Kory M. Shrum's Blog, page 21
July 15, 2015
#Facebook Event #Giveaway #AMA
Hi everyone!
Just a quick note to say that I'll be participating in a facebook event on Tuesday, July 21st 7-8PM/CST.
Click the link to visit the event page. In addition to learning more about The Last Sprite, a new release from my fellow author friend CC Ryburn, you can ask me anything.
Yes, anything. I shall prepare myself in advance (as much as possible) for the inappropriateness.
You may also want to ask me about the Jesse Sullivan series, particulary Book 4 which is due to be released at the end of October, early November. I might spill some secrets about what is next for Jesse and the crew.
I'll also be giving away doorprizes (1 every fifteen minutes for my hour=4 winners total)--they can include signed books, or audiobooks, or ebooks.
Hope to see you guys there! :)
Kory
Just a quick note to say that I'll be participating in a facebook event on Tuesday, July 21st 7-8PM/CST.
Click the link to visit the event page. In addition to learning more about The Last Sprite, a new release from my fellow author friend CC Ryburn, you can ask me anything.
Yes, anything. I shall prepare myself in advance (as much as possible) for the inappropriateness.
You may also want to ask me about the Jesse Sullivan series, particulary Book 4 which is due to be released at the end of October, early November. I might spill some secrets about what is next for Jesse and the crew.
I'll also be giving away doorprizes (1 every fifteen minutes for my hour=4 winners total)--they can include signed books, or audiobooks, or ebooks.
Hope to see you guys there! :)
Kory
July 13, 2015
#Mondayblogs: 5 #Books to help you #change #selfimprovement #motivation
I've been busy reading the book Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin. She has a blog too, apparently (though I've not yet read it or her bestselling book The Happiness Project) and while she seems a little too "wound" *her words not mine!*, she does remind me a lot of another zen habits guru Leo Babauta (also has a blog).
According to this book, I'm an "owlish", "procrastinator", "obliger", who "underbuys", prefers "novelty:, "finishing", and "simplicity". I have no idea what small steps are because I'm too busy taking huge steps in my promotion-focused approach to life.
Whew.
Though I just threw around a lot of terms you may not know, what the first section of the book tackles is self-knowledge. While I generally rail against labels, I accept her breakdown of "tendencies" and can recognize my own.
So in addition to recommending the book, I also want to share something. See, one of my common problems is that I'm (using Gretchen's term) an obliger. While I am a super lax boss when it comes to honoring my own promises to myself, I absolutely CANNOT POSSIBLY IMAGINE letting someone else down. This spells trouble for someone like me who is mostly self-governed without a boss lording over her and what not.
So, I decided to approach this problem with a solution: Prizes!
Who doesn't love prizes?
So my new policy will be that every day that I make my word count (2000 words), I can have a prize (nonfood, though). And for every 5 days/10K words I can have a bigger prize (definitely sugar-based. I've been favoring starbucks caramel ribbon frappacinos lately...)
I have a similar plan in place for my workout and French studies as well, my respective 2nd and 3rd most important goals.
So now tell me, what do you do to keep yourself motivated to change and succeed?
Reading List of Books That Helped Kory Change
Better than Before- Gretchen Rubin
The Art of Happiness- The Dalai Lama
In Defense of Food- Michael Pollen
The Little Book of Contentment- Leo Babauta
...and then a book that was more about accepting yourself rather than trying to change it: Daily Rituals by Mason Curry
Any books you've read that I should give a try?
According to this book, I'm an "owlish", "procrastinator", "obliger", who "underbuys", prefers "novelty:, "finishing", and "simplicity". I have no idea what small steps are because I'm too busy taking huge steps in my promotion-focused approach to life.
Whew.
Though I just threw around a lot of terms you may not know, what the first section of the book tackles is self-knowledge. While I generally rail against labels, I accept her breakdown of "tendencies" and can recognize my own.
So in addition to recommending the book, I also want to share something. See, one of my common problems is that I'm (using Gretchen's term) an obliger. While I am a super lax boss when it comes to honoring my own promises to myself, I absolutely CANNOT POSSIBLY IMAGINE letting someone else down. This spells trouble for someone like me who is mostly self-governed without a boss lording over her and what not.
So, I decided to approach this problem with a solution: Prizes!
Who doesn't love prizes?
So my new policy will be that every day that I make my word count (2000 words), I can have a prize (nonfood, though). And for every 5 days/10K words I can have a bigger prize (definitely sugar-based. I've been favoring starbucks caramel ribbon frappacinos lately...)
I have a similar plan in place for my workout and French studies as well, my respective 2nd and 3rd most important goals.
So now tell me, what do you do to keep yourself motivated to change and succeed?
Reading List of Books That Helped Kory Change
Better than Before- Gretchen Rubin
The Art of Happiness- The Dalai Lama
In Defense of Food- Michael Pollen
The Little Book of Contentment- Leo Babauta
...and then a book that was more about accepting yourself rather than trying to change it: Daily Rituals by Mason Curry
Any books you've read that I should give a try?
July 10, 2015
7 of 7 of 7 Game #WIP #amwriting
I got tagged for one of those games. You know the one. I'm to share seven lines of my WIP starting on the 7th line on the 7th page. Or is it first 7 lines of the 7th chapter?
Well, here are both for your enjoyment.
7 lines from Page 7
She hit the ground with a thud, dropped unceremoniously by the man—at least he’d felt like a man, certainly more solid than any apparition she’d ever seen. She was no longer in the cemetery. Whoever he was, had placed her on the other side of the gate, in the shadow of the large willow tree. Her eyes darted toward another burst of light just in time to see the ghouls wail and their bodies disperse in a cloud of ash. She searched for the one who’d saved her. Her gaze flitted from tombstone to tombstone, expecting to catch sight of a face as pale as those hands.
No one was there.
7 lines from Chapter 7
Alex turned back toward Olivia, who still sat on a swing, her boots trailing in the mud. She didn’t need the gift of telepathy—though who in the world would call the ability to hear a person’s incessant mental ramblings a gift—to know that he was angry. He stopped just short of her and glared, considering her a moment, even opening and closing his mouth twice. “Spit it out,” she said. “You have no right,” he said, his voice low and controlled. He wouldn’t yell or throw things. He couldn’t possibly hope to hold a swarm of demons inside him if he couldn’t guard himself against injured pride
Okay, it's called a WIP for a reason. Don't judge! Instead, why don't you post your 7 of 7 of 7 chunk below or on your own blog and then let me know about it. After all, it's not like I should be embarrassed all by my lonesome here!
Well, here are both for your enjoyment.
7 lines from Page 7
She hit the ground with a thud, dropped unceremoniously by the man—at least he’d felt like a man, certainly more solid than any apparition she’d ever seen. She was no longer in the cemetery. Whoever he was, had placed her on the other side of the gate, in the shadow of the large willow tree. Her eyes darted toward another burst of light just in time to see the ghouls wail and their bodies disperse in a cloud of ash. She searched for the one who’d saved her. Her gaze flitted from tombstone to tombstone, expecting to catch sight of a face as pale as those hands.
No one was there.
7 lines from Chapter 7
Alex turned back toward Olivia, who still sat on a swing, her boots trailing in the mud. She didn’t need the gift of telepathy—though who in the world would call the ability to hear a person’s incessant mental ramblings a gift—to know that he was angry. He stopped just short of her and glared, considering her a moment, even opening and closing his mouth twice. “Spit it out,” she said. “You have no right,” he said, his voice low and controlled. He wouldn’t yell or throw things. He couldn’t possibly hope to hold a swarm of demons inside him if he couldn’t guard himself against injured pride
Okay, it's called a WIP for a reason. Don't judge! Instead, why don't you post your 7 of 7 of 7 chunk below or on your own blog and then let me know about it. After all, it's not like I should be embarrassed all by my lonesome here!
July 8, 2015
But What About the Gay Ducks?! #NSFW
Any fool with an internet connection can see that not everyone is happy about the Supreme Court's decision to grant marriage equality.
The majority of opponents are religious and use their religious precepts to justify their condemnation of marriage equality.
While I could say MANY things to this, about how the constitution was not created to align with Christianity, that in fact separation of Church and State was mandated and enforced until the early 18th century where an overreaction to secularism began to blur the lines, culminating in the act of "In God We Trust" (a Christian ideal) being placed on American coin (a State currency) in 1956--for those of you not so great at math, that's 169 years since the constitution's creation in 1787.
But I don't want to talk about how this wasn't a "Christian nation" until very recently. In fact, I have only ONE question for the Christians who oppose homosexuality:
What about the gay ducks?
WHAT ABOUT THE GAY DUCKS?
Or in this case, penguins.
With homosexuality present in over 1500 species, (homosexuality defined as: "sexual activity, courtship, affection, pair bonding, and parenting among same-sex animal pairs") I have to ask about the gay ducks!
If a Christian believes that God made the world, they must also believe that God made gay ducks!
gay ducks...
...and gay lions...
and gay elephants... ALL THE GAY
And I must ask WHY? Why did God make gay ducks? It isn't that He expects them to repent their gay ways and accept Jesus into their heart, right? Because as far as I know, no duck on Earth has the mental capacity to "accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior".
Jesus: "It's okay little gay lamb, I still love you."
Lamb: "But I've been baaaaaaaad."
SO WHY ALL THE GAY?
I couldn't find this answer, but I did find a charming article against the "naturalness" of gay on Conservapedia. While it doesn't tell me why God made gay ducks, it says that proof of cannibalism and rape are also present in the animal kingdom, and therefore, just because animals do something, it doesn't mean it's natural or right.
Fair enough. And to that I say there is a clear difference between loving actions and evil ones. It is unlikely that someone is going to knife me and I'll be confused about their intentions. And if you can't tell the difference between rape and a woman who wants to have sex then I'd ask what patriachial values you've been brainwashed with.
Furthermore, again, while I got nothing on the gay ducks and probably never will, Jesus DID say this:
Romans 13:9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Gay marriage is not adultery, murder, or theft. And your job as a good christian is to love me no matter what I do.
Be happy for my rights as you are happy for your own.
Celebrate my marriage--an act of love--as you would celebrate your own marriage because love is love.
If you feel anything but love and faith in the face of the Supreme Court ruling, then you're not doing it right. If you're worried about "where this country is going", you're demonstrating a lack of faith in your God. Don't you think he has a plan? Don't you think he is in control?
And if you're wondering why more people don't accept Christ and come to the Church, look at yourself first. It isn't the message of God that's the problem. It's the messengers.
I could make a beautiful segue into the other Supreme Court decision and talk about how unchristian to deny healthcare to everyone when Jesus specifically said totake care of the ill----but I think I'll just stop here for today.
And don't bother leaving asinine comment below. I will delete you unread.
HOWEVER, if you have a theory about gay ducks, PLEASE, type away...
The majority of opponents are religious and use their religious precepts to justify their condemnation of marriage equality.
While I could say MANY things to this, about how the constitution was not created to align with Christianity, that in fact separation of Church and State was mandated and enforced until the early 18th century where an overreaction to secularism began to blur the lines, culminating in the act of "In God We Trust" (a Christian ideal) being placed on American coin (a State currency) in 1956--for those of you not so great at math, that's 169 years since the constitution's creation in 1787.
But I don't want to talk about how this wasn't a "Christian nation" until very recently. In fact, I have only ONE question for the Christians who oppose homosexuality:
What about the gay ducks?
WHAT ABOUT THE GAY DUCKS?
Or in this case, penguins.
With homosexuality present in over 1500 species, (homosexuality defined as: "sexual activity, courtship, affection, pair bonding, and parenting among same-sex animal pairs") I have to ask about the gay ducks!
If a Christian believes that God made the world, they must also believe that God made gay ducks!
gay ducks...
...and gay lions...
and gay elephants... ALL THE GAYAnd I must ask WHY? Why did God make gay ducks? It isn't that He expects them to repent their gay ways and accept Jesus into their heart, right? Because as far as I know, no duck on Earth has the mental capacity to "accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior".
Jesus: "It's okay little gay lamb, I still love you."Lamb: "But I've been baaaaaaaad."
SO WHY ALL THE GAY?
I couldn't find this answer, but I did find a charming article against the "naturalness" of gay on Conservapedia. While it doesn't tell me why God made gay ducks, it says that proof of cannibalism and rape are also present in the animal kingdom, and therefore, just because animals do something, it doesn't mean it's natural or right.
Fair enough. And to that I say there is a clear difference between loving actions and evil ones. It is unlikely that someone is going to knife me and I'll be confused about their intentions. And if you can't tell the difference between rape and a woman who wants to have sex then I'd ask what patriachial values you've been brainwashed with.
Furthermore, again, while I got nothing on the gay ducks and probably never will, Jesus DID say this:
Romans 13:9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Gay marriage is not adultery, murder, or theft. And your job as a good christian is to love me no matter what I do.
Be happy for my rights as you are happy for your own.
Celebrate my marriage--an act of love--as you would celebrate your own marriage because love is love.
If you feel anything but love and faith in the face of the Supreme Court ruling, then you're not doing it right. If you're worried about "where this country is going", you're demonstrating a lack of faith in your God. Don't you think he has a plan? Don't you think he is in control?
And if you're wondering why more people don't accept Christ and come to the Church, look at yourself first. It isn't the message of God that's the problem. It's the messengers.
I could make a beautiful segue into the other Supreme Court decision and talk about how unchristian to deny healthcare to everyone when Jesus specifically said totake care of the ill----but I think I'll just stop here for today.
And don't bother leaving asinine comment below. I will delete you unread.
HOWEVER, if you have a theory about gay ducks, PLEASE, type away...
Take a Break #amwriting #humor #comics
Most writers work tirelessly at their desk, at all hours, with or without compensation, for what?
FOR WHAT?!
If you find yourself asking this very question while trying to trudge through your latest WIP, why not take a break! For this very pupose I have made a list of webcomics for your enjoyment. They are in no particular order.
The Devil's Panties
Not as pervy as it sounds. Just a girl being adorable.
Teahouse
Way more pervy than it sounds. Beware if you are uncomfortable with yaoi, fancy whores, and men-loving men.
The Oatmeal
Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably heard of this one. Until my exciting new deck of Exploding Kittens arrives, I'll have to make due with Inman's antics here. Intelligent, informative, and fun.
Cyanide and Happiness
Not for the faint of heart so read at your own risk. Hit or miss and sometimes downright repulsive.
Ava's Demon
So pretty! As the name implies, to be enjoyed by SFF fans.
Battlepug
Battle. Pug. Need I say more?
If you have favorites to share, please do so below. Otherwise, have fun! :)
FOR WHAT?!
If you find yourself asking this very question while trying to trudge through your latest WIP, why not take a break! For this very pupose I have made a list of webcomics for your enjoyment. They are in no particular order.
The Devil's Panties
Not as pervy as it sounds. Just a girl being adorable.
Teahouse
Way more pervy than it sounds. Beware if you are uncomfortable with yaoi, fancy whores, and men-loving men.
The Oatmeal
Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably heard of this one. Until my exciting new deck of Exploding Kittens arrives, I'll have to make due with Inman's antics here. Intelligent, informative, and fun.
Cyanide and Happiness
Not for the faint of heart so read at your own risk. Hit or miss and sometimes downright repulsive.
Ava's Demon
So pretty! As the name implies, to be enjoyed by SFF fans.
Battlepug
Battle. Pug. Need I say more?
If you have favorites to share, please do so below. Otherwise, have fun! :)
July 6, 2015
#Mondayblogs: July #Writing #Contests
Sorry I've been slacking on the blog! I can't believe it's been a whole week since I posted! But here is a list of writing contests for your poets and writers for this month:
July 15 deadlines
Robert and Adele Award in Poetry and Prose
Linda Flowers Literary Award (NC)
Auburn Witness Poetry Prize
The Story Prize
Tomaz Salamun Prize
Tenth Gate Prize
July 20 deadline
Narrative Poetry Contest
July 24 deadline
Sixfold Short Story and Poetry Awards
July 25 deadlineNew Writers Awards
July 31 deadlines
Orlando Prizes
Very Short Fiction Award
Kenneth Patchen Award
Sean O Faolain Short Story Competition
Spring Story Contest
New Millennium Awards
Press 53 Award for Poetry
Stone Canoe Literary Awards (For New Yorkers)
Red Paint Hill Poetry Contest
Are you the owner/founder/manager of a small press? Running a contest this month? Let me know and I'd be happy to add you to the list! :)
July 15 deadlines
Robert and Adele Award in Poetry and Prose
Linda Flowers Literary Award (NC)
Auburn Witness Poetry Prize
The Story Prize
Tomaz Salamun Prize
Tenth Gate Prize
July 20 deadline
Narrative Poetry Contest
July 24 deadline
Sixfold Short Story and Poetry Awards
July 25 deadlineNew Writers Awards
July 31 deadlines
Orlando Prizes
Very Short Fiction Award
Kenneth Patchen Award
Sean O Faolain Short Story Competition
Spring Story Contest
New Millennium Awards
Press 53 Award for Poetry
Stone Canoe Literary Awards (For New Yorkers)
Red Paint Hill Poetry Contest
Are you the owner/founder/manager of a small press? Running a contest this month? Let me know and I'd be happy to add you to the list! :)
June 29, 2015
#Mondayblogs: The Liebster “Award" #amwriting
Fellow blogger and writer Teddi Deppner tagged me for this fun Liebster “Award.”. Here are my answers to her questions:
When did you know that you were really a writer?In college I kept changing my major: theater, biology, psychology, English, and so on. Throughout all of that, my minor stayed the same—creative writing. It took me a while to figure out that the reason the writing part hadn’t changed was because I loved it most—it was the core of me. So after I realized that, I committed to it.
What would it take for you to quit writing?A billion dollars—and even then I’d likely do it in secret when no one was looking…
Favorite music for writing?NIN, Florence and the Machine, Lana del Ray
Favorite music for working out or waking up or partying (whichever of those three you do the most)? Of the three, I suppose I “wake up” the most, considering I have so far, in the last 30+ years done so every day, often more than once a day. And I don’t listen to music when I wake up unless you count my ringtone, which is usually some kind of somber classical music. Like Satie’s gnossienne no 1.
What things in life make you feel most alive?
Walks in the rain. Kissing. Exploring foreign cities/travel.
What is the deepest relationship you’ve had with a fictional character (yours or another author’s)? The deepest relationship I have with fictional characters are my own. I get to know them and love them and sympathize with them as I tell their stories. Telling their stories is incredibly intimate.
Whose fiction did you enjoy the most growing up? Anne Rice and Laurell K. Hamilton. Though my first love was Madeleine L'Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet—both serving as my introduction to science/survivalist fiction.
What new author (first published in the past 5 years) do you admire the most, and why?
Uhhh. A brand-new author that hasn’t been published before 2010? I’m struggling here. I honestly can’t think of an amazing writer who hasn’t been doing their thing for more than five years.
If you could gather a dream team for life or business, what kind of people would you surround yourself with?
People who say “how do we do make this happen?” Rather than “this can’t be done.”
What do you secretly wish would happen to you someday?
If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?
Tell us about a tender moment with a family member.
When I was younger I lived with my mother and we were moderately poor. She never finished school (dropped out in 8th grade to sell drugs for her father) and so the best job she was qualified for was factory work, when it was available. As you can imagine, it didn’t pay well. By fifteen or so, I was already well into my own addiction problems—books. And my favorite author at that time was Anne Rice. I was desperate for her latest vampire chronicle, The Vampire Armand I believe, but our little library in Coffee County didn’t have it and wouldn’t for a while. I fully expected that I would have to wait a long time to read it or at best, scrape up the coins for the paperback by the time the mass market edition was released.
Imagine my utter surprise when one night—late because my mother always worked late—I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door. It’s my mother, telling me she had a surprise for me. The surprise was the hardback copy of my heart’s desire, which I knew for a fact having drooled over it at the racks of the local bookstore, was nearly $30. $30 was a helluva expense for us. After all, do you know how many boxes of macaroni and hamburger helper could be bought for $30? (About 30 because we shopped at the dollar store).
I turned the book over in my hands, loving it with my fingers: the smell of it, the cool feel of the dust jacket, the unforgiving stiffness of its spine. I was really touched. Really touched because when my mom made a joke about just read your book when you start to get hungry—I was old enough to hear the truth behind her smile.
The 11 Nominees & My 11 Questions
If you’ve been tagged above, here are the 11 all new, original questions I have for you to answer if you choose to participate in this Liebster Award.Here are the rules I need to share:– Answer the 11 interview questions
– In that post, link back to the person who awarded you.
– Choose 11 other bloggers to award, focusing on those with 200 followers or below.
– Link to those bloggers in your post, then go and leave them comments to share the good news!
– Be sure to ask them 11 original questions.
1. What fictional character do you want as your best friend?2. When you are writing/blogging, do you have to have a snack? If yes, what?3. What is your first memory of writing/blogging?4. Who has been your biggest fan so far?5. If you could have one super power what would it be?6. What “gets you in the mood” to write/blog?7. What book has been most influential to you and your writing/blogging?8. What job would you HATE to have?9. Do you want to be a rich, famous, or admired? (Only 1 and why?)10. How long have you been writing/blogging and how long do you think you’ll write/blog?11. Tell us about your real or imaginary “happy” place.Here are the brave 11 I choose to answer the questions:
Kriss Morton
Rebecca Poole
Elizabeth Poole
Monica La PortaAngela RoquetA.B. ShepherdTiffany HKimberly Benedicto
Charles Colp
Mike Melville
Thanks again to Teddi for tagging me. I had a fun answering and I’m excited to see the answers my tag-ee’s will come up with. :)
When did you know that you were really a writer?In college I kept changing my major: theater, biology, psychology, English, and so on. Throughout all of that, my minor stayed the same—creative writing. It took me a while to figure out that the reason the writing part hadn’t changed was because I loved it most—it was the core of me. So after I realized that, I committed to it.
What would it take for you to quit writing?A billion dollars—and even then I’d likely do it in secret when no one was looking…
Favorite music for writing?NIN, Florence and the Machine, Lana del Ray
Favorite music for working out or waking up or partying (whichever of those three you do the most)? Of the three, I suppose I “wake up” the most, considering I have so far, in the last 30+ years done so every day, often more than once a day. And I don’t listen to music when I wake up unless you count my ringtone, which is usually some kind of somber classical music. Like Satie’s gnossienne no 1.
What things in life make you feel most alive?
Walks in the rain. Kissing. Exploring foreign cities/travel.
What is the deepest relationship you’ve had with a fictional character (yours or another author’s)? The deepest relationship I have with fictional characters are my own. I get to know them and love them and sympathize with them as I tell their stories. Telling their stories is incredibly intimate.
Whose fiction did you enjoy the most growing up? Anne Rice and Laurell K. Hamilton. Though my first love was Madeleine L'Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet—both serving as my introduction to science/survivalist fiction.
What new author (first published in the past 5 years) do you admire the most, and why?
Uhhh. A brand-new author that hasn’t been published before 2010? I’m struggling here. I honestly can’t think of an amazing writer who hasn’t been doing their thing for more than five years.
If you could gather a dream team for life or business, what kind of people would you surround yourself with?
People who say “how do we do make this happen?” Rather than “this can’t be done.”
What do you secretly wish would happen to you someday?
If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?
Tell us about a tender moment with a family member.
When I was younger I lived with my mother and we were moderately poor. She never finished school (dropped out in 8th grade to sell drugs for her father) and so the best job she was qualified for was factory work, when it was available. As you can imagine, it didn’t pay well. By fifteen or so, I was already well into my own addiction problems—books. And my favorite author at that time was Anne Rice. I was desperate for her latest vampire chronicle, The Vampire Armand I believe, but our little library in Coffee County didn’t have it and wouldn’t for a while. I fully expected that I would have to wait a long time to read it or at best, scrape up the coins for the paperback by the time the mass market edition was released.
Imagine my utter surprise when one night—late because my mother always worked late—I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door. It’s my mother, telling me she had a surprise for me. The surprise was the hardback copy of my heart’s desire, which I knew for a fact having drooled over it at the racks of the local bookstore, was nearly $30. $30 was a helluva expense for us. After all, do you know how many boxes of macaroni and hamburger helper could be bought for $30? (About 30 because we shopped at the dollar store).
I turned the book over in my hands, loving it with my fingers: the smell of it, the cool feel of the dust jacket, the unforgiving stiffness of its spine. I was really touched. Really touched because when my mom made a joke about just read your book when you start to get hungry—I was old enough to hear the truth behind her smile.
The 11 Nominees & My 11 Questions
If you’ve been tagged above, here are the 11 all new, original questions I have for you to answer if you choose to participate in this Liebster Award.Here are the rules I need to share:– Answer the 11 interview questions
– In that post, link back to the person who awarded you.
– Choose 11 other bloggers to award, focusing on those with 200 followers or below.
– Link to those bloggers in your post, then go and leave them comments to share the good news!
– Be sure to ask them 11 original questions.
1. What fictional character do you want as your best friend?2. When you are writing/blogging, do you have to have a snack? If yes, what?3. What is your first memory of writing/blogging?4. Who has been your biggest fan so far?5. If you could have one super power what would it be?6. What “gets you in the mood” to write/blog?7. What book has been most influential to you and your writing/blogging?8. What job would you HATE to have?9. Do you want to be a rich, famous, or admired? (Only 1 and why?)10. How long have you been writing/blogging and how long do you think you’ll write/blog?11. Tell us about your real or imaginary “happy” place.Here are the brave 11 I choose to answer the questions:
Kriss Morton
Rebecca Poole
Elizabeth Poole
Monica La PortaAngela RoquetA.B. ShepherdTiffany HKimberly Benedicto
Charles Colp
Mike Melville
Thanks again to Teddi for tagging me. I had a fun answering and I’m excited to see the answers my tag-ee’s will come up with. :)
June 26, 2015
I'm Getting Married! #Lovewins
I'm thrilled to hear the fantastic news that I can now legally get married whenever I want. And while my partner (of five years) and I agree that we do want to get married, we are not yet sure when exactly that will be. Soon sure (probably engaged within the year), but right now, we can't help but feel a little bit like Key in this funny, but legit Key and Peele skit:
Key and Peele-Gay Marriage Legalized
On one side we are absolutely caught up in the infectious celebration of this monumental day. On the other side, we are not prepared for a wedding at all. My love even said verbatim "there are many hidden costs to a wedding"...and I agree that if we are going to get married, it will be a once in a lifetime event. Might as well do it in high style!
Let the saving begin. :)
Key and Peele-Gay Marriage Legalized
On one side we are absolutely caught up in the infectious celebration of this monumental day. On the other side, we are not prepared for a wedding at all. My love even said verbatim "there are many hidden costs to a wedding"...and I agree that if we are going to get married, it will be a once in a lifetime event. Might as well do it in high style!
Let the saving begin. :)
June 19, 2015
Do You Know You're White?
If you happen to be white, but never think about your "whiteness"--then you are probably absolutely unaware of your white priviledge.
If so, this post is just for you!
I'm not picking on you. I too was once a white person who had no idea that she was white. In fact, one of my white priviledges, is that I can forget that I'm white whenever I want!
Worse, I was a super poor white person, who was then not so poor. So this led me to say incredibly dumb shit like "anyone can succeed if they just try hard enough!" My apologies now to all the non-white, non-able-bodied people out there. I'm a dumbass, I know).
But you have a chance to be even smarter, even more compassionate than you were when you started reading this post. All you have to do are watch these videos and read these links and educate yourself.
This is BY NO MEANS a comprehensive list, but it is a great start in the right direction. They are videos that I've personally watched that really changed how I viewed race and discrimination. So much so, that I've become that crazy white lady in a sweater vest.
So, if you want to be better educated about race, racism, and why #BlackLivesMatter (and every other race to be clear), it starts here:
Introduction to Systematic Racism
Prison or College?
The Problem I Had Renting a House
How to Raise a Black Son in America
What Does My Headscarf mean to you?
Does Racism Affect the Way You Vote?
Racism is Real
Is it all in your head?
White priviledge: What is it?
And this is just a start. If you have great websites or videos, please share them below.
Thanks!
.
If so, this post is just for you!
I'm not picking on you. I too was once a white person who had no idea that she was white. In fact, one of my white priviledges, is that I can forget that I'm white whenever I want!
Worse, I was a super poor white person, who was then not so poor. So this led me to say incredibly dumb shit like "anyone can succeed if they just try hard enough!" My apologies now to all the non-white, non-able-bodied people out there. I'm a dumbass, I know).
But you have a chance to be even smarter, even more compassionate than you were when you started reading this post. All you have to do are watch these videos and read these links and educate yourself.
This is BY NO MEANS a comprehensive list, but it is a great start in the right direction. They are videos that I've personally watched that really changed how I viewed race and discrimination. So much so, that I've become that crazy white lady in a sweater vest.
So, if you want to be better educated about race, racism, and why #BlackLivesMatter (and every other race to be clear), it starts here:
Introduction to Systematic Racism
Prison or College?
The Problem I Had Renting a House
How to Raise a Black Son in America
What Does My Headscarf mean to you?
Does Racism Affect the Way You Vote?
Racism is Real
Is it all in your head?
White priviledge: What is it?
And this is just a start. If you have great websites or videos, please share them below.
Thanks!
.
June 17, 2015
#Reblog: The Miracle of Suspending Mis-Belief #amwriting #zenhabits
Here is Leo being awesome again."Would it seem miraculous if you could dissolve anxiety, fears, stress, frustration, anger … by making a small mental shift?The answer might lie in thinking about how we watch films."Continue reading here.
