Superior Scribbler Award

Even though it took me forever to get this up, I really was excited to receive this award from Michelle. Thank you for the compliment. You made my day.

Now to give it away again. . .
Amanda - who doesn't post nearly as often as I'd like, but whenever she does, it always brings a smile to my day.
Josi - who inspires me and encourages me.
Ali - cuz Ali's just awesome and a fellow Canadian!
Jenna - she says it like it is and says it so well.
Jordan - my newest friend from the LDStorymakers conference and a grammar genius.

Please read below to see how to claim your prize:

Of course, as with every Bloggy Award, there are A Few Rules. They are, forthwith:

Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Eight is Great

Ali tagged me and I decided to play along. So here are the rules:

• mention the person who tagged you. (Hi Ali!)
• complete the list of eights
• tag 8 other bloggers
• tell them they have been tagged
  

Eight things I look forward to:

1. School getting out for summer. One more month to go.
2. My twenty year class reunion in July.
3. Publishing my first book.
4. Spending a week with my sister in August.
5. School starting again in the fall (summer can only go so long).
6. Going to bed tonight. It's been a long week.
7. Reading all the books on my summer reading list.
8. Teaching my youngest daughter to sew. (It's way overdue.)
   

Eight things I did yesterday:

1. Subbed at the school.
2. Had a meeting with my youth writing group.
3. Practiced a song that I get to sing in church tomorrow.
4. Put together a craft for the primary activity.
   
5. Prepared food for a barbeque.
6. Did the dishes (sure wish I could get the dishwasher fixed.)
   
7. Hosted a barbeque for my oldest daughter and a bunch of her friends.
8. Chaperoned the high school Sadie Hawkins dance.

Eight things I wish I could do:

1. Exercise and love it.
2. Travel the world.
3. Find the time to devote to all my hobbies.
4. Hire a gardener.
5. Highland dance.
   
6. Speak french.
7. Knit
8. Remember names better.

Eight television shows I watch:

1. Survivor
2. American Idol
3. Criminal Minds
4. the news. . . that's about it. We have peasant vision, so our selection is limited and there really is so little worth watching anyway.
5. If I did have more selection, I'd watch What Not to Wear
6. and any of the home decorating/renovating shows.
7. and some of the sewing shows. So it's probably good I can't get those, or I'd spend a lot of time with the tv on.

I can't come up with eight people, but I will tag Sheila, Christy, Amanda, Melissa, and anyone else who wants to play.

Don't Forget Your Sunscreen

We have been having a run of track meets to attend over the last week. Last Thursday, my son participated in the junior high meet while my older daughter got to skip out of her classes and be the score keeper.

I've been preaching the benefits of sunscreen to these kids since they were old enough to talk but do you think either of them remembered? Both came home resembling lobsters. My son has very sensitive skin and by the time school ended, he had a horrific sunburn on his face and arms and his nose was one big blister. I'd go into details, but I won't. Let's just say it was gross. With numerous applications of aloe, lavender water, and cider vinegar his nose healed quickly and seems to be almost back to normal. (The vinegar was NOT on his nose. I can only imagine vinegar on a blister would add insult to injury.) But I don't even want to think about the permanent damage to his skin from his yearly sunburns.

My oldest daughter also came home with her fair share. She got the same first aid treatment, but her biggest problem was her feet. She couldn't wear anything more than flip-flops for a few days as her toes and the top of her feet were red and swollen. To top it off, she 'forgot' to drink enough water all day. So by the time she finished helping out at the track meet and then performing in a highland dance recital that evening, she was suffering a mild case of heat exhaustion.

Today, my youngest daughter had her track meet. I asked her several times this morning if she had remembered her sunscreen. She assured me she had and told me she didn't want to have the same problems as her siblings. Well, she did remember. Except for the back of her legs and her shoulder/collarbone area. At least she has a much darker complexion than the other two. The red will fade to the beginnings of her deep summer tan by Friday. Still, how many times must I tell them to wear sunscreen? Will they never learn?

We also had a bit of a scare at the track meet today. I was watching the youngest do her high jump event when another parent came to get me and told me my daughter had collapsed. I ran over to the track to find her laying on the ground surrounded by teachers. They said they weren't sure what happened, but she had passed out. Long story short, we ended up at the clinic so the doctor could make sure everything was okay, and after a shot in the stomach and an afternoon in bed, she seems back to normal. I'm not good with this kind of thing though. When I'm supposed to be tough and take care of the situation, I'm fighting back tears. I hate seeing my babies in pain. I guess it's a learning, growing experience for all of us.

Meanwhile, the meets are over. We'll file the memories away and pull them out next year, a little fuzzy around the edges. The sunburns won't seem as bad, and we'll look forward to another day enjoying the sun. And no - they'll probably never learn.

Nothing Like a Good Book

As I've mentioned in previous posts, this spring has been hectic. I always know life has gotten away from me when I don't take the time to read. During the first part of the year I read most of the Whitneys and cast my vote, but other than that, my library card has been sadly unused. The stack of books I brought home from the LDStorymakers conference still sits untouched. (Except for the books I brought my kids - they were promptly devoured and then added to my pile.)

After I sent off the manuscript yesterday, my brain felt fried and I found myself a little at lose ends. Not to say there weren't things waiting for some attention. The sewing room has countless projects waiting for some attention, there is always cleaning to do, correspondence to catch up on, and a 20 year reunion to finish planning. But there wasn't anything with a real deadline attached.

So I read a book - from start to finish. Then I started a second one. I'm looking forward to this summer when I won't be working at the school and I won't be babysitting. I will be working my way through the massive pile of books I want to read. And the great thing about reading - I feel more relaxed and better able to cope with the things life throws at me. Perhaps best of all, I can feel the creative juices start to flow again. I think there's a story just dying to get out. I'll let you know when I find it.

Stay Tuned

The writing conference is over. The grad dresses are finished and have been proudly displayed for the world to see. The ballet tutus are sewn and were turned in on Friday. Best of all, my manuscript edits are complete and I sent it off today. I even managed to get some weeding done in the flower garden. So with all the big things off my plate, I may actually get back to some regular blogging. Stay tuned. . .

My Group

Living in Canada is great. I love my home. But there are times I wished I lived in Utah just to be closer to the LDS writing community. I've even had a few people tell me that an LDS writer living outside of Utah shouldn't even bother. I didn't really believe them, but at times it was terribly lonely. Especially when I heard stories about other writing groups, retreats, and conferences that I just can't get to.

Critique groups are such an important part of a writer's life. It took me a long time to admit I was a writer and a long time to try to organize something, but I finally did it and it's been worth it. The group is only four months old but energetic and committed. We are all still learning how to give a good critique. The variety of writing styles is interesting and I look forward to hearing more from them every time we meet.

We have one new writer who just wanted to try writing. She'd been bitten by the bug and the few pieces of her work she's read have such a unique voice. She's quite excited about the whole thing and is eager to learn all we can teach her.

Another member has been working on a book, but had not been convinced to show it to anyone. I think this was a case of "be careful who you tell you're writing a book". She told a friend, who then told me. I called this girl and convinced her to join us. She's been a great addition and is much more talented than she'll admit.

A third member hasn't read anything to us yet. She's been busy researching, but has promised that next week she'll have something ready. She's got great energy and great ideas.

We also added a new person a few weeks ago. At first I thought she was overwhelmed by us, but she keeps coming back and says she is learning a lot.

Then there is my sister-in-law. When my brother married her, I didn't know she wrote. What a pleasant surprise. She's been my writing buddy for several years, and my partner at the LDStorymakers conference. ( I sure missed her this year.) I don't know what I'd do without her support. I love her writing style and can't wait to see where her current story goes.

So there's my group. In January, I'd just about given up. My ad had no responses and I thought maybe my SIL and I really were the only writers around. I'm thankful for the writing friends I found right here at home. We are even talking about planning a retreat next year for ourselves and two other Canadian writers we know of. And just wait. One by one we are going to burst into the published book world and prove that good LDS writers can live in Canada.

Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere

Finding Grace is her memoir, detailing the discovery of grace in her life. Like all children, she had hopes and dreams. The world spread out before her, promising great things. But the wonderful future disappeared when a neighbor boy molested her as a young child. Like many victims, she blamed herself and kept her secret for many years. As her dreams were denied she questioned why God would do this to her.

Through a painful struggle with infertility, Donna discovered grace in her life. She explains her discovery that God denies some of our dreams because He has better things in store for us. Even though it may seem He has abandoned us, in reality, He sees the bigger picture and knows each one of us personally and will guide our lives in directions we never thought possible if we just let Him.

I thoroughly enjoyed Finding Grace. Donna's writing is warm and inviting. She tells her experiences with tact and humour, and with this telling, invites each of us to recognize the hand of God in our own lives. This book is an uplifting reminder that it is possible to put pain behind us and move forward with hope.

Donna VanLiere is the author of The Christmas Hope series and The Angels of Morgan Hill. I recommend all of her books. You can read more about Donna VanLiere at www.donnavanliere.com