Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Moma Rock chose the topic: When you witness someone else making a mistake, what do you do? Do you believe it's a chance for lessons learned, or do you intervene?
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
I will admit I had a hard time coming up with what to say on this topic. It was so broad that I felt the need to narrow it down. And even then, it still felt like it could go so many ways. I didn't feel comfortable talking about witnessing personal, life-changing mistakes because we all make them in one way or another at different times. Then my older son had me check over his homework tonight and I got all obsessive over the spelling errors. I also read what the assignment was asking and felt he didn't do that, so I made him correct his work. He's in third grade and I want him to be accountable. I know my younger son's first grade teacher is more concerned about his handwriting and understanding how sentences work. However, third grade is more complex. My son is smart and is doing well in school, according to the parent-teacher conference I attended. However, I feel the need to correct his homework before his teacher sees it. I don't make the corrections, but I ask him to do it. I'm not as hard on my first grader with his homework, but I will still point out little errors that drive me crazy if they don't go corrected.
I'm not only the Grammar (and Spelling) Police with my family (and believe me, I've corrected my husband on things too), but also with friends. I have this mini-proofreader living in my brain and they won't leave me alone until I make sure errors are fixed at once. Don't even get me started on punctuation either. If I see so much as a comma out of place, I have to intervene! I'm sure I've annoyed people when I've pointed out spelling or grammar mistakes, but other people have appreciated it. I've been known to stand over someone and correct what they're writing as they are going along. I'm like the back seat driver of the writing world. One thing that frustrates me is when a book goes to final print and comes out with errors all over the place. If I were an author and those errors weren't caught before my book went to final print, I'd be fuming! Maybe some authors feel they just have to let it go and hope the readers aren't as obsessive as yours truly.
I don't know why I'm so obsessive about little errors or why it's so important that something looks right. Shouldn't I allow my kids to be kids and let their teachers correct them, if necessary? Why is it so important that their work be turned in with proper spelling and grammar? I feel that I'm preparing them for the future, where a little mistake could cost them in the long run. (I recently witnessed a mistake that could have cost someone a large amount of money, but thankfully the responsible party realized what they did and was able to stop it in time.) Having my kids be accountable for their work and how they present everything is a step in the right direction. After all, I don't want them to be Rachel Green and send off their resumes with a glaring error.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
How qualified is OVERqualified?
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Can someone be overqualified for something?
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
When I think of the word "overqualified," I think of applying to jobs. Then again, I was usually told I didn't have enough experience for the job I was angling to get. How does one get experience if no one will give it to them in the first place?!? I don't know that I've been overqualified for any of the jobs I applied for, per se. Most jobs I've had required a learning curve of some sort. My husband has the kind of career now where he could be overqualified for certain positions. He's made his way up the IT ladder since he started out in the field. So he now even feels overqualified for a job that he had five years ago.
Oddly enough, in timing with this week's topic, I saw this article about a bestselling author who tried to get a job at The Container Store. Do you think her past jobs have rendered her overqualified? When is a job just a job?
I was thinking about the field of performing arts and how someone who is an established actor would be overqualified to be put in a movie as an extra without a speaking role. I also thought about someone who has had a professional career going for an entry-level position in their field. However, if someone wants to start fresh in a field where they have no base of familiarity, I wouldn't say they are overqualified if they don't have the experience in that field to begin with.
There are some jobs or careers where one can never be overqualified. This is because I feel they should have as many qualifications as possible to be the utmost successful.
Doctor: I think you should have every qualification in the book and also pick up new skills if you're going to be responsible for someone else's health and well-being. Case in point...my younger son had terrible ear pain a few weeks ago. His ENT (that is "ear, nose and throat" specialist) couldn't figure out that the ear wax that he even saw was causing the problem. That caused his pain to last longer than it had to and added inconvenience for us both.
Dentist: Same thing...if the health of my teeth is in your hands, you better have every qualification imaginable. I'm still impressed with my dentist's ability to fix the tooth I cracked earlier this year. You can't even tell anything happened to it!
Teacher: If you have too many qualifications, you could always be a professor instead. Seriously, education is so important that someone should know what they're talking about first before passing along that knowledge. Especially with this new "Common Core" stuff our kids are being taught.
Any job involving possible danger to self or others. Like a pilot, construction worker, electrician, etc.
Chef: If the success of a restaurant is depending on your cooking skills, you should be as qualified as possible.
Any job involving handling money. Otherwise we're putting our trust in someone who could lead us into another Ponzi scheme.
President or any other major leadership role. Do I even have to explain this one?
What jobs do YOU think someone can't possibly be overqualified for?
This week Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Can someone be overqualified for something?
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
When I think of the word "overqualified," I think of applying to jobs. Then again, I was usually told I didn't have enough experience for the job I was angling to get. How does one get experience if no one will give it to them in the first place?!? I don't know that I've been overqualified for any of the jobs I applied for, per se. Most jobs I've had required a learning curve of some sort. My husband has the kind of career now where he could be overqualified for certain positions. He's made his way up the IT ladder since he started out in the field. So he now even feels overqualified for a job that he had five years ago.
Oddly enough, in timing with this week's topic, I saw this article about a bestselling author who tried to get a job at The Container Store. Do you think her past jobs have rendered her overqualified? When is a job just a job?
I was thinking about the field of performing arts and how someone who is an established actor would be overqualified to be put in a movie as an extra without a speaking role. I also thought about someone who has had a professional career going for an entry-level position in their field. However, if someone wants to start fresh in a field where they have no base of familiarity, I wouldn't say they are overqualified if they don't have the experience in that field to begin with.
There are some jobs or careers where one can never be overqualified. This is because I feel they should have as many qualifications as possible to be the utmost successful.
Doctor: I think you should have every qualification in the book and also pick up new skills if you're going to be responsible for someone else's health and well-being. Case in point...my younger son had terrible ear pain a few weeks ago. His ENT (that is "ear, nose and throat" specialist) couldn't figure out that the ear wax that he even saw was causing the problem. That caused his pain to last longer than it had to and added inconvenience for us both.
Dentist: Same thing...if the health of my teeth is in your hands, you better have every qualification imaginable. I'm still impressed with my dentist's ability to fix the tooth I cracked earlier this year. You can't even tell anything happened to it!
Teacher: If you have too many qualifications, you could always be a professor instead. Seriously, education is so important that someone should know what they're talking about first before passing along that knowledge. Especially with this new "Common Core" stuff our kids are being taught.
Any job involving possible danger to self or others. Like a pilot, construction worker, electrician, etc.
Chef: If the success of a restaurant is depending on your cooking skills, you should be as qualified as possible.
Any job involving handling money. Otherwise we're putting our trust in someone who could lead us into another Ponzi scheme.
President or any other major leadership role. Do I even have to explain this one?
What jobs do YOU think someone can't possibly be overqualified for?
Thursday, October 30, 2014
We've come a long way, ladies!
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Froggie chose the topic: Feminism
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
The word "feminism" has been around for a long time. Longer than I've been in existence. However, I have always just looked at it as a concept instead of something that had a definition to it. It seemed so broad and all-encompassing. And I don't want to make generalizations or stereotypical labels on what I think a feminist is. So I decided to go straight to thedictionary Internet to get the real meaning.
Merriam-Webster defines Feminism as...
*The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities
*Organized activity in support of women's rights and interests
Wikipedia defines Feminism as...
A collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women.
Having seen all this, it doesn't really put my feelings on feminism in one camp or the other. I can't say I define myself as a feminist, given these definitions, even though I'm obviously pro-women's rights. It sounds more like even if I do believe that women and men should be treated equally on the social, political, and cultural, and economic spectrums, I am not truly a feminist if I'm not marching in front of the White House holding a sign that says I believe these things to be important.
I do feel women have come a far way since the time our grandparents or even our parents were our age. Even though back in the day, some women were doing more than just being nurses or secretaries. Amelia Earhart flew a plane across the Atlantic Ocean! Still, women entrepreneurs and CEOs are more a thing of the present. There are women writing and directing films. Entertainment Weekly just put out an article about female producers who have become successful in Hollywood. I recently read another article about women under 30 who are taking the technology field by storm. So yeah, I'm impressed with how far women have come in terms of their career goals. However, until their paychecks show that they should be earning as much as men (if not more), women will constantly be fighting for such rights.
Since I am involved in the book industry, by way of being a blogger, I have noticed that female authors are taking a stand against not having their books reviewed because they are women. Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner (two of my favorite authors) have spoken out about this in numerous articles. (See this one for example.) I've also seen women who still disguise their name in order to have their books noticed more. J.K. Rowling didn't only go by her initials for the Harry Potter series, but she also wrote books for adults under a man's name. (Oddly enough, there are male writers who disguise their name so they can foray into women's fiction, so I guess it works in reverse too.) There are some great novels written by women and I am always proud to see them as bestsellers, movies, etc. It's not just about romance novels anymore.
I have to admit that when Froggie presented this topic, I felt overwhelmed. There really are a lot of directions I could take it in and I really don't have the time and motivation to write what could turn out to be a term paper by the time I was finished. All I can say is that women in my generation and in the next generations are forging paths for themselves and the women of the future who will need to pick up where we left off in order to show the world we mean business (and not just in the career sense).
These days, I'm just proud of my daughter who refuses to admit that she's pretty or cute, wants to do everything by herself, and holds her own when it comes to standing up to her brothers. If the future is in her hands (and the hands of girls like her), we have nothing to worry about!
This week Froggie chose the topic: Feminism
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
The word "feminism" has been around for a long time. Longer than I've been in existence. However, I have always just looked at it as a concept instead of something that had a definition to it. It seemed so broad and all-encompassing. And I don't want to make generalizations or stereotypical labels on what I think a feminist is. So I decided to go straight to the
Merriam-Webster defines Feminism as...
*The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities
*Organized activity in support of women's rights and interests
Wikipedia defines Feminism as...
A collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women.
Having seen all this, it doesn't really put my feelings on feminism in one camp or the other. I can't say I define myself as a feminist, given these definitions, even though I'm obviously pro-women's rights. It sounds more like even if I do believe that women and men should be treated equally on the social, political, and cultural, and economic spectrums, I am not truly a feminist if I'm not marching in front of the White House holding a sign that says I believe these things to be important.
I do feel women have come a far way since the time our grandparents or even our parents were our age. Even though back in the day, some women were doing more than just being nurses or secretaries. Amelia Earhart flew a plane across the Atlantic Ocean! Still, women entrepreneurs and CEOs are more a thing of the present. There are women writing and directing films. Entertainment Weekly just put out an article about female producers who have become successful in Hollywood. I recently read another article about women under 30 who are taking the technology field by storm. So yeah, I'm impressed with how far women have come in terms of their career goals. However, until their paychecks show that they should be earning as much as men (if not more), women will constantly be fighting for such rights.
Since I am involved in the book industry, by way of being a blogger, I have noticed that female authors are taking a stand against not having their books reviewed because they are women. Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner (two of my favorite authors) have spoken out about this in numerous articles. (See this one for example.) I've also seen women who still disguise their name in order to have their books noticed more. J.K. Rowling didn't only go by her initials for the Harry Potter series, but she also wrote books for adults under a man's name. (Oddly enough, there are male writers who disguise their name so they can foray into women's fiction, so I guess it works in reverse too.) There are some great novels written by women and I am always proud to see them as bestsellers, movies, etc. It's not just about romance novels anymore.
I have to admit that when Froggie presented this topic, I felt overwhelmed. There really are a lot of directions I could take it in and I really don't have the time and motivation to write what could turn out to be a term paper by the time I was finished. All I can say is that women in my generation and in the next generations are forging paths for themselves and the women of the future who will need to pick up where we left off in order to show the world we mean business (and not just in the career sense).
These days, I'm just proud of my daughter who refuses to admit that she's pretty or cute, wants to do everything by herself, and holds her own when it comes to standing up to her brothers. If the future is in her hands (and the hands of girls like her), we have nothing to worry about!
Friday, October 24, 2014
Book Review: Leaving Time
I have to start off by saying that I'll post a short review with just some thoughts about the book in general and will then post spoilers for those who have read it and wish to discuss it with me at some point. (There may be spoilers in the comments, so don't look at them if you haven't read the book yet.)
First things first, the synopsis:
For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe that she would be abandoned as a young child, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice’s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts.
Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest. The first is Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons—only to later doubt her gifts. The second is Virgil Stanhope, a jaded private detective who originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they’ll have to face even harder answers.
As Jenna’s memories dovetail with the events in her mother’s journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish. (Courtesy of Goodreads.)
Basic thoughts:
This is definitely a departure from Jodi's more recent novels. There are no courtrooms or ethical dilemmas to focus on. Instead, it's more of a mystery but with many different layers and voices. It reminds me a lot of one of my favorite books of hers, Second Glance. Both involve ghosts in some way, since in Leaving Time, Serenity Jones is a psychic who has connections with people who are deceased. Both talk about sacred areas of nature being taken over by humans. Both have a "cold case" aspect to them. And both are incredibly compelling stories.
I really liked the voices of the four main narrators of this novel. When I read the synopsis, I wasn't expecting Jenna to be a 13 year-old girl, but I've been more interested in reading perspectives of teens and pre-teens lately, given that some get snuck into the chick lit novels I've been enjoying. She's very mature for 13 anyway, which makes me forget that she's that young. With Alice, some of her chapters are just descriptive of elephants and their behavior, so it takes a while to get to know her for who she is, outside of what is going on with the elephants. That's when her part of the story really picks up. I would have liked to know more about Alice's relationship with her mother, as well as what her childhood was like. Based on the synopsis of her short story, Larger than Life, I may be able to get more information. (Here's what I was saying about not going home just yet...) I was visualizing Jessica Chastain as Alice in the movie version. (Maybe because she was on the recent cover of Entertainment Weekly when I was reading this book.)
Serenity is just fascinating. I love learning about how she came into her psychic abilities and how they have affected her life. She's unforgettable in description with her cotton candy pink hair and her elaborate make-up. I definitely need to read the novella, Where There's Smoke, which focuses on her. I think it was written as a prequel. For some reason, I would picture her being played by Laverne Cox sometimes and Lisa Kudrow at other times. Finally there's Virgil. I wasn't expecting to like him at all, but it turns out that he has a soft side. I couldn't place his age and thought he was in his 50s, but apparently he was in his 30s. I kept picturing Jeremy Ratchford from Cold Case though. And even though Thomas wasn't a narrator, I was picturing Andrew Gillies (Orphan Black) as him when he's older. (Welcome to my mind...)
The only thing that weighed down the book a bit was all the scientific details about elephants. Some were fascinating, but it was more the emotional aspects. It would have been nice to have a glossary to explain some of the terms more in detail. I think I just had trouble keeping up with which elephant was which unless they had a prevalent role in the story, such as Maura. Some of the parts involving cruelty to the elephants were hard to read about. The elephant information reminded me of the wolf information in Lone Wolf. Both were very well researched though.
Overall, it was very hard to put this book down and even harder to stop thinking about it now that I finally have. If you've read it and want to hear the rest of my thoughts with SPOILERS included, keep reading. If you want to read the book and come back later to hear my thoughts in full detail, stop now and this post will be waiting when you get back. In the meantime, I'm going to share links for a few of Jodi's books and then those who want the spoilers can move down past this section.
My thoughts with SPOILERS included:
I first need to say that I saw the ending coming a long time before it did. When Jenna found her toddler-sized sneaker in the back of Virgil's car, that just spoke volumes to me. I immediately thought of a certain popular movie from 1999 and how that turned out. So I wasn't surprised when things unfolded the way they did. I will admit that the scene with Nevvie in the old rundown house threw me a bit. I was beginning to wonder if I was wrong.
I liked the Matrix-esque feel that came about when Jenna and Virgil started to realize they were both actually dead. And then you find out who else was actually dead...that just floored me. Knowing that Serenity was surrounded by spirits this entire time and she ended up talking to them out loud anyway because she thought that everyone she encountered was real? Well that was just priceless!
I have a hard time wrapping my head around the concepts of ghosts or spirits being able to have physical contact with the living world. It just doesn't work for me. Like where was all the evidence that Virgil was carrying around and having tested? Was that symbolically dead? How was he able to drive a car? Was it a virtual ghost car? Same with Jenna's bicycle crashing into Serenity's scrying bowl. And how Jenna was able to wear her mother's scarf and necklace. How were they eating all the food that Serenity ordered at the diner? Or was that make-believe ghost food? And how do they age if they're dead? Wouldn't they be frozen at the age in which they died? Or is it like Serenity said in relation to seeing her deceased mother, that ghosts can come back in a form that they want people to see them in. I recently read another story involving a ghost being able to connect physically with the living and their objects. So it's not just Jodi putting this stuff in her story.
Thomas' situation reminded me of A Beautiful Mind. In the end, I just felt bad for him. He really was a victim in some ways, both of his own head and of Alice cheating on him, which lead to the eventual death of his daughter.
I'm still reeling from the whole situation surrounding Jenna's death and disappearance. Being the mother of a three year-old, it freaks me out even more. It was so heartbreaking. And the way it happened was terrible, like a nightmare. I couldn't believe Nevvie would take an innocent life just to avenge her daughter's suicide. How spiteful can one get that they would resort to murder? I think I'm reeling from that the most. Just the way everything happened. I can't even imagine what Alice must have been feeling. Just horrifying.
I'd love to discuss this story with anyone who has read it so that they were able to make it to this point in the review without yelling at me for ruining the plot.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Thursday, October 23, 2014
In it to win it
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week I chose the topic: Have you ever won anything? If so, tell us about it. If not, tell us about something you'd love to win.
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
Over the past few years, I've not only been giving away books, but I've also entered a lot of book giveaways. There have been times when I actually won a book or two...or three. It thrilled me to no end each time that happened. A few of my favorite book prizes were The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes (from Novel Escapes), Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner (from a contest Sarah Pekkanen was having and she liked my idea the best at that time), The One that I Want by Allison Winn Scotch (from Manic Mommy...it was even signed!), Stay by Allie Larkin (from this website about dogs) and The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate (her son picked my name at random on Facebook). I've won numerous others, but those giveaways stick out to me for some reason. I've also won bookstore gift cards a few times, which has been nice. I remember winning one for $50 from Josie Brown a few years ago. I was thrilled!
I wouldn't say I've always been this lucky at winning stuff. The times I'd win something would be few and far between. I remember how hard it was to place at any level at speech tournaments. When I placed third for Verse Reading during sophomore year, I was over the moon. I placed a couple of times during senior year, but third was my highest. (Somehow I still liked doing speech team anyway. I think it was for the flirting aspect.) During junior year, I didn't get cast in any plays, but I assistant directed two of them and had a lot of fun doing that. At the end of the year, during the theater awards ceremony, I was elated to hear my name called out as one of the recipients of the Len Gustin Theater Service Award. I didn't see that coming at all and was so pleased to have won it.
I've won radio contests a few times, which is definitely a challenge. (There's that nervous feeling when the phone actually rings but then I just end up being caller number eight.) The biggest of the prizes was tickets to see Alanis Morissette and Barenaked Ladies in concert (10 years ago). Otherwise, I just got keychains and T-shirts for knowing random trivia.
A couple of years ago at work, our names got put into a raffle every time we actively participated in the database training program (like by answering questions correctly out loud). At the end of all the sessions, they chose a name and guess whose it was. Yep! I got a $50 Visa gift card and used it to buy a pair of boots (just for fashion, not for walking in snow). I always enjoy winning little things like this and am usually pleasantly surprised when it happens because I feel like it hardly ever does.
Even though I've won things, I'd like to talk about something I'd LOVE to win. While a large sum of money would be very much welcomed, I'd actually love to win a writing contest, either fiction or personal essay. I've entered a few in the past year or two, but haven't won any yet. I did get an honorable mention for the fiction piece I wrote this past summer and they sent me a swag package. I feel like my biggest success with writing, thus far, was during senior year when a play I wrote was published in the school's literary magazine and two different people directed it for directing class. That was 20 years ago and I think my writing skills have become more fine-tuned since then. (At least I hope they have.)
Since I like when people win things, I'm going to do a little giveaway right here for some random swag (and maybe even a book...) Just comment below and tell me about something you'd love to win. Please include your e-mail address or a way to reach you if you win. (US/Canada only. Ends October 30th at midnight EST.)
This week I chose the topic: Have you ever won anything? If so, tell us about it. If not, tell us about something you'd love to win.
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
Over the past few years, I've not only been giving away books, but I've also entered a lot of book giveaways. There have been times when I actually won a book or two...or three. It thrilled me to no end each time that happened. A few of my favorite book prizes were The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes (from Novel Escapes), Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner (from a contest Sarah Pekkanen was having and she liked my idea the best at that time), The One that I Want by Allison Winn Scotch (from Manic Mommy...it was even signed!), Stay by Allie Larkin (from this website about dogs) and The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate (her son picked my name at random on Facebook). I've won numerous others, but those giveaways stick out to me for some reason. I've also won bookstore gift cards a few times, which has been nice. I remember winning one for $50 from Josie Brown a few years ago. I was thrilled!
I wouldn't say I've always been this lucky at winning stuff. The times I'd win something would be few and far between. I remember how hard it was to place at any level at speech tournaments. When I placed third for Verse Reading during sophomore year, I was over the moon. I placed a couple of times during senior year, but third was my highest. (Somehow I still liked doing speech team anyway. I think it was for the flirting aspect.) During junior year, I didn't get cast in any plays, but I assistant directed two of them and had a lot of fun doing that. At the end of the year, during the theater awards ceremony, I was elated to hear my name called out as one of the recipients of the Len Gustin Theater Service Award. I didn't see that coming at all and was so pleased to have won it.
I've won radio contests a few times, which is definitely a challenge. (There's that nervous feeling when the phone actually rings but then I just end up being caller number eight.) The biggest of the prizes was tickets to see Alanis Morissette and Barenaked Ladies in concert (10 years ago). Otherwise, I just got keychains and T-shirts for knowing random trivia.
A couple of years ago at work, our names got put into a raffle every time we actively participated in the database training program (like by answering questions correctly out loud). At the end of all the sessions, they chose a name and guess whose it was. Yep! I got a $50 Visa gift card and used it to buy a pair of boots (just for fashion, not for walking in snow). I always enjoy winning little things like this and am usually pleasantly surprised when it happens because I feel like it hardly ever does.
Even though I've won things, I'd like to talk about something I'd LOVE to win. While a large sum of money would be very much welcomed, I'd actually love to win a writing contest, either fiction or personal essay. I've entered a few in the past year or two, but haven't won any yet. I did get an honorable mention for the fiction piece I wrote this past summer and they sent me a swag package. I feel like my biggest success with writing, thus far, was during senior year when a play I wrote was published in the school's literary magazine and two different people directed it for directing class. That was 20 years ago and I think my writing skills have become more fine-tuned since then. (At least I hope they have.)
Since I like when people win things, I'm going to do a little giveaway right here for some random swag (and maybe even a book...) Just comment below and tell me about something you'd love to win. Please include your e-mail address or a way to reach you if you win. (US/Canada only. Ends October 30th at midnight EST.)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Fair(ly cold) weather friend
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Moma Rock chose the topic: What are some of your favorite colder weather traditions?
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
I absolutely love autumn. It's my favorite season. The nip in the air reminds me that it's time to start wearing long sleeves and even--gasp!--sweaters! This past week, we celebrated Sukkot. To me, it's no fun to eat in a sukkah unless the weather is brisk and you can truly enjoy a hot bowl of soup while sitting under the stars. (One year, Sukkot was during a particularly hot week and the heat just took away the feel from the holiday.)
Every autumn, my husband makes Journey's End soup at some point. It's this hearty vegetable soup that we would eat at this restaurant in Illinois that we enjoyed visiting frequently. Since the restaurant was called Journey's End, we naturally had to name the soup after it once we got the recipe and he replicated it perfectly. Of course, the experience is not complete without some oyster crackers.
In the past, we used to take trips to check out the fall colors. We haven't done it as often as we did in the past, but we need to start that tradition again. It's really hard to impress my kids when it comes to just being out in nature and if the leaves aren't in a pile to jump in, they could care less.
I tend to bake more in the winter, especially on snow days, when there's nothing better to do. I also love stocking up on Candy Cane Joe-Joe's at Trader Joe's. They're like Oreos with little pieces of peppermint in the cream filling. So so SO good! And no winter is complete without hot cocoa and mini-marshmallows.
Winter is usually mild out here and schools tend to close when there's barely an inch of snow on the ground. I prefer there to be enough snow to send my kids out to play and allow them to enjoy building snow castles, sledding down our hill, and having snowball fights. Sometimes I even join in. One year, we had an insane amount of snow here (a.k.a. Snowmageddon) and everything was closed for a week. We'd go to our neighbor's houses for meals or have them over here. It was a fun week of bonding, even though the kids got restless after a while during the day.
While we don't have any set-in-stone autumn/winter traditions, we do look forward to Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. (Of course, they were at the same time last year.) New Year's Eve is pretty low key, but we're happy to spend it with close friends who live nearby. I'm just looking forward to the simple pleasures of the season overall.
This week Moma Rock chose the topic: What are some of your favorite colder weather traditions?
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
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| Our Sukkah a.k.a. The French Bistro |
Every autumn, my husband makes Journey's End soup at some point. It's this hearty vegetable soup that we would eat at this restaurant in Illinois that we enjoyed visiting frequently. Since the restaurant was called Journey's End, we naturally had to name the soup after it once we got the recipe and he replicated it perfectly. Of course, the experience is not complete without some oyster crackers.
I tend to bake more in the winter, especially on snow days, when there's nothing better to do. I also love stocking up on Candy Cane Joe-Joe's at Trader Joe's. They're like Oreos with little pieces of peppermint in the cream filling. So so SO good! And no winter is complete without hot cocoa and mini-marshmallows.
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| YUM!!! |
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| Our street during Snowmageddon '10 |
While we don't have any set-in-stone autumn/winter traditions, we do look forward to Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. (Of course, they were at the same time last year.) New Year's Eve is pretty low key, but we're happy to spend it with close friends who live nearby. I'm just looking forward to the simple pleasures of the season overall.
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| "So much fun-ukah to celebrate Hanukkah..." |
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
The Curse of the Non-Ghosts
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Ghosts
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
Darwin Shrugged certainly has good psychic timing with her topics. When she suggested "Ghosts," I just happened to be reading Haunted Ever After by Juliet Madison. It's like a cross between Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella and the movie Over Her Dead Body starring Eva Longoria (based on what I saw from previews). I'm enjoying it so far, but it reminds me how I have had absolutely no encounters with spirits from another realm. I sometimes hear noises in my house, but can't imagine that it would be haunted. Honestly, when I first was given this topic, I thought of two funny stories that hint at ghosts, but don't quite get to that level.
When I was at overnight camp with my BFF, some other girls in our cabin made a Ouija board and decided to see if they could channel any spirits. It was the middle of the afternoon and we were all sitting in our counselor's side of the cabin while a couple of the girls were trying to communicate with someone from above. At one point, it felt like they were getting somewhere and then we heard a loud voice say "HELLO EVERYBODY!" We were all freaked out! I think everyone screamed. Then we realized it was someone announcing that it was time for dinner. Such crazy timing, right?!?
About a year later, I was babysitting for the kids I regularly looked after on Saturday nights. One night, I kept hearing a kid yell "Mommy, Mommy!" When I went to check on the kids, they were either sound asleep or laying there calmly trying to settle down for the night. I asked the older kid if he was calling for his mom and he denied it. I kept hearing the voice though. I finally figured out it was coming through the baby monitor and shut it off. I figured I'd just check on the kids every so often. When the parents got home, I explained what happened and they said that the monitor was switched to another channel and picking up signals from a neighbor. Still...pretty scary at the time!
While those are fun and harmless stories, I got to thinking about the other ghosts who haunt me. These are also non-ghosts, as they are still alive, as far as I know. However, they are no longer a part of my life, nor am I a part of theirs. I don't need to get into reasons, but that's just how it is with some people. They still find ways to get to me, such as visiting me in my dreams, being around on social media, having doppelgangers in other towns, etc. Either it's because of unresolved issues as to why we're not connected anymore or things just ended badly and couldn't be fixed no matter what. All I know is that these people still manage to haunt me, no matter how hard I try to get them completely out of my mind. I don't have room for them in my mind to begin with and am not sure why they still try to make their presence known when it's not welcome. It's times like these that I wish I could do something similar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. However, I wouldn't want to forget other little details from the time periods when I knew these people, such as books I read, movies I watched, other friends I hung out with, etc. I just hope that we can all make peace on this realm so that they can finally exit my subconscious once and for all.
There are some people in my life who have passed on already and I wouldn't mind being haunted by them, especially my late maternal grandma and my late paternal grandpa. I figure this would be the best way for them to see what I've been up to and meet their namesakes. If that ever happened, I would just want them appearing as young and vibrant again.
Do you have any ghosts...or non-ghosts?
This week Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Ghosts
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
Darwin Shrugged certainly has good psychic timing with her topics. When she suggested "Ghosts," I just happened to be reading Haunted Ever After by Juliet Madison. It's like a cross between Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella and the movie Over Her Dead Body starring Eva Longoria (based on what I saw from previews). I'm enjoying it so far, but it reminds me how I have had absolutely no encounters with spirits from another realm. I sometimes hear noises in my house, but can't imagine that it would be haunted. Honestly, when I first was given this topic, I thought of two funny stories that hint at ghosts, but don't quite get to that level.
When I was at overnight camp with my BFF, some other girls in our cabin made a Ouija board and decided to see if they could channel any spirits. It was the middle of the afternoon and we were all sitting in our counselor's side of the cabin while a couple of the girls were trying to communicate with someone from above. At one point, it felt like they were getting somewhere and then we heard a loud voice say "HELLO EVERYBODY!" We were all freaked out! I think everyone screamed. Then we realized it was someone announcing that it was time for dinner. Such crazy timing, right?!?
About a year later, I was babysitting for the kids I regularly looked after on Saturday nights. One night, I kept hearing a kid yell "Mommy, Mommy!" When I went to check on the kids, they were either sound asleep or laying there calmly trying to settle down for the night. I asked the older kid if he was calling for his mom and he denied it. I kept hearing the voice though. I finally figured out it was coming through the baby monitor and shut it off. I figured I'd just check on the kids every so often. When the parents got home, I explained what happened and they said that the monitor was switched to another channel and picking up signals from a neighbor. Still...pretty scary at the time!
While those are fun and harmless stories, I got to thinking about the other ghosts who haunt me. These are also non-ghosts, as they are still alive, as far as I know. However, they are no longer a part of my life, nor am I a part of theirs. I don't need to get into reasons, but that's just how it is with some people. They still find ways to get to me, such as visiting me in my dreams, being around on social media, having doppelgangers in other towns, etc. Either it's because of unresolved issues as to why we're not connected anymore or things just ended badly and couldn't be fixed no matter what. All I know is that these people still manage to haunt me, no matter how hard I try to get them completely out of my mind. I don't have room for them in my mind to begin with and am not sure why they still try to make their presence known when it's not welcome. It's times like these that I wish I could do something similar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. However, I wouldn't want to forget other little details from the time periods when I knew these people, such as books I read, movies I watched, other friends I hung out with, etc. I just hope that we can all make peace on this realm so that they can finally exit my subconscious once and for all.
There are some people in my life who have passed on already and I wouldn't mind being haunted by them, especially my late maternal grandma and my late paternal grandpa. I figure this would be the best way for them to see what I've been up to and meet their namesakes. If that ever happened, I would just want them appearing as young and vibrant again.
 |
| July, 1998: Late maternal grandma at left and late paternal grandpa standing next to me |
Do you have any ghosts...or non-ghosts?
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