Grabbing the bull by the horns...

The day after Christmas we decided to head off to the Fort Worth Stockyards because that's all Lorne's been talking about since we've moved here. He's wanted to see the cowpokes drive the longhorn cattle through the town.

I could hardly contain my laughter when less than twenty cattle were trucked to a spot the herded down
a quarter-mile stretch of street and proudly paraded in front of the anxiously awaiting crowd. What a let down for him, but I laughed my saddlebags off. 

We did get these lovely shots of our kids riding the bulls. 

Christmas with Batman

Our family had a wonderful Christmas. John, our soon-to-be twenty-five year old, drove down from Minneapolis for five wonderful days. This was the first Christmas we shared since he went off to MCAD for his first year of college in 2007.

One of the gifts for our children were matching hoodies. Are my children are batty, or what?

       

Oh, Christmas Tree(s), Oh, Christmas Tree(s)

We wanted to keep up our Christmas tree tradition and replant our live potted trees in our new yard. The only problem was, we couldn't find any potted trees the size we were used to in California. So we settled for three little ones--the tallest being 42".

Unfortunately, none of the branches are strong enough to hold any ornaments. But I love our little section of Woods (pun intended) just the same.

I wouldn't make a good arsonist...

Being from California, I am not used to a real winter. I was also not aware that North Texas would get below freezing cold. Eee-gads! And turning the heater above 60 degrees is out of the question due to the fact I still haven't found a job and TXU is the most expensive electricity carrier in Texas.

When we first looked at our house, we were excited for a fireplace. In the back of my mind, and coming from an insurance background and fearing the effects of fire damage, I only thought I'd use it as a mantel for displaying nick-nacks and hanging Wilbur--I'll introduce you to him later.

Anyway, I quickly changed my mind after the first frost and agreed we should use the fireplace as intended by the builder and any smart homeowner. Unfortunately, with my wonderful hubby not here to keep the embers burning and my butt warm, making a fire was up to me.

This is something I truly suck at and, as hard as I try, all the logs do is smolder. If I wasn't so cold, I'd peal off the four blankets, find my cell phone and post a photo of my pathetic fire.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip

One of the first friends I met in Texas, Jennifer, has two children. On my last trip to California I bought two Micky Mouse suckers and for her two oldest children. Here they are enjoying their treats.

Recently, Jennifer went in for some tests because the doctor is worried about a possible serious illness. Please join me and keep her in your prayers. 

I love the website goodreads

I didn't realize I could create an account of this wonderful website. I feel it gives me a better opportunity to share all the wonderful books I've read and love. Below is a link to my list of favorites:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/25100986

Dear Editor Contest

Deborah Halverson, author and editorial professional extraordinaire, is having a contest on her Dear Editor website. I suggest this website, along with Deborah's book Writing YA for Dummies, to any would-be, wanna-be, and already-are writers.

Even if you don't enter the contest, Deborah's archives offer a plethora (I learned this word from The Three Amigos and use it whenever I can) of information, so take advantage of her knowledge and read the posts on whatever topic you may be struggling with as a writer.

Here's the link so click on it: http://deareditor.com/2013/11/04/newsflash-free-critique-giveaway/

NOW!

My Goals As A Writer...

My Mission Statement:

I will be professional, realistic, and use my skills as a writer and human being by engaging myself in acts of service, as I define them, and always be willing to grow, adapt, and learn.

My writing career goal:

Write meaningful literature for children.

On my path to reach this goal I will:

1. Continually seek knowledge.
2. Learn and listen to the opinions of industry professionals and critique peers
3. Read books on the writing craft and incorporate the information into my personal AUTHOR'S VOICE
4. Read  books in the genre/age group I am writing for
5. Never be discouraged by the process of re-writing.

My purpose as an author is:

To let teens know they are not alone, by showing my characters have the same emotions and experiences as they have; although, my readers may not handle their problems in the same way. Hope is universal.

• There are so many authors I've grown to know and love as I read their novels because I bond with the struggles of their characters. God Bless Sarah Zarr and her accurate portrayal of dysfunctional families, or Jacquline Woodson and her sincere glimpses into an inner city kid's experiences, or Ellen Hopkins taking me into the emotional state of her characters as they process their life experiences and figure out why they want to live. Each one of these books and about a thousand others by just as wonderful authors that offer HOPE to their readers. 

I want to reach teens when they are ready to read/hear my message. For me this is now, but for some future teens it may be ten years after my book is published. I want the experiences of my characters to live forever. In each generation of youth, someone, somewhere will/has felt the way my characters feel.

• An example of this is in the classic John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club. I loved this when I was a teenager, and last night my fourteen-year-old daughter and I watched the movie on DVD. Although there were no smart phones and IPads when the movie was made, the human experience of the five characters touched my daughter as much as it did me over twenty-five years ago. 

THIS IS HOW I WANT TEENS TO EXPERIENCE MY NOVELS.

Social Media

Yesterday, I attended a North Texas SCBWI class taught by author and social media guru Matina Boone. The information she shared was important, informative, and scary as all heck--I am a technotard squared. Some of things she spoke about felt like they were directed to me personally, like setting goals and creating a social media presence.

This is not something that is not new to me. Over the years, I've heard many authors, agents, and editors speak on this topic at SCBWI events, but was never broken down in the way Martina explained it.

How do I build ME as a Brand? I'm just Joanna. I have a few college classes under my belt, but I suck at math, I don't always appreciate my husband and children, and I swear to much.  How can I believe I should be marketed like a name brand soft drink or a kids' cereal?

Then Martina said, "Good material won't reach anyone by accident."

I've always known the message in my book is valuable. It's been an eight year journey of learning how to convert my storytelling into story-showing--which I'm still perfecting. However, if I want my book/message to reach the audience I would like it to reach, I MUST BELIEVE I'm as worthy of as much product placement as an expensive automobile.

How do I get there? I need to set goals, which Martina broke down for me. As she talked I wrote my goals down, which I share in my next post.

P.S. Social media still scares.

SHOW vs. TELL

I went to the North Texas SCBWI Conference and, as always, heard a lot of great information and inspiring talks. Especially one by Jill Alexander on what VOICE isn't. But, just as VOICE is difficult for writers to understand, I believe the dreaded "Show don't Tell" is worse.

I don't want to call it a revelation, but this concept was hammered in my brain after seeing the movie, "Guilt Trip" with Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand.

As I watched the movie I kept thinking, That is my mother. Only, I didn't know how right I was until I saw my mother the following week.

TELLING IS . . . 

WHAT MOTHERS DO to get us to feel something…

• Grateful
• Guilt
• Happiness

“I did this and this and this for you, and you should be (feel)…”

Or

“Be careful or you will hurt yourself…”

AS A CHILD, I WANT TO figure out for myself how I feel about the circumstances I am in.

If I get hurt, then I get hurt. Let me do it by myself.


AUTHORS DO THIS WITH THEIR CHARACTERS…

1. Authors want to make sure the reader can make the connection. As a beginning author I didn't trust that the Reader would be able to figure it out. Just like our mothers don't want to trust us, authors want to make it obvious.

During one of my rewrites in my book, I had the sentence... “Why do I get myself all worked up, like Mom does?”

My book is titled Crazy Like Mom. I didn't need to add like Mom does because as the reader follows my character through her day, he/she will be able to make the comparisons by themselves.

2. Authors want the Reader to have certain emotions shared between the characters, so authors do this with backstory.

In a prior version I wrote this paragraph to (what I thought was show) describe how the main character feels about her relationship with her brother.

     "Jack is too busy to help the way he did last year—doing each problem with me to see who got it done first, then making sure I got the answer right. If I ask him, though, he’ll review my work to make sure it’s correct. I scribble out the problems, and spend what seems like forever working on them, and then set the homework aside for Jack to correct when he gets home."

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH... That is TELLING or AKA Word Vomit. And the information in the paragraph was so yesterday. The reader wants to know what my character feeling now?

Can I sum up the previous 73-word paragraph into 26 words? You bet.

     "I decide to blow-off math. Algebra isn't one of my best subjects, and since no one in my family gives a crap about my mathematical future, why should I care."

AS A READER I WANT TO…

• Be in the moment with the main character. 
• I don’t want to feel what the author wants me to feel. I might feel what the m/c feels, but I want the freedom to disagree depending on my personal experiences. 
• I want to be in the situation instead of being forced to wear the situation as an overcoat.  

Writing Religion in Contemporary Children's Literature

As I struggle with what seems like the millionth re-write of my novel, I am torn between creating a character that believes in God, while explaining that science (i.e. medication) is sometimes needed to make a person whole.

I am a Christian and a person who suffers from manic depression, and many of the events in my story are true, including how I believed I was possessed, and how I searched for cures to make me whole. A serious depressive episode feels like you've fallen into the outer darkness of Hell. No matter how hard I prayed, it seemed like God—nor anyone else—could hear my cries for help. I prayed to be saved from the pain and mental anguish I was trapped in.

God answered my prayers, but not in the way many Christians would expect. It was not in some golden light pulling me up and out of the pit of despair in one miraculous event. God answered my prayers by getting me the help I needed. It took hospitalization, and being properly diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and finally receiving extra help through medication, to lift me out from the hell I was in. How do I share that with my readers, if I don’t bring God into my story? It’s impossible. Just as explaining the benefits of proper treatment for mental illness is important. The two are entwined.

During my reflection on how to incorporate the theme of my book, asking God for help, I thought of other mainstream books that incorporated Christian ideals into their themes. Here are just a few:

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare - In 1962, The Bronze Bow won the Newbery Medal. All these years later, it hasn't lost its message and I thought it was a great book. It reinforces the importance of tolerance and shows the importance of "Love Thy Neighbor" through the eyes of a boy set on vengeance to drive out the Romans from Jerusalem. The main character, who once was driven by hatred, experiences a change in heart after hearing Jesus preach about love and forgiveness.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle -The following year, in 1963, A Wrinkle in Time won the Newbery Medal. I was surprised how the themes of the book, love and freewill, are not only a universal principles, but they also represent Jesus’ sacrifice for us by comparing it to Meg’s (the main characters) willingness to sacrifice her life for her brother, Charles Wallace.  When interviewed, Madeleine L’Engle said, “I am a Writer first and a Christian second.” But, I wonder, how much of her beliefs were absorbed in her writing experience?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - As foretold in Narnia prophesy, two sons of Adam (Peter and Edward) and two daughters of Eve (Susan and Lucy) will come help Aslan (the Lion) fight against evil. When one of the children (Edward) falls for the trappings of the White Which, Aslin sacrifices himself for Edward. Aslan conquers death to live again and help the children and other Narnia creatures fight in a war with the White Witch. Sounds like a Christian message to me.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - From the beginning of the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcorers Stone, the act of sacrificing one’s self for others is the prominent theme as Harry’s mother gave her life for him. By the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry learns that it is through his death, that others may live. This is why Harry freely chooses to sacrifice himself to save others. Did J.K. Rowling mean to add this theme to her books? The following link is an interview by a reporter from MTV, so you can decide for yourself.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1572107/jk-rowling-talks-about-christian-imagery.jhtml

Autor Quote: William Faulkner on Writing

“Read, read, read. Read everything--trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it.

Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.”

Author Quote: Mark Twain on the "Show Don't Tell" Writing Principal

"Don't say the old lady screamed- 

bring her on and let her scream." 

Book Review: Nothing but the Truth by Avi (A must read book for teachers)

If I had a conversation with someone and they told me a dilemma or interest they have in their lives, I’ll bet I can suggest a book for them to read. For Example, a girl in a writing club I used to supervise was frustrated because her mother devotes most of her attention to her autistic brother. Was it any surprised I gave her a copy of Cynthia Lord’s book Rules?

Or how another young woman in the group shared a poem about cutting, so I lent her a copy of Cut by Patricia McCormick.

Or how I bought a copy of Laura Amy Shultz’s Newbery Medal picture book of Medieval poems, Good Masters, Sweet Ladies, for Lucy’s social studies teacher to share with the students—albeit, I doubt if he ever did.

You name the subject, I can suggest a book. So, when Lucy told me that her favorite teacher is continually disrespected in English class, I pulled out Avi’s book, Nothing But The Truth, and told Lucy to lend it to her. When I picked Lucy up from school, I asked her if she gave her teacher the book. Lucy started crying and told me that her teacher is too much like the teacher in the book, and she didn't want to upset her.

Nothing but the Truth is a must read for every middle and high school teacher. Lucy’s eighth grade teacher assigned it to the class, and I thought it was a wonderful book for students to read. It was interesting to get Lucy’s perspective (as a teen) versus mine (as an adult).

I would bet my hard-earned money— I get nauseous when I lose a roll of nickels at a slot machine in Las Vegas, so you know I believe it’s a sure thing I’ll win—that every teacher has had a student in their class like the main character, Philip Maloy, though maybe not to the extent of the plot.

One of the things I appreciated about this book was the fact it showed the extent of self-absorption of teens today, and how blindly parents jump to defend bad behavior in school. There is no happy ending for any of the parties involved, but in my opinion (as an adult) I believed the real victim was the teacher. The book shows teen narcissism, to the point the main character destroyed his desires in the process. What disturbed me the most was no one, other students included, stood up for the dedicated teacher.

I am not a teacher, so I have no bias in my opinion. I am a mother, who teaches my child how to show respect for her elders, and go to school to learn.

I'm airing out a little frustration in this next paragraph, not at one particular teacher but at the California school system in general...

However, I fought for four years to have my daughter tested for a learning disability after seeing her struggle every night with homework. My concerns were not toward any particular teacher, but toward the establishment who told me that because her California test scores were too high to warrant such tests. Not giving up, I went to an independent agency.

After a series of tests, it was shown that Lucy has a condition called dysgraphia. Finally, after four-and-a-half years of petitioning for extra time for Lucy to finish class assignments or to have notes be made available, she was given a 504 plan.

The point is, a responsible parent is involved in their child's learning. To find out how Philip's parents handled the problem, read the book and find out.

Writing Craft: Thanks, But This Isn't For Us by Jessica Page Morrell

I recently read a blog on Darcy Patterson's Fiction Notes which disgusted Jessica's book on why editors reject manuscripts. In Patterson's post she gave some common examples. Curious for more, I ordered the book from Amazon, and I was digging into the reasons why my novel might not be up to par within two days.

Whenever I read a book on craft, I insert my characters into the situations and examples given. Over the six years I've been working on my novel, I can't help but smile when I read about a basic writer's blunder I stumbled over--but I persevered and learned the correct process to fix it.

In the first few chapters Morrell gives examples of basic writing mistakes followed by examples of how to make your first paragraph sing as if it where a Siren calling, "Read on, and on, and on..."  However, the reason why I'm taking time to ignore the call of Morrell's Siren, is to type an interesting blurb she says about plot on page 57.

"Plot is movement and a record of change. These changes--inflicted on the protagonist or group of characters--alter their fortunes, choices, and beliefs."

The above quote though, struck me as a vital part of my novel's circulatory system, and not just a means to an end.

My plot is the vein, and it carries my main character's experiences through its blood flow to Lucinda. She can be attacked by viruses and cholesterol. How she handles the experiences are what effect her overall health and well being as a character. So... I can have her take antibiotics (listen to advice of another character) or put a band aid on it, but whatever she does it effects her health.

Author Review: Avi

Avi is another author who has won three Newbery awards. They include the following:

Crispin, The Cross of Lead, published by Hyperion, Copyright 2002.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, published by Harper Trophy, Copyright 1990.

Nothing but the Truth, published by Harper Trophy, Copyright 1991


Crispin, The Cross of Lead won the Newbery Medal, along with various other awards and accolades. I enjoyed it for two reasons. One, it was a novel included on my list by Deborah Halverson to teach me about voice, and the second reason being it was on my list to read every Newbery book awarded—a lofty goal, to which I’ll be working on till I die.

Because it is set in 1377 A.D. England, I purchased thirty-five copies for my daughter’s 7th grade English class. Her teacher was attempting to match his reading selections to the history curriculum, since the students were studying the medieval period, this book along with most of Karen Cushman’s books would be a logical choice to add a little historical fiction to their studies.

Unfortunately, the books the teacher chose were, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pile, which was dropped after the second chapter because the students couldn't understand the colloquialism of old English, and a book by Susan Cooper titled King of Shadows. Although my daughter thoroughly enjoyed the story of a modern day theater student, being transported though time to perform in a Shakespearean play, I don’t think it would have touched on the historical aspects the way Avi’s book does.

Here is a summary of Avi's Crispin, Cross of Lead: After his mother’s death, thirteen-year-old Christian is forced to flee his home to avoid being murdered. It is through his adventure to stay alive that he finds out who is really is.

~~~~

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle won Avi a Newbery Honor. For me, the voice of the main character stood out and demanded my attention more that Crispin, although I loved each one equally. It is the story about well-to-do family from Rhode Island who sends their daughter Charlotte, a thirteen-year- old girl to boarding school in England in the year 1832.It is on her way back to America when her adventure begins.

Many agents and editors bring their favorite books to conference and read the first paragraph to show how important voice is. This is one of the books I would use to prove my point. Here is the first few lines: “Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago.”

Now, go buy this book and follow her adventure.

~~~~~

Another important book which any high school teacher would find relevant is Nothing but the Truth. This book was yet another Newbery Honor for this incredible author, and it deserves its own review, so please read the next blog to explore its importance in today’s school system.

~~~~~

Aside from these books, Avi has written many, many others. Another book I appreciated was The Fighting Ground, published by Harper Trophy, Copyright  1984. It is the story is about a thirteen-year-old boy who chooses to run away from home during the Revolutionary war.

As in most children’s books, adventures usually span a certain period in time. For Harry Potter, each stand alone book covers a school year. Other books cover a semester, or a summer. The Fighting Ground was the first book I've read where the adventure occurs within a twenty-four hour period, (A more recent book which covers a twenty-four hour period is 13 Reason's Why by Jay Asher. It is a serious subject YA book which I will give my thoughts in a separate review.)

In The Fighting Ground, Avi also sets an example of how to incorporate foreign speaking dialogue into a novel. Instead of writing the German word followed by the English translation directly after with commas, Avi puts his translation as an addition in the back of the book. I think this added to the confusion the main character experienced at not understanding what the German soldiers were saying along with the reader.

Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

For this review, I will let quotes from the book explain character development, plot, setting, and theme.

Quote 1: Character

     Charles Wallace slipped his hand confidingly in Meg’s, and the sweet, little-boy gesture warmed her so that she felt the tense knot inside her begin to loosen. Charles loves me at any rate, she thought. (Ch 2: Pg 30: ¶ 8)

This quote shows how much Meg loves her little brother and that Charles is a good little kid.

Quote 2: Character

     “What gives around here?” Calvin asked. “I was told you couldn’t talk.”

     “Thinking I’m a moron gives people something to feel smug about,” Charles Wallace said. “Why should I disillusion them? How old are you Cal?” (Ch 2: Pg 33: ¶ 9-10)

These quotes show that despite what other people at school think, Charles Wallace is a really smart kid.

Quote 3: Character

     “Do you think things always have an explanation?” [Meg said]

     “Yes. I believe that they do. But I think that with our human limitations we’re not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don’t understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist.” (Ch 3: Pg 46: ¶ 6-7)

These quotes show Meg’s character as being someone who always wants an explanation so she understands things. It also shows that Meg’s Mom is a person who can believe in something that hasn't been proven yet.

Quote 4: Character

     Charles Wallace looked steadily at Mrs Whatsit. “Are you afraid for us?”

     “A little.”

     “But if you weren’t afraid to do what you did when you were a star, why should you be afraid for us now?”

     “But I was afraid,” Mrs Whatsit said gently. (Ch 6: Pg 95: ¶ 7-9)

These sentences show that Mrs Whatsit was afraid when she had to give up her life as a star to fight the evil darkness. She is also afraid for the children as they go off to do the same thing.

Quote 5: Plot

     “Well, then, someone just tell me how we got here!” Calvin’s voice was still angry and his freckles seemed to stand out on his face. “Even traveling at the speed of light it would take us years and years to get here.”

     “Oh, we don’t travel at the speed of anything,” Mrs Whatsit explained earnestly. “We tesser. Or you might say, we wrinkle.” (Ch 4: Pg 60: ¶ 6, 7)

Mrs. Whatsit is explaining to Calvin how they move through time and space in order to get to the different planets that they must visit to save Meg’s father.

Quote 6: Plot

     “You see,” Mrs Whatsit said, “if a very small insect were to move from the section of skirt in Mrs. Who’s right hand to that in her left, it would be quite a long walk for him if he had to walk straight across.”

     Swiftly Mrs Who brought her hands, still holding the skirt together. 

     “Now, you see.” Mrs Whatsit said, “he would be there without that long trip. That is how we travel.”  (Ch 5: Pg 73: ¶ 8 – 10)

These sentences continue to explain how the kids will travel through time by giving an example that the children could see for themselves.

Quote 7: Plot

     Meg looked. The dark shadow was still there. It had not lessened or dispensed with the coming of night. And where the shadow was the stars were not visible. 

     What could there be about a shadow that was so terrible that she knew that there had never been before or ever would be again, anything that would chill her with a fear that was beyond shuddering, beyond crying or screaming, beyond the possibility of comfort? (Ch 4: Pg 70: ¶ 3, 4)

These sentences show Meg’s reaction and how scared she was when she saw the dark shadow.

Quote 8: Plot 

     Calvin turned, rejecting the dark Thing that blotted out the light of the stars. “Make it go away, Mrs Whatsit,” he whispered. “Make it go away. It’s evil.” (Ch 4: Pg 70: ¶ 8)

This sentence shows Calvin’s reaction when he saw the dark shadow.

Quote 9: Plot

     “Wwee musstt ggo bbehindd thee sshaddow.” [Mrs Which speaking]  

This sentence reveals the purpose of the story which is to fight the shadow. The other plot quotes show how the characters move along in the story, but this shows what they must do.

Quote 10: Theme

     Again Mrs Which’s voice reverberated through the cave. “Therre will nno llonggerr bee sso many pplleasanntt things too llookk at iff rressponssible people ddo nnott ddoo ssomethingg abboutt thee unppleassanntt ones.”  (Ch 5: Pg 83: ¶ 2, 3)

This shows the importance of good people standing up for what is right.

Quote 11: Setting

     Below them the town was laid out in harsh angular patterns. The houses in the outskirts were all exactly alike, small square boxes painted gray. Each had a small, rectangular plot of lawn in front, with a straight line of dull-looking flowers edging the path to the door. Meg had a feeling that if she could count the flowers there would be exactly the same number on each house. In front of all the houses children were playing. Some were skipping rope, some were bouncing balls. Meg felt vaguely that something was wrong with their play. It seemed exactly like children playing around any housing development at home, and yet there was something different about it. She looked at Calvin, and saw that he, too, was puzzled. 

     “Look!” Charles Wallace said suddenly. “They’re skipping and bouncing in rhythm. Everyone’s doing it at exactly the same moment.” 

     This was so. As the skipping rope hit the pavement, so did the ball. As the rope curved over the head of the jumping child, the child with the ball caught the ball. Down came the ropes. Down came the balls Over and over again. Up. Down. All in rhythm. All identical. Like the houses. Like the paths. Like the flowers. (Ch 6: Pg 98: ¶ 5 and Pg 99: ¶ 1, 2)

The setting shows that the people in this world have no creativity or freedom to do what they want.

Quote 12: Theme

     Meg shook her head violently. “No!” she shouted. “I know our world isn't perfect, Charles, but it’s better than this. This isn't the only alternative! It can’t be!”

     “Nobody suffers here,” Charles intoned. “Nobody is ever unhappy.”

     “But nobody’s ever happy, either,” Meg said earnestly. “Maybe if you aren't unhappy sometimes you don’t know how to be happy.” (Ch 8: Pg 136: ¶6-8)

Meg is talking about free will, which the people of Camazotz don’t have.  If you don’t have sadness then you won’t know what is it to be happy.

Quote 13: Theme

     “All right, I’ll go!” Meg sobbed. “I know you want me to go!”

     “We want nothing from you that you do without grace,” Mrs Whatsit said, “or that you do without understanding.”

     “That it has to be me. It can’t be anyone else. I don’t understand Charles, but he understands me. I’m the one who’s closest to him. (Ch 12, Pg 187, ¶ 1, 2, 5)

Meg finally understands that she must be the one to sacrifice her safety in order to save her brother and she must do it willingly.

Quote 14: Theme

     “Who helps you?” [fight against the Dark Thing] Meg asked.

     “Oh, dear, it is so difficult to explain things to you, small one. And I know now that it is not just because you are a child. The other two are as hard to reach into as you are. What can I tell you that will mean anything to you? Good helps us, the stars help us, perhaps what you would call light helps us, love helps us. Oh, my child, I cannot explain! This is something you just have to know or not know.” 

     “But—“

     “We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.” (Ch 11: Pg 178: ¶ 7; Pg 179: ¶1,2)

Theme is explained here as being eternal, like love. You can’t see it or explain it, but you just know it exists because you feel it. Compare to Hebrews 11:1 KJV in the New Testament.

Quote 15: Theme

     And that was where IT made Its fatal mistake, for as Meg said, automatically, “Mrs Whatsit loves me; that’s what she told me, that she loves me,” suddenly she knew. 

     She knew!

     Love.

     That was what she had that IT did not have.

     She had Mrs Whatsit’s love, and her father’s, and her mother’s, and the real Charles Wallace’s love, and the twins’, and Aunt Beast’s. And she had her love for them. (Ch 12: Pg198: ¶11; Pg 199: ¶ 1, 2)

This shows the eternal theme of love and how important it is for people to love and care for each other.

Author Quote: Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle In Time)

"I believe that good questions are more important than answers, 

and the best children's books ask questions, and make the readers ask questions. 

And every new question is going to disturb someone's universe."

Book Reviews: Our Only May Amelia and The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L Holm

Our Only May Amelia and The Trouble with May Amelia

Published by Harper Collins, Copyright 1999, this book is one of Jennifer L Holm's Newbery Honor books. This books, like many of the author's other novels weaves a little bit of family history into her fictional tale.

The main reason I love this books is for the humor she adds to each  family member. Each character is believable including May Amelia's wicked grandmother, and her negative and often verbally abusive father.

The Trouble With May Amelia, Atheneum Books For Young Readers, Copyright 201l, is the sequel to to Our Only May Amelia, and in my opinion, I liked the it better than the original. This book had me laugh and cry within paragraphs of each other.

Set in the 1899's in Washington State, the story brings to life a Finnish Pioneer family's desire to make it in the United States along the banks of the Nasel River. May Amelia is the only girl to be born in this little Scandinavian settlement, and it is her determination to fit and be treated as an equal helps to make her voice strong.

However, one thing I've noticed in some of the books by this author is the easy way problems seem to be wrapped up in a quick, neat little bow. Sometimes in the publishing industry it is referred to as Deus Ex Machina, which is Latin for God From the Machine.

Currently, I am struggling with this in my novel, where all of a sudden my main character finally understands why she loves her family. In The Trouble with May Amelia, it is an "ah-ha" moment where Amelia has an idea that saves her family from financial ruin, and everyone (especially her father) all of a sudden appreciates her.

Book Review: Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L Holm

I enjoyed this book for many of the same reasons why I enjoyed Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata. It shares a little bit of American history with the reader. I was not aware that Italian Americans were also rounded up--not to the same degree as the Japanese--and taken away from their families during WWII and many possessions, like radios, were taken away.

As mentioned in the Author Review of the author, this story was based of experiences in Jennifer’s own family.

Published by Yearling, Copyright 2007, this book is one of Jennifer’s three Newbery Honor books. It is told in first person, present tense which brings the intimacy I enjoy when reading historical fiction. The story is about an eleven-year-old girl named Penny, who through a series of events finds out how her father died.

One of the things that makes this and all of Jennifer’s novels great is the character driven family-dynamics. Each character has their flaws, and there aren't stereotypical characters. The emotions and actions of the characters are believable.

Bad Joke: Don't take OFFENCE to this Post...

This weekend we are finishing the installation of a fence, with over 60 steel posts. City ordinances say that the poles must be dug at least 36" into the ground, and above ground can only be 4 feet high, to withstand high winds that Tornados in the area offten bring. At first we planned on filling the holes with one 80 lb. bag of concrete, but 36" is a deep hole so we added an extra 80 lbs. Bring it on Tornados.

The fence will be a split rail and it seems we've picked the most hot and humid weekends to build it. Our adventures here in Texas never get dull. Last weekend, when we dug the holes, we thought a gas one-man operated hole digger (its like a sledge hammer with a drill) would be suffice and it would only take a day for my gorilla of a husband to knock them out.

HA!

After one hole and twenty minutes digging in North Texas clay earth--not to mention the imagery flashing through my mind of Lorne cutting off his privates, I insisted on rented a Bob Cat to drill the holes.

Fast forward, two hours... we returned the manual drill and finally figured out how to take the tractor drill off the trailer, and Lorne is drilling his third whole--including the manual one--when he hits the main water pipe to our neighborhood.

From the second the white water rapids, flowed into our street, neighbors poured onto our onto our property to watch the waterworks, while Lorne continued to dig the rest of the fifty-seven holes.

We called the water company and they were at our house within the hour, but until that time there was nothing we could do to stop the flooding, so Lorne kept to his digging--after all, renting a Bob Cat isn't cheap.

The water company shut off the water to our whole neighborhood, and repaired the pipe within three hours, all the while my kind and understanding neighbors kept me company the whole time.

Back of house with wood put up, but we still need to put on trip and paint. 

These ten poles took over five hours to attach the wood. 

Although it's hard to see, there are fifty additional poles to finish.

Book Review: The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

One of my goals as a writer is to read every Newbery book. For this reason, I snatched this book from the Friends of the Library sale, despite the fact that I can’t check out a book for another 30 days—see previous blog.

One thing I noticed is writing criteria in the children’s publishing world has changed. Books written over twenty years ago contain more telling of scenery, feelings, and character reflection.

Now days, children’s authors have to compete with the fast pace world of computers, video games, and instant messaging to keep a child’s attention. Because of this, authors must be concise, using the most descriptive action verbs possible to make their story fast paced and to the point, while weaving the scenery and characterizations into the plot.

If I remember this point, I can understand why it is harder for me to want to read a book that starts with a lot of telling. However, despite the scenery set  up (time period and location of the main character) , I enjoyed  The Slave Dancer once the action finally started around chapter three.

This book tells the tale of a thirteen-year-old, boy named Jessie Bollier. Jessie is kidnapped to serve as fife player on a slave ship, the Moonlight. This is when the story took off, and it is where I learned to appreciate the author’s talent for description, which bored me in the beginning. The honest descriptions both fascinated and horrified me, as she vividly described the horrors put upon the 93 black slaves taken from their native land to be sold as slaves in the U.S. before the Civil War.

I recommend this book to any writer who needs to understand the SHOW vs. TELL in children’s literature, not to mention any older middle grade reader interested in historical fiction.

Book Review: BUTTERFLY HOLLOW by Maria Cisneros Toth

Anyone who ever says self-published books don’t live up to traditional publishing standards has not read this book.  Butterfly Hollow, (Copyright 2013), is an example of how a determined author worked tirelessly to make her novel perfect before she released it.

Not only is the main character’s voice strong and independent, but great care was taken to design a cover which beautifully depicts the scenery in the novel. The model for the cover, by the way, is Maria’s granddaughter.

As I sit here trying to think of a way to sum up her novel, I fall speechless. So instead I will turn it over to the main character, Charlene Parker, to tell her version so you can see how the author gave voice to this wonderful character. Take it away Charlene:

I’m eleven years old and my daddy is behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit. The Gator-Man killed Otis Beecher, but no one believes me. Even Momma things I’m telling tall tales. But the Gator-Man is real as the Great Depression. I’ve seen its monster shadow creeping in the woods. What will it take for someone to listen? Another body found by the creek? If it’s mine, then maybe they’ll finally believe what I already know—my daddy is not a cold-blooded killer.


Now, with information like that, how could you not want to follow Charlene on her quest to prove her father’s innocence?

Author Review: One of My Favorite Newbery Authors - Jennifer L. Holm

Not too many children's authors can say they've won three Newbery honors, but Jennifer can. Although I don't think she would ever boast.

In 2011, I took Lucy to the SCBWI Summer Conference book signing, so she could meet Jennifer and have her thirteen episodes of Jennifer's Baby Mouse graphic novel series signed--these books are perfect for reluctant readers ages 6-12.

Jennifer couldn't have been more humble and caring as she signed each one of Lucy's books--not to mention the copy of The Trouble with May Amelia, which is my favorite.

Jennifer is quite a genealogist. Although her novels are fiction, many of her books share pieces of her ancestors' rich histories, whether it is on the banks of the Nasal in 1900's, or sharing the persecutions of her Italian family members during and after WWII.

Here are the Newbery Honor books I mentioned earlier:

Our Only May Amila, Harper Trophy, Copyright 1999.

Penny from Heaven, Yearling, Copyright 2006

Turtle in Paradise, Yearling, Copyright 2010

My favorite thing about Jennifer's writing is the way she sprinkles in humor on one page, but puts tears in my eyes at the top of the next page. 

That is, in my opinion, what makes a her such a good author. I want to laugh and cry at the same time. It is Jennifer's ability to create memorable characters, with believable and humorous personalities, while keeping them real that makes her an author I try to emulate. 

Book Review: Matisse on the Loose by Georgia Bragg

I met Georgia at the 2009 SCBWI Summer Conference. We participated in a late night critique group. She was working on her second novel and was there for feedback from other writers. I purchased her first book, published by Delacorte Press in 2009.

The story’s main character is an eleven-year-boy named Matisse. His mother is a curator at the local museum, which is why he was named after the French painter Henri Matisse. Like the 19 Century artist Matisse loves to paint, and accompanies his mother to the museum to paint replicas of the famous artists’ paintings.  And this is where his adventure begins.

My original post,written in 2010, on an old blog only mentioned that I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, and middle grade readers ages 8 – 11 would love it.The story is very funny and the characters quirky. I didn’t realize how much until I browsed through my copy of the book before I began typing. After skimming the first chapter, I’m in the mood to follow his adventures again.

Hook to Previous Blog: If Fifteen Minutes Can Save You Money on Car Insurance, what can Ten Minutes in a Gas Station do?

On the weekend of May 14th, Lucy and I made a pilgrimage to Las Vegas where my Uncle Greg Bowman, DDS, has his dental practice. Since we don’t have dental insurance, he was kind enough to clean our teeth.

On our drive to Nevada, we stopped in a tiny California town off Interstate 15—it is the half-way point on the drive. We pulled up to a pump at a gas station that happened to franchise a Dairy Queen. Lucy, excited to get a Blizzard, ran into the restaurant while I headed straight for the bathroom.

Lucy, is a friendly and kind, teenager and she often holds the door for people, but whether or not she held it for a bald-headed, middle-age man is unknown. She does however remember saying hello to someone who fits that description.

The only thing I remember about the day was my illegal park job at the pump because there were no parking spaces, and a bus that pulled in on the other side of the pump where my car was parked.

Now, fast forward three months… Lucy has her first day at school, and her Spanish teacher (the class she didn’t want to be in), says to her, “I know you.”

Lucy has no idea what he is talking about, so he continues to grill her about where she is from. She answered his questions by saying she was from a city called Hemet, in Southern California. He continued to think as he looked down on her as she sat at her desk. Needless to say, other students were interested in the conversation, too.

Finally, he said, “Where you ever at a Dairy Queen in a town called Baker.” Lucy was dumbfounded. How could he know that? It was a ten minute stop for a bathroom break and some ice cream.  The teacher continued, “You were there with your mom. I saw you when I was on vacation this summer.”
As soon as the teacher walked back to the front of the class, several students around her asked if he was telling the truth about seeing her at a run-down little gas station, in some tiny little town several months back, but it was true.

Now, he is one of her favorite teachers, and he refers to her as “Hemet.” Lucy loves her new school, her new friends, and even her new state.

Finding a High School for Lucy...

Before we moved to Texas, Lorne and I scoped out possible high schools for Lucy. We had been looking for homes, in the country, away from the city of Dallas. One area we fell in love with was the Red Oak area. On our visit, Red Oak High School was performing the musical Little Shop of Horrors, so we bought tickets and took Lucy—the students did a fabulous job.

During our stay, we looked at five houses in this area, and the last house we looked at--on the morning we were to fly back to California--was on the outskirts of the City of Lancaster.

From our home Lancaster High School is 8.2 miles away, while the town of Red Oak’s High School is 6.3 miles away. Red Oak's test scores rank much higher than Lancaster’s. However, when we looked into an enter-district transfer we found out that Lancaster no longer approves transfers to the Red Oak Public School District.

Our next course of action was charter schools, and there was one, Life School, founded twenty years ago by an Assembly of God minister, 9.1 miles away in a town called Waxahachie (pronounced woks-a-hacth-e.) While in California I filed out the application and mailed it at the beginning of April.

In July, I followed up with the school, and found out that she was twenty-second on the waiting list. So we prayed, asked our friends and family to pray, did good deeds in hopes karma would lend a hand, and crossed our fingers.

Low and behold, we got a call two weeks after school began, stating she had been accepted to Life School, Secondary. Immediately, Lorne started doing the happy dance, and took off work to buy her uniforms—which, by the way, cost half of our house payment.

The school sent over a list of classes to choose from, which included one elective. She, following in her brother’s footsteps, chose ART 1.

Lucy’s first day at Life School was Monday, September 26th, but to her dismay, ART 1 was not available so she was put in SPANISH 1. I left her waiting in the office for a student to show her around campus, with a frown on her face and a look that said, "I'm not going to like it here."

Since there was nothing I could do for her class situation, I figured the frown on her frown would still be there when I picked her up from school.

To my surprise, the first words that Lucy said as she was climbing in to the front seat was, “Best school day ever!” She babbled about her day, her new friends, a boy in several of her classes who looks like Peter Parker from Spiderman, and an incredibly interesting ten minute event which took place back in May…

How’s that for a HOOK?

Who would of thunk I'd lose... A Little Piece of Our (My) Brain

When Lucy was in 7th grade at Western Center Academy, I formed a writers' group for students to learn basic writing skills, and have the opportunity to see how a critique group is run.

The group consisted of twenty-five, 7th and 8th graders. Our goal was to write a collection of stories that would be offered on Amazon as a fundraiser for the school's PTA. The year long club was a huge success. Many of the students learned to finish a short story from beginning to end, while others learned to avoid grammar errors that they never been taught by their English teachers, i.e. dialogue isn't strewn together in one long paragraph between characters in a story, and each speaker starts a new paragraph.

We finally put the book on Amazon as a Kindle book, and it was even the #1 best seller for Children's Short Story Collection for one day. 

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Piece-Our-Brain-ebook/

What I wouldn't figure is that our title "A Little Piece of Our Brain" would have a little more meaning for me.

During the previous six months before the school year started and six months after the school year ended, I had a constant nasal drip. I would continually return to the doctor who would say that I've got a sinus infection. I would argue and joke that I thought is was "brain juice" but no one took me seriously.

I was right.

The medical term is called cerebral-Spinal fluid leak (CSF leak). I was diagnosed in July and operated on in October 2012. What makes it so ironic is that the hole in the dura of my brain was approx two-and-a-half cm wide,  which was just enough room for "a little piece of my brain" to fall through.

When my young, brilliant, handsome Dr. Garg (I kid you not, that's his name) shoved his endoscopic camera up my nose to inspect my brain leak, I actually saw my own brain bulging into my sinus cavity--okay, I'm exaggerating a little since it was only the size of a pinky fingernail.Cool, huh. How many people can actually say they saw their own grey matter? I can!

Now, I have all kinds of  excuses for doing the crazy stuff I do because I literally lost my mind. What's your excuse?

It's easy to joke around, but the surgery did take seven hours and I had six doctors all looking out for me. My doctor and the anesthesiologist were going to put in a stint in my spinal column to inject dye to show more details of the tear in my dura, but there wasn't enough fluid in my spine to even attempt this procedure so they operated without the dye.

All the doctors at Kaiser Anaheim did an awesome job at putting this Humpty Dumpty together again, and to them I say, "Many, many thanks!"

Book Review: Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

Just finished reading Splendors and Glooms. It was the Newbery Medal winner this year. She also wrote Good Masters! Sweet Ladies, also a Newbery Medal winning fiction picture book. (BTW... I went to another library and because my zip code sits on the boarder with another city, the second library let me borrow the books because I lied and said I lived in the other city.)

I thought it was an endearing story and provided a satisfying ending for any middle grade reader. I especially loved  Parsefall and the colloquial pauper ole' English he spoke.

Also, another heavy dialogue character in the book's villain, Grisini, who speaks words and sentences in Italian. It bothered me tremendously that the author never explained what the character had said.

The author's use of language was fabulous. For example, "Except for his industry, he had few good qualities." or "Only the wind pursued them."

The book reminded me of The Underneath because its fairy tale like quality and it's told in omnipresent. I liked it much more than The Underneath, but I don't think it's exactly MG because it is quite scary--although that can be said about the latter Harry Potter books which children devoured.  The story line had no love interest or older humor and wouldn't exactly fit in the YA market, either. Although the book was wonderful, it is more for adults with children as the main characters. It is a plot driven book with endearing characters, but no real theme, unless I want to force the "there's no place like home" mantra at the end.

I like it enough to recommend it, and listing to the recording on Audible, it sounds like it is a brilliant audio book, which I plan to download it for my daughter.

Hey Mr. Postman...

Until we are completely settled, my husband and I have a box at our city's post office.

Never before had I seen POB that open with a combination using the alphabet. Think you can crack our combination?

Cicada Serenade...

What would it be like to be serenaded by a bunch of bugs fifteen hours out of every day? How lucky we are to have a visit from the cicada, who makes his presence know every seventeen years, by hatching out of the ground and filling all the trees in my neighborhood. It's like our very own nature orchestra.

This bugs occupy all the surround trees, and similar to the wave at in sporting event stadium, these bugs chirp/buzz-like noise sends a sound wave through the different trees. It is the weirdest thing I've ever heard. 

Book Review: Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Once again, I found myself deeply engulfed in this non-fiction book which one a Newbery Honor, The Robert F Sibert Medal, YALSA-ALA Winner of the Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction, and a National Book Award Finalist. It is easy to understand why after reading it.

Steve Sheinkin's Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon was fascinating to me, and I learned so much while reading it.

First, Albert Einstein did not help create the Atom Bomb. What Einstein did was send a letter to President Franklin D Roosevelt explaining about a scientific discovery in Germany which has the possibility of creating devastating weapons. The discovery was made by the German chemist, Otto Haun, who discovered the splitting of uranium atoms and the chain-reaction called fission.

Second, President Roosevelt took the information seriously and created a department specifically for beating Germany in the race to build the Atomic Bomb. Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist and professor at Berkley, was given the job. He recruited a top team of scientist from all over the world to see the project through. Their job was to build a bomb before Hitler.

Third, and what I loved most about the book was the espionage angle between the US and the USSR, which I never knew existed during World War II. I grew up in the 80’s cold war era and the arms race to be the country with the most nuclear weapons. My generation grew up with the constant fear and threat of war.

I never knew that a nineteen-year-old American genius and fellow scientist named Ted Hall was be one of the spies that handed over the instructions on how to build a nuclear weapon to the Russians. The book details his reasons for his decisions as a Communist sympathizer. Hall figured that no one nation should have a monopoly on war technology, and since Russia was doing most of the fighting against Germany, it was only fair that the information is shared with them.

After reading this book it was easy for me to see the marketing potential to children in both the history arena and the real spy cat-and-mouse game between the US and Russia.

Book Review: Crazy by Amy Reed

In an attempt to add to my list of competitive works, I checked out CRAZY by Amy Reed from the library. The novel is told through emails being shot back and forth between the two main character's dual points of view. Both of them are eighteen and in there last year of high school. This is the only reason why I can see it was put in the YA section.

I don't think the YA section is the correct place for it. There was a lot of profanity--which fits in with the actions of a manic depressive personality, so that part I can understand--and vivid sexual descriptions.

Sexual acting out is a common sign of the irrational and impulsive behavior BP personalities deal with, so that adds to the book’s realistic edge. Maybe it was too shocking and realistic for me to handle because I am Isabel, although I wasn't diagnosed with BP until I was thirty-five.

Reed does an excellent job and creating two very different POVs. It is obvious that Connor, a boy, has a co-dependent crush on Isabel, the exciting yet mental disturbed person.

Reed does a fabulous job describing/showing Isabel's destructive behavior before a diagnosis is given.

If I had to describe this author, I would say her writing is like Laurie Halse Anderson on steroids.  It is a compelling read, though, and I would recommend it to any older teenager dealing with these same issues.

Book Review: Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitlers Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

The first SCBWI National Conference I attended was in the Summer of 2009. During one of the outbreak sessions, there was an interview with three successful non-fiction authors. They took turns answering questions from Lin Oliver about their craft. Susan Campbell Bartoletti was one of those authors.

Bartoletti's book, Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow won both a Newbery Honor and a Robert E. Sibert Honor. I remember wanting to buy it at the conference, but there were so many books from all the conference speakers, I had to limit my choices to what I could afford.

Five years later, having almost completely forgotten about her book, I'm in the library searching for the 2012 Newbery Medal book by Steve Sheinkin, when I found Susan's book.

After reading, The Book Thief, I understood how not all of the country was in love with their Fuhrer, Adolph Hitler, but it was Susan's book that made history come alive, and actually brought the children back to tell their own biographies.

I'm so glad I read it.

Book Review: Storyteller by Patricia Reilly Giff

I purchased Storyteller at a Scholastic Warehouse sale. I remembered the author's name, but have never read any of her books.

If anyone tries say that book covers don't influence purchasing decisions, then they are wrong. I bought the book because the girl on the cover was pretty and she reminded me of my daughter.

This story goes back and forth between two points of view, and it was nothing like I thought it would be. From the flap, I thought it would have some supernatural connection. Instead, it was written as a mystery--the main character needs to find out more about a girl in an old photograph.

The main character, Elizabeth, lives in the present and finds an old-fashion photo of girl, Zee, who is supposed to have a big mystery behind her life which Elizabeth is going to unravel.

Zee, Elizabeth's distant relative from the Revolutionary War era, was the second point of view. I thought Zee's POV and experiences of living during the war for our country's independence much more compelling, and I had to stop myself from skipping over the chapters with Elizabeth.

Patricia Reilly Giff is a Newbery Honor winner for Lily's Crossing, which I enjoyed very much. But with this novel, I thought the historical fiction aspects of the novel outshined the present.

While the Cat's Away, The Mice Will . . . Read

My husband went to CA for an ERSI convetion in San Diego and Lucy, my soon-to-be-fourteen-year-old daughter, tagged along. What turned out to be a three day visit turned out to be eleven. The reason for their extended stay was a last minute doctor appointment at Kaiser.

During his check-up he was tested for sleep apnea, which I could have told them he has, and it turns out the his condition was one of the worst the doctor had seen. He ended up staying extra days so that they could fit him for breathing apparatus.

I stayed at home in TX to take care of my wonderful girls, our two boxers. While alone with the girl I read several books. They are:

1. Storyteller by Patricia Reilly Giff
2. The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark
2. Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitlers Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
3. Just Write, Here's How by Walter Dean Meyers
4. Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
5. Crazy by Amy Reed
6. Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheikin

For those interested, I will provide my personal book reviews in the upcoming blogs. For those who frankly don't give a darn, it makes no difference to me. I write to challenge myself as a writer and not for anyone in particular to read.

P.S. I finally got a library card by lying about what city I lived in. My zip code is shared by another city just 2 miles on the other side of the freeway. When filling out my library card for the Cedar Hill City Library, I said I lived in the neighboring city and wallah I got to check out the books I'd tried to get three weeks before.

Texas Wildflowers

The following flowers look like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.

"Feed Me Seymore."   

Silky seeds from Audrey II

Dangerous Intersection...

This is a sign on S. Houston School Road. 

It is posted about fifty feet before the cross street on Bear Creek,

which is the main road I turn onto to get to my house one mile from this point.

 This is the road behind me at the stop sign.

I have never seen more than five or six cars on the road whenever I'm driving on it, but at least now I know how dangerous it is so I will be more careful.

This is the road to the left of me at the stop sign.

This is the road to my right of the stop sign. 

Crack(s) Kills... Concrete Foundations, that is.

When looking for a home, our awesomely-wonderful, hardworking and honest Realtor named Perry Flowers--I kid you not, that is his name--pointed out vital information about the houses we looked at for possible purchase.

He showed us the warning signs of damaged or poor roof and chimney construction, and he advised us on homes that had cracked foundations from the earth shifting (expanding/contraction) due to the clay soil here in North Texas.

There were houses we looked at that had lifted or slanting tile; he even rolled a marble down a hallway to show how a home that we really liked wouldn't be the wisest choice for our new home. He also showed us slight cracks in the ceiling or chimneys that were warning signs that the property we were viewing wasn't for us.

On the last home we inspected, we fell in love with a home because it was everything I had asked for: one story, brick-dairy exterior, land for our dogs to run around, plus no evidence of cracked foundation or roof leaks, and it had only been on the market for two days. We put in our bid and it was accepted shortly after.

When we arrived, there had been plenty of rain, so the yards and fields were green with with beautiful wildflowers. But, now, it has been over 21 days without rain and the clay soil is shriveling up like chapped lips in the sun.

Here are two of what I mean:

   

The ground swells when it rains and cracks when it's dry. As I stare hopelessly at the widening crevasses, I understand how Billie Joe felt in Karen Hess's book Out of the Dust.

Toilet Seat Covers

Today was the first day I had to use a public bathroom since our move to Texas.

It all started on a quest for the UPS Store, which ended up being in a city 20 miles away. To my delight, in the same shopping center,  I found a Sprouts and Bath and Body Works, but they were closed at the time. 

On my drive back home, I really had to pee, so I pulled into the local Micky D's--for the most part their bathrooms are usually clean, and sprinted for the little girls room. I barged into the largest stall, and impatiently wasted forty valuable seconds on the lock, cursing under my breath during the struggle for privacy.   

Anyway, I ungracefully whipped down my pants while scanning the room for the toilet seat covers.  OMG, I can understand if the bin is empty, but to have no bins on the wall at all has got to be a mistake.To make matters worse, the toilet paper was out. 

I preformed the tightest Kegel in my life, pulled up my drawers and walked cross-legged to the next stall. And, you guessed it, no freakin seat cover dispenser. At least there was toilet paper, so I carefully laid out a hand made version, and then had an almost orgasmic urinating experience from holding it forever. 

As I got closer to my town, I wondered if it was just a McDonald's no toilet seat covers thing, so I pulled into a Jack-in-the-box off my freeway exit and hobbled in to check out the bathroom. Nope... not in that restroom either. 

Maybe it's a fast food thing, but next time I'm at Barnes and Noble or Panera (also in the next city) you bet I will check out the loo. 

Getting a gun permit is easier thant checking out library books

My husband already has a California gun permit, so he decided to apply for a Texas permit and a concealed gun permit. Here are the rules: In Texas, to get a gun permit you must show your id and wait fifteen days for a background check.

My library card experience:

After three weeks of residency, I thought it’s time to get a library card. I searched the Dallas County library catalogs and saw that the Polk Library, fifteen miles from home, had all three 2013 Newbery winning books that I haven’t read yet.

Completely excited, I drove to the library, found the books and proceeded to the check out desk to fill out the application for a library card.

The librarian sighed after looking at my license, and told me that I need a loan permission card from my town’s local library, Lancaster Veterans Memorial Library. I explained how I chose the Dallas County library search because, I know from experience, city libraries don’t have the large selection that county libraries do.

“Unfortunately,” she said, “there is nothing I can do about that, but I will hold your books until next Wednesday when you we return with your lending card.”

My thank you expressed both my frustration and disappointment, and I headed off to my city’s local library.

First thing I did when I arrived at my next stop was search the shelves for my books, which they did not have. Then I went to the counter to fill out my paperwork for my local library’s card and get the slip that I needed to check out the books from Polk.

This librarian wasn't as nice as the other, and her reply to me was, “To get a library card you need a Texas Driver’s license and a utility bill to prove I lived where I said I lived.” 

I handed her my paper license, since I hadn't received my permanent one yet. She kept glancing at the clock, as it was twenty-five minutes till closing, and she barely paid attention to me as I explained that we just moved here and I have not received a current utility bill.

For my entertainment, she performed a little annoyed cough and said, “We can accept a rental contract or mortgage paperwork instead.”

“You’re kidding, right? Can’t you ask a supervisor for an exception?”  The woman huffed and left to find the branch manager.

When she returned, she begrudgingly took my paper license and began the new library card process. I explained that I needed a lending card because the Polk Library was holding three books for me to pick up by Wednesday.”

After looking at the clock again, she said. “You don’t qualify for that paper, until you've had your library card for ninety days.”

“Now, you’re joking.” I started laughing, mostly to keep from yelling, and replied, “I wasn't advised that at the Polk library.”

“That’s our policy,” she said, “we are the responsible if you fail to return the book.”

Thank gawd, I took my anxiety pill because I kept my temper, and instead pleaded, “Isn't there something I can fill out so the books can be sent here?”

The clock read ten-till-six, and the line grew with all the last second check-outs. The librarian, reached over the counter, pulled out a form from the plastic bin in front of me and told me to fill out the form and bring it back on Monday.

I grabbed two more forms and left the library defeated.

Bright and early Monday morning, I returned to the library with my completed forms. Smiling, I handed the forms to a younger, friendlier librarian. She dawned an I'm so sorry mask as she informed me that I would have to wait thirty days until I can be eligible for a library book transfer.

“When I was here Friday, no one informed me of this,” I whined. “The Polk Library is even holding these books for me.”

Her voice remained calm, despite the frustration in mine, as she piled on more ridiculous policy rules. “And even after the thirty-day waiting period, it can take from two to eight weeks to receive the books at our location.”

“But the librarian at Polk is holding my books!” My frustration oozed out. “That should expedite things. She knows I’m expecting these books.”

Being overly polite, she replied, “Procedure is procedure. Holding books does not guarantee when the books will arrive here.”


Needless to say, I never received my books.