Gwendolyn Cease's Blog, page 16

ANTI-BUCKET LIST . . . . or THINGS I WOULDN'T DO FOR A BILLION MILLION CATRILLION DOLLARS

Hello Random Peeps! Today we're obviously chatting about things that will never, ever go on our bucket list. Oh! I almost forgot Wednesday Hotness
So, my list isn't in a particular order. Just know that no matter what I will never do any of these things. If you hear me say I AM going to do one of these things, bonk me over the head, toss me in a closet and hold me there until I return to sanity. Just sayin . . .

1. Climb any kind of mountain, cliff, whatever


I am terrified of heights so there is no way I would ever chose to climb anything. Hell, I don't even like to climb a ladder so there's no chance I would ever think about strapping on some kind of rope to get to the top of a mountain. And for what? To say I did it?? That's the stupidest thing I ever heard.

2. Jump out of or off of anything
Yeah, if my ass isn't going to climb something it certainly isn't jumping off of anything. Once again . . . why??? What's the point? 

3. Get married
I have no desire to get married. I used to say that I never saw a good marriage. Bless my parents hearts and I love them so much, but daggone their marriage wasn't good. As I've grown older I can now say I've seen a few . . . very few. I know tons of people too so those aren't good odds. So, no thank you. Oh and I won't have kids either. 

4. Swim with any kind of sea creatures
I love the ocean . . . from the beach. I can sit on a beach all day long, under an umbrella, read, and listen to the surf. But I am not going out into the water. No thank you. I saw Jaws as a child and I think that's all I need to say about that.

5. Pierce anything that's not my ears
I totally respect someone's right to chose to decorate themselves however they wish, but it's just not for me. I have my ears pierced and I loooooove earrings and I'm happy with that.

I'm sure there are other things I would never ever do, but for right now these are the first things that come to mind. If you have things you wouldn't do let me know down in the comments. Then run over to the other Blogger Girlz and see what's on their Anti-Bucket lists.

Bronwyn
Jessica
Kris
Jenny
Kellie

See you all next week! --Gwen

FAVE THINGS: (SUPER) HEROES

Happy 2015! Can you believe it's the new year already? Jeez, it just goes so fast and here we are back at January and the beginning of Randomness that is the Wednesday Blog. Oh here's your first male hotness of the year:

So this week we're talking about heroes, super and other. First, I loooove super hero movies. I think they're so much fun. So here are my favs, in no particular order.

1. Black Widow
This woman is sexy and oh so dangerous. Did I mention she'd dangerous?? Yeah, I so want to be her when I grow up.

2. Lara Croft
You might be saying to yourself, Gwen she is not a super hero and I so beg to differ. She is sexy and dangerous and does what's right. That's super in my book. Plus, dangerous and guns. Yeah

3. Thor
I've loved him since I was a kid and now love him even more since he's played by the very sexy Chris Hemsworth. Plus, a man who can wield a giant hammer no one else can. Yum

4. X-Men
I used to watch the cartoon back in the day and love the live action too. And can we all say Hugh Jackman. Oh yeah

5. Soldiers
I found this pic in an exhibit and they're of men in our special forces. Can you say totally badass and they're the real deal. I am so going to write a story about them someday.

6. My Mom
This woman was amazing. She managed to raise two kids and an alcoholic husband without breaking a sweat. No matter what happened she always had a smile, a hug, and words of love for us. But she was no push over, believe me. Steel Magnolia was a term she could have embraced. Every week my dad came home and handed her his check. She gave him an allowance and then she went about juggling the bills, kids, the house and everything else. Love her so much and miss her terribly.


So these are my favorite super heroes. Tell me about your favs in the comments below. And check out the other Blogger Girlz to see who they lurve a lot.

Bronwyn Green
Jessica Jarman
Kris Norris
Kayleigh Jones

See you all next week!! Gwen

January Flash Fiction!

Hey!! I'm so excited about this idea. Every month we're going to be giving you short writing pieces based on pics Bronwyn and Jessica picked out. This months' pic is totally awesome. Hope you enjoy my short piece. 




Dreams of IceGwendolyn Cease
    Cold sweat ran down his back as he approached the dark mouth of the ice cave. The same cave he almost died in a year ago. Cole shoved the thought aside. He couldn’t allow the memories to surface. If he did, he’d never go in. If he never went in, he’d never finish what he’d started. And it was imperative he finish. The longer he waited, the more intense the dreams became, and that’s what had started everything. The dreams.

    He’d started dreaming about the cave as a child, only flashes, but he remembered every detail. As he grew older, the dreams became more intense, as if something called to him. He’d started his search for the place at twenty-five, by that time the dreams were so overwhelming he couldn’t focus on anything else. It had taken two years to finally locate the cave. He still couldn’t believe he’d found it. For most of the search, he thought the place was a figment of his fractured imagination, since he was convinced he was going insane.
    When he’d finally found the cave of his dreams he’d wept from relief, from ecstasy. Finally, finally, he would walk through the place he’d only visited in flashes. He hadn’t taken his time; he’d been reckless though and rushed in without any thought to safety or caution. He’d walked through the cave so many times in his dreams and been safe he hadn’t taken into account the danger of reality. Cole had paid the price by losing his footing on the ice and sliding into a deep pit. It had taken too many days and too many people to finally extract him for him to walk away unscathed. His injuries were numerous and he’s spent a long time in a hospital and even longer in physical therapy. Through it all his constant focus had been the cave. He had to get back. Had to see. Had to find.
   He turned on the lamp embedded into his helmet and stepped into the eerie blue-white world. From his previous visit, he knew the floor was extremely slippery so he dug his cleated boots in as he cautiously moved forward. His light danced over the walls as he fought to keep his breathing steady and even. As with the first visit, he was overwhelmed with the need to rush forward, but he held himself back. Whatever he was searching for had been waiting a very long time, but he wouldn’t be foolhardy again.
   A break in the ice he hadn’t noticed before appeared to the left and he knew this was where he had to go. He played the rope he’d secured around himself out as he stepped forward. This time around, he’d made sure of his safety by attaching a rope to a series of ice screws. This trip wasn’t going to end like the last one.
     Squeezing through the opening, he stood for a moment taking in the absolute silence. It was eerie, but relaxing all at the same time.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been alone. After the accident, his friends and family were with him constantly. He understood their concern, but when he couldn’t even go to the bathroom alone without someone hovering he’d lost his patience.
     Now he stood alone and felt the last bits of tension melt away. Slowly, he moved down the tiny corridor. With each step, he knew he was approaching what he’d dreamed about, his destiny. He’d always known, deep down, his heart’s desire would be found in this cave. The problem was he couldn’t tell anyone what that desire was. Perhaps a need to belong somewhere? A need to be loved? He wasn’t sure, but knew it was here in this place.
   As he neared a bend in his path, his heart rate sped up. He recognized the spot. He dreamed of it and everything looked the same. As he stepped forward, one of his boots slid out from under him and he went down hard banging against the wall. Before he could catch his breath, the wall at his back gave way and he was sliding backwards. Terror filled him, as he scratched and grabbed for purchase. Nothing he did worked as he gained speed. He tried to hold the rope around his waist, but it slipped between his gloved hands as if covered in oil.
   The light on his hat danced wildly as his wild ride ended. He found himself on his back in a small cavern. He panted attempting to calm his racing heart as spots danced before his eyes. He wasn’t dead. The thought raced through his mind. He moved his arms and legs. He wasn’t hurt either. He closed his eyes and sent up a prayer of thanks.
   He sat up and rolled over so he could to get to his feet. From his peripheral vision, he saw movement and turned. A man crouched in a small opening Cole knew hadn’t been there before. White-blond hair tumbled over the man’s wide shoulders as piercing blue eyes studied Cole closely.
   Cole knew him. This man had been in his dreams too. Hadn’t he? Cole wasn’t sure anymore. Hell, maybe all of this was some fevered dream his brain had created. Maybe he was locked in some hospital somewhere and all of this was just a hallucination?

   “Hello, Cole,” the man said. “I’d wondered when you’d finally get here.”

Now run over to check out the other pieces from Bronwyn Green, Jessica Jarman, Kris Norris, Kayleigh Jones, and Jessica De La Rosa. 

See you next month for the Flash and this coming Wednesday for the Random Blog!!

Gwen

Random Wednesday: Goals for 2015

Happy Almost New Year!! I can't believe 2014 is almost gone. The year went so fast and, I'm sure, I say that every year. But it's true! Oh, yes, I must give you the last man hotness for 2014.



Once again, you're welcome! Anyway, I can't say this past year has been great, but it wasn't too horrible either. So, for that, I am quite thankful. So my goals for this coming year, in no particular order:

1. Write way more books. Yes, yes, I know, how vague, but I don't have a particular number in my head. I just want it to be more than the 2 I put out this year. Right now, I have like 5 or 6 ideas stewing around in my head. If I can get those all on paper and out, then I'm doing excellent.

2. Get healthier. I need to start walking or something. Some kind of exercise must be done this year. It's not that I long to lose weight, though that would be great, but I think it would help my depression. I've fought clinical depression all my life and the meds just aren't doing the job right now. But I think exercise would help so much.

3. Write every day . . . no matter what. This goes back to the depression. It is a constant struggle to get anything done. When I sit down to write, it just doesn't happen. Then I get distracted and then I nap. I nap a lot. That's the depression. But I plan on forcing myself to write. I think once I get into the habit, it will stick. 

4. Do work around the house. We have rooms that haven't seen paint since the contractors painted the walls 12 years ago. My sister and I are both sick of the boring color so I plan on painting. 

Hmmm, I think that's about it. Writing, getting healthier, writing, painting. :-) And writing. I can always do more writing.

So there you have it. Those are my goals for the new year. What about you? Do you have goals? Do you even make them? If so, just comment down below and maybe we can cheerlead each other. Also, go check out the other Blogger Girlz and see what they plan on getting up to in the new year.

Bronwyn
Jessica
Kris

See you later! Gwen

Random Wednesday: All I Want For Christmas . . . or Sit Back and Tell Me How Much Time Do You Have???

OMG! Can you believe the holidays are almost here??? Everything went so fast. One minute it was Halloween and the next thing you know it's almost the end of December! Oh first let me give you a holiday gift:


And, you're welcome! See I am a kind and benevolent goddess. ;-)

Okay, so our topic this week is about what we want for Christmas. First, I'm pagan so I celebrate Yule (winter solstice) and that is December 21, which is this Sunday. But I also celebrate Christmas, because my sister does so I kind of get a two-fer. Aren't I awesome??


I have all kinds of wishes so right now I'm going to tell you what they are and toss them out to the universe all at the same time. I think some of them will catch.

My first wish is for there to be peace. I don't even watch the news anymore since it's filled with constant bad news. But I don't want peace just in our world, but peace in everyone's heart, mind and soul. I think it really does start with each individual. If every single one of us could just feel peaceful and positive and awesome the world would be so much better. 



My next wish is for the people nearest and dearest to my heart. I want them to get whatever their secret desire is and I will star that with the idea that their desire won't hurt anyone else. So wish away loved ones and let's see what happens.

My next wish is for me. I have been searching for a job since July and so far, nothing. So I really wish a fabulous job will come my way. One that I will love and will give me the time to write. Now, if the fabulous job, is writing for a living. Then I would so, so love that. If I could make a solid living from writing I am jumping on that horse and riding it to the finish . . . or something like that. 

My final wish is to all you readers out there. May your holiday be filled with nothing but fun, love, and magic. 

Now go check out what the other Blogger Girlz want for Christmas. I'm going to bet it has nothing to do with teeth. 

Bronwyn
Jessica
Kris
Kellie

Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, and Season's Greetings!! Gwen

My Favorite Holiday Memory . . . or The Time My Sister and I Got So Scared We Actually Stayed in Bed Christmas Morning

My sister and I love the holidays and when we were little our family did it up big. We had multiple trees ( the huge one in the family room and the smaller one in the living room) and tons of decorations all over the house. This was probably the only time of the year we actually got along and loved sharing a room.
Me and Jude
We would try to get up and see what Santa brought us starting probably around 4am. My poor parents never got any sleep because they spent all the time yelling at us to "go back to bed." I think they'd finally give up around 5:30 or 6 and just let us go.
Let me back up a bit, we had a fairly small house. It was only 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and, of course, our bedroom was right next door to Mom and Dad's room. The living room was kind of diagonal from our room and that's where the little tree was. The main tree, and where Santa left us gifts, was out in the family room and you had to go through the kitchen to get there.
Okay now you know that, I can tell you about the Christmas I was 9 and my sister was 6. I remember it like it was yesterday and so does Jude. Whether you have us together or apart we will tell you the same story.
At this point we had bunkbeds. I had the top bunk and obviously she had the bottom.  OMG, we were so excited Christmas Eve, like always. I'm not sure which one of us decided it was Go Time, but we decided it was time to make our first foray out to the tree to see if Santa had visited us. Now it was dark, so I imagine it wasn't even 4am yet, but we had a window in our room that let in quite a bit of light from the street lights. We put our house slippers on and eased to the door.
We knew we had to be quiet, like ninjas, so our parents wouldn't hear us. So we slowly, so slowly turned the door knob and eased the door open. I remember peeking out the door, Jude below me doing the same, so our eyes could adjust to the dark. And that's when we saw it . . . or should I say HIM!

He was in shadow, since it was dark, leaning over another large dark object, like he was putting something down. And it was HIM, Santa, right there. Even in the darkness, I could see his hat and coat, and how he was "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf." But believe me, we didn't laugh at the sight of him. Oh hell no, my sister and I almost wet ourselves we were so scared.

We probably looked like this or maybe more like this
Whatever we looked like, I remember easing the door closed and we raced to Jude's small bed. That's where we both climbed in, slippers and all, pulled the covers up over and our heads and lay there. Scared to death. I don't even remember the thoughts rolling through my head, I just know I was scared. I mean you have this whole idea of Santa Claus, you know he some how gets into your house and leaves you gifts, you find the gifts in the morning. But you don't see him. Ever. But we had.

We stayed in bed that morning until it was light. I bet it had to be 7am or later. I know neither my sister or I wanted to go out there until it was light and we were sure he had gone. 
When we told the story later, Mom thought we'd been imaging things. As we got older and told the story, she finally realized we were serious. I remember her saying, "You actually think you saw Santa?" And we answered, "No, we KNOW we saw him." Mom's reply, "I have no idea what you saw."
Other people have suggested that perhaps our dad dressed up and I laugh at this. I loved my dad, but he there was no way he was going to buy a full Santa suit, dress all the way up, make himself look fat and jolly, just in case we happened to get up and saw him putting gifts out. That wasn't him. 
The gift Santa was leaning over was an organ left for us in the living room. Another odd thing since no gifts were ever left in Mom's good living room. That was a room to be admired from afar, but never entered. That's where the "good furniture" was and where children weren't allowed. We also never got gifts in there again. 
So there you have it, my favorite holiday memory. You can say all you want that Santa doesn't exist, but I will tell you I saw him and so did Jude. We stand by our story 100%.
If you've ever had a close encounter of the Santa kind leave your story in the comments below. I'd love to hear about them!!
Happy Holidays -- Gwen

Random Wednesday: 5 Biggest Writing Distractions . . . or Really Here's Why I Can't Write . . . Really

Unfortunately, distractions are something we all have to deal with, no matter what career path you follow. But, if you're a writer, they're especially difficult since it's so hard sometimes to get back into the story once you have to leave it. I'm sure there are people out there who will claim nothing distracts them . . . whatevs, they're either fibbing or they're Nora Roberts. 

Wait, before I jump in I need to post a pic of male hotness.



For me, these are my top 5 distractions . . . Oh, I'm sure they're are many many more, but right now these are the ones that instantly come to mind.
1. The Cats - We have 4 of them and man oh man are they are distraction. I have The Wine Drinker running around getting into the tree, Disgruntled Kitty wanting to be on my lap ALL THE TIME, Abby just being generally cute, and then there's Olivia. My sister calls her "little assface" and she is, but she's also utterly adorbs. She does the cutest thing when she wants you to blow bubbles for her. Here it is:
See what I mean??? You'd blow bubbles for her too!
2. Facebook & Twitter - I get on both of these in the morning to check in with my readers and post stuff. But then it's like a black hole and I fall in. At first, I'm all like, I'll just post one thing then the next thing you know I'm taking quizzes and looking at knitting patterns. O_O OMG!! Make it stop.
3. Computer Games - I'm not a series gamer. I don't play Worlds of War Craft or whatever. I play things like Bejeweled and hidden object games, but they suck me in and I just keep playing. I think I'll play one game, then 1 game turns into an hour or two. 
4. Knitting - I love to knit and right now I'm working on this scarf for someone. It's not a gift, just something I said I'd do. But sometimes the yarn calls and I find myself out there just knitting along pretending to watch TV or listen to music. It's a sickness and I'm going to bet this will be on Bronwyn's list too. 
5. Books - I saved this for last because this is the worst distraction of them all. I have huge stack of books sitting on my nightstand and 4 or 5 more in my closet. I love to read. I don't care if the book is actually paper or on my Nook, it doesn't matter. I just love to read. Right now I'm reading 1776 and it's so good. I read a lot of non-fiction and the Revolutionary War is one of my fav periods.  
Huh, so that's 5 already? Wow, I still had more distractions to talk about. Okay, well go check out the other Blogger Girlz and see what pulls them away from writing. Oh, and if you want, share with me what your distractions are. Maybe I can find some new hobbies. :-)  
BronwynJessica
KrisKellieKayleigh
See you next week!! --GC

Random Wednesday: Favorite Things - Holiday Traditions

I love the holidays! Starting on September 1, I begin to decorate my house first with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, ending with Yule. I suppose, for me, this is a tradition. I didn't start it until I was an adult and moved to this house, but I love it.

As you can see, the Blogger Girlz are talking about holiday traditions this week. Before I leap in and tell you any more I must share the fantastic pic of the week.


And, you're welcome!

Okay, so when I was a kid a huge tradition we had was going out to get the tree. We were a real tree family. So early in December, my dad would pack me and my sister up and we'd go to find the tree. There were certain lots we knew had the best trees. So we'd go and usually my sister and I picked the tree. My dad was along as driver, payer, and carrier. One year though, my dad picked the tree. It was so cold that year and I guess, looking back now, he didn't want to keep us out. So went to the place we knew had awesome trees and he picked one that hadn't been unwrapped yet (still had the twine around it from the journey from the farm). My sister and I were glad to get it and go. When we got home, he trimmed about 2 inches off the bottom and put it in a bucket of water outside on our patio. We would get the tree one weekend and put it up the next. Let me tell you that over the week this tree expanded and expanded and expanded!!! It was ginormous!! It was the biggest tree I'd ever seen. The branches spread so far I couldn't get out the back door to feed the dog, I had to go around from the side door. 

When he finally got it trimmed up and in the house there was enough left over branches that one of my cousins made wreathes for 4 or 5 families. It was insane. But daggone that was the best tree ever!!

When my dad died when I was 19 the tradition changed. My sister and I went out and got our own tree and did the deal for two more years and then we just couldn't do it anymore. She was going away to college and I wasn't doing it on my own so Mom and I bought a fake tree. Yay! I loved, loved that tree. When we decorate our tree we always talk about where the ornaments came from (who gave them to us, reason, whatever). My sister and I still do this. None of our ornaments match and all of them have stories to go with. 

One in particular is really old. It's a small blue ball with Minnie Mouse on it. I have no idea where it came from, but this ornament meant something when we were kids. Each year my sister and I would take turns hanging Minnie on the tree. Hanging the ornament meant the holidays were here.


Now, my sister hangs it each year since I did it for so many years on my own. It's a nice tradition we both love. And as she hangs it she announces, "I'm hanging Minnie now." We both laugh.

When our Mom died in 2010, that changed things again for us. That first holiday sucked! But what made it so, so, so much better was our best friends Mary and Susan. They drove up from Memphis and we spend the holiday together. I can't even tell you how much better they made the holiday for us. Last year was the first year we didn't all get together and after it was all over we all said, "Never again." It just stunk being apart. So this year they are driving up and Jude and I have already gotten the house all decorated. We're talking menus and desserts and drinks. So much fun!

Anyway, those are some of our holiday traditions. Remind me and I'll tell you about the time my sister and I saw Santa Claus. Not at the mall or whatever, but in our house on Christmas eve. In the meantime, go check out the other Blogger Girlz and their traditions. Oh and in the comments below share some of your holiday traditions. Maybe my sister and I will adopt them. 

Bronwyn
Jessica
Kris
Kellie
Happy Holidays!! --GC

Random Wednesday: I'm Thankful For . . .

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! I still can't believe the time is flying by so quickly. So as the Random Wednesday Blog reaches this time of year we are all reflecting on things we're thankful for. You know, it's so easy to talk about how crummy things are. I think as a group people are really more apt to look at the bad stuff than the good. Oh wait, speaking of good stuff:

Anyway, onto what I'm thankful for. 

First and foremost, I am way thankful for my sister, Judith. This woman is amazing, but don't tell her I said that. :-) She is always there for me, no matter what. She supports me and loves me and I can't imagine my life with out her. Me and Jude

I am very thankful for my incredible friends. They have been there for me through the crappy hard times as well as the amazing times. I know I can call them anytime and they're there for me. Most of them live in other cities, but it doesn't matter. I know they are only a phone call, IM, text or email away.
I'm very thankful for my sweet kitties. Though right now I'm less thankful since one is sitting on me and the other is sitting beside me. Helping don't you know. But I love them. They are my fur-babies and I can't imagine not going to bed or waking up without them. Max Warlock

I'm thankful for the house we live in and the food we eat. 
I'm way thankful for my writing ability. I can't imagine what I would do if I couldn't write. I'm also thankful for incredible friends who also write. It's so nice to be able to talk to people about writing who totally get it and don't think I'm crazy. 
I know there's probably other things, but this is my main list. In the comments tell me what you're thankful for. Also, go check out what the other Random Blogger Girlz are thankful for. 
BrowynJessicaKrisKellie

Happy Thanksgiving!!! --GC

Random Wednesday Blog: My 3 Writing Wishes . . . or Do You Have a Genie Handy?

Wow! I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week already?? Time is flying by so fast. And I'm sure you're wondering why I'm rambling about the time and blah, blah, blah. Yeah, this leads me into my 3 writing wishes. Okay, first I really want more than 3, but Jess and Bronwyn came up with the number and I gotta stick with it. Oh!! First I gotta show you manly hotness. And this pic actually has a purpose. I'm basing the character of Lochlan in the new book I'm writing on this hot, hot man.


Okay, writing wishes. So if a hot man genie popped up and would grant my 3 writing wishes here's what I would want. Oh, let's stick a pic in of a genie just for fun.



Wow, alrighty so my first wish would be that I could make a true living from my writing. I would love to write full time and do nothing else and be able to make good money at it. Right now, I'm writing full time, but I'm unemployed so that part sucks. But if I could be like . . . oh I don't know Nora Roberts then I could stay home and write.

My second wish would be that my procrastination tendencies would disappear. I'm way awesome at being distracted. I think I'm like the cats in that the slightest thing will make me lose focus. You know, one minute I'm writing along and then next I'm wandering around the house for some reason. 

My last wish would be that my ideas would never dry up. I love writing. I really do love the entire process though you couldn't tell it on the days that I'm cursing because the characters aren't doing what I wanted or planned. But the feeling of working on a book, honing it, fixing it, and finally getting it published is magic. There's nothing like getting emails from people telling me how much they loved one of my books. 

So there you go, my 3 big wishes. Now I have to go and get back to Lochlan because the man is impatient in a big way. But you should go check out the other Blogger Girlz and see what their wishes are. Also, if you could have wishes what would they be. Tell me about them in the comments.

Bronwyn
Jessica
Kris

See you next week!! --GC