Extend a Week

A couple of things to discuss. Last night I watched one of those movies that truly inspired me to do 'more'. I watched the movie "Once" and it has this simply and beautiful message of going for your dreams. It was a very sweet story of romance and friendship and the music was unbelievable. I couldn't wait to get the cd. The songs are so beautiful, I am now trying to find everything they have done. I guess the two of them, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have another cd together and he is the lead singer of a band called The Frames (I am trying to get my hands on some of theirs to check them out). I can't say enout about this movie other than to tell you to rent it and watch it.

As for extending the week - I remember one dream last night - and I remember it very vividly. I received an envelope in the mail and when I opened it, it included an acceptance letter for my Wishman story with recommendations for some adjustments. Two funny things about this: 1. I was thinking it was week 11, so that as of next week, had I not heard from them it was time to start resending. and 2. I did not interpret it to take it literally, but more as an encouragement to start getting it out there again.

I don't know if I have already shared this, but I went through this positive thinking seminar and read a bit of The Secret which talks about how we plan for and perceive things - instead of hoping for it, plan for when it happens. So I have done that and have kept that mindset throughout this submission. I have planned to hear from them in week 10 - which is not a great week, since I am being told that the majority of the writing markets do not accept submissions during the Dec./Jan. months. I just finished pulling out the calendar to count the 12 weeks so I can have the story ready to submit when it is up. This is the 10th week - so Houghton/Mifflin, you still have a few days to make my plans come true.

Christmas was a lot of fun - a long day, but a lot of fun. It seems Wii's and Zunes were the big gifts for the nieces and nephews. Worst gift this Christmas - um, yea, like I am going to post that, LOL!

10 MINUTES LEFT

I am cooking for the family's progressive dinner tomorrow and I realized that I hadn't posted yet this week. That is not living up to my self-imposed expectation of posting once a week. It was a busy week, as expected the week before Christmas. I had my mom, sister and her husband and my little nephew, Bobby over for dinner on Wednesday and they helped me to decorate one of my trees - the one that has the ornaments I have grown with and collected over the years. After it was done and they were gone, I sat to look at the tree. It was suddenly like, 'Ahhhh, it's Christmas.' This is the tree that will have to go up first in the future - it's the one that makes my home my home and my holiday spirit rise.

I have done well with having the spirit this year, seems like I am around a lot who aren't. I, of course, blame it on the weather - I think winter came to fast this year, comparatively. The past several years, the snow hasn't seemed to come and settle until after the new year and I think people being home more because of bad weather has started that cabin fever feeling early.

I am about to have myself a Grape Gorilla (my own name for the simple mix of grape vodka with white grape soda). While I continue with the decorating. I still seem to have a lot to do before people come over tomorrow - it's all good though. I am not stressing about it and have committed to only decorating until 2 and then going to bed.

So far, I have made brownies with M & M cookies mixed in, cheesecake (although I think I am going to make it for my gathering next week, but instead of the sugar in the crust mix, I am going to crush candy canes and then for the milk - I am going to use eggnog instead of milk (realize I am talking about the jell-0 easy mix cheesecake - oddly enough a family favorite. But I thought of that peppermint eggnog cheesecake after I had already mixed it up, or I would have done that tonight. I put the holiday mint kisses in a batch of the brownies too. If I get ambitious enough I will also be making lemon bars, but for now I think I am okay.

I believe I am hitting the twelfth week since submitting my story - and they said that if I hadn't heard from them by this time, they were not interested. So next week, I plan on starting to prepare to send it out again. Cool gift I got from my friend, Jason, the Gotham Screenwriting Book. I haven't gotten any real writing done lately - working and getting the house ready. Bad excuse.

Merry Christmas!

My Writer's Group Holiday Party

I was hoping to have a pic of the Writer's group I belong to - I forgot to pull out my camera, but as soon as some one shares it with me, I will post it. The party was really nice. FIRST of all - I did get my Amy's Christmas Gift (changed it from Present) revised and was all set to read it. There was some confusion and only one person got to read tonight, it's all good though - it was a fun story she read. I am not really happy with the flow of the end of the story, so I think it was just a further opportunity to get it updated. I made some homemade bread - a sweet pesto bread and then some of that tastefully simple spinach and herb dip. I picked up a couple of books for my 'writers gift'. I thought they were helpful but joking books - the cool thing is that several people appeared to think they were good books. I got to pick the first gift and got this cool book - I think it was a bunch of authors sharing about their first novel - but it got yanked right away. I ended up with a word a day calendar, which really is still pretty cool. The funniest gift tonight was a 2001 edition of the Writer's Market.

One of the coolest things about the evening - which most of the veterans groaned about was to look at goals. I was given a notecard to write on one side, my writing goals for 2008 and on the other side, the things I accomplished in 2007. It was nice looking at all I accomplished this last year.

Fantastic New Martini

Okay tonight's new martini for the evening is a hit - I call it Autumnfest.

1 part pumpkin spice liquer
1/2 part pear vodka
3 parts apple juice
1/2 part water

shake, pour, drink

Oh my, delicious.

Notes on Writing

Tomorrow is the Christmas party for my writing group. I am looking forward to it. I have learned a lot from this group. I know they would like it if I shared more, and I know I will reach that point eventually, but for now, I seem to be re-writing a lot while trying to write new things. I am in the process of coming up with a writing space and my plan for the new year is to have writing time on a daily basis. I really want to do that novel in a month next November. It is week 10, it was my goal that I would hear from the publisher that they were accepting my They Called Him the Wishman. There's only 3 days left this week guys, you better hurry and CALL!!! I am about finished with a short story that I started writing while at a boring seminar. I finished it on the writer's retreat, but had lost it, yea! for cleaning. I found it on Sunday and now need to do a re-write before I read it to the writer's group. I guess one of the fun things about tomorrow is that the readings which are presented are to have a holiday theme. If I can get Amy's Christmas re-written (based on what I have learned from this group) by tomorrow I will be reading it. The group was fun last week, it seemed like it took me awhile to really feel like I am fitting into this writing group - but I am there, I feel totally comfortable. One of the funniest nights was last night when we went out for coffee afterward. It was nice to hear a couple that are really wanting to hear more of my thriller. I need to get on that.

SADIE SAY GO!

BYE BYE SADIE

Here's ELVIS!

I just tried posting my first picture on my blog - I like it, I think I am going to try to do it more often. I haven't used this site again for a month - I am setting a goal of sharing on it at least once a week. I was going to share a pic of the dog I got rid of on Saturday. Sadie is now with a new family and hopefully will have a better life. I tried to make it work but the two of us were not a good match - I am either too old or to set in my ways, or maybe simply too selfish, but no bitch is going to piss on my carpet anytime she is angry with me or doesn't get her way. I might post a pic of her when I find it, but Elvis and I are much happier without her.

Tree Decorating Party

My friends David, Matt and Blake came over for dinner and to help me decorate one of my trees (it's too lonely doing it alone so I started the tradition of having people over - these guys helped last year, along with another friend, Mike - he was late this year). I made them a fantastic dinner of beer can chicken, twice baked garlic potatoes, pepperoni bread, salad and a wonderful dump cake. It was delicious (although I didn't get to eat it until 2 hours after everyone else ate - I had a horrible choking incident and it took a couple hours to clear up.) The tree looks beautiful - it has only been up two nights now and and both nights before I went to bed, I sat in front of it with my bedtime martini (pear vodka is still my vodka of choice) and make a Christmas wish and thought of something I am grateful for.