Missing Mojo-IWSG Wednesday

So, today was Wednesday, an IWSG Wednesday, and I didn't even realize until now. I went all day knowing it was Wednesday without really knowing it. Last month I forgot all about IWSG.

I thought doing the April A to Z Challenge would help me out of this weird up and down funk I keep finding myself in. It didn't. I finished the challenge and that was it. I didn't even think of my little blog here.

A few years back whenever I decided I wanted to actually attempt to accomplish something with my writing (aside from all the journals of stories and poems), I joined Agent Query and Query Tracker. I was nervous and unsure. I hadn't actually joined the chatroom part of Agent Query yet, but the day I made that step I was a bit scared. And once I was on there and started reading posts by other members, and seeing how long they'd been around, I was so intimidated.

It took a little time. A lot of breaking down of nerve walls. Many revisions, tears, worries, anger even...and friends. Online friends that were just like me. Some that used to be like me and were now those intimidating members. Some that were just getting their toes a little damp when I'd finally dove into the deep end. Guys and girls from different places, in different writing places. Great people that I would've never known if it hadn't been for AQC.

These great people and I chatted in the AQC chat room. Then I started chatting with some in Google chat. Some became my critique partners. Some I just critiqued their stuff. But some were my friends in general. We could talk about writerly things, or regular life things. We got to know each other and I grew to care about them. Now I only talk to one of them most often. Another one more often than the others. And the others hardly ever.

And that's what I realized. When we were all chatting all the time. Doing 1k1hr or passing chapters back and forth, I was motivated. I blogged, tweeted, wrote, critiqued, stayed involved with my writerly things and people. AQC brought us all together and that fueled my motivation...

And one day AQC took down the chat room. It shouldn't have mattered, but even when the chat came back eventually, it wasn't the same(and then they did away with chat again for good this time so no chance at getting back to that). And nothing was the same ever again. Now one of my friends writes, but not like before. She's busy with school and work, and Idk what else because I'm not always the greatest friend these days.

My other friend has needed me for far too long and I haven't been taking the time to talk to her. She never writes anymore and has so much happening right now that Idk when she will write again. And I feel insecure in what I should say or do to help her through her non writerly things. I want to be there for her and I feel like crap because I can't figure out how.

The others may or may not be writing.They may be having a great time at life and they may not. I just don't know.

What I know is when I lost that chat, I lost my mojo. I in no way blame the others, it just happens that losing them, I lost me too.

It's no ones fault but my own, so if any of the 2AMWriters ;P  are reading this, please don't feel like I'm saying it's any of your faults or anything bad. I know it's me.

Just like I know I will figure out a way to get myself out of this hole.

I'm really sorry for the long post, I'll do better with the next one. Idk if I'll post again before the next IWSG, so if not, I hope you all have a wonderful June and I'll catch you next time. :)

Make sure you check out the Insecure Writers Support Group site and also the awesome Alex J Cavanaugh.

Zing

Several Z words going through my mind. (Surprising since I had some issues with X and Y).

When I was a little younger, if I heard Zig-Zag, my mind tended to think of herbs...

Zapped makes me think of a Disney movie that my kids have made me watch twice. (And I don't hate it although it's not my favorite.)

And speaking of, Zendaya is a really awesome young lady. I like that my kids look up to her. (Hence why they needed to see Zapped several times and why I needed to record the Radio Disney Music Awards).

And the last Z word I thought of was zing. One of my favorite movies for I'm not really sure what reason exactly is Hotel Transylvania. I'm a little more excited than I should be about them coming out with a sequel really. But why I thought of zing because of it, in case you haven't seen the movie, is because that's what they call that feeling when you meet the one.

I always find it interesting in stories to hear what words they use. In romance novels of the paranormal variety I tend to hear people giving a title to that feeling. It's neat how different writers can come up with different things. Lynsay Sands calls them 'life mates' in her Argeneau series. JR Ward uses hellren, shellan, and also leelan for her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. And even Laurell K Hamilton uses different terms for Anita's many different lovers/boyfriend/whatever...

In Hotel Transylvania, that 'zing' is when you look into someone's eyes and just feel it. That pull, that voice screaming they're the one. A zing only happens once in a lifetime and it's not guaranteed to happen at all. It can seem a little cheesy, but so do the other love stories sometimes. I'm a sucker for love stories though so oh well.

Damn it's been one helluva month. Glad that's it's over, hate to see it go a little. Only a little though because April has honestly kinda sucked outside of the little blog world.

Thanks to all who stopped by this month. If I haven't been around to your site yet, I'm very sorry and I'm going over all my commenters today to make sure I stop in on you all. I'll do the same for those from today. I hope you had fun, if you hang around after the challenge I hope I can keep you entertained.

Have a great day and I'll see you next time. :)

Yes, yep, yeah

I must be getting a little burnt out on this because I'm not having any easier of a time with Y than I did with X.

The one sticking (I guess) is yeah. I say it a lot. Sometimes I say it (wether verbally, written, text, etc) and after I've done it, I think man I hope that didn't sound rude. And other times I write it and start to go for something else, but it just doesn't come natural.

Idk why, but yeah just seems to work best for me. I guess I can only hope that if it is something people think is rude that they'll know I don't mean to be rude when I say it. Funny thing is though...if my daughter or something says it to me, I tend to correct them because I think it sounds rude. And my oldest is quick to tell me that I don't think it's rude when I say it so it's not fair to call them rude for saying it.

Guess she's right, but oh well. It's one of the things that makes me remember things grown-ups told me were okay for them, but not me when I was younger. One of those, I can do it because I'm grown. But really, it's not right. If I think it sounds rude for them to reply with 'yeah', then it's rude for me too and I need to work on not saying it all the time. First I need to get over thinking it's awkward to say 'yes'.

And there's my Y post I guess. (Said that a lot in this post lol). Have a good Wednesday and I'll see you tomorrow for Z...that should be interesting. :)

Xerox

Coming up with words that start with X are a little complicated. The first word I could think of was xylophone, but I'm not writing a post about that. So, the second word was xerox.


Xeroxing something used to be the common thing to say. You didn't copy it, you xeroxed it. It wasn't just a company or specific brand you referred to. It was just what you said when you needed/made a copy of something.

Anyway. I can't remember the last time I heard it so there it is. Crappy X post, but at least it's short.

Happy Tuesday, see you tomorrow. Just a couple more letters to go. :)

The Walking Dead

I've tried and tried to come up with a W word, but since I've been binge watching The Walking Dead-that's all I can think of.

I mean sure, words like wonder, wander, willow, wish all passed through my head, but I just can't think of what to write about them because all I can think of is this darn show.

Walking, walkers, walkie-talkie, whiners, winners...ugh, it's all about that. I haven't ever watched the show, but I've wanted to. So I'm finally catching up and I like it. I stay up too late and still get up early, but the next night I'm up late again watching The Walking Dead.

I think I can get into stuff like that because I believe it. There could be a zombie apocolypse one day. Idk if it'd happen exactly like the shows/movies always portray, but something similar. An unknown (or possibly known) infection of some sort begins to spread and turns people into mindless zombie-ish things.

I don't think of the end of the world frequently, but I have thought of various ways it could happen. I don't really doubt much of anything. I tell my kids to believe in whatever they want. Anything is possible if you believe it is. I'm firm in my belief that if you can't prove it is and can't prove it isn't, then who knows.

That's what it is about shows like The Walking Dead. I get into them because I don't not believe it couldn't happen so it intrigues me. And this is my post because of my binge watching...

So, yeah. Have a great Monday and I'll see you tomorrow. :)

Voices

Various V words scrolled through my mind, but none of them really stuck that wonderfully.

But the V words just kept coming and I was like, okay damn, I hear y'all, can you just be quiet already...

And I realized I was talking to the voices and there's a V word I could write about.

I don't care what anyone says, argue with me if you want, but every single person has voices in their head. It's just some people get the thin line a little tangled and can't remember that they're really just fake voices inside their head.

As a writer, I've got voices in my head. Male, female, other...So many voices. And sometimes they all talk at the same time. And most of the time all of them are rude and want the attention focused on them alone. And then some of them beg to not be in a story at all.

Sometimes I'm very sure my voices are crazy. Then I remember that I'm basically listening to conversations happening inside my head and most people would classify that as crazy. So, I have to sit back and compromise with the voices. I agree that I'm not insane because hearing voices is a natural thing(especially for writers). And the voices agree to keep to a hum(at most) whenever I'm in public. That way I don't look crazy and actually be crazy too. Although, I may already be crazy, who knows.

What I do know is that I hope you have a very great weekend and I'll catch you Monday. :)

Unconditionally Unrestrained

Unfortunate, unlucky, unimpressed...So many U words can become something so ugly.

Of course there's also understanding, unconditional, unrestrained...

That last one is a little strange maybe. But really, what else do we really want? I can't think of many people who truly want restraint. At least not in everything.

It's good to be allowed freedom to branch out, explore, discover. Plus, writers need to be able to think openly without worry. And kids need to know it's okay to check the world out (to a point). That's also why those three good U words fit together.

In order to live unrestrained, people need understanding unconditionally. It's something that many people want, need, and yet not all can truly have it. I know there are a few unfortunate cases where some just can't have that freedom, but how many people have turned the wrong way from too much restraint.

That may be an odd way to end this post, but that's all I've got for today. Go be unrestrained (within reason), it is Friday after all. ;)  Have a great day and I'll catch you tomorrow. Gettin' close to the end. :)

Too True

Truthfully it was tough to think of a T word. (Hard to believe with all those Ts there, huh?)

When I think of T, true/truth/truthful comes to mind. I'm horrible at lying. I don't like it, I feel bad about it when I do. I'm the kind of person who has been lied to enough in my life that nothing can hurt more than a lie.

Speaking truth is really easier. It's something that can't come back around to bite you in the ass later. If you're honest, there's no made up story (or stories) you have to keep straight. I'm even horrible about those 'little white lies'. I'd rather just not do it.

Truth can be painful, it can cause irreversible pain. But not the way a lie can. It's because truth is immediate. It's like ripping off a bandaide. You think you want it slow and easy, but you know damn good and well if you rip that sucker off, it'll be so much better.

If you're a person who can/does lie, you know. You know what that feels like to carry around. I've lied before. When I was young and stupid and thought it was better that way. I know I'm still not so old, but old enough to know better. I learned as I watched my world fall apart from lies I was told. I learned when my feelings of betrayal broke me from the inside out.

Lies ruin trust. Without trust no relationship of any kind can survive. Once you tell a lie, you ruin any chance at a completely truthful relationship. Whether it's a co-worker or lover, friend or sibling, a relationship that has even one lie in it ruins something.

The truth will truly set you free. It's not a BS saying, it's the best way to live.

Have a great night (well I guess it's technically Friday morning, but) if you're not already in bed, have a good night. See you for my U post tomorrow(/later). :)

Sucky Shoes

(My S and T post will be back to back since I forgot to post both of them.)

I can't even think of an S post other than suck. Because things just really kinda suck at the moment.

There are a few things that suck right now, but the top of my suck list is-FedEx delivered my shoes to the wrong freaking house.

I've needed new shoes for about a year or so. I've been wearing the same one pair of shoes that I'm down to until they aren't even connected to the sole all the way. And after standing in the flooding basement of Aim High the night of the tornado, I can't seem to get the mildewy smell completely out. I know I could've just gone to the store and bought a cheap pair (although the K-Swiss I bought were only 40 bucks each and most shoes aren't that cheap), I wanted K-Swiss because that's what I buy and they always last. The cheaper shoes would've needed replaced within months of constant wear so I thought it made more sense to gather up money for the K-Swiss.

So, not only did FedEx deliver my much needed shoes, but they weren't just some BS cheapy pair of shoes. And I've been waiting for them. And it flat out sucks.

This is when I try to pull it together and have some sort of opptimistic outlook on it all. It could be worse as in something life/death. I could have worse issues than needing a new pair of shoes that didn't get delivered like it said. (Like the people in Sand Springs, OK who are dealing with a lot more than their only pair of shoes being sucky). FedEx is looking into what happened. I'm going to call K-Swiss and let them know in case there is something to be done on their end. And hopefully whatever happened to my package will be fixed and I'll get my shoes. Or at least maybe a refund or equal replacement.

So, sucky as it is. That's my S for you. T coming in a few and then back to regularly scheduled posting tomorrow morning with U.

Regrets

In my short 29 years of living I've done a lot of things. I've smoked, drank, had sex, stripped(well, I never really took anything off and it was only for 2 days, but still...), tried drugs, and honestly more things that I think I'll leave up in the air. Point is that I never was one to be afraid to try something. Until I had kids I used to say I'd try anything once, twice if I like it. I dropped that motto a long time ago though.

I like to say it's because I grew up, which is true, but man it kinda sucks. I grew up a little too much. It makes it hard to be a parent when you forget how to be a kid. Sometimes I say or do something and think, damn I turned into one of those bitter boring old ladies and I'm still so young.

Once I didn't care what anyone had to say about anything I did. But somewhere I got it into my head that to be grown up, you have to care what others think. You have to constantly worry what someone may say if you do this or that. And the more I thought that, the more paranoid about every single thing I became. Everything I did, or thought about doing I had to stop and think about what may happen. Even stupid things that didn't really matter.

Eventually I balanced out a little and I'm not as concerned. I realized I am who I am and if you don't like it, I don't care. But there's still that little voice asking me if I'm really okay with that.

When people used to ask me something I've done that I regret, I always said nothing. Regretting is for people who wish their life was different. Are there things that happened in my life that I hate? Sure. But each of those things got me to where I am now and for the most part, I'm okay with that. And anything I'm not okay with wouldn't be different if I could've gone back and changed something.

Of course now I do regret one thing and that's growing up too much. I regret losing that open part of myself that let me have more fun. If I could go back and change anything, I'd go back to whenever I forgot how to be a kid and I'd change that one little thing.

But as soon as I think that, I stop and think-what would that change? Changing anything from your past can affect your present and future. I don't think anything is worth risking that. And that is all it takes to keep me from holding any regrets. It is what it is and everything happens for a reason-good or bad.

And sorry about the lengthy post. I'll do better with S...maybe :p

I hope you all have a great day and that you don't have any regrets. :)

Quietly Please

Quite honestly coming up with a Q word was hard, but I've settled on...

Quiet.

It's something I miss. There are times at night when I stay awake so late just to have some peace and quiet. I knew when I had kids that quiet would be something I'd long for and rarely get. I didn't realize how much I would seriously miss the silence.

I long for silence and I don't usually like that. I was always someone who needed some sort of background noise. And now there are times when I'm driving without my kids (something rarer than the quiet moments I get) and I don't even turn on any music. I just drive in silence. And it's so nice.

I love my kids, but man sometimes I think how nice it's going to be when they're a little older and want to be quiet and away from me. I know, I'll regret it when the day gets here. That's why I don't wish for it and why I try not to long for it. But I do long for more quiet times.

Hope you're all having a great day. See you later. :)

Parents

I love and respect my parents although I haven't always done so 100%. But I was raised properly and I've always believed that people older than me deserve a certain level of respect. I can't respect every single person that is my elder because sometimes people just don't deserve my respect, but I do my best not to be rude.

Growing up it was important to me to show my parents a level of respect I believed they deserved. They both worked very hard to take care of me, they both tried to stick out a troubled marriage for me. My parents loved me and still love me unconditionally and no matter what mistakes either of them (or I) made/make, that love will never change and I know that. It's why I respect them no matter what.

So many people don't get parents. Or like my kids, they only get one because the other sucks. Or they unfortunately only get one because of loss. It's tragic to not know that unconditional love. Of course, some are lucky enough to find people to love them the same way and that's okay.

Sometimes we grow up and lose those feelings of unconditional love. Even if we still know our parents are there for us, ready to pick us up when we fall, we still forget that feeling. The -anything can happen to me and I'll be completely fine as long as I remember how much my parents love me- sort of feeling. It's a feeling that never leaves us, even if we forget it. It's something that will be there even if one or more parent is no longer here. It's a feeling that I hope each of you has had the chance to experience and one I hope to pass on to my kids.

The right parents (by blood or not) raise us to be better people, to improve the world, to contribute to it.

Happy Saturday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. :)

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Yeah, that's what came to mind, but really I don't know what to say. I live here. Have lived here my whole life. I like it enough. It's definitely way more conservative than I am. Many people here can be a bit too racist-both ways. The old people tend to automatically judge anyone younger than them. If you're not old enough, you must be an idiot. You can't just walk around much (at least not where I live).

We do have Hanson, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and Blake Shelton. Not that those are the only famous people from here, but they're the first to pop in my mind.

We also have one of my absolute all time favorite authors Gena Showalter. Plus Jamie McGuire, Kristen Cast, PC Cast,  and S.E. Hinton.

Can't forget Mickey Mantle, Chuck Norris, or Maria Tallchief.

We've had some great people come from here. But it's also pretty here. And it's green. There are a lot of cities that have hardly any landscape, but Oklahoma is full of it. I couldn't imagine living in a place that doesn't have a ton of trees and grass.

There may be Oklahomans who need to get their shit together and stop being such assholes, but I would still pick this place over a lot of other choices. So I guess I came up with stuff to say about it anyway lol.

Have a great day, y'all. :)

Nightmares

Name, number, new, now, nibble...

Necromancer, nub, nymphomaniac

Yes, that's where my thoughts went. Idk what's happening, but I'm not writing about nubs or necromancers or nymphos either.

But because that could easily (for me) turn from something a little inappropriate to nightmarish, I'll go with nightmares.

I find nightmares as facinating as they are frightening. Things that some people could think of as cuddly cuteness could be the most terrifying thing to someone else.

Nightmares are whatever fits at that moment. If nightmares were real things and we had to encounter them, nothing would be safe. This is how my mind works, I'm honestly thinking story idea as I'm thinking about this crap...

It's never ending. Sometimes I think it'd be nice to shut the brain off for a little bit, but then I think it'd be tragic to force myself to not be able to come up with the stories I do.

Anyway, nightmares...They're whatever is necessary at that moment. For me, I have a few nightmares that really get me jumping awake. Any form of, um, let's just say relating with my ex. Any kind of clown. Dolls-mostly just the porcelain ones, but if barbie or a cabbage patch kid cameoed I'd probably wake up screaming just the same. Oh man and spiders. I have the worst nightmares about spiders. Sometimes they're not just tiny arachnids who are just as afraid of us big humans as we are of them. Sometimes they are aliens who can fly. They don't need all of their legs to walk. They think and act more like a person. They freaking talk. It's so creepy. *shivers*

But I know people who dream of unicorns and it's a nightmare to them. Or cats. I can't remember who, but someone told me they can't stop having nightmares about cats. They're not even after them in the nightmare, just there...

A nightmare is there and it's powerful and it's everything it's meant to be-a nightmare. And that's why it's as interesting as it is terrifying.

That's the N for the day. See you later and have an awesome day. :)

Minutes

I kept coming up with math M words and I'd rather not write a pots about math.

So searching for a different M word, I got...

Minute

Which could be grouped in with the other math words, but at least this one isn't thought of as a math word usually.

Minutes are taken for granted. They're not respected as they should be. People don't seem to appreciate that we're literally living minute to minute. I know most people say we live day by day, but it's not true. Because when someone goes, it's a minute. Even if they're super sick and you know in advance, they still die in a minute. You can be dying and it take a full 24 hours for it to happen, but you're still living you life from one minute to the next.

So, don't live day by day, live minute by minute. Your minutes are precious and could be even more precious to those who care about you. Don't waste your minutes because I bet there are plenty of people out there who wished they had just a handful of the minutes most of us take for granted.

Happy Wednesday everyone, we're halfway through the week and the challenge. Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll see you next time. :)

Learning Lessons

Dang, I didn't even realize I hadn't done my L post...Sorry y'all, my third grader had testing the last couple days and I forgot all about blogging. (Probably could find a little humor in the fact that I'm a little late with this post.)

Learning Lessons

This word or I guess words came to mind I'm sure mostly because of school stuff. Since my kids are in an online program, it's still structured to a point. They still get to work at their own pace for the most part, but still have a certain amount of lessons they need done each week. But they get to work ahead if they want and that's what all three of us want.

The last day of school is supposed to be May 29th, but we're aiming to be done by the end of April. And I figure even if they don't get all their lessons done in every subject, they're going to have most of them done and won't have to work much. Then we'll get to enjoy the nice weather that's going to be here soon and not have to sit at the computer all day.

So, lessons are taking up a good part of the day. And if it's not school lessons then it's gymnastics, music, or hip-hop. Plus my 8 year old has decided to ignore anything I say left and right so I keep having to give her reminder lessons on how to behave.

I realize though that lessons are something I've had to give and receive frequently in all my years. Lessons are all about learning. We come out learning. We learn to survive outside of our mother's womb. We learn to cry, eat/drink...then we learn to scoot, crawl, sit up, stand up, and walk. From there we just keep learning more and more. As life goes on we learn how to be toddlers, then children, onto preteens, and then teenagers. Oh man and then adults.

I think adulthood is the toughness lesson of them all. Learning to be responsible or face the negative consequences of our action. Learning that we're now grown up and can be punished according.

Whether the lessons are good or bad or just necessity, they're a part of our entire life. We're going to always have something to learn.

That's that. M will be back to my regular scheduled AM post. Catch you later. Have a great night. :)

Kindness

Today my kids and I went to my dad's house (which we've been doing a lot lately because he likes having company) and just before his house we passed a snake. It was black and decent sized and I thought it was fake. There are animals who I could see people thinking it would scare. There are kids who I could see thinking it'd be fun(ny) to put a fake snake out in the road and watch how people reacted to it.

We parked and my kids of course had to go see it. I kept saying, it's fake, don't go over there by the street. They went anyway (because of how well they listen to me). Then they came running over to me saying it was real and moving. So I had to go check it out.

It was bigger than I thought, but not scary, more interesting than anything else. But they were correct. It was real and it was moving. I could tell something was wrong with it though. Maybe its head got ran over or something, but it couldn't move quite right.

Suddenly my dad's friend comes over and kicks it around a little. Then it was moving (better, but not perfect) straight for him. He says it looks like its head was smashed and it was suffering. So he said he'd go get his truck and run it over so it could die.

He did. It made a horrible popping noise as his truck went over it. My kids thought it was awesome and even laughed. They even thought it was a little funny that it wasn't even dead. All that and it was now suffering even more than before.

And I couldn't believe my kids could do that. Which I called them over and told them. I told them they knew better than to find joy in any living thing dying and they straightened up and even seemed to feel bad.

The point to all this though is kindness isn't something easily given. It's not a natural thing anymore. I firmly believe people found being kind a little easier back in the day. I try and have always tried to be kind. Sometimes I'm too kind and get pushed around, sometimes I'm not kind enough and feel guilty later. I found no joy in the snake being ran over. I felt really bad (honestly didn't think the guy was serious until he came zooming around the corner). But I guess I can also find the kindness in putting the snake out of its misery. (Probably would find it better if they snake had actually died from it though.)

Over the years, especially the last four or five, I've come to think 9 out of 10 people are hateful. I could be wrong. Maybe I just find too many unkind people. (Not that unkind people are always unkind, just capable of being unkind too often.) And even if I'm just too jaded, there's still way too much mean in this world and I think everyone could benefit from everyone finding more reasons and ways to show kindness to everyone.

Because I think a lot of people expect other people to be unkind and it tends to make people that way. So, go out and spread a little kindness this Monday. Have a wonderful day and I'll see you later. :)

Joker's Joyous Journey

I'm not really sure how my title fits in, but anyway...

J made me think of happy things, laughter especially. I like to laugh and it always feels so good. Especially when something really hits me and I get that can't catch my breath, laughing so hard I'm crying, cheeks actually hurting sort of laugh. I love those. Not enough to want them to happen too frequently, but I love having them.

What makes me feel better is when I share that laughter with others I care about. Watching my kids crack up with me is great.



Like the day before Easter when my 7 year old and I were walking down the Easter aisle at Reasor's. I paused in front of the cards, but I'm paying attention to the shelves across and suddenly she's laughing. And not just a chuckle, she was really laughing. So, I turn and look at her and she's got this card in her hand.

When I asked her what the card said that was so funny she showed it to me because she was laughing too hard to read it to me. The card was funny. It made me laugh. On the front of the card there are two chocolate balls. On the inside it said something like, "When you see the chocolate Easter bunny, tell him I found his balls." It was genuinely funny, but then I had to stop and wonder why my 7 year old was laughing about it. She said because it's so funny. I said, yeah, but what do you think it means. She read the card again and stopped laughing. Then she said that's gross and put it back and was upset that she laughed. When I asked why she said, "I thought it was his poop, not his dangly things."

I laughed a little more and then told her I'd rather her keep thinking poop and not dangly things because I don't even want to know how she knows much of anything about boys having dangling things considering we're a house full of girls.

All inappropriateness aside though, it was funny and it made us laugh. It made my mom laugh when I got to share the story with her later. Made my dad laugh of course. And then it made my sister laugh.

So I guess my title comes from jokes bringing joy which is so important on our journey through life.

That is that, hope you have (and are having) a great weekend. See you Monday. :)

Imagination

Imagination is imperative for improvement.
If only intriguing details caught the eyes of more
If only information was included
In everything everyone does
If only imagining was embraced and not ignored
Imagine what could become of this world.





When I sat down to think of an I word for this post, I had more than one word come to mind so I wasn't sure what to pick. And then bam, they picked for me, I got that up there.

So, take from it what you will, that is my post for today. I hope you all have a great day and I'll see you tomorrow. :)

Home

Home is what I thought of when I went looking for an H word.

Home is somewhere that we live, it keeps us warm and safe (at least warmer and safer than if we were living on the streets/under a bridge/etc). For most people it consists of solid walls, a roof, a few + rooms, furniture, and security.

Home isn't just that though. Home is where we feel safe. In the embrace of a loved one. Surrounded by friends celebrating a special event. At work with colleagues that we've known and worked with long enough that they've become more than just co-workers.

Everything that gives good, soothing vibes. Things that make us feel like we can survive anything. That's what home is. It's important, home is a feeling everyone should know. It's a feeling everyone should teach, whether intentionally or not. Everyone deserves to feel what home is like, so pass the feeling on. After all, home is where the heart is, right?

Short post I guess, but that's okay sometimes. Hope everyone is having fun with the A to Z Challenge. Have an awesome day. :)

Give Me a G

When I went searching my mind for a G word, it was a little harder than I thought. I came up with gymnastics, green, games, gaming, gamble, gaggle, giggle... But I didn't really know what to write around any of those so I decided I'd go with...

Good.


Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening. Good night.

Good job. Good luck. Good news. Good try. Good times.

I'm sure if I just kept thinking, I could think of a good ten more phrases that use the word good. Interesting that a word of such positivity is used daily by most everyone and yet there's still so much negativity in the world. You'd think we could draw on the power of words or something.

Anyway, that's my short post for the day. Have a good Wednesday and I'll see you next time. :)

Family

Family has always been important to me. Unfortunately, many of my family members never took time to think I was capable of feeling the ways I do when it comes to lots of things-family being one of those things.

When I was little, I was that weird kid who didn't tear into the wrapping paper on Christmas. I was more interested in seeing the joy on everyone else's face when they opened their presents. Even as a young kid, I was still more interested in seeing everyone else happy. Holidays always meant getting together with everyone and seeing my aunts (even though they drove me crazy-one aunt in particular), my uncles, my grandparents...family.

Family means more to me than anything else. And family isn't just blood either. My kids, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are important family members to me. But my true friends are important parts of my family too. But friends in the blogging community and friends on AQC, the wonderful women I met through my crit group on AQC-they're all like family too. And I realized recently that I feel family-ish when it comes to my girls' gymnastics place too. Because that's what family is- a group of people who care about other individuals in the group and who will come together in happiness or sorrow, good times and bad, putting all things aside and just being there as needed.

And there is my F post. I could've used another F word I was thinking, but decided I probably shouldn't(especially since I didn't put AC next to my blog name :p ). Have a fantastic Tuesday. See you tomorrow. :)

Easter Extra

(Warning just in case: I'm going to talk religion. I'm Episcopal. I rarely talk religion because I don't really enjoy getting into debates with people. Religion can become an ocean between people who would normally be neighbors and I don't like that. I do not judge and I do not like judgement. If you cannot read this blog post and be nonjudgmental then I'd rather you come back to my blog on another day. I don't want to offend anyone or turn anyone from my blog, but I will not tolerate anything hateful in the comments. Thank you.)

If you're staying, carry on. :)

Of course, being that at the time I'm writing this, it's Easter, I'm having a hard time thinking of any word that isn't Easter related.

So, let's talk bunnies. Yeah, I know, we've already done B. But, technically this is an E post because I'm thinking Easter Bunnies and Eggs.

If you're a religious person who believes in Jesus and such, you most likely believe that Easter is the day that Christ came back. Easter Sunday, AKA Resurrection Sunday. I happen to believe in Jesus and although I don't always take the Bible in a way a lot of other religious people do, I believe in many religious traditions.

I celebrate Lent, which is the 40 days and nights leading up to Easter. When I think of Good Friday, I think of it as the day Jesus Christ was crucified. When I think of Easter, I think of it as the day Jesus rose from the dead. Just like when I celebrate Christmas I find it confusing that I think of it as the day Christ was born and yet I'm giving presents to other people and getting presents from other people. It's weird, why do I get presents on His day?

Off subject a little...So we've got this Easter Bunny and he hides eggs and leaves some treats for the kids. And the reason is that in history, rabbits are associated with fertility and so are eggs. Eggs come from chickens and that's why sometimes chicks are associated. And rabbits were once thought to be able to procreate on their own, no intercourse needed. The frequency that rabbits give birth, along with the number of bunnies, is what really aided them being fertility symbols. And how they got associated with Jesus' day? Well, since they were once thought to procreate alone, they were associated with Mary.

Another egg tidbit-sometimes eggs were boiled because people didn't eat them during the fasting of Lent and then they'd eat them on Easter. Sometimes they were dyed red to show the sacrifice Christ made. Sometimes they were just decorated for celebrations.

Anyway, that's enough. Too much really. I'm so sorry this post is so long.

Have an awesome Monday and I'll catch you tomorrow.  :)

(Side note: I am visiting blogs starting from my name on the sign up list and going down. If you've come to my blog already and I haven't been to yours, I swear I'm on my way soon.)

Dangerous D

Danger
Dangerous
Diabolical
Dirty
Delicious
Dangle
Do
D...

I'm going to stop myself there because apparently when I think of D words my mind goes a little, um, well...dirty. I decided that the D word I will go with is going to be dangerous because I think that's a good word and I should be able to write about it without my mind dropping to far into the gutter that it likes so much.

Blogging is dangerous. You never know what will happen when you put thoughts out into the bloggy world for others to see. Writing is dangerous. Many reasons really. Same as the blogging, but also I've heard of some authors getting superfans that are a little stalker-crazy. Being up at midnight writing blog posts can be dangerous. Who knows what your sleepy brain may write and schedule. You could end up with a blog post that makes absolutely zero sense.

Danger is thrilling and scary. It kick-starts the adrinaline and sometimes it's a good thing and sometimes it's not so good. When you watch a horror movie and you know the killer is right there, but the blonde chick who is walking around outside all alone in the dark while trying to stay away from the killer has no clue...you feel that danger for her and it gets you going. And you're probably also yelling at her about what a dumbass she is, but that's not relevant to this post I guess. Even if it is a D word.

Everyone likes to live a little dangerously. Some things that gives people that danger euphoria may not do it for you, and vice versa. It's still a word all can relate to, even if you don't outwardly admit it.

Delighted you stopped by, I'll see you around soon. Have a great day. :)

Crazy Challenged

Cringe
Crazy
Challenge
Created
Chex
Cheese

Those are some of the words that came quickly into my mind when I sat down for a C post. I’m not really sure what I want to write about any of them.

Idk where cringe is coming from, but I can guess several reasons for crazy…My eldest has been acting crazy all day. My youngest was crazy yesterday. And between the two of them I’m pretty sure I’ve been crazy for a while. Challenge is obvious I think. And Chex is because I’ve got some gluten free Chex granola right here in front of me. Cheese is because I just spent all morning reminding myself that I needed to get some cheese for dinner tonight. Created is because that’s a series for all the WIPs I’ve got going at the moment.

I’m definitely feeling challenged. I think I’ll go with an actual theme next time. This think of a word and go with it is making me feel crazy too. Maybe that’s where cringe is coming in. The thought of having to write another letter word is making me cringe. For now I’m going to leave it at this since I forgot to even post my C word for today. This challenge should not be getting me already with just the third letter.

Sorry for posting late. C you next time. :)

Beautiful Blue

Choosing the first word that comes to my mind isn't going the way I want. When I thought of A words, a lot came to mind. Now as I tell myself to think of B words, a lot are coming to mind...

Because
Beautiful
Ball
Bold
Blue
Blueberries
Borrowed
Brown
Bruised

Random.org has spoken and Blue is the winner.

I'm not sure what to talk about though. Blue is my favorite color. It's the color of my pants right now. It's on my cup and a shade of blue is on my mouse. A cart to my left has two blue drawers in it. There's a box of craft sticks across from me that is blue. My gluten free Chex granola is in a blue (and yellow) package. The hand towel is blue, my blanket is blue, there's a list on the door that's written on blue paper.

But blue isn't just a color I guess. Blue can be a feeling, one I've felt many times in my life. One I've felt very recently actually. One I feel a little every time I think of the kids and coaches at the gymnastics studio that was ruined by the tornado last week. It's a feeling I have to (unfortunately) watch every time my kids think of their dad who decided to blame everyone else for why he's crap at being their father.

That's something about blue that sucks though. It's not very often that people think of a pretty blue sky. The calming waves of a blue ocean. A beautiful blue butterfly. Yummy blueberries (even though they don't really look blue). Cinderella's wonderful blue ball gown. Or sexy Captain America in his blue uniform. :p

So although blue sometimes gets associated with sadness or with items that are just blue items, it also can be a very beautiful thing.

Aiming High for Amazing Awesomeness

It's another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. If you don't know him already, you should definitely know the awesomeness behind this great group, Alex J Cavanaugh. And make sure you hop over to the IWSG website too. It's a great group that helps writers know their not alone.





(This is also my A post for the April A to Z Challenge.)

Many A words came to my mind at once when I got ready to post this...


Aim High
Amazing
Awesome
Aware
Awful

Just to name a few.

But this is the first post and an IWSG post so really, Aim High specifically wouldn't work. Awful could work if I'm going to discuss how my writerly things are going (only because they're not going at all). Amazing could work because I'm feeling like all things are possible right now if I just let myself get it done. Aware works because I'm much more aware these days about things and how so much can be taken away in minutes. And awesome always works because I tend to think a lot of things that happen and also how people are is awesome.

So, here it is...This month and the months to follow I will be Aiming High for Amazing Awesomeness when it comes to writing. As of now I've felt a bit awful when I think of my writing (or lack of). So I'm setting a goal to do better. I'm going to Aim for better. Aim to be amazing at getting it done. And aim to feel myself with lots of awesomeness and not so lots of awfulness.

Thanks for coming by. Leave a comment and I'll do my very best to visit everyone today. I appreciate you being here and I'll see you next time.

Have an Amazingly Awesome day. :)

Getting Ready to Get Challenged

I've decided to join the April A to Z Challenge. It may or may not work out. I may or may not succeed. But I will try my best and that's what counts. I do have a plan. I'm going to write something about the first word or thing that comes into my mind that has something to do with the letter for that day. The way my mind works, it should at least be somewhat interesting. It will also possibly seem like I have a couple of personalities...

But, that's okay. Hopefully this challenge will be exactly what I need to get out of my rut. And maybe it won't. I've tried so many things though and one more won't hurt anything.

So, I'll see you on  Wednesday (which btw, is going to still be an IWSG post as well as my A post) and I hope you have an awesome day. :)

Are you joining in on the A to Z Challenge? Have you done it in the past? If so, what do you like about it and if not, is there any specific reason? I've done it once and it was fun, hard too, but still fun.

EDIT 3/30: Dang, I forgot I had this scheduled for today. I was thinking I did it for tomorrow(Tuesday). Oh well. I'm adding this edit to put a link to a post I did on Saturday that is very important to me. If you haven't already, can you please GO HERE and check that post out. Thanks. :)

Aim High Academy

Hello everyone. I don't normally post on the weekends and I know many may not read blogs on the weekends, but I didn't have electricity to post when I first wanted.

As you may or may not know, Oklahoma was hit with some tornadoes and bad storms on Wednesday evening. It's been in the news so there's a good chance you've heard. Well, where I live was hit with a tornado. And I was inside of my daughters' gymnastics studio when it hit, along with 50+ gymnasts and a handful of adults (coaches, dance teacher, and parents).

That's my youngest, she's on Aim High's level 2 competitive team. For many years her goal has remained the same-make it to the Olympics. Now, she may or may not ever make it there, but she's very determined and already works on gymnastics constantly-no matter where she is. When we found Aim High just barely over a year ago, she was so happy.

The coaches at Aim High are some of the most wonderful people I've ever known. Many of them don't even get paid to coach and you'd never know. They come in happy to be there and coach no matter what. And they were wonderfully calm and comforting during that tornado. Girls were screaming, crying, terrified and the coaches (along with the dance teacher and some of the parents) worked hard to keep everyone calm and safe. I don't know if it's their faith or what, but they were completely calm and exactly what those kids needed. And really, it's what some of the adults needed.

Also, it's not being talked about much because it's more amazing that all these little girls were safe, but Aim High's basement didn't just keep the gymnasts and some adults safe, it kept random neighbors safe too. There were people coming in from somewhere I'm not sure where, but they came running into the basement for safety. So, Aim High kept strangers safe, they welcomed people who they knew nothing about into their basement and didn't think twice about it.

In case you haven't seen, I will show you what was left after whatever happened while 50+ little girls aged 3 or 4 up to 14, plus at least one little brother who was there while his sister practiced, and a handful of other adults huddled together and prayed.

This gym served over 200 Tulsa children and it's affordable. Aim High is a non-profit that gives children who don't have the money to go to other gyms a chance.

And that is why I decided to share this story and reach out to my blog buddies. I know this post is really freaking long, I'm so sorry. But there is a gofundme for Aim High right now, raising money to be able to get the gym going again. I wanted to appeal to you, my blogger buddies and ask that if you can give anything at all, it would be so very much appreciated.

My kids love being able to go to classes at Aim High (not just gymnastics either. My oldest is in Hip-Hop and just started taking drums and guitar classes too. And my youngest does gymnastics and Hip-Hop.). My kids aren't the only ones who love it. There are so many times that we have so many kids enrolled in classes that the classes are full with waiting lists. Kids come running in to get to their classes (the competitive girls as well as the regular instruction). And not just the girls either, the boys who are in the FAST (Flipping Agility Strength Toughness) come running in laughing and smiling and ready for class. The happiness this gym has brought to the community is heartwarming. Losing this gym is devastating and I want to see it brought back ASAP.

So, if you're able to, please help. And if any of my readers are from here, I hope you're all safe. And I hope you all have a great weekend and I'll see you Tuesday.

Aim High Academy Facebook
News on 6 Tulsa Video
Aim High gofundme
Aim High Website

Because I Say So...

I'm going to get back to things, it will happen, I'm working on it...And it will happen because I say so. That never works with my kids, but I'm going to go with it here. Only because it's something that can work in this situation. I have things I want and things I need to do to get the things I want and so only I can do it. I have to say so for it to happen.

Here's March, already. It happened way too fast. I'm just not ready for another year to just zoom past like the last several. I want time to slow down, only because I really want it to stop and I know that won't happen so I'll settle for a minor ease up on the gas pedal.

But, until that happens I'm here, in March, wondering if I'll be letting another month woosh past me with not a single writerly thing to show for it. Guess that all just means I'm feeling a bit insecure this month. Hopefully I won't soon. I want to have so many posts in a row, month after month, about how awesome writerly life is. But, my daughters are still homeschooling it, my youngest is right smack in the middle of competition season in gymnastics, and I'm still helping my parents out all the time on top of spending three days a week at the gymnastics place. So, not sure how secure things are going to get. If anything, I should probably just be hoping for things to not be so crazy and then work on the security once I've got that handled.

Nah, who am I kidding? If I lost the crazy, I wouldn't be a writer. :P

That's okay though. I'm starting to like it all a little. I would love to wake up and have a whole day of relaxing, but I know I can't right now and I'm okay with that. We'll just have to see what March and April bring and go from there. Who knows what may happen.

Until next time, make sure you're in the know on everything awesomely Alex(J. Cavanaugh) and this spectacular little Insecure Writer's Support Group we've got happening here.

See you later. Have an awesome day, y'all. :)

One (or a few) A Day...

I've been working out ways I can get myself to be more productive and also more out there in the online world (blogging, reading blogs, tweeting/posting on FB/pinterest/etc) and I've decided to have a challenge for myself this month.

It will be called the: One of Each a Day Challenge...

Stupid titled, but that's okay. Plan is, visit a blog each day. Leave a comment on said blog. Promote something on Twitter and/or a social media of my choice(Examples of promoting are: a book release, book sale, cover reveal, some other sort of announcement, a blog post, or things of that sort-or other promotional type things). And post on any two of my sites daily. (I've got Twitter, Facebook, my blog, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, and Instagram)(With all those I shouldn't have a problem posting something...aside from how little I've even ever posted on a few of them. :/ )

This will be my only Tuesday post for now. I didn't plan on having Tuesday posts, but I forgot to post this yesterday so I'm just going with it. I mean, really, I should've posted it last week, but oh well. I'm a few days late on the whole first of the month thing, but I'll make up for it.

And that's that, guess we'll see how this turns out. Have a great day. See you tomorrow for a new Insecure Writer's Support Group post. :)

Anything happening this month that you'd like people to know about? Got a blog post you'd like me to promote or maybe a book release? Hell, want some new Twitter followers or some more blog traffic? Just let me know in the comments and I'll spread the word. 

Planning on planning to plan...

Well, here we are, toward the end of February, and how many weeks since I posted a blog? Ugh. I keep planning on having things happen and they don't. I'm not much of a planner so I guess maybe planning on doing better is making me unsuccessful. Or maybe like just really wants to be in the way of things lately. Or maybe I just need to use my time more wisely. Whatever it is, I want to do better.

We're just over a month away from the A to Z challenge and I really want to do it this year, but I keep telling myself I don't want to plan on another failure for myself. Then I get annoyed for thinking so negatively. So I guess I'll try to do it and hope for the best.

All of my lack of productivity is really getting to me. Even more now that Lent started because one of the things I wanted to do was write and edit more, be better with getting crits done, read more, and blog more...I haven't accomplished any of those things. Hell, I also planned on only having soda once a week during Lent (which would hopefully keep happening once Lent was over) but I've already had soda twice and it hasn't even been a week since Ash Wednesday.

I'm not even sure what the actual point of this blog is. I'm not intending to come off whiny or like I'm searching for more excuses for why my plans have all been failing. I'm not looking for someone to make me feel better about my lack of following through on things I keep saying. I guess what I'm doing is just writing something in attempt to have some sort of a post since I haven't had one in a while. I would've had an IWSG post, but I forgot about my post for February and so there that went.

I think I need to find the balance between the offline side of life I have now and the online side of life I had a couple years ago. Yeah, I'm going to go try to find that...Catch you all next time-sooner I hope. :)

IWSG All About Me

(Make sure you check out the IWSG website and founder of this group, Alex J Cavanaugh.)So, I already had my post written out and then I just saw I was supposed to introduce myself. But that's okay, I'll have two posts today. To see the other post, click here.

And onto some stuff about me:

I'm a mother and a writer. I also am basically a personal assistant for my mom. Plus I run errands for my dad and I work at the gym (where my kids do dance and gymnastics) twice a week.

My kids are (recently) online homeschooled and both of them are in gymnastics and hip-hop. I don't really have a life outside of my kids and parents. Aside from when I stay up late and find time to do things I want to do (mostly online games, writing, and blogging).

This year is the first year that my youngest will be competing in gymnastics so I'll be adding gymnastics meets to my schedule which should be interesting. Most of them are going to be on Sundays though so that's not too bad.

I spent a lot of last year not blogging enough and my visiting was even worse, but I'm going to do better this year. I also tend to write too much on my blog posts and struggle to write enough in my books.

And that's about it, but if you're curious about anything else, feel free to ask. :)

Happy 2015 IWSG

(Yay! First Insecure Writer's Support Group post of the new year. And I'm on time! Before we get into this you must take time to meet the awesome Alex J Cavanaugh. Plus, go check out the IWSG website. While you're at both of those sites please take a few moments to browse, they're both great places to hang. But, don't forget to stop by each of the wonderful co-hosts blogs as well: Elizabeth Seckman, Lisa Buie-Collard, Chrys Fey, and Michelle Wallace.)

Since I haven't done anything, I'm really not secure or insecure about writing at the moment. I have no advice to give other than, write. If you wrote last year, maybe make a goal to write more. If you wrote a ton last year, make a goal to take the pace down a notch this time. And if you wrote at a good pace and you'd like to just keep at it, do whatever worked for you last year. And make sure you don't fear your insecurities either. You need them.

I feared once upon a time, actually I think I wondered it most in 2014, that writers wouldn't be as necessary. Everyone is a writer. Anyone can write anything they want. Things get published left and right, so people who needed writers don't anymore. Scripts, novels, plays, everyhting and anything you need-anyone can write it for you.

'Everyone' is not and can not be a writer. Writing is hard, it takes guts, time, effort, patience, love, understanding, caring, a bit(or maybe a lot) of crazy, and so much heart. Writers don't write because it's something people need, writers write because it's something they need. We all need to write out what's playing constantly through our minds or we'll all go crazier than we already are.

All those people who think it's easy, anyone can do it, they let anyone do it-they're wrong and honestly, not that bright. Writing isn't something that just comes naturally. Period. I don't care how fast someone can spit out a best selling novel, it doesn't mean it was easy. And those who say it's easy, aren't really writers. Not only does it take everything I said-it takes insecurities. So, make sure you open yourself up to those this year. Don't worry when you're feeling insecure, enjoy it and know that you're a writer and if you get too secure, your work won't shine as bright. Cocky writers don't always make great writers(but it's okay to be secure too).

What are your writing plans for this year? Are you writing, editing, publishing? Are you taking a break from writing all together? Or are you going to shoot out books that make it look easy? ;p

Sorry I didn't keep this one short enough, I'll try harder next time.

Have a great week and I'll see y'all next time. :)

Following Blogs

In all my brainstorming, I wandered into another thought I've been meaning to get input on...

How do you see blogs you follow? I mean, I know I follow people and I (used) to try and visit anyone who commented on my blog, but I also know there are blog rolls and whatnot. Or at least I was thinking there are.

So, this post is a short one today. I'd like to be able to have a list that is right in my face of blogs I follow so that I can remember to go check them out every time there's a new post. Is there a way I can do that? Do you have some sort of system for making sure you check blogs you follow? Any pointers, ideas, links, sites, suggestions, anything at all, pass it to me if you will please.

Thanks for taking the time for this short and simple, yet possibly a little not so simple post. Have a great Monday and I'll see you Wednesday for the first Insecure Writer's Support Group post of the year. :)

Blog Scheduling...

I've decided one things I would like to do is remodel my blog. I've got no clue how I want to do it though. I wish I knew how to make it a little fancy. Maybe I could get someone I know to do some sort of artwork for me and then I can figure out how to make it into a blog cover and button or something. Idk, it's just something I want to do. Maybe it'll be the thing that helps get my ass in gear.

Something else I want to have at the top of my list is setting a blog schedule. I know many of you post MWF, and some post T/Th, and others post daily and some just once a week...I'm not sure what will be my plan by the end of the year, but I think I'll start the year off posting on days I'm not swamped with children activities. So, that leaves...Tuesday and Friday unless they have make-up dance and/or a gymnastics meet. So, really I can only gaurantee no day that ends in a y I think. So...

Just kidding. I'm going to have to make a point to get some posts done during the day when they're doing schoolwork that doesn't require too much of my assistance. So, I'll aim for Monday and Wednesday to start. That will give me enough days of non-posting to get my posts thought out and ready to go live. Once I'm more organized and being a better blogger, I'll most likely move around my schedule.

Now, if only I can figure out what I'll post. Next week will be more ponderings though, still don't quite have it all planned out.

What kind of poster are you? Did you have a different (easier or more complicated) posting schedule when you first started blogging? Is there a particular schedule you think is best? If so, why?

See you Monday. Have a great weekend! :)

Happy 2015! :D

Okay, here we are, it's a new year, it's a better year, things are going to happen, feel the positive energy...

No really, here's the deal. I've got things I need to do and I really need to get my crap together this year. It's going to happen. I'm going to get shit rolling.

And here's what's happening:

• Figure direction of blog
• Get a blog schedule going
• Get a chore list going for kids(and make them follow it)(also, stick to it)
• Catch up on all 9 books checked out from the library (as of 1/1/15)
• Make a list of all series' and get caught up on that reading
• Finish two first drafts
• Edit two MSs
• Figure out what my publishing goal is and get going on that
• Get house organized better
• Get bedroom/storage room/attic decluttered
•  Participate in and complete NaNoWriMo
• 
  

That extra dot is because I know I have more and I'm planning to add to that list as I think of things I need to do this year. This year is going to be better, I'm going to make it better. I messed up last year and I'm not going that route again. I hate where I ended the year and I don't want that again.

How about you. Any resolutions? Massive or tiny to-do lists? Did you accomplish things in 2014 that you were hoping to? Let me know in the comments. Happy New Year! Have a great Thursday. (See you tomorrow for another post. I know, I know, my blog is probably going to crash from all this posting. :P )