Wordless Wednesday – Puppies Brighten Up My Day

My Cane Corso Puppy Xeno

What is Your Central Theme?

I just spent a LOVELY afternoon with people that I have known my entire life; whom I consider family. Which got me to thinking about how the family structure can be such a peculiar dynamic. My grandparents would consider family to be those that we share a DNA bond. Nowadays family has such a different meaning. For me, I consider family to be those that I love and trust; people who have been significant in my life regardless of the fact that we don’t have any relation or share a genetic code. I also I find myself spending a lot of time working with the topic of family within my writing.

I’m currently working on revising a short story that I have been working on for quite sometime. I really need to move forward and send the thing out to a few literary journals for publication – but that would take another blog post to discuss the issue about publication. At any rate, the main focus of the piece involves a woman who is trying to work through her own purpose and identity. The narrator of the story is a seven year old girl. I’m not sure why I went with having the story told from this perspective but I like having the naïve narrator demonstrate a silent strength that we – as adults forget we possess.

I’ve also used vernacular as a central component of the character. It’s taken me a while to begin to understand my central theme as a writer and I think I’ve found it; family, vernacular, and identity. This is really starting to sound much like my own personal life. But I guess as a writer – we all write from our personal experiences one time or another.

How have you worked to find your voice as a writer? What is your central theme as a writer?

Kitchen Makeover – Part II

I’m back – Sorry it’s taken so long to post. No I didn’t get buried in the rubble but it certainly felt like it, with the Memorial Day Holiday and the kitchen makeover I was completely wiped out.

The kitchen makeover is coming along pretty good.  As I predicted, I embarked on major a project that would take more than four days.

We are almost there, the cabinet doors are being affixed as I write this post and we should have the new light fixtures by the end of the week.

I have some before and after pictures, I will post them very soon.

 

 

Cluttered Heart

Today’s prompt for The Red Dress Club was to write about sloth or one of the seven deadly sins.  This piece is about forgiveness, something we all struggle with.

I think my heart is cluttered.

My health is great. My mental stability is just fine. HA- I’m sure hubby would tell a different story during my ratchet time of the month.

I’ve taken a path in my life that I’m very comfortable with – honestly no regrets.  I have discovered a comfortable level of peace and understanding in my life.

But something just doesn’t seem right….

I’m sure I’ve told all the people that are important to me how much I appreciate them.  Anyone who knows me – knows I speak from my heart, KEEPING IT REAL along the way; the good and the bad.

So my heart can’t be cluttered from that…..

Are there things I need to get off my chest to a few people that have pissed me off along the way?  Naw, cause I’m certain I took care of that awhile ago.

I’m stumped and not sure what could be causing this uneasiness I’ve been feeling lately.

I’ll admit.  I have a mean-streak and I don’t forgive that easy.  In fact, I don’t forgive at all.  Especially, when I have accepted and overlooked lots of pain and rejection from people.  I just compartmentalize the issue and move on.

But maybe, just maybe forgiving would help to release the small compartment that is now the size of a storage unit.

I’m not entirely convinced and I’m a little skeptical about the process because quite frankly, I’m still pissed at the betrayal.  I won’t get into the specifics, you know who you are.

Possibly it’s why my heart feels cluttered.

I probably need to let it go – be free of the bullshit. But I’m not so sure about this approach.  Sometimes, I like being angry and pissed off it helps me get through the pain. Also, some people just don’t deserve to be forgiven – plain and simple.

This is gonna take some time.  I need advice.

Tell me.  Why and how do you forgive?

A Precious Moment

It was on this day 19 years ago that I made the commitment to love, honor and treasure my husband forever.

Like all things in life, time really zooms by fast. However, today is important and I want to savor the moment; take time to celebrate, appreciate and acknowledge what my marriage has meant to me.

I’ve been writing poetry lately.  Here’s one I’ve been working on for awhile

I was young, perhaps naïve for 18,

our souls were connected

love says everything

explains everything.

 

Through the years, our lives evolved,

marriage vows tested 

vulnerabilities exposed.

 

Strength and courage

conquered conflict and challenge

devotion helped

realize hope was not gone.

 

Often it goes unspoken 

how do I explain?

 

Our love is sweet and tender

a window to my soul

lyrics to my heart-song.

 

Real love happens

evolves and grows

becomes a passionate destiny

magical and real.

 

Happy Anniversary

When it Rains IT Pours

This title is cliché.  But I have bad luck.  Not just some of the time, but seriously – damn near all the time.  So in my world it’s raining – issue after issue.

Do you wanna hear why my luck is so bad today? 

It’s because BOTH my stove and refrigerator are on the fritz and need to be replaced immediately.  This is ridiculous.  I expected a little more life expectancy from them.  Six years is too young to be tossed out to some landfill site.

Last night, I figured something was wrong. I went to grab the bottle of apple juice from the fridge and the temperature was a little lukewarm.  I don’t mind lukewarm beverages especially when I’m thirsty.  But I didn’t figure it to be a temperature/mechanical problem because with the kids it’s hard to determine if the temperature is really the problem or if the kids just stand and stare, at the sometimes bare contents, in the fridge with the door open.

As for the stove, I went to preheat the oven this morning to make some cinnamon rolls for my daughter’s breakfast and it didn’t heat up properly; so much for a quick breakfast this morning. No, I don’t make cinnamon rolls from scratch – in fact I buy then pre-made from Pillsbury.  Don’t judge me.  Hell, I work an intense full-time job.  I ain’t got time for all of that. I’m just happy to be able to give her something to eat in the morning.

I’m pissed about it all. I, with hubby in tow, will be heading out this weekend to make an unplanned, yet timely purchase of appliances.  I’m not so sure if we should get brand new or used.  I was thinking of going to an appliance outlet to see what we might be able to get that is slightly used, scratch and dent.

What are your suggestions?  What brand of appliance works best with a lifecycle more than 3 years? Do you recommend used appliances?

London Bridges Are Falling Down

Well, not literally.  However, the ruckus surrounding the royal wedding was enough to make the entire world crumble to pieces. But I understand the reason for the hoopla; the royal wedding was a real-life fairy tale.

I didn’t watch the ceremony, but after hearing all the media outlets brag about the wedding gown, I just had to steal a glimpse. 

It was beautiful and regal.  The bride was glowing with pride and excitement. 

…and speaking of excitement. 

Last week, I surprised my daughter with a trip to London.  Next year she will be traveling with the theater department at her high school.  My daughter has a love of the arts and traveling abroad; although she hasn’t done any traveling aboard just yet.

England is a wonderful country and I’m glad that I’m able to make her dream a reality.

I’ve never been toEngland, but it will be in the plan for the near future as I’m sure my daughter will want to return after her next stop in Paris, France.

I Wish

The weather in Wisconsin is downright shitty – what happen to spring?  It’s May.  I’m sick of the rain and the dismal sun peaking out every few days.  It’s during this time that I feel rather melancholy and start to think about all the things I wish for.  Here are a few of my wishes. The list is not ranked by any particular order of importance. 

I wish – I had the courage to send my short story Amber Reflections off to a few literary journals for publication.

I wish – I could turn back the clock so that I could say one last goodbye to my Dad and Aunt Jean.  I miss them terribly.

I wish – My Cane Corso puppy would stop eating bark from the tree in our backyard.  The results are repulsive.

I wish – I had time to shop at the local gluten-free store – Gluten-Free Trading Company.

I wish – My mother was healthier; as she gets older I get worried.  I love my mom. Can’t imagine life without her.

I wish – I could eat some freaking bread (I’m really craving carbs !!).

Here’s to a better tomorrow!

 

 

Reality Television

I love reading but since reality television has taken over nearly every channel, I‘ve traded in the book for the remote control.   Although entertaining as hell, watching reality television everyday can’t be good for my intellect.

I need a change.  So I decided it was time to delete all of the reality television shows from my DVR in an effort to reconnect with my love of literature.

My goal will be to read five books a month for a total of 60 books in 2011.  It will be a challenge. The Housewives of New Jersey, Atlanta, Washington DC and Beverly Hill shave been my girlfriends for years. I know that I will have withdrawal, but my couch potato status needs to change for a lot of reasons.

Want to keep track of my progress? Watch for updates, I’ll be keep track of the books I’ve completed so far.

I’m also open for suggestions. Do you have a favorite book that you think I should read this year? Leave the title and author in the comment section below.

Books I’ve read so far this year:

Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison

Dessa Rose – Sherley A. Williams

Creating Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work – Edwige Danticat

A MemoryPalace– Mira Bartok

Little Bee – Chris Cleave

A Mercy – Toni Morrison

CurrentlyReading:

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention – Manning Marable

Privacy, Discretion or Someplace in the Middle

I’m so excited I can hardly keep myself together; I’m unraveling with stimulation.

I’m officially a member of the blogosphere.

During the early stages of developing this blog, I spent numerous hours on the layout and design but I didn’t give much thought to the content aspect.  Obviously from the title, I wanted the blog to be personal, even intimate at times. All about me. But the best things about me are my family. 

Despite the thrill to reveal myself to the world I have to be thoughtful about my family and their privacy.

I have one fantastical hubby and two wonderful babies ages 15 and 19 (seriously, regardless of what you’ve heard from others, I have the best kids in the world – God has definitely blessed me).  It would be difficult not to mention them in posts or show photos. However, it is important to keep my family as private as possible. I also don’t want to be called out for sharing too much like some of the more popular bloggers.

So, out of respect for them, I have made an oath. I promise not to reveal their names or likeness without their verbal blessing. In this blog I will use anonymous terms like hubby, son, daughter, mother, etc. to protect their identity.  I also will not disclose their employers, schools or any other obvious identifiers.  It might be a bit much, but I want to be sensitive to their thoughts and feelings around the issue of privacy.

As for my dogs…..well, I’m sure they won’t mind being in the spotlight once in a while.