Make Mine Supers (14)

Unless someone posts while I am writing this.  Holly can I have one of those donuts tonight?  I'll forgo the coffee.

Sheesh. Get sick and what do you miss? About a gazillion posts! Thank goodness Rae leaves breadcrumbs!!

I'm just back from a weekend girl scout "encampment" (Fri-Sun) with all our neighborhood troops.  It rained the entire time we were there, and OMG, I've never seen so much mud. ICK. I called DH and said "open the garage, bring our bathrobes downstairs. I'm not bringing anything into the house!" It was cold, it was wet, it was muddy...and the girls had a BLAST.  My DD slipped in the mud and landed on her backside, and holy cow, her jacket and her pants were just caked. I should've taken a pic just of that, LOL. I came upstairs and stood in the shower for a good 20 minutes. Ahhhhhhhhhh. :-)

I'm fried, so I'm just going to say "hi" to everyone, congrats to all who have exciting news, and hugs all the way around for anyone who  needs them.

Later!

Oh...ps - Amy, congrats to your son's brown belt! WTG! (my DD is a 9year old  TKD brown belt!)

Hi everyone,

Nice to see you in this new space!

Linda--I love thinking about your library!

Were you serious about love scenes? Love scene are the only ones that I almost always show from both POVs.  When I'm writing them, I try to think about the love scene as a gift exchanged from one to the other. What does the heroine need? What does the hero give her? What does the hero need? What does the heroine give him? I think that concept helps me stayed tuned to their emotions so I don't wind up just manipulating body parts. 

I also try to keep the language normal. I've read some really weird words in love scenes and that always throws me out of them. "Lave" is one. I think people use it to mean "lick," but it creeps me out because it's so odd. 

How about that for some good advice? Don't think about body parts and use ordinary words. Sheesh. Maybe someone else has more wisdom!

Have a good evening. These doughnuts are delicious!

Writer Ellen

Kim--So sorry to hear the Miss E is so sick.  Hopefully she'll bounce back soon, as kids tend to do.  Hugs.  When you  mentioned tripping while trying to be sophisticated, I flashed on Miss Congeniality.  The trip was one of my favorite moments in the movie.  I did not look like Sandra while going down.  More like a bag of cement, I believe.

Amy--Congrats on ds's brown belt!  What an accomplishment.  And I am sending cyber drinks--hard ones as requested.

Jodie--I got cold just reading about the outing.  I think we view mud differently as we age.

I write love scenes the way Kim described them.  I picture them, then just let the words flow.  I generally don't edit them much.  They are some of the few scenes that I put on paper and leave alone.

Oh Ellen, today, while I was partaking in my morning ablution, my cat was laving her paw and cleaning her face while sitting on the edge of my bathroom sink.  It was very cute. Seriously, I'm a big one for regular words, too. 

Almost done with my mirror.  I just have the upper half of the background and then I can grout--hopefully without almost cutting my finger off this time.  I plan on using three different grout colors--two for the lizard and one for the background.  It'll either be spectacular or a lot of work for nothing.

Ami and Linda--I'm sore, but glad everything is in working order.

Jeannie 

Hey, I brought enough donuts last night that there are still plenty this morning.  Awwww.....  And I made some steal cut oatmeal for breakfast here (which is why I can eat donuts guilt-free).  I've never had them before, though I'm a huge oatmeal fan.  Very good!

 EllenToo, I'm glad you didn't have the coffee last night...it always messes with my sleep when I do!  

Kay, Sorry about Deadline House!  My house will be in a state this afternoon as my 5yo niece is coming to spend the afternoon with me.  I think we're going to bake.

Jodi, I bet the mud was a pain for you, but I can also imagine the girls having a blast!  LOL  Hoping you get the mud out of your dd's clothes!

LindaC, I have to laugh at Earth Hour because unless someone's reading, they lights are off here every night.  And since our family room is in the back of the house, no one ever knows if we're here because we don't leave lights on up front!  LOL

 Ellen, I never thought about it, but yes, Lave is an odd love word!  LOL

Kim, I hope your daughter's feeling better today!

Jeannie, I'm betting it will be fantastic!!  You'll have to take a pic to share with us!

 I woke up to snow on the ground.  It's almost April...snow is just wrong!

Holly 

Ellen,

I love your family.  Not only for coming out to support you, but also because they came out early!  I'm always early. I can't help it.  And I turn out lights.  Tell your dad he has a fan!

Holly 

PS Did you all know they're making a Wild Things movie??  I can still do all the words to that book!

PPS.  Mud and Monday do not go together, Ellen.  Marvelous and  Monday.  Or MegaGreat and Monday maybe! 

continued prayers for you.

Yes, Ellen, I was deadly serious about advice about love scenes. Thanks to all of you who responded. I have copied and pasted onto notepad for reference later. I am currently writing the love scene from both POVs and am envisioning it, also. Trying to use the five senses.

Well, I finished my second 100 days of writing a minimum of 100 words late last week and have embarked on another and have upped the ante by sticking with one project only. This current 100 days should end on the 4th of July!

You all have a great day. I'll check in later.

LindaC

So many comments on the new board... Holly did you win your auction? I love eBay. Have been stalking a new Dell Mini 10 there, and will see. I know I want one, it's just finding the best deal.

Kim, hope the babe is well soon.

Jeannie, a fall? I looked back and didn't see that -- hope you are okay.

Ellen, I tend to write love scenes from one POV, but I have several of them, so I can do some from hero, some from heroine.

Language in love scenes is a landmine, especially when you might have four or more in a book, because who knows what words will turn someone off or on. And from a writing standpoint, you can only use so many words so many times, LOL. I think I have probably used lave. I have probably used most of the words I can think of. The only one that really ever bugged me I probably can't say here, though we did discuss it on the Blaze board once, and it was a word that drove everyone else nuts too -- I notice I haven't seen it in a while. 

More revisions for me today, but a walk for the dogs first...

Sam

Where did everybody go? Back into the old board?

Holly--I like to attempt to be exactly on time. It doesn't always work out, but it does often enough that I can delude myself that it's a good strategy. 

I thought I only had one child playing baseball this spring but the local league needed 3 more kids in my older son's age bracket and our neighbor is coaching so...two children playing baseball. I was looking forward to a break. Oh well. 

Jeannie--when I read the word "lave," I always imagine a mama cat. That's sweet...unless it's a love scene. 

I'm having a writing weekend this weekend, I think. We were supposed to go to Philly but my husband isn't feeling well again and I didn't feel right about being so far away if he was alone with the kids. Happily, my Philly friend worked things out so she can come here. My other friend is hosting us. So the three of us will be tucked up, writing all weekend. I may make gnocchi to take with me for Saturday night's dinner. I'm sad because I'll be missing my RWA meeting, but this time will be good for me! 

Hope you're all doing well!

Writer Ellen

LOL! Yes, that word makes me laugh, too, because to me, it sounds like something that really shouldn't be associated with making love. Sounds more like something you should do near a toilet. ROFL!

E is doing much better. Diagnosis is definite: croup. So, I bought a vaporizer (how I mananged thus far without one I don't know) and armed with some heavy duty cough medicine for tonight, she (and I) should be able to sleep. Hopefully, by tomorrow the worst of this will have passed. Did you know that in the old days croup was a baby killer? Yep. Back in the day, it was a parent's nightmare. So glad we have doctors, and vaporizers, and lots of good stuff to keep our kids alive these days!

Kim

Kim, so glad she's doing better! 

Turgid should totally be forbidden on this board!  OMG!  lol

Ellen, you are my time twin too!  I try to time everything to be exactly on time as well!  And sometimes I make it.  Sometimes not, and that makes me a little crazy.  But not as crazy as it would make me to leave EARLY.  *gasp*  I may be screwed up but at least I'm not alone.

Finished the draft of the synopsis last night.  Husband read it and accused me of being WORDY.  Now, first, if you know my husband, THEN you know what wordy is.  And second, I am so not wordy on a normal basis...I have to fight to make the Super word count on every story.  So uh, anyway, tonight I'm going to unwordy-ize it.  Yeehaw.  Just in time for the deadline.

Amy, craving M&Ms

Well, my 5yo niece came and spent the day yesterday...we made bread.  My kids are older now, and it's so much fun to have a "helper" who happens to think you hung the moon!  LOL

 Sam, Yes, I did win!  Bought two antique meat grinders.  And no, I'm not planning to grind any meat...I'm more of a herbivore.  But one was a Griswald.  They made cast iron pans and were manufactured here in Erie.  I have a small, but growing collection.  And these were a steal.

Ellen, Sorry your dh is unwell, but glad your friend is coming to you!

Kim, Hugs...hope she's feeling better soon! 

 Good morning, Ami, Jeannie, EllenToo and Amy!!

Working double-time today in order to make up for lost work time (but well spent time) yesterday!  And I'm toasting that homemade bread and having it with honey for breakfast...yum!

Holly 

Kim, I can believe that the croup was a baby killer. That is some scary stuff.

Ellen, so sorry that you can't sleep. Makes for a long night. Glad that you are having a writer's weekend. They are so invigorating. My chapter meeting is this weekend. I'm always so energized afterward and I'm sure meeting with your friends will do that for you, too. Do you all plot together?

Amy-that's great that your dh will critique for you. It's nice to have fresh eyes, a male perspective.

LindaC

Hello_All,

I-heard-on-the-news-that-a-computer-virus-is-set-to-strike-on-tomorrow-for

April_Fools-Day.Its-supposed-to-come-through-a-weakness-in-windows.Should-everyone

not-turn-on-their-computers-on-Wednesday?

Aurelene

Ellen, loved the image of your family camped out waiting for your booksigning. You and all the other rock stars. How cool is that?! You should have taken a pic and posted online.

Kim, glad the vaporizer is helping. Poor Miss E. My middle GD had a bad time of it last year with her breathing, but she's seemed to have outgrown that. Yeah! She'll be 3 in May.

Christina223, had to smile about your hesitation to talk to the authors in this thread. First, we're pretty real.  The more you stick around and read, the more you'll get that extremely turgid fact. Second, we put our pjs on the same way you do--one leg at a time. (Right before we sit down to write. ) Oh, wait, that might only apply to me.  Glad you're here.

Vieve, glad you liked my pic. Made me smile. Hope the flood waters stay away. Sounds like more bad weather for North Dakota today. Feast or famine.

Ami, add me to the No list. That was wrong and I'd make a lot of noise, too.

Ronda, so sorry about your boy's troubles with his teacher. He sounds like a great kid, but as the mother of a great kid, I know that personality conflicts with teachers do happen. Some say these kinds of challenges are good for a child, but as the mom of that kid, you just want your baby to have a good experience in school. Hopefully next year he'll have a wonderful teacher--the kind you thank in your acceptance speech for your Oscar or whatever.

Holly, UNEXPECTED GIFTS!  Great title! Congrats.

Donya, your mom is on her own path. I hope you can make peace with that, no matter what happens.

The Lost Coast of California. In a nutshell: 150 hairpin turns to the right, 151 hairpin turns to the left. Through forests of giant redwoods. To arrive at black sand beaches carved by mad waves crashing against knuckles of black rock with sonic booms that make you jump. Fierce and steady winds that give you a free dermal abraision facial. QUIET that creeps in from the forested hills on the dainty steps of the many deer that graze outside your window in the morning. Locals who look at you as if your DEA badge is showing. I had a great time. Read two books. Cleared up my cold completely. Now, I have to get this proposal off. Amy, my synop is wordy, too. Is it contagious?

Deb

I just turned in my partial and synopsis. Deadline met.  With over an hour to spare. 

Deb, your description of the Lost Coast made me foam at the mouth.  Oops, maybe I shouldn't share that.  Seriously, I have the travel bug so badly and you made it sound so beautiful...you should be a writer!

I guess a wordy synopsis is heaps better than staring at a blank page needing to write the synopsis from scratch.  *shudder*  Good luck with yours!  Mine isn't pretty but then I wouldn't want to give Victoria heart failure by learning to write a good synopsis!  (I try.  Really I do.)

Kim, hope your girl is feeling better.  Croup sounds terrifying.  It's one of the few things that drove me to call the pediatrician in the middle of the night.  And we still used the steam from the shower to treat it.  But then we are in the midwest, not on the west coast where all the new-fangled things are. *g*

I'm going to go do a bit of a happy dance for turning in the synopsis, then off to pick up the loud boys.

Amy

Easier to take away words from one already completed than to tear your hair out adding new ones. I've never written one, so it's easy for me to say. It so reminds me of the research papers I wrote in college. By the time I turned it in, I was just so glad to get rid of it that I really didn't care what it sounded like. That especially went for the one I stayed up all night typing, 'cause I couldn't find enough sources for my original idea and had to change it. That was bad!

LindaC

I-saw-on-the-news-that-the-'Confiker'-virus-has-been-around-for-a-while.It-gets-new

orders-at-midnight...For-more-information-see-NBCLA.com...Many-European-computers

are-damaged.The-virus-may-be-gathering-information-from-different-credit-cards,etc.

American-Computers-have-more-protection.To-tell-if-your-computer-is-already-infected,

try-to-type-in-one-of-the-security-software-names-in-your-search-box-and-try-to-go-to-it.

Like_McAffee-for-instance.

Aurelene

Okay, it's not a Monday, but it is April!  I woke up to the mid-fifties.  It's so warm that I don't even mind the rain!

 Morning, LindaC, Aurlene and Kim!

Ami, Ahh...so sweet about the iPod!

 Rae, I'm so sorry about your nephew.  My son had a fight with a doorway, and ended up getting stiches in his head.  I can barely see the scar now!

 Jeannie, I so love cast iron.  I have a roaster that I use a lot.  My roasts come out so nice in it!  I doubt I'll be grinding meat with my new toys, but I have a lot of antique kitchenware, so it will just join the collection!  If you have Griswald, it can be worth a nice bit!

 Deb, It sounds lovely!  Well, except the turns!

Amy, I'm so glad you got it turned in!

 Lots of writing to get done today!!

Holly 

Wednesdays are cool because the week is nearly over! And, Friday is payday so that means I can get my new barbecue out of layaway! Whoo!!! It seems such a small thing but I've never owned my own barbecue. I've always inherited the old ones that family members were getting rid of because they bought new ones. I have a morgue of old barbecues I'm embarassed to say. But the dh and I have decided we're going to rent one of those big trash things and throw a BUNCH of stuff out. Very soon. I can't wait. I hate clutter but I'm surrounded by it.

Miss E is doing better. I tentatively took her to daycare today. No fever but her cough is still nasty. I hope she's on the mend. She looks terrible. Her poor little face is pale with dark circles under her eyes with little red dots above her cheeks from the petechial hemorrages (coughing so hard she couldn't breathe).

Anyway, this weekend I have a lot of work to do. Among the varied things, I have to write a few synopses. Can you say torture? I had to laugh and then cringe when Amy was talking about being wordy in her synopsis. I wish I had that problem. My pitiful synopsis rarely hit 10 pages. Egad. The very idea.

Kim

Wow, go away for a few days, and you ladies go wild.

“I leave you alone for a little while and you start chatting about manroots, turgid Tuesdays and laving? Um..... Okay.” Kay What are we going to do with these ladies.. J/K

Ellen, thank you for your comment yes my day with the boys was wonderful! I hope your writing weekend is wonderful as well. So sorry to hear dh still isn’t’ feeling well.

Everyone, I have a question! Where did you meet your crit. And plotting partners / groups. I have been in maybe 3 different online. They have tended to be about 5 people in them, but they usually disban quickly. I met those through RWC. I have looked into the RWA site to find one, but I haven’t found a lot. I was just wondering. I have yet to join my local RWA I just joined the online one. I would like to find someone local, but I know that would still be about 2 ½ hours away to the nearest RWA and people that are mostly in it. I have talked to them, but am waiting to join. I was just wondering… I had tried and looked at different place including here at ehar, but have yet to find a person or a group to mesh with. Was it hard to find others you mesh with? Any info will be greatly appreciated!

Also we found the kittens. There was 5, but one passed away not long after she brought them to me. The tom cat that is bothering our cats was after them so she brought them up to me. I put them in a box, and have been trying to take care of them. They have the sniffles though. I think I will call the vet. Tomorrow and see if I need to get something or bring them in.

Congrats Amy on meeting your deadline! Here .. Sending you internet m & m’s. The only thing is you have to share with Ellen and the rest of us too! LOL!

Sam, you have me curious I want to know the word! Lol the suspense is killing me. Is it one of the ones the ladies have mentioned already?

Jeannie, I can’t wait to see your mirror! You will have to show us a pic when you are finished. By the way I am with Sam… I missed you telling about your fall. I looked back, but I still couldn’t find it. Anyway I hope you are feeling better!

Holly, what is steal cut oatmeal? I have never heard of that before. Oh and as for the doctor I never went. By Monday I was feeling tons better, and I could hear good so no need to go. Thank heavens it was nothing major evidentially, but I have learned my lesson about going sooner in the future!

Kim--So sorry to hear the Miss E is so sick, but I am glad she is doing better! Praying for your family and her.

Deb, I am trying to make peace with everything happening with mom, but it isn’t’ easy by a long shot.

Everyone, I do have some good news though. She went to her heart specialists and her sugar specialist’s the last couple of days. Her heart doctor told her that the chest pains she is having may seem like heart attacks, but in truth they are heart spasms. Her EKG still looked good and clean, and the arterial flutter is still gone. Her higher heart rate is jut from the spasms as well. These sometimes occur after this type of surgery he said. He also told her that he was okaying her to be put back as active on the liver transplant list. So that is great news. All we have to do now is go see her liver specialist a 2 ½ hour drive, and let him check her out. Hopefully by the time we get in to see him she will have lost the extra 10 pounds she needs to, and have gotten some energy back so he will okay her to be put on back active on the list as well. Before she can be active again he has to approve her as well. When she does go back active though she will be first on the list still, so that is good news as well. The down side is that she is really weak, we thought is was from her heart surgery and all, but the heart specialist told us that it is where her liver is failing faster and it is starting to hurt all her other organs. So the quicker we can try to get her weight down, and hopefully a little more energy the better! She walked from the car to the doctors’ offices both days, and she also went in the Dollar General store and walked a little. Her spirits are getting better, and she is okay with the idea of moving and getting up more now. I think she was just scared, but realizes now that her heart is okay. She agreed to go to the park and watch the boys play this weekend, if she was having a good day and felt like it. I am also supposed to take her to the store. This may seem like nothing, but my mother hasn’t been out f the house or in stores really for almost a year, unless it was to doctors or hospitals. Then when she did it was mostly in the wheelchair. She used her walker some at home, and in the hospital but was weak a lot. I am so happy and tickled you wouldn’t believe. Just keeping my fingers crossed things stay good, and we get her some better to get her back active on the list. Sorry to write so much, but I wanted to share this with you all!

Hi Marcie, Rae, and anyone I might have missed!

hope everyone is doing well!  Take care Donya

So, my good news...my contractor showed up yesterday.  Hoping to start the last of the home renovations in May.  New windows and siding on two sides of the house (we did the other two sides when we added the kitchen). My dh and I are doing the back bathroom ourselves.  Gutting it, getting rid of the paneling and drywalling and all new stuff in it.  Which means, the house will be done!  Not that we don't have other fun projects in mind.  We're thinking a back patio and roof....  But still, the rest is done!  I still need to find some antique wing chairs and a setee for the front room, but that's fun. Kim, YAY on getting your new grill!  We're grilling steaks on ours tonight and having steak salads.  It's going to be in the sixties, and that says salad for dinner for me!  Glad the baby's feeling better!   Jodie,  You're right...quiet day.  I checked in and was surprised how few posts there were!  Glad you got your challenge in!    Donya, I don't critique with anyone, so I'm no help!  LOL  And steal-cut oats are sold sometimes as Irish Oatmeal.  Rather than flakes, they look like...corn meal maybe?  They take longer too cook (although if you soak them overnight, they cook in under ten minutes in the morning) and have a chewier texture.  I really like them!  And great news on your mom!   Ellen, Oh, I love the idea of enriched editions.  I saw them when I did the article on eHarlequin.  I will absolutely check yours out!   I hope everyone was enjoying their day yesterday.  I'm going to start splitting wood here today!   Holly       

Hi Holly and Donya!! Happy Thursday!! (I do love Thursday. )

Holly--congrats on the home improving. Sounds wonderful!

Donya--glad to see you're up and around early--you must really be feeling better!

I posted a blog today about the enriched eBook and I'm asking for stories about things you might have kept/stolen from a boyfriend after the relationship was over. If you feel like spilling your secrets, drop by here: Boyfriend Stories. 

Have a great day,

Writer Ellen

It's still Thursday?? LOL. All week I've thought it was Thursday. And my dh getting paid a day early (due to a payroll glitch) didn't help.

Deb, the Lost Coast sounds lovely! I love places like that. I hope to get out there someday. I've never been farther west then Houston. Or Chicago. Which one is over more? Either way, not so far west. And I've never been to Florida! Am I deprived or what?

I planted 25 crocuses last fall, and only three came up! But they are pretty and I'll take them. I thought I wasn't going to get any at all.

 Donya, hugs for your mom! Glad she's moving around. That's a relief. Also, happy to see you found the kitties. As far as critting goes, I've got a cp I met on here (waving at Chelle ) and I sub to the FTH crit list, which is a great group. The help from both has been wonderful. Good luck!

Morning Holly, Ellen, Jodie! 

Ami