Category: parenting

Thursday thud.

I have nothing to offer you today or tomorrow. I am sorry. This week has wiped me out. I have been under the weather for nearly two weeks. Nothing serious… Just generally sick. Then Monday Joe had to get an scope from both sides to see what is going on with his health. My angel has a weird mass in the bone of her left jaw and she was sick last week with the stomach bug that I have been dealing with. She had surgery yesterday to biopsy that mass. All told I am wiped. Add in my grandson being sick and me unable to go see him… And this writer has no words. So please forgive me. Blog will be back Monday, I have another poet spotlight planned.

Wednesday wisdom

Today is a bit of a recovery day. I had a birthday girl, she just turned fifteen, on Monday. Which we spent in the ER because she caught a stomach bug. So I am worn out.

I find myself glad that I have less responsibility right now than usual. I was not chosen to create for the spring issue of Creatives Rising. And the editor apologized because she wanted to include everyone, but so many applied… So she was forced to choose. I think that I will let you in on a secret. I was relieved. The topics offered did not truly speak to me. This time of year is harder for me to create. I end up wanting to hibernate. I force the creation but it is a struggle. So I was grateful to not have been chosen. I applied because I love the E-zine. I will be letting you guys know when it is coming out, I asked the editors to include me in the cover announcement so I could share with you. I have a reserved spot in the summer issue. It works wonderfully for me.

This week Thursday will be a review of my friend Deedra’s young adult novel. I do hope that you will check back here to see that. Next Tuesday I have another guest scheduled.

This week I have to settle down and focus on Serena’s second zombie novel. It is at 13k. Goal is to get it to 60k and to the editor by my birthday (march 13).

Friday, this week, is going to be me posting a dozen poetry prompts. I hope that you will be willing to share your poetry with me.

Monday Poetry

I am so glad I was able to schedule ahead. I am currently enjoying a family game time… To celebrate fifteen years with my wonderful daughter!

The mad mouse’s tea party and other announcements.

So… I was wondering…. Are you a subscriber? The newsletter goes out again Friday! If not… Then go here.

Also… Next week I will have a guest blogger as one of my amazing writer friends asked if she could address y’all. Want to read her book? It’s a really awesome read. She has an energy in her writing that is infectious. You can find her book here.

I think that I will be posting her guest spot on Tuesday. Monday I do not know if be posting a blog entry. It is the day I was blessed fifteen years ago with my Angel. If I can get it up and scheduled before Saturday then I will, but if I cannot then it will be missing. This is just a heads up in case I flounder at all of this.

If this first guest goes well I may be seeing if I can find other amazing authors to come on here to chat with you. 😊 Please do go and check out Tish’s book and show her curtesy when she is here.

Thursday Reviews

Complete honesty here…. I never have an easy time with doing reviews. I have read so many books that choosing one to review is a herculean task. Then I feel awkward with tech reviews because most of my writing apps are simple. I use word, evernote, and notebooks for writing (two of which I have already reviewed). I use Canva, and photo studio for cover design (I will review photo studio next week.) And artrage for digital art. Though I have many apps that I use those are the ones I use in creating. I always wonder why anyone would pay any mind to my random game addiction for the week (this week it’s a little game called Slidey and it is adorable), and talk myself out of doing reviews for them. I may try to break myself of that.

There is a story behind the book that I chose for today. I bought it at the school book fair when my daughter was in second grade. It was just barely at her reading level. It was something for us to read together. We alterated reading chapters. The characters were so good that we searched out the rest of the series. The dragon in the sock drawer by Kate Klimo. It is worth the read even for an adult. It is middle grade reading level.

Pad ten

Poetic Asides pad challenge

Prompt : teenage

Webcomics Wednesday

I have been letting this slide slightly. Too much this month to keep up on my pursuit to update my favorite webcomics… Current I am up to date on Questionable Content, Goblins, and Geekasaurus. I am working on getting up to date on Looking for group. So many great webcomics and I will eventually get back to having a list worth reading.

Ok… Now for the other part of webcomic Wednesday. Fandoms… I am all over the place in my fandoms. Naming the different ones that I enjoy would take forever. I have been trying recently to convince my teen daughter that being into kids stuff in a fandom way is okay. She is into monster high and was afraid that it was too childish. (Personally I love Cleo and Ghoulia.) So I present you a question… What is your favorite fandom and why?

Parenthood

This is one of the hardest topics. After all, most days I feel like I am a failure at being a parent. Am I? Many say no. But, still I feel the strain. Today, I found myself angry. Not at my daughter, but at my mother. An old hurt came forth from a new wound.

Now, Since becoming a mother I find myself asking how much of my issues with her stem from normal teen angst. But, somethings….

My daughter is beautiful. And I try to protect her from those with the lack of vision to see her as she is. Today that included my own mother, who sees things no differently than she did when I was a teen. Which is really her loss. Through my anger and misery, I reached out to friends. Friends who could listen to me rant and understand the pain behind it.

The pain of a society that feeds the stigma my mother uses. Big equals unhealthy. The whole situation was that my teen was 250 lbs. She, through healthier choices and adding excersize has lost 20lbs. She also gained an inch. So today when we went to a local health fair, a doctor at the hospital used her height and weight to determine her bmi. She was told it was within normal range.

I tried telling my mom, thinking that she would be proud of my baby. I forgot that my mother was always harshest about my weight. So when my mom responded that the doctor lied and that my daughter was not in normal BMI for her height, my heart broke. Instead of another soul to encourage a little girl struggling with her self image I had found another to tear her apart. I will not allow it. This is where I am becoming the parent I want to be.

To those who would have negative views of her….

I will not allow your issues to hurt her! She is healthy, and still working out who she is to be. Maybe I am overweight, but when I look at her I do not see numbers. I see a beautiful, sensitive child who is already struggling. I teach her about healthy choices and I let her decide how she will be. She is still growing. She has already gotten taller than I. She will reach the stars! And I will not allow your issues to stop her. Your judgement is unwanted, and if you cannot see her amazingness then you are not needed in her life!

Signed

A mother tired of judgements

Audience 

          Who is my audience?  As an author there is not a day that goes by that I am not asking myself this question.  I have, I think come to a decision on it. My children’s books: the audience is fairly obvious.  Children.  I really write them for my daughter (and now my grandson).  Which is why I believe that the third bedtime stories will be mid grade. The first two were stories written for her when she was small. The third started for a preteen. (And now she is helping me write it.  She was suggesting ideas for the story and is looking forward to hear it when it is done.  She refused me reading it until then.) But I write more than just children’s books.  

        My poetry I have always written for me. So do I really have an audience for it?  Yes,  and no.  It is always going to be how I cope with the world… It is more that then it is written for a particular audience. That being said,  the reason why I published it is because my coping mechanisms can possibly help someone else who may be in a bad place. Or not,  I am not sure it matters there.  My poetry is the clearest view inside of my soul. To tell the truth I publish it because I can.  I have lost so much of my poetry over the years… This is the way of preserving it digitally so I will not lose anymore. 

        Last but not least,  there is Serena’s stories. Anything that I write that is adult in nature will be published under Serena Mossgraves.  Currently that seems to be horror.  I am not sure if it all will be… I just know that I will not be doing erotica… It embarrasses me to write it.  So I figure her audience will be adults,  preferably who enjoy what I write.  

          All seems simple enough.  I only hope that I am able to create a story that someone likes.  

Favoritism

You claim love equality,

With words that

match nothing

Of reality.

You still fail to understand,

I want nothing given from

A hesitant hand.

Tis not material

Items I desire,

Nor any attachments

Grand of wealth.

Reach for me just once

And tell me honestly,

That you are interested

To learn who I am,

Truthfully.

 

Parenting isn’t about

wealth or greed,

Or the material

That you can give.

Knowing one well,

Ignoring the other is

Just seriously unkind.