The Middle of Nowhere

I feel like I am in the stone age this week! I am in Oklahoma in a teeny town of only 1800 people. It took me all morning to get my computer to log onto the internet.

This place is in the middle of nowhere. It is so small that there isn't even a Mcdonald's here! I thought every town had one of those!! And there is no Starbucks, Walmart, movie theater, or even a bowling alley. The town pretty much consists of the dealership I am at and a gas station with an old diner in it. I think there may be a grocery store somewhere but I'm not positive.

I have lived in the country most of my life, but I couldn't imagine living somewhere like this. Don't get me wrong, it is a pretty area. I would go crazy though. There is absolutley nothing to do. I bet the families around here make lots of babies! That's the only entertainment they have!!

Would you like living in such a remote area? Could you be happy without all of the conveniences we are accustomed to?

SIS Brandy

Making the Time

What an incredible weekend! Great weather, a lot of work, a lot of fun and the payoff? Priceless. I'll admit I'm pretty sore, but I/we managed to pull every weed, mulch every bed, pull up an old fence and even take time for some fishing. At the end of each day I was exhausted and it felt good. I loved being outdoors with the family. As Beth mentioned in her post, the creative well runs low at times and sometimes, if we're lucky, it's just the little things that fill it to the rim.

Even though I could barely keep my eyes open, I wanted to write. I needed to move words and phrases around to maximize the effect. My word count may not have been high, but I was productive. I wonder if I would feel this way all the time if I lived in a warmer climate? Hmm...

I'm currently reading The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter. I've just started, but I'm already hooked! Reading is one more way to fill the creative well and also has the added benefit of making me a better writer. A chance to learn while completely enjoying myself. I'll take that opportunity any day of the week.

The following pictures are from this weekend. The first is another one taken at an absolutely gorgeous pond where we had the chance to fish and bask in the sunshine. The other pictures are what caused my back to ache...

Fishin' made easy! The trout were practically leaping onto the dock. Gotta love that!

I love hostas.

I don't have too many flowers blooming yet, but this proves it's bound to happen!

And now it's your turn. Share a small thing that helps you to relax and/or fill your creative well.

SIS Barb aka Elle J Rossi

Catching Some Z's

Up until Friday morning I wasn't sure what I was going to blog about, but after my third night in a row of getting very little to no sleep, it hit me. Or should I say, it slowly creeped into my fog shrouded brain, wrapped its clammy tendrils around me and stared into my eyes with an evil laugh as the energy slowly drained from my body.

Insomnia.

Now I'm not talking about only getting 3 - 4 hours of sleep one night instead of the usual 6 - 8 or so. I'm talking about lying there all night, staring up at the ceiling, knowing you want and need to sleep but not being able to for anything, no matter what. I'm talking about feeling brain dead, incapable of rational thought, and knowing what it's like to be an actual living dead zombie the next day. In fact, as I'm typing this I am silently thanking the cyber gods for spell check, even though I have had to go back several times already to correct typos.

Growing up I never really had any issues, and could sleep anywhere and anytime I needed to. As I get older it's becoming more of an issue, and I'm sure the biggest problem is me. My lifestyle and dietary choices make insomnia almost a given. I have to realize that I'm not 20-something and bulletproof any more. Mountain Dew is -not- one of the four food groups, exercise and sunlight won't really kill me, and if you want to go to sleep and get up at a reasonable time, you have to go to bed at a reasonable time.

The longest I've ever gone without sleep was 100 hours straight, and that was intentional for the most part. My long-distance girlfriend was in town at the time and I didn't want to miss a single minute with her. That was about 15 years ago but I still remember it well. I don't remember much about the time I spent with her, but I will never forget the feeling of depriving my body for 4 days of something that it so desperately needed, and I hope none of you have ever felt it or ever will.


Do you have any stories relating to insomnia, good bad or otherwise, that you'd like to share? If you've ever suffered from it, did you find anything that helped?

Embracing the Unknown

For the first time in several years, I am not under a contracted deadline. All my responsibilities for my September release, INTO THE WILD, are met. I am 'out-of-contract'. It's liberating in a way. Scary in another. Let's examine the liberating part.

Without the pressure of having to write every free second of every day or night, I have been able to refill my creative well. I've been reading for pleasure. I've also been reading to learn. I've also been watching movies and mini-series. Although mostly that's for pleasure, I've also been absorbing screenwriters' unique styles of storytelling in hopes of enhancing my own. I've been spending more playtime with my dogs and more quality time with my husband. All of this has been refreshing and inspiring. And although I don't have to write I want to write. It's a wonderful feeling indeed.

I realize more than ever how important it is to continually refill that creative well. You can only dip into it for so long before drying up. I don't want to dry up. I want to flourish. I want to challenge myself. I want to grow.

Circumstances make this the perfect time for me to explore new worlds. I decided to explore an idea that's been simmering and morphing in my brain for two years. I gave my imagination free reign and it took me to a pretty incredible place. I've spent the past month polishing a proposal for a series that I very much want to write. In addition to a series overview and synopsis, I've written the first three chapters of book one and because I believe in the power of creative visualization, I've been writing forward, certain that some editor will be as crazy about the idea as I am. My dynamo agent is presently shopping this project. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't on pin and needles. Think positive thoughts for me because I really, really, really want to write this series.

That said, if this series doesn't sell, at least I know I gave it my all. At least I tried. I'll be disappointed, but not defeated. I have three other stories brewing in my brain. I get a thrill everytime I jot down an idea. Everytime I type a passage. My heart and soul are alive with the joy of Storytelling. Contracted or not . . . I am a writer. No matter what . . . I will write and somehow, some way, my stories will find a home.

Life is full disappointments and adversities, but it's also bright with opportunities. You don't have to be a confident, aggressive or bold person to succeed, but motivation and passion are key. The next time you run into a wall, kick a hole through it and embrace the unknown.

SIS Beth

Just a couple recs

Let me start off by saying thanks to SIS B.J. for swapping days with me. I greatly appreciate it and it was great to see you for that short while on Tuesday. I hope our next visit will be a little longer. Now off to my ramblings…

I drove my mom back to Indiana on Monday. Dang, that’s a long drive. We listened to a lot of radio along the way and one song in particular stuck in my head. I loved it so much that I had to call SIS Barb and ask her who sang it. It’s called “I Pray for You” and it’s by Jarron and The Long Road to Love. It’s a country song, but you simply must have a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rn041uWncU

While in Indiana, I got to spend some time with my brother. He was working when I got there, so I hung out with him at work for a while. Then we went to his house, had some awesome homemade vegetable soup (Thanks Pam) and then settled in to watch some movies.

The first was “I am Legend” with Will Smith. It was nothing at all what I expected, but still, it was pretty good and Holy Wow was Will Smith ripped.

I can’t even remember the name of the second movie and I was distracted with a Rat Terrier named Spot who relentlessly made me play fetch! He’s so cute!

The third movie was “The Blind Side” with Sandra Bullock. I really loved this movie. It’s based on a true story and not only was it a great story, it left me with a wonderful feel-good feeling all over and reminded me that sometimes, incredible things can happen.
Make sure you take the time to watch this movie, I know you won’t be disappointed!

Do you have any movie recommendations to share? Or maybe you can suggest a song for me to learn to sing with my duo. By the way, we had our first gig on Friday night and it was great! We’ll be returning to that venue on a regular basis. Wish me luck!

SIS Bren

Summer Time

School is almost out for the summer. It will soon be time to think of ways to entertain my children. I'm sure there will be the usual, "I'm bored, there's nothing to do". I will tell them to play outside, but they will complain that it is too hot out or that it is boring. I will take them on nature walks and to park to play. I will play games and watch movies with them. Hopefully, we will be able to go to the zoo and museums.

While trying to entertain my children, I will need to find the time to write poems. I haven't been writing much lately. I just haven't been inspired. I've been letting the little things get to me too much. I think it's time to just let loose and have fun with my girls. Through their laughter and playfulness, I might find the inspiration I am looking for. Through the eyes of children, the world looks a lot different. It is full of magic and promise. I'm going to get in touch with my childlike self this summer and enjoy life.

What are your plans for the summer? Do you have any suggestions on how to entertain my children?

SIS BJ aka Aleena Ravenwood

Lame Joke Day

Brandy was not able to post today so I decided to take the opportunity to make y'all laugh. I'm labeling today LAME JOKE DAY. Everyone must participate. Even if you have to make it up, I want everyone to share a lame joke. I get most of mine from my children. They are comedians. Just not very good ones. Yet.

Let's begin!

Q: What does a reptile wear on its feet?

A: Snakers.

Q: What is a frog's favorite soda?

A: Croaka-Cola.

Q: How do you keep a nerd in suspense?

A: I'll tell you later!

Q: What do you call a boy who's been caught by a tribe of cannibals?

A: Stu.

That last one is my favorite. Your turn!

SIS Barb aka Elle J Rossi