School’s Out means Busier Days

I’m not sure if it’s ever happened before on a Sunday but I did not post yesterday. 

The earth didn’t shake.

Lightening didn’t strike me.

And I was even able to sleep through the night without any guilt or bad dreams. 

Maybe you noticed; and maybe you didn’t.  Like me, maybe you were too busy yourself to even get on the computer all day.  It was Father’s Day, after all.  And not only that, it was just one busy, hectic, calendar-stuffed kind of weekend.

We ended the school year on Friday so my youngest is now on summer break.  Good for him but I know soon enough he’ll get bored since he’s not yet driving.  Here’s hoping the summer weather comes sooner rather than later so he can enjoy swimming and other sorts of fun summer should be all about.  Not only was Friday the last day of school for my youngest, it was thankfully only a half day because the rest of afternoon was set aside to attend the college graduation for my oldest son and his girlfriend.  I cannot describe how proud I am of both of them.  With a degree in Criminal Justice and a good head start towards a degree in Nursing, they both have bright futures ahead of them and I look forward to what they will both accomplish as they continue to reach the goals they have set for themselves.

This is probably the busiest season for us as a family when it comes to graduations…not only did my son and his girlfriend graduate, but a nephew, a niece and also my sister-in-law all graduated from college.  On the same day!  I honestly can’t recall having so many family members graduate college at the same time.  Obviously, I didn’t make it to the other graduation ceremonies…once I figure out how to be in more than one place at one time, I’ll let you know.

The rest of the weekend didn’t slow down from there…with a birthday party, family gathering for Father’s Day and many chores completed around the yard to prepare for an upcoming party, there was barely time to take a breath, much less write a blog post.  I’ll do my best to keep up with my Wednesday/Sunday schedule but in anticipation of the upcoming party, the 4th of July, a book event, a vacation, an anniversary and various other things, not to mention writing and gardening, don’t be surprised if the days I post vary over the next two months.  I guess I could use this as an opportunity to try to plan ahead - - but doesn’t that mean I have to find the time to plan ahead?  Hmm, I’m not sure how to deal with that quandary.  We’ll see how it goes so just bear with me…summer days are often some of the busiest days. 

I hope you also enjoyed your Father’s Day weekend and made the most of it.  Until next time…

 

What I would do if I took Summer Break

Sometimes I wish I was a teacher.  Not because I love to teach…I’m more of a nonstop learner.  Not because I completely enjoy being around other people’s children…I adore my own but really can’t imagine entertaining twenty little ones every single day.  And not because of the pay…I’m sure most would agree teachers don’t earn enough for what they do.

So why would I want to be a teacher? 

Summer break, of course! 

Summer break is just two days away for my youngest…and I’m a tad bit jealous.  I remember looking forward to summer break when I was a kid…or a teen, really.  We’d go to the lake just about every single day.  We would swim and ski for hours and the time in the water only increased our appetites, making the homemade fried chicken taste that much better.  Now, as an adult, I have to say my dad was a trooper because he went to work in the woods as a logger every single day and I never heard him mutter a single syllable about how we got to play in the water all day while he slaved away in the hot sun.

Summer as a kid is a treasure but then…you have to grow up.  You graduate, get a job, go to college, get another job, find a mate, get married, have kids, buy a house (but not necessarily in that order)…and eventually, the memory of summer break just fades away.  You remember a time when you had all the time in the world but it’s just a distant memory as you scramble to get out of the house in the mornings so you can get your kids to school before you race to work with only minutes to spare.

But when your own kids are on summer break…those memories of summer freedom come back. The yearning takes hold.  I’m not as much of a trooper as my dad was because now that I’m no longer working for myself, I yearn for the summers when I could set my schedule around my summer plans and spending time with my boys.

If I were able to take summer break, it’s not difficult for me to choose what I would do.  I’d spend more time with my husband and my boys...more time with family, period.  I’d work in my garden religiously and enjoy every single piece of fruit, vegetable and herb with pure delight.  I’d plan more road trips or mini vacations (or maybe a big vacation!) and try to visit with friends or family who live a distance away.  I’d try to get caught up on my journaling and scrapbooking.  Maybe keep the house clean(er).  Read more, sleep more, laugh more and stress less.  And to my heart’s content, I would write, write, write!    

Of course, I can do all those things even if I don’t take the summer off but it isn’t an easy task to do everything.  It just takes more effort, planning and perfectly managing my time (not an easy task these days).  So how can I accomplish most, if not all, of what I would expect to do if I were able to take summer break? 

Simple.  I will take advantage of every moment not held captive by the office job and pretend they are what the summer is made of.  Whether they are enjoyed as a whole or in bits and pieces, savoring the moments and making them count is what a great summer (and life) is all about.    

 

Why “America’s Got Talent” makes me Cry

Yeah, I’ll admit it…this show will sometimes bring tears to my eyes.  Why?  I guess it’s because I get choked up when I see someone take a chance, expose their soul and do their best not to fall apart as the judgment about how good or bad they are is about to be rendered.  It’s all about achieving the good ole’ American Dream.

That’s everyone’s wish, right?

The opportunity for prosperity and success?  A happy and successful life?  The ability to finally live out our dreams? 

Sure.  It’s what we all strive for...the question is when, or if, we’re ever able to muster up the guts to finally live out our dreams.

 

I think Susan Boyle is one such example.  Remember her?  She stepped out on the stage for her first audition on Britain’s Got Talent and the judges immediately judged a book by its cover, showing her smirks and disbelief that she’d even step out on stage believing she had any talent.  Then when she began to sing I Dreamed a Dream, their eyes widened, their jaws dropped and eventually, everyone had nothing but a smile on their face and adoration in their eyes.  They did not expect even the slightest what Susan had in store for them.  

When Susan stepped out onto that stage she was asked by Simon, ‘what’s the dream?’  Susan said she wanted to become a professional singer and the reason it hadn’t happened yet was because she hadn’t been given the chance before.  Even though the judges’ eyes and body posture showed their apparent disbelief that she’d provide them anything worthwhile, she did not back down as she belted out what is still certainly one of the most memorable first auditions in talent show history.  Even now, Susan’s first audition can bring tears to my eyes.  The reason is that I appreciate her because she took a chance, faced ridicule and rejection and exposed her soul as she finally reached out for the dream she had desired for so long.   

It is shows like America’s Got Talent, or Britain’s Got Talent, when we watch others put themselves out there and we think to ourselves…maybe I should reach for my dream.  Maybe I should take a chance and see what happens.  Maybe it’s not too late.  Maybe I should stop making excuses and not wait any longer. 

There are many who have a dream and are never given the chance to prove themselves.  But that’s the wrong way to think about it.  Too many of us wait to be “given” the chance when we really should be “taking” a chance.  Once you are given the opportunity, it is up to you to take a chance on yourself and show others what you’re made of and what you can do.  It is that kind of fearless attitude, that kind of belief in themselves even if they’re about to pee their pants in fear of exposing themselves, that makes me hope the best for those who try to live out their dreams.  And when they make others believe in them, it will likely bring a tear to my eye.  Dreams are not meant to be dreamt but are meant to be lived and fulfilled and any dream, if only you believe in yourself first, is very much a possibility.

    

When Book Characters Live in Real Towns

If you’ve read my first novel, No Mother of Mine, you know that the protagonist, Jorja (say “Georgia”) resides in a small town in Washington called Tenino (say “T-9-0”).  What you may not know, depending on what part of the country or the world you reside, is that Tenino is a very real town.

Many authors might choose to base their story in a fictional town because it’s just much easier.  There are more pros than cons, with the biggest pro being that you get to use your imagination when developing the town, the streets, the shops and no one can take offense because you’re not comparing your fictional world to that of a real one.

When it comes to using a real town, it’s a mix of pros and cons.  The pros involve letting locals feel more involved with the story and the characters because they know the locations discussed in the book.  The con, of course, is that you might be limited with your imagination when it comes to where shops can be located and those who know the area will be easy to critique or criticize should you draw them a mental map of the town that just doesn’t quite make sense.

So why did I choose a real town?  There are a few reasons…

I felt, in a way, that I might be able to give something back to the community I grew up in by letting others know, even in a fictional setting, just how wonderful the small town of Tenino really is.  A great place to live, raise your children and, after venturing out in the world to experience life-changing events, a great place to live during retirement. 

I also liked the idea of writing a book full of small-town characters.  You can find colorful characters where ever you live but small-town characters give me more to work with.  In a small town, it can be exasperating how everyone knows everyone else and their business but it makes a great place to solve a mystery.  How else can an amateur sleuth solve the mystery if not for those residents with useful tidbits of information who haphazardly toss them aside like bread crumbs for the sleuth to take advantage of?

Finally, I prefer the cozy setting of a small town and it’s much easier to write about a location you are familiar with and knowledgeable about.  Of course, the shops in my book are fictional even though they may be located where a real version is actually situated (I’m working on a visual map to help readers).  That’s just all part of the fun.

While only small bits of the town and its surroundings are mentioned in the series so far, I will share more of it with you as the series continues.  Some of it I will share here on my Blog in more detail, I think, as there is just not enough room in my novels to give real attention to what I find most dear about Tenino and its history, as well as the surrounding cities. 

In the meantime, if you find you have a free afternoon on any given Saturday, you might want to plan a little road trip to Tenino.  Do you like to shop for local produce?  Need any plants or decorative items for your garden?  Do you enjoy hunting for special finds at antique shops?  How about lunch or a relaxing visit as you enjoy a nice glass of wine?  If you do make the trip, start with the local farmers market next to the elementary as you come into town from the North.  Then check out the antique shops in the historical section of town (smack in the middle of town) and plan to set aside enough time to scour the many, many antiques just waiting for you to take them home.  A few doors down from the antique shops you can grab a tasty treat at Aunt Kate’s Chocolates and then head across the street to visit Scatter Creek Winery for a nice bottle of wine to take home with you.  Need a gift?  You'll find plenty of ideas at the wine shop where other goods from local vendors are also available.  Before heading home, don’t forget to visit Donna’s Eco-Scapes just a few doors down from the wine shop where you will not only find great plants and planting ideas but also some nice metal art for your garden. 

But wait...there's more!  If you’d like to visit a few attractions just outside of town, check out Wolf Haven…located on Offut Lake Road just to the North of Tenino, it is a must see if you love animal conservations.  If nothing else, make sure to check out their website...the wolves are absolutely beautiful.  Any plans during Father’s Day weekend?  You might want to take part in the Father’s Day fishing derby at Offut Lake Resort from June 14th through the 16th.  Or maybe you prefer noise over quiet and would enjoy watching the races.  If that's the case, head West out of Tenino to locate  South Sound Speedway, the "fastest 3/8ths mile on the West Coast!"

Whatever interests you, I hope you visit the area soon so that you can see for yourself why I chose to let Jorja and the other characters in my books reside in such a town as Tenino.

 

My Summer Reading List

I have a confession to make…I haven’t been able to enjoy any good books lately.  Other than the writing books I read to learn more about the craft, it’s been very difficult to stay focused on any one book.  I thought it was because I was too busy writing…leaving very little time to read other authors.  But then I finally figured out what the problem was…

I wasn’t enjoying the books I’d been reading. 

How did I finally come to this realization?  When I finally began a book I wasn’t able to put down or that I continued to think about even when I didn’t have my nose stuck in the book.

That’s what makes a good book.

And it’s why I was having such a difficult time getting through the past few books I had chosen to read.  They weren’t holding my attention and I almost dreaded having to get back to them.  I tried a romantic mystery by a well-known author but it was more romance and less mystery except for the question as to why I was even sticking with the story at all.  I tried a police thriller by another known author who I’ve read before and actually enjoyed but I soon discovered this story was just like the others, only with different characters.  Not much fun when I feel like I’ve already read the story and know the general plot.  I also read a thriller by an author I really like but for some reason this story just didn’t draw me in like the others had.

I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my ability to stick with a book.  Was it me and not the books?

Turns out it was the books.  Even though these authors have years of experience on me and their writing is as polished as all get out, sometimes a story just falls a little flat.  Even the best authors have bad days.

I have to admit how relieved I was to figure this out.  As much as someone might critique the way I may write, I’m still learning the craft and will get better as I continue to write.  What I hope, more than anything, is that it is my story and the plots involved with the characters that keep readers coming back to my book in order to finish it and later wait impatiently for more as the series continues.

And who can I give credit to for this relieving insight?  I happened to pick up a book on sale at Barnes & Noble recently by an author I had not yet heard of:  So Cold the River by Michael Koryta.  I decided to give it a shot because the back cover promised that the novel was being compared to the writings of Stephen King and Peter Straub.  Well, I’m always on the lookout for a new author who can provide me with creepy stories so I was immediately interested.  I’m happy to say the review posted on the back cover was not giving me a load of bull.  It is an interesting story about sinister happenings in an odd little town and I’m completely sucked in.

 

I’m also happy with the fact that I’ve found a new author I can enjoy reading.  Rather than dread my reading time with a book that’s not holding my interest, I look forward to finishing the story so that I can read what else the author has written.

Again, that’s what makes a good book.

I’m almost done with the first book on my summer reading list.  From there I’ll move on to the rest of the books in my summer pile, a mix of mystery, thriller, fantasy, historical fiction, inspirational and…yup, even a romance.  I figured I needed to add a beach read for those days when I need a light read. 

What’s on your reading list?  What types of books keep you entertained during the warm summer evenings? 

 

 

Do high school reading books breed readers?

My youngest is in high school so he’s getting used to the fact that he can’t pick his own books to read when it comes to his reading class.  I’d say he probably misses both middle school and grade school, when the kids were allowed to choose books from a fairly long reading list before taking a test in order to gain points towards their reading goals.

Now, however, the choice is not up to him.  I have to admit I feel his pain.  I do recall those days in high school when we were asked to read books we just didn’t quite understand; whether it was because of the writing, the characters, the era or all the above.  The one book which totally sticks in my memory is “1984” by George Orwell.  I can’t recall if I thought the story was odd or inconceivable but I know it is the only book that struck some sort of chord.  The others…not so much.

High school didn’t ruin it for me though.  I was an avid reader so I did as requested by reading the required book for class and then I would read whatever held my interest in the evenings or weekends to my heart’s content.  I’m fortunate my son is the same way, as he also gained an early love for books.

For any child who isn’t into reading and for any child who wasn’t able to keep up with the required reading in grade school or middle school, I fear they easily become lost in high school.  At that point, they only do what’s required of them and nothing more.  If they had no interest in reading before, the high school reading requirements will not likely help them find the interest. 

And that’s too bad.

I understand the desire to demonstrate various types of writing to the students but is there anything against moving on from Shakespeare to a lighter, easier read before heading back into unchartered territory again?  My son is currently reading Romeo & Juliet so I asked him how his reading class is going.  His response wasn’t very positive.  He just doesn’t understand it.  This kid is a straight-A student but regardless of that fact, I’m not surprised he doesn’t understand Shakespeare.  Not many kids these days really do.  Heck, I doubt I could say I do.  But he did say he figured out ‘thou’ means ‘you’ so I guess there’s some promise.

While high school reading may teach my son and other students about the different types of writing available to them as readers, it will also either make them desperate to get to a book of their liking or, in sad circumstances, it will give the student absolutely no interest in picking up another book whatsoever.

So the question is…do high school reading books breed readers?

I believe, sadly, that the answer is in the negative.  If a child isn’t brought up to love books before high school, then they may be lost forever.  So the next time you see a sign at your local grade school or middle school about how important it is to read to your young child 20 minutes a day, take to heart just how important those 20 minutes might be.  Not only is it precious time with a child, it is a precious mind you are engaging as you read with them to develop an interest in books that will hopefully last their lifetime.

Taking a Break for the Holiday Weekend

It’s a long holiday weekend for the Memorial Day holiday and while the extra day off work should give me more time to write a post, it’s actually given me more of a reason to work on other projects instead.   

So I’m taking a break for the weekend to finish up those projects, spend time with family and solve a new dilemma I’ve discovered with regard to the cover of my second book.  I’ll be back mid-week so until then, I hope you have enjoyed your weekend and that your week kicks off to a great start.

In Remembrance