A Real Taste of True Blood

This is where the frenzy began:

This series is pretty awesome, as proven in the TV series "True Blood". I can't say that the show or the books are better, but I can say that they're different. The books have a different run for some of the characters. One in particular gets killed in the book, but has remained far into the show. That is a difference that I enjoyed because I liked the character and was sad he got killed off in the book. If you're a True Blood lover and haven't read the books, I recommend doing so. You'll love comparing and contrasting, and it's awesome to see what the show's roots look like. Great series!

Thanks for stopping by!

I Hope They Serve Beer....

My husband and I just watched this movie over the weekend, and I don't know why, but it just keeps getting funnier to me:

If you see last week's movie review, you'll see I reviewed Gilmore Girls. I think this movie was hilarious to me because it's "Logan" from Gilmore Girls in a whole new light. Still a flirty playboy, but on a whole different level. I believe this is based on a book, and I haven't read it, but the movie stands on its own just fine. If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend it. NOT safe for children, even a little bit!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Book Store Series, Part 3

The hustle and bustle of the holidays contributed to the sidelining of my blog. Hopefully I'll be back on track come Monday. In the mean time, here's a little nibble of the next part of the book store story just to tide you over.

Part 1
Part 2

So here goes:

-------

As always, Christmas day came and went in the blink of an eye. Since the holiday had fallen on a Thursday, I had all day Friday to spend with my family before they left for home on Saturday.

My parents, Louise and Parker Stone, adopted me when I was just a baby. Along with them came four older brothers; Matthew, James, Luke and Samuel. I know, biblical, right? They have light hair, blue eyes; it’s so obvious that I’m adopted. But none of that mattered, they loved me and protected me like flesh and blood. They were the most important thing to me. My grandfather made intelligent investments that led to an incredible windfall, and so, my parents were independently wealthy. My mother was a school teacher and my father owned a construction company where all my brothers worked. For being millionaires, they lived a simple life in a big house in the country.

Unlike me, they enjoyed the peace and quiet of upstate New York and not the hustle and bustle of the big city. I had to think of ways to keep them occupied without too much chaos. We went on a carriage ride through Central Park, did a little holiday shopping-I think that little bit was enough for them because when we got back to my apartment, dad went straight into the guest bedroom and took a nap, it was only lunchtime.

Mom and I took to the kitchen making lunch, laughing and talking as we did. My brothers sprawled out all over the living room for an afternoon of college football. When the food was ready, we settled next to each other at the dining room table for some good food and conversation.

“So how have things been, Mom?”

“Great. We’re all healthy and happy, things couldn’t be better. I’m so glad we made the trip down here to see you. I miss you lots up there in our little corner of the world.”

I leaned over and squeezed my mom tight. “I miss you too. Things are good here; I keep busy and out of trouble.”

Mom giggled. “Speaking of trouble-how’s Sophie? You two up to anything fun lately?”

Dad walked in, stretching and yawning. “You save any for me?”

I pointed to the kitchen. “Yes, Dad. There’s a plate in the microwave for you.” I turned back to mom. “Well, Sophie and I visited a new book store a few blocks from here. It’s called Trussman and Sons and it’s amazing. We should go before you guys leave.” I looked up, my fork in front of my mouth, and I noticed my parents glance at each other. It was a split second, and then they both returned to what they were doing. “Um, have you guys heard of it?” I asked and took my bite.

Mom finished chewing and answered. “Actually, it’s a franchise. We have a Trussman & Sons in the next town. We’ve been there a few times.”

“Oh. Is it as unbelievable as ours is? It’s gorgeous, all those incredible books and the coffee shop.” I smiled as I remembered the books I found there. But then I remembered the scene with Milo. I must have been frowning.

My dad looked at me. “What’s the matter?” He asked, his brow furrowed.

“What? Oh, nothing. The employees were just a little strange. Other than that, the place was amazing. Do you know anything about the Trussman family? I would be interested to find out more about them.”

They exchanged a quick glance again before mom spoke. “I don’t really know anything about the family. We went in there last month and they had been talking about buying a new building in the city. There isn’t much else to tell. Obviously they’re trying to expand their business.”

“Okay.” I let it go, even though I felt like they knew more than what they were telling. But what? Why would they have anything to hide about a book store? Maybe I imagined the looks they gave each other. I shrugged it off and continued eating.

*-*-*-*-*

My parents and brothers loaded up the van early the next morning and headed toward the countryside. I waved from the curb and then hurried into my apartment to get ready for my outing with Sophie to the book store.

My mind was racing with the unknown. I had no idea what to expect from another visit to Trussman and Sons. I had questions I wanted to ask Vin and Milo, and I didn't know if I could get more than a few strange looks and a polite phrase for a customer during this trip. I’d only been there once, but I was more than an everyday customer. I could feel it. Wanting to make a good impression, I put a little extra effort into looking nice.

Sophie met me in front of my building. As we walked towards the book store, I needed to know what Sophie’s plan was. This felt too important and I didn't want any surprises.

“Sophie, what is your plan for today? We’re just going to finish scavenging the store, right? No funny business?”

Sophie ducked her chin into her scarf, and I could tell she was stifling a giggle. “I don’t know. Maybe I want a date. It’s been forever since I've had a date, and it would be nice not to be lonely every weekend.” She looked at me and I must have appeared wounded, because she tried to cover her tracks. “Sorry, not that you’re not good company. I love spending time with you, but I’m a young woman, Lily. I want a man in my life to go out to dinners with, take long walks in Central Park with, and to keep me warm at night,” she said, as she elbowed me in the ribs and threw me a knowing look.

“Just remember, you’re the one going there looking for a date. I don’t want a date. I don’t feel right about those guys. I mean, it’s okay if you want to see one of them, but I don’t think I’d be interested. I’m interested in them, just not like that.”

“You’re not looking for a new best friend, are you?” Lily pouted, pushing out her bottom lip exaggeratedly.

“No, Lily. You are irreplaceable.” As we walked silently and arm in arm the rest of the way to the book store, I got the feeling that she was imagining less lonely nights with someone of the male persuasion who worked at Trussman and Sons. I just hoped she could control herself long enough for me to get some answers.

------------

You can move on to Part 4: here.

That's it for now, back on track on Monday with a movie review. Check back in next Thursday for another segment! Thanks for stopping by!

Hockey Puck Rattlesnake Monkey Monkey Underpants

Today I'm reviewing a TV show. I can't help it. I'm OBSESSED with this show. I have all 7 seasons on DVD and I can practically recite the entire thing. 

The dialogue is fast-paced, the characters are relatable, and there are so many amazing things about this show, I can't even begin to list them all here. It's funny and dramatic, and it's beautifully written. It's the ideal mother-daughter friendship. Just watch it, even if it's just some of it. It's awesome!

Just a quickie, I have to get back to wrapping presents!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Very Merry Unblog To You

I know! I've been slacking off, but it's Christmas time and there's lots of present-wrapping, school-function-attending, and shopping to do! Only 5 more days of chaos!!! I am working on the Book Store Series, but I haven't had a lot of time to write and edit like I wanted to this week, so I'm going to skip, perfect, and try to release one on Thurs and one on Friday next week. (Merry Christmas to you!)


So thanks for hanging in there, don't forget about me!! I'll be back with a vengeance next week!
Thanks for stopping by today!

A Magical Book Review

Okay, so this might be predictable, but I had to do a set of books that I could pick off the top of my brain. If you've been following me, you know that we have 2 fish tanks, a 125 gallon and a 30 gallon. We moved some of the smaller, more skittish fish to the 30 so they would be able to relax, but our novice tanking experience caused some issues and right now we're fighting high nitrates, and we've lost 3 fish, including 2 guppies and a small catfish. Now our bigger catfish is covered in ick and not doing very well, and the 30 gallon is being wiped out. So a lot of our time and energy has been thrown into that for the last few days.

Sorry if that's uninteresting to anyone, but it's what's been going on! I didn't think I would get attached to these fish, and this has been "my husband's baby" since he got it a few months ago, but it really has been sad to watch them getting sick and dying. So hopefully all the work we've been doing the past few days will balance out their environments and no more of our little creatures will succumb.

And here's the series:



Yes! The Harry Potter series! A few of them were already published by the time I got into them, but I loved them and waited patiently as they came out, one by one. I remember reading the last book, and I was so involved with the story that I stayed up until 2am to finish reading it. I don't have a lot of opportunities to do that anymore, and have found few books that have elicited that sort of behavior out of me since.

This magical journey, following none other than Harry Potter, is ideal if you let your child grow with the series. The first few books are dramatic, but acceptable for younger children. As you move further on through them, they become more young adult and a little more graphic. We've just recently allowed my 7-year-old son to see the last couple of movies, with our supervision, just because the content is a little intense.

Anywho, if you're one of the few people who haven't read or seen the Harry Potter series, I encourage you to do so. It's highly entertaining, and it's family friendly as well.

Okay, back to the daily grind. Thanks for stopping by!

A Risky Movie Review

Good Morning! Welcome to a new week of bloggery and shenanigans!

Today's movie review is a throwback to when my husband and I were dating. We LOVE this movie and is on our list when we get one of those very rare nights when the kiddo goes to bed at a decent hour.

Yes! A Tom Cruise classic! Before I review the movie, let me give you a little background of my TC fandom. I only like anything before Vanilla Sky. That movie messed me up and I haven't liked a single one of his movies since then. So you won't see any Collateral, most of the Mission Impossibles, Minority Report, or samurai movies that involve Tom Cruise on here. But gear up for some oldies that will get your memories flowing!!

So this movie is definitely an adult-only 80s era beauty that is, in my opinion, one of the best movies of its time. Sort of spoiler alert: A young kid is looking to make some money after he wrecks his parents' car, and ends up running a brothel out of his home. Hilarious, sexy, Tom Cruise at his finest---not just finest acting, fiiiinest hotness. Get a bottle of wine, snuggle in with your hunny-or your girlfriends-then be ready to laugh and enjoy this classic 80s, classic Cruise film.

Thanks for stopping by!

Through the Looking Glass

It's Christmas shopping day, so my post is going to be short and sweet, just like me!

The last week has been quite "Alice in Wonderland" for me. I've been on the other side of writing more intensely than ever before. It's been a learning experience and it's been a little stressful to boot. It's been difficult to write and release in sections of the storyline, and I've already revised a lot of what I've already posted. If you notice discrepancies in some plot lines, please just hold out for the end. As ideas develop, so do certain elements in the earlier parts of the story. Hence, many things in my first post have been re-written, and even a couple of things in the post I just put up yesterday. I assure you that gaps will be filled, questions will be answered and it will flow much more smoothly once the entire story is complete.

When all is said and done, I'll put it all together and hopefully have a little novella or short story to show for all this hard work.

Writing is not easy. And I've just been told I'm what they call a "pantsy"-I write by the seat of my pants and just see what comes out. But then it's edit, edit, edit, revise, revise, revise. Eventually the gobbledy gook that I throw on the page becomes a story with a plot and will make sense.

I'm excited and nervous about this project, and it will eventually all pay off!!

Thanks for stopping by, see you Monday!

Book Store Series, Part 2

So there was overwhelming support for me to continue on with the book store story. I'm going to make it a Thursday series and try to give you something entertaining. This is very different from releasing a full story all at once, so hopefully it will still flow as a broken apart weekly series. 
Installment one is here: Book Store Series, Part 1
..............

We wound our way around the maze of shelves on the first floor, our conversation muted by the awe of our surroundings. Thirty minutes passed, and neither of us said a word until we reached the back of that same floor and heaped ourselves onto a huge couch near a freestanding circular fireplace, facing toward the entrance.

"Wow," Sophie said, staring at the expanse ahead of us.

"Wow is right," I replied. I had never seen anything like it, and we had only meandered through one level. 

"It's going to take us a few visits before we get through all of this. We're going to be here a lot. Goodbye social life."

Sophie giggled and nodded her agreement. We sat for a while, watched the hustle and bustle, and strategized how to best explore the store before closing time. We spent several hours wandering the levels-which were deeper than they looked-finding a small coffee stand on one of the floors and a tiny sandwich cart on another, both with very reasonable prices. Gosh, with a little chunk of change, you could get lost here all day and want for nothing. We saw everything from J.K. Rowling, Shakespeare, Dan Brown to Stephen King. They had old editions and newly released novels that I had never heard of before. 

By day's end we had gotten through about half of the store-a few floors-and we were exhausted. We were making our way down to the checkout, and we stopped on the second floor balcony. I leaned over to look at the line so I could calculate how long I would have to wait to purchase my treasures. I grabbed Sophie's sleeve and yanked her back towards me. There, bagging purchases, was a nice looking store employee, about my age with shaggy dark auburn hair and dark eyes. He didn't speak the whole time I watched him, only kept wrapping up purchases. As someone handed him a book to bag up, I finally noticed the cashier. He looked exactly like the bagboy.

Sophie spun and leaned towards me. "Twins!" she whispered, a little too loudly.

"Must be the 'And Sons' from the sign outside. What if they're Trussmans?" I wondered to Sophie.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't mind finding out," she replied.

We stood and watched them for a few minutes, waiting for the long line to wind down. Just as we were about to make our way to the counter, the bagboy stopped and slowly looked around. He returned to bagging, but kept his glance searching. Then his gaze began to move upward, and the skin on my arms started buzzing with a tingly prickle. Finally, his eyes landed directly on mine, and it felt like they were boring into my soul. I stood, numbed and uncomfortable, until I was shaken out of my stupor by Sophie tugging on my arm. 

"Hey! You're making it too easy, play a little hard to get, will ya?"
I blinked at her. "Hm? That was weird. I must have static or something, dragging my feet too much maybe."

She laughed, "Girl, it has been a while, hasn't it? Come on, let's go pay for these and get a name out of those cuties."

As we walked along the railing, I had the distinct feeling that I was being watched, but as I peeked over the side, the twins were back to hustling customers through the line and out the door. A knot formed in my gut as we made our way to the stairs that led to the main floor. We waited in line, and although the line was moving steadily, it felt like a snail’s pace. The knot tightened with every couple of steps we took forward. Something felt wrong.
Finally, the person ahead of us stepped away and revealed the twins behind the counter, staring at us. “Did you find everything okay?” asked the cashier. His Trussman & Sons name tag said ‘Vin’.
“Um, yeah,” I answered. I looked over to the bagboy as I set my stack of books on the counter. He was staring at me, his name tag reading ‘Milo’. “Hi,” I said, as I stared into his brown eyes. Even though he still said nothing, I saw a hint of a smile. The knot in my stomach loosened, but something still felt odd. After I paid for my books, we studied each other the entire time Sophie checked out. We were curious about each other, and this stare-down wasn’t yielding any answers. I’m sure this puzzled look was reflected on both our faces and we must have been a sight to anyone who was watching.

I heard Sophie say, “Okay, we’ll see you guys next weekend then.” And I felt her pulling me towards the door. I broke eye contact and the spell was broken. Sophie spun me around when we got outside, and the icy chill prompted me to bundle up and put my gloves on. “What was that? You didn’t participate in that conversation at all! Please tell me you’ll be more helpful next weekend when we go back….Lily?”

I looked up at her. “Soph, something is strange about that Milo guy. I don’t know what it is, but I need to find out.”

“Lily, please don’t get all weird on me. Let’s just come back next weekend and see if we can get to know them. It’ll be after Christmas, so maybe it’ll be a little quieter and we can actually have a conversation with them.” We started walking back to my apartment.

To take my mind off the book store, and Milo, I changed the subject. “Okay, you’re right. Are you going home for Christmas?”

“Nope. Mom and her new boyfriend are going on a cruise. And dad is in Australia on business. What are you doing?”

“Staying here. I have to work at the office a couple of days. Mom and dad are coming here to see me Christmas Eve and will drive home Saturday.” I hated that the accounting office I worked at didn’t give us much time off. The end of the year through April was always tough and only getting a few days off for five months or so made it pretty exhausting.

“Great! Just in time for us to go hang out at Trussman’s.” As we stopped in front of my apartment building, it started snowing lightly. “Well, I’m headed home. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“It’s dark, are you sure you don’t want to stay here tonight?” It was always nice to get some use out of my guest bedroom.

“No thanks,” Sophie replied. “I have a couple of reports to get done before Monday. You know how it is. I’ll be fine. See you later.” She turned and walked away.

 
I stood in front of my building for a few minutes, enjoying the snowfall. Inevitably, my mind started wandering back to what happened at the book store. The snowflakes twinkled in the streetlight, sparkling and shimmering around me. There were multi-colored strands of lights peeking out of windows up and down the street. Decorative wreaths hung on front doors and I could faintly hear Christmas music playing somewhere down the block. This was always my favorite time of year. 

*-*-*-*-*-*

Working hard to send this story in a good direction. It's REALLY weird and difficult to be on this side of the text for once. I hope you guys like it! 

If you want to move forward to the next installment... Click here.
Thanks for stopping by!

Comma on, again?

Busy trying to continue my Thursday Book Store series, so I'll give you this hilarious post from George Takei on Facebook that cements my rules for "serial" commas from last week:

From George: "The case for the Oxford Comma in one screenshot."

Happy comma-ing!! 

Book review time!

It's Tuesday and that means it's book review day!

Today is another series. I tend to read series of books in general, so this might happen often.

This is a series that is pretty much fine for most pre-teens and up. It has a great message too: Being perfect is not all it's cracked up to be. It's a much different world where the Uglies takes place, and it takes a lot of bravery from a young girl to break the mold. I haven't read them in quite a while, and now that I'm doing this review, maybe I'll pick them back up again! Scott Westerfeld is a great writer, and this series is unique and pretty intriguing.

I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did! Thanks for stopping by!

Wait, you write too?

Okay guys, if you haven't read yesterday's blog, today's won't make sense. So go here first.

Otherwise....

I'm not much for writing. I think I've said before that my writing tends to transform itself into some story that I've read sometime in my life. Also, as proven with yesterday's writing (which I kind of liked), I am an emotional writer. I was super pissed off and stressed yesterday with a lot of things going on in my personal life, and generally that is when the best writing takes to paper, or computer screen in this case.

So, with that being said, take a little peek over to the right -------------->

I'm leaving a poll up for the weekend. If you guys really enjoyed the story enough to want to see more, I will work on it and possibly turn it into a series for Thursdays. If you don't like it, feel free to be honest. I don't mind being the Wizard behind the curtain that nobody really knows. I'm actually much more comfortable there. BUT, as I have preached to my readers, it is better for you to step out of your comfort zone and do things that make you crazy! I'm all in either way. Just have a little vote-sy and I'll check it out on Monday.

Also, if you're in the Oswego, NY area, please head over to the Oswego Elk's Lodge between 11am-5pm on Sunday (12/8/13) and support our local businesses, and buy/get an autograph copy of my good friend, M.R. Pritchard's newly released novel, Saratoga. (This event has been a fractional source of the aforementioned stress, so supporting me by showing up would just tickle me pink.)

Thank you guys for reading and loyally watching my page. I appreciate you all so much, and hopefully you're taking good things away from this blog. Have a great weekend!!

Book Store Series, Part 1

A little literary therapy....



I can never appropriately relay passion and anger. They are nearly always mistaken for each other when I try to do anything. You could say that's why I find myself here, sitting in this jail cell, writing a memoir. What else is there to do in this forsaken place? I certainly can't find myself a social group to belong to. Heh. Imagine that. Prison cheerleaders or inmate book club. I don't think so. Besides, I'm not the joining type.

You're probably wondering how I ended up here. A young girl just over five feet tall, arresting green eyes, barely even enough meat on the bones to call curvy, sitting in the clink. Well, I'd say that you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but it's not like I'm late for a hot date or anything so I might as well keep myself occupied somehow.

Picture this; a small town girl trying to make it in the big city. Oh yuck, I'm going to make myself throw up. But really, that is how it played out. I moved to New York City from a podunk town in the north to try and "make something" of my life. Little did I know, that would be the decision that changed my life forever.....

- - - - - - - - - - 

"Hey, can you get the door? Money's on the counter." I spoke to Sophie's reflection in the mirror through a hair band in my teeth, as I tried to wrangle all my loose strands of straight auburn hair. I watched her walk away and when I was satisfied that enough shag was pulled out of my eyes, I turned on my heel and followed. I walked down a short hallway that had two doors; one directly across from mine that led to the guest bedroom and one farther down that opened to the bathroom. At the end of the hallway was an expansive room that was a combination living room, dining room and kitchen all rolled into one. The kitchen was just to the left, galley style, with stainless steel appliances and sand-colored granite counter tops. A half wall separated the kitchen from the dining area and the whole right side was all living room space. On the right wall hung a 36 inch flat screen plasma TV and a large dark brown leather couch was arranged facing it. Straight ahead were sliding glass doors that lead to a little balcony.

I inhaled that sweet satisfying smell that only an Anthony's pizza could deliver, and walked out just as Sophie was setting the source of the delightful aroma on the coffee table. I grabbed plates and napkins from the kitchen cabinets and we plopped on the couch with our pizza gold.

"So, what are the plans for this weekend?" I asked Sophie between cheesy bites.

"I don't know. Ollie told me about a new book store that opened last week and I am dying to go get my hands on some new reading material. Let's go tomorrow." Ollie, or Oliver, was Sophie's roommate. Secretly, I thought they were romantically involved, but they denied vehemently any time anyone even hinted at the idea.

"Do you really think I need more reading material?" I asked, nodding my head to the far wall behind the dining room table. There, from floor to top of a ten foot ceiling, was a wall of bookshelves fully stocked. "Not to mention the bookshelves in the bedrooms."

"Lily, you can never have too many books!" Sophie reached for another slice of pizza.

I couldn't disagree. I'd been collecting books since I was a kid. I had an e-reader, of course, but I still loved to feel the weight of paper in my hands. I loved going into used book shops and smelling the old tomes and imagining all the people who had flipped through the pages and embarked on the adventures. Contradictory to my respect for vintage books, there was also a whimsical satisfaction hearing that "crack" when you opened the pages of a brand new hardcover.

"Okay, sounds like a date."

*-*-*-*-*

The next day Sophie and I met at the bookstore, which happened to only be a few blocks from my apartment. There was something about the windows that caught my eye, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The only thing that I might say is that you couldn't see into the store at all. There were books and knickknacks and something just murky about the whole place. A big sign that looked like an old parchment scroll hung above the windows and read "Trussman & Sons" in beautiful script.

We walked through the doors and I had to steady myself from the dizzying feeling that overcame me when I looked up. This building doesn't look this tall from the outside, I thought to myself. The center of the room was open like in a shopping mall and you could see up for floors and floors. Safely guarding anyone from falling, each floor was enclosed by railings of rounded brass connected to the top of intricate wrought iron designs. The lighting was dull and came from antique-looking large frosted glass orbs hanging intermittently around the store. Here and there were little clusters of old leather couches or armchairs, and some of them had people snuggled in, engrossed in their choice of tales. I took a deep breath in and was rewarded with that heady, aged-paper scent that transported me to another time, another place.

I was home.

*******************************


Aaaand scene. That's all for tonight folks. Thanks for stopping by!!


**Update-here's the link to the next part: Book Store Series, Part 2

Editing Etiquette

Comma Commentary

Today I'm going to highlight something that causes a lot of angst for many authors and editors alike. The dreaded "comma". (heard in an ominous Halloween-y style voice)

On Wikipedia, the very first line for the article about commas is "Not to be confused with Coma". I don't know about that, they can run hand in hand sometimes if you ask me! In the most raw description, the comma is used to separate things. By Oxford English Dictionary definition, the word comma comes from the Greek word, komma, which means something cut off or a short clause. 

I will review some of the rules of the comma, of which even editors need to remind themselves at times.

• Use a comma to separate a list of items or actions. Specifically, the comma before the "and" at the end of the list is called the "serial" comma. It's not mandatory, but can make the difference between correctly and incorrectly conveying what you are trying to say.
• ex: We bought eggs, milk, macaroni, and cheese.  -OR- We bought eggs, milk, macaroni and cheese. (could be macaroni AND cheese; a box of pasta and a brick of dairy product, or macaroni and cheese; a delicious cheesy pasta side dish)
•  Use a comma with a conjunction to connect two clauses, or two independent ideas.
• ex: I have a car, but I save money by riding the bus.
• Use a comma to cut off introductory elements. If it starts with a preposition (ex: as, although, etc), always use a comma. This rule is tricky because there are several sub-rules that explain. In general, if it feels right to have a comma in regards to flow of the sentence, put it in. If leaving it out is going to confuse the reader in any possible way, add the comma. Below is an example of how a sentence can seem correct both ways, but can be confusing to readers. In the first example, it sounds like you are talking about the inside of the maze. In the second, it's as though the maze is inside another place. Make sure you're using the correct language to explain what you want to relay.
• ex: Inside the maze was dark and scary. OR Inside, the maze was dark and scary.
• Use a comma to include parentheticals without actually using parentheses. In general book writing, it's not common to put things in parentheses. A parenthetical is an interrupting thought that adds information to the sentence. The way I figure this one out is to take out the parenthetical and see if the sentence is complete without it. (in ex: "Joe was caught drinking in the basement.")
• ex: Joe, who is 19 years old, was caught drinking in the basement.

In general, the rules for commas are pretty lax, and some of the time putting in a comma is a matter of what feels comfortable to the reader. If you feel like your editor is taking a lot of your commas out or putting a lot in, it probably mostly has to do with how your sentences read. It's also different for every author. From personal experience, different writing styles require different amounts of commas. I have had authors on both ends of the spectrum, and it's sometimes it's just a matter of where it feels right to take a break in the sentence.

Okay, that's all I'm going to bore you with for today on commas. Check in tomorrow for some personal writing from myself. Letting some more of my literary babies out into the world. Thanks for stopping by!!



I'd like to give credit to Wikipedia and this website: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas_big.htm#6, of which I researched to verify and fill in any missing information. Thank you!

Book review

Today's book review is a classic throwback.

This story is set in the 30s, and addresses racism and coming of age in a way only Harper Lee can provide. It shows a young tomboy's admiration of her dad and how he handles life in their time. I'm not sure if they still make kids read this in school, but I have to honestly say that you get a completely different appreciation for the story when you're not being forced to read it and report back to a teacher about it. This is the first book of "required school reading" that I re-read as an adult. Once I did that and realized how great it really was, I revisited many books that I had to read in school; The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, etc. This is a great story and is just such a timeless classic in so many ways. I highly recommend going back in time to read books you thought were "lame" in school and look at them from an adult perspective. Check back in next week!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Good Morning, Movie Monday!

Back to it after a great assortment of food, friends and family last week.

Today's movie is......

My son loves this movie. It's a great story that includes all the legendary characters we strive to keep our kids excited about throughout their childhood. It's a fun and adventurous story that is great for kids and adults alike. Especially with this being the Christmas season, check out this movie or revisit it with your family!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Parents-1, Autism-0 and Catch-Up

Oh my goodness!!! My internet has been wonky for a few days, and I've only been able to get on randomly here and there. I liked being mostly unplugged, but I did miss blogging!!

Addressing the blog title; we had parent/teacher conferences on Friday, along with an appointment with Will's behavior therapist. Overall, Will is still a little behind, but he has improved so much that people are just amazed with him. He learns uniquely, and we love him so much for that. He is so creative on his own terms and he sometimes blows the teachers' minds with his mature vocabulary and advanced word usage. I'm not sure anyone really knows how smart he is, including us, because he flashes these little insanely intelligent facts, but can't/won't do classwork. We found out he keeps telling his teacher "I'll just take it home and do it" because he knows that I can work with him one-on-one and he gets the attention he needs to learn the material. Thankfully, the teacher has been discouraging this, offering little incentives (like being a helper in the classroom) to get him to finish his work at school. We joked that I didn't mind helping him out at home, but if he sent EVERYthing home, I might as well just homeschool him! We met with Will's reading teacher, a special ed teacher and his regular teacher. It was a really good meeting, but just entirely too short. All the teachers really love Will and have shown us how much work they have put into helping him out. Not to be all gooey, but it warms my heart how much effort they are giving him. We won't give up!


And to make up for my last few days of absence:

A movie review!

 

This is a true chick flick. If you want major bonus points with your wife/girlfriend, watch this movie with her. It's a little long, but it's got an amazing cast of nearly all my favorite actresses and a great storyline to boot. It's set in June Cleaver time, but it shows how different women handled tradition clashing with modernization. It shows that some women are truly happy fulfilling a wife/mother role. Just because women are liberated and equal, doesn't mean they have to climb a corporate ladder and blast through the glass ceiling to have self-worth and confidence.

And bonus! A book review as well!

Today I'm reviewing a series of books, actually. "A Child Called It", "A Man Named Dave" and "The Lost Boy" by Dave Pelzer.

This is an intense, highly emotional set that will have you pulling out the tissues by the wad and gasping for air. It is based on Dave's own history as an abused child. Having not really come across anyone who has had to deal with abuse this extensively, it was shocking and eye-opening to see that some people really aren't meant to be parents and how disgusting they can act when faced with parenthood. If you're sensitive to this topic, are prone to PTSD-type issues from your own experiences or just can't deal with children being hurt, I don't think this is a good series for you. I have only read this series once. I own it, and I intend on letting my son read it some day when he is fully grown and can appreciate the valuable lessons within the pages.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the USA for any across the pond readers, so there won't be any blog. But have a great Thanksgiving, cherish your families and the short time we all have together. Thanks for stopping by!

30th Entry

Today is my 30th entry!!!!

Tuesday I was so busy with my hubby's birthday that I didn't get a chance to blog, and yesterday got crazy too, but I'll give you 2 for 1 today!

Book review firstly:

This book isn't a reading book. This is a doing book. It's called "Wreck This Journal" by Keri Smith. I love this because I think so many grown-ups lose that sense of wonder and creativity after a time, and this is an awesome way to get those creative juices flowing again. The point of this book is literally to wreck it.

I found some pictures of how people have "wrecked" their books:

So get creative, and get one of these! They're awesome!

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Secondly, my business cards came in! Yay!

It's really the small things in life that make me happy! :-)

So as usual, thanks for stopping by, even though I slacked off for a few days!

Movie Monday

I didn't realize how hard this would be. I have so many movies that I love so much, picking only one every Monday is like telling people you have a favorite child (well, I do because I only have one, but you know what I mean).

So here is a series that is one of my favorites. It's one that any part of it will always bring my husband and I together to snuggle and watch and giggle.

The first American Pie movie came out in 1999, sometime between junior/senior year of high school. That's also when I started crushing on my hubby. He and I have basically grown up together with this movie series.  The cast is perfect, they're amazing and hilarious. At the heart of this series is the idea that when you find those true and solid friends, you can reconnect with them no matter what you all go through in your lives. They're with you through the entirely embarrassing, the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. There are 8 American Pie movies, but these are the only ones I've seen.

We have our circle of friends that have held true for years, and even those that we aren't really close to anymore are still always welcome in our lives. Friendships and relationships are hard. Everyone grows and changes over time, and it can be difficult to maintain some of those relationships through those growing pains. Sometimes friends come and go and then come back again, and that's okay. One thing is always true, we can't always provide the help with money or extra "things", but Ken and I have always tried to help whenever we possibly can. Many of our friends have been so supportive through so many things and we would do anything for anyone if it's in our ability to do so.

A couple of silly trivia tidbits for your enjoyment:
The guy that does the dance off with Stiffler in the club in American Wedding is now the dad on Good Luck Charlie on Disney Channel.
THE pie from the first movie came from Costco.
Eugene Levy is the only one who has been in all 8 American Pie movies.


Thanks for stopping by, have a great week!!

Silly Suffragette

I know I haven't really been doing weekend blogs, but I read an article this morning that irritated me. Now, mind you, I've been reading articles with a similar basis as this for a while but for some reason, this morning's goaded me enough to write about it.

Here's the article:
Burt's Bees Apologizes for Lotion That Invites Catcalls

If you're reading this on Saturday morning and you're still in your PJs and trying to pump coffee into your system and you're feeling too lazy to read the whole article, I sympathize. I'll give you the Readers' Digest version. Burt's Bees puts this: “Soak in the moisturizing seductiveness of shea butter and indulge in the scent of vanilla and rice milk. And let the catcalling commence.” on a body butter label. Feminist freaks out.

At the risk of sounding "controversial" in any way, I really didn't think this was that bad. Actually, I found it sort of cute. I mean, it's called BODY BUTTER for Pete's sake. I do happen to think that the woman was overreacting (in the article she asks if she was) and that she should just readjust her panties and move on with her life. I'm not a hardcore feminist, but I do believe women should be treated equally. Which leads me to question whether this thin-skinned protestor has ever seen a stripper, watched Magic Mike or stared at a fireman calendar at any point in her tiny little life.

Women have made amazing strides throughout the years to get to the point we are today. Although it may not be even steven, it's pretty damn close. I think the problem is that there are still inherent "caveman" tendencies in the human race. Regardless of our advanced individual thought process, we are still slaves to nature and the genetic history of our species. So what if a guy catcalls out to a girl? As long he's not tackling her to the ground and forcing himself on her, what's the problem? Said girl ought to take it as a compliment, smile and move on with her day. Give them a little wave even. Or don't. But for crying out loud, don't petition against a company for trying to put a cute little ditty on their product. I say, be glad he didn't club you over the head and drag you back to his cave!

For an "oppressed unit" (women) to be so strong, and have endured and overcome so much, it seems ridiculous that something as little as a man whistling at you, or implying it on a body butter tub, breaks down hundreds of years of progress. Do you make more than that heathen? Some woman somewhere does. Did you give birth to a child? Okay, you're already a million times stronger than that dude. I personally don't think it's offensive for a guy to show his appreciation for a woman's body, whether it comes across as insensitive or not. It's natural.

At this point, for me anyways, women who throw tantrums about this kind of thing (and offensive tshirts, or anything else that induces a feminist movement): 1) have had a true "caveman" type guy in their life, 2) have nothing else to do with their time or 3) want attention. Maybe I'm super old-fashioned, maybe I have a guy's brain in a girl's body or maybe I actually just make sense. Whatever the case, I'm tough-skinned and really don't care if a guy whistles at a girl or hits on a girl or if a company tries to be cute on an item they're marketing as "sexy". Don't buy it then.

I think women who complain about this sort of petty crap makes us women look weaker in general. Please don't encourage men to find us sexy on an item that encourages us to be "seductive". It's degrading. Please don't put strippers or girls in sexy outfits on TV or in movies, even though I'm not like that, since showing them reduces our value. It's degrading. For crying out loud, stop being so sensitive!

Women can be just as degrading to men and nobody ever says anything about it. Why? Because guys have figured it out. Love the attention. Bask in it. If we don't complain about it, they'll just give us more. You know why we never hear guys bitching about labels on products? Because they simply don't care. Furthermore, it doesn't say explicitly on the label that the product is for women. If a guy used it and a girl is all "wow, you smell so yummy" should he press charges against Burt's Bees for being sexy? Duh. Come on, ladies. Stop making me look stupid.

***I read and weighed in on the comments section of this article. It seems I'm not crazy, a lot of people feel the same way I do. Thank goodness!

Shy guest bloggers leads to me rambling

Usually Fridays are for guest bloggers, but it seems people are being a little shy lately!

I still wanted to do a blog because I don't want to lose momentum. There are just so many things on my mind these days though. It's hard to pick just one. I guess I'll just unload a little of what's been rattling around up there this week. Hopefully you can relate or enjoy some of these little ditties.

I was driving home from the store yesterday and for whatever reason, I became a little reflective. Sometimes things are tough, and nothing goes the way I want it to. But this week has shown me that if you just give it time, good and evil balance out. Patience gets rewarded. And it's not like it was anything gigantic; I didn't win the lottery or a new car or anything like that. But I noticed throughout the week all the little things added up. When I was at the store, I forgot my debit card but I had just enough cash in my wallet to cover everything I needed. When I drove home from across town, I hit every green light except 1 or 2, which in my town is like Truman Show magic. Every little prayer I had from being somewhere on time to Will's behavior was answered. I'm a little more appreciative that I got a break from all those little annoyances this week. So if things feel hard, or you're stressed out, give it time. It will balance out eventually, even in the tiniest of ways, so be aware of those small blessings every day.

Another thing weighing heavily on my mind is the new common core standards in our schools. In full disclosure, I don't know all the ins and outs of it, I don't know exactly how it all works, I just know that it's rough on our kids. It's hard to stand behind something that makes it impossible for a teacher to be flexible and accommodating, and that seems to try to shove every kid into the same mold. It's rough on the teachers, who want our kids to be successful too. There shouldn't be so many tears when trying to accomplish homework. It sucks that, as a parent, I feel like I need to get a "Common Core for Dummies" book to get my kid through his education successfully. My heart goes out to the teachers struggling to balance the stupid regulations with all the different ways kids learn. I hope they know that many of us parents are behind them and will do whatever we can to help. We are grateful for the work they do every day to shape our kids into awesome little human beings.


 This week has been a little crazy, and I'll show you why. We have some new family members:

My husband bought a new 125 gallon fish tank. It's his baby/project because I will kill them if I have to take care of them.  My son loves them and that's cool. His favorite is called a rope fish, which looks like a snake, and he named him Willy.

We're not too exciting this week, but thanks for stopping by anyways!!!

Being an autism parent

Last week I told you the story of my son, William. I explained from top to bottom as best I could the struggles we have faced in his journey. What I didn't really touch on too much is the day-to-day of being a parent of a child with autism. Yes, there's the big fights and perseverance through all the large issues. But there's a lot that goes into the every day routines that is affected by Will's ADHD and autism as well.

One of the largest things is routine. We struggle with this constantly because we are not a structured household. We like to chill, eat when we're hungry, play when we want, go to bed when we're tired. It has been difficult for me to try and keep a set schedule, but it's important for kids with autism. They rely on stability and routine. So I try to at least keep a couple of things set at a particular time; breakfast/dinner, blood sugar checks, bed and shower times are the main ones. Occasionally, I will let Will stay up late to watch a movie on the weekends, but we pay for it dearly the next day. He throws tantrums, screams, is disobedient and sometimes even hits. It's so hard because he can be really mellow for a few days and so I want to reward him by letting him do something he wants, but it makes it really hard when we have to deal with the aftermath. Keeping a schedule has also been shown to help any kid, even without autism/ADHD/etc. So if you have a child that is combative, has sleep issues or has a hard time learning, try keeping a stricter schedule for a week or so and see if it makes a difference.

Will is also very stubborn. When he decides he wants something, he is resolute. He will fight, scream, cry and negotiate to the bitter end. This has become a delicate balancing act for us. I have learned to literally pick my battles. I know that's what every parent tells their children who are becoming parents, but when it gets to the point that you can have full conversations with your child, it is the best advice you will ever get. We learn to cope, and we learn when it's okay to give in and when we have to stand our ground with our decisions. Here are a couple of tricks I have learned over time that keep a happy kid and a happy mommy:

-When we go to Walmart, we always get the kid cart with the seats. It's a pain in the rump to push around, but it makes for a much happier kid that has to sit through grocery shopping. Happy kid, more exercise for mommy, everybody wins! He still hates it, but at least he can relax while we're doing it. The best trick I've learned to reward him that has changed everything (and saved my wallet) is that if he's good at Walmart or for whatever I'm rewarding him for, I take him to the dollar store and let him pick a toy. He knows that he can have ANYTHING on that wall of toys, and to him, that's like magic. He doesn't realize it's only a buck, that I can grab some change from my car to reward him. And he loves those silly little cheap toys. (Plus, when it breaks a day later, it's not frustrating to us as parents because it only cost $1)

-Choices, choices, choices. When you give a child the ability to choose things for themselves, it empowers them and gives them a voice. I'll pick Will's pants but put out 2 or 3 shirts so he can decide what he wants to wear. I'll give him a couple choices for dinner so he has a say. Think of it like this: if it's not really a life-changing decision and any choice made will result in getting the job done, let the kid make it. It teaches them that they matter. So who cares if he's not wearing the sneakers you wanted him to wear or if he's wearing swim goggles and a snow hat to the store? When did it become okay to stifle a kid's creativity and deny them a say in the way a family operates?

-Once in a great while, I just get him the toy. I know that some people might say that's bad parenting, but I know my child, and I know the signs of a major meltdown. I also know if he's been well-behaved enough to deserve the toy. I think this is kind of spurred by the fact that he's an only child. If we had more kids, I might not have adopted this mentality. But as it is, we spoil our baby when we can!

-Compromise. This is especially how we handle food and Will's diabetes. He might want that giant chocolate chip muffin, but instead we give him half or a quarter and something with protein or low carb to make him happy. It has taken some time, but Will has become very accepting when we tell him "you can't have that, it has too many carbs". Sometimes it's rough. Sometimes you look at his little face and just wish you could let him have that pizza or cookie or candy. I think that the compromise is just as much for me as it is for him. It makes me feel better that I can give him something instead of nothing at all.

-Keep your cool. Getting upset only fuels Will's tantrums, so I have learned to count to 10, take a deep breath, and handle the situation with a level head. It's so hard sometimes. If you're stressed, can't pay bills, car needs repairs, you're PMSing, someone put dirty clothes in with the clean clothes and put something away wrong when they did the dishes, you stubbed your toe and your nose is running.... it can be hard not to lose your shit when your kid flips a cup of almond milk all over the kitchen floor. (This didn't just happen to me or anything) BUT, as I looked between my son's and my husband's terrified, meltdown-expecting faces, I closed my eyes, counted to 10, and said in a calm and soothing voice, "It's okay, it was just an accident. Please go get a towel to clean it up." Two very relieved and calm guys were my reward for keeping it together. It's an eye-opener when your family is waiting for you to freak out when something happens. Guess what? The milk got cleaned up. Nobody was bleeding or hurt in any way, and life has gone on happily with no adverse repercussions from that milk getting spilled.

-Let him tantrum. will.i.am and Britney Spears had it right: "scream and shout and let it all out". Sometimes that's the only way. It sucks, especially if it's in public, but every once in a while that is how he gets things out of his system and then he can move on and function a lot better.

-Chocolate. Not for him. For me.

We just take things day by day, handle situations as they arise and we are as happy as we could possibly be. I enjoy my quiet moments while Will's at school, and I soak in all the moments I have with him by my side. It's exhausting sometimes, and it's stressful at points. I am lucky to have a great partner in my husband who seems to know that exact moment to take over when I'm at the end of my rope.

If any one of my little tricks helps even one person, I'll be a happy girl.
Thanks for stopping by again!

Book review!

Today's book is special to me. I've always been quite mature for my age. I knew a lot more than I ever should have known starting a pretty young age. It's not because of my parents, it's not because I was ever abused or harmed in any way. I really just think I have an old soul. Without getting too personal or graphic, I'm a pretty good example of a kid that has known about sex from a very early age without letting it affect my virtue or my morals.

That being said, I read pretty advanced books starting before most people are required to read them. I read Of Mice and Men in elementary school. If you've read it, you know how mature it is. I read today's review book for the first time in 6th grade. If a 6th grader told their teacher now that they read this book, they'd probably get suspended from school and CPS would be called on their parents. But I could handle it back then. My brain processed it appropriately.

This is a picture of my copy of The Thorn Birds. It has been gently loved and reread numerous times over the years. This particular copy was printed in 1977 and it's probably one of my most prized possessions.

It's more than a smutty romance novel though. This is a saga of a family in New Zealand and takes place starting in 1915. The story spans over generations and shows the will of a family to be strong through heartbreak after heartbreak. It's a love story, tortured and forbidden; validating the fact that in the very simplest of terms: The heart wants what the heart wants.

As I said last week, making a book into a movie is hit or miss. With an amazing cast, the movie adaptation of this book is astounding. With classic actors like Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare, more recently I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) and Bryan Brown (Cocktail, Australia, Along Came Polly), it's a beautiful interpretation of a story that I love.

Due to the intense emotional and psychological storyline and some graphic sex and violence, I don't recommend it for the average young girl. Probably 16 or even older.

Whether by DVD or book, I hope you enjoy this incredible love story!

Thanks for stopping by!