Thursday, March 27, 2014

Milkshakes and Memories: 10 years later



   As I first wrote here back in 2010 it has been my habit to on the anniversary of my dad's passing to get a milkshake as a way of marking the date and remembering and so I will today.  This year is a bit more bittersweet;  wrapping my brain around the idea that it has been a decade since I saw his smile or held his hand is tough but seeing the 3 little people with whom I will share the sweet treat eases that pain; as does sharing stories and pictures both of which Lisbeth ( and to a lesser extent Liam) are beginning to take an interest in.

  In this past year I had the chance to visit a favorite beach of my dad and my brother climbed again the mountains he first climbed with our dad  ~ and so a decade later he does in a sense travel forward with us.

originally post:

In the plans for today is getting a milkshake (ideally a frappe, but those are hard to come by outside of New England), preferably coffee. You see my dad passed away March 27, 2004 and when the first anniversary came I was not sure what to do, I did not exactly want to celebrate, but marking the date was definitely in order.


So I got a coffee shake because my dad loved them, and he taught me to also. It felt right and so now every year on his birthday in September and on this day in March I get a milkshake, remember, and raise my glass to my dad.
My dad who loved to read, the ocean, and mountain climbing especially the White's in New Hampshire. Who preferred classical music but also introduced me to The Weavers, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Beyond the Fringe.
So probably I can convince Elisabeth to join me in a milkshake and someday when she is older I will tell her why we are having one on this day and who her grandfather was

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

WWRW: March 26th


Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice sharing what I'm reading these days

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner; I was told when given this book that it was the beginning of a 3 book series and that each book gets better.  If that is true than I'm in good shape because I found this first one ~ ok; not great but not awful.  It is the story of Gen a famous thief who is released from the King's jail to steal something for the King and what happens to him and his companions on this quest.  The plotting was decent and the dialogue good, most importantly the 'world building' which I suppose is an essential component in a first book in a series was interesting and so I will be back for book 2: The Queen of Attolia.




But first I'm reading

Better by Carey Heywood;  this is not a review for a couple of reasons; I've just started it and it is written by my sister so being impartial on little sleep would be difficult.  It is the story of Aubrey a young woman who deferred college to help care for her aunt who is now going 'round the world on a trip originally planned for after her aunt's recovery.  Adventure and perhaps a romance with Adam, the young man hired as her tour guide.

This is her 6th novel; so excited for her and hoping for good naps today to really get reading!!

Please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW

Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!



May the Saints preserve you
and the devil ignore you
     
               Irish blessing
     

Monday, March 10, 2014

Hello 6!

This weekend having navigated call weekends and assisting with Pre-Cana we were finally able to celebrate our newly minted 6 year old.

The theme was Hello Kitty!





And alternating between her school birthday crown and her Hello Kitty crown the guest of honor had the best time ~ as did her friends and family!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Guest Post: To Outline or Not

  In my quest to continue improving the writing around here when I was approached by Grammarly about a guest post I opened the door wide and said come on in. Hope you find the following as interesting as I did.


To Outline or Not to Outline
Through my research of how writers actually craft their work, I’ve noticed there is no trend when it comes to outlining. Some writers love outlining and believe they can’t start their work until they have a good solid idea of where they’re characters are going, what their motivations are, and what’s going to happen in the end. Other writers believe that outlining stops the creative process and doesn’t allow them to come to realizations naturally. Meaning they feel as if they are forcing the story and characters to perform rather than come to fruition through the circumstances of the story. Each writer has their own process and choosing to heavily outline, lightly outline, or fall somewhere in between, the only right way to create your story is the way that works best for your creative process. However, there are sites and sources that can aid in the writing and organizing of your story and help strengthen your own set of skills. Whether you’re fully committed to outlining or you hate it with a passion, there are tons of resources to help you create your story, outline, or streamline your ideas.

One of the best resources to use is Grammarly due to its comprehensive and adaptive tools, teaching elements, grammar check, plagiarism checker, and large customer service base. The grammar check in particular has over 250 points of grammar with which to check your work. Its adaptive tools cater to your style and pick up your most common mistakes while the teaching services can improve your skills and adapt to your needs. Many writers I’ve talked to like to use the context-optimized synonym generator when outlining. They use it come up with tons of words to use to describe their main characters, events, setting, weather, or other elements. It helps diversify their descriptions and bring fresh words into their word bank. If you’ve moved beyond just the outlining process, Grammarly’s tools can also read through your work and identify areas that need improvement instantly. If you’re one of those writers who loves to write on the go, in a coffee shop, or at your favorite inspiration park, Grammarly can follow you there. It can be accessed from any device, therefore making it easy to type your next paragraph on your tablet and check it for errors in a snap. Grammarly can help any writer from start to finish, even if you’re not the most graceful outliner.

Outlining is a heavily debated topic on many writing forums, in books, and even between famous authors. Some believe you can’t write a fleshed-out story without planning every single detail beforehand. Others think that outlining impedes the writing process and stops them from starting on their story. On the one hand, outlining provides a stable source to return to if writer’s block clogs your cogs. Outlines show a clear motivation for characters, a picture of the landscape, and why the events are taking place in the way they are. But are they too controlling? Do they make you feel as if you are forced to write whatever you wrote down three months ago? Do they take the fun completely out of writing? That’s for writers to decide for themselves. Both methods have their pluses and minuses, ups and downs, and opportunities for creative breakthroughs. But regardless of what your favorite writer suggested or what that article you read last week claimed about successful writing processes, you have to do what works best for your creative mind. For help along the way, though, there are tons of online resources for grammar checks, plagiarism detectors, synonym generators, and overall writing tools like Grammarly to guide you to a successful manuscript.
By
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Bio:
Nikolas discovered his love for the written word in Elementary School, where he started spending his afternoons sprawled across the living room floor devouring one Marc Brown childrens’ novel after the other and writing short stories about daring pirate adventures. After acquiring some experience in various marketing, business development, and hiring roles at internet startups in a few different countries, he decided to re-unite his professional life with his childhood passions by joining Grammarly’s marketing team in San Francisco. He has the pleasure of being tasked with talking to writers, bloggers, teachers, and others about how they use Grammarly’s online proofreading application to improve their writing. His free time is spent biking, travelling, and reading.


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

WWRW ~ Biblical Living



Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Evan Woods was a wonderful read.  I really enjoyed her writing style; she gave serious topics and issues their proper due but never took herself or the various 'biblical' inspired challenges she undertook over the course of a year too serious.

Each month of the year she focused on a different virtue of biblical womanhood and strove to live it out to the best of her understanding and ability; and from various traditions.  For example the month she focused on silence she attended a weekend retreat at a Benedictine Monastery and services at a Quaker Meeting House.

She shares of her experience and different conclusions she has drawn thoughtfully as food for thought for the reader rather than set in stone wisdom.  She also shares others understands of the virtues she is exploring.

Issues of sex and violence are discussed respectfully but in an adult manner so I would not give this book to anyone younger than perhaps high school.


Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice for WWRW

Monday, March 3, 2014

Elisabeth at 6


  • Favorite Color: PINK
  • Favorite Food: Pizza, Waffles, and PB&J
  • Favorite Show: Peppa Pig and Lalaloopsy
  • Favorite Character: Hello Kitty
  • Favorite Person: Claire and/or Caitlin
  • Favorite Sport: Gymnastics
  • Favorite Team: Eagles (I think it is the fight song)
  • What she wants to be; a Princess or Paleontologist/Artist

     Elisabeth ~ you have brought so much light and laughter into my world.  In the past year you lost teeth and gained wisdom.  So excited to see what the next year has to bring!

    Happy Birthday!!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Ending with Lenten thoughts

It feels a bit like limping over the finish line simply posting a video for the 7th post but it truly has been on my mind as I try and discern what I should do for Lent and how I want to introduce the season in a more concrete way this year for the kids.

And I'm working on a birthday post for a certain almost 6 year old.



Thank you for all of those who have read along these past 7 days, and Jen for issuing the challenge.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

What kids said Vol 2: A Liam Special


Linking up again with Rosie of A blog for my mom to celebrate our kids wonderful witticisms

Driving somewhere:
Liam: Want my cracker?
Lisbeth: No
Liam: Not you ~ Dad, you know the big guy!


Liam: Can I have the scissors?
Mom: What do you want to cut?
Liam: Hair
Mom: Whose?
Liam: Catie
Mom: NO!


Our realtor was having a hard time opening the door at a house she wanted to show us.
Liam: Do you want some help from the Hulk?
(At which point he unzip his coat to reveal his Superhero shirt)

Please head over to Rosie's for more What They Said
Posting  7in7 sponsored by Jen