NotSoSuperwoman

Love: Keeping a Record of Rights

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:54:00 +0000

Most Friday mornings find me laughing and sharing with my women's Bible study group. I love these women and the discussions we manage to have in between the laughter. Last week, right at the end, one of these wonderful women said something so simple and yet so profound, I asked her if I could share it here. She graciously agreed and later sent me an email, stating that she need not be credited and reiterating what she had shared.

The discussion had meandered into talking about the way we view the people around us. Some see the positive in everyone and take everything at face value, some are a bit more cynical and try to read between the lines, waiting for the other shoe to drop or assuming negative intentions where there may not be any. Some are somewhere in between. Into this conversation, Leslie dropped a gem that made everyone stop and think for a moment.

"I keep a record of rights.", she said.

A record of rights?

She went on to explain that I Corinthians says not to keep a record of wrongs. That would imply that we are to keep a record of rights. She asked us to imagine a computer monitor. When she looks at someone, she see their face on the screen and next to it, bullet points of what she knows of this person. There are only so many bullet points on the main screen. She chooses to make these the "record of rights", the positives about that person.

Simple. Yet profound.

She continues in her email:

"All I did was take the negative charge in God’s word and change it to a positive because, for me, it more easily defines obedience. I can ‘not do’ something, but since the emotions that we need to watch out for are so rarely neutral, it’s helpful for me to have the ‘do’ in mind. I found this to be valuable when it comes to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy (delights in others successes), it does not boast (sings others praises), it is not proud (demonstrates humility and thankfulness). It does not dishonor others (values and shows respect) and it is not self-seeking (putting others before self), it is not easily angered (forbearing and forgiving) it keeps no record of wrongs (instead keeps a record of rights). Love does not delight in evil (cultivating enjoyment and satisfaction in what is good and right) but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

I tend to be the cynical sort. Life hurts. People hurt. And this kind of love is a rare thing. Yet, I believe with all that I am that if we could just get the greatest commandment right, to love God and love each other, everything else would fall into place. Maybe this can be the start.

Time to keep a record of rights. Who's with me?

Homeschoolers: How To Manage Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

I've made a grand discovery! Monday is a great day for projects.

Like Garfield, I hate Mondays. But because I'd like to finish History Revealed a little earlier in the year, so we can end with a few unit studies, I declared today project day rather than giving them a week to complete one. They had to choose one that could be completed in one day (for the most part. The girls chose an embroidery project but will complete it on their own time). My 14 and 10 year old boys chose the cooking project. Of course. They like to eat.

They made lefse. Or our version of lefse, as we have never even heard of it so we had no idea what it should look like. The kitchen looks like it snowed flour and the smoke alarm still hasn't stopped its ringing, but they had a great time and made some pretty tasty food.

And Monday feels a little less like Monday.

Into the Sea (A Red Writing Hood Prompt)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:04:00 +0000

The Prompt: “The cure for anything is salt water….sweat, tears or the sea.”
~ Isak Dinesen, pseudonym of Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke

For your Creative Non-Fiction tell us about the last time that one of these three things “cured” you. If you are going with Fiction, have your character resolve a problem using one of the three (or all three!!!). There are so many ways you can use this prompt so be creative with it, don’t take us where we think you’ll go. Word Limit is 300.

(This was written on Thursday and then never posted on Friday as I ran out of time. I figured it was written, may as well post it even if I missed linking up!)

******

"I think it should float all right. At least long enough." Critos kicked at the raft with the toe of his boot, mumbling something I couldn't quite make out, avoiding my eyes.

"You got the ropes tight enough?" I placed a hand on Karina's shoulder as I spoke. She jumped and turned toward me.

"Yeah, should be good." She stared at me for a minute, started to speak, but turned away and walked over to stand next to Critos. She seemed solid enough, but I wasn't in a trusting mood. They'd both have to be watched closely.

I double checked the raft and the ropes. They seemed sufficient.

"Ready?" They nodded and we walked over to the small pile of items near the raft. Karina reached down and picked up a tattered blanket, the pink roses faded and stained with tears. Critos grabbed the large leather belt, holding the metal buckle well away from him, as if it were the head of a snake about to strike. They looked at each other, at me, and then tossed them onto the raft, onto the body they had tied so carefully.

I stared down at the bloodied ropes by my feet. These could have been used for the raft but I needed this ceremony. I needed to rid myself of his terror. The feeling of remorse caught me by surprise. Why should I bear guilt for ridding the world of a monster? I choked down the bile, picked up the rope, and flung it onto the raft. It was time.

Without a word, we pushed it further into the sea and prayed to the gods that they would receive him and swallow him whole.

A fitting end for a man called Norse. A man I called Father.

When Coffee Attacks...

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

(Shared this as a Facebook comment and thought I'd share here as well.)

We now have a Wal-Mart curse. My coffee committed suicide on Dec. 2nd in Wal-Mart, forever staining my jeans. The next time we were driving to Wal-Mart, my coffee in the cup holder of the van leaped from its resting place, jumped between my legs, and dumped itself on the floor while I was driving. Thankfully it was kind enough not to splatter me, just the van. We went to Wal-Mart a third time and my coffee once again flung itself onto the floor in the frozen food section. We haven't attempted a Wal-Mart trip since.

Feedback Needed: Which NaNoWriMo Book to Edit?

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:38:00 +0000

One thing I know I want to do in 2012 is finally work on one of my National Novel Writing Month first drafts and turn it into a completed story. My plan was to start the first week of January, all bright and cheery and excited, but my plans were derailed by sickness. Now that I'm crawling back into the land of the living, I'm anxious to get into a story and slowly work through the rewrite process. I only have two obstacles to overcome first.

Issue number one- my office is a mess. It looks like Christmas threw up in there. Seriously. The rest of the house is de-Christmasfied, and has been since December 26th, but I haven't yet faced the office. Today is the day.

The other problem is where I need your help. I have five very rough drafts to choose from and I find myself waffling between four. Which one do I dig into first? I have a love/hate relationship with all of them. I thought maybe I'd throw it out here and see if I get any feedback. I'm breaking all the blogging rules in asking you for help rather than providing content to help you but I NEED YOU MAN! (or woman.) I may not run with your choice but I'd love to have some input to chew on anyway!

The NotSoFantastic Four:

1. My very first NaNo I referred to as the "Christian Desperate Housewives". The story revolved around neighbors and friend's struggling with lust, betrayal, jealousy, teenage suicide-the works. The characters were quirky and fun though and I'll have to dial down the melodrama in the rewrite. You can catch a glimpse of these characters in one of my Write on Edge prompts; Double D's This one is faith-based but not overly sanitized.

2. My "stalker novel" has always been a favorite of mine. It's a YA story centered around a teenage girl whose mother has been fighting cancer and has become obsessed with her health to the point of completely shutting out her daughter. Her father is losing his business and is having difficulty coping. While her parents love her, they have no idea how to connect with her and she is starving for attention. She wakes up one morning with a broken window and "I See You" scrawled across her bedroom wall. Suddenly she's the center of attention, but is this what she really wants? There's a section of this story posted on my old blog here; Some Call It Stalking (Reading it over, I already see areas I need to change!) This one has some faith based elements.

3. I would have to do a complete rewrite of this one, as I hate everything about it, but I still love the idea. It takes place in the future, in a world where religion as a whole has been outlawed. The main characters are sent on a journey to discover old writings, receiving messages via their tablets. Through their adventure, the Christmas story is told and short "devotions" would be included after each chapter. The idea is to create a dystopian advent novel for teens and adults. I still love the idea, but this one would need more planning. This one is completely faith based and overtly Christian.

4. The last one is my most recent NaNo. It's a contemporary story of a woman who's recently come into money and takes the opportunity to write her life story. She uses three different genres to fictionalize the tragedies and difficulties in her life (fantasy, romance, and thriller). With each section, she attempts to find a happy ending but this proves difficult. Woven into the three stories is her current story. I need to figure out how to describe this more clearly but it was fun as a NaNo novel. There's a short excerpt here, from the fantasy section: Once Upon A Happily Never After. This one is not faith based.

I know I'm asking a lot but I'd really love to hear your thoughts! Please remember the excerpts are raw rough drafts (I'm so insecure!) but should give a hint at the tone of each story. I've also been flirting with the idea of starting from scratch with something else, but I have these 50,000-75,000 word drafts to work with already so why not?

Corridor by Robin Parrish

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:43:00 +0000

Summary:

THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO RUN.

On the eve of his seventeenth birthday, Troy Goggin finds himself inexplicably transported to an impossibly huge, miles-long structure called the Corridor. But what is the Corridor, and why was he brought to it?

It’s a place of mystery, wonder, and heart-stopping danger. It will test him and push him both mentally and physically. His only companion is the girl whose voice he hears inside his head, explaining the rules he must follow if he hopes to escape.

But there is much more to this extraordinary place than Troy could ever imagine. The Corridor’s true purpose — the biggest mystery of all — is revealed only to those who make it to the end.

My Thoughts: Back in 2009, I stumbled across an author named Robin Parrish and his book, Offworld. It was one of my favorites that year, as it grabbed me from page one and led me on an adventure I could see on the big screen of my imagination. When I discovered he had recently published a YA novel, I was pretty excited to read it. It did not disappoint.

Parrish's writing style throws you in the middle of the action and allows you to live the experience with the main character. He never lets up and you find yourself on this wild journey through the Corridor, with no idea what is really going on, but completely caught up in the story. I was afraid the ending would be anti-climatic with all the mystery surrounding the Corridor but that wasn't the case. Parrish throws us into the story, runs with it, and then provides a satisfying conclusion.

Corridor is available as an e-book from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It is only $2.99 at the time of this writing, so if it sounds intriguing I'd recommend picking it up while the price is so good!

*Disclosure: I received a copy of the e-book at no cost from the author, for review purposes. A positive review was not required, merely an honest one. And that's what you have. :)

Ramblings of Bugs and Reading Challenges and Fictiony Fiction and Sci-Fi School and Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:27:00 +0000

2012 continues to kick my butt. So far, January has been the month of bugs and I'm not talking spiders. I guess that's something for which to be thankful, but I can't just step on this kind of bug. I've been sick. Again. All. Week. And I'm still not feeling well. So yeah, since I didn't want to come whine on my blog (isn't that what Facebook is for anyway? GRIN.) it has continued to be quiet around here.

I thought I'd come think aloud for a minute. This won't be an award winning post by any means but some enjoy the ramblings too. This one's just for you.

It's January and so it's time to assess last year's reading challenges and think about new ones. I did manage to complete some from last year but the 52 books in 52 weeks thing remains just out of my grasp. It gets closer every year so I'm setting the same goal for 2012. This time I'm going to keep track of it via goodreads. There's even a neat little widget I can add to the sidebar to track my progress. I'm sure I'm the only one who will care but hey, I like neat little widgets. And I'm one of those weird people who check out my friend's widgets. (Snort.)

Speaking of friends, whenever I get friend requests on goodreads I wonder what they will think of my preference for sci-fi and fantasy. Lately I've been enjoying the urban fantasy and paranormal. I like my fiction really fictiony. I don't want reality, I want imagination. At least, for the moment.

Fiction makes me think of writing and how I haven't managed to do any yet. I hate you Bug. But oh yeah, there's the no whining thing I'm trying to follow. I am blessed, I know this. I'd just like life to follow my plan once in awhile. Ha.

Ooo, plans reminds me of school and discussing my 16 year old's plans for senior year (next year!). We need to sit down and see what he still needs for credits, but he'd like to fit them to his interests and really enjoy his last year. We're thinking of trying Live and Learn Press' Star Wars: The Hero Myth course outline (I own it, looks great!) and possibly Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings. I'm also playing around with the idea of a "The Science of Science Fiction" course, if I can pull it off. I'm not the sciency type so I'll need good resources. I remember my senior year was full of writing and literature classes and am looking forward to helping him design his year. Sad to think it's his last year though. Crazy. Crazy I say.

I remember my early days of blogging and writing rambly nonsensical posts such as this and connecting with other rambly nonsensical bloggers and creating connections and friendships. That sounds appealing right now. No more worrying about numbers or deadlines (for the most part), just writing for the sole purpose of expression and connection. Could be that I'm moving back into the Reflections and Ramblings of... Hmm.

Toydle: Fort Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:02:00 +0000

Pictures say a thousand words, don't they? I could tell you how awesome the toydle Forts are, I could share how my youngest squealed with delight when I told him there were no instructions, just create. I could explain how great it was to see all my kids building this fort together. (Well, the ones who aren't grown and moved out anyway. Although I bet my adult children would have just as much fun- if not more.) I could describe how sturdy and well designed all the pieces are and how they come in their very own duffel bag for storage. But really, the photos tell you everything. The excitement in my daughter's eyes as she realized just how big this thing could be... my sons in deep thought as they consider the best formation... the leopard print flannel sheets you just wish you owned*... Yep. This is a super cool fort and any family would have a great time with one.

So where do you get your hands on one of these fine forts? Toydle. They're serious about their toys and they're serious about their quality. They are manufactured in the US and are backed by a guarantee. Our bag was short a couple of clips and their customer service was great; friendly and quick to ship the clips.

Here are the basics, straight from their site:

All Toydle Forts are constructed with

Hand made wooden blocks 3” sq. made with high quality, laminated poplar.
High Quality PVC tubes 29” long & 1/2in wide.

All Toydle Forts include an industrial strength storage bag.
All Toydle Forts include clips to help secure your sheets and blankets.

There are two fort sizes; The Toydle Fort (available for $149) and The BIG Toydle Fort (priced at $229.99). The first is over 45 square feet and the big one is double the size. The one pictured is the big one. And it's awesome.

This is one toy that may seem pricey at first, but should provide years of fun for all your kids. Highly recommended!!

*You provide the sheets and blankets, which helps make it your own.

*Disclosure: This product was provided at no cost for review purposes. A positive review was not required, merely an honest one. This thing just rocks. ;) *

ChChChChanges

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

What's that? It's January 7th? Well, yeah, that would tell you how far behind on life I am. Actually, if it's only a week behind I'm doing better than I thought.

There was a new year post all written and scheduled for the 1st and somehow it went POOF! And I didn't have it in me to rewrite it so my unscheduled hiatus continued. But I'm back. Or at least, that's the plan. So far 2012 has been all about flexibility and plan changes though, so we'll see what happens with life. At least it's not boring!

So what's new with me? The biggie as far as the blog is concerned has to be my stepping down from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Review Crew. I'm ready to move away from that association and move on to new things in my life. A new year coinciding with this is a bonus! As time allows, I do plan to continue with independent reviews (and catch up on those I have currently!). Maybe someday I'll even manage to put together a media kit. It could happen.

My foundational stuff is the same; wife, mom, homeschooling, attempting to cook meals at least a few nights a week, hanging with good friends. These are the non-negotiables for me (well, we could axe the cooking and I wouldn't cry). My "extra's" have morphed somewhat. Our youth pastor and his family have moved to a new position in NY and I'm now co-leading our teen ministry. That will definitely take some extra time and I'll have to step back some from co-leading women's ministry (WHY can't I do it all? Oh yeah, cause I'm not Superwoman. That's right.), but I absolutely love the teens and I've never grown up so that seems perfect. Hope they like crazy social misfits. Mhm.

As I think I mentioned in November, our NaNo Writer's group leader also moved and I jumped in to attempt to fill her big shoes. I loved every minute and hope to continue connecting with this group twice a month. My big "resolution" is to work through The Story Template book and finally edit one of my first drafts. I want to work on improving my writing and stop letting my self loathing hold me back. If I really want to write, I must put the effort into it and do it despite my fears.

And this is where the new year has brought me. What does that mean for this blog? I'm honestly not sure yet. I'm hoping it will continue to grow along with me, as I share whatever and whenever I can. I may rework the name if it no longer reflects the content. We'll see how it goes. No matter what, life is always an adventure and I hope you'll stick around to keep me company!

I See Cards: Frantazmic (Fantastic Fraction Card Game!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Ah, Math! Thou art the bane of my existence!

Oh, uh... excuse the language. We've been living and breathing Shakespeare here for awhile and my thought process is beginning to change. Amazing how that happens. I watch Doctor Who, I think with a British accent. I see my kids perform Shakespeare, I start saying things like thou and art and bane. Too bad I can't change my brain to think math. Hasn't worked yet anyway.

Thankfully, there are lots of fun ways to teach and reinforce math skills! (There may be hope for me yet.) The people at I See Cards have created card games to help, Frantazmic being one such game. And it's actually FUN! I don't know about you, but no matter how educational a game may be, if it's not fun it won't get played.

Frantazmic is like a fraction version of Gin Rummy. It was super easy to grasp the game play and we were able to start the game right after reading through the short instruction sheet. The object is to create sets of 1 and then have the most sets on the table before someone runs out of cards, thus ending the game. If your kids (or you) need a little help with figuring out the fractions, there are pictures on the cards to help. Play the game enough and it'll be second nature to add 1/3, 1/2, 1/12, and 1/12 to make a whole.

We're using Life of Fred Fractions right now and this is a perfect supplement to our math text. I think it would make a great addition to whatever math program you are using to teach fractions. It's easy, fun, and actually teaches the concept. I'm sold.

Frantazmic is available for $6.95 for one deck, or you can purchase multiple decks at a discount. Be sure to check out their other math card games as well!

*Disclosure: I received a deck at no cost, for review purposes. A positive review was not required, merely an honest one. For more thoughts on this product and others, check out the TOS Crew.*

Journey to Christmas DVD Series

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Summary: Journey to Christmas is a fascinating new reality DVD series that invites you to explore Jesus’ birth through five modern-day explorers. Shot on ultra-high-definition film and packaged as a four-part DVD church curriculum, this unique study series chronicles the experiences of five very different people—a messianic Jew, a First Nations woman, a poet, a Christian radio personality, and an agnostic lawyer—as they journey through the Holy Land to discover the true meaning of Christmas. Guided by a local historian (Nizar Shaheen) with on-camera commentary from a team of Bible experts (astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross, ancient history expert Dr. Paul Maier, archeologist and New Testament scholar Dr. Craig Evans, Biblical times culture expert Claire Pfann, and others), viewers will see the Christmas story unfold though the eyes of each member on this unique pilgrimage. Journey to Christmas lets you immerse yourself in the culture, places, and people surrounding the Nativity. Stunning photography, a reality show format, exotic locations, and fascinating commentary from a team of Bible experts make this an unforgettable Bible learning experience!

My Thoughts: One of my favorite studies we did in the Senior High School Class at our church was The Gospel Journey. This was also a reality series and it was powerful. When I saw this offered, I remember how much we enjoyed that one and knew we'd enjoy this as well. Although I haven't yet finished this journey, I like what I've seen. This is a fresh way to focus on what Christmas means and would be good for teens and adults, which is nice to see! Many times we see an abundance of products for children at this time and few that are aimed at adults. This is a refreshing change and may be just what you need for your teen or adult class. Be sure to watch the video below!

There's a cool website too! http://www.journeytochristmas.com/

watch on tyndale.com

*I received a copy of this product at no cost for review purposes. A positive review was not required, merely an honest one.*

The Story Template by Amy Deardon (A FIRST Wild Card Tour )

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:58:00 +0000

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Amy Deardon

and the book:

The Story Template: Conquer Writer's Block Using the Universal Structure of Story

Taegais Publishing, LLC (July 25, 2011)

***Special thanks to Amy Deardon for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amy Deardon is married with two children, and spends much time taking care of her family. In her life BC (before children) she was a scientist who did bench research. She is also a Christian who came to faith under protest through studying the historic circumstances surrounding the death of Jesus.

Amy has written one novel, A LEVER LONG ENOUGH, about a small military team that travels back in time to film the theft of Jesus' body from the tomb. This book won two awards.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

THE STORY TEMPLATE is a programmed learner that allows the writer to develop her story from chaos. The book uses a series of exercises for the writer to construct her story’s four foundational pillars; learn how to use the “secret weapon” of story structure: the story template; build character depth and believable change; and construct subplots. THE STORY TEMPLATE then reviews writing techniques, and finishes with discussions of editing, writing the synopsis and query letter, submitting one’s work to agents, and types of publishing that the writer may wish to pursue.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.95
Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Taegais Publishing, LLC (July 25, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0981899730
ISBN-13: 978-0981899732

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Writing a novel or screenplay sounds like a great idea until you sit down to start. Where do you start? Many different methods exist to write the story, ranging from extensive preplanning to venturing onto the first page without an idea. This book describes an approach to developing story--laid out as a sequential series of exercises to facilitate implementation--that you can use whether you prefer a structured or loose approach to writing. You can use it at the start to develop an idea fragment, or later to rescue a partial or completed manuscript that doesn't seem to be working. The method works whether you want to write plot-driven (genre) or character-driven (literary) stories. It enables you to efficiently use your time and creativity by breaking down the process of story building into a logical plan. You will not waste time sitting at your keyboard, wondering what you should write and how you can organize your ideas into a complete manuscript.

The idea for this book originated from my own learning process in producing a novel. Having written scientific articles, newspaper columns, and other nonfiction, when I decided to write a novel I was surprised by how difficult it was to get the words down. I tried outlining, and I tried just going ahead. I had wonderful ideas, but although the scenes I wrote were exciting the story itself often seemed somehow “wrong.” I threw out more pages than I care to remember. Through sheer grit I finished the novel, but when I thought about writing another my heart sank. I decided to first solve the problem of understanding how story worked.

I chose twenty entertaining, modern novels in different genres, and fifteen more-or-less recent films (and I've since confirmed my preliminary observations with tens of more stories). One at a time, I took them apart: I made a list of each scene, then did a word count or timed the scene, calculated percentages and other statistics, and graphed each story onto a five page chart. I studied each story's progression, then compared the progressions of different stories to determine common pathways. I also read all that I could on constructing stories. The writing how-to literature was heavy on techniques (plotting, point of view, characterization, dialogue)--all of which are important--but there wasn't much on blending it all together. Screenwriting how-to books were stronger on structure, but still didn't give me all I needed.

I studied story after story, puzzling out how they were built. First, I identified elements called story posts, and found that these posts fell reliably within the timing of the whole. Then I found consistent trends of progression in the plot, as well as consistent trends of development and interactions in the characters. My biggest surprise, in fact, was finding just how unvarying were the underlying levels of the story. I also identified a unit of story construction I call a “bubble” that bridges the gap between the high concept ideas for the story and individual scenes.

Once I had my background knowledge, I coached students to develop their stories, and thereby constructed an algorithm for the practical application of this theory.

So, what is this “story template” that is the title of this book? Is this a formula or blueprint you can mindlessly follow, like a paint-by-numbers canvas?

In a word, no. I like to call what I found a template since it describes the shape or progression, on a deep level, of virtually all stories. Recognizing this pattern in a story is something I liken to sketching a face. An artist will tell you that a person's eyes are about halfway down the head, and are separated by another eye width. The bottom of the nose is halfway between the eyes and the chin, the mouth is proportionally between the nose and the chin and extends to imaginary vertical lines drawn below the eyes' pupils, the tips of the ears hit about eyelid level, earlobe tips at bottom-nose level, and on and on. Faces are infinitely varied, yet if the artist ignores these rough proportions, no matter how carefully sketched the face will always look “wrong.” Similarly, you will use the template to ensure that your story elements are proportionally correct and all present. The template gives you a guide, but never dictates, what you can write.

Getting the story shape right is the first, and (in my opinion) the hardest step to writing a gripping novel or screenplay. Without good structure, the story tends to meander without a point: although it may have high action, it is characterized by low tension.

You may want to first read this entire book to get an overview of story before starting with the exercises. Keep in mind that shaping a story is intensive work, and it will take you weeks or even months to get your story organized. This is normal. Don't get discouraged, and don't skimp on the exercises. Take your time to thoroughly work through each step. At the end, your story will be much stronger, and the actual writing will go like a dream.

This book is not sufficient for producing a finished story ready for publication or production. You will need to master further writing techniques such as characterization, description, dialogue, transitions, editing, etc. I will touch upon a few of these to give you some direction, but the only way to get really good is to practice. Fortunately, many excellent books are available for help. See Appendix One to start.
Outline of The Plan

I like to use the metaphor of constructing a house to envision building a story. To assemble a house, you move from larger to smaller elements to sequentially put something together. Only after you have worked through many tasks is it finally time to do the fine details of painting the windowsills and installing the wallpaper. Similarly, while you have ideas about character arcs and plot twists, and maybe you've even written some scenes, you will be well served to develop a direction before writing through your manuscript. If you write your first draft as the ideas occur to you, then this will comprise your story planning. You'll find that you probably don't have enough material to form an entire novel or screenplay, and even if you do it may not hang together. Believe me, this is a laborious and frustrating way to go.

The Story Template gives a series of actions for you to do that will allow you to develop your story ideas with a minimum of angst and wasted energy. Some exercises will be quick, others will require a great deal of thought, and perhaps even a marination of thought, before finishing. Don't be in a rush--some of your best ideas will come as you play with character or event possibilities. As you continue to develop your story you will probably revisit different components of these exercises, going back and changing previous work, as you move through this programmed story outliner. That's okay. Just go with the flow, and have fun.

When you've finished with these exercises, you will be ready to start writing your manuscript, with ease and flow and speed, because you will have already done the hard organizational work. Even if you want to change the story as you're writing, you'll be able to do so with an understanding of how to balance the changes. You will have a detailed roadmap that will allow you to bring your vision--your book or screenplay--to completion.
Writing Tools

You are a writer. Before you start, you need to assemble the following items:

1. A tool with which to do your major writing, either a computer, an old-fashioned typewriter, or paper and pencil. If you do handwrite your notes, you may want to treat yourself to a special pen that you love, and is only to be used for your magnus opus.

2. A system to organize your template exercises. I prefer hard copy: printing out computer files, or writing on loose leaf paper, then placing the sheets in a three-ringed binder. This notebook may inspire you and give you a sense of accomplishment as you look through to see how much you've done. Not as recommended is keeping files only on computer because they're harder to flip through, mark up, and juxtapose ideas; or a spiral or bound notebook because you can't replace pages or change their order. But do what works for you.

3. A small notebook to carry with you at all times. Use this to jot down any thoughts that come to you.

4. Index cards. Get two packs, and we'll go over how to use them to story board. Also get a roll of masking tape and a permanent marker (thin tip) for bold marks. Finally, you may want to purchase an index card binder to permanently keep your cards in order.

Getting the Words Down

Here are some tips to help you get the words down:

1. Decide on a daily quota of words that is manageable. A good starting goal might be 300, but remember to keep pushing this number up as you become accustomed to the writing process. Create a log to record your daily output. Post this on your refrigerator or otherwise keep it prominent in your daily life.

2. Set aside at least fifteen minutes at a time in which you can remain undisturbed. Aim for an hour or more if you can.

3. Don't start your writing session by checking your e-mail or doing anything else except for writing.

4. Turn off anything that might distract you--music, radio, or television. Some people can write through these things, but try without for a few days to see if you do better.

5. If you're stuck, do free-writing where you talk to yourself on paper. Something like, “I'm trying to figure out what Jason's problems with Mike might be in this scene. I was thinking about…”

Let's get started.

My Thoughts: When I read the premise of this book, I was instantly excited about the chance to review it! I contacted the author, requesting an e-book version so that I would have time to start working through it before National Novel Writing Month. Imagine the grin on my face when she replied that she was also planning to participate in NaNoWriMo!

I worked through the beginning of the book and it was a huge help in fleshing out my story. My original idea morphed and grew and has already greatly benefited by the first few chapters of The Story Template. I can't wait to work through the rest of this book with my current, future, and past NaNoWriMo raw rough drafts. Time is not on my side this month, so you'll have to read the first chapter and check it out for yourself, but this won't be the last time you will hear about this book, I am sure! If the way I've been talking it up at my writer's group is any indication, I'll be back to talk it up more here once my holiday induced blog break is over!

Whether you're a writer or wannabe writer yourself, or you want to encourage your students in dissecting and rebuilding a story, I highly recommend you check out this book.

*Disclosure: I received the e-book version of this book at no cost, for review purposes. A positive review was not required, merely and honest one.*

Teacher Geek- Buggin' Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:14:00 +0000

They had me at Teacher Geek.

As both a teacher and a geek, their very name made me want to see what they have to offer. After checking out their site, I was sold. If you read their very first page, they answer the question Why Teacher Geek? with "Because we sell the best products to teach valuable concepts. We know the best way for students to learn is through experiencing the whole cycle: understanding concepts, designing, engineering, and most importantly improving: redesigning and innovating. We sell innovative products that teach students about engineering, math, science and technology while being just plain fun." They're speaking my language. I'm not a math or science geek but I am all about learning by doing and having FUN!

We received a "Catch the Bug" single bug kit to try. The kit came with almost everything you need to build it, but you will want to check the What Else Do I Need? list on the website. We went searching in vain for solder before realizing they had included some for us for the review process. Don't be caught without your solder. It could be embarrassing.

Originally I thought all five of the kids could work on it together but soon came to realize it was really a one man project (with a little brother help now and then)*. If you decide to give it a try, you'll want one per kid if at all possible (adult supervision required). My sixteen year old attacked the project for an afternoon and really enjoyed it. The instructions packets were thorough, visually appealing, and nicely laid out. He did not have to scratch his head to try to figure out what they were wanting him to do and successfully built the bug without issue. When it was built, all the kids had fun sending it zooming off around the house. They loved that it would redirect itself when it hit a solid object. In fact, they had so much fun, they wore out the battery in one day!

My son's only complaint was that he would have liked some kind of cover to hide all the wiring and make it look more presentable (visually appealing matters to him. Yep, he's my son). After poking around on their web site, I think I know why they keep it so basic. Here's what I found; "Here's the really cool part: You can design our products to look however you want. There's no set way our Easy Engineering projects have to go together. Our labs get you started, but you can go anywhere from there. Each creation can—and should—be unique!" Son, if you want it to look cool, you can feel free to get on that. Go design your own cover!

This is a fun way to teach:

Circuits
Parts of a circuit
Series circuits
Parallel circuits
Electron flow/operation
Current
Voltage
Resistance
Switches
Schematic representation

At $22.98 each, or a 10 pack for $63.94 ($6.39 a bug), it's a fairly economical way to do some hands on teaching as well. All in all, we liked what we saw and really appreciated the very clear instructions. I just wish batteries lasted longer!

*Females are more than capable of wiring up this cool little bug! In this case, it just happened to be the 16 year old boy and his 9 year old brother. No sexism implied. ;-)

*Disclosure: I received this product at no cost for review purposes. A positive review was nor required, merely an honest one.*

Who Wouldn't Want a Toydle FORT for Christmas? (Giveaway Link!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:42:00 +0000

Everyone, everywhere should have a fort! I have great memories surrounding forts, both the kind you build yourself out of sheets and chairs and the kind you create in the woods from fallen branches and the grown up kind people like to refer to as gazebos (but really, when you're sitting inside giggling with friends you know it's just a fort with a fancy name). Forts are fun, plain and simple.

Toydle makes some seriously fun forts and they take their fort building seriously. Our family will be reviewing these superdeliciousocious forts for you next month, but I did not want you to miss out on this as an awesome Christmas gift idea or not tell you about the cool giveaway going on over at the TOS Crew Homeschool blog! So here I am, telling you to check out the forts and the giveaway!

First off, the forts themselves: These are high quality and American made and can be configured in multiple ways without rearranging your furniture every time someone wants to build a fort. They are available in two sizes. The Toydle Fort is over 45 square feet and is available for $149. The BIG Toydle Fort is double the size but not double the price, which is cool. It sells for $229.99. No matter which size you choose, it comes packed in an industrial strength storage bag.

And now what you've all been waiting for: The giveaway! The TOS Homeschool Crew will be giving away three (Yes, I said THREE!) of The Big Toydle Forts (Yes, I said BIG!) and you won't want to miss your chance to enter! So head on over to the GIVEAWAY POST and see what you need to do for your chance to win one of this fun forts! Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to tell 'em I sent ya. ;-)*

NOTE: This contest is open to residents of the United States ONLY . TOS Staff and TOS Crew Members (and their families) are not eligible to enter this contest.

*Telling them I sent you will not increase your odds of winning in any way, shape or form. It just makes me look cool for sending you. GRIN.

FFH One Silent Night Christmas Album Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:49:00 +0000

Yesterday was my birthday and I was out of town, so please forgive the day late drawing. The very first comment was chosen by random.org, so the early bird gets the worm! Crystal, please email me at NotSoSuperwoman@gmail.com so that I may send your info to the vendor. Enjoy!

*This giveaway is now closed.*

I’m a fan of Christmas. I love every bit of it, even the crazy shoppers and the crowded malls. One of the many things I love about this time of year is the music. I would play Christmas music year ‘round if only my family would keep their complaints to themselves. But I’ve discovered a great work around for those who don’t want me to play it until after Thanksgiving- review it. “I’m sorry, Honey, I have to listen to Christmas music. It’s for a review.” Works like a charm and I enjoyed every second of it.

FFH’s Christmas album is a great mix of the traditional and the new. I especially loved Baby, It’s Cold Outside. It’s a fun song, one of my favorite of the less traditional Christmas songs, with great flow and they do a good job with it.

The songs on the album also include Jingle Bell Rock, One Silent Night, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, The Birthday of a King, O Come O Come Emmanuel (one of my all time favorites), Winter Wonderland, Glorious Impossible, O Little Town of Bethlehem and Heaven and Nature Sing. I’m sure we will enjoy this offering over the next month as we celebrate Christmas!

If you would like to have the chance to enjoy it as well, enter my giveaway for the digital version of this album. It was easy to download and add to my iTunes account! And be sure to check out FFH:

Website: http://ffh.net/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FFHmusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/FFHMusic

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-silent-night/id474548207

TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post (required).

2. Share this giveaway via Twitter (optional, leave additional comment with Twitter name)

3. Share this giveaway via Facebook (optional, leave additional comment letting me know )

4. Share this giveaway on your blog (optional, leave 2 additional comments letting me know)

5. Follow/subscribe to this blog (optional, leave additional comment letting me know- if you already follow, leave 2 additional comments)

6. Place my button on your blog (optional, leave 2 additional comments letting me know.)

Drawing will be held on Monday, November 28th.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Truth Tats: The Christmas Story (A FIRST Wild Card Tour)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:36:00 +0000

Today's Wild Card is developed by:

Jeff Sheets, product creator
for Broadman and Holman Publishers

and the Advent idea:

TruthTats: The Christmas Story

B&H Publishing Group

***Special thanks to Susan Otis of Creative Resources, Inc. for sending me a review copy.***

SHORT PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Truth Tats: The Christmas Story
Celebrating the Season of Advent with Truth Tats

Designed just for the season, Christmas Truth Tats present a new way of telling the story of Christ’s birth. Truth Tats are temporarily on your skin, permanently on your heart.

This is a five week program leading up to Christmas day, each packet of Truth Tats includes a family devotional booklet that kicks off each memory scripture of the week. The twenty accompanying Scripture tattoos are a visual way to continually applying and memorize God’s word. Each week opens with a set of four identical Scripture tattoo designs so that each family member can have his or her own tattoo! Week two, there is a new Scripture for memorization and four new tattoo designs, again identical designs so each person is memorizing the same Scripture.

For over 1,000 years Christians worldwide have been celebrating Advent, a time of spiritual preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. The word “advent” comes from the Latin adventus meaning “coming toward”. So it is entirely appropriate that the four weeks prior to Christmas we will be preparing our hearts for His Advent.

Truth Tats are a unique way to celebrate the season as well as to “show and tell” God’s word to others. This is ideal for the classroom, family devotion time, and in personal Scripture memorization

Product Details:

List Price: $3.99
Unbound
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Language: English
ASIN: B005LDDJ1S

AND NOW...WEEK ONE OF ADVENT (Click on pictures to enlarge):

My Thoughts: For several years we've enjoyed doing an Advent study to lead up to Christmas. We light our candles, sing a Christmas Carol, pray, and read from a book of some sort. Our favorites have been the Jotham's Journey series but we have rotated through those so often that the kids could probably tell the story without needing the books! Last year we did a more traditional study but we're not a more traditional family and frankly, we were bored. I was on the look out for something fun yet focused on the meaning of Christmas when these came up for review. I love this idea!

The package comes with enough for four kids (or adults!) to place a new Scripture on their hand each week. With the verse so "handy", it would be very difficult not to memorize it. The Christmas Story edition comes with a booklet that provides one reading for each week of Advent, focusing on who God is, who we are in Christ, our transformation, and sharing His love. I think this would be a fun and inspiring way to prepare our hearts for Christmas, as well as a great way to share the "reason for the season" with those around you who may inquire as to what's on your hand!

I Laughed, I Cried, I Went to a Funky Tea Shop (Women of Faith Reflections Part II)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:46:00 +0000

Women of Faith is a conference like no other. It is a Friday and Saturday full of laughter and tears, speakers and music- at times heart wrenching and at others hilarious. You leave completely overwhelmed but overflowing. Some years it can take a lifetime to fully process everything God is working in you in such a short time. It is profound and simple all at the same time.

The schedule consists of speakers interspersed with drama, music, and comedy. The speakers this year were amazing. They shared their hearts and, as I said in Part I, were not afraid to admit their failings and frustrations. They were real and honest and they shared sufferings and tragedies that brought the crowds to tears, but they shared them in such a way that left everyone listening with hope that there is a God and He is bigger than any of our circumstances.

Friday’s first session began at 10 am and continued until 3:30, when there was a long break before the 7pm evening session. Sheila Walsh and Dr. Henry Cloud were the speakers for this session and they were excellent. I had never heard Henry Cloud speak and I was quite impressed. He was intelligent and clearly knew his stuff, yet he was also very down to earth and straight talking. I really appreciated this and liked him immediately. He shared a few points from his book, The Laws of Happiness (which I now want to read) and spoke about the psychiatric research and how it backed up what the Bible said (imagine that). My favorite quote was when he stated that happy people are givers and then settled down all the women he knew were blustering over that by saying that people are not happy giving when the life is being sucked out of them by control freaks. Ha! I love it.

I Tweeted several key moments throughout the weekend (although there were times that were too profound to sum up in a Tweet)and I’d like to share them here, to give you the flavor of the speaker’s messages.

"As you are, right now, you are outrageously loved by God." -Sheila Walsh

"Only 10% of your happiness is based on circumstance." -Dr. Henry Cloud

"Happy people are connected." "Who's your monkey?" Henry Cloud

"Sometimes you have to give up perfectly good stuff to make room in your life for the 20%" (20% is where the life is) -Dr. Henry Cloud

"It's okay to not be okay. Wherever you are now, just show up." -Sheila Walsh

"Peace is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of Christ." -Sheila Walsh

"The God of the universe loves misfits. And life begins when we all admit we are misfits and broken." -Nicole Johnson

"He takes what we'd throw in the trash and makes it a treasure." -Nicole Johnson

"Live in the now. Live this very moment fully." -Luci Swindoll

As Queen of the Misfits, you can see why I could relate so well to speakers who are willing to admit their place among the misfits, to share God’s outrageous love for us right where we are, and to encourage us to find life in this very moment and allow God to transform us into treasure. Powerful stuff.

I can’t finish this before sharing how much I LOVE Natalie Grant and have enjoyed seeing her in concert over the years as she’s moved from newlywed to mom of three. She’s genuine and talented and I’m a fan. The Mary Mary concert was also great and I loved that they took the time to share things they have learned and to teach this white girl how to look in the mirror and say, “Not Today!” with as much soul as I can manage.

Oh, and I have to mention the funky tea shop my friend and I hung out in between sessions Friday! It was like no tea shop I have seen in this area, with an art gallery meets spa vibe (the art was, in fact, for sale) and the friendliest staff. We sat and drank mochas (we weren’t in the tea mood) and ate cream puffs and cake next to the waterfall. It was incredibly relaxing (and quite reasonable!). I would highly recommend visiting the Tea Haunt Canvas when in Hartford, CT!

To sum up, I highly recommend Women of Faith and if you haven’t yet attended a conference, I would encourage you to check one out for next year!

Time Timer iPad App

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Time Timer is available as both a physical product and an iPad app. It is designed to be a great tool for parents and children, to provide a large visual for anytime a timer is needed. I know in our house, we use a timer for daily independent reading. Rather than assign chapters, I will typically assign a 30 minute or 60 minute time for independent reading. We tend to use our stove timer for this purpose but what about when I need a timer outside of my home (or kitchen for that matter?)?

Honestly, my first thought when this came up for review was my need for a timer for National Novel Writing Month Word Wars. We meet at local coffee shops and challenge each other to write the most words in 30 minutes. I needed something portable and convenient and the iPad version of this product has worked well for that. I'm already bringing my iPad and I don't have to pack something else, which is a plus. I'm usually plugged into the iPad with my headphones listening to music as I write, so the timer goes off in my ear and that is another plus! As long as I remember to actually press the Start button...but that's another story.

The Time Timer app is very easy to set up and use, the timer is large and brightly colored (making this a good choice for young children), and there are various alarm sounds to choose from (which will go off in the background even if you're listening to Pandora or whatever in the meantime). At $1.99, it's a very reasonable way to help your kids visualize the amount of time they have left on a project or keep you on track with whatever your timing needs may be. There are not a lot of bells and whistles, it's a simple timer, but it does what it is supposed to and I liked it.

*Disclosure: I received this iPad app at no cost, for review purposes. To see what others thought of this product and more, check out the TOS Crew.*

You Are Something More (Hope for Those Facing Bullying)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:21:00 +0000

My son's band*, Beautiful Tuesday, has released their new music video today for the song (Prove You) Something More, along with a new site called You Are Something More. This is about more than just sharing their latest song or video, this about making a difference in someone's life and offering hope for those dealing with the bullies of this world. Here it is in their own words;

Everyday, 160,000 students stay home from school because of it.

90% of 4th through 8th graders have been the victim of it.

36% of high school students don’t feel safe at school because of it.

And 32% of parents fear for their child’s physical safety while they are at school because of it.

The “it” we are talking about, is bullying. Bullying is becoming more and more common, and occurs in many forms including physical, verbal, and most recently: “cyber” abuse online. Both children and adults have grown to believe that bullying is unavoidable, and that it is a part of growing up, and often times kids are too embarrassed to tell anyone because they feel threatened, or that they are not good enough. But none of this is true. No one should ever grow up feeling like they are less important than anyone else, or that they don’t fit in. However, bullying does not only affect children at school, but adults as well. This growing problem can be seen in the workplace, at home, in public, and as previously mentioned, over the Internet. Verbal and emotional attacks that may seem minuscule and foolish can often have a lasting effect on the victim. Stereotypes and cultural differences aside, we are all created equal and that is the bottom line. Our goal is not just to raise awareness about this problem, but also to give hope to those who need it most. We want to make those who have been victimized in the past, present, and even the future, understand that they are loved, and are just as worthy as everyone else.

You ARE something more.

And we want to show you.

-Beautiful Tuesday

I shared my own experiences with bullying in my post A Safe Place. This is one of my many reasons for homeschooling my children, but I know it's not for everyone and that even then, they are not completely immune from this kind of thing. Beautiful Tuesday is hoping to provide a safe place online for people to share their stories . A place where they can stay positive despite their circumstances and find hope in the fact that they are something more than the lies they've been told. That's pretty cool.

Spread the word. Share the site. You are something more.

*He's the drummer. :)

What the Lord Has Done in Me (Women of Faith Reflections Part I)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:31:00 +0000

Let the weak say I am strong/ Let the poor say I am rich/

Let the blind say I can see/ It's what the Lord has done in me

As we sang these words this past Sunday morning, my mind still processing the Women of Faith conference from which I had just returned, I realized this is exactly what the speakers are doing as they travel across the country sharing their stories. The common denominator of every speaker was suffering, and being walked and carried and held through that suffering by God. None of them pretended she (or he) had it all together. None pretended they had figured out life and wrapped God in a nice shiny box to present to the ignorant masses. They were real and broken and grateful for His grace in their lives and they wanted to share this with as many people as would listen. And I've been listening.

For several years I attended the Women of Faith conference in Hartford, and then a couple of years when they moved to Boston. After being away from it for 2 years, I found myself moved to be sitting once again in that arena in Hartford. I couldn't help but remember the years I had come and the places I had walked during those years. I brought my first group to Women of Faith, all shiny and new at the pastor's wife stuff and eager to please. A year or two later I sat and tried to hold in the tears as Sheila Walsh described the many years she wore a mask and pretended everything was fine when it was not anywhere close to fine. Oh, could I relate as I struggled to wear the mask of Christianity too many expected. Then there was the year I sat without a group and with only a friend and my newest baby, weeping tears of sorrow and joy over a nightmare from which we had only begun to awake. There were years of joy as I shared the conference with friends and church family and the mountain tops were in sight and the skies were blue. And then there was that last year, where friends had turned away and the mask seemed appealing once again. And then, my time away from Women of Faith.

Until this past weekend. As I sat and laughed and cried and listened once again to some of my old favorites and discovered some who may very well become new, I realized these were my "older women", my mentors. I became a Christian as an adult and always wanted a mentor but had never found one and so turned my attention to learning to be one instead (I'm still learning!). But I realized this past weekend that these women, although they do not know me personally, have been my mentors over the years. They have encouraged me, they have strengthened me, they have kept me from losing my sanity at times. And they have done this by being real and being transparent and letting me (and others) know that God loves us right we are and He will walk us all the way home until He has tranformed us into who we are meant to be.

We can't do it, our well meaning friend can't do it, the not so well meaning pain in the arse can't do it. It is only through His grace and His love that we are anything at all. He takes the trash of our lives and turns it into treasure.

This is what I have learned over the years at Women of Faith. I'm glad I had the chance to be a part again and I plan to be there next year and hopefully for years to come. This is an important part of my Christian walk and I thank these women (and men) who are not afraid to be real and share their pain and walk this journey with the rest of us. You are my mentors and I'm so glad you have allowed God to use you in this way.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge Days 7-13

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:19:00 +0000

It's been pretty quiet in this corner of cyberspace, as I was away from Thursday through Saturday for the Women of Faith conference in CT. It was an amazing time away and I'll be sharing with you all later (today would be nice but tomorrow's more realistic!). In the meantime, here are last week's Gratitude challenge status'. Again, thanks to Brenda for hosting. It's been good to stop and think each night about that day's blessings and I'd encourage you to join us!

Gratitude Challenge Day 7: Good friends, good times, and good sci-fi. Oh, and fish. ;-)

Gratitude Challenge Day 8: Starbucks and Word Wars and meeting awesome people and hanging out with other awesome people I've already met and plot bunnies and stickers and smack talk and Abney Park Pandora station and blue Tootsie Rolls.

Gratitude Challenge Day 9: Friends who laugh at my dorkiness, 4,695 words written today, B&N didn't kick us out...yet, Shakespeare class video clip, kids who crack me up, caffeine, my son making lunch for his mom just because, and peppermint mocha frappacinos.

Gratitude Challenge Day 10: The great group of teens at our church, laughter, free tickets to Women of Faith, friends, seeing God's hand in your past, freedom, and my husband who encourages my dreams.

Gratitude Challenge #11: overflowing heart, the opportunity to attend the Women of Faith conference, my monkeys, mochas at the funky tea house, my "brother", speakers who are real and aren't afraid to admit it, my church family being a real and imperfect family, His strength in our weakness.

Gratitude Challenge #12: Kids hugs when returning home, house cleaned while away, my own bed, talking my husband's ear off, too much good stuff to process.

Gratitude Challenge Day #13: Sunday naps and eating ice cream in bed with my honey.

I'm Not Okay, You're Not Okay- Apparently That's Okay With You Too!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Awards! Awards! Awards! There was a time when my blog was about more than awards! But hey, awards are shiny. I like shiny.

Remember way back to the original Misfit Awards post, when I shared that they were started due to a group of us grumbling and complaining about our desire to be part of The Homeschool Blog Awards but no one would ever notice our wee little blog presence? All the woe is me stuff was really in good fun and through that conversation we began to realize how cool it is to connect over our own feelings of isolation, of not quite fitting in. So many of us feel that way that when we find someone else who is weird, even if it's different weird than us, it encourages us to feel a little less alone. And so were born The Misfit Awards.

Well, something funny has happened. The Homeschool Blog Awards nominations are in, voting is open, and many of the Misfits have been nominated for these as well! Yours truly included. This should make us laugh at ourselves for a moment and then put big ole' grins on our faces as we realize someone noticed us and took the time to fill out a nomination. Pretty cool.

NotSoSuperwoman has been nominated for two awards. The first is a credit to my blog designer, A Mommy's Blog Design Studio. I picked out my graphic, told her what I did and did not like, and she created something fun and crazy and totally me. Thanks again, April!

The other nomination is for the category I most appreciate; The Best Nitty-Gritty Homeschooler. The description reads like this: "Since we included a category for the Super-Homeschooler… I figured we would add one in for the homeschooler who is brutally honest and open about her mistakes and failures. These are the moms that make you feel better and let you know that it is OK that we aren’t perfect. What would we do without them???"

Yep,I'm glad to know I've encouraged someone that imperfection is okay, we just need to keep striving to be the best of who we are and love on our kids and our family and the world around us. I'm not okay, you're not okay, and that's okay. Through our weakness, His strength is shown. Super Woman ain't got nothing on the one who admits she can't do it on her own.

Anyway, this NotSoSuperwoman is completely behind on life and needs to go write a trillion words and check the dryer to see if she has pants yet (!) and run a thousand errands. If you'd like to vote for me or whomever else you choose, you can find the post HERE.

The Homeschool Misfit Award Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:20:00 +0000

And the winners are...

1. The Wannabe Award- This is for the homeschool parent who wants to be this or that (Classical, Structured, Relaxed, Unschooler, Free Spirit, Sane) but frequently falls short and is not afraid to admit it. "Here's where I want to be, here's where I am, and I'm going to keep on striving."

Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

2. The "Squirrel" Award- "Wait, weren't we supposed to be studying Abraham Lincoln? How'd we end up talking about the chemical properties of Styrofoam?" This is the homeschool blogger who begins her posts on one topic and then takes off in several different directions. ADHD anyone?

Clothesline Musings

3. The Harried Homeschooler Award- "Good thing I don't neglect my kids like I do my blog." or "Who are all these kids and why are they wanting my attention when I'm trying to blog?". This is the blogger who has every intention of blogging regularly, but life just gets in the way sometime. Her family expects regular meals. What's up with that?

Homeschool Circus

4. The Perfect Procrastinator Award- "I really should write that thought provoking piece about world hunger/child discipline/spiritual growth/etc. but I'd rather play on Facebook. Here's a cute puppy photo instead." Some bloggers have turned procrastination into an art form. Quit procrastinating and fill out the nomination form!

Ramblings from the Crazy House

5. The Blabber Blog Award- "MOM, you put THAT photo/story on your blog?" This one's for the blogger who isn't afraid to "embarrass" her family for the sake of blog fodder.

Homedaze

6. Too Busy Blogging Award- The opposite of The Harried Homeschooler, this blogger posts at least once a day, if not more. It's an addiction. Like coffee, only not as tasty.

Confessions of a Homeschooler

7. The Meme Forgotten Award- For those who begin a meme, mentally commit to following through weekly, and then promptly forget or manage it sporadically at best.

Modest Mama

8. The Not Coming Soon Award- Ever write a post informing your readers of all the great upcoming posts you have in mind? Did these posts actually get written? This is the award for the blogger hanging their head sheepishly as they read this description.

My Crazy Life as a {Homeschooler}

9. The Snarky Homeschooler Award- (1.) snarky adj \ˈsnär-kē\- sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner (2.) home·school·er noun \-ˌskü-lər\ - one that homeschools

The Homeschool Chick

10. The Misfit Among Misfits Award- Have you read through the Homeschool Blog Awards and not found a category that fits you, only to come to the Misfit awards and realize you still don't belong? You may just be unique, qualifying you as the Misfit among Misfits!

Little Homeschool on the Prairie

The only winner I have not heard back from is The Perfect Procrastinator. Perhaps she's busy procrastinating?! I'm collecting the prize choices and will be emailing our wonderful sponsors with the information soon. Please show them some love by clicking through and checking out their sites!

Sonlight Schoolhouse Publishing Teach With Games

A Journey Through Learning Joyce Herzog

Purposeful Planning Zeezok Publishing

Faith, Family & Fun Homeschool Horizons Magazine

Winners, feel free to right click and save as on the winners button if you'd like to share it on your site! Not a winner this year but want to share the Misfit love? Feel free to grab the Misfit Button from the sidebar!

Thanks for another fun year!

Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge Days 1-6

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Brenda from Garden of Learning is hosting the November Gratitude Challenge once again. I love the idea of taking the month to focus on your daily blessings but November is a bit too crazy for me to commit to posting something for this meme every day. My compromise is to post daily on my personal Facebook account and then tally them up once a week in a blog post. I actually meant to do this yesterday but...yeah...I accomplished nothing but surfing Ebay and watching TV with my daughter last night. But it's a new day! So here goes nothin':

Gratitude Day 1: Food in the house, kids singing in the living room, hot showers, hope in the midst of sorrow.

Gratitude Challenge Day 2: Prescription headache medicine, purple suede boots rescued from under a pile of clothing, kids who love their Shakespeare class, friends who take the time to teach said Shakespeare class, Ry singing "Live it out, shout it out, show the world what love's about!" at the top of his lungs, and quiche in the oven.

Gratitude Challenge Day 3: Amazingly awesome headphones that pipe music straight into my brain at alarmingly high but clear decibels, days I don't have to get dressed or shower (smelly can be fun), relaxing and staring at the TV with my husband (looking forward to that tonight!), people with similar interests who reach out to encourage you with no agenda of their own (helps temper the cynicism), and striped toe socks.

Gratitude Challenge Day 4: Friday night friends, Wonder Woman Kit Kats, lunch dates with my husband, inside jokes, and auto correct.

Gratitude Challenge Day 5: Dinner with almost all of my family present (we missed Jake and Paloma!), an extra hour to sleep tonight (or to stay up and play), hot apple cider (even if I mixed up the nutmeg and the cinnamon).

Gratitude Challenge Day 6: "Your Grace is Enough".

What are you thankful for today?

NaNowriMo Update Day 5: An Excerpt (Yikes!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:04:00 +0000

A couple of people have asked to see an excerpt from my current NaNo so I thought I would share the same excerpt I have on the site. Con Crit is always welcome (please remember it's a quickly written first draft). My story concerns a woman who decides to reinvent her life and write her memoirs via different genres. Her goal is to rewrite them as happy endings, but that proves more difficult than she imagined as her life is filled with secrets and betrayals and even a possible murder. She begins with her childhood and chooses fantasy as the best way to share difficult memories in a way she can process.

My thought with choosing this for my NaNo story was that it would be fun to write four different genres in one story over the course of thirty days. What it truly is, is a challenge. I started off trying to interweave the contemporary and the fantasy but have decided to write each individual story first and then wind in the main story throughout. I have no idea what I am doing. I am wracked with self doubt daily. But I'm trying to let go of the pressure and just have fun. NaNoWriMo is not just a writing exercise, it's a social exercise. I will enjoy my month of meeting new people with similar interests. And it's an exercise in making a goal and meeting it. Challenge accepted. I will prevail. GRIN.

And now onto the story...

The tree held me close inside its body, branches lowered like arms. From the outside, it appeared to be sheltering me, protecting me. But the truth was much darker. It was my prison, instructed by Millicent to hold me until she returned. If she returned. Sometimes I wondered if she would someday forget about those children she had imprisoned and we would be left to meld with the tree, our spirits combining forever, sentenced to carrying out her wishes for the future children. Prisoners imprisoning.

These are the things I think about as I watch the snow fall, harsh against the barren landscape. These are the thoughts that keep me awake, that keep me from simply melting into the branches and giving up my spirit. I will not be under her control. I will not do the Malevolent’s bidding. I am stronger than that.

At some point my body overtook my mind and I slept. I knew this because when I next opened my eyes, I was no longer alone. Nestled into the back of the hollow was a girl, younger than me, or so she appeared. Her hair was an odd shade of green, with a hint of yellow, like a leaf in spring when it has first reached its potential. It was an odd contrast to my own, the burnt orange of autumn and the last residue against the barrenness of winter. Her eyes were huge on her slight frame, a pale blue of summer skies and smooth seas. No wonder she had attracted Millicent’s wrath. Simply looking at her would be an affront to the winter witch.

“Who are you?” she asked, her belligerent tone in direct contradiction to the tears that had frozen on her face.

“Autumn,” I replied, “and you must be Spring.”

“Summer actually,” she sat up as straight as she could against the back of the tree and stuck her chin out as she spoke, “people always seem to get that confused.”