A day that changed my mind

I wasn’t really paying attention that day. The flier said to sign up if I wanted to go to some beach. I figured, I was in France to experience everything French, not just Paris, so I signed up. Besides, a little break from the cityscape would be refreshing, even if it was too cold to go for a swim.

My little group of fellow study-abroaders got on the bus, and we chatted about this and that. The lead teacher handed out a flier with an itinerary of what we’d be doing at the beach. … The first stop was a holocaust museum. A little morbid for the beach, but I’ve never been to one before. I probably should go…. but it’s really not my thang. Continue reading A day that changed my mind

The greatest post in the world. Tribute.

Last night, I had the most brilliant idea about my next blog post. It was a shaft of brilliance within the murk of “I dunno, what do YOU want to do?” It was simple, clear, insightful, and just a little funny. I’m pretty sure there was fresh baked bread and little bunny foo-foo in there somewhere, too.

I thought to myself, “Why is simple so spectacular? Man, this is good stuff! I’d better write it down so I don’t forget. … Nah, who am I kidding? This is so smart, there’s no WAY I could forget this.”

And then dooooown came that famous bitch fairy from the forest, also known as Sleep Deprivation, who clearly didn’t like my attitude, and well, you know the old saying, “Hare today, goon tomorrow.”

I’m not sure who I’m more sorry for: you or me. You, because you never got to know such enlightenment, or me, because I actually forgot it.

Ah, well. Another glittering, glowing gem in the literary firmament has winked its last.

Tune in next week, when you’ll hear Bullwinkle say, “Hey, Rocky. Watch me pull a foo-foo out of my hat!”

A different medium

You know that movie? It was based on that best selling book that was soooo good. When you read that book, that one scene just blew your mind. And that one character– if they were a real person, you would TOTALLY hook up with that hotness!

And then! They announce they’re going to make a movie from that book! Remember how excited you were? You were finally going to see your favorite scene! Continue reading A different medium

Apples: The Other October Flavor

Honey doesn’t like pumpkin. Like, he just won’t touch it– pie, bread, muffins, cookies, drinks– any of it. So, while I could make pumpkin baked goods (and share their awesomeness with you), they won’t get eaten very fast in my house. I’m hungry, but I’m not that hungry. And while I could bring pumpkin goodies to the office, I’d prefer to make something that Honey can enjoy too.

This makes the pumpkin frenzy that starts every October more than a little annoying for me. It seems like everyone else on the Internet (at least in the kitchen communities) is busy squeeing about pumpkin spiced everything, and I cannot tap into any of it. However! There is another home-grown flavor available starting in September and going straight through every autumn. I’m really excited about the other autumn flavor: apples. Continue reading Apples: The Other October Flavor

An Essential Difference Between Boys and Girls

I’m still working on my gluten free baking skills. I have come to the conclusion that I have to use baking recipes that are specifically designed for gluten free ingredients; I cannot “just substitute” a gluten-free all-purpose flour and have it turn out okay. I think I’ve come to this conclusion at least three times, the most recent being last weekend. For some reason unbeknownst to my logical mind, when I got into the kitchen, I grabbed all my old favorite recipes, and got horribly, dismally upset when they didn’t turn out right. Continue reading An Essential Difference Between Boys and Girls

Taking on “The Pink”

October is a complicated month for me. On the one hand, Halloween! …which, I have to admit was a lot more fun when I was able to be involved somehow. Kids in our neighborhood go to the mall or their church for candy, and I hate the large crowds of strangers that most Halloween parties involve. I do love the historical aspect of the holiday, as a way to reconnect with ancestors and beloved dead. As my list of beloved dead creeps longer, this holiday carries deeper meaning for me, but that is still a fairly personal affair and not very social.

The other well known aspect to October is The Pink Invasion, also known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink ribbons freaking everywhere. I even see macho men get in on the action: certain NFL teams are using pink tail-towels and logos.

And it pisses me off for SO many reasons. For one thing, did you know that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month? No? Probably because no one you know died from it like my mother did. Do you know what color ribbon to wear for, say, stomach cancer? Leukemia? Lung cancer? Or what month to wear it? There are so many KINDS of cancer, and yet the only one I see year after year is The Pink. Continue reading Taking on “The Pink”

Baklava And Crispy Crabby Goodness

Thanks to all my special dietary needs, I’m the one who gets to put in the order for my office’s weekly lunch, except for when I’m out sick. Recently, one of my co-workers took on said duty when I was out, and she ordered Greek! OMG, I love Greek food. Mmm. And this place is not only right across the street from our office, but it is GOOD.

Continue reading Baklava And Crispy Crabby Goodness

Banned!

Yesterday started the American Library Association’s Banned Books week. That’s right: librarians across the U.S. are celebrating banned books! Or rather, they’re celebrating the Freedom to Read.

People have all sorts of reasons they want books banned from libraries: everything from religious differences (or veiled accusations, which circle back to religious differences) to appropriateness for small children to downright pet peeves. The beautiful thing about libraries, though, is if you don’t want to read something, don’t check it out. There! Done.

I wrote out a whole diatribe on how if banning books were really a logical thing to do, the first one I’d ban would be the Bible: graphic, violent, sexist: need I go on? And then I deleted my rant. Aside from preaching to the choir (of bibliophiles, not to mention a couple of people who derive inspiration and comfort from the Bible), I believe in teaching through action. So instead, I wrote a review of a banned book and posted it to my favorite review site, loveandbooks.com. You can find my review there. And I encourage you to read a banned book (might I recommend Fahrenheit 451? Captain Underpants? Twilight? Or any of the Harry Potter series?) and write your own review.

Power to the people! Through books.
All the books.

 

Special thanks to the ALA for providing the image.

Dammit, I heard you! Stop shouting!

First, I have to apologize for the lateness of this post. By the end, I think you’ll get it.

I’m taking a bunch of courses, reading a bunch of books, and steeping myself in learning right now. I’m working my way through Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (again. One day I’ll make it to the end.), a book on learning how to be more charismatic, a teleclass on Natural Selling (without fear of rejection), an online interactive class on making your stories BIGGER, and, of course, learning my product and how to sell it. Wow. Now that I look at this all written down, that’s a lot all at once. I think I’m glad I didn’t sign up for those other two classes.

Back to the point: the classes about sales, charisma, getting rich AND bigger stories all have one concept in common, although they all phrase it differently: presence. Every single one presents the idea that to do better, to be bigger, to have that aura, you have to stop and actually listen– to your customers, to your characters, to your acquaintances. But it’s not about listening while coming up with your own response. It’s about just listening. Continue reading Dammit, I heard you! Stop shouting!

More Energy, More Time

When I was in college I met a guy who had so much energy, he had to have been on drugs. I mean, the only other people I’ve ever seen with that much energy are under the age of five. When I first met him, with a bit of shell shock, I asked him, “No, seriously, dude. What are you on?” His response, “I’M HIGH ON LIFE.” (Pretty much everything he said was in all caps.)

Over the years, I’ve thought back to that guy and his energy, and envied. How? How do people get like that? There aren’t many, but the number is more than zero. Or those moms. You know who I mean: they work overtime at a full time job, make dinner every night for three kids and a husband and still have enough in their day to write the Great American Romance Novel. HOW??? (And no, skipping sleep is not the answer. As someone who has had insomnia, this I know.) Continue reading More Energy, More Time