I'm published again this month in a couple of magazines. Baltimore's Child features my back to school on a budget column-style story, and Mahoning Valley/Trumbull County Parent Magazine is running Homework Hassles, which discusses ways to approach homework with different types of kids.
Yes, it's back to school time! And -- time to get down to business. I cracked open a book with literary agents in it last week. It was just a peek, but an important one, because it helped me focus a little more on future results, instead of just the writing process. I'm not ready to start my search for an agent yet, but I'm thinking October will be the month. One more month of solid writing is what I think I need right now. Of course, who knows!? :)
I had my cousin Caroline with me for part of last week. It is always so great to see her!
We went to camp together a couple of times - for art and for canoeing - and, since she has an interest in nature photography, we also went to the Botanical Gardens. I'd never been to ours before, and I was glad I had the opportunity because it was a really pretty area. Plus, we had fun!
Over the course of most of my life, I can't say that I have been particularly drawn to Native American spiritual beliefs. Recently, however, things keep "popping" into my life that have slowly brought about an interest in at least learning tangentially about them. For example, a few months ago, while out walking, I came across a group of Native Americans blessing Town Lake. That proved pretty interesting, as I was brave enough to stop by and ask questions about what was going on. Then, sage has been around a lot lately, it seems. You may be aware that sage, according to a wide array of spiritual beliefs, including those of the Native Americans, removes negative energy and negative spirits so it can be used, for example, in a house to "clear" the energy or after coming in contact with a negative person to "clear" any lingering energy that may remain. You'd read about sage in most any feng shui book, too, actually. I also have a friend who seems to have quite a bit of a Native American connection that I keep feeling/sensing. At first I didn't understand what I was getting, but now I am starting to, especially since he reminds me of a tribal chief or royalty of some sort. Then, I ran into a Cherokee in the gym sauna, of all places, and we conversed about stones such as turquoise and other areas of Native American culture.
Of course, the Barton Springs area has quite a bit of Native American history, and I am there a lot volunteering. I had a recent communication experience there with a Native American spirit, which was interesting, as he played his drum for me. (Yes, you read that right.) And, in the camps, they try to incorporate a lot of the Native American beliefs into their programs, such as respect for the earth and elders, etc. I've done some fun things with the kids to enrich the learning experience in this regard: we made dreamcatchers and leather headbands, and we discovered and then made totem poles with our animal totems. The kids get a big kick out of all this stuff.
With the animal totems, for example, Native Americans believe that we have one main animal totem with us throughout our lives and then we have nine other animal totems that come to us at certain points in our lives to help us learn lessons. I told the kids that, according to these beliefs, the animal they have now may be there to teach them how to get along with others and how to respect their parents and teachers, etc. Later, like in college, a different animal might be there to teach them how to focus and study and how to think about their life in terms of the big picture. I was trying to communicate that we always can learn lessons from what is around us, these animals and their related characteristics and personality traits being one way. I wasn't sure the kids would get the premise and thought they would all lean toward everyday animals, like cats and dogs, but I got a remarkably wide array of animals from them - coyotes, snakes, butterflies, hawks, dragons, turtles, etc. Of course, kids are so much more open naturally to spirituality than are us (mostly) closed-minded, indoctrinated adults. I'm sure it helped how I explained it, too, though. God has a way of putting the right words in my mouth when I can positively impact others.
This picture shows me in one of the headbands I made, and I think it kind of makes me look like a Native American princess, if I do say so. ;) Keep in mind it was probably 100 degrees when this was taken, but I thought you might like to see it anyway. I don't know what all this Native American stuff means for my own life, but it's interesting so I go with it and explore. I'm always open to learning.
Yesterday, I wrote 5,000 words for one of my books! That, I'm sure, is a record for me in one day!
My creative juices have been there since starting again, but they have been flowing more in trickles than in downpours. And, I also have felt the need to pull myself in, to center myself a bit before delving fully into things. Thankfully, I recognized that I should allow myself to enjoy the break this offered because I felt like when it hit - it would hit - as it has!
I am going to try to write the same amount today. It's mentally exhausting and mentally stimulating, but so far all brain function appears intact! ;)
I also have a story that I wrote a long time ago out this month in Kansas City Parent. It's a column-style piece about helping kids learn money management through the back to school shopping experience. You can read the whole story here.
"Live imperfectly with great delight."
I came across this little saying and loved it. And, it just so happens that "delight" is one of my new favorite words. It's so happy and cheery and, well ... all-around delightful! I find myself using it all the time now. I find delight in all I can!
This writing thing is going to work out, wonderfully, I believe.
But, if it ever doesn't:
I want to be She-Ra, Princess of Power. Or Wonder Woman, the crime fighting beauty. Or Nancy Drew, the fearless super sleuth. Or, Jessica Fletcher, mystery solver extraordinaire.
Mmm ... Imagine the possibilities ... especially if I could blend them into one SUPER CAROLINE!
Last week, I celebrated another birthday!
It was a great day! I taught arts and crafts to the camp kids in the morning, went swimming at Deep Eddy in the afternoon, and spent the evening with great friends! What a way to start this new year and this new chapter in my life! : )
Just got back from visiting Santa Barbara with my best friend. It was a wonderful trip! It's so pretty there, and we visited a mission, went to a wine festival, perused a farmer's market, strolled a shopping district, walked the main pier where we had a grandpa sea lion come right up to us and look in our eyes -- so much! It was an awesome trip, and I came home only to keep right on going by taking a trip to Schlitterbahn with my sister!
It's really great to be able to spend time with friends and family. Hope you all have time to do that, also, over this Fourth of July holiday. Happy Fourth!
Well, there is a first time for everything, I suppose.
My canoe finally tipped over in Town Lake - with me and four kids in it! Of course, it didn't just happen to tip over - I hear there was a bounty out for who could get me the wettest, and we can presume someone has a nice prize this evening! :P
I did learn I am strong enough to swim a canoe filled with five inches of water and four children at a darn good clip - I guess those years on the swim team paid off. : )
We are two canoe nights and two carnival nights into the summer season of the Austin Sunshine Camps, where I volunteer. (I talked about it here last summer.) Everything is great so far. We spent a lot of time prepping beforehand making new games, like bean bag tosses and such. We made these out of wood (yes, I helped use a saw and a drill!) and then we painted them. I wanted to bring in an element of learning when possible so you'll see I added quite a bit of detail to the solar system game and some espanol to the sun one. The baseball player one I just stuck with good, ol' fun. It was a lot of work, but these will last for years, and it is wonderful to see the kids playing them!
I finally am going to do it. I finally am going to finish at least one of my many books!
I feel like the time in my life is right for me to do this. I am very eager to begin this next chapter and am delighted to see where this path takes me.
I will miss all of the great relationships I formed as part of Texas Family Magazine and feeling like I truly was helping families across the state, but I am positive that this is the best decision for me.
And, I am very happy!
Whew! I have had my one-and-a-half year old niece Alivia for two days. It was her first "away from home" trip, and quite an experience it was! I am exhausted! It is so nerve-wracking taking care of someone else's child. Danger seems to be lurking everywhere!
I am usually so together - on top of every detail, every piece of knowledge - but I swear there were parts of my brain that simply did not have the juice to function while I was taking care of her. It's like the brain can only handle so much, and survival just jumps right up to the top and knocks the other stuff out. And, I am so used to just running around, darting from here to there - that just doesn't happen with a young one. I'll say it again, "Whew!"
I am happy to report, though, that I have returned her in, from what I can tell, the same condition as when I received her. :P We actually did just fine. There were no meltdowns or tantrums. And, she tolerated me just fine, too! There was actually no crying at all; we just had a lot of fun. Distraction is the element that made it work! :)
I went to a World Wellness Expo this weekend. I love this kind of stuff! Mostly I just like to look around and absorb and learn. One of the speakers was John Gray, of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" fame. He talked about a lot of interesting stuff - like the female hormone oxytocin, which makes women feel happy - but also was really quite funny.
The most fascinating part of my experience was an in-depth aura and chakra reading. I was solid violet. Solid, the whole way through. Violet is the color of spirituality. Some of the descriptions in my report: able to attain unlimited spiritual knowledge, healing and clairvoyance, may raise the energy vibrations of others simply by being in their presence, psychic abilities, understanding synchronicity, others notice my inner light, put the highest vibrational frequency out into the world, visionary, perhaps a gifted writer, may find myself in a position of power or visibility deeply affecting the lives of many people, present to the world a unique reality, have the vivid imagination required to write bestselling novels, may be coming into my power as a spiritual beacon, visionary, and guiding light. This website also has a pretty good description.
If you remember, about six months ago, I was Indigo. I guess I am evolving, or however it should be described. Btw, I am not bragging. I am fascinated. Like I said, love this stuff!
Here are a few more pictures from the Corpus trip - one from my brief sunset stop by the beach and then pictures from the Texas State Aquarium, where I participated in a Deckside Dolphin Experience. It was so fun to play with the dolphins!!
And, because I'm all about the practical tip: Notice how well you can block a wall of water simply by lifting your leg. :P
Amidst the never-boring conundrum that is my life, there are some fun moments.
Here I am (in the middle) riding horses on Corpus Christi beach. I had to include this picture so you could see Ashley - the mere fact that she is doing ballet moves on top of a horse should tell you how awesome she is. ;)
We also went moped-ing around Corpus Christi beach. I must admit I am a bit of a chicken with certain things (and a daredevil with others,) and riding a moped made me a little nervous. :O But, at least I got the pink one. :D
My life is a giant pot of uncomfortableness, stirred often.
I had to get fingerprinted this morning. A lot of different organizations have been requiring this lately, and it's a good thing, I'm sure, for most purposes. At the same time, it feels kind of weird.
I have a vague remembrance of giving a thumbprint in grade school as part of some sort of kids' safety initiative - perhaps involving McGruff, the Crime Dog - but this time they did all of my fingers and my thumbs and took a picture. Something about it was a little, "Whoah!" Like, "There goes my privacy!" Not that I'll likely ever have to worry about being a suspect or anything like that, but all the same ... What if I decide to re-invent myself and go chase tornadoes in Tornado Alley? Or, be a librarian in a remote, small town? All it would take is that one discarded paper cup for someone to track me down (hat tip: all my TRU/Court TV shows.)
Of course, this is coming from someone who jokes (sort of) about putting chips in her future children, just like they do for cats and dogs. Hey - really - why not?
The latest issue of Texas Family Magazine is out. This one, I really like.
I got a kick out of the Play It Again! piece, in which we profiled a dozen toys from our childhoods that have been remade for today's kids. Think Slinky, Monopoly (now with debit cards,) Twister, and Radio Flyer (what I call the pimp-my-ride set for kids.)
There's also a great piece on the Sandwich Generation, those who are in the position of simultaneously taking care of their parents and their children. We also incorporated natural and organic products and living into many of our features/sections, and we rounded things off with travel stories on Amarillo, Texas, and Amelia Island Plantation in Florida.
Plus, a bazillion other topics and pieces - all of which I could probably recite! : )
Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that I have a very, very dear friend Prabhakar. Well, Prabhakar moved away this past weekend. To Canada.
I told him I am just pretending he is away on one of his business trips, that this is not good bye. And, it's not. But, truth be told, I'll miss him. He's definitely one of the good ones.
We are joining with Crime Stoppers and others to help capture child predators who are on the run. Take a look at their website to see if you recognize any of these predators. I hear they have already caught the first fugitive as a result of this initiative!
Here is a video of my statement at the press conference, kicking off Child Abuse Prevention Month. All the local stations and most of the local outlets were there so I assume we got some good coverage. And, we are on about 50 billboards across Houston.
My statement is cut into two parts on YouTube. I start at about 8:50 into Part One and then am at the beginning of Part Two. In total, it's about four minutes. I encourage you to start with Part One.
Oh, and in case you can't figure it out, I'm the one in the red dress, standing next to the congressman. :P
Baby Jackson and Big Sister Alivia Rose.
I visited and met my nephew Jackson for the first time! He is extremely expressive with his face, constantly changing his expression in cute and remarkably original ways. He also smiled at me when I rubbed his head. : )
And, yes, he is in his "Class of 2030" Texas A&M hat, much like Alivia's "Class of 2029" hat. : )
The sweetest thing happened: Alivia heard Jackson let out a cry in the other room. Immediately, her expression changed, and she darted away toward him. (Well, to the extent one-year-olds can dart.) She grabbed a pacifier and went straight up to him to try to give him the pacifier to soothe him.
She's one. And, he is only a week old. Talk about some real love, there. I thought it was one of the sweetest things I'd ever seen.
I think an important part of life, and in feeling good about our purpose in life, comes from helping others, which is accomplished through loving others. If we could boil down everything that matters in life, I believe the result would be love. And, this love is all around us, every day, in both small ways and grand. I find I am the most inspired and the most filled with love when I am around people who are serving others.
This weekend, I had the privilege of helping kids with cancer and kids honoring those with cancer paint and decorate lucky horseshoes that will serve as centerpieces for the Cattle Baron's Ball, which will benefit The American Cancer Society. Because of the nature of the event, I asked God to send me in with extra angels that day, and I could feel their presence the entire time. The knowledge of that goodness is almost overwhelming, but in a good, good way.
I am also helping with a campaign on which I definitely will be asking for the assistance of God and the angels. In conjunction with Crime Stoppers, we (via my Texas Family platform) are conducting a month long campaign during Child Abuse Prevention Month to capture child predators who have failed to register as sex offenders or who are wanted for victimizing children. We'll be having a press conference Friday, and I am trying to get the word to as many media outlets as I can because, ultimately, it is people in communities who can make the difference. What we are asking is that people look at the Crime Stoppers website to see if they can provide any information on the wanted felons.
Here is my quote from my press release: “Sometimes child sex predators are hidden among us, within our trusted groups of friends and family, and we learn of their horrors only once it is too late, wondering if there are signs we should have recognized,” says Caroline A. Shearer, Editor in Chief of Texas Family Magazine. “Other times, such as with these wanted sex offenders who already have violated children, the law, and the justice system, we can take purposeful action to stop them from causing further harm. We implore you to help us capture these predators by providing Crime Stoppers any information on their whereabouts.”
I'm an aunt twice over now!
Jackson Everett Shearer was born today at 2:03 p.m.! He was 6 pounds, 9 ounces.
Everyone is doing well!
Do I not have the cutest niece in the world? (Other than my own aunts and uncles, of course. :P )
I'm about to be an aunt twice over. Little Alivia here is about to have a baby brother - any day now!
I hope you all had a Happy Easter! I came home with lots of organic dark chocolate so I'm definitely happy!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind always be at your back, and may everyone with a "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" button be really cute!
Four leaf clovers to the lot of ya'! : )
I've been really bad about posting lately. I'd say nothing interesting has been going on, but that wouldn't be accurate. It's more that what has been going on is a.) not stuff I can put on here or b.) stuff I cannot put on here. :D
I have been trying to hit a few SXSW events, along with the thousands of music-lovers who have descended upon our city, the live music capital of the world. There literally have been parties and live music and movies every hour on the hour, every day for a week. This will seem random, but Rachael Ray, the delightfully likable food celebrity, had a party with some indie bands. (Apparently, her husband is in that scene so there is the connection.) I missed seeing her, but I still made the party. I also went to an Ice Cube concert, which was pretty cool. It was old school - You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It and Today Was a Good Day - meets new school - Gangster Rap Made Me Do It. It was fun.
My dad will be proud that I am taking advantage of the music scene. He doesn't understand how I usually just let it slide on by me. There really is this whole other world here.
Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY yesterday to my little brother!! : )
Yesterday, March 8, was International Women's Day. This story, then, from the AP, makes a timely appearance.
A 19-year-old medic from Lake Jackson, Texas will become the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor. Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007, the military said. After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away. "I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there," Brown told The Associated Press on Saturday at a U.S. base in the eastern province of Khost.
Have y'all been seeing my dear Aggies each night on the FOX Report with Shepard Smith? Looks like they are in the MSC (Memorial Student Center) on the Texas A&M University campus and are behaving so well - decked out in maroon and whooping only when appropriate. ;)
The segments are part of their ongoing election coverage. If only Shepard could pull some strings and get those political callers from non-stop calling my house!
Happy Leap Day!
Enjoy your extra day of February! :D
* Yep! You guessed it! I was in Amarillo, and this is from nearby Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in the United States!
It is very hard to take a good picture of yourself when trying to include a phenomenal background and simultaneously staring straight into the sun. :P
Any idea where this was taken?
Hint: Loads of history here - from Native American to Civilian Conservation Corps to present-day performances that draw hundreds of thousands each year.
Hint: Nearby, if you can finish a 72-ounce steak dinner in under an hour, it's free!
OK - I made this really easy!
I was in the grocery store this weekend, and they had an assortment of flowers, presumably left over from Valentine's Day, on sale throughout the store. I often will buy a few stems to keep on the kitchen counter overlooking my breakfast area and living room because it creates a nice, bright feeling, I think.
One of the specials they had was on tulips - red tulips. I really like tulips, and the red ones were quite pretty and rather dramatic looking. Since they were offering 30 stems for $10, I bought one bunch of them. Then I got them home and discovered that 30 is a lot of tulips - a whole lot! I realized right away they weren't going to fit into just one vase. Now, I have two big vases absolutely bursting with red tulips brightening up the mood of my house and myself!
For the next couple of days, at least, I look very loved. :P
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Here's a little V-Day cake I made, with raspberries and homemade whipped cream in the middle. Mmmm ... too bad I gave it away instead of getting to eat it! :P
Have a wonderful day celebrating the love in your life - all of it!
I played Laser Tag for the first time this weekend. It was FUN! It was the adults versus the kids we tutor in a two-story, black-lit playing field. We were all running around, trying to tag each other and the "bases." I discovered I'm a little bit of a daredevil in combat - willing to catch the brunt of the opposition forces in pursuit of attacking their base. : )
The kids won both games - BUT we would have had them the next game! It just took us a little longer to get the hang of it, not being experienced in these things. :P They keep pushing for paintball, too, but I have to admit I'm a little scared of that one.
It was beautiful this weekend. I spent a good deal of the afternoon Sunday out walking on Town Lake. It was so nice!
All about Love.
That was our theme for this issue, my second now as Editor in Chief. Isn't this cover cute?
Texas Family is now entering its third year, which is exciting! We have some really great stories in this issue - like a winery tour through the different viticultural regions of Texas and a story on adopting from the Texas foster care system. I wrote the adoption story and a travel story on Clearwater, Florida. I'd love to post pictures of those, too, but then you wouldn't go out and buy a copy. :P
Supposedly, there is some kind of a football game on today, and since I couldn't be less interested, I have decided to hold my own write-a-thon. I'm going to try to write all day for my book (books, really.)
I have had so few opportunities for months now that I am curious to see how well I can get back in the groove and how my perspectives have changed regarding my characters and plots ... Wish me well!
"Careful, or you might end up in my novel."
I saw that t-shirt design this morning, and it cracked me up. If I wore that, I wonder if people would take me seriously. Somehow, I doubt they would, and yet, they probably should ... :P
I don't know about you all, but I have sneezed at least fifty times in the last few hours, courtesy of that good, ol' cedar fever. Aah!
I saw a fantastic movie this weekend, titled "Juno." Very different from what I expected, it is a hilariously funny and touching story about a girl named Juno who gets pregnant at 16 and then proceeds to try to find adoptive parents for her on-the-way baby. And, while I was delighted the whole way through with this precocious/innocent/savvy/naive girl, I also really appreciate the underlying and tender message that comes from this storyline.
Take a moment, and picture this: a teenage girl, pregnant.
I imagine this brings up a lot of images conditioned from upbringing, society, personal experiences, etc. For many of you, it may bring up a negative reaction at first, or perhaps entirely. When I see a young girl who is pregnant, while at times there may be an initial shock, my next thought is one of love - how brave she is, and even braver if she is taking that extra step of giving up her baby for adoption. And, I think of the beautiful life that was created and is living inside her.
To me, the girl in this movie is like so many other girls I've known - not in the sense that they all became pregnant - but in the sense that they are learning how to live and how to be who they are (who they really are, not who others want them to be.) And, while some may not find her general choice of words or actions throughout the movie "appropriate," I can assure you how she talks and behaves is like so, so many girls today. It is a product of an independent spirit, and I applaud it.
Maybe if we're appalled, we're actually appalled at ourselves for not always saying what we think or doing what we feel, without regard for what others will think of us. I'm really proud of this next generation of girls, and I hope that we "older girls" (and boys) are able to learn something from them.
Back in the Day ... songs were not so different.
I was playing around with songs again on here, and it got me to thinking: This whole, "Oh, the song lyrics were so innocent back when I was younger" stuff people try to convince others of is not exactly so.
I remember the odd expression on my Dad's face when I'd go around the house, in seventh grade, belting out "Damn! I Wish I Was Your Lover!" over and over again. -- I'm surprised my parents didn't have me in Catholic school ... Oh, wait.
Then, of course, searching around I found a few other favorites from back in the day - "Naughty Girls Need Love, Too," "Bad Boys," and let's not even mention Madonna or hip hop. I'm not inclined to make a full social commentary today, but it's an interesting observation. And, hey! I turned out okay. :P
Sometimes things get stuck in my head, and I just can't move on until I get them out somehow. This can be particularly interesting when it's for someone specific and it's three in the morning, but, in this case, this one is more of a general statement and one I kept thinking as I was driving. The thought was so persistent that I fished out a gas receipt from my purse and scribbled it down at 70 miles per hour. For everyone it might mean a little something different so I'll just write it and let you interpret it for your own life. It's a simple statement, yet remarkably profound.
"Deconstruct your reality, and live, really."
Happy New Year's everyone, and welcome to 2008! I think it's going to be a good year!
I hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday season! It's time to begin anew ... : )
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that your holiday season is going splendidly! I am back in town after an extremely brief trip home. But - responsibilities beckon and all that ...
I am working hard today, but, in honor of the Christmas season, I'm doing it in front of my Christmas tree in my holiday pajamas - all day!
A continued blessed and beautiful holiday season to you and yours!
We had our annual pilgrimage to the Zilker Trail of Lights. It's always a lot of fun to walk around all the different displays and then spin yourself silly under the big tree! 
I also should mention that I have been going loco - as expected - with adding music, etc. to my blog. The sidebars keep going down further and further and further ...
Oh, and we added an "audio preview" to our website, if you just can't seem to get enough of my voice. :P
I'm published again this month in a couple of magazines. Baltimore's Child features my back to school on a budget column-style story, and Mahoning Valley/Trumbull County Parent Magazine is running Homework Hassles, which discusses ways to approach homework with different types of kids.
