Grace is Sufficient

Blog and website

2011-10-07T11:33:00.002-04:00

I don't like having my blog and website separate. I've heard of some intriguing possibilities for combining them; unfortunately, I'm not eager to take the time to research and then implement the changes. It's fairly assumable that whatever I do will end up taking a LOT more time than I expect. Somehow computer things always do!

Writer of the week

2011-10-05T12:01:00.002-04:00

A new author -- new to me, anyway! In fact, I don't know how I've missed out on her for so long.

In the last couple of weeks, I've read two books by Tracy (T. L.) Higley: Pompeii: City on Fire, and Guardian of the Flame. I found both of them to be engrossing and to bring the cultures in which they are set vividly to life.

I enjoyed the Pompeii book more, but that may merely reflect the fact that I prefer the era of the Roman Empire to that of the Egyptians.

I enjoyed poking around her website, too. Perhaps it seemed a bit busy, but then again, it is crammed full of interesting information and links.

E-publishing

2011-10-05T09:11:00.002-04:00

I'm leaning more and more toward the idea that E-publishing is enough the 'wave of the future' as to make it a better choice than print publishing for an unknown author.

From what I hear, the publishing business today seems to have all but locked out new, unpublished authors. Of course, that's a degree of hyperbole, but there is some truth in it. The path to publishing went from:

1) Send your manuscript to a publishing company and someone will look at it and respond; to

2) Send your manuscript to a publishing company and it will be thrown in the trash after an overworked, overwhelmed intern has read the first few paragraphs; to

3) Publishing companies won't accept unsolicited manuscripts, so send it to an agent who will look at it and respond to you; to

4) Send it to an agent who will throw it in the trash after reading the first few paragraphs if it's not exactly the genre, voice, and mood they're looking for that morning; to

5) Reputable, successful agents might look at your manuscript if you are lucky enough to know someone who can recommend you to them.

Again, perhaps a dash of hyperbole, but only a dash!

Trying for a new record...

2011-06-21T13:08:00.002-04:00

One of my biggest weaknesses is lack of self-discipline -- especially challenging for a writer! Periodically, either after I have been on a self-indulgence jag, or after a particularly busy period in my life comes to an end, I start Monday morning with fresh determination.

Unfortunately, I don't know that I've ever made it over a week, and perhaps not even as much as a week. So, today's day 2, and I'm trying for a new record... I'll consider myself to have achieved it if I'm still being disciplined and diligent and all those other good things on Friday.

The good thing about having a wonderfully unread blog is that no one will ask me on Friday how I'm doing!

Boy, do I appreciate God's unfailing grace and mercy.

Update on, well, everything!

2011-06-20T15:49:00.003-04:00

Summer! Green, warm, fun, less stressful... Thanks, God!

Doug: Wonderful, as always. He's been spending time with some of the younger men at church in a mentoring-type capacity. I think it's great because he has a lot to give.

Tim: A homeschool graduate! It's so hard to believe that the 13 years (we started w/kindergarten) of homeschooling my firstborn have come to an end. He will be attending the University of Akron in the Fall and living in the Honors Dorm.

Myrale: We just finished the whole college search with Tim, and are just starting it with her. She will be a senior this fall. Except for any mid-stream adjustments next year, I have planned my last year of school and ordered my last homeschool books. How can something that has consumed and almost defined me for so long be coming to an end? (Ummm, just to be clear: this is amazement, not mourning or sorrow!)

Me: See above. As my life shifts into a different mode, I am hoping to spend more time on writing and more time on fitness. I also want to seek and find what service my great, gracious, and glorious God has for me.

Rats! Did it again!

2011-01-04T12:13:00.002-05:00

The lament of the busy, inadequately committed blogger: "Oh, no! 'X' weeks have gone by since my last post. I was trying to do better."

Update: We narrowed Tim's choices down to five colleges. He's been accepted to all of them, and now we're just waiting to find out scholarship and financial aid numbers to see which makes most sense.

Yeah, yeah, yeah

2010-11-15T16:06:00.002-05:00

As my children keep pointing out to me, I've been neglectful...

Catch-up on what's been going on...

Busy this fall, still teaching the teen Bible studies, but without Jen's help; also teaching a weekly fiction writing course to homeschooled teens; helping Tim with college apps (2 apps completed, 2 acceptances, 1 app started, 2 yet to begin); had my mom and sister here in September (not sure if I've written since then or not); still church treasurer; hosted a church-wide bonfire in October -- really enjoyed that; still homeschooling about 4.5 credits for Tim; starting to get ready to host the family's Thanksgiving; doing the lion's share of taking care of house, family, and pets (except guinea pigs); and when I get (or create) spare time, burying my nose in a book.

Also distressed because after keeping weight I'd lost off for over a year, about 5 pounds have found their way home....

Main thing in my life? God is still good.

That's all. (It's enough.)

Blech!

2010-09-09T22:11:00.002-04:00

What a terrible week. I don't know if this is spiritual warfare and the good guys aren't doing too well, or if God didn't want me to try and do this retreat and I'm being punished for running ahead of him and acting on my own agenda.

Friday nights

2010-08-28T09:31:00.002-04:00

I like our Friday night family tradition. It isn't particularly earth-shattering or even original (pizza and movie) but I like it anyway. Last night, the pizza was from Papa John's (Becky's favorite) and the movie was the first three shows from Season One of The Andy Griffith Show -- thanks, Netflix! Afterward, we finally burned all the sticks from the yard that have been piling up around the fire ring, then sat by the fire and read an Agatha Christie short story aloud.

As a mom, I definitely prefer that to sending my kids off to a Friday night high school football game, but I worry sometimes that they're missing out on things. Certainly, neither of them is interested in those things at this point. I just hope none of us ever look back on these years and truly regret the decision to homeschool.

Finally finished!

2010-08-16T22:26:00.002-04:00

Definitely running a bit late on getting ready for school this year! I finally ordered the last needed curriculum today -- though that wasn't entirely my fault. It's brand new (can you say 'beta checkers!) and wasn't available for order yet.

I also wrote my notification letters over the weekend, but I still need to photocopy the standardized tests and deliver them to the school. Bittersweet - Tim's last notification ever, after doing so faithfully for the last 12 years.

I've got the orientation and first class sessions planned for my writing class, and the next half dozen or so partially planned. So that's still a lot of work to be done. I won't bother planning way in advance, though. It always ends up getting tweaked so much that it's just not worth it.

Advanced Creative Writing

2010-08-03T10:47:00.002-04:00

I guess that's the title of the class I will be teaching to some homeschooled high schoolers this year. I had thought of calling it Fiction Writing, because usually creative writing includes poetry, and unfortunately, I can neither write nor teach poetry.

I started working on the lesson plans last night, and I am really looking forward to teaching the class. I love the idea of being able to encourage and help young writers, and frankly, I'm sure my own writing will benefit from revisiting some of the material, as well.

I will have to be extremely organized and disciplined this year, though, or I'll fall behind. This will be every week, and I think the teen Bible Study lessons will be every other week. Fortunately, for me at least, most of the heavy lifting of homeschooling will be Doug's work this year. That was the case last year, too. It's the math and science courses that take so much time. Their other classes are either elsewhere or not too difficult.

Plan your Work and Work your Plan

2010-07-18T13:54:00.002-04:00

That's what I'm going to be trying to do in the weeks/months to come. My plan:

1) Use short stories to focus on specific weaknesses in my writing - most notably the inability to write truly nasty characters or to have truly nasty things happen to my protagonists.

2) Try to find publication venues for those stories to build up some credentials.

3) Keep working on Rachel's Heart and/or The Blue Flame.

47

2010-07-15T21:15:00.002-04:00

Well, for my birthday I got three 4 things I asked for, and 2 that I didn't. I had asked for some small notebooks, citronella candles, and pepper spray. I also got a wonderful scented candle and a book - the newest book by Francine Rivers.

Which reminds me... I need to get back to my Writer of the Week posts!

Writer's Circle

2010-07-14T08:14:00.003-04:00

I was so glad that our group met last night instead of the usual first Tuesday of the month. I had thought I would miss yet another meeting because we were on vacation from last Tuesday until Monday evening, and after going for a couple of years with missing very few meetings, this spring I found myself missing quite a few.

I'm especially glad I attended because there was some great discussion and great information last night. We were each asked to bring books or website info that are the resources we find most helpful as writers. I wish I'd been able to do a better job on the assignment -- I don't in general feel as though I've been a very faithful member in recent months -- but others had some wonderful information.

I've been saying this for at least a month, but I think I'm going to be able to get my life back into order and start writing again soon!

Books, books, books!

2010-06-09T22:03:00.002-04:00

My life is beginning to calm down a bit, so I grabbed three books when I took Becky to the library today. Two were Kingsbury books that I don't think I've read yet, and the third was secular -- a historical fiction that sounded promising. They're in another room and I'm too lazy to go check the author/title, but hopefully I'll like it enough to write about it.

Yippee!

2010-06-06T21:27:00.001-04:00

What a luxury to own (and have to take care of!) only one home.

God is so good and gracious (even when things don't work out as I would like, but somehow I seem more aware of it when it does.)

Nothing like a two month hiatus...

2010-06-02T16:46:00.002-04:00

I've done almost no writing for the last few months; I feel like I've been a poor contributor to my writing circle, either not able to read the pieces, or just giving them a quick read and offering very shallow critiques.

BUT, we are moved into our new home (I love it!) although we still have a couple of minivan loads worth of stuff at the old house. By this weekend, however, we'll be moved entirely out of there and have it cleaned up for the new owners, who take possession next week.

Once I feel like the worst of the chaos is tamed in this house, I'm going back to trying to be faithful with my writing (and exercising.) I've still been reading novels -- I'm not sure I could live without it, frankly. But it's been more like a starving person gulping down food, than a connoisseur taking time to appreciate it. Every few weeks, I grab a handful of books at the library, and read 3-4 in a day or a day and a half, and then get back to work.

Fortunately, this is a temporary state of affairs.

Personal stuff, again.

2010-04-03T20:12:00.002-04:00

The current situation as regards job/house:

Thursday, over half my husband's branch was laid off (ten out of nineteen). We knew it was coming, and knew it would be pretty bad. He's okay so far, but we believe there could be a couple more next week. Fortunately, enough issues have come up and required resolution with the purchase of the other house that we haven't yet had to acknowledge that his job is in question, and that if he gets laid off, we'll have to back out of the whole deal.

I sincerely hope that everything is completely settled by the end of next week. I definitely struggle with concentrating on my writing with all this going on.

Thursday was an especially rough day. I knew the layoffs were coming. Doug's two closest friends there, both believers and one his office mate, got laid off. Half of me was grieving for them, and feeling very tense about everything, but at the same time a realtor was bringing someone by the house that afternoon. So I had to force the other half of me to clean like mad.

Who says...

2010-04-03T20:06:00.003-04:00

...that I can only work on one story at a time? Recently, after working on One Faith (tentative title for my Amish novel) for a while, I found myself thinking of my YAF story. So I just switched over, and worked on it for a while. Perhaps I'll give myself a little flexibility to work on whichever story is happening in my head at a given time.

That doesn't sound very professional, though. It seems to be inviting writer's block... because what do I do when none of them are happening in my head? But the problem has tended to be wanting to work on more than one story, as opposed to not having anything to write at all.

Anyway, this is going to be my new attempt at being more productive in my writing!

Writer of the Week

2010-03-25T09:17:00.003-04:00

I wandered into the library the other day just desperate for a good story to take my mind off all the junk going on (as the final days before we have to close on the house purchase tick by and my husband's job is still not totally safe from layoffs!) Unfortunately, our library puts their shelving info at the bottom of the spine, which makes seeing the publisher a challenge. So I wandered around, until a book called The Lightkeeper's Daugher, by Colleen Coble caught my eye. I picked it up, as well as a very different looking book by the same author, called A Cry in the Night.

I can't say that I read exclusively Christian fiction, but I usually prefer it, so I'm always excited when I find a new author, and can say that I enjoyed both books tremendously, even though they're quite different from each other. The Lightkeeper's Daughter is historical romance, and A Cry in the Night is more suspense/thriller. Though they both have a strong suspense theme, I find that encouraging, as I've heard numerous times about the tendency to 'brand' authors so that publishers expect them to stay within one genre. My writing so far includes historical/biblical fiction, Amish romance, a futuristic thriller, and a YA/teen fantasy novel.

I spent some time poking around Colleen's website, and am also intrigued by the way she is exploring the world of e-publishing by offering downloads of her work.

Thirty minutes a day!

2010-03-04T12:51:00.003-05:00

Our writer's group had a guest speaker, Nancy Christie (website) on Tuesday who said something which astonished me.

In just two months of writing for thirty minutes every day, she had gotten 55,000 words done of her novel!

What made it so meaningful to me is that my biggest problem with writing the last few months has been a struggle to know what to work on. I've felt like I ought to write the sequel to Free Indeed, but I've had two other stories that I really want to work on instead.

But I was encouraged by the idea that if I am faithful to write 30 minutes a day, I could finish one and within several months, be able to work on one of the others... I guess when you count editing, it would be at least six months, but still, that's better than I'd been anticipating.

Instead of 30 minutes seven days a week, however, I will probably end up doing 35-40 minutes five or six days a week.

Moving ahead with it...

2010-02-21T16:14:00.002-05:00

We still haven't been given a definitive answer on Doug's job, but he's gotten some pretty positive indicators, so we are moving ahead with the house deal. We accepted the counteroffer yesterday, and will be putting ours on the market within the next week.

Needless to say, writing will once again take a back seat.

Not exactly writer's block, but...

2010-02-17T08:38:00.004-05:00

I've definitely been having a tough time with my own writing lately! One reason, certainly, is the uncertainty surrounding our future. On February 1st, we found out that about half the department my husband works in will be laid off before the end of the month. The very next day, we received a counter-offer on the 100+ year old farm house that we would have taken in a heartbeat, but can't until we know what's going on with the job. If he is laid off, the chances are pretty high that we would have to move, probably out west somewhere, to find a job in his field.

Of course, I know a professional writer would sit down and crank out words short of (perhaps even in spite of) a personal tragedy, but I do have one other issue, which may be closer to true writer's block. I have been experimenting with my writing a bit, and have found lots of things that don't work. I have discovered about myself that I don't write well if I try to plot in advance... in fact, I kind of don't write at all. This is especially true if I'm trying to follow the suggestions in how-to books on writing publishable novels!

For now, it seems, I will stick with what works: I start with a few strong characters and an interesting situation, and then follow them around and see what happens. It sounds really strange, even to me, but it is apparently the way I write.

Writer of the Week

2010-02-17T08:24:00.003-05:00

I've read a couple of books this week by Cindy Woodsmall and enjoyed both. I noticed both had a copyright of 2009, which makes her (by my definition) a prolific and proficient writer.

The Hope of Refuge has the subtitle An Ada's House Novel, which suggests that it's at least loosely part of a series, the earlier books of which I've not encountered. As I read, I found myself teasing out the clues of what the earlier book(s) may have been about, and I will put them on my future reading list. It was an fascinating juxtaposition of two utterly different worlds: Amish life and the harsh environs of New York City's underbelly.

The second book I read, The Sound of Sleigh Bells, was also a good read, although I found the first more interesting. In both, the plots were sound, the characterizations and settings authentic, and the writer's voice pleasing.

For more information on this author, click here.

Homeschooling

2010-02-16T07:46:00.002-05:00

I have a good friend who is planning on beginning to homeschool next year. She's concerned, as she feels her own education level is inadequate. Though I understand her concern, I think she will probably do a wonderful job. In thinking about it, I came up with these reasons.

In my opinion, three qualities are important to success in homeschooling. One is devotion to your family. She has that in spades. I've always appreciated that she is sad when her children go back to school at the end of the summer, unlike so many moms who are eager for it.

The second is discipline and organization. Check.

Finally, and probably least important, is academic ability. Although her intelligence is obvious, her education may not have been as good as is desirable, but with the excellent curricula tailored to homeschoolers, this is easily surmountable.

She'll do great!

Lots going on!

2010-02-15T11:32:00.002-05:00

Several weeks ago, we made an offer on an old farmhouse. The property was not in foreclosure, but was a short sale, so a bank's approval was necessary. While waiting to hear from the bank, my husband was informed that in the next few weeks, approximately half the employees in his group would be laid off. The following day, the bank countered our offer with a number we would have accepted, but until we find out if my husband still has a job, we're hoping not to have to respond. All this happened a couple of weeks ago. We might have heard about the layoffs already, but apparently all the snow shutting down the government prevented meetings to finalize the cuts from taking place.

Hopefully, we'll know something in the next few days, but my daughter keeps muttering about 'Dad losing his job on my birthday.' (She turns 15 on Friday.)

We are trusting that none of this is a surprise to our faithful God, and trying to wait with patient faith to find out what will happen.

Gappy, aren't I

2010-01-26T19:53:00.003-05:00

On the miniscule chance that anyone follows this blog, let me explain my recent absence. We just made an offer on a 110-year old farmhouse, and I have been busy with phone calls and appointments, etc.

I'll update when there's news, but it may be a while since there's a bank involved on the other end.

Writer of the Week

2010-01-26T19:47:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed reading the second in Irene Hannon's Heroes of Quantico series. I like to think that her portrayal of the men who protect our country is accurate, though I don't actually have her personal knowledge.

Just today, my daughter and I heard a quote from a highly placed public official in which it was referenced that he had dropped the 'f-word.' As we were discussing our frustration with the lack of morality in public figures, a police car zoomed past, speeding but with no lights or siren... one assumes, breaking the law because he thought that an officer of the law is above it.

So, I enjoy Hannon's stories, but I appreciate her portrayal of men who should be heroes, as heroes.

Discover more of her books here.

Writer of the Week

2010-01-16T21:40:00.003-05:00

I've always been a fan of many genres, so it would be somewhat difficult to choose a favorite, but a top contender would be historical fiction based in Great Britain. The author I've chosen this week is Sandra Worth. Though I've recently discovered her, and only read one of her books, The King's Daughter, it's a sure bet that I'll search out her Rose of York series, too.

The King's Daughter tells the story of Elizabeth, notable for being the first Tudor queen. Worth did a wonderful job of bringing the time period and the characters to life, making the era one I'd like to investigate further.

Her website is here.

Your character's voice

2010-01-08T09:10:00.002-05:00

I learned from James Scott Bell a tool that I've found useful in getting to know my characters better. He calls it a 'voice journal'; it allows your character to speak to you in a stream-of-conscousness manner.

I've found it helpful to keep updating the voice journal as I write the story. For example, after my lead has a meaningful conversation with another character, I go to the voice journal to hear what she thinks and feels about it. If I feel a bit of writer's block coming on -- I'm not sure what scene to write next -- I write in the voice journal instead of the story. It often gives me the ideas I need to continue, and at the very least, keeps me writing and 'in' the story.

Snow, snow, snow

2010-01-07T14:27:00.002-05:00

Oddest thing happens here in the winters... the snow cover on the roof of our porch ends up sagging down like this.

There is no visible means of support, and the only reason I can come up with is fact that the wind always blows from the side, and must, over time, gradually push the snow further and further.

This is the first year we've gotten a photo of it, but it happens almost anytime we get a large amount of snow that doesn't melt quickly.

Writer of the Week

2009-12-28T22:21:00.003-05:00

This week, I've been catching up on Melanie Jeschke's writing. Years ago, I'd read the first two of her Oxford Chronicles. I finally got to read the third, and I'm hoping to read her new book, Jillian Dare, before heading back to Ohio. My parents, who before moving to Albuquerque attended the church Melanie's husband pastors, have all of her books, so I'll read them while I'm here. I tend to like novels set in Great Britian.

Melanie's website is here, but doesn't seem to be entirely up to date.

Albuquerque

2009-12-28T22:19:00.002-05:00

I am enjoying my visit to Albuquerque. Obviously, it's wonderful to spend time with my parents and sisters, but I love the southwest. Yesterday, we drove up the back side of Sandia (a way to the top without taking the tram) and walked along the crest before watching the sunset from the peak.

Cold as could be, but so beautiful.

The Budget

2009-12-23T17:53:00.004-05:00

Anyone who has read much Amish fiction is familiar with The Budget. In the local edition, it covers the news in Holmes county, Ohio area. It's claim to fame for the local edition: "a newspaper in which the good news reported in its pages routinely outweighs the bad."

The national edition is more widely known. It publishes 'letters' or articles by Amish and Mennonite writers throughout the United States and the world.

Here's the link to the paper's website. Only information from the local edition is online, but I found it intersting. I'm also considering subscribing to the National edition.

Writer of the Week

2009-12-23T17:42:00.004-05:00

The day before a 3:45 a.m. trip to the airport, I realized I had nothing to read on the plane. After my initial panic, I hurried to the library and grabbed the first 3 or 4 books that looked interesting.. all of them by unfamiliar authors.

One of the books that caught my eye was Leaving Carolina, by Tamara Leigh. I don't usually enjoy books written in the first person, and rarely get beyond the first page of one, but she pulled it off well. I enjoyed the book thoroughly; she brought some delightful characters to life. I'm looking forward to the sequel which will be available in May.

Here's the author's website. It lists some other series which I'll be looking for, also.

Guide to Literary Agents Blog

2009-12-23T17:34:00.003-05:00

It's a great blog -- full of good information. One of the recurring columns is '7 Things I've Learned So Far,' and as I was reading through the blog a few weeks ago, a number of things were coming to mind that I've learned, so I submitted a post.

I don't feel like retyping it, and I can't easily access it otherwise as I am visiting my parents in Albuquerque, so here's a link to it.

Agree or Disagree?

2009-12-22T22:45:00.003-05:00

Is there truly only one basic storyline in the world?

I have to put some more thought into this, but I've been tossing around an idea lately, and I'd be interested in feedback.

Without actually analyzing every story I've read and enjoyed, a quick survey gave me the sense that they all have one basic plotline, as follows:

Start with a character who is in some way a sympathetic or generally positive figure (protagonist.) The protagonist has some sort of a problem, which is not (or not primarily) his own fault. Dangle a possible solution just out of reach. Throw roadblocks and obtacles in the way. Repeat the last two several times, ending with huge roadblocks that make it seem almost impossible, and then solve the problem in a better way than was originally envisioned.

I suppose that I'm referring to all stories when I say there's only one plot... just the good ones!

Scribd

2009-12-18T15:34:00.006-05:00

An odd name, but I like the website. It allows you to share things you have written, as well as, of course, to read things others have shared.

I uploaded two short stories and one article on marriage late last week; to be honest, I didn't really expect anyone to read it. After all, if there's a way of publicizing one's presence on the site, I haven't found it yet (or looked for it, to be fair.)

I hadn't been back to the site yet until today, and to my astonishment, I found that the three items had garnered a total of.... (drumroll) 39 reads. Okay, granted, that's not exactly earthshaking, but for this unpublished writer, the response was, "Hey, someone's reading my stuff! Cool!"

So, I got excited, and went into my archives and uploaded two more short stories this morning. I just checked and they've already gotten 6 reads. My concern is that it may tempt me into spending time polishing and/or writing short stories for upload when I should really work on my new novel.

Anyway, here's the link. My username is DLeeFuhry to read my stories.

Yay, Tim

2009-12-16T22:02:00.003-05:00

Tim's Civil Air Patrol Squadron had their end of year dinner tonight. First, I'm very proud of Tim who was named Cadet of the Year for 2009, and who is apparently right on the verge of getting his Mitchell Award and becoming an officer.

I also liked that they un-apologetically prayed before the meal. Sometimes it seems that the the heritage of this country would be utterly lost were it not for the armed forces, the churches, and the rural folks.

It was a nice evening. I appreciate the men and women who do so much work to run that squadron more than I can express.

Writer of the Week

2009-12-16T07:45:00.004-05:00

At the recommendations of both Kathy Fuller, author of the Hearts of Middlefield series, and my mother-in-law, I picked up Plain Perfect, by Beth Wiseman.

I enjoyed the interplay between Amish and English life, and found the story compelling and the characters realistic. I'm looking forward to finding more of her books.

Learn more about Beth here...

Love it, love it, love it!

2009-12-15T14:15:00.003-05:00

In addition to last Friday's field trip to a local campus of DeVry University, yesterday Tim's class got a tour of Cisco's facilities. There are no words for how grateful I am that he has this opportunity.

Website

2009-12-15T14:13:00.003-05:00

Over the last week or so, I have completely rebuilt my website. I finally gave up on my own design talents, and decided to use a convenient template. I would have liked to have matched my blog design somehow, but that didn't end up happening. I also added a lot of new links, and got rid of a couple of older ones that no longer worked. I'm very pleased with the result.

My Writing Dilemma

2009-12-15T13:21:00.003-05:00

I'm trying to learn to write in a more structured manner -- that is, planning out my story and scenes in advance, but I'm finding it difficult. When I write, I almost feel like I'm following my characters around, recording what happens and how they respond. On some rational level, I recognize that it's all coming out of my head, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes.

It seems like since it's 'all coming out of my head,' I ought to be able to sit down and plan it all out, but that's a recipe for writer's block for me. But I'm afraid my stories will be weaker and less structured if I don't plot them out first...

What to do? What to do?

Take laptop?

2009-12-14T16:32:00.002-05:00

The kids and I will be visiting my parents soon... here's my dilemma: I'm in the middle of a new story, and I'd hate to not have my laptop to note any hot ideas, but I'm afraid it would seem rude to do that while I'm supposed to be visiting family.

Fortunately, they're supportive of my writing, so I don't think they'd be offended. It just feels kind of funny. I'm also not crazy about carrying this laptop through multiple airports on our multi-legged by inexpensive flights.

Christmas Dinner at Church

2009-12-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

Our family attended our church's annual Christmas dinner this evening. Doug played sax for part of it, and of course did a good job, but it meant that he ate a pretty cold dinner. He wouldn't eat before playing.

I thought it was because food in his stomach would cause him to become short of breath more easily, but apparently it was... a little more disgusting than that. (Think bits of food being blown into the horn!)

Not very encouraging for an unpublished writer!

2009-12-11T14:31:00.003-05:00

My brother-in-law sent me this link today. It's an article on Scribd, written back in June by Steve Piersanti. The basic point is that fewer and fewer people are buying books, and that most books never even get onto bookstore shelves... etc. etc. Nothing in it was actually surprising, or even news to me but there's nothing like having it all spelled out.

For those of us to whom even getting a book published is still an unattained goal... yikes!

Oh well, here's the link to the article: Ten Awful Truths About Book Publishing

Writer of the Week

2009-12-10T21:28:00.005-05:00

This week, I'm reading a book by Kim Vogel Sawyer titled A Promise for Spring.It's a historical romance set in Kansas in the late 1800s. This one hasn't grabbed me yet as much as some of her other work. I've also read My Heart Remembers, which I really liked. Some months ago I read at the Sommerfeld Trilogy, three books set in a Mennonite community, with some good characters and a fun story.

Her website is here.

College Visit Friday

2009-12-08T09:48:00.004-05:00

After my agonizing about college visits, Tim goes on one Friday that I didn't have to arrange. His networking class and the programming class at CVCC are going to Devry University in Independence/Seven Hills Friday. With all my researching, I hadn't even found that one yet, even though it's very close to us, and has a potentially appropriate course of study available.

Thanks, Mrs. Pruitt (and God!)

One concern: he was saying he had a sore throat last night, so I'm hoping he doesn't get sick and have to miss it!

Well, that was wrong!

2009-12-08T09:44:00.002-05:00

After my, "I don't even try to write on Mondays" post, I got to spend time doing writing exercises from Plot & Structure. I got everything on my list done (that's rare and usually only happens if I pray a lot) so after dinner I had some time to write. Thanks, God!

Mondays

2009-12-07T15:37:00.002-05:00

I don't even try to work on writing on Mondays. I'm usually trying frantically to catch up from getting behind over the weekend... laundry, school schedules, church deposit, meal planning and grocery shopping, housework, and exercising. It's 3:40 and all I have left is a little bit of picking up downstairs, cleaning the master bathroom, ironing, a little bit of exercise, and cooking dinner...

Interesting pattern

2009-12-05T19:00:00.003-05:00

One of the writing exercises I've done recently gave me a very useful insight into what makes a compelling plot. I would summarize it as follows:

A sympathetic character (one with whom the reader can identify and who is basically good, but not flawless) experiences some kind of suffering or trouble at the outset of the story. This trouble is not the character's fault; it is generally caused by the antagonist (whether another character or something more general like societal conventions.) Some method of fixing the problem appears early in the book, but obstacles continually arise, alternately bringing resolution into sight and then snatching it away so that it looks impossible again. Eventually, the character gets not only what they hoped for, but something far better. As part of the resolution, the antagonist usually experiences some kind of negative consequences for their harshness toward the protagonist.

I can easily fit my Amish story, the Jairus novella, and my YA fantasy piece into this model. Faithful Unto Death is going to be a little more difficult, I think. I haven't tried yet with my futuristic thriller.

James Scott Bell

2009-12-04T10:10:00.005-05:00

I am reading (well, studying is probably a better word for it!) two books by James Scott Bell: The Art of War for Writers, and Plot and Structure. The first consists of lots of short chapters, some encouraging, others more informative about the writing process and becoming an author. The second is a practical how-to book on plotting.

As I finally have time to devote to writing this year, I'm realizing what a juggling act it is. It's not just sitting down to write whatever story has currently taken up residence in my brain! First of all, there are usually multiple stories fighting it out over which one gets to be worked on next... but I also want to spend more time working on my craft (thus the aforementioned books), establishing a web presence (thus my current activity : ) ) and working on finding an agent and getting published.

Wow! And that's without having been published... add in book signings, fan communication, etc. and it must get a little daunting!

Oh, yeah, I don't want to forget the link for James Scott Bell's website!

Hartline

2009-12-03T13:13:00.003-05:00

I've decided to bite the bullet and submit my manuscript to Tamela at Hartline. I've been wanting to for a while, but between an unexpected re-edit and the daunting list of supporting documentation they request... I decided to leave it on the back burner for a while.

But with homeschooling taking so much less of my time this year, I've decided to finally get serious about trying to get published. I'm very grateful to Kathy Fuller for her offer of help with figuring out the supporting documentation requirements.

First question, I'm going to ask her: What's the difference between this

One-page sell sheet
A one page overview that summarizes your novel

and this

Story Synopsis
Prepare a one to three page synopsis of your story?

Other than the second can be a little longer if there are things you'd like to put in but can't fit in the sell sheet... anyway I got a pretty good start on the whole thing yesterday.

Not that gaps in my blog are unusual (unfortunately) but...

2009-12-02T07:39:00.004-05:00

The earlier blogs about spending two nights in the basement taking care of Becky while she had swine flu explains the most recent gap. She, of course, gave the flu to me.

We weren't tested or anything, but it was definitely a flu-like bug, and since it began with Doug who had the seasonal shot at work -- it seems likely. It also fit the H1N1 description to a tee.

The timing could have been better. My first day out of bed (and only because I had no choice) was Tuesday -- two days before Thanksgiving, for which I was going to be feeding 23.

Writer of the week

2009-12-02T07:29:00.004-05:00

I've decided to start making notes of authors I've enjoyed so that next time I step into the library, I won't feel so clueless about where to look!

Recently, I came across Brandilyn Collins, and enjoyed the three books I read, Eyes of Elisha, Dark Pursuit, and Exposure. I'm not normally a huge fan of the paranormal craze -- I get a little uneasy with it sometimes. But she handles it very well, with no sense of pushing the limits of spiritual acceptability.

They've all been a fun read, too!

Here's her website for more info... http://www.brandilyncollins.com/

College visits

2009-11-30T09:58:00.004-05:00

I really need to get moving on some college visits. I think I've changed my mind about trying to take Becky along, too. I guess we'll just wait until next year, and hopefully, take her by herself to places more targeted to her own interests.

The places I definitely want to visit are Baldwin Wallace and University of Akron. I would like to find a Christian school with Tim's potential major, but thus far I've not succeeded.

Another interesting school

2009-11-20T22:41:00.001-05:00

Hope College, in Holland, MI

It's a Christian school, and seems to have some good aspects, as well as potential for Tim's interest in computers.

Night #2...

2009-11-20T22:23:00.001-05:00

... in the basement.

Tough Week

2009-11-20T09:16:00.002-05:00

Flu, I guess. First Doug started feeling bad over the weekend, and came home sick on Monday. Today's Friday, and he's finally back at work, but now Becky's sick. Having Doug home sick meant delivering meals, drinks, and Tylenol periodically, and wiping down every surface I thought he might have touched.

Becky, unfortunately, tends to get queasy when she has a fever. She has a very high fever now, and hasn't thrown up, so maybe she's outgrowing it. But at least partially because of that history, she likes me to stay close and take good care of her.

So I spent the night in the basement with her (notice I didn't say I slept in the basement with her.)

One blessing is that I don't have to spend Saturday in Columbus at the CAP conference with Tim. I have so much I'd like to accomplish in the next week or so. I'm just going to have to work on it while sitting with my little invalid, I guess.

Colleges

2009-11-14T15:21:00.002-05:00

Going through colleges to see if any in our geographical have Tim-like majors...

4 year programs
Calvin College
Baldwin Wallace +
University of Akron +
University of Toledo

I wanted to check Grove City, but their network must be having problems...

Middle of the night

2009-11-14T03:03:00.002-05:00

Can't sleep, so I guess I'll do some thinking/planning. I was looking for my notebook, but couldn't find it, so I guess I'll think here...

I want to change my schedule. The kids' school is less of a burden now that it has been in years, so it seems I should be able to get more done with my time.

Stuff I do already (when it could be scheduled)
Housework (Mostly Friday, some Monday)
Laundry (2-3 days a week or one load a day?)
Meal planning and shopping (once or twice a week?)
Cooking (blech, almost every day, though the kids are supposed to be taking a night each)
Homeschooling-includes planning, paperwork, teaching/correcting (mostly Sat. or Mon.)
Church work-offering, teen study, cleaning (Sundays, and every other Saturday?)
Time with kids (more or less daily, I'd hope)
Taking Becky to horse riding, Victoria, HOPE (Tuesday afternoon, Wed. a.m., Friday 2X)
Some writing (So far, just Tuesday evenings)
Some time with church women (here and there)
Computer time (probably too much - periodically through the day)
Reading (when I'm able or can't resist)

What I'd like to add:
More time with church people (prob. not very scheduable)
More time writing (some weekly daytime slot?)
Time spent developing an author's profile (website/blog/contacts) (same as above?)

That's all the thinking I can do right now -- after all, it's 3:30 in the morning, and I've been awake since before 1:00.

I'll try to come back to this and see if it suggests any kind of schedule...

Nice evening

2009-11-10T09:24:00.002-05:00

I went out with Kristyn from church last night. I enjoy her company a lot. We had dinner and walked around the Aurora Farms outlet mall.

Other than the fact that I ate too much, it was a very nice evening.

Doug said he and the kids had a nice evening too. Monday is their Bible study night, and he also looked at Trig with Tim and watched some old Dick Van Dyke shows with them.

Ordered it!

2009-11-07T09:37:00.002-05:00

For the first time, I was let down by the WTM boards, and did not receive an answer. But with both Doug's and Tim's approval, I decided to make the switch.

We started using it Thursday as a trial, and I know two days aren't much of a trial, but we're already behind for the year, so I went ahead and ordered my own copy, and the companion, on Friday.

I prayed hard during the last week for God to help me figure out what to do, so I'm sure hoping this is it!

Life of Fred

2009-11-05T11:14:00.002-05:00

I just emailed the author of the LOF math books... laying out my Precalculus sob story and uncertainties about switching into his curriculum. I ended by asking him to convince me that his was adequate for a kid going into the math/science field.

I can't wait to hear what he has to say.

I put basically the same question on the WTM high school board, and have yet to hear anything...

No Nano

2009-11-03T11:39:00.002-05:00

Well, not doing Nano again this year... I just realized this morning that if I were going to, I'd be three days late starting, but besides that, I just don't have time this year.

November is a HORRIBLE month to do it. Thanksgiving... Christmas prep, for me, an anniversary... a busy time in school...

It's just really tough. This year, though, I really want to finish (again) the final edit on FI.

November!

2009-10-21T21:35:00.003-04:00

I wasn't even thinking about it, and then I got an email from the coordinator of Cleveland NaNoWriMo. Ack! Do I really want to do that this year? Do I have time? Shouldn't I try and finish the edit job on FI before tackling FUD, or anything else?

UTI

2009-10-21T16:13:00.001-04:00

A bad one... the worst I've had in years. I don't want to go to the doctor, though, because if I do, I'll probably end up sitting in a waiting room full of people with H1N1, and I REALLY don't want that.

Blog musings

2009-10-15T16:02:00.002-04:00

I've used this space for all kinds of things... I really don't know what to do with it. I've noticed that it is migrating as different parts of my personality become more dominant. Initially, there was a tendency to comment more on politics or social concerns. Then it was abandoned for a while. I thought of having a more homeschool bent to the topics, but I'm really in the final throes of homeschooling. That will become less and less of my life for the next few years and then disappear entirely.

Now I'm just using it for my own record, but I'm wondering if I should give it a more literary bent, since that's hopefully the direction my life is headed.

Should it bother me that I don't have anything about specifically Christian content? That's the one part of my life that is most important and will never change.

Teacher's Conference

2009-10-15T15:58:00.003-04:00

Doug and I are going to CVCC for a teacher's conference tonight. I've never had one of these before, so I don't know what to expect.

I think Tim probably has one of the best grades in the class, and I know he's probably the most well behaved kid in there, so I'm not sure what we'll talk about.

I know Tim is more the slow and steady type, so he takes longer than many of the students to finish some of the assignments, and he's lost some points for things being late. Some of the work, like today's assignment, can't be finished at home, so if you work slowly, you just get behind during the hours you're there. I just don't want him to get discouraged.

Tired

2009-10-14T18:19:00.000-04:00

I am extraordinarily tired today, and I've got a bit of a sore throat, and generally feel yucky. I sure hope I'm not coming down with something.

PSAT

2009-10-14T11:08:00.002-04:00

Tim and Becky both took the PSATs this morning. Tim's a junior, so it 'counts' this year, not that I honestly expect him to make the NSMQT cutoff. He may have had a decent chance at doing so had we done a boatload of test prep, but it wasn't that high a priority. If he ends up missing by only a few points, I'll probably be kicking myself!

Becky's taking it for the same reasons Tim did last year: to get a sense of how close she'd be to NM scholar, and to have a practice run at it before the real thing.

I don't remember how long it took to get their scores. I want to check the WTM forums but they've been down all day.

WTW '81

2009-10-12T10:56:00.003-04:00

So this was homecoming weekend at my old high school. Of course, eighteen homecomings have come and gone since I graduated, and I've never known (or really cared much) about it. But things are different now that I'm on Facebook. Not only do I know about it, I get pictures.

I enjoy seeing the pictures, but the whole keg bus and pub crawl thing seems too reminiscent of high school for a bunch of 46 year olds to get that excited about. I guess I've become an old fogy, but by now, shouldn't we all? Isn't there a time for exchanging the ways of a child for the ways of a man, as Paul puts it?

Gray hair is a crown of splendor, according to Proverbs, and is a sign of the wisdom that comes with age. I guess I'm glad to be an old fogy rather than still wanting to get down and party.

I'm probably misjudging... hopefully it was a lot more about reconnecting with old friends than just about drinking!

Empty Calendar

2009-10-12T10:53:00.002-04:00

I have nothing written on my calendar today. That doesn't exactly mean I have nothing to do. HA! In fact, as always on Monday, I have a very long 'to do' list. And, unfortunately, it also doesn't mean I don't have anywhere to go. I probably should run three errands today: bank, BMV, and UPS store. Maybe I can save the UPS store for tomorrow when I have to go grocery shopping, since it's next to Marcs.

Ah, well. Life is busy enough, it seems.

The last shall be first...

2009-10-12T10:16:00.002-04:00

I had a novel thought this morning during my devotions... Will those of us who are following the Lord in the peace, affluence, and safety of 20th/21st century America be the 11th hour workers receiving the same reward as those who have followed the Lord through hunger, persecution, and suffering?

Lord,

2009-10-11T16:21:00.001-04:00

Apart from your grace, I have nothing of value to give these girls tonight. Grant that the words I speak may be imbued with your power to touch hearts and change lives.

Nice Date

2009-10-10T21:23:00.003-04:00

Had a nice time out with Doug tonight. It seems we're always so busy that we rarely have time to talk. We talked about kids, church, various friends, theology, etc. Just a chance to reconnect and remember why we enjoy each others' company.

I can't imagine what it will be like in a few years when we don't have kids around and have as many evenings together as we wish. I expect that we'll try to invest that time in the Kingdom somehow, instead of being self-indulgent.

My very unrealized goal for both then and now: a life of service, sacrifice, and self-denial instead of a life of self-indulgence.

Grace, Lord, grace...

I'm an idiot

2009-10-06T11:57:00.001-04:00

I feel so bad. Since Jeff is out of town for a few days, I invited Missy and the kids over for dinner, but completely spaced that tonight's my writers' group.

I had to call and uninvite them. UGH!

Big day today

2009-10-06T11:56:00.001-04:00

Tim takes his driving test today... I think he should pass but the Ohio test is definitely tougher than what I had to take in VA 30 years ago!

First try

2009-10-04T12:27:00.002-04:00

Okay... a first guess at an elevator pitch...

Free Indeed tells the story of Onesimus, the runaway slave referred to in the Biblical book of Philemon. Though he hates being a slave, Onesimus is too fearful to risk escape until his master, and everyone else in the family except him, becomes Christians. To get away from the faith he despises and can't share, he runs away. The story tracks his adventures traveling through the Empire to Rome, where he finds success using his artistic talent in decorating pottery. Recognizing Paul as the man who converted his master, loneliness and emptiness cause him to follow when he witnesses Paul's arrival under arrest in Rome. After his own conversion, he continues under an assumed name and false identity for several years before he confesses his deception, repents, and agrees to return and make restitution to Philemon.

Editing

2009-10-03T12:23:00.003-04:00

I'm realizing that I need to self-edit a bit more before I post on blogs or facebook. I've been having to go back and fix things two or three times as often as not. My biggest problem is reusing the same words again and again in one entry.

Now I'm going to read what I just wrote before I publish it...

I was more careful this time, so it looks okay.

Ooops

2009-10-03T12:17:00.004-04:00

I put a FB comment under the wrong person's status, and it made me sound like a druggie or something.

I intended to mention that a blistering hot shower just as the pills start taking effect works wonders after Susan's status about waking up with a sinus headache... instead it went after Ginny's post about loving Saturday mornings.

erk!

Not home much...

2009-10-02T14:17:00.003-04:00

It seems like Thursdays and Fridays are going to be 'out and about' days. On Thursday, I'm gone from about 10:20 until almost 11:30, and then once I get home, Becky and I leave almost immediately for lunch and several hours of library visiting and shopping.

On Fridays, I take Becky to HOPE in the morning, then pick Tim up from CVCC and take him out to lunch, and then I have to pick Becky back up at 3ish.

I just have to make sure that the important stuff each week gets done by Wednesday, I guess.

Elevator Pitch

2009-10-01T08:09:00.003-04:00

Last month at our writers' group, Matt & Stef were telling us about a conference they went to, and something they said caused me to suggest that our group take a session to work on our pitches -- what we'd say if we had one minute or so to impress a potential agent or publisher.

It's something I've known I need to do for years, because at this point, I have nothing.

But now I have to have one for critiquing by Tuesday... HELP!

Cold, callous, uncaring

2009-09-30T23:08:00.002-04:00

That's how I feel sometimes, like tonight, when I realized that it never occurred to me to bring up the Samoan and Sumatran tragedies during prayer request time at church this evening.

BTW

2009-09-30T21:29:00.000-04:00

I don't like dogs, and I really don't like barking dogs!

Cold all of a sudden

2009-09-29T08:50:00.001-04:00

Too cool, windy, and rainy yesterday, so I never took a walk. Unfortunately, today promises to be worse.

Airfare to Albuquerque for Christmas

2009-09-29T08:46:00.002-04:00

Well, I got okay prices for our tickets. The kids and I came to $882, which is about a hundred dollars more than we'd have paid if I'd chosen the option that would have required Tim to miss a few days of school. Doug's is $350 or so - hack, choke - but we knew that he'd pay more because of flying at peak times.

Considering the ages of the kids, and how often we fly instead of drive, this is probably the last time we'll have to pay four airfares, though.

Calvin College

2009-09-28T21:25:00.003-04:00

I was looking at their website... it's a Christian school in the Midwest, which makes it potentially interesting for Tim, but YUCK! Maybe I've gotten hypersenstive, but on the front page, they have links to their news and information type stories, and the first one is about all their wonderful diversity.

I clicked on the link, and the first three of four articles were on their diversity, on their 'green' initiatives, and on HIV something or other. Can we get a little more PC, folks?

BLECH!

Encouraging

2009-09-28T15:35:00.002-04:00

I wasn't sure how well things would go at the teen Bible study. My kids, Becky especially, are very audio-focused. She loves to listen to stories, but I wasn't sure if these girls would be used to it enough to follow the story line and get anything out of it.

I was pretty impressed. It seemed as if, at the end of the story, each had followed it, and understood the characters and their choices. I enjoyed hearing what they had to say during the discussion. I wonder if I should have made the questions deeper?

Chores

2009-09-28T14:14:00.002-04:00

Well, the endless search for the perfect chore chart that will make my life easier, and somehow turn my children into responsible, mature, domestically-skilled individuals continues...

The latest twist in the game... no chore chart! At this point, I think they've gotten good enough (for now!) at housework, but could really use some time in the kitchen. Also, I feel like I need to exert some major self-discipline, and control over the housework, because it hasn't been kept in acceptable shape lately!

So, I'll take over all the housework again (oh, joy!) and have them each cook dinner and clean it up one night a week.

I don't really expect this one to be much more successful, but at least we can have some variety in our failure.

Choices

2009-09-23T13:21:00.003-04:00

My thinking about this Sunday's teen girl's Bible study has changed. I'd initially been focused on exploring attitudes that would keep them from hearing Jen's words on repentance. It's become a discussion on choices we make in general, both spiritual and practical daily choices.

I want to finish it today so I can give it to Jen tonight to look over. I'm spending a lot of time trying to make it visually appealing... colors, boxes, borders, etc.

Patrick Swayze

2009-09-15T07:37:00.003-04:00

I wonder if the Lord is calling my generation to listen... so many of the celebrities we grew up with have died recently. Will it make anyone seriously consider our lives are just a passing flower, and we'll stand before the Judge sooner than we think?

Fell off the wagon...

2009-09-14T16:02:00.002-04:00

Well, for the last couple of weeks, I haven't done as well as I had been in terms of my eating and exercising. It wasn't to the point of gaining weight, but if I've lost any over the last two weeks, it hasn't been much!

I think I'll be able to climb back on though. One problem is this weekly rewarding of each kid with lunch out... I might start taking them out and just getting unsweetened iced tea or something. I don't know if I can lose weight and eat out twice a week or more!

Gold

2009-09-14T09:22:00.002-04:00

One of Doug's brothers thinks it's time to buy precious metals. It makes a lot of sense to me... I've always understood that if the government overspends and then prints money to cover itself, it will cause inflation. I've also understood gold to be a good hedge against inflation.

All of which does seem to suggest that now would be a good time to follow Steve's lead... BUT, if that were really true, would every single conservative talk show have ads pushing gold? If they companies making the ads really believed that a collapse of the dollar was imminent, would they really be giving us their gold in exchange for our dollars? Wouldn't they be holding them, or at least only selling to those who approached them, instead of spending incredible amounts of money on all these commercials?

What I think might be the best hedge against inflation right now is real estate, but that costs more and adds a layer of complication to life that I'm not sure we want now.

I guess our security will have to be in the Lord!

God is so good

2009-09-14T09:16:00.003-04:00

It's a busy Monday morning, but I'm so aware of God's faithfulness and goodness today.

I have a lot of things/people I'm praying for:

Frank S., who has been really sick with pneumonia
Jack M., who may be rapidly descending into Alzheimers
M. family, that God would lead them to a church where they can be blessed and a blessing
Our pastor and his family, who give so much to the church, that God would protect and provide for them
Other M. family, having difficult health, financial, and family concerns all at once

Thanks, Lord, that we can be confident that all these things are working for good to those who love you and who are called according to your purpose.

Busy day

2009-09-12T14:42:00.002-04:00

Since Tim's CAP work at the Kent State Airshow meant we couldn't go to DC, I used the time most productively, if not at all 'funly!'

4-5 loads of laundry, cleaning 3 bathrooms, vacuuming the entire house, and hopefully getting the kitchen mopped and picking up a bunch of stuff from Walmart. Not to mention figuring out something cheap and easy for dinner tomorrow night...

Do the next thing, right?

9/12

2009-09-11T11:26:00.002-04:00

I sure wish I could go to Washington DC for the 9/12 rally.

HOPE

2009-09-11T11:21:00.002-04:00

Becky started at HOPE (Homeschools Organized to Provide Education, or some such) today... she's taking five of six possible classes, so she'll have one hour free. I've been thinking she should use it to get work done, but it might also be a time to get to know some of the other kids. (Although she's in a very small minority in not taking the British Lit.)

I sure hope the kids are nicer than they were at VCA. Some of the things at HOPE seem distressingly 'schoolish' to this determined homeschooler, but these are not kids who are products of a school environment, so they should be significantly nicer than the VCA folks.

And it's only one day a week, so it could never be as miserable as when she was in school all day every day. How can people do that to their kids?

One more quickie, then off to do laundry!

2009-09-08T07:35:00.003-04:00

It's still early in September, so maybe I shouldn't be getting anxious, but I'm having a heck of a time finding good flights at an acceptable price to go to ABQ over Christmas... I think I need to ask God for help on this one.

Lord, you know all the reasons we want to do this, and you know how much is okay to spend on it. Please guide me to the right tickets, at the right time, and give me the discernment to know when I I've found them.

Thanks.

Rain!

2009-09-08T07:34:00.001-04:00

I'm so glad it's raining. I really didn't want to have to water the garden and the outside pots today!