Happy Holidays, Everyone!

This video made me smile so I thought I'd share it with you here. It (sort of) has something for everyone. I hope everyone's holidays are happy and healthy!!

We Haven't Heard Enough About Tiger Woods lately, so Here's My Two Cents'

I'm getting old. Or maybe I just don't like the way the world's changing. Or maybe I'm just sick and tired. It's probably d.) all of the above. I haven't blogged in a while for a number of reasons, most of which have been health-related, but also because I just haven't had much to say, and because I've been trying to drown out the white noise of life and concentrate on actual writing (stop snickering Dan and Diane...I'll have something new off to you soon). But the recent news of Tiger Woods and his "transgressions" have spurred my fingers into action.
I just wrote three paragraphs and deleted everything. Writing is rewriting.
You know what this debacle comes down to for me? Women respecting other women. We need to take of each other, ladies. We need to consider how our actions will affect the other woman/women invovled. I believe many attached men (not all, but many, and none who read my blog) will have sex with another woman should the opportunity present itself, and it's up to us women to not hurt other women. Before a woman gets together with a man who's attached to someone else she needs to stop and think: this may hurt another woman, a sister of mine. I watched one of Tiger's "girlfriends" on TV. She said he pursued her. So what? That makes it ok? That makes it right? That absolves her from any wrongdoing? Then I saw a sound byte from the "porn star": "Yeah, I saw a picture of his wife. I do look like her. I guess he likes blondes." Oy vey.
My parents told me something when I was growing up and beginning to date. It's good advice, and has stuck with me through the years. It is something I plan to say to my own daughters and it's this: the female sets the standard. I still believe this. If I say it's ok for a boy to do certain things when I'm in the back seat of his car, he'll go as far as he can (come on, guys, you know it's true). Women have the power to say yes or no (in normal circumstances). If all these women had said no to Tiger he wouldn't be where he is today. Who knows? Maybe there are some upstanding women out there who did say no to Tiger. I wish they'd come forward and reinforce my belief in humanity.

An Upate from the Office-in-Progress

Some of you may recall that my husband is building bookshelves in our office. He's hard at work on the other side of the room--this time going so far as to install a gas fireplace. He framed it in this weekend and here's what it looks like so far! The funny thing about the fireplace is that it works too well. I'm going to have to switch out those French doors for oven doors. Seriously, I may have to open the windows when I run the fireplace and let in some icy Cleveland winter to offset the heat. The fireplace  might end up just being a show piece. I don't want to admit that to my husband! Needless to say, I haven't been getting much writing done in here. I have to go elsewhere--my bedroom, the kitchen--which I think is a good thing. Changing up my surroundings often helps move my writing along.

I'm also throwing in another picture. This is of a bargain I found on....Craigslist! An 1895 Knabe piano for which I paid a mere $100. It needs work--lots of tuning help and some restoration. But for someone who loves antiques, and whose daughter begged for piano lessons (but is now considering throwing in the towel as she's realized the amount of practice one needs to become "good") this was quite a find. It fits perfectly in our home. See, you can find good deals on Craigslist, and not all of them involove sexual solicitation!

Oh, How I Long for a Yes!

Rejection.
It's been the bane of my existence these past couple of months. I'm sure many of you can say the same thing. We're all in this together, right? I've been submitting this story I believe has some merit, is worth readers' valuable time. But alas, I've no takers. Yet.
Usually rejections get me down. I hate to say that out loud, but I can't help it. I'm working on that chink in my so-called armor. My skin is getting thicker, I swear, and I owe my understanding of the issue to some of the writer's journals to which I subscribe. Fortunately, The Writer arrived in my mailbox a few days ago, and within its pages I discovered two helpful pieces that address this age-old writing impediment.
The first, a short essay from Joseph Sestito, encourages the Buddhist approach to rejection. See it not as a negative, but as something positive. He also suggests I "take one on the chin" for all mankind. I will suffer rejection so others don't have to. Ok. I'm a fairly altruistic individual. I can do that.
I found the second piece of encouragement on p.25 in an article by the late Donald M. Murray, first published in 1992. He discusses the 10 habits of successful writers and his last habit--the habit of completion--struck a chord. "A piece of writing is not finished until it is submitted for publication as many times as is necessary for it to appear in print." I like this. I believe him. At least, I want to. Keep on keepin' on. Don't give up. Don't accept "no."
I also found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyJsYZHUrmg on You Tube offered by a writer from PA named Jackie. I appreciate her take on rejection as well.
I'm really trying to change/improve my way of thinking when it comes to rejection. And here's how I see things now: at least I'm being rejected. Seeing those business-size envelopes addressed to me in my own handwriting when I open my mailbox means I'm doing. I'm writing. I'm creating. I'm trying. What's your take?

I just learned about this...has anyone else heard about it??

I found this link/story www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1897924,00.html over on Barbara DeMarco-Barrett's site a few days ago and thought I'd share the link here. I had no idea. Isn't it interesting how quietly the apology was made when the original lambasting was heard 'round the world?? Perhaps Ms. Winfrey mentioned her apology to her show's audience. I wouldn't know because I'm no longer a loyal follower. I used to be, until this ugliness occurred.

I wish she'd made this apology as loudly as she'd made her original objections known. She might have won me back.

Things I Like

In following some other folks in the blogosphere, and because I'd like to have two blog posts in one week instead of two in a month (as recent activity suggests) I am going to post a list of things I like. I appreciate lists such as this one. It offers insight into the inner workings of my mind for anyone who might care. Ok, the only person who's going to care is my mother, who says she's learned so much more about me since I started blogging. Hmm. The rest of you are welcome to read along and post your own list of likes on your blogs. I will come read them, I promise! Also, a caveat: I am not listing anything related to my children and husband, because as their biggest fan I could go on and on and make everyone sick. Here goes:

1. The 2009 National League Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies

2. down-filled comforters

3. email

4. autumn

5. the beach/ocean (Atlantic, especially)

6. ice cream (most any kind, but esp. Haagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond)

7. NYC

8. dogs

9. sharpened pencils (black Ticonderogas)

10. early American antiques

11. '80's music (no hair bands!)

12. yoga

13. golf

14. satellite radio

15. telescopes

16. Fleetwood Mac

17. Stevie Nicks

18. Advair

19. traveling

20. Adirondack chairs

21. Cosmos

22. Smartfood popcorn

23. the Denver Broncos

24. San Francisco

25. French impressionism

26. Red Rocks ampitheatre

27. Mexican food

28. scrapbooking

29. Mad Men

30. the Cleveland Cavs

31. sleeping in

32. thunderstorms

33. fire pits

34. hammocks

35. Harrison Fisher prints (artist from early 1900's)

36. non-pareils

37. Jean Paul Gaultier perfume bottles (and the perfume itself)

38. Ghostbusters

39. Starbucks

40. sound of the garage door going up (means my husband is home! Ok, I let this one slip in)

41. some reality TV (Amazing Race, Project Runway)

42. NY style pizza

43. heated car seats

44. my faith (Episcopalian)

45. reminiscing

Spanking is a Good Thing...

But only when it's the Phillies doing the spanking and the Dodgers, (or whichever opponent is unlucky enough to face them) getting punished! What a fabulous time I had last night watching the Phils trounce the Dodgers (Boo! Hiss!). Please God, let the Phillies show up to play again tonight. Go Phillies!!!!

Haven't posted in a while because I've been caring for sick kids, helping in my daughter's classroom and getting ready for the Scholastic book fair, and getting away for the weekend to Niagara Falls, ON with my family. Here are some pictures from our trip:

We had a great time even though our youngest wasn't feeling 100%.

Our dog, Divot, really missed us while we were gone. Here he is letting us have it for leaving him alone all weekend  welcoming us home--loudly!

The fall colors are gorgeous here in northeast Ohio. It's a great place to be at the moment. Just don't talk to me in two months.  ;o)

Receiving rejections every day on the short I've been sending out all year. Might be time to throw in the towel and move on. Continue to struggle with writing motivation. When I don't get any words down I feel it's a day wasted, and who wants to do that? Wasting time like that feels irresponsible to me. All right. Enough moaning. I'll be here at my desk, writing, for the rest of the afternoon.