Habit or Routine

"All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits"  William James 1892

What is a habit?  Why do habits even exist? 
Does something cause a habit?  Are we able to change or cure one?

Routines and their importance are a part of the whole equation.

Read the powerful book: The Power of Habit   Why We Do What We do in Life and Business
by Charles Duhigg   Random House Publishing 2012

Simple but complex book for people always wondering how things happen even when you haven't given it a second thought.   Example:  We lock the door to the house, drive away and only than wonder if  the door is locked. 

Read it on your Nook or Kindle. Better yet- pick up a copy at the local bookstore. 

Proud. Brave. Waiting.

Reading is Bipartisan


Don't Forget, God Bless our Troops by Jill Biden is a must read to all children. The illustrations by Raul Colon are priceless.   Reading is bipartisan when you curl up in bed with a good book to read to a child.

To Natalie, a five year old, a year of her life seems forever as she waits for her dad to return from his military tour overseas. You feel her struggle being strong for her brother and her bravery with friends. Remember, we have children all over the country waiting for a parent to come home.   

It's an election year.  Make your Vote Count. 

As an American citizen,  the right to vote is an honor.  Vote your choice after learning the facts.
Know where each candidate stands on war.  Both men support our troops but where do they stand on the conflicts happening around the world?  Do they plan to use diplomacy to avert more conflict? 

Let's end the sadness of a child waiting day after day.   

   

 

Mean Machines

Honk! Bam! Burp! Crunch!
In 1939, Virginia Lee Burton, well known author of  the children's book  Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel never knew her story would still be available and read to young children in the year of 2012.  The success of a boy and his machine working together.

An oldie but goodie!


     Now we can pick up  the "must have" books by Chris Gall.  The stories of Dinotrux and Revenge of the Dinotrux are for kids of all ages..


Written in 2009, Dinotrux  swings into action with big mean machines ruling the Earth.  Machines doing their mighty job with the CAN DO attitude.
     Kids, ages 3-7, can learn about  different kinds of  machines from their neighborhood. Part-truck and part-dino, each creature comes alive page by page. 
     Now available in paperback.

How Do It Happen?

Where does the time go?
      How can the days in a week turn out to be so short?  Not short as in total number of minutes or hours but short in "as where did the time go?" and "can't believe the week is over."  We spend years of our lives in a job out of the home that we love. Oh how the days go so slow as we talk around the water cooler. We get to a phrase in our lives -  now everyday and every week goes by as a whiz or whirl.
      I'm rambling, right? Yes, but we are free to do that in our busy, get it done, hurry up world. 
       I wish I had more time to sit, type and explain. Got to run. 
      So... I'm going to post twice a week and put myself on a schedule.  Why?  I work best from a schedule.  More to come.   

Potential Opportuntiy

Have you heard of The Institute of Children's Literature?  Founded in 1969 in West Redding, Connecticut, it offers writing home study courses.  Institute instructors teach children's writing through written correspondence with their assigned student.  Information and responses by the instructor guides writing development from a beginner writing level through  the potential submission of a manuscript. Resources to support growth in writing are readily available if the student seeks them out.  No endorsement here but worth checking out!

My time with the Institute is over after almost two years. Special thanks to instructor, Marcia Amidon Lusted for her friendly letters of encouragement and honest critiques of monthly assignments.

Writing fiction/nonfiction articles for a children's magazine with my new learned knowledge is anticipated. Actuality of being published something to look towards.  Anticipated rejection from publishers seems part of the business.  Reality of debut author-a dream!  

ReadingPal

"We so strongly believe that the future of our state rests in the hands and minds of our youngest that we have personally contributed to the launching of ReadingPals--an early literacy initiative in ten Florida regions.  Our goal is to ensure that more children are reading at grade level by the end of
third grade."   Carol Barnett

Reading Pal Program
A three year initiative sponsored by The Children's Movement and United Way that focuses on engaging,training and deploying volunteer "reading pals" for children at local schools.  Tampa is one of the ten regions for this program.

Looking forward as a volunteer to interact with kids in the schools. Can only assist writing craft as reading and writing, go hand in hand. New direction in new chapter.

Summer Delights

"The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair."      Mary Heaton Vorse
"Don't say the old lady screamed-bring her on and let her scream."   Mark Twain
"Find out what your hero or heroine wants, and when he or she wakes up in the morning, just follow him or her all day."   Ray Bradbury

The summer reading list is shorter. 
My reasons and I'm sticking to them.   
* hot, humid and rainy afternoons 
* putting "butt in chair"  
* reading late into the evening (all night,too)
* letting dust settle on the furniture

I found new characters with personalities that could be loved and hated chapter by chapter.  Settings that makes one gasp, giggle and yawn. Adventure, lost hope, and discovery of self.  Books that spoke to me at every turn.    
Go forth and read. You owe it to yourself. Make it happen.       

School Days

Children waiting at school bus stops.  Schoolhouses full of eager new teachers. College bound 'kids'  going away for the first time. Kindergartners with first day jitters and mid-grade students in their new 'diva outfits'.   The million of dollars in sales of school supplies. School days are here.

Two exciting books for sharing with kids during reading time or homework time.
From author Mac Barnett with wonderful illustration by Dan Santat.
Stories for the youngster in each of us!
www.macbarnett.com                
www.dantat.com
www.Hyperionbooksforchildren.com

OH NO! (OR HOW MY SCIENCE PROJECT DESTROYED THE WORLD)
2010 Disney Hyperion Books New York, NY

OH NO! NOT AGAIN! (OR HOW I BUILT A TIME MACHINE TO SAVE THE STORY) (OR AT LEAST MY HISTORY GRADE)
2012   Disney  Hyperion Books New York, NY 

Enjoy!

  

Day Tripper

Oh, for the public library.  Opportunity to write for one hour. The words come fast. My hand moving the pen over the paper to get them down.  One great hour of true bliss. 
On my way out, I pick up a new novel and several picture books for the weekend.
Humor is good for the soul.  I laugh when I get home and open my bag on the dining room table.

Why did I pick up the DVD- Mr. Toad's Wild Ride ?
I am planning to take a trip to Hawaii. Any connection?

The novel Mennonite in a Little Black Dress  by Rhoda Janzen
The RNC in Tampa beginning Aug. 27.  From fancy parties  to zealous protesters, leaving town is a great option to keep the faith in politics and peace of mind. 
 
Children's picture books:  Think Big by Liz Garton Scanlon, OK GO by Carin Berger and Hand Book by Jeff Newman  (49, 79 and 45 words respectively)
Short easy books for my cluttered mind

Five bookmarks
Why only five?  I usually get a handful.

Six pamphlets on events coming to the library soon.
See Jane run. See Dick run.  See Spot run. 
No, not today.  No, not tonight.

I love the public library. Support your favorite librarian. Go for a visit. See what you bring home.

Lots of Its

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."    Pablo Picasso

"Cultivate the inner self; its power becomes real."  Lao-Tzu

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always try just one more time."      Thomas Edison
                                   
Thoughts, Ideas, Inspirational moments
   Talk about it ....
         Use a friend as a sounding board to make it real.

     Think about it...
         Quiet, peaceful moments to relish the what it is.

     Write about it...
          Journal, draw, create with it.

     Don't get down about it...
         Whatever it may be; its okay, work with it.

     Reality check it...
          Will it really work or does it need revisiting?

     Move it and shake it...
           Change a word, add a paragraph, sleep on it, dream.
   
     Give thanks for it? Or not?  It belongs to you!

Kick in the Butt

 Inspiration and Motivation?

The heat of the day is stifling and the humidity makes your hair cling to your neck.  The music on the radio lift your spirits as you drive down Hummingbird Lane.  The name of the street inspires you to stop the car, pull over, whip out your journal and write the final pages of your novel. 

OR NOT!

You begin to think of ways you've been motivated in the past few months.  
Dr. Oz motivating you to eat right.
Oprah, who expects you to have self esteem and inspire others.
The threat of the job loss if you don't play your cards correctly.
Diet newsletters like Weight Watchers and MRC encouraging you to lose weight. 
Articles in a magazine like Real Simple that want to keep you organized in everyday life. What a concept?  Room in a closet for more stuff when your done cleaning.

 OR

Is it in a hammock feeling lazy with a margarita and a good book? 

Wait a Minute

Where does the time go in the summer? 
        My list of summer reads keeps getting longer and longer.  Why? How?
I think I know! Does this happen to you day after day?
       The big box bookstore with the best coffee and  thousands of books sits next to the mall. I can't resist the urge to stop, browse and buy more books.  Oh, instead of $100.00 a pop, I have it under control - only $25.00 - $30.00 at the checkout. On to the mall and quickly get the "must have" dress for the party.  I rush to my car knowing the bag full of books is in the car, drive home, with a plan to read all night.  Didn't happen-golly jeez!
      I pass the library as I rush to the gocery store.  I stop, rush through the double doors thinking to myself, What's a half hour of book bliss? Children books, YA, large print adult books, magazines and so much more.  Using my card, I check out a dozen children picture books to study for plot, characters and setting.   Now I wait for the rainy afternoon-it happens most afternoon in Florida.  Didn't rain!
      Drinking a cup of tea with honey, I think of all the other places books can be found in my daily life.The museum store where I docent, my local independent bookstore and the books already collecting dust on my bookshelf.  Not a good time!

Oh, joy, bliss, heaven, its time to read!
Which one comes first?
mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine    
The Kissing List by Stephanie Reents
Fifty Shades Darker  E.L. James  

What is on your list? How much time do you give to yourself to indulge in a book? 

Membership Counts

      The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a professional international organization for writers and illustrators of children's literature.   Visit the website: www.scbwi.org to find a calendar of events, regional information and other resources. Become a member and have special access to the latest publications, and the discussion boards where you can participate in the SCBWI online community.
      
     SCBWI writing craft workshops at a regional conference can help a writer kick up their manuscript a notch.  Members have the opportunity to meet authors, editors and agents on a personal basis. Networking  with others is motivating and reflects the true professionals in the business. 
      SCBWI members reach out to each other, learn from each other and share successes.
      How do I know?  As an SCBWI member for over three years,  I met debut authors in Miami (regional) and at the New York conference.  Authors sharing advice and suggestions that made their book a reality.  Their vision, intense efforts, time management, revisions, edits, marketing plan and just plain sheer determination.    
     Made me a believer - Dream big, develop writing craft, work hard and persevere.            

Comfort Zone

Where Do You Sit On The Fence?

 Think new ideas,  be visionary, a beginner of  random chaos.  Make a friend, read a book from your favorite author or better yet, a debut author. Run in the rain, sing in the shower and smile at your boss.  Attend a lecture on a subject you know nothing about.  Any joy you wish you could be doing.  Let the thing surprise everyone around you.  Something new!

BUT don't forget!  Be there for an elderly relatives birthday, reread that treasured old book, sit on an over sized sofa to dream.  Remember your favorite day over ten years ago. The very thing that may surprise you.  Be comfortable.  Something old!


  
:
When I learn something new-and it happens everyday-I feel a little more at home in the universe, a little more comfortable in the nest.      Bill Moyers  A World of Ideas  


Blank Canvas

"It's so fine and yet so terrible to stand in front of a blank canvas."  Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) French Postimpressionist artist

For the writers and artists who look out a picture window on a Sunday morning to see blue sky, void of clouds, and steam coming off the road.  A picture to become part your canvas as you create your story line.  
Writing, hour after hour, the sky fills with puffy grey clouds and a thunderstorm threatens.     
The canvas changes, as does the scene within the story.
The setting, plot, characters ebb and flow.    
No blank canvas, no writers block, bliss at the keyboard.  Oh happy day!