J.C. Martin tagged me. Grab one of the books closest to you, not your favorite book or a book you've enjoyed or read, but one an arm's distance away from. Then go to page 56, type the fifth line and the next two to five lines that follow.
"Rain, like here but without the palm trees." It was a little disconcerting to have three translators, especially with Serge breaking in now and then like a nervous teenager on a first date. I think everyone was happy when I finally brought out the tape recorder.
From: Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar by Colleen J. McElroy. This book has been on my desk during the writing of Children of the Waters, my next novel. There are a couple of folktales in it I thought might apply to my novel, but I never did incorporate them. Sigh.
And now it's time to remake my office for the writing of my third novel. The working title is Calling Every Good Wish Home. It's very loosely about some of the colorful characters in my family and Omaha, NE, where I grew up.
I have a small ancestral altar in my office that I created while writing Children, which I think I'll keep up while I work on this next book too. I'll also be putting up photos and reminders on my corkboard to get me in the mood.
What do you other writers do to capture the emotions you want in your book?
I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to participate, let me know in the comments and I'll check it out!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thank you readers!
This year when I count my blessings at Thanksgiving, I will definitely be including all the folks who read and supported Orange Mint and Honey this year. It is a priviledge and an honor that y'all took some of your valuable time to spend with my characters and my story. The welcome this novel received has been one of the great joys of my life.
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Welcome Saralee Rosenberg!
I don't know about you, but I'm really getting into the holiday mood. All set to eat my body weight in dressing next week, and looking forward to wasting a lot of electricity on holiday lights and spending money on dead trees (one to put presents under) and the presents themselves (books!). Yay!
If you're looking for a gift idea for your neighbor, have I got the book for you: Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead, by Saralee Rosenberg. It's a comic novel, so if your neighbor is one you like and has a good sense of humor, they will enjoy it. If your neighbor sucks, then it doesn't matter if he or she enjoys it, right?
From the book jacket:
Nora Ephron Hates Her Neck. Big Deal! Mindy Sherman hates her whole body.
In Mindy's yoga-obsessed, thirty-is-the-new-wife neighborhood, every day is a battle between Dunkin' Donuts, her jaws-of-life jeans, and Beth Diamond, the self-absorbed sancti-mommy next door who looks sixteen from the back. So much for sharing the chores, the stores, and the occasional mischief to rival Wisteria Lane.
It's another day, another dilemma until Beth's marriage becomes fodder on Facebook. Suddenly the Ivy League blonde needs to be "friended," and Mindy is the last mom standing. Together they take on hormones and hunger, family feuds and fidelity, and a harrowing journey that spills the truth about an unplanned pregnancy and a seventy-year old miracle that altered their fates forever.
Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead is a hilarious, stirring romp over fences and defenses that begs the question, what did you do to deserve living next door to a crazy woman? Sometimes it's worth finding out.
In Mindy's yoga-obsessed, thirty-is-the-new-wife neighborhood, every day is a battle between Dunkin' Donuts, her jaws-of-life jeans, and Beth Diamond, the self-absorbed sancti-mommy next door who looks sixteen from the back. So much for sharing the chores, the stores, and the occasional mischief to rival Wisteria Lane.
It's another day, another dilemma until Beth's marriage becomes fodder on Facebook. Suddenly the Ivy League blonde needs to be "friended," and Mindy is the last mom standing. Together they take on hormones and hunger, family feuds and fidelity, and a harrowing journey that spills the truth about an unplanned pregnancy and a seventy-year old miracle that altered their fates forever.
Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead is a hilarious, stirring romp over fences and defenses that begs the question, what did you do to deserve living next door to a crazy woman? Sometimes it's worth finding out.
All kidding aside, this sounds like a great book to read during the stressful holidays. A hot tub, a glass of wine, maybe a little dark chocolate, and a funny book. Sounds great, doesn't it?
Here's a Q&A with Saralee about her fourth novel, Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead. She's been on Oprah! Saralee, tell us, how does Steadman smell?
Q: What is one of your strangest/most quirky author experiences?
A: My first three novels are a trilogy in that they all deal with the supernatural. All of my main characters have funny and intriguing encounters with the other side, the after life, and/or a ghost. But never did I expect that I would personally have a strange encounter with the spirit world while I was hard at work. And yet... I had been writing my debut novel, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE over a three-year period, and as you can imagine, was very very tired. All I wanted to do was cross the finish line, have a good cry and eat a box of Mallomars... One night, I was working on the final pages and was so bleary eyed I convinced myself that the ending was terrible but maybe my editor wouldn’t notice, or would say to me, no, this is great, don’t change a word. But just as I was fixing the last page, we had a power outage and the whole house went dark. It was so strange. There was no storm, no reason to lose power. But when the lights came back on a minute later, I had lost the latest version of the ending. It literally disappeared and I freaked out and cried. How could this happen? On a whim I called my neighbors to see if their power had gone out but it turned out ours was the only house that did... Clearly it was a sign from above. The next morning I started over on the ending, and when I finished, it was so much better, so much more rewarding. This time I cried from joy. I had finished and it was great.
A: My first three novels are a trilogy in that they all deal with the supernatural. All of my main characters have funny and intriguing encounters with the other side, the after life, and/or a ghost. But never did I expect that I would personally have a strange encounter with the spirit world while I was hard at work. And yet... I had been writing my debut novel, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE over a three-year period, and as you can imagine, was very very tired. All I wanted to do was cross the finish line, have a good cry and eat a box of Mallomars... One night, I was working on the final pages and was so bleary eyed I convinced myself that the ending was terrible but maybe my editor wouldn’t notice, or would say to me, no, this is great, don’t change a word. But just as I was fixing the last page, we had a power outage and the whole house went dark. It was so strange. There was no storm, no reason to lose power. But when the lights came back on a minute later, I had lost the latest version of the ending. It literally disappeared and I freaked out and cried. How could this happen? On a whim I called my neighbors to see if their power had gone out but it turned out ours was the only house that did... Clearly it was a sign from above. The next morning I started over on the ending, and when I finished, it was so much better, so much more rewarding. This time I cried from joy. I had finished and it was great.
Q: Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more organic?
A: I know that every author has a different approach and there is no right or wrong way to go about writing a novel. For me, the most important thing is to have a steady handle on my protagonist because I believe that the question readers should ask is not what is your book about but who? If the main character is multi-dimensional and in a serious bind, that is the recipe for a great story. The way that I develop a compelling character is to write their back story- pages and pages of how their life unfolded, what frustrates them, the things they desire that have eluded them, etc. Then I put on my Katie Couric hat and interview them and out of that, comes tons of possible story lines. In the end, I liken the process of writing a novel to driving with a man. I know where I want to go but damned if I’m going to stop for directions. Sure I’ll get lost but eventually I’ll arrive at my destination and tell everyone I knew where I was going from the get go. And one other thing. I do not outline because I find it too confining. No surprise for the writer? None for the reader, either.
Q: What is your writer fantasy?
A: I can only have one? I have several. I want to make it to the New York Times Best Seller List and stay there for at least a year. No wait. I want to have two books on the list at the same time, just like Jodi Piccoult. I also want to have Oprah tell me that she couldn’t put my book down and why am I wasting time talking to her, I should be busy writing the next one. I also want a feature film or TV show to be developed based on my book and it should star Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer (and their maybe babies). Finally, I would like my kids to say to me, “Mom. You Rock!”
Q: Would your high school friends be surprised to discover you’d become a novelist?
A: Funny question. When I attended my 20th high school reunion in Munster, Indiana, I had been living in New York since graduating college and had lost contact with most of my classmates. One of the first people I ran into was Mary Ann Jugovic, the class valedictorian and the sweetest girl ever. The first thing I said to her is, “please tell me that you went to med school and became a pediatrician.” To which she said, “only if you tell me that you moved to New York and became a writer.” And the verdict was? She was a pediatrician with a beautiful family and I was an author with a beautiful family. Dreams do come true.
Q: If you could ask one author for one piece of advice, who would you ask and what would you want to know?
A: I’m very lucky because I actually had that opportunity. One of my favorite authors in the world is the novelist, Sol Stein, who wrote THE MAGICIAN and THE LIVING ROOM, among many others. I discovered him in college and feel in some ways, he was an influence in my secretly aspiring to be a writer. Recently, I was curious to see if he was still writing (or even still alive) and discovered he had a website and an email address. I wrote him this long, flowery message, never expecting a response. But the next day he sent me a lovely note back and we exchanged several emails. In one of them I asked his advice on whether I should change my name and use a pseudonym for my next book. This is something that my editor and agent had been discussing and I was torn. He wrote back and said, don’t you dare. Saralee Rosenberg is a wonderful name and quite memorable.... now you know why I loved this guy, and so far, I’ve followed his advice.
Q. If Oprah invited you on her show, what would the theme of that show be?
A. Sigh. I’ve actually had the distinct privilege of appearing on Oprah to discuss my non-fiction book, 50 FABULOUS PLACES TO RAISE A FAMILY, and I gotta tell you, it was awesome. She was soooo nice and I and my husband/co-author were treated like royalty. We got the limousine, the fancy hotel, the nice dinner out, hair and make-up and a souvenir coffee cup that still sits on my desk as a pen holder. And Steadman was there, too (he smelled so good!) Would I love to be a guest again? Are you kidding me? It would be a dream come true to be invited back as a best selling novelist. In fact, I had a dream scene in DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD that involved my character Mindy being on the show to talk about what it was like to live next door to Beth, the the bitch. It had to be cut because of space limitations, but trust me, Oprah is always on my mind. Nobody sells a book like her.
A: I know that every author has a different approach and there is no right or wrong way to go about writing a novel. For me, the most important thing is to have a steady handle on my protagonist because I believe that the question readers should ask is not what is your book about but who? If the main character is multi-dimensional and in a serious bind, that is the recipe for a great story. The way that I develop a compelling character is to write their back story- pages and pages of how their life unfolded, what frustrates them, the things they desire that have eluded them, etc. Then I put on my Katie Couric hat and interview them and out of that, comes tons of possible story lines. In the end, I liken the process of writing a novel to driving with a man. I know where I want to go but damned if I’m going to stop for directions. Sure I’ll get lost but eventually I’ll arrive at my destination and tell everyone I knew where I was going from the get go. And one other thing. I do not outline because I find it too confining. No surprise for the writer? None for the reader, either.
Q: What is your writer fantasy?
A: I can only have one? I have several. I want to make it to the New York Times Best Seller List and stay there for at least a year. No wait. I want to have two books on the list at the same time, just like Jodi Piccoult. I also want to have Oprah tell me that she couldn’t put my book down and why am I wasting time talking to her, I should be busy writing the next one. I also want a feature film or TV show to be developed based on my book and it should star Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer (and their maybe babies). Finally, I would like my kids to say to me, “Mom. You Rock!”
Q: Would your high school friends be surprised to discover you’d become a novelist?
A: Funny question. When I attended my 20th high school reunion in Munster, Indiana, I had been living in New York since graduating college and had lost contact with most of my classmates. One of the first people I ran into was Mary Ann Jugovic, the class valedictorian and the sweetest girl ever. The first thing I said to her is, “please tell me that you went to med school and became a pediatrician.” To which she said, “only if you tell me that you moved to New York and became a writer.” And the verdict was? She was a pediatrician with a beautiful family and I was an author with a beautiful family. Dreams do come true.
Q: If you could ask one author for one piece of advice, who would you ask and what would you want to know?
A: I’m very lucky because I actually had that opportunity. One of my favorite authors in the world is the novelist, Sol Stein, who wrote THE MAGICIAN and THE LIVING ROOM, among many others. I discovered him in college and feel in some ways, he was an influence in my secretly aspiring to be a writer. Recently, I was curious to see if he was still writing (or even still alive) and discovered he had a website and an email address. I wrote him this long, flowery message, never expecting a response. But the next day he sent me a lovely note back and we exchanged several emails. In one of them I asked his advice on whether I should change my name and use a pseudonym for my next book. This is something that my editor and agent had been discussing and I was torn. He wrote back and said, don’t you dare. Saralee Rosenberg is a wonderful name and quite memorable.... now you know why I loved this guy, and so far, I’ve followed his advice.
Q. If Oprah invited you on her show, what would the theme of that show be?
A. Sigh. I’ve actually had the distinct privilege of appearing on Oprah to discuss my non-fiction book, 50 FABULOUS PLACES TO RAISE A FAMILY, and I gotta tell you, it was awesome. She was soooo nice and I and my husband/co-author were treated like royalty. We got the limousine, the fancy hotel, the nice dinner out, hair and make-up and a souvenir coffee cup that still sits on my desk as a pen holder. And Steadman was there, too (he smelled so good!) Would I love to be a guest again? Are you kidding me? It would be a dream come true to be invited back as a best selling novelist. In fact, I had a dream scene in DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD that involved my character Mindy being on the show to talk about what it was like to live next door to Beth, the the bitch. It had to be cut because of space limitations, but trust me, Oprah is always on my mind. Nobody sells a book like her.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Thanksgiving traditions
Every year I cook for Thanksgiving. It's one of a handful of times I cook. I know, lucky, huh? We do the traditional meal: turkey, stuffing, cranberries (from scratch and none of this orange, ginger relish nonsense), etc. Hubby and I are in sync this way. Thanksgiving is for keeping things exactly the same.
Christmas dinner is when we get a little crazy. The last few years, we've had green chili, chicken and waffles, appetizers. Any suggestions for something out of the box for this year? Though, it has to be something that we'll both eat. For example, hubby would like bouillabaisse. But fish stew ain't happening for me. I could do a soup with red beans and zucchini (red & green, get it?), but he hates them both. I'd love some ideas!
Christmas dinner is when we get a little crazy. The last few years, we've had green chili, chicken and waffles, appetizers. Any suggestions for something out of the box for this year? Though, it has to be something that we'll both eat. For example, hubby would like bouillabaisse. But fish stew ain't happening for me. I could do a soup with red beans and zucchini (red & green, get it?), but he hates them both. I'd love some ideas!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
My new blog: White Readers Meet Black Authors
Thanks to a great conversation over at Blogging in Black, I've started a new blog: White Readers Meet Black Authors. I used the words "white readers" but please know everybody is invited. That's the whole point of the blog. It's my tongue-in-cheek way of bridging what seems to be a divide between some of my favorite authors and some of my favorite readers.
The first couple of posts are up. Please spread the link http://welcomewhitefolks.blogspot.com/ and drop me a comment over there from time to time.
The first couple of posts are up. Please spread the link http://welcomewhitefolks.blogspot.com/ and drop me a comment over there from time to time.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Welcome Kelly Parra!
Kelly Parra, author of the hit YA novel, Grafitti Girl, is my first participant in the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit. Kelly put on her jammies to discuss her next book,Invisible Touch, which author Laurie Faria Stolarz calls "a magical blending of mystery, romance, and deep and dangerous secrets." Here's a brief synopsis:
Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.
Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?
Here's our pajama chat:
Kelly, who do you picture in your mind when you write?
I'm a visual writer so I start from scratch with my characters, by building their hair color and eyes, their nationality and their habits. Its one of my favorite parts of writing.
Is writing your main job? If not, what do you do for your real source of income and how does it impact your writing?
I'm a stay at home mom, so writing is my job. I spend a lot of time volunteering for my kids so I have to squeeze in writing when I can.
If you could ask any author (living or dead) any question what would it be?
I would ask V.C. Andrews how she came up with such dark suspenseful stories. She was my favorite author as a teen and one of the first authors who taught me books could be so powerful.
Art or entertainment? Is one more valid or important than the other?
That's a tough one! But I'll have to go with entertainment because before my love of books, I was in love with movies and televisions shows.
What comes most naturally for you to write, dialogue? plot? character? And what's hardest?
Characterization comes more naturally for me. I'm not a great conversationalist and its the same for my characters' dialogue. LOL. Thanks for having me on your blog, Carleen!
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions, Kelly! Oh man, I can tell participating in the GCC is going to be expensive because I'm going to want to buy all the books!
Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.
Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?
Here's our pajama chat:
Kelly, who do you picture in your mind when you write?
I'm a visual writer so I start from scratch with my characters, by building their hair color and eyes, their nationality and their habits. Its one of my favorite parts of writing.
Is writing your main job? If not, what do you do for your real source of income and how does it impact your writing?
I'm a stay at home mom, so writing is my job. I spend a lot of time volunteering for my kids so I have to squeeze in writing when I can.
If you could ask any author (living or dead) any question what would it be?
I would ask V.C. Andrews how she came up with such dark suspenseful stories. She was my favorite author as a teen and one of the first authors who taught me books could be so powerful.
Art or entertainment? Is one more valid or important than the other?
That's a tough one! But I'll have to go with entertainment because before my love of books, I was in love with movies and televisions shows.
What comes most naturally for you to write, dialogue? plot? character? And what's hardest?
Characterization comes more naturally for me. I'm not a great conversationalist and its the same for my characters' dialogue. LOL. Thanks for having me on your blog, Carleen!
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions, Kelly! Oh man, I can tell participating in the GCC is going to be expensive because I'm going to want to buy all the books!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Nanowrimo
I'm about about 13,000 words. Should be more like 20,000. I'm disappointed that I probably won't make the 50k mark by the end of the month, but shooting for 1,600 words a day is enabling me to write 1,000 words or more most days and if I can train myself to do that regularly I will be very happy.
I'm not sure I have the constitution for Nano. Spilling words with no thought, even in a 1st draft, makes me anxious. I want to feel like I have some idea about what I'm writing. And while I'm not editing, I do go back and add and make changes. But making an existing sentence or scene better is too satisfying to turn away from...even if it means I'm falling behind schedule.
Don't get me wrong. My 10k words are still part of a big, messy draft with lots of notes to self and unfinished thoughts and scenes and huge questions unanswered (like I'm not sure how old my MC is). And I'm still trying to keep my mind more focused on going forward rather than tidying up. But it's hard! I'm really starting to like my characters and this story and have hopes for its publication.
Writers, if you're doing Nano, what's your challenge? Or what's your challenge on a first draft?
I'm not sure I have the constitution for Nano. Spilling words with no thought, even in a 1st draft, makes me anxious. I want to feel like I have some idea about what I'm writing. And while I'm not editing, I do go back and add and make changes. But making an existing sentence or scene better is too satisfying to turn away from...even if it means I'm falling behind schedule.
Don't get me wrong. My 10k words are still part of a big, messy draft with lots of notes to self and unfinished thoughts and scenes and huge questions unanswered (like I'm not sure how old my MC is). And I'm still trying to keep my mind more focused on going forward rather than tidying up. But it's hard! I'm really starting to like my characters and this story and have hopes for its publication.
Writers, if you're doing Nano, what's your challenge? Or what's your challenge on a first draft?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy 11/11
See it?For those who've read Orange Mint and Honey, you'll recall that Shay has a thing for numbers, especially special dates and times of day. For example, when she first awakens to find Nina Simone in her room, it's at 3:33 a.m. An interviewer at Essence magazine asked me why that time, and I didn't have a real reason. 3:33 is just the time that came to me. She was curious because 3:33 had become special to her after she started seeing 333 combinations after her grandfather passed away (right before we did the interview). Believe it or not, I didn't do any research about the number before I used it. I looked up the symbolism after she told me about her grandfather and learned that "the number 3 underlies all aspects of creation - mind, body and spirit; birth, life & death; past, present and future." (according to The Secret Life of Symbols by David Fontana) I think it fits my novel and maybe the interviewer's situation with her grandfather.
Shay got that little habit from me. I very much enjoy that today is 11/11 and I'm timing this post to hit at 11:11 a.m. I'm not a numerologist, but I can't describe what a joy that will be for me. (And can I just point out that those 4 11s add up to 08--cool huh?!) Crazy? Maybe, but makes for great material when I need, cough, "quirks" for my characters.
While typing this, I decided to google the meaning of 11:11 and I find that I am not alone. As of this moment, there are about 170,000,000 hits for the topic.
Enjoy! And here's to all those who have made great sacrifices for our country: Happy Veteran's Day and thank you!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
Have you ever?
From Judy Larsen, comes a meme for the Obama-brained among us. Things I've done are in bold.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (just found one on my head last week!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (no, but a baby chick)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (no, but I rode in a hot air balloon)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
39 out of 99. Not so good. Obviously, I need to travel more! If you want to participate, copy and paste and put things you've done (and will admit to) in bold.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (just found one on my head last week!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (no, but a baby chick)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (no, but I rode in a hot air balloon)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
39 out of 99. Not so good. Obviously, I need to travel more! If you want to participate, copy and paste and put things you've done (and will admit to) in bold.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Can you feel a brand new day?
I've had this song from The Wiz in my heart all night! Imagine my delight at finding a video using this song celebrating the President-Elect already made.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
My 101-year-old great aunt the Obama Mama!
Like Obama's mama, my mother's family is from Kansas. They were "colored farmers." Neva is my maternal great-grandmother's sister. Here she is being interviewed in the Topeka Capital-Journal about voting for Obama.
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