Random Ramblings and ruminations

Some days don't you feel like doing this?

Hello!  I'm still here.  Been a bit busy and stressed and crazy around here without much time to just sit and be.  This the first day I've had to just sit down and do nothing in the past week or so.  Last weekend we went to the funeral of one of our neighbor's.  She sadly passed away from cancer that she'd been battling for a year and a half.  We didn't think she was going to make through Christmas 2009, but she did. She quit chemo mid year and started feeling better for a while.  Then it hit hard again a month or so ago.  Everyone on our block attended the service.  We're all old timers and they've known hubby from his selfish, partying days as a college student til now as a happily married, hard working family man.   Chris loved photography and every year she made us a calendar with a current picture of James. 

We went from the funeral up to the bay area for a family party with hubby's side of the family.  Returned home on Sunday to find out my mom had a slight stroke and was in the hospital.  She's been in pain for a month with what everyone thought was a pinched nerve.  The pain drove her blood pressure up.  The high blood pressure caused the stroke.  She is currently in rehab to recover the use of her right arm and leg.  It could have been worse, so counting our blessings that she'll be around to enjoy for quite a few more years. They live in Arizona, so it's been difficult for me not being there. But my dad, brother and sister have all been with her and I finally got to talk to her last night.  She sounded quite chipper and is being well taken care of.  My stress level has now gone down, but Mom's stroke is a good warning to keep an eye on my blood pressure.  You never know.

I haven't gotten much writing done on Red Thief.  I did print out what I written so far and also wrote a couple more pages.  Still haven't gotten around to typing everything up.   I've been following the 31 days to Better Writing Habits and they've had some excellent suggestions which I'm going to follow.  More about that tomorrow.   Day # 14 was work on one writing project and divide it like you would a piece of pie.  Six to eight manageable pieces and pick one piece at a time to work on.   So that's what I'm going to do.   Part of the reason I haven't gotten much work done on Red Thief is my current assignment for my short story class.   The assignment is/was to write a sequel to one of the short story's we read, making sure to use the same point of view and style the author did.  Then submit it for review by classmates who will provide feedback, revise the draft according to the feedback.  I picked The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant.    All I can so is thank God for Nano, because if it hadn't been for that and learning how to write fiction,  I would have been in serious trouble.  I had fun writing the sequel and it will interesting to find out what my classmates think. 

I just finished reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.  Oh, the angst, oh the sorrow, oh what drama.  I had no idea what was going to happen in the story and wasn't really surprised at the outcome.  Won't spoil it for those who haven't read yet.  I'm glad I finally read it, however my brain is so saturated and full, I can't even think of reading anything else at the moment.  

Have a happy, restful, wonderful Saturday and go hug your hubby, wife, significant other, child, or who ever you are with and let them know you love them.  *hugs*

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.

Thomas Merton