Six Things
Happy Monday! Does that saying make any sense? I guess it does in the fact that Monday can be thought of as a day of new beginnings and all that. See I’m still working on that optimism thing for the New Year. Go me.
That said, I’ve spent a lot of time not sleeping this weekend. My Gemini mind was racing, racing, racing with all the things I want to do, need to do, have to do. Not to mention the worrying, which goes against what I wanted for the New Year, but that’s going to take a bit more than just wishing to make it so. Grrr… teens!
One of the thoughts that came flipping through my head at about 4 AM is the fact that I hadn’t responded to a meme I was ever to sweetly tagged on by Great Dame back in December. So sorry, Great Dame. I hope to lick this procrastination thing one day. Sigh.
Now this type of Meme I had done before, but being the New Year I decided I can give it a go again. I hope I don’t repeat myself. Sorry if I’m a bore.Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself. (See below)
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (See further below…)
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.Here I go…
1. I was taught Irish literature in high School by Pulitzer Prize winning author Frank McCourt. (1b. I’m a name dropper. I just learned that about myself. Go figure.)He was an amazing teacher and gave me a deeper love of literature and writers that I didn’t have before his class. Thanks Mr. McCourt! (not that he reads this blog) And yes, our desks did look like that in the old school.
2. The same Frank McCourt was responsible for directing me to my job where I then met my DH. Thanks again Mr. McCourt.
3. As a teenager I had a lavender room which was really a converted dining alcove. On one wall was a life sized poster of Prince. On the opposite wall was Debbie Harry.
4. This was my phone. I had it in white and adored it.
5. I’m crazy about sexy historical romances even though I write contemporary (I just can’t imagine doing all that research and getting it right). I just picked up this one: Vanquished by Hope Tarr after she gave a wonderful talk on her writing process at our RWA NYC chapter meeting on Saturday. I can’t wait to dive in.
6. I’m really not a dog person. The whole Jack thing boggles my mind. So please don’t let your dog just jump all over me and I won’t let mine. I know he’s absolutely crazy.
I’m not going to tag anyone because I think this tag has gone around a few times over and I don’t want you all to throw tomatoes at me. Instead I’m going to put out a challenge to any brave souls out there willing to pick it up or any of you just looking for a subject to post on, feel free to tag yourself. Just put a comment here and let me know you’re doing it. I’d love to read a few random facts about you.Have fun!
Best,
KwanaWhy Is She Still Talking?
Fair warning. This post won’t be for everyone, but it’s my blog and hey, well, that’s that. Smooches.
So, why is she still talking and at 7:15 in the morning? I’ll tell you why. To let me know that all is right with the world and there is plenty out there for me to still get pissed off about every day. Yahoo! Life is good.
You see life would not be right with a world full of like minded rational thinkers willing to look at different viewpoints and ideas and still keep a cool head. Not be quick to add labels and place false blame. Come on, “The Exaltation of single-motherhood by the liberal media” What is she talking about? And the constant obnoxious use of our new president’s middle name. So cute huh? You betcha.
But without people like her we’d be woefully out of balance. So I don’t really get too bent out of shape by our prickly, narcissistic, stick figure, Ann here. Oh crap, now I need to smack myself. There I go doing that labeling thing I just looked down on. Sorrrrry. Not. Back to the point. I don’t mind Ann all that much, talking loud, stupid and often. After a while it all has to shine through. You see it’s when folks like her are quiet that I get really nervous.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Best,
KwanaP.S. Scroll down for the the lighter fare of Top Chef.
What Road Are You On?
What’s Jack up to? He’s so funny, playing a crazy game of monkey in the middle that he’s made up where I’m the monkey! See he takes his toy and acts like he wants to bring it to me to play with but then turns at the last moment and runs to my hubby and takes it to him. Then back to me for a reaction. Too cute, Jack.Other than books, dare I say maybe even sometimes more than books, I am often inspired by movies. I’m such a cheap and easy date. Give me a simple dinner and a movie (please don’t ask me to dress up) and I’m happy. Now, I’m not one to over analyze and pick a movie apart, no, I go to lose myself in another world for a while.
That said, I’ve seen a move that I can’t get out of my mind: Revolutionary Road. The whole couple confirming to suburban life thing hit me like a ton of bricks. I don’t know why, maybe it’s my age or the fact that I’ve been living in suburbia for a while now or the fact that I hate to think of myself as a conformist, although probably a good part of me is, if I’m honest enough. Whatever. I don’t know, but, I was hit hard.The fact that it was set in the 1950’s didn’t effect it’s relevance to today’s life to me one bit. It questioned confirming to what’s expected, the traditional roles of a marriage, labeling, fidelity, opposites attracting, living your dreams, so many things.Revolutionary Road had me stepping out on my own porch taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. It will have lots of people thinking hard about the road they are living on? Check it out if you haven’t yet and let me know your thoughts.Best,KwanaFirst Monday
What’s Jack up to? He’s back to looking out the window with an unobstructed view now that the Christmas tree is down. I’m thinking he’s wondering where everyone’s gotten off to since the kids are back to school and we once again can get back to a bit of a routine and have the house back for a few hours of the day. Yay! Oops, I’m sorry was that un-p.c. of me?So
how are you on this first Monday of the New Year?Are you excited about it or does it feel like any other Monday?I feel a certain amount of wide eyed optimism that I guess any hopeless dreamer always has. A full 360 days to tackle my goals of writing, diet, exercise, my home, my family the list goes on and on. But you know what? I’m not going to think about those 360 days left in the year. Way too daunting.
I’m going to take it one day at a time and remember to dream a little each day so I can stay optimistic and not get too bogged down.
How are you going to tackle this First Monday?
Best,Kwanaimage: Pablo Picasso ‘The Dream’
Who Me?
Mel snagged this from someone and now I just swiped it from her.Thanks Mel Francis.I’m not sure if they got me right at all. What writer is all that confidant? And sure I care who reads this blog. The more the merrier. As a matter of fact go and tell three friends about how insightful I am right now so I can be more confident. Thanks.
Your Blogging Type is Confident and Insightful
You’ve got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog.Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights.
A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time.
You blog for yourself – and you don’t care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is!
Best,
KwanaThe Past is Past- Happy New Year 2009!
Happy New Year to all my blog friends. Welcome 2009!
So it’s a new day and a new year. Are you all pooped out? I know I am.
I vowed to myself a while back that I would not make my usual resolutions so that I wouldn’t be disappointed in about a months time. Way too much pressure that I just don’t need. Besides, I already know what I need to do and I talk here so much that you know it too.
So no resolutions for me except to try and be better than I was last year, do my best and stress less. But last Sunday I got to hear a reverend at our church preach that I had never heard before. One thing she said that she lives by, which I’m going to try and adopt (and this will be really hard for me) is this:
“Don’t bring your yesterday into today.”She spoke about attacking each day with new eyes and a new spirit and letting go of the hurts of past and moving forward. Something to think about on this first day of the new year.
Have a wonderful today!
Best,
KwanaTurning the Page
What’s Jack up to? Mr. Jack is a missing the DH after the Christmas Holiday. I’m just not as playful. Sorry Jack. I’ve got to step up my game.If you’re like me, and I suspect a few of you are, you get excited over the opening of a crisp new book. So sweet!So like a fruitcake, I spent a good deal of time on Sunday searching for the perfect new daily planner to help organize these days that seem to always get away from me. I also had way too much trouble finding inserts for my Filofax which I’ve had for years for all the family appointments. See I’m big on writing things down and if it doesn’t make it into that red book, well, we don’t make it where we need to be. Organizing a family is not easy. Can I get an amen?
One of my Christmas gifts this year was a new Blackberry which should arrive any day. The DH feels this should answer all my organizing needs. Now I love him dearly, but he should know by now that you can never pry the pen from a writer’s hand.Are you ringing in the New Year by turning a new page? I sure am. Think of all the wonderful possibilities of a clean slate. That first moment of infinite ability.Best,KwanaLimbo
Are you all still on holiday or is it back to the grind for most of you? Right now for me it’s that strange limbo week between Christmas and New Years where the kids are out of school, but my DH is working so it’s not really a holiday anymore, but not quite routine and I’m busy, busy, busy.This week for me is also the week of reflections where I’ll look back on 2008 and will say a happy sayonara to it. Also it’s the week where I start to look forward to 2009 with a bit of fear (must work on that. I think it’s the artist way) and lots of hopefulness for better days ahead.
This image came up when I did a search at the MET using the keyword ‘limbo’ It’s by van Gogh and I had never seen it before. Don’t ask me where it’s hanging or even if it is. I’ve been to The Met more times than I can count in my life as it’s probably my favorite place in New York since I was a child, but I’ve never seen this. It’s instant love and now I’m dying to see it in real life.
Wanting to get a jump on the January 1 rush, I was up the morning after Christmas and off to Weight Watchers to get back on track with that. Go me! So far I had not fully embraced the new program (old one either) and the Monday meetings were just not working out. Too much weekend downfall and the singing, well, that’s another story. So I went back to Friday and had a few minutes of one on one time with the leader for a better understanding of the new program.
Yay Me! Yay you too!
Happy Monday.
Best,
KwanaImage: Artist Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890)Title : The Potato Peeler Date 1885
Shoe In
What’s Jack up to? Right now he’s cozy under my bed and breathing pretty deep. I suspect he’s snoring. Jack you are so not sleeping under there. You have you own bed. Sorry dude.
So I just can’t get the whole crazy shoe incident with the president out of my mind and it seems that others can’t either. Who knew he had such cat like reflexes? Kudos. I’d have been clocked in the noggin with the first one.
Well it seems that this has started an irate shoe trend. True story: here in New York a man very upset over budget cuts and fare hikes came into an MTA transit meeting to throw a shoe at the MTA head yelling, “This shoe’s for you!” Seriously.
Is this the beginning of a whole new form of protest?
Hey it’s better than heavy artillery, unless you pull out all the stops, say a Manolo Blahnik or a Christian Louboutin. Now that could prove deadly.
Gorgeous, but deadly.
image thanks to saksScroll down for TOP CHEF talk.
Best,
KwanaBack to The Future
What’s Jack up to? Jack has been such a trouble maker. Sneaking up on the table and eating the DH’s pork ‘n beans right out of his bowl when the DH’s back was turned. Jack you little devil! Ugh!
This post here from my writer/blogger bud YA author, Melissa Walker made me happy. It seems this is a New York Times kind of week, but th
is article where Melissa was featured for her record collection brought a smile to my face because it took me back to a more innocent time. Check out the full article here.Vinyl, roller disco, that faint scratchy sound and the love of the hunt how fun.
I love the idea that record sales are actually up in these dark days. I’m so glad the DH still had his albums in the basement. I’m ready to dust them off and am envisioning a party room red
o. It’s nice to think of lazy Saturday afternoons searching for the perfect album. Something the dear twins have never done. I’m glad the idea is not dead.What albums would you search for?
Best,
KwanaPS. Scroll down for TOP CHEF
