Is My Freak Flag Big Enough?

My head is groggy and I want to return back to the cozy comfort of bed.  No, it's not morning.  I fell asleep on my bed with my youngest, who didn't want to go to sleep. Sometimes if we lay on "my" bed, he'll crash out.  I'm happy to say it worked, but unfortunately, not just for him!

Before we both fell asleep, I mulled over what to write for this blog post, and the only thing I could think of was the title, "Is My Freak Flag Big Enough."

First of all, I don't want anyone to be offended by my use of the word "freak."  My definition of "freak" is a person who has qualities of all the quirky, creative, intelligent individuals of the world and is confident of who they are.  It is a very loving term of endearment.

Here is a lip-dub by Cosplay Fever of Pink's Raise Your Glass.  When I watch this video, I am proud to let my freak-flag fly.  There are some swear words, by the way.  The radio version of the song has those bleeped out.

Some day I might dissect exactly what it is about the video and song that I like so much, but right now I'm satisfied with knowing it makes me happy inside!

Anyway, one unintended consequence of all the blog hops I've been involved in, as well as the Fourth Campaign, is that I'm finding a ton of creative people.  Super creative people who make me wonder about my own creative talents.

I know, I know.  Self-doubt. Don't listen to it.

It isn't that I'm entertaining the possibility that I have no creativity.  It's that I wonder if I have enough.  There are so many talented people out there.  So very many...

Photo by Tom Curtis/Free Digital Photos.net

I wouldn't be writing a post about this if I didn't think that other people maybe feel this way, too.  I think we all have times where we realize exactly what kind of a task we have set up for ourselves.  It's kind of like Christopher Columbus getting halfway across the ocean and thinking "Uh-oh.  What did I get us in to?"

What do we do when those types of thoughts come knocking on the door of our minds (and self-esteems), and we're far enough out into the ocean that we can't (or don't want to) turn back?

I can tell you what we don't want to do.  We don't want to open the door and invite the thought in for dinner.  It'll have a nice evening with you, and then, when you ask it to leave, it'll pop it's shoes off, and stick it's stinky feet on your nice leather ottoman.

No.  We have to meet the thought at the door, and tell it that it has to go elsewhere.  Don't let it get a hold of you.  Acknowledge that it is a concern, then let it go and return to whatever it was you were doing. 

It gets easier the more you practice it.  Trust me, I know.

Those self-doubts stem from competition.  We can only label ourselves when we judge ourselves according to other's achievements or abilities.  There's enough people out in the writing world that, quite honestly, have to judge us.  Yes, we need to always be aware of how we are growing and progressing, but we don't need to always hold ourselves up against every other writer out there.  It isn't helpful.

We're all in this writing boat together.  If we support each other, we can all fly our freak flags together.

How do you handle those moments when negative thoughts come knocking?

Blogging Your Naked Passion - Are You Brave Enough by Jenny Hansen

The day has arrived!  It's Life List Club Friday and the witty, thoughtful Jenny Hansen is here to guest post!  Please give Jenny a warm welcome and enjoy her wonderful post about blogging bravery.   If you're wondering where I am, you can find me over at Sonia G. Medeiros's discussing Extreme Perseverance.  Welcome, Jenny!

Blogging Your Naked Passion – Are You Brave Enough? By Jenny Hansen

Courtesy of janellesalah.com

There is a magnet on my refrigerator with a phrase by Zora Neale Hurston that says, “There are years that ask the questions and years that answer.”

Sometimes, if we’re very lucky, a year does both.

Some of the questions the last few years have asked me are:

• How to be a mom?
• How to blog?
• How to own a home?
• How to balance work, writing and family?
• How to plant a garden and keep up a yard?

All of these questions share one common thread: the answers can’t be easily explained.

You just have to forge ahead and try things out to see what works and what doesn’t. Sure there’s manuals, but it’s usually quicker to forge ahead and just try rather than reading 20 books first, especially with parenting.

I’d say the only question above where this “give it your best try” approach DOESN’T apply is blogging. There are a number of wonderful resources available for bloggers. However, I recommend a shortcut: social media genius, Kristen Lamb.

Kristen’s books We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer  should be required for ANYONE who wants to blog, but most especially for writers.

If you have a blog, want a blog or just have the idea of one tickling the edge of your mind, I’d make fast tracks for Kristen. She says that your blog should…

OMG, wait for it…
…MATCH YOU.

That’s it. No big hidden secrets of blog success (besides getting yourself on social media so people can find you and your genius). Your blog should be about the things you love and the things that interest YOU. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t interact with your followers, just that every blog starts with you.

Courtesy of Google Images

I sum it up as: you need to be authentic.

The same way a writer’s fiction shouts, “This is who I am,” your blog will too. I’m pretty sure that’s why so many bloggers ran screaming for their pillows when Kristen posted this on what writers should blog about (hint: not just writing).

I’m sure many of them were thinking:
You want me to be personal? To hang my passion out naked for the world? Are you kidding me?  This is NOT Weiner-gate, Kristen! This is MY BLOG.

Authentic is scary. It’s exposing and humbling and real. If you’ve read Margery Williams’ book, The Velveteen Rabbit, she describes this perfectly:

“What is REAL?" asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day... "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When [someone] loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand... once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.”

― Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real

In today’s world, where “reality TV” is staged and we watch our public figures lie without qualm, our blogging pals give us an important slice of real.

Are you letting your naked passion hang out for the world to see? What do you like about blogs? What makes you bookmark or subscribe to a blog?

About Jenny Hansen

Jenny fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after the newly walking Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s digging this sit down and write thing.

When she’s not at her blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at jhansenwrites and at her group blog, Writers In The Storm. Every Saturday, she writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.

Fourth Campaigner 1st Challenge - Goodbyes

I finally got the first challenge written!

The rules are to write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title.  It can be in any format, including a poem.  Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall,” which will be included in the total word count.

If we wanted to give ourselves an additional, optional challenge, we could do one or more of the followings:

• End the story with the words:  “everything faded.” (also included in the word count)
• Include the word “orange” in the story
• Write in the same genre you normally write
• Make your story 200 words exactly!

Goodbyes

Shadows crept across the wall of the garden as the second sun rose above the horizon.  Jora watched the combined warmth of both suns dissolve the frost from the ground, exposing bare dirt beneath.  She huffed into her hands, dispelling the chill from her achy bones. 

Her husband shuffled toward her. 

“Won’t be long now,” he said, scratching the stubble on his cheek.

She nodded.  They’d waited so long.  A few more minutes wouldn’t matter.

Putting his arm around her, he squeezed her shoulders, and turned toward the double sunrise.

Jora rested her head against his chest.  “I’m glad we stayed.  I just couldn’t...”

She paused, swallowing hard to push the lump in her throat away from her vocal chords.  “I’m glad Barlo is safe, though.”

Jora blinked her eyes against the tears created by saying her son’s name.  The memory of him, looking back at her before climbing into the evacuation ship, broke her heart.  He was young, though.  It would have been wrong for him to stay.

A pulsating orange light drew her attention to the horizon.  Clinging to her husband, Jora hid her face.  In seconds, the firestorm engulfed them.  Pain seared her body, and everything faded.

******

I also was tagged by the ever-kind Ozlem Yikici, but since I think everyone in the Campaign has been tagged, I don't think I'll pass it on.  However, if anyone is interested in answering these interesting questions, please do, and say I tagged you!

I have to say - I think all of you in the blogosphere know me better than my co-workers, with whom I've worked for the last five years! 


1.  Where did the inspiration for writing your WIP come from?

I got very tired of dealing with adults who abuse or neglect, or even generally mistreat their children.  I needed an outlet, and decided I was going to write a story about an abusing father, and have him "get it" in the end.  Don't get on my bad side!

2.   Any interesting tales about your muse?

Only that I don't seem to see her around a lot.  I think she works a lot behind the scenes, and isn't really flashy about it.

3.   Your muse; fab/frustrating/inbetweener?

I think she's pretty fab.  I assume she's a she...

4.   Why do you write?

Hard questions to answer, but it has to do with a long-shot at a career change. :)

5.   If you could enhance one of your senses, which would it be?

I have terrible eyesight, and lost some hearing because of drumming, so I think it would be one of those.  Probably the eyesight, because I'm almost legally blind without contacts.  Thank God for contacts!

6.   When you are not creating what do you do?

Everything else!

7.   Ask yourself a question –now answer it.

Why did I eat all that today?  Stress.

8.   How long is a piece of string?

As long as I want it to be?

9.   What was the last dream you saw?

The one I remember now was scary.  I dream every night (in color), though - and I remember most of them in the morning.

10.  In a film about your life, which actor would play you?

I've been told I look like Winona Ryder.  However, I don't really like her, and now that we've both grown up, I don't think the resemblance is there anymore.

11.  What’s your motto in life and also your work ethics?

Motto: "Just do it" ties with "Just because you can doesn't mean you should".  I have a pretty high work ethic, but my self-discipline continues to need a little more work. :)

I Feel (more) Like a Writer Now!

And what, are you wondering, is making me feel a little less like a pretender?  The fact that my first ever writer-ly interview is slated to be published on the blog of the fabulous Leigh Covington on February  21st!  I know I have been giving out information about myself left and right, but with the interview from Leigh, I actually talk about my work in progress and other writer-ly things.  So, please, if you could stand to learn a little bit more about me, please head over to Leigh's blog and say hello! (Did you catch the double-please? I'm trying not to beg... Really, I am.)

Photo by  Rob Wiltshire

This week is going to be another whirlwind blogging week, as I will be posting my entry into the first challenge for the Campaign later this week.  I meant to do it today, but the rest of life got in the way.  The good news is that today I got a substantial amount of editing done.  Not enough, of course, but I feel like I made headway! 

Friday is a Life List Club day, so I will be welcoming Jenny Hansen to guest post.  She has a great blog called More Cowbell, and I recommend to everyone to go check her blog out.  You all know how much I like to laugh, and her posts make me chuckle more often than not.  To give you an example of her sense of humor, the blog published yesterday was titled "Help Prevent Sinning with the 'Sin Collar'"  Gotta love it!  

I will be guest posting over at Sonia G. Medeiros's blog on Friday.  Sonia, if you remember, was my guest during the I'll Tumble 4 Ya' blog hop, and gave us all a laugh by choosing Alf as her crush before fessing up to Ricky Shroder.  After checking out Jenny's post on Friday, if you have time to stop over at Sonia's and say hi, my day would be made!

What are you all up to this week? 

Yikici's Paper Anniversary Challenge

I can't stay away from the blog challenges!  This is a relatively simple one, though, and has the potential to end up helping a charity, so I had to do it.

Ozlem Yikici came up with the following challenge as a celebration of her paper (one year) anniversary.  In her words, "I want us to write a story together.  How?  Just like any other Flash Fiction Challenge; but with a slight twist (I can't help myself); we will each write a paragraph (no more than 250 words per entry) to the on-going story (which will start below and continue in the comment section/linky list, I will create a page to collate all the entries."

There are four pictures to choose from as inspiration, and I was second to go, following C.M. Brown.  If you want to read the first portion of the story, you can hop over to her blog here, and if you want to see the picture that inspired our part of the story, you can go here to Ozlem's blog. Right now we are the only two that signed up, so I hope you all get inspired to continue with the story!

Here is my part:

“I’m scared,” Delphina whispered.

I glanced at her.  Her eyes were wide, and she grasped my hand hard enough to numb my fingers. 

The noise came again, an eerie howling. 

“It’ll be okay,” I said, and tried to smile, but my cheeks refused to help me lie to my sister.

She didn’t look convinced, either.

Some unknown power drew us toward the door, despite the strong urge to turn and run away.  Step by dreaded step, we continued down the hall until we stood just beyond the reach of the light shining beneath the door.

I peeled my hand out of hers, and reached for the handle.  

The door exploded open, knocking Delphina and I backward.  It flapped wildly in the hurricane force winds raging from the room.  My hair whipped up into the air above my head, and I had to squint my eyes against the violent gusts to locate Delphina.

She leaned against a doorway, her eyes closed.

“Del!” I shouted.  The wind carried my voice away.

I retraced my steps, the wind pushing against my back, until I stood in front of the staircase. 

What?

I rubbed my eyes.  There was no way what I saw was real.

A gigantic sunflower crawled octopus-like up the staircase.  One of the yellow petals broke free of the flower, and blew across the hallway, hitting Delphina in the face.

She clawed the petal off her eyes, her mouth open in unheard shrieks of pain. 

You really do need to go to Ozlem's blog and see the picture.  It's quite... um, interesting!

I Get to Join the Tagging Game!

I was tagged twice by two Fourth Campaigners - once by Hildred at Musings of a Procrastinating Writer and once by Colleen at Colleen's Write Brain.  After answering their questions, I get to tag some other Campaigners, which might be difficult because it seems like everyone's already been tagged!

Musings of a Procrastinating Writer - Hildred

1.  What is the single most annoying trope that makes you want to claw your eyes out? 

I am not sure what all the tropes are, but the word trope is really annoying to me.  I once got a rejection saying my trope was overdone, or something like that, and I totally had no idea what he was talking about.  It seemed like he just wanted to sound literary.

2.  If you could alter history and claim credit for any book ever written, what would it be?y book ever written, what would it be?

Nothing comes to mind.  Maybe anything Dean Koontz has ever written?

3.  How many kids were in your HS graduating class?

Just over 100
4. If you were guaranteed massive success either way, would you rather traditionally publish or self-publish?

Self-publish
5. What's the most you've ever paid for an article of clothing...for yourself?

$200.00 for my wedding dress
6. Singer, Model, or Actress - who you gonna be?

Model – once upon a time I wanted to be an Actress, but I don’t think I could do it now.  I’d love to be able to sing, but not in front of a bunch of other people (stage fright)
7. Chef, Driver, or Maid - who you gonna hire?

Chef
8. Bath or shower?

Shower
9. You're scheduling for a delivery to your house during normal business hours. What time do you request, and why?

4:00pm or later – I could be home without missing work.
10. Could you survive a whole year or more in a traditional Japanese apartment? (for the record, the one in the video is 10x nicer than mine, although mine is technically larger. Yay.)

I can survive many places, but I wouldn’t be very happy without my family.
11. Favorite Pokemon. And you can't cop out with "i dunno pokemon" because here's a link, pick the cutest one!

Oshawott – And I didn’t even have to look it up!  (other than how to spell it)

Colleen’s Write Brain - Colleen

1. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? 

I’d love to have my maiden name back, and I’d go with Larissa instead of Lara (same name, different form).
2. Which Greek or Roman (or other culture's mythological) deity would you be (either who you'd like to be or who you most resemble)?

I always wanted to be Isis (Egyptian)
3. Would you like to marry a Vulcan?

Funny you should ask – Mr. Spock was my first crush when I was about four years old, so I guess I would!
4. Would you choose immortal life with the elves, or a human, mortal life with the one you love and a child-to-be?

Totally choose my current, mortal life.  Immortality would stink if everyone around you died.
5. If you had to write fan fiction, what fictional world would you choose to write in?

I can't think of any!

6. Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?

Not generally, but alien cover up theories make me wonder.

7. What do you consider your best quality?

My boss once said I’m guileless.
8. What do you consider your worst quality?

I’m pretty judgemental.  I try not to be, I promise.
9. Do you ever feel over-exposed on your blog?

I’m not sure of the question.  I keep my secret stuff pretty secret, but I am worried that people might be getting tired of hearing all this stuff about me.
10. If you were to reincarnate, what would you like to be?

Something in the fantasy realm – a unicorn, angel, elf, etc…  Not something earthly.
11. What is your biggest pet peeve?  

People not being compassionate.  I get tired of people being mean to each other.

My eleven questions are:

1.    Which imaginary/fantasy/sci-fi creature would you like as a pet.

2.    If you had access to a time machine, what time period would you like to get stuck in, and why.

3.    What is your favorite collection (as an adult or child)

4.    Favorite drink? (alcoholic or otherwise)

5.    If you had to choose, would your favorite be Star Trek or Star Wars?

6.    Favorite childhood toy?

7.    What is one of your guilty pleasures?

8.    Have you ever met someone famous? If so, who and where?

9.    Night owl or Rooster?

10.  High school - positive memories or negative memories?

11.  What made you happiest in the last week?

As far as my list of tagged individuals, I searched and found three people who didn't appear to be tagged.  Since I've spent all night on this blog post, I'm giving up at three.  Here they are:

** Roland D. Yeomans at Writing in the Crosshairs

** Scott at Written Words

** Adriana Ryan

Have a great weekend!

Time Management? What is that?

For some reason, after Christmas Break, I can't seem to keep up.

Before Christmas, I seemed to have time after work to check blogs, tweet, and write every night, while still acting like I lived in a family.  Now, I barely get home from work and it's time to get the children ready for bed.  I stay up late to edit, blog, or write and I turn into Mrs. Cranky-Pants.  I have little to no patience with anything (or anyone) and, as my guilt begins to grow exponentially, my husband gently reminds me (and I quote) that "You are not the kind of person who can burn the candle at both ends."  Put into Google Man Translator it means, "You need to get some sleep before I can't live with you anymore."

I am bewildered.  Where did all the time go?

Photo courtesy of Simon Howden/Free Digital Photos.net

On the other hand, does it matter where it went?  It is obvious that this lack of time is where my life is now, and if I want to meet the goals I set for myself in January, I need to adapt.

Just this week, I came across two tidbits of advice that I am hoping will get me some time to edit every day, while still remaining a happy human instead of an exhausted, frustrated, uber-cranky writer.  Since I haven't been able to get any writing done this week (including any productive brainstorming for blogging ideas) I thought I would share these tidbits with you.

The Magic of Google Reader
For the longest time I kept hearing about Google Reader, but I didn't understand the time saving applications until this week.  One of my biggest frustrations with blogging has been the inability to keep all the blogs I follow in one place.  I signed up for WordPress blogs by e-mail, but it takes forever for each blog to load that way.  I also had to go into several different applications just to read and support my favorite bloggers.

Then, lo and behold, I learned on Rachael Harrie's blog how to use Google Reader to categorize the blogs I follow into folders such as "Campaigners", "Favorites", and "Life List Club".  This saves time because I can easily identify the blogs I want to read at any given time.  But, the best was yet to come.

Last night I finally figured out, through Google Reader, how to subscribe to the RSS feed of WordPress blogs.  I have everyone in one place!  WordPress and Blogger are nestled together in Google Reader, living in peace and harmony.  So, Life List Clubbers and Nina Badzin, if you noticed that I unsubscribed the e-mail function of your blogs today, it's because I have your RSS feed coming directly to Google Reader.

The Magic of Buffer
Also last night, I read a fabulous blog post by Michael Hyatt, "How to Become a Twitter Ninja in Less than 30 Minutes a Day".  In the post, he related that he uses Buffer in Google Chrome to schedule tweets and/or share blog posts that he thinks his twitter followers would enjoy.  Since I use Google Chrome, I checked it out.  Sure enough, using the Buffer icon, I can share web content without having to log in to Twitter, Triberr, or Hootsuite.

Are you ready for this.  I can log in to Google Reader, scan or read all the blog posts I subscribe to, share them through Buffer, and support my blogging friends, all from one application that has already downloaded the blog posts so I don't have to wait for them to load individually.  Doesn't that sound like heaven?  It does to me.

I have been organizing today, so I can't tell you for sure that Google Reader and Buffer will deliver on what it appears to be promising, but I'm hopeful.  I'll give it a week or so, and then let you know what I think.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Do you have any technology or applications that save you a ton of time?  Please, please, do share!

It's Getting Hot in Here!

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!  Today, to celebrate this fine day of relationships and romance, I am participating in the long awaited "It's Getting Hot in Here" Blog Hop.  I am to share one of my favorite kissing scenes from a book I've read, from my own WiP, make one up, or write about one of my own memorable kisses.

I decided to go with a scene from a book I've read.  I looked all over for my copy of the Anita Blake book where she finally succumbs to Jean-Claude's attentions, but I appear to have lost my books!  So, I'm going for my other favorite relationship, which is between Stephanie Plum and the incredibly sexy Ranger.


(from Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich, published by Bantam Books, 2011)


I was trying to concentrate on the security system, but I was already a little buzzed from the wine.  Ranger was close, and I wanted him even closer.  He was warm, and he smelled faintly of something unbelievably appealing.


"Babe?"


His face was inches from mine. "Mmmm?"


"Are you listening?"


"Yes." No.


My relationship with Ranger is well defined.  We both acknowledge the desire existing between us.  Ranger's made it clear he'll take advantage of any opening given.  And I've struggled to keep my openings closed.  My position more has to do with self-preservation than my allegiance to Morelli.  Morelli chose to back off on commitment, and I agreed.  Maybe some day that will change, but for now we have a comfortable working arrangement.  My arrangement with Ranger isn't nearly so comfortable.  It's frustrating at best and borderline scary at it's worst.  Ranger lives by his own code of conduct. He's an honorable guy... just not by normal standards.


"What did I just say?" he asked.  And the corners of his mouth almost smiled.


I leaned into him a little.  "I love the way you smell.  It's sweet and citrusy and clean and very sexy."  My lips accidentally skimmed across his ear when I spoke, and I think I might have sighed a little.


He lifted me out of my chair, pulled me into him, and kissed me.  His lips were soft on my mouth, his hands were firm on my back, his tongue touched mine, and heat swirled through me and went straight to my doodah.


*****


I've just got to love anyone who writes "doodah" as a euphemism for "those" spots!


Now I get to go and find out what everyone else's favorite kissing scenes are. Thanks for stopping by - I'll be visiting you soon. :)

So Many Fun Things to Do!

There are so many wonderful, fun activities going on in the blogging world lately!  I have just signed up to participate in the Fourth Writer's Platform Building Campaign, created by Rachael Harrie at Rach Writes.

I decided the Campaign was something I wanted to do when I read "The Campaigners are all people in a similar position, who genuinely want to pay it forward, make connections and friends within the writing community, and help build each others' online platforms while at the same time building theirs."  


I believe in supporting others, and really appreciate it when people are supportive of me.  I've never been one for forcing myself on people, and the whole concept of platform building has always been a little scary.  The idea of mutual support and community building warms my social worker heart, and makes me feel a whole lot better about the process of platform building.


Plus, the Campaign is highly recommended on the blogs of several of the people I have become acquainted with through other means (David Powers King, Mark Koopmans, Nick Hight).  I am looking forward to the start of the Campaign, the challenges and getting to know like-minded bloggers!  If you want to join in, head over to Rach Writes, and sign up. The list will close on Wednesday, February 15th, so be sure to get over before then!


Besides that, I have the "It's Getting Hot in Here" Blog Hop on Valentines day.  I think you can still join up over at Cassie Mae's Reading, Writing and Lovin It.  She and Hope Roberson are co-hosts. There's a ton of people participating and it should be a whole lot of fun.


You also may have noticed a new Blog Hop badge over there ---> in the margin.  It's Mark Koopmans "Got Green?" Blog Hop!  The linky list will officially open from March 12 to March 16, then on the 17th (St. Patrick's Day) we all share what St. Patrick's day means to us - any traditions, foods, memories or future plans of Ireland.  The total word count is 333 words, and there are prizes involved, so head over there on March 12th for some good old "Oirish" fun.  


Because of all the fun blog activities, I am finding that I am not exactly paying that much attention to writing fiction, or editing. So, once I post this post, I am going black for the weekend, and am going to be focused on editing, and doing a little creative writing.  I don't dare get on the computer, or I will easily spend several hours socializing by blog hopping, and tweeting.  So, I will see you all on Sunday night at the earliest!  Have a great weekend!

I'll Tumble 4 Ya Bog Hop and LLC Friday

Oooh!  I'm so excited to be participating in the I'll Tumble 4 Ya Blog Hop, and I'm also excited to offer you blog hoppers a two for one post!  Besides the blog hop, for me this Friday is Life List Club Friday, which means my fellow LLC'er, Sonia Medeiros, is guest posting at Motivation for Creation.  She decided to join in the hop, so I'll post her entry first, and then mine will be underneath hers.

Just a Little Crush by Sonia G. Medeiros

I'm thrilled to be hanging out at Lara's blog this Life List Club Friday. Lara's invited me to join in the I'll Tumble 4 Ya blogfest...by fessing up to my 80s celeb crush. So here goes...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

ALF!

What? Not buying it?

I mean...sure, he's a little height challenged. Okay and maybe he's in need of a good depilatory. And he might have been just a wee bit too old for me but...

Still not buying, huh?

Oh, alright. My real 80s crush was...

Ricky Schroder. In all his Silver Spoons glory. By the time I started watching the show, it was already in reruns but Ricky, with his adorable smile and open face really made my tween heart go pit-a-pat. Pretty sure I wrote "Mrs. Ricky Schroder" all over my school notebooks and had our wedding all planned out.

I think ALF was going to perform the ceremony.

So, spill already. Who's was your 80s celeb crush.

Sonia G Medeiros is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. She’s the author of more than a dozen short stories and flash fiction pieces, blogs at WordPress, and is working on her first novel, a dark fantasy. When she’s not wandering along the tangled paths of her wild imagination, she wrangles home life with one fabulous husband, two amazing, homeschooled children, a part-alien half-chihuahua and two cats who battle each other for world domination.

You can find Sonia on Twitter and Facebook.

Blog Hop Part Two: Lara's Crush

Since I was ten in 1981 and graduated high-school in 1989, the 80's are full of teeny-bopper crush memories.  I was going to include runners up, but I started adding people, and was getting too many photos, so I decided I'd stick to my main crush of the 80's.  I started crushing on them in 1984 and it kind of still goes on today, although in a much more mature way.  I hope. ;)

And the winner is...

Duran Duran!!!


This would not be a surprise to anyone who went to high school with me.  My parents practically knew the songs as well as my sister and I did.  If I told you all the stupid things I did back then because of crushing on Duran Duran, you'd never respect me again, so it's my dirty little secret!

Here they are circa. Seven and the Ragged Tiger in 1984.

I had to include this one, because they are actually smiling.  My mom even thought Nick Rhodes has an amazing smile.  Unfortunately, many of the pictures I found were those serious, model type photos they were famous for. 

Here they are (everyone except the guitarist, Andy Taylor, who doesn't appear to want to rejoin the band), still rockin' the guy-liner, in May, 2011.  In March, 2011 the band released All You Need is Now.

I guess we all grew older, so I won't hold the wrinkles, hair loss, and excess poundage against them.  Actually, I think they have held up better than many of their 80's contemporaries.  They still put out great music, too, and I found out several months ago that Simon Le Bon, the lead singer, has had a blog for a long time where he reviews science fiction novels. Who knew!

So that's my entry into the I'll Tumble 4 Ya' Blog Hop!  I've enjoyed revisiting my 80's crushes, and am so excited to see who everyone else picked!  I'd also like to say a huge "Thank you" to Sonia for playing along! 

 If you haven't had too much of me, you can always head over to Jenny Hansen's blog, More Cowbell, where I am guest posting on how to deal with goal achievement difficulties.  Have a great hop!