SNOW DAY - Part 2

This is my favorite tree in my backyard. I understand that birches are flexible, but I find it hard to believe this doesn't cause damage. We'll see.

Today's snow day is different than yesterday's. Yesterday's snow day was lighthearted from the start. Even the snow was light and powdery - not much good for sledding, though. Today, a 1/2 inch coating of ice threatens to fell trees and down power lines, and another 3-6 inches of snow is expected to fall. The trees and rooftops outside my window are beautiful - and dangerous. The branches sag with the weight of the ice. If the kids decide to sled, I'll have to remind them to stay out from under the trees. I bet the sleds will fly today!

We didn't finish taking down the Christmas tree yesterday. I'm determined it'll be in the crawl space before the evening is done. I'm getting ready to fill the crock pot again, this time with white chicken chile, and I'll make some corn bread muffins as well. BTW: Brenda, yesterday's recipe was quite good!

Today's a writing day. It's peaceful outside. My to-do list is short. My head is full of ideas. Carpe diem!

SNOW DAY!!

It's a snow day here in Cincinnati. Schools, businesses, state colleges and universities - everyone is closed for business. We got 4 inches overnight. For all of you northerners who are snorting your coffee with laughter right now - Yes, LESS than 4 inches can shut down the city. As of 9 a.m. there were 434 closings. My husband hails from Michigan and my dad from Maine. They have a grand time in the snow. They shake their heads at the southern Ohio drivers who struggle to navigate the mess and expertly zip around them. Me? I'm thankful for an excuse to stay out of it all.

I love snow days (says the teacher). I don't want too many, just a couple of well-placed days off here and there. There is something special about a day where nature has wiped my agenda clean. I get so much DONE. My daughter and I are going to shovel the first round of snow off the driveway, and then we're going to take down the Christmas tree. That's right. My Christmas tree is still up. It's been known to stay up as late as Easter if I don't get it down before the end of Christmas break. I'll get in some writing time. So far I've been able to keep my New Year's resolution of writing 6 days a week - no excuses. What's my favorite part of a snow day? Time to curl up on the sofa with a good book and a cup of hot tea.

I'm getting ready to fill the crockpot with Hazel's Ranch Chicken recipe. Thank you, Brenda, for Hazel's Crockpot Thursdays! Have a great snow day, everyone!

I'm Plotting Again...

Revisions are done!! (whew), ...at least for now. I'm going to set it aside for a few weeks then read it again with a fresh head. In the meantime, I'm working on a query letter, researching agents, and listening to a new character chatter away in my head. She's great fun and very different from my 1st protagonist. We're spending time together -getting to know each other over pizza and soda. She talks about her trouble a bit, but she's quite interesting. Might be a relationship worth pursuing.


Brenda has nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger award. Thanks, Brenda! I am supposed to list 7 things I love and nominate 7 new people. My list is a bit of a hodgepodge. Here goes:

1. I love my family. My husband is the best, and my children make me proud!

2. I love my students. The kids I work with are terrific. I am fortunate, indeed!

3. Solitude. Don't get me wrong - I love people, but they drain my battery dry. There's nothing quite like a few quiet, uninterrupted hours to recharge.

4. If I have time, I love to cook. I enjoy putting together a nice dinner for my family or making a dessert for friends.

5. I love to write. There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting at my computer and creating an entirely new reality.

6. I love walking in the park when the weather cooperates. I'm looking forward to spring!

7. I love a good book. One that makes me forget who I am and what my to-do list is for the day (or even the week).


I now nominate: chocolateer. As for the other six, I'm a bit late jumping into the game. My blogging friends have beat me to the punch!! But I'll name them anyway:

Brenda's Page
Rena Jones
Kim Kasch- A Writer's Blog
Chocolate for Inspiration
Christy's Creative Space
Bish

Why I Can't Give Up Caffeine: A Day in the Life of My TAG Class

Here's a condensed version of a conversation in my math class today. The topic was area and perimeter.

(4th grader with hand wildly waving in the air)
"Mrs. Mac! Mrs. Mac! If Spongebob Squarepants is already squared, when you multiply him by himself is he cubed?"

(6th grader rolling his eyes) "No. If you multiply Spongebob Squarepants by himself, you add the exponents. Therefore, Spongebob Squarepants squared is Spongebob to the 4th power."

I ran this past one of my writer friends. Her thoughts:
"Spongebob Squarepants already gives the appearance of being Spongebob Cubepants, but since he is from a 2-dimensional medium, perhaps the question is moot."

Please know this: I NEVER enter the classroom unless I am FULLY caffeinated!

Surfacing for Air... Again

I apologize for not posting regularly. I am working hard to meet a self-imposed deadline for revision. I plan to have revisions and synopsis complete before February so I can start sending out my manuscript. I'm ready to start another project!

Stephen King said, "The road to Hell is paved with adverbs."

Lord help me. If that's the case I'm well on my way...

Keep writing!

Surfacing for Air...

Wow. It's Thursday. What happened to the week?

I've had my eyes glued to the computer screen for days as I revise, revise, revise. A task, I might add, I'm finding I enjoy. It's very different from the creative process. Delete an adverb, fix a transition, strengthen a plot point, delete another adverb... all spit-n-polish.

My family has been great. They've left me to work in peace, mostly. The question asked most often? "We ARE having dinner - right, Mom?" I'm on a revision roll so dinner tonight is pizza - delivered, of course. At least I remembered...

Satire: Gotta Love This

The New York Times published this article by Julian Gough yesterday: THE PLOT CURDLES

Enjoy!