Celebrate the Small Things

Yo-ho-ho! It's time again to get stack all those awesome things that happened to us this last week together, grab some confetti and have a real celebration!

This weekly meme is sponsored by Vikki over at Viklit
(along with her awesome helpers! Thanks so much, guys!)


 Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


All we have to do is remember those small things (or big) which put a smile on our face this last week. Easy, huh?

This week, I'm celebrating. . .


1)  Winning the Realms Faire big prize! (this is a type of internet jousting and games week put on by M. Pax and supported by TONS of authors. If you missed it this year, do not make the same mistake next year.) I was totally blown over. I thought those tons and tons of books were for multiple wins, but all those books for one person. . . .*takes deep breath* So my reading list is full for a while. Really full. Here's a virtual hug for all of those wonderful authors!

2) My parents called early this week announcing that they'll be stopping by for Thanksgiving. It's a sixteen hour drive for them, and we were really not expecting it. So yay!!!

3) I found a store with an entire section of 2nd hand ugly Christmas sweaters. Talk about gorgeous! Seriously, I am going to stock up and enjoy this Christmas season in the most awesome style ever. My teenage daughter is horrified, but too bad for her. Ugly Christmas sweaters, here I come!!!

4) I finally am part of an online critique group. Don't get me wrong, my CPs and betas are the most amazing, talented, super-fantastic people around. I'm not giving them up for the world. But the idea of being part of several people who monthly come together to work on writing is making my little heart pitter-patter. (Ugh! Now, I have to write on a schedule, though.)


So, what about you? What wonderful things put a smile on your face this week? Ready for Thanksgiving? Make a snow angel lately? Cuddle with a sweet dog or cat? Did you finally find that perfect Latte?
What are you celebrating?

What's Up Wednesday and 7 Deadly Sins

The lovely ladies, Jaime and Erin, sponsor this weekly meme to help us writerly folks keep in touch with each other and simply say 'What's Up!'
Head on over to either website and sign in the linky if you'd like to join the fun.

This week. . .


What I'm Reading. . .

The Gatekeeper's Son by C.R. Fladmark. This is a YA Urban Fantasy which mixes Japanesse mythology with tons of action. A fun read!


What I'm Writing. . .
This last weekend, words were scarce, but I'm plowing through those words now. Nano's keeping me on my toes and seems to be doing what I hope it would - getting me to sit down and write.


What Works For Me. . .
This is going to sound lame, but I've discovered that if I write 1500-2000 words and treat myself to one episode of some series on Netflix, I can keep those words flowing. Stickers and chocolate simply weren't enough motivation for me.


What Else I've Been Up To. . .
This last week was hectic. We started to cut our first hay, but ran into some problems right away. It turned out to be more of a cutting crawl with me raking hay behind the tractor as it went to keep the mower from jamming up until we finally got all the settings correct.
While picking up our rake from an implements dealer, one of the shop workers noticed that the rim on my truck was cracked. I'm so glad he saw it, but now I'm out of a vehicle until it gets fixed. Of course, we have special sized rims and they have to be ordered in. Guess that means more writing time for me!

My daughter and I drove to the city for a day of shopping - she seemed to need some quality time with mom. It was a lot of fun with Starbucks, clothes, hair stylist (for her) and McDs on the way home.


And what about you? What have you been up to this week? Any exciting eagle sightings or successful shopping trips? Perhaps you had time to sit down and enjoy a good cup of tea?



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

The super-duper, wonderful  Krystal tagged me for the 7 Deadly Sins Blog hop. Thanks, Krystal!

And here are the answers for my 7 sins in literature. . .


Greed - What is your most inexpensive book?
Most of my books were free. *bwhahahahaha* The perks of having a review blog.

Wrath - Who's the author with whom you have a love/hate relationship with?
Honestly, none. I thought about this and thought some more and can't come up with any. Terrible, I know.

Gluttony - What book have you devoured over and over again with no shame?
Count of Monte Cristo

Sloth - What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?
A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice

Pride - What books do you talk about most in order to sound like an intellectual reader?
Sun, Sex and Chocolate. . .but that's only for chemical compounds, not exactly 'intellectual reader' stuff.

Lust - What attributes do you find attractive in a male or female character?
Female - selfless, forgiving, patient, wise, charity
Male - selfless, honorable, protective, intelligent, wise

Envy - What book would you like to receive most as a gift?
A collection of Grimm Fairy Tales - leather bound. 

As for tagging... I'll just say any of you who want to do it! Leave a message below.

Celebrate the Small Things

It's time again to think back to all the wonderful things that happened this week - especially the small ones - and let the smile form on our faces.

Thanks to Vikki over at Viklit!

This week is ending fast and furious, so I'm going to make it short.

I'm celebrating:

- brand new work gloves, insulated (of course). Yeah, things like this always put a smile on my face.

- a bonfire with hay ride evening. There was a great potluck too. Yummy!

- a nice sized pumpkin for a penny. After Halloween, our Walmart was over-stocked on pumpkins big time. So they actually sold them for a penny a piece! Bring on that pumpkin pie!


And what about you? What wonderful things happened to you this week???

IWSG

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month and time for another round of IWSG! That means it's not only time to whine and let our hearts pour out with all those frustrations us writers face in this cold world, but more importantly, to give support, offer shoulders to cry on (when needed) or simply grab those pompoms and give supportive cheers!

Thanks, Alex J. Cavanaugh and his mighty helpers:
LG Keltner,Donna Hole, Lisa Buie-Collard and SL Hennessy!!!



“Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it."

[Thoughts from Places: The Tour, Nerdfighteria Wiki, January 17, 2012]


The last month has reminded me that this quote isn't quite true. We might spend many hours. . .okay, a plethora of time. . .putting down all those words, pulling out our hair, staring at the computer screen or simply mumbling to ourselves. But this is not a job we can do alone (even if most of us are introverts to the highest degree).

We need others to give suggestions, critical eyes or simply lend an ear as we talk things through - even if it's basically to ourselves. CPs and Betas are worth their weight in gold, but even more valuable are the people who believe in you when you cease to believe in yourself.

Those are the people a writer really can't do without.