Jill of the O.W.L.
Please email me your top three choices from the picture below to brosam (at) gmail (dot) com. (Hint: I'm out of Maze Runner). Don't forget to include your address.
What I'm reading:
I just finished Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr. Loved it.
It's about a Pastor's daughter, whose family is already in crisis when her neighbor is kidnapped. During the ordeal, she struggles with her beliefs, her faith, and her fears.
I loved the writing, and the main character asked the same questions I think all of us have asked in our lives.
Excellent read.
What I'm Writing:
WIP (Work in Progress) is at 39,000 words. That's about 178 pages. I'm trying to just finish the darn thing before I edit, but I can't help editing. So I'm stating it here and now: I will finish by the end of November. You hear me? I expect you all to hold me to it.
So, what are y'all reading and writing?
1. Kid C is home sick from school today. First time he's ever missed school due to illness. It's gonna be a long day. This morning, when I was giving him his medicine, and he was psyching himself up for it, he said under his breath, "Oh Tummy. You are not going to like this..."
Yeah, sucks to be you, Tummy!
2. Kid C is in a children's program at our church, where each child gets to stand up to the microphone and say a part. I had several other adults tell me they couldn't wait for Kid C's turn, because he is notorious for inappropriate microphone use. (One time, he screamed, "Jesus loves elephants!" I don't know where he comes from.)
So I go over and over his part with him.
When it's Kid C's turn to speak, he leans in close to the microphone and says his part, word for word... all in "burp talk". You know, where someone burps the alphabet?
Everyone laughs.
I rush the podium and whisk him out of the room, all the while trying to think of a threat that would make sense to Kid C. I couldn't say, "You want to miss the program?" Because he would inevitably say, "Yes."
We get to the hallway and I crouch down so I'm face to face with him, and I say, "What you just did? You weren't only being disrespectful. You were being a... big meanie to... your teachers... and Jesus."
I bit the inside of my cheek trying not to think about what I just said. Kid C, who has a pretty good sense of humor, looked like he was going to crack, and then we were both laughing hysterically.
Anyone else cringe when their kid has the microphone?
In fairness to Kid C, I really do think Jesus loves elephants.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly enough, Tummy did like that medicine.
Primary programs rock...because something always goes wrong and it is usually very funny when it does.
Ha! Kid C cracks me up. I love the psyching himself up for the medicine. Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading River Secrets by Shannon Hale. I'm less than 100 pages from finishing it and I'm really enjoying it.
I so want that Forest Born book in your book picture. One of these days, Smokey will be good to me and choose my name. Otherwise, I'll have to shave him ... Oh, wait ...
Sam- but when something goes wrong, it's usually from our brood.
ReplyDeleteJenni- I'll have a word with Smokey.
Thanks, I'd appreciate that. Tell him I'll give him a catnip toy or something if that helps sweeten the deal for him. (There's nothing like bribing a hairless cat.)
ReplyDeleteDidn't cringe when she was at the microphone, majorly cringed when they handed her the sacrament tray. Preschoolers should not be allowed to handle those on their own.
ReplyDeleteLuckily it was the bread. They didn't hand her the water. PHEW!
This was my 5th program as chorister... they don't get any less stressful...
Awesome. Primary sacrament is the best meeting of the year, by far. Hope ours is as good. If nothing like that happens, we'll all be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteWe've been sick for a week now, but I never thought to pep talk the tummy. I'll have to remember that.
ReplyDeleteC'mon who doesn't love elephants. Someone should proclaim it.
I'll tell you a pet peeve (yes I'm aware it's not 'Things that must go' but it fits so well today). Our old primary president used to be very strict with all the kids...ok thats good...except her own. He'd get up to do a little blurb and then start being silly and screaming into the microphone and she'd react slow mo (totally obvious to us teachers) so she could watch him and give him time to be silly.
ok ok, what did he say in burptalk? Grant's turn this Sunday...
ReplyDeleteJenni- coincidentally, hairless cats are the only cats who would consider a bribe.
ReplyDeleteBritt- Chorister has to be one of the toughest jobs. I don't envy you.
Elena- They never fail to disappoint.
Debbie- That is a thing that definitely must go.
Kent- Imagine the possessed child in the exorcist saying the following: "Noah's family was protected from the flood." And you'll have a pretty good picture of what it sounded like.
At least Kid C is really sick. Necie is home today from school because she stubbed her toe...She cried all morning and wouldn't put on her shoe until we wrapped the darn thing the size of Texas! However, she is now doing the dished because when you help out around the house, it makes your toe feel better. I might have her stay home tomorrow to vacuum the upstairs, just to make sure her toe is feeling better.
ReplyDeleteGotta love Primary Programs. I swear I end up a big pool of sweat by the time the program is over. Good luck to Kid C and I can't wait to hear him too!
I'm reading Moon Called by Patricia Briggs and very much enjoying it. Super sexy werewolves---even better than Taylor, if such a thing is possible. But that might just be the whole creep factor when I remember that he's 17...
ReplyDeleteAs for my WIP, I'm about 100 pages into the 4th draft (although it's only the 2nd if I count like Martine). I'm feeling down about it because I just talked to my brother's wife who basically said, "What? You're not finished? And why on earth are you working on another draft? Can't you get it right the first time?" Gotta love family.
Well, I can't resist a discussion on reading material, but I'm not sure mine will be popular with this group.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading: The Old Testament and Boundaries with Kids, will be starting Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live along with a friend of mine, and am really tempted to also go with Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs. And writing...a cookbook?
I pretty much cringe every time Maile opens her mouth.
ReplyDeleteErin- I remember stubbing my toe and insisting that your hubby give me an x-ray, so I can commiserate with Necie. Maybe I should tell Kid C that if he cleans the house, he'll stop puking...
ReplyDeleteJenilyn- sexy werewolves? I'll have to check that one out. Is it new? YA?
As for the WIP, the only people you should listen to are other writers. I swear, nobody else realizes how fraggin' hard it is to finish a ms. Just wait til you start submitting. (Is it out yet? is it out yet? Now is it out?)
Cherie- are you really writing a cookbook? That is so cool. Cooking is like chemistry to me. Foreign language.
Valynne- Good to know I'm nhot the only one.
Hilarious! And stick to those writing goals. End of November. I'm holding you to it, and as soon as I decide on a deadline for my current draft, I'll have you hold me to mine. ;)
ReplyDeleteNikki- Thank you for holding me to it. Did I mention the deadline is November 2010?
ReplyDeleteReading an excellent book I picked up at the library yesterday. My buying budget ran out. Called "The Summoning." Kind of spooky, perfect for Halloween. Hard to put down.
ReplyDeleteok --it is giving me stress just READING about the primary program on sunday at church....
ReplyDeletekid C will rock (or make everyone laugh) EITHER are fine w/me...
(and i have an "in" w/the primary president! ;o) so i know SHE thinks it's OKAY!)
off to work on the program some more...
Tamara- every time I'm in the book store, I always notice the cover for The Summoning. Let me know how you like it.
ReplyDeleteDorien- Just think of it this way: Sunday at 10:10 a.m. will come anyway, no matter what disasters occur. Wait, did that make you feel better or worse? It's gonna be great!
Moon Called came out a couple years ago and is the first of an adult series. Which I read out of order because our library only has books 3 and 4. Anyway, Holly recommended it to me at WIFYR. My husband even likes the series.
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ReplyDeleteGood goal! I bet you can make it. Just write the darned thing. I have ten days to meet my goal for the chapter book I am writing. I will meet the goal even if the last few chapters are written like this:
ReplyDeleteThen something happens.
Oh no! Great angst.
Then Riff gets really clever.
Something happens.
Something else happens.
Yay! He saved the day.
I can tell it's going to be a blockbuster…
As for Kid C, loved that story. I believe more children need to bear their testimony about Jesus' love for elephants, narwhals, and other humorous denizens of the Kingdom. I'm not as courageous as you. My youngest has been forbidden from bearing her testimony at church until she's at least 30. I figure it will be safer that way.
~Douglas
Jenilyn- if your hubby likes it, I'll have to check it out. Husbands are hard to please.
ReplyDeleteDouglas- Did you rip that off from my book? Because I could've sworn I wrote the exact same thing... :) Except her name's not Riff. But something definitely happens. And then she saves the day. The similarities are confounding.
Yes, I'm really writing a cookbook.
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ReplyDeleteSounds like Kid C is on the path to being a comedian! I mean, he already has fans, right?
ReplyDeleteRight now I am reading Eric Clapton's autobiography. It's really good! I always love getting extra insight into the songs I love.
Cherie- what kind of cooking?
ReplyDeleteLulabell- Why does it not surprise me you are reading a biography about a musician?
Congratulations Jill!
ReplyDeleteHa! Kid C never ceases to make me laugh! I remember one of our Sunday school teachers trying to teach us to mind our manners by saying "when you do something, before you do it, think; will it make Jesus happy or cry?"
Moon Called is part of the Mercy Thompson series. I've read it and the off-shoot series Alpha & Omega series - I really love it. It's not YA but it is more fantasy than romance genre.
Currently I am reading Gena Showalter's new YA book, Intertwined. I'm almost 50 pages in and it's pretty good so far.
I am writing nothing unless you count a proposal at work.
On the off chance that you are still reading these comments, it's plant based, whole foods, no meat or dairy, menus included.
ReplyDeleteUna- I'm gonna have to check out moon called and intertwined. Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteCherie- that is very cool. Are they gluten free too? My writer friend Bree Despain has all sorts of food restrictions, as well as many of my family members, so I think it sounds very cool.
Not gluten free unless they are just gluten free by nature. No flour subs or anything.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting a blog for now, but it's just barely started.
http://herbivoremeals.wordpress.com/
Cherie- I'll check out your blog. Very cool!
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