Daydream Believer

Remember that song, by the Monkees? Whenever I hear it, I want to cry. When I was a girl, seven or so years old, I remember sitting out on our front porch and listening to it. It reminds me of my youth. As a kid I couldn’t wait to be an adult and now not a day goes by that I don’t day dream about being a kid.

Since I last wrote, my sister had gallbladder surgery and then six weeks after my Dad died, my aunt passed away. It’s a crazy, mixed up time for us. None of it seems real and I at times I really believe that someday everything will be the way it was. All that I can ask from anyone right now is prayer. Especially for my mother. It has hit her the hardest. It was her husband who died, and her baby sister she lost. If we didn’t have faith in Christ and the promise of Heaven, we’d be lost right now. In many ways we are lost, but we know that we’ll find our way again and that it won’t always be hard for us.

I don’t know much else to say. I have been writing; manically almost. Whether it’s much good or not, time will tell. I have tried my hand at shorter pieces and have submitted them to various places. Maybe this sounds crass, but it’s to make a bit of a name for myself and earn a little money. I need to do something.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. God bless and love to you all!

My Truths & Lies: The Answers

I know you have been just dying for the results. Here are my answers!

1. I am adopted. - FALSE. As a kid I thought I was because I didn't resemble either of my parents. I actually resemble my aunt, my grandfather and my great-uncle.

2. My family once owned a pig.- TRUE. On the search for a family pet, my parents got my sister and I a pot-belly pig named Willy. No, we did not live in the country. We were city-dwellers. Needless to say, it did not work out.

3. I wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember.- FALSE. As a kid I wanted to be a teacher, a firefighter and an astronomer.

4. I have never drank alcohol.- FALSE. My Dad gave me a droplet of a beer when I was a baby. When I was twenty-three, I tasted homemade wine.

5. Growing up, I loved to wear dresses.- FALSE. I hated those dress-up moments.

6. My favorite meal is pizza.- FALSE. Actually, it is my Grandma's spaghetti.

7. Chocolate has always been my true love.- FALSE. I saw the light when I was eight or so and have dedicated myself to chocolate ever since. I considered those first eight years the darkest years of my life.

8. I can't stand coffee.- FALSE. I am now addicted to ice coffee.

9. My family were once missionaries in Germany.- FALSE. That would have been cool though.

10. I don't have a favorite book because I love too many books.- TRUE. There are just too many books out there to love.

11. "The Wizard of Oz," is my favorite movie.- FALSE. It use to be. It holds a special place in my heart though.

12. I have been by bees at least a dozen times.- FALSE. Have never been stung!

13. I drive a 1994, Aqua colored Festiva, with fushia lightening stripes down the sides.- FALSE. The Festiva use to be my parents car and I have driven it, but never owned it.

14. I am heart and soul a Hoosier, but I was born in Illinois.- FALSE. I am a Hoosier by birth too.

15. Basketball is my favorite sport to play.- FALSE. Actually, it is hockey and I wasn't half bad at it either.

16. My favorite song is "Over the Rainbow," sung by Judy Garland.- FALSE. My favorite is, "You Belong to Me," by Tori Amos.

17. Bavarian torte with cream cheese icing is my favorite dessert.- TRUE. My Dad use to make it and I loved it.

18. My favorite drink is Cherry Coke.- FALSE. Cherry Italian sodas are my favorite.

19. Jane Austen is my favorite author.- TRUE. Love her!

20. I have been engaged before.- FALSE. Never even had a boyfriend. 

My Truths & Lies

Here are 20 statements. Three are true. See if you can find them. In a few days I'll post the results.

1. I am adopted.

2. My family once owned a pig.

3. I wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember.

4. I have never drank alcohol.

5. Growing up, I loved to wear dresses.

6. My favorite meal is pizza.

7. Chocolate has always been my true love.

8. I can't stand coffee.

9. My family were once missionaries in Germany.

10. I don't have a favorite book because I love too many books.

11. "The Wizard of Oz," is my favorite movie.

12. I have been by bees at least a dozen times.

13. I drive a 1994, Aqua colored Festiva, with fushia lightening stripes

down the sides.

14. I am heart and soul a Hoosier, but I was born in Illinois.

15. Basketball is my favorite sport to play.

16. My favorite song is "Over the Rainbow," sung by Judy Garland.

17. Bavarian torte with cream cheese icing is my favorite dessert.

18. My favorite drink is Cherry Coke.

19. Jane Austen is my favorite author.

20. I have been engaged before.

As Time Goes By

The last month has slipped by so quickly. I feel like I have lived in limbo since the couple days of April. We all have really. And yet April 28^th (the last day Dad was alive) seems like years ago. Mom, Sean and I have drawn closer, but the family is incomplete now. We don’t laugh as hard as we did before or enjoy the moments. Nothing makes sense. If I didn’t have faith I’d be a lost cause. Last Saturday we saw his grave for the first time since his funeral. My mind cannot fathom that my Dad is buried there. This seems wrong to me. My Aunt told us all something that has stayed with me. My Grandma was 15 years old when she lost her Daddy and she never really got over it. I totally understand. She had it harder than I do though. She was only a kid and it was during the Great Depression. But I get it, why she never got over it. Her Daddy was only 44 when he died whereas mine was 60. Still, I don’t think anyone is ever prepared to lose their parents, no matter how old they are. Grandma was braver than I am. She probably confided in her brother and sisters, but she never felt sorry for herself and never burdened anyone. My only hope is that I can live up to the example that she left me. If she survived all of that, somehow we will too.

Just when we think things might settle down a little bit, something else happens. My sister Sean has been in traction for the last month. She’s been having stomach problems for a while now and since we lost Dad, it has increasingly gotten worse. The doctor did some tests and learned that her gall bladder is not functioning at a normal rate. She is to have it out tomorrow. Sean is looking forward to it because it has given her nothing but misery for two years now. I can’t wait to see her back to her old self.

In regards to my writing: The Harper Lee article I wrote for the May/June issue of Femnista is now available at charitysplace.com. I wrote an article for the July/August issue about “The Wizard of Oz,” book and movie. I still have one article for the September/October issue that I haven’t even started on. Very excited because it is to be about someone I admire very much: Sophie Scholl. Can’t wait. I never did get around to submitting a story in for the Writer’s Digest Contest. I found another contest that would suit the story better so I may try to submit it there. We’ll see. It needs some tweaking here and there. Also there is a story I am working on for Chicken Soup for the Soul book. Not sure if it will be accepted. Time will tell. In the mean time I am revising WIP #1. An agent asked for it exclusively for the next three months. So psyched about this that it almost seems too good to be true. I’m afraid that I’ll wake up and all of it will disappear.

Again, thank you to you all who have been praying for us. I so appreciate it. Love to you all! God Bless!

Untitled

My Dad died on April 29, 2012, in the early morning. Mom found him in bed that Sunday morning and we think he had gone in his sleep. His eyes were closed and he had a strange smile on his face. Saturday the 28^th was ideal. I had received what I considered good news the day before and we were all happy, going grocery shopping, talking about buying a new grill because the old one was shot. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and for Sunday Dad planned to make a big meal like he always did. Evidently something was really wrong with him; we suspect he had a heart attack and it took him quickly. The visitation was on May 2^nd and the funeral was the 3^rd. He was only 60 years old.

Our faith in Christ is carrying us through and consoles me because I know where Dad is. Knowing that I will see him again someday comforts me.

I wish I could write more openly on this blog about how I feel, but my words feel forced. To go in depth about it doesn’t seem right to me. I can only say this: life will never be the same again.

To anyone who has prayed for us, I sincerely thank you and ask for God to bless you. 

Crazy in Indiana

Yeah, what else is new? Life is crazy as all get-out. For the last month or so I have juggled like five different writing projects. I love it! I am feeling more productive than ever. A couple of months ago, I had read an old copy of Family Circle and learned that they held an annual writing contest. So, I wrote a story for it and sent it off, with my eyes, fingers and toes crossed! Then, I read that Writer’s Digest also has an annual contest and wrote a story specifically for that. There is an entry fee of $25.00 and I heard on a writer’s forum that in 2009, that at least 8,000 people competed. It’s all very daunting. I go back and forth on what to do. I don’t want to see my money wasted, but if I place, it will all be worth it. Decisions, decisions… The deadline is May 15th. I’ll probably stew about this and on the 14th send it out. That’s how I usually operate. Then I visited one of my favorite websites, charitysplace.com and on the back page of her latest issue of Femnista, there were two openings left to write an article about a favorite literary heroine and the creator. I took a chance and asked if I could write one of the articles, and listed three heroines and their respective authors. Finally, I settled on Scout Finch and Harper Lee. And what do you know, for a first attempt at a biographical piece/essay, I nailed it. The article will appear in the June/July issue of Femnista. Super excited!!!! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!! And, as I speak (or should I say, write) an agent is looking over WIP #1. At first she rejected it out right, but after I asked her why, she suggested I revise it and then send it to her again. And I did. So, I am on pins and needles. I try not to slip into the abyss of false hope and keep my expectations low. Other than that, I don’t have much to report. Well, last Tuesday I attended a banquet for the Crisis Pregnancy Center. I had never been to a benefit before. Very awesome and I did really well there. In the past I had chronic anxiety attacks and new places/big buildings tended to make me nervous. I still do have anxiety attacks, but for some reason, I can control them better (or have a better reaction). The panic started to build as I entered the Hulman Center, but once I was seated, I calmed down. So that’s a huge praise. It’s nice to finally live life and not be confined by nonexistent boundaries. Anyway, that’s it for my monthly update. Until next time!

Wax Figure of Anne Frank

Full Article Here

Recently a wax figure of Anne Frank was created. The link above leads to the full article and shows all the photos of it. Here are a few of the photos here. The resemblance between the figure and the real Anne Frank is astounding. It makes me want to cry.


-- A photograph of the real Anne Frank