Heart Lessons

My novel is on submission with news expected from my agent soon.
I am a wobbly mess of nerves,
and am trying to keep my mind occupied and my heart light.
So yesterday I taught the girls how to cut out hearts.



I tried to let them help with the sewing and
ended up breaking a needle and losing it somewhere
into the depths of the machine.
But now we have more happy hearts to give away.


And a new prize to add to The Writer Games loot.



This is what it's all about. Having fun with the people you love.
And trying not to growl at them when they break your sewing machine.

THE WRITER GAMES, Part 4: Figure Skating

Welcome to The Writer Games,
a contest of writing and wit inspired by the Winter Olympic Games.
Just like the real Olympics, the games last for two weeks and present a different contest each day. And just like the real Olympics, there will be medals and prizes.
Unlike the real Olympics, you do not have to dress up in a sparkling silver bathing suit and show your derriere to the world when you smack onto ice.

You have until February 19 at midnight to enter any of the events. Check out past posts to see details and more events.



Today's Competition is Figure Skating: Pairs.
Your challenge is to figure out how to gracefully niche together the following words themed on winter and love in five lines or less:
frigid
shiver
cloistered
tender
kiss
passion

My try:
A frigid shiver pierced my bones as I gaped at the cloistered vision. What of our longing glances, the tender touch of hands brushing against each other, the passionate kiss we shared only yesterday? How could she enter a nunnery not one day later like some icy harlot? And what had she done with my family heirlooms, passed down from King Edward himself and the sum and total of all I possessed?

THE WRITER GAMES, Part 3: Short Skate

Welcome to The Writer Games.
If you're peeking in for the first time,
this is a competition in the spirit of the upcoming
Olympic Winter Games. Only, this competition is for writers
and does not include endorsements on a Wheaties box.
There are prizes, though, including blog interviews, medals, and something bright...

Today's competition is The Short Skate,
or Haiku.

In case you need a refresher, a Haiku is a poem of three lines.
The first and last line contain five syllables, the middle line has seven.

Haiku Event:
Write a Haiku about Winter, Love or Sports
(in honor of the upcoming Olympics, and St. V's day)

You have until February 19 at midnight to enter any of the competitions.
For more details, check out Monday's post.
I can't wait to see what you come up with! This is a fine batch of writers, and so far it has been a hoot reading your entries.

My try: "Winter Springs"
Come grow old with me
We'll laugh at the gray hairs and
Count the wrinkles there

THE WRITER GAMES, Part 2: Luge

Welcome to The Writer Games!
If you are just joining us, I'm hosting a two-week series of Word Olympics in honor of the Olympic Winter Games in Canada.
Unlike the real Olympics, you don't have to wear spandex in order to compete in the ice events, but you do get to play for prizes, including blog interviews, medals
and a grand prize that's almost too colorful to believe.

To check out the rules, see yesterday's post:

Today's game is a simple nut to crack. No, wait, that's a metaphor.
I did think of making this "Mix Your Own Metaphors" but that will have to be a party to host another time - Mix your own drinks and metaphors. I have a feeling the writing games get better and better with each successive sampling.

Back to our Event: LUGE, or SIMILES. I'm not quite sure why it's related to sliding down an ice chute, but it is. So have at it!

Complete your own simile, starting with the following "winter" theme:



Don't Olympians get a few chances to best themselves? In the SIMILES event, Word Olympians can enter up to three times.
As mentioned yesterday, events close at midnight on Friday, February 19, with winners to be announced Monday, February 22.

My tries (I promise I won't give myself any prizes. I may peek at the last page of a novel before I get there, but I'm not bad-sported enough to treat myself to my own prizes!):
Cold as a morgue secretary.
Cold as a chilblain.
Cold as the permafrost "hairdo" she was sporting.

THE WRITER GAMES, Part 1: Opening Ceremony

Welcome to The Winter Word Olympics, a.k.a The Writer Games.
As I mentioned in my last post, I thought it would be good to celebrate the coming winter Olympics in true writer style - with word games!

The Writer Games is a contest that will run from February 8 through February 19. Just like the real Olympics coverage, The Writer Games will focus on a different competition in each post.
You have till February 19 to enter any or all of the events.
Awards will include blog interviews, medals and a giveaway. See my Crayons post.
I will announce the winners on February 22.


The rules are simple: Anyone can play.
Of course, if you follow my blog,
we'll have more fun bantering,
but this is open to all word athletes.

Today's event is OPENING LINES.

Come up with a great opening line that contains the word :


gla⋅cial  /ˈgleɪʃəl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [gley-shuhl] –adjective
1. of or pertaining to glaciers or ice sheets.
2. resulting from or associated with the action of ice or glaciers: glacial terrain.
3. characterized by the presence of ice in extensive masses or glaciers.
4. bitterly cold; icy: a glacial winter wind.
5. happening or moving extremely slowly: The work proceeded at a glacial pace.
6. icily unsympathetic or immovable: a glacial stare; glacial indifference.
7. Chemistry. of, pertaining to, or tending to develop into icelike crystals: glacial phosphoric acid.

Here's my Opening Line:
It only took three and a half words to stun the dinner party into glacial silence: "THAT'S DOG FOOD!"

Crayons and Word Olympics

Part One: Crayons
My gang was sick yesterday. Since the girls were already hanging out on the couch I brought them their broken crayons and made them peel the skins.
We arranged broken bits in holders and popped them in the oven. Maybe I shouldn't have used a rubber ice cube tray because it melted.


But the melted tray was worth it:
we have happy hearts to give away.


Which brings me to
Part Two : The Writer Games


In celebration of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, I am going to be hosting The Writer Games, a sort of blogger Word Olympics, if you will.
Just like real Olympics, it will include different competitions and will take place for two weeks. And just like the real Olympics, there will be prizes: I'm talking medals, blog interviews, and a giveaway I know you'll love. (Hint hint: It has to do with craftsy recycling, and may even include melted crayons).

So stay tuned, tell your pals, sharpen your wits, crack your writing knuckles and have thesaurus.com standing by. It all starts Monday, February 8.

Birthday Tree

It's raining today.
Tomorrow is Sugar Snack's first birthday
so we made him a present.





Can you tell he loves his birthday banner?



I hung it outside to get a better picture of it.
(yes, in the rain, because it made me happy)



It took me back a (couple) years.
I was living in Russia, returning to my flat after a particularly bleak day. I was twenty-one, scared of being victim to crazy, desperate crimes which I frequently witnessed, homesick for my family and for personal space. My tramvai was stuffed as usual, the babushka I was propped against berated me in angry Russian and kept pushing me as if I had room to move away. I just couldn't take another jab in the ribs. I squeezed myself off the tram at the next stop and began a long walk home. It was so cold. My toes were numb. I was crying, of all things.
And then I saw it.

The Tree was forlorn and wintry, but it was aflutter with white. I came closer. Each branch was tied with hundreds of handkerchiefs.


I don't know what they really meant, but to me, they were hope.

"Leave your baggage and your bad days here, and take up this breeze.
It's much lighter to carry and much easier to hope."
It was one of my sacred moments.