Oh fine

So I thought I was morally opposed to the whole "Followers" thing on blogger. I considered it to be a popularity contest, like how many signatures you got in your yearbook, or how many friends you have on Facebook. It's like:

"Look at me, look at all my followers, see how popular I am, love me, LOVE ME!"

To tell you the truth, I think a lot of the reason why I didn't post my followers was because I don't have many, so I feel like a LEW-ser. Yes, it really is high school all over again. :)

In the end, I realized that maybe I don't have many followers because I don't post them. I have site meter and I get decent hits to my blog, so maybe there's just a disconnect. At any rate, I've given up on my grand ideals. There's the infamous gadget on the side. Follow me if you like. If not, I'll still like you.

I can think of no better way to close this post than to say:

"Stay cool and fun and have a great summer."

Shout Out!

The good news just doesn't stop these days!!!

I am here to give a HUGE shout out to my bff Natalie! :) She just got herself a rock star agent today!!!! (Nathan Bransford, in case you want to know. AWESOME, right?!)

She has worked so hard for this and I couldn't be happier for her!! Party at Natalie's blog!!!

WOO HOO!!!

P.S. Do I have cool writer friends, or what?

It Happened!

I GOT A MACBOOK!!!

Okay, I was planning to be all clever and build suspense with my revelation of this fact, but I am just too excited.

I HAVE A LAPTOP!!!

My own, my love, my precious!!I kiss you, you beautiful, beautiful thing!

For those of you who have been around here, you'll know that my lack of laptop has been a favorite gripe of mine for at least a year. This is a post, well over a year ago, in which I was whining about it.

So yesterday, when my awesome, amazing hubby called from work and said, "Let's get a Macbook tonight on our date," I was blown away. I actually was thinking, I'll believe it when I see it. And now here it is, in my hot little hands.

I have already given him a name (yes, it's a him. Because I want to kiss it, a lot.) He shall be called The Beloved.

Here he is. Just look at him. Look at the starry eyed way I look at him. Ah, my friends, I am so happy.

Lessons taught, Lessons learned

Today the ice cream truck drove down our quiet street. When my daughter got the hard news that we would not be purchasing any ice cream, she dissolved into a first class display of tears and mournful cries. In the midst of her anguish, she spontaneously started to draw this picture.

Note the hand, outstretched with longing. The tears and dazed sorrow on the face. Note the ice cream truck, driving away with a happy, heartless smile. And the words, since you probably can't decipher her five-year-old handwriting: "I m sad for is cree [sic]."

As I hugged my daughter, and complimented the drawing, I explained to her that part of growing up is learning that we don't always get what we want, even when we "really, really, really" want it. If she wanted ice cream, she would have to do her chores, earn money, and wait for the next time the truck came down the street.

I couldn't help but smirk at my parental advice. Isn't that the message we still have to work on as adults? Who says we're so grown up? We still cry inwardly when we don't get what we want. In many ways, I related and I think we can all relate to the girl in the picture. But the only thing we can do is wait, and work hard, and hopefully we will earn that reward.

Remember my Rule?

My set in stone, unrelenting rule that I was NOT allowed on the internet during the hours my daughter is in school? Yeah . . .

Oh well, I have an excuse, sort of. Many of you know (thanks to my habit of spilling my personal dramas and turmoils all over my blog) that I have been in a bit of a dilemma with my writing. I am, literally, at a stand still--unable to make a move in either direction because I keep changing my dang mind. I have overthought this problem to an epic level, surpassing, I'm convinced, even the most hermetic of ancient philosophers.

Here's a map of my mental processes:

7:30 a.m. Renee awakes and lies in bed for a moment, staring at the soft movement of her ceiling fan. A calm feeling comes over her. Yes, she thinks. Yes, I am going to go for it with Drone. Today. I'll open a Word file and just start writing.

12:09 p.m. As Renee spreads peanut butter on a second slice of bread, she is struck with the realization: how can she abandon Searcher after everything she's been through with it? After the late nights, and tears, and moments of euphoric happiness? No, no, this is all wrong. She has to keep going, finish those edits, submit it to agents!

1:00 p.m.Children are either at school or sleeping. Renee can be found puttering around on the internet, drowning out any unpleasant dilemmas with cold Dr. Pepper and ice in a bright orange cup. (You'll notice, of course, she's not doing any writing.)

6:45 p.m. Warm dishwater and the scent of Pink Grapefruit detergent awakes in Renee the understanding that her best work is still ahead of her. It is something she has to strive for. Something she has to go after. She is growing and she has to keep growing. She can't let sentimentality keep her down.

12:38 a.m. Renee sits on the edge of her bed. The house is quiet and dark, peaceful. She glances at the thick, printed copy of Searcher on her nightstand. Her fingers set over the words, over the frantic red and blue markings made later. And it's all clear to her. She's going to stay with Searcher. Yes, she's growing, but she can put that into editing. She can make it as good as any new thing she would write. With this calm reassurance, Renee nestles down to sleep.

Repeat cycle tomorrow.

Photoshop Friday

I usually try to keep my Photoshop Friday's writing related, but I figured I'd digress today given the special occasion. And what occasion is that, you might ask? Today, my lovely little daughter started Kindergarten!!! BIG day. That's why I've named this weeks post:

Hallelujah!

Here she is, my creative, clever, sparkling girl. (Yes, I am one of those types of parents. Unabashedly.) You should know that this picture was not posed. She has been doing this for the past week in anticipation of the big day. I honestly can't imagine a child more excited to go school. I know she will thrive. And yes, today as I dropped her off I got all stereotypically choked up.


And this is my son. There he is, getting ready for his mid afternoon nap.

Wait, wait, wait. Mid afternoon nap? As in his daily two hour nap that he takes right during the same time that my daughter is in her afternoon Kindergarten???Then that must mean. . .


HOLY CRAP! I'm going to have two hours completely to myself every day! Two hours of pure, uninterrupted writing time. EVERY DAY!!!

When faced with a gift like this, there's really only one thing to say. (Hit it guys!)

In which Renee uses her blog as a Twitter substitute

"I am grateful for the wise words of people who truly understand me. You know who you are, and you rock."