Archive for 2010
Happy New Year! And I'm not being sarcastic.
So I got this new laptop. I'm typing this post on it. I haven't downloaded all my helper programs, like Live Writer and Digsby and some non-IE browser, but I'll get to it eventually. The placement of the mousepad is a little too far left, but the trade-off.
After Christmas
Christmas went well. I am blessed with a family who appreciates my hard work and who understands when I have to bow out early. It was wonderful to see my mom so happy, with all her kids under the same roof. Her favorite time of year, and I’m glad we.
Christmas
A Christmas post? From me? I know, right? I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been a bit bah humbug in years past. The season starting when the kids go back to school and ending at Christmas is usually the hardest, leanest, most stressful time of the year..
What I want in an e-Reader
I’ve been waiting to buy an e-reader because I don’t want to buy a plain early model only to find two months later they’ve unveiled a much cooler (and cheaper) one. I’ve been thinking about what feature would make me decide to take the plunge, and I.
Tag :
Life
A Mountain of Markets
Several years ago I made a couple of half-hearted attempts to get my short stories published, but I never was able to successfully scale the veritable mountain of available markets. The process got to me, so I quit. This morning I decided to give it.
Thoughts on Book Genres
Over at Pimp My Novel, Eric recently did a multi-part analysis of book sales, broken down by genre.He says science fiction is likely to be sold under another label, like fantasy or thriller. I think this is a good thing, because it shows that people.
Meeting Reader Expectations
As an author--as a human, actually--there’s no way to guarantee a reader’s expectations will intersect with my offering. So many things are out of my control, and I just can’t know what makes a reader like or dislike certain things about my book. It’s.
Emerging from the Chrysalis
I must say I have reservations about re-opening Sherri Blossoms. All the old fears and pressures return as I open Live Writer and begin to type. Have I really taken enough time off? Do I have anything to say? Will blogging still be a bore, and is it.
It's mah burfday.
Go me! It's my 40th birthday today. My mom has always said, the day she turned 40 she woke up, looked in the mirror, and had wrinkles. No wrinkles on the last day of 39, then 40 came and BOOM she had wrinkles. Warned by this anecdote, I have not yet.
Possible hiatus in my future
You know what? I just love this theme. I've missed it. And why, you may ask, am I changing it again? Because I'm schizoid. And because that other one was just too hard to tweak, and I never did get it just right. And because this one fits my personality.
Blogging directions
Well, so I've been thinking about where to take the blog. It's no secret I've been less than excited about it lately, especially the personal stories which seemed so important in the first few years, but now...notsomuch. I've talked about everything.
It's hard to feel safe
A couple of months ago, a couple from my town, Tecumseh, OK, was murdered in Arizona by some escaped convicts. One convict was captured fairly quickly, but the other one and his girlfriend/cousin were on the lam for a little while. They made it to Meteetsee,.
One crazy day
I'd like to kick a couple of guys' asses, and there's probably about 5,000 other people who would help me. Yesterday two crazy druggies left a swath of destruction--okay, maybe that's a little strong; how about a swath of inconvenience?--through Oklahoma,.
Turning 40
I guess you might have noticed that little birthday counter in my sidebar. I'm REALLY EXCITED (and a little scared) about turning 40 later this month. It's almost like my whole life I've been waiting for this age, but I didn't know it. 40 is mature..
What a relief
Well. So here I am again. These long absences of mine stem from having nothing good to say, nor any pressing news to share. If I have one or the other it seems worth it to post, but otherwise I won't bother.Today I have something good to say, and the.
The payoff
Man oh man, a cold front came through yesterday and dropped our high temp by about 30 degrees. This morning it was cool enough that I could actually go in the shed without dodging wasps--they get active at about 80 degrees, and the hotter the better--so.
Busy-ness as usual
I've been busy, but when I look around the house it looks pretty much the same. With the kids gone to school, I'd planned to scrub the summer's grime from the house, a layer at a time. Instead, I've been focusing on projects that keep me busy but don't.
Blessed silence forthcoming...
Today's Friday, right? During the summer the days just melt together. I feel guilty for being so happy school's starting soon, and I can be alone for a portion of the day. I also feel guilty that I won't be getting a job, but I always feel guilty for.
My new (old) desk
I've been a busy little beaver the past few days, trying to get my writing space up to snuff. It's moved around the house periodically as I try to find a suitable spot, and every one of those places has been unfinished. Back when I had children in the.
Life goes on
Most of you probably already know my grandma died last week. She was my dad's mom, the only one on that side who kept in regular contact with me. I made the trip to Arkansas for the funeral with my mom and brother. So many emotions are still jumbled.
I guess I'll have to stick with children's books now.
Printing out a novel for editing uses a lot of paper. Combine that with the kids' 2-hour-long scribbling sessions, and it makes perfect sense to use my old manuscripts as scrap paper. I mean, it's still good on one side, and though the kids can read,.
Way to slip the existential crisis in at the end, Sherri.
Somebody just spam-commented every single post on my blog. And though the format makes it obvious it's the same spammer, it appears each IP address is unique, though I didn't check all 300 of 'em, obviously. That's crazy. Crazy spammers. That's the biggest.
Saturday surfing
On tap for today, in no particular order: sucking up spiders with the vacuum; putting on a bra; buying a bag of Quikrete and some sheetrock to maybe finish out the porch room; more coffee; maybe a movie. Gotta love Netflix + Wii.So here are some links.
Tag :
Life
Under the dome
What's up, my peeps? I don't have anything to say today, but has that ever stopped me? Well yeah, sometimes. Not today! Aren't you glad? *snicker*So there's this hurricane rain coming up from Texas. All around us, creeks and rivers are overflowing their.
Spots of news
Nothing seems right. I'm restless. Anxious.Spots of news: I painted the soffit above my kitchen cabinets, finally. When we moved into this house there was terrible (TERRIBLE) 80s wallpaper, red and yellow plaid with touches of green, overlaid with an.
Teenage drama
I've been avoiding the blog this week, because I've been processing some drama. My step-daughter Z announced on Tuesday she was getting married this Friday. To a man she's dated a month. When she called to tell me I told her it was the dumbest idea.
The blinking cursor
I've stared at this blinking cursor a long time, so I guess I'll just start. I do have things to say, but I think I addled my brain with all the nothing I've been doing.It's been a week since I turned in my manuscript. During that time I've basked in.
Preparing for success
You probably saw a new theme every time you visited in the past three days. I think I'm going to keep this one for a little while, see how I like the layout and what kind of tweaks I might need. It has no theme options available, and while I usually.
After-the-book ponderings
Last night I cleaned out all the notes I've accumulated over the couple of years of writing this book, including handwritten, typed and printed pages, note cards and scraps. The pile filled the gerbil's old 10-gallon tank. That's a lot of trash. I did.
Avatar: It ain't people running around in alien suits
I watched Avatar for the first time (the blue people one, not the last airbender one) with the family. Normally I don't let the kids watch PG-13, but this was a special occasion. My son in particular has been bugging me to get it from Netflix--in fact,.
It's done!!
Another week of musical themes as I try to decide what I want my website to say about me. I think this one is quite zen, only for some reason it's not giving me the theme options in my dashboard, so it might change before you've even read this.But the.
My Magician's Book
Moonrat had a nice post today about her Magician's Book: "The perfect story you read as a child, and which since you read it has gone utterly unmatched and only vaguely echoed by anything else you read?" Hers was The Elven Bane.Mine is, unfortunately,.
Are we there yet?
Once again, my self-imposed deadline for finishing BVA has come and gone. This time it's been finished, but I can't stop finding things to fix. You know that stage, I'm sure. I've also come to the conclusion that my eyes will never be able to keep.
At least the blankets are clean
Like the lovable fool he is, my husband promised the children he would sleep with them in the tents in the back yard. And like the good mom/idiot I am, I agreed to sleep there, too. Actually, I agreed because the hubs said he didn't expect me to. I said,.
All of nature beckons, but I remain steadfast
I've started the final edit of BVA. Thanks to everyone who helped out: Allie, Ian, Dane, Vanessa, and Tony. Working toward a deadline of Monday or Tuesday, and then off to the agent. I was hoping to send it out this week, before the famous screeching.
The new theme
Found out there's a difference between a theme and a template in Wordpress. I'd always thought the words were used interchangeably, but not so: template refers to the layout of the website, and theme refers to the look of it. I have.
Tag :
Life,
wordpress themes
Blogging
I find myself wanting to do bullets for every post. With easy separation of my different topics, I don't have to put too much thought into those pesky segues, or too much work into cohesion. The separation is the key; I'm not married to the bullets..
Graduation
Well, you know I was broken up about not going to my bonus daughter's graduation. I know now I made the right decision. Like all moms, I feel I should always support my children no matter what, but the fact is sometimes I can't be there. I have to be.
Disjointed and crappy
I feel disjointed an crappy today, so that will also be the style of my post. My step-daughter graduates high school this evening. I decided to stay home, after much anguish and stress, because of the extreme probability of massive fragrance exposure..
It's about to get crazy up in here
I think I want to blog in a different way, is my problem. I'm bored blabbing about myself, too lazy to really craft a story every few days, and really feeling limited by my expectations. Or rather, by trying to meet what I imagine to be others' expectations..
Tag :
Life
Last gasp of a dying blog?
see more Lolcats and funny picturesTomorrow is my fourth blogging anniversary. I used to care. I used to feel this need to spill, and this was the only place people listened. Maybe Facebook has replaced this blog as my daily connection to humanity so.
Tag :
Life
Why did I agree to Hulk green?
This week started off busy and I don't see it letting up till the kids are out of school, what with the end-of-year programs and concerts. Yesterday my friendly neighborhood electric man cut down a precarious limb, and I spent the day chopping it up.And.
Learning how to live
Where to start, where to start?Well first, I'm just coming out of a migraine so if you haven't seen me around in a few days, that's why. Darn sinusitis.I quit drinking coffee for a while. Figured out that I can have one cup with no ill effect on my tummy,.
I WILL have fun today, darn it.
In a bigger town nearby, there's this children's museum. It's got lots of hands-on exhibits, like a contraption that lets you stand inside a giant soap bubble, an airplane cockpit you can climb up into, sand art, and a little grocery store. Just an expansive.
Be glad when people bug you
I put it off as long as I could, but I had to go to Wal-Mart today. The nearest one is about 20 minutes from my house. Today's journey home took me 32 minutes. This is a good thing, and I'll tell you why.Apparently I missed the memo declaring today Twenty-five.
Characters'll spake to ya, if ya just be lis'nin
Well, I made a major decision as I wrap up my current book. See, the nature of the world in this book makes it likely that one would meet people from all over the world, and from lots of different eras. My main character is American but of Mexican descent;.
How will you celebrate?
You know how people dispensing publishing advice say to gives yourself a small but meaningful reward at big milestones? Well I never could think of anything worth planning for the day I was finally a published author. "They" say to have a special dinner,.
Doing better
So I've been on this diet, and I've lost 3.5 pounds so far. It's actually a lifestyle change that I've made several times before but couldn't make stick, so this time I'm trying out an online calorie counter to give me some solid data. What I've found.
My dorkiness--exposed!
So some of you wondered about my pinhole glasses. The kind I have are called "Foxy."As you can see, the lenses are opaque with holes poked in them. To see how they work for yourself, poke a hole in a piece of paper with a pin and look through. If you.
And yet...I'm posting anyway.
I want to write a post, but what should I say? Should I talk about the wonderful weather? After months of complaining I feel I should talk about the good stuff, too.I could talk about my pinhole glasses, but then you might think I'm a dork.How about.
Happenings in Blossomland
Well, I tried and tried to fix the comment form so it would show your line breaks, and I just can't figure it out. Lots of times when I hit a wall like this, if I just give it a little time it'll become clear, so that's what I'll try. I know it's annoying,.
A new addition to my sidebar
So Sarah sent me this book a while back called Writing Begins with the Breath. She said she thought of me when she read it, and sure enough, it's just my style. Contemplative, touchy-feely, zen stuff. I recommend it for anyone who's having trouble finding.
My personal definition of success
So all that talk about the plotter and the pantser in the previous post was not an endorsement of either style over the other. It was more about evaluating these boxes I put myself in to see if I actually belong there. I didn't used to do that to myself..
The plotter and the pantser
I think I finally figured out what kind of writer I am. 'Bout damn time. We have two general camps in Writerland, right? The folks who like to outline (the plotter), and the folks who like to write by the seat of their pants (the pantser). Rarely does.
SheWrites gave me a little traffic bump
Imagine my surprise when visited my stats and saw a big bump in my hits over the weekend. It's been a long time since that happened, so of course I thought it was a mistake or a persistent spammer.I was glad to find out it was a legitimate bump! Woo!.
I could use a WetNap.
Here's a story dictated to me by my son, Jonah. He's eight.Stupid CreaturesBy JonahIt’s about three kids. Jupiter is 13, Alex is 12, and Mary is 5. They have super powers. They have to fight gigantic stupid worms. And electric monsters that hit them.
Tag :
Life
Key action
This entire post was written while using my new keyboard for the first time, so it might be a bit boring. You’ve been warned. So I’m working with a new keyboard, a real splurge. It’s a Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 3000 with a matching wireless mouse,.
I gots me some cool peeps
I know I've been a little scarce around here, but the good news is that very few people are coming on purpose to look for new content. Whew. The bad news is that I've been oh so lazy in showing my gratitude for good things which have come my way in the.
I'm free!!
Laptop computers are about mobility, but I've never been able to fully utilize this perk. I've had two laptops in my life, and both had tired, old batteries which means that I've been plugged in the whole time. Especially with this laptop, because.
What do stinky chairs, plot holes, and thunderstorms have in common? They're all in this post.
We had an actual thunderstorm yesterday, with no snow, no sleet, no frozen water in any form. There's something so comforting about thunder. Extra comforting this time, because maybe it signifies the crazy white stuff is gone for good. Maybe? Please?I.
