Grateful Wed and more hurricane words

Glancing blow! How's that for a hurricane phrase? And punch and skirt the coastline and shear--yikes--pound and slam. Hmmm...more to come. Maybe we should have a contest--who can write a story using the MOST number of hurricane words?

Grateful Wed:

Today, I am, oh, so grateful for many, many things:
1. healthy children and parents
2. grace
3. Earl is not yet here
4. still a chance that Earl will stay a reasonable distance away
5. great teachers for all my children this year
6. my daughters excited about academics! (even thought they won't admit it directly--ha)
7. my new beautiful hydrangea that my sweet husband planted for me this morning
8. great, faithful carpool buddies


Our neighbors are doing a major renovation on the house--major--a THREE year project. The hammering and noise and so forth are starting to drive me CRAZY! So I'm headed to the library to work. Plus, it keeps me from being glued to the weather channel. (Although it's so cool to see Al Roker in my stomping grounds!) This manuscript is finally starting to come together. It has been just a joy to be back to work this past week. It's so cool how God made us feel so great when we're doing what we were meant to do, you know? It's hard to explain, but when I get in the zone with my writing, it feels like a spiritual thing. Anyway, with that in mind, I'm off to get a little religion.

I read a version of my manuscript to my 7 year old the other day, and he said some wise words to me, "Mom, if you're writing a book for little kids, use words that little kids know." Then he left the room. He's right, you know. And I thought about that all day yesterday. I mean, it's not like the manuscript was loaded with all kinds of crazy vocabulary, but the essence of it wasn't reaching him. Good advice. That kid always gives me good advice.

Have a wonderful day. Stay tuned for more hurricane words! I have a feeling more words are coming!

Grateful Wed

I'm grateful for so many different things today.
1. My dad stopped by. Very nice.
2. My daughter fell in love with windsurfing.
3. The temperature hit 80--yee haw!
4. Snuggling by the chiminea with the kiddos tonight
5. OS having a ball at camp
6. OD playing more tennis
7. Getting off to a good start to the summer
8. Selling a short storytoday to a favorite mag!
9. Health, safety and preciousness of family
10. I am grateful for our cozy little cottage in nags Head--the perfect place to spend summer.

We're just getting into a routine, complete with a little chiminea snuggling tonight. I'm such a routine girl,butI'm tryinogo with he flow, too, be more Stargirl, you know? My keyboard is screwed up, BTW, hope it doesn't drive you as crazy as me! Anyway, kids have stopped begging for a TV and started climbing the tree, riding bikes, and fixing each others' hair--important first steps.

My husband's back is doing better, and I"m on Atkins Day 5, not too miserable yet

I've been re-reading Stargirl and thinking that I need to unleash the Stargirl within. Unfortunately, she's deep within. This may take a while. So bear with me if you see me dancing around a football game or singing with my ukelele...

note to self: get a ukelele, no kidding, I really want one

Grateful Wed- Time to count our blessings! Join me

I am grateful for the following:
1. For Claritin, the pollen is KILLING me
2. that I found tickets to a play that I thought I'd LOST
3. safe travels to NYC and back
4. a wonderful time with my mom and sister
5. lots of birthdays this week
6. a band concert last night for my girls
7. summer is coming!!
8. healthy children and parents

I'm nearing the end of the school year, and panic mode threatens to take over. I have so many deadlines to meet before school's out, it's crazy. Not to mention the things that must be done to prepare for summer. AARRGGHH!

Anyway, I'm grateful that the kids have had another good year at school with good teachers and some great experiences. Blah, blah, blah

My house is a wreck. How do people keep their houses clean? I mean, really. They must have some kind of chip in their brain that I just DO NOT HAVE. I mean, my house isn't dirty, just cluttered, you know? I think I'll do my house blessing today since I didn't do it Monday. When I do a house blessing (like FlyLady--man, do I love her), I take a garbage bag around the house and throw away 100 things. Sometimes, I get real fired up and throw away 200 things or more. And I'm ruthless. I think our house needs a blessing. You know, I think we could save the planet with simply one change, no more plastic toys from McDonalds. They're EVERYWHERE!! And we don't even go to McDonalds very often. Somehow they reproduce. All those XMen and Polly Pockets make broken arm babies, unidentifiable plastic pieces, and they're usually sharp and in your walking path when you're barefooted. I used to have a rule that the kids couldn't take them out of the car, they were, like, car toys, and I'd throw them all away whenever we got gas, but now they've got pockets.

So American Idol: I just can't resist. Three GREAT GUYS left. I love each of them, and I don't want anyone to go. Is anyone out there following it? We're definitely an Idol-watching family. Who do you LOVE? I think that cute crooked-jaw Kris might just pull it out. I think Adam fans might make too many assumptions (that he would, of course, win because he's so brilliant and talented and NICE--don't you love how he's always thanking everyone? Classy kid. His mom must be so proud.) And then the young widower Danny Gokey. He looks kind of like Gary STanley to me (for all you Edentonians), so we're all, like, Go Gary! Who wouldn't love Gary/Danny? Ohhh, it's so hard. I can never remember it being so HARD in the top 3! And one more thing, is Kara getting on your last nerve?

Anyway, love you guys to pieces. Comment every now and then, so I know you're out there. And how about that cool riddle yesterday?