Sandra Tayler's Blog, page 153

Cadbury Eggs, change, and life after death

When I was a child Cadbury eggs were the epitome of Easter goodness. I saw them on TV. There was this bunny who would wiggle his nose while making chicken noises and then hop away leaving the egg behind. A pair of hands would demonstrate how the chocolate shell was filled with gooey white goodness. I watched that long sweet string stretch between the two halves of the chocolate shell and I wanted one. Cadbury eggs were my Easter dream. On the few occasions that one came into my...

An empty space

My first task each weekday morning is to get the kids off to school. It is chaotic and frequently frustrating, but it has gone better since I started making the kids pay attention to clocks. After I drive kids to their various schools, I come home and begin assessing what the rest of the day will look like. I check email, I check task lists, I talk with Howard. Then I make a plan for the day. Usually the plan gets altered repeatedly in the course of the day, but having a plan helps.

Yeste...

Utah's Biggest Liar

We just got back from the Utah's Biggest Liar Competition at the Orem public library. Howard and I were asked to be judges after the contest organizers met us at LTUE. I guess they could tell by looking at us that we might be good at it. It was a family event, complete with a junior competition. So we brought our kids along. I loved seeing the range in experience and practice. I loved how those who were just starting out with storytelling got the same chance as those who had been...

I want a pause button

What I really want today is to pause everything and go nap for three hours. Or I want to pause everything and go garden for hours, except the snow makes this one unlikely today. However if I could have paused the day before yesterday to garden, that would have been great. I just want everything to stop rushing forward so that I have time to finish something before the next thing is already due. I'd just be happy if I could finish a bunch of little things so that they could stop tugging...

Small good things which were not foreseen for today

Popcorn made with oil over the stove then stirred with butter and salt.

Strawberries dipped in melted chocolate.

Sherlock Holmes watched while snuggling kids.

A good afternoon.

Mirrored from onecobble.com.

Fragmented thoughts on a busy Monday

I'm living in a world of post-it notes. Almost every available space on my computer hutch has a note plastered to it. I have notes pasted to a copy-edited version of RMS, which I need to enter into InDesign. I have notes about Penguicon, and Balticon, and GenCon. I'm starting to acquire notes about events in the fall. The notes are really helpful, because my brain is too full. I can only keep track of things if they are written down and stuck somewhere I'll see them again.

Around noon I...

On Pants, Shopping, and Transformation

"Standing in front of the dressing room mirror is such a reality check." Melinda said as she handed over a stack of clothes she would not be buying. I agreed as I handed over my stack too. We each retained one shirt. Pants were what we'd come to find.

In most fairy tales and many modern women's stories there is a moment of transformation. Cinderella's godmother transforms her from a drudge to a princess. The best friend takes the woman shopping and she changes from a nerd into something ...

By the clock

On school mornings I wrest the covers off of my children one at a time. Then I go around and do it again because they all groan and pull them back on. (Except for Kiki. She gets up and gets herself ready.) Eventually I prod them down to breakfast. Then they meander their way toward being ready while I dash around the house shouting things like "Where are your shoes?" "You're going to be late." and "I sent you to get dressed 15 minutes ago, why are you playing with legos while wearing ...

Scheduling and Email

Here I am at Thursday and some of my Monday things are still yet to do. This is normal, but I sigh over it. More worrisome is the fact that March only has six days left and I still have a long list of March things. I am endlessly sprinting to try to catch up to my own plans. I really do try to build spaces into the schedule. I try plan ahead and give myself room to add things last minute. Because some things will be forever gone if you don't take time for them. Other things will not...

In search of pants

The time has come for new pants. My old pants still fit, although loosely. They aren't worn out, just worn down a bit. But styles have shifted. My awareness has shifted. And I would like to have some pants that contribute to a feeling of competence and attractiveness rather than just being serviceable. I want some every day clothes that don't proclaim motherhood quite so clearly. I want a greater variety of professional clothes. Also, on an average day I can count the amount of time I...