clenched fists and nearly fainted at what—or who—she saw.

Sitting atop the brown warrior horse was the most gorgeous male being she had ever laid eyes upon. His slick black hair hung loosely at the broad ridge of his shoulders; chiseled features encircled the fiercest black eyes the devil himself could claim; and his bare chest heaved against the taught muscles that seemed to grow with every breath. He eyed her with such intensity that Malina almost fell, weak kneed and blushing.

Oh, no, no, no, what was she thinking?! Run, turn around and run, dammit! Her feet and legs betrayed her. She was frozen in place, but not out of fear; it was much deeper, grappling at her insides.

Yeah...it was 2001 when I wrote this according to the date stamp on the file. Again WOW! Luckily my writing has improved a bit since then. I have one completed manuscript, two partials, and a million ideas for more. My first submission is getting positive feedback and I am waiting for that magic phone call to say 'YES'.

There are some fantastic contests coming up (ahem, Launching a STAR!) that I am getting ready to enter, and hoping to get as much writing time in as possible now that school is back in session and my house is back on a routine!

What was some of your first writings like? or if not a writer, some of your other firsts?

Sky Gazer's Treat

The annual Perseid meteor shower is upon us! If you're a sky watcher, as am I, then you will want to enjoy the front row seats to this awesome display of Mother Nature. According to space.com the best time to watch the light show in North America will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12. I will likely still be up, but I don't think I'll wake the boys...Momma needs some peace and quiet too.

For more info you can check it out at http://www.space.com/ under "Perseid" or the yahoo link to R.R. Britt's article HERE.

Enjoy!

Finding Balance

Life gets away from us sometimes when we pile on work, school, and family obligations. We forget the small things that use to make us happy, and fret about the ones that we have no control over. It's often too late when we realize this leaving an empty feeling or regret.

Vacations become a last priority and you end up missing your kid's game or practice because you had to work overtime so you could bring home extra money. It becomes a routine and we get complacent with not having the happiness, instead we settle for contentment (or a resemblance of just being okay).

We still have our dreams of what we want for our lives, but seem to forget how to make those dreams a reality. My dreams of finding a job where I can use my degree (and make my student loans worth the monthly payment), getting one of my books published, and making sure my kids have every opportunity I had and more are still very much alive in my heart.

What I know now is that it doesn't take one to make the other happen. I don't have to work at a job that consumes me in order to provide a wonderful life for my boys, or have a best seller on the NY Times list (any seller will do!) to prove I am a good writer. Finding balance put my priorities back where they belong. My family may not be sporting the newest gadgets and clothes, or drive the fanciest cars (although my Jeep is pretty damn cool), or have the most interesting jobs...but we have each other.

Friends and family deal with the same issues just in different ways. We are not alone in these hard times anymore than the good times. It just seems that way because we lose our balance. Finding balance can make a world of difference even in the toughest of times.

Have you found yours?

Really?