Laurie Jackson's Blog, page 24
October 4, 2014
Sisterhood of the World Blogger’s Award
Hi Betty! Thank you so much for the nomination of this award. Oh my gosh! What a wonderful surprise and honor! :)
You can read and enjoy Betty’s blog here: http://fantasticbettyblog.wordpress.com
I am new to the world of blogging.
Here are the answers to the questions you asked me:
Where did you grow up? I grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Augusta, MO. I am the fourth child out of eight.
Where do you live now? I live in Callao, MO with my husband Alex, our energetic dog, Elle and our calm, easy going cat, Jethro.
What is your favorite meal? I have two favorite meals. My grandpa’s fried chicken with gravy and riced potatoes, corn, green beans, homemade dinner rolls with homemade butter. Change the fried chicken to roast beef–both are my favorite.
What do you do for exercise? I chase the chickens around the yard. Otherwise, I try to walk.
What are you currently reading? I’m not much on reading. Once in awhile, I’ll read the newspaper.
Name a favorite movie? Blindside. Any movie with Sandra Bullock in it is a favorite of mine.
Who influences you as a writer? I want to write children’s stories. So any children’s author such as Richard Scarry, Dr. Suess, Judy Blume. James Patterson is another writer I like.
Name one person you would like to meet. Reba McEntire. She is a down home country woman. She’s honest and I love her songs. Of course, I sing along.
Where would you like to visit? Any place that has mountains.
What do you do to relax? Listen to the radio and write while sitting in my glider chair. Or I listen to the radio and bake.
Tell us about your blog! My blog is about me being a mother, a wife and a writer. I write about my life growing up on the farm. My blog is one way I can improve on my writing.
I nominate:
http://marthakennedy.wordpress.com
http://burgesstaylor7911.wordpress.com
https://rachelbeingchatty.wordpress.com/author/thechattyrachel/
http://lindaswritingblog.wordpress.com
http://homeiswhatyoumakeit.com
Here are my 10 questions to you:
1. What inspired you to blog?
2. Who is your favorite author?
3. Do you have a favorite story?
4. What is your favorite food?
5. What is your favorite pastime?
6. Do you have a favorite time of day?
7. Who inspires you to write?
8. Where did you grow up?
9. Where do you live now?
10. Tell us about your blog!
Laurie Jackson :)
October 3, 2014
Howl At The Moon
I howl at the moon when I cannot write when I want. During those times when I can’t write, it is then that I howl because I have to tend to “life” stuff. I howl, also, when I’m writing along and I get interrupted! My train of thought is broken. Yes! Shame on the person who dares to interrupt me! Haha! I howl at myself because there are so many ideas flowing around in my brain. It’s working faster than I can type.
On occasion, when the moon is full, if I’m in a crazy mood, I may just howl because I can. Elle, my dog would no doubt join in.
Have yourself a wonderful day!
Laurie Jackson :)
Please visit my website.
October 2, 2014
To Whom It May Concern:
Dearest Spare Tire:
Why? Why!? WHY!!! do you continue to hang on? Can’t you see how much I hate you?? Yet, every morning, there you are, still hanging on. I just don’t get it! I have tried to walk you off. I’ve quit drinking dark soda. My husband cooks healthy meals. I do not eat junk food. Explain to me why you continue to just sit around my waist. How dare you?? I work in the yard. I chase the chickens around the yard. I walk around the yard while I try to get my writing juices flowing.
When Alex and I first moved here a year ago, you slimmed down some. You were just trying to trick me into thinking I had lost you. Well played, spare tire! Well played. Now that Fall has arrived and the weather changing, you think you’re going to work your magic and become thicker. I will show you!
You may think that you will win this battle, but you are so mistaken. I will win the war!! Why? Because we have the WII. I may not be able to go outdoors much during the next couple of months but I can turn on the WII. So there, Spare Tire, take that!!
Hope your day is full of sunshine and blessings!
Laurie Jackson :)
Please stop by and visit my website. I have stories on there you may be interested in. Thanks :)
Ready, Set, Done! — Alex
This blog will be easy because it’s only ten minutes. Another reason is because I’m going to talk about my wonderful husband! His name is Alex. I’ve only known him for three years-been married for one. Now, don’t get me wrong–I love my husband–to pieces. Thanks to him for his encouragement, I went back to school. I know, right? At my age?! What??? I’m a grandma, for Heaven’s sake! What can I learn? Okay, okay. I’m getting away from what I wanted to talk about.
My husband is wonderful. He does has his faults, though. (I already know that I’m not perfect). Watching television with the hubby is “so much fun”. He will sit there and state the obvious on the commercials. I just sit and shake my head. No, I do not get pissed or ticked off. What would be the point? Sometimes I join in with him.
Alex is an awesome man, wonderful husband and a terrific stepdad. I won’t hold it against him just because he is originally from Canada. Thank you, Babe, for helping make my dream of becoming a writer come true.
I love you, Alex
(Ten minutes sure fly by…)
Hope your day is full of blessings!
Laurie Jackson :)
Please stop by and visit my website. Don’t be shy-sign the guestbook, please.
October 1, 2014
Verbal Confirmation
To Be-
To be the best writer I can be. I am not writing to make money. I write because I enjoy words. Writing helps me to express myself. I want to create stories for children. Stories that the children want to hear over and over again; so much so that the covers get worn out.
To be who I am supposed to be. I am a child of God. He created me with a gift of writing. I enjoy each day improving my gift- my writing.
Have a blessed day!
Laurie Jackson
Be sure to visit my website. Don’t be shy. Sign the guestbook or leave me an email.
Serially Found – Part Two
In part one I wrote about my baby sister and the cancer she had. Well, after her passing at the age of 11 years old, my life changed. I decided that no more negativity would be allowed. I knew I could not change negative people but I could change me. I feel like I have come a long way in 26 years. I am still working on improving myself. There are not any negative people in my life anymore. I try to find the good in everyone and everything.
I guess you say I found me, at long last. Thanks to my baby sister who has always inspired me, I am now doing what I love to do–write.
“Instead of looking for what could go wrong, look for what could go right.” Zig Ziglar
Stay positive! Hope your day is full of blessings!
Laurie Jackson :)
Please stop by my website and sign the guestbook. Drop me an email there, too.
September 30, 2014
Dark Clouds…
It was supper time and we were sitting around the table. On the menu was liver and onions and sliced tomatoes. YUCK! all the way around!
I was sitting the furtherest from Dad for a reason. He ALWAYS made sure our plates were cleaned off before we excused ourselves from the table.
I kept moving the food around my plate trying to make it disappear. If only we had an indoor dog, I thought. No such luck. Reentering reality, I heard Dad’s voice. Unbeknownst to me, my siblings had disappeared from the table. Mom and Dad, of course, had not left.
“You best be eating those tomatoes!”Dad was saying. I looked down at my plate. What happened to the liver and onions? I thought. Hmm.. I guess I had managed to eat it…gross.
“But, Dad! I don’t like tomatoes! If I eat them, I’m gonna throw up!” Mom and Dad looked at each other.
“You can’t leave the table until those tomatoes are gone!” All I heard was blah, blah, blah from Dad. He stood up from the table and laid down on the floor.
“Mom, please, don’t make me eat this,” I whispered as I pointed at my plate.
“Just try one slice, please. You may like it,” Mom said.
I sighed and said, “Fine, but don’t be surprised when I’m…”
She interrupted me. “Just eat!”
I stabbed my fork into that nasty tomato. I gulped and somehow I had managed to swallow. Mom took my plate and said, “You may be excused.”
I walked into the living room when my tummy felt funny. I ran into the bathroom. Mom followed me. I looked at her. “I told you, Mom….”
Thank you for stopping by. May your day be full of blessings.
Laurie Jackson :)
Please stop by my website. Have a visit and don’t forget to sign the guestbook. :)
Truth Serum – Me
After much thought and deliberation with myself, I’ve decided to use the truth serum on me.
There are some questions I’d ask myself, even though I’m pretty sure of the answers.
Why do you blame yourself for the ‘spankings’ you got from dear ole Dad when he came home ticked off? You already were a well-behaved kid. Your friends used to ask you why you never did anything wrong? I’d say because I didn’t want to get killed by Dad!! He was naturally a negative person who rarely saw joy in anything. I truly believe he was bi-polar. Why do you blame yourself for Mindy’s cancer? She was born with it. Do you really think that being a better daughter would have meant Mindy would not have had cancer? It doesn’t work that way. She was sent to your family to show you all what love truly was. You know that since Mindy’s death, Mom hugs you more and tells you she loves you more. Mindy taught you, Laurie, to always be positive. Find the good in everything and everybody. Remember, it could always be worse. Mindy’s passing wasn’t your fault, either. Her body was worn out from the battle she had with cancer. Her job here on Earth was complete.
Why are you so hard on yourself? Give yourself a break! Stop being so hard on yourself, especially when it comes to your writing. You have the ability to write. Do it! Stop scrunching up the paper after just writing one sentence. You really don’t give yourself a chance. You are your own worst enemy. Because you lived with a father who was both physically and mentally abusive, even at your age today (51), you believe you are not a worthy person. STOP BEING SO HARD ON YOURSELF!!
You are married to your best friend. He makes you so very happy. You’ve been blessed with five wonderful healthy kids, one precious grandson and a wonderful step-daughter. There are friends in your life. Best of all, Mom is still around!
Thank you for stopping by!
May your day be full of blessings!
Laurie Jackson :)
Please stop by and visit my website. Be sure to sign the guestbook so I know you were there. Thanks!
September 29, 2014
The Great Divide
To be honest, I am not much of a reader. When I do feel the urge to read, I mainly go for fiction. I love the pioneer, western type stories. I enjoy these kinds because when the real world gets on my nerves or is too much to handle, I’ll read. This is one way I can let my imagination go. I also enjoy a good murder/mystery. It’s always fun to try to figure out who did it before reaching the end.
I truly love history. I’ll read non-fiction on people from the past. It’s interesting to learn how they survived in the cold, and heat. How they dealt with illness and death.
Enjoy the day!
Laurie Jackson :)
Stop by my website
[image error]
Size Matters
The house I grew up in still sits in the middle of two hundred acres of farmland. To get to this place, you have to drive down a dirt road into the valley. Trees sit on hillsides surrounding the house. The outside of the house still has white shingles on it. I moved into this home with my parents and three older siblings when I was 18 months old. Four more siblings followed after me. There were ten people living in the cramped house. For many years, six of us kids shared one bedroom. There were two sets of bunk beds and a single bed in one tiny little room. One closet was crammed full of six kids clothing. For many years, I had to share a bedroom with siblings. One day, Dad decided to finish the upstairs. The three older siblings moved up there.
Did I mention we had one bathroom? For ten people–crazy. Looking back now, I do not know how we did it, but we did. Bathing consisted of my two sisters and myself in the tub at one time. We couldn’t waste water. When it was time to get ready for bed, we lined up to the bathroom and Mom made sure we washed our faces and brushed our teeth. Air conditioning-what was that? This was 1962. When we did get a fan, Dad had to have it because he worked outdoors as a laborer. Many hot summer nights, we sweated our way through sleepless nights. In winter months, Dad waited until 10 below to decide that we needed to cut wood. If we wanted to stay warm, we had to help.
If the walls of my old home could talk…there were some good times and not so good times. Inside those walls I called home, were laughter, arguments, spankings and crying. When one kid got sick, it would be guaranteed all the kids would catch it. Me and my siblings got strep throat so many times, all Mom had to do was call the doctor and he would prescribe medicine.
By the way, Mom did not know how to drive. My uncle usually took her to the grocery store.
Watching television consisted of us piling into Dad’s truck and driving to Grandpa and Grandma’s house. We only did this on Saturday nights to watch Lawrence Welk. Growing up on a farm there were always chores to be done, before school and after. Sitting at the table when Dad came home from work, was required. No one could talk because Dad wanted to tell Mom about his day. Have mercy on us kids if Dad came home crabby….
I grew up near rural Augusta, Missouri. My childhood wasn’t the best but it could have been worse. I try to only think of the good memories and to stay positive.
Thanks for stopping by!
Laurie Jackson :)
Please stop by my website
