Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2012 is going to be awesome..

I know it is a ways off, but I am already planning for the Blogging from A to Z challenge in April.

I figured since NaNoWriMo was a total bust for me this year I would give this challenge a try again this year... 

My plan is character sketches and such this year... I have several ideas floating around in my head and am going to map out all 26 posts before April... (Will probably overload blogger with the drafts but oh well...)

Care to join us?

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: What's This A-Z Blogging Challenge I Keep Hearing About? a guest spot from author Elizabeth Mueller:

Nano notes 11/13

He walked proudly into the front room, his little legs still a little wobbley but the proud smile on his face made her look past his legs.

" Look at you, such a big boy." She put her arms out for him, welcoming him into her loving hug. She had waited for so long for days like this, the days she spent with her beautiful little boy made the long nights alone in the hospital worth every minute. This was her perfect baby boy, 18 months old, this little boy was her chance to glimpse the love of God.

****This isn't part of anything yet, it was just a thought I had, maybe it will work into one of my other pieces.***

NaNoWritMo 2011

I am totally behind this year.
I have tons of ideas in my head and some notes written down so I can start writing...
The last couple of months I have been reading a ton of Historical Fiction as well as Historical Romance on my phone (thanks to the Kindle app from Amazon I have a supple of free fiction to read any time, anywhere...)

Any way, in the coming days (hopefully soon rather than later) I will begin posting bits and pieces of the newest project and some updated bits for the older projects.

I also need to get back into the saddle with some of the fun writing prompts I had been participating in. If you know of some great writing prompt blogs please feel free to share.

I is for Identity

Still playing catch up from the A-Z blogging challenge from April... Guess it is better late then never... I am also trying to get ready for the upcoming blogging challenge in June... I've been using Word to blog as ScribeFire isn't being very nice to me lately... it is nice to blog while we are out and about and not necessarily connected.

I is for Identity.

In theater do you really have an identity? You are your character for that show or you become the job title for your part in the show. I’m not saying this is a bad thing it just is.  No matter what show I did I identified with the character or the job I was doing.  When we were doing a larger production if your part wasn’t a large part you were usually grouped together with the rest of the “chorus”. One show in particular I remember well… Our high school’s production of West Side Story; the cast was over 80 and included 2 teachers, our campus safety officer (a local law enforcement officer), and 1 of the guidance counselors.  The auditorium was located in the junior high as we didn’t have our own on campus, this was fine with me as I had just moved up to the high school and the junior high auditorium had already been my second home for the previous year. I didn’t have a large role but had fun being in the cast. We painted the backdrop on the wall of the stage; several of us choreographed pieces in the show, and generally had a lot of fun. The hours were long and hard but every minute we were growing closer as not just a cast but as a family as well.

We became the cast, not individuals but part of something bigger. This became apparent as we began working with costumes and dressing rooms… For the most part the cast had 3 costume changes. For the “chorus” we didn’t have a set dressing room assignment, we really weren’t sure what we were going to do… A small group of us decided it didn’t matter that much and we placed ourselves in a community dressing room at the end of the hall. All the dressing rooms were in the basement below the stage, the walls were concrete and in the larger community room there were 11 compartments with a closet rod. Each compartment was about 4 feet deep and 3 ½ feet wide, enough for 2 people to share a compartment/ cubby. The only rule we came up with was partners were same sex, no co-ed cubbies.. The room was co-ed and for the most part no one cared… We no longer had individual identities and as far as privacy it didn’t matter; the girls all work leggings or tights and most of use wore a sports bra or similar and some kind of briefs since we were dancing anyway. The guys all wore t-shirts and shorts of some kind and no one thought otherwise… There was no silly giggling or off handed remarks, we just were. We were a cast of characters in a show, a family that grew together on the stage, some of us had been friends for 2 or more years and really saw each other as siblings more than anything else. 

For 2 more years following West Side Story many of us continued to work on productions together. We remained a family even after… I remember my first high school reunion and reconnecting with some of those same people once again, we were still family. Now 20 years after that show many of us have reconnected thanks to social media, oddly enough we are still part of the bigger picture..

weekly Writer's prompt 5/22

The prompts are listed below as well as my responces. I couldn’t decide which one so I did more than one.

#1 Make up your own bedtime story and share it. 

#2 What TV show/sitcom depicts the life of your own family and  why?.

            We all have decided that the new comedy on ABC  “Raising Hope” depicts our life or at least pretty close to it… We watch the show together and can’t help but laugh and then we end up looking at each other and realize something similar has happened in our lives…

#3 If I could dress up like anyone, it would be….    

          I can’t think of anyone person but love the idea of 1860’s work day or full formal attire is a desire of mine… I love the layers and the modest elegance of the era.  I am also a big fan of the 1950’s fashion…  There is a similarity in the 2 eras.  The full skirts and fitted but non-revealing tops make an elegant statement. The hats add a beautiful touch.   My oldest son and I are actually working toward involvement in Civil War reenactment… I have the fabric for my day dress already as well as a pattern I just need to get it started… It is really amazing how many layers go into even a simple day dress; drawers, chemise, corset, corset cover, hoop and petticoat to cover the hoop, finally the skirt and top. If the sleeves are proper you have a set of sleeves and possibly an apron and the final touch a hat, of you can’t forget stockings and boots. I also have a pair of gloves (authentic antique from the period) that I inherited that will finish of the ensemble. I am making the lace trim for the dress as well, it isn’t a normal thing but crocheting and knitting gives me something to do while we drive somewhere or I am listening to the boys read for their school work.

#4 My ultimate guilty pleasure….. 

weekly writer's prompt 5/15

This week’s prompts were:

#1 I always struggle with…..

#2 Describe the event that made you loose and/or give up a friendship.

#3- Now, I see my mother as ……..    

#4- List five things you plan to accomplish this summer.

I can set goals for the summer and hopefully this year they will happen.

One thing I really need to get done is my office/ guest room.  I office is a chaotic mess and will honestly out of control. I need to purge out some of the crafts and supplies. I also need to move the antique double bed in and decorate (which includes finishing the painting.) I want the space to be pretty and functional. There is a closet that is ackward at best and needs some serious help in order to make it useful. Just outside the room are 2 closets (part of the original house built in 1946) 1 has become a mini sewing room ( not its most useful design use) and the other is a linen closet turned Homeschool supply/ book closet.   

Another  goal is to get our A/V closet under control. It will take a little work from each of us to purge out some of the movies and then rearrange the A/V equipment.

A minor project but doable, finish the wall paper border in the kitchen… I did one side of the kitchen about 2 years ago and really like it, now I can finish the rest of the room… The border is actually high up the wall, setting about 1 ½ inches below the ceiling..

The larger hard project is moving the washer/ dryer out of the classroom/laundry room and into the mud room. We will have to get creative and pipe the water into the mudroom and cut a small vent for the dryer. 

The final goal for the summer is our garden. I need to get the garden planned and planted. We usually plant tomatos, cucuumbers, beans, salad greens, beets, etc… Not sure since our Spring has been so wet I’m unsure of what will work this year..

X is for eXtreme

I know it is a little late but I am determined to get the rest of the alphabet posted from April's A to Z Blogging challenge.

X is for eXtreme.

Extreme lighting and extreme measures to set up the lights. (this bit is based on an actual adventure is setting lights)

Addy saw the lights on the stage and realized there were very dark spots in several very critical spots.  

"hey Jason, can you give me a hand? I need to adjust some lights and I'm afraid this is going to be a bit of an adventure." 

"Sure, Addy.... which lights, I'll grab the ladder."

Addy giggled slightly in a coy fashion knowing the ladder would not helpd them. "Jason, the ladder won't help. We have to adjust the 96s upstairs."

"The what? where?" 

"Upstairs...' she pointed to the bank of lights set into the ceiling of the auditorium.

"We have to go upstairs, through the office to the roof, there is an access over there" pointing to the outside edge of the auditorium. 

"i guess so... Lets go."

The two headed up the stairs to the Department Office..  "Hey Addy, I don't remember there being any stairs or doors out of the office."  

"No stairs, the ladder is in the cupboard next to the textbooks and the key is right here."  As the pair entered the office a couple of determined English teachers where searching through a pile of books couting copies of 'A Tale of Two Cities' for their Sophmore English classes. "Hi Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Erikson." Addy tried to sound as casual as possible knowing most teachers weren't excited about students in the office.

The two worked their way up the ladder to the roof access, onto the roof and across the building to the edge of the auditorium.

"This is flat crazy, now what do we do?"  Jason querried with a very puzzled and nervous expression.

" We go inside and adjust the lights. I have the settings in my mind I just need to move 2 of them to fill the stupid bunch of shadows and black hole on the stage."

Openning the door  Jason gestured. "Ladies first"

"Thank you" Addy curtsied playing around with her friend.

Once inside the two realized this was a little more extreme then they thought.

Lighting can be one of the craziest extreme jobs in the theater Addy reminded herself.

Survival Award

Elizabeth Mueller created this fun award for those of us that participated in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2011... While I didn't post nearly as much as I wanted to I did learn a lot and will definitely participate in future challenges like this. It was fun and showed me I have so many ideas floating around in my head. Thank you Elizabeth for the award. While the challenge ended yesterday I still want to post a couple more Alphabet posts and will hopefully get them done soon.

Blog Hops

I don't normally link up blog hops on the writing blog but figured why not introduce some more people to this litle journey...
This is a fun relaxed blog hop great for a Sunday afternoon..



If this is your first time to the Curtain Journey feel free to grab a cup of tea and relax and read a bit...  Comments are always welcome.

Writer's Club Weekly Prompt 4/29/2011

This week’s prompts

#1 I am human, which makes me complex. Name five things about yourself that may drive other people crazy. 
#2 Did you ever date anyone you met online? Do tell……
#3- List six reason why you need him/her.  
#4- Becoming a teenager is difficult. Write a letter to your 13 year-old self.


So I couldn't decide which one to pick so I am going to do them both... (#1 and #2)


#1
I could list so many things about  me that drive people crazy, well I think they drive people crazy...
First off I know that my clutter drives my husband crazy, he doesn't understand it at all. Some days I don't understand it either but it is me. I am cluttered and if it wasn't for an organziner and an online calendar I would be scatter brained as well..  I'm sure that for some people I see very relaxed and almost passive when it comes to my kids, but  then ask my husband and he would say I'm not passive that I need to let them have a little more space... Balance that is all I can think of and trying to obtain it every day is harder than it seems.  Some people think I am too involved in the online communiity, well I'm sorry if that offends you; I am a people person and have found that interacting and learning from people online works well for me. I have been blessed to find some wonderful people online that I might never have met otherwise.  Finally some people feel I hold back and am non confrontational. Well, guess what I am! unless of course I am writing and can think about what I want to say... I tend to censor my words before I say them to find what I pray is the right thing to say before I say it.


#2. Did you ever date someone you met online? Yes I did...  We met in a chat room on AOL (back in the day that was social networking.). For almost a year we emailed back and forth, IM'd each other whenever we were online, and began talking on the phone (I think it had been about 6 months).  The end of December '96 we finally "met", I flew to Salt Lake City, Utah where he and his Dad picked me up and drove back to Wyoming. We spent about a week together and then planned several other visits (he came here , I went back to Wyoming). I can say  we had a real good run at it until I couldn't handle it anymore. Do I regret an online relationship and a long distance relationship , No. Would I recommend it to anyone else, depends on the person.

W is the Weekend

This really doesn't have much to do with my novels, but it is much of my inspiration... The weekend!
When I was in school and active in theater weekends usually meant 1 of 2 things. First chances are there was a work party where the entire cast would gather at the auditorium and paint backgrounds, set pieces, etc.... The other option was the Show!  Most of the shows I was ever involved in ran Friday , Saturday, and maybe a Sunday matinee.  So weekends meant business. If it happened that I wasn't involved in some show , recital, etc... weekends meant work, church, or camping... I don't remember many empty weekends in High school and College... Welcome to the weekend, what are your's full of now?

n is for Nook

N is for NOOK. Today I am writing from my Nook at the local McDonalds using the free

wi- fi signal. Finishing the post at McMenamins Roof Top.
While the keyboard isn't great it works pretty good.
Guess I need to learn how to type of a touch screen better...
More to come...

Mom's Tree House Writing Club 4/8/2011

This week’s writing prompts were….

1. Describe the events that led to the first time your heart got   broken.
2. List the people that make up the pieces of you.
3. I love my best friend because….
4. Take a picture of yourself right NOW, What were you doing?  Explain why you have not washed your hair and why you are still wearing pajamas.


Since I can see bits of this fitting into the novel I decided to use #1 this week.

Thinking back on the roller coaster of my love life (well at least this one...) I realize the heart broken wasn't necessarily mine but in a way it was. I was young (high school) and new to the idea of romance and dating.  We were from different environments although we shared a love of music and were both passionate when it came to friendships. Not fully understanding each other and rushing into things freaked me out a little and rather than communicating my true feelings I broke his heart, in the process though I broke my own heart by not letting anyone else close for the next 2 plus years. I put up walls when it came to romance. Looking back on that year I can say we had fun together and luckily we have remained friends over the years. Hind sight is always 20/20 they say and as cliche' as it is , it really is true. Everything we experience teaches us something. While it took me a long time I really learned how critical communicating is in a relationship. I hope I can convey the emotions as I write of these experiences but still keep an open mind.

Writer's Workshop at Bloggy Moms 3/30/2011

Imagine you're home alone (I know this may be hard to visualize but work with me here) and you stumble upon a secret passageway in your living room. The passage leads to a room of your very own, one that you will never tell another living soul about. This is your sanctuary. What does your room look like? What will you do here? Be as creative as you want and add a twist of magic.


I love this idea... a secret room just for me, someplace I can hide... A Mommy time out... honestly the space doesn't have to be very big. I can see a quiet comfortable room with a loveseat, a wooden rocking chair (vintage),  a fireplace, and a small stereo. A coffee table or at least a small endtable with a journal, a bible, and a small lamp would be requirments.. I must have a place to write my thoughts, especially if I'm in time out... "why am I in time out"  "how can I handle myself better next time", things like that.

F is for Friendship

Friendships in theater take on a different life. Rather than just friends you become more like a family, well at least that is how it was with the group I was involved in. We cared about each other and were there for each other no matter what. We dragged each other to auditions, we helped wipe away the tears over lost parts, celebrated open and closing shows at the local eatery (in our case it was a Red Robin's)

With the rise of Facebook many of those friendships have been rekindled. We are all grown and most of us are married and have families now. The building we called our theatrical home has been demolished for a soccer field. But the memories of those friendships and the life lessons we learned from those days will live with us for a long long time.

D is Director

(This is just a sketch but will help me expand on one of the characters in my novel)

"Let's get to work people" Her voiced echoed through the auditorium and the kids knew she meant business.  Sheila held her own with the rowdy bunch of kids; rough around the edges but gentle and compassionate when called for.  "I want to get the blocking done so we can move on. Top of page 7...."

"Ms.Carey?" Addy broke in cautiously. "I think we have a slight problem." her voice shakey as she pointed to the first bank of lights on the stage.  Little sparks flickered from the center pin spot.

" Oh crap! Jason, kill the lights on the stage and give me the full house now!" her voice and demenor changed almost immediately. "Addy, go find Mr. Burgess he should still be here... We need an extra ladder. Kyle grab the ladder from back stage and set it up under that bar of lights stage left." The down side to an old auditorium , old wiring."

C is for Curtain

Thought I would write a little about the name of the blog and part of the writing project...
"Curtain Journey" is or was the working title of a novel I was working on for NaNoWriMo'09. Basically parts of the story were vignettes from my past life in Junior High and High School Theater. I loved the time I spent in theater all 5 years plus some of the arts I worked in after high school.

I remember our theater well.. The art deco pieces on the walls of the auditorium, the very uncomfortable seats, the rounded balcony. The building that housed the theater was originally the high school and became the junior high after a newer facility was built in the early 1970's, so we were lucky to have a larger auditorium than most junior highs.. The stage had a wood floor and was fairly deep. The curtain that hung in the front was blue velveteen and something about the curtain mesmerized me. It was warm and comforting giving a feeling of security much like a quilt on Grandma's bed.  I spent time both on stage and back stage always comforted by the great expanse of the curtain.  When I began planning the novel project knowing much of the story would take place in or around that theater I decided the curtain had to play a larger than life role in the book, thus the title.  The auditorium and building are now gone but the memories from those years are forever etched in my mind.  I hope as I work more on the project the comforting of that curtain will be a presence to the reader as well as the author.

Mom's Tree House Writing Club #2

This week's prompts are up and I'm already to go...

Mom's Tree House

1. Describe something you saw as a child, you wish you have never seen.
2. Write a letter to your son/daughter, telling them how much they mean to you.
3. What is your biggest regret?
4. Have you read a good book lately? Tell us about it.




So I'm going to take the easy route this week and go with #4...

I have been reading miscellaneous books for reviews (mostly homeschooling books) and was blessed to receive a copy of "Petra" by TL Highley..set in Petra during the early church the characters encounter true evil and learn to learn on the love of God and Christ to make it through their journey. The book is a wonderful journey to Christ and a powerful look at evil and how it can impact even our daily lives.  The author has a wonderful site that sets up the idea of journeying through ancient Rome and early Christianity without the needed Passport. Her blog also gives readers in site into the story both the fiction and non-fiction aspects of Petra as well as links to research Petra yourself.  I am still working on my book review ( I tend to read and then re-read a book before I write a full scale review)

A to Z Blogging challenge

I'm off for the day but have 2 blogs in the wings to post for the challenge.I will post them later tonight and get tomorrow's ready as well. Are you up for it?

Thank you!

I received a comment in my in box today from a fellow mom writer. Deidre from A Storybook World honored me and many other wonderful mommy writers with a Beautiful Mommy Writer Award

 

All I can say is Thank you... I have been blessed over the last couple months to meet some wonderful bloggers via Bloggy Moms and Swap-Bot swaps. I was so excited to see this... It inspires me to keep writing. Have a great weekend.

Mom's Tree House Writing Club

Today's writing prompt from Mom's Tree House I am working on is:
#3 Sometimes, I’m a bad mommy because…


(This is kind of a strange one considering the previous quote I posted, but I'm still going with the prompt.)


Sometimes I lose my temper and I know that my thoughts are no longer focused on God and Love. By moving from the loving thoughts I let my temper get the better of me and take it out of the kids usually by simply ignoring them. I know it is better to take the time out, but the best thing would be to not let my temper take over. I have a wonderful book that was given to me , the title is something like "10 minute time outs for Mommy" that has been a wonderful tool with Scripture verses and tools to get back on track to being the Mommy my boys want and need me to be (fun and loving)

Writer's Workshop at Bloggy Moms 3/23/2011

 The week got a way from me as far as my writing. (Luckily the link up isn't until Monday the 28th so I'm ok)
The prompt this week is/ was:
This week, I want you to find a quote that moves you. Post the quote and the author, if known. Why does this quote move you? How does it make you feel? It doesn't necessarily have to be one that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. Maybe there's one that makes you laugh or want to scream at the top of your voice.




"We have nothing to fear when Love is at the helm of thought, but everything to enjoy on earth and in heaven."

Mary Baker Eddy  from Miscellaneous Writings

Sometimes this quote is a real help during the week while things seem to be taking me down. With everything I try to do I seem to forget that something as simple as the Love of God is enough to get me through even the darkest moments. As long as we remember and work toward loving thoughts and keeping those loving thoughts there can be nothing else.

Welcome Back

I have been gone too long... I have tons to share and hope to get just a bit of it posted in the next couple weeks. Once again Script Frenzy is coming up  (2 weeks away). I'm not sure if what I have on the creative frontier is script worthy but I will write during the challenge none the less.