Writing My Life

Now and Then


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… they call me Amelia for a reason …

I’m not talking “Amelia Bedelia” here – although I own a few characteristics of that fictional character, but I’m thinking of Amelia Earheart, the avitrix who disappeared some 80+ years ago over the Pacific. Why? Because it’s true. I have NO sense of direction. None whatsoever. Of course that does not stop me from giving people MISdirections or from striking off on my own. But today was the worst: I couldn’t even find my way out of my hotel.

My colleague, a walking GPS kind of person, decided to go to the LDS temple here in Boston. It’s not that I am not as devout as Carolyn – which happens to be true, I’m not – it’s just that I am visiting this great city for the first time in my life. And while I enjoy temple worship,  I can do that back in Utah.

Soooooooooo Carolyn and another colleague from another district headed off in one direction while I buddied up with still another colleague from a neighboring district. Since my hotel was closer, we decided to dump our junk in my room on the 29th floor and head out to Boston Commons. BUT when we got to my room, the key card failed to open the door.

“Oh NO,” we exclaimed. “The key must have been de-magnetized!” My friend – at least I hope she is still my friend – volunteered to wait at the door with our tonz o’ stuff while I returned to the desk to get a new key. When I returned to the 29th floor, NO ONE was there. Not my friend, not my bags of educational materials, not my purse that housed my phone and my computer. GONE. VANISHED. DISAPPEARED.

For 45 minutes I searched and wondered where in the heck she could have gone? Did she go down to Carolyn’s room? No, I checked but found no one there. I even called her name as I searched the hallway. Did she pass out and then taken to  first aid station by the housekeeping team? No. Did she return to the lobby? I went up and down that elevator several times to see, but to no avail. Did she find her way back to my room? No, again I returned to the room to double check and finally left a note telling her I’d be in the lobby near the computers.

Back in the lobby, I tried to get on the Internet at the computer station, thinking I could email her. (She can access her account on her phone.) At that point, I was seriously thinking about the alien abduction theory. In fact, I thought of every conceivable idea EXCEPT for the most logical one: I left the poor woman ON THE WRONG FLOOR.

We originally stepped off the elevator at the 15th floor on our way to the 29th floor because the doors opened. No one was waiting there to jump on, and I didn’t notice the light momentarily flash to indicate what floor we were on. I didn’t notice the room number on the plaque NEXT to the door said 1563. I didn’t even THINK that perhaps my key didn’t work because I WAS ON THE WRONG FLOOR.

My loyal friend had waited and waited and waited until exhaustion overcame her and she lugged ALL the books and bags down to the lobby where she begged a clerk to confirm my room number, which he would not. Instead he called my room and handed the phone to her. Because I was in the lobby at the time of the call, I did not receive it.

At that point, our paths finally crossed. She was exasperated as well as exhausted, and I can’t blame her. “Amelia” couldn’t even get us out of the hotel. My frustrated friend said good bye and headed for the safety of friends who know where they are staying and how to get in and out of hotel rooms.

After that MISadventure, I wandered the streets of Boston looking for Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. I eventually found it – in the dark. The ballpark’s exterior was great. Sigh.




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… hello from BeanTown / TeaTown …

Have you guessed where I might be? Yes, here I am in one of our nation’s cradle communities: BOSTON! This is my very first visit here, and I am in LOVE. Thus far, it is measuring up to EVERY expectation.

If you are asking “Why is Renae in Boston?” I’ll explain. In addition to my work with Secondary Literacy, I have been assigned to assist in our district’s dual immersion program. Since je parle un peu francais, I feel terribly inadequate in supervising teachers who speak Spanish and Chinese – or ANY language other than English.

Fortunately a state grant paid my way to a national convention that is helping me understand my new role, AND that convention just happened to be HERE! YaY!!!

The minute the last daily session ended, my colleague Carolyn and I jetted out the door, slippped into our walking shoes, and started exploring. Tuesday we wandered over to Newberry Street to ogle over the brownstones lining both sides of the avenue. The evening was almost balmy, and I carried my coat as much as I wore it. We ducked into a little Italian sandwich shop for a light and YUMMY dinner: bruschetta and a honey pear salad with prosciutto (Italian for ham). DeLiCiOsO!

Harvard Yard - Home to GOOD WILL HUNTING

Wednesday afternoon, we jumped on a bus and headed to Cambridge – home to Harvard U. Because the sun sets just after 4:00 P.M., we wandered about the campus at dusk. It was amazing, but I have to say I felt OLDER, POORER, and DUMMER just being there. Lots of Ivy-League looking students of EVERY nationality roamed the sidewalks that linked the red-brick buildings.

I made one interesting connection to my past Titanic fetish when we entered Widener Library. The magnificent building was created and named in honor of Henry Elkins Widener who died in the sinking of the doomed ship.

Next Carolyn and I went in search of the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s NIECE. “Why??” you ask. Well, that house used to be the home for the president of the Boston Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who just happened to be Carolyn’s grandfather.

In the early darkness of the evening, we found 15 Hawthorne Street. Now empty, the stately home still stood as a proud sentinel. We managed to get some good pictures thanks to the mighty flash on my CoolPix camera!

We couldn’t leave without crossing over to Brattle Street to wander about Henry’s estate – Henry as in Wadsworth Longfellow as in “Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere … .”

Summer View: Picture from Flickr

Prior to the poet’s acquistion of the home, it serve as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War. If you have read David McCullough’s 1776, you might remember that Washington and Henry Knox outmaneuvered the British during the Siege of Boston, thus forcing the British general Howe to evacuate the city.  So cool to explore history this way!

Carolyn and I walked the grounds and even though late autumn had claimed  bushes and flowers, we saw a skeletal beauty that helped us appreciate the charm of the estate. The wide veranda had been freshly painted and the high white sheen lit our way around the mansion.

As we said goodbye, Carolyn spotted an old-fashioned key hanging from a bush’s branch at the front corner of the house. We wished it was a “magic key” that would not only open doors to the mansion but also to the past. How fantastic it would be to eavesdrop on Washington’s war plans or Longfellow’s parlour conversations!

Our great evening ended with another tasty dinner at a Cambridge market. We chose our fare from fresh dishes from the around the world and then headed back to our comfy quarters. SuperTimes!


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How about MiNoWriMo???

Writing every day, however, does more than simply instill the discipline to write at will, rather than just when inspiration strikes.  ~ Dana Mitchell

I know, I know, I know!!! The last time I posted – which was awhile ago – I committed to plunge into NaNoWriMo, but common sense intervened. I realize EVERYONE is busy, and MANY busy peeps still find the time to write 16,000+ words a day, but I HAVE to be realistic. I AM busy, but I am NOT organized. I am committed to writing, but I am NOT insane.

Yes, dear readers, I hear you mocking my commitment and will view my statements as pathetic excuses, but excuses or not, I cannot ignore the fact that writing 1600+ words a day on a novel might just …

  • cost me my job – which I still need for 3 more years or more until I retire;
  • strain my marriage – G.E. already thinks my computer is another of my appendages, and although he supports my talents, he also likes to spend time with me every once in awhile;
  • frustrate my 10 grandchildren who like to hang out with GrammaNae as often as possible – which has not been as frequent as it used to be;
  • disappoint my 85-year-old mother – who looks so forward to daily phone calls and at least 3 visits a week;
  • ruin my trip to Boston in mid-November – it’s my first time to that historical city, and I’m danged excited, even if I am going there for work;
  • hamper my Church calling – which is kind of a big one, but hey how else do I show gratitude for more blessings than I deserve?;
  • stress Soledad, my Chilean neighbor, who needs tutoring to help her wade through a community college writing class;
  • push me over the edge – it only took a straw to break the proverbial camel’s back, you know.

BUT I have looked forward for to the craziness of NaNoWriMo, realizing the benefits that may come of it. I recently read a blog – can’t remember whose – that claimed the hostess was ready to send off last year’s NaNo book to an agent. And I thought, “that COULD be me!” But when my blogger friend, Catherine Winn, over at The Writing Room, shared a comment on my last post, I took pause! (I know that’s a cliché, but I think it’s rather a classy one.)

Catherine wrote that when she participated in NaNo last year, she ended up with C.R.A.P. (She didn’t really say it exactly like that, but I read between the lines.) So this year she is still diving in, but she does NOT plan on winning – I think winning means you finish the 50,000-word goal. I like that idea – enter to enjoy the fervor of the event but lower your expectations.

MiNoWriMo: a sane approach to November Writing

I decided to go just a little further and create my own November contest MiNoWriMo – sadly, someone else came up with the “word-crunch” or whatever it’s called when writers cram together parts of words to come up with a new word. While I can find the word in a search, I CANNOT find an explanation or definition of MiNoWriMo. Any ideas?

Anyway, here is my version of a MiNoWriMo: I plan to write a Mini-Novel, hence Mini-Novel-Writing-Month. I’m cutting the goal in half to 25,000, and adding the challenge of writing EVERY day. I’m even going to create a MiNoWriMo badge of some sort – in a day or two.

ARE YOU WITH ME???

All 2 or 3 of you readers?


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… celebrating fall in farm country …

On the most perfect of autumn days, with temps in the low 70s, GrammaNae took her little brood of grandchillins to historic Wheeler farm. Assisted by daughter-in-law Kara and grown-up grand daughter Taylor, the 8 of us wound our way through a mini-maze, visited the “Pumpkin Pie” – as Connor called the Patch, checked out the animals, toured the farm on a hay wagon, climbed trees AND rode horses.

Picking out the BIGGEST pumpkin took some time, and I don’t think there was ONE gourd that wasn’t scrutinized, picked up, and THROWN back down. (I feared we’d be expelled from the “PiePatch,” but miraculously, NOT one splattered!)

To see the great fun we had that day, check out this super slide show! What BLAST!

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… 85 reasons we love Rebecca by her daughters …

Rebecca H. Barrett was born in Arimo, Idaho 85 years ago today. She is a darling, fun, delightful, supporting, rascal of a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her family loves her VERY much, and here are 85 reasons why her daughters adore her! (We could have kept going & going & going!)

Our mom …

  1. LOVES our Daddy who loves her from heaven!
  2. was Daddy’s loving and loyal care-giver for so long.
  3. loves & adores her Nae!
  4. loves & adores her ConnieB.
  5. loves & appreciates her sons-in-law.
  6. gets a kick out of her 7 crazy grandsons.
  7. is thankful for 2 beautiful grand-daughters.
  8. thinks her 22.8 GREAT grand-children are AMAZING.
  9. never thought herself as poor even though she was raised during the depths of the Great Depression.
  10. survived the teasing of 6 older brothers.
  11. still loved those rascals in spite of their shenanigans!
  12. is SPUNKY – always was!
  13. did NOT marry her high school boyfriend, but married Henry Dale Barrett.
  14. knew a good thing when she saw HIM.
  15. dressed her 2  little girls alike.
  16. dressed her little girls in the cutest of clothes.
  17. stayed up through the night to sew dresses for her girls’ special occasions.
  18. puts on her make-up first thing in the morning, EVERY morning!
  19. is NOT afraid of hard work.
  20. would NEVER  let us lie about our ages to get into movies cheaper.
  21. is NOT afraid to “tell it like it is.”
  22. will say “I’m sorry” if she is wrong.
  23. is forgiving of those who wronged her or those she loves.
  24. is a wonderful confidante.
  25. is eager to LAUGH.
  26. would NOT let her grandsons beat her at golf!
  27. can perform household repairs as good as most men.
  28. was as cute as ANY World War II pin-up!
  29. could really “cut a rug” at the USO club – even that time she got leg make-up all over a sailor’s whites!
  30. taught us the words to lots of fun old songs as we traveled on our  wonderful vacations.
  31. and Daddy took us to Disneyland the FIRST year it opened!
  32. took us clear to Idaho Falls to shop for school clothes!
  33. took us clear to Salt Lake City to shop for school clothes.
  34. tried to teach us manners by taking us out to nice restaurants.
  35. introduced us to Chinese food at the Shanghai Restaurant.
  36. introduced us to smorgasbords at the Colonial Inn in Blackfoot, ID.
  37. introduced us to “fancy-schmanzy” food at the Bannock Hotel dining room.
  38. made sure we got our polio shots at the Green Triangle.
  39. carefully managed the household budget so she could spoil her daughters.
  40. bailed Daddy out of jail when he failed to pay a dozen parking tickets.
  41. searched for and rescued Daddy when he got lost during his one AND only deer hunting expedition (and that was long BEFORE cell phones!)
  42. is a faithful friend.
  43. nursed us through the Asiatic flu.
  44. could copy the cutest and most expensive dresses AND coats for her girls and sew them herself.
  45. has always been a talented home-decorator.
  46. created enchanting Christmas trees that looked like those featured in Better Homes & Gardens.
  47. made sure Santa brought us MORE than we asked for or thought we deserved.
  48. thought of such original Christmas gifts like cute ice skating outfits!
  49. cheered for our successes.
  50. cried with us when our hearts broke.
  51. always gave us adorable “shortie” pajamas for our May and June birthdays.
  52. created wonderful birthday parties for us even when she nearly amputated her finger once.
  53. made Nae’s favorite angel food cake with orange frosting for her birthday.
  54. let us grow up, but …
  55. wouldn’t let us date until high school – except that time in 6th grade when she drove Billy Grimes and me to the Chief theater and back; and that other time when she let Connie go on a date at age 13!!!
  56. trusted us even when Nae gave her reasons NOT to.
  57. fixed the BEST holiday dinners, except for that time we went to the Yellowstone Hotel for Christmas dinner.
  58. hated to see her little girls grow up and go away.
  59. traveled 100s of miles 100s of times to be with us when we had our babies and to be with our growing families.
  60. helped our families more than once when times were tough.
  61. taught us the importance of education.
  62. sent us to college even though she nor Daddy were college educated.
  63. supported us when we dropped out of BYU to marry our sweethearts.
  64. CELEBRATED when we went back to college and graduated 20 years later.
  65. tells us a million or more times how proud of us she AND Daddy are.
  66. can’t get over the fact that her squeamish Connie became an incredible nurse.
  67. still loves Nae even though she is ALWAYS late.
  68. didn’t get too mad when we borrowed her things without asking, even though a teacher had to cut a yellow scarf off Nae’s neck before she choked to death.
  69. defended us to the death if we were innocent.
  70. was furious when ConnieB was FALSELY accused of shoplifting, but sent Daddy to confront the store manager!
  71. let 16-year-old Renae defend herself in traffic court when she swore she did not cause a car accident.
  72. surrendered us to the authorities (usually teachers) if we were in the wrong!
  73. followed through with her threats.
  74. wasn’t afraid to spank us when Dad wouldn’t – which was always.
  75. hated being the disciplinarian, but did what she had to do.
  76. wouldn’t let us get away with back-talk.
  77. made sure we went to church.
  78. is ALWAYS there when we need her, no matter what the need is.
  79. isn’t afraid to change no matter her age!
  80. helped pay for 7 missionary grandsons.
  81. remembers the important things in life.
  82. forgets the unimportant mishaps of life.
  83. lives for lots of hugs and kisses.
  84. overcame some HUGE challenges, including depression and losing Daddy
  85. is the PERFECT mom for Renae & Connie!



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Jumping off the NaNoWriMo cliff.

Deadlines are powerful things. With only a month to write your novel, you’ve got to get 1,667 words written per day.  There’s no time for an inner-editor, you’ve just got to write, write, and write some more. This is the perfect chance to throw up words.  It’s fun.

~ Melissa Douglas

 

No turning back!

 

I’m standing atop a cliff, looking at the bottomless abyss that makes my stomach turn inside-out and my brain gasp for air. The last time I felt like this was October 2007 when I had two weeks to write three MAJOR research compositions for my comprehensive exam to earn my M.Ed. in literacy.

Why has this nauseating feeling of fear and trepidation returned? Because I have committed myself to jumping into the NaNoWriMo frenzy. This is SO creeping me out, but I know I decided a LONG time ago to do it – as in a year ago after I participated in NaBloPoMo.

Posting a blog every day was an exhilarating experience but NO WHERE as challenging as writing a novel in a month. After I pledged myself to the effort AND registered, I realized the obstacles I would have to overcome to make it to 50,000 words: a week-long trip to a conference in Boston AND Thanksgiving AND Mom’s 85th birthday party! Yikes! And I’m not even counting family, church, and work obligations! WHAT AM I DOING?

My first thought was to BAG IT, but then I decided to read up on WriMo tips, start thinking of ideas, and just dive off or in or under and start swimming. I won’t cheat and work on my WIP, but I’m contemplating writing to prequel novel to the one I’ve started.

As I’ve pondered, I’ve wondered: Can I do anything historical without the temptation of stopping to do research? Can I play around with formats without delving into various novels to check out various and unique layouts? Will I be FORCED to write about something I know?

I guess we’ll find out.

I HAVE to DO this because I need to KNOW I can start and finish a novel. I know it’ll be C.R.A.P., but it needs to be done. Right? And if there is anything redeemable from the pile of poo, I’ll adopt the John Green plan: revise over the next 3 (or more) years and MAYBE come out with something worth reading!

Wish me luck, and check in after November 1st to find very BRIEF updates as to how I’m surviving. Feel free to cheer me on, too.

Sign me CRAZYWOMAN!

P.S. Check out my latest UTAH WRITER review of Mistborn.


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… outer space, Wienerschnitzel, AND dinosaurs …

As summer tried to sneak away, I took a trip to outer space, Germany, and pre-historic Utah. It was exciting because I was with my Utah grandsons!

Spencer is interested in SO many different things, including space travel. BUT at the top of his list is ANYTHING German. Maybe this is because he loved learning about his great-grampa’s adventures as a B-17 top-turret gunner during World War II. Or maybe he’s curious about the land of his dad’s birth. Regardless of the reason, we enjoyed a great day learning about our universe, space pirates, and yummy German food.

Spencer and I had the Clark Planetarium and Museum nearly all to ourselves that August day, but when I took Connor and Carter to Thanksgiving Point’s Dinosaur Museum on Connor’s birthday, we shared the event with nearly ALL of Utah County. But the boys were so excited that they didn’t mind the LONG line that wrapped half way around the building! (That’s what happens on $2 Tuesdays!)

I’m lucky I got so many pictures of Carter because he was off and running between the focus and the click of the camera! Gramma was tuckered at the end of that day!

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The interesting sense of power that comes with creating characters

“… the heart of any story is its characters. They deserve to be every bit as polished and well-crafted as your plot.”

~ Jason Black

I KNOW I’ve been a little derelict in posting the past couple of weeks, but darned if that day job of mine hasn’t interfered with my avocation!!! Nevertheless, I’ve THOUGHT often about The Write Groove and wished that I could post telepathically. Just think how cool that would be! As I perused an idea here and another there, I could send the creative thoughts to the telepathy hotline and BAM the clever reflections would ZAP themselves into a unique post.

Enough fantasizing – back to the point ALREADY!

Okay, a day or two ago as I was working on my WIP, I decided the mother should be a single parent, but I didn’t want an ex-husband OR Disneyland daddy around to complicate the plot any more than it already was. Nor did I think a deadbeat dad was needed because even when fathers abdicate their roles and responsibilities, they are still a big part of their families’ lives because of the baggage they leave behind.

So, presto-change-o, I killed off the poor dad in a trucking accident thus making his wife a widow and his children fatherless, BUT it was NO FAULT OF HIS OWN! So sure, there would be other problems, but feeling UNloved and abandoned by the papa wouldn’t be one of them.

No sooner had I buried the poor guy when I decided: “No, I think the main character’s basically happy personality and fun sense of humor may be too dramatically affected by the death of her parent – even 4 years after the accident.”

This means when I tackle the work tomorrow, a resurrection will occur: Daddy will be back! Now that’s going to produce a different set of challenges, but right now he will be a good father who is on the road a lot. The mother will still be one focus of friction for the MC, and that may be exacerbated because Mom is forced to shoulder most of the parenting responsibilities.

But who knows? All that could change by chapter 15.

Oh, what a rush to have such control over people’s lives! Wahahahaha!

Evil Author! A Flickr Image!


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Why I need a face 2 face writing group.

If you live in the state of Utah, you are in luck…there is plenty of support for both the new and the experienced writer alike. Joining a group that is especially for writers can be a very helpful thing. Not only do you get support, but you can network and learn new things from others in the field.
Freelance-Zone.com

Upon leaving WIFYR last June, I was all excited to write AND to help create an online writing group that included all the friends I’d made during that fun week. BUT here I am 3 months later, and I have NOT helped with the writing group that the kind and talented Jared organized. I have to ask myself WHY NOT.

It’s not that I don’t want to be part of a writing group because I really do, but I realized I want to meet face 2 face, NOT computer 2 computer. Even though it means adding one more meeting to my busy life, traveling to who-knows-where through wind, rain, snow, sleet and occasional sunshine or moonlight. That didn’t appeal to me in June, but it does now.

So these are the reasons an online group doesn’t fit the bill for me:

  • I need DEADLINES – not just write-and-submit due dates, but show-up with-manuscript-in-hand-and-face-your-peers kind of cut-offs.
  • I need to HEAR someone besides MY inner or outer voice read my writing to see if it sounds as good or bad as it does in my mind.
  • I need feedback THAT VERY MINUTE, not when an online buddy can get around to looking it over, because if they are as pathetic as I am, they will NEVER get to it.
  • I need living, breathing bodies to interact with because I spend enough time staring at a screen, and as much as I love listening to i Tunes or Pandora, I crave the energy of human beings. I like to see their faces, not just their Gravatars.
  • I need people to laugh at my craziness, to encourage me when I miss the mark, and to share ideas that are better than what I glean from Me, Myself, and I.

With that said, this is what I’m looking for – a group that …

  • meets once a month
  • includes experienced AND INexperienced writers
  • experiments with a variety of genres – from sci-fi/fantasy to contemporary; from paranormal to mysteries; from romance to historical.
  • includes Millennials as well as the Geritol Generation, and
  • can laugh out loud.
  • is willing to take risks with their writing and who encourage others to do so.
  • can give constructive suggestions without making the writer feel inferior, and can receive suggestions without becoming all defensive.

I don’t really want much. But if you know of such a collection of aspiring writers, please let me know. I’d love to land there!