Counting Down the Hours ...

I have 9 pounds of chocolate.
I have coffee.
I have 2 dozen ink pens in a variety of colors
I have 2 spiral notebooks for notes
I have my 2007 Word manual just in case there's something I don't know how to do
I have stocked up on frozen foods so the kids can feed themselves if necessary
   (it will be necessary)
I have my story idea
I have my journal about half done
I have fuzzy socks to keep my feet warm
I have my dictionary (23 pounds), my thesaurus (8 ounces), and my Wikipedia bookmark (priceless)
I have bubble bath
I have my alarm clock set for my writing day to begin in the wee dark hours of morning.

is there anything else that you can think of that I need to write this book?

Years ago, when I was first starting down the road of authoring, I had these Barbara Cartlandish ideas about penning a novel, that it was something done on a chaise lounge with an ostentatious little yapping dog beneath my frou frou slippered feet. 

Then I actually started writing and I've learned that the thing that I need more than anything else is "Butt in Chair Time".  And a word count.  Even if it's not good writing, as long as I'm producing words, moving toward the conclusion of the story, I can do it.  If I have something on the paper, I can always edit and revise and tighten and tone and ... you get the picture.  It's when the story is all in my head that I have a problem.

NaNoWirMo - National Novel Writing Month provides me the structure I need to get it done.  The rules of NaNo are simple.  You start your novel on November 1.  And you write every day for a month.  By the end of the month, you should have at least a 50,000 word rough draft.  It takes 1,668 words per day to reach that goal.  But it can be done.  I've done it.  More than once. 

One of the essentials for me to succeed is to begin well.  So my word count goal for the first day is 4,000.  I know that's more than double what I "need" but if I'm a little ahead, I can handle a set back like last year when my flash drive was stolen on November 8 and I had to start over.  I didn't have time to whine about it, I had to get in there and DO it.   I was helped because I had emailed portions of the work in progress to my best friend for review so I was able to build on the parts that were saved out there.

And I'm reminding myself of that right now because that's another vitamin in my writing nutritional requirements, the knowledge that I CAN do it.  I have done it under difficult conditions.  I can do it under better ones.  The book I'm writing this year, has the potential to be far and away the best so far.  I'm excited. 

Do you have a burning desire to write a book?  You still have two days to sign up and get started.  You don't have to have everything on the list I created to do it.  You do have to have a determination to put your butt in the chair for as long as it takes to hit that word count every day.

If you'd like to be a part of the email group that receives encouragement from me, please EMAIL me at quiltnmomi@hotmail.com.  I'm still having trouble with the NaNo website and I haven't been able to add everyone as a buddy.  But if I have your email address, we're good to go. 

7 ...
   6 ...
      5 ...
         4 ...
            3 ...
               2 ...

It's a New Week

I got a call last night from the woman in charge of figuring out the education plan for Tucker.  I love this woman, she calls on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, she never stops ... and this call was a good one.  She called to tell me what a great week Tucker had last week.  She also told me that she had gotten onto Tucker's bus on Friday afternoon and done her best to put the fear of God into his fellow bus riders.

It seems that Tucker has been being teased on the bus and that a certain other kid has been picking on him.  In fact, this is the kid that Tucker complained about and got into a fight with earlier this year.   This is the kid that all the teachers interviewed and they concluded that it couldn't possibly have been his actions causing the problem, so they've spent a month trying to figure out why Tucker would inexplicably become aggressive with this kid who never did anything to him.

After our last meeting, in which I told them again that Tucker has never done anything like that before and that I had no idea how to explain it, this particular teacher decided to rethink the situation.  She also had a reports from other team members evaluating Tucker and saying that he exhibited remarkable empathy, patience and understanding which didn't add up to fit the picture they had from the first of the year when this other kid and Tucker were involved in multiple skirmishes.

So she started watching really close.  And she observed that the innocent victim of Tucker's unexplained outbursts, was in fact taking almost every conceivable opportunity to tease, poke, prod, boss, and otherwise make Tucker's life difficult.

I didn't know that Tucker was having problems on the bus.  He didn't tell me anything about that.  And considering that the last time things came up about his problems with this other kid, I didn't show a lot of sympathy, I can understand why he didn't tell me.  But I feel badly.  I have some work to do with my son. 

We're going to meet on Wednesday to construct a new IEP.  It's good to know that there are other people at the table who see things more the way I see them.  It's very good to know that it's not "Tucker and Me against the world". 

Tucker chose the next book for our night time reading sessions.  And great belching beaver butts, it's funny.   I love the sound of my boys giggling while we read.  

NaNo Prep

I had an idea for NaNoWriMo, instead of the outlines and character sketches and scene layouts and formats that I used last year, (i don't have time for all that!) I'm doing a "pre-story" in which I am making a fake journal in the words of my Point of View character (poor dear doesn't have a name yet, but boy does she have issues!).  I'm having a lot of fun doing it this way.  She's saying things to her journal that she would NEVER say out loud but all this stuff is necessary to inform my story. 

Also had a long chat with my sister yesterday.  Well, both of them actually.  Whenever I talk with Sam I learn things that I need to know to help me manage my life.  And whenever I talk to Cheryl I learn things that make me realize that an unmanaged life provides more material for writing!

So when I talk to Cheryl, I take notes. 

4.5 more days

til insanity.

Cousins In Town ...

My Dad's cousin Mel and his wife BB are among my favorite relatives.  And they are in town.  May even be in town a little longer than originally planned because of some vehicle complications.  So I'll be out playing tour guide today.  Hugs to everyone. 

Good Stuff

So Cool Mary and I were talking about things that are the all time best inventions ever.  She made her list, I made mine, it was disturbing how much we overlapped.  (Although she told me that she didn't see the utility of the cheese grater and that if I ever get lost in the forest, she doubts that it will be much consolation for me to have one.  Never mind that being lost in the forest was not one of the original  parameters.  I still think that even lost in the forest my grated cheese and uncorked wine will  make for a  more pleasant wait for the hunky ranger.)

So I realized tonight that I left something off my list, and this is a biggie.  It's so big that I may have to extend my list of ten items to twelve.  (I already went to eleven because one of the things on her list was so good it was necessary for me to co-opt it for my list.)

The little headlight on the front of the vacuum cleaner.

If it weren't for that light I'd have to turn on the lights which might disturb sleeping people.  But with the headlight I can vacuum all night long. 

* * * * * * *

The Compleat List of The Ten (or Twelve) best things EVER invented according to Terri

1. Vitamins and Mineral Supplements
2. The little grindy cheese grater like they have at Olive Garden
3. Duncan Hines cake mixes
4. The Internet
5. Debit Cards
6. Air Travel
7. Art Careers
8. Frozen Pizza (It's not delivery ...)
9. Libraries
10. Cell phones
11. Toilet Paper
12. The headlight on the vacuum cleaner

Last night it occurred to me that there are other people from our group of high school/college friends who probably had no way of knowing what happened with Kristi, so I sat down with my address book, and started with the yellow pages and search engines to find people I haven't been very good about keeping in touch with.

All of us at this point have been touched by death.  But this is the first time that it's one of us. 

I've made all the usual vows, how I'm not going to let so many years go by without calling, and I'm going to hold my kids tighter and tell the people I love that I love them ~ so often that they get tired of hearing it.  (And I figure that will last until I get my next cell phone bill.)

*** According to the NaNo website in order to add a Buddy you have to use the Author Search feature.  The "Author Search" feature may not always appear because they take it down in times of high traffic to keep the website from being overwhelmed.  I haven't been able to see it for about ... three days.  And this in spite of looking at such seemingly low-traffic times as 2 a.m.

But this is to let everyone know that I do intend to add you if you aren't added to my Buddy List. 

If you are having a similar problem and want to add me, you can find me here.

Butterfly Time

A few years ago, the boys and I were still homeschooling and the question arose, "How long does a Monarch butterfly live?"

The answer when we looked it up, surprised and shocked me.  It depends on when the butterfly is born.  Most Monarchs live about 2-3 months, a time span shorter than the time required for their seasonal migrations so when the butterflies leave their northern home, it is the next generation after them that reaches their southern stopover. 

The last generation born at the end of the summer has an average life span of 7-8 months.  Long enough to winter in easy climate conditions and then begin the journey north.  Somewhere along the way, this generation fades one by one and the millions of butterflies that arrive in their Spring migration are the children who were born in route. 

So from the same butterfly parents, it's possible to have children with an average life expectancy of 2 months, and children who will live 3-4 times that long.  The difference between monarch butterflies and all the rest of us is that its possible to know in advance which butterflies will live with which set of different expectations. 

When we start out in life, there are so many factors that play into the equation of health and happiness that it's almost impossible to know other than in the aggregate sense who will make it to what milestone on the path.  I've been thinking about this because I've been thinking about the impact on my life of one butterfly in particular.

I wrote a blog about a conversation with Kristi that took place almost 5 years ago.  She and I lost touch during a number of years when she traveled with her Air Force career husband.  But then they came home to our little town in Arkansas and settled in to finish raising their three children.  Kristi was delighted to be back in the world of Friday night high school football games and Saturdays spent rooting for the Hawgs.  As so often has happened, she crossed paths with a member of my family who got her phone number and passed it on to me.

In the blogged about conversation, Kristi gave me a word that redefined my view of myself and prompted a drastic shift in my life's direction.  She told me that even though she hadn't seen me in years, she knew what I must look like because she had held me in her mind's eye and I was tiny. 

On the day she said that she had know way of knowing that I was struggling with despair over my weight, and that I had tipped the scale that morning at 285 even after months of "dieting".  But her laughing insistence that she knew for sure got through to me.  And made me question a great many words that I had come to believe were an accurate description of me, my body, and my reasonable expectation of success on all kinds of fronts.   It made a difference.  Over the next year, I lost 100 pounds which I have for the most part kept off.  I'm far far healthier today than I could have imagined before I picked up the phone and called her. 

When I've had opportunity to be in Malvern since then, I've stopped in to visit with her.  Never for long enough.  But you always assume there will be more time, later; when work is finished; the kids are grown; there's a bright end to busyness.

Word came to me during the midst of my packing up for the move to New Mexico that Kristi had been diagnosed with leukemia.  I had thought that I would make certain time to call and visit with her once I got settled and that we would catch up again.  But ...

She was allowed to leave the hospital last week for time at home with her family.  Friday night was the Homecoming game in Malvern, and my sister said that she believes Kristi was able to attend.  But then on Sunday something happened that frightened her family, so they made the journey back to Dallas where she's been in treatment.  Kristi died there yesterday morning. 

I've known many butterflies.  Many have flown about my life and made it a place of beauty.  This one landed on my arm and made a difference. 

Somewhere in a box, I have photos from when we were at the University of Arkansas, but right now, I have no idea where those photos might be and the box is probably in storage. 

In this photo from our high school yearbook, I'm in the front wearing the letter sweater.  Kristi is standing in the back next to the tree. 

Kristi Parker Norris
1963-2007

A Bad Bad Dream

I dreamt that my best friend underwent a drastic change of appearance.  And I didn't like it.  In fact, I was rude, bratty and ugly about it.  So of course, my other best friend showed up in the dream and promptly ignored me while congratulating the one who changed. 

Woke up a little on the grumpy side.

Still don't know what I'm going to write for NaNo this year.  I mean really.  do.   not.   know.

Last year I had the complete outline of the whole book done by now. 

This year, I'm thinking that there's a book about two sisters, one of whom doesn't know that she's bipolar and what happens to them, their relationship, their families, and the possibilities for their future as events unfold. 

I also had an idea for a crime novel based on listening to a woman talk about the fact that there is a person in a nearby community whose name appears frequently in the police pages because he has the same name as her husband.  (Spelled differently, but who pays close attention to that?)  So every time it comes it it makes her feel uncomfortable and angry with this person she's never met because he's bringing a bad reputation to their name. 

There was a minor character in the book from two years ago who may be the best and most redeeming part of that story.  Maybe he needs his own story.  (Peabody, who had a pet hamster that he carried with him every where he went including a space ship and a breaking/entering job. - Imagine Katherie Zeta Jones in her role from Entrapment (only she's a guy) going through all the motions to get through security with a hamster strapped to her waist.)  Everyone who read the manuscript remarked about Peabody and promptly forgot all about the main characters with their issues which I had found so much more compelling.  Who cares about conflict and drama, give us more hamster ...

SO maybe Peabody should have his own book. 

Or maybe I'll have a stroke of brilliant inspired lightning between now and Saturday and I'll spend my weekend outlining an entirely new idea. 

Need.   More.   Chocolate.

and coffee

The End of the Story
and Beginning NaNo 2007

Apparently it was in the news this morning that J K Rowling has announced that Dumbledore was gay.  Cool Mary asked if that made any difference to the way I felt about the story. 

I think that the story is over, it's a done deal, and frankly, Dumbledore wasn't gay in the book.  He was an old man, but you just knew that he had a twinkle in his eye and fond memories of more passionate times with the likes of oh say ... Minerva McGonagall.  You know?  There was a story line in the last book about his close friendship with another man in his youth, but all the implications there were that it was a platonic pairing of people drawn together by their mutual belief in their own intelligence and ability to find, hold, and control powerful wizarding artifacts.

So the real question may be whether it makes any difference what J K Rowling says at this point about anything that's not contained within the published pages.  Rowling has to live with the same reality that all authors face.  Your books stand on their own.  The story is what it is between those beautifully designed covers.  And once you've told the story and sent it out there, it's an entity separate from you, no longer subject to your changes of mind or storyline. 

So no, I don't think it matters a whit what Rowling says at this point.  If that was the story she'd wanted to tell, she should have told it. 

Now, it's time to move on.

I'm moving on to November when just like every November, I intend to write my own novel.  I'm much much later in the year with my panic over outlines and processes than usual with a mere 9 days left.  But regardless of whether I'm ready, November comes. 

Every year I invite other NaNoWriMo participants to join me in an email circle of support.  I send sporadic encouragement and we all keep track of each other's progress.  Sometimes, someone will want to know how to make a chocolate torte or what chemical goes inside a grenade and the question gets circulated around the group.  Mostly it's about not being all alone in your pursuit of 50,000 words.

That's the whole sum of NaNo.  You sit down and write the rough draft of that book that's been niggling at the back of your mind for years.  The one that you know you're going to write "some day".  You finally look yourself in the mirror and realize that someday is today.  And you just do it.  It doesn't have to be good, in fact, for most of us (Faith is not included in that "us") it won't be good.  But it will be a finished rough draft and that's what you have to write before you can write a polished work. 

Thinking about it?  Want to put your fingers to the keyboard and pound out something that will be more or less complete by the end of the month?  Head over to the website and sign up ... www.nanowrimo.org ... and if you want to be part of the email ring, let me know.  Put
"NaNo Ring" in the subject line and email me at quiltnmomi@hotmail.com.

I have book recommendations for anyone considering the NaNo madness. 

"First Draft in 30 Days" by Karen S Wiesner is worth the cover price in the way she teaches you to organize your thoughts to stay on track. 

There's also "No Plot, No Problem" by Chris Baty, the founder and chief energy drink consumer of the NaNo world. 

And I wouldn't dream of diving into NaNo without Anne Lamott to hold my hand via her classic "Bird By Bird."

What's your story?  Isn't it about time you told it?

Upon losing weight or wanting to for
the very best reason of them all, vanity

25 pounds of me
less
or more
depending on the bagel
(carbs)
or the cheese
(fat)
or the 2 ounces of water
left in the bottle
I was supposed to drink
(didn't)
a closet full of clothes
in such a range of sizes
I only have three outfits
that fit
at any given time
because I count
all the calories
and then the walk
25 miles uphill
both ways
because I want to wear
a smile
nothing more.

10.20.07