Gran

  I guess I'd never really thought about it, how my grandma would leave us. I mean, I knew she would pass away someday, of course...But she was such a firm part of my life, a strong woman that was always there, always loving, that I guess it just seemed like she would never have to go. That she would keep living well into my twenties, perhaps...that she would see me get married and have children.

  But she did have to leave.

  She was 93 years old, though you probably wouldn't have guessed it. She always had a clear mind--why, she even remembered things from her childhood! She had had nine children, had even lost three of them far too soon. She was a little thing, perhaps five feet tall in the most, with soft brown eyes and a sweet laugh that was contagious. She had a heart of gold, showing love to each and every one of her family even though our family is so huge even I can't keep everyone straight. Her temperament was quiet and gentle. She would sit in her chair at family gatherings and listen to everyone talking around her, rubbing her little feet together absentmindedly as she did. She was the kindest, loveliest, most wonderful woman I have ever known. And I am glad I can say that she was my Gran.

  I'm a lot like her in so many ways. I look almost exactly like she did when she was younger; I'm quiet and laid back like her; I even rub my feet together just like she did. So, for many reasons, I always felt so close to her. I felt like I could understand her since we were so much alike.

  And so when she passed on, I felt like a part of me had been taken away. Because, truly, she was a part of me.

  Her youngest son--my uncle--preached at her funeral, and at one point he said, "One thing Mother always said was let it go. She was not one to get terribly upset over something, to hold a grudge, because she knew how to let things like that go. And I think if she could, she would tell us to let it go."

  She wouldn't want us to cry over her or to dwell on our sadness. She would want us to remember the good times we spent with her and to know that she is far better off now. It's easy for me to remember all the good memories of Gran, because those are the only memories I have--good ones. Like how she used to cook chocolate gravy for breakfast because she knew that was mine and my dad's favorite, how she held her hand over her mouth and jiggled when she laughed at something, how she hugged me tightly for as long as I wanted whenever I wanted someone to hug...I'll always have those memories of her.

  It's hard to think she's truly gone. It's only been a week since she left, and tears still feel my eyes whenever I think about it. But I'm not mad or upset with God at all, though my friends have told me that He would understand if I was. I'm not, because I know that Gran is with Him now and that she is laughing and dancing with Him, no longer in pain. I'm so happy for her, even though I miss her so much already. And I'll miss her the rest of my life, but at least I can look forward to seeing her again.

  And when I do, I'm going to wrap my arms around her and hug her for at least a century.

A Petition from...my characters??

  So, as I told you in my last post, I am now writing a script (I can't pause to think about that very long or I might just implode). Every week, I am sent a pep-talk from one of the many people that have made this Script Frenzy of April possible. Oh, did I forget to mention that I am trying to write a whole script in the month of April? I actually wrote a whole novel in November, but a script?

  I'm already halfway through. :)

  Anyway, here is this week's pep-talk. I thoroughly enjoyed it because, according to Chris Baty (the man who sent it), this is a letter of petition from my characters. They must be too scared to ask me themselves, since I am a bit crazy from all of the plot-building right now.

1) They would like to wear capes more often. (This one seems negotiable.)

2) They sense that you are starting to struggle with them a little bit, and they swear that by page 30, they will be more interesting (and funnier!). They've really just been finding their footing this first week, and now that they're loosened up, they promise to blow your mind. Razzle-dazzle! Jazz hands! It's all coming your way this week.

3) {Illegible} (Dinosaurs? Binoculars? I can't really read this one.)

4) They would like to hang out with you this weekend. No pressure! And just for 10 pages or so. They say they have a surprise waiting for you.

5) Your main character would like to let you know that the on-set catering company you've hired to feed them puts out deli trays that frequetly skimp on the ham.

6) Your minor characters suggest that if you want to kill someone off this week, it would be MUCH more unexpected and powerful to kill off your main character.

7) The whole cast wants to express the fact that they love you, and that you are pretty much their only hope for playing a part in a completed script, and that playing a part in a completed script is something they've dreamed about since they were kids. Back then, their parents discouraged them from hanging around writers, saying it would lead to nothing but heartbreak. But look at them now! They're in a script that will be completed THIS MONTH! It's such a dream come true, and they can't thank you enough. Again, no pressure.

8) In closing, your main character would like to repeat the point about the ham.

  Signed by: My (demanding) characters.

  Yeah, no pressure there.

 *implodes*

  P.S. If you would like to join Screnzy, go to this link: scriptfrenzy.org 
  Join the mad writers. We have coffee. ;)

My Unpredictable Muse

  I love to write. It's just something I do, something that's a part of me. Whenever I have free time, you'll most likely find me writing out notes for ideas I have, or writing in one of my books I currently have in progress. Yes, I have more than one book at the moment. I've finished two just this past year, and I have about five others that I've started. Crazy, I know. But I blame it all on my muse.

  Because just when I get comfortable in one of my books, I get an idea for another. And, usually, I can't just lay that idea to the side and wait until I have time (or, heaven forbid, I've actually finished a book) to lay it out. No, I have to set aside what I'm doing at the moment--even if I'm in the middle of writing a very crucial scene in the last book of a series--and start fleshing out that new idea. So that's how I came to have five books in the making. Sometimes I really hate my muse.

  You see, I am in the middle of writing the final book in a series, so I've been spending a lot of my time plotting out how it's all going to wrap up and which characters are going to play the most important parts...And just the other day, Muse had to butt in and say, "Hey, how about I give you another idea?". And of course I couldn't refuse. So now I have another book idea--but it gets even better.

  Not only is this new idea good for a book, for some reason I had to go and decide to write out the script version. You know, as in movie script, which I have never before tried to write.

  Why?! Can't I just for once finish a book without getting distracted along the way??

  So now, when I should be pushing my oldest characters closer to their Happily Ever After (Sort of), I'm instead writing a script for an action/adventure movie. And I'm actually enjoying it, which in no way helps that little voice in the back of mind that keeps reminding me about my important book I should be giving all my attention.

  Here's a quote I think sums it all up quite nicely:

  "Authors: Even the sane ones are nuts."

  I agree wholeheartedly.

 

A Way to Pass the Time? Get Ghostly

  With all of this snow we've gotten these past two weeks, my family and I have had to stay at home more than is usual for us. It's definitely been a long two weeks. Not that I don't like being at home with my parents; I do! I love it when they're both home for the day. This last week alone we've watched movies together (some of my favorites), laughed together (which we do quite often anyway), and just had fun. But it's still hard to stay completely un-bored when at home for the whole day every day.

  So a couple of days ago, I was messing around with my camera--as I tend to do when there is nothing else to do--and I got the idea that I would love to take some ghost pictures. I was home alone, so I quickly got dressed in all white, set my camera up on it's nifty tripod, then commenced running and jumping around in front of said camera like the maniac I am. And I actually got a couple of cool looking pictures, believe it or not. It also helped me pass some time rather quickly.

  I also did some more ghost pictures with my mom the night afterwards, and they turned out really good. I made it where she was whole but I was a ghost beside her, all see through and just half there. So fun. I love how you can do all sorts of awesome things with photography!

   I would love to put some of these ghost pictures up but my computer is acting up on me (again) and the pictures won't load. Maybe I can get them up sometime later??

  But for right now, I need to get some writing done in one of my books! I'm in a very important part and I need to get it written before I forget all that I have in my head. That's happened more often than I would like to admit...:)

Snowy Snow Days

Wow! It's been a long time since I've seen so much snow! And I really can't remember a time where we could not even get out of our own driveway because of it.

I love snow. I love the way it glistens in the sunlight, the way the snowflakes land in my hair, how it crunches under my boots as I walk...I even love the way the snow makes me so cold I have to hurry back inside before my fingers freeze off! I know, I'm weird. :)

And since we got so much snow this week, I decided to bundle up and make my way outside for some pictures. Most of them were just taken to show how snowed in we were, but I guess some of them might be pretty. You be the judge, okay?

This was what the view from my porch was during the "blizzard".

I zoomed in on some little birds pecking around on the ground, too, because there were several of them and they were, well, cute. :)

I took this one of Jake when I was warming up inside...Maybe that's why he looks so sad.

Don't let those sweet, brown eyes fool you, folks. This dog is not as innocent as he appears. Do I need to put up the picture I took of him chewing the nozzel of our yard hose to pieces?

How wonderful. A dead plant covered with snow.

Aw, man, my shoes are untied! It's a miracle I didn't trip and fling my camera into the snow.