A Day Late, and a Dollar Short: ROW 80 Check-In

"What day is it? Where am I?" she asked, trying to push past the fog. She looked around but didn't recognize her surroundings. Her head was pounding, her muscles ached, her eyes heavy. She seemed to be caught up in some kind of white material. She reached out, searching for familiarity. There was a warm body pressing against her. In the background, she could make out some kind of music, or was it a beeping?

She was trying to get one arm out and then the next when she heard a small voice, "Mom, mom, get up. We need breakfast and lunches and..."

Forgive me the bit of fun, but thus are my days lately. I woke up this morning and realized it was Thursday. Where did Wednesday go? I'm a day late for my ROW 80 check-in. So far, I'm not a dollar short, but I couldn't help put finish out the phrase.

My lovely children are over-achievers. I love this about them, and I support their various desires. But it sure does make life crazy. My middle daughter has yet to meet a sport she doesn't like. She swims three nights a week, runs twice a week with a girls' running program (which I now co-coach), and plays lacrosse. My oldest is in various social organizations and tackling middle school homework nightly. And, proud Mama moment here, reads at least two to three young adult novels a week in her spare time. My sweet baby does gymnastics and Girl Scouts in addition to class to prepare her for her First Communion. Her side hobbies include torturing the dog and her sisters. There are very few spare moments once they come home, and the days run together a bit.

But, I'm here... Thursday, but checking in nonetheless.

I'm excited about my progress amidst the flurry of homework, activities, and getting used to the school schedule again. Mom and I are now 22,000 words and counting on our sequel. We are keeping it tight to avoid the problem we faced in the first one. Depression Cookies tops out at 176,000 words.

I hear the collective GASP of writers everywhere. I know, I know... the industry standard is 80,000-100,000 words. In our defense, we didn't hear this until we were in the publication process and we felt we had two novels strung together. Agents did not. Yet, we've won some awards and the reader feedback has been wonderful. Still, agents and publishers have set rules about first-timers. We get it.

For this novel, we are determined to come in under 100,000, even if there are two stories going on. Editing will be key! We are determined not to make the same mistake as Kevin Costner did with Waterworld. Or at least we won't make it again. We aren't going to hand agents an excuse on a silver platter this time around.

In other news: I'm half-way through my freelance writing course. I'm learning so much, particularly about positioning myself to find and query potential writing outlets. Check out Nicky LaMarco's class description here. Blog posts have been going well, except for the minor mishap of misplacing my Wednesday. I am not reading as much as I'd like, but something has to give.

I look forward to hopping around and seeing how my fellow ROW 80ers did this week.

Have you ever opened your eyes on a new day, but just didn't know which new day it was?

She's An Eagle When She Flies

So much of who I am and hope to be is thanks to my beautiful Mom.

Today is her 61st birthday (wait, was that supposed to be a secret?). When I think of Mom, of everything I love about her, it's best summed up by the lyrics of Dolly Parton's Eagle When She Flies. Dolly most have known my mama or someone just as dear.

The lyrics:

She's been there, God knows, she's been there
She has seen and done it all
She's a woman, she know how to
Dish it out or take it all
Her heart's as soft as feathers
Still she weathers stormy skies
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies

A kaleidoscope of colors
You can toss her around and round
You can keep her in you vision
But you'll never keep her down
She's a lover, she's a mother
She's a friend and she's a wife
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies

Gentle as the sweet magnolia
Strong as steel, her faith and pride
She's an everlasting shoulder
She's the leaning post of life
She hurts deep and when she weeps
She's just as fragile as a child
And she's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies

She's a sparrow when she's broken
But she's an eagle when she flies
Oh, bless her, Lord
She's an eagle when she flies

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Mom and I at our Lifetime taping... adding to the memories.

Slacking Leads Me to Multiple Thanks

I am honored to accept the Liebster Award. Time and I have been in a bit of a tussle lately, and I was losing. Emails went unnoticed, laundry undone, toilets uncleaned. This week is the week I rein it all in (or as much as I can). I have three wonderful bloggers to thank for this award.

I discovered through an online English-German dictionary that liebster means dearest (or darling). What a beautiful concept to pass on an award to dear blogger friends. Sweet! This award is intended to show love to fellow bloggers with under 200 followers.

Rule-follower that I am, let's start there:

THE RULES:

1. Show your appre­ci­a­tion to the blog­gers who gave you the award by link­ing back to them.
2. Reveal your five picks and let them know by leav­ing a com­ment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Bask in the cama­raderie of the most sup­port­ive peo­ple on the internet—other writ­ers.
5. And best of all—have blog­gity fun and spread the love.

My thanks:

* Christine Calvin at Inspired Life: I met Christine through Blogathon in May. I connected with her right away, and visit her blog several times a week, if not more. She has a unique perspective, and I love hearing about her two beautiful daughters. Take a moment for inspiration, drop by her blog. Thanks, Christine!

* Annette Mackey at Perspectives... : I met Annette through the Reader's Favorite Awards. We connected in the nominee round. She's been a huge supporter, and we've become Twitter-friends. Please check out her blog and her novel, Class Collision: Fall From Grace, a gold award winner in the Young Adult, Coming of Age fiction category. Thanks, Annette!

* Elizabeth Mitchell at Leavekeeping: One of my fellow A Round of Words in 80 Days participants and now a fellow Campaigner. She has an amazing can-do attitude and always gets me pumped up to do the same. "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down" will forever make me think of her. Please stop by and show some love. Thanks, Elizabeth!

Now, for the fun part. I get to pass the award onto Five bloggers. These are blogs I'm new to, but excited about.

1. Imagination to Publication: Jessica Therrien is a fellow-campaigner, and she jumped in with both feet. She organized two ice breaker activities, so we could start getting to know each other. So much fun. She exudes enthusiasm.

2. Bethany Lopez: Bethany is also a fellow-campaigner. I was drawn to her blog the minute I saw her smiling picture. Plus, she likes the Outer Banks, one of my favorite destinations.  

3. Ramblin' with AM: I met Alana during May's Blogathon. She features Civil War and wildflower posts, but is open to other subject matter. Recently, she's blogged about the flooding and Irene-backlash in upstate New York. I always appreciate her take on beauty.

4. Callie Leuck's Writing Blog: She endeared me with her story about how a bad book made her realize she could write. She comes across as knowledgeable and fun, a great combination.

5. Zook Book Nook: She had me at the title. I love it. She shows motherhood, but not always in its glory. I appreciate her candor. Plus the site is just so darn pretty!

Please visit and comment on these lovely blogs. They won't be under 200 followers for long!

Others Said it Better: ROW 80 Check In

I love to write, and I have plenty to say. But I'm also not afraid to hand over the baton to those who simply say it better. A Round of Words in 80 Days is winding down, only two weeks left, and I'm already eager to sign up for Round 4. 

Round 3, my first, helped me find myself as a writer. I now know I write better in the groove, and I cannot force a groove to happen. Instead, I need to succumb and let the groove have it's say, be flexible enough to accommodate it. My Round 4 goals will be so much better defined thanks to all I've learned in this round.

But, most importantly, ROW 80 has given me the support to find myself and push through. Writing can be so isolating, and I've never been one for critique groups. I like the idea, but I'm never in one location long enough. It's hard to keep building a rapport with people, and it takes time to find a group that feels like home.

I'm sure many of my fellow ROW 80 participants said it better this week, but two in particular seemed to be reading my mind: Jenny Hansen's Cowbell blog and Nicole Basaraba's Uni-Verse-City. And a special *woot* for Nicole, because she's also in one of my campaign groups.

How did I do this week? Overall, I'm happy. I still need to post a book review, it's written but not posted. But I'm very proud of my writing progress on the sequel and my blog entries lately. Editing has suffered a bit, thanks to kids' activities kicking in, but I will make it a priority for this week. It's all about the juggling. That and finding and honoring the groove.

Please check out other perspectives in the list below, and happy writing!

Where Were You That Fateful Day?

Ten years ago, yet it feels like yesterday. I'll never forget where I was, how one event touched every single American. It didn't matter the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, your economic situation, or your political beliefs. We came together, to mourn and rebuild.

The day started like any other. I was exhausted, mom to a 15 month old daughter and 3 months pregnant with number two. My husband and I were in the middle of relocating to San Diego. He was already there, and Jackie and I had our plane tickets to join him September 30th. The house was sold, the movers had come.

The day before, my parents drove up. Jackie and I were going to spend a week with them before heading to San Diego. We woke up early, wanting to get a head start with several hours of driving ahead of us. For the first three hours, the car was filled with the lively sounds of The Wiggles and other kid music. Jackie drifted off to sleep sometime around 10am.

Dad, having been a good sport, quickly turned on talk news. Mom and I were chatting about all my plans, the new baby...

"Sh! Listen," Dad said.

"What is it?" Mom asked, she could sense the concern in his voice.

"Something's happened. I'm pulling off at the next exit," Dad said. The next exit was ten miles. We sat, silent.

At first, it all seemed so War of the Worlds. Was it some kind of joke? We had no images, just the frantic updates of radio news. Ten miles seemed to take forever, but we finally pulled off. Jackie woke up the minute the wheels stopped spinning. Her nap shortened, she was not happy. Mom and Dad rushed from the car to see if they could find out what was going on. I was a few steps behind, trying to get Jackie out of the carseat and grab the diaper bag.

I walked in. Fifteen people were gathered around a small television set. Even Jackie sensed the moment, she quieted. We stood there, watching. The images almost too much to bear. It seemed like a trailer for a sci-fi movie. It couldn't be real. I don't remember how long we stood there. The only sounds came from the television and the jingle of the bell, signalling another customer had walked in.

The next few hours were spent in the car, trying to reach all of our loved ones. Ed in San Diego, my sister and her family in Albany, New York and many more. We could only imagine the people with loved ones on one of the planes or in one of the attacked buildings. We quickly verified the safety of our friends and family, but knew many of our fellow Americans were not getting such good news.

That night, I sat reading Jackie a book and rubbing my belly, feeling blessed. My heart ached for the lost lives. I knew I'd never forget where I was the day the world stopped turning.

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

*****

This song, by Alan Jackson, will forever be associated with the attacks. Every time I hear it, I get the chills. I wanted to copy the lyrics here today. If we learned nothing else from that horrible September day, I hope we all learned a lesson in love. One we can put into practice every day we have left.

Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?

Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

[Chorus:]
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

[Repeat Chorus 2x]
And the greatest is love.
And the greatest is love.

Knowing Others Struggle with Self-Doubt: Friday Feature

Self-doubt rears its ugly head when I least need it. I've been writing for years, but only been public about it for a year. I am 39 years old, and I still send almost every piece I write to my mom or husband to see what they think. I struggle with the is-it-good-enough syndrome. Even hitting the publish post button causes me angst.

What does this have to do with the best thing I read this week and our Friday feature? In the last few weeks, I wrote several guest post contributions, posted my first flash fiction piece, and wrote a very revealing article. I was drained. Each time I hit send and let the piece go, I cringed and wondered. Today, I stumbled upon an encouraging post by lovely Blogathon leader, Michelle Rafter: When it comes to story ideas, trust your gut.

In the post, Michelle talks about an idea she hesitated to pitch. At the last minute, she added it to a list of other pitches. Much to her surprise, her editor loved it. The post did well and was picked up by MSNBC.com and later inspired a The Washington Post blogger to use it as a basis for a post. She trusted her gut.

This post came at the perfect time for me. Michelle is an amazing writer, and gives back so much to the writing community (like the amazing Blogathon). Yet, she still has moments of self-doubt.

I spoke of self-doubt in a recent article. A few weeks ago, I participated in a Coach Betty radio show about finding inner beauty. After the show, Betty asked if I would write an article about my feelings. I hesitated. The show was hard enough, could I pull off an intimate article about the experience?

Please take a moment to check out my Coach Betty article. It's raw and honest. She loved it. Guess we all can relate in some way to self-doubt. Now I just need to work on believing in myself. The worst you can ever hear is, "No." Not my favorite word, but I can handle it.

When did self-doubt threaten to overtake your plans? What did you do?

Kreativ Blogger Award

Our blog has been awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thank you so much, Alberta Ross. I met Alberta through ROW80 and appreciate all her support and encouragement.

Long post, short... the rules of the award are to thank the person who gave it to you (check), write seven things about yourself (ugh!), and pass the award to seven blogs (yeah!).

I'd much rather describe one of my characters in detail than myself. I'm not all that interesting! It's almost 11pm, so I'm going to write the first seven things that pop in my head.

* I am not a morning person.
* I hate coffee, the smell of it makes me nauseous. Diet Coke is my version of a morning fix.
* I would live in yoga pants if I didn't occasionally have to be presentable.
* I played competitve league tennis in Colorado, and am looking for a Maryland team.
* I will put chocolate chips in almost anything. This morning I had a bowl of Fruity Pebbles with, yes I admit it, mini chocolate chips.
* When I write dialogue, I speak it as I'm typing to catch flaws. And I read aloud to edit. I'm alone a lot of the day, in my writing bubble. Probably a good thing with all my babbling.
* I'm scared of the dark.

Now the fun part, passing on the award. I'm so fortunate to have met some many wonderful bloggers in a very short period of time. I wanted to give this award to creative and inspiring blogs written by writers who reach out and support other bloggers and writers.

And the Kreativ Blogger Award goes to...

* Novel Publicity Blog
* Julie Glover's Blog
* Tiffany A. White's Ooo Factor
* Staring Out the Window
* Insignificant At Best
* Annette Mackey's Blog
* Loves to Read, Wants to Write

Please take a minute to check them out.