Needles and Pens

I can't believe it. Yesterday I won a second book from the Writer Mama Back to School Daily Giveaway : The Renegade Writer: Query Letters that Rock, The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Selling More Work Faster by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell (Marion Street Press 2006). This book sounds fantastic! I can hardly wait to get my hands on it and release my inner renegade. Book proposals and query letters should be a snap now, right? There shall be no more excuses... There are only two days left to get in on the giveaway, so head on over to Writer Mama , and post a comment today!

I made this little postcard in response to Angela's Triple Dare this week: "I triple-dare you to create a work of art (be it in words, photo, crayon, whatever) and leave it for someone else to find and have (or pass on)." Earlier this week, a friend emailed me this link: Has anyone told you... I was moved to tears reading it, though she had no idea how much I needed to hear those words on that particular day. I saw this triple-dare as an opportunity to have the same serendipitous effect on a total stranger in need of encouragement. So I put some thoughts to paper, things I know I need to hear on occasion, and made this postcard with the following message on the back: if you found this card (or it found you!) it’s yours to keep, until you choose, to pass it on to another soul and let that random kindness roll… This morning I left the card conspicuously peeking from beneath an envelope bin on the post office counter. I know there's someone out there in need of encoura...

My quilting friend, Linda, made this leprechaun comment to me, since I’ve had such a streak of random luck going. I love it! Another stroke of luck: I won a pair of tickets to see Gordon Lightfoot in concert, in a random drawing of entries with 95.7 The Bridge radio. The concert was last night and I took my mom, who was dying to see him (and might have disowned me had I taken anyone else). The concert was awesome! I’m in awe of his stamina, still doing concert tours at the age of 68. And he still sounds great, too. But that's not all... Part of the radio package was tickets to the pre-concert party that included lots of free appetizers and drinks -- and more drawings. The very last prize awarded was a pair of passes for a “meet and greet” after the concert. I about passed out when they called my name. Meeting Gordon Lightfoot was very cool. He’s sweet and gracious and doesn’t make you feel like a pest when you ask for his autograph and to pose for a picture. (grin) My mom was in ...

This week's Triple Dare Tuesday assignment was to post a photo that says, "Love." Maybe its just 'cause I'm the mama, but I LOVE this picture of my kids. Despite the bickering and sibling squabbles, the way they posed themselves for this photo shows how close they really are. Awwww...

I don't know... I've been awfully lucky this month. I almost hesitate to talk about it for fear of the other shoe dropping... but that's being paranoid, right? lol I just learned that I'm a finalist in the Writer Unblocked "CONTEST, CONTEST!" The writer of the winning word gets a fabulous stack of Writer's Market books, which I could REALLY use. I won't cheat and tell you my word, but please go take a look and VOTE!

Surprise, surprise! I won today’s drawing for the Writer Mama Back-to-School Daily Giveaway , a copy of Michael Larsen’s How to Write a Book Proposal (Writer’s Digest Books 2007). I’m taking this as a sign -- it’s time to get busy! I highly encourage all writers out there to check out this contest. Just answering the daily questions has brought about some eye-opening revelations on the direction of my writing. Winning this book today is icing on the cake! Christina's comment about my blog has roused some interest in the Library Quilt pictured here. The pattern was designed by Christine Thresh and can be purchased at her web site, Winnowing.com . I made this wallhanging as a gift for a writer friend in a "secret friend" exchange several years ago. If you have any questions or comments about the quilt, I'd love to hear them. ;o)

Okay, so about five minutes after I decided to get back into writing, my stress level increased tenfold. In just one week, my diet has gone out the window, my house is a disaster area, and today I chewed off a fingernail for the first time in over four months. What’s the deal??? I’ve got to figure out a way to do this without giving myself a nervous breakdown… Something else, too, I need to find FOCUS. That’s a big word for me these days. I find myself losing focus all the time. My mind is always wandering (racing, actually) to the next thing before the first thing is complete, or even at a good stopping point. I hate to even think about all the partially finished projects I have, in my sewing room, in my file cabinet, throughout my home. And why am I in such a hurry to “get it all done?” True, I decided to get back to writing because I really need to make an income. But now that I’ve made that decision, I want it to happen yesterday. It’s not realistic, and its certainly not healthy....

In New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, and outside my own window, The sky was the bluest, crisp September blue. I was writing something insignificant, though it seemed important at the time. And then came the call to turn on the news. I stood before the screen, immobilized, As the horror played out before my eyes, And the towers fell. And the tears fell. And frantic prayer rose to the heavens. My mother and I took a drive to the park To escape, to breathe, to find some sense of peace In the beauty of God’s creation. We found others there, of the same mind. Strangers, on any other day, But not that day. We were united in our sadness, Family, in our shared grief, We reached out to one another, And talked, teary-eyed, Only beginning to mourn our nation’s loss…

Madeleine L'Engle passed away on Thursday, at the age of 88 -- a fact that was somewhat shocking to me, as she seemed to be ageless. She was best known for writing, "A Wrinkle in Time," but at the news of her death, I was moved to re-read one of my favorites, "Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art:" "When I am constantly running there is no time for being. When there is no time for being there is no time for listening. I will never understand the silent dying of the green pie-apple tree if I do not slow down and listen to what the Spirit is telling me, telling me of the death of trees, the death of planets, of people, and what all these deaths mean in the light of love of the Creator, who brought them all into being, who brought me into being, and you." ~ From "Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art" by Madeleine L'Engle Words to live by... thank you, Madeleine... you will be missed...

No offense intended to the millions of serious bloggers out there, but isn’t “blogging” a funny word? It sounds like one of those made-up words you substitute for cursing. (Now I feel the need for a disclaimer, though I’ve already planted the thought and it’s probably too late.) Disclaimer: None of the blogging references that follow are intended to be substitutes for cursing. I just read a great blogging article geared specifically to writers, The Newspaper/Blog Connection , by Sue Fagalde Lick, though I knew before I started reading, I was bound to be frustrated. Here’s the thing, I’m REALLY late to jump on the blogging bandwagon, but over the last year or so, I’ve been honestly trying to get in the swing. Every day it seems I learn something new -- which I’m probably doing “wrong.” One of the article’s points was that you shouldn’t write on too many different topics, but rather focus your blog to a specific audience. So all that time that I spent trying to come up with a clever name...

Embarrassing moments always make me think of those "Was My Face Red!" columns I used to read as a teenager... what magazine was that anyway? I am by nature a shy, reserved person, and have tried to avoid situations that might cause embarrassment. But sometimes humiliation is unavoidable and maybe even necessary to learn life’s lessons. This week's " Triple Dare Tuesday " assignment is to share five embarrassing moments. So without further ado, read on, as I relive the agony: Age 5, Kindergarten – When asked what I did in school that day I proudly announced, “Today we painted with Excess Paint.” My mother, an artist, seemed confused by my answer, but smoothly covered it over. Moments later, I realized that the teacher had actually said something like, “Be sure to blot off the excess paint before you start painting.” Even so young, I remember feeling terribly embarrassed by the misunderstanding. I embarrass easily and always have. What I learned: Never state somet...

I've been participating in this daily contest and thought I should pass along the word to anyone who might want to join in the fun. I've been amazed at the personal insights I've gained just by thoughtfully answering the questions each day. So even if I don't win a daily drawing, I'm already a winner! If you're interested in writing, you might want to check it out. Here's the official info from the site: For Immediate Release: September 1-30, 2007 The Writer Mama, Christina Katz, is giving away a writing tool a day through her blog, The Writer Mama Riffs, every day for thirty days during the month of September. In addition to over thirty prizes such as Writer’s Digest 2008 Market books, she’s giving away ten signed copies of her book, Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids and a one-hour writing career phone consult. Moms and Dads who write are especially encouraged to participate in celebration of this hectic yet wonderful back-to-sc...

Looks more like Father's Day than Labor Day, but this is what at least part of my family did to celebrate the holiday. The girls weren't interested in going and I was the dropper-off person, so it became a bit of a Father/Son event. Pictured here are my husband's friend, Daryl, my husband, Darren, Daryl's son, Tyler, our youngest, Tim, and oldest, Nate (plus two total strangers coming in from the rear). They're still out there riding, and I hope they're not getting drenched, as we've had storm clouds in and out of here all afternoon. Weather permitting, there's a picnic planned here at home when they return. Happy Labor Day!

Well, I finally reached my saturation point of how many projects I can have going at one time before I go into a tailspin. So on Friday I decided to FOCUS, pick one work-in-progress and get it DONE. Here’s the finished Amish Stars quilt, made from blocks won in a quilt block lottery almost two years ago. Of course, within hours of finishing this one, I had another project added to my list of to-dos. Some time ago, I gave a quilt top to my sister, which she had planned to have longarm quilted to give to her friend who was diagnosed with cancer. But time got away from her and the quilting has yet to be done, so I told her I could do it for her now that I'm a little more confident in my quilting abilities. I hope to have it finished before Christmas. Today's only day two of the Quilters Mall Crawl , and I was just notified that I've won a prize -- sweet! A $20 gift certificate from Quilt Home . I'm SO looking forward to a little shopping spree. A big thank you to Quilt Hom...