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Finding the Time: A Challenge

First and foremost, a million thanks to the amazing Lyn Midnight for presenting me with The Versatile Blogger Award yesterday. YAY! I feel like I just won an Oscar. I’d like to thank the Academy…

Kidding! On a more serious note, I’ll be passing it along myself later in the week to three fantastic bloggers. So more on that later!

Now on to the main attraction.

Many of those who’ve never written a novel like to think that those who have must have all day to just sit around and write. “How nice,” they think. “I wish I had the time to sit down and write a book.”

Truth is, we don’t have any more time than anyone else. As much as we’d like it, writers aren’t gifted with the ability to cram more hours into the day (though if anyone figures that one out, totally let me know).

This is no secret to us writers. Finding the time to get words on paper isn’t an easy task. If you’re a student, it means writing before (and sometimes during) class. If you’re working full-time, it means getting up early to get some words in that WIP, or staying up late in the night to finish that chapter. When your friends are going out for the weekend, sometimes it means staying home to edit yesterday’s writing.

Fact of the matter is, we all have lives. We have friends and family and work and school and a million other responsibilities that compete with the time we have for writing. Some days it’s impossible to get anything in, and that’s ok.

The best writing advice I ever read was simple: make a writing quota and stick to it.

For me, it’s writing 1,500 words a day or 10,500 words a week. If I miss a day, which happens, it’s fine because I know I can make it up another day. As long as I make 10,500 words a week, I’m happy. And if I don’t? That’s ok too; I can make it up the next week.

The daily/weekly writing quota has helped me finish many a manuscript. It keeps me honest, and it saves me from the guilt of wondering whether or not I wrote enough that day.

Even more recently however, I discovered something that changed the way I approach writing completely. There used to be a time when I’d sit down and write until I met my quota. This was painful. Some days it’d be easy and I’d be done in no time. Other times I’d sit at the computer for hours, checking every five minutes to see how many words I’d written. This led to screaming in frustration when after an hour I only wrote 500 words (or on really rough days, even less *shudder*).

It turns out, you DON’T have to write it all at once. Whoa.

Let me say that again: you DON’T have to write your quota all in one sitting.

My new method was stemmed from a little beauteous Twitter hashtag known as #wordmongering. I intend to write a full post on this later (because it’s just THAT amazing), but it’s basically a thread where writers get together at the beginning of every hour and write for a half hour, then compare word counts. We cheer each other on and there’s virtual confetti.

Ok, a LOT of virtual confetti. Like an ocean of virtual multicolored strips of paper. Though that may be partially (read: completely) my fault.

Anyway, its effectiveness blew me away. Writing in spurts, it turns out, is much less stressful than trying to get it done at once. With just a few half-hour rounds a day, I’ve been able to get my word goal down without a problem.

So. If you haven’t assigned yourself a word count, I challenge you to do it. Try it for a week. It could be a 100 words a day or 5,000 words a week or 15,000 words a week. Whatever it is, stick to your guns and get it done.

You just might be surprised by how rewarding it is.

So let’s see it! What are YOUR word count goals this week?

Everything is Changing

So guys, confession time.

I understand that my chatty Tweets and bursts of OMG HYPER digressions might lead people to believe that I’m a sugar-high extrovert that gets excited in large groups and loves to schmooze at parties.

Alas, I’m afraid to say that’s not the case. It’s quite the opposite in fact.

Truth is, I’m an introvert. 100%. I was that quiet girl in class that nobody noticed because the only time she talked was to get participation points for class. The one that read while walking in the hallways and occasionally sat alone at lunch.

I know a lot of writers are the same way. Many of us like our privacy and cherish those moments alone because that’s when we can really slip into our writing. It’s when we can let our minds wander to faraway places and write some of our best. And twenty years ago, that was ok. Authors could get away with sitting in their offices with their treasured books and shying away from the masses.

Today, not so much.

I’ve touched on e-books and how they provide new opportunities for writers. But as I’m sure many of you are aware, that’s not the only thing changing the game in the publishing industry. With social media exploding the way it is, writers can no longer afford to be introverts.

I’m not saying you have to totally change your personality, in fact I hope you don’t. It’s being genuine that gets people to connect with you.

I’m also not saying that I’ve pretended to be someone else. Truth is, rather than shying away from social media (which I’ll admit, I initially did) I’ve found that by embracing it, I’ve been able to get past my normally timid exterior and open up to other writers. To people like you, my lovely blog readers.

Social media is making waves, and beyond my own experience, I have a pretty epic example.

I’m sure you’ve heard of her: Tahereh Mafi.

First of all, if you’re on Twitter and you’re not following Tahereh, you need to. She’s funny, genuine and best of all, actually answers your tweets. Even annoying questions required to write an accurate blog post on her. :)
Tahereh is a living example of how social media has changed everything for the writer. She’s 23 years old and her first book SHATTER ME will be released in November. Five-ten years ago, that meant no one would have heard of her. She didn’t yet have a book on the shelf which meant she didn’t have a fan base.

But today that’s not the case at all. Between Twitter, Goodreads, her blog, Facebook and Tumblr she’s built an incredible fan base all before the release date of her first novel. When she went to BEA, the line to get her autograph was so long they had to cut it off seven minutes after she started signing. 7 MINUTES!

And SHATTER ME isn’t even out yet. That was unheard of until now.

Let me get something straight, I’m not saying that because of social media we can all magically attain a level of super-fantabulous-amazingness like Tahereh. Like everything else, building a fan base is hard work. It requires hours online, making sure all your sites are beautiful and kept up to date and trying to connect with your followers all the while still writing and keeping the day job and everything else we have to do.

Yes, it’s another thing to add to the already overflowing plate of the writer, but it’s necessary.

And if used correctly and treated with care, the rewards are well worth it. Just ask Tahereh.

How do YOU think social media is changing the industry? The life of a writer? The life of a reader?

The Never-Ending Job of the Writer

Photo credit: Kansas Poetry (Patrick) on Flickr
No one told me the truth about what being a writer means.

I’d been told more than once through my childhood years that I should be a writer, but even as I started to embrace the idea, no one explained to me what it really meant. Because as any writer knows, being a writer is more than just pumping out a poem, story or novel every once in a while.

When you’re a writer, you’re consumed by your passion. There isn’t an on-off switch. Writers don’t sit down and say, “Ok! Time to be a writer now!” then switch it off when it’s convenient. A writer is always taking mental notes for their current or upcoming work. When doing the dishes, driving, doing homework or going out with friends, a writer is watching, listening and feeling the world around them. On a day soaked with fresh rain, a writer closes her eyes and smells the air.

A writer always asks how would I describe this? Always.

You see, sitting down to write is only part of the job. A writer who doesn’t pay attention to the world surrounding them is missing out on a huge opportunity. I cannot stress this enough. This is HUGE.

Just think: How can your character describe the residual sting of a burn if you, the writer, have never been burned? How will your reader feel the chill of a winter storm if you, the author has never sat outside in January?

Last time I accidentally touched the side of the oven, as I ran my hand under cold water I closed my eyes and tried to come up with words to describe it. I’m not a masochist. I’m just a writer, and that’s what writers do.

I’m not saying if you’re a writer you have to experience absolutely everything your characters do—in fact if your characters are as tortured and punished as mine, I sincerely pray that you don’t. And I’m also not saying that when you get hurt you should sit there and describe how it feels instead of getting medical attention. (Please, please, please get medical attention immediately!)

What I am saying is the purest moments in your manuscript happen when you reach past imagination and make the moment real. When you pull that perfect detail from your experiences, that’s when the reader will sit back and say, “That’s what it feels like.”

When you’re a writer, your job is never over. A writer lives and breathes and feels everything around them until they find the right words for their work.

Then they sit down and relive them on paper.

Food for thought: What else is part of the 24/7 job of a writer?

The E-Book Experiment

So in response to my last post about querying, I got an interesting comment about self-publishing.
Joe said:

I've never queried etc. but I do think that if you're good enough you should self-publish an E-book, sure you're going to have to raise a little capital for cover design and formatting. I'm not saying that you're going to become instantly successful like Amanda Hocking but if you can market your book properly then you have just as good a chance as any self-publishing indie author and will probably surpass that original capital raised at the start and get some nice profit.

Just my thoughts, and this is the route that I am going to be taking. Traditionally publishing is going to get HARDER to get into, where anyone can self-publish, even that of the everyone is fair game, right?

It got me thinking.

Before I tried querying again, I spent a long time considering self-publishing. It looks like a good deal. You get 70% royalties one-books $2.99 and up and 30% on e-books under that. They never go "out of print" and if you keep them up, will literally sell forever. Plus, while Borders is going bankrupt, the e-book market is skyrocketing.

But there is a down side. Horror stories of authors who published books that weren't ready and got slammed with scathing reviews.

So in the end, what scared me away was the fact that I couldn't hire an editor. I just don't have the money.

Everything else, however, I knew I could do. I'm a Photoshop nerd, so the book cover isn't a problem. I even have a mock-up about halfway done.

The formatting I was worried about, but I found a bunch of guides that take you through the process step by step (The Smashwords Style Guide, for example, is free in the iBookstore and online). It took me about two hours, but I was able to correctly (I think) format my manuscript for Smashwords.

So far my experimental mock-up and e-book formatted manuscript seems to be progressing nicely. But the editor thing still stalls me. I'm a perfectionist by nature, and it scares me to think that I might put something out there that isn't ready, even though it's been through complete re-writes and I've edited the hell out of it.

I've yet to make a decision, but I'm curious to see what you guys think.

So on to the eternal question!

What do you think? Self-publish? Or go traditional?

Why I Celebrated a Rejection

May 17, 11:42 PM: Gmail informed me that I had a new e-mail. It was from the agent I’d queried over the weekend and “I’m sorry” was in the first ten words. I’d seen enough rejection letters to recognize one even from the little blurb at the bottom of my computer screen.

I opened my inbox just so that my Gmail icon would go back to neutral. I’m a little OCD about those things. I’m OCD about a lot of things, but that’s beside the point.

Ah-hem. Anyway.

I always read my rejections. I’m a bit of a masochist I guess, but there’s a part of me deep down inside that hopes I’ll be able to get something other than bitter disappointment from them. Nine out of ten times, it’s a form letter rejection.

Dear Author,
blah blah blah sorry but this isn’t for us blah blah blah
we wish you the best, remember that this is a very subjective business blah blah blah

They’re all pretty much the same. And having an archive full of them is great for your confidence. But it’s (an unfortunate) part of the process.

Upon a second glance however, I realized this one was different. First off, it started with “Hey there” and in my experience at least, no form rejection starts with “Hey there.” And it was a rejection, but rather than a normal Dear Author letter, this one said REAPER had “poise” and “polish.”

I read those two words over and over again. Yes, it really said that. It wasn’t my imagination. Poise. Polish.

What excited me the most was that this was the beginning of my second round of queries for REAPER. After collecting more than a handful of form rejections, I re-wrote it completely. Everything. I put it in first person, deleted entire sections and rewrote every word.

Then I re-wrote my query letter to match my book. I wasn’t sure it was going to work.

But this rejection was much more than I’d ever received before for REAPER. It was a spark. A hope that maybe, just maybe, I was headed in the right direction.

I’m not saying I’m going to get an agent now. Or even a partial request. Hell, I may get form rejections from here on out.

But personalized rejections mean it was a near-miss. It means the agent took the time to write back to you rather than sending the easy “no thank you” form.

It’s a pat on the back and it goes a long way.

What’s the BEST rejection letter you’ve ever received?

The Reading-Writing Stages (Never Leave Your Book In The Car)

Not being able to read since I forgot my book in the backseat of a car got me thinking about reading. There are many stages in the reading-writing relationship of any writer, at least in my experience. And it begins a bit like this:

Stage one is a beautiful time, and it begins long before you write a decent word. I was about three when I started to learn how to read (my mom started me early) and I fell in love instantly. Well, nearly instantly. I was a little jealous of my other pre-school friends who got to run around and play while I had private reading lessons.

I digress already.

Stage one IS a beautiful time. You devour every book that comes your way and you scan the shelves of Borders and Barnes and Noble with a keen eye. If you could buy a candle that was scented like new books, you would stock up and fill your bedroom with that delicious smell. Life is simple. Reading = YUM.

Stage 2—So This is What Writing’s Like, Huh?

Stage two is that time in class when you have to write and you show your mom your masterpiece. You write because your teacher tells you too and because drawing pictures to match the words is kind of fun. Oh yeah, and some grown-ups do it for money too. Suckers.

Stage 3—There are SO MANY Amazing Books Out There!

You’re a little older when you hit stage three. It’s similar to stage one, except this time the anxiety starts to set in. How can you possibly read all these amazing books? How can you even choose the next one? I mean, you’re already in the middle of two novels and the new Harry Potter book just came out!

Stage 4—I Could Write Like This!

I don’t think there’s any real age for this one. For some people it’s in their teenage years, for others it’s much much later. There’s no right or wrong time for this stage to hit, but if you’re a writer, it will indeed hit.

It’s a spark. You’re reading one day, then BAM! It hits you in the face like a bucket of cold water on a hot summer day. Whoa! What if I wrote a book?

Whoa, man. That’s like, the best idea ever.

People try to deny that this stage exists, because it’s a tad bit embarrassing in hind sight. But alas, it exists, and it comes right after stage four. You start writing that amazing novel and you’re so totally into it you don’t even have time to read anymore.

And really, who needs reading? Reading is for those people who are still learning, and you’ve TOTALLY GOT THIS!

Stage 6—That was a Terrible Idea. I’m Gonna Go Cry at Borders Now.

This stage comes at different times. Sometimes it’s after your look over your first draft. Sometimes it’s after your first rejection. Sometimes it doesn’t come until you put your fourth manuscript in the drawer.

Inevitably, however, the doubt sets in and you look at those amazing books out there and wonder how you ever thought you could match up. You try to read, but it makes you feel more inadequate. Then you step away from that thing called writing and forget about getting published. It was a crazy dream anyway.

Stage 7—But Wait. THIS Got Published! SO CAN I!

Stage seven is about as wonderful as stage one, particularly because it comes after stage six. Many things can trigger it, but success stories tend to do the trick. Particularly raging successes that talk about THOSE SAME EXACT DOUBTS that you were having.

It’s a relief, because it turns out you’re not crazy after all.

It’s also a relief, because you can write again, so those characters in your head aren’t giving you the cold shoulder anymore.

Stage 8—I’ve Finished Writing for the Day, Where’s My Book?

There are two key things here in this stage. First, you’re writing daily. This is a very important practice, regardless of what you’ve written.

Second, you’re reading. I’ve heard many schools of thought on this, but I think it’s infinitely important to keep reading even while you’re writing. Preferably start writing something first before you start reading, because there’s nothing worse than being twenty pages into a book only to realize that you’re re-writing that amazing book you just finished.

Nonetheless, the more you read, the better you will write. And the more you write the better you will write.

So the more you read and write the more STUPENDOUSLY AMAZING you will write, right? J

So seriously. Where’s my book?

Any more stages I didn’t cover? Let’s talk about them!

[Insert Chapter Title Here]

So it was suggested to me by my Twitter friend @kendrakilbourn that I write about chapter titles.

You asked Kendra, so I answered.

Chapter titles are an interesting thing. Some authors use them, some don’t. Some are mysterious and others completely give away what’s going to happen. Occasionally a chapter title will make you laugh out loud while others will make you tremble. Then you come across books that simply don’t have titles for their chapters, and that’s ok too.

I think (like many other things in writing) whether or not to name your chapters depends on your book. The only real rule is to stay consistent. If you don’t name your first chapter, then don’t give a title to Chapter 12 even if you have the most amazing stupendous chapter title in the history of chapter titles.

Though if that does happen mid-way through your novel, you may want to consider naming the others as well.

I didn’t start naming my chapters until very recently, and there wasn’t some stunning revelation that made me change my mind.

With my first few novels, Chapter 1, 2, 3 and so on worked just fine. I didn’t feel that my stories were losing anything because I chose not to name the titles. When I re-wrote my last novel Reaper and turned it into first-person, however, I looked at the numbered chapters and thought I could do more.

To me, when writing in first person, the chapter titles were another way for my characters to express their voices. In Reaper’s case, I found that “Chapter 1—Awake,” sat better with me than just “Chapter 1.” In my current WIP, I don’t even have the chapters numbered (though that will probably change after I edit it). I begin with “It Doesn’t Get Any Weirder Than This” and go on from there. Even without sample paragraphs, you can probably tell that the voices in my examples are entirely different.

That’s the power of chapter titles.

There’s a caveat, though. Although naming your chapters may summon some intrigue, a bad chapter title will do the opposite. Clichéd chapter titles are just as bad as clichéd sentences. And unless your protagonist is ridiculously spontaneous, if your chapter is named “Fish Slap” there better be a good reason for it.

If your protagonist IS ridiculously spontaneous however, and you write a chapter about a typical school day, by all means, name it “Fish Slap” if you think it’ll add to your story.

Spontaneity aside, it’s entirely up to you whether or not to name your chapters. There’s no right or wrong decision, nor is there a right or wrong time start doing it.

Like most things of the writing world, it’s instinct that determines what’s right for your book.

So what do you think? How do chapter titles change your reading or writing experience?

Inspiration Board. Get One.

I was blessed with amazing English teachers in high school. I know a lot of people say that, but really I had the best of the best. My freshman and senior years especially.

My final project senior year for my AP English class involved a lot of writing (it was AP, after all). Although the majority of the legwork involved writing analytical essays on books I didn’t particularly care for, I was especially delighted to learn that part of it included a creative writing piece. So I wrote about my secret love: writing.

I got an A, which I was kind of expecting. What I wasn’t expecting were the two notes tucked inside my project from my teacher.

The first was on a yellow sticky note:

I wish I had your dedication at your age (or even my age...). Very few students have the conviction to do what they want like you do; they may study because they know it’s good for them, but they still don’t know what the end game is. Keep reading and writing and calling representatives. Send me the first copy.
The second was written at the bottom of my creative piece:

Most people go their entire lives without loving something as much as you seem to love writing. Keep doing it for yourself and eventually someone else will catch on.

I must have read those notes a dozen times during school hours and a dozen more when I got home. I was grinning ear to ear when I read it to my mom.

I was elated when I ripped the note off my project and tacked it on to my board next to Ted Dekker, the most STUPENDOUS AMAZING INSPIRING author EVAR! To me, anyway.

Now, what is this mysterious board, you ask? Why, it’s an INSPIRATION BOARD of course!

Eh-hem. Allow me to explain. An inspiration board is that special place where you tack up the things that make you excited. That inspire you. This may be your favorite author. A cover mock-up. Nice quotes from your English teacher. Quotes from other writers. Fake quotes from the future New York Times article that calls your work a masterpiece (don’t be embarrassed, this is YOUR board!). If it inspires you, tack it on there.

Mine has Ted Dekker (of course), the aforementioned quotes (which I read whenever I’m feeling down), some Word Art I typed up to the effect of NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR AVA JAE (I can dream, can’t I?) and a few random pictures.

What’s on your inspiration board?

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming...

After writing six full manuscripts, I thought I understood the process of writing a novel. I could finish a manuscript. I knew about the highs and lows of writing, about those days when driving bamboo shoots beneath my fingernails would have been easier than pounding out a hundred words.

That was old news. I had it under control.

But then something happened. I began a novel, got through twenty pages and choked. What was I thinking writing this? It was a terrible idea! I was insane to think that I could actually continue with it. The writing was all wrong, the voice forced.

Besides, I had a better idea. So I started over. I wrote another twenty pages. The idea died. Suddenly I couldn’t go on. I didn’t know where to go from there; in fact I wasn’t even sure it was worth pursuing.
I began to panic. I needed time off from writing, I said. I just needed to relax, to focus on other things, to distract myself.

Weeks went by. Months. I hadn’t written a novel. I wasn’t working on a manuscript and I began to feel useless. I couldn’t write and I couldn’t understand why this was happened. Never before had I encountered this kind of death of the muse.

The panicking continued. I was stiff, I doubted my ability. Was I wrong? Was my dream to become published over? Was I really about to give up?

Had I lost my ability to write?

So here it is; the cheesy Finding Nemo reference. You knew it was coming.

I’d become Marlin. I’d dropped the ball and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find it again. It was a doomsday scenario in my mind; I’d lost my ability to write and now my dream was over. OVER! All hope was lost.

To my credit, I sat down and started again. I only got through a chapter this time before I got stuck. I choked back the frustration bubbling up inside me and smothered the need to run outside and scream at the sky. I waited a few days and went back to the opening chapter. I didn’t want to abandon this idea too, there was something there. An energy waiting to be harnessed, a spark, something.

But the fear was overwhelming me. It smothered my inspiration and strangled every idea.

It’s not that the writing was bad; in fact I thought there were some pretty good moments. I was just scared. Afraid that this one would end up like the others, tossed away into the depths of my hard drive. I began to realize that the problem wasn’t in the story. It was me.

I was the problem, because I was afraid.

You see, I’d written six manuscripts, but I’d never been published. I’d gone through the motions, the editing, the researching, the query letters and synopsis, the rejection letters, the crying. I’d run through the process so many times I dreamt about it, but it all ended the same way: sorry, but this isn’t for us.

What I needed was to keep going. Sometimes you need to get past the fear and delve into the murky depths. Yes it may be dark, and yes you may feel uncertain and alone, but just keep swimming.

You’ll find the shore sooner than you think.

Question time! What do you do when the fear gets overwhelming?

Writing is Writing is Writing

It took me a while to come to terms with this, although I’ve heard it said a few dozen times before: there is no such thing as wasted writing.

Sure, I understood that those short stories I wrote way back when and those unpublished manuscripts were worth at least the time I put into them, but it never occurred to me that this really applies to any writing.

That essay you did for English class? You wrote it, didn’t you?

That poem scribbled away in your diary for no one to see? Yeah, that counts too.

That Scrabble game you played last night? Uh…not quite.

But Scrabble games aside, the message is still the same: you’re never wasting your time while you write. So maybe that story you wrote was complete crap. So what? Does David Beckham waste his time practicing if he plays badly in a scrimmage? Will the Trix Rabbit ever get to try a bowl of cereal? Will I EVER stop being distracted by shiny objects?

Sorry, sorry, carried away again. The answers are all no by the way. Especially that last one.

Point is: as long as you’re writing you haven’t wasted anything. It’s that many more pages you’ve taken the time to sit down and work on your craft.

So on those days that you stare at your WIP and you can’t bring yourself to write a decent word, don’t beat yourself over the head. Try to write, put down some nonsense, and if you really can’t think of anything at all, open up a new document and write something random. Make it ridiculous. It doesn’t have to make sense, and it’ll probably be a lot more fun to read if it doesn’t, anyway.

That wasn’t a waste of time. After all, you wrote something, didn’t you?

Fun question! What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever written?

First and foremost, to my Twitter friends who helped promote the launching of this blog and made it happen by following: thank you.

To those of you who magically found my blog through means not Twitter (or begging)-related: So cool! *squeal* I mean, welcome.

And now to get to the reason you took the time to support my blog launch by being here: the blog. It’s here. It’s a little silly. But hopefully at least one of you out there will find it somewhat interesting, or even better, helpful. Inspiring would be great, but let’s not push our luck so soon.

I’ll start by saying I’m no expert. I’m not published (yet), I don’t have any awards and I don’t have an agent. I’m just someone who loves to write and has been doing so religiously since the age of thirteen. That being said, I like to think I’ve learned a few things along the way. A few. Don’t expect Santa’s magic bag of tricks here, I’m not that talented. Though I am on good terms with Santa.

I digress.

Writing is a finicky witch, and I don’t mean the wand and hat variety. Seriously. She’s that friend who always wants to hang out when life is overwhelming but is rarely there to see you when you want. She’s ADD too, and gets you really excited about her new toy Shiny Idea that’s absolutely amazing and then about three chapters in distracts you with a plate full of mouthwatering brownies called “New Story Idea.”  The metaphorical brownies may not gleam in the sunlight, but they sure as hell smell good and make it ridiculously hard to remember what was so awesome about Shiny, especially since you keep drooling on the keyboard.

Sometimes you just have to strap Writing down to a chair, shove some Ritalin down her throat and put the brownies away for another time.

Mmm, maybe this metaphor got a little out of hand. I’m not saying you should kidnap your best friends and slip drugs into their morning coffee (I mean honestly, what a waste of perfectly good coffee that would be. Just kidding.) What I AM saying is that writing isn’t the fun little hobby people often think it is. It’s hard work. It’s only fun about half the time and you spend the other half pulling your hair out of your head trying to fill a blank page. And it’s hard. Sticking to a story isn’t easy, especially when you have three or four other ideas trying to distract you the whole time.

In the end, though, it’s worth the stress because you can hang that shiny new manuscript up and smile. And those brownies are freaking delicious (and they better be, after all that hard work you put into them!)

But then you realize Writing escaped from the chair and you have to go chase her down again.

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Yamani Avivah

Avivah Yamani

astronom communicator

Name:Avivah Yamani
Address:Bandung - Jawa Barat - Indonesia
astronomer. astronomy communicator by day. co-founder of langitselatan. 365 Days Of Astronomy Project Director. new media practitioners. astronomy story teller. podcaster in the making. social media observer. web developer and web administrator by accident. designer & layouter wannabe, specialty in astronomy infographic content.

I’m an astronomer who works as communicator with a keen interest in social science, philosophy, music, art, archaeology and history. I am involved extensively with astronomy communication with the public, enjoying the challenge of conveying complex ideas in an easy-to-understand manner. I commit to write in langitselatan as myself but sometimes, I also write under pseudonym Pengembara Angkasa with my friends to answer astronomy question from public in the same site.

Other than astronomy, I love traveling and doing outdoor activities and hanging out with friends in roadside cafes.

Interest: astronomy, science communication, social media, new media, outreach, simulation games.

2004 - 2007

Master of Science in Astrophysics

Astronomy Department, Institut Teknologi Bandung

Thesis : Planetary System Modeling : Study Case Solar System and 47 Ursae Majoris

Planetary system modeling using planetary system generator, which is built based on a simple accretion model (Dole 1970) and considering the present structure of the solar system. Data on newly discovered extrasolar planets are also taken into account. It is then applied to generate 47 Ursae Majoris system to analyze its evolution. The planetary system generator in this project is a modification to ACRETE simulation by implementing perturbation and tidal effect of the system.

1997 - 2003

Bachelor of Science in Astronomy

Astronomy Department, Institut Teknologi Bandung

Research: Extrasolar Planet : 47 Ursae Majoris System, Perturbation Effect & its Evolution

The project aims to analyze 47 Ursae Majoris system stabilization using Weak Friction-Perturbation Model (WFPM). This is a numerical model based on the perturbation and the tidal effect.  We analyze the orbital element changes and compare it with the Sun-Jupiter-Saturn system to analyze the system evolution compare to Solar System.

2010 - 2015

Majalah Astronomi

Associate Editor

Astronomy magazine in Indonesia. Organizing content, handle submitted manuscript, layout designer, publishing and distribution. I also write astronomy article for the magazine.

website: Majalah Astronomi

2005 - 2006

Centaurus Magazine

Founder & Writer

Started an astronomy magazine with colleagues. Writing astronomy content, develop website with Mambo and maintain the website.

Conference & Workshop

My Articles & Audio Feed

My Articles & Audio Feed

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Let's keep in touch

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Who You Gonna Call? GHOSTBUSTERS!

ghostbusters birthday party cake

A couple of week’s ago, we celebrated my nephew’s 7th birthday.  My sister took charge of planning his planning and baking his cake.  As you can see, we got very creative!  She used fondant icing to creative this masterpiece!

ghostbusters birthday party

The marshmallow man is a hand molded rice Krispy treat covered with fondant.

ghostbusters birthday cake

The slime is a sparkle icing that she purchased.  Want to know a little secret?  The bottom layer is actually a piece of Styrofoam wrapped in fondant!  We didn’t need a large cake to feed everyone so only the top layer is actual cake.

ghostbusters birthday party

The base is just a plastic bowl flipped upside down and glued to the cake board.

ghostbusters birthday party

The place settings were cut out of poster board.

ghostbusters birthday party

The centerpiece consists of an arrangement of decorated sugar cookies that she made.

ghostbuster's birthday party

All the guests were able to have one, along with a goodie bag!

ghostbusters birthday party

The ceiling and chandelier were draped with streamers.

ghostbuster's brithday party

The banner over the doorway says it all!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ETHAN!

ghostbusters birthday party

Who says my sister isn’t creative?  She does!  She and I are as different as night and day but I think she pulled off quite a creative little party here!  That Ethan was a lucky little boy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing with:

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters

Let’s Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Grace at Home @ Imparting Grace

  1. How cool is that cake? I have never used fondant myself. My daughter in law has though. What a fun birthday party!

  2. Great cake and a very festive party!!

  3. What a beautiful cake! Very creative. Happy Birthday, Etah!...Christine

  4. Cute theme! Fabulous cake. Great party!

  5. Well, she gets my "creative' vote!!! This is just adorable. I am sure that Ethan loved the party and that this party was a big hit amongst his peers.. Belated happy birthday to him btw... xo marlis

  6. This is adorable! I love the idea of the faux bottom layer. Sometimes you just don't need all that cake, but the effect is wonderful.

    - The Tablescaper

  7. Oh my goodness, that is a cute cake...love the idea of wrapping a piece of styrofoam with fondant, now if I can only remember that for the next birthday cake I make! I agree your sister is talented, whether she thinks so or not...
    Have a great week, Tammy...

  8. Your sister doesn't believe she's creative??!?!?!?! Please make sure she sees the following:
    Dear Sister of Tammy...Not only are you quite obviously creative, you are GIFTED in that you could actually DO all the things your brain thought up!!!!! Let it be known from this day forward that you are to be known as Tammy's Sister the Gifted. I hereby knight you as such. :-)

    Happy Belated Birthday to Ethan!!!! This is a party he will never forget!

  9. Wow, your sister is one creative lady!! How clever - love the idea about the Styrofoam layer. I am sure that Ethan had a great birthday - what fun!

  10. So cute and different! Great idea to "fake" the big cake! love the ghosts in the chandy! I bet Ethan was one excited little boy!

  11. How adorable! Love the idea of the "extra cake" layer. Happy Birthday to Ethan! ~ Sarah

  12. What a fun and creative party theme. I love it, and the cake is unreal. Thanks for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

  13. That is adorable! Happy Birthday to Ethan!

  14. This is absolutely adorable. What a memorable birthday your sister created! And since he's seven, he'll remember this always. COOL!

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments! I try to return the favor and visit each one of you! ~Blessings, Tammy~


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Friday, July 17, 2009

22 is the Luckiest Number

Dear Emmy Voters,

Thank you so much for your recent list of Emmy nominations. They were both surprising and welcome, with a few disappointments here and there. But most of all, it seems you listened to what people are watching, and I don't mean Boston Legal.

First, let's look at the seven nominees in each of the series categories. It's great to see Damages and Mad Men return in the Drama category, and even Big Love is a welcome surprise, but I am absolutely thrilled to see Breaking Bad get recognized for its even-better second season. On the Comedy side, it's no question that 30 Rock is going to win (22 nominations, for God's sake!), but the voters nominated three first-time programs as well: Weeds, How I Met Your Mother, and the fantastic Flight of the Conchords. Overall, no complaints here, but I wasn't a fan of Battlestar Galactica, so its snub doesn't mean a whole lot to me. Oh, and thank you for snubbing the vampy train wreck that is True Blood. I am eternally grateful.

In the lead acting categories, you more or less kept things the same, with a nice inclusion of Simon Baker for The Mentalist, and though I would have liked to see Tim Roth from Lie to Me get nominated, I don't think there's anyone from this group I would drop. I will remain silent about the insufferable Mariska Hargitay getting nominated again over the superb January Jones from Mad Men, and instead praise the nomination of Elisabeth Moss from the same show. Sarah Silverman's nod is a head-scratcher, as is Jermaine Clement's, because they're both just playing themselves, but the biggest annoyance is Tony Shalhoub's seventh nomination. Monk is done; it shouldn't hog any more nominations.

The supporting acting categories are where you guys went a little bit off the rails. First, you paid almost no attention to my suggestions (¿Dónde están B.J Novak y David Costabile?), and worse even, you didn't nominated Mad Men's sublime Christina Hendricks! She had a rape plotline in this season! You guys are suckers for that! Nonetheless, even with these glaring omissions (and by glaring, I mean I'm glaring at you), you still made some good choices. I love seeing two differerent In Treatment ladies get nominated, even if neither of them is named Allison Pill, and Cherry Jones really is the only award-worthy thing about 24 anymore. Katherine Heigl's snub is a bit puzzling (again, a cancer plotline should be irresistible), and I'm irritated that once again, even though John Slattery (a terrific actor) made it in, Vincent Kartheiser did not. Vanessa Williams' nod in a year otherwise Bettyless doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but she's good, so I'll say she deserved it. Rose Byrne was fantastic this past season in Damages (arguably better than her more famous co-stars), and I really hope she wins this Emmy. Finally, the recognition for Amy Poehler and Kristin Wiig should make it clear to all of their male Saturday Night Live compatriots who exactly are the stars of the show.

Glossing over the reality show categories, I thank you for the inclusion of Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi and Tom Collichio and the omission of Howie Mandel, but wonder what So You Think You Can Dance and its host, Cat Deely, need to do to get a little love. Jon and Kate Plus Eight's snub was a welcome surprise, even more because it makes Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List right where it belongs: in the frontrunner's seat.

I never have much to say about the movie/miniseries categories, but I'm thrilled with Grey G-ah-dens' 17 nominations, especially the ones for Jessica Lange, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and the absolutely spectacular Drew Barrymore.

In the guest actor categories, I love that SNL's Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake category-frauded their way to nominations (and a surefire win for Tina Fey, don't cha know) but I'm also thrilled for Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Jennifer Aniston, Elaine Strich, and Alan Alda's nominations for 30 Rock, though I have a feeling only one of them is going to win (I'm looking at you, Arnie Vinick).

Thank you for snubbing Jay Leno. That is all.

It's nice to see almost all modern comedians fill out the Variety, Music, or Comedy Special category, including Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, and Will Ferrell. I'm rooting for Gervais or Griffin, mainly because their speeches will be the best part of the show if they win.

Finally, just one note for the writing categories. In both comedy and drama, one nod each went to a show OTHER than 30 Rock and Mad Men. Woe to you, Conchords and Lost; the odds are stacked against you this year, 4-1. Better luck next year.

Overall, I was very happy with your crop of nominations, Emmy Voters, and hope that your wisdom continues when the actual voting starts. I'll be posting my choices soon; you'd be wise to follow.

Thank you for your time,

Kevin O'Keeffe

PS: Great job getting Neil Patrick Harris!

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Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Cover Reveal: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for EVERY LAST BREATH, the hotly anticipated conclusion to the Dark Elements trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout! Every Last Breath is a Young Adult Paranormal and is being published by Harlequin Teen. The release day is set for July 28th, 2015, so mark your calendar and pre-order the book!

Every Last Breath - Cover
Title: Every Last Breath
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Dark Elements #3
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: July 28th, 2015

Some loves will last 'til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

“Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!”
--New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

“Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.”
--#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo | BAM

And I also have a surprise for you! The first books in the series have been given a new look too! Isn't that exciting?

White Hot Kiss - New Cover
Stone Cold Touch - New Cover
Bitter Sweet Love - New Cover
White Hot Kiss:

Stone Cold Touch:

Bitter Sweet Love (Novella):

Don't miss the previous titles in The Dark Elements Series - now with new covers! Readers interested in downloading the new cover jackets for their previously purchased Dark Elements Series titles, can download them HERE!

For best results when downloading the new cover jackets:
  • Print on 8.5x14" (Legal paper)
  • Use landscape or horizontal setting = 8.5" tall x 14" wide
  • Print at 100% scale or "actual size"
  • Print with the image centered on page
  • Fold and trim to fit

Author PhotoAbout Jennifer L. Armentrout

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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B2399 Engine Trouble Code

Meaning of B2399 engine trouble code is a kind of body trouble code and when your car's 'B2399 Check Engine' light comes on, it's usually accompanied by a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. The light could mean a costly problem, like a bad catalytic converter, or it could be something minor, like a loose gas cap. But in many cases, it means at minimum that you'll be visiting the car dealer to locate the malfunction and get the light turned off.

B2399 Fault Symptoms :

  1. Check engine light comes on
  2. Engine stalling or misfiring
  3. Engine performance issues
  4. Car not starting
If one of these reasons for B2399 code is occuring now you should check B2399 repair processes.
Now don't ask yourself; What should you do with B2399 code ?
The solution is here :

B2399 Possible Solution:

B2399 Engine

Disconnected, dirty or fouled spark plugs are common causes for engines that won't start. Spark plugs typically need to be replaced every season or 25 hours of use. You should also check that the spark plug gap is set properly. If your spark plugs look good, problems with your ignition system can also preventing a spark. These can range from a faulty spark plug lead, shorted kill switch or flywheel key damage.

B2399 Code Meaning :

B 2 3 9 9
OBD-II Diagnostic Body (B) Trouble Code For Engine Fuel And Air Metering (Injector Circuit Malfunctions Only) Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Intermittent Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Malfunction Reverse Input Circuit

Is the fuel pump sometimes not priming when you turn the key to ON(II)? Start by measuring the fuel pressure and checking whether you have bright white-bluish spark at all four plugs. The mechanical timing is also something that you should check, as we mentioned above.

B2399 OBD-II Diagnostic Body (B) Trouble Code Description

B2399 engine trouble code is about Reverse Input Circuit.

Main reason For B2399 Code

The reason of B2399 OBD-II Engine Trouble Code is Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Intermittent.

B2399 the main thing to check is to verify the operation of the VCT solenoid. You're looking for a sticking or stuck VCt solenoid valve caused by contamination. Refer to vehicle specific repair manual to perform component tests for the VCT unit.


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Welcome to Blog2Print's first ever Blogapalooza! Join us as we blog for 24 hours straight on August 17th - one post every hour, for one full day of blogging! Don't forget, the bold bloggers that stick with us for the entire blogathon will receive a Blog2Print book of their postings!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Hour 24 – 10:00AM – 11:00AM

Wow. Just wow. We made it! 24 blog posts in 24 hours.

The only thing left to do now is to take a nap. The keyboard is looking mighty comfy, but before I use it as my pillow, I just want to say:

It's been a lot of fun blogging with everyone this past 24 hours and I've loved reading everyone's posts.

So, from all of us at Blog2Print, thanks for joining us in our first Blogapalooza!

And for those who've stuck with us for 24 hours, keep your eye out for an email about your blog book!

24 hours down, 0 more to go - Congrats everyone, you did it!

Hour 23 – 9:00AM – 10:00AM

Back in the office - made it just in time to post this: the penultimate post.

And it looks like lots of you made it this far - congratulations! 23 post, in 23 hours - that's a lot of writing (ok, and video posting).

We still have one more post to go before we can pop the champagne. But since it's 9 here, maybe we'll stick to sparkling apple juice.

23 hours done, and only one more hour/post to go!

Hour 22 – 8:00AM – 9:00AM

Lots to do today, and at the top of the list is writing these last few Blogapalooza posts of course.

We've covered a lot over our Blogapalooza posts, and if I've established anything, it's my love of coffee. So it shouldn't be surprising that I'm having a cup or three while I write this.

After a few quick naps (oh the joys/dangers of blogging somewhere comfortable) during Blogapalooza, I'm off to the Blog2Print offices again! I'm certain the subway will give some inspiration for my next post.

22 hours down, and only 2 more hours to go! If you made it this far, you can make it to the end - you can do it!

Hour 21 – 7:00AM – 8:00AM

So now it's not just Blogapalooza bloggers up - the regular world has decided to join us too (at least on the east coast).

While others are getting ready for whatever the day holds for them, we're multitasking here! Getting ready and blogging! We'll be sure to double check we're wearing matching shoes on the way out today...

Hour 21, we're so close to making it! Only 3 hours left. We can do this!

Hour 20 – 6:00AM – 7:00AM

It seems only fitting that we play this song right now! This is one of my favorite songs to play in the morning - in fact it's the first song on my AM playlist.

20 Hours down, 4 hours left to go! We're so close!

Hour 19 – 5:00AM – 6:00AM

If you still get the newspaper delivered, then I imagine that it's hitting your door right about now.

Even though I get most of my news through a combination of iPhone apps and reading the news online, I do love reading the actual newspaper now and then.

I mean, how else are you going to get ink smudged fingers?

19 hours down, 5 more to go...home stretch for real guys!

Hour 18 – 4:00 AM – 5:00AM

I think at this time, we need a music break to revive spirits!
Naturally this is just the song to play:

18 hours down, only 6 - yes 6 hours remaining! Here's to everyone making it through Blogapalooza! After that, I know I'm ready.

Hour 17 – 3:00 AM – 4:00AM

What are the sounds of New York at 3 AM? Bus rolling through the streets here, a garbage truck there...but mostly just quiet, like many places at 3AM.

With sounds like that, sometimes it's better to bring your own playlist. I pretty much have one for everything - resting, running, reading, walking, writing, cooking - you name the activity, I have a playlist for it.

But right now iTunes is playing on random - so it sounds like it's time to make a blogging playlist.

Do you have one?

17 hours down and 7 more to go...it's the home stretch! Kind of....

Hour 16 – 2:00AM – 3:00 AM

For those of us still up - insomniacs, students pulling all-nighters, blogapalooza bloggers - it's hour 16!

Now I know I already wrote about my favorite things earlier, but I just thought of another one that I had to include, AND it's something I'm looking forward to tomorrow, I mean, later today.

It's a food truck - and it's a favorite of the Blog2print office. There are lots and lots of food trucks traveling around the city these days and New York Magazine has listed 25 of the best ones.

Now that list is packed with great food trucks, but THE best if you ask me is Wafles & Dinges. And lucky for us, they're going to be in our neighborhood today (at a regular hour of course) selling their wonderful waffles.

Seems like the perfect post-Blogapalooza treat! Food trucks - one trend I'm happy to support.

16 hours down, only 8 more to go!

Hour 15 – 1:00AM – 2:00AM

Usually I'm drifting off to sleep now (ok probably sound asleep), but not tonight! Tonight, I'm blogging the night away with you fab bloggers.

So I'm checking twitter less frequently now that it's late in the night/early in the morning. But I'm still here blogging!

I can't be the only one who's excited for the movie about Facebook, The Social Network. Here is it's trailer for you to enjoy!

15 hours down, 9 hours more to go!

Hour 14 – 12:00AM – 1:00AM

Here in the city that never sleeps, we’re just getting started! And if you believe that, the Brooklyn Bridge is priced just right for you.

We accept PayPal :)

I think it's time to bust out the coffee – 14 hours down, only 10 to go.

Hey look - it's August 18th!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Hour 13 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Well, this is the time that I usually look in my closet to find my dancing shoes, because in Manhattan it’s just about time to go out! Which I do. On a week night. In my dreams.

Tonight, though, we’re staying in here in solidarity with all of our Blogapalooza bloggers. But if you listen closely, you might hear the thump of “Telephone” or "Alejandro" in the background…

(How did I make it to hour 13 without a single Gaga reference?)

13 hours down, just 11 to go!

Hour 12 – 10:00 PM – 11:00PM

I love the show Chopped and lucky me, it's up right now on the Food Network! If I was presented with a random basket of ingredients and told to cook a delicious meal, I'd probably just scratch my head for 30 minutes.

If you need me, I'll be the one watching in awe as chefs come up with absolutely creative dishes!

We're halfway there you guys! 12 hours down, 12 more to go!

Hour 11 – 9:00PM – 10:00PM

The later it gets, the more impressed I am with everyone’s blog posts/blogging stamina!

Now that I’ve successfully cleared dinner from the keyboard, we're on for hour 11! That means we're almost halfway through!

Remember, this is a blogathon not a sprint so let's pace ourselves...

Right now, I'm imagining that I'm blogging in a room featured on Design*Sponge. If only. If only.

11 down, 13 hours to go you guys...

Hour 10 – 8:00 PM – 9:00PM

So for us east-coasters, it's around dinner time. Between dinner and blogging, I thought it was the perfect time for an "inspired-by post."

Back at hour 6, the wonderful blogger Angel posted a poem about Blogapalooza and gave us the idea for this post. We're not so great at rhyming, so we opted for a haiku. Yes, a haiku (or two).

When blogging for a
day at Blogapalooza
Bring your ideas!

And one more topical one -

Eating dinner while
blogging means food will get in
your keyboard. That's gross.

10 down, 14 more to go!

Hour 9 – 7:00PM – 8:00PM

With all of you seasoned bloggers posting up storm, at hour 9, I feel a little like this guy:

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
Keep up the blogging everyone. We can so do this!

9 down, 15 more to go...

Hour 8 – 6:00PM – 7:00PM

I don't think Blogapalooza would be complete without a (very) brief list of my favorite things. In no particular order, I present to you....

- The New York City skyline, hello-oooo Empire State Building!

- Coffee. Let me repeat that, COFFEE. All versions of it (excluding decaf)
- Cake Wrecks: Love this site for a good laugh and a smile
- Finding new music
- The iPhone: I'll admit it. I've drank the iPhone kool-aid. Love it!
- And finally, when it comes to Blogapalooza, all of you dedicated bloggers posting through out the day are definitely my favorite! You guys have some serious blogging chops.

8 down, 16 more hours to go...

Hour 7 – 5:00PM – 6:00PM

So we're several posts into Blogapalooza and the topic of inspiration seems appropriate right now.

Some people turn to favorite famous quotes, others turn to friends and family. When it comes to what happens next on Blog2Print and our blog books, we turn to you guys - to the bloggers. We take your suggestions and from them, we give you our new features and updates.

As for inspiration of the next post, that's another story...

7 hours down, count 'em 17 more to go. Stay strong!

Hour 6 – 4:00PM – 5:00 PM

Way to go everyone - it's hour 6! This is the quarter mark, you guys. So take the hands momentarily off the keyboard and give yourself a pat on the back.

So bloggers from across the US have joined us in our blogathon. Some from California, Indiana, North Carolina, Nevada - and more.

But what about us?

We're blogging from New York City - here's a view from our window!

6 hours down, 18 more to go you guys!

Hour 5 – 3:00PM – 4:00PM

I couldn't think of a good blogging-themed version of "99 bottles of beer" but I did succeed in getting that song stuck in my head. And Brittany of Not Your Average Teen did finish it nicely in the comments. Way to go!

So now that I've mentioned that song twice, I dread that you'll have it stuck in your head too. So here's a favorite video of mine. It's nothing new, but definitely makes me smile whenever I watch it.

It's of PS22 Chorus singing Phoenix's Lisztomania - it's a great chorus and they all look so excited to be singing!

5 hours down, 19 hours left...!

A brief note about time differences - if you had any confusion about the start time, don't worry! Post your 24 posts, in 24 hours. The only thing is, you just might finish while I'm sound asleep on my keyboard :)

Hour 4 – 2:00 PM – 3:00PM

How much longer before we start singing “99 Bottles of Beer on the wall”? And what would the blogging version be? I'll spend the rest of this hour trying to come up with one.

Has to be something better than "99 bloggers blogging along..."

4 hours down, 20 hours left…!

Hour 3 – 1:00PM – 2:00PM

No, you don’t have to be crazy to blog once an hour for 24 hours. And today you’d be in good company in our blogathon.

If you like (and have the time!) check out some of the work of the other Blogapalooza participants. Look through the comments in our previous posts, or head to twitter and search for #blogapalooza, to see what the other bloggers have to say - and maybe leave a nice comment to cheer them on. Everybody likes comments after all!

3 hours down, 21 hours left…!

Hour 2 – 12:00PM – 1:00PM

You can’t blog for 24 hours unless you post in the first hour…and it's nice to see so many in our blogathon have done just that. We’re just getting started - there's still a long, long way to go. Here’s hoping all those in Blogapalooza are in it for the long run.

And I've seen some of you on twitter are already using #blogapalooza when you tweet about your posts - keep it up! We'll be doing the same too.

2 hours down, 22 hours left…!

Hour 1 – 11:00 AM – 12:00PM

And we're off! Blogapalooza has officially started and I can't wait to see what you all write about.

Thinking about what I'd write for the first post for our blogging marathon, I immediately thought about what a marathon runner would do the night before a big run: carbo-loading. And thanks to the wonders of the internet, I now know more about carbo-loading than I probably ever will need in real life.

So if runners eat lots of carbs in the few days before a marathon, what do bloggers do the night before a blogging marathon? Naturally they (or maybe just me) look at a lot of delicious posts from a couple food blogs.

Proud Italian Cook – Yes, she has a giveaway going on for us right now. But more importantly she has tons of seriously delicious recipes - like homemade ravioli or zucchini tomato gratin. I'll gladly eat vicariously through her posts.

Smitten Kitchen – One of my personal favorites. If only everything that came out of my kitchen looked so good! This chocolate cake is probably not something you want to eat before running, but definitely something you’d want to look at before a blogging marathon.

Only two of the many delicious looking food blogs out there (I’m sure you have your own favorites).

1 hour down and 23 hours left of Blogapalooza!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Ready, Set, Blog!

Welcome to Blogapalooza, Blog2Print's first ever blogging marathon!

By now you know the drill: 1 blog post, every hour, for 24 hours. Think you can do it? We certainly do (and we'll be right there posting with you!)

We'll be putting a new post up every hour just like you. And after you've written your blog post of the hour, just leave a comment with a link to it in our post here - that way you'll be able to see what other Blogapalooza participants are writing too!

We'll title each post by the hour so you'll know where to leave your link  (Our first post will be Hour 1 - 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM)

So get comfortable, grab 24 ideas for blog posts, have some coffee on standby for the later hours - and off we go!

Good luck and Happy Blogging!


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Monday, November 2, 2009

Colic It Is Then

The past few weeks, Nathan and I have avoiding facing the inevitable truth: Eliza has colic. Whenever people ask how she is, we always say: "She is such an angel throughout the day, but at night she can be a little peanut!" Well, her refusal to sleep has built up to a persistent scream that cannot be soothed. Nathan has discovered a way to temporarily pacify her by bouncing constantly with her perched on his arms. However, even this method is beginning to fail us. Nothing works and our baby is left with her tiny hands in fist and her face bright red as she cries her little heart out.

Needless to say, this is stressful. Nathan is in school and also working, but somehow managing to stay awake throughout the night with me. Honestly, I haven't been able to do it alone. Yesterday, I was feeling particularly sorry for us. In order to prevent myself from wallowing in absolute self-pity, I tried thinking positively- making a list of all the things I am grateful for. I finally came to the conclusion that even if Eliza cries for two more months, it's just a brief period of time. A verse came to mind, one that I have often referred throughout various trials in my life: " peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment, and if thy endure it well God shall exalt thee on high."

So, instead of just being a victim of this colic, I decided to find out why she might be crying and what we could do about it. Being proactive will save my sanity, I believe. After some googling, Nathan and I discovered Eliza has all the symptoms of lactose overload . I feel so much relief at this diagnosis and hopefully, I can begin to remedy the problem. We're going to try changing her eating patterns and perhaps, she will be a happier (and sleepier) baby. the meantime...we will continue trying different bouncy seats and swings. Last night, we went to Walmart at 3 AM and bought this in desperation:
It did nothing. Oh well.

Any prayers or words of advice are welcome. We are staying optimistic, but are looking like zombies these days. Parenthood is much more difficult than I anticipated, but I am still loving it, despite the hurdles.

One final thought, it's easy to feel sorry for yourself some days, but really it is just wasted energy. There are so many things in my life that could be different...or worse. A reminder that I am not alone in my mothering woes came just a few hours ago. After being up all night yet again, I was still laying in bed at 1 in the afternoon when Caitlin called. I called her back and her voice was warm and kind (as usual). She then explained she was going to the doctor with mastitis...again. I had a SLIGHT case of that and it was horrible pain. So, to have that again and still be calm and positive- that's a trooper for you! I think Heavenly Father really does not give us more than we can handle and that he also reminds us we are never alone in our trials.
(I'm sorry, Caitlin, that you had to me the "reminder" for me :)...but I love you!)

  1. So you should have just been a zombie for Halloween?

  2. I love YOU!!! I'm sorry that Eliza has colic, but at least you can move forward and figure out a way to fix it.

  3. she sounds alot like Jackie was at the age! Cried a ton at night and would not sleep without being bounced in Derek's arms. (you might remember me sleeping under my desk at platnium Some one let us an Amby bed and it SAVED us she started to sleep like a baby should and we had no more issues at all. The site says they are sold out but ebay has a bunch and here is one from craigs list Jackie used heres until she was like 8 months old and seriously we LOVED it. i would buy one for Abby and she is not even a cryer (if i had the money :)) any way best of luck hope you figure somethingout

  4. Ugh, it sounds like life is so frustrating and exhausting these days! Hang in there...You're right - it will be over eventually. You can do it!!!

  5. You can do it! I know one thing with colic can be the mother's diet. Spicy foods. Milk products. Maybe? Hayden wasn't colicy. I'll be praying for you! You are amazing for keeping such a positive attitude! i hope the Lactose Overload works out!

A Penny For Your Thoughts


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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

This month has been SOOOO crazy with Jordan's appointments in addition to a slew of additional appts for her school district assessments AND I now work two days a week AND Shannon is doing his mortgage work along with taking classes toward his master's degree. Yikes.
Today was the day Jordan went in for her vision and hearing screening with the district nurse. Many of you may not know that I am a teacher of the deaf (really I'm just a mom but my credential and master's says I'm a teacher of the deaf so two days a week now I'm both a mom and a teacher). Most of my schooling was in the area of specialized instruction for deaf/hard of hearing children with some speech pathology courses and some audiology courses. Because of this, I was particularly interested in Jordan's vision and hearing screening today. When I talked to Shan and asked him what they did, what type of equipment they used he chuckled and said something like, "You're gonna love this. Are you sitting down?" He proceeded to tell me that they told her to turn around and then the nurse rang bells and made different sounds with various toys. If Jordan could hear them then she passed. I nearly fell out of my chair. I was at work so I asked our nurse why on earth that would be their protocol. She said it is a very antiquated way that schools used to check hearing. No one uses that method anymore according to her. She told me they now use an audiometer, which is what I was expecting from our local district. She let me take hers home to test Jordan myself for peace of mind.

Here's a sideways picture of the audiometer. It kept rotating sideways when I posted it - sorry.
It presents tones through headphones at various frequencies and decibels so an actual audiogram can be made. It also isolates each ear so you can tell the hearing in each ear independently.

Being an audiology student and teacher of the deaf, I can't tell you how many textbooks I've seen with cute kids holding blocks up with their headphones on, waiting to hear the tones.
I love learning about the intricacies of the middle and inner ear and how perfectly things must work together for information to reach the brain. It is truly fascinating stuff. To be able to give my own children hearing tests was SO fun and to see them with their own little blocks in hand was really so cool.
When Jordan was born I requested a Newborn Hearing Screening. They said no (not in so many words but basically they resisted). I persisted and basically said that I didn't want to leave until they checked her hearing. With everything else I needed to know she could hear. She failed. We took her to an ENT then an audiologist who did an ABR - Auditory Brainstem Response test which measures the brain's response to sound. She got no response. I was devastated to say the least. I went home several times after various audiological appts and stood in front of my textbook shelf and cried. I couldn't make myself pull those books down to look at them as a parent. I couldn't face the thought that of all disabilities she could be deaf. I knew the challenges from my schooling and my job. I knew what deafness would mean for her and for our family. After more tests were done it was suggested that it was simply fluid and that once she got tubes put in her ears that she would hear fine. Thankfully at four months she got tubes and we found that her hearing was fine. I was beyond relieved. Since then I've worked very hard to make sure her tubes are in place and that her hearing, despite fluid, infections and tubes is managed. She failed her last brief hearing test in one ear at the ENT's office so I was relieved to be able to test her myself.
One more quick note is that I offered to also test my neighbor and her daughter. Her daughter came back within normal limits but my friend showed a significant high frequency loss. She has suspected it for a while but hadn't had time to go get it checked. She's relieved to know now and to be encouraged to get a full work up. I also gave her handouts describing the type of loss that showed up on her chart tonight. What a fun toy this is. Anyone else wanna try it? :)

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Quick Update on JJ's Progress

I had a few minutes here on a Saturday while Shannon is at the men's retreat and I'm a total vegetable on the couch with the kids watching a movie - after a morning of cartoons (yes, I'm a bad mom) so I thought I'd post a quick update.

September is a VERY busy month for us as I start working two days a week (boo hoo!), ministry starts up at church for us and the kids, Shannon starts school again (and works full time with our Real Estate Mortgage business), Noah starts his one morning a week preschool again, Jordan continues with therapy as usual and we go through the crazy process of Special Education testing through the local school district. Uggg. Today is a much deserved morning on the couch with the kids. I'm loving it!

As for Jordan's update - she is doing very, very well and it's great to see. This month she is being assessed in the areas of gross motor, fine motor, speech/language, pre-academic and cognitive skills with our local school district. We aren't expecting her qualify for services in any area, thankfully, but we want to be sure and we want to know for sure that she is closing the gap developmentally and that her medical issues haven't caused delays that need to be worked on. Next month we are expecting her to only have therapy one morning a week and no surgeries scheduled on the horizon for another 2 or 3 years. I can't imagine! She will be three this month which a whole blog post in itself.

A big milestone recently is her ability to go up and down a few stairs without assistance. It's so exciting. She is physically becoming more and more independent all the time. She's beginning to be able to hang on monkey bars for a couple seconds (showing increased hand strength and flexibility), she is beginning to learn to use special scissors to cut paper, she can draw circles and lines on paper, she is only wearing her brace part-time now and is graduating to a smaller brace in a week or so. She's just doing so great and it's fun to see. I put a video on here of her climbing the stairs in front of our house. We've been working toward this since she began walking after her surgery earlier this year.

I will be posting more pictures soon and then of course her birthday post - she turns three on September 30th and we're heading to Disneyland with our "princess" for a day of celebration. Yes she will be in costume - princess of course.


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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Girls Night

Cousins are here!!

My sister and her girls came down this week. They live up in Oregon and are here to help celebrate our parents 50th Wedding Anniversary (more on that later).
It was so good to see them last night. It was a girls night out!! My sister has 3 daughters, one of which is just a little older than Lily, and I have two it made for a fun night of girls.
Lily loves playing with her cousins. She even borrowed a nightgown from Nikki and kept telling me that she was 'barring Nikkis gown".
I am looking forward to spending time with family these next couple of weeks!!

1 comment:

Holly said...

I bet it's always fun when you get together.


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Thursday, August 07, 2008

Okay okay, so you know how a few posts ago I said my new favorite food is medjool dates?

well... can I add another item to my TOP FAV FOODS? because i think I have a tie...

seriously, oh... my... gosh...

fresh organic figs... I have only had one kind - Jumbo Calmyrna figs... and they are freakin amazing!

I had them the same day I first tried medjool dates, and I liked them, but I didn't think much about them.

Then I was watching Planet Earth (OH MY GOSH, it deserves a whole new post, OMG!) but anyways I was watching the jungle episode and it showed the monkeys (my idols, as a climber) and they were PIGGING out on figs. And then all of the sudden I got an intense urge to eat figs and so I got some and wowwwwwww they are AMAZING!

gah why do my favorite foods have to be expensive?

Like, seriously, for Christmas, I'm just going to ask for a bunch of medjool dates and some FIGS. (I mean, with the money they used to spend on buying me chocolates and candy for my stocking, they (as in my parents AND Santa) can stuff it with FIGS.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

And when I go trick-or-treating, i can just knock on my own door and ask for figs instead of candy

and when easter comes i can ask the easter bunny to give me figs and dates instead of chocolate bunnies and eggs.

and... and... and...

you get the point.

Sarah said...

LOL! Isn't it wild how you are so attracted to figs and they are MONKEY FOOD. I swear to God, the universe has this funny little way of drawing you towards your intended energy..and food is energy! It's kind of like how crazy I am about aloe vera...some things just resonate so loudly you cannot ignore them. Anyways, I hope everything goes well! I am going to Maine for ten days tomorrow, but I will be sneaking to the library and keeping up to date with my people. Scurry hard, monkey!

Raw Mum

HiHoRosie said...

hahahahaha!!!! You know I haven't tried figs. I'll have to look for them when I have some spare change. Like Sarah pointed out, it's funny you're attracted to the same foods as a monkey. :)

And Planet Earth is an amazing show.

Omegachuck said...

My teeth just start to rattle, thinking of how sweet all those dates and figs taste. I gotta tame them with something salty or bland added to tone down the sweets.
Keep it up monkey girl..


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Monday, December 21, 2009

new prints!

Need a super last minute christmas gift? Have any friend's birthays coming up? Would you like a piece of ashley hamilton art on your wall??? Check it out:

email me for details:

1 comment:

Omegachuck said...

Hey folks, I have one of the colorful paisley pieces shown. I got it a year or so ago from Ash and it's just so cool. Grab one of her pieces for some holiday cheer.


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An obsessing failure

2017 Charleston Angler 6th annual GoPro Film Festival Winning Film.

Every fly fisherman knows the struggles of this sport, let alone the struggles of fly fishing for redfish. Ask anyone about a redfish spitting the fly you knew would be perfect, or what about the fly getting stuck in grass? (strongest grass known to man). Don’t forget about the ole oyster line nippers, those will get you every time.

This being said, the great times outweigh the hardships, and that is why we, as fly fishermen, keep coming back again and again. Outlining the failures, to promote the best of memories in the Lowcountry of South Carolina is what our team aimed to do. Without the struggles, there would never be the memories we will keep forever.

Watch, laugh, and enjoy the film. We promise you’ll relate.

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3 months ago

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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

A Cowboy's Life

Toby spent quite a bit of time on the computer last night looking for lyrics to an Ian Tyson song. We are big Ian Tyson fans and found out that he lives south of Calgary. Toby kept trying to think of the lyrics and the name of the song about moving to Alberta and clearing an acre of land. This land is just so beautiful with the mountains as the backdrop for the prairies - it all reminded Toby of the song. He did not find it on the computer, but he did find one of our favorite Ian Tyson songs, "Night Rider's Lament" - I especially like the Susy Boggess version, but then I like anything Susy sings. I can certainly see why Tyson writes such great songs about this land. The one thing that Toby wanted to do, but we did not get a chance, was to see more of the prairies/ranch land. His favorite houses at Heritage Park were the ranch houses - he said he thought they should have had more prairie houses, more farm stuff, a sawmill and a blacksmith exhibit. You can tell he is a farm boy.

Yes, it would be great to live here - right up until the big snows. This area reminds me of life in Northern NM. I love the changing seasons, the ranch land surrounded by mountains, the beauty of it all, etc. I could certainly see myself riding a horse across the land and climbing in the mountains and fishing in the rivers. I love the snow and the winter sports, but hauling feed and water to the horses during the winter was a pain in the butt. Breaking ice was no fun either. Maybe if I could just vacation in the mountains and avoid the heat of OK summers, life would be perfect. And have my Grand babies near me all the time.

Buck Pennington said...

Yes, it would be great to live here - right up until the big snows.

Agreed. I could say that about a lot of places I've lived, with the understanding that no one place is an objective way. You can't tell a Californian that, though.

The thing about the Canadian prairie that got me (or: sticks in my memory) was you could always tell you were close to a town by the sight of the grain elevators off in the distance. I suppose that's true for the US, too, come to think on it.

Jo Castillo said...

Guess the plan to have the whole family in the mountains in the summer and the warm south in the winter is to win the lottery so the whole family can retire together! :) That is our plan anyway.

Becky said...

I wouldn't know about that snow stuff. We get an inch here and everybody rushes out to Wal-mart to stock up on bread, bottled water, and batteries.

I'm the kind who thinks that I'd love to live where it snows, but only if I could sit by the fire and knit all day! :)

Shelly said...

I love living in a state that we really get to experience all 4 seasons. I love the snow (we just had the first snowfall in the mountains) I just don't like to drive in it.

Bag Blog said...

I didn't live that far from you - just across the border in NM - lower San Luis Valley. I loved it too. But I don[t miss the hauling water and feed to the animals in the snow and ice.


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Tuesday, 31 January 2006

Blair faces coup

Which Blair? Either, we want rid of both of them!
In this case it is policeman Blair. You're right, that still doesn't help.
Okay, Sir Ian Blair, our incompetent chief of police.

He faces a coup as reported in the Mirror today. I rarely read or agree with the Daily Mirror but credit where credit is due, today they are onto something. I have it on good authority from my own Blue Mole that morale has never been lower and deep disatisfaction spreads right down to the rats in the police station sewers.

My views on this particular Blair are well known on this blog so lets hope this coup goes somewhere. Come you boys and girls in Blue. Time to stand tall again. Get behind your senior officers and cut him loose.

Update: Sir Ian still has the full confidence of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Excellent. One big heave and they might both go.

1 comment:

philmac said...

sadly...they both won't go...sadly


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Sunday, 22 January 2017

Pistachio Pound Cake With Strawberries And Cream

If you've read this blog for some time, you must know how much I love to work with recipes where the focus is on the fruit of the season. My first foray of baking with fruit began with Isidora Popovic's 'Popina Book of Baking'. My very first recipe on this blog came from that book. I was absolutely taken in by how the fruit added so much more to the flavour and freshness of my bakes.

I, then followed it up with Nigel Slater's 'Ripe : A Cook in the Orchard', a book that opened up a collection of recipes that paired fruit in sweet as well as savoury dishes. And my latest addition to this small collection is Yossy Arefi's 'Sweeter off the Vine'. Yossy is the voice behind the blog, 'Apt. 2B Baking Co'. I adore everything about this Brooklyn based baker and photographer's blog..the recipes, the photography and now I'm completely taken in with her book. If you enjoy baking and somehow, haven't yet discovered her blog, I'd seriously recommend it.

The season of fruits in India may differ from those in these books but each of the books mentioned above always has space for recipes that work with strawberries, the fruit currently in season. Out of all of the book's recipes with strawberries, I zeroed in on the pistachio pound cake that is paired with strawberries and cream. I do have my eye on the strawberry and campari ice pops but those will have to wait for the weather to get a bit warmer.

I was intrigued by the pistachio pound cake. I have used almond meal in my cakes and have loved the depth and richness that it has given my cakes but have never worked with pistachios. And what an absolute delight this pound cake was.

Who doesn't love a good, hearty pound cake and the pistachios give it that something extra to stand apart from your regular pound cake. You can taste the pistachios but it is not overpowering at all. It just adds a lil something special to the wholesomeness of a pound cake.

The recipe pairs thick slices of this cake with strawberries macerated in a lavender sugar and cream. While the idea of lavender sugar had me really excited, unfortunately I couldn't get my hands on it out here. So, I adapted by macerating the strawberries in vanilla and some liqueur.

Serving strawberries and cream with this cake immediately elevates it as an elegant dessert. However, if you don't want to serve it with strawberries and cream, I assure you that pound cake, warm out of the oven, with a cup of tea is still a winner.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend..xx!

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Orange, Fig And Cardamom Cake

Nothing like a new year to start afresh with this blog. Last year was a nondescript year for me and yours truly is more than ready to welcome the new year. As for this blog, it seems that all I managed was nine posts for the whole of 2016. So, this year will be all about getting all those posts floating around in my head onto this little space of mine.

And getting straight onto the job with a cake that I baked this weekend. For some reason, almost every post in the latter half of the year was chocolate. So, am taking a break from chocolate and turning to my other love, baking with the fruit of the season.

That would be figs and oranges today. I found this cake in Nigel Slater's 'Ripe', his weighty ode to cooking with the fruit in season. This is essentially an almond cake, flavoured with oranges and cardamom that has a layer of fresh figs, running through the middle of the cake. As the cake bakes, the figs cook into a soft, jammy consistency.

Once baked, a lemon and orange syrup is then poured on top of the hot cake. You will be tempted to give it a miss but don't. You will appreciate the citrus syrup when you help yourself to a slice.

The cake does not score high on looks but cut yourself a slice and you will realise that all the drama is in the taste and texture of this cake.

This is a moist cake that uses not only almond meal but chopped almonds too and that gives it this nutty, grainy texture, very different from your regular cake. This is a cake where you must wait till it completely cools down or else you won't taste all the flavours that this cake promises. On first taste, it's the orange that will hit you but later you will discern the cardamom as well as a hint of lemon from the citrus syrup. The cake looks so moist that I wondered if it was too sweet but turns out that the syrup in fact infuses it with extra citrus notes that balances out any fears on the sugar front.

Whist figs are a personal favourite, any other fruit such as strawberries or plums should work just as well.
As the new year started, articles all over were about how we need to slow down, be mindful and move out of our social media bubbles. I couldn't agree more. So, here's to a new year, where you make the time to discover, connect, embrace and rejoice in life's simpler pleasures. Happy New Year..x!

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He has since died, and I took on the cause of making cancer care more transparent for everybody.

Cancer is a disease that will touch everybody through diagnosis or affiliation: 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed and 1 in 3 woman will hear those words, "You Have Cancer."

I invite you to read how I feel along my journey and
how I am continuing to live a full life alongside my Hodgkin's lymphoma, with me controlling my cancer, not my cancer controlling me.

I hope that "Baldies' Blog" will prepare you to handle whatever life sends you, but especially if it's the message, "You Have Cancer."

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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Scraping By

The rug was finally pulled out from under us financially, and the sky didn't fall. We still have a roof over our heads, and food on the table thanks to a great couple who sent us grocery cards and a lot of couponing, bulk buying, and freezing during previous months.

We have never had a checking account with less than 75 cents before, but luckily, we've been able to pay the bills. . . . . with a lot of help.
Free Outdoor Boy Activities: Frog catching
and Blueberry picking.

We've made it through the month of August. The month where our bills are the highest.

The pain in our wallet starts in July, actually, with our bi-yearly taxes. There goes $4000 just at the time when we are trying to enjoy our annual summer vacation camping in the mountains.

Camping in the mountains is not an extravagant vacation. I think White Lake has increased their rate from $14 a night. We owned our camper and equipment before my illness. We rotate cooking meals so eating may be even less expensive those two weeks.

Our outings include spending our days at the beach, the kids ride bikes, make friends. We go on hikes, feed chipmunks and bond as a family in our filth around the fire.

If it's raining we will hit the tax-free outlets in N. Conway for some "back to school" shopping. I suggest everybody does. There designer clothes may cost less than at walmart.

It's good times.

It's also a tradition X loves. He tried to get a sumer job this year out of fear that we wouldn't be able to go. This "vacation," as hard as it can be on my body, is not negotiable.

Then August hits, along with our birthdays.

Birthdays were fun before the age of 18 and owning anything that needs to be registered. Now, birthdays are a big financial drain. We register our two cars and the camper. We also have both cars inspected. With our luck this year both cars needed new breaks, front and back.

Thanks to Lambert Auto and our wonderful lifelong friend Lew, I received mine for free, which has allowed me a car to drive and for us to continue to eat well.

Jon and his father put in J's the front breaks themselves, turning what was quoted as a $400+ job into a $100 job.

It's a huge relief to know we have safe cars to drive, at least when I'm safe to drive.

My rapid cancer re-occurence and travel to NYC every 3 weeks didn't help the situation.

Again, my parents came to my rescue. My mother has taken me the past two treatments requesting that I only cover the hotel and parking, which is nothing compared to the gas, cabs, meals, and snacks.
The new pic hanging in our room:
 Lovebirds: X swears if lovebirds
 are in the house, everyone
will love each other.

I've been dreaming for a long time of the day that my writing will pay off, or somehow we'll be given the break we need to live comfortably and in good health, so we'll be able to function independently as a family. My biggest hope is one day we'll be able to give back what we've been given in a big way.

The same way all I can do is hope and pray that my cancer will stay at bay, I'll continue to hope and pray for the opportunity to be financially stable and help others become the same.

We are so fortunate for everybody in our community who has banded together to help us as we struggle.
I didn't think there was any space left to cut in the budget, but I've found some.

I always had leftovers of my Anakinra eye drops, which was costing me $150 every 3 weeks. With anakinra, once the expiration date hits the drops are useless. I altered the prescription to receive half, hoping that I can protect my eyes for $75 every 3 weeks instead of the $150.

My foray into alternatives has stopped again, partly due to finances and partly due to my receipt of SGN-35, or whatever it is called now.

The medication is so new I don't want to cause any problems.

I have the last batch I ordered, while incredibly sick, in the fridge for when I need them, but spending $150-$200 a month on an unknown can't be done now.

Working with Leather! The was custom designed for Kiki,
custom work can be done for you as well.
I'm starting an etsy store with a help of a frand (a friend and fan). The site is I have a few items for sale all ready. I'm working on posting more, and trust me, there is plenty more. Thank you everybody who has sent me beads or their vintage finds from yard sales. I'm having fun breathing new life into forgotten unloved pieces. Now, every time you buy from etsy, you'll receive a signed picture biography of the person/caretaker who created it so you know who you have helped.

Slowly, putting one step in front of the other, we are getting past this very difficult time again. Despite our trials, X seems happier than he has been in a long time, and that may be partly because Jon and I are happy and comfortable with each other. It also may be because he is back in a routine, or that my treatment appears to be going well.

Who knows?

We're coaching his soccer team. Both of us are physically helping. He's also traveling with a U-8 team that he loves. He's singing around the house and making jokes again, a surefire way to tell he's in a good mood.

We're lucky to have each other. Money can't buy that.

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First, we’ll review your current financial situation thoroughly. We will then speak with you in detail about the available options that will help you re-balance your budget.

Professional Analysis of your Financial Situation

MNP LTÉE. will review and analyze your current finances. We will then review your possible options to help you rebalance your budget.

There is more than just one way to restore your credit. Let us review your options and advise you on which best works for you.

Free yourself from the restraints of financial stress, turn to MNP to speak with one of our friendly, compassionate and professional Licensed Insolvency Trustees who can help you overcome your situation.

Learn firsthand how we can help by giving us a call now at 450-232-6358 and requesting a FREE, no-obligation, confidential consultation.