Show and Tell Friday

For today's show and tell I pulled out my dish rags/towels.

The second picture is a pair of little pants stitched together from dish rags. It has this little message attached... "Now don't get excited, and don't lose your head: These aren't for you but your dishes instead. If you pull out the yarn and pull out the stitches, you'll have two dish cloths, but you'll lose your britches." My mother gave this to me at my wedding shower (almost 15 years ago). I love them so much that I don't intend to pull them apart and use the dish rags. I do intend to pass them on to the first of my daughters to get married.

The first picture is a towel and dish cloth bunny. Here is its message, "I'm more than a bunny all tied up with bows. I serve a real purpose, so everyone knows. Just untie my ribbons and there you will see, a towel and 2 dish cloths to remind you of me." This one I've only had for a few months. It was made at a ladies fellowship at church. Again, I don't think I'll be able to bring myself to take it apart and use it. I will probably pass this one on to a daughter as well.

Of course since I currently have three daughters, somewhere along the time line I'm going to have to come up with a third creation so one daughter doesn't get left out. It's an odd little collection, isn't it?

For more show and tell Fridays go to http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/

A vain attempt to get comments

My husband and I love to cook with garlic salt. We got addicted to Costco's brand that comes in a grinder. But Costco has discountinued it and my husband's warehouse ran out. Doing what any good husband would do, he got on the computer and found a warehouse that still had some in stock and had them ship it to us. A whole entire case! Needless to say we now have a two to three year supply. (At least!)

So, since I have more than enough, I figured it would be fun to share the bounty and do a giveaway, here at Modern Christian Homestead. If you want to be entered to win a grinder bottle of Kirkland Signature roasted garlic and sea salt, leave a comment here and a way for me to get a hold of you if you are the winner (e-mail or blog addy).

I will close the give away on Friday night/Saturday morning (12am) and announce the winner in a Saturday post.

Have fun!

Poor Blogging Etiquette on my part!

Oh me, Oh my, Jendi over at http://www.jendisjournal.com/ pointed out a fauxpas on my part. I recently tagged her for a meme and she graciously played along but pointed out (very nicely, too) that I failed to play when she had tagged me in December. I do not know how I missed her tag. I was waiting to be tagged (I've been tagged twice now... so don't feel it necessary to send tons of tags my way.) and read her blog faithfully everyday. I'm just gonna plead frazzled Christmas nerves.

Anyway, now that my mistake has been pointed out, I plan to rectify the situation by doing the meme. I believe we are all properly recovered from Christmas to enjoy a little reminder of the festivities. So here goes...

1. Do I wrap or bag presents? I have children. I wrap. Bags provide too much temptation.

2. Is our tree real or artificial? Artificial all the way! I like my tree up way to long to keep a real one alive. We burn a pine candle to create the real tree smell that my DH likes.

3. When do we put our tree up? Day after Thanksgiving. We are usually too slothful to do it on Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take your tree down? Was I supposed to? No, seriously, we always say we're going to take it down on New Year's Day but again we are to slothful. It usually happens by the second week of January.

5. Do I like eggnog? Yes, as long as it's non-alcoholic.

6. What was my favorite gift I received as a child? I would have to say a Fisher Price play set by my Uncle Dale. I was always shy around him but when he gave this to me one Christmas I ran right over to him and gave him a hug.

7. Do we put up a Nativity scene? Yep, it's set up before the tree. It's ceramic, the shepard is missing a hand and Joseph's staff is broken but the kids love it.

8. Who is the hardest person to buy for? Grandpa Lewis.

9. Who is the easiest person to buy for? My pre-teen daughter. If it's pink, fluffy or horse related it's good. Her ideal present: a pink, fluffy book on horses.

10. Worst gift ever received? I truly can't think of anything. People who buy me gifts, know me pretty well. My DH received a really poor quality champange. Of course it could have been the best in the world and we still wouldn't have appreciated it. We aren't drinkers.

11. E-mail or Mail Christmas cards? I prefer old fashioned snail mail, both to give and receive. I never seem to get as many as I send out, though. Humph.

12. What is my favorite Christmas movie? Does a Charlie Brown Christmas Special count?

13. When do I start shopping for Christmas? August and September... as soon as I see the decor come out in the stores. My goal is to have everything purchased by Thanksgiving.

14. Have I ever recycled a gift? Nope, but I'm not against re-gifting.

15. Favorite Christmas treat to eat? Fudge

16. Clear or colored lights? I like colored. The DH likes clear. Currently we are clear.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Angels We Have Heard On High.

18. Do you travel on Christmas or stay home? Currently we are located far from the rest of our loved ones so we stay home. If we lived a bit closer we would travel to see them. We can't afford to fly six of us cross-country.

19. Can I name all of the reindeer? Ahhh, besides Rudolph? Let's see: Dancer, Prancer, Donner and Vixen, Comet, Cupid, ???? and Blitzen. It would appear I'm shy one.

20. Do we top our tree with an angel or a star? Angel.

21. When do we open our presents? We open one family gift on Christmas Eve and the rest after Christmas breakfast.

22. What is the most annoying thing about this time of year? Political Correctness! and crowds.

23. Do I prefer to shop the mall or online? I prefer the mall. I'm touchy-feely when it comes to my purchases. This is why I shop before Thanksgiving.

24. Do we decorate inside or outside or both? Currently we are only decorating inside. The DH is in charge of outside and he's been non-festive for the last couple of years.

25. Favorite Christmas Cookies? Secret Lewis family sugar cookie recipe, "Grandma Ethel's" sugar cookies with lots of buttercream frosting and sprinkles.

26. Do I wear Christmas jewelry or clothing? NO! I refuse to wear the "festive" sweater look. I watch "What Not To Wear". I wouldn't be opposed to small, tasteful, unobtrusive Christmas jewelry. Nothing tacky.

27. How do we decorate our tree? Ummm... I've let go of having the perfect tree. I let the kids hang as they will and only speak up if we get too big a clump in one section. I also refuse to let tinselly garland on the tree. We use ribbon.

Okay, folks. That was it! And I extend, once more, my apologies to Jendi. I will tag someone else with this when it gets a little closer to the season again. Or perhaps in July.... evil laughter... bloggers beware.

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to www.wordlesswednesday.com .

Spring fever got a hold...

I couldn't stand it any longer. I needed to plant! I love snow and I'm glad it's still all around me (and will be for four to five more weeks) BUT... I needed green. I needed to do something springlike. Hence: The Lewis Herb Garden.

We planted chives, peppermint, cilantro and sweet basil in empty toliet paper tubes (See www.suzannemcminn.com/blog/ - how to make bio-degradable pots for seed starting-for a photo tutorial how-to.) and set them in a cardboard box, lined with a trash bag. We also put a grow light on them.

The cost was minimal. Some store bought seed starting dirt/mix and the seeds.

The process was easy. (Not counting pinched fingers in a sibling fight over scissors and Mom having to say, "This is our science for the day! You will turn off the Playstation 2 and come over!") Once the kids started, they enjoyed it and had fun. They'll really appreciate it when the seed start showing.

I plan on finding some inexpensive containers to transfer the starts to when they get bigger and we'll put our little container herb garden out on the deck. Of course right now our deck is buried in snow. Sigh.

Navigating your way to becoming published

Crystal, over at http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ has a Monday series on ways that you can make money while staying at home and not compromising your family. Writing is one way. What one needs to remember though, is writing is more then just writing. Writing is more then just writing well. Writing includes marketing and networking.

The key to getting your work seen, read and purchased is a good "platform". Think of it in terms of diving if you will. You can have the perfect form in the air and water but if the platform or surface you begin your dive off of is not solid, you will fail.

So what is a writing platform and how does one go about building it? It isn't as hard as you might think. Platforms vary with each writer and it also depends on what you are writing. If you are a non-fiction writer then you need to have a bigger one then fiction. But the basics are the same.

1. Get a blog or a website or both! If you want to publish non-fiction then you should post on your chosen subject matter. People want to know that you are an expert in your field before they shell out $$ on a book. If you are a fiction writer then blog toward your intended target audience. My fiction is meant for the conservative Christian, stay at home mom/daughter, with children or intending to have children. They also have a passion for serving their God and families and have avid interest in homemaking and country living skills. Since this pretty much describes me, I can blog about my life experiences. If I wanted to write say, political thrillers, then my target audience would be different and I might want to alter my blog content.

2. Speak. I know, I know ,you're thinking... I'm a writer not a speaker! But the more you can share your book/passion with others the bigger audience you can build. Give library talks/readings, teach classes, contact newspapers and get interviewed.

3 Get some business cards. Talk your self up and hand them out! Think about creating an author trading card w/ a picture on front and stats about you on the back.

4. Create publicity! Send out press releases to local, regional and national media. You are a writer after all.

5. Network. Join associations and groups, make friends, create contacts (and a great maliling list) attend conferences, guest blog, comment on blogs. Rachelle, a Christian literary agent, over at http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/ has a great post today on how she came across her literary clients.

There is so much more I could write about. But I think that's enough to fill your minds today. If you found this topic interesting and want to know more, please leave a comment and/or question. I too am traveling the road to publishing for the first time but I'm more then willing to share what I've learned.

Now go get your figurative hammer and nails and start building your literary platform! Literally!

Things you don't expect to hear...

The kids were all playing downstairs yesterday and I heard my three year old crying. I called her up to me and found out that she was having an arguement with her big brother over some blocks. (Red blocks to be exact.) Now, we have no shortage of blocks. It was simply a case of her wanting to play with what her brother had. I looked her in the eye and said, "Why don't you choose some other blocks to play with?" This question was met with a toss of the head, a jerk of the body and an upset scream. She then stomped into her room and flopped on her bed. The next thing I hear is "THAT'S SO NOT FAIR!"

The DH and I broke into immediate laughter. Yes, I know we should have been disciplining at that point but it just took us by surprise to have her say such a "tween" sentence. She isn't quite three and half and I still don't understand her speech 1/4 of the time but that sentence came out loud and clear. It was like she had aged 10 years in the space of seconds. Life with children is never dull.

P.S. Grandma Schuh- do you recognize the pajamas?

Too many tiny gadgets!

This is the organized drawer... yeah, I know it's still quite, uhm... "full", but trust me, it's much better. You can see the bottom and like items are grouped together.

This is the before I cleaned it shot: I spy with my little eye... a mess!

I cleaned my small kitchen utensil/gadget drawer this weekend. The DH made a comment that he couldn't find anything in it. Well, when you have a nine year old putting the dishes away, sometimes things get a bit dicey- especially when said nine year old isn't cursed... err... BLESSED... with her mother's obsessive/compulsive disorder for organization. So I emptied the drawer, got rid of a few things, moved a few things to other homes, stacked measuring cups and spoons together (What a concept!) and reaquainted myself (and my daughter) with everything. The DH hasn't said anything more so I figure it passes muster. I really didn't take long... ten minutes at the most. Now the drawer that really needs it is the kitchen junk drawer. That one is just plain scary! For more organization projects and ideas go to http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com/ (Crystal's blog: Making your home a haven Mondays/challenge).

What are you reading?

I'm just curious to know what type of books my visitors pick up to read? What section of the bookstore and what bookstores do you gravitate to?

I gravitate to Christian bookstores and Barnes and Noble. My non-fiction choices are all over the board- what ever particular whim or hobby I'm on. I have a path carved to the craft, hobby, cooking and travel sections and I could go on. Ohhh... and magazines... don't get me started. I'm going cold turkey on buying any. I've promised my DH I will stick to my subscriptions only. (Midwest Living, Country Living and Writer's Digest) So far I have been successful (under threat of an intervention and magazine rehab) at this. I avoid the periodical section in the bookstore and Costco's magazine rack. What is terrible is standing in line at the grocery store. Magazines are like my crack.

For fiction, I'm a sucker for a good romance but I also like fantasy. I do tend to genre hop more than most. Maybe that's why I have so many different ideas for novels of my own. My dreams inspire a lot of my ideas too. But what to do with last night's dream? (Ewan McGregor as a grasshopper who turned human.) Whatever I ate before bed last night probably shouldn't be consumed again, huh? I'll get my people in contact with Ewan's for the movie role! LOL!

I'm playing tag!

Dana over at http://mysimplegifts.blogspot.com/ has tagged me! I've been tagged! Yeah! Yes, simple things really do thrill me. Here are the rules. I have to post five (useless) things about me w/ pictures. (Okay, I'm not doing the pictures.) I have to name and link to who tagged me and name and tag five others, leaving a comment on their blog. Okay, here goes:

1. I have a degree in Fashion Marketing that I have never used.

2. I'd love to be an actress but I have no ability to memorize lines.

3. I wanted to be an archeologist in 4th grade until I figured out that meant digging up dead people.

4. I am vain. I am guilty of Googling myself with shocking results. Apparently someone with my same name has chosen to work in an industry I deem unfitting. (XXX) And no... I have not visited nor explored said doppleganger's work.

5. My guilty tv pleasure is Lost. I'm addicted.

Okay, I'm going to tag: jendi at http://www.jendisjournal.com/ , trixie at http://farmhomelife.blogspot.com/ , deanna at http://www.inashoe.com/ , kim at http://www.inashoe.com/ and Mrs. U over a http://makingahouseahome.blogspot.com/ . Tag! you're it!

Show and Tell Friday

These are the front and back insides of all the books

This is Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present

Don Quixote

Horses

Last week I showed off the outside of my daughter's collection of 1918 children's story books. This week I will show off some of the inside artwork. We have been enjoying the books very much. For more Show and Tell Fridays go to http://kellishouse.blogspot.com .

The magic of a child's play

Posing with her club

The club... I believe the Big Dino is the leader.

Strike a pose!

The club picnic-ing - Notice the overturned "high heels" that serve as the tables.

Picnic-ers close up

Every Thursday my Pastor and his wife hold Bible Club at a local elementary school. I take my kids and help out. Since my three year old is now able to sit attentively during this time she also gets to come as an unofficial member. She loves it. So much so that I caught her playing "Bible Club"with her toys. "Mama! I playing Bible Club!" I thought that it was the cutest thing. "Train up your children..."

Pots De Creme' Au Chocolate

The finished product (Okay, yes, this photo is out of the cookbook. We all dived into our dessert before I remembered to take a picture.)

Cream, sugar and chocolate over low heat

Chocolate mixture- smooth and melted

Eggs whipping

Chocolate and egg mix

Individual dishes ready for the oven (Don't forget to add your 1 1/2 inches of boiling water to the big dish).

This was a new dessert I tried yesterday. It's easy, but kind of fussy, so I recommend saving it for special occasions. It is very yummy.

2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
5 eggs

Heat the cream on low heat and dissolve the sugar into it. Add the chocolate. Stir until melted in and smooth. Remove from heat. Beat eggs until smooth. Slowly add chocolate/cream mixture to eggs while stirring. Mix well. Pour into individual souffle dishes (2/3 full). Put dishes in a pyrex baking dish filled with 1 1/2 inches boiling water. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately one half hour. (Until the mixture is firm.) Let cool and transfer to refridgerator to chill for 2 hours. Top with whipping cream and serve.

This makes 6 very rich individual servings. Only my husband could finish his in one sitting. The kids and I had to eat in portions. That being the case... I would find the smallest dishes possible to fill and bake. (You would probably have to play around with baking time, but this would not only stretch the dessert but not overfill your guests/family.)

Happy baking! I'm off to have the rest of my dessert for breakfast!

I've been listed!!!!

Nothing lifts a lonely blogger's heart than being listed on someone else's blog with out having to ask! Over at http://homemakingcottage.blogspot.com/, my site is listed under "blog candy". Oh, what a uplifting moment! Thank you soooo... much! Go on over and spend some time there. It is a beautiful site with lots of great stuff. Oh... you do have to do some clicking to find my link. You have to click on the "homemaking cottage" link on the left and then you have to click on "cottage blog". That will bring you to the Sanity With Seven page and I'm under the blog candy listing on the left. Yes, little things make my day!

A Chef's Breakfast

I love it when my DH has the day off and he decides to cook breakfast. This morning I am receiving a bacon/mushroom omelet- not from a recipe. My DH doesn't need such things. He creates from the heart. I will forgo my normal "sweet" breakfasts for such a savory dish! Yummm!

He even "plated" it! (Making it look fancy on the plate with garnish and presentation.)

Born in Leap Year

Not for Uncle Mike's eyes... do not read further if you are said party!

My husband's older brother had the unique priviledge of being born in a leap year on "leap day". This means that his actual birthday only comes every four years. This year Uncle Mike will be "10". My kids are enamored with this. They have made birthday cards and my oldest is gloating that she is older than her uncle. (She's 11.) We are not too sure what Uncle Mike will think of the kid's celebrating but the DH and I think it is cute.

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to www.wordlesswednesday.com

Future Chefs of America

The boy has got it in the head that he wants to be chef. Anytime I go into the kitchen he is right behind me asking what he can do to help. For a boy who hates to pay attention at school time, he is very attentive to learning how to cook. I for one would love to have a professional chef in the family.

Last night he helped me make beef stroganoff and cheesy broccoli. As he can now brown hamburger and microwave vegetables, the mom in me sighs in relief. If he never learns anything more about cooking at least he can feed himself as a bachelor.

The down side to this: he is so eager to help and learn that my girls are not getting time in the kitchen. (They are quite fine with this.) But since the probability of them both marrying chefs is small and as it is the woman's role to be a helpmeet to her husband (ie: cooking for him) I'm going to need to schedule kitchen help so that everyone gets training.

Blog posts of note

For those of you with spring fever, Suzanne over at Chickens in the Road http://www.suzannemcminn.com/blog/ has a great tip on starting seeds in starter pots made from empty toilet paper roles. She even has posted pictures of the process.

For writers, Rachelle, over at http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/ is talking about how to establish a "platform" for fiction and non-fiction. This is very important for writers trying to find representation and become published. Writing professionally is so much more than just telling a good story.

I eat brownies for breakfast...

Is that bad? I fix my kids toast and oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs etc. But I choose muffins, brownies, cookies, danish etc. I have even been known to shovel in leftover birthday cake. Oh... and donuts... the little powdered sugar kind! (But any donuts will do.)

Sigh. I'll eat an omelet or biscuits and gravy if someone else makes them but I'm just not a chipper, cheery, get to the day, morning gal. I need my coffee and as little movement as possible.

I save healthy eating for other meals when I'm actually awake. What about you? Am I the only "bad" breakfast eater?

Food Network Wanna-be

The DH and I love to watch the food network. So much so that this year with our Costco/American Express yearly rebate we purchased a bonafide Cuisinart food processor. We have only had a mini Braun processor in the past and it was not very effective.

I am very excited to experiment with it, yet petrified at the same time, for two reasons. The first- I am not naturally "chefy". The DH is the one who looks at our pantry and throws together wonderful stuff from scratch. He is the one who remembers to saute fresh onion and garlic for the base of his dishes. I on the other hand cook more like the school cafeteria lunch lady. There is little pizazz to my dishes. I will even need to re-train the brain to actually remember to use the food processor.

The second- I think I've mentioned once or twice (or a few hundred) that I am not naturally inclined to technology and innovation. I'm a story teller not a scientist. The food processor came with a lot of interchangable parts, do-dads/attatchments and the most scary thing of all... an instructional DVD. If I need to watch a DVD to understand how to operate this thing, I'm doomed.

Oh, well... I did add a couple of gizmo's to this web site over the weekend, so I will continue the battle and conquer my ineptness with intricate kitchen appliances. Paula Deen... look out! Hmmm... or should I be warning my family?

...He sets up kings and disposes of them.

Daniel chapter two was the source material for Adult Sunday School yesterday. What a wonderful and timely reminder of God's Omnipotence.

Daniel 2:20-22

...Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness. and light dwells with Him.

These verses hit me in three distinctly different ways:

1. Now that it's mid-winter and I'm getting my fill of snow, I start thinking about spring; the texture of grass, the chartreuse of newly burst leaves, and the smell of the warm sun. (I've already ogled the newly stocked seed section at the grocery store.) These verses served to remind me that everything happens exactly in the timing and at the command of the Lord. Spring will come at the precisely correct time as it pleases God. The seasons don't "just happen". They are held in the hand of the Creator.

2. With all the hoopla of this year being a Presidential election year, it is easy to get excited or dismayed at the way events are shaping up. While it is my duty to place my vote in the person I believe will honor God and the U.S. in the most capable way, God ultimately places who he desires in control so that his remarkable plan will continue to be executed. This may mean someone I don't care for wins the Presidency. It also means that if God wants a non-front runner to win the office, it will be. God will work out his plans.

3. Lastly, with my focus lately on finishing my novel and getting published... It is easy to get discouraged with the way the publishing business works. (It takes more than just writing a good book to get published. There are a lot of marketing hoops to jump through as well.) But God gently reminded me that He, not me, holds my writing dream in his hand. If God desires me to be published then it will happen. Yes, I need to do the work but He is in control. It is very freeing.

Praise God! He reigns in perfect majesty!

Deathsicles

Come on over to my house and stand under these!

Snow Evangelism at "The Dump"

Westside's Sledding Ministry

Spreading the cocoa Gospel

Reagan is my snow angel

Pastor Sam Hendrickson and his wife Jill

Rem trying out snowboarding

Jenison, Michigan has a Mars Hill! The local sledding grounds- Charlie's Dump/The Soccer Bowl- is where you can find the locals gathered on the weekend. Our church, Westside Baptist (http://www.westsidebaptist.info/) hands out chips and hot cocoa to all and, if God opens doors, we share the Gospel and invite people to visit our church. It is a good, non-intimidating way to meet our "neighbors'.

It works well as a family ministry. My kids are occupied with sledding and meeting other kids and I can help out at the table. Now I just need to get out of my comfort zone and actually start conversations with people. My small talk ability stinks. But the more I practice at it and work at it, the better I'll be.

Site meter added!

Give me a cheer and a standing ovation! (A shout out wouldn't hurt either... LOL.) I have successfully added sitemeter to my blog. It tracks my visitors (excluding myself) so I can see how many hits I get. Since I want to build my audience to gain a "platform" for the publishing industry, this will help me.

What you all don't know is how untechnological I am. So this is a major thing for me. Good heavens, I might be programing in HTML before the year is over. LOL!

If you are interested in adding sight meter to your site go to http://www.sitemeter.com/ . It's free and they hold your hand step by step to add it. Trust me: If I can do it, you can.

A special shout out to Kara at http://ramblings-n-writings.blogspot.com/ for encouraging me to do this!

Show and Tell Friday

My Pastor and his wife were given these books and since they have no kids of their own they passed them on to my oldest daughter to loves to read. They are beautiful, old books; published in 1918. What a great addition to the book shelf. We are missing one of the set because it was damaged, but the rest are in good condition. For more Show and Tell Fridays go to http://kellishouse.blogspot.com .

Where did all the "writer" stuff come from?

For my regular readers who are wondering why all of a sudden all this writing stuff is popping up on my blog... it's just suddenly popping up in my life. I'm hoping it is God spurring me on to complete what I have started. He is, after all, the originator of my creativity. I just have to figure out how to write and not have it take "idol" status in my life. I'm very good at creating "idols" out of the things I do. I can lift housework and taking care of my family to idol status. Thank goodness for God's grace in sending Jesus Christ. Anywhoo... I started this blog to share my interests, experiences and ideas with other like-minded individuals and to keep the Grandma's up to date on our life in Michigan- so I hope non-writers will bear with the writing stuff, writers will bear with the "home" stuff, and grandmas will bear with the non-grandkid stuff. I am multi-faceted and given to many a whim.

I am slush

Another literary agent to add to your list: Colleen Lindsay. She was just hired on at FinePrint Literary management. She is a mainstream agent looking for works in the young adult genre and fantasy. Since she is the newbie in the agency, she is the one for all of us newbies to send our queries to.

I hate to think of my work as "slush" but as an unknown, first time author with no platform- I AM SLUSH!

If you want to get a better feel for Colleen, check out her blog: http://theswivet.blogspot.com/ . Oh and if you are going to send her a query... ax any lengthy descriptions of vomit. Just a tip!

Christian Literary Agency

Publishing is a tough biz to break into. Most of the bigger publishing houses (Christian and mainstream) won't even look at unsolicited manuscripts. They only look at agented submissions. So, one has to find an agent.

Most agents will also tell you that they don't spend much time on unsolicited manuscripts or queries. They prefer looking at projects that come recommended to them. So, you have to know somebody.

Agents say the best way to get an invite to send your work in is to attend conferences and meet agents and publishers face to face. Great... I have $600 to spend on a conference... NOT! It is very frustrating.

Anywhoo... I hope to finish my first novel this year. (I have to find snatches of time to write.) I am already researching agents. I wish I could go to a conference but in our family's current financial situation, I just can't. From current reading, I have found Alive Communications (http://www.alivecommunications.com/).

They have a very tough/specific submission policy but they do have a couple of agents that will look at unsolicited proposals. So if you are in the market for an agent, it might be worth your while to check them out. They represent a great variety of writing types.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hey all!

Hope this day finds you happy and celebrating with your loved ones. The kids have enjoyed their cards and candy and I enjoyed having breakfast in bed from the DH. He unexpectedly ended up having today off and surprised me. It was quite nice. I also surprised him with a gift.

Let me tell you, it has been a long time since I have shopped for sexy lingerie. (Like, since before we had kids- Eleven years +.) I had a small budget so I started with my local discount retailer (Meijer) and also Target. What I found there were $20 items that looked cheap and raunchy. Okay, off to Victoria's Secret. They had nice items and a good selection but $50 is more then I can spend right now. (Especially on something that is going to spend more time on the floor then on me.) So, since I was at the mall, I checked out Kohl's and Penney's. I was pleasantly surprised. They had a few nice pieces which at regular price ($35) was still more then I wanted to spend but they had them on sale. I walked out of the store (Kohl's) with just what I needed for $18. Less then the discount stores. The piece was nicely made and sexy but not trashy. So for all of you who need something like this in the future- skip the low priced stores and the high priced stores and go for a mid-priced store's sale. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to www.wordlesswednesday.com

Book Review: Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

I had a "hankering" to read something "new" as I climbed out of the hole that was the Lewis house flu of 2008. So on a grocery shopping trip to Costco, a couple of days ago, I skipped on over to the Christian Bookstore across the street (something I rarely do) and sent myself browsing through the fiction section. I wasn't in the mood for anything particular, I just browsed until something grabbed my interest. I settled on Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet.

I love fantasy. C.S. Lewis is my favorite author and I hope to sit on bookshelves next to him some day as C.L. Lewis. I also love the Harry Potter series. (Can a Christian admit to that? Please don't stop reading me just because of that.) I was hoping to find a new world I could love.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, Mr. Overstreet did not deliver. Though I can tell he is a gifted writer, full of beautiful prose, I feel the way he chose to tell the story left us distant from his characters (of which there were far too many of) and I never really grew to love them or the land he tried so very hard to create. I was lost half of the time trying to figure out what was going on. I think he was trying something allegory-ish but I don't think he suceeded.

There are two fantasy styles: The C.S. Lewis type and the Tolkien type. As mentioned above I fall in line with Lewis side. I think perhaps my dislike of Auralia's Colors was because of its similarities to Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings-therefore I do not want to get into the details of the book. I want to leave it open for you to explore. You may love this new world that Overstreet has created.

Auralia's Colors is first in a series. (I don't know how many are planned.) I do not plan to continue on with the series but I wish Mr. Overstreet the best in his writing. I am hoping the fantasy market will open wide in Christian publishing. I do so enjoy delving into new worlds.

A Beautiful Sight

I woke to an especially beautiful morning today. When I pulled the curtains open I was greeted by sunshine, patches of blue sky and lots of sparkling snow. But that wasn't the best part. There were just enough clouds over us, with just a bit more moisture left in them, that it was snowing. The light rays bouncing off the falling crystals were like watching diamonds cascade down to the earth. The wonders God holds in his hand never cease to amaze me.

Winter vs. mail delivery

I love snow and it has been falling! What I don't love is my duplex's mailbox. As you can see it is in poor condition in the best of weather. But add wind, snow and snow plows and it is in pieces. I have had to dig it out of enough snow over the past few weeks that the snow is literally holding it up. We are the box on the left with the number. (Our land lord isn't too into fixing things- but the rent is cheap.)

The road is down under an inch or two of packed snow at the base of the picture. In order for the mail to be delivered I have to have the box dug out enough for the mail truck to reach it and not get stuck in snow drifts. This wouldn't be a big deal as it has only been snowing an few inches a day but then the snow plows come down the road. This is great for the road and driving, but not so great for the mailbox. I'm sure having snow thrown at it is what finally broke ours. Also, all the snow on the road gets thrown over in front of it- causing me more shoveling.

We didn't receive mail yesterday- with the wind chill below zero I decided to skip the shoveling. Today I shoveled in 2 degree weather and despite it's poor physical shape, I received mail in the box.

It is snowing like a ticker tape parade right now and I just saw the snow plow truck go down the main street in front of our street so I'm sure that I'll be shoveling again tomorrow (and perhaps packing more snow around our box so it stands up). Now if I could just keep our college neighbors from parking in front of it. I am not shoveling them a parking space, LOL! Good times!

Return at last

Thought I'd post a scary picture of me for lack of anything else more appropriate for my ramblings today.

It's been a tough few weeks for the Lewis family. It was 1 1/2 weeks to 2 weeks of sickness by the time we all got through it and then last week was spent catching up on school, chores, laundry. Whew! I'm finally getting the last of the "sick" blankets washed, the house is finally clean again, school is back in and now I can get back to blogging.

I didn't think I had much to say but when I started writing it all down in a list I found I had way too much. I'll probably be doing a couple of posts a day to catch up.

First... I did take a look for sugar/creamers at Target and at the mall. I didn't find anything our style a Target. (They had japanese styles and soda fountain types.) I did find the perfect thing at Restoration Hardware. Unfortunately, the stacking glass container was priced at $69. Can you imagine the DH's face if I had made that purchase? I did not make this purchase. Who has that kind of money to spend on a clear, glass jar? I have clear glass jars at home that are much bigger and cost much less. (The DH said they'd be too heavy if I used them for cream and sugar.)

Pottery Barn had a few choices but I passed on those hoping to find something more creative. Though I must admit, the prices weren't too bad. They had a cute $5 one but I need two, one for sugar, one for creamer and they didn't come in two different colors to differentiate the sugar from creamer. I will look at the local grocery/everything store (Meijer) today when I'm doing my grocery shopping. I also need to take a look at thrift stores and antique stores but I haven't had time to squeeze those stops into my schedule.

I know there is something out there for not much $, I just have to locate it. I know that the proper items will "speak" to me if they are the ones. However, it is just a sugar and creamer dispenser so it isn't too high on the priority list.

Higher on the list is fixing the mail box. It has been slowly falling apart and two days ago the wind and snow storm that swept through finally got it. It is in two pieces... the post and the box. I did a quick fix today while digging a path for the mail truck. I piled snow up around it to keep it in place. LOL! Isn't that terrible. I hope my DH can get to it soon. Even though the snow is clear from it, I'm not sure how stable it is for delivery. Our deliverer is very picky... too much snow in front of the box and no delivery, the college kids next door park to close to it- no delivery... falling off the post- assumption of possible no delivery. We shall see.

Time for a new system!

The DH has requested a change from the Costco size sugar and creamer. He has grown weary of dishing out of such large containers. So I'd like to know what you all use that is both efficient yet pretty. The DH would be happy with Tupperware but I have gained approval to look for "prettier" options first.

Flu Update

The Lewis Family's health has been run through the shredder!

Well, whatever strain of flu or sickness this is, it is holding us in a vice-like grip. I have now been officially sick 7 days. Three of my kids have been sick 5 days. My oldest is coming down with it now. It took 4 days for my fever to break but I, even now, still feel somewhat sick in the morning and really sick in the evening. I've been doing okay in the day time. I feel that is God blessing me so that I can take care of my children and take care of meals and dishes- I've also been able to do one load of laundry a day. (The DH has had to forage for himself. He is not sick- got a flu shot.)

No sweeping or vacumming has been done but I've been able to keep the upstairs fairly picked up. The downstairs playroom and kid's rooms can wait.

I did have a root canal done at the dentist on Wednesday and have to take antibiotics just to be safe. I am hoping that perhaps the antibiotics might kick the remainder of what ever I have out. It started with a bad cough, progressed to fever/chills and cough along with the I've been hit by a truck feeling and then progressed to small cough with low fever and truck splat feeling.

Now I have no fever, a little cough, runny/stuffy nose, headache, loss of appetite and in the evening queasy stomach. It seems to have morphed from one thing to a complete other thing. Most of my day is spent resting. Being healthy seems like a far away dream.

On the bright side... it's snowing! Thanks for listening to a sicky! Oh... another praise... we've been throw up free thus far!