Workshops & Woes

I'm thoroughly enjoying the workshops (or Q&A) that's going on on the Write Stuff forum.  I have to admit I get really lost when trying to develop characters and their backstories that this weeks is a great one!  xD

I managed to find a really neat Character Worksheet at jennymeyerhoff  dot com.  The last character I did in detail was the villain for a young adult book I'll probably be working on for years to come. lol.  His was very detailed and by the end I'd decided that there needs to be a prologue...no wait, a prequel (sorry lol) that tells his tragic story.  Sometimes I feel like a coward for putting it on the back burner.  I'm just unsure if I have the experience yet to pull of that type of intricated, well, mess. lol! 

Had the worst day yesterday.  Went to work and the choir was singing a song from my mom's old church.  I got really weepy and it set me off for the rest of the day.  I got to thinking about the little ceramic manger w/ baby Jesus that plays music that my mom always put under their Christmas tree.  And the painted ceramic christmas trees that would decorate the dining room with the little lite brite style christmas lights that would glow at night.  Yet this year, because of my parents divorce a year ago, there'll be no house for us all to gather at like there's always been for us.  No manger or Christmas trees set out proudly as a time honored tradition. 

My husband finally got out of me what was wrong as we sat on the couch.  He rubbed my back as I told him about the family traditions that we wouldn't have anymore.  And you know what he said to me?  "Honey, that's why we're a family.  We make our own traditions.  New traditions."   I admit I selfishly said I wanted the old ones too.  But he was right.  God love that brilliant man of mine.  xD

So today little Logan was introduced to our new tradition of the Advent Calendar, a very nice nod to my husband's Catholic roots.  And the brilliantly snow white Christmas tree with pepsi blue bulbs. 

And who knows?  Maybe the little manger and christmas trees will mysteriously go missing when next we visit back home.

'Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one.' ~ E. B. White