Sandra Tayler's Blog, page 150

Writing Excuses: Living with the Artist

Two weeks ago we gathered me, Dawn Wells, and Kenny Pike together to record a podcast where we talk about living with an artist/author. That podcast went live yesterday. You can listen to it here:

http://www.writingexcuses.com/2010/05...

It was so much fun to record and I feel like we barely scratched the surface of the issues. Everyone should go listen and beg for more so I get to hang out with the Writing Excuses spouses again.

Mirrored from a

Retrieve the kids day

Four hours of plane travel and three hours of solo driving was almost enough time for me to index all the thoughts and experiences I had at Penguicon. Throughout the convention my brain kept grabbing things and storing them for examination later. In my regular life this system works very well. But one of the few things the convention lacked was contemplative time. As a result my thought storage buffer was packed too tightly for me to see anything. I had to sit staring at nothing...

Home

Home home home home home home home.

It even smells right.

Although the decision to turn off the heat while we were gone appears to have been a mistake. It began blowing snow shortly after we departed. Things were a bit chilly on our return, but they're warming up nicely.

Also.
Home.

Tomorrow is retrieve the kids day.

The morning of the third day at Penguicon

I think it is a sign of a very good convention when I am so busy that I do not have time to blog. It means I am fully occupied with the present and not narrating it. But the absence of meta-examination in my life can only be a short term thing. It cuts me adrift from the things which center me. Just a moment ago I realized that today is Sunday and suddenly I longed to be at home attending church.

This convention has contained everything I hoped for and then some. I now have tucked away...

Penguicon arrival day

It turns out that last night's chipper mood was not caffeine induced, because it continued into today. When Howard commented on it, I replied that I was just floating from the removal of crushing responsibility. That's what vacations are for, right? The fact that this vacation is going to be exhausting does not change the fact that it still represents a large sideways step from my regular life.

It was blowing snow at the Salt Lake Airport. This delayed our flight by 45 minutes. We sat n...

Road Trip Day

The last two Augusts I have gone with Howard to Worldcon, leaving the kids with relatives. Both times I felt very conflicted and stressed about leaving them. This internal turmoil found physical expression in a small pile of packages that I gave to them. They were to open the packages whenever they felt sad or lonely. The packages had dollar store items. What really happened was that the kids opened all the packages on the first day and then managed their emotions just fine on all the...

Convention week

My day contained tulips, suitcases, new books, a house filled with small friends, and snuggles.

Tomorrow will have school, packing, and hours of driving.

Thursday I will spend on a plane.

I've been looking forward to this week and now I need to slow down and absorb it.

Mirrored from onecobble.com.

At Fault

Sometimes things go wrong even when I've done everything right. There are days I follow the usual morning routine with cheerfulness, but am rewarded with grouchiness and squabbling. Or perhaps I stay home from an event that I'd like to attend because I feel it is best for the kids, but this does not prevent them from being whiny and volatile the next day. The meal is a favorite and I fixed it on schedule, but they all decide they don't like it today. I've long believed that if I want...

Link's Adventures in Creative Cooking

Today Link learned that adding chocolate chips to oriental flavored ramen does not result in chocolate ramen. He further learned that adding crackers, sugar, and garlic will not remedy the situation. He did figure out that eating a handful of sugar does wonders to remove bad tastes from his mouth.

Mirrored from onecobble.com.

Parenting in Public

Ever have that weird situation where to an uninformed observer you appear to be doing something completely unreasonable or even cruel, but you're actually doing the good and right thing?

-Facebook status for a father of many children, some of whom have special issues

My answer is yes. Particularly today my answer is yes, because I have a fresh-in-my-memory example. Gleek melted down at the end of church today in very visible location. So I stood in the hallway, watching my child exhibit...