magick musings…

‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’
~Eleonore Roosevelt

That particular quote runs along the edges of a picture frame which I have framed the words “Sandy Jones, Published Author”.

It is my dream to be published. And one day I will be.

No matter what your dream is, hold on to it tightly. On some days when it seems to be as far away as the heavens, remember that ‘stars burn brighter in the darkest nights’.

It’s yours. Don’t let anyone take it away from you.

Devon of Ink in My Coffee has come up with a unique challenge. It is called the Ink in My Coffee Blog Calling Card Invite. Visit 5 different and new blogs and if you like them, leave a comment and then mention them in your blog.

It was fun visiting new blogsites and here are the five blogs I visited:

1. Ramblings of a Suburban Soccer Mom – Hilarious story of Calamari Salads and three children. Found the link through Ink in My Coffee and Ye Olde Inkwell.

2. Castle in the Cloud – A scrapbooker like me! Found her link through Freedom from the Mundane

3. Bloggin’ – We both have a muse that drinks wine. Followed her link from Ramblings of a Suburban Soccer Mom

4. Suzanne McMinn’s blog – Loved the story My Three Slaves! Found her blog link from CeCe’s Big Mouth.

5. Jill Shalvis’ blog – She is on vacation at the present moment, but has some hilarious stories about animals. Read the one about pigeons and cheetos! Found this link from Ye Olde Inkwell

This was a lot of fun and thanks, Devon, for the great idea!

Let’s face, I don’t want to cook. On occasion I love to get a big pot of soup, spaghetti sauce, gumbo simmering on the stove. And it’s not that I hate cooking or shirking my duty as a wife and mother. But I have done my time. When we had two teenagers and two infants (only a year apart in age) at home, I worked full time, my house was spotless and organized, and I had home cooked meals on the table every night.

Now that the teenagers are grown and gone from the nest and the next two are trying out their wings, I don’t want to do it any longer. There are so many other things in my life I want to do. Like write and blog and email and read and enjoy my friends.

But, I honestly, truly, really, really did not mean to try to burn the kitchen down the other night!

I was making some cheese dip in my double boiler (I have convinced my husband that cheese dip constitutes as a meal – it is dairy, right? One of the major food groups, correct?) on my gas stove and I removed the top of the double boiler with a potholder. After pouring the melted cheese into a bowl, I looked at the pot holder to make sure there were no food stuck on it and declaring it clean, I threw it back into the top drawer of my cabinet.

After a while, my husband kept saying he smelled something burning. Busy on the computer, I just told him I probably got some food on the burner and that’s what was making the awful smell. Soon after, he complained again and this time I even detected a slight odor. But after nagging at me again, I stormed back into the kitchen and thought that if I cleaned off the burner then the smell would dissapate and he would leave me alone.

Lo and behold, when I opened the drawer with my kitchen rags were in, smoke came pouring out! No flames, thank God, but smoke everywhere!

Evidently, a string or something on the old potholder had caught an ember and sat a smoldering in the drawer finally catching four (count’em four!) other rags on fire.

We threw it all out the back door and doused it. Checking the cabinets and wood around where the drawer sits was hot to the touch with some black spots. We were on the verge of a major fire, especially if we had gone to bed and not caught it.

My husband slept on the couch that night, paranoid that it would flare up again. It really scared me as a published author, Marianne Mancusi arrived home from nationals and her home was burnt down. My thoughts and prayers to Marianne BTW.

A lesson learned. Now all my kids have to listen to me of what not to do in the kitchen. My DH says that maybe since my mind is on other matters, I should consider letting him do the cooking. YES! :banana:

I really did not try to burn the kitchen down. Really.

A friend of mine did this and challenged me to do it also. Check out mine, then check out Mik, and then let’s hear yours!

Besides the obvious – books, books, and more books – you should see my book shelves (and what’s under the bed, in the attic, in the storage room…) – here are other things that make me smile:

1. October mornings – when the colors seem to be so bright and clear outside. The sky a vivid blue, the trees still green, the air just a little bit crisper. It feels like a new beginning to me.

2. A day off in the middle of the week – with no errands to run and no one home but moi and the dog. And sometimes I send her to the groomer. Hmmm, all alone. Even better if it is an October day.

3. Coffee from Starbucks – there is no other. Well, except maybe a cup of chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans with a plate of beinets.

4. Storms – to see the dark clouds roll in and hear and feel the thunder makes me feel alive.

5. Phone calls/emails from a friend – whether they are in a good mood or bad, it honors me to know they want to talk or be with me.

6. American Idol – I have no clue why I get so hooked on that show. But I love it.

7. Bubble baths – escape with a good book, candles, glass of wine or diet coke; I could stay until all pruny.

8. Halloween – my favorite holiday. The weather, the festivities, the decorations… and you don’t have to spend all day cooking.

9. Movies – love all kinds. Include popcorn and diet coke – another escapism for me. And sometimes a really good one inspires me to write.

10. Gummy bears – go figure. But only a certain kind.

Oh, yeah, did I mention books?

Well, I’ve done it again! For the umpteemth time, I have rewritten the prologue on my WIP. My wonderful friends with my writer group made me promise I would leave it alone and move forward. But I couldn’t help myself. I was not happy with it. And yesterday, while I was getting my nails done, I realized that it started in the wrong place. Then it hit me between the eyes exactly where it should begin. It was all I could do not to jump up with my nails half done 😯 and fly home to begin. Last night I wrote most of it and now tonight I will finish it. And promise not to rewrite it – ever again – if you promise not to tell on me :sealed:

Everyone has a muse. They have been the topic of discussion awhile back and thought I would introduce you to mine.

I have discovered I have two muses:

Muse #1 takes the word ‘anal’ to a new level. A day with her is like a day with Martha Stewart. She refuses to show up unless working conditions are in perfect order. Dust on the furniture? Floors need cleaning? Desk not in perfect order? With a look of disdain, she tosses her recently highlighted blonde hair, crosses her exfoliated and tanned arms and demands to know how she is expected to work when exposed to such chaos? Examining her manicured nails, she pouts until the housework is completed. Then she turns a critical eye to the WIP. Research done? Character profiles finished? Plot points worked up? She taps her designer clad foot, impatience marring her perfectly made up face. It is clear she has just arrived from her favorite spa and is in a no nonsense mood. She demands candles and music – Norah Jones, Leeann Womack – or some other soft, sexy ballads. When she is satisfied, she goes to work.

Muse #2 thinks Jimmy Choo is an item on a Chinese buffet. Nothing but jeans and boots for her. Like my other muse, she shows up when she wants but could care less about anything except what’s on her mind. She strolls in, her long legs pacing the floor, black hair swirling around her shoulders, words coming out fast and furious. Doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing – working, sleeping, attending church. If I tell her now is not the best time, she just cocks her head and smiles then slowly fades away. Her music runs to a more upbeat, bolder type – Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson. She and I had the best time one night sharing a bottle of wine and writing a sex scene that will probably never see the light of day.

It is very interesting when they both show up at the same time. As they eye each other warily, I do as any good writer with two muses would. I grab a book and go read somewhere.

Alone.

‘Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way!’
~Collin McCarty

Started early with bringing my husband to work at 7:00am because his car is in the shop – again! Then a mad rush to the South Hills office – which I had only visited twice since they moved. Didn’t know how to get there from my DH’s office so went 1000 miles out of the way to go the way I knew. And still got lost. I mentioned to my husband while I had him on the phone looking up the directions on the internet for me that it was a good idea if I could get a GPS thingy put in my car. He asked why since I could call him six times in 15 minutes and bother him at work! Smart ass! Before I left to go to the office in Arlington, I made sure I got directions and found out that the exit I had needed earlier that morning was only a few miles from DH’s office. Did I ever go the long way around!

Finally got back on my WIP. Did only 250 words on it and then about 300 words on the synopsis. But hey, it is better than zero count as it has been for a couple of weeks. I get so envious of those friends of mine that write 1000-5000 words a day. And just like spitting it out! And it always is very good. If I didn’t love ’em so much, I be jealous!

I won an e-book tonight and I am so excited about it! Check out CeCe’s Big Mouth to check out her Dancehall Diaries: Lynette that is now out. Chocolate and a hunky cowboy. Yum! Sounds like a treat to me!

‘No one has the stamina to write a book. So write a sentence, and another, and another. Sentences become paragraphs. Paragraphs become scenes. Scenes become chapters. Chapters become books.

So write a sentence.’

Paul Raymond Martin ~ Inspiration & Motivation

Can you remember a specific time when someone did something so touching that you knew they truly loved you? A spouse, significant other, parent, child, friend? Something unexpected, not asking anything in return – just for the pure love of it?

Today, something reminded me of once when my husband and I were at a dinner at a friend’s house. He offered to get something from the dessert table for us to share since we were on a diet. He brought back a piece of our favorite cake. I watched as he proceeded to cut the piece in half and then give me mine – the half that had all the frosting!

Now, that doesn’t sound like much, but I know how much he loves sweets – especially buttercream frosting. It wasn’t a huge sacrifice, but it was from the heart. It will never win any awards, never be remembered as an act of heroism or courage, but it is indelibly engraved in my memory as one of the most profound gestures anyone could make.

There have been other instances where he has shown his love, but that single act of giving when he didn’t have to truly moved me.

Just a silly memory, but makes up for all the times I’ve wanted to strangle him