Mommy Brain

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We did. Since it was just us at Mom and Dad’s, it was relatively quiet. We ate until we were stuffed, visited, were glad we didn’t waste much time watching the Seahawks/Dallas game, played a game of Apples to Apples, and visited some more. It was a good day.

Nothing new on the health front. I slept with a pulse oximeter on my finger Monday night, to measure my oxygen levels as I sleep in order to test for sleep apnea. What with the holiday this week, I can’t imagine I’ll hear anything until next week. My doctor’s nurse must still be waiting for insurance approval for the CAT scan, cause I haven’t heard anything on that front. Emotionally, I’m doing pretty well, so thanks for all your prayers.

Tomorrow, we will put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house. Can you believe it’s that time already? We’re planning an at-home type of weekend, before we gear up for the big push of holiday season. Next weekend will be absolutely crazy, what with Natalie’s birthday party and a bunch of other stuff going on.

~ I’ve been doing some prep work for my taxes as a freelance writer, and came across this great comic.

~ The new trend in disgusting food is insect sushi.

~ Jo-Jo is giving away Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane.

~ Some of the books I’m thankful I found this year.

~ My review of A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King.

~ More great TV on DVD.

~ Mini-reviews of High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Get Smart.

Have a great weekend!

I didn’t do a Links for Friday post last week, since we were in Portland for the kids’ Tae Kwon Do tournament. Since we got home around 8:30 pm Sunday evening, I feel like I’ve been going nonstop: homeschooling, laundry, articles due, laundry, Awana, homeschool class, and did I mention laundry?

It’s fall here, and I’m loving the colors. This is, far and above, my very favorite time of year.

~ Don’t forget to enter my 100,000th visitor giveaway – it’s open until the end of the month.

~ Remember The Pirates Who Can’t Do Anything? Meet The Homeschool Moms Who Can’t Do Everything.

~ Here’s the Ultimate Telemarketer Prank. (Warning: language a little spicy.)

~ Colin Farrell and Edward Norton talk about their upcoming cop movie, Pride and Glory.

~ Ever wonder where they get all those teen and tween Disney stars? Here’s the answer.

~ Extreme Weather Alert: Meteorologists Predict Intensely Brisk Autumn. I dare you not to laugh. Be sure to read the pop-ups on the bottom of the screen.

~ If you have budding writers who are Harry Potter fans, here’s how to enter an essay contest: The Tales of Beedle the Bard Essay Contest.

~ Rotten Tomatoes counts down the Top 50 Animated Films.

~ Goodbye to Dissonance from Tonia at Study in Brown. Here’s a taste:

is it possible that we as a body of believers could put away the assumptions and insults and accusations and assume the best of each other? could we look at the person on the other side of the voting line and believe that they are caring, loving individuals doing the best they can, just as we are trying to do?

~ Beautiful pictures from World Animal Day. The flamingo is my new desktop background.

~ Daily Writing Tips has a new Vocabulary Test.

~ Anyone else excited about the upcoming season of Lost? The promo for season 5 is up.

~ Booklovers take note: this is so going on my Christmas list.

At Books and Movies:

~ Review of North River by Pete Hamill.

~ Review of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.

Another weekend without a whole lot planned. Which is good, since on Thursday we head to Portland for a long weekend. The kids will take part in a Tae Kwon Do tournament, and we will visit Kevin’s mom and brother and dad and my grandma, who I haven’t seen in person for over 6 years. The last time we were together, Josiah was a baby, and now he’s reading, taking Tae Kwon Do, and missing his top front teeth! I have to get Kevin to take a picture so I can show you, it’s the most adorable thing. It’s funny how much it changes his speech, too. He’s reading independently now, but often stops and says, “Mom, what does this spell?” but I have trouble determining which letters he’s saying.

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It’s October! It felt like it this morning, which is nice after the beginning of the week, which was hot – in the 80s. I love fall, and I’m ready for some cool, crisp autumn mornings.

I’m looking forward to our weekend because we have absolutely nothing planned. The last two weekends have been busy with a birthday party, an archery tournament, helping friends move, cleaning the basement, etc. I’m ready for a Saturday morning to sleep in and enjoy some long, uninterrupted reading time. I do have a couple articles due next week, so I’ll spend some time working, but I’ll do it in my sweats on the couch. I’ll probably also be a really bad mom and let the kids have lots of game time on the PS2 so that I can have those uninterrupted hours.

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How was your week? Ours was busy, but good. Natalie started voice lessons on Monday. After being initially very nervous, she loved it, and can’t wait to go back next week.

All of the kids are finishing up Archery. There’s one more class next Thursday, then a tournament on Saturday. (With Jonathan’s birthday party/game blowout slumber party on Friday. Busy weekend.)

That’s next weekend, though. This weekend will be relatively quiet. We’re going to Michelle’s for a playdate this afternoon. After dinner tonight, we’ll go cheery Nan’s best friend Caitie on at her soccer game.

Tomorrow – library sale! Woo hoo!

Sunday, hopefully the Seahawks will play like an NFL team, unlike last Sunday. ‘Nuff said.

~ Bembo’s Zoo – Hat tip: Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer. Beautifully done and creative.

~ Win The Liar’s Diary at J. Kaye’s Book Blog.

~ Go, Jordin Sparks! How wonderful to see a young woman unashamed to stand for purity. And what kind of disgusting man shames the Jonas Brothers for desiring to save themselves for marriage?

~ If you, like me, get giddy at the idea of a new notebook just waiting to be written in, check this out.

~ This teacher sure has a story to share with his students.

~ Someone has actually created a blog that lists all the books that only exist inside other books – The Invisible Library.

At Books and Movies this week:

~ Review of The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent.

~ “Waiting On” Wednesday.

~ Review of The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall.

~ The Sunday Salon.

Well, we had a little excitement in our neck of the woods yesterday. Winds that were 55 to 60 miles per hour hit our town. We were lucky – we still have power, and we don’t have any trees down in our yard. Others weren’t that lucky – including our city park, where a few trees were uprooted by the wind. Here are some pictures, if you’re interested – click on slideshow.

While the winds were dying down, and our husbands had the kids at Tae Kwon Do, Michelle and I went to see The Incredible Hulk. Not the usual chick flick for a girls’ night out – in fact, I think we might have been the only women there who weren’t accompanying children of the male gender. But, we both needed a night out, and we both like Edward Norton, so…

No big plans for the weekend, other than sending my only daughter off to sleep-away camp for the first time. Sniff. Any of you done this before? How do you not worry?

At Books and Movies this week:

~ Thoughts on the film Into the Wild.

~ Review of Booked to Die, the first of the Cliff “Bookman” Janeway mysteries.

Other links:

~ Anyone else excited about TNT’s The Closer returning Monday night? Here’s an interview with Kyra Sedgewick.

~ William-Adolphe Bouguereau is an incredible artist – I love his paintings of children:

~ I may not agree with Christopher Hitchen’s views on religion, but this article he wrote for Vanity Fair about the interrogation practice of water-boarding is chilling. He agreed to undergo the procedure for research – but be warned: the video is disturbing.

~ On a completely unrelated and much lighter note – I scored 15 out of 20 on this Candy Bar Identification Quiz. Not sure if I should be proud of that, however.

~ This video of a new instrument called an Air Piano is pretty cool.

~ Stephen King’s advice to aspiring writers.

~ A scene from the BBC’s Black Books about responding to a rejection letter from a publisher. Hilarious!

Have a great weekend!

First, of all, I can’t believe that I forgot to draw the winners for the All-Girl Getaways Contest! Well, the really cool thing is that I am receiving five prize packages – each one includes a traveling toiletries bag and a free issue of Travelgirl Magazine – to give away, and I received exactly five comments. So, Lawanda, Laura, Brandi, Karen, and Crissy – you all win! Watch your e-mail inboxes; I’ll be contacting you for mailing info.

Now, onto the weekly wrapup and links. First of all, I finished Neverwhere last night. I’m not going to take the time to write a complete review, but I will just say that if you like fantasy, you have to read this book. I gave it a five-star rating, and I’m pretty stingy with those.

I’m planning to read some more modern and light stuff – my brain is still worn out from Anna Karenina! I started an ARC of The House at Midnight (link in sidebar) today – so far, so good. Oh, and another volume of poetry – What the Light Was Like by Luci Shaw. She was a close friend of Madeleine L’Engle’s, and they even wrote several books together, so I’m finding it interesting to read some of Ms. Shaw’s work so close after finishing Ms. L’Engle’s collected poetry.

We have another Tae Kwon Do promotion Saturday. Jonathan wasn’t quite ready to go for his green belt when the older two did, but he is now, so that’s how we’ll be spending Saturday morning. Then next weekend is Mother’s Day! Kevin said he wanted to take me out to brunch. I won’t argue with that.

Lost is on tonight – but not till 10pm, so I’ll have to record it to watch tomorrow. Any other Losties out there? If so, be sure to check out the weekly recaps at Semicolon and Rocks in My Dryer. Did any of you know that Henry Ian Cusick, who plays Desmond, played Jesus in the movie The Gospel of John?

I guess I’m done rambling for now. Here are some links to keep you busy:

~ 33 of the most intricate and realistic Lego creations. Hat tip: Moomin Light.

~ Here’s a new Book Blog community to check out.

~ Not on the Test – a YouTube video of Tom Chapin doing the song he wrote with John Forster to protest the lack of arts education in the public school system. Hat tip: Principled Discovery.

~ Don’t miss Katy at Fallible‘s Statement of Belief. Very funny.

~ Sign your kids up for Brain Food’s Summer Reading Program. Hat tip: Semicolon.

~Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent is having another writing contest at her blog. The challenge is to write a complete short story in six words. Think it can’t be done? Check out the contest link for her example – by Ernest Hemingway.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I’ve got a great weekend planned – my sister Deb is coming across the state from Silverdale to visit for three days. I am ignoring the reason she’s coming: to see Marni and Hans and their boys before they move to St. Louis in June or July. We’ll spend most of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday together and then Deb and the kids will head back home on Tuesday. Pray for good weather on Snoqualmie Pass as she crosses the mountains.

We had three inches of snow here yesterday! It didn’t stick on the roads, and mostly melted in the afternoon, but it came down like the dickens for a few hours. March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb, my foot. I think March got things topsy-turvy this year.

I have red fingertips and my hands smell like vinegar. Anyone have a guess about what the kids and I did today? And, no, we didn’t dye our Easter eggs a week late.

Kevin and I are watching Stranger Than Fiction right now. Well, he’s watching – I’m half-watching and typing this post. I’ve seen it before – with Michelle – but he hasn’t, and I knew he would like it. I like watching movies again, but for some reason it drives Kevin crazy if he knows I’ve already seen a movie. I try not to let him know – while avoiding out-and-out lying, of course – because I know he’ll like it if he just watches it.

Well, I better get on to the links, because it’s getting late and I should be heading to bed soon.

~ This young reader is amazing. Be sure and watch the video. Hat tip: Lawanda.

~ Yahoo! has listed the 10 Most Historically Inaccurate Movies. Bummer – I really like Gladiator and Patriot. Why do they have to change so much in films? History is fascinating enough as it is!

~ In this video, author Khaled Hosseini talks about the process of adapting his book The Kite Runner into a film.

~ Remember the writing contest I told you about? Well, it’s time for part two – and your entry is due on Wednesday. Only 300 words. Don’t hesitate – enter, okay? (You know who you are. )

When Katy at Fallible announced that she now had an agent to help guide her literary career, I was so very happy for her. I also started reading her agent’s blog. She gives great writing advice (like this), and she’s also hosting The Yo-Dawg-Show-Me-What-You-Got Double Decker CHALLENGE. There are two parts to the competition: submit the first line of a novel – a first line that will make her want to keep reading; second, after she chooses the winning first line, submit the first 300 words to go with the winning first line. If you’re a writer, the prize is something all unpublished writers pine after, so please click over and check out all the details. The deadline for the first phase is Saturday at midnight her time, so don’t wait.

Now, onto a totally different and completely unrelated topic: colonoscopies. Yes, I know, not what you expect from my blog. However, I read this funny and important column by Dave Barry about hist first colonoscopy – and why, after avoiding it for 10 years, he finally had it done.

OK. You turned 50. You know you’re supposed to get a colonoscopy. But you haven’t. Here are your reasons:

1. You’ve been busy.

2. You don’t have a history of cancer in your family.

3. You haven’t noticed any problems.

4. You don’t want a doctor to stick a tube 17,000 feet up your butt.

Let’s examine these reasons one at a time. No, wait, let’s not. Because you and I both know that the only real reason is No. 4. This is natural. The idea of having another human, even a medical human, becoming deeply involved in what is technically known as your ”behindular zone” gives you the creeping willies.

Now that I’ve shown you how humorous even this topic can be, click over and read the column. And, if you’re over fifty and have yet to be screened (yes, Dad, I mean you), make an appointment.

And, since it’s Good Friday, I leave you with this:

I read of Christ crucified,
the only begotten Son
sacrificed to flesh and time
and all our woe. He died
and rose, but who does not tremble
for His pain, His loneliness,
and the darkness of the sixth hour?
Unless we grieve like Mary
at His grave, giving Him up
as lost, no Easter morning comes.

~from The Way of Pain, by Wendell Berry

I picked up Avi’s A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing on my trip to Barnes and Noble, and I started reading it aloud to the kids this morning. This book is funny and brilliant and had the kids and I in stitches. Here are a few of our favorite parts so far:

“A writer is someone who tries to get the words right. That’s why they are called writers. But an author is someone who has written the words wrong. Any critic will tell you that.” p. 32

“You should know that the number one rule about writing is: Write about what you know. So if you know what you haven’t done, write about that.”

“What if you don’t know what you’ve not done?”

“Then you go on to rule number two.”

“Which is?”

“Write about what you don’t know.”

“Is there a third rule?”

“Yes, stories do usually have three rules. Rule number three is: Write about what you don’t know as if you did know about it.”

“Any fourth rule?”

“Absolutely: Make sure that when you’re writing about what you don’t know as if you did know, conceal the fact that you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Is there a fifth rule?”

“A crucial one. It’s: Always leave your readers guessing.”

“Guessing what?”

“Let them guess about which parts you know, which parts you don’t know, and which parts you don’t know but are writing as if you did know.”

“What if they guess right?”

“I told you, the one who is righter becomes a writer.”

“What if they’re wrong?”

“That’s the moment you become an author.” p. 34-35

“Actually,” explained Edward, “it depends on what kind of writer you are. What kind were you intending to be?”

“A writer who attracts readers.”

“Then for heaven’s sake, don’t write writing. Write reading.” p. 37

Isn’t that delicious?