National Take a Memo Day

In case this post title wasn't self-explanatory enough, today is National Take a Memo day! 

I don't know about you, but this is a holiday I believe in celebrating every day. Kind of have to, as long as my joker of a brain insists on being inspired at inopportune moments. Dozing off. Dodging water balloon onslaughts. Driving. Balancing on the counter as I wage spring cleaning war against the evil horde of fan-top dust bunnies. 

Pretty much any time except that which I have specifically set aside for drafting. To ensure that I have something to fill those dreaded blank pages with I have embraced the beauty of memos whole-heartedly. Sure, there are some that are a little hard to decipher later on, but they at least give me a jumping off point when writing time rolls around. Here are a few of my most recent memos to myself:

> Tupilak - souls of the dead

> TSA regulations for centaurs - any travel possible? Boats??

> Kaigani Harbor - attack site. Alaska: cruise or road trip? Haida

> Control vs. privacy. Secrets ={

> Berserker/Ursa Major, Minor/Bear Mother === Which direction?

> shenanigans

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what that last one applies to. Or, more accurately, what it doesn't apply to. Nor can I remember why it was so important that I stop whatever activity I was doing so I could write that one word down sans any context. Still, five out of six making sense is a better success rate than I generally have. 

So, huzzah! The power of the memo - perhaps my greatest tool when it comes to writing. If you're not already memo-ing, get on it, clown. If nothing else, it's always an interesting look into the old brain pan. 

Oh, one last thing, take a memo: Today is also National Strawberries and Cream Day. So, pretty much the greatest day ever. 

That is all. 

Time to Start Moving Again

If you're anything like me, you're using the recent influx of nicer days to thaw out the sweet dance moves that have been hibernating the last few months. Also, if you're anything like me, you feel a little bit like the Tin Man after a storm.

But under-used joints shall not stand in our way! It's time to start moving again. How else will we be in prime condition for all those summer water balloon battles? We really need to be able to bob and weave.

These tunes should put you on the right track.


"Hey, Hey, Hey" (Delta Rae)

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (Whitney Houston)

"Higher and Higher" (Jackie Wilson)

"The World Is New" (Save Ferris)

"Hang Loose" (Alabama Shakes)

So, do you have any suggestions for me? Tomorrow's dance card still has room on it.

Characters of Spring

Spring's here! Spring's here! (As in the nice weather, rather than when the season starts on the calendar. Silly Winter and its refusal to adhere to our calendars.)

Perhaps more importantly than anything else, this means that in the middle of the afternoon I can now sit outside for a half hour with a book. OUTDOOR READING. Life really doesn't get much better than that. Seriously, it starts getting sunny and warm and I want to run around presenting the people in my life with colorful bouquets of books.

In honor of my weather related literary mania, I present to you some of the characters that bring Spring to my mind:


Vladimir and Estragon (WAITING FOR GODOT by Samuel Beckett)

I don't know about you, but every year I spend more than a couple days waiting on Spring to show up. My conversational skills generally devolve into seemingly inane comments that only make sense in the recesses of my own mind as I watch yet another snowflake hit the ground. But whenever I think, "Let's go. Yes. Let's go," and start to pack my bags to go south, I don't move. Because what if Spring really is coming tomorrow?

Goldilocks ("The Story of the Three Bears" by Robert Southy)

We're all searching for that perfect day, not too cold, not too warm - just right. Every day we take that testing step out our doors to see what we're jumping into. Are we still going to need seventeen layers? Ugh, is today going to be one of those days where we're sweating even when we're sitting completely still? Or is it going to be that Wee-Bear's-bed of a day, where maybe all we need is a light jacket?

We can never be sure exactly what we're going to get, but we do know that we're willing to go outside every day trying to find the perfect one. You know, one that's sunny and preferably without bears.

Emma (EMMA by Jane Austen)

With all the warm, beautiful days and new life popping up left and right, how could Spring not be a little cocky? And can it really be blamed if it plays matchmaker as it thaws us out after the long (seriously, so very long), cold winter? Forcing us out of our hibernation to interact with each other under blue skies and balmy breezes. Sure, it's not always as powerful as it thinks and sometimes Winter does pop back up to smack Spring down for a few days. But Spring always rallies and ultimately grows into a warmer version of itself.

Wes Janson (Star Wars EU)

What does it matter if we're stuck in the middle of ice and fire? There's always time for some fun. Just survived the attacks of Winter and can already see Summer's heat bearing down on us? Doesn't mean we can't smile. Maybe even kick up a little mischief. What else would all this nice weather be for?

Ali Winters (IT HAD TO BE YOU by Jill Shalvis)

Spring is a time for some serious glass-half-full thinking. We survived the winter! Sure, sometimes it seemed like maybe the world really was out to bury us forever under the weight of a million snows. But did we let it? No! And now it's sunny and beautiful. Oh, it's raining? Well, that's just another kind of good weather!


So, there are some of mine. What characters do you think embody this very lovely season?

The End of Spring's Winter Impersonation!

Hello all!

Sorry for the radio silence lately. Lot of moving and shaking going on.

I am, of course, still reeling from last month's auction and the generosity shown by all of you. Followed that up with some public speaking at a luncheon being held in honor of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month. *cut to me gripping a podium that thankfully hides the fact that my legs are about to just shake right off.* Thankfully, minoring in theater left me with the tools to smile when what I really want to do is hurl all my cookies. And not vomiting is the scale upon which I base all public speaking success. So, win!

Of course, it helped that the people there showed themselves to be as wonderful as all of you, further reaffirming the whole "world contains a lot of goodness" mindset. And if that weren't enough, it's finally not freezing anymore!

I don't know about where you all are, but the weather has been pretty damn nice around here for the last week or so. Even today's rain was nice, because it finally has that spring rain smell that I love so much. Everything's starting to look all green and beautiful, which should be good for everyone's writerly pursuits as looking at green may make you more creative. And means I finally have an explanation for the inspiration I feel whenever confronted with a picture of a Ninja Turtle.

I mean, sure, spring decided to pretend it was still winter for the first month and a half, but who among us can say that we haven't enjoyed a little play acting from time to time. How can we begrudge spring its fun? Even if it did mean that I started having reoccurring nightmares that this was the harbinger of sentient snowmen rising up from our icy backyards to rule the newly frozen world with us as their frostbitten minions.

Not to be dramatic, or anything.

Anyway, we still have a little over a month of spring to enjoy (provided, of course, the little comedian doesn't decide it wants to do its admittedly impressive summer impersonation). To that end, I'll be doing some spring related posts. Going to kick it off on Monday with the characters that most remind me of this brief, but awesome season.

Until then, have a great weekend!