Challenge Status

OK, it's day 3 or is it 2 of the writing challenge? I'm not sure as it's approaching the transition of night to morning. I critiqued manuscripts today - not my own, so does this count as part of the challenge? Unfortunately, I think not.

I've failed to maintain the conviction of my own challenge to spend a measly 15 minutes a day to create. Sigh.

My latest 15 minute-venture into my book left me swooning with amazement as a new chapter / idea formed on it's own accord. It left me breathless. I need some time off to reconsider and reflect upon what's happened in the fifth re-write of my book. I do know it needs to be strengthened, intensified, hardened. Does this make any sense? My protagonist took me over and created a new scene which needs to ferment a few days until I can actually mold it into a more final form. This is my excuse. I edit others' work instead.

Work is piling up. That's a good thing. It'll keep me busy for most of my free time for the foreseeable future and that is also a 'bad' thing. No time for Jack. Little time for creating. I guess I'll need to schedule carefully all the tasks I must attend to so that all will get done.

Ah that the mighty dollar (needed for 2 college tuitions) intrudes upon my creative solitude.

HA. And such is life.

I'm a Happy Mother!

Today began differently than any other Mother's Day. It's been 19 years I've been a Mother.

Today I did not get my usual breakfast in bed. They boys slept hard, all wrapped in their sheets. My husband was kind enough to let me sleep late when he couldn't arouse the boys. Yeah for hubby! :^))

Then I couldn't sleep anymore. My back crunched and grinded whenever I moved. Time to get up. After a quick shower, I checked on the boys who were still out cold. Teenagers. 10:30 am is way to early for them to consider placing their feet on the floor.

Ed (hubby) has made me coffee. :^))

I searched for news articles to send to http://www.breastcancer.org/, a website I'm proud to be a member of. (oops, dangling participle).

It's now 11:30 am. Still no movement from the boys.

At noon Tom stumbled into my office. "Happy Mother's Day." He hugs (feels wonderful) then said "How come you didn't wake me for church?"

I laugh.

It's time to jump onto Jimmy's bed and yell "Happy Mother's Day!" He grabs me for a hug (feels terrific).

I return to my office and continue my web-surfing for more news articles.

The hall closet opens then shuts as they dig out wrapping paper (I can hear everything that's going on.) Then the heavy footed trot down the stairs. Finally Ed appears and requests my presence in the family room.

It's time. I smile, wondering what they have in store for me.

After settling comfortably between my two little boys (who are now both taller and smarter than I), they hand me a box.

Humm, not the typical gift of flowers, or candles, or books. I gently shake it. No noise. I slowly peel the tape from the edges of the wrapping paper, drawing this out as slowly as possible, like my grandpa Banta used to do. Finally, unfolding one layer at a time, the box is revealed.

A digital photo frame. I plugged it in. Turned it on. It was loaded with images of my boys and covered their activities over the past year! Some were fantastic images, some made me laugh, and one or two made me cringe. But I saw parts of their lives I never knew about.

What a thoughtful gift. I'm glad today's Mother's Day is different than the others. My boys are growing up and becoming wonderful young men.

I am so very lucky. I am so very proud.

I love you boys.

The Challenge - Day 2 (Tornado Pics)

DAY 1 (yes, I started over):

Well, I didn't quite make 15 minutes writing today. Fortunately, I was prompted by my fellow writers to work on a chapter of my novel just so I could submit it for their review. Our critique group meets every other week just to keep us (me) on our toes and cranking out at least one chapter. It works unusually well. So I did a little editing on chapter 16 of Dragon Tears (children's middle grade fiction), then popped it off on a trip through cyberspace in an email. Now I really need to get working because I'm only partially finished with chapter 17 and I'll need to charge ahead with both creative and editorial juices surging through my veins. HA.

BONNIE! No more Friday morning doctor's appointments - I need you to help with my lack of self-discipline! Are we on for writing next week???

OK, back to the tornado. The power returned around 9 pm last evening, way ahead of schedule. You should have seen the Duke Energy people work. There were at least 10 heavy duty trucks working on the six power lines that had been ripped apart by trees and winds. And while the traffic became a tad snarled as they hauled the lines across the highway and hoisted them to the top of the power poles, it was tolerable.

They opened up Underpass, where a house was destroyed. I haven't been back to snap a picture of it yet as time hasn't permitted. When I played voyeur on Friday morning and had pulled over to the side of the road to take what pictures I could, a county sheriff (young AND cute) pulled along side and asked "What are you doing here?" "Taking pictures." Then I smiled remembering I'm an old chubby lady in glasses. "Best move on then." He waiting until I pulled away before he moved.

Dang.

I'm acting pretty glib about this because no one was really hurt. Only material things were damaged. (And none of mine were.)

Can you see the stairs that lead nowhere?

The Challenge - Day 1 (tornado pictures)

Day 1: It's 3:45 pm and I have not yet worked on my novel for my 15 minutes. Perhaps later I might, however, it's going to be a difficult challenge. You see, I'm distracted.

Why?

A tornado landed in my town last night - and people have been without power since around 10:15 pm. Duke Energy indicates it might not come back on until at least late tomorrow night.

Well, here are some pictures I thought you might find interesting. Double-click the picture to make them larger.





I'll post more pictures tomorrow.