A page out of my life…

Something comical happened today at the Piggly Wiggly.  My daughter and I pushed our loaded our carts, and stood in  separate check-out lines. Usually, because the Pig is so small-town and friendly, they help you out with your groceries.  It was an odd hour, and not our usual shopping time.  So, I wasn’t surprised not being asked if I wanted help. I didn’t recognize the sacker, and he was chatting with the guy behind me. No big deal, I usually do it myself anyway. Hey, excercise is good right?

So my granddaughter and I swing the cart out to my jeep. A glance over my shoulder ,and I could see my daughter winding up with hers in the next aisle.  I let her know baby girl was with me, and off we went.

It’s hot in TN now, real hot today. I’m sweating bullets and little one is climbing over the seat and getting her youth seat to put in her mama’s jeep. I glance up, and the sun’s in my eyes. Did I mention the sweat? Well, guess what? Baby girl has two sackers following her out like puppies. At first, I thought one of those boys had reconsidered and come to my rescue.

Ah, that’d be a no. My daughter and grandson are standing to the side as sacker 1 and 2 are hefting those bags like they were as light as cotton balls.  I’m swinging my bags like they weighed a ton, cause they did. Catching my daughter’s eye, I started to giggle, then turned to muffle the rest. She walked over, and we both started to giggle. I whispered, “What perfume are you wearing today?” and we laughed some more. Of course, my baby girls are cutie pies!

Laughter is great, and we do it a lot in my famly. Down the road one day, I know I’ll unwrap all my memories and laughter, and hold them close like a warm blanket. And with grandchildren in the mix, I love sharing the magic with them as well. 

Watching my daughter today, and seeing the little one with a big purple sucker ring on her finger, and a grape smear around her mouth, I had a flashback of my girls and our grocery shopping days. I always had sackers, but not sure I ever had the double-sacker deal. It’s like getting two cherries on top when you order a sundae!

“If you’re lucky enough to be different from everybody else, don’t change.”

~Taylor Swift~

I read this quote in a magazine yesterday at my hairdressers, and I love it!  I jotted it down in my trusty notebook, and knew it’d be a blog.  I don’t know about you, but when it comes to people, movies, and books I look for those differences.  Heck, I embrace them! 

It’s great fun seeing that in children too.  Growing up, my daughters went through various stages of dress and hair-styles that suited their moments.  And they had opposite tastes in both, I might add.   And my granddaughters might answer the door wearing yellow, rubber boots and shorts, or a tutu with beads. 

I believe this applies to our work as well.  When I hear a friend tell me a certain book is unique, that’s the one I want to read. So, this got me thinking about bookcovers and people.  (A clumsy segue never hurt anyone)   If you could be a bookcover, what would your cover look like?  

Today, mine would be a beach scene, with a little dock stretched out.  A pair of flip-flops, and a straw hat would be laying at the end of it.   Flip-flops, straw hat, cool water, and beach;  sounds great about now.   

I’ve been thinking about my writing environment lately.  I really need to clear my office.  I have stacks of “stuff.”  It’s like paper procreated in there while I slept.  Sometimes I think I need to get over this dependency on paper.  My editor and I work through cyber-space.  But, I need hardcopy to work from at some point.  And I don’t really see that changing, because I work that way for flow.  I write from my laptop, and that’s fine.  But, before I submit anything, I need to do the hardcopy process.  The key, I think, is to shred the stack of papers when the process is finished.  I’m behind on that, I think…hence the paper jungle. 

Another biggie I discovered is background noise.  I used to turn the T.V. on while making coffee.  The news would drift up to my office throughout the day, and I never noticed how bad that was until I stopped doing it.  I have an Ipod I listen to most of the time, and I have ocean sounds from a really cool beach scene my girls got me, that’s hanging on my wall facing my desk.  That’s all the background noise I need to create in my writer space. 

I love candles too, and light those when I want.  A few pics of my loved ones on my desk and walls, and “gifts” my grandkiddies made surround me.  I guess that’s the key, surround ourselves with whatever inspires us, and motivates on a deep level.  I’ve taken a Feng Shui class in the past, and believe it’s valuable.  There’s definitely something to the energy flow in a room.  And I do move around a lot with my laptop.  A change of scenery is good sometimes I think.

On a note, I think my paper clog needs to go! 

What discoveries have you made about your surroundings? 

Yesterday I was wiped out with a sinus headache.  So, I pulled out an oldie and watched The Thorn Birds.  For those that haven’t seen it, this classic was written by Colleen McCullough.  She’s a fabulous writer! This move also won 6 Emmy Awards.

Having not seen it for years, I was able to look at it objectively. Why were these characters so memorable? My number one discovery was passion, pure and simple.  These two characters Meggie Cleary, and Father Ralph de Briccasart were destined. You could feel the passion between them; a look, a moment away from prying eyes, a simple touch.

Their path to one other was challenging.  How more difficult could it be than a woman in love with a priest?  Or a priest in love with a woman?

The secondary characters were full, and broadened the canvas in a very special way. I identified with them, and “knew” them as ordinary people doing amazing things within the family unit.

The ingredients Colleen mixed into her storyline were betrayal, lust, honor, rejection, acceptance, and too many others to count.  I loved the scope of her story, and the fact I cheered them all on. I cared about their problems, and their lives.

You can’t go wrong when a reader or, in this case, a viewer is drawn into a story and kept there.  I love those moments as a reader, movie fan, and writer.  That’s my hope whenever I start a story.  Memorable is what it’s all about.  The words on the DVD box are: Love, unattainable, forbidden, and forever.  I’d say that spells great entertainment.

What characters, or story have made a memorable impression with you? 

Hey all!  I’ve been tagged by my friend, Cynthia Eden.  And I must say, this is really a fun one.  Since I’m reading Cindy’s book now, HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT, I’m using it.  I just started it recently, so this will be a future peek for me.   

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you’ve posted your three sentences

Hotter after midnight

If she felt the taint of darkness or power that was too uncontrolled, she gave a nice, polite speech about how she wasn’t taking any new clients right then.

“Vanessa told Brooks that Michelle never arrived for her appointment.”

And he thought Michelle and Gillian were one and the same. “Why would she use an alias? I mean, I wouldn’t know her either way.”

Since many of my gal pals got in on those first few tags, I’m sending a blanket invitation.  Anyone who’d like to participate, keep me posted and I’d love to read your blog!