Sometimes what we are trying to say doesn't come out the way we want and the important information gets lost making it hard to get what we really want. Take this conversation between me and my two year old, for example:

R: I wanna macaroni
m: What? You want to eat Macaroni?
R: Macaroni! I wanna watch Macaroni
M: I've never heard of that show.
R:Macaroni, Macaroni (And becoming increasingly agitated and throwing items, etc, etc, etc)
M: You mean Max and Ruby?
R: (nervous laughter) Yeah, Mac a Runi.

See what I mean?  

A Budding Talent

My 8 year old started writing a book.  I heart the title.  And you know what, it actually does Kick Butt. 

On gardening

As we all loaded the car to get to dance class, I checked out my planters by the garage.  "Bell peppers!" I said, "This one is growing bell peppers!" I skipped to the car.  "A bell pepper is growing!"

I sighed and twisted the key in the ignition. I had gardened for years and everything, without fail,ended up brown, wilted, and choking in the hot dry dirt.  Probably because I forgot to water it.  But this time, thanks in part to late summer storms, I had basil, oregano, and a few large green plants complete with a beautiful, budding bell pepper.

"What's it supposed to grow?" asked my nine-year old, his face lighting up.

"Bell peppers," I said, a bit confused by his question.

"Huh," he said, his face falling.  "Aren't pepper plants supposed to grow peppers?  Isn't that the point? I'd be more surprised if it was growing something else.  Like bananas.  Now that would be something to get excited about--a bell pepper plant growing bananas."


Clearly this kid does not understand my accomplishment--that I am not an automatic 007 for gardening as I previously thought.  I guess I will just have to delight in this pepper all by myself (until a squirrel comes along and digs it up, scattering the beautiful plant across the yard including aforementioned bell pepper, and then I will have to write a post about those darn squirrels and how I should invest in an air-soft rifle despite my convictions).

Christina Perri - The Lonely (Official Lyric Video)

Since I really should be working, but don't feel like it, I thought I'd answer a question that my readers pose a lot.   actually, I've only been asked this once.  But the previous statement is still legitimate because that's about what my readership amounts to now...one!

When do you find time to write?

I thought I'd post my daily schedule to give you an idea.

6:00 AM My alarm goes off (Jon gets out of bed).  This is when I should get up, but instead I relish in my now huge bed.  I stretch my limbs and close my eyes and sleep until it's just not possible any more because Rosie woke up.
7:30-8:00 AM  Wake up.  Eat Breakfast.  Read Scriptures.  Feed Rosie.  Do Dishes...blah, blah, blah
10:00 AM Chores in immediate need of attendance are done! Yeah!  Open computer and stare at page.
10:05 AM   Yup.  Still staring at page, so I check Facebook, email, and the bank to make sure I still have money to buy groceries.  Yup.  Still do.  Good.  I really like to eat.
10:30 AM  Wow!  I hadn't meant to waste that much time.  Better get to work.  But first I need a song to inspire me.
10:40 AM  Okay.  Perfect.  I'm in a rhythm.  Who-hoo!  100 words and they're flowing.
10:45 AM   Rosie needs  a drink.
10:50 AM   15 words later and Rosie needs a snack.
11:00 AM    Hayden screams, "WHEN'S LUNCH!!!!  COME FEED ME LUNCH!!!!!"  I sigh, and go give her a little bag of carrots or a gogurt.  Lunch isn't for an hour!
11:05 AM   Writing Again
11:10 AM    Rosie needs lunch, so I feed her lunch and check Facebook again while I feed her yogurt.
11:20 AM    Writing
11:25 AM    All the kids are whining.  I give up.  Lunch for all.
12:00  PM   Rosie goes down for a nap.  Suddenly I realize I am still in my PJ's.  Take a quick shower and get dressed.
12:30  PM   Write!!!! Write!!!!  Write!!!! Things look good until...
2:00    PM    I've finished the chapter, but don't have a good hook to start the next.  Time for Facebook and email and the blue boards (an online community for writer's.)
2:20   PM     I have an idea!  Write three sentences then Rosie wakes up screaming.
3:00   PM     Snack for Rosie and the rest of the kids.
3:30-5:00 PM  Pool Time!!!!!
5:15-6:30 Circulate between cooking dinner, comforting Rosie, and breaking up arguments.
7:00  Jon comes home!  Yeah!  I do dishes, change into my PJ's again (don't judge me) and get to work.
10:00 PM After a good three hours of hopefully uninterrupted writing, I can finally go to sleep.  Except I can't sleep because all I can think about is how that first kiss is going to come about when I write the next chapter tomorrow.

If you are wondering when I do the rest of my chores, I can answer that for you in two easy words...I don't!

disclaimer...no, I do not live in filth.  In fact, I have a hard time working if things are not cleaned and vacuumed, and more than anything in this world I hate a smelly bathroom or unsanitary kitchen counters.  That's why I married Jon, so he could do it all for me.

You can't judge a book by its cover.

So not true, according to my son.  He said, "You know why people don't like most books?"

"Cause the story is bad, or it doesn't make sense?"

"No," Matthew said,  "It's cause the cover is stupid.  So you just need to get a good cover and people will like it and want to read it."

So maybe something like this will draw a couple of readers?

Maybe this for Awakened?
http://phatpuppyart.com/p819681742/h1d071a33#h1d071a33

Or this for Radiance?

http://phatpuppyart.com/p819681742/h2b815df1#h2d750e2e

Sorry, I can't get the art to post, so please click on the links and see Claudia's gorgeous work!

I often (okay, never) get asked what I do when I'm not writing.  

This quilt is an example.  I finished it between drafts of Awakened.  I titled it "Mary, Mary" after my daughter, Hayden, who is quite contrary.