Tuesday, December 28, 2010

CHRISTMAS LOVE IS

I am one of those blessed humans who was born to a large crazy family that gets along and enjoys each others company. Therefore, during this week between Christmas and New Year I am relishing in the fun and love that goes along with a very large group of relatives descending upon my town for the holidays and for my sister's 50th wedding anniversary. For this reason, I am not writing a blog this week and instead have borrowed a beautiful poem that was read by my minister last Sunday. I hope all my readers have a Happy and Safe New Years and I'll be back to talk with you next week.

CHRISTMAS LOVE

- paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13


If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at
mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.


If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.


If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.


Love stops the cooking to hug the child.


Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.


Love is kind, though harried and tired.


Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.


Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.


Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.


Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.


Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of LOVE will endure.


-Author Unknown


Friday, December 10, 2010

FROM IDEAS TO PUBLISHING

Starting with today's posting, once a month I plan to publicly record my journey through the maze of professional writing and publishing. Everything from formulating the idea to the day when a publisher finally prints my words for the world to see will be fair game.

Today is blog #1: Finding the perfect literary agent.

Last fall, with one children's book in tow (meaning I had completed a manuscript to the point that my writing mentor said "Let her rip!") I forged ahead into the world of book publishing. Very quickly I learned that few publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts any more. Thus my first step was to find a literary agent. I surfed the web and read everything I could find about the process and listened to my mentor's advice; to research different agents and only send to the ones who meet the following criteria: 1. They represent children's book writers. 2. They currently represent books similar in genre and story to mine. 3. They are accepting submissions.

The next step was to create the query letter and submission packet or e-mail based on the agent's submission's guidelines. As of last December I have submitted a query letter and sample pages to over 20 agents. I sent them out 5 at a time as everything I've read indicates that agents do not appreciate a writer blanketing their work to every agent on the planet. Over the last year about half of these agents have sent me a rejection letter, postcard or e-mail. The other half have just been silent, their silence speaking volumes.

Up until last week, my last submission had been several months ago. So I made a commitment to myself to send out four more queries before I left on my next trip. On Tuesday I researched my list, personalized my query letter for each agent and sent out e-mails to my chosen four. Within an hour one of them had responded. With hope in my heart I opened the e-mail. Rejection. Though I appreciated the response there was a part of me that wished the agent would have at least waited a day or two, just to give me the facade that he had considered my work. But alas reality struck me in the face instead.

As with every other rejection this past year my ego stung for awhile and I spent a few hours licking my wounds, listening to my critic rip apart my abilities, and wondering if my dream was hopeless. Then I picked myself up, dusted myself off and did what I always do, I distracted myself. Luckily I had an impending trip to Wyoming to plan. And like most injuries, it will take several weeks for the wound to heal and more skin armor prepared before I climb back on the next bucking bronco.

Many techniques assist me in staying focused on the brass ring and not lying in the dust allowing the horse to trample me. First, I remind myself that Rome was not built in a day. I dust off the old story of Alexander Graham Bell who had to create many failed prototypes of the telephone before perfecting a device that successfully transmitted words across the wires. I read my affirmations continuously reminding myself that God inspires me to write and that God can do anything. I affirm to myself over and over again that I am a good writer, I am a successful writer, and that I am meant to write. I read other children's novels, dissecting their writing styles, reminding myself that if they can be successful so can I. I read blogs of published writers who talk about how many hundreds of queries they submitted before they found the one person who loved their work. And I have faith. Faith that I am doing what I love and thus what I love to do will be successful. Last but not least, I write, write, write, and write some more.

So onward and upward I climb, one step at a time. When I look back at all my accomplishments and experiences over the many years of this journey called life, I remember that every one began with a dream and were followed by action. Many manifested quickly, others took years. But the one thing they all had in common was that I kept my eye on the prize, kept moving forward and kept the faith.

Monday, December 6, 2010

THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND PEACE

With great gladness in my heart I am happy to announce to you that I am listening to Christmas music nonstop these days. You may say, "So, it's the holiday season, lots of people are listen to Christmas music." But for me this is a monumental event. You see 5 years ago when my husband, Gary, died in late October, my celebration of the holiday came to a crashing halt. I could not bare to go through the motions of the traditions and events that we had shared together for 18 years. Even now as I write this I feel sadness and tears well up together, as those remenants of grief that stay with us for a lifetime come to the surface. But for the first time in many years they are manageable enough to be felt.

My first Christmas after Gary died I went on a 10 day all inclusive vacation to Bucerias, Mexico where I celebrated a warm, delicious season with some close friends who were also in the throws of grief. The next year I travelled to Florida on Christmas eve and spent Christmas day with friends who do not celebrate the season. The following year I travelled to Playa del Carmen, Mexico on Christmas eve and spent the next day sitting on the beach at an all inclusive with a very dear friend. Two years ago I spent it with family but it was a quick trip up to their house in the morning and a quick trip back that night, with very little celebration in between. Then last year I started wading into the shallow end of the holiday season by joining a Christmas choir at church, going to 1 party and spending the day with a childhood friend and her husband, but again there was pain involved in the celebration. In none of these past years have I trimmed a tree, or listened to music or addressed Christmas cards while watching holiday movies, which are all long standing traditions of mine.

This year is different for some reason. I can't explain why, as grief has its own timetable and own reasoning. But this year I listened to Christmas carols on the way home from my Thanksgiving travels. The next day I shook off my dusty little tree (that still had the ornaments on it from the last year I had put it up), put out my Santa collection and started listening to my playlist of 124 Christmas songs. Excited at the prospect of company arriving a few days before Christmas, I'm even getting into the holiday shopping mood.

So what makes these tiny little actions so important to me. They are symbols that I have stepped beyond the tragedy and grief of my husband's death. That the last vestige of pain from what happened 5 years ago has subsided to the point that it is bareable to step into it, feel it and let it go. For Christmas is my most favorite time of year, and I have missed it. Although I try to keep the spirit of Christmas in my heart all year round, there is something about that constant reminder of trees and lights and Salvation Army bells and Christmas music and egg nog and candy canes and excited children that keeps that spirit of love and peace that Jesus taught us over 2000 years ago so near to my heart.

May this season open you to the love and peace that is possible, with just a little shift of the attitude. May you and yours have a wonderful holiday season!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

THE SEA

I am working on one of my childrens' novels and would like to stay in that mindset for the next few days. So below is the Prologue to my current project, Indigo. Hope you enjoy!

INDIGO

The Sea A+

by Indigo Bartoli


Like a mother’s beating heart

Inhale

In the timelessness of the womb

Exhale

She is present from the beginning

Inhale

Soothing me in my sadness

Exhale

And exalting me in my bliss

Inhale

With a dominion I often snub

Exhale

For like hot bread from the oven

Inhale

That ignites olfactory glands

Exhale

She overwhelms my very essence

Inhale

And with fierceness to topple nations

Exhale

And melodies to capture fools

Inhale

She protects and destroys in one

Exhale

Prisoner to her passions

Inhale

And slave to her magnificence

Exhale


Forever bound have I become

Inhale


Sunday, November 21, 2010

THANK FULL

As this is the week of Thanksgiving I want to take a time out from my busy schedule and say Thank You to all my readers. I never know who is reading this blog, but I do know that I am compelled to continue to write it so there must be someone who is being touched by what I say. So THANK YOU.

I try every day to remember that it is not I who brings all this joy, wonder and love into my life, but my Creator. Therefore every day I pause somewhere in my day and express how Thank Full I am. Today my focus is on the beautiful weather I have been experiencing, for the great friends I have both here and in Colorado and around the world. I am Thank Full for the incredibly loving family that cares about me and for me and who are always in my thoughts. I thank my Creator for the bounty I receive daily and for the view from my window as I write this blog. And most of all I thank my Creator for allowing me to be alive, to experience every moment in every day with so much love, peace and joy that it overflows in my heart. To all of you, I pray that you have a blessed Thanksgiving and may you always be surrounded by love.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

MINDFULNESS

A friend of mine turned me on to an app for my phone called "The Mindfulness Bowl." Randomly, about every hour a wonderful sound emits from my phone. It is the sound of a Tibetan bowl ringing. This ring is to remind me to stop, see if I am really experiencing the moment for what is truly going on, and if not, come into the moment and be one with it. Too often I find myself out in the future. I have found that many of my clients are that way too, as well as many are dwelling in the past. Then there are those special few who truly do live in the present moment. But for me it is not an easy place to stay. Thus the phone app.

Yesterday I was visiting with a friend who lives much more in the moment than me. It was the first time she was experiencing my new home and I found my mouth was going a mile a minute to tell her about an experience I'd had with moving, or where I bought a piece of furniture, or what painting I was going to put where. I was going way too fast for her and she kept having to stop me and back me up so she could experience the moment for exactly what it was. She was reminding me that I need to slow down and breath in the moment also. With my recent jobs and my move, etc. I realize I have sped up time. Now I want to slow it back down. Starting today I'm going to begin the practice of mindfulness as often as I can remember. Mindfulness is a Buddhist practice. It is about having a calm awareness of one's body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself. In therapy I teach my clients to become aware of the feelings in the body, from the butt on the chair to the air moving through their nostrils, to the sensations in their toes. I ask them to look around them and describe the colors and the items they see. I ask them to describe the taste in their mouth, describe the texture of the fabric of the furniture or their clothing and describe any fragrances or smells they notice. It's about taking a moment to truly pay attention to the senses and what they are speaking to us. For as Albert Einstein once said, "There is more to life than increasing its speed."