magick musings…

…is to express yourself in writing.

I read an article in the Sunday paper awhile back that explained keeping a journal can help you reduce stress. If something is bothering you, don’t hold it in – write it down. How writing about those things that cause so much anxiety can help lead to a much better health.

I keep a blog. Not as regularly as I used to or as often as I would like, but I still enjoy it.

But around the end of March, I realized that a blog, although it is a journal of sorts, is not necessarily a venue to write of private things ingrained into the heart and seared into one’s soul.

Now, I keep a journal on my computer that no one sees, no one reads. I write of the agony and ecstasy of life and love and family. The joys, the fun, the fears, the pain, the hopes, the happiness, and the heartbreak.

Now, instead of ranting and raving, worrying, crying, or hurting, ~ I write it all down. And it works wonders. There is something so cathartic about it.

Try it. Will save you lots of negative energy and grief over things that you can’t control, make decisions on the things you can control, and even will sometimes help you figure out the difference.

Expecting more rain this week. Hopefully without the tornados and hail that has accompanied it in the last few weeks. The only good thing about the rains lately is that North Texas has had a deluge that we have needed for the draught and help fill the lakes.

Had a wonderful weekend!

Well, off to work. Have a great Monday and get to writing! :coffee:

Happy Birthday to M ‘da Bear’ yesterday and Happy Birthday to Dennie today!

~Sandy

…holy heavens thank goodness it is friday!

Work wasn’t too bad this week despite having stayed on the road most of the time between offices and training sessions! But I love the diversity of it as it never lets me get bored.

The only downer was this week was so full of doubts and insecurities and just plain ole’ worrying about things I have no business worrying about. In all areas of my life.

Well, let me tell you I am back in my game! Gonna make the most of this time I have here on this earth with what I have.

I have declared war.

Can you believe that spring morphed back into winter then back into spring? Will be in the low 80’s this weekend and beautiful. Got a few plans that sound like fun so we’ll see what happens. Don’t want to voice it aloud and let the troll gods put a monkey wrench in it.

Actually got some writing done. Not a lot but what I did do counts. I keep reminding myself it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around. It keeps my eyes facing forward.

Got a phone call from a friend last night who started the conversation with “If you stab a woman in the breast and she has had a boob job, would you get more blood or saline from the wound?” Then we spent 10 minutes talking about the logistics of stabbing a woman in the chest who has implants. Gotta love writers. :rotfl:

Update on the auto accident: Just found out it may only cost me out of pocket $395.00. That is good news. The bad news is it still goes on my record as we have to get the other vehicle fixed. But, hey, records are made to be broken and I will get that off it asap.

Going to be a wonderful weekend!

Have any special plans?

~Sandy

Have been working with a friend and fellow writer on her book which is technically the second in a series. My friend is a bona fide, card carrying, self admitting ‘pantser’ which actually means she grabs an idea and runs with it, the plot unfolding as she writes along. And does a wonderful job at it.

But while laboring on the revisions of this book, she decided it needed some more work (not that there is anything wrong with it as she is an awesome, talented writer), but she wanted to give it a little something extra and do some plotting on it and see what we could come up with.

So we dusted off our plotting caps and sharpened our creative imaginations and spent a few hours discussing possibilities and scenarios. And came up with some awesome ideas to add to her already rock solid story. And in the process learned that there was actually a third book to be had in the series!

Imagine our surprise!

There is nothing more exciting than getting together with people who share the same dreams, the same passions, letting the creativity flow hot and wild and coming up with ideas that gives you goose bumps in the process.

Gaw, that is my favorite part of this crazy, frustrating thing called writing. And so rewarding when it is put to paper and the story unfolds into a living breathing entity.

Like giving birth. Without the stretch marks.

In the ensuing excitement, I decided to join several of my Yellow Rose RWA friends and I enrolled in Shelley Bradley’s upcoming May online workshop called Storyboarding. This workshop teaches how to ‘allow you to plot the skeleton of a story or put all the story flesh on its bones, right down to the last freckle or drop of sweat.’

Today, while thinking about writing this post, I was reminded that plotting can also refer to life. Some plan it all out. To do lists, grocery lists, retirement goals, Christmas savings account, long term care policies, vacation plans. While others take it one day at a time adjusting to what is thrown at them. The lucky ones hit a happy medium.

So, be honest, either in your writing or just the process of living your life are you…

a plotter or pantser?

~Sandy

…we saw some green alligators and long necked geese…
…some humpy backed camels and some chimpanzees… :guitar:

Can’t get that song out of my mind. Always liked it but now it is stuck in my head.

Did something different this year. Instead of hiding Easter eggs and baking a ham and sneaking chocolate out of Easter baskets, went to the zoo.

The weather started out gray and quite nippy. At first, the walk around the park garnered only empty and silent cages. A few of the animals sleepily rose from their cozy beds, ducking back in quickly to keep warm. You could almost hear them shaking their heads thinking “And HUMANS are supposed to be the smarter ones??”

But it warmed up comfortably and had a wonderful time. Learned a few fundamental things too.

The difference between black and white rhinos.

~It’s the shape of their mouths.

The difference between alligators and crocodiles.

~It’s the shape of their snouts.

The difference in poisonous snakes and non-poisonous snakes.

~It’s the shape of their heads.

The difference between African elephants and Asian elephants.

~It’s the shape of their ears.

Evidently, shape is very important in the animal kingdom.

Entering the chimpanzee inside exhibit, there was a racket going on that rivaled a kindergarten class mainlining pure sugar. The five or six chimps were screeching, screaming, swinging from the rafters and occasionally beating up on each other.

Until the zoo keeper walked up. (Or maybe she was the chimp warden.)

With one look from her, they settled down with innocent looks of “What???? We weren’t doing anything.”

Just like my boys used to do to drive me crazy.

The most intense moment was nose to nose to a huge black gorilla with only a thin sheet of glass separating the two of us. He leaned into the glass with huge dark eyes that watched with ferocious and cunning intensity. And then he did something gross that cleared the room. Ewww!

My favorite exhibit was also the most interactive.

The Blue Bell Ice Cream Exhibit.

Unfortunately, it was also the most dangerous as the double scoop strawberry on a sugar cone probably went straight to my hips.

~Sandy

…of DWD.

That’s Driving While Distracted.

And it cost me. Big Time.

If you listened to the news this last weekend, North Texas had a deluge of thunderstorms and some major flooding in areas.

After leaving work Friday, I decided to keep my pedicure appointment. Even amidst rains of biblical proportions, a girl has her priorities, right?

I drove extra careful.

Turned my radio down.

Both hands on the wheel.

Eyes on the road.

Slowed my speed to almost a crawl.

Then my cell phone rang.

And I looked down for a nanosecond to answer it.

And everyone ahead of me picked that moment to throw on their brakes. Except yours truly here. And I plowed right into the back of the car in front of me.

It was a good thing no one was injured but the cars did have ‘owies’ and I definitely learned my lesson about Driving While Distracted. From now on, I will either use my bluetooth or just plain NOT ANSWER THE PHONE!

On the writing front. Worked on plotting Jarad’s Song which I will definitely have to rename as there is no character named Jarad and no song. :dunno: But will save the title for another plot I have perculating in the back of my mind.

Tess Gerritsen has a wonderful blog entry on writing titled ‘Any Way That Works For You’! Definitely worth a read. Made me feel a lot better!

~Sandy