Okay, I don’t actually fish.
But I like to eat fish.
Whatever. I’m on vacation. 🙂
Return on July 9th!
Cheerio and see ya soon.
Archive for June, 2007
Thanks to Merry Jelinek for naming me as a thinking blogger! I feel smarter already.
Reminds me of the clever title, Brain, Child, the magazine for thinking moms.
Okay, so blogs that make me think. Hmmm…
Okay, got it:
- Confessions of a Perfectionist…in pursuit of satisfaction makes me think. It makes me think that it would be so great if the whole world could hop on this bandwagon. 🙂
- Dreaming About Water…Diabetes and Women makes me think. It makes me think about a disease I might not otherwise know about and that’s a good thing.
- Discussing Breast Cancer…while waiting for a cure makes me think. Ditto above.
- Mother-Daughter Book Club makes me think, “Oh my gosh, some day I can do this with my daughter. Cool!”
- Agnostic Mom…Raising a Healthy Family Without Religion is an interesting blog to think about and explore.
Okay, tag! You guys are it! Try not to take as long as I did. Let’s see…actually only one month on this one, not too bad!
Here’s the rules if any of these bloggers choose to accept their mission to share their thinking bloggers of choice:
*Should the bloggers choose to participate, please make sure to pass the rules on to the next Thinking Blogs you tag.
The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog).
This award was began by ilker yoldas at The Thinking Blog. I hope to follow the links to some more great bloggers out there who make us think.
Random Acts of Summer
Published June 28, 2007 Christina Katz , How Moms Rest , Inspiration for writers , Mom Fun , Vacation! , Writer Mamas 4 CommentsBy Christina Katz
- Put ten bucks in your pocket on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Go garage sale hoppin’! (Give the kids a buck each.)
- Visit a state park in your area that you’ve never been to before (just type “[Name-of-your-state] State Parks” into GOOGLE). Stop at the grocery store deli for sandwiches and drinks to bring along.
- Read. Profusely. In the shade. In a lawn chair or on a blanket. In a hammock, if you have one! Teach your kids how to do it. Maybe they’ll fall asleep.
- Visit Etsy. Spend hours surfing the handmade things you can buy for cheap. So much fun to search by color!
- If your home office is a mess or the laundry is piled up. Ignore it. You can deal with it later. Go play. 🙂
- Stockpile how-to writing books that suit what you need most in your career at this juncture. If you want to write for newspapers, don’t miss Sue Lick’s just released Freelancing for Newspapers. Blogroll her blog on the subject too. Maybe read them in August when it’s too dang hot to do anything else!
- Go out by yourself, find some water, and float. On an inner tube. On a lounger. Don’t forget the sunglasses, sunscreen, and maybe even People magazine.
- Go to Paris. I mean pretend to go at the theater while you catch a matinee of Ratatouille on a sweltering, white-hot day with kids in tow.
- No time for scrapbooking? Collect your digital photos and make a book that tells the story of the first half of your year. iPhoto 6 has amazing ones that start as cheap as $3.99 each!
- If you need something fun to watch on DVD, after the kids are in bed, try The Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio. This is definitely an inspirational choice for writer mamas.
- How about a date night movie? You’ll both laugh (and possibly cry) if you can get a sitter and slip out to catch Knocked Up before it leaves theaters. I’m still quoting Paul Rudd and it’s been over a month since we saw it.
Happy summer, mamas!
Copyright Note: You are welcome to reprint this post in your blog or zine as long as the title links back to this blog entry and a complete title and byline are included at the top. Thanks!
Tiffani Hill Patterson chose me as a Rockin’ Girl Blogger! Thanks, Tiffani.
So, though I am new to these meme-types of things, I believe I am supposed to name five others of my choosing. Right? Am I doing this right? Maybe three? I’m not sure. I’ve got five, so here goes:
1. Sage Cohen rocks because she is really deep and her entries help me slow down and appreciate the beauty of life and words. Her blog is Sage Said So.
2. Abby Green rocks because she makes me laugh about motherhoood. Like check out today, “Where I really want to live is in the Pottery Barn catalog.” That’s hilarious. Her blog is Diary of a New Mom.
3. Kristin O’Keeffe rocks on the other side of the globe writing in lively style about being a traveling spouse in Shanghai. Great photos too. Her blog is Shanghai Adventures of a Trailing Spouse.
4. Hope Clark rocks in her new blog that offers a market or grant a day. A great one for writer mamas! Her blog is C. Hope Clark.
5. Another one of my favorites is Ali Edward’s blog, where she shares about being a Life Artist. Isn’t that a great concept? Great photos too. Hers is Ali Edwards Design.
Okay, ladies. You are it. Rock on!
Hopefully you will respond a bit more quickly than I usually do to memes. I’m thinking I’ll be all caught up on past tags by the end of summer.
And I’ll try to respond a little faster from here on out, because—hey, these are fun!
Recipe for a Happy Writing Career
Published June 26, 2007 Christina Katz , Inspiration for writers , Writer Mamas 2 CommentsBy Christina Katz
Ingredients:
1 c. great determination
1/2 c. joy found in the writing process
2 c. stamina
1 dash of empathetic spouse
1 T. trainable kids
2 t. rolling with the flow
Optional: Sprinkle in sleep, flexible babysitters, good boundaries & writer buddies.
Mix well. Beat into stiff peaks. Then beat some more. Bake. Remove from oven while still gooey on the inside. Let cool. Serve. Enjoy. Then do it all over again.
Upcoming Summer Presentations
Published June 22, 2007 Book Tour , Career Development , Christina Katz , Classes/Events , Willamette Writers Conference , Writer Mamas , writing conferences ClosedMY SUMMER 2007 SCHEDULE
JUNE 2007
OWC Presents! Me.
How to juggle writing with your already busy life
Monday, June 25, 7 p.m. @ Powell’s, Oregon Writer’s Colony Presents, Beaverton, OR, Info at Powell’s Events: http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/calendar, Free
JULY 2007
Pacific Northwest Writers Conference
Chutes and Ladders of a Writer’s Career: Healthy Habits of Productive Writers
Saturday, July 28, 2007, from 8:30 to 10:00a.m. Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center, 17620 Pacific Highway South, Seattle, WA 98188
Registration required
AUGUST 2007
Willamette Writers Conference: Registration Required
Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel, Portland, OR
Thursday, August 2nd: Writers Faire 2007, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Willamette Writers and Oregon Writers Colony join forces to feature local writers and their published works. Come speak with these talented authors, buy their books, and get them autographed. I’ll be signing copies of Writer Mama!
My presentations at the conference include:
Friday, August 3rd: 10:30-12:00 a.m.
Forget Non-fiction Features: Write Short and Get Published!
Sunday, August 5th:
1:30-2:45 p.m. Part 1: Get Known Before the Book Deal: Platform Building Basics
3:15-4:30 p.m. Part 2: Get Known Before the Book Deal: Platform Building Basics
August 18th: Two six-week Writers on the Rise e-mail classes begin!
Here’s what a recent student from Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff had to say:
This was the most helpful writing class I have ever taken. The way Christina structured the assignments got me over some mental hurdles about what I’m capable of. I liked how some of the assignments built upon the previous ones, allowing for a painless trip to a great final outcome. I also appreciated learning how to submit finished work because I feel more ready to do that vs. querying at this point. Christina is knowledgeable, organized and an excellent teacher. I felt very comfortable under her tutelage. The class is well worth the cost.
Complete details available here. Classes fill quickly, so register early to save your spot.
Whidbey Island Writers Association Fall Residency
August 21-23rd
I have been invited to the Whidbey Island Writers Association Fall Residency where I’ll be teaching alongside Andrea Hurst (of Andrea Hurst Literary Management), Marvin Bell (the prolific poet), and Holly MacArthur (managing editor of Tin House literary magazine). My topic is “Creating Your Writing Career From the Ground Up.” To learn more about the only MFA program in the country not affiliated with a college or University, click here.
Sharon Cindrich’s Awesome Book-launch Party!
Published June 21, 2007 Book Reviews/Talk , Career Development , How Moms Rest ClosedSpeaking with Sharon on the phone today, she reminded me that I said I’d be on vacation by now.
Let’s call tomorrow my last day, shall we?
Which reminded me…I have photos of Sharon’s book publication party for E-Parenting, How to Keep Up with Your Tech-Savvy Kids in my possession!
Here they are—hopefully they’ll inspire visions of your own publication party!
Congratulations, Sharon! You are an awesome friend. I hope E-Parenting hits the bestseller list!
