AZ SCREENWRITER GIRL

Roman Snow

2012-02-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a tad bit under the weather, haven't written in a week! My New Year's Resolution will have to be revamped next year. I'm taking Vitamin C supplements, 1000 g every couple hours. My nose is stuffed up and it's because I've been bragging to people about not getting sick when my family was sick last week in Vegas. Karma. Gotta love it!

I'm not really in the mood to write and I've taken a hiatus from reading the Disney book but am proud that I made it half-way to page 400. I'll finish because I always finish or complete tasks, it's just a matter of time. I have yet to find out about this year's festival placement and am anxious to do so. I'm thinking worst and best case scenarios, trying to follow the Secret and thinking positive. I've worked hard at writing this year, taken some classes and done some script analyzing. Who knows? That's the best part about entering a competition, you never know until you find out. If I'm not getting better, I may be getting worse, but that's not supposed to be the case with writers. Daily practice is supposed to make a writer better.

Even though I haven't accomplished my writing goals this week, I have done other things like attend the BCP mother-son communion breakfast. Wm and I had a great time even though he refused, at first, to get out of bed. He so wanted to swim. I didn't let him as the tickets were $72 and I enjoy going to the emotional mass and great breakfast where the father's club is quite attentive with the caffeine. My cup was never empty and I gave my two sausages to Wm, who ate voraciously as any swimmer would. He stated, numerous times, "If I only swam" such and such would've happened. It's like swimming is the Golden ticket and perhaps it is. Time will tell.

During mass we listened to the ASU Gospel Choir. They rocked the house and I even dance a little jig. I enjoy my own Sunday morning Church playing music sessions, while celebrating with a common community, you dance and clap and bring the house down, so to speak. There were a couple peeps in the gospel choir who really rocked and dance, got some laughs, but Wm enjoyed it because I've exposed him to two Churches, dancing and singing at my own. He's a good kid and I love him very much. I think the message was, "Make a Difference" and I hope he does as I kept reminding him to visit his professor about doing Sophomore community service, a requirement at his high school, one he has till April to fulfill. This is where the moms come in, they help their sons in little ways, such as making the necessary appointments for their sons to get that last minute requirement fulfilled. Gotta love it and how these sons go off to college without their moms in tow is amazing to me. Mother-son bond. Today ours was brought closer through a motivational speaker, a phD and professor from ASU, Dr. Christopher Neck, Associate Professor of Management. He made us get up and do the wave, all 1000+ moms and sons.

Even though my son didn't swim today it was a successful day. The food and speech was excellent and we had our picture taken, mother and son, by the professional photographers and a BCP priest, whose name I've yet to get from Wm. I kept saying to my son, "Is that Father Reese?" A gorgeous day in which I will be next year, same time, same place but dressed in black as that seemed to be the color fitting for the occasion. Who knew mint green would stand out like a sore thumb? Spring color, but it's still winter so I was a tad early this year for color. If all goes well, and besides sending Wm to Africa next year, I will be sitting as a senior mom getting the same blessing bestowed upon the seniors and there moms today as they head off soon for college, as a senior mom myself. Wow, what a day that will be. Is there a Kleenex in the house?

Have a great weekend everyone!!! The above pics were taken at the annual BCP mother-son communion breakfast!

Vegas, Baby

2012-01-28T11:33:00.001-08:00

What do you do in Vegas with your three kids? Swim, swim, swim, but there are certain rules that apply.

We came to Vegas this weekend for a swim meet. It's supposed to be a huge event, many teams in attendance. How did I learn this information? I learned it in the elevator going up to the 4th floor of our hotel. A swim mom, on our own team was boasting, chatter boxing about how her kid is attending the meet and how they were supposed to be in the 400 free but that the event was dropped. I rolled my eyes at my son and whispered, "Swim mom." She most likely saw me because the elevator was surrounded by mirrors but I don't do well with boasting parents because I've got the motto going on in my own mind that my kids are the best. Needless to say, I hope the Devils do good and have complete faith in that the team will outperform.

The rules that apply are as follows: Unless you came up with the team you can't sit at the team table during dinner and lights are out at 9:30 after relinquishing your cell phones. We decided to save the $200 per child fee and make the trip to the city whose motto states, "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" a place better known as "Sin City." A place we drove to, avoiding the team bus and all the energy incorporated therein. We drove separate cars because that works best for us. Adrian gets to listen to his Sirius Radio and I get to listen to my books on cd, of which I had Wm be exposed to the very book that may do him good on his team and in school, the book on cd being, "How to win friends and influence people." Wm asked me today, because he's been teased of late from swimmers, how he should apply Dale Carnegie's applications to his own situation. I told him about the lady whose home was being vandalized by teens and one day she stopped the teen and asked him to be the leader of the pack, that she'd pay the boy to make sure nobody vandalizes her home. Wm's reply, "I was asleep during that part." Life lessons, live and learn. Teens trying to make it through unscathed till adulthood, a time in life that I tell Wm will be the best for him. One day at a time.

There are 11 rules that apply to Dale's book. I didn't get to write them all down, but the gist of the whole book is that the other person is always right and make sure you've memorized their name to make them feel important. Importance is what humans strive in their lives. Make others feel as if they are the most important people on the face of the planet, that's the key. I enjoyed my son driving to Vegas with me. We enjoyed the trip and although I didn't let him drive, I did answer his questions during the Jacqueline Onasis scripted book on cd even though I so wanted to learn about JFK's back pain and to hear her say, Nevada unlike we say Nevada as we were crossing the new bridge by Hoover Dam made us both laugh. I had to explain that Jackie was from Boston so she's got an accent. Wm laughed about the Harvard and "we'd often go to the Cape" part of the book on cd. Overall, we had a great time and he and I seem to enjoy the same books on cd. Wm wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, to the new look-out bridge, Sky something and I wish I did make the turn-off but I enjoyed answering his many questions along the way except I wanted so bad to hear Jackie talk about the Cape. So educated. So wealthy. Was a learning experience to find that they rented during the first four years of their married life and that she lost a child named, Patrick. Very Irish, very competitive and I often wonder if she was alone most of her marriage as he was so busy running for office. She did do wonderful things for D.C and the White "mansion." I have to say that I can't wait for the drive home to find out what happens. Who knew that president had a bad back? I didn't.

We arrived, and of course I had to make a change to the room they originally put us in. My mother always taught me to get the best that money can buy and that goes for the hotel room view. I didn't want a view of the Haus, I wanted a view of the Strip. I got what I wanted and didn't have to put Adrian through the dreaded room change because he hadn't arrived with the girls just yet. When he walked in, he was happy but made a comment about $ which my reply was, "Spare no expense." How often do we get to come to Vegas? Hardly ever. If it wasn't for Alice wanting to stay with her team we would've stayed at the Wynn, Encore as I love to stay at better places during our visit. We had a nice dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and Adrian, who made the comment earlier, ordered the most expensive item on the menu and although he said we weren't allowed to take photos, I asked the nice waitress if we could and she replied, "Sure, get up, walk around, take as many as you want!" I don't like to be told no ~ it's an offensive word to me. This morning, as Adrian studies for an upcoming customer call, I drove the kids down the strip and I pointed out the private planes, pp's as per Beverly Hills Wives, and said, "I want each of you to have one of those when you grow up." Wm's reply, "I know, but we'll have to work hard." Yes, you will!!! I also told the kids never to say no, or let anyone say no, that they can accomplish anything they want to accomplish. Never say, "No." It's a bad word in my list of vocabulary words. The world is an open door, they just have to work hard to accomplish their goals.

I looked on the internet to see what we could do in Vegas for cheap as dinner already was $90 plus a $20 tip. It was 2 kids meals, a salad, and Adrian's combo plate. Expensive place and I'm glad to see that most hotels have survived the economy. I want to walk a lot today, have on my Adidas for a very long walk. I want to take the girls to see the mermaids, in which Wm asked how they see under the water without goggles. I looked at the pp and then at him and said, "Invent a contact lense goggle and he said, "I know." I want to see the M&M factory and laugh at the price per pound. I want to walk amongst the diversity of people and take pictures of it all, eat at 27/7 a 7.77 steak and shrimp. I want to watch my kids compete in the meet and see the lights at Belagio. I want to experience Vegas and end up having something to write about because the stays in Vegas mentality probably doesn't work with me. I need something to write about to keep up the daily practice! So, off to see if my kids were able to hitch a ride to the pool with the team bus, if not we have to take them. Remember, rules apply when the team travels. Traveling swimmers, that's a great thing. Oh, the places we can go!!!! Have a great weekend everybody! You know that I will!!!

Note: If you look at the television screen in the first picture about being kind, you will see the screen says, "Act Now." If you look at our family photo in front of the Vegas sign you will see a truck that says, "United." Cool background coincidences ~ Gotta love Vegas!!!!

Hubris

2012-01-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

Excessive pride or self-confidence. Arrogance.

One of many definitions in the chapter of Walt's book about his imagination and it's triumph thereof. In reading the chapter of Neal Gabler's book, of which I will refer and write about along with my own personal experience, titled Parnassus, even though I never found out what a Parnassus was, there was much work involved to top the success of Snow White's apparent success with movie goers.
Parnassus
a.) is a mountain in central Greece or
b. )the world of poetry
c.) a centre of poetic or other creative activity

The word, Parnassus itself wasn't in the chapter or the explanation thereof wasn't in the particular chapter but from gathering the definitions one could say that after reading this book, letter c would be the winner but WED climbed a mountain to get his other movies to be as successful as Snow White as mentioned in the previous paragraph. In this chapter, WED studios in Hyperion got rebuilt in Burbank, a campus with everything except the housing where animators could stay the night. There were 3 main movies that the studio was working on: Fantasia (originally called the Concert Series), Pinoccho and Bambi. Walt won 1 big and 7 small oscars that were presented to him by Shirley Temple saying, "I'm so proud of it I think I'll bust." To celebrate, Walt and Roy bought their parents, Elias and Flora, a home. On page 281 you get a description of WED's personality, a "workaholic" a hard guy to get close to, his career being his whole life. On page 282 the following statement, "he was so self-absorbed, so fully within his own mind and ideas, that he emerged only to share them and have them executed." Walt didn't bring his work home with him saying, "I've lived with it too much and I just didn't want to live with it at home." His girls were said to ask him, "Are you really Walt Disney?" Can we have your autograph?

WED like to blaze trails, internalized the characters giving stories titles saying a title "isn't the word alone but the meaning we read into it." Titles were brought about by the philosophy of "what the studio wanted to say to the public through the making of the picture. The title, Fantasia was brought about by WED asking everyone to put their choice of titles into a hat as WED always wanted more imagination flowing through the studio. WED's theory was that "the audience is always thrilled with something new." He also stated, "you don't find your character until you begin to do a little animation in them." Page 318. Bad scenes would be when the action was too slow and there wasn't enough tension. WED had to make a decision of dividing the film into sequences with their own story crews and animation crews or have a single story and animation crew for the whole team. Finally, he decided to have 3 animators control the entire animation of the film, conceptualizing the characters, blocking the action, supervising any additional animators. WED wanted the animators to get a feel for what they were doing and pulled in real deer so that the animators could learn about actual anatomy and movement of the deer for Bambi. The rabbit, Thumper was Bambi's conscience as the same with Jiminy cricket was Pinocchio's.

WED's new studio was his "very own Marceline, page 322, the place where he grew up but other animators thought the new studio was "too good and too effective." Page 324 states, "An impromptu art form turned into an efficient business." He was called a despot and the move to Burbank was "the beginning of a loss of morale." Money, for WED "wasn't for personal indulgence" but was used by the studio for "independence and quality. WED stated, "One should never sell the rights to a film" but did have to open the stock in the studio to the public offering because Pinnocchio didn't do good at the box office, WED stating the movie, "lacked an intangible something." WED wanted to be known as an "artisan" not an entrepreneur. WED said in the book, "riches are for people who are bored or want to impress the neighbors." page 329. Public stock due to debt of the Fantasia and Pinnochio not doing as well as expected in box office tabulations. Henry Ford told WED, "if you sell any of it, you should sell all of it." Stock's conversation in New York Fantasia premiere. Making, "The Reluctant Dragon" helped bring the studio some money and was simple and had the "most direct plot." A man called, "Benchley" comes to the studio, looks for WED in all the departments, misses him each time and at the end finally encounters him only to find out that "The Reluctant Dragon" has already been made. Some animation was added but not to the perfectionism extent that the other films had at that time. It was easy and sold the audience, helped the studio make profit. Dumbo was the next project WED began because he thought it had a great plot and was adapted by Joe Grant.

The following films were made: Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, The Reluctant Dragon, Fantasia, Mickey, Donald

Flora, WED's mom died in the very home that her sons purchased for her. She died of asphyxiation from the broken heater the boys were gonna have fixed. Elias, WED and Roy were devastated.

Vocab words:

onerous
capacious mansion
chortled
foray
effusive
feted
enumerated
lamenting
exhorted
lugubrious
zeitgeist
desultory
respite
emboldened
impasse
expedient
expatiating
yen sid~~~~ Disney spelled backwards used in Sorcerers Apprentice
hubris
cipher
ontogentic pathway
devilry
expediency
tonal
animus
exhorted
groused
enervating
respite
ebullient
vaunted
culpability
flagrant
addled
retinue
deferential
comety
winnowed
moto perpetuo
bowdlerrang
euphonious
eschew
disingenuously
buccolic scenes-too conventional
lacerate
philistinism
nebulous
ineffable
effusive
limned
vacillated
debentures
espousivly
derided
anathema
vagaries
stultifying
relegated
harbinger
tumult
ebullient
abeyance
roiling

Short and Sweeeeeet

2012-01-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Did you know that acupuncture can help you lose five pounds? So can a steamy cup of tea that contains ginger, sliced, squeezed lemon, parsley, with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Helps boost said metabolism. Something to do with cortisol production, not good that cortisol. Caffeine and other good bevs help produce cortisol. I'd try anything at this point because I've got six months till the big high school reunion. GG Bran squares are also recommended by Bazaar magazine, the magazine that also informed me that blue crush, cool green and blush are all the "in" colors. Receiving this magazine helps keep me on track, although I can't afford the $5000 Chanel purses, I do enjoy making it a goal to go shopping at places like the Rack and Last Chance, where today I spent $101 buying the "in" colors in assorted tops and dresses. I did good. I got 4 nice dresses and a couple blouses, Bazaar magazine would be proud. The dresses were 40% off and once you finish picking and choosing, separating the good from the bad, like apples, only their garments of clothing, then you get to walk out of the store knowing you scored.

The Mother-Son communion is coming up at my son's school and since nobody knows that I've got the head up on fashion I plan to wear the green ensemble and follow the Bazaar in's and outs to the core. Glancing over at the magazine I notice Demi and the words, "New Looks for Spring." Go figure. I'll be a tad early but everyday is Spring in Arizona. I love January and February in Arizona. The temp is a crisp 73 degrees and even though the snakes hibernate, the other animals seem to be out full force. Not only did I see 4 deer feeding on the driveway the other day, I saw 3 coyotes whom I thought got the dogs because as I was cleaning the master, I noticed the dogs enjoying the sun outside the slider. Next thing you know I walk into the kitchen then back into the master, the dogs are gone, no longer sunning on the porch. I was frantic. I ran around the ten acre hill calling out, "George, Spot" to no avail. The golfers, golfing down on the private course below the hill glanced up at me, wondering what all the commotion was about. I kept screaming out their names, each in succession, worried about what my kids would say when they found out their pets perished because I wasn't paying attention to them. Coyotes are prevalent, so are owls and deer. We live on a wildlife reserve and the golfers kept playing but it was nice for the one to glance up to see what was happening. I went back inside to get my cell to tell Adrian the bad news and low and behold I heard their dog cage rattle, move, not rattle as in snake. Rattle and AZ don't go together in mid-sentence. Thank God the dogs were fine and if it wasn't for me worrying about the dogs, I'd of had another fantastic, one of a kind wildlife photo.

George got fixed today. He's in a mellow mood. Adrian and KK got him a "The Who" t-shirt from Walmart. He's a whole 'nother dog. I sort of liked him more before but that's neither here nor there because once their gone, their gone. Nuf said. While waiting for my daughter in PV, making her Elmo shirt for the upcoming volleyball game against teachers, I went to the movie and saw, "Dangerous Method." For a psych minor who wants to get an M something in Psych, I rather understood the movie and again, could've probably written it, but it was another "adaptation." The opening scenes were dramatic to say the least and I didn't realize what I was in for when I signed up (something that happens to me on more than one occasion, actually happens often) I enjoyed the scenes of Vienna and Freud's explanation about the conscious and Yung trying to refute him calling the study "psychanalysis" instead of psychoanalysis. The "id" has nothing on this movie of repression and childhood misunderstandings. Adapt on. Adapt on. The sailboat scene was beautiful and I rather liked the movie, leaving not quite knowing what was so dangerous about the method. I guess falling in love with your doctor was the "method" and since the doctor was married, it was quite dangerous. Back to the speech and debates. Exciting stuff. Food stamps.

I am still conquering the Parnassus chapter and will get back when I finish. Right now have to take Wm to BCP dance and hope my mom has fun at a 75th birthday of a friend she's known for 45 years. Shout out: Happy Birthday, Gloria!!! Have a great weekend everyone ~ except George, well we know how that story ends!!!

Folly

2012-01-18T17:42:00.001-08:00

Folly ~ driving fast on no sleep. I've done that before but not in a long time. I named this blog Folly because I'm doing a so called, "blog report" on WED (think theme park with the middle name of Elias). Although we constantly have to worry about copyright we also have to respect another writers creative endeavor or we get sued. Not that I worry too much about courtroom drama as would be cool to sit in on one some time when Adrian becomes lawyer, and perhaps that's why I'm pushing him, but we'll leave the courtroom dramas to JG, the bestselling author on that subject. In the time being, out of respect, my blog report is based on my studies of Neal Gabler's book titled, "Walt Disney, The Triumph of the American Imagination" and personal experience and WED is Walt Elias Disney, WED nickname for short.

I'm not gonna beat around the bush. Inside the above book I learned that WED's Snow White was Walt's folly. Not knowing what a Folly is, I looked up the definition on Google, forgetting that it's Computer Black out day, of which I'll have to ask Adrian when he gets home, just what that means to black out a computer site. Adrian gets bombarded by questions by me and Will as we enjoy his keeping up on current events, as he reads all of the latest computer magazines and knows pretty much all there is to know about the piece of equipment we seem to spend most of our days trying to master. I had to read faster than a speeding bullet about the definition of folly while on Wikipedia because the screen went black and there was a typed message saying something along the lines of "I bet you appreciate us now!"

Yes, Wiki, we love you. Always have and always will. I hope this relationship with definitions isn't going to become one of those love hate relationships because I don't like to play games, especially computer games. Just give me what I want and I'll move on to the next definition. BTW folly means a lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight. It also means an excessively costly and unprofitable undertaking. Let's just say that Roy, WED's brother, had to fish out a ton of money for the perfection of Snow White, a movie that turned out to be quite profitable, but took many years to complete and put Disney on the cutting edge of animation, the masters thereof in color, definition and let me look back at my notes, and subtext ( the jealous aging queen's wrath towards a youthful Snow White) If the Queen only had Botox. Youth and fillers make looking into any mirror that much easier and perhaps such questions such as, "Whose the fairest of them all" wouldn't have to be asked. "One man's vision rather than God's glory" was the saying around the animation office when Snow White was completed. WED was God in the animation world. Sign me up! And since I've always had a problem understanding subtext all I have to do while writing said script is say, "Mirror, Mirror on the wall."

Folly was a grueling chapter in that it was so long! It will be a miracle if I finish the 800 page book. I want to finish and am taking chapter by chapter to complete this study. They say in Hollywood that adaptations are the in thing. I was wondering how , we as screenwriters with such a low budget or no budget can compete against the Hollywood big guys for getting the rights to a popular book so that we can adapt and have a run for the money then I went to the library. Why worry? There is an abundance of material out there and after a certain year you only have to list the author's name as the claimant on the copyright application. Just do it! Adapting a book is much fun and I've done that before with some of my own projects but even though your own creative endeavor is lessoned as it's much easier to feed off the creativity of another, it's something that has won many awards this past year and will most likely continue in that direction because Hollywood probably doesn't want to waste money on something that hasnt' been established as popular with the public. A flop is costly. A good adaptation is safe and can be fun. There was a line in Neal's book on WED ~ "there's a thin line between being a little bit of everything and being nothing at all."

Gabler's book stated something about WED's passion towards the Snow White project and it goes something like this ~ "Snow White belonged to WED like WED belonged to Snow White." One goal in animation at this time was that WED would think about how the character would feel and at times WED had a difficult time articulating what he wanted to see on screen unless he acted it out." Personality driven animation is what WED wanted, his goal in making these and Snow White was a risky feature film that cost the studio a lot of money but made a huge difference in the world of animation. Page 274 states, "Snow White is about assuming one's place in the natural order, essentially about growing up, accepting responsibility: What Snow White does for the dwarfs and what the dwarf's do for Snow White." Snow White was the "matrix" for all of Disney's great animations, the dwarfs being the short animations and the "Prince representing WED's larger ambitions." Subtext ~ gotta love it and Walt perfected it with Snow White. Also in this chapter titled, "Folly" was stated, "Shock is the soul of the gag." Gag being joke and was accomplished when 2 unexpected things are brought into coexistence." The whole process of Snow White began in 1934 when the company took on the project and was also making money on the shorts and getting royalties on Disney merchandise. "The way WED could tell a story was nobody's business." Walt's Folly:

1) Would anyone want to sit through a feature?
2.) A cartoon feature was a hodgepodge of several connected subjects
3.) A voice emanating from a drawing.
4.) Took too much time, 18 mos. Walt's changing mind. Roy's changing mind about $$$$, financing the film time vs. cost
5.) Naming of Dwarfs: Original: Scrappy, cranky, dirty, awful, blabby, silly, daffy, lazy, puffy, drowsy, stuffy, tuffy

"Broke down story into narrative blocks, the beginning of story dwarves introduced to Snow White, with one good gag in each individual section of the whole sequence."

"A drawing principle is a drawing principle. If it works in Donald Duck, it must work in Snow White."

Classes were mandatory, recruiting new animators ~ WED forced to go on vacation where it's said in this chapter: "Depression best thing that happened to WED because he wouldn't have a 'utopia' of animators to take over the project while he was gone to Europe." Certain animators were "married" to their characters during the process of making SW. WED was first to use color expressively rather than realistically. "Snow White's multiplane ~ closer to realism as WED was closer to his own fully realized world."

During this book read I try to stop and read said Bible in one year's time beginning with Exodus as I've already read Genesis then skipping to Matthew, Psalms and Proverbs, a reading list I got from Church to help you read in one year. I wrote the following poem one night after reading both books in succession, right before slumber as my own goal is to have the dream of a lifetime, paper and pen located on night stand like suitcases packed for delivery ~ just in case it happens tonight. The first night I picked up the Gabler book on WED I do admit that I had that dream but was awakened mid-REM and couldn't for the life of me remember what the dream was about. It would be cool to have a dream that I could write about because that's my own folly ~ not wanting to admit my own creative misgivings and to admit that help is needed from time to time especially when all forms of creative ideas have been exhausted. Anyway, I wrote, not knowing that the poem I wrote would be used for a classmates sudden death so I will dedicate this poem to JM because I'm sad about the whole incident especially being so close to the big 30th high school reunion. Although we, everyone in our class, is most likely going through the exact Kubler Ross stages that we once fell asleep to in class, who knew we'd need them 30 years later? We do and we miss him in our own lack of understanding of events that took place. We, the class of '82 will somehow get his soul through the pearly gates with our love for him (we were all that close). Our class now has it's own folly in creating the future, trying hard to rejoice in the past and to move on the best we can through fellowship and comradery, things we learned many moons ago ~ used fully the past couple days.

John Music Man

In my fragility
I have found art

In my freedom
I have found a voice

In my choices
I have found justice

In my decadence
A windy road

In my prince of tides
I have found a toad

Troubled Prince
For the heart is what matters
And you already have ours
Class of 1982, religious school

At all times
Build yours up to the sky
Spread your wings
Let go, to let your voice fly

For we will catch you
Follow us to peace
Let peace be with you
And also with you
On your travels through the pearly gates
Have faith knowing that your music lives on.

We love you JM and know you'll be there in spirit when we all get together this summer, 2012!!!

Anyway, as promised and in closing as again, I must close, but it isn't all that long compared to 213-275 pages in the Folly chapter. Wondering how long it took Gabler to write said book? I have to admit, the one night I wrote this poem, after reading both books mentioned above that I didn't know why, when or where I'd use the poem and the answer came as well as the dedication. Life's puzzles fit, you just have to be patience and wait for that missing piece, usually the last piece to make the picture complete. Today I left my camera at home. This won't be happening very much in the near future as when I arrived to RM, upon driving near said water well I spotted 4 deer, one had a cholla attached to his nose. What to do? It's not like I could put the car in park and get out with tweezers and take it off his nose. Although I wanted to. It's hard for a biologist to see nature suffer, although the deer seemed oblivious. I've had one stuck to my foot, it hurts. So, prayers for John M and this deer who continued to feed with a cholla in his nose, oblivious like it happens on more than one occasion.

Albondigas Soup

Form hamburger into balls place into boing water, boil until they float to top of water then take off grease, add quartered onion, garlic powder, potatoes (halved) 1/3 c rice, tomatoes fresh and quartered, small can tomato sauce and cilantro. Easy. Yum.

Also, Lisa V's flourless chocolate cake is to die for ~ so delicious I almost cried after eating a piece of this comfort food ~ maybe I need a cholla on my own nose!!! Good night everyone. Sweet dreams. Pen and paper.

Melt chocolate in micro
Add 1 and 3/4 melted butter
whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, (4 eggs) add to melted chocolate
mix the 4 egg whites, making stiff adding 1/2 cup sugar a bit at a time, add to chocolate and stir all together
pour mix into floured springform pan bake 350 30 mins

Walt's folly chapter definitions below: One day, when I've got the time, I'll look them all up but for now use your imagination ~ kind of like what WED used to do on a daily basis, although to perfection, day in and day out, round the clock perfecting the cartoons we all love: Winnie, Snow White, Pluto, Mickey to name a few.

Vagaries
Vacillated
lament
expatiate
lineaments
indefatigably
bivovacked
prostration
filigrees
ingratiating
capitulated
hegira
iconoclast
itinerant
peripatetic
inculate
lodestone
liegemen
sententious
hinterlands
oeuvre
triumvirate
martinet
limned
demolay-"Walt loved to forge people into a happy unit, self-less and happy" like Eastern Star
extolled
subsumed
utopian
milquetoat
ad hoc
peruse
dragooned
chia ro scuro
importuned
flagging
rotoscoping
benumbed
tumescent
forded
effusive
lisparged
bier scene

imagining, scrutinizing, retelling, fiddling, mobilizing, pushing ~ story process.
Snow White's appeal was "escape from the turmoil of the world." Took time, energy, devotion.

"Snow White kisses the dwarfs goodby as they head off to work. Queen disguises herself as peddler to gain access to an innocent girl to certify her own place as the kingdom's reigning beauty."

If Snow White was Walt's Folly? What's your's? Next chapter in this book for blog report: Parnassus

Above picture is Bambi with Cholla attached to his/her nose while feeding at Rancho Mayfield. The deer remind me to never be without my camera ~ because life is one big PHOTO OP :-)

Eyes

2012-01-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

It's often said that eyes are windows to the soul. Yesterday I got my eyes checked at the eye doctor and low and behold which frames do I find myself choosing? Birth control glasses! (See pic)

Birth control glasses are the name for the glasses a service person gets when the military issues them upon arrival to boot camp or throughout the military career. They're sturdy, black ones where if you wear them they are supposed to fend off the men or any attention from the male counterpart. I think they're cool and look forward to picking them up and even knowing that I saved $500 on the prescription was a thrill. We finally have VSP ~ vision protection service. I'm happy and even if my eyes aren't that bad and I picked the frames as a novelty it's always nice to know that you're not a candidate at this time for Lasix procedure and even though you look through the loops eight hours a day you can still see and will only need the glasses for reading fine print.

My eye color is hazel. The doctor asked me if I wanted contacts, that the insurance we have only pays for one or the other. My head began to ache after she numbed up my eyes and placed the diluting material inside. As I picked out my frames and got my bill (thank goodness I was seated) my pupils got really big. I looked in the mirror and then outside at the bright light, a mistake I regretted as my head began to throb. What gave me such a headache? Was it the little white ball the eye doctor told me to focus on as she moved it up, down and all around in front of me? Was it having to look at small words on the screen in front of me: VEKMH? Yes, I can see the bottom line! Hallelujah! I can see. The windows to my own soul are saved!

The window to the soul! A soul who was close to our heart was taken from us as I ponder what happened while I look at his posts on FB. What did happen to John M? He was a beloved musician who graduated with us from High School, class of 1982, St. Bonaventure, a close-knit group of kids who are planning a 30th reunion. I was looking forward to maybe listening to John sing in his band. I was looking forward to seeing the whole group of kids, now adults and catching up always proud of their accomplishments no matter what they are. A few of us are writers and we had a musician in the group. I told Adrian that artists of any kind are sensitive human beings and I'm hoping the worst news isn't yet to come. I pray for him and his family as he was well loved and it's kind of sad to see that he just posted Happy Birthday on another classmates wall just a couple days ago. Some of my classmates will take the news rather hard and I'm hoping that they all get through this sad news okay. I was so looking forward to the reunion but now it will be sad to hear that we lost a classmate who showed much love to everyone here on Earth. John M, you will be missed by me and all of us at Bony!

Life is short. Too short. Sometimes shorter for others and when the big man upstairs decides it's your time to go you better believe that it's your time to go. Ducks in a row when it's your time to go! Nobody knows what the future holds, that's the mystery of life. Life is tough sometimes but that doesn't mean that it should be taken for granted. It's always hard to lose a friend and FB brings the friendship much closer and makes things, or news like this much more difficult. I wonder what happened? I'm sure we'll find out. For now, prayers and thoughts are with him and his family as I'm hoping it wasn't the worse case scenario. Yesterday I made a comment that by the 50th reunion some classmates aren't in attendance. I didn't ever think that would be the case with the 30th. Life is sad sometimes. I've had my own share of sadness but you have to be strong and overcome those difficult times that add character. The eyes are the window to the soul. You can look into someones eyes and see happiness, sadness, regret and love. My grandma had cancer of her right eye and had to have a prosthetic placed. I'll always remember the thought of which eye am I supposed to look at without making her feel bad. I'm happy my own eyes are healthy and happy to be able to see things and capture the things I see on film for all to see. Vision. It's the best thing on Earth.

Above is pics of me and Alice at the eye doctor. Prayers for the Miskel family. John, you were loved and will be missed immensely by all in our class of 1982 ~ We love you!!!

Navy issues new glasses frame, no more bcp's: http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=64872

Feedback

2012-01-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

I used a recipe from Lisa's Divine book on affordable entertaining. Adrian, who is half English and a connoisseur on Shepherd's Pie told me that there was too much mashed potatoes and not enough meat in my version of England's most cherished meal. Back to the drawing board. It's good to get feedback sometimes, in life, whether negative or positive because each endeavor we risk is a learning experience and I'm thankful he let me know about the potatoes.

Adrian went to San Francisco this week on a business trip. This is a city close to my heart. He got a tad homesick the first couple days and stated that maybe he should go back to law school so he doesn't have to travel. I told him to enjoy the city. Go out for a walk, take in the aromas, that he's lucky to be in such a great place. He even got a picture of the building where we got our marriage license, the city hall, a big white house looking building where he was just a young lad taking a leap of faith about his future. That building was where the feedback, post nuptials, was that the official document wasn't all that official because the priest signed his name in red ink. One day I may write a script titled, "Red Ink" because red is often a motif in movies (see Paul Newman's film where he was a young lawyer, alcoholic, the title slips my mind). One day, Adrian will go back to law school, a passion he holds but since the kids are in private school, they are top priority and a good paying job is welcomed at this time.

This particular cookbook caught my eye on my weekly jaunt to the AJ library, a place I hold dear to my own heart, especially since renovation occurred a couple years ago. When we moved to the area the kids were quite young and we frequented the place on a daily basis, figuring that being surrounded by books would make the kids grow up to be intelligent beings, at that time was a one room building. Today this particular library houses computers, an air conditioned historic book room, a play area for the kids which houses a big castle where Kaitlyn often enjoys talking to herself on occasion. Upon entering, I marvel at the glass windows and the superb view of the gorgeous Superstition Mountains then head over to see the NY Times bestsellers and end up getting a couple books on cd of which you'd think I could finish with the daily commute that we do, but never seem to because they take a super long time. I enjoy books on cd and I've heard that the Kindle, the more expensive one, can read to you as you turn the pages. I must look into that as I'm still attempting to read the 800 pages book on Walt. I would love to have the reading book endeavor be much easier because I need to keep up my moto, Read and Write practice on a daily basis.

Life is all about feedback. I mean isn't that what makes FB so popular? People, friends who give you feedback on one of your many posts (in my case many)? I'm attempting to try to leave my life up to the imagination of others, let them wonder what you are doing by not posting so much as the FB manners book says to do, but I enjoy as well as the ego enjoys seeing the love on a daily basis. It's fun to keep up with others and respect those who don't want you to keep up with them quite as much. The past should be just that, the past. Keep it hidden for that special jaunt through memory lane. Nice times but it's time to move on and FB helps one do just that. Except for the daunting 30 year reunion about to hit its mark sooner than we all realize. Class of '82, my beloved classmates who are currently voting on an event in which I need to step back and go with the flow, but I also will need to stay away from the Shepherd's Pie for at least six months before the occasion.

It's time to look in the mirror and fix the flaws, pick out a dress and become more photogenic because one needs to make a statement of success when one meets the pals from the past. As Lisa puts it, "If you go forward pulling only positive aspects of your past, you will realize you have the power to create your own destiny and the potential to achieve whatever you set your mind to." That's what I intend on doing and whether the feedback is good or bad, one must take certain risks in life, mine writing a blog, script, taking photos and opening up my life for others to give their own feedback or no feedback at all, but as long as "their" still on your friends list then you know they still enjoy or tolerate what it is you have to do and say on a daily basis.

The other day I received my Ebay purchase, a Canon Rebel EOS. I've been dying to purchase a good camera ever since I took back my Nikon because it was too difficult for me to work and I wasn't quite as happy with the photos as I thought I'd be. Purchasing items off auctions sites can be risky to say the least. We once bought a BMW X-5 off Ebay motors, which was the biggest mistake of our lives and had a domino effect that still we are trying hard to correct. I had my Odessey paid off and did something stupid by selling it to a couple who would travel the US (how fun) for 5K and bought a vehicle that costs us $75 in gas every other day on our jaunts into town. Stupidity. That's my own feedback on my life, but you have to live and learn and do things that later can give the writer something to write about, as in my case. I wouldn't be able to fill the page with words or even write this paragraph had it not been for that experience so I have to turn negative events around in my mind and make them positive so that others can learn from them, the goal of my own writing endeavors.

On page 5 of every script you should have the mentor (someone that helps the protagonist move the story forward) give his own feedback to the protag that states the goal. For example, "You must never sell a car you just paid off because there could be terrible ramifications." The timing couldn't have been better for complete disaster. With my Odessey sold and my ego's need for the beautiful, shiny black X-5 sitting in our 500K driveway, came news that my mother was diagnosed with BC (we don't mention the C word in our family anymore, bad Karma). The rest is history and if I want to write feedback about that time in my life then I would hope that the reader can take away the mentor's words from above, in my case it's, "Never sell the X-5" because that transaction was worse than selling the Odessey, although the Prius is a great eco-friendly car and gets me everywhere I want to go without having to pay too much in petro, to this day, I often wonder what or where we'd be if we hadn't sold the Odessey. Life is interesting and feedback is a must.

In closing, and again I must close because this could go on and on forever, besides my fingers are beginning to tingle on the tips meaning the circulation is in need of restoration. I wonder if all writers get that tingly feeling in the tips of their fingers? I want to summarize what my goals are by writing this blog: buy the Lisa book on affordable entertaining but don't use too much mash potatoes in the Shepherd's Pie recipe, don't sell a paid for vehicle, give truthful feedback so the person can learn from what it is you have to say (like Adrian telling me about the mash), continue to read and write whether it be a Kindle or an old-fashioned 800 page book, keep up the exercise on a daily basis and last but not least, be careful with items of purchase on auctions sites, although it was kind of fun winning the bid.

I love my new (and it was in perfect condition) Canon and look forward to taking many beautiful pics, a hobby of mine and passion just as much as writing can be for me. I helped save the hill, and if I look at all of those dominoes in that regard then take my eyes and look out the window at the vast amount of family land we are lucky enough to own I will see a set of pristine mountains that fill my heart and soul with pride and love that will carry me through to the next day, month and year. Then I look to the west and see a monstrosity of a home being built and know that someday we can build ten of those with the vision of the future. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and beauty is vision of what the future holds. It's how you look at things that happen in your life that really matter. I wouldn't be so blessed with three of the most beautiful, intelligent children had that past event not occurred.

In looking forward to the future, although there is a ton of work to be done and exercise to accomplish, I'm truly looking forward to catching up on the past thirty years and glad I'm still here to write and talk about it as well as gather as much feedback as necessary before the story ends, as the next big high school reunion may be the 50th if we're all lucky as someone once said to me that hardly anyone attended that one. Hopefully will end on a happy note as although the audience enjoys an occasional tragedy (Romeo and Juliet) I would like to continue reading books on entertaining and how to arrange flowers and the correct way to set a dinner table. Cheers and have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to buy this book on affordable entertaining!!!

The above picture is my Shepherd's Pie, half-baked? Is the glass half-empty or half-full? Of course Lisa's is much prettier and you can see hers on page 57 of her book ~ Enjoy!!!

Golden Star

2012-01-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

Today I received a heavy, large golden star in the mail. What did I do to earn this golden star?

When I was a young girl, not only did my mother take me to everything Disney, she was a personal seamstress to non other than herself. Mom made beautiful, elaborate dresses on her Singer sewing machine. Playing dress up in my mom's closet was compared to dressing up for the Oscars on a nightly basis. I remember she made a beautiful burgundy silk dress where the shoulder straps flowed her back and followed her out her bedroom door, of which I would step on and accidentally make her trip as she was heading out to her various organizations that she volunteered for. Mom liked to dress up. Her burgundy, long, flowing dress was one of many in her closet, all hand-made like her wedding dress, pure white for virginity, something to be proud of back in the day.

When I entered adulthood I had no idea what was in store for me. I could've been sitting on a stage blindfolded while the audience watched my life pass before me and they would've been more informed than me. I was clueless what it took to be an adult. My mother was the epitome of the word housewife. She cooked, cleaned, landscaped, ordered the pool and slide, and birthday cakes plus balloons as well as made all of her dresses. Mom went to LA Trade tech. She was going to be a model but her nose was too big. She inherited the "Mayfield" nose. The day she got that nose fixed and my dad brought us home from the park in the interim I had my first big life shocking experience. Mom answered the door with a bandage on her nose and was black and blue outside the bandage. Plastic surgery was unheard of back in the day and mom hid it from me but that was my first eye awakening experience besides the 1970's earthquake in which my father gathered us to stand under the door jam because the pool had "waves" in it and might overflow if we didn't stand under the door. I looked up at my dad and said, "Where's mommy?"

Fear is strange when you are a kid. There are so many adults doing their thing around you that you can hardly comprehend and although they try to protect you from the truth you can pretty much figure it out. I figured it all out because my mother talks incessantly. If I called her at this very minute she'd have something to talk about. In this instance, being super shy as a child and not liking the family get togethers in Reseda, Ca at my aunts who later moved to Prescott Valley and owns much apartments, I would sit next to my mother, thinking she was in pain and hurt because there was a bandage on her nose then find out that my mother paid to have the bandage placed. That was also the first time that I noticed that you can change things you don't like about yourself. Why would someone as beautiful as my mother want to change something about herself? I worshiped the ground she walked on. Still do.

As a daughter, one couldn't help but look up to my mom. She was the focal point of the family, her vision second to none. My favorite times were when she took us to the Hollywood Bowl and listen to symphony and attend Easter sunrise service once a year. I would place my head on my mother's shoulder. I loved her and she couldn't understand why I was so shy. She would slide down the Kauai rockslide and I wouldn't budge. She'd look up at me and say, "Come on Pamela, slide down!" Reluctant, I couldn't do it for the life of me. I was afraid. Mom experienced a couple of these events over the years. The biggest was when she invited my elementary school crush to my fifth birthday. I was in love with Kirk, but too shy to let him know so I hid in the bathroom shower when my mother had him and a lot of other friends over for one of many elaborate parties I experienced in my youth. My mother didn't understand my fear and at times she tried to get me to do things I didn't want to do and I couldn't understand why. My mother liked to be on stage but I was the complete opposite. I oftentimes wonder what life would've been like if my mother embellished my shy nature. She did her best and somehow it all worked out.

One thing I certainly didn't want to do was to join clubs. Even in high school I was reluctant to join things but I admit that I was better in high school than elementary school. I did join the tennis club and cheer squad. I got my letter in Tennis. I met Bill. I found something that could help me break out of my shell. I found a crutch and although I loved swimming, I didn't have the "swimming" option in high school. Swimming is the center of my kids life as we know it in present day. Everything is based on if this or that school has a swim team. It's a must. Times are different. I'm in charge. The time that I've got with my kids is so short lived and the fear of them leaving for college is so huge that I question my own daily work schedule and business. I don't want to miss out on this time in their lives. I want to savor it. I want to be there fully but I'm not. I work hard and enjoy my work immensely, as my mom did, but have to step back and take the time out to be there for them because before you know it ~ they'll be out of the house. I'll be one of those parents who want my kids to stay till they're 40 because I truly don't know what I'd do with myself once they go to college. It could be SLO, Stanford, Yale, Oxford. Who knows?

I told William the other night that I can only basis this life on one week at a time. That's what I did in school and it works because you build on that week. William was asking about classes for next year and what if he doesn't have this or doesn't have that. I looked over at him and said, "Relax, just take one week at a time." Anyway, in closing, my mother was a great mom and worked so hard to give us everything. Her goal in life is to have me be someone I wasn't. I'm shy and she wanted me to be outgoing. I've always dealt with weight and she wanted me stick thin. It's the ying and yang of parent hood instead of embracing the person for who they are. We are completely different people and at times we don't understand each other. To this day I can't understand why she likes what she likes and she can't understand why I can't understand what she likes. It's the typical mother-daughter relationship. Mom made me be outgoing. She made me join clubs and one of those clubs was Eastern Star, the very club that I didn't have a clue about and when she came running through the roller skating rink in her white wedding dress like handmade, we laughed and ran from her, or skated from her. She embarrassed us. Those memories were with me today when I received my own twenty-five year Eastern Star pin and golden star. My mother had me go through this memorable initiation session in which the lights were turned low and we had to walk from star to star and say our grace. I couldn't understand why but I did it, ever the faithful daughter.

In doing some research and I'm sorry for not writing about WED tonight because I've been busy reading the Jackie vs Diana book as it's quite intriguing as well and a bit easier to hold as well as read. I need time to get back to Disney and learn as there's so much to learn. I'm a 25 year member of the CA Chapter of the Eastern Star. Who knew. Disney had something to do with the Masonic Temple in L.A and you can read below. Thanks mom for making this shy girl become more outgoing in life!!! Who knew?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Masonic_Temple

Goals

2012-01-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.writersstore.com/dont-break-the-chain-calendar

Don't break the chain. The above website is for writers. It's a calendar created by Jerry Seinfield that keeps a creative person on track with their goals at the beginning of each year. Should I buy this? Thus far, I've only missed two days of writing, which is good for me. I've missed more days swimming as hopefully I will get back on track with that as I miss the pool and the beloved sport helps me in my writing endeavors. It's like my daughter, Alice, who is busy applying to both Cate and Xavier high schools that ballet helped her swim better. It's the ying and yang of life. If I buy this calendar, will I write more?

I've read a couple blogs that have come past my twitter or facebook feed that I'd like to write about. One is called bambokillers.com It's a blog by a high school teacher who writes scripts and recently had some success at a competition that lead to agency endorsement. I admit, I'm not there yet, but if I get that calendar mentioned above, perhaps I could be by the end of the year. My goal remains the same for this year: place at Phoenix Film Festival and Beverly Hills Film Festival and vote for a good president (a reversal because you're probably thinking where the heck did that come from). I happen to be watching a Republican debate on CNN and although I like Mitt Romney, Adrian just informed me he's mormon. Not that his religion would play a role in my thinking, and the fact that while doing my ancestry, I found that I'm actually related to Brigham Young, I think I like the looks of Santorum. He's got the looks, education and finesse that is important in office ~ See JF Kennedy qualifications and bio ~ Camelot wasn't a nickname for nothing. Santorum talks the talk, too. He stands up for his cause. He's a "cause guy."

Back to the website mentioned above. I read the writer's blog and enjoyed her writing. She's good. You can tell she's good. Perhaps she practices every day? She does mention that she's grading English essays so I assume she has an English background, which helps any writer. Being knowledgable about Literature certainly helps the writing process. I don't agree with writers that have to cuss. I don't care how big a writer becomes, cussing in writing shows bad manners. I don't agree with the whip cream sentence, either. If you get hired on by an agency please don't reference the whipped topping. It's gross. I know that writers need to add fluff to their scripts and gain reader attention but I wouldn't and hopefully haven't stooped that low as to become gross in my writing. I haven't been signed by an agency either. I guess I wouldn't want to stoop to those levels, but am happy for this writer. I do believe that daily practice of reading and writing will open the door for me beyond placement at festivals. I'll agree to keep it clean. Disney did and so will I, which leads us to the book. The bible of storytelling I like to call it. I'm stuck in the middle of the Cult chapter in the book by Neal Gables titled, " Walt Disney, The Triumph of the American Imagination." In keeping it clean (it being my writing) I'm going to focus on reading biographies about people who made an impact on earthly storytelling and who better would that be then the master himself, WED?

I will refer to him as WED from here on out so that when one types in Walt my blog doesn't come up on Google search. I mean I've let it be known (it being my writing) that I'm studying the book and I've referenced the authors name, but I wouldn't want to be like WED and get into trouble for copyright infringement. If people do take notice, though of the blog and I do get a hand slapping then I'll know that my writing is making some sort of impact. I've gone to college, did a senior project and had to cite many a sentence. Citing is important and full credit is given to the author, again my writing isn't dirty but I did happen upon a joke and it goes something like this ~ Knock Knock? Who is it? Scriptwriter girl. What'd ja write scriptwriter girl? I wrote a script called, "The Plagarist." Want a copy? Sometimes adapting is much fun, especially when you find a really old book where copyright is too old to care if some girl from AZ wants to tweek it into a movie script. I've done it once (writing adaptations) and enjoyed it immensely. There are many older books out there that would love to be made into a movie. Visit an old antique store and pick one up. When you copyright the project don't forget to give credit where credit is due. Claimant.

Disney was "unscathed" by the Great Depression because of the Mouse. I read that Walt was ordered to take up hobbies and one of them was horseback riding at Griffith Park. As I read this book it (the writing) brings back many of my own memories as I grew up early years in Simi Valley which is by San Fernando Valley, CA. One of the "things" my mother did is to take us to Griffith Park on the weekend so we can go horseback riding. I remember one particular day when my mother invited another woman and her kid to ride with us. This woman was Cecilia and she was an employee in my mother's beauty shop. Cecilia and my mom became good friends over the year and it (the friendship) most likely began on this particular day. You see Cecilia's horse was stubborn and wouldn't move. My mother was riding with me on a horse and decided to leave me up on the saddle by myself and get off to give Cecilia's horse a slap on the behind to get him going. What was my mother thinking? Was it Walt himself, ooops, I mean WED that came to my rescue when my horse took off because Cecilia's horse took off like a bandit, making my horse follow suit with me, a five year old at the helm of the reins. How did I live through that event? I do remember a man helping me as he came galloping after us on his own horse. I never fell off that horse because if I did I most likely wouldn't be here but in reading this book brings back the memory of Griffith Park, riding horses. I'm sure, whoever the man was, that I'm definitely grateful and so was my mother, that he came to the rescue. WED liked to play polo with Spencer Tracy and considered Tracy his bff.

Everything WED was endless analyzation and I'm learning about how the company went about storytelling, which is the most important thing for me to learn and why I'm reading the book in the first place. Mickey aka Mortimer Mouse originally but his wife didn't like that name, she didn't like the 3 Little Pigs but WED did and they became a hit, too when Mickey was becoming too nice for audience to appreciate. By that time, Mickey was being marketed in all things Mickey and Donald had been invented to antagonize Mickey so that he (Mickey) could keep his nice guy image. "Pencil Tests" were a rough drawing on inexpensive film so WED could see and analyze the final outcome and happened to see a writer putting a storyboard together and he so liked the concept he made it policy. A "moviola" was placed in a windowless closet and projects were endlessly drawn and redrawn till they said that's the best they could do and WED would sign off on such. A "gag" joke was a fundamental narrative component to their stories. Each "gag" builds upon the last one and was pieced together on storyboard. Departments were formed: gag placers, storytellers, animators, etc. Routine and continuity were what ideas were placed through. Disney characters would elicit emotion from their viewers who, in turn, gave an emotional response. If the response was audience poor then WED would wait in the parking lot for the director so he could let the guy know. WED was a perfectionist as mentioned in earlier blog. Analyze, reanalyze and analyze to perfection and audience approval or wrath of a perfectionist. All characters had to be treated as if they were living which was called, "personality animation." "Plausable Impossible" was practiced at studio.

WED would incorporate the question to his animators, "Does your drawing have weight, depth, and balance?" Gravity was studied and realism had allowed WED to create a wonderful world the audiences all over the world enjoyed and still enjoy. The 3 Little Pigs were a hit because the Wolf depicted the bad economy during the Great Depression and the song, "Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" was written by hired for the day song artists. A story begins with an idea where brainstorming sessions were WED would give a situation and the storytellers would take that situation and ruminate, narrate the events, write dialogue under the drawings, give the plot value and gag it up. WED would tell what he liked and didn't like by drumming his fingers if he didn't like something. The book gave an example of WED being in Greek arena, him being in the King's viewbox and waiting for some good stuff to happen. Story structure, character development, visual possibilites and use of old gags, calling to "gag it up" would be the beginning parts of storytelling for the company as it grew through the years to leaps and bounds. I also learned that WED would hire a well known artist to come and teach his own animators and these classes, too grew in leaps and bounds. WED's money was an end to a mean but always kept quality first and foremost to his product which kept the popularity of the animations made by his company, even today.

Vocabulary words thus far in this chapter:

precipitously
impregnable
extolled
leica reels
exemplar
inviolate
continuity
edict
disparagingly
apothegm
the ne plus ultra
grouse
animus - life or to live
dissuade
hosanas
apropos
couplet
ameliorating
addvang
interpolated
relegating

Have a great week everyone! I did get to see New Year's Eve today with my daughters. I have to say that I enjoyed the ending best. The first act was introducing characters and boy were there a lot of famous ones and it (writing) must be fun to write this type of come together at the end script, but I have to say that even though the story was character driven, that I wish the horse movie was shown at the same time as I would've picked that one instead. War Horse is supposed to be very good and I can't wait to see it. I did like the saying that New Year's Eve is a time for hope and love. Hope for love. A New Year means new goals. If it takes a yearly calendar to make your goals then feel free to order such. I'm off to a good start and I hope that you get a chance to read the blog mentioned above. You can tell a good writer. She's that good. Practice makes perfect and I hope to reach that perfectionism level of writing at some stage in my life. REad and Write. Everyday. That's the goal. Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you will, please leave a comment. Much appreciated and will help me reach my goals ~ reach for the stars because......they're beautiful!!! BTW ~ I got to see the moon set this morning but couldn't capture the moon's justice in photo so I've bidded on one on Ebay, a Canon REbel EOS 1000d. I won the bid and will be, hopefully, taking good pics real soon. I can't wait as taking photos is a pastime that I enjoy besides writing! Visual therapy. Beauty. The world ~~~~ embrace it!!!

Inspired Commitment

2012-01-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

The creation of the "mouse" became the rage which helped save Disney Studios from demise back in the 1920's. In the Chapter from Neal Gabler's book titled, "Walt Disney, The Triumph of the American Imagination" I learned how the name Mickey came about and that it was sound incorporated into the animation that made Mickey Mouse and the Steamboat Willie series so popular with the audience. In fact, Mickey Mouse became a phenomenon but not without hard work and dedication plus good business sense by brother Roy.

Roy was the money getter. In the Chapter titled, "The Mouse" from Neal's book I learned that Walt had to travel to New York because there was no sound studio in Hollywood or California at that time. Walt hired a fellow whose last name is Powers to distribute his Willie series of animations. Powers betrayed Walt just as Chintz had and Columbia Pictures came to the rescue. Seems Walt always had someone who came to the rescue so he could move forward in his venture, saving the studio and growing in numbers. Walt was very much a perfectionist and many of the animations, since they had to be the best, cost more but Walt's goal was to dominate the market. In the end, Columbia, too tried to overtake Walt but after his contract ended with Columbia he got a new contract with United. Film distributors wanted Walt's studio and even his best animator betrayed him, his name was Ub Iwerks, who left Walt during this chapter to go with Powers.

Synchronized sound gained favorable attention with the audience and the Columbia contract afforded Walt and Roy to build their own sound studio in California. Music and animation were fused into one and it became the rage (page 128). Others tried to catch up but Disney put them out of business with his sound. Walt had to be the best with his "inspired commitment" quality and expertise. Her hired only the best. He had increased vitality and couldn't wait to spend hours at the studio to work it off (page 135). Money bewildered Walt but studios knew they had something with the creation of Mickey Mouse. Walt began to merchandise the mouse to bring in more revenue. Columbia gave Disney a $5000 advance for another creation called, "Skelton Dance." Walt wanted domination over the animation market. Columbia wanted a piece of the pie, they all did. Mickey's Silly Symphonies made money and Disney studios grew.

Mickey popularity analysis continued on into the ages. Some say Mickey was Walt, together they were "sympatico." "Mickey was always in the process of reimagining reality, which was his primal connection to the audience." Mickey's round shape was often said as reason for his popularity. People liked round objects instead of sharp and the head and two ears symbolized the fruit and mom and baby. Mickey converts reality into happiness through joy, fluidity, always ended the cartoon laughing and beaming. In the end of the chapter, Walt has a nervous breakdown after his wife, Lily has a miscarriage. Roy had a son and recommended that Walt take a long vacation. Page 164 states, "The doctor told Walt to get away, ironically from the place that had provided refuge." Walt himself described it, "I was an emotional flap." "The years of fighting and losing and having to fight back took their toll on Walt." "The king of animation had suffered a breakdown."

The next chapter of this book: The Cult

Vocabulary words from the Mouse chapter:

apocryphal
inextricable
bonhome
perfidious
surreptitiously
rapacity
renumeration
flivver
judiciously
exultant
messianic
insidious
propitious
onerous
pragmatist
eschewed
unassailable
supplant
chicanery
remonstrate
imperturbable
lassiou
incorrigible
imperturbable
farcical
overages
impregnability
totalitarianism
lascivious
vicariousness
sympatico
ethos
plaudits
awed
abhorred
denouement
unassailable

1/3 of the way done with the book on WED (Walt Elias Disney) This chapter taught me about film distribution and the tough skin one needs to get your product out to the public. Costs, quality, commitment, inspiration, hiring the best, etc and not relinquishing control ~ a remarkable read, one book that was staring me in the face while at my weekly library jaunt. READ ME, READ and Write everyone! Have a great weekend!

Wonderland's "Mellofahess"

2012-01-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

I finished the Wonderland chapter (pages 77-110) of Neal Sickles, "Walt Disney, the Triumph of the American Imagination." Let's just say it was a dog eat dog world for Walt and by the end of the chapter, after giving up his Oswald series to Charles Mintz, the distributor who took over Walt Disney Studios, leaving Walt to start all over again from the beginning. The next chapter is titled, "The Mouse" so go figure. We all know this story has a happy ending but what I'm finding fascinating is that every time Walt was pushed to the ground, he would get back up and start all over again.

In this chapter, the Wonderland, Walt gets married to Lillian Bound from Idaho. Walt left Lillian alone for hours a day because he was at the studio owned by him and his brother, Roy. Walt sent for Lillian's mother to come and stay with them and bought her a dog, which he kept at Roy's until Christmas Day when he gave Lillian the box. At first Lillian thought the box contained a hat, of which she wondered how Walt would buy her a hat without her being able to choose the one she wanted. Lillian opened the box, Lady and the Trampesque a scene featured in that movie and even though she didn't like dogs, she fell in love with this one, naming him Sunnee. Page 105 states that "Lillian wouldn't let the dog out of their site, would even sleep on their bed." She was completely smitten with this dog.

Walt bought and renovated a studio on Hyperion Avenue, a building that he put $3000 into which was the size of a grocery store and Walt placed a big, "Walt Disney Studio" neon sign out front. At the time, Walt was facing an impasse with his distributor and facing the end of the Alice's Wonderland series (page 98). Walt set out to work on other things and did some more animation for Dr. McCrum titled, "Clara cleans her teeth" about a "ragamuffin who is ostracized by other children because her teeth have gotten rotten." (page 99). A humbling experience for the studio owner, having to resort to making animation film on dental hygiene. Mintz got Walt a contract with Universal to make an "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" series. At the end of the contract, Mintz took Walt's studio and Walt negotiated with Universal but Universal said they already signed the contract with Mintz and that Walt would have to wait a full year for the contract to end before Universal could hire Walt.

All of this, of course, was before the "Mouse" was created and I can hardly wait to read that chapter. Contracts are a part of Hollywood and any writer should always ask for WGA standards even if they're selling their first script. Once a writer sells a script, just one script they can sign on with WGA for membership. With WGA standards one can be open for residuals and if a director doesn't want to work under WGA standards to buy the script because it wasn't budgeted in then don't sell your script to that director. Simple. Live by the rules and the rules will pay you back tenfold. WGA protection. Walt had standards and even when he was knocked down, he got right back up. Walt rode out many a crisis and was only drawing $100 a week with the Oswald series, which back in the 1920's must have been a fortune. Page 109 states that Walt talked about the episode with Mintz, his distributor as "betrayal" and said that those who turned on Walt would also turn on Mintz and they did, in time. Good will win and evil will be defeated. In each and every crisis, Walt seemed to come out with a better story to tell and without all of these crisis, Walt's story would never be able to move forward. He learned a lot of lessons in the early years. Lessons that, although difficult at the time, would lead to great success. Let that be a lesson in itself: Always get back up after failure because a lesson learned can serve as the next success story. A "Poetically Just" story that Walt loved to tell. (Page 109)

Vocabulary Words from this chapter:Ostracized, impasse, mellofahess (hellofamess), chicanery, expendable, duplicitous and poetically just.

How duplicitous the business world can be (page 109)

The above pics were taken on December 31, 2011 in Malibu, CA at or near Zuma beach. Life lesson, Mellofahess: When the world seems foggy drive to a sunny spot or wait until clear skies appear (prh)

Kanan Road

2012-01-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

" LA's fine the sun shines most of the time / And the feeling is laid back / Palm trees grow and rents are low / But'cha know / And I keep thinking 'bout making my way back" Neil Diamond

Let's play a game called, "The Secret." The rules of this game are as follows: You write about what you'd ask the Universe to give to you and pretend it's already yours. What would I ask the universe? I'd ask the universe for a big mansion off Kanan Road, a windy, twisty road that takes you from Hwy 101 in Agoura Hills, CA to Malibu, CA. The road has many sharp turns and Kaitlyn makes me honk my car horn when I go through the numerous tunnels that provide extra carricular activity when traveling to the top.

Our hotel was not the Four Seasons in Westlake Village like I wished it was. I even called over to the hotel, which was across the street from our own and asked if we could drop the kids off while we had dinner in their restaurant. The hotel concierge replied that we must be guests of the hotel to enjoy such amenities. It's okay, I replied as we already had plans anyway for the New Year's Eve celebration. It doesn't hurt to inquire, now does it?

I like staying in Westlake Village because it was centrally located to Malibu and just a hop, skip and a jump to the 101 North towards Ventura, the town in which I grew up and the town in which I'd quickly spend the evening, bringing in the New Year, 2012 with my family. Earlier that day we took Kanan Road, all five of us piled into my Prius. Up the hill, through the tunnels and back down where I so wanted to stop at a call box to take a picture, but the road, Kanan Rd can prove to be quite dangerous for many a driver.

Kanan Rd is one of many that leads to Malibu or the Pacific Ocean. There is another road, Malibu Canyon that leads to Pepperdine and Alice voiced her opinion about taking that one as she'd like to possibly attend Pepperdine. I wanted to attend Pepperdine and told Alice to follow her dreams. Don't let any door close and if it does then just open it. Sometimes I wish I could take my own advice, but when you have kids their outlook on life is fresh and they like to dream about their adult life.

Kanan Road also has a popular hiking trail called Backbone. We parked in the crowded lot and took the first 2000 yards of the hike where green fern abounds. I enjoyed the hike but noticed that the hiking trails in California didn't feel the same as the ones in Arizona. California hiking trails have big, sharp rocks sticking out of the ground where AZ hiking trails are tiny rocks, flatter trails except when one gets to the big boulders, of which you have to exert much respect, especially at the Superstition trails, my beloved hiking jaunts can attest.

Kanan Road has some beautiful views of the ocean and the people who own homes that overlook the Pacific Ocean are most lucky, but probably very hard workers, too. One often wonders what it takes to own a home on Kanan Road? I could perhaps ask my mother to sell all and buy a home on Kanan but she would most likely look at me as if I was crazy. I could explain that it would be fun for the family to ride their bikes, hike and enjoy the beautiful view. I'm sure this request wouldn't go over very well and I'd never ask in the first place, but it did occur to me that that very thing could happen. The homes are expensive for sure and with the changing tide and as much of the erosion that takes place on or near the area, not to mention the fires that sweep through the place, I would have to second guess my wishes. Still, if I was to play the game, as mentioned above, I'd ask for one of those mini-mansions on Kanan Road. Why not? I like to bike, run, swim and if your brakes work on the decent you can join the Malibu Gym for $50 dollars a month. It would be fun to wake up and enjoy a cup of coffee while enjoying the beautiful view. I could picture myself there.

Asking for money was something Walt Disney had to do or did at one time. Who knew Walt needed money but at a young age of 21 he went bankrupt because the source of his funds ran low. Walt borrowed from a doctor and dentist. One of his first animation films was titled, "Tommy Tucker's tooth" interestingly enough. He animated the bacteria complete with pick axes beating the enamel off a tooth. Tommy Tucker, the main character took care of his teeth and got the job that Jimmy Jones, his nemesis couldn't get. Laugh-O-Gram was bankrupt and Walt was 21 years old. Walt left for CA because his brother Roy was there for Tuberculosis treatments as well as the rest of his family except some remained in Kansas City. Disney sold Alice's Wonderland to Winkler, a woman who played a role in Hollywood film acquisition and marketing and made Walt his first contract although the film had to be tracked down because his business partner had it in storage in Kansas City. Some words listed in Disney book are: penury, insular, temerity, factorum so if nothing comes of this W.E.D (Walt Elias Disney) book report then at least my vocabulary will grow by leaps and bounds. Winkler and Pantages gave Walt glimmers of hope as Walt did ask his Uncle Ray for money, but even his family turned him down due to frugality.

The chapters of this book, "Walt Disney, The Triumph of the American Imagination" are as titled:
Go Getter
Wonderland
The Mouse
The Cult
Folly
Parnassus
Two Wars
Adrift
City on a Hill
Slouching towards Utopia

After Walt went bankrupt in Kansas City he traveled on the California Sante Fe Railroad in first class with a cardboard suitcase. Walt liked to live large. The man had courage, integrity and willpower like nobody I've ever read about. Tenacity. Hollywood. Money. Equipment. Tenacity. Kanan Road. California dreaming. LA's fine, the sun shines most the time. Have a great week everyone!

The picture above is from one of those California Call Box turn offs on Kanan Road, which overlooks the beautiful Pacific Ocean and Malibu, CA

Animation

2012-01-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!! May 2012 bring much happiness and prosperity and in my case, more knowledge on the Rose Parade rules. Maybe I can even look at a 2013 calendar and put in for time off a year in advance so that I can attend the Rose Parade next year as I was a day late and dollar short this year. Who knew the Rose Parade wasn't going to take place on a Sunday? In all my childhood years of attending with my parents and our friends, I never took time to read the rules, so this year, 2012, my resolution is to read the rules. I think this will help me accomplishing my daily routine and the rules of the Rose Parade, made by the founder a long time ago is to protect the horses from becoming frightened by all the church bells and the fact that the man was religious in nature makes complete sense to me. We live in his world and are just play a little part in it, and if I knew the rules, I most likely wouldn't have driven to California this past weekend because one of the things on my to do list was to see the Rose Parade, but then again I wouldn't have been able to bring in the New Year hearing my brother sing. And sing he did. My brother has tons of songs that need to be copywritten but aren't because there's a sort of fun time had by all and really that's the way it should be. I copyright because that's the way it should be. Copyright protection. Singing songs. Love that unique Irish nature, the entertainer who my mother once thought about signing him up with SAG. He's that good, but wants to have fun, and would be offended to make money off of fun. We're Irish. Go figure.

I could've pictured myself standing on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena watching the cars go by wondering what was up with nobody clearing traffic so that the parade could start. I could've had the best seat in the house and most likely sold it on Ebay. I could've woken up early, driven down in the dark like we did as children and searched for a parking place, of which one would've been found because I was a day early. Who knew? I didn't and had it not been for internet I would've never known, been kept in the dark until I figured it all out. It would've happened when I looked at a complete stranger, asking them on the street why the parade hasn't begun. Remembering my mother talking away to people she didn't know at the parade site, I would've branched out and done the same. I would've had one of those aha moments and as a matter of fact, it was my mom who texted me, because we were going to meet each other down there, on Colorado Avenue, that she thought the parade was Monday. Is it Sunday or Monday she texted. I texted back, "It's Sunday, of course." Wrong. I went through the biggest culture shock experience of my life and I'm from California. Go figure.

I didn't get to stand with my daughters and mother watching the beautiful floats but plan on showing the girls one day when I can get it right, get my act together, so to speak. I mean, it's together, it just needs to be more together. Right? My mother made two pound cakes and wanted me to drive to Aqua Dulce to see her. It was a quick trip and I tried to keep it all secret, like that's gonna happen in this day and age. Even if my mother didn't have internet, I mean she doesn't and doesn't have a care int he world about Facebook, can't understand what it is, she would know because she's got her inner Facebook that just knows what everybody is doing, especially when it comes to her kids. I was at Kanan Rd talking to her, explaining to her that we've got to get back to the hill as she's got another renter moving into the cabin. That made sense as anything that has to do with work and her properties always makes sense. I know exactly what to say and it worked although I was really thinking to myself how much fun it'd be to go back through Kanan Rd and take more pictures of the Malibu beach below and that's exactly what I did. This time, driving our two cars, I got to pull in to a Calling area and take the most spectacular photos of the mountains and beach, still covered by slight fog.

When in Malibu, I often ask myself what it would take to live there. I mean the place is practically falling into the ocean, don't get me wrong, it would have to take a good think or two before making such a move and when the kids asked, on our descend into PCH if I'd move to Ventura or Malibu if we moved back to California, I answered Malibu. Looking at all the beautiful mansions and properties, the bikers and all the people who are absolutely enjoying the outdoors, I think to myself, quietly pondering, "How does someone move to Malibu?" I mean this is the best time of any to make that move as there is tons of property for sale and probably not as expensive as years past, but what would it take. Many creative people live in Malibu, so I suppose that the answer is most likely that I'd have to become really creative and take the writing job to the highest level. How does someone do that? Do they take showers six times a day as I recently heard a screenwriter of the Hangover or one of those other good movies did just that because it helps the creative process. Showering would get me to Malibu!

Malibu! How I love you. I really do and if there wasn't a mental blockage or fear of success need for some hypnotherapy which does wonders for my own psyche I opt to read the great Walt Disney book to see what made him tick because we all know that Walt could afford a home on Malibu, most likely had one, but I haven't gotten that far in the biography to know but will be dedicating the next couple blogs to Walt and will be citing Neal Gabler's book: Walt Disney, The Triumph of the American Imagination so that others can learn while I read the 807 or so pages and I hope that Neal doesn't mind my studying the man that made animation come to life. The man whose passion lie in drawing. Whose father wanted him to work at O-Zell juicing company but opted instead to join the army where he was stationed in Paris, France. It was in Paris that Walt became independent enough to stand up to his dad and tell him that he was going to start an animation company. Walt followed his dream. He followed his dream and really, even if I didn't finish the book, we all know the rest is history.

I can remember, even from the youngest of ages, being in love with everything Disney. My parents took me to Disneyland a couple times a year. One year, packing into the car to attend the skating on ice Disney show, I forgot the tickets that I hid away on my bedroom shelves where many Disney paraphernalia sat, most likely collecting dust, but I didn't want anyone to lose those tickets. I had to be there, dreamed of being there to see all those fantasy characters that Disney himself created from his passion of drawing. We turned the long station wagon around and I ran back into the house to pick up the tickets that only I knew where they were. You see, my mother did a ton of stuff with us besides taking us to the Rose Parade on a yearly basis, she gave us many a chance to attend everything Disney. Mom gave us everything when we were children and even though it was a detriment to me later in life because think about how devastating it would be to one day have all that stuff taken away. I did enjoy a childhood of doing things every year like attending the Rose Parade and going to Disneyland. My mom worked hard to give us stuff and stuff I had. Too much stuff. Could you imagine the teenager I turned into being? No wonder certain other events had to take place in my life, like Walt, a couple years of discipline and travel were all part of the package and the down to earth mentality that resulted from that new life that we will not delve in at this time but let's just say that discipline and order add to ones character in a good way. Let's kick her into shape, and that they did! American girl.

Disney drew night and day, spent hours upon hours drawing, wanting to know everything about animation. His grandparents gave him the first paint set. Passion. Look what resulted from that passion? Walt was a true "Go-Getter" (Chapter 2 title) who drew comic cartoons, advertising cartoons, animated motion and picture cartoons. Walt wanted to be an artist or an actor but seemed easier to get a job as an artist. Walt drew constantly as his classmates recalled in the book, "even though it wasn't socially acceptable" to draw in those days. Walt was bored in school because he was preoccupied with creativity. Walt loved living in Marceline, a small town 125 miles soutwest of Kansas City, where Walt enjoyed his experiences with the traveling circus. Marceline played a huge role in small town USA, or Main Street USA as depicted at the main entrance to Disneyland Theme park. Walt and his sister, Ruth, would oftentimes sneak to movies and receive a scolding from his parents when they returned home after dark. Walt's father was strict, not much fun and wanted his son to work instead of pursue his animation dream. What would life be like if Walt didn't pursue his dreams?

Although Walt and his family moved around a lot, Walt loved Marceline the best and when the family had to move to Chicago they began a newspaper route. Walt worked hard on the route, got his business sense from standing on the street corner selling papers and working all hours of the night and day. He oftentimes fell asleep during the route only to awake and run to finish his route before his father took notice. His father gathered all of his earning and had control until the day when Walt returned home from Paris and wanted to buy drawing equipment, asking his dad for money. His dad didn't want to give Walt the money, but it was Walt's money so he gave in and the rest is history. Cel animation, use of individual celluloid sheets that had drawings on them. These sheets would be placed over a second translucent sheet in which a background was painted. This was the way of animation until the computer animation process took over eighty years later. Walt later purchased a Universal camera and hired animators for his business, "Film Ad Co." Walt's sights were set on "long range money and fame." Many early animators enjoyed the "drawing process but didn't have the ability to tell a story, much less create an ARC." "Animation had a powerful subtext that the public was soon to be aware."

An ARC ~ here, page 54 I run into a scriptwriting term and on the same page subtext is mentioned so all is not lost in my reading this book, although quite long, could possibly take me the rest of my life to complete, but like Walt, determination is key. Walt was a determined man and had a passion for drawing, that much I've learned. ARC, Subtext, determination, practice, passion ~ without writing forever, I mean, I too could write 807 pages, these are the things I've learned about Walt thus far. I've learned more by once being invited in, that money can't buy happiness, but that's probably something we'll learn on the last page. In the meantime, I'll keep trucking along reading about Walt! Subtext is underlying meaning in words and visuals presented in a way that engages the audience emotionally with the story and its characters (Extreme Screenwriting Jan 2012 newsletter). Show, don't tell.

The above picture is me laying on Malibu beach and if you look closely at the book lying next to me, you'll see a picture of the ever so handsome Walt Disney. No, he didn't put me to sleep, I was just taking a break to enjoy my surroundings and take pictures with my own camera, most likely doing the same thing Walt did on occasion. Drawing. Picture taking. Animation. It's how the Rose Parade makes their floats and why Disneyland is such a popular theme park today, one in which millions flock to leave the old world behind and step inside Walt's world of imagination and everything you see, from the horses to the Pluto were all a part of Walt's life as a boy. The hard working paper boy who loved to draw pictures. Reading about him has given me some imaginary REM sleep as I was on the brink of something last night, or early this morning until Wm, my son, cried out for his dad. Wm got sick on the trip home. It was a McDonald's around or before San Bernardino. Actually, thinking back because I looked across the freeway and saw a familiar place, "The Loma Linda School of Dentistry." A new location from when I applied. Coincidence? No. I'm right where I need to be in this life. No regrets of not finishing my last little step in the goals, besides they don't eat meat. Life is funny and perhaps I can read before sleeping and finish that dream. It was that good with Bruce Willis staring in major role. Who said reading about Walt is a waste of time? There was a song, too. If only I had more time to dream the dream, I could've written it down and made it into a script. REad and write. Read and write!

Last Sunset

2011-12-31T17:15:00.000-08:00

I forgot what I came to CA for and then the news mentioned the last sunset of 2011. That's what I came to CA for~ to capture that last sunset but the beach was so foggy and marine layer so thick (one in the same) that I completely was sidetracked. I guess my NYR (New Year's Resolution) is to not be sidetracked in 2012.

I have to admit that I love the beach. Especially today, when we've driven so far to get here. The beach, rainy, stormy, rough seas, dead calm, whatever I love it and will travel miles to get there for just one moment of time. I'm a crab afterall. I brought my Walt Disney book to the beach today and warned the kids not to get the book or my beloved Louis Vuitton backpack any grains of sand on them. Kids and sand go hand in hand. Script title.

We left the beloved beach, Zuma north of where free parking resides, after Adrian and Wm came back with the most delicious sandwiches on earth. The sourdough bread is that much better in California. It's almost like traveling to France and trying their freshly baked bread for the first time. Must be something about the atmosphere. The beach and sourdough bread, makes one want to have a bowl of clam chowder which is exactly what I wanted to have at Paradise Cove, but that's another story, probably for another day. Did I say parking's expensive at Paradise Cove? Did I say that Wm made a comment about parking being $25 because he went there this summer and had the inside scoop. Did I say that we could've had the parking comped had Kaitlyn gotten out of the car but was covered from head to toe in sand because Alice covered her in it at the last stop.

Kaitlyn didn't, wouldn't get out of the car because she had sand everywhere with a Capital E. I stood there, begging my youngest daughter to comply because I wanted so much to have some clam chowder and was wondering how we were going to get the parking comped. I stood there also wondering if this was the sacrifice for living where there wasn't a beach. Weren't CA kids used to traveling around after beach romp with sand everywhere? Was this just an AZ born and raised child going through culture shock? After huffing and puffing and telling my family that we are dysfunctional, I got back into the car and to think that the sun was shining bright ~ thus the name Paradise Cove ~ we all got back in the car and told the parking meter fellow that a kid got sick so we had to leave. He lifted the parking lot flag and we drove back to the light at PCH where I could've sworn Justin Timberlake was sitting there at his red light waiting to make a left hand turn into Paradise Cove.

Many regrets of 2011, but not eating and enjoying Paradise Cove being one of them. I've oftentimes driven past and because of one comment all h broke loose. Who cares about $25 dollars! Isn't a memory worth more than a measly $25 dollars? I would've preferred the experience but Wm also said most were pretentious. Who cares, I longed to lay in the sun reading my Disney biography. Two cars. Always. That's what 2012 will be. Two cars. Always. Another NY resolution, and we finally made it to Calabassas where the kids (girls) wanted to see DAsh. We found it then ate at Bakery Cafe. I was amazed at the amount of Persian people (moms with kids) that were there, speaking in Farsi and screaming at their kids in a language I couldn't decipher. It's amazing and I felt like I had just flown to Persia because I was in Culture Shock. Who knew Calabassas had so many of these residents. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for diverse population but when the kid grabbed my sweater and his sisters and brothers laughed at him, I knew something was amiss. Perhaps I need to get back to AZ. CA may be a tad too diverse for me and I'm hoping that Uncle Sam has this Calabassas situation under control. It's little Persia, not a nice person place if you get my drift.

Rich, old money as Adrian tells me they've been there for 50 years. I felt like that one time I walked through the Champs E'lysee and the Parisian women laughed at me because I was wearing Levis and because of my height and bone frame, I'm sure. Nothing says American woman then when I walk through Champs E'lysee. They know. I knew. It's apparent. Really apparent. The military may want to set up camp in Calabassas, CA. Just saying. They are close enough in Hueneme and hopefully they are aware of the situation, money or not. Evil is evil and my stay at the Bakery Cafe was one where I felt as if I wasn't in America, like something was amiss. Something that I had to sit and ponder. Something isn't right here. There's someone else in charge in Calabassas, CA. If you don't believe me then pull your car up to the bakery cafe and pretend like you're sitting in the sun. They'll walk by with their numerous kids and you will have one of those moments. Wow. Are you serious? They are multiplying like there's no tomorrow, too. Five, six kids per stroller. Keep watch at Calabassas, CA because that's a place where the money has moved in and perhaps it's been fifty years because this was the first time I've been to Calabassas in my whole CA upbringing. Culture Shock. Gotta know the feeling of walking in another country, but you're not because you're still in America.

All in all this last day was a good day. I look back and wish I got my sunset, my house, my lack of driving life, but I didn't. I still have three beautiful kids, a great view of the Sups, serenity and I get to see the Rose Parade. California is diverse, but so it Arizona. We need to keep watch on these patches of diversity, make that a resolution because we need to protect this beautiful place. Cultural diversity at it's best is CA if everybody proves to be on the same page. Have a very Happy New Year. I get to spend time with my family, the very brother who makes me laugh like no other. I'm gonna be very happy bringing in the New Year and know one thing, like Disney, who proved to have a passion for drawing at a very young age, I will continue to write. Enjoy and be safe.

Library

2011-12-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

My motto is "read and write." I frequent the AJ library on my day off. Today I checked out the following books:

The Life You Want by Bob Greene
Walt Disney, The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler
Onward by Howard Schultz
The 17 day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno
Alice Cooper, Golf Monster

The later is for my son, William, who flies home from Seattle tonight. Good thing, too because I miss him terribly. In my last post, I stated that I live vicariously through my son, that I'm going to fly him here and there so he can tell me stories. One ticket. One son, who needs to have a lesson in Alice Cooper because both went through security at the same time and Wm didn't know who I was pointing to when he bent down to put his shoes back on. This book of Alice Cooper's is about a "Rock n' Roller's 12 Steps to becoming a golf addict."

Being a golf addict is a good thing when you live in Arizona. I've got some of the best golf courses around me and I don't appreciate them enough to continue on with the sport in which I could've been quite good. There was once the hole in one at the Port Hueneme Naval base golf course. It was the shortest hole, but I made it off the swing, right into the hole. Too bad there wasn't facebook at that time. I could've bragged. There's a course here, near us that is only $20 for nine holes. I take the girls there on occasion, mainly in the summer when it's not as crowded because the girls golf for free. Many great pictures there and the course is simple with gorgeous views of the Sups.

The Walt Disney book is a must read because Disney is the goal for me. I would love to have Disney want one of my scripts, someday when I feel they are Disney worthy, after years of blogging and title typing, what better way to get in to Disney then to learn about the main man? Gotta learn about people and that's why the Biography section of the library is my favorite section. I've already read all the books on Princess Diana and have one sitting on my bedside table titled, "Diana and Jackie O." Both women were on the same plane when it came to placing that magical effect on other people. Both had powerful men whom they loved, but Charles loved another woman more and should've probably married her instead of Diana, but then again there wouldn't be a Kate and Wm marriage or a Harry's escapade to watch in People magazine. I'm sure Charles loved Diana, but she also could've been quite difficult to love because of her own parents divorce. Divorce is horrible and effects kids much more than the parent could ever imagine.

I can't wait to delve into the Walt Disney book. I've already read the first page where Disney himself wanted his body frozen so they could bring him back to life. He must not have believed in reincarnation or must've known he was an amazing man or maybe he knew that science would allow such possibilities to take place in the future. One should write a script about Walt coming back to life, the opening image being that of the ice melting all around him. Don't put me up to it because I'm sure, by the time I finish his book that many other ideas will come to mind. Maybe the Walt Disney angel will look down on me and touch me with screenwriting golden angel touch, knowing I picked his book because I want to learn more about how he ticked, the imagination genius of all time. That's why we, as writers, need to open the books so our own imagination can be transformed on paper. Practice. Practice. Practice. What would the title be of my bringing Disney back to life? "Triumph."

I've read Howard Shultz's first book about Starbucks and want to learn more about this man who went to Italy around the same time I went there. In 1982 I went as a graduation present from High School and have to admit that even I enjoyed the espresso, but never in a million years thought to take the idea back to the States. I probably did, but didn't act on it. Instead, I came back wanting to buy a 1-900 number and call the company, "PR Listens." PR Listens was going to be a phone line where all I do is listen to people's problems. I envisioned people, old people calling me so I could help them with their problems. Had it not been for that man who was breathing heavy in my ear, I would've most likely made millions as 1-900 numbers soon became the it thing in moneymaking ventures. I got spoked. I quit.

Just like most of the diets, I quit, I got the 17 day diet in which you can eat tons of proteins and drink green tea. I need to lose 17 lbs because this is the year of my 30th High School reunion. Not to tell my age, but it's been a long, long time since my trip to Italy. Thirty years. What if I didn't quit this diet and succeeded at losing 17 lbs? Life would be good.

In closing, because my son's home and I want to give him welcome home hug, have a safe and happy New Year. Read and write, go to the library! Check out some books!!!

Above photos: Julie painting and Ash whale made from Mt. St. Helen's ashes ~

Tamales

2011-12-28T19:44:00.001-08:00

There was once a day I let my son drive up to Globe, AZ. We had a nice stop-over at the Arboretum, a hike of sorts where Wm and I counted every single tiny hole, snake hole, I might add, that we crossed on our trek. The Arboretum is beautiful any time of year, but it's the summer that is most special. One can't help to love the summers in AZ ~ the summers are for avoiding the crowds because the crowds avoid Arizona!

I have to show some patience when my son drives. I'm not a good back seat driver. I have issues. I've got to be in control or all hell breaks loose. Needing to buy Adrian a Christmas present Wm took to the wheel and drove to what was supposed to be WalMart, but mom (me) decided at last minute to drive to Costco off Power Rd. Snowbirds merge, good script title and this week, while he's up in Seattle, I hope he gets a lesson with someone who exhibits much more patience.

We made it up to Globe, AZ after our hike along lone trail and butterfly hoopla. Pictures. One of these days I'll get a really good camera. I want to take pictures. Tons of pictures. Someday soon, when I figure out what I'm doing, I will buy a camera. A really good camera. Perhaps this purchase will take place when my son comes home from school asking me to get him one, too, for his video production class. God will open doors. I live vicariously through my son. I will learn. Young, fresh myelin sheath tainted with education, a script that needs to be published. Two paths that cross. Coincidence. It's been widely known that I will give this kid anything and everything because he's earning it on a daily basis. Stanford? Yale? Oxford?

Where ever it is that my son attends college, one thing will be known around the globe ~ mom is following him into the abyss. Mom is going wherever he goes because I love him that much. He knows it and this can be a love letter of sorts, to my son. I wanted two but am happy with one. Grateful. Would give him the world on a silver platter or spoon and now know what it meant to have people I was around be called silver spoons. It's gratitude and love. Gratitude and love. This kid I will never ever complain about cost because everyday I know that I should be spending more. Thank-you God for my son. My special son who has far surpassed any goals I had ever set for him. No hurry, just enjoy dawning the backpack. Enjoy the process. Enjoy academia. Enjoy the swim. I think I have accomplished more than I set out on the son respect. Swim and Study. Who knew?

Movie production next semester. Do I take a backseat? Have I ever taken a backseat? Maybe once, but the view wasn't as good as the front seat. I was one of those teens who was raring to go. I was "Go." I never looked back. If I thought about it for one moment I don't think I'd have made it this far. Just keep trekking. Law of Least Resistance. Someday I will live by this Deepak situation, but it also has to be a choice as my mother has made. My mother is the Law of Least Resistance. Walking and talking. I've never seen another person lounge all day reading a book and accumulate so much. It's a law for a reason because that law is owned by my mom. If you want to accumulate stuff (property) don't do anything. Just read. It works but I've always gone against my mother's wishes so you gotta figure all the work is for something ~ I'm resistance. I'm the antithesis to the law of least resistance. The more I go, the more I go. Go, go, go. Antithesis.

Going has its perks, don't get me wrong. It's perks are better education for the kids, more exposure to the outside world, better shopping. It's not all bad, this travel from one place to another sort of life. It's like putting a tamale in the microwave. Cook it till it explodes then unwrap and savor the flavor. Savor the flavor. Script title. Ya'll think I do this for nothing? It's for something. It's the script title that pops up on occasion. Pretty soon I will be the Donald Trump of copyright. I will have twenty more titles than you. Go figure. Pay off is a fool. When one needs peace and quiet during practicing the law of least resistance, one avoids stress and one looks better as a result. Stress of it all shows up on our face. Holiday Vacation. Where do I want to go. Really want to go? Really? Dubai? No. Italy? No. Dgar? Perhaps. CA? Perhaps WA? No. Palm Springs? Perhaps. I see a pattern here. I want to go where there are palm trees. Go figure. Where do you want to go on your next vacation?

Now that my son is almost 16 I will live vicariously through him. Why not? One plane ticket. One experience. Same page. Why not? Have yourself a Merry little Christmas. May your heart be light. I've turned into my mom and dad, working too much and not taking time off. TG for the weekend off. I can make decisions about where I want to spend the New Year, one year I remember driving S 101 at Sunset. The caption was Sunset 2009, last one. Last one. Where do I want to be. Visualize! Work it! Where do I want to be? Wherever it is, rest assured I will write about it. Rest assured. I'm a writer. Type, type, type. Myelin sheath on the right hemisphere unite. Why not? Life is to be explored, to make memories like my son is doing this week. I've given him the gift of memory, the gift of having something to write about. Go figure. Vicarious. Yale? Stanford? Oxford? Wherever it may be there may be memory attached. Memories. Christmas memories. Write about it.

In closing, and I must close because it's been one big, huge event of a day, tomorrow my day off where I can decide to take the kids to the library and pack for our memory making time travel. Bring in 2012. Where? Vegas or CA? Wherever it may be, rest assured that it will be a good one in which time travel and old ang signs ~ old acquaintances be forgot. I'll sing. I'll write. Memories made. Where will you be? Cheers! 2012 will be that special year, all you gotta do is believe!!!

Pictures above: Past and Future, Sunset, 2007 on Hwy 101, Me and Bill at favorite Christmas at his aunt's home in Santa Barbara, Me and Mom, and future (live, love, laugh).

Wonka

2011-12-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Ricotta Fritters and Prosecco by Chow Ciao Italian cook who makes Tiramisu recipe look easy, makes sure one uses super, duper strong coffee to dip the ladyfingers in before placing them on the layers of chocolate and pudding like cheese. Italians know how to eat and one thing they do like besides wine is chocolate. Chocolate night of recipes makes watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that much more enjoyable. "What do we do now, Mr. Wonka?" His reply, "I hope you enjoyed yourselves" after getting rid of half, if not all of the tour except for Charlie and his grandfather. Charlie doesn't get the prize because he broke the rules. When did he break them? When he drank the carbonated bubble soda and flew thru the air. "You lose! Good day, sir."

Smashing his dreams to pieces, what a major conflict, climax, end of Part 2, the movie. Mr. Wonka doesn't change until Charlie talks to him and hands him back the Gobstopper. Mr. Wonka is manic depressive, turns and says, "Charlie, you won!" Mr. Slugworth walks in and Wonka tells Charlie he's won, that Willy had to test him and they get into the Great glass Wonkavator. Genius. All those nifty inventions. All that chocolate! The chocolate river, the wild boat ride. Grandpa gets excited because the Wonkavator is made of glass and they'll be cut into a thousand pieces. The view from above, rising to the top. Motifs. Charlie won the chocolate factory. What's he gonna do with that? The golden ticket didn't win Charlie the chocolate factory, his honesty did and Willy says, "He lived happily ever after." Act 3 Wonkavator ride, signifies life change. Your imagination. Gotta hand it to the writer of this classic, like Oz, will forever be etched in our hearts.

Imagination. How did they make movies way back then without computer? The various ingenious inventions that occupy Wonkaville. Movies just aren't made like that anymore. I even said, "They should remake Willy Wonka in 3D forgetting that the movie has, in fact, been remade, with Johnny Depp. Let's see how his inventions compare. The Golden ticket. What would it be like to win one? Would you have to prove your trust to the one in charge? Most likely. Charlie won a lot more than a Chocolate Factory and as I watch the updated one directed by Tim Burton we see the first image of chocolate being made, packaged and shipped to various places around the world. Charlie was lucky, he just didn't know it yet, and then his dad brings home a piece from a part he stole at his own shop. The first is better, hands down, original and better, except for Johnny Depp. He's the best Wonka yet because his clothes are much more original and stylish.

Watching movies is a favorite pastime and it seems that right around the holidays are when the classics play. During Thanksgiving Eve, I watched a couple minutes of Scarlett pining for Ashley so much that she never gained any appreciation for Rhett until she lost him. A couple days before Christmas we watched, "The Wizard of Oz" and I even downloaded the script. Dorothy indeed wakes up in another place during Act 2, all Acts being so clear in this movie that it doesn't hurt one to download and study that script even if for character use alone. I just want to go home and Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore ~ classic dialogue that was sent from above. You either have the gift or you don't. It's simple and I don't think it can be a learned thing, you either have it or you don't. Even in Wizard of Oz the computer wouldn't do the visual art any justice, it's just that good.

Visual arts, imagination, making movies. It all seems like so much fun, but one should really storyboard each scene as they are writing their scripts. I never have but I should. Imagine words filling a page, one page. Take that page and storyboard it with the next page and see if the story would make any sense to the audience. I'm quite lazy to do that, but one day, when I've got more time, perhaps I will. What a difference a storyboard would make. Perhaps a writer would benefit from storyboarding the first page and writing the next 90 off of that? Who knows. To think that all movies began with a writer is amazing. The writer's mind then working those ideas into a team effort. Takes many people to make a movie. Being on a couple movie sets, I've come to the conclusion that the whole visual artistic endeavor is a ton of work, too. They work all night, all day, no wonder actors want and demand the big bucks. Takes a lot out of you, so much that I've come to enjoy the writing process only, no endeavors to produce, act or direct. Writing is for me, but I do need to spend more time storyboarding. It'd probably be pretty funny, too, how much sense I didn't make in just one script. Visual media. Audience, that's what it's all about.

The last movie I saw was on Christmas day. We went to see The Descendants with George Clooney. A script that took 3 people to write, like Sideways (the reason I write scripts) I could've written this one, too, about selling a beautiful parcel of property for future development. Geez. I've written that script on a daily basis. I live that script. At least my kids do. Trust. Property. Why? Because I didn't write it and I don't have tons of cousins hanging on my very signature although they may come out of the woodwork eventually. Down the road. I loved the scene when they drove up to see the view from above. What a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. I'm glad George decided not to sell and I kept poking Adrian about finishing law school. How much fun to be a real estate lawyer. One can't make someone do something, but one wishes that path would be a part of that life. At times, the more I push that harder he resists. It was all about the scholarship even though many doors were opening. I see that life for us and am pushing for him to finish, but once one gets off the beaten path, one can't seem to find his way back. Yes, if I knew proper communication, I could've written that script, too. The only reversal I saw in the movie was when George kissed the wife of the husband who had the affair with George's wife who lay in coma because of a boating accident. Go George. The movie didn't have much conflict or tension, but had a message, one that will be followed even in this family: Never sell the land, no matter how many cousins want you too. Hopefully, that message will be instilled in my own kids who saw, "I bought a Zoo" and one in Seattle visiting grandparents.

Trip to Seattle, much excitement in that airport jaunt. Who knew? Life has a funny way of presenting moments to you ~ like the one, the day after your 18th birthday, a phone call. A horrible, horrible phone call that leaves you in a dream state for the rest of your life. Who would've thought in a million years that the timing on that one was any good. It's amazing how life happens to you when you least expect it. Gives one something to think about, for the rest of your life, perhaps. A groggy girl answers the phone, could be a dream but turns out to be a nightmare, a slap in the face. A slap across the face and you have yet to be fully awake. The words you hear, the timing, the life those words, two to be exact were the most difficult words I've ever had to hear. Ever. So, when Alice Cooper walks by you at the airport when your son is going through security, you know it's one of those moments ~ same place at the same time, this moment in time. The funny thing was, if you can see the funny in all life events is that your son, who is now removing his new Christmas shoes and placing in a gray, plastic x-ray bin, is that your son has no idea who the heck Alice Cooper is! Irony! Life! Imagination. Story. Audience. It's the why in "Why did that happen to me?" It's the justification of the why. It's the telling of your story after a major life event. Because when you can communicate, become a master of communication then the hurt is transferred from one person to many others and that makes the pain much more bearable. It happened and gave me a reason to write ~ to transfer the pain, to learn a lesson, to keep my own daughters from making the same mistakes. Love and pain. They're synonymous even though they're antonyms. Opposites attract.

My goal for the 2012 came because I went to the airport and saw a star. He walked right past us and since I've told everyone, many know him in the Valley and say he's the nicest guy that if I asked for a picture to be taken with my son, he would've complied. Oh dear, how I get excited by the little things and to think if it wasn't airport security, I probably would've jumped the ropes and asked for one, but I was ambivalent and poised, but if they put the video on Youtube, could you imagine the hits, mom dressed in red, pearls, seagull shirt, black lycra leggings, ballet flats, pointing at Alice Cooper so that her son would turn around so he could see. Wm actually had no idea what I was doing. He thought I was waving to him and when I texted him about who was standing behind him in line, he texted back, "Whose that?" Needless to say, my NYR, 2012 is to show my kids who Alice Cooper is by visiting his restaurant, listening to his music and making them write a report about him. Point in time moment. Like an aha moment, probably the same thing.

In closing, the other day I ran across a death certificate. It was Bill's. I ran across it when I was searching for Wm's passport. There was a time that I convinced myself that it was all a hoax. A mean hoax so I went to county of Vta and obtained a $12 copy. There is was, again, in black and white or blue and black, pink, those colors ever present on an official document. I looked at the document thinking it was Wm's birth certificate, the names being the same: William JOhn. That was a fluke because Adrian's mid name is William and both our brothers are JOhn. What caught my eye was cause of death: skull fracture and brain laceration. Basically, no airbag in the VW bug. No airbag.

Serious damage to most needed vital organ. How could that have happened on Hwy 126 going into Ojai. Did he fall asleep at the wheel? Did he? 3:45 a.m DOA. Ouch. If only. It would be like the if only I didn't go to the airport I would've never seen AC. Life is choices and many, many of those present themselves in this so called. I'm over it. I wrote the book. Guardian angel. Song. Movie: City of Angels and all the musical scores that remind me when I hear them on the radio. So, as I go back to my Shirley McClaine book reading adventure, "I'm so over that" I will remind myself for the gazillionth time that life goes on, but wouldn't it be wonderful to take back that day, those days? How different would your life be? It's a learning experience and maybe if you don't learn it in this one, you would have to learn it in the next. Just ask Shirley. Every place she's been she feels she's been there before or will be there again in the future. She's had a ton of past life experiences. Deja Vu's. Gotta love them. It's the mysterious, the unknown that makes the road less traveled that much more exciting. Who knows what the future holds? Perhaps the past will come back and be nice to you, coddle you in their arms and say, "What did I ever do without you?" or How did I live my life without you? Like that's gonna happen but again, that's why I'm a writer because I have the ability to make that happen, if not in this life, in my stories.

Have a great week everyone! The above picture costs 50K and only a handful will be made ~ a vehicle that will most likely have a lifesaving airbag and be strong enough to withstand any sort of impact. It's the Defender by Land Rover and I'm gonna get one to drive up the rugged driveway where the view from the top, like in the Descendants movie, is spectacular! 2015

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

The kids woke up at sunrise to open their presents. I've enjoyed the excitement of a child on Christmas morning. Three children, much more excitement generated through the house. I grabbed my camera and tripped over a large package while attempting to capture the orange light of the sunrise and the precious moments of my kids as they open their Christmas presents. The very large package, I found out, was for me! How exciting life is when a large package awaits, wonderment abounds about what's inside.

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Eve celebration at the always crowded winter kid's service at the UMC where Wm portrayed Joseph and the girls played waitress. The message was about bringing light into darkness and we lit the candles and sang Silent Night, my favorite part of the service. We came home and enjoyed a Christmas Eve dinner with our family and friends, prime rib and mashed potatoes, yams and LIz's coconut cookies for desert. The night was fantastic and even though the tank was low on water, something we need to be much more disciplined about checking, we are thankful for our friends filling up the orange Boy's Scout camping jugs just in case we do run out as Artic Water and Ice only delivers Monday through Friday. The renter in the cabin has his grandparents staying down there and we were late on getting word to them to conserve. Lord knows what's gonna happen when the people across the hill move in. We are on well water and is a precious commodity on the hill so anyone tapping into that water source will definitely have an impact on our own water supply.

The new home being built across the hill is a massive monstrosity and I can't even see the pool. I can't tell if it's gonna be condos or a single family home, but they are on city water so hopefully when they move in and fill the pool they won't have any impact on our own water situation. Conservation is the message we got this Christmas day and even though we've got a sink full of dishes from last night's get together, we are attempting to see how much water we can get to attempt one load of dishwasher time. The well is dry and Beeman says nothing is wrong with the pump. The well just can't accommodate 8 people at a time, but it's one way to get the renter into his new home. Instead he's got his visitors coming down and staying in the cabin, an issue my mother will have to take up with them. In the meantime, I'll have to call and get water delivered tomorrow. New well pump, no water. Go figure. If only we were in our new home on this day, but a Christmas miracle didn't happen in that department either so I'll look at the gorgeous view and move onto the next chapter in our lives. The little train that could. Keep chugging along.

Christmas morning is/was about the kids and they were so excited to open all their gifts. My gift of a Keurig coffee maker and Stephen King manuscript book has a message in itself, one I've yet to figure out. Any writer would be happy to get such a gift but my list included other writers such as: Vogler and Joseph Campbell. Sure, I didn't get what was on my list and I'm partly to blame but my kids got everything on their list. Looks like somebody will be waiting in the return line. It could be a complete disappointment for me, this day, but the spectacular view is keeping me happy and the fact that we get to put Wm on a plane to travel up to see his grandparents is even better. The new home, water situation, and not getting what was on my Christmas list could be a complete failure, but either way you look at it, my glass is still half-full, I just have to keep looking at that view and tell myself that over and over on this day. 2012 may bring change, something to look forward to, after all, tomorrow's just another day ~ a day of hope for a better future! We have been blessed with a good paying job this year so all isn't lost, even though the gift elves forgot to bring my Nikon 1 and writing books. If all else fails, buy it yourself. Looks like that's what I'm gonna have to do!!! Hope everyone got what's on their own Christmas list and had a spectacular Christmas morning, if not come join me on the hill, we can both look at the view together and then go shopping!!!

Positive

2011-12-24T14:23:00.001-08:00

What do I love to do on Christmas Eve more than any other day of the year? Open one present!

How I wish I could've spent more at Costco today, but I got Adrian an electric shaver and a hair trimmer. The place was crowded and If I remembered that I had a check in the mail, I would've spent more. I called Amex to see what my balance was and they said every statement is a month behind. That means the balance is in the negative even though I thought it was in the positive by +500. Adrian had been using the card for travel until he got his own corporate one, so once he submits his travel receipts then I should be back in the positive.

I let Wm drive to Costco today, the same time I decided to get on the phone with AMEX. I've been doing a wonderful job keeping track of my finances and have to give myself a pat on the back. I spend money, too. I like to spend but know that the universe doesn't like it when I spend and will let me know that I must live within my means at all times. I've got to watch every penny and be like the one who deducts their debits from their checking acct ledger. It's got to be done, so perhaps that will be my New Year's resolution, to be in the positive at all times.

Calling Amex and having people merge onto the freeway while you're 15.5 year old son is trying to get to the offramp isn't a pretty site. God give me patience with this driver's ed experience. The Amex lady got an earful, not from me but from my son. He may never want to drive again! Poor thing. I don't remember my parents teaching me to drive. I just got behind the wheel and took off, into a bed of ivy, with a Porsche 924, leased by my mother.

My mother and I talked today. She gave one of her tenants a serving and wanted to chat. She had her Florence handyman the obligation to serve the couple whom my mother has absolutely fallin in love with because they just had a baby. My mother says this is the cutest baby in the world and has let them slip on their rent, by months. I told mom to be strong and get them out but didn't realize she'd do so on Christmas Eve. My mother said the renters didn't take it lightly and may be over to do the job herself very soon. I told mom she can sleep on the couch with Adrian. Snoring people unite! Mom rented out the cabin to a fellow whose home closed last week and who has invited his grandparents to stay in his stead, most likely saving $200 a night in hotel expenses. He may never leave and may have all his snowbird friends over so the next fellow won't be able to move in. Mom wants me to "happen" down there and ask them what's going on. Rentals. They make life much more complicated than it should be.

On this Christmas Eve night I get to leave in a couple minutes to go down and see my son portray Joseph in the annual Christmas Eve play at UMC. The place is packed as my husband says as he drops off the kids for their 3:15 stage call. In the wintertime, the place is packed: Bashas, Walgreens, UMC, and Urgent Care as I can imagine them being quite happy this time of year as businesses thrive compared to summertime. Lines, parking spaces, their all rare in the winter. My daughters will be waitresses and I can't wait to see them, take pics and arrive back at 8 for Silent Night over candle light. Life is good and so very thankful for the positive-ness that happens on occasion. Wm travels to Seattle soon and get's his white Christmas! His grandparents will coddle him and make him feel at home. He may never want to leave, but travel is good and I told him to check out the U of W because soon he will be applying. Time ticks. Enjoy the here and now, write it all down and be happy for all you've got! Christmas Eve is for rejoicing the birth of Jesus. Imagine what Joseph felt like that night? His wife about to give birth. Thinking back on that experience, well let's just say that I'm grateful for the experience but don't want to reflect on it much tonight, but what a gorgeous Joseph that boy's gonna make. Thank you God for all you've given me!!! God bless your Christmas Eve, 2011!!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

What's your favorite part about Christmas? Mine is getting Christmas cards. It's so much fun to come home and open mail and receiving Christmas cards from friends and family makes the season that much more special! This Christmas season is no exceptions and I'm overwhelmed with the creativity even with our own cards this year, done by photographer Allen Patrou.

As much as I try to be organized, I do admit to procrastinating on occasion. It's a bad habit, not as bad as some but worse than others. I do as much as I can during the day. Sometimes that means that if I've got a writing deadline, I need to wait to the last minute because the last minute is the only thing that motivates me. Last Minute! As I write that statement out, a script title comes to me. Last Minute. At this minute, this second in time I wrote a future script title. Let that be documented as I'm sure it is as everything one posts on any social media site is recorded in the encryption history of said hard drive. For me, that's copyright. Can you imagine a court of law, an innocent screenwriter girl attempting to defend a future title? Yes, your honor, I'm from California. Yes, I'm blond. Yes, I wouldn't lie about such a thing. Can I go swimming now, you're honor?

Proving legal ownership has never been a problem for me. When you already have it all, anything else that happens is just icing on the cake. If I spent my days worrying if somebody is going to steal my idea I would rather hike Kilimanjaro in a Fastskin, Speedo. Who cares. I'm as unique as they come and everybody knows that I've not even tapped into 10% of my potential. Writing potential, creative potential. It's not rocket science. All it is is looking between the lines, studying the space around you. Really study all the writing on the wall, the doodles and the stars in the sky as they are the best map in the world. The best creative person on Earth created the stars and that person is God. All one has to do is look up in the sky and decipher the meaning. If one falls out of the star it's more of a sign to continue the study because that one star has decided to skip out on his duties and wants to move on to bigger and better experiences, but once you fall, you can never get back to that shiny place you once held so securely. That's life. Stars are beautiful and hold the magic key to the universe. Study the little things as they will bring many answers. Study history for even more answers are there. History repeats itself. The stars hold a message, all you have to do is look up into the sky, sit still and gaze. It's so simple, this thing called life.

God mad the stars and God made Jesus and the three wise men. The three wise men offered gifts when Jesus was born, which was, according to the Church, not in December as I heard on the radio this week. Kind of disappointing if you ask me. Everyone thinks the birth of Jesus is in December, so why have radio messages that say it's not the correct time of birth? When was Jesus really born? Does it really matter because everyone on the Earth celebrates his birth in December. It's a universal celebration so why put on a radio station commercial that His birth most likely took place in the Spring. What difference does that make? For me, my second favorite part of Christmas is attending Christmas Eve service at the UMC. We light candles and sing Silent Night ~ it's an exceptional experience to see all the candles illuminated while singing such a poignant song when we all know a birth is hardly silent. If anything it was a noisy night in Bethlehem that spring night. Babies cry, eat and sleep. That happens until they turn 18 and even then you may still get the Father, Son and Holy Ghost trilogy of life. Things happen in threes, get used to it.

Yes, I wait till the last minute to shop. That means that yesterday at my lunch break I was shopping for a velour tracksuit for my mother and an Adidas jacket for her hubs. I got everything mailed at a small UPS shop near work. I was the only patron in the shop until the end of my transaction when people came in by the dozen to get their own packages mailed off in time to arrive by Christmas. The cost wasn't as high as I thought and I was happy to get something done on my own Christmas list. I had shopped at Walgreens that very morning, for gift cards, of which are much less personal than a hand picked gift, but enjoyed none-the-less. Adrian and I met for dinner at the Fashion Square and I shopped till I dropped, got mostly everything on my kid's list. The two girls made their list which included: Vans, H&M, Abercrombie and Fitch, etc. William will be getting his white Christmas in Seattle and didn't make a list. ADrian said that at the last minute he whispered, on the way to swim practice, that he'd like some swim equipment. Cute treasures of memories those kid's Christmas lists. Treasures, like the stars in the sky. A wish on a falling star. The one thing that one has to do after the wish is to Believe! It's quite a difficult practice, for me especially, but if one believes then that falling star didn't fall for nothing. It fell for something, right?

Yes, this Christmas, I pictured myself somewhere else. I always picture myself somewhere else because I'm a writer and half of the creativity process is picturing yourself somewhere else. Why not? Get it written. Cheers to 2012! May many good things happen to you all and may family be the star in the sky that never falls so you can look at it and wish on it forever. My wish is that everything on Earth lives in complete harmony. One Earth. One life. We've got to make the best of this wonderful place we call home. It's a good place, deserves much love and if you look from afar it's covered in shiny, bright, beautiful STARS! Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

The above photo was taken at the School of Ballet Az during Nutcracker dress rehearsals when the dancers were going to be featured at Nordstoms Rack in North Scottsdale. Alice has been in the Nutcracker for four years and loves ballet as much, if not more, than swimming!

Reclaim the Nation

2011-12-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

I submitted a script titled, "Reclaim the Nation" to the 2012 Phoenix Film Festival. I did so in the eleventh hour even though I was challenged to get ink on 20 pages at last minute. "Reclaim the Nation" isn't a political thriller like you think it would be. It's a fluke of a title and since we as script-writers have to have the title somewhere in the script, it was by happenstance that the name just so happened to present itself as does other ideas when we write, write, write. The original title was, "Boy Cries Poor" but my editor said she thought the title should be, "Boy Cries Mountain" of which I couldn't come to change, so I got a new one based on my favorite subject: Water. I guess that's why the scriptwriter gurus keep telling us to practice, practice, practice our craft (hobby) because you never know what can show up during an attempt at the creative process.

How will my script place at this years festival? That remains to be seen, but one thing that has brought me some writing success and placement in my favorite festival is writing about historic events that take place in Arizona. We all know that we wouldn't be here had it not been for water reclamation. Reclamation, Reclaim the Nation ~ get it? Which one is more creative? The second grabs the readers attention more than the first, don'tcha think? What if I was to title my script, Reclamation? Wouldn't that be boring? With the current state of events, as in current United States of events wouldn't a title such as, "Reclaim the Nation" be more appropriate and since the title has to wrap up what the scripts about, I'm happy to have fallen in to such creative bliss! Title's happen and really the title should be based on the ending of the story, or so I've been told.

Does my script have any commercial viability? According to my editor, the answer is no, no, no. The logline goes something like this: A teenage boy becomes a town hero after a plane crashes into the Superstition Mountains, not knowing that his own father works for the FBI and is involved in a plane crash cover-up. Conflict presents itself when the kid gets detention from a traditional all boys school because during his video production class, while he and his team mate, a girl from the school next door decided to obtain costume attire for a video brainstorming session. The teen character tries on some restricted church attire, not knowing his mother was cleaning the chapel and that the school's P.A system was in the on position.

While on detention he goes over to another high school where video production has received many awards and tries to fit in while learning the craft of making movies. In turn, once he learns the other high school's secrets, he takes them back to his own school and comes up with an idea to unite all the high schools in the Phoenix metropolitan area and embrace each schools cultural difference through visual media. He invites all the high schools to submit to the film festival so that all high schools can learn video production techniques so they can go out into society to make a difference, just like he's learning to do at his own school. His goal of making the state swim meet after being injured by flying plane debris, right leg burned, goes off without a hitch and the boy comes in first, helping his team win state. Write what you know. Always! It's not Sherlock Holmes, but it's an attempt to keep status quo even though the pressure was on, is on because even though I've taken classes, and practiced the craft, only time will tell what happens. It is what it is.

It's my first suspense-thriller script. I'm venturing in to new territory as I'm used to writing comedy and even though the first draft was confusing to my editor she did identify with the protagonist's bully issues and thought the secondary characters were three dimensional. Other than that, the script needed a ton of work at the eleventh hour and having made all of her suggestions for change I got the script in just in the nick of time by tying in the history of water reclamation into the plot, which I had to look up said definition because I second guessed myself and my writing ability. Plot is the "why" things happen in the story, the cause/effect events that make up a story. An "Imbroglio" is a complicated plot and coincidence is often used for explaining life and how some people behave. It's a plan or scheme to accomplish some purpose. Elements of plot are exposition, complication and climax. The theme is a moral teaching extracted from the characters or setting.

In Arizona, year 1908 there was a huge storm and much water was wasted. Farmers couldn't grow crops and fought for water rights. Floodwater and climate change effected crops, cattle and miners. The drought that came left Arizona in a state of bad to worse and made neighbors clash even more over getting their fair share of water. Canals were formed to protect the water shed but a dam was needed to contain runoff from storms so Heard, Chandler and Ben Fowler made up the water storage committee, thus the birth of reclamation ~ conservation ( most good for most people) and recycling. The Salt River Project found ways to use water as a power generator.

Roosevelt Dam was christened by Teddy Roosevelt who flew over the Superstition Mountains and flagship Apache Trail, all to stabilize water, which in-turn boosted the economy through crop growth, copper mines, and most of all power! Arizona soon thrived and grew in population to have the 14th largest metropolitan city (Phoenix). We wouldn't be in Arizona if it hadn't been for water storage techniques and the Roosevelt Dam is that largest manmade storage shed on face of the Earth! Do you see where I'm going with this? One can possibly learn from our historic ancestors. Why not take the idea of water reclamation ~ build a dam to store all the money then let it trickle down for all to use?

Water reclamation can be used to Reclaim the Nation ~ learn from history, study what worked and apply that to the future of the American economy. What if the same mentality of water reclamation can help save the average American so that we can once again be on top of the globally financial Christmas tree? Doesn't take an angel to tell you to study what worked in the past and I'm sure there are many Harvard educated historians who are studying so that they can get the answers to get us all out of this mess, which read recently will be in 2015 when this can all be a 'bad memory.' Can't wait for that year, but first we've got to make it through 2012. New beginnings. Goals.

My grandparents homesteaded on 400 acres in Florence, Arizona. They also owned, at one time, the Biltmore area but couldn't pay their taxes. My grandfather was a carpenter. He and my grandmother, Alice had seven children, my mother being their seventh. He drove back and forth from California to Arizona all the time. We, as a family, have a deep respect for Arizona history. We are Arizona history. My uncle, who owns the property across from the original homestead (owned by my mother) is most likely Florence's oldest resident. He was born and raised there and even though his wife and family live in California, he won't step foot outside his beloved birthplace. My grandparents were friends with farmers. They watched the town grow. They loved Florence and it's because of my mother driving North on Hwy 79 and stopping to take a picture off Hwy 60 of the Superstitions that we are here today. She meandered up Kings Ranch Road and the rest is history. More history so it's only natural that I delve into the mix and write about it.

Reclaim the Nation begins with what my editor calls a teaser. An unfortunate event but one that moves the story forward and embraces even more history, that of the fiery February night when Apache Land burned down, all was lost except the Elvis Chapel (yes hounddog and love me tender are part of the dialogue). Super Soakers come in to disperse water over the fiery wreck and the boy asks, "Mom, where are they getting all the water?" The mom goes into a speech about water being obtained by Roosevelt Lake. She says to him, haven't you studied, "Water Reclamation" in school? It's why we are all here in Arizona. Then he says, "Reclaim the Nation?" then asks her if she's gonna be one of those "Occupy Phoenix moms." There you have it, thus a title is born, through history of Arizona and a tiny message to conserve the water is taught throughout the script. We'll see what happens this year. How I do enjoy delving and learning about Arizona history.

Next on the agenda is changing states with the same idea for submission to my other favorite film festival, Beverly Hills. Of course this script touches on something too fresh in the readers mind, but I've always wanted to write about the Superstitions and the surrounding area, Gold Canyon. I've dedicated the script, of course and really wish in my heart the event never took place because it's super sad. One event I could never even imagine living through as a mom, but learned a bit of history on the twin engine plane being known to have cracks in the wing, like having cracks in the "System." Cracks in the system and that's why the economy is the way it is and people have taken it upon themselves to "Occupy." Get the land back, like water rights, they want to reclaim the nation.

To regain control. Get their jobs back, feed their kids, get new homes, feed their kids, get medical insurance, feed their kids. Move the story forward, write what you know and love, and become desperate for something to write about at the last minute. It had to be done and I did it, I finished another script! I wrote about it, an event in history about a state and place that is dear to my heart!!! Like the Lost Dutchman and the Apache's Thunder God, also mentioned in the script (focus on historic events here) I've also learned to have a deep respect for the place, the surrounding mountains that have been known as a place that once you go in, you never get out. I may never leave the place and hopefully, if we can maintain our own tax payoffs it will be a family gathering place for years to come.

The above photo was taken a couple years ago and is titled, "Christmas Past" when the economy was good and I had a yearly pass to the greatest theme park on Earth ~ beloved Disneyland!!!

Christmas

2011-12-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

Paul Giancola's dressed as Santa on the tele yelling at Vince Vaughn. The two characters break out into a snow ball fight then Paul gets on his red Vespa and a fight scene ensues. Conflict at it's best during a Holiday we all like to enjoy and hopefully try hard to avoid any conflict. The two crash and land in the snow. Santa wakes up with a sore back and Vince looks up and wonders why the old man has to be so mean. Vince climbs in to a bigger, redder slay and a woman with red hair brings him gifts. Vince isn't happy. Why? Because in order to change, as in any movie, the main character has to go through conflict, aka character arc.

Somewhere over the rainbow a genius was born. A writer of any good movie is a genius because that writer has knowledge of how to tap in to the human element, like seeing a cuddly baby on screen. What's the first thought? Awww. It all seems so easy, this writing thing, but it's not. I often feel that it was much easier when I began the script writing process because I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but somehow I captured the human element. My very first script, "Lost Earring on the Coit" won finalist in a script writing competition. I've gone downhill ever since. If only I could tap in to that naivete once again. I'd have all my wishes granted this Christmas season.

No, writing isn't easy. It takes a true gift from God to get to Oscar quality or even just indie quality. I've since learned that there's a beginning, middle and end. That many climaxes are present along the way, but the big one is at the end of Act 2. The only thing I've got going for me is that I've got a psychology minor and that many life events have lead me to this place. Most importantly, I'm Irish and just so happen to have a creative streak and am stubborn by nature so push myself to full extent, somehow end up with 90 pages just in the nick of time. I'd rather submit then not submit, even if I'm rushed. If I had all the time in the world, I'd never be able to finish one scene because that scene would never be good enough for even me. Over analyze is my middle name.

I'm late for most events in my life. I've since been late on closing of said escrow, which doesn't help said parties in moving on with their lives. We're all in this life is greener phase of our lives. For me, life is always greener but if you should me a green door I may think twice about opening it. Nobody likes change. In fact, we resist change on all levels. I hate change and maybe that's why I'm resisting such a move. Who would want to move away from ten acres of complete nature sanctuary, peace, quiet and serenity. It's like a magnet. I'm attached and even though I feel the life will be greener for my kids, socially, not as tired, etc perhaps there's a higher power not wanting me to make the change because everytime I'm close to closing, something happens and in reviewing my own vows to the membership of my Church, I've learned to put complete faith in God. I want to move. I don't want to drive. My kids want to move. They hate the drive, but it's impossible to get closer in. On a spiritual as well as intellectual level. Each time I've tried, the door's been closed.

A Christmas miracle. What is it? Vince Vaughn believes. He turns on the overhead light switch for the elves who have not been good believers about getting all the presents made and delivered. Today we went to Walmart after Church and shopped for those tree tags and as I disappeared to the mouth rinse aisle, I thought about all the people shopping at that particular time. I happen to love to shop at the personal needs department. The array of mouth rinses, lotions, shaving creams, make-up, etc. I could shop for hours picking out the flossers vs g.u.m soft picks. Where were the Dr's Brushpicks? Families going this way and that, yelling at their kids to behave. It's a complete madhouse and was a wonder that I found my family when I was done purchasing new socks as well as soft picks. I spent $60 bucks and left the tire department check-out thinking and saying, "It's better to give than receive." It really is difficult to buy for others but once you do it, you feel good. Trust me, just go out and buy something for a complete stranger. It's a good thing, besides there are tags on all sorts of trees this Christmas, all you have to do is look for them. Just take a tag, buy that gift, take the tag and gift back to the place where you got the tag and perhaps that place will have a gift wrapping session for all the gifts that will even bring more people together. It's like the dominoe piece standing in a long line of dominoes. You do one thing for someone else and get to notice the positive change that takes place around you.

Positive change is something that is good for one's soul. In my case, positive change is getting my hair done on a Saturday afternoon. My hair. It's a bone of contention. At times I think I should let the gray grow out then when it gets to be about three inches of outgrowth I freak out and make a color appointment. After having my first big event of the Christmas season take place this past Friday night, and as I realize I should've been more prepared, I decorated then colored the hair, should've been the other way around. Color then decorate. Always. There is a certain protocol with Christmas attire ~ one should make it a point to get all of their grooming done the week after Thanksgiving, that includes hair cuts, styles, clothing issues and hair color. I waited a week to late and was rushing to get the color off so as to not be late to my daughter's first Nutcracker performance which was to begin at two. I got the last strand of hair washed at 2:03 and rushed to Symphony hall as Adrian called me over and over to ask where I was. I ran after finding parking and my way downtown and since one can't take their seat if late, I was ushered to the balcony where I have to admit, I was most pleased to see the Phoenix Symphony perform in sweet succession. My girls were lovely and even though Kaitlyn said a boom guy came up to her and said he recognized her when she was quite little, I told them Bravo after their performances.

Hopefully, in closing, I will get to see them perform more than once this Holiday season. As I listen to Vince, dressed as Santa telling a kid who caught him eating all the cookies, "The world is what you make it." True. Reading Deepak helps as there are times that even I don't understand why things happen the way they do. It's all a life lesson, even the Christmas season. We may run in to Kevin Spacey's telling us we're worthless, but once you get out the map, you can even guide your own sleigh out of a storm. Like today's sermon, Fred was telling us how a little plane couldn't make his way through the storm so the military asked a jet if he had enough fuel to go out and locate the pilot. The military jet's pilot said, "yes" and agreed to go out and guide him in. The pilot didn't have to agree, but he did and when he found the stranded pilot he asked him to follow him to the nearest runway. The pilot cried because he was lost and didn't think anyone would ever find him. The military pilot said to follow him, to trust him and he would guide him safely in. The pilot followed him beneath the storm clouds and they both landed safely. Could you imagine if that military pilot never agreed to take on such a rescue mission? We need to help out each other, to guide one another to a safe landing. Another example is this most recent plane crash that has had a profound effect on a little community. Thousands of balloons released into the sky. A celebration of life. Lord only knows that I'd never be as strong, but through community and pray, that person can get through this. Community and prayer gives one a source of strength.

Have a great week, this third Sunday in Advent. Life goes super fast and before you know it, we'll be reading this blog with tri-focals. It's amazing how grass isn't greener, how you should always be happy for what you've got, even if things don't always turn out the way you had planned!!! It's like running to the world snow globe, watching the kids open their gifts that you took the time to purchase for them. Human spirit. To tap into that and to write about it then the grass will be greener for you in the present, the here and now. Making a difference in someone's life!!! That's the real Merry Christmas!!!

Success

2011-12-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you've heard the metaphor, "Sweet smell of success?" What exactly does success smell like? Does it smell like Chanel no. 5, or does it smell like freshly bailed hay? In my ordinary world, I've noticed some great aromas like tonights decorating session of certain said Chapel. The aroma of a freshly cut pine tree, well there's just nothing like it! Does success smell like pine, perfume, or an orchid's first bloom? The best aroma in my own life that I've experienced, besides the freshly cut, donated pine trees was the aroma of Turkey after my annual Thanksgiving Day hike. Aroma's. They are special. They tell you life is definitely not only good, but great. Tis the season for the aroma of pine, people, and good, old fashioned plum pudding!

At times I wonder why I write. For some reason there is a motivation in me to explain to the world my experiences. Like the book on CD, Alfred Hitchcock's, "Lifeboat" All Connie does is write about herself. Always take the time to listen and learn from the early 1900's. Those people, way back when, were not only creative, they were motivated. There aren't too many like them with us today and visiting them on occasion through books, media and cinema (Marilyn Monroe) helps you to appreciate character. Connie is a character on a lifeboat who loses not only her beloved camera, but her typewriter and diamond bracelet. Hitchcock knew how to use motif to his advantage. To go back in time and meet these people, lets just say, I'd most certainly be a tad shy, but I'd explore none-the-less.

My latest script, which is semi-top secret until I get it back from my editor, who I'd like to thank for taking me last minute. There are so many other things to do in life than to write, that writing only gets done when there's a deadline. For me, this deadline is today. I had to cut and paste some of my old scripts because what began as 28 pages on my day off ended with 75! I was still 15 pages short of fresh script material. My editor needs to read my material before submission to any festival. She knows her stuff and how I hope she'll be impressed, but she will most likely let me know that it's wise to begin a script earlier at the next go around. I need the pressure. I tap in to that Irish stubbornness that would hate to see a deadline pass her by. It can be a curse because I wish I could write on a daily basis. It just doesn't work with me.

Adrian told me he was going to submit this year, to PFF. I hope he does, but like Connie, on the lifeboat, I can't help him. How can a writer help someone who wants to write? You can't. They've got to write. They've got to have their own necessity to make their own deadline. The same thing goes with writing with another person. One person always does more than the other. It's team work. Team work! I enjoy doing my own thing at my own time, last minute. Whose right? Whose wrong? I realize it's all a process, but there's only so much a full time working mother can do. I'll be happy just to get some ink on each of the 90 pages, even if I have to resort to cutting and pasting. God forbid.

Teamwork. Tonight's blog is dedicated to such a job. We, somehow with our differences, pulled it off. The Chapel is simply breathtaking and has given me reason to believe in the Holiday Season. The Lord works in mysterious ways! Boy does he. Especially when the pointsettias weren't supposed to be displayed because the bride doesn't want them in her wedding. Full moon, I could've but I didn't. I kept quiet and Wm hated it when I talked about it in the car on the way home. He's super nice and doesn't want his mom to put thoughts inside his head. I told him he may be Jesus. At times I seriously think he is. I had my family help me tonight, the special event we've been planning months to pull off!! Breathtaking!!! To top it all off, I bought too much food! Who knew? Perfect! Even the woman in the first pew who sat and watched the decorating for a whole two hours straight. I smiled at her and asked William on the way home if he thought Jesus could take a human form as a bag lady and an old woman? William said, "Yes. He can." Each of the last times I've been in the Chapel for a certain event, whether it be Swiftering for Jesus or Decorating for a Christmas wedding, there's been a stranger who has sat in the front pew, silently watching.

In closing, take time to get to know strangers who enter your life. They may show up as someone who wants to find her family again, someone who had a bad experience or someone who just wants to pray. Someone who shows up in your life is someone you have to take a moment and smile, greet them with dignity and give them hope for a better future. It's happened twice at the BCP Chapel and for this writer, those moments were the most special of them all!!! Good luck to all those who submit to the 2012 Phoenix Film Festival! I'm gonna because I'm a writer!!!

Theme

2011-12-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

Before story is hard work. I have to rely on my Irish stubbornness to write at last minute because I hopelessly let time take me away with work and drive. My think time as I like to call it. My car has many miles and I've tried to use the time productively, time which may pay off with the phrase, "It's all been worth it in the end." If I could possibly make this happen I'll most likely be able to hike in spots I've never hiked before (Squaw Peak). I may be able to write, although I don't want the extra time to mean that I'm gonna spend all my time at said computer because although I like to avoid life at times, I want to keep my kids happy, my family intact. In other words, I want to have a life that doesn't include the inside of my car, as much as I love my car I hate to see the poor thing get too many miles.

There are times in ones life when we have to fight for what we want. If we never fight, people wouldn't understand how important some things are to us. We'd be pushovers. People would take advantage of us. Sometimes it's the right time to call in the guard, to call in everyone to support your cause. Fighting for my new home is one example. I've fought in the past for things I've wanted and I admit I've lost, but the things that really will make a difference in your life, those are the things worth fighting for. This week I had to call in the forces, those higher up people who may communicate my needs better than I can communicate them, to cry, stomp my feet and pout. Pouting is a rare event but when you hear your uncle tell you that all your mother had to do was pout and her six siblings would come running you learn that sometimes pouting is in order. Another person who had pouting down pat was Marilyn Monroe. Boy, did she pout. If only I could pout like she did, her secret revealed in the movie, "My Week With Marilyn."

Besides Disney, one production company that I've tried to query is Weinstein Company. His movies, most made in Santa Barbara, a city close to my heart, so naturally I'd try to scout out a call. The Bridesmaid movie was filmed in Ventura and Santa Barbara County, Biltmore Santa Barbara carries many family memories. Needless to say, I've got to study Weinstein as well as Disney. I liked, "My Week With Marilyn" but walked away knowing nobody can compare to the sex symbol icon. She was one of a kind. Michelle Williams came close, but to me, no cigar. Branaugh playing Sir Lawrence Olivier will get an Oscar for sure. He was good. You couldn't tell if he was acting. He was in character. With Michelle Williams you could see that she tried, but again Marilyn was one of a kind. She had a dark side, liked to escape through drugs, alcohol and sleep. As a foster child, she most likely experienced major abuse moving from family to family all the while her mother being placed in an insane asylum so genetics played a role in her being late on movie set behavior, too. Marilyn wanted to feel and be loved. She was a master manipulator, too. She knew exactly how to get what she wanted. From watching the movie I feel that she could've possibly been manic-depressive because at times she was up, running through the castle gardens, jumping into the lake then the reverse would take place and she'd want to soak away her sorrows with booze and pills, sleeping it off, being late to the movie set. So much potential. Imagine all the personalities she incorporated into her life as she was sent from family to family. Study of foster kids and their situations would be in order to understand Marilyn Monroe. A good book about foster kids that I've read is "White Orchid." The sad truth is that many people loved Marilyn but she may have not been able to grasp the amount of love because she hated herself, her past and her situation.

Parents have a huge influence on children's life. Huge. Tonight, my daughter Alice would've preferred to shop till she drops at Tempe Towne Lake but I couldn't take the shops she wanted to make purchases at. One shop had the dress of her dreams way up high and there were no salespeople around to get the metal rod that enables an article of clothing to be acquired for a potential purchase. Then, when we finally obtained the dress, Alice had to ask for the key to the dressing room. Once inside the dressing room I told her to come out so her sister and I could see the dress. She came out to show us and get our opinion then was locked out of the dressing room. I mean, really? Is this particular company so afraid that a 14 year old is going to steal their dress that she can't even have access to the dress. It was an impossible store to make a purchase. Impossible. All I wanted to do was get home to the hill, to relax and look at the snow on the Sups. I long for my Sups when I'm away too long. Will be interesting, the upcoming weeks.

In closing, I hardly talked about theme. Never underestimate the power of a writer. When a writer sets out to do something, they'll do it, it may be implied, subtext or a transition, but don't ever underestimate that power of drama. That's why practice makes perfect because in the above paragraphs you may see a common theme? No? Reread, let me know if I'm getting any better. Write what you know. The theme in script should be presented on page5 and is asked by the mentor to the Hero. In my write what you know philosophy and the fact that I'm writing a new script, have title, and four lines written but knowing that after much thought and seeing this movie mentioned above that the four lines will be erased into the black hole of the universe. If I focus on the audience's breathing I need to warm them up not keep them stagnant so I will need to begin my opening image with some current event that captures their attention. My first intention was a boy of fifteen being on crowded light rail, looks up from his computer, notices someone staring at him. Why is this man staring at him? Who is this man? How many extras would you need in the opening scene? How much would a non-tax incentive state have to pay these extras? All of these questions have come across the desk so I'm gonna switch my opening image. I'm gonna make it more dramatic. Life happens, write what you know. Can you guess, from past events occurring recently and in an area that I so love, what my opening image will be? Let's just say that the breathing pattern may get a little out of whack, but that's what we want, right? Conflict in every scene.

Pressure's on for me to write. I don't want to cut and paste past scripts. I want to capture the human spirit and ask myself many times what is it that I want the audience to take away from this movie? What is my theme? Write what I know. In closing I will write a couple questions, questions about topics that I know, topics that may be funny, may be absurd, but it's called brainstorming people and every writer brainstorms, right? It's the structure that we take away from our brainstorming that makes a script a story. Men fell in love with Marilyn. Possibly every man she came in contact with but I think she was really in love with Arthur Miller. Look at the timing. She divorced a year before she died. I wonder what things he wrote about her in his notebook but the movie kept us guessing. Did Arthur Miller hate Marilyn like she mentioned in the movie? Did he see a darker side of Marliyn? Her shadow self as depicted in the book I'm currently reading by Deepak called the Seven Laws of Spiritual Success of the Superhero. Good stuff. Shadow. Good vs Evil. Protagonist vs Antagonist. Each main character seemed to have an antagonist in "My week with Marilyn." Marilyn's antagonist was Larry, Arthur, perhaps her acting coach, her ex boyfriend, even Larry's wife was jealous, knew she couldn't compete.

Theme question brainstorming about things I want the audience to take away, things I know about in my write what you know sequence:

Floss the teeth that you want to keep
Always pay your taxes
Know how to fly a plane
Keep your eyes and ears open at sunset
The grass isn't always greener (common one)
Love conquers all
Fight for what you believe
Don't play too many video games
Sex symbols will break your heart
When you swim with fins you swim faster
Death and taxes
Donkey Kong rules
Time equals money
Daily activity is good for the soul

Too many to list so why am I having such a difficult time on the first five pages? Because nobody said I was perfect. I like short deadlines because I know I've got to get the writing done without erasing all the stuff I've already written. Focus on breathing. Snow on the Sups tonight. Writing what I know. Because that's all I know. Have a great weekend!!!

OPENING IMAGE

2011-12-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

A script begins with an opening image. For this part, I've had some difficulty thinking of something spectacular like some of the blockbuster movies, examples include Transformers, Hugo, and others where opening images capture the audiences attention. A writer must keep the reader, in my case, enthralled for at least ten pages. Keeping the story interesting for the reader is the goal for writing, in my case, for upcoming festivals de film.

I know what I want to write about. I've got all the outlines and notes from various courses I took this year, great courses I might add Bill True and Chris Vogler's Writer's and Hero's Journey to name a few. I've got no excuse. I've got beat sheets for Acts 1-3. I know where to place all three climaxes, to make sure the hero faces his fear at midpoint and to make sure the Hero goes back to his starting point a changed person, having learned a lesson from conflict time travel in Act 2. Thee is no excuse for me to write the best script ever. I even have the best editor to help me keep the story in perspective and give me hints on how to make it better before submission. I know what her requirements are the hero must have an inner conflict and external conflict that forces the hero to change, that I should use subtext (underlying meaning) and transitions ( a phone rings in one scene and someone picks it up in another). I've learned that I've got to keep an emotional connection between audience and the story I'm telling. With all this knowledge, why is it so difficult to come up with an opening image even after I've picked a title and know what I'm gonna write about.

Opening image is a mirror image of the Closing image. I could always use a still pool, misty fog separating into the air then swimmer takes off the block. The only problem is is that I've used the pool a million times before. It's time to use another opening image. Something unique. Something that is unique to my story. Most know I do write about swimming and I'm almost sure to use it in this new script. Write what you know and someday someone will take notice for your unique storytelling ways. An example would be a producer who yells out to his PA, " Remember that girl who likes to write about swimming? Get her on the phone." Read and Write. Read and Write. If only I enjoyed movie editing I wouldn't have to wait for that phone call. Structure in script writing is what keeps me going with this hobby. I love the attention to detail. Unlike blog writing, script writing must be done right. In other words, higher ups want to see that the writer knows what they are doing, The writer has to know how to move the story forward. Every scene should have conflict.

The most recent movie that I've seen besides Twilight 1 was Hugo 3D. Was a great movie, the conflict being not only that the boy, Hugo was orphaned, he was wanted by a police and his doberman pincer all the while trying to capture his dead father's dream of getting an automaton to fully function. The subplot had to do with a girl's father who sells toys because his own dream of being a famous movie producer had gone by the wayside. Hugo brought his love interest's father's movies back to life. Hugo rocks. Who is going to be my Hugo? What is my story going to be about? How am I going to make it through the challenge of putting the pieces together all the while getting all closing documents and jump through hoops to get this home to close? People who need People are the luckiest people in the world. Trust me. This statement is true. The miracle of Christmas. 3:33

I've got a couple books on my wish list for Christmas through amazon.com the only online store that I'd order from. You order something from amazon.com and by the time you take the dogs out to pee the package is sitting on your front porch. They are that good, almost as good as Costco. The books I'd like are, of course Chris Vogler's "The Writer's Journey" and his book "The Hero's Journey." Chris mentioned his mentor, Joseph Campbell, so I'd like a couple JC's books about characters and myths. Apparently, as the story goes, JC was also a mentor of Obi One Kanobi's creator. When a former exec from Disney tells you to get a book, you have to get a book because Disney has always been my number one goal. Disney. Disney. If only Matt's bff Victoria was still alive then perhaps I could leave a copy of my latest script in her presidential suite at the famous Camelback hotel, of which I've forgotten the name. No, I really wouldn't leave a script copy because I don't believe in that kind of stuff. I do believe that hard work, reading and tons of writing will one day pay off. For now, though I need to focus on the opening image, followed by the theme and call to adventure. It's that easy and even you can do it!!! Cut and paste, cut and paste.

In closing, today was a very good day for the Hick family. A very good day. There may be a Santa Clause after all. At times you need to look at people who have been mentors in your own life. That's exactly what I did. I entered my mother's office and stared at the photo of my mother, curls in her hair, straight and center in front row of family of seven. How did mom get to where she is now? What kind of personality does she possess? How does she luck out? Although I've always known that my mother is nothing but a hard worker, work ethics she instilled in both me and John, even her text starts out with an opening image saying, "I've got my paint clothes on." My mother is a hard worker. I picture her painting her new home. A breast cancer survivor who paints the inside of her own new home. A woman who would always save a dime by doing it herself then to hire someone to do it for her even if her elbow aches. A penny saved has always been her motto. Looking at her picture, my grandparents picture, praying to the Mayfield God's, looking out at the property we are so lucky to have in our own family, the same one that has so much family history, I begin to have faith that somehow I've got what it takes to get what I want, too. For my children, to make life better so that they can have some semblance of a social life, so they can rest, quit eating drive-thru fast food, to live the American dream. That's the goal and to know that all I've got to do is type one word at a time and keep some semblance of structure motivates me to keep typing. For the girl who had to re-take typing class Junior year is the same girl who can't keep her fingers off the keyboard!!! All it takes is for one person to walk you through it. One person to show you the ropes. One person to give you hope. Hope is boundless.

This blog is my procrastination in locating an opening image, but through writing, I've got some ideas. You have to tie it all in together: current events, history, politics, news, etc. Structure. Story. Although procrastinating, I've got to give myself a pat on the back for at least practicing the craft of writing. A couple times a week, like swimming laps, which brings me to my daughter, Alice who had completed 7 events at today's SDA winter invitational. Congrats Alice. My swimmer dolphin girl ranks high in my heart. Love her but want her to not do 200 fly anymore because it's too difficult but if I mention that to her coach he will probably tell me to get off the deck. Have a great weekend everyone. You know what I'll be doing as the deadline looms December 16, but need to get script to editor by the 7th. If only script writing was as easy for me as blog writing. Just think where I'd be. My writing goal is 90 pages by the 7th of December. That's 5 days ~ 90 divided by 5 is what? That's the number of pages per day. In one night, a couple months ago in Sedona I wrote 22 pages in a couple hours. Could be done. Goals. Wish me luck and before you know it, I'll be needing a mirror image to the opening image of my current script.

Cups

2011-12-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, before heading to work, I opened the kitchen cabinet and reached in for a coffee cup. There were none. That's funny, I wondered, because I had just emptied the dishwasher the night before. I attempt to do some chores around the house although Adrian does most. It's hard to keep up sometimes and other times he'll do 5 loads of wash, cook a delicious meal, mop the floor and do dishes. I thought it'd be nice for him to come home to a clean house and got some of my own kudos going. Adrian loves to delve right into housework after emptying his car of backpacks, food, wet swim bags, etc. So, when I reached for a coffee cup I thought, "wow, the kids must've been thirsty last night" then I remembered Alice showing me a Starbucks coffee cup her grandmother had sent in her birthday care package ~ the cup was from Barcelona.

We're collectors of sort. We've collected a Starbucks coffee cup from every town we've been to. We've even got one from Paris, I think. A couple years ago my best friend, Renee got married there, and just the other day sent me a picture of her new baby son. He's gorgeous with a danish name of Roan. Renee has always used a professional photographer, the same one, for her wedding at the little Catholic church in Tours, the chateau where the reception was located (wow), and for the birth of each of her kids. This year, I thought I'd do the same. Since I've delved into the arts business with my scripts and production assistance on movie sets, I've gotten the wonderful honor to meet a whole lot of wonderful people. A professional photographer being one of them. We had a fantastic time at his studio, taking three hours for a photo shoot. I asked the girls if they'd like to do this for a living as they've mentioned being models would be fun or having the life of Kim K would be neat. Me as a momager (mom + manager) I wouldn't know where to begin. A photo shoot where I coordinated the outfits with a purple ensemble then went to Church to light the first advent candle, noticed none other than the color purple! Purple trim on the Christmas tree, purple candles and thought well isn't that swell that for once in my life I got something right? The pictures are beautiful and I want to thank Alan for making the cards for me as life is busy this time of year for us with Nutcracker, buying a home, etc.

Yes, Adrian packed the cups because we're buying a new home. There haven't been any roadblocks on this purchase except yesterday when the underwriter said that the loan can't be processed due to taxes. Death and taxes. My cup runneth over. The unfortunate part of the whole thing is that VA needs proof or attempting to pay back taxes and although Adrian has been working with them they (IRS) won't be assigning anyone till after the New Year. If we'd only known four months ago when we started the whole home searching process. We finally found the perfect home. Even has a pool, lap pool if you will. Wow, life can throw curveballs at you when you least expect it. The seller was so working with us and I even named the home, "Emmy" after some statues Alice saw in the curio cabinet. Olympics played a part in this story, too. I've got till December 6th to come up with a solution. God is testing me until I read Psalm 23 ~ I went to get a walking stick (rod) and noticed there was a silver cross on it (we collect walking sticks, too). I took the walking stick outside and prayed to God, my grandparents, my mother and looked at the vast amount of family property and became comforted. Somewhere in my genes, I must have a tad of luck or what my mother has in acquiring so much property. I've got to dig deep to find it, though, and with my silver cross encrusted rod (walking stick) I will muster the strength to call VA, IRS and ask for a miracle of sorts. For my son, my daughters and my family, to change this whirl wind of a life we live, always coming and going, miles on the car, food debits, etc.

I will let everyone know, because that's what I've been given the gift to do, when or if a miracle happens. A Christmas miracle. Some of happened. Miracle on 34th St? Adrian found this house and he's the most hurt because we work so hard and because we helped out an ailing family member, we continue to pay the price. Yes, my mother is a mastermind when it comes to property and she knew exactly what she was doing when she asked us to help her save the equity. Yes, I'd do it all again because now she's thriving. It's so much fun to watch. My cup runneth over. There is no word for cup in the Bible except perhaps, Chalice? At least in the version I'm reading there is no definition in the back of the book. So, where do we go from here? I guess we continue on our trek, pardon the pun. We've got no choice. Do we unpack the cups? Our box of hope, the very box a care package was sent out of love, celebrating a birth, my daughter's birth. December one is the month to celebrate another birth. The birth of Christ. That, in and of itself is a miracle. One has to believe because it's the month to believe. It's the month to make things happen for other people. It's the giving tree at the Church, the one with all the tags on it, yours to take to make another person's Christmas special. It's the moment to drop a couple coins into the annoying Bell Ringer at the entry to the grocery store. It's the month to make sure that homeless man on Kings Ranch has a jacket to keep him warm. It's the month to take action.

In closing, as I look at the box of packed Starbucks cups I think about my husband, Adrian. So grateful to have him employed, someone took him under his wing and believed in his fine educational genius of sorts. Computer genius. This is hard on him, more than it is me. We found the perfect house. It was meant to be. Roadblock. Guidance. All the things that happen in Act 2. How will I change from this experience, like a character in a movie. Afterall, that's what movies are for. One character, jumping through obstacles in Act 2 then coming back a different person so that he can conquer the world (Climax) and move into a different, more perfect life. We all have Act 2 moments in our life. It's the reason for change and the reason we move into Act 3. As a script writer, maybe I'm noticing the difficulty with this whole situation because I'm channeled to be sensitive to such moments? As Chris Vogel said the other night in his class that writers are chosen because they've gone through tumultuous events in their life ~ sort of like live to tell. I've gone through my own and now know that each horrible event that occurs in my life gives me reason to write so I look for these events as open doors, not closed. This event in my life gives me reason to write Act 2 in my next upcoming script. Tell a story. That's what it's all about. My cup runneth over. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Remember that roadblocks in life give you an Act 2 to write about. Act 2 is the most difficult part of the script to write, the longest too. As a writer, I have learned to embrace Act 2 moments and Chris said we have to focus on the audience's breathing through conflict and tension. Act 2 moments makes the audience breathing pattern irregular. The more irregular and intense the breathing pattern, the higher the box office. You see, the higher ups in the movie business even focus on the physiology of the audience. Genius. They've got it down pat. Audience psychology. That's why they call it an art. Storytelling, got to love it. I hope you enjoyed my story about cups as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Fourteen

2011-11-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter turned fourteen today. She's sweet and innocent, a dancer and a swimmer who is loved by all who meet her. How did I deserve such a sweet girl as I was the complete opposite when I was her age, thus her nickname, Full of Grace (FOG).

Today, of all days, we had a family photo shoot. I usually get my Christmas cards out the day after Thanksgiving, put the holiday decor up, but this year proves to be different. This year I get to drive by homes that have lights galore and shiny Christmas trees showing through the window. This year, hopefully, I get to close on a home fifty miles away so I don't have to commute. A home that is pre-named Emmy for reasons yet to be discussed.

I wanted the family photo shoot to be completed last weekend but Alice wanted to go to Prescott with a friend and since she was already going to miss dance rehearsal for the Nutcracker I decided to reschedule the photo shoot instead. I learned about our photographer from Rebel Filmmaking and suggested to him this past summer that he take our family photos. I went to Last Chance, where I decided on the color purple, for reasons I have no idea and found each of us an outfit based on sale price and design. My off the shoulder dress, a fall fashion statement only cost $12.95. I love Last Chance and when I showed the girls their purple dresses I had no idea they'd like them. It was a win, win situation, you see turning fourteen is mucho significant. Don't ask me why, but it is. Some history books (Promise Ring) will prove that life at fourteen will be remembered to your diagnosis with early stages dementia, but even then you'd probably have the year tucked away in tons of myelin sheath for protection.

Of course Adrian took the kids to swim practice, bright and early this morning. Alice comes in and says, "Whose taking us to swim this morning?" I replied, "Can't you take a day off, it's your birthday and you're father needs to sleep in." Little does mom know but birthdays are the best day for swim and there's no way that dad's gonna get to sleep in so Adrian made the trek to ASU so the kids could swim with their mates. When they arrived back home Adrian cleaned and made breakfast. He's pre-programmed to do it all and I let him. At times I'd like to turn off the on switch but when there's bacon, eggs over easy and stacks of chocolate chip pancakes it's tough to switch the switch. Today, after doing it all and when I looked at rules for photos I then informed him, mid last bite of yolky pancakes that he needed to shave. I was prepared to take family Christmas photos and nothing was going to stop me. My best friend insists on having a photographer and after today I don't know why I haven't listened to her advice since her nuptials in Tours, France. Things need to be done a certain way and photography is one of them. I may never look at an unprofessionally taken photo again. A professional photographer is worth their weight in gold.

Adrian shaves his beard with a dull razor as his electric happened to get thrown in the trash after it was dropped on the floor. With an hour commute, I had no patience to wait for him to shave. My philosophy was that I had been planning this photo shoot for the past two weeks and if he hadn't been cooking and cleaning, instead prepping for the important event then we would've been able to all go in the same car. Sometimes it's worth it to take separate cars just for the peace and quiet and control of doing your own thing. We arrived at the same time only because I needed gas and curlers from Walgreens but was a fun shoot with all of us glammed up in purple dresses and shirt and tie. Color coordinated for once in our lives. I planned and it worked. The photos, from what I saw thus far are superb and I think family and friends will enjoy them as well.

Three hours later and as we were packing to go I asked the girls if they would like to do this for a living. "Sure" they said. I told them that this is what Kim does all day, except it's for a living. I found out that Kaitlyn is extremely photogenic and Alice would make a good arm model. The photographer works with AZ Ballet so the fifth position with angel costumes on was a hit with the girls. I got a tad melancholy with the girls dressed as angels because I had hoped that the guardian angels stay just that, guardian angels. We all don't know when our time to go is, but with the recent plane crash in the Superstitions one becomes quite superstitious when looking at their girls dressed as angels. It's only a photo. It's only a photo. They've got their whole lives ahead of them. You never know when you wake up to a phone call and with Alice turning fourteen, the independent years amongst her upcoming happenings, well let's just say that I never want her to wake up to a phone call like I had with Bill. Devastating to say the least and I will be her guardian angel to insure it doesn't happen. Then the photo comes across the wire. Is it too sexy for show? Will people know it's for dance? A gorgeous photo but when do I step up to the plate as guardian of the fourteen year old girl? Teenage guardian. The wind blows over the Sups. Must be a sign.

Come to think of it, we took family photos in front of the Sups on Thanksgiving Day. In some parts of the photos there are smears as Richard said there was a crack in the camera glass, but I'll have to examine more closely. Weird. I'll place the photo above. My imagination getting the best of me. The other photos came out fine, but one hears folklore about strange things that appear on photos, orbs they're called. I swear that night I heard nothing. I saw nothing and I notice everything that takes place on or around the hill. I even have two cameras and a pair of binoculars with me at all times because odd things happen at sunset. I know to capture these events. I've known all along, but that night I noticed nothing. Absolutely nothing. I notice all planes flying here or there, over the Sups. I didn't see a plane or hear the crash that night. Odd. Because I always notice everything. Prayers. A moment of silence. A smear on a picture. Keep writing.

Tonight we saw Hugo. Good movie, especially in 3D. Alice and her siblings saw Twilight. Kaitlyn couldn't stop talking about the end of the movie. I told Alice she looks like the Twilight character, Bella in her angel photo, which the jury is still out as to if it's too revealing. It's supposed to be dance photo. Beauty. White. Innocence. Fourteen. Gadgets in Hugo depict study of the arts. What's wrong with capturing Whiteness for the sake of arts? Jury's out. She had a great day and we sang Happy Birthday. I can't wait to see the family photos, choose a couple for our Christmas cards. It was a nice miracle that the family came together, dressed, clean shaved and made-up for the occasion. Hugo movie gets four stars out of five, especially 3D. Mechanical problems ~ man made machines. Clocks. Trains. Movies. People. Family. Typical script. Paris. Tick tock, tick tock. Oh, to be fourteen again!!!

A great website about orbs: http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/orbs.htm

Falling Behind

2011-11-24T19:51:00.000-08:00

A man I passed on the Petroglyph (Hieroglyphic) Trail tells me, "You're falling behind. You better catch up." My reply, "I'm about to tell them to meet me at the top." This exchange between complete strangers happened as my children, long ahead of me, stopped and said, "Hurry up, mom!" Seems I truly was falling behind this Thanksgiving day. My ankles hurt but once I got warmed up, I was fine. The body needs time to warm up before any strenuous activity. My son, Wm agreed with me about how warming up the body is a good thing especially since he swims on a daily basis.

I had a great time today after a tragic night on the Sups as the Perry's plane crashed while I was watching the sunset. I was completely oblivious to the happenings. I usually notice everything as being perched on a 360 view hill with my binoculars gives me notice of any goings on. I didn't notice anything but the beautiful city lights at sunset. I didn't notice the smoke, fire or any helicopters traveling to the scene.

It wasn't till tonight, at dinner that my friend Liz informed me who the people were on the plane. She went to church with the family and taught the two kids at one of the local schools. I remember reading the articles in the Adobe Ledger about the girl and her disabilities. I couldn't imagine how the mother, writer is feeling now. This is all devastating news for our little nestled in the Sups town. We are a tight knit community and this will affect us all. I remember reading the Adobe articles about how the girl needed surgeries and thought it was brave of the mother to write about her daughter, as well as reaching out to the community.

Falling behind gives one reason to catch up. In my case I needed to step up the pace and catch up to my kids who were way ahead of me on this particular hike, one we've been taking for thirteen years, a family tradition of sorts. Adrian cooks while we hike. We got the table ready and the kids pitched in on cleaning for our guests beforehand but getting out and experiencing nature first hand is an awesome experience. Walking into the house and smelling the aroma was one I will never forget. Watching my uncle and friend dance to Bolero's from the movie Ten was priceless.

One year I hiked when the kids were quite small. Every hiker coming down the hill I asked them if there were more people at the top. I didn't want to get up there and be alone with all the nature and the animals, etc. Today, there were tons of people on the trailhead and at the top where the water was running in the spring and the chipmunks were running wild. We met people from all over the U.S, accents from Wisconsin and the South. It was a cloudy, overcast perfect for hiking day. My son kept teasing me about how my mother and brother were on there way over, that they keep texting him. I thought a lot about my family today and was happy to have my uncle visit. He's quite a character and even showed us how he could start the engine of his truck with his remote control.

Too many things to list to be thankful for. Sad for the news of the plane crash. My uncle explained that a plane needs to already reach it's altitude before going over a mountain. He's assuming the plane was climbing as it approached, at sunset a beautiful flight for sure, one my uncle has flown many times before in his own plane. In closing, I hope everyone had a great day with family and friends. These times are priceless and give us many gifts to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Swimmer's Head

2011-11-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

You've heard of Bed Head ~ it's the famous shampoo line you can purchase at most drug stores. Great name, one of those I wish I thought of that, especially when your mom owned a beauty shop at one time. If we only new that the future would entail product lines galore. Mom always made the comment that she made up the acrylic nail. When she retells that story, I envision us driving through Hollywood in a big, black limousine, chauffeured of course.

Swimmer's head is when a swimmer collides with another swimmer who happens to get in your lane to pass someone and doesn't see that you're coming straight towards his head. This happened to Wm, my son, tonight in practice. I was studying the states with Kaitlyn and admiring her writing style, quite beautiful I might add when she pulls out a piece of paper from her accordion binder, nice and organized. The paper was a love letter to her parents. I sat in awe then gave her a hug. I'm blessed. Dear Lord please protect my kids. That's all I've got to say about that subject. I love each of them more everyday. Wonder and awe especially when Wm comes leaping up the steps at Mona Plummer and tells me about his bruised head. He explains the situation, opens the door and begins running with his teammates. This is where I go running after him and say, in a stern voice, "Hold on, partner."

I pretty much lassoed him up like a bull in a pen while saying something like, "You can run up and down the bleachers with a head injury. I made Wm go back downstairs to the lifeguard area and ice his noggin, then I made him start from the beginning and explain to me what happened. He explained that he was concentrating on his stroke, most likely in a swimmer's zone and a girl in his lane decided to pass another swimmer and when she did she ran head on into Wm's frontal lobe. A huge bump, a sport's injury that made me trot back up the stairs to let his coach know that he won't be running tonight and what happened. His coach informed me that the injury happened an hour and a half ago, that Wm should be fine to run. The lifeguard asked if Wm's fingers were tingly, to ice his head off and on for twenty minute spurts.

An hour and a half later I was informed. I could just imagine how that felt. Poor Wm. Please don't mess with 4.2's brain. I mean the frontal lobe is the area where focusing occurs. You can ask me these questions because not only do I have a psych minor, but I'm taking Alice to see a sport's psychologist to help her focus. He's informed me of such. Yes, there are injuries that can take place in swimming. Swimmer's head. A new term I made up for the head but that happens when two swimmers collide. Head to head. Swimmer to swimmer. Ouch. Yes, I emailed the coach to let him know that I'd like to be informed straight away if my kids get hurt on deck, in the water, at meets and that proper lane protocol should be followed. Don't pass a swimmer when another swimmer is swimming towards you. It's a rule. Gotta live by the rules in the pool. An hour and a half? Come on Devils ~ being the best also means you practice lane protocol as well as parent protocol!!! I smell a book? A swim protocol book written by moi? Perhaps I'll sleep on the idea. That chauffeured limo's looking better and better in my mind!!!

Have a great week everybody. A short week and boy I can smell the turkey!!!

Toothache

2011-11-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

Going through vast number of books to give to Goodwill as I pack my belongings for an upcoming move I notice a book titled, "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan. I hand the book over to Kaitlyn, my youngest who insists she's going to be an astronomer. I figure this goal is happenstance and occurred because of the star application on the Samsung phone. It's a great application and let's you know where the sun, moon and stars are located. At times we are in awe of the stars, the moon especially. A full moon in AZ is the best, especially the harvest moon, which sets in the morning, too. Spectacular to watch the falling stars which are in abundance in this glorious state, too.

After reading my Bible, of which I have to admit that having opened the first Kings James Version and attempting to read from the One Year Bible Reading Plan I got at Church, I've since found Bibles laying all over the house. Perhaps I'm attracting them? I did order one from Amazon.com and after that was shipped I starting finding Bibles. I've now got a stack of them on my bedside table. It's amazing what happens when one attempts to read the whole book. I'm proud of myself for almost finishing page one of four pages, beginning on Exodus soon after finishing Genesis. Tonight I read about how God broke the two loaves of bread to feed a lot of people. Oh you of little faith. Walk on water. Many things happened in that time and I find it quite an interesting read to say the least. No wonder it's been on the Bestseller list for all of mankind.

Reading Cosmos and Bible is quite powerful especially page one which in a serendipitous fashion has a poem titled,

"Incantation Against Toothache."

After Anu had created the heavens,
And the heaven had created the Earth
And the earth had created the rivers
And the rivers had created the canals,
And the canals had created the morass,
And the morass had created the worm,
The worm went before Shamash weeping,
His tears flowing before Ea:
"What wilt thou give me for my food,
What wilt thou give me for my drink?"
"I will give thee the dried fig
And the apricot"
What are these to me? The dried fig and the apricot?
Lift me up, and among the teeth
And the gums let me dwell!...
Because thou has said this, O worm,
May Ea smite thee with the might of
His hand!

Thought I'd share because sometimes when you open a book you learn things and sometimes the right book will acknowledge your own reading skills and give you one of those Oprah aw ha moments. Life is funny and you've got to look for the signs. I have to admit that it's been fun cleaning, giving books to Goodwill, things you don't think you'll need in the future, but will probably buy again anyway. This week being Thanksgiving it's especially powerful to give things away especially when somebody else might be able to open them up and get their own aw ha moment. Read and Write. Read and Write.

Today's sermon was titled, "Lost." It was about that older brother who wasn't happy about his dad including the younger son in his will. We all worry about that but one also has to make sure there is stuff to put in the will and that's why I went down to Florence today. There is a renter whose not paying. There is two empty mobiles. There is a mother/owner who has hives and has to go to the doctor's tomorrow. My conclusion is that she's got to be the one to evict the tenants because if I did it she'd probably tell them not to listen to me. Who knows but she's got to do it. I couldn't bring myself to give them a five day notice. They haven't paid in four months and promised to clean the empty mobiles for my mom. They haven't paid and they haven't cleaned. I told mom that when Adrian gets money flowing again that we'll hire a handyman. She's gonna have to get rid of the tenants. Poor Adrian. We've got so much work for him to do and he's so good at doing it. I wish him luck on his new job at the old jobsight. I'm happy they wanted him back. Super duper happy.

My uncle is a character. He's got his own tenants, land, inheritance issues. He's got orange trees and is a master peeler. The kids always have fun going to his house and today got to ride around in his 1991 Grand Marquis. The car he inherited when he foreclosed on a parcel of land the lady stopped paying. Ownership. Land. Pain in the neck. I guess if you want something done you've got to do it yourself. Overall, it was a great day. I got to watch Adrian and Wm load wood for the Boyscouts who have their annual fundraiser then drive to Florence to deal with issues. I hope, in my heart that my mother hasn't given up on her responsibilities and wish she'd come out and take care of them like she used to. A hard worker in her own right, I just feel like she's most likely bitten off more than she can chew. Her energy, time, money is being spent at the new house and it's sad to see the others go by the wayside. I knew it would happen and somehow I've got to keep things afloat. Prayer. The power thereof. Look at it like its a remodeling project. Should be fun in the long run. Before and After. Which reminds me that I never wrote the ending to the poem:

Its treatment: Second grade beer.....and oil thou shalt mix together; the incantation thou shalt recite three times thereon and shalt put the medicine on the tooth.

Carl Sagan made me laugh today!!! Have a great week everybody!!! Safe travels, too!!!

Attentive

2011-11-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

William and I went on a hike at sunset tonight. He rode his bike and I wore my Sketcher Shape-Ups, took my hiking stick and started out trekking down the driveway. We made it past and over the barbed wire fence, a make-shift put up by Adrian when we moved to the hill, people riding their motor bikes and golf carts around like they owned the place. One day, a fellow drove his SUV up and while I stopped him to tell him he's trespassing on private property he replied, "Nobody lives here." As if to say, "Alice doesn't live here anymore." That's what's gonna happen, but yes, the hill is the hill, it's the families responsibility and we will try to maintain status quo while living closer in. Weekend hikes, taxes paid. We're not going to abandon my mother. As much as I dream doing so, it will never happen, at least on my husband's part because he's a good guy. Or so I thought.

Wm rode his bike, I walked then ran after taking fantastic AZ sunset pics. He was quite a bit ahead. I was enjoying the view from a different perspective. It was getting darker and darker. I ran faster and faster. Finally, Wm informed me, as the Coyotes were humming apres sunset that he saw a deer cross the road. He saw their hooves. I called home thinking it would be a wise idea for someone to come get us since the darkness was engulfing us like going down the rabbit hole at midnight. Nobody answered their phone. Two phones here, one phone there. No answer. New Apple phone? No answer.

We made it back home and I instilled in Wm that it's the finish line that matters. We made it safely back home and went to get Chinese food, Wm drove. As we watch ASU compete against U of A, fireworks are seen out our kitchen windows, red, yellow, blue. Arizona rivalry. Rocks. Adrian is all ASU and the kids swim with Devils, but U of A has a medical school of which I would hope someday Wm can go, would want to go. Adrian's echo in the distance ~ "Cal Poly." Funny how one's child's fate is based on the parent's alma mater. I'm laid back. I'll let Wm pick his destiny. Which college will it be? Whatever it is, he will be sure to excel because the boy who is now Sophomore was once a kindergartner waiting for the bus with his backpack on ~ peering out the window, waiting for the school bus ~ thus the days of half-day kindergarten are no more. TG. Kids need school. Nuff said!

Writing is fun on a full stomach. My favorite Chinese food is pork fried rice and almond chicken. Oh how mad I was tonight when Wm and I walked home in the dark. To me, nobody cared. Attentiveness is number one priority for me in marriage. I kept quoting as Wm rode ahead, "Edward would be right there for Bella." Edward this, Bella that. That's how it goes the day after seeing "Breaking Dawn." Attentiveness. When Bella's in trouble, for any reason, Edward always seems to be right by her side. Glad I'm a writer because only that sort of attentiveness can be made up in fantasy. Adrian woke up at 4 a.m finally got to rest for five minutes. He didn't realize we went on a hike. He didn't realize it was dark. Attentiveness. Caring. Gotta love it. In a high tech world when phone is imprinted in hand ~ you gotta wonder why, in the thirty minute time span that I needed him, that he didn't answer. Edward. Where are you? Or where are your abilities to show up when needed. A lot of people could learn from Edward.

We could use this time to talk about the movie, "Breaking Dawn." Why not? I'm a screenwriter, I can give my opinion. I have to admit that I think "Love" is wonderful. I've had first love experience just like Bella did. If I could've, I would've been married, just like Bella at 18, right out of High School. I would've. I would've married Bill. He was my Edward and I wrote about my life leading up to the loss. It was the most difficult thing, besides my parent's divorce that I've ever had to endure. It's a wonder I'm still here, but there's a reason, a strength that's gained by losing a loved one. I just hope my own daughter and son never have to endure a loss such as this. I know and have had the Bella and Edward experience. I would've rather paid two movie tickets to see the whole movie, not just half. I loved the ending when, after Bella's transformation into Vampire world when she opened her eyes, bright red in color. The whole Bella transformation was beautiful, cinematically speaking. Was great how the blood vessels hardened but have to admit that I got a little grossed out when Bella and her new family decided that drinking blood from a Sonic cup would save her life. I got sick to my stomach. Was beautiful to have Jake love her and her new daughter even after the marriage and becoming pregnant.

The honeymoon scene was fantastic but I've got to admit that I wouldn't want to be alone on an island on my honeymoon, although the consummation of marriage in said ocean at night with the moon shining bright is pretty appealing, at least for this cancer crab. Romantic. Edward and Bella, the most romantic couple of our time and then she has to get pregnant. Talk about life hitting you like a ton of bricks. Honeymoon is the first opportunity as a married couple to get to know each other as husband and wife. Edward and Bella's wedding was spectacular. The first kiss. Then Jake shows up, ruins the whole thing. On honeymoon, I'd want to be amongst people, sightseeing, people watching, a good dip in the ocean, though like theirs would be nice. It's kind of freaky though being alone on an island, your island with two freakier housekeepers. If people inhabited the island, I'd be fine because what if your husband turns out to be a vampire? Quite the love scene, Renezmay a result, Edward and Jake delivering the baby.

I liked the honeymoon scene but Edward decided to hold out after the first love experience. Why? Because he was too tempted to make Bella a vampire? Who cares, it's the honeymoon. Whatever happens on honeymoon, stays on honeymoon. The main character, Bella sat on the couch the whole movie. She was inactive. I once wrote about a swimmer who stayed in hospital bed the whole script. I've read somewhere that you always want an active protagonist. Bella finally wanted Edward and Edward held out. Talk about playing games. Life changes at honeymoon. You see your spouses true colors. First love experience. Gotta have it. For those lucky enough to have their first love experience last a lifetime ~ more power to you.

In closing, I wish Bella could've found a better beverage to drink. I wish they could've continued on their honeymoon. I wish Jake would've left them alone and found it in his heart to move on with his life. Life is summed up in a phrase: You always want what you can't have. That's life. The grass is greener on the other hill. Life is complicated because we are human beings who can think, feel and love rationally. First love will be cherished forever. Second love, third. If you're that lucky to have such experiences. A good movie to watch, "Breaking Dawn" if only the whole movie played instead of having Bella's eyes open, bright red. Bella's alive!!! A tad Snow White if you ask me and funny how the prince bit the princess instead of kissing her. Edward loves Bella, he's attentive to her needs. At least someone out there has an imagination. Soul mates. Romantic. Life.

Trust

2011-11-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

Thursday, the day off, usually my busiest day of the week. This Thursday, today, was no different. It was nice to sleep in to 6:00 but once up, coffee brewed rushed out the door ~ Late!

Today, Alice was shadowing at Xavier College Prep. She needed to be there at 7:30 to meet her person who would take her from class to class. Having never been to Xavier, I thought it would be wise to drop my son off at his school then walk over as they are located next to each other. Alice had a different idea. She wanted me to drive her to the school and drop her off. Being a good mom, I wanted to walk her in, much to her chagrin. I left Wm in the car as he was way too shy to go inside and enjoyed my walk to the shadow day drop off, previewing the lovely Christmas wreaths and trees placed at various locations throughout the campus.

Christmas music has been playing a lot this week. At work, at Starbucks, in the car. I've enjoyed the Christmas music although it's hardly even a week away from Thanksgiving, so wondering what gives? Have we forgotten that wonderful day of thanks, for family, friends, loved ones, pets and having a job and roof over our heads? What happened to the day that was bypassed for Black Friday, the day when all the retailers can rejoice, their main objective to get people in the door to buy material goods. This year there are many things to be grateful for, too many to list, but trust me, I'm super grateful this year.

The Christmas trees and wreaths were beautiful at XCP and I was in awe that even the parking and drop-off traffic was super organized as I tried not to compare the schools, one all boys, the other all girls. My deduction is that one might be more organized than the other, not saying which one, only that I enjoyed the holiday decor and the organization of the traffic flow. I dropped Wm off after saying goodbye to my daughter, her shadow day as future High School student.

My coffee and blueberry scone, how much I enjoyed them as I sat in a sunny corner at Lola coffee shop awaiting our delightful Chapel Care moms. I already had stressed out enough for one morning trying to get Alice to her shadow day and was rejoicing in the fact that I had ten minutes to myself to enjoy a cup of hot cafe mocha, looking out at the busy street that I had just walked across, proud to be a part of such an organization. I really do enjoy a life of serenity. It's a wonderful thing to be able to sit back, relax, look at the beautiful mountains that God created and feel at peace with the world. Then the city hits you like the lite rail that missed a red light. All at once the hustle bustle of the people introduce you to their world and you take a sip of coffee, a bite of now buttered scone and enter into a world of culture shock. People. The way they perceive the world around you is different from the way you perceive the world around you and there's clash between the two worlds, serene vs hustle bustle. It's awe-inspiring and you can either let the lite rail hit you like a ton of bricks or you can hold out your hand like Superman and say whooooo, slow down Missy.

Let's just say that it's super hard to get me riled up but if I feel as if you are passing pre-conceived judgement on me before I have a chance to sit down and explain myself then I'm gonna get a tad defensive. Most people aren't used to this side of my personality and I've had to explain myself in the past two weeks, confront those who think they can step all over me and get away with it. I prefer to be laid-back, I really do, but there's a certain point when the rolling of the eyes has got to stop, and today was one of them. When I step out to volunteer for a position I don't want to be made to feel guilty for not doing enough or stressing out too much about the upcoming holiday season. You see, I'm perfectly capable of decorating and perfectly capable of not stressing out about it at the same time as decorating and want to be able to enjoy the upcoming events as much as the next person. Pre-conceived judgement doesn't sit well with me and today I had to let that be known. Don't judge people, it's not Christian, in my eyes. Trust that it will get done. Trust. Big words. Perhaps if everyone handed their stress over to God then more would be accomplished. Maybe that's my problem with today. Since I've started reading the Bible, maybe I'm more laid back then ever and that trust that God will get that Chapel decorated isn't sitting well with others?

Trusting means handing it over to God. Hand it over. Why stress about stuff? I did mention that the way I was being treated post coffee and bberry scone wasn't very Christian, but maybe my definition of Christian isn't the same as everyone elses? Who knows. All I know is that for the life of me I can't stress out about getting the Chapel decorated for Christmas and Advent. I wish I could, but I can't and that lack of stress is really irking those that are totally stressed out about it. If the lights don't work, go out and buy new ones. Maybe there is something wrong with me? I'm so not stressed out about taking down the stations of the cross and placing the Advent wreaths in their place. What's wrong with me. In fact, I could probably do it by myself. I'm that capable. Who knew?

My work schedule doesn't permit me to have time next week to hang the Advent wreaths. I'm going to send hubs if he's in town, in my stead (does that make sense). Let him deal with it. Mom's club of GC revisited. Too me, everything is simple, dimple and the culture shock to me is that I'm not understanding the stress. I had a great time taking pics and posing for pics while we cleaned the Chapel today. Some pics above. I was swiftering when I saw an African American lady walk down the aisle and kneel, not in the pew, but on the steps. She asked me a question about taking pictures. I informed her this was a high school. She said, "Oh" and walked back up the aisle. That was when I noticed her shopping cart full of her belongings. I whispered to the other women to watch their purses which were located at the back of the Chapel on a pew. I didn't trust her. A learned response from my mother's purse being stolen. I was not displaying my own Christian values by suspecting this woman would steal. What if that were Jesus? She disappeared as quick as she came in. I watched her leave. I watched the purses. I didn't trust her. Trust. Trust Jesus in Jesus's house that your purse won't get stolen by a homeless. Jesus tested me this a.m and once a month on Thursday morning He does that. I failed big time today in more ways than one I didn't display a very Christian attitude, but continue to read the Bible, as I did tonight.

Sometimes God tests you. Sometimes you pass. Sometimes you fail. It's the times of uncertainty that you share with those you love and who share their own uncertainty with you that are life's gifts. My rainbow came out of the clouds today in that I got to chat with my son after I picked him up from school. He no longer has swim practice as the High School season is up but he continues to excel at his school work and exams telling me that he made a 98% on his Shep's Tiger exam. So, as much as I attempt to get along with other women and fail, there is one strength that I've got and that's my kids. No matter what happens, my kids will always make me feel superior and proud. I can only hope that my skills as a mom don't go unnoticed when they get older and that they become very productive members of society. They are on their way and with helping Alice in the focus department with SS, no matter what the cost, I will pay for her to regain her competitive edge in the one sport that brings us together and let's us enjoy ~ swimming.

In closing, and Lord knows we've got to close at one point or another as tonight I'm exhausted as today, this morning has taken a toll, I'd just like to say Thanks for letting me take the time to write this blog and hopefully someone somewhere has learned from my experience. God bless those who can decorate for the upcoming season in a stress free environment. My go with the flow attitude is about to drive those Type A's absolutely nuts but my capabilities will shine through, stress free as I enjoyed todays session with new moms, taking pictures while Swiftering for Jesus. I just pray that Gossip doesn't ruin this holiday season as my best intentions are good even on a bad day. My kids are all healthy, wealthy in wisdom and kind to others. Alice has an exam on the Constitution and will do fine, I'm sure. Life is good and pretty soon I'll be making an announcement, but suffice it to say that I've got a ton of stuff to be grateful for, my writing being one of them. Genesis, Matthew, Psalms and Proverbs ~ going with the flow, one chapter at a time. Trust. It's a good thing this holiday season. Hand all your worries over to God ~ it's the Christian thing to do, at least in my eyes!!!

Sharpe's Tiger

2011-11-13T18:43:00.001-08:00

Book by Bernard Cornwell

Picture by Wm J Hick, done 11/13/2011

Alice

2011-11-13T15:53:00.001-08:00

What do you do when you're standing at the edge of a pool and your daughter is neck and neck with the swimmer in the lane next to her during the 200 fly and instead of trying to go faster, she slows down and lets the other person win? The other person being a teammate who is one year younger than her? You call a sports psychologist. Quick.

It's been a while since I've attended one of my kids swim meets. That's because my kids tell me they don't want me there cheering them on, making a supposed fool of myself because I cheer for my kids like no other person does or video tape the event for Youtube as I grab the announcer's microphone and scream a whooping, "Go!!!!" I practically jump in the pool, fully clothed and swim the event for them. I jump and shout like my kids are the only ones swimming in the pool. I can't help myself, I get excited about the beloved sport and today was no different. I went anyway, despite my children's plea because I like to participate in the sport, on occasion. Cheering and Swimming go hand in hand and if I don't have a sore throat by the end of the events then I'm not doing my job as a parent, according to me. My daughter, Alice has huge potential but the word, "can't" has come up in one too many conversations today. The girl with size 10 fins, long arms and every other swimmer's attribute going for her is dolphin girl surrounded by a huge mental net as I like to call it. A net that keeps her or has kept her this past year from winning. The same girl who exhibited what I called "helicopter arms" a couple years ago when she was winning event after event has slowed by the wayside, letting other girls half her size pass her by.

I'm glad I went today even though what I thought was video footage on my phone turned out to be no video at all. How I wanted Alice to see the footage so she can see what her brother and I keep saying to her, "You've got to want to win." At this point in time, Alice doesn't want to win. She wants everyone else to pass her. Something's got to be done, quick. Thank goodness for Google as you can find anything you want to find so I typed in the words: Best Sport's Psychologist, AZ and came up with Dr. Stanford Silverman who uses neurofeedback to help athletes focus, helps bring more circulation to athlete's frontal lobe~ the focusing part of their brains. There is a reason swimmers and other athletes have a team of people around them at meets. Coaches, psychologists, etc.

Why have I been so blind? Because I haven't participated in my kids meets all year and I'm the swimmer. I let Adrian go to the meets because he works the computer and my kids don't want me cheering them on, embarrassing them and Adrian does a great job as volunteer, but the competitive person in the family is mom, especially when it comes to swimming. I haven't put energy into growing of the athlete, the nurturing the winning spirit. It's like writing a script with no outline ~ you have to determine where you're going to know where you've been. If you want a winner, you have to nurture the winning spirit. Talk to someone who can get you out of the funk. Alice will beat her opponent only if she believes in herself through focus, believing in herself (confidence) and everything else an athlete requires. The Inner Game of Tennis is a book that sat on my family coffee table at Nob Hill. I need to read it, competition is good for the soul, especially if you win.

Whose the best coach? The parent. Don't tell my kid's coaches that! I've been a blind swim parent when my child has needed me. I saw her swim today. I know she could better and instead of yelling at her I spoke to her like I've heard some swim moms do after poor performance at a meet, we talked it out, parent to child. Yes, she cried, big crocodile tears but I came to the conclusion that something isn't right. Alice doesn't have that fighting spirit. She has everything it takes to be a winner but she's not focused on what she needs to be focused on. She's focused on the opponent. I know Alice can win meets and as a parent I've got to help her win meets, but she remains Full of Grace, which unfortunately will have to change if one wants to get a swim scholarship to, let's say.....Stanford?

I didn't cheer much today at her request, but I sat back and said to myself, "She doesn't want to win" and watched her swim, beautifully, just like she dances. Her brother says the same exact thing to her, yesterday, the day she swam fast enough to make the final cutoff time in both 200 breast and 200 fly. It's all there, the whole package, it just needs some nurturing. Ninety percent of swimming and other sports is mental, has to do with ability to focus on the stroke. I've got to get rid of the mental net that's holding Dolphin Girl back. I've got to get her help so she can go her potential. I've got to be the parent I always wanted, the one who pays attention and makes change when needed. I just hope I can follow through even as I write this blog. Can I live up to my own wants and desires for my kid to take this sport to the highest level?

It never occurred to me until today that something's off balance, off kilter with her performance in the pool. The helicopter arms are a thing of the past. She hated the 200 butterfly event when she should be using butterfly to her advantage because not many people can swim the butterfly. It's a tough event, but she swam beautifully, just like a butterfly. She just let her opponent win when she could've won. I don't know who was more disappointed, her or me. Something was missing because her stroke was gorgeous , her mental focus was lacking, too worried about everything but winning. Thank goodness I was there before it's too late, to get her the skills she needs to break records, get state times, far regionals like she's said she wants for herself. If she lets people one up her now, then she will always let them one up her because it will be a learned response.

Today was a good day, the day of swim finals. The day of beautiful rain at the small, yet crowded Phoenix Country Day School pool, not the ideal pool for a meet, but exciting none-the-less. Sad, too. Making it to finals was a feat in itself and don't get me wrong. I'm extremely proud but I know Alice can do better. I've seen her do better. I know her potential. Her coaches are privvy on her opponent, but I know Alice can beat her in the 200 fly. I've just got to take the time to work with her, get her the right people to bring out her potential.

After I dropped Alice off at the pool for warm up and Kaitlyn and I had a fantastic breakfast at Chealsea's Kitchen, which is owned by L'Grande Orange. Perfect. Perfect day, but something, the motivation, the need to win, too many I can't do it to know that I became aware that something needs to be done. Fins and long arms can get state times. Nuff said. Will follow up with blog and let you know her progress at next meet, the final meet before state, in which the statement from Alice was expressed, "I've got one more meet to get state times." She wants to win but she's in a mental net. Again, I've got to give myself a pat on the back as parent coach to know that something's amiss, she just wasn't or isn't in the game and with high school try-outs and this and that coming up, it's not to late to get her some help in the focus department. Cheers to Alice, huge potential there. I saw it today, she just has to turn her thinking around from "I can't" to "I CAN!!!"

Great week everyone, XOXO

Coincidence

2011-11-11T17:39:00.000-08:00

Deepak says something about coincidences. It's Friday night and for the life of me I can't remember what he said or what book of his I read the quote, but I can assure you that Deepak says something about Coincidence. In fact, if you type the word in google with his name you might come up with a slew of "hits."

Wow!!! What a week!!! It's 11/11/11 and never mind Deepak.....if I don't write something on this very day, my writing gift may be taken away from me just like Cinderella's slipper. Today, of all days, I gotta write ~ at least something. Overall, I had the most awesome week. I want to thank all those people who made this week possible! In life, you must give speech because it takes teamwork to get through it. Trust me. I know. I'm not really gonna talk about my week but rest assured it was good. I communicated my feelings, I took care of my kids all by myself and I pretty much waited for this day to arrive because in the next two days I'm gonna request that I get some much needed rest. Teamwork. Gotta love it!

Adrian leaves for his plane early Monday morning. He doesn't crash into a deer. He calls me at @ 7 a.m, I answer the phone thinking this dream of him finally having full time work is just a dream. Did he miss his flight? Is weather gonna make him late for his first day on the job? Many questions unanswered. Fate throws you a tidbit then decides you aren't worth the effort. Did my mother really leave during the VET's day ceremony when the Colonel was talking about his captivity? Stranger life events have happened!!! I answer the phone with reluctance, sadness for the past two years, and hope for the future and all Adrian has to say is, "I wanted to say goodbye." Sweet. Super Sweet. Hope.

So, I go about my life, explaining to the kids that we're moving "closer in" Yes, the home we are about to buy will appraise. Yes, we won't drive much after we move. Life will change. Kaitlyn replies, "Can I get a canopy?" Sure, but right now you want me to order 12 tacos and I only have $10. In a couple weeks, when daddy gets paid, life will for sure change. Life is good. Life is really good. Of the 80,000 people who got jobs this past week, Adrian was one of them. We are all extremely happy, but trust me, it hasn't gone to our head. We have been humble ~ized by the last two years. We get to resume our health insurance after a two year break. I told the kids that we will soon be checked from head to toe. We made it through the rough waters.

I've been going about my life as of late ~ reading the Bible. Tons of things have happened since. I hope that we get to talk about our experiences in Church as Fred said that there'd be changed. I've read Genesis, two chapters then Matthew one chapter then Psalms one verse and finishing with Proverbs, short verse. Yes. Reading the Bible in this manner, changes ones life. I started out reading Kings James Version then ordered the new version of the American Version. Secret is ~ I understood the King's James Version more than I did the edited to format versions. So, of the four books to read, I will use four different Bibles. Go Figure. My mother, bless her heart, when she was here in AZ gave me a Bible, I found a Bible in the kids room when I was trying to downsize and Wm must've taken them away because I'm suddenly stuck with the King's James Version.

Let me get to the coincidence right now!!! Adrian worked for Amgen all summer. He was let go before his contract was up. We cried. So much on the horizon and I had to throw a home purchase into the mix. The first house didn't work. The second home I was outbid. Shout out ~ I'm Irish!!! I am genetically inclined to try a 3rd time!!! Anyway, Adrian gets a call out of the blue asking for his assistance at Amgen. Adrian says, "I've taken another job." That job says their sister companies with the other job and Adrian is headed back to Amgen, needless to say. He's pretty intelligent. I mean, come on even I lost faith!!! Learn by Doing. Never lose faith!!!

Happy Veteren's Day!!! I have to admit that I've closed the curtain on the whole island experience. I mean, do I really want to relive that part of my life? I've got the strawberries and nobody can tell me I can't have them!!! But love in the heart, none-the-less!!! Much love to all my Veteran friends. I'm so tired right now that I don't even know what I'm writing, but that's the great thing about being a writer ~ you can autopilot whenever you want and your fingers will guide you. I'm a creature of the past but when you present my past to me on a silver platter you better be prepared to walk the runway, make a turn around and come back to see if I'll take a morsel. I may act like I won't but deep down inside I really want that next bite!!! Did I mention that Adrian fixed the plumbing on the hill? And got the dogs groomed. Weekends are amazing on the weekend!!! Just see what we can accomplish!!! Life is good!

Happy 11/11/11

Maintenance

2011-11-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

What does taking the kids to school, an oil change, and some writing time warrant? Good, old fashioned maintenance. Maintenance is good for the mind, body, soul, the car, the body as well as overall personal well being. I haven't written in a while, written a blog that is as I've been busy cutting and pasting my past scripts and changing the names to make a new script titled, "Change" that I submitted an hour before the deadline of 11/1/11 at 11:59. Reading back over the script I noticed that there were some editing flaws, but I submitted before the deadline, and that's all that matters. Except the deadline was extended until the 8th of November. I asked Adrian if it's better to submit something that has editing flaws or to submit something. Adrian said that as a writer, I don't want to submit half-ass stuff, so it's better for me to submit the best work possible.

I wish I knew the deadline was extended. I'm a contest junkie. I love submitting writing work to festivals, contests, etc to see if I can win. I like playing the lottery, too. One time we did win. Adrian won a jetta from the 2005 Health and Wealth raffle, purchasing one ticket only as he continues to do on a bi-annual basis. Winning is possible, you just have to play. Play, I do, I played around with my writing, cutting and pasting changing the name from Mark to Christopher Beggens because this particular contest was inspirational and spiritual in nature. Christopher Beggens was a character made up by my son, Wm, who has a future as a good, if not great writer. Christopher Beggens stands for Christ Begins, meaning everything, even ACT 1 begins with Christ ~ right? I mean He's the one that gives us writers the inspiration to write. If we don't practice said craft, we'll lose it, too. Read and Write, read and write. Red, White and Blue ~ Read and Write, do I inspire you?

I took Wm up to Sedona so he could write a script. He drove up half-way until I couldn't take the anxiety much more. I told him, after his driving north on Hwy 17 if he could drive to the rest area on the other side of the freeway. Wm got off the offramp, stopped way back from the stop sign, then blew through it without pausing, and inching out to see if anyone was coming in the opposite directions. Thank G there wasn't and we got safely to the rest area. Our trip to Sedona, mother-son was twofold. We wanted to let him get some experience driving on the freeway, to write and look for changing leaves, fall colors. We checked in to the Apple Orchard Inn, overlooking my favorite, L'Auberge, which was way to pricey at $400 per night, but the cabins looked fun to stay in future. Sedona is beautiful, wanted to get as much "vortex" energy possible, but after dinner, instead of writing, Wm slept. I wrote 20 pages of script.

It's okay that Wm slept. He was begging me earlier to get a book that's necessary reading in Sophomore titled, "Sharpe's Tiger." I explained to Wm that I didn't know where a bookstore was in Sedona, that they'd all be metaphysical of sorts, not the type he was looking for. After placing a hold on the only copy in town, Phoenix town, I assured him we'd pick the copy up on our way home so he can read it before the next Wednesday, when it was due. After a hike to Slide Rock, Wm inquiring about jumping from off a cliff, a man effecting Wm's mood when the man came up to him and said, "Go ahead, jump!" I swear to this day I never saw a man talk to him as I was on the same cliff overlooking the water. There was no man that spoke to Wm. The comment, as every comment, hit his sensitive spot and Wm spoke about this man for the rest of the day. Wm is truly sensitive, but what writer isn't. It's the sensitivity to the world that makes the writing that much more effective, worth reading. Wm was too young by 2.5 years to submit a script to Kairos, but he had a great idea and started off by helping me with the first scene. I then said, "What do you think should happen to Christopher Beggens next?" No answer. I looked over, my son was fast asleep on the hotel room couch.

I wrote with my rocks. You see the only stores up in Sedona a stores that sell stones. My favorite stone to write with is the Rose Quartz. I heard that this particular stone relaxes the mind and body, but it was the Writer's Stone that caught my eye in one of the Sedona stone stores. I purchased a writer's stone and rose quartz ~ a double whammy in the creative department and must've worked, along with the vortex energy because I've never sat down and written twenty pages straight. How I love Sedona. The party scene is where the script begins. It was going to be a birthday party from two protective parents and then I thought about it ~ everybody loves a good war story or a story about a military personnel, how much more inspirational can that one be? So, Christopher Beggens has a going away party then makes a fundraising speech the next day at his Church, who also wish him well as he departs for Reserve duty in Kabul. Twenty pages written with my Love night light (also purchased at one of those Sedona stores, incense burning, my writer's stone, rose quartz stone and one of the various energy vortexes) I was in writer's heaven. Oh, and did I mention the wind was blowing furiously outside? Pure Sedona.

The next day, having only written twenty pages, needing 87 with a due date on the next Tuesday, November 1, I panicked. Wm woke up hungry and we had two hours to check out of our room. How I wanted to take advantage of the ambiance for the next two hours but this particular hotel came with free breakfast buffet. Who doesn't like free breakfast. At $200 bucks a night, one takes advantage of all the perks. I wanted to sit outside on the deck, Wm was cold. It was a beautiful Sedona morning, having set the alarm for 6 to see the sun rise, I was happy with a cup of hot coffee, eggs, and the bright Sedona sun, gentle breeze hitting my face and eyes. I soaked it all in. The spectacular view, the breakfast, the leaves, everything, but still worried about the impending deadline. After a nice hike where Wm saw the biggest crowes of his life, and so numerous, as we hiked near the art gallery next to the Best Western. I told Wm that we may frequent the place often as the gallery would be a great place to practice his art and give me an excuse to write. Sedona is truly for artists and writers. The drive home included Wm attempting to pass two semi's, getting frightened and moving back to the slow lane. It's a journey teaching your child to drive. After such attempts, I feel the law should be changed to age 18. Just saying.

Yesterday, as we were driving down Kings Ranch on our way to the vet ceremony, Wm didn't brake as a car pulled out onto KRR from Don Donnelly. A silver Mercedes station wagon with a nice little lady driving. Wm says as I scream for him to put on his brakes, "I've got the right of way." I said, "Wm, you need to use the brakes more often." I don't know how much I can take with my son behind the wheel. The maturity level isn't developed, but I try and a good driving school wouldn't hurt. Needless to say, we made it safely to the vet ceremony, the best one yet. My mother in attendance even though she was antsy to get back to her hubs in CA. She left during the Colonel's speech, drove all the way to CA as she let me know what her point of reference was every hour on the hour. There was a storm she drove through but her cabin is rented and once she got her hand on the $650 check she was outta there!!! Mom and money-hand in hand. I wanted her to stay with us as Dillon, her new renter, the same one we met at Cost Cutters in GC when I took Alice to get a one-inch trim and arms waxed. He's from Cour de' Laine Idaho, purchasing a home in GC on Topaz. Seems legit to me, but mom has application and will go over it today. Here's hoping.

In closing, I think I wrote about everything under the sun except for maintenance. The 'needs maintenance' light was illuminated about 5000 miles ago. I thought I better bring the car in for an oil change since it's Monday, usually a work day for me but a switch gave me a new perspective on life. Monday is a good day for maintenance. By Thursday, my normal day off, I'm exhausted and want to rest, don't ever feel like getting anything done. Today, Monday was a new day. My husband took off to his new "permanent" job as he's worked on contracts the past two years. We finally get health insurance again. Of the 80,000 new jobs, one of them was for Adrian. Thank-G!!! I'm happy today, Monday, maintenance day. Not only is my hubs finally working, but my car, in which I placed 11, 000 miles since August, and even got a courtesy hard tissue message while waiting, before writing this blog. I sat in the message chair and the fellow asked, "Let me know if this is too rough." It was so rough I couldn't even find the words to scream out, "It's too rough!" Or , "STOP!" I figure it was good for me as I use my back and neck a lot at work, commuting, swimming, etc. Like the car and our life, I, too, deserve a little maintenance. Life is good.

I'll miss my mom and my hubs. Two people who are very dear to me in my life. My mother has an agenda ~ I don't know what it is, yes I do ~ it's to be a good wife to her own hubs. She couldn't wait to get back to him, to her life in CA, to painting their fixer upper home on the hill. My mother cried poor when she was here but it's difficult to believe and listen to somebody cry poor when they have 11 homes!!! Adrian's remodeling her master bath on the hill, at least he was in the past two years before he got permanent placement. She analyzed the work in progress and said to him, "I wish I could afford glass doors." I overheard and my own sensitive side hears, "You aren't worth glass doors." We begged my mother not to bite off more than she can chew and she didn't listen. Now she's probably sinking more money into the new home when taxes and payments are due on the homes she already has owned for years. I can't feel sorry anymore as we are looking to move closer in ourselves, the appraisal taking place as I write. I sure hope this one appraises as I can't do more to boost the economy as I've already done in my search for a home 'in town.' I've paid for two inspections and two appraisals, both on different homes. Please appraise. For Wm's driving, not having to commute, please appraise!!!

There was no problem getting the cabin rented. We live in a gracious community that is picturesque, beautiful, safe and warm. People flock from all over the world to our community, to golf, hike, take photos, enjoy the weather, the best in the world. I've got no problem renting out the main house for my mom besides with the extra income who says I can't have the best of both worlds? Biltmore during the week and GC on weekends? All it takes is to put some money in mom's account once a month. She may never know we bought a home. I wouldn't want to add the extra stress to her anyway. Mom did talk about selling one of her properties. She talked about it too much this weekend. What's the big need for cash? It seems as if there is as of late. Possibly because November is tax month in Pinal County. Could be the reason. Pressure could be the other reason, but I told mother that she can't sell anything as each property is much desired. Her response, "I'm not dead yet." It's true, she's in charge. Always has been, always will be.

Yesterday, we had a community get together of sorts. It was the annual Adobe Veteran's ceremony complete with each of the service's songs in which I whispered in my mother's ear when the songs were to be played, "Thank G you're here, you need to tell me when I should stand for my song." My mother whisper's back, "How can you miss Anchor's Away?" When the song played, I thought as I stood to attention in my red dress, navy blue jacket, "She's right. She's always right!" How could anyone miss "Anchor's Away?" The times I had, the reflection this week, the beautiful friends I met, shared my life with for a quick moment in time, some of who I'm still in touch. My new veteran friends, the older gentleman whose wife, Olive passed away last month and wanting to take a picture with him because he may not be with us himself much longer. He's the sweetest man, always beams when he sees me, "Pamela!!!" This year was the same and he says after he shouted my name, "You made front page this year in the Adobe Ledger!" Yes, I sure did. I told him that I need to look for a picture of me in uniform. How I wish, to this day, that I kept that uniform on for thirty years. Times were tough in the 80's and Contra was going on. I chickened out, wanted to further my education, become a dentist, then I'd go back in. That was my goal. A goal that wasn't completed, but I'm happy none-the-less as my other veteran friends have retired, thirty years. I'm happy for them and hope them well.

Yesterday's topic of convo was military families, how "mom" makes sacrifices while her active duty is away. It's true, not only is the active duty but also takes the family sacrifice and we all know how difficult that can be, but so worth it in the end. Standing up there at a podium, the crowd counting the ribbons on the freshly pressed uniform. A mom whispering in her daughter's ear, "He's gorgeous!" The daughter saying, "Mom!!!" Yes, a man in uniform even catches my mother's eye. What a great day for a community to come together, to honor those who've served and their families who sacrifice their own lives being without their loved ones. All for freedom. Freedom is a wonderful thing and as we all reflect this week on where we've been, where we're going, what we could've done differently, we'll all remember our first orders ~ mine, in particular! I'll always remember looking at that piece of paper shouting, "Where the hell is Diego Garcia?" Then everyone flocking around me, wanting me to trade with them. It's as if I won the lottery. At first it was tempting, especially when I found out my duty station was smack, dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I had a desired thing, everybody wanted it. I made my first adult decision and said, "No way!" I ended up in DGAR ~ the best year of my life!!! Thanks to all ~ and you know who you are ~ for making this year one hell of a year. Pardon the speech. Even if I couldn't get access to strawberries, it was the year I knew I wanted more in life, to not be enlisted, but to strive to better myself. It was the year I took my first college course from the University of Maryland. I was on my way to becoming a dentist. Back to the life I once knew, being treated like a princess, but helping people with their dental health and learning about different cultures in the meantime while avoiding coconuts falling on my head and sun-worshipping like I was a teen again. Life was good. Care packages from mom, her cookies helped. Family does account for a lot when one is away from home. God bless the families.

I've got to close, my car is most likely waiting for me outside. Brophy won the state champs once again in swimming and Wm, although didn't get the jacket this year, will be among the BCP swim team today in getting their team pictures. I'm completely proud of my son who was reluctant to don his Boy Scout uniform yesterday for the ceremony, but who said, "I really enjoyed all of the speeches, mom. I want to join the military. It sounds like fun." I replied with complete and utter been there, done that knowledge, "Get your education first, son. You'll enjoy being an officer better." My son agreed. I couldn't imagine 4.2 not finishing his education and enlisting. Mom's guidance will keep him safe. Not having Adrian here to do all things home ~ cook, clean, wash, carpool will be tough. I miss him already. It's been nice having him home and I hope he continues his law degree. I hope he does good at his new job, too. Life is good, so much to be thankful for!!! God Bless our military, their families, and our veteran's. Sacrifice = Freedom and Freedom is a good thing!!!!

Asswaged

2011-10-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, in Church, we got hand-outs titled, "One Year Bible Reading Plan." I'm on day 4 of my reading adventure and have to admit that if you are interested in reading the Bible, this particular plan really helps. Of course I've got the King James Version so there are a ton of "eth" and other words such as "asswaged" that I need to look up on Google. This particular word was found in Genesis 8:1

"And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged." Asswaged used to be spelled Assuage and means to make milder or less severe, relieve, ease, mitigate: to assuage one's grief; to assuage one's pain, hunger, to soothe, calm one's fears, as per Dictionary.com

I truly wish someone was here to assuage my own fears last night when I almost ran into a snake. So close, yet so far. When I was young I always wondered why God made me so tall. Now I know. I leaped across the driveway, could've probably qualified for the Olympic long jump trials if such a jump was ever to be recorded. My post traumatic stress makes it difficult to go outside, even to the car to get some screenwriting notes and my writing bag. Go figure.

I missed yesterday's Bible reading experience because I was making locket pockets for the kid's Fall Festival that takes place this Sunday. Every year I make a craft at the last minute, frantically ordering materials off the internet wondering if they'll be in on time. Last year we made lunch bags, this year it's Wm's invention titled, "Locket Pocket." I copyrighted the idea, the government division wondering what the hype is all about, because I really think this particular item will take off. It's a bedazzeled jean pocket with a jumbo paper clip on the back and flower on the front which can be attached to clothes, binders, books, etc. I'm currently waiting on the flowers I ordered from cocopenny, being shipped from Virginia and need to go out and get more bedazzle jewels because Kaitlyn placed all the pink ones on her iPod. In other words, I don't have all the stuff to make the Locket Pocket which is due tomorrow.

I'm embellishing Wm's creativity, which is mucho I might add, considering he's got a couple copyrights of his own up his sleeve and was asked to place his writing in the school magazine. He'll most likely be a famous writer because he's gifted at such tasks and if I can do it, then he certainly has more potential than I. Just ask him to explain and narrate Hemingway's book, "Man and the Sea." He said that everything, even the boat had implied meaning. That the shark could've been the man's wife. Being in the boat, alone is loneliness, etc. Wm narrates the book today in class. I wish him luck.

Even though I've been bummed about our potential closing on our new home falling out of escrow, I'm excited Adrian has an interview next week with CMT. They are flying him up to San Jose and will be picking him up in a blue Hummer. Life is good. He was so excited about companies wanting him to work for them that he didn't realize I was sad about losing out on the Arcadia home. It's been a long two years. Hope is on the horizon. The technology field is the first to come back from such an economic disaster such as we've experienced as Americans and the world in the past five years. The good thing is is that I'm going house hunting this Saturday after my last writing class with Bill True, even though I only got to attend two since I work every other Saturday. I'm not going to settle this time. I want a home in Arcadia with garage and pool. None of this carport stuff. I can just hear my mother, if the other home went through, "You paid what for this house? I remember when these homes were selling for 25K!" Nothing will ever compare to Nob Hill, Rancho Mayfield or Aqua Dulce, but at least I've helped maintain the status quo of those that her grandkids will inherit. Life is good.

In closing, as I get back to reading about Noah, I just want to mention that If I'm lucky I will get to sit down with Adrian today and write a technological sci-fi. He's gifted with intelligence and can bring the technology aspect to the table in writing a script. Life is good! And it came to pass, at the end of forty days.......a script was written. Have a great day everybody!!!!

Snake

2011-10-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is to watch the sunset from Rancho Mayfield. Tonight I missed it by a couple seconds but I enjoyed watching the orange after effects and the sun's reflection on the buildings, downtown Phoenix. Life is good. It was better before they started building on the hill to the west of Rancho Mayfield, but how can you blame someone for wanting to live in the most beautiful place on planet Earth?

This morning I took a photo of the full moon in the morning sky. Simply breathtaking. I wanted to get the moon as it set, like yesterday's miss, but the moon didn't seem to be in any hurry to set so the sun could occupy the sky, and being late for work, I had Alice take the photo. I don't think the moon ever set this morning, not like it did yesterday morning. Note to self to take a morning moon setting photo, harvest moon, if life permits the next time around, next month. Mornings here are the best. Everything still and new. Sometimes we see deer, sometimes we see people running, walking, biking. This is outdoor sport heaven. On Earth. October thru April, simply the best as the world flocks to Arizona.

I'm not happy about the home being built on the subsequent hill. I was fine with the prospect before the roofs went up, as I noticed they were built today. Change is good. Sometimes. I was hoping that the home wouldn't block our view of Camelback's behind, and it doesn't, but when another roof goes up tomorrow, my beloved sunset reflecting off the downtown buildings will most likely be a thing of the past. If only my mother was here. She'd most likely go down to the county and complain. She's currently on her other hill in California, looking out at that view, the view of Vasquez Rocks.

The newly built home is beautiful, don't get me wrong. It's just that we've had 360 for twenty years. It's difficult to fathom our view being blocked. Eyesore. Change. Jealousy. I want a home like that and have enjoyed watching each step of the way, how it's been built. Someday we can have ten of them on this hill, or more, it's exciting to think, but being nature conservative building and developing will be a long way off.

Living in the burbs is fun, especially when you're in awe of the moon rising to the East and you almost step on a snake. I was running up the driveway while gazing at the moon and thank goodness for periphery, I saw a snake. I jumped so far to the right that I didn't even get to see if it was a rattler. It had black rings around it's neck, but it's the first time in twenty years that I've come that close to almost being bitten. Being alone on the hill, I asked Adrian what would happen if I was bitten by a snake. He responds via cellphone, "You'd have to call 911." I most likely would've had the phone on camera mode because of the moon, so I would've probably screamed like the coyote that was howling in the distance. Good thing is, people are out, doing the same thing, enjoying the moon rise. I'm just glad I saw the creature out of the corner of my eye. I never ran so fast back to the house as I did tonight. Thank-you, God!!!

The beautiful moon, the sky, the mountains and someone who has enough money to build an elaborate home on the west hill. Adrian mentioned he's gonna get a strobe light to put outside, speaking of which, I may never go outside again. Truly scary being that close to a "S" "N." I truly loved the cooler weather this week, but be careful if enjoying the great outdoors. Wildlife that normally hibernates during the cool weather is still out and about. Don't gaze at the moon when you should be looking at the ground. Good advice from someone who escaped a snake bite tonight. I did run my four laps, and capture the moon rise over the East Sups. For that, I'm happy. Love the moon, the stars, the red glow from the day turning into night. Precious place we've got here. Happy as I await the arrival from a busy day from mi familia. Life is good!

Cancellation

2011-10-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Cancellation can mean many things, for example: Fini, the End, Fade-Out (which is a good term to a script writer) and Goodbye. Today my sales contract was cancelled because I wouldn't go above appraisal price the bank gave to a home in Arcadia that I had an offer in on. Of course I'm devastated. Who wants to commute long distances to work and school? I'm certainly not complaining about the place I live as it's the most beautiful place on planet earth (to me) but enough is enough, these High School days should be filled with social events and that's a tad difficult when one lives thirty miles from ones friends. Se la vie, another phrase that fits the cancellation policy.

I'm just getting warmed up here. I haven't written in a while and my fingers seem like they need to warm up first. I'm having a difficult time writing, first time in a long time. It's not that I've got writer's block, it's just that I'm out of practice and it's weird. Like jumping into a pool after a long absence. It's painful at first but if you keep going, lap after lap and get into the rhythm then the task gets easier. I haven't swam in a couple weeks. I was going to tonight, but water polo at ASU took up too many lanes. I've never understood the sport of water polo even though I love to swim. It's like soccer, but in a pool. Girls now play, too. My how times have changed. Doesn't seem like that appealing of a sport to me. I love swimming. My daughter, Kaitlyn says, before practice that she doesn't want to swim anymore. I explained that I paid this months dues, that we'll have to give it a month. After practice, on the way to In and Out Burger, Kaitlyn says, it took a while for me to warm up, but then I started feeling really good after a while. I explained the endorphin process, life's natural drug. Kaitlyn says, "I'm not taking drugs!" Endorphins, gotta love them. Gotta have them to have a happy life.

In my house hunting experience, I've learned much. I settled, and that's what really has me irked. I set out looking for a home in Arcadia, with pool and garage. We've got so much stuff that surely I was joking even myself when I made an offer on a turnkey home with no garage. We could build one, I said. My mother just purchased her 11th home, well her husband purchased it, cash, five acres, apartment above home. Many years ago she purchased 10 acres for 90K. Why can't I purchase a home at appraisal rate without having to cancel the listing? My father told me not to go above appraisal rate. I wanted to and I almost gave in, but somewhere out there there is a sucker who is going to pay above the appraised rate. It's just not me. I probably would had the home had a garage and pool. The home was too small, too, but the location is perfect for us. Our life would surely change, hopefully for the better, but I would have to let my mother know that I'm quitting the family business. That might be difficult to take standing up.

My thing is that it's a full moon tonight and I'm not going to sign any papers while it's a full moon. The seller and buyer are probably a tad emotional from the full moon, half the planet always is, that's why more births and arrests during such lunar cycle. Perhaps the seller will have a change of heart tomorrow. After all, tomorrow's just another day. Never settle in life. Never! That's the advice from the screenwriter girl of AZ. I settled and it got me nothing but heartache and not knowing if we will ever find the perfect home. Seller couldn't go below 250K. Bank still rules the roost. They wanted a little cushion. It's still a buyers market. Somehow I've got to get my foot in the door before it's too late. The Arcadia door. I was so looking forward to Halloween in the new neighborhood. Life goes on. The home had issues, electrical and air conditioner. It wasn't meant to be. I had my hopes up. I listened to the Secret daily, visualizing the furniture I would decorate with. Would I leave the leather couch in GC? Would I take mom's flatscreen? Would she notice if I took her dining room set or King Bed? Would we rent the hill out to snowbirds? A bed and breakfast perhaps? Would the wildlife take up residence in the roof? So many questions that needed addressing. All questions placed on hold. I'm here because I possibly can't think of any other place in the world that I'd rather be.

Moving on from cancellation phase to regrouping phase. Looking forward to the future, one day at a time. I've got an obligation to create Wm's locket pockets for the upcoming Fall Festival at the kid's school. I'm looking forward to the craft, visiting Michaels and Hobby Lobby, noticing that even men are into crafts. Super cute! The locket pocket is Wm's invention. I will have a picture up soon. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers on our new home issue. I don't want to miss out on this market! I'll miss my neighbors, too, but it's not like the hill is going anywhere soon. It will always be a family refuge, thanks ~ mom ~ that's why breaking the news will be most difficult. I'm a good daughter, the best, I think. I'm glad my girls and Wm got to see my mom and G and my dad and J this weekend. Alice's trip to Carpinteria for interview at Cate was a huge success. The school is too liberal for Wm and that's okay. He's in the best, or so they say. Life is good. I'm reading the Bible. I learned this past Sunday how to read in one year. GC UMC handed out papers on ways to discipline yourself to read daily. Day 2 of my Bible reading expedition, only prob is that I've got a King James version ~ everything ends with eth!!! Filleth the cup with wineth on your breadeth in the Garden of Evileth. I must convert to a learner Bible as recommended by Fred.

Good night everyone!!!

Serendipity

2011-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

On our drive to Sedona today, my son Wm asked me the meaning of Serendipity. Not wanting to give him excerpts of the movie titled, "Serendipity" with John Cusack (one of my favorites) I hemmed and hawed, trying to make something up as I pondered what it would be like to rock climb the top of Cathedral Rock. Could I even imagine rock climbing at this stage in the game? The answer is a definite, "Yes" as much as I hate to admit the fact that I climbed the streets of Jerome, much like the rock climbing extravaganza, I know I can/could.......climb Cathedral Rock.

I have to laugh because we are as much a dysfunctional family as they come, but we function because we take two cars. Adrian can listen to his Satellite music (Howard Stern) and I can listen to my Lionel Richie, "Hello." Is it me you're looking for? I can see you in my eyes, I can feel you in my touch.....I've got the song/songs memorized. Thank-you A.J Library for having a wide array of cd's for me to choose from as I drive to and fro. Lionel Richie has to top the list. I'm also a back seat driver, and that's probably where the dysfunction stems from, my need for control at all times.

I wanted, no desired, to see Fall Colors today, my Saturday off from work. The very day I could sleep in. I value the sleep. Sleeping is good. Dream catcher included (foreshadow to story here). Sleep. Last night, after foregoing the writing office hours because I wasn't in the mood to write as my home that I want to purchase is appraising 20K less than purchase contract, sleep gave me a way to escape at least for an hour. Have you ever taken a good nap and woke up to a whole different world? Sleep. Gotta have it! After I slept/napped, my realtor emailed me saying an added on room wasn't included in the appraisal. Thank-you, God! A day trip up to Sedona gave me more than positive thinking, it gave me a miracle of healing medicine. My tennis elbow is healed!

Tennis elbow, sleep. What more could I possibly write about than that? Let's talk a little about a little town overlooking the Verde Valley. A town known for of all things, ghosts! My daughter, Kailtyn has her eleventh birthday coming up. She wanted to go to some ice cream shop in Vegas. Instead, I took her on a road trip to Jerome and Sedona. When I picked her up after Nutcracker rehearsal, Kaitlyn was pissed off. She wanted to go to Vegas for ice cream. I told her I wanted to see the fall leaves in Sedona. I told Kaitlyn, "You'll be happy on the way back home." She certainly is, happy to be home.

Our first stop was Jerome. I've heard so much about Jerome's haunted past that with this being October 1st and all, the month of the Hallow's Eve, just had to make the drive, keeping in mind that I've got to give my eleven year old daughter the "birthday to remember." We ended up in the Jerome State Park where there's an old mansion. Kaitlyn, who loves talking to herself on occasion (I call it the Disney episode) didn't feel like talking to herself in the old mining mansion. You see that is what Jerome is famous for, mining. Gold, Copper, Silver, anything worth a nickel (that, too). As we watched the video, you see any historic place that we visit, I make my kids watch the historic video, we found out that at one time the mines brought the town of Jerome one million a week. That's a lot of copper. Wm was enthralled with the mining equipment, loved the museum part of the mansion, but Kaitlyn, she pulled my right arm so hard when we were walking up the stairs to the second floor that my alignment got back in alignment and my tennis elbow is no more.

I admit, I shouldn't have told Kaitlyn that Jerome is haunted, but on these roadtrips, I want my kids to know everything about the town, including past inhabitants. The only problem with Jerome is the parking. There's no parking says the tour guide of the state park mansion. I found parking and am happy to say that I made it up to the Asylum restaurant even though my two kids beat me to the punch. Alice and Adrian drove separate because Alice's Nutcracker rehearsal didn't make it out till 12:30. At the Asylum, which is located in the Jerome Grand Hotel, I didn't really notice anything extracurricular except for the hotel check-in boy was a little odd. I listened as he talked to customers on the phone about having a cancellation for a third floor room overlooking the beautiful Verde Valley. After he got off the phone I inquired about the room. Keeping it vacant wasn't an option in my eyes, especially with Halloween being this month. Kaitlyn, who was shopping in the gift area, runs up to me, says, "No, mommy I don't want to stay here!" I replied, "Are you sure?" Kaitlyn says, "Yes, mommy, but can you tell me a ghost story?"

Kaitlyn is eleven on October 7, 2011. She's a millenium baby, precious at that! I had a very difficult delivery where the nurses replied to the attending physician, "Should we get a cardiologist?" I would've never died giving birth as I was too darn healthy, swimmer attribution, my heart was strong and healthy, just decided to beat a tad bit slower due to Pitocin inducing meds and epidural. What baby wouldn't be in distress with all those meds running through the mother's body. If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't have been induced, but Kaitlyn, Alice and Wm are happy, healthy and extremely wise, so on this one, I'll have to give myself a pat on the back. I did good. Nuf said!

My baby turns eleven. Two ones! Lucky year if you ask me, so why not start it off with a bang? Go to the healing place of the world? After Jerome, the girls went with Adrian and Wm went with me. Traveling along Hwy 89A my cell phone rings. My imagination took me on a long hike up a winding river where huge oak trees had yellow leaves falling like snow onto the ground. It's funny how the imagination can sometimes mislead you, but that's the very reason that I'm a writer. My imagination is like the leaf. It's green one minute and yellow the next, falling into a calm stream, hoping for a gentle breeze that will keep it afloat so it can take a desired trip downstream. Imagine all that trip of one leaf could entail. I could talk to myself. Thus, the Asylum restaurant, in which I have to admit, I noticed no extracurricular activity (mentioned above) but loved the spicy squash soup, in which there's an online recipe. It's the best soup ever.

We made the Red Rock loop, made it too late to pay the $10 entrance fee, so continued on our journey. I think I was a week or two early as the leaves are just beginning to change. Yellow splotches here and there. I want full yellow and orange, leaves falling like snow, so I promised Wm to take him back up. I want to hike Slide Rock. I want to experience Fall. After going to the Catholic Church on the reddest of all rocks, located by rumored, Nicholas Cage mansion in which my son was super fascinated by the dome in which the mansion can open and see stars at night, built-in observatory and richly groomed dogs. Wm doesn't want to admit, but he's fascinated by money. He talked about the home all the way up the hike to the beautiful church built into the rocks. I took tons of pictures, enjoyed as Adrian lit a candle. The candle of Hope. October is the month of Hope. We are supposed to close on our home this month, Kaitlyn's eleventh and Wm starts to drive with permit. October, 2011 will be a milestone for us. Here's hoping.

On our drive home, as the sun set over the rest area I was in much thankful for, as Eminem plays on the radio. I say, "Wm where did you find four cd's of Eminem?" Wm says, "You had them in your car." Serendipity. After the rest area, Wm worked for the duration of the drive home on his English paper. My son, inspired by a trip to Sedona. The writer who now knows what Serendipity means. I thought back to that day's experience, when the cell phone rang as I was driving through the city of Sedona, on my way to my imaginary hike, Adrian called saying Alice's stomach ached. I told him to stop at the first McDonald's. That is when Wm said, "All the signs are green up here, even the McDonald's sign." I wouldn't have stopped had Wm not said that because who would recognize a green McD's signage off the main road? Adrian had pulled off at a Circle K a couple blocks earlier and we waited for him at McDonald's. Inside, as Wm filled up his swim jug with ice and water, I said to him, "I thought we were going to meet at McDonald's?" Wm and I went inside our favorite place to eat besides Costco (McD's new Apple Sundae's are the best fall treat) and as we pulled out of the parking lot, Adrian came driving towards us as we turned into the main road. I waved to Adrian and the girls and said to Wm, "That is serendipity."

We aligned our cars with the Sedona mysticism, healing, well-being that the town is known for, and on our way to said Catholic Church built into the rocks we stopped at Talequi something shopping center where I told Kaitlyn to pick out something special for her birthday. Kaitlyn picked a dream catcher from a Christmas ornament shop. I was dying to ask the owner as he assisted us at picking out an ornament saying, "I can write the number 11 with a Sharpie on the ornament you pick out." Kaitlyn finally found her special gift: A dream catcher. The owner asked, "Where you gonna put your dream catcher?" Kaitlyn responds, "Above my bed." Priceless!!! My day in Sedona not only healed my arm, it brought our family closer together and gave Kaitlyn a birthday she is sure to remember. Priceless!!! Little did I know that Adrian already bought her a present in the Telaqui toy store, a bag of figurines where you have to take each item and write a story. Serendipity. Priceless!!!

Beautiful Struggle

2011-09-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Congrats, my son for your writing and being asked to submit to BLAM (Brophy Literary Magazine)

Beautiful Struggle
By Wm John Hick

Boom! It was a stormy April evening that year in 1996 when I was born into this world. The orchestra of thunder, lightning, and rain made the outside a dangerous place. Nevertheless, the hospital protected me from all the harms of the outside world. Inside the delivery room, the nurses checked my vital signs. When they compared my two legs, they discovered that the right one was noticeably different from the left. While I was welling up with tears, purple veins spiraled around my right leg like a snake was constricting its prey. One of the astounded nurses announced to my mother that the abnormality would soon disappear. My mom replied contently, “I’m just happy that he has ten toes and ten fingers.” Soon I found myself cradled in my mother’s soft hands, listening to her powerful heartbeat. With the aroma of her hair entering my nostrils and the taste of the warm milk, I started to drift to sleep. Both of us laid there living in the moment, yet we were oblivious to the struggles that this everlasting flaw would bring.

“Buckle up boys, it’s time to experience the great outdoors!” our scoutmaster Craig would say before each camping trip. I wrestled with my back-pack straps, trying to find the suitable fit for my long journey. Next, I double-checked the wraps that compressed my right leg ensuring that they would do their job. With the entire crew of excited boys ready to go, we headed up the steep mountain that obscured our view from the expansive, rolling landscape that lay beyond. As a couple of hours flew by, the sounds of peaceful nature soothed our ears, but not everything was so well for me. I had the fear that my leg would give under my weight, but I plodded onward. I wasn’t about to let the other boys beat me because of my hindrance of a leg. Besides, when we had made it to the wash, we were halfway up the mountain. That’s when it happened. As I was walking through the slippery gravel, my right ankle twisted and the weight of my body collapsed to the ground. I cautiously straightened up, not discouraged by the fall, but each step I took then on was more painful than the last. With my energy depleting and my forehead dripping with sweat, I finally made it to the summit. Deepening twilight had infected the gorgeous blue sky just as the Hemangioma had swelled double its size. I realized that I could be just like anyone else, or so I thought.
The cheers of parents, coaches, and swimmers echoed throughout the swim complex during the state finals swim meet last spring. Our team’s 800 yard relay was up next, and we were all excited and determined to win gold. As I prepared myself, I only thought about not disappointing my teammates. When I exploded off the block and ripped through the water’s surface, everything went silent. Adrenaline kicked in, and the water around me started to blur. When I finally touched the timing mat after a grueling 200 yards, I looked up, saw my time, and felt relieved. I dragged myself out of the water and cheered for my teammates, feeling apart of the team for the first time. I stood up faintly and looked down, horrifically seeing that an expanding puddle of velvet red blood was empting from my right leg. I fell to the ground in shock while eyes glared at me from all directions. A few parents who claimed that they were medically trained had helplessly attempted to ease the flow. Finally, with the grace of God, the wound closed and subsided. I laid there relieved and knew that I no longer had to hide my ankle anymore.

In the experiences listed above, I was constantly striving to appear normal like everyone else. I brought more turbulence into my life by being ashamed of thing that made me different. With the tables turned and my secret revealed, I’ve been much more content with the way I am, and my life has been orderly as a result. Since then, I’ve found the inner beauty that my leg always possessed, the same beauty that my mom saw those many years ago. After all, I guess one can say that I have truly lived out the motto, blood, sweat, and tears.

Stress

2011-09-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

I like to think that I'm a good mom. I wake up, get ready for work then after coffee and Yahoo horoscope I make my son's lunch and fill his huge ASU water bottle with ice and aqua. I work to pay for his tuition, thus private school, thus better life. Right?

When my son was five he stood at the bay window with his backpack on waiting for the school bus. He did this every morning, beginning at eight in the morning even though the bus didn't arrive until eleven. Those were the days of 1/2 day kindergarten. Today my son has a 4.2 G.P.A at a College Prep High School.

What's the problem, you ask? As a storyteller, I'm sure to tell you, but you'd better get belted in for the ride. It all happened when my husband and I were eating lunch at Wildflower today. I had just come from my run/walk, something we can do since the weather is slowly inching down the the upper 90's. The other day, on my lunch break I did my run walk and as a result had a fabulous afternoon. I attribute that fabulous afternoon to endorphins, those feel good hormones released during any type of physical activity. Since the start of the week, Monday's afternoon was good why shouldn't I follow suit, do run/walk so Wednesdays could be even better?

On the way to Wildflower, I decided to stop and get a pedi. I went to the Nail's place by the dance studio where I've frequented on occasion when my daughters are practicing for Nutcracker, never having cash, always using ATM and having to excuse myself for never carrying cash. I had a great foot message and decided to change to red instead of blue when another customer commented that Fall begins this Friday. Put the blue away, Pamela! It's not summer anymore. I was in the message relaxation zone when I met my husband at Wildflower. He was in the all business and no pleasure zone and his two step was not in alignment with the universe. I was really there to meet the writer's for review of last weeks material in which when that finally went down, after major drama, the lightbulb turned from off to on, dark to light. I may be able, after many years of floating around blindly swimming in a dark pool may be able to call myself a screenwriter after all. And when that happens I will thank the proper people (you already know who you are) and I want to say that I'm eternally grateful!!! I'm also grateful for my new writer friend putting my arm back in alignment, my tennis elbow a thing of the past (last year pulled 10 acres of AZ wildflowers). Who knew your arm and shoulder could be out of alignment? Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you, from the bottom of my heart! Would you really want to hear my Oscar speech? I mean really? I would most likely thank everyone on planet Earth. You know who you are.

So here I am feeling as if my run/walk as well as my new red toenails would open up the Secret mind set of infinite possibilities. My toes were perfectly painted, my endorphins are high! I'm gonna learn the craft I've been so adamant about learning and voila~ the Capital "S" hits the fan! Literally! This all had to do with being an hour off on my time on when I was supposed to meet the writers. Four instead of three. What a difference an hour makes! I had an hour to spare so I took my husband's advice and went to pick up my son. Upon getting into the car he explained to me how a counselor pulled him into her office because a teacher recommended he was stressed out and was concerned. Which teacher? It's a mystery still looming in my story telling brain as I write stories.

Well, it could be his assistant coach who commented that Wm was looking skinny as of late. I had already explained to the real coach that I was the same way when I was his age as I grew from 5'5" to 5'10" I was super skinny Sophomore year. Super. Ask all my friends! See the pics of me in Hawaii. Apparently the school isn't falling for that story. My biggest comment was, "My son's a 4.2 GPA student, leave him alone." Actually it was more like, "I'm paying you people $1200 a month to leave my son alone." Lord help me if they take my son again and speak to him without me being present. How rude. Super rude. To think we were going to give them official retreat privilidges on the very 10 acres my mother worked so hard to keep. Super rude. A 4.2 is a certain type of individual. Get used to the 4.2 student. Maybe he is the only 4.2 and they don't understand why? All I know is I commented, "My son doesn't haze, he's not on drugs, leave him alone." I really hope they got the message because of his perfectionism he's getting typecast as stressed. Go figure! The more you work to pay for a finer education, the more your son works to strive for perfection, the more you're called into the counselor's office. Doesn't make any sense to me.

To see the light, I've been given the gift of the write. Rhymes. Be patient with me as I try to figure out why my day turned from good to sour, why those endorphins didn't kick in like they should have. I'm Uber protective of my son. Uber. Not helicopter, but am Uber. Excuse me for being Uber. I love this kid with all of my heart. I'm trying the best I can to give him the best and I have been striving since the day he stood in front of the bay window with his backpack on, waiting for the school bus to arrive. My parents weren't there for me and at times like this I think that they were probably smart, but I didn't achieve very much academically. My son is the master of academics. The sweetest heart and soul there is on this planet. Leave him alone. Let him study without putting a placard on his back. Wm felt labeled today as he walked out of the counselor's office. For as hard as I work to give him the best, participate and make change, for all of that I'm sad. There's hope, though, because I had the most awesome screenwriting session, finally, the lightbulb may be fully illuminated!!! Thank-you, God!!!

Discovery

2011-09-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

For this I've got faith:

My son's a beautiful writer. Or, I should say, my beautiful sun (son) is a writer, good one at that. Enclosed is my heart and soul:

Discovery (an Honor's English Assignment)
By William John Hick
Spring air warmly billowed over the ocean of lush green grass that covered the landscape for miles in all directions. A dirt road—wide enough only for two to walk shoulder to shoulder—snaked across the fertile countryside. There wasn’t a cloud in the blue sky or a sound in air, and presently life seemed peaceful. All that existed was eerie silence except for the lifeless body that lay on the side of the dirt road. The body didn’t add or subtract to the beauty of the nature; it was just there. It lacked significance in the greater scheme of things, so it was quite interesting when a crowd starting appearing some time later. Slowly the audience came at first, but then as if a message resonated throughout the area, masses came to witness the incident. Among the crowd there were the simple-lived farmers, some brilliant doctors, a number of teenage boys, a few painters, and a weeping family. An odd group this body had attracted, yet it wasn’t complete. A dust devil swirled in the distance and the roar of an engine echoed announcing the man’s presence. The sound became loader until a figure on a motorcycle appeared. When he finally arrived at the body, the ceremony began. The tough-skinned farmers just stood there shaking their heads, guessing that the boy’s demise was from the imperfections of society. The doctors examined his right leg seeing how bloody and crippled it was and announced that it was the cause of his fate. Some teenage boys snickered at what they saw, while others didn’t even pay attention to what was going on. The painters, instead of mourning, took the opportunity to depict the gorgeous landscape on their sketchpads. The family grieved at what they saw. They didn’t care about how the others saw the boy’s death. All that mattered to them was that their only son was taken from them: the son that they loved so dearly now gone. The motorcycle man for he wasn’t a man at all, removed his helmet and where eyes should’ve been there was only shear darkness. When he observed the body, he saw that he had the figure of a man’s body but the face of a cowardly boy. The boy’s hand covered his eyes afraid of discovering the truth that his struggles revealed. Hiding his ambition to complete his journey! Oppressing his will to protect his true friends against their enemies; afraid of the image that he might conjure about himself. The no-faced man laughed at the boy’s expression. The man then searched the boy’s body and discovered an eccentric item. The boy’s breast pocket revealed a rosary in the form of a silver ring. There should’ve been ten points extruding from the central ring symbolizing a decade, yet there were only half. A small glossy crucifix that was extended away from the rest of the rosary-ring always pointed towards heaven. As the man observed the half-complete rosary in the sunshine, it reflected a blinding light. At that moment, all distractions ceased, and everyone turned their attention toward the brilliant sacramental. The five groups were so overcome by the beauty of this object that they began praying softly at first, but then their voices resonated throughout the countryside. The people were connected by their prayers and all the different attitudes expressed by each individual member were put aside. They had found the one thing that completed the boy’s identity.

September

2011-09-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

September
By Pamela Ryan-Hick

September
A month to remember
Forget-me-not
USA pride
Flows through our veins
On this day, September 11th
In every way
A reminder of
Times past
Safe harbors
We'll prove to the world
That you can't stop us
Freedom Reigns
We'll never hide
No matter what
Service to country
Protecting US
Strength in numbers
We're gonna continue
Game called life,
Fight the good fight,
Enjoying the ride

God Bless USA!!!

Knock at the door

2011-09-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Who is my audience? That's a question that all writer's have to answer and I guess, since I write about mainly about my high school teenager and swimming, my audience would have to be parents with high school teens. In the book that I'm currently raving about titled, "Tell to Win" Peter Guber recommends researching your audience, arouse their curiosity through vulnerability so that they will feel as if they own the story, so that they can go out and "tell it forward." The goal is to find a core audience who can be "apostles" for your message, telling others through their own words.

As I'm writing there's a knock at the front door, a Fed Ex man walks up the long dirt driveway, a shocker to me as this is a rare occasion as visiting Rancho Mayfield has been by invitation only (as per the owner, my mom). The delivery person could've gotten an eye full as the writer sits at the table drinking a cup of coffee, having just woken up. I wonder if that's how the Naked Chef got his trademarked name? Was he fully clothed (use antonym here) cooking when a Fed Ex man knocked at his door? The naked writer. Hmmmm. Not brave enough for that title, at this point in time. I mean there are writer's risks that are good and writer's risks that could be detrimental. Safety net. That could be why he hurried off or it could be because he paid attention the the private property signs, beware of dogs. The dogs started barking, hardly the bark of a pit bull, but scared him off none-the-less, as I hurried into the bedroom to find any article of clothing in case my autograph was needed. It wasn't and the package remains outside, awaiting ADrian to get it because that's what he lives for, receiving mail. Next stop on my agenda, besides swim meets and volleyball games would be to purchase a new writer's cape/robe. Always be prepared for the unexpected ~ that will be the theme of my next script!!!

A knock at a door, good script title, I might add could be a calling of sorts. Writing is somewhat of a calling for me. I've got an upcoming screenwriting class that I'm excited to attend although I work the first Saturday of the class so the instructor, Bill True is nice enough to meet with the ones who will miss, to go over what was missed. This upcoming class is to be taken serious and I'm hoping Bill can get us all on the right path as marketing my work seems to be the most difficult of challenges for me as a writer. I cringe everytime I think of attending a pitch summit. Peter Guber's book has certainly helped me in this process because I've learned, by reading and taking notes on my kids flashcards that all I need to do is tell a story in order to win them over. Drama. Story. Purposeful stories, those created with a specific mission in mind, are absolutely essential in persuading others to support a vision, dream or cause!

Hopefully today I can hop over to Barnes and Nobles and purchase a couple of these books for others as I've mentioned in the past that I'll be giving out this book as Christmas presents this year. The power of persuasion. Through storytelling. Imagine life if you can succeed at persuading others to believe in your vision? Would life be like the Beverly Hills version of Real Housewives? Could you pack your bags and move to Beverly Hills. Maybe. Depends on how good you are at persuading others. Those women hardly seem happy though, even with all the money in the world. Their marriages are breaking up, their friendships are fraught with hatred, envy. They seem to never have enough. The other day in mass, the priest mentioned that exact sentiment, that even if you have all the money in the world, you may not be happy unless you are doing the will of God, that in his tiny poor village that he's never witnessed such happiness. To walk on those marble floors in Beverly Hills for just one day. I'd take it. For just one day. The power of persuasion through story.

I've got a couple ideas for story, script on the back burner. One has to do with the SUPS folklore and the other has to do with a boy who struggles socially in school, that one titled, "I'm Not Bill." I got INB back from my wonderful editor and the script has been collecting dust ever since. I look over at the printer and we're out of paper so my goal is to also visit Kinko's today to get a copy made of this script so I can take it to the upcoming class and let Bill True take a look. The script got a pass from my editor and has potential if I keep the main character, protagonist being the boy. Somehow I always seem to write about myself and my editor says, "Whose story is this anyway?" Someday I will get it write, I mean right. That day will be when I set my goals to believing that I can walk barefoot on marble entry way tile in Beverly Hills to open the front door, perhaps a knock at the door would be a neighbor, one like Lisa Vanderplump, who brings her beloved dog over for some English tea. Of course, at that time, I'd most likely be dressed in, let's say, Chanel? Goals. Gotta love them. The power of persuasion through storytelling. Everyone has storytelling encoded into their DNA ~ just ask Peter!!

The reason for this blog is to perfect storytelling through the daily habit of writing. Write what you know. Do so with vulnerability and emotion and knowing your audience's needs. What are my audience's needs? Below, page 215 of "Tell to Win."

It's about attitude, not aptitude.
Bring high energy, which is the catalyst of great storytelling.
Demonstrate vulnerability; it isn't a liability, it's an asset.
Listen actively; it's dialogue, not monologue.
Surrender control and proprietorship of your story; your audience has to own it to tell it forward.
Arouse your listener's curiosity.
Be interactive-engage your audience's senses early and often.
Persist, persist, persist, turn "no" to "on."

In conclusion, and I've got to conclude as I've got a million and one things on the agenda today: Call about Christmas decorating dates and times for BCP chapel, print script, call for appraisal, call for inspection, get pay stubs over to bank with statements (which btw look pretty damn good), find ssn card, list of assets, driver's license, etc. All info needed for COE on Arcadia home. God willing. My prayers are that we are making the right decision in our choice. Life's about to change for the better and moving to a place where I'll need a robe when I write, knowing how lucky we are to be getting away to our beloved SUPS on the weekends!!! Want to shout out to my mom and brother as my brother was born on my mom's birthday, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you!" Love you both very much!!!! A good day, indeed even if I wasn't prepared for the knock at the door!!!

Bees

2011-09-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

Summertime brings many things, bee swarms one of them. Buzzing bees, annoying and better left alone. In Arizona, summertime also brings elevated temperatures, this year being the hottest on record. Monsoons are also a part of our summers, thunderstorms originating in Mexico heading north giving us a beautiful light show through the dark clouds, illuminating the sky.

This morning, as my children head off to swim practice, Kaitlyn reaches for the door handle then stops to say, "Daddy, there's bees outside." Being the protective father, Adrian replies, "I know, we'll have to stop at Home Depot to get some spray." The kids ran to the car, Adrian close behind while I shouted, "Don't forget the sunscreen!" Usually their practices are in the evening, but since this is holiday, they swim in the morning. At least practice isn't five in the morning like it is on Saturdays. I'm proud of my Alice for making 5 a.m practice this week as her brother didn't attend with her due to his swim team retreat near Prescott, which I've yet to hear about but the good thing is ~ Wm came home playing a tune on the piano, explaining to us that he learned the beautiful diddy on retreat. Life is good. Wm had a great time and I'm dying to hear more. Stay tuned.

Kaitlyn asked me, as I was making her oatmeal for breakfast, "Mommy, do you have to work today?" I thought about it for a minute, remembering everyone at work saying it was a three day weekend and replied, "I hope not." You ever get that feeling you should be somewhere but you're not and it's okay? Today it feels like I should be at work, but I'm not. Like most of America, today is a day to reflect. Reflect on the good, be thankful for all the good in you're life. To not read Yahoo about the unemployed having to fight for jobs with the underemployed. Whatever does that mean? Competition. It's stiff, especially this day and age. Making another offer on another home we found yesterday brings worry, but also peace knowing life may calm down a bit. Wm says he likes the commute because he uses that time to study. It takes twenty minutes from our made offer on home to get to B ~ Wm's school. Ironically, the owner is a B graduate and to top things off, my favorite Seattle flowers, yellow daffodils were in a vase on the table. The home is small, yet cozy, gets us into that Arcadia area door, so to speak, just hope our offer wasn't too high as the area may warrant lower priced homes, only a bank appraisal will give us the answer to that info.

An Arizona hawk flies outside, across the window, made me jump, so I let the dogs outside, noticed bees flying near the front door. I quickly closed the door and thought about my mother's new home, similar situation in California, mom informs me via text. My mother says their new home is infested with bees, a hive somewhere inside the walls, honey drips onto the floor. Can't say I didn't tell you so, but I think she's now finding out perhaps she should've listened to her beloved daughter? Did they not get an inspection before purchase? Mom says one of the bedrooms in her home is black. Adrian says this room could've been used as a darkroom. A friend informs me the room was most likely used as some type of worship room. Why would mom buy a home with a black room? Hurry up and get out the Kilz, paint to your hearts desire, wipe away all bad spirits in your new home, especially before we visit. Can't say I didn't tell you so (see earlier blogs a couple weeks ago). They seem happy and mom sent me a picture of their beloved lab, Harry, passed out, sleeping on the floor. Harry's approval is a good thing. When a dog feels comfortable enough to sleep in a new home, you know the home can't be all that bad, especially if bees are making their home inside the walls.

My goal today is to finish the Peter Guber book, "Tell to Win." A quote from the book, notes taken about heros goes something like this, "True teller heroes are generous as well as powerful. They never close sight of what's in their story for their audience ~ they only cast themselves as heroes if they know they can deliver. The hero is the character that your listener will identify with, if the audience experiences the story through your heroes eyes and the story leads your hero to embrace the call to action then your audience will automatically hear your call too." This book helps by giving tips in marketing, pitching ideas, writing scripts as everyone has storytelling encoded in their DNA. It's just important to take some time to research your audience so you can tell a story that your audience can empathize with. Many a Peter Guber deal has been made through storytelling. This book is so good that I think I'll order a couple copies and give them out as Christmas presents. Good stuff.

Today there is an open house at the home I just put an offer in on. Am I worried? No. I'm the type of person that if something's meant to be, it's meant to be. I'm not going to stress over the roadblocks, just going to focus on the road. Of course, the home doesn't have a pool or garage, but Adrian says we can build both at a later date. It does have North South exposure and views of Camelback, is on a quiet street. It's freshly painted, modern. The master bedroom was a build-on and the floor seems a tad bumpy, but it's a perfect home to entertain. The first call to action, if all closes without roadblocks would be to celebrate Kaitlyn's birthday in October. Kaitlyn is studying the state of Oklahoma and I told her I'd take her there for her eleventh birthday, but if we close on our new home then life will be changing for a long time as responsibility will lie with making a house payment and school tuition.

My mother's side of the family is from Altus, Oklahoma. We had a Hughes (maternal) family reunion at some lake in Altus when I was in my early teens, those Farrah Fawcett hair days. I remember the large catfish we fried, then ate and the talk about how we're related to Howard Hughes, distant cousin to my mother. I could believe his DNA is somewhere incorporated the way my mother acquires homes, anything is possible. Doing research on the other (father's) side of the family, aka "Ryan" family tree has brought much insight and we're making our way to Ireland through Margaret Ryan, ne McDonough and McNeil. We'll get there soon enough which will give me an excuse to visit the Emerald Isle, or at least dream of visiting. I've got a writer mentor in Paris, Marilyn Horowitz. I couldn't help but tweet that if she has a class there for writers that I'd pursue attending so that I, too, can write in the dream city of Lights. Like the bees traveling for miles, finding the right home then hovering over their bee hive making honey, life is good, sticky at times if you don't open your horizons, grab stuff to write about. The world awaits a good story. Reality television, which btw RHofBH first episode begins tonight. Yay!!! Camille talking about Kelsey.....priceless.

Have a great Labor Day everyone!!! If you're traveling, safe return and future hope of better weather, especially here in Arizona as Labor Day signifies summer being over and time to get out that LBD, black shoes, black purse. It's time to shop everyone!!! Sales galore!!! Black and yellow, black and yellow ~~~~ the color of bees!!!

Sidenote: LBD is short for Little Black Dress ~~~ for more info on the LBD please see the September edition of Harper's Bazaar!

Labor Day

2011-09-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Dear God, help us to remember that you "did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power" (2 Tim. 1:7). In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

What are you doing this labor day? I'm reading, writing and trying to get away from the dust my husband has created in the Master Bathroom while sanding the new drywall. The good thing is that we're almost ready to tile the bathroom, "Just one more coat to sand." Last night we visited the local Home Depot and bought a $400 vanity, my mother's birthday present. Once installed, I'll take a photo and send it to her new home, the third home behind Edgey and Nobby perched high on top of a hill.

My mother loves to buy homes that have a view. I don't blame her. The views in each home are spectacular, one overlooking all of Ventura County, the other looking far out into Phoenix and Camelback's behind (which a new home being built may block) and the new one looking over all those movie sets near Vasquez Rocks. I could never live up to what my mother has accomplished. I won't even try and I'm sure that the home I buy will not even come close to her standards, but my goal is to make this one happy home where the kids can finally have some classmates over for a party or two. Good times. I had them and I strive to let my children experience them. Of course, when I was growing up we lived closed to the schools we attended, having kids over was easy, not the chore it is now living so many miles away from it all.

I didn't realize I was supposed to meet my realtor yesterday at ten as I promised days before. I dropped Wm off at the B bus that he boarded with his swim team to head to a motivational retreat. I told Wm, on the way to Phoenix, early Saturday morning to have fun this weekend, enjoy the commraderie and to try hard not to judge people as Deepak suggests that non-judgement exists in a perfect world in his son's book, "Walking Wisdom." Don't quote me on that as I don't have the book in front of me but there is an exercise to go through one day without judging people. I hope Wm can do the same. He is a perfectionist boy, wants to world to bow to him and I've let him know that to be outgoing, walk up and speak to others is the way to go. Just because some kids teased him on the basketball court one day doesn't mean he can't try again the next. The challenge is to keep at it, keep trying. One day those kids will admire the determination and accept him with open arms. Nobody said it was easy, this game of inner tennis, or inner game of tennis.

I listen to my son's woes. The other day I timed at his first swim meet. Do I know how to time, the head timer asked me. My reply was, "I'm a Master's swimmer. I swim with the Master's." Of course I know how to time. I didn't tell him that I'm a writer and all writers observe their surroundings. What better way to observe then at a swim meet. My first observation was, of course, on my new Coach purse wondering why I didn't leave it in the car. During the 50 free, a flock of swimmers surrounding us timers, utter chaos, my purse was sure to be stolen, like my mom's purse was many years ago, $50k in jewels inside, my only credo of possibility of future use was inside, my new Amex card. I grabbed my purse and continued timing until the water's calmed down to a more relaxed state. 50 free is fast and furious, competitive and an event where I could possibly get distracted, my purse stolen, same as years before (see earlier blog about two years ago in April for the full story).

I went to a psychic and she informed me that teenagers stole mom's purse, so standing there amongst a bunch of teens made me even more cautious. I'm not saying they are bad teens, swimmers never are, but the temptation was there, the lone alligator Coach bag sitting on a chair while it's owner bends down to see when the hands touch the wall. That night, the night my mother's purse was stolen was a night of devastation, the only positive outcome was a script that won some top placement at my favorite film festivals, "Pat's Purse." Never to be found again, or our hope is that it is found again, someday by a mom whose cleaning out her kid's closet. Wouldn't that be wonderful? In a perfect world. My beloved Louis Vuitton limited addition clutch wallet with bellboy painted on front was inside that purse.

I sound very materialistic but I'm really not. My mother worked hard for those jewels, extremely hard, many years. To have them stolen was painful to say the least, probably the most painful event in her life. Of course she blames me. I begged my mom, whom I hadn't seen in a while to pick me up from the airport and attend this event with me where many people were going to be present. The thing is, is that ever since that fateful night of stupidity (placing the purse on a green bench when I kept moving it down on the ground but mom didn't like the thought of water getting on it while on the ground) I've become an observer. Everywhere I go, I observe, looking for that stolen Coach purse, the one I gave my mom as a present. Looking for the diamond heart necklace, or diamond cross necklaces, the gold medallion Mr. Thoele had given her many years before. I've got all faith that someday we will see little painted bellboy once again, but my observation continues.

While timing that day, as I got off on a passionate tangent, telling you the story of my life, which Peter Guber says we all should tell stories, especially to sell a product, in his case a movie studio or music, something to do with the arts and entertainment. I noticed an outgoing boy who started conversation with my timing partner. The boy started the conversation by praising the timing partner's son's school presentation. He then praised his own presentation. These kids are super sure of themselves. I explained to my son that you have to be more outgoing to win praise from people. What would it hurt to strike up a conversation with someone? Take a risk. Take many a risk. Just do it!!! Take a risk and don't judge. I observed my son on the pool deck that day. He's grown super tall and seems to be undernourished, super thin. We do feed him, lots, although he's picky in what he eats, super nutritious because he's an athlete. When I was his age, I, too, was super thin because I was growing, swimming, etc. Of course I worry about my son, but have complete faith that he's only going through an anti-social phase because he's not taking risks in meeting people. Hopefully this weekend will help him find more friends.

Wm's counselor asked Wm if he was depressed. Wm replied, "No." How can a kid who swims twice per day, all those endorphins being released be possibly depressed? Wm is completely healthy in the head. He's just not taking risks, not going outside his social comfort zone and when he does, a kid from the group says, "Let's move over here." Wm takes that personally, is extremely sensitive and after taking a picture of Wm boarding the bus yesterday, the rays of son over his head, almost made him look angelic, Christ-like. With the compassion and love that Wm has in his make-up, reaching out for my hand in a loving gesture on the way to the bus drop off, I wonder if Wm is someone more special then we could all imagine. Could it be possible? ADrian says adamantly, "No." I still wonder. Who else had this much compassion and love when he walked the face of the earth? Who judged people for what they say, right or wrong, is affected by people who talk about others in a negative light? Compassion and love, two qualities one doesn't see in a teen very often. I just hope that others, especially school counselors can see these qualities and mold him into a leader. One can only hope.

Labor Day is a day made by Congress after the Pullman strike, unrest by labor union and others. It's a weekend of rest and relaxation, a day to spend with family, in our case not resting but tiling a bathroom, much labor there. With unemployment on the rise and zero jobs formed last month it's a good day to give thanks for the job you do have and rejoice in any prospects others have who aren't as fortunate. God Bless your Labor Day!!!

Offer Withdrawn

2011-09-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

What does a home on a busy street and I have in common? Nothing.

This past week has been a busy one for us. The other day we found the perfect home for us that included a pool in the backyard. Our realtor had a purchase contract, the whole family present, all of us standing in the front room, starring out the front window seeing people we know drive past. I made an offer on this home.

We are excited to take advantage of this market, moving closer to work, schools and after school activities. The home is perfect for us. The only problem was that it was located on a rather busy street, Osborn between 44th and 48th. Turning left onto Osborn from 44th proved to be a challenge as 44th is such a busy street, oncoming traffic leaves on in a state of shock waiting to turn left. Then, once you make the left hand turn and are driving east on Osborn there are 5 cars behind you leaving you in more of a state of shock, making the turn into your new home impossible.

I spoke to my mother today. She closes on her new home, sent an MLS info sheet on it through the snail mail, received yesterday. I've come to the conclusion or to the emotional state of calm once I saw the picture. The home, high on top of a hill, is my mother's 11th home. At first I can't say I was jealous, but I was concerned that my mother would jeopardize her other properties by her need for funds to contribute or to use to fix the new place up to her liking. It's all very worrisome, but my mother assured me that if one sits worrying about everything, not ever taking risks, one never gets anywhere. Mom also said, it's not wise to buy on a busy street or next to a school. I withdrew the offer.

Easy enough. Calm has again washed over me. I don't want to get into something I couldn't get out of. You can't move from a ten acre private hill to a busy street, especially if you're a writer. I could just see, sitting by the window at this home, attempting to get into the writer's zone (which I'm currently in) and not being able to because cars are passing, one after the other. I've got all faith that we will find that perfect home, a home that will be on a calm street with nice neighbors. It's a perfect world, by the way. I'm looking forward to continue the search for that perfect home. The housing market is good, actually proving to be hot in the Arcadia area we are wanting to buy in. I should ask around the kids school to see if anyone knows anyone whose wanting to sell. Getting the home plate advantage has always been a good thing.

My mother called today and we had a good chat. I'm happy for her and will continue to help her maintain her growing lot. We are thinking of making a bed and breakfast on the hill, snowbirds paying high prices for the privacy. It's priceless, after all, the area where once gold was supposedly buried deep in the mountains. What if it were buried here? On the hill? I should start digging. The rock is hard, so that's not likely to happen anytime soon. I'm enjoying watching Adrian redo the master bath with tile my mother and him picked out months ago. It's taken two years to redo the bathroom and master bedroom. I saw one scorpion in the bathtub when we moved here and that made me pull up the speckled shag carpet my mother loved and pull out the bath tub to make a tiled shower, all much to my mother's dismay. She'll be happy with the outcome. For that, I'm sure.

Today I got the September extreme screenwriting newsletter. The letter was very informative to me as I could use a couple ideas as my two favorite film festivals, Phoenix and Beverly Hills deadlines are fast approaching. I missed Beverly Hills last year attending even though I made the finalist for my script, "The Swimmer." I hope the folks over there don't hold that against me this next year. Please don't. Last year's guest speaker was Angelina's dad. I should've went. We were busy with this or that and it's good for Adrian and I to get away for that beloved weekend of pampering and site seeing on Rodeo Drive. I should say star stalking, not site seeing!!! Adrian loves to call me a star f^*(&$#. I'm not. I just like to soak in the homes, the way of life, the cars, etc. and wonder what life would be like if I could be a part of it. For one weekend, I am. It's all good.

In the screenwriting newsletter, Barb writes about coming up with ideas from the small town in which you live. Local folklore, town legends, myths, mysteries. Going to the local library and dig through old ledgers, newspapers back to the mid 1800's. Gather info about anything odd, mysterious, unique or horrible. Barb has also written about selling a reality show concept as those are paying much more than a script. Her company, Extreme Screen Pics is taking ideas. I wrote her a thank-you note for the above idea because guess where I live? In the folklore capital of AZ. Could I possibly write about the gold buried near the SUPS? Could I? If I got off my arse, like Barb says, then I could!!! I've got a wealth of info from my small hick town. We also live on a place where Wm Storms used to reside. Wm was a writer, too. I've got a wealth of info from the writings my mother kept from him. Information. Do something with it all, Pamela!!!

Speaking of information overload. Try doing a family tree. I've found my great, great grandfather's grave in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Where the hell is Sheboygan, Wi? Patrick died when Margaret (ne McDonough) was carrying Patrick jr. Story. Margaret's mother's maiden name is McNeil. So, I'm related to Ryan, McDonough and McNeil's of the world. Who knew. I'm also finding on my paternal grandmother's side, Crowe, a Scottish side. It's all info overload, but it's info none-the-less. Like the packet I received from my paternal grandfather's aunt's family from Plainsview, Mn. Inside is a list of names, one uncle moving to Canada to dodge the draft, another great aunt going to a funny farm, dying as she jumped out of the window to escape, ending up drowning in a lake. One aunt who has my very nose. Info. equals Story.

Wm has a swim meet today, the first Brophy meet at Hamilton High. Alice swam a 55 second 100 freestyle, her coaches wondering who it was in lane three that accomplished such a feat. It's not like it's a surprise. I've been telling them for years that my Alice has potential for great things. Yesterday, a team mate who attends a private boarding school outside Boston says that these expensive schools pick a couple people per state and pay full tuition fees. She informed us that she's got a swim team member friend at Cate. She says we need to be proactive about applying to Cate as it's very competitive. They won't come knocking on our door, that Alice, who wants to go to Xavier to swim and have her brother drop her off in the morning, drive in with him, and has already spoken to the X coach, now at least wants to try Cate. We should try the Phillips school outside Boston, too. 40K per year makes B look cheap. Ha Ha as we struggle to come up with the tuition. Education remains priceless. Maybe I can ask my mom for a loan? 11 homes, surely she can help. Doubtful, as the more you own, the more the taxes need payed, thus no money in the till. We know that song and dance. Live frugal, have more. I could learn a thing or two from my mom. Mrs Frugal, USA. She told me a story about a shabby dressed man who looks as if he just came off working in the fields. The man withdrew tons of money from his bank. Never judge a book by it's cover.

In conclusion, speaking about books. I need to write more and thanks to you, those who read this blog, for indulging me in my efforts. Please leave comments and remember, if you need me I'll be laying on the grassy hill near the pool, laying on my back gazing at the stars, reaching for the first one that falls, dreaming about all the wishes that may come true. All it takes is one falling star. My life rocks!!! I hope yours does, too!!!

Suspense

2011-08-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

Who do both of the books on my nightstand have excerpts about? Guess! One has to do with a very large snake who eats a poor timid mouse, his master does the moonwalk (did the moonwalk, but may still be doing the moonwalk) who didn't like dogs because his father fought pit bulls when he was a child, but got a dog for his children anyway, and loved silence of the night, creating music and art in that very silence? You guess right!!! M.J

I'm currently collecting dust on two particular library books, "Tell to Win" by Peter Gruber and "Walking Wisdom" by Gotham Chopra. One has to do with story. The other has to do with owning a dog. Guess which one is which? My intentions are good to read these two books, tonight having a little more time than other nights as my son, William preferred to come home rather than getting a second swim practice in for the night, missing ASU devils team night at SRC. Wm asked me, on the way home, "What am I going to do with the extra time tonight?" My reply, "Sleep."

Wm wanted a haircut tonight so I took him to Walmart. Even though I was tired and hating myself for not swimming with the Master's tonight, I really wasn't in the mood to get a haircut for my son. The very son who wanted his hair longer last year. What's up with the short hair Sophomore year. I'm happy with the outcome and smiled when the hairdresser asked Wm if he wanted a shampoo apres haircut. Wm response, "Sure" was priceless. Watching him enjoy the shampoo was double priceless. Having him tell me having his hair shampooed was beyond priceless.

I did get to dust off Peter Gruber's book last night and learned that a good story uses fear to get the reader's attention. You see the more I can soak in, the better writer I'll become. That's my motto. What else have I got to do with my time? Writing is fun and the attention to detail is beyond fun. A good drama uses fear to get attention, builds tension as MJ's snake and mouse story. MJ showed Peter his beloved snake. Peter noticed a timid mouse hiding in the corner of the cage. The mouse was afraid, the stakes were high, drama including suspense, power, death, good, evil, innocence and danger. Of course I made notes on this book but don't know if I could bring myself to include all of the above in my writing. I'm too much of a dramedy (drama/comedy) writer. The movie, "Slumdog Millionaire" incorporates all of those elements. Slum Dog won an oscar.

One of these days I'll have to step up to the plate and attempt to grab the reader's attention by getting him/her to "need" to know what happens next. A good screenplay moves the story forward. My screenplays probably skip stay stagnant like the willow pond on the home we looked at on Grenada. Suspense. Will the bank accept my offer? That's the suspense I've got in my life. With a little luck, some backing from the Big Man upstairs, I may be on my track to independence once again.

In conclusion, this week, thus far has been calm for me. All emails and texts that may leave me in an emotional state need go through Adrian first (my mom). There's only so much one can take. If my family isn't listening to me about adding more responsibility to the mix, then really isn't worth fighting for. I've done my best. Family meetings are a thing of the past. I'm like the mouse sitting in the corner not knowing when, how, why or if.

Some things are up to God. The family property acquisition and safe keeping is in His hands. I've done my best to convince the power's that be not to purchase anymore, so we'll just have to see if my concerns are taken into consideration. From looking at the pattern of the past, they won't be, and that's okay. Respect for other people's opinion. Whaaaat? I'm more knowledgable now and after all it's Sophomore year. Good or bad things can happen, but things do happen, for that I'm sure. Perhaps we'll be in our new home for Christmas? Good things always happen Sophomore year ~~~ First Love!!! Divorce!!! Ying Yang. It's all part of life........and story!!!

Nuff said!!!

Let It Slide

2011-08-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

"According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don't bother you anymore. You become light-hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous. (quoted by Carol Lynn Pearson in Consider the Butterfly)"
— Deepak Chopra (Synchrodestiny: Harnessing the infinite power of coincidence to create miracles)

I love you, Deepak. Your son is a great writer, too. What would we do without enlightenment? Stop worrying. That's precisely what I've been doing the past couple days. I'm worrying about my mother's new home purchase, the people I interact with on a daily basis, about finding the perfect home, about my own marriage.

Deepak's words of wisdom as well as my brother's, "Let it slide" have helped me immensely. Sometimes one needs to express their emotions to family, friends, spouses. I've certainly tried to let my feelings be known this past week, feeling as if nobody's listening, but my brother's words have given me confidence that all is right with the world. Quit trying to fight with the world and it's encounters. I'm a work in progress. Just ask my husband as I certainly gave him a 'what for' for not being around last night, our 17th anniversary.

Have a great week everyone!!! I made it through a rough patch and will continue to look for or seek (more Deepak correct) those meaningful moments in my life, smile, have positive thoughts, and best yet, be good to myself and know my abilities when people question them. I'm hoping for a good, no great week, one in which we all work together to make the world a better place. Consider the butterfly!!!

17th Anniversary

2011-08-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's my seventeenth wedding anniversary. My husband is camping with his son, our son, Wm at Mt. Baldy. I should praise and cherish this moment of father-son bonding weekend, but everyone that knows me, also knows that I want and expect more.

Adrian got me a snake skin purse and wallet from Coach in Cabazon. I requested this gift, he complied. This past year hasn't been the easiest for us, but me seem to have made it through the rough times. Until today. Like the time my mother was going into surgery, I found Adrian was texting another girl, traveling to her place of business after law school so he could "study." Ironic how hard I've worked this year, taking the kids to and from school, to their afterschool activities, feeding them, listening to their days. I am a good mom. I strive for the best and even today Alice said she did a 100 m free on 55 seconds and her coaches were wondering who she was, asking, all the while knowing I've told them for years that my kids, especially my Alice has potential.

We stayed at ALoft, Tempe last night, enjoying a dinner sans Adrian and Wm who went to REI for a new tent for this backpacking trip up Mt. Baldy. Last night and tonight. No Adrian. Hopefully I'm not seeing a pattern here, but same thing goes ~ my mother is purchasing a home this week and I need some backing. Part of me wants to change Alice's name back to the original Allison, to text my mother if she closes, I change Alice's name. Alice was supposed to be named after my BFF but my mother cried in the delivery room how special it'd be if I named her after her mother, my grandmother, Alice. I complied. I always do.

I'm truly hurt by my mother purchasing another home with her husband. I received another text from her today but I don't know how to communicate my feelings properly to her, want to use the name game to tell her she's making a big mistake. Her men are and have always been more important than her children, as the text will say, but in the end she's doing it all for her children. Years ago, when my mother was suffering, I made her go to the lawyer and redo her trust. I told her to leave everything to the grandkids, that way we could never be tempted to sell anything. I've sold in the past, the temptation would be there in the future, so leave to the grandkids so John and I could manage the trust for the kids. Mom complied. When she did, I looked at her and said, "This is good, now I can spend time at the beach." Later, she took John into the lawyer and I never asked what was discussed, but his girlfriend said, "Your mom is leaving the house at Nob Hill to the boys."

Being stuck in the desert wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so hot in the summer, this year being the hottest on record. Things aren't gonna cool down anytime soon, btw. With ice melting, water rising, ozone with holes in it, things may not get better. If I could break away and do my own thing, I'd be so happy. This leads me to the house hunting expedition news. I house hunted today, a realtor helping us whose mom is dying. There's a sign just like when the lockbox doesn't open, signs of what to buy, where to buy. Deals made. There was a home we liked, but the sq footage is small and they are asking 200 per. I like that Camelback sits right in front of our living room window and that it's a complete remodel, but so small. Don't sacrifice. We had fun looking and I know the location I want, I just need to find the house.

Alice had a birthday party at Sun Splash today, her friend, Rita's 13th. I dropped Alice off, with sunscreen galore and took Kaitlyn to see "Fright Night" and "The Help." Kaitlyn picked Fright Night and I had no choice but to comply as it was super hot and I felt faint just picking up the tickets. I actually liked Fright Night, the script, of course. Never one to write horror, I enjoyed the characters and plot. I mean who doesn't like Colin Ferrall as vampire? The Help was also good and of course I'm sitting through it and thinking I could've written it ~ thus my script writing adventure. The mom and daughter scenes, mom having cancer and helping the daughter chose a mate~ I didn't get to see the ending, but figure the boy got the girl and the Help moved on to more politically correct times, another great movie by Spielberg's company. Made me think of writing a script titled, "The Mom." I could and should begin writing soon, script.

House hunting by myself. A sign of the times. Am I just too independent? I come home and after writing something on my husband's wall, I see nothing was written on mine. He had five minutes to write a couple words. At least had time to write at least three words, but didn't. Blank space. I erased what I wrote on his. I changed my work schedule to work with him and his new contract, I took the kids to and fro school and swim all the while he was in CA, alone, working full time and I can't get a little something something for 17 years? Perhaps I'm expecting too much? If you don't expect too much, you'll never get too much. I expect more. 17 years is a very long time and I want more, too. Tomorrow's discussion. I seem to do better on my own. Moving on. Writing. Write a script that has everything your heart has ever desired, write the perfect world in your own eyes about the underdog who conquers all. I'm proud of Alice tonight for mingling with the crowd. Good job, my freestyle sprinter girl.

In closing, in my overall disappointment of the day, my 17th anniversary wedding (although what better gift to give then a father son outting) I'm gonna share my mother's text and write the title of yet another script idea on blank white final draft page: The Mom

Hi Sweetheart,
How r u doing? I'm just a little scared, not with anything to do w/ you but this house we bought needs soooooo much work I have enthusiasm but just don't have the stamina. I guess I'll find out. I've been sitting so much, it's actually good to be having some upcoming projects. Hubs is especially happy about it, he wants a horse just to talk to, a goat for cheese, and a rooster and some chicks. Isn't that cute? It has some big trees and corrals that need to be replaced, hope yours is in better shape. I love you and just want you to be happy, the kids want that too and of course Adrian would love to know you're happy. Kisses, x0x0x0x0

How do you know I'm not happy, mom. Do you take the time out to find out? You are really going to take on horses and goats, roosters and pigs at this stage in your life. Don't you have a home in GC that needs TLC? Adrian would love to know I'm happy. My mother, the new Deepak Chopra. How in the world does she know if I'm happy or not? She must be a mind reader, that's it. Of course I'm happy. I've got everything I want and more. My children are happy, healthy, wise, swimming super fast. My mother lives for her men. Gunter would be happy..........that's really all that matters. If her man is happy then she's happy. Of course I'm concerned about her purchasing another home and losing this beautiful property, ten acres overlooking all of Phoenix. Perhaps I will change Alice's name back to Allison. Perhaps I will to bring the point across that my mother is getting in way over her head. Way.

Have a great day/weekend. Writing is being able to put into words your own inspiration. What inspires you? I know what inspires me ~~~~~ my passion for all things, right. Besides, doesn't the wind blow in Aqua Dulce like there's no tomorrow? I've heard those complaints before. Love is putting your spouse on a 282 cash deed. That's love, at least in my family. Just to let everyone know ~ I'm not responsible for any falling dominoes ie Ryan trust in the next year. My mother made her bed, now she can lie in it ~~~ Nuff said

11th House in Tibet

2011-08-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

Jonah prayed, "I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me."
Jonah 2:2

My next script title will be, "Eleventh House in Tibet" because my mother is closing on her eleventh house this next Tuesday, which makes me want to go to Tibet. Perhaps I can seek the Dali Lama's advice on how come some people can't be happy with just one house. Perhaps he will give me guidance if I ask him.

I need to begin writing and have come up with this title after receiving a text message from my mother this afternoon. Alice and I were having mother daughter time at Chipolte when the familiar beep of the cellphone indicated I had a new message. Adrian was driving home from CA and was concerned his car would overheat, so was sitting by the phone, so to speak. Alice was doing her math homework, asking me questions about area of a rectangle. I told Alice to wait till her dad came home so he could check her work. I looked down at my cellphone, could barely believe what I was reading, my jaw hung down to the tasty guacamole that we were about to devour.

This isn't the first time my mother has interrupted my after school bonding with my children. In fact, most of her interruptions and drama happen right after the dismissal bell rings and the kids line up outside awaiting their parents arrival. One time, a couple years ago, my mother called as I parked in the school parking lot, screaming into the phone after one of her surgeries that her hubs had a form he wanted her to sign. Being in a post-op induced slur as she was I informed her not to sign a thing. My mother was slurring from the pain meds, her vision blurred. After we hung up the phone I tried calling her back, got her message machine and left a voice message that goes something like this: All he wants is your money. The rest is history.

My mother turned the whole incident over and made me look like the bad one as, of course she let him listen to the message. I think, to this day, she did the whole thing on purpose, wanted him to dislike me for reasons unkown (age, perhaps). Today brought a similar, hurtful event via text message. I was estatic about our own upcoming home purchase, my daughter was listening intently to the 17 homes I had picked out on the internet that I'd like to see. We were having a great time. I was in a state of Euphoria then went swimming with the Master's, Lane 1 especially quiet tonight, but did learn a new term: the submarine, which is butterfly kicking on your back with your two hands joined together, held up in the air. Tonight was butterfly night. How I'd wish to be a real butterfly so I can fly off to Tibet.

Adrian arrived home with my beautiful, new Coach alligator looking bag and wallet. What to get him? I only got him a Hooter's gift certificate (earlier blog with reveal why) and he says he wants a tent for our 17th anniversary. Shopping for a tent will be like shopping for a Ford. I will miss them both on Saturday when they hike up to Mt. Baldy with the Scouts. A father-son outing, the important milestones of ones life. I'm glad Adrian is home. He doesn't realize just how hard I worked the past couple weeks, juggling kids, school, work, etc. He's got a head cold, needs attention, so will conclude by letting you read the text my mother sent me. Remember that I'm the one who invited my mother into my home where she explained she needed me to sell my home so I can help her keep hers. Eleven homes come this Tuesday. I'm moving on, too, and excited about the fact that we may not have to commute as much. I don't think my mother realizes just how much we work at living so far away from it all. She reads, goes to an occasional movie, her life kept simple compared.

I was once told that the relationship is toxic, to stay as far away as I could. I keep seeming to go back for more, to a mother whose only care is herself, her money and her properties, renters. Being a writer, I recognize the pain/hurt and use that in my writing, thus the upcoming script title. God has given me a gift of sorts, to recognize the hurt and use it to my advantage ~ thus the greatness of being a highly sensitive person, although I scored low on the actual HSP test. I oftentimes think that those reading this blog will think ill of me because I talk about my mother in a perhaps, negative light. I truly wish the relationship was one of better communication, but my mother has always done what she wants to do, no matter what and after reading her text, I can justify my feelings because what I say is true. I gave up everything I owned for this woman. Everything, even when she said, "Who cares about a credit score. Look all that I've got, I've never worried about credit."

Today's text from my dear, sweet mother is the reason I'm gonna write Eleventh House in Tibet (hidden messages galore) and the reason why I'd like to escape to Tibet and become a monk ~ one who lives on minimal for the goodness of others. Think Valley girl meets the Dali Lama.

Mom's text:

Fantastic, I just checked for the first time in ages my acct, I had written a check for 5K and the realtor gave it back to me, the deposit on our new 5 acre home with apartment above garage and great working well, 3 stories and loft. I hope you love the place. I'm excited about it. We signed the acceptance this morning and suppose to close next Tuesday. Don't be jealous just be happy as it was on the market for 299 and we got it for 282 cash. I love you, take care.

My response: Oh how ironic life is! We are closing soon on a home in Sdale. Don't be jealous.

Mom: What do we do now?

The end.

Honorable Mention:

What do we do now? Meaning ~ Pat's allowed to purchase a home, thinking she'll be happier in life, but I'm to continue taking care of her other homes. That 5k is supposed to be used to pay the taxes on the 10 acres in GC, yet she doesn't have that to put down on another home. Why is she paying for the earnest deposit anyway? I guess because he's paying the 282 cash for the home.

WE? What do we do now? It's only "we" when my mother wants it to be we. In this case it's her way of saying I'm to cooperate with her and that it will be my fault if she's unable to pay the taxes on this property. She's crazy with a capital "C" to take on another property. Co-mingling, as in their Canada property proved to be a very bad idea, he always asking her to sell one of her properties to pay for their property. It's all gonna happen with the new property, too. History repeats itself and I am in need of going to a far away place where minimal material goods exist. I would escape there faster than a lightening bolt hits the ground from the sky. Pat does what she wants. Always has, always will. Seventh child syndrome.

JEALOUS? How can any mother say to her daughter, who just gave up everything to help her? Beyond me. This is why I strive to be a better mother. I could never be like or even say to my daughter, please don't be jealous of me. Enough is enough. The dialogue ruined my afternoon with my daughter. I'm moving on. Please forgive me if I say I may not be on speaking terms with my mother in the future. She's nearly ruined me and while I was done she pounced on me, my credit score (which is back to being pristine).

I wish her well in her future endeavor, just hope that the we becomes, "What do I do now?" because it is my mother who is signing on the dotted line and the dominos may still fall and the properties are her responsibility. The theme and moral of this story is to be happy with what you have, keep one house, fill that one house with much love, hope and faith. Pray daily and hope that when you spend time with your children that the bonding isn't interrupted by someone whose never happy with what they have, but always will have to strive for more. Good luck, mom. BTW, I'm not jealous!!!

The first scene will include a huge hill and on top of that hill is an abandoned home, the only residents are nature (coyotes, deer, diamondbacks, scorpions). A thunder storm looms overhead. Cut to: A girl sits on a plane, Tibetan monks take up space in every seat of the plane. The girl stands out because she's different, a naive Valley girl from California......or so they think.

Never-the-less

2011-08-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

On our morning commute, my son Wm asked me as he continues to pound out this paper that's due tomorrow, "Mom, what's another word for never-the-less?" My response to him was, "Never-the-less." Fun times. Honor's English Sophomore year. At times I wonder if I should contact his teacher and discuss Wm's need to be perfect when penning. Loves to Wm, my gorgeous son who is trying to write about his birth and beyond. Good luck, babe!!!

The cleaner is coming home today. I'm happy that my laundry will be done, my food cooked and my house cleaned. We are in the market to purchase a home, God Bless Us. I'm going over and over in my mind what my mother would say if I chose Scottsdale zip code for Phoenix. My mother, the gifted location, location, location girl would say to me, if I chose Phoenix, "Haven't I taught you anything?" Guilt trip. I'd better choose Scottsdale.

Life is good at the present moment. The cleaner stopped by Cabazon to pick me up a 17 year anniversary gift from Coach outlet. I asked for a snakeskin purse, like the ones pictured in the new fall Harper's Bazaar, like my friend Pam's that she got on our trip to Cabazon. He said there was only one to choose from, that he got it. Next, he was trying to locate the Kipling backpack store to get Alice another backpack as her current one, from Tilly's ripped. Adrian has a sinus infection and continues shopping at 114 degree Palm Springs. I hope is ride home is a success even though he mentioned to me that his A/C is on the blink.

When it's this hot in Phoenix, 116, it's best to leave CA at like 5 a.m and get back before the pavement burns holes in the rubber tires. I hope he arrives safely as I told him, "You'll be just in time to pick up the kids." By the sound of his voice, I think Adrian is going to take his time on the ride back home otherwise he would've left last night. It's a busy life we lead and I'm finally glad to not be doing it all alone as Adrian's first parental duty, I told him, is that of timer at tomorrow's intersquad swim meet. Good times.

Adrian is looking for more work, of course. He may get a job in San Diego through EMC, but is open to working full time anywhere until January when he's supposed to re-enroll back in law school. Here's hoping. Adrian should've never got off track with law school, but the kids had the best summer in CA, oftentimes visiting Malibu beach and staying cool. Pat took them whale watching and many memories were made, especially with their cousins from Sacramento. Adrian's job was the best, all expenses paid to work at Amgen. Thank goodness we didn't move there afterall, not like it was ever an option as my kids have way too much going for them here in AZ.

I've been married 17 years on August 27th. I got married in at St. Mary's in Walnut Creek, CA by a colorblind, Irish priest. We took honeymoon in Laughlin, NV after a informal reception at Scott's Seafood, an expensive place for a wedding for us at the time as we were just fresh out of Cal Poly, SLO, penniless but with good future prospects as Adrian was now a computer engineer. He's made a ton of money over the years although the management of such hasn't been all that great as we, too, like to spend. At one time we had a home on 3.3 acres as well as our first home on Desert Dawn that I was going to save for Wm's college fund. Adrian hated the home on Alhambra and forced me to sell, a decision I regret to this day. When you cry so hard over a decision you've made, you know it's the wrong one.

Three beautiful children later we are happy, healthy and wise. Adrian has an extremely bright future ahead of him If I can continue to keep him on track. People do what they want to do and in the end it's pretty much all about money. Adrian loves the sound of trains whistling in the night, the train stays on track, on course. Adrian must stay on course with this law school endeavor. My children also have bright futures in swimming and academics. Overall, I'm grateful for being married this long and would love to wear my new red sundress out to a formal dinner on the actual day, this Saturday, but Adrian and Wm are going on a campout to highest peak in AZ. Go figure. You can't ask for more than that on one's anniversary milestone, a father-son outing. Perhaps I will still get dressed up and go out? Can give me something to write about, but most likely will enjoy and evening in with my beautiful girls. Kaitlyn, 10 says to me, "Does daddy's coming home mean that we won't be able to go to extended care in the mornings?" I replied, "Yes." She says, "I've been getting really good grades because I get to study there in the morning." Kaitlyn has done outstanding thus far and is motivated unlike last year. Alice is doing well, too, my writer girl.

Seeking home: Arcadia with 3/2 and pool. Must have pool and there's only two on currently on the market today. Good luck to all this weekend. Pray for our military and their safe return, especially those in far (corners) centers of the world. God Bless them and their families. Smile each day and do something worthwhile for others!!!

Lane 1 Chronicles

2011-08-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

So tired, Wednesday nights are for me, Thursday my day off. I barely wanted to swim tonight, but made myself. I've swam with the ASU Master's for the past two weeks, two practices into this week. I think I may be somewhat addicted. Tonight was fun because the overweight guy with the long sleeve beach swim/shirt was again in Lane 1. Getting along with the underdog has always been easy for me and I enjoyed talking, chit chatting and missing half the swims as last night's workout was quite tough on the bod-ay.

Parking at Mona Plummer has become a nightmare. We've been swimming on the ASU Devil's swim team since 2005 when we moved back to AZ after a year on an employment sabbatical ( I misspelled this word at first then googled it ~~~~ thanks Google for all your insight on keeping up with personal happenings throughout the world). Google me and I'll Google you. What you will find may surprise you, but I'm a work in progress, and having to pay a meter for parking now because condos will be going in across from the pool has not helped with all the outside heat. I swim when I don't feel like swimming and write when I really feel like I've got something to say, but sometimes it's necessary in life to do what you don't want to do. I am what I am, favorite book by Dr. Suess.

Johnny, the Master's coach called my lane 1 partner, David (his real name being Jaimie) when the apparent David left the wall before the "at the top" time he was supposed to go. You see swimming is all about time. If Johnny says to leave at the top, we'll being from Liverpool and getting all British about it, you better well leave at the top." Jaimie left at the .45 sec. and Johnny called him David. There is a sort of Pomp and Circumstance with swimming. You may not realize it but there is, especially if your swim coach is from Liverpool, England. England being home of the pomp and circumstance. Not being chosen to enjoy much pomp and circumstance in my life, reasons unknown, someone does know, it's just that half the time I'm kept in the dark until the J.K Rowling owl comes to me with a message from the castle, another place of much p & c, but let's keep the entourage simple tonight and forget about the Brits for one minute and talk about the happenings in Lane 1.

There once was a time when a friend asked me to be in a contest with her. I refused her at first then thought better of it. Sure I'd been in many contests before such as the Broadway fashion show where I donned a beautiful dress fit for a teen and swirled my way down the stage much to the parents and my BFF's delight. I kept spinning, and spinning, and spinning down the stage, like Alice on her way to Wonderland. Maybe this spinning out of control signified that my life was about to change. You see I take every second of the day, any symbol that happens to come my way such as last night's waking at 3:33 as perhaps something significant that's about to happen. My whole life I've spent waiting for something to happen. Something. Things do happen, and at times they are significant, but I still stand aside a foggy bleary street lamp, waiting, but when a friend prompted me to enter a beauty contest, I won, and that friend was kept waiting ~~~ on the sidelines. It is what it is. Sometimes, in life, one should leave well enough alone. No, there are no hidden messages in this paragraph.

What am I waiting for, you ask? Who knows, just go with it as it gives me something to write about. Tonight, David/Jaime and I decided not to circle swim, but to swim side by side because we were the only two people (swimmers) in lane 1. All was right with the world when you don't have to circle swim. You set the pace, fast or slow. You get to enjoy swimming against yourself. The swimmers in the other lanes, were of course, gung hoe, but I didn't care as I was just happy to be in Lane 1 going about my business. That is until two girls from foreign countries decided to join lane 1, not yet knowing how to swim, but are here in the U.S determined to at least learn how to swim and to learn English.

After Johnny walked over to our lane and informed us that it was Love 40 in swim terms, to continue the night circle swimming with the new Master's inductees who spoke in pretty much foreign language except when the, "Wow, where'd you get those goggles?" girl from Brazil asked, "What's your name?" Side note ~~~~ everyone always introduces themselves when circle swimming, it's a lane rule. I replied, "Pamela" which is my preferred name. Brazil with nice goggles (purchased at Sports Chalet in Tempe Towne Lake) replies, "In Brazil, we say, Pameeeela." I smiled at her youth and continued kicking the next set of 50's. She informed us her native language is Portuguese (also a googled word for spelling).

"Pameeeela where are you from? I'm originally from California, Ventura to be exact. What about you?" Brazil informed us she's lives an hour outside of San Paolo. All the while I'm trying to figure out if she's a better swimmer than I as she's quite younger and has more possibility at swimming success. She informed us, especially David/Jaimie who is now super enthralled with the newbee, asking her many a question? Brazil informed him and me, by now as I had commented earlier how Jaimie should go first as I liked his pace. Sidenote, Jaime is a swim dad and I'm a swim mom. At first he reminded me of the dentist personality, sharp witted, funny, but I learned tonight he's from Colorado because Brazil said, "Vail?" She must've been reading too many People magazines while waiting for the San Paolo plastic surgeon, her home one hour outside of San Paolo in a town that begins with an "Arch" and grows Strawberries. At the word strawberry, I go on to explain that Oxnard is the strawberry capital of the world, how could they grow strawberries in any other place? I also asked Brazil if her country was located North or South of the Equator. The Equator locale has tons to do with life, especially when you are trying to grow strawberries (hidden message).

The hidden message in tonight's blog is that sometimes your handy, dandy, tidy life of circle swimming gets all chaotic with the newbees that try to jump into your lane. Newbees. New opportunities to say either, "My glass is half-full or my glass is half-empty." Whichever way you choose, change is sure to occur and what happens if you're dreading that change, but after the course of time and you venture onward to a future point in life and you look back and miss the past? What happens then? Is it healthy to go back to your former life, a life that is so far away, but so close you can almost taste it? What happens when you're circle swimming and your swim gets disrupted by other swimmers? What happens? Life happens and if you live one day at a time and build a foundation on that first day ~~~~ like your building a home, or a shopping center, or your trying to circle swim, you can't have a foundation unless you at least try to build a foundation.

In conclusion, change....as in life, whether it is the most extreme sorts of change should be welcomed with open arms. Life can't be stagnant. If life was stagnant what story could you tell, and we all know that everything is based on story. For example, tonight on the ride home my daughter read her essay on a book she read over the summer. Her words electrified every member of the family, in the car. Her words made her brother extremely frustrated. Wm, who tries to please much more than we all ever imagined has an essay due this Friday. Wm is having an extremely difficult time finding words to fill the page because in his mind much rides on getting this paper perfect.

Wm is trying to write about the moment of his birth. As the driver of the car and as a writer of a blog, I can't imagine that he'd be having a difficult time as the words seem to flow for me as well, I might say, for Alice. Her words in her essay flowed with ease. I explained to Wm that maybe he should write a poem or a simple rough draft then go back over and stick those more difficult adjectives in at a later time. Wm disagreed, becoming more frustrated by the minute. I told Wm to wait to get home, to gather the infamous quartz stone that his mom uses, places inside the french thing for silicone, the ones made in France much more expensive than anything fathomed in the U.S. None-the-less, I've got to admit that I place a quartz stone inside a piece of clothing that is made to hold up valuable goods. That's my secret and I'm passing that secret onto my perfectionist son, who becomes more frustrated with each elaborate syllable.

Writing, to me is easy except when your writing for an elite audience. Writing a blog is from the heart, it's what I intend to do and look forward to on a daily basis. Writing script. We'll, you always try to imagine who your audience is going to be on that one. For the most part, it's who you know, which can be worrisome when you submit your cherished work to a friend, a festival writing judge, a mentor, your editor. What will they think has never entered into the equation. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Remember Scarlett in Gone with the wind? She didn't realize she loved Rhett until he was gone. Does it take the person to be gone to finally realize that you love them? It's a typical love story, but why wait until the person is gone? Why not tell them now? What is love anyway? It all seems like so much work. And if you're not perfect, that person goes on with their lives, then comes back after two years, to pop in once again then vanish from thin air. I'm hardly the one to write about matters of the heart. See Promise Ring ~ my book.

Life. Writing. Frustration. Good grades. Willing to please. Willing to go to the end's of the earth. One feels like they could be so easily coerced to slip on the moral platform. Love conquers all. Love and I ~~~ we still have a thing or two to work out. Times are looking up compared to the last two years. Hope is on the horizon. Doing what is right in terms of love, well that's still my dilemma. I wish it (love) was much easier. I was most likely placed on this Earth to be the one who has a difficult time with the aspect but finally learns in the end. Love, to me is the most difficult task on Earth. Trusting in love is even more difficult, thus why I write, which is probably just an excuse to do something with my own life because I'm incapable of love. I'm currently safe, my love boat is moored up to the pier. I may not venture out into rough seas unless I've got the tug guiding me and I may end up playing poker on the boat (reversal). It's so much easier to sit back and watch than to participate and learn. Look at Kate, her years of endurance, waiting for the man she truly loves?

Sophomore year in my own life, once being 15 was the year I did find my true love. It was the year that I opened the door and went for it, riding my bike down Nob Hill, due or die in anticipation of asking the new boy to the Sadie Hawkins dance. This year had tons of significance for me. Would I want to relive my own life, invite matters of the heart to knock at the door and invite it in for dinner and dessert? Do I have the capability to mess up my life? Yes, I suppose I could if I kept that door open, but I know it shouldn't be. I need to live the next couple years for my kids, my high school sophomore, middle schoolers and elementary, such times where I should give my undivided attention, but I know I'm capable of being Irish. I could open the door and invite all of that back into my life. I could, but I really can't. Status quo is best for now, not reliving the past even if the past plays ding dong ditch at your front door. The future is key and maybe that's where my own parents went wrong, leaving us without much guidance.

I had a long talk with my son tonight, Wm who is extremely frustrated by this writing assignment. This frustration to succeed and make the work perfect I've witnessed before. Straight A's or being paralyzed, not able to accomplish much in life. How do I guide my son through these rough seas when writing is such a simple task to me? These are questions, like the girl who moved here from Brazil to try to learn more English, is trying to accomplish on her stay here. My only reply would've been, "I've heard they have the best plastic surgeons in San Paolo!" For once in my life I've kept the goggles donned and the flipboard ready and kept my comments to myself. Perhaps I could've learned more about the area had I asked more questions and made that one particular comment? Really, she's here for the experience and all of us in Lane 1 need to embrace her friendship and difference, yet respecting her own eagerness to learn. Sometimes, in life, it's not always about us. It's about that girl from Brazil, her longing to learn more about another country, her wanting and seeking out friendship while pretending not to be able to swim, it's for that unexpected moment when you're content with circle swimming, those times you least expect that are the most important. God will guide me through anything, for that I have faith. My writing is like an old wooden wheel of a boat (imagine the steering track at Pirates in Disneyland) let the one in power do the steering. The big guy. Let him be in charge, but for now just get it written!!!

This blog is dedicated to my precious son, Wm, who is truly a gift sent from God and hopefully I can be an attentive enough parent to listen to his own Lane 1 Chronicles each and every day. God Bless USA. God Bless our Troops and their families and God Bless Brazil!!!

FINS

2011-08-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

Why do I wear my size 9-11 black and blue swim fins? Because I swim fast. I enjoy swimming fast and fear if I took off my fins that I'd not only float like a life raft, I'd sink like an anchor.

Swimming with fins has been a bone of contention for my children. After I explained to them that I'd be joining the US Master's swim team at ASU once again they said, "You won't be able to compete with fins." I heard a similar story tonight while swimming with the Master's group, still in lane 1 ~~~~~~ better known as the "slow lane" but not complaining about the need to get out early. I actually finished a whole hour of swimming, which started out with long course (meters) kicks where a 57 year old swam and blew me away in lane 2. As I was kicking hard and fast I thought to myself that if she's in her late 40's there's no way I'm competing. I found out later that the woman is 57 and lost 74 lbs by swimming with the Master's. There's hope for me yet even though that weight loss goal is a tad high. I'd be major skinny if I lost 74 lbs, but I'd swim faster.

I enjoyed swimming with this particular group tonight and felt good. Last week, after a whole summer off, maybe a swim here or there if Wm wasn't in CA that week, but really I was looking forward to the swim routine once again. Kaitlyn, my size 8.5 foot, age 10 daughter who may outgrow Alice, who fears such a historic event, moved up to Group 3, the group before Gold which Wm and Alice, her older siblings are in. Wm didn't move up to Black (the NTG ~~~ Nat'l Training Group) just yet because his attendance was poor this summer, aka he was what 99.0% of the population here in AZ are ~~~ acting "snowbird." He's taller and older than all the boys on his team. He did make the BCP team and really, that's all that matters. Swimming twice a day will be a goal to have when Wm can drive himself to 5 a.m practice, an event that takes place too soon.

Tonight the Group 3 and Gold swimmers walked downtown ASU, Tempe for froyo as a group while I swam in Lane 1. The water polo team needed some space so the long course lanes were torn down and turned around to fit short course (yds) and we all proceeded to do sprints. My heart skipped a couple beats and I proceeded giving me a pat on my back at the 7 o'clock finish line even after a lane mate said, "You shouldn't swim with flippers." My reply was, "I know, my kids tell me that all the time." Right now I'm just happy I made the whole hour straight swim. I have to admit that I also enjoyed some pnut butter M&M's afterwards, too. There's one thing I haven't been able to give up just yet as I'm not that gung ho and wish, for now, to remain in lane 1 but am getting faster. The tri-athlete who told me not to use the fins said, "You know you're a good swimmer." Yes, that is one thing I know and should've probably joined Master's a long time ago but enjoyed the dollar swims, Adrian being an Alum, School of Carey, MBA.

Last night I got to meet all of Wm's teachers at the Back To School Night at BCP. Most of the parents where coupled up, but Adrian's on contract so I donned the red dress that I purchased from the Rack and entered the room. Not only do I swim fast, but I also know how to enter room and if you want to know how to enter a room, just wear a red sundress with Speedo tan on your back. It was if I owned the place, red is that good. Thanks to Sept Harper's Baazar I've written down the upcoming 2011 Fall styles and color has to be one of the new "In" things. Nothing says color like a red dress. I sat in on Wm's religion class, his Honor's Spanish class and Honor's English class where I was the only parent who raised my hand at question time asking if the teacher will know how to get the boys to write for the BLAM ~ school newspaper. You see, I want Wm to write. He does write and I was encouraged by his teachers to read his writing. Wm has a difficult time accepting his work. He's constantly asking me for words and saying things like, "seemingly" in his sentences. Cute. He's a gifted writer but says, "I've been working on this paper for 4 hours. I think I'll throw it away." I explained to Wm that Stephen King through away his "Carrie" transcript and his wife took the book out of the trash telling him to send it into a publisher. The rest is history.

Yes, I'm learning from my son in all of his writing endeavors. One thing that I do lack is fear. I've never been afraid to write and only my stubborn Irish nature has gotten me where I am today, which is where I want to be, actually. I'm satisfied if I never wrote another word, I'd still be happy, but we all know that that's not going to happen, is it? It's like telling myself I'd never swim another lap or reach for another falling star. Some things are just not going to be taken away from me. At times I don't allow myself to truly wish for everything I want, but we all do that as we're only human. I do allow myself to try but one thing that I'm lacking is to write about what I'm really wishing for, but that's neither here or there, at least I'm getting it written, whatever "it" is. It can be a journey, tale, hidden message, or whatever one wants "it" to be. I'd like to write some of my notes below from Peter Gruber's wonderful book about how telling a story is important to sales, marketing, any point you want to get across and win someone or something over by simply ~~~~ telling a story.

"To succeed you have to persuade others to support your vision, dream or cause." My mother, a lost soul who seeks what she seeks, mainly is all about money, and I say this because I love her tenacity in the subject although has brought much hurt to our family, but she once asked my for life direction. I simply said, "What do you want." My mother replied, "I don't know." An intelligent teen with my own life dreams I replied, "You have to know what you want to know where you want to go." Wow!!! Talk about words of wisdom. I had vision but never had the power to persuade, something I'm learning through writing, but have a long way to go. "Films central message ~~~ info in a story is built to create suspense."

"Suspense requires three things (such a simple word: things) to get the listener's attention. Isn't this what screenwriting or any writing (love letters) attempt at good writing? A question or unexpected challenge should begin the story. Give the listener an emotional experience (I'm master at this) by narrating the struggle to overcome that challenge or to find an answer to the above question (at this point I drew a lightbulb as it almost went on, flickered then went dead) and finally to "galvanize" your listeners response with an eye opening resolution that calls them to action." Peter Gruber

I wrote notes in a composition book, you know the one ~ the one that always seems to be in every back to school cart. I purchased a bundle of them saying to Alice, "Put one on my nightstand." Is filled with Peter Gruber story notes and some loose leaf wonders of dialogue that I'm reviewing before slumber, notes that will need to be hidden under the mattress in couple days as Adrian's contract was once again reneged. Adrian has one more day left on the job then will be traveling East on Hwy 10, his tail between his legs but excited about future prospects. A perfect CA job. One that I'm quite grateful for as the kids will remember for years to come.

The Trojan horse is used as an example in Peter Gruber's book. We all know the story of the Trojan horse (I do now) about how they tricked the Greek, snuck past the gates as they (Trojan's) hid in the horse, coming out at an unexpected time to win the "Trojan" war. Trojan war~~~ sounds so funny. All stories need surprise like the surprise the Greek's got from the T horse. Maybe if I start abbreviating I will write less. Story should be expectation + violation of expectation. Nobody wants to read blah, blah, blah that was so expected. In screenwriting these violations are called reversals, of which I've not practiced in some time, but need to soon. Stories are "delivery vehicles in disguise."

In conclusion, best stories lead from the heart, not mind. Emotional transportation makes the reader, Laugh, Cry, Gasp, Sigh, etc. Writing is a difficult process. I suppose I could quit as it's so much of a challenge. I oftentimes think of the movie, "King's Speech" one of my favorites where implied meaning (the author is super intelligent) and uses that intelligence to get the story across through hidden messages. I've got a long road to hoe in this writing game, like learning to take off my fins and believe that I will still be able to swim, I've got to never give up the good fight, like the boy in the wheelchair who went to catch the ball but always fell, his father watching him from the upstairs window. The father never came down to help his son, who kept falling but one day got up. Writing good material is a struggle, a daily struggle where blogging seems to be easy for me to come up with word after word, sometimes too many words on the page.

Sit me down at a blank script page and I'm good at Act 1 and Act 3, but the struggle/challenge part (Act 2) is still a challenge to me. I need to practice script like I need to swim without fins. Good night everyone. Tonight's writing session was 1 hour like tonight's swimming session. I got it written and I swam, nothing better to end the day knowing that I'm still by the pool or laying on my back looking up at the stars, always wanting to catch the first one that falls, as it may not fall into my lap or hands, but eventually it will and the resolution won't be bitter sweet. It will be the pat on the back knowing that I've finally have that power to persuade!!! Yay!!!

Honorable Mention: November 8th through Redbox, "Dirty Little Trick" trailer on vimeo.com where we are extras and Gosh I hope I look okay at that set bus stop. We'll see as I'm sure impressed in this Brian Skiba film thus far and just want to say, "Sups" look awesome in the trailer. Good luck Brian!!!