Clearing the Cobwebs

I receive Writer's Digest monthly, and it never fails to stimulate the writer within me. This month featured a list of great websites for writers, several of which are now bookmarked and visited daily.
Once in a while, the magazine sends facebook fans a Friday prompt, with the start of a story for anyone to continue with a sentence or two. I look forward to those, and this morning got the idea that perhaps a little jolt is all you really need to get writing.
For my fellow writers, and you know who you are.....please check out my new blog, named "A Writer's Daily Prompt", that I'll update daily with a starter sentence. You decide where the story goes next. I hope to help clear your cobwebs while at the same time clearing my own. Have fun!

A Writer's Daily Prompt: April 18

A Writer's Daily Prompt: April 18: "Okay writers.....here's your first prompt. In the comments section, post the next sentence to the story that begins here: 'When the tail l..."

A Writer's Daily Prompt: April 18

A Writer's Daily Prompt: April 18: "When the tail lights vanished around the bend, leaving Sam in total darkness, a shiver ran down her spine."

Six Sentences

How's this for a good creativity starter?  Write six sentences and see what you have to say.  Submit and you might have your work published with the top entries.

Click here: Formatting

April 4

It's been a long, cold winter. Snow still blankets the ground, though hopeful patches of dead grass are poking through, a promise of the warmth to come.
My depression lingers.
My classes are going well, but my creativity has dried up. I blame my medication, though I know it's much more complicated than that.
I am overwhelmed with responsibility. The smallest things can send me into a tailspin. I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, always the fixer. All I really want to do is crawl into bed and stay there until the sun shines long enough to melt the snow, warm the river waters, and caress my skin.
I need a vacation. What kind of unemployed person needs a vacation? It makes me feel weak, and selfish.
I'm tired of figuring everything out. I long for a simpler life.

Me with my boys this fall

DSCF2046
Originally uploaded by shereenflynn

Here's a nice shot of the boys. I'm standing on a higher step, otherwise you'd see that Rowan is much taller than I am, actually - it's ridiculous.

Leads

In the last few days, I sent several letters of introduction to newspapers, magazines, and trade publications in hopes of finding some more steady lines of revenue. I received several thoughtful replies, including two that were interested in pitched stories along with submission guidelines. I also was referred by my friend Deb Robinson to a woman who wants to write two short books and needs a wordsmith to put it all together and get it published. I'm meeting with her in December to start putting together the first of two books on death. The first will be informational, intended to guide families faced with sudden death through the process that follows. Who to call - what to expect at the funeral home - those things that none of us knows until we're faced with it ourselves. The second book will be targeted toward helping children deal with the death of a loved one. It's a good opportunity.
In the meantime, I have three very large, very important papers due in the next two weeks that I'll be working on feverishly.
Oh.....that.....and hoping Congress passes an Unemployment Benefits extension. Otherwise, I do believe I'm going to go to bed and not wake up until next year.

New Website

One of my clients has been asking me to design a website for him, and I've been playing around with a bunch of different programs. I already have my own website, www.theideadiva.net, that I designed on GoDaddy when I bought the domain. I used GoDaddy's website creator, but was less than thrilled with the results.
I did a lot of research and found a site that offers better templates and more options, and the basic membership is free (though I chose to buy a premium account so I could add sound files to promote my voice over business). It's Weebly.com - and so far I'm very happy. I just changed the DNS servers on GoDaddy to point my site to the newly created one - and within 48 hours it should be up and running. Check it out in the next few days and tell me what you think.
In the meantime, I'm beginning to panic about whether or not I can financially make it as a writer. This week, my goal is to submit my resume and writing samples to at least five outlets in hopes of becoming a regular freelance contributor. Clients come and go. October was a stellar month (though I haven't gotten paid for most of it yet) but November has been dry as a bone. I've published several articles, but it's not enough to keep food on the table.
I may have to find a real job. Lord, I hope not.

Mad, Mad, Mad

Yesterday, I was happy. Today, I am angry. Very, very angry.
I know high school is hard. I know kids can be mean. But for my oldest son, who lets EVERYTHING roll off his back, to come home begging for a transfer to a different high school, it's become a nightmare. I don't know what to do.
My beautiful, wonderful, smart, talented kid.
He looked forward to starting Wausau East all summer long. Couldn't wait! Came home after day one so enthused. Joined curling, debate, German club. Going out for lacrosse in the spring. In band. This is my mostly A's and a few B's student who has plenty of friends. Works out 3 times a week, runs and lifts weights whenever he can. And all it took to destroy it all was a couple of mean kids spreading rumors, calling him names, and making life completely miserable for him.
They call him slow and retarded. They say he's on drugs, his dad is on drugs, he's a moron.
Initially I called the school for help and was satisfied they'd nipped the problem in the bud. Now? The problem is continuing, and getting worse, and my formerly happy child dreads going to school, has headaches every week, and is having trouble concentrating on anything.
What is the MATTER with people today? With kids? With their parents? I am far from perfect and so are my children. But at least I know they're not mean, not bullies, not participating in that kind of crap.
I wish I could get my hands on the kids that do.

The Magical Place by shereenflynn| Lulu Poetry

The Magical Place by shereenflynn| Lulu Poetry

Home at Last

If you're wondering why I haven't blogged in so long, I'll tell you. It's because my idiot divorce lawyer suggested I do not. He worried I might say something I shouldn't.
He's not my lawyer anymore.
Three years into it, I'm still not divorced. How does this happen? And yes, I'll admit it, I've been practically living with my boyfriend for the past 2 1/2 years. How he puts up with it, I'll never know.
Much has happened. In May, I lost my job with Clear Channel. The news was not unexpected - the entire department, for the most part, was eliminated after a merger with Media Monitors. After 13 years, it still stung.
In June, I lost my mind. I'm working at slowly getting it back.
I spent the summer searching frantically for a job until I realized I had been given an extraordinary opportunity - to start over. Completely. I have always known what I truly wanted to do with my life, but it always seemed so......unrealistic. After all, how many SUCCESSFUL writers do you really know?
It took an eye-opening lunch with a voiceover client looking for a scriptwriter, a referral from a friend, and a freelance position with Demand Media to convince me I was moving in the right direction. I began writing in earnest, and have thrown myself into my journalism classes at UMass with renewed vigor and determination.
And yes, I'm still working on that book. Five pages a day, minimum.
A post from a fellow classmate at UMass reminded me how much I missed writing the blog every day. I'm just glad it still exists! So....lawyers be damned.....here we go.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is this weekend and I face it with feelings approaching dread. I know many people dismiss the "holiday" as Hallmark created, but as with other holidays, I adore celebrating and always work to make it special. It may seem silly, but I love all the hoopla. Sending valentines, buying little gifts for those I love - it all makes me smile.
Last year, a week before Valentine's Day, I confessed to Darren how much I loved the day and wanted to make it special. I think he was surprised, but he rose to the occasion and took me out for a fabulous dinner at Greenwood Hills. We dressed up and went out and had a terrific time, one I'll never forget.
A friend of mine asked recently why Valentine's Day, of all days, makes such a difference to me - and it's difficult to explain. I love holidays - all of them. I make a big deal out of birthdays, out of Christmas, even out of the 4th of July. But I know not everyone in my life shares my enthusiasm. I realized today that it has been over 20 years since someone sent or brought me flowers. I haven't received a romantic valentine's day card since I was 22, and haven't gotten a birthday or Christmas gift from a husband or boyfriend for.....well.....hmmm......probably a dozen years or more. This is not to say I only give cards or gifts with the expectation that they be returned (or, frankly, I'd have learned my lesson years ago.) But I can't even explain how much even the smallest gesture is so appreciated.
A year has gone by. We're more comfortable together, more apt to take each other for granted. It's a given that we love one another - it's no longer a question. But does that make Valentine's Day less important? Or - more?
Regardless of whether you're a romantic, everyone wants to be loved. What's more, they want to FEEL loved. It doesn't have to be expensive - a five dollar bouquet is just as effective as an 80 dollar vase filled with roses. Letting the day go by without even a small gesture.....well...I guess I just don't want to settle for that anymore.

Summer

Summer is in full swing with 90 degree days and stormy nights. Tonight I'm playing with the Wausau City Band at Marathon Park. Just waiting for the director to arrive with the crate of music and enjoying the breeze in the park!
Sent on the Now Network� from my Sprint® BlackBerry

April Madness

It's been months since my last blog entry - what gives? I feel like I've been living in a fog. Life has been good in so many ways, heartbreaking in others. It's the good and the bad of divorce and finding a new place in life.
Today I've been thinking a lot about forgiveness and what it takes to get past mistakes that people make. Recently, someone very close to me hurt me very much. I'm having a difficult time getting past it. Apologies were made, reassurances given, but the tenor of our relationship is, I fear, changed forever. At the very least it will take time for me to once again feel as confident as I did just days ago.
Yesterday's horoscope encouraged me to take off the rose colored glasses and see people for who they really are. And who are we? Flawed, all of us. We all make mistakes - huge ones, sometimes. We all hurt one another for reasons that seem reasonable at the time, unfathomable later. So, why is it so hard to forgive?
Perhaps we expect too much from one another. No one is perfect, least of all me. I know I just need to let it go and move forward or it will be ruined forever.

A bugs eye view of the superbowl....LOL.....

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Sent from my Helio Ocean

Great Music Weekend

This weekend was a terrific music weekend in our area.  We stopped for "a drink" on the way home at Lopps but was told about an interesting musician performing at Malarkey's downtown Friday night, so decided to give it a whirl, despite the fact that it isn't exactly our favorite venue.  Pat MacDonald was playing, onetime member of the 80's band Timbuk 3.  He has an interesting style and performed Friday with a cellist who had an incredible style and voice.  Her rendition of Come Together was amazing and we loved it.  Shot this photo with my cell phone - low light but you can see her very cool electric cello.  We'd love to see them again.

Saturday night we checked out our friend Cuda playing with the Mumblers at Intermission.  John Greiner was the guest on sax and it sounded superb.  One thing about Wausau, there is a surprising amount of quality music up for grabs in the area and there's almost always something to do - not always true of other communities this size.

Image of the Day

Happy New Year

This year, I broke away from tradition and celebrated New Year's Eve with Darren at the Jefferson downtown.  We bought tickets to the Swing Shift fundraiser for Community Theater where John Greiner (not - as the sign said - JIM Greiner!) and his Big Band played - Dana sang and did a beautiful job as always.  It was elegant and wonderful and I'm still sore from dancing.  We stayed at the hotel for the night so we wouldn't have to drive or worry about cabs, and it was a great time!  The kids all had overnight parties to attend, so the whole family did something new and different this year - and it worked out well!  New Year's Day we stayed at the hotel until about noon - then watched football by the fireplace until it was time to return to reality.  

I know that 2009 will bring many changes and some will be difficult to get through.  But I'm so blessed with friends, family, and love, that I am truly optimistic about the future and what it holds.

As for resolutions?  The big one for me is not to worry incessantly about those things I have no control over.  I intend to enjoy my life, and live one day at a time.

Christmas 2008

Hard to believe, but Christmas has come and gone, and now we're staring 2009 square in the face.  Where did the time go?  Looking back on the year, it's amazing how many changes have come to our lives.

Christmas was really nice this year.  Darren and Megan spent the holiday with us.  Darren made a great meal, we opened gifts and went to church, then stayed up until 4 AM talking to my brother and his girlfriend.  Reminiscing, telling stories.  It was a nice first Christmas together.

Christmas Day we had lunch at my mom's and dinner with Darren's family while the boys went with their dad.  Darren's dad makes beautiful wooden pens and gave me a set of two - I was really touched by the gesture.

Of course on Christmas night we had to meet up with our friends at Loppnow's for a holiday drink and the funniest thing of the week walked in the door in the form of our friend Derek, who lost a bet and was forced to wear nothing but long johns and a pimp jacket to the bar.  You've gotta love THAT photo - hysterical!

After six days off for me and five for Darren, it's back to work as usual, though we are looking forward to spending New Year's Eve at the Jefferson for John Greiner's Big Band celebration.  2009, here we come.

Rowan Scores....

Rowan scored his first ever points tonight at his basketball game.  He's worked really hard to improve his game and I'm so proud of him for reaching beyond his comfort zone and going out for a sport.  When I look at these pictures of him I can hardly believe how grown up he's getting.