tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6473125308198018122024-02-07T08:04:35.568-05:00Heather Geoffries BlogHeather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-21888875262855928882021-08-15T14:25:00.001-04:002021-08-15T14:25:24.065-04:00I finally have a new story out for preorder!!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j7o3MxJOBNEXadrEENZnN6tSXNzTwPUyxivQJWNZ-bYL8NjKiVWrtOYl9QlWTigSfUuUPEaGzusUPwEmV_Jz2PsPqOlmC2XzrVYyl8djx2Zu7k77PBYOxFCS1igqJ7zSw9ykHr-PdG5B/s2000/cover+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j7o3MxJOBNEXadrEENZnN6tSXNzTwPUyxivQJWNZ-bYL8NjKiVWrtOYl9QlWTigSfUuUPEaGzusUPwEmV_Jz2PsPqOlmC2XzrVYyl8djx2Zu7k77PBYOxFCS1igqJ7zSw9ykHr-PdG5B/w391-h391/cover+2.jpg" width="391" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hey all!</p><p>Meet my new book baby <i>Plays and Parchment</i> <br /></p><p>I wanted to take minute to geek out. Not only because I have a new baby releasing into the wild (which is always exciting and nerve inducing).</p><p>But also because, I actually finished a story all the way through to the published and available for others to read phase. </p><p>It has been years since I have been able to do any real writing. I was already proud that I won NanoWriMo last November and now I wrote whole other story and found a home for it amongst a bunch of super talented authors.</p><p>I owe Virginia Nelson for allowing me to join her anthology and for making these awesome graphics for it. Of course she has done so much more for me, but in this particular blog--I'll stick to the helping birth my baby stuff. </p><p>Here are the other two graphics she created</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGs3a0-7WSZHchJK1AYyi-UqLe_HtBe3UyHPnSdNJLZZ-lhU0FSP_-c7Z6SLAOHc8tILpMtfhl5KY_kQqWLY1MQewUi_ZxEPGqiZ51M51pmuQKEVFM2gex4UUDfEjDjDntmAxtwguc91v/s2000/cover+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGs3a0-7WSZHchJK1AYyi-UqLe_HtBe3UyHPnSdNJLZZ-lhU0FSP_-c7Z6SLAOHc8tILpMtfhl5KY_kQqWLY1MQewUi_ZxEPGqiZ51M51pmuQKEVFM2gex4UUDfEjDjDntmAxtwguc91v/s320/cover+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksDh06zdUl6EajW30tch51guh_1RSxPokZmbGBGx1KH3WDwIXyZsG8QAR8kDr9AkwtcHaaKNeLtoiA-By5-YvZNTm04Z9lBWcPpg-eL9aW4xYKI6vBu5LAeQgBgIs5u3I6uDzeSkcpe2S/s2000/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksDh06zdUl6EajW30tch51guh_1RSxPokZmbGBGx1KH3WDwIXyZsG8QAR8kDr9AkwtcHaaKNeLtoiA-By5-YvZNTm04Z9lBWcPpg-eL9aW4xYKI6vBu5LAeQgBgIs5u3I6uDzeSkcpe2S/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Aren't they fantastic?!</p><p>Available at</p><p><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/flip-the-trope-romance-gone-wild/id1581220645?mt=11&id=1581220645&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">Apple.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/flip-the-trope-romance-gone-wild" target="_blank">Kobo</a></p><p><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flip-the-trope-virginia-nelson/1140010557;jsessionid=7AA084B15D4CE9313E247101DB161BF4.prodny_store01-atgap05?ean=2940165619632&st=AFF&2sid=Draft2Digital_7968444_NA&sourceId=AFFDraft2Digital" target="_blank">nook </a></p><p><a href="https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798201153793_9798201153793_10020" target="_blank">Vivlio </a></p><p>Also--I have a couple of ARCs available if anyone would like to post a review. Let me know!</p><p>Anyway. I hope you have a chance to read it. </p><p>I'll just be over here happy dancing. *grins*</p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-91842145391932666792021-06-04T14:10:00.002-04:002021-06-04T14:10:12.810-04:00Post-partum--my personal hell (Remembering a time I was not me)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc7S3w8h1LSyPPlz1R9-rlQX9IvbAV4bY2ww09_xX59x7QZvIc6-uw8y4U2hYJcg0UOBY9TqVSwrRMWnno4Cj0JgEcflMvSN65oCTsDEco100jS4Ve5Ije4A7GIY2gZJhyphenhyphenMU_HMTxglxo/s640/sad-mother-with-child-56a8fd143df78cf772a28f44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc7S3w8h1LSyPPlz1R9-rlQX9IvbAV4bY2ww09_xX59x7QZvIc6-uw8y4U2hYJcg0UOBY9TqVSwrRMWnno4Cj0JgEcflMvSN65oCTsDEco100jS4Ve5Ije4A7GIY2gZJhyphenhyphenMU_HMTxglxo/s320/sad-mother-with-child-56a8fd143df78cf772a28f44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p> Earlier today me and hubby got talking about the time in our lives right after I had my first baby, which was forever ago now (about 14 years), but sometimes it feels like yesterday.</p><p> One thing that I said was that I am happy that it and other mental health is something that is talked about now. When I had my oldest back then, they had sort of started talking about it, but the only one's I had seen were extreme cases like Brooke Sheilds in an interview talking about wanting to stuff her baby in a washing machine. </p><p> I had a really tough time after giving birth to my firstborn and was constantly being told that new moms always had a little baby blues. There were even a few times that I went to different doctors (OBGYN, Pediatician and even my regular gyno) when I was at my wits end about a problem and the gist of the answers were either I was over reacting or whatever problem the baby had was my fault. Which was <i>so</i> not what I needed to hear right then.</p><p>Now you might be wondering <i>what about your husband or the rest of your family?</i></p><p> Well, hubby was burning himself out by working 40+ hours at a factory and doing 27 credit hours at college (when 12 is considered full time) He was hardly home. He got home sometime after 9:30pm, held the baby, ate some food and went to sleep until about 5 am. When he would wake up, get ready, hold the baby and leave for the day. He was unaware of my mental state because he was exhausted and stressed.</p><p><i> </i>My parents came over every night at midnight and held the baby. I spent some of the time actually talking to a person with real adult thoughts, some of the time doing a sits bath for my stitches and then about an hour of sleep. Then I got up and stayed up the rest of the night and the next day, constantly holding and bouncing the baby. At around noon, my dad would come over and hold the baby and force me to eat and go to the bathroom in between helping his dying father, which made me feel like an even more terrible mother. He had so much on his plate and he had to come over to help me do something I should be able to do naturally. But it was such a relief both the social aspect and the not having to jiggle a baby that I went with it and let the guilt silently feed my depression.</p><p> I had friends come over, which was always nice to not be alone at home with the baby staring at the same four walls and terrible Christmas movies. Some could empathize with the stress, some had babies too that actually slept for long periods of time (which was sorta not helpful) and some were just conversation.</p><p> My sister-in-law loves babies and offered to watch my kiddo which she did do for me a few times so I could go unconscious for 2-3 hours, but I also felt guilty having her help because she had 3 kids and her youngest was 2yrs old, so again, me putting extra stress on someone when I should be able to do my damn job! What was wrong with me?</p><p> It was a really dark time. I was alone with my thoughts and a cranky baby a lot. I cried so often and beat myself up over sucking worse than everybody I knew at the whole parent thing. When my foster sister visited and held the baby she laughingly asked if I was going to have more (at that time I was severely sleep deprived and depressed and my baby was only a month old) and I emphatically said NO. She thought it was hilarious, I thought it was sad. I had always thought I'd have at least 2 kids, but at this rate I couldn't even care for one baby or myself. I couldn't go through this again.</p><p> As we got closer to Christmas (the baby was about a month and a half) my hubby ended his semester and had a little more free time and we had some trouble sympathizing with each other. It was probably the roughest patch in our relationship ever. But he did seem to realize that something wasn't quite right with me and went to my family to discuss it. They agreed that I might have postpartum. He tried to approach me carefully, but his opening statement felt like an attack. "Me and your family were talking about you and we think that you have postpartum. We're all really worried." Reasonable, yes. But...</p><p> I was horrified and angry. They had been talking about me? They thought I was crazy like Brooke? I had never had a violent thought about my baby. How dare they?! I was a bad mom, but I wasn't <i>that</i> bad. And were they worried I would hurt the baby? Hell no. I would hurt myself before hurting the baby. Didn't they understand that I just had to try HARDER to become a decent mother? Didn't they know that I had spent endless hours thinking about how I wasn't measuring up and how I <i>had</i> to do a better job? It wasn't the baby,<i> I</i> was the problem and just like everything else in my life, if they just gave me a little time I would perfect this too. I was so hurt and angry at them for talking about me behind my back. And nobody else thought I had postpartum--at least not the professionals, I mean they straight up told me it was my fault. And nobody I knew had it that bad--yes, one friend had it for a bit, but I mean, her life was hard. She was a young single mom of three kids with a bad tough family to deal with, trying to make her way completely alone. Of course she had it. That just made sense to me. But everyone else? They did just fine and I should too because I did have a loving husband and a loving family and I did have friends and a nice house. There was absolutely no reason for me to feel this way. I just had to find the key to solving this problem by myself. </p><p> No. I never sought professional help. And no, I didn't really talk about it too deeply with my family. But my husband was home more and my kid started sleeping for long hours in her crib (instead of my arms) starting on Christmas Eve. (I still tell everyone it was a Christmas miracle and the best present ever) Turns out I wasn't making enough milk and the baby was always getting alot of air causing gas. Once the baby doctor started having me supplement formula with the feedings, her belly was full and she could sleep more. More sleep helped quite a bit. Having hubby home more hours of the day helped more. Fixing our romance and starting to feel like a person and a woman (instead of a stinky, dirty, exhausted lump) helped too. Then he did less hours at school in Feb. and lost his job in March, so he was home a lot. I started working weekends doing hair and had a reason to do my hair and makeup and wear nice clothes. And I felt more like myself doing something I excelled at and being social again. </p><p> Over time these things helped heal me. My parents ended up moving in, so that when I, oops, got pregnant again when my daughter was about 5 mo. old, it was different. I had many fears about it happening again, but this time I had so many people in my house. So many helping hands and my one year old kept me going. And I immediately added formula with my second baby, so she slept well and so, even though I woke a couple time in the night with both babies, I had so much more sleep. I did much better.</p><p> I was never exactly the same as I had been before kids, because noone ever is, but I didn't fall back into that awful head space. And I moved forward and remade myself within the family dynamic. </p><p> But I will never forget the way things were then. I don't even know who that person was, but I feel pity for her and wish that it hadn't gone on so long.</p><p> Since then I realize that many women and girls go through those deep lonely isolating depressions. Many still go it alone, but many more actually know that they can go get help. They know that they are not alone. And it's not abnormal or wrong. that they are not a bad parent or a bad person. That nobody will judge them as less. That there is help and it is so much easier to find now.</p><p> I am sincerely glad that they have turned a spotlight on mental health and postpartum. I am glad that there is information available everywhere. I am glad people are being open about their experiences so that those women that are up late and crying can read that others have been there and that they can and should talk about it. It's not a dirty secret. It's not wrong. But they should definitely get the help they need. </p><p> They shouldn't have to let it drag out for months. They can get feeling better. They can enjoy life and their new baby.</p><p> If you have experienced it.Please share.</p><p> If you're experiencing it now...*Big hugs* You are a great mom. You are a wonderful person. There is nothing "wrong" with you (i.e. crazy or etc) you are going through a natural thing and it will get better. Call someone. Go to blogs and websites. read up and see. You are not alone. Chances are, if you have a deep heartfelt conversation with some of the women in your life at least half of them have experienced more than the baby blues. Get a therapist that specializes in Postpartum. Get help. not only mentally, but let someone have the baby and go to sleep (it does wonders) and do not feel guilty. Most people love babies and they probably love you. Let someone cook you dinner. Let someone clean your house. it's okay. It does not make you less. Let people help you because most people want to help.</p><p> Remember. You are not alone. Even if you have a sucktastic family. Reach out on the internet--sometimes internet love is bigger than real life. Reach out to a therapist. </p><p> Do not think you are alone. </p><p> *more hugs just because*</p><p> You are doing great. You are awesome. You are going to raise a great kid because you are awesome.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-66932596801589046762021-05-03T10:32:00.003-04:002021-05-03T10:32:54.972-04:00Changes with Nordic Prince and South Sea Siren<p> <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhHqyIfQtxMS1eAKTcfP_gWEnkU4-te33GWYMgTaCku52pm4UXSQT69xn-1RuF-9K2BIR9vVslcw2cjj1t0MgyufEeFUVaHs_PqfOoBRu4ebwYYx_XwYECMUOw9dHvMLeFPyYEoHBwIAI/s393/crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="393" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhHqyIfQtxMS1eAKTcfP_gWEnkU4-te33GWYMgTaCku52pm4UXSQT69xn-1RuF-9K2BIR9vVslcw2cjj1t0MgyufEeFUVaHs_PqfOoBRu4ebwYYx_XwYECMUOw9dHvMLeFPyYEoHBwIAI/w390-h317/crop.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><p> Hello every body,</p><p>This won't be a long blog. More of an update. I have received the rights to my two books. They are no longer for sale through Champagne Books.</p><p> I've been debating what to do and think that I may self publish them through Draft 2 Digital. That way they are still available for those who are interested and they can still be out in the big world.</p><p> Other than that I will continue to write new stories. I am finishing my NanoWrimo project and a short story for an anthology. I will keep you posted on the changes.</p><p> And as always...Thank you for reading my stories and encouraging me to continue writing!!</p><p>Heather Geoffries<br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-20889821459025465232021-03-25T23:54:00.000-04:002021-03-25T23:54:04.670-04:00The Parent Trap My thoughts as a child vs. as an adult<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M8PORJRWCnLtt_cu6oagyRnOgivpwV2fX1Z_aw7XBZpFDnYaOKiD9a8ngBoO81DsVyICdHPci5LGaNxj7k0Vzet8a6XdSeL7eNk_EOrvFRXj877VCNDhI0wUzYPjZWX0hvdKkqJ3sVO6/s445/81co9mjRz9L._SY445_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M8PORJRWCnLtt_cu6oagyRnOgivpwV2fX1Z_aw7XBZpFDnYaOKiD9a8ngBoO81DsVyICdHPci5LGaNxj7k0Vzet8a6XdSeL7eNk_EOrvFRXj877VCNDhI0wUzYPjZWX0hvdKkqJ3sVO6/s320/81co9mjRz9L._SY445_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoIyQMNrkjeDNdNohTueD4AyV6314Pd8i7qvoRy9qg7kTsEonQERw8Q84SRo32NabeTEiQ4nitmgn0WDPYLQ2ZmiHOqa1SlmqA2iJvT3VpPCPBN8nXGFNUPvrKIvqGpwplTJMqZiN5ABT/s255/pt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoIyQMNrkjeDNdNohTueD4AyV6314Pd8i7qvoRy9qg7kTsEonQERw8Q84SRo32NabeTEiQ4nitmgn0WDPYLQ2ZmiHOqa1SlmqA2iJvT3VpPCPBN8nXGFNUPvrKIvqGpwplTJMqZiN5ABT/s0/pt.jpg" /></a></div><p> There are two movies that follow the same basic premise and they are both good. Lindsay Lohan was a good child actress, but my heart will always belong to the original that I grew up watching. Haley Mills was cute and in everything and<span> Maureen O'Hara was a feisty, passionate beautiful woman that I wanted to grow up to be. </span></p><p><span><span> </span>I watched the original a little while ago and had some thoughts about how I view it differently now than I did as a child (kind of like The Little Mermaid and how I really empathize with King Triton.)</span></p><p><span><b>As a child:</b></span></p><p><span>a. I so wanted to go to summer camp. it looked like so much fun and seemed to last forever.</span></p><p><span>b. My mom would whoop my ass if I let another kid cut my hair off. Then she'd buzz my hair like a boy.</span></p><p><span>c. Although I was impetuous and curious as a child, the idea of going to some strangers house and lying through my teeth was daunting. How could they be so excited to jump into the unknown? Didn't they miss their primary parent?</span></p><p><span>d. Why do they always say grandfathers <i>always</i> smell like licorice and pipe smoke? Mine smelled like aftershave or lawnwork and sunshine. </span></p><p><span>e. Vicky is awful! Icky Vicky (great song from Fairly Odd parents that did not exist in 1961) She deserved all the pranks they pulled. </span></p><p><span>f. Hahaha they made her look like a fool clacking sticks together and they almost drowned her. hahaha</span></p><p><span>g. Looks like love is full of fighting and passion and hitting the guy. (In many shows/movies that was the thing with romances. It wasn't until Rosanne that I saw a family that was comfortable, smartassed and blue collar. Not too much passionate fighting)</span></p><p><span>h. Lucky for the parents that they had twins, they both could have a kid. Perfect solution.</span></p><p><span>i. And they lived happily ever after. They were married. They will all live together as a happy family. The girls will be the best of friends or even closer as sisters. Yay!</span></p><p><span><b>As an adult:</b></span></p><p><span>a. My god! All those children causing problems. Destroying property. Covering children with honey while they are in the middle of the woods where there could be bears. Bears! Jeez Lois! How do they find sane adults who volunteer for this?!</span></p><p><span>b. Where is this summer camp that a rancher from California (West coast) and an elite upperclass socialite from Boston (East coast) mutually take their children? Illinois? Ohio? Iowa, Kansas? If it is in fact in the middle? Or does one parent have to travel farther? Why are they traveling out of state? Most summer camps are not very far from home. I don't get it.</span></p><p><span>c. As a hairdresser, I can say that that kid did not cut that girls hair exactly like hers. Especially with those dull scissors. And I cringe as both a parent and hairdresser at that scene.</span></p><p><span>d. Well. Same thoughts on grandpas. They all smell different. My dad worked on machines for a time. He also delivered pizza. So, he has smelled differently to his grandkids. But I do understand what they are doing. Our sense of smell can draw out memory quicker than any other sense. </span></p><p><span>e. Vicky is not so bad a little vain but she did try at the beginning but the girls made things miserable, including bringing back the sexy ex-wife that her fiance' still loved. Then on the camping trip they were awful and endangered her life and the father just waved it off. I would be pissed off, too.</span></p><p><span>f. Although they showed the arguments between the Exes and she punched him, they also highlighted their history together. Even the little things like her stockings hanging in the bathroom.You could tell that they had genuine feelings for each other, but they both let pride get in the way. They aren't perfect together by the end, but they have learned to be less self-involved and prideful. Maybe they grew up a bit and can talk things out.</span></p><p><span>g. There are so many types of love. You really just have to find someone who compliments you and brings out the best in you.</span></p><p><span>h. How could they have split the children like that and keep it a secret? Yes. They both have a kid to dote on and nobody has to go without their kid for the holidays or weekends, but honestly. As a parent, how could they live like that? Did they never wonder about the other daughter? Just because there were 2 of them doesn't diminish one of them. That would be like splitting up my two girls (not twins but 1 yr apart.) I couldn't do it. I loved my girls since before I met them when they were in my belly and then when they were babies with their own unique starter personalities. I had trouble going out on dates with my husband and leaving them with a sitter for a couple hours. I can't imagine letting one of them go for 10 years. 10 freakin' years without seeing them. It wouldn't matter that the other child is safe and perfectly happy with their dad. No!! I need to see my babies always. Oh, well they lived on opposite sides of America and it was before computers. I. Don't. Care. Nothing would keep us apart and I wouldn't keep the other girl from her father or her sister. Hell no. If I had to I would move to his state if he had to be there. Fine. I will see both my babies grow up and so will he. They are both equally important and special in my heart. Their arrangement was stupid and selfish and childish. It wasn't fair to either parent, nor other family/friends and especially not to those sisters. Ya'll suck. You're lucky those girls didn't hate you for your BS.</span></p><p><span>i. I know marriage doesn't equal automatic Happily Ever after. Life happens and you go through good times and bad and hopefully you make it out the other side together. Besides, what about the practical stuff? She has a career and life in New York. He has a ranch and life in California. Both girls have school come the fall. Where do they plan to live? Who is changing their entire life? Which kid has to say goodbye to their school friends they've had their entire school career. What about Grandpa? If they move to California, does Grandpa automatically go or does he get left behind? Or the dad's housekeeper that is as close as family and has family of her own in California? I mean, yeah, they'll probably work something out but you cut it off right after the marriage and the girls being sooooo happy as flower girls. Also, these girls might still be close because they are happy to not be an only child anymore, but they might also be so different that they become those sisters that can't be around each other--especially considering the way their parents approach relationships. </span></p><p><span>There's more I could go on about but that covers some of the main things in my mind.</span></p><p><span>What do you think about the Parent Trap? Is there another movie that you've watched as an adult that you saw in a completely different perspective? Is there anything Major that I forgot that made you go hmm...?</span></p><p><span>Let me know. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXsrfqdlhwQhnFGf6BuO0a5DotKPQkP-lpBG4XbvNjSDl5q8cdmXqS6TSbHMnGDGpZ9_QSvMRw6A5yfd-A1L-kCxTiQ7zu257HlucygOrkhIAtc614-KPC9weAHuef7IvfPh-pkQNA915/s200/Janet.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXsrfqdlhwQhnFGf6BuO0a5DotKPQkP-lpBG4XbvNjSDl5q8cdmXqS6TSbHMnGDGpZ9_QSvMRw6A5yfd-A1L-kCxTiQ7zu257HlucygOrkhIAtc614-KPC9weAHuef7IvfPh-pkQNA915/s0/Janet.gif" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span><p></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-19663243111594369112021-02-21T23:57:00.005-05:002021-02-21T23:57:57.497-05:00Alternate reality/alternate memory HEAs that Piss me off!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaYBCDk3FIl10qREDPdSdzbVK0RsxVKNoK39A-1hRLPn1I_6Yt_K5mvJeCtqt8f3dn0_JtixlMSSGJtXpV0arwdpYsM0Cja-jdmjQqzP7NxwmohuJfdwG6CPpwe2KYmEv5mPZ9_JfgBor/s400/kevin-hart-wait-who-are-you-meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaYBCDk3FIl10qREDPdSdzbVK0RsxVKNoK39A-1hRLPn1I_6Yt_K5mvJeCtqt8f3dn0_JtixlMSSGJtXpV0arwdpYsM0Cja-jdmjQqzP7NxwmohuJfdwG6CPpwe2KYmEv5mPZ9_JfgBor/s320/kevin-hart-wait-who-are-you-meme.jpg" /></a></div>Before I start my rant, I will give a disclaimer that this is how I feel about the topic. Other people might love it or it otherwise wouldn't occur so frequently. So--if you like when reality/timeline changes or the love interest loses their memory but the lovers are still drawn to each other and everything is "great" again, this is not the post for you. But thanks for stopping by. Feel free to pop in again on a future post. :D<p></p><p>Also SPOILERS ahead for a few books a couple tv shows and a movies. Read the titles and movie past if you haven't watched or read them. THAR BE SPOILERS AHEAD! <br /></p><p>The changed love interest being "enough" the same has irked me for a long time.</p><p><b>Knight in Shining Armor and Remembrance by Jude Deveraux</b>. <br /></p><p>One of the first times I remember being aggravated by it was when I read 2 Jude Devereaux books. I am a fan of hers and have read most of her books about the Montgomerys and later the Taggerts. But when I read <i>Knight in Shining Armor </i>where the main protagonist and her love interest Nicholas travel through time to each other, I loved the story--until the end. She shoots back to the future by herself and she reads that he lived a much longer life than her did before she went back to him and then died a long time before she was born. But Lo! and behold. She meets a perfect stranger that she's drawn to and he seems drawn to her and she knows that he the reincarnation of Nicholas and they sit together. The end. What?! That's it. Muther fluffer! I got past that book and then read<i> Remembrance</i>. This time she travels to 2 past lives and is able to help the her of the more recent past break a curse between her and the soul mate. She doesn't get to stay with that guy nor the original that we fall in love with. Nope. We shoot to the future and she meets a random stranger and knows it's her soul mate. The End. WTF!!! Come On Jude. Stop messing with my emotions. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7npwDVlpw9weBsv12xD4OAX9LD_X5eHDCHTwwahJGm3aGVkiQJFANEc764A7FdZTurpFOA3QyKM4lrdgtdP3D5DBzY5q6Ct-RLrpG_EkPsRIstb8DSIx_-aRIf2X4suOiCWnT1lGoCPw4/s1963/91y8pK2cQvL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1963" data-original-width="1280" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7npwDVlpw9weBsv12xD4OAX9LD_X5eHDCHTwwahJGm3aGVkiQJFANEc764A7FdZTurpFOA3QyKM4lrdgtdP3D5DBzY5q6Ct-RLrpG_EkPsRIstb8DSIx_-aRIf2X4suOiCWnT1lGoCPw4/w106-h162/91y8pK2cQvL.jpg" width="106" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UTpVUZ0sA-YS39lOjcSPg1YD7j9l5TmEXZPf7S5ryDdtqLcBXOa_Qt5scbKf6LXt2yOpFJZbq0VK3kdvPjghqwy0xlM0VBc4gcEMHBba2ph78bKxQU2-u6f0u-8PsUv3QRFkUyojlkTT/s475/1474357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="292" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UTpVUZ0sA-YS39lOjcSPg1YD7j9l5TmEXZPf7S5ryDdtqLcBXOa_Qt5scbKf6LXt2yOpFJZbq0VK3kdvPjghqwy0xlM0VBc4gcEMHBba2ph78bKxQU2-u6f0u-8PsUv3QRFkUyojlkTT/w108-h175/1474357.jpg" width="108" /></a></div><br /><p>Neither of these contemporary men are the guys that she fell in love with. They don't have a shared history of experiences that make a couple. This is some forced "Magic" love crap.</p><p><b>Forever, Forever and Always, and Always by Jude Devereaux</b> <br /></p><p>Anyway, years later, after reading many more good books by Jude, my husband picked up a new series from her for me: Forever (the first in a trilogy Forever and Always)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnepNWlF4FxKVzy6udF5N1b8gnO4zbsu1pF_O4TlCB-6PWD4kLLyxxsTyqsIFuZnXBJT4fXIma8Xc-lgTCoKSD6feCHQVklNReyYFNKlVZ-euG4hb8TgPe3V4fwf5MUpVnYaGk2ANuJjSb/s343/B18iHkMw0rS._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="343" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnepNWlF4FxKVzy6udF5N1b8gnO4zbsu1pF_O4TlCB-6PWD4kLLyxxsTyqsIFuZnXBJT4fXIma8Xc-lgTCoKSD6feCHQVklNReyYFNKlVZ-euG4hb8TgPe3V4fwf5MUpVnYaGk2ANuJjSb/w149-h130/B18iHkMw0rS._SY300_.jpg" width="149" /></a></div><br />. The first book was great. The main protagonist is cute and causes problems with her naivete and curiosity and the love interest, Adam, is hard, serious and smart. But they work together and grow together until they beat the bad witch, save his sister and fall in love. Then the next 2 books came out and all the people she cares about disappear and no matter how hard she tries with her powers she can't find them and she's told she never will. So--she goes back saves Adam, his sister and their parents and none of the bad crap <i>ever</i> happened and she meets him and they flirt and talk. She has her happy Adam back. The end...<p></p><p>...Whaaaat? It's not her Adam. None of the stuff that made him her Adam happened and none of the things they went through to make them a couple happened. He. Is. Not. The. Same. Man. Period.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2Tt7V8kwLHuSLipof7VyJSbIJMqmC83XtcGgegcb2SY0yfSMqZEo9e46uyVhtouTFRzXIJcgucEIK1l4A0xHoaEr46G97h-zAbKyaH5WXuojmbDQpvrKDenVgI-AA62_I5mc3gI0Ck43/s498/lucifer.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2Tt7V8kwLHuSLipof7VyJSbIJMqmC83XtcGgegcb2SY0yfSMqZEo9e46uyVhtouTFRzXIJcgucEIK1l4A0xHoaEr46G97h-zAbKyaH5WXuojmbDQpvrKDenVgI-AA62_I5mc3gI0Ck43/s320/lucifer.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Teen Beach Movie a Disney Original </b><br /></p><p>I was more recently reminded of this with a cute Disney Original movie I saw this past summer called "<i>Teen Beach Movie</i>" In the movie, the quiet girl meets a surfer guy who is obsessed with a certain old teen movie. They watch and he discusses it with her, then they go surfing together and a storm blows then around and they land on a beach. They realize their in the movie. He is ecstatic and joins in. She joins in more cautiously. They inadvertently make changes to the movie and they have to make the ending happen or the don't go home. They do it and say goodbye to their new friends. Then they get back home and have become close because of their experience. Aw. How cute. Good ending.</p><p>So of course the writers made a decision:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOu13B-ha_Mh7qqDE-_vtB_OtDKcWaXYvnLBc-8dRlW9hspHanQGav4vt99phoJnkoMN5mVPt8WkDM-BC32QXnbQpYtG2KBHlEpDnwPhsxc1Xio4zuoaHHwsFs3t82yYlROW7U8Bmhd9j/s400/im-gonna-wreck-it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOu13B-ha_Mh7qqDE-_vtB_OtDKcWaXYvnLBc-8dRlW9hspHanQGav4vt99phoJnkoMN5mVPt8WkDM-BC32QXnbQpYtG2KBHlEpDnwPhsxc1Xio4zuoaHHwsFs3t82yYlROW7U8Bmhd9j/s320/im-gonna-wreck-it.jpg" /></a></div><p>They made <i>Teen Beach Movie 2 </i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKllJ-O7LAPqRFAt3kROC2ac9SoscT7-NhuGveVpzcEtiSLydnXi7wRvwynYmh97c6ZQz9yP4iFlhufIGyWSMowAgLtIwQfvqxAXe_tJpB-CvAjQvuwksOtI0B01C3dMASdRjv482dZUI/s364/Teen_Beach_Movie_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="273" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKllJ-O7LAPqRFAt3kROC2ac9SoscT7-NhuGveVpzcEtiSLydnXi7wRvwynYmh97c6ZQz9yP4iFlhufIGyWSMowAgLtIwQfvqxAXe_tJpB-CvAjQvuwksOtI0B01C3dMASdRjv482dZUI/s320/Teen_Beach_Movie_poster.jpg" /></a></i></div><i><br /> </i><p></p><p>And now the two characters from the movie come to the real world and biker girl doesn't want to go back. But they become more real as their friends in the movie begin to vanish. They have to go back, not only to save the movie friends but to keep the timeline in the real world the same because if their was never a beach movie, the two protagonist would never meet. The characters make it back, but the biker girls changers her story and the real world lovers never met/talked about the original movie/had an adventure/ or fell in love. But don't worry. At the end they meet each other at an anniversary showing of the movie and dance together while biker girl winks at them from the big screen. The end.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklCWqwN-s1b3kSQ_0XTUbF0X2GDKkSDe6wDIXDIevsdIcCPFAoGh_F_wncwStWk3ng9peRH2ofbtgejXzZsZOv5nE1f_rGt_1KsS85UUylN4Sk9k7U4YVWLqswq-nvLz6JzyUM9tNe9hV/s480/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklCWqwN-s1b3kSQ_0XTUbF0X2GDKkSDe6wDIXDIevsdIcCPFAoGh_F_wncwStWk3ng9peRH2ofbtgejXzZsZOv5nE1f_rGt_1KsS85UUylN4Sk9k7U4YVWLqswq-nvLz6JzyUM9tNe9hV/s320/giphy.gif" /></a></div><br /><p>No. Just No. It is not ok. It is Not Happily Ever After. No. It's a first cute-meet. That's supposed to happen earlier in the story. They are not the same as they were after their adventure, Damnit! <br />I really hoped they would make a #3 to fix it, but nope. That's it. grrr.</p><p>Ya'll need to just stop doing this to me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVV_p-xKpEKiMtMoDByG7AJR_FaluA3QCRB6sNRdIoBgVuJiaa4uUHTBqx_4MwT70L6XKK_7WVzx-nlkewt97JyDaR4Wt1MscrYj1CqMaQA1jkmA0yyXUl8tLNn9XbTVP0AOgn0DaMOgK/s600/Capture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVV_p-xKpEKiMtMoDByG7AJR_FaluA3QCRB6sNRdIoBgVuJiaa4uUHTBqx_4MwT70L6XKK_7WVzx-nlkewt97JyDaR4Wt1MscrYj1CqMaQA1jkmA0yyXUl8tLNn9XbTVP0AOgn0DaMOgK/s320/Capture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGgiSO5JjCMoS7mL4P-oeDzbjSBe952KtOoUZm3BtwogitcdvKkpMDtx5prjEz-7Wi2Y3ej3S4RmvMDWN_2LuauyZksv2sW4cx8qZlJaVjMnTx6r150GCsUaamrNZX8lFNz2UhobH7F5d/s220/tenor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGgiSO5JjCMoS7mL4P-oeDzbjSBe952KtOoUZm3BtwogitcdvKkpMDtx5prjEz-7Wi2Y3ej3S4RmvMDWN_2LuauyZksv2sW4cx8qZlJaVjMnTx6r150GCsUaamrNZX8lFNz2UhobH7F5d/s0/tenor.gif" /></a></div><p><b>The Passing group: The Vow and Bring it On Ghost! </b><br /></p><p>There are a couple that sorta crawl under the radar because of Loopholes. One is <i>The Vow</i>. There is no bringing her back, but they show that in the aftermath. They do not get along. All he knew about her is gone and she doesn't know him. There is no fix and they break up. But then they both choose to date the new them and they start fresh with a first date. I'm okay with it because they both know that it is not the same and they are willing to get to know each other in this knew phase.<br />The other is a cute Korean show I just watched called <i>Bring it On Ghost!<br /></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7LeJ_-SAVRZI57gUcbSp_QAJZq-EH59fDBhBV_kwAz5-XwS6KrseIUzc1IgtSnBBBmO8w99RR1qwFiRtXberSFiwT1vClAbLmnzZQ7bCGVsUyBJI9cnO1jsuYBxA1BpLQW6QcHtNvUMH/s385/Hey_Ghost%252C_Let%2527s_Fight_-_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7LeJ_-SAVRZI57gUcbSp_QAJZq-EH59fDBhBV_kwAz5-XwS6KrseIUzc1IgtSnBBBmO8w99RR1qwFiRtXberSFiwT1vClAbLmnzZQ7bCGVsUyBJI9cnO1jsuYBxA1BpLQW6QcHtNvUMH/s320/Hey_Ghost%252C_Let%2527s_Fight_-_Poster.jpg" /></a></div><p><br />Through 75% of the show she's a ghost and they go through a lot together including falling in love. But she's not actually dead--she's in a coma. Yay! But she doesn't remember him. BOO! And she never fully remembers everything, but she has enough flashes to show her she can trust him and he stays by her side and re-acquaints himself with her. And they build a new relationship together. So--I would have preferred she remembered everything, but, I guess I can deal with the ending.</p><p>Otherwise. Seriously. Stop doing this. </p><p>What about you? Any stories like this that drive you Batty? </p><p>Do you like these types of endings? What are your thoughts?<br /></p><p><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-43216416998373543622021-02-18T21:31:00.006-05:002021-02-18T21:31:58.285-05:00Other things Men do in movies that I find sexy<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0G3WQzXwdahYud0HIQgRiW5eEDAXBIiC2qqvqtEByxl90FpnLZ_HQAx8KwpeXZruUi9gbPmT7bID-a3OEAYrYIT9ruoSJ-zZYcFLu1eo50M-dF0FOR34D3S4nHK_CdE0KyJelst7nB01/s259/Swooning-woman-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0G3WQzXwdahYud0HIQgRiW5eEDAXBIiC2qqvqtEByxl90FpnLZ_HQAx8KwpeXZruUi9gbPmT7bID-a3OEAYrYIT9ruoSJ-zZYcFLu1eo50M-dF0FOR34D3S4nHK_CdE0KyJelst7nB01/s0/Swooning-woman-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swoon worthy moments in movies and Tv.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In my post yesterday I talked about that moment when a man takes the first step and passionately kisses the girl and makes you say "purr." You can click <a href="https://heathergeoffries.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-wow-moment-when-male-character.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwAR2SYZSRpdeSQhxBQkHE93IIJD3fY2KlwHI0sxSV_cohGJ6Pinv7BXSM5_E" target="_blank">here</a> to read it.</p><p>I decided to continue with some of my other zing moments or WOW moments in this blog. I was going to make these two topics separate, but as they are within the same theme I'll lump them together.</p><p>One thing that can make my heart flutter or my body zing is seeing a man sing or dance well. But, I have noticed there must be other factors involved. I'm not even sure what all of them are, but I do know that not <i>every</i> guy that sings, nor <i>every</i> guy that dances catches my interest.</p><p>For the first example, I will do dance. 2 movies I can think of off the top of my head give me slightly different reactions, but still make me hold my breath and keep my eyes peeled. </p><p>First: <b>Enchanted</b></p><p>The movie is cute and I like the premise. Patrick Dempsey was called Dr. Mcsteamy and had a group of adoring fans when the movie came out. I at that time barely registered him on my radar. I didn't watch Grey's Anatomy and I thought he was okay. The main thing I liked about him was that he was an older hot man, but personally I was like, meh. Then as I watched the movie, I definitely could identify with his character. The cynical, practical NyC lawyer. And as the movie progressed, she helped him be a little softer and more filled with hope and he helped her be a little less naive and a little more realistic. But, he has practical gf Nancy and Gizelle has her prince finally when they go to the ball. Prior to this Robert (Dempsey)grumpily told Gizelle he did not dance nor did he sing. And then they Dance together and the world fades into the background as their heated gazes remained locked on each other. The chemistry between them is almost palpable. Through the dance, you know how they feel about each other. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="322" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h3AbQjWspQY" width="461" youtube-src-id="h3AbQjWspQY"></iframe></div><br /><b> </b>I gave you the set up before so you know some of the underlying things that make this moment so big. And my guess on the extra factors that drew me in were song choice because a good soundtrack should draw out the emotion in the scene. Their body language was amazing although they mostly only touched hands and had a good dance frame, the electricity and the draw was there. His singing to her toward the end and their expressions are fantastic. You can see what they feel just from their eyes and their expression. They both yearned for each other and it hit me right in the heartstrings. Who would have thought Disney would give me a character to say hmm about?<p></p><p>Second: <b>Mrs. Winterboune</b></p><p>Mrs. Winterbourne came out in the mid-nineties and wasn't a blockbuster success. I've talked to many people who've never seen it or heard of it. It's a cute rom-com with a great cast and I still love it even if it is a little cheesy. It stars Ricki Lake and Brendan Fraser. Rickie plays Connie a down-on-her-luck pregnant girl and Brendan plays both Hugh and Bill Winterboune as twins. Hugh is kind to Connie on a train but the train crashes and both hugh and his lovely pregnant wife Patricia die, but Connie doesn't. Because of circumstances, Connie is mistaken for Patricia and goes to live with the family. Bill is nothing like his brother. Cynical, bitter, snarky and serious, he doesn't believe Connie is Patricia. The more time they get to know each other the more they like and eventually want each other. In there dance scene, not much is said until afterwards. They keep eye contact the whole time too, but the Tango is a much more sultry, sensual dance. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="288" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YjSpGHlCHu4" width="474" youtube-src-id="YjSpGHlCHu4"></iframe></div><br /><b> </b>Unfortunately this is the only copy I could find, but it still is clear enough to get you into the moment. Here, he holds her closer because you have to when you Tango. They are pressed close, staring into each others eyes. Their facial expressions show the desire and chemistry. And the soundtrack is the thrumming sound of the Tango pushing them closer together. At the end of this scene he kisses her passionately and then he's giddy with love/lust/infatuation. Then she kisses him just as passionately. These are some of the elements that made me a fan of Brendan Fraser. Yes, he was funny in Biodome. Yes, he had a rocking bod and was half naked in George of the Jungle. But honestly this movie and this scene made him Uber attractive to me--followed by a Blast from the Past, which also has a cool dancing scene.<br /><p></p><p>Now the next examples, previously mentioned; Singing. Again, it's not every man that sings or a specific genre. There are some really good singers out there that inspire a whole plethora of feeling. But for this list I'm using Movies. Since I only did 2 dance movies I will do 2 Singing movies. There are many more than I will mention, but these go hand in hand with the past couple days post about being surprise attracted to men who normally don't grab my attention except for one scene that started the ball rolling.</p><p>First; <b>Little Shop of Horrors</b></p><p>Now, I know how it sounds. Who could be hot/attractive in the male group of that movie? Seymour is a little nerd guy played by Rick Morranis, who everyone thinks is adorable? Or the sadistic Dentist played by Steve martin? Or maybe the evil alien plant? Your probably thinking hmm, <i>she got a screw loose. </i>But hear me out. This is still in the sneaky hot category. The guys you overlook or go meh but then they do something and your like Huh! Interesting. Through most of the movie, I like Seymour. He's a sweet, loyal guy that is a good fit for Audry. He would probably be a friend, but I don't know if I would date him. First when he is going through a moral conflict during the "Feed Me Seymour" song then he gets rage filled and belts out why he hates the dentist. Then when the dentist is gone and Audry is grieving, he comforts her and wears his heart on his sleeve. Then sings to her in a powerful voice that should not be able to come from such a little guy.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9DD7VIKZnGA" width="484" youtube-src-id="9DD7VIKZnGA"></iframe></div><br /><b> </b>So, again. Some of the factors. The dedication to her from before. The score is awesome and powerful. The words are sweet and lovely. The entire time he sings he can't take his eyes off of her. When he can he touches her gently and with comfort. And the look on his face when he looks at her like she hung the moon. Then just before they kiss, they both pause, overwhelmed by feelings before they are drawn together and the kiss is passionate. After that movie, I wanted my own quiet sweet, but secretly passionate nerd guy to sing to me. As a side note no other movie made me want him that way. I like him as a person and in the roles he plays. But this movie pinged my romance/attraction radar.<p></p><p>Second singing movie and last for the Blog; <b>Moulin Rouge!</b></p><p>Honestly, I don't know if there is a specific song that made Ewan McGregor as the blue eyed, earnestly, naive man in love sexy. I did find him attractive before he even opened his mouth. I mean look at that face and that smile.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie93eVu3IdG1PfQG3VIQjzY8-1v0RjhuRyfYcvc1IEXL2ri8L6PAwG03RbiJMWbrmeawwpeYexkIKMKfyRjfHqwJTTrOJF6_RTyeO4oQGOjxDaZS6jopHBPh7U5T_XCW-D-7G2EHW4w77b/s300/p-moulin-rouge-ewan-mcgregor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie93eVu3IdG1PfQG3VIQjzY8-1v0RjhuRyfYcvc1IEXL2ri8L6PAwG03RbiJMWbrmeawwpeYexkIKMKfyRjfHqwJTTrOJF6_RTyeO4oQGOjxDaZS6jopHBPh7U5T_XCW-D-7G2EHW4w77b/s0/p-moulin-rouge-ewan-mcgregor.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b> </b>He's a cutie in the movie before he starts emoting through his love songs. <p></p><p>He is hopeful and earnest and excited to be in France and writing songs for his friends.</p><p>He is in love with the idea of love and is open to anything.</p><p>Then he goes to the Moulin Rouge to meet the star of place. Satine. </p><p>When he sees her everything else fades away and slows down. He is twitter-pated.</p><p>She thinks he's a Duke and there are some really cute <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCZ9Thyr1NDvPDhkGQO9Ww9BzSZcVfvrEFMNhKUWVTDCijANs-RaQvKVWYpfLdXSpqztBYlyXHu8zh-VNffzDhrXAWrF9C4ZmtKoQRDXvObNvJvG7x1ud0lsej-e0chZQM-6Ig-6oy1p9/s711/moulinro3_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="711" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCZ9Thyr1NDvPDhkGQO9Ww9BzSZcVfvrEFMNhKUWVTDCijANs-RaQvKVWYpfLdXSpqztBYlyXHu8zh-VNffzDhrXAWrF9C4ZmtKoQRDXvObNvJvG7x1ud0lsej-e0chZQM-6Ig-6oy1p9/w275-h116/moulinro3_.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><p>and somewhat embarrassing moments while she tries to catch his interest.</p><p>Maybe the first song he sings to her was where his actual voice and body language made him unforgettable to me.</p><p>In order to catch her attention he belts out "Your Song" with such an intense and then gradually playful look on his face, I was like Satine and half fell in love there.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jkxj-FBEH1w" width="521" youtube-src-id="jkxj-FBEH1w"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p>The score is great. The soundtrack is moving and the love story is epic. In every song he sings to her or they sing together, he always maintains eye contact and you can always tell how he feels. Whether it's flirty, or true love or anguish like in the Roxanne tango below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rn0xXo1gwGY" width="320" youtube-src-id="Rn0xXo1gwGY"></iframe></div><br /><p>His voice, his expression and his body language draws you in. Makes you fall a little in love. Causes a zing moment and tears your heart out when he cries. This movie came out in 2000 and I think I'm still a little in love with Christian. lol. But before that I vaguely knew who Ewan McGregor was. And even after that, when he played Obi Wan kenobe and many other great parts, he doesn't sing his heart out or smile his way into my soul. Something about his singing and the look in his eyes is what caught me.</p><p>Like usual, there are other movies and shows where the guy sings or dances and brings that attraction but for now, I think these suffice.</p><p>Tell me, do you have an actor or scene where the dance or singing either made you feel desire or fall a little in love with the man?</p><p>I'd love it if you shared with me. Chances are, I probably have seen it but just did not post it on here.<br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-47588856041287842692021-02-17T15:05:00.001-05:002021-02-17T15:05:15.754-05:00The wow moment when a male character makes you sit up and say purr.<p> </p><p> The title probably sucks but I wanted to convey some of what I planned to blog.</p><p>I hadn't thought about it for a while, but then this past spring/summer during quarantine I didn't have my usual set of shows to watch and I decided to binge watch "The New Girl" because Zoe is adorable.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUraLjNF7FXhuWCToMd8zcwTTRw7N_67p9AZZo5AzyTM7K4xoe03Zi6PtRnE25ArphIUY2F8eGhrutzcvkmYIMgnbfA4RkaFJq73qsJX75R24fzW6ilE3VJqZrBWe_VHI1wmWNtSXugTP/s2000/https+_netflixlife.com_files_2018_04_New-Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="2000" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUraLjNF7FXhuWCToMd8zcwTTRw7N_67p9AZZo5AzyTM7K4xoe03Zi6PtRnE25ArphIUY2F8eGhrutzcvkmYIMgnbfA4RkaFJq73qsJX75R24fzW6ilE3VJqZrBWe_VHI1wmWNtSXugTP/w219-h145/https+_netflixlife.com_files_2018_04_New-Girl.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br /><p>This picture doesn't have coach from 1st season, who I thought was funny, but it has the main cast of the rest of the seasons. It was apparent that Nick and Jesse were closer than she was with the others so I knew he would be a future love interest. With that in mind I watched his character. I liked his snark and humor but didn't find him particularly attractive. Funny and sweet but not really rawr.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CVuU2UkFgOws7W_W2giRN9dIorg7g1O_xOrCPTKquGiQlzlWjIMeYfKa5Zx7pd8lY1cAqLU3DVmDZikZ9Eu81cSOxhJ9Ty0vxWSkFMS-T9V8F3DgpHnzUSEHrvuKcb03CSmj-alr0sNb/s500/Nick.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CVuU2UkFgOws7W_W2giRN9dIorg7g1O_xOrCPTKquGiQlzlWjIMeYfKa5Zx7pd8lY1cAqLU3DVmDZikZ9Eu81cSOxhJ9Ty0vxWSkFMS-T9V8F3DgpHnzUSEHrvuKcb03CSmj-alr0sNb/s320/Nick.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQk919xD6Y3zUBYQ_fnjzpCVYXZTH5OBjm4qRkBr9G4GNNdl2mYDqhUI5svn5M-Ud8FwSYMscXud37-cDUJXQFVV2fxbH3aeFfW17Cz79jDNcF-BJeLfW9Gw5xG72YPd5QVFcO9uiKomS/s500/16c64a712d1852b442829e9f7b97dee5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQk919xD6Y3zUBYQ_fnjzpCVYXZTH5OBjm4qRkBr9G4GNNdl2mYDqhUI5svn5M-Ud8FwSYMscXud37-cDUJXQFVV2fxbH3aeFfW17Cz79jDNcF-BJeLfW9Gw5xG72YPd5QVFcO9uiKomS/s320/16c64a712d1852b442829e9f7b97dee5.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Body wise Schmidt has Nick beat. Soulful puppy-dog eyes are Winston and Coach was a tough guy. Nick is grouchy, snarky, funny and sweet. He grumbles but he is always there for his friends and especially for Jesse. Above and beyond much of the time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80A13RSoET1vWyHiHF1uTtKJ-QkWOy0wWYVjgG9BntrT6lhyl1Xm78S9blSVBYEZ3N5vk3dVnzuxBOIcBR9pe2UDyyFe3IhtPDmYRSL0K_HjCRLZzWpLTdq8KC0M0czmPUbzhK7qaUXa5/s1148/vqnbMfv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80A13RSoET1vWyHiHF1uTtKJ-QkWOy0wWYVjgG9BntrT6lhyl1Xm78S9blSVBYEZ3N5vk3dVnzuxBOIcBR9pe2UDyyFe3IhtPDmYRSL0K_HjCRLZzWpLTdq8KC0M0czmPUbzhK7qaUXa5/s320/vqnbMfv.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>So the relationship loomed but was kept at bay because of both of their neurotic personalities and the rules of the loft (no having sex with Jess #1 rule). I figured their relationship would be cute just like them. But steamy? Hot? Toe curlingly WOW...no.<br /></p><p> Imagine my surprise when near the end of season 2 Nick delivered that moment of <i>Holy Shit</i>. I felt a flash of attraction and said hmm...<br /></p><p> During that episode, while playing their drinking game, the others locked them in a room to make them kiss and Nick freaked out and said "<i>Not like this!" </i>and then he literally climbed out the window and we figure ok. She's clueless, but we know he really likes her. Episode is wrapping up. They both got woke up solved a mystery and were shuffling off to bed. Then Wham! Out of nowhere he grabs her and just devours her mouth. Purr. (Scene below)<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rgHj-uGw7wE" width="451" youtube-src-id="rgHj-uGw7wE"></iframe></div> <p></p><p>And if any of you think he forced her against her will. No. They both have been attracted to each other and wanted each other. He just made the first move. Like in this new word I love.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RaUf02bba0lKdFHCIP60EYI2gFBDHwVM1KLTzrBgzxBL8qTtcOX3xUvYMjwT78DF5ZSv7IA-B7rWc-qUkDN0MhZhV3GLtYzBQbicPOnsi3vxIXFoosPgMHT6nFUhsoigcXy8oVUiOzJ4/s500/d90074cc562adc222285f7324b7f1587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RaUf02bba0lKdFHCIP60EYI2gFBDHwVM1KLTzrBgzxBL8qTtcOX3xUvYMjwT78DF5ZSv7IA-B7rWc-qUkDN0MhZhV3GLtYzBQbicPOnsi3vxIXFoosPgMHT6nFUhsoigcXy8oVUiOzJ4/s320/d90074cc562adc222285f7324b7f1587.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Not only did he get Jess's attention he caught ours too. We sat up and said. Wait a minute. Nick is sneaky hot. And we cheered that he got up the gumption to kiss her. He might have left her dumbfounded but he also left me dumbfounded too.</p><p>I thought about it. There are some other movies or shows I've watched where the main love interest was rather meh. to me but then he took the girl in his arms and kissed her silly and after that I was hooked.</p><p>Another example is "The Notebook"</p><p>I thought they were cute when they were young. And he was okay attractive, I definitely liked him better with some scruff and muscle, but it wasn't until this scene that I sat up and said Hot Damn, Noah!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hKYXD-u6jPM" width="320" youtube-src-id="hKYXD-u6jPM"></iframe></div><br /><p>Again. Sneaky Hot.</p><p>The next scene is steamy too, adding another layer to the attraction factor.</p><p>Something about the man taking charge and just taking control and drawing out a response with his passion just trips my trigger. And it is always surprising when they take a guy that is likeable to me but not exactly a heartthrob and makes me take notice and think of them as a passionate desirable man.</p><p>What do you think? Do you like a man who takes control? One who acts like you are the oxygen he desperately needs to breath. That you are what drives him to be passionate.</p><p>What movies or shows have you watched where the man took control and brought up the steaminess by kissing his partner (girl or guy) silly?<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-81007904489097350192021-02-16T14:29:00.005-05:002021-02-16T14:45:07.839-05:00Mental health effect on my writing<p> Originally I was going to try to just pick up where I left off and write about some Blog ideas that have been pickling in my brain.</p><p>Instead I decided to start off with a fizzle. And write a little about the last few months.</p><p>If you follow my blog posts, you'll see that I was going pretty good and then I needed to pull back a little in order to beat NaNo WriMo last year. I knew that if I tried to keep up my daily blogging and try to do my daily word count, I would fail. But I fully planned to pick up blogging again in December; maybe not daily but I could at least get a blog post up weekly.</p><p>But then the holidays came up and even though I wasn't working a day job yet, the stresses of trying to make Christmas nice for my kids kept me away from my computer. The more I stress, the more I clean my house. Or take naps.</p><p>My husband had missed quite a few days each week of his work but we at least had unemployment, until we didn't. So I started applying places and one of the local dollar stores needed a Asst. Manager (Which has as much authority as being a cashier--except I could handle the deposit money.) But they needed only nights and weekends, which might not be so bad except I get up with my husband at 4am when he goes to work and my kids have school. Just about the time they were finishing and he got home, I was leaving for the night. And I was never given any weekend days off--even when I requested a day. So--I didn't see much of my family and I wasn't making very much money. And also, Hubby's health issues got worse. The doctor's put him on medical leave until the end of this month so his money disappeared starting the end of January.</p><p>At my work place the usual manager took very ill and still has not returned because of her health, and her acting manager and another manager from a nearby store got a power trip and had a dislike for me for reasons I have only guessed (The previous manager they are trying to steal the store from hired me. The acting manager's BFF couldn't pass the manager test and I "took" her job. The BFF is psycho and tried to pick a fight with me the second week and pinned the blame on me to corporate and to her buddy acting manager. And maybe some other non-logical reasons) I really don't have solid reasons, but they were being passive aggressive and giving me extra work and stupid jobs that were near impossible to finish by closing time. They left snarky notes about what I didn't do or didn't complete and they talked shit about me to all the cashiers. I put up with it, even though it was draining and stressful. My husband was continuously telling me I needed to quit. The last straw happened when they harassed me and black mailed me to come into work against doctor's orders even though I had a note, they wrote me up. And because they were angry at me for calling off for the first time, they told the cashiers that they would be getting me out of their soon and planned to up their blame game to corporate so that every problem was my fault.</p><p>I finally got tired of their crap. I graduated from high-school (I shouldn't have to deal with it at work from supposed adults) over 20yrs ago and this job was not nearly as important or as enjoyable as being a hairstylist or a substitute teacher. Plus, they didn't pay me nearly enough to deal with the stress. For the first time in twenty years, I flat out quit my job instead of putting in my two-weeks notice because I had had enough.</p><p>The reason for this backstory/information dump (Which is a no-no in writing a novel, but is probably okay in blogging) is to show a little of the day-to-day emotional/mental stress that has been going on since New Year's. that doesn't include my husband's health issues or his multiple appointments. Nor does it include the sick elderly cats I have worried about or any of the financial crap.</p><p>Because of this, I have been exhausted. On my days off I oversleep and usually still take a nap. When I was awake and at home, I felt guilty about my laziness pertaining to housework and would kill myself to get all the basics done (dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, cleaning bathroom and a few loads of laundry) before I would have to go to work and haul around heavy boxes and stock shelves. My knees are stiff and painful and my shoulder issue has flared up. And as for critical thinking (in order to help my kids with their school work) I have been able to scrape out the dregs clinging to the bottom of my brain. </p><p>And creativity? During this past month it has been near impossible to find. I was inspired maybe 2 days since before New Year's to continue on my book and that was only a few pages worth each time. I have been reading some new authors and have at least been able to follow the stories and enjoy them. I have also been watching a few shows like Wanda-Vision and enjoy those as well, but when it comes to creating anything my brain is numb.</p><p>I quit last week on my daughter's bday. I still feel residual irritation or the feeling of being overwhelmed. I'm hoping the side effects of being at that negative workspace will wear off soon. My husband's health is still--meh. But at least we found out the spot on his liver is not cancerous. And some of the other things aren't as dark as they were, so maybe I'll get my groove back.</p><p>Part of getting in the swing of things is this blog. I took a shower got my favorite tea and sat down to write on here. And I plan to write some more of my story sometime today, even if it is only a few pages.</p><p>I have read some writing advice that says basically that it doesn't matter what's going on. Writing is a job and you can't call off work because you are sad. You<i> have</i> to write every single day. And I've tried to follow that advice. I've applied it to being a hairstylist successfully.</p><p> But there is something different about writing for me. I can't just write. When I'm emotionally and mentally tapped out, there's nothing there to use. If I get stressed enough, I stop feeling emotions completely. Thankfully, it's only happened a handful of times and I never <i>feel</i> upset about it. I logically know this is bad and discuss it with my husband, who takes it seriously. I haven't gotten that numb in a while, but there is a pervading numbness creeping through my brain. It's like the warning tingles you get in your foot before it's dead. Except with my brain (or heart if you would rather) My creativity goes hand in hand with my emotions and if they hide from the ugly of the world they take my muse with them until it is safe. Yes, I could probably write words on paper, but they would be stilted and mechanical. They wouldn't flow or have life and that's even if I could force my weary body to sit in front of the keyboard that long.</p><p>But the darkness is ebbing and cobwebs are thinning today. So today I blog and maybe write the next part of my book. And hopefully tomorrow it will be even better. I can always keep hoping.</p><p>Honestly, I am tired after writing this blog and will probably read my book for a while as I fight the urge to take a nap. Hopefully, after a rest I will be back here typing away on my novel.</p><p>How do you guys deal with stress, exhaustion, weariness and/or numbness if you get that way sometimes?</p><p>Do you follow advice and just write anyway or do you take time to recoup?</p><p>I'd love some advice or at least knowledge that I'm not the only one. I hope to hear from you. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-62009257396638462372020-12-02T12:00:00.001-05:002020-12-02T12:00:05.486-05:00Why I did NaNo Wrimo last month<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyPgGUtQdgH8oJQSiYWf9S8JEzAwfmvoCjusfIlJbQLm0njHbQq0JK6otVi-uYoJ61wgfVENjy5KFKURZohHjmwGXhieue_B6-H4fKkUeIu9ulQD3cHd_JK3R0TajjI9XZulTsEfjqRTM/s940/NaNo-2020-Winner-Banner-Facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyPgGUtQdgH8oJQSiYWf9S8JEzAwfmvoCjusfIlJbQLm0njHbQq0JK6otVi-uYoJ61wgfVENjy5KFKURZohHjmwGXhieue_B6-H4fKkUeIu9ulQD3cHd_JK3R0TajjI9XZulTsEfjqRTM/s320/NaNo-2020-Winner-Banner-Facebook.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span> </span>I won NaNo WriMo this year.<span> </span>And it feels pretty amazing.<p></p><p><span> </span>Do you know the last time I won NaNo? 2011. When my life was even more hectic. (Going to college full-time, 2 toddlers at home, chat moderator, Part of a writing group, book reviewer for 2 professional reviewing companies, and full time care giver to my MIL who had Alzheimer's and Dementia. Not to mention all the other daily life stuff.) My load is much smaller now, so how did I win then?</p><p><span> </span>The last time I actually participated in NaNo was 5 years ago. Yes, if you look at my profile page it says I was there in 2018, but, I didn't get any word count that year. The last year and the previous years I actually wrote--I just could not get the word count. It was bad enough that I really thought my Muse was dead. Not just for the creativity of writing, but also in <i>all</i> aspects of creativity. In fact I wrote a blog about the yawning emptiness I felt back in 2018. <a href="http://heathergeoffries.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-void-that-murdered-my-muse-and-my.html" target="_blank">Click Here</a> to read it. I was in a dark place when I wrote that and it was one of many things that made me sad and stressed that year.</p><p><span> </span>As this year went sideways and I found myself with much more time when I lost my job, I decided that I wanted to write. I longed to have the writing bug bite me and get lost in a scene or section of my book. And no, that rush doesn't happen during the whole book, but I know it does happen and it is really a rush. I missed it. I missed living in these worlds and being right there with my characters as they shoot off in some random direction that takes me unaware. And honestly for the past few years I didn't feel that. Each and every word I got on paper was simply meh. I felt mentally exhausted simply writing a paragraph. I even tried starting new stories in hopes that they would spark the flame, but they didn't. They ended up being another unfinished failure. I almost gave up my muse as dead. And maybe it was? Perhaps what I write with now is a new shiny adopted baby muse? I dunno. It could be. I used to say that my Muse was the Imagination Movers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdg1Qt5CRg4pXAWdxdJreZ0HMPfU7t7K_9e8qIrFA1X4WJKOrXoeZ5PFb9p7dwlti9-C3BhI4T3TGx0mvGRSToSGtwrO-KoGwjJbU2u0KHwIPvda6N3gJCGpQzkuVdxlHELrYwTnoBWb3/s1600/71oFFZWNQ7L._RI_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdg1Qt5CRg4pXAWdxdJreZ0HMPfU7t7K_9e8qIrFA1X4WJKOrXoeZ5PFb9p7dwlti9-C3BhI4T3TGx0mvGRSToSGtwrO-KoGwjJbU2u0KHwIPvda6N3gJCGpQzkuVdxlHELrYwTnoBWb3/w200-h150/71oFFZWNQ7L._RI_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span> </span>And then as my muse began dying and becoming more unresponsive to treatment until it became confused and difficult, I thought perhaps it had become Patrick Star when he wrote the song in that one episode of SpongeBob.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje23mntUvPOaMZK__1Pdt5hPd7o9EzIrh5EOpCF-7GEdXceQredU21XqO586FPq-m_T-pwqCF4FWSLOQzbnNS-vwFPaZFW-F22CyVZzpiSYU9uNanRxC5iLH7YJPqHQi1iAWTFoV9twjyj/s384/finnaly-now-it-working-fuck-yeah_o_930228.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="384" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje23mntUvPOaMZK__1Pdt5hPd7o9EzIrh5EOpCF-7GEdXceQredU21XqO586FPq-m_T-pwqCF4FWSLOQzbnNS-vwFPaZFW-F22CyVZzpiSYU9uNanRxC5iLH7YJPqHQi1iAWTFoV9twjyj/w200-h150/finnaly-now-it-working-fuck-yeah_o_930228.gif" width="200" /></a></div><span> </span>Then there was nothing but the void for a while. There was even a time that I had stopped reading for pleasure. Which I remedied and I continue to this day.<p></p><p><span> </span>So here I was with this corps of my muse and plenty of time on my hands, and I decided to do NaNo WriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Nano seemed like a good starting spot because there is an end goal of 50K in 30 days. It doesn't have to be pretty and it doesn't have to be specific. You just write every day. Butt in chair--which I hear is the real secret to becoming a successful author. With that in mind, I remembered what I had learned about forming habits; it takes 21 days to form a new habit and about 66 days to form a new behavior. Alright, sounds like just the thing I need. Nano is 30 days. If I run with the habit and keep writing into December every day I will form a new behavior pattern and will probably finish my novel. <b>This</b> is the main push to do Nano.</p><p><span> </span>Another reason is the NaNo community. I found that when I was in my writing group M.U.S.E. (Most underappreciated Super Egos) I felt inspired. Sharing my writing and getting feedback and being part of something that the others enjoyed also was wonderful for my creativity. (I think this might be part of the reason I was successful back in the day, honestly.) Hearing four different versions of a story from the same writing prompt was amazing and fun. It gave me perspective and empathy. Mostly, it encouraged me to write and share. Being part of NaNo is kind of like that. I have author friends that root me on and share their struggle. I joined multiple FB groups where I got to interact with other people that are just like me. I gave advice where I knew the answer and got some answers as well. And then there are the prep talks from famous authors that give you a boost and help you realize that they are just regular folks too. This band of brothers and sisters help me want to write and help me feel like I'm part of something more.</p><p><span> </span>I think it all worked out. I not only wrote every day (mostly) but I won NaNo. And I have been continuing my writing because I want to finish this novel. I also want to finish off all my other forgotten babies that got about halfway before I abandoned them. By the end of next year, I plan to finish all of my WIPs including the first one (Sam Wolfe) who had fought me many times over the years. Then, maybe I'll work on some of the stories that have been bouncing around in my head occasionally yelling at me to pay attention to them. </p><p><span> </span>And the best part is that I'm writing for me. Yes, I'll try to publish them, but if they don't make it--that's alright because I actually wrote it and I lived in that world for a while and it'll be out there in the world. And that's enough. That will be fulfilling. Me and my new Muse are at the beginning of our journey together and I look forward to learning more about them and myself.</p><p><span> </span>Did you do NaNo WriMo? How did you do? How is your Muse doing? Remember to feed, water and cuddle it regularly or it will fade. :D<br /><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-42794071393173403332020-11-12T09:20:00.003-05:002020-11-12T09:20:22.286-05:00Outlander Thoughts. Maybe Roger is underappraciated because he is over shadowed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa7iK9L3cmar2j8AuATQ67p5dYxJJ29eVXXUtwtKf2o908q87wXQGGZU6Fp3rGORvVEx9qjq-BcUpsyy9WohXH7dRdGjLCXs2fCuyk5BKhy8ildAruUewLBKAvyPC8k4mm8Oh2vgwvNTL/s400/-bHmBHvy_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVa7iK9L3cmar2j8AuATQ67p5dYxJJ29eVXXUtwtKf2o908q87wXQGGZU6Fp3rGORvVEx9qjq-BcUpsyy9WohXH7dRdGjLCXs2fCuyk5BKhy8ildAruUewLBKAvyPC8k4mm8Oh2vgwvNTL/w193-h193/-bHmBHvy_400x400.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirw1g1kHFQ9FXP1BNf0g3QKeBavXhBROn8UibNFQ0jmrkdZjorGB0JlqsULGpHSrMslpRLipqTAB6V8whgn5AbHEvOMbfbqdymg0PuYr5usNY_e_eVwnmCZeecPXgYn3ocnKXXBlOXPM5n/s621/3c5fd21e29dab5a0afbf164ab45cb715.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="621" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirw1g1kHFQ9FXP1BNf0g3QKeBavXhBROn8UibNFQ0jmrkdZjorGB0JlqsULGpHSrMslpRLipqTAB6V8whgn5AbHEvOMbfbqdymg0PuYr5usNY_e_eVwnmCZeecPXgYn3ocnKXXBlOXPM5n/w413-h279/3c5fd21e29dab5a0afbf164ab45cb715.png" width="413" /></a></div><p>Lately, I have been rereading the Outlander series and am caught up to the TV show. The Fiery Cross.</p><p><span> </span>There are those who have read the books and watched the show, who might wonder why I chose to write about Roger Wakefield/Mckenzie specifically.</p><p><span> </span>Mostly because there seems to be a split of feelings about him. There are those that love him, especially since they found Richard Rankin to portray him. But for years, there have been a lot of people that dislike his character (at least in my circles). I have a friend that borrowed my books about a decade ago and she devoured them until book 5. Which is a bit slow, but that's not why she stopped. She stopped reading because she hated Roger and felt the book focused on him too much. I tried to get her to read more by telling her that he got hanged, but that didn't help. I waved Jamie and Claire in front of her, but no. She never picked up the books again because of Roger. Now when she saw Richard Rankin, she warmed to the character of the show a bit.</p><p><span> </span>As for me, I will admit that compared to the indomitable Jamie Fraser and the larger than life Dougal and the sassy smart Claire. And even Bri who I find to be spoiled and selfish at first, she can be charming. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0iWaa8aD9dnlm7q2gCkICJD7vzDr81Jxg5HT_MpduKc3X-GA3CKSbrYkTNwIXwB5_KqCiP12p9hh-VEfiHJTj-MynBHxxQDRfMKfybFd5wM7QQTAW-S6IzTK0FlGYCP3gbRW3mlEyv05/s2000/https+_winteriscoming.net_files_image-exchange_2020_03_ie_44196.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="2000" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0iWaa8aD9dnlm7q2gCkICJD7vzDr81Jxg5HT_MpduKc3X-GA3CKSbrYkTNwIXwB5_KqCiP12p9hh-VEfiHJTj-MynBHxxQDRfMKfybFd5wM7QQTAW-S6IzTK0FlGYCP3gbRW3mlEyv05/w213-h142/https+_winteriscoming.net_files_image-exchange_2020_03_ie_44196.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what 49 looks like. </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span> </span> Roger was a little Meh. He was more in his element in the 1960s I believe. But when he went back to the past he had trouble adjusting when the other 2 time travelers seemed to do fine.</p><p><span> </span>Then I thought about it. The others all have a leg up over him. Jamie Fraser is a manly Man. He grew up during that time. He is at ease among royalty and in the hills living off the land. He can hunt, build, fight, lead and charm people. Claire lived on archeological digs as kid and was a Nurse during WWI so she knows how to live primitively and can adapt to whatever is thrown her way. Now you might be like, What about Bri? She's a spoiled suburbanite American girl. She should struggle, too. Well, she would, but her adopted father taught her to hunt, fish, shoot and rough it. So--another leg up.</p><p><span> </span>Then there's Roger. A sweet sentimental twentieth century historian at home with books and singing. The whole reason he went back in time, unskilled and unprepared, was for love. He loved Bri and followed her to be with her and protect her. Surprisingly, he did ok for himself thanks to some knowledge of sailing and determination. And then, because of misunderstanding he gets the shit beat out of him and he gets sold to the Native Americans. Nobody talks about how he survived the journey and the "initiation" (He ran through a gauntlet of people beating him with clubs and he made it through--not an easy feat.)</p><p><span> </span>When he is procured back to the Frasers, he has no real skill but he is willing to try. He can't shoot well because he lacks binocular vision and his first instinct is not usually to brawl as he was raised a scholar. All of these things are looked down on. He does earn respect from others for being a beautiful singer, but Jamie can't appreciate it because he is tone deaf and that particular skill won't bring in crops or protect the "women". Then in book 5 (and the tv show) Roger is mistaken and hanged. It is only because Claire knows how to do a tracheotomy that he survives at all. But his throat is shot. The one thing he had. His one skill is gone. </p><p><span> </span>I've heard people say that he sulked and bitched too much. They could understand the PTSD from being hanged, but what's the big deal. He's alive. He can talk (like he has gravel in his throat.) Why is he having an identity crisis?</p><p><span> </span>Because it was his thing. His calling. The only thing he was good at. Not just good but fantastic. Of course losing that would leave him bereft. He is aware that compared to the others, he sucks at living in that time. But when he had music, he could bring joy or help people grieve. He could fire men up before battles. Anyone who played D&D knows how powerful a Bard's voice can be. It is his weapon. It is his meal ticket. It is the thing that makes him feel part of the community. And it is gone. There is only Roger who can't do things as well as anyone else. Even his wife is more "manly" than him by those standards. </p><p><span> </span>I'll stop at season/book 5 since the show is there at the moment. I know, there are 8 books out that continue the story and we get to see all the character's arcs including Roger's but in fairness of those who have only watched the show I will stop at 5.</p><p><span> </span>In any case, all the other characters are bigger than life. Even Young Ian has a big charismatic personality. And honestly can any man measure up to Jamie Fraser? He is one of my favorite book boyfriends. I could write a blog about why I love Jamie, but for today, I just wanted to give some props to poor Roger. With all those other epic characters around him and in a time period he is not trained for, he is going to be overshadowed and overlooked. His personality is rather meh.</p><p><span> </span>Thinking about it, I would not do as well as Claire or Bri. I'm not a doctor. I'm not an architect that builds useful things. I'm not an herbalist or farmer. I haven't cooked anything on an open fire but hot dogs and marshmallows. I'd be ok with basic sanitation and first aid, and I could maybe be a ladies maid with my skills as a hairdresser, but honestly I've never used an iron that heated on the stove and I would probably reenact the scene from Little Women where Jo burned off Meg's hair.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLXYKMGFOnGrnac5wMP_-SzFNgvW5AeLfjlrwA3C6Dn7Q4hR_mhQcDeiDhoEs7FAfonqPSLDxd58cjaPZ9XRZ6ENTh3ca2gGuodUbjb5pMouNZDZ0xDFd2x9CnXiY02kz3-Re5Xtb8k80/s615/92219fc409c51b9dcf24d34245efbb25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLXYKMGFOnGrnac5wMP_-SzFNgvW5AeLfjlrwA3C6Dn7Q4hR_mhQcDeiDhoEs7FAfonqPSLDxd58cjaPZ9XRZ6ENTh3ca2gGuodUbjb5pMouNZDZ0xDFd2x9CnXiY02kz3-Re5Xtb8k80/s320/92219fc409c51b9dcf24d34245efbb25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> So--yeah. I'm not even a Historian so I wouldn't know all the little historical events to warn others about. Actually, if I got shot back in time, I think Roger would do better than me because of his knowledge and the fact that he is a tall muscled man that can do hard labor.<p></p><p><span> </span>I guess that about sums it up. If Roger hadn't got sucked into the Randall/Fraser mess. If he had never fallen head over heels in love with Brianna and if he had never went through the stones and had just stayed in his time, He would be a great catch. He is a scholar and professor. He has some money and is skilled at singing and playing guitar and drum. He is Scottish with that lovely accent. He is handsome sporting a large physic, dark hair and glass green eyes. He is good humored and helpful. He is gallant and thoughtful. And he is patient and kind. All of these things are great things in the 20th and 21st century. </p><p><span> </span>Love makes us do crazy things. It makes us go outside our comfort zone. It makes us question everything about ourselves. It makes us change whether we want to or not. <br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-6341121487573559032020-11-09T09:00:00.001-05:002020-11-09T09:00:00.343-05:00Writing sex scenes can be weird<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIodSuc9O-ixpQORTJhfrIQZuEdSEYkwmHFG3toTb_DcAe862leuenMYBQD_A8VMkJDNDV7dkKY5Q5VGrW7VAXMzA9JWPHqBVEdcRZTwnaQvEMQAntZq_1nBy8Frphf_CGJeL9cS0vXuc/s300/1f769b24150fcf3180d4ec9ac6512ded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIodSuc9O-ixpQORTJhfrIQZuEdSEYkwmHFG3toTb_DcAe862leuenMYBQD_A8VMkJDNDV7dkKY5Q5VGrW7VAXMzA9JWPHqBVEdcRZTwnaQvEMQAntZq_1nBy8Frphf_CGJeL9cS0vXuc/s0/1f769b24150fcf3180d4ec9ac6512ded.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span> </span>Earlier this morning I came across a post in one of my writing groups. The person seemed almost shy when they asked for advice on writing s*x. They couldn't even write the word sex. They may have censored it because of FB police. But I think it had more to do with the fact that speaking openly about sex is still a bit Taboo.</p><p><span> </span>We're not as bad as we used to be when it comes to sex and passion, but it is still a sticky subject when it comes to publicly speaking about it. It's more likely that you'll be exposed to Gore and other graphic content then you will be to extreme romance (if you will).</p><p><span> </span>Which does seem strange to me. I can see a person get eviscerated on a tv show but don't you dare give me the vapors by showing me carnal passion. lol</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAuyQUhA3dkG1rWtuRhYjKJCWv2IhSvf3KOwBzpuiOr6o8DrQLBAvJgjSvjuhGWSqOT-zqlMcmnj_N_ajkVTa6kawepRkxXV5aKjcQ0VZmOxiGQAZyobg7b06zFTHagjLwZC-waSiWlcV/s220/tenor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="137" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAuyQUhA3dkG1rWtuRhYjKJCWv2IhSvf3KOwBzpuiOr6o8DrQLBAvJgjSvjuhGWSqOT-zqlMcmnj_N_ajkVTa6kawepRkxXV5aKjcQ0VZmOxiGQAZyobg7b06zFTHagjLwZC-waSiWlcV/s0/tenor.gif" /></a></div><br /><p><span> <span> </span>As far as writing it you have to get the physical stuff right first. One author friend of mine used her daughters barbies to see if a sex position could be logical. Other's use modeling dolls or software to ensure they are accurate. I mean, it'll take you right out of the story if the guys penis is at a 90 degree angle and goes around corners. Or if the girl has shelf booty and the guy is trying spooning.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>After you handle the physics of sex, you have to get in touch with the emotional aspect of their love making. You have to remember or imagine that vulnerability and overwhelming sensory overload as well as the psychological ramifications. Sounds simple, right?</span></p><p><span><span> </span>Yes and no. For a while, when I was beginning my writing career, my children were small and very needy. My cats were also forcefully lovey and don't give a damn if you want/have to write. During that time, feeling sexy or romantic is hard both in fiction and in real life. I would start to get in the rhythm of writing a tender, erotic scene and the kiddos would fight or get hurt or need food/drink/diaper change. And that would yank me right out of the moment as fast as if someone threw ice water on me in the middle of coitus. Or the cats would jump onto my computer typing their version of Old McDonalds E-I-E-I-Oooooooooo...</span></p><p><span><span> </span>And even if I was lucky enough to be able to write while the kids occupied themselves or were napping in the middle of the day, I had a vague sense of wrongness to it. Like I was watching porn out in the open in the light of day with the sound up and the doors and windows open. I wasn't but I was so immersed in the scene that I could touch, taste, smell, feel and see the sweat glistening on skin as my lovers whispered sweet nothings to the music of their love making. When I was done, I would glance up startled to see my messy cluttered living room and the tv on a rerun of some sitcom. The fire lit dimness of my mind slowly vanishing to the realism of the day. </span></p><p><span><span> </span>Most times, I ran around like a crazy person and had no time during the day. I was a full time college student at that time as well and had to write so many dry, logical, APA critical research papers. By the time I slogged through those my Muse was sickly and weak.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>My best time during those hectic earlier days was at night. When the lights were low, the kids and cats were asleep and the house was blissfully silent. I would finish up my "logical" school stuff and then settle in to write my stories. Many nights I sacrificed sleep just to get those uninterrupted moments in. But, in the dark solitude, I was able to revive my muse and fully pour myself into the sex scenes and with it being dark, it seemed a little more natural and a little wicked instead of out right lecherous. When I came out of my writing daze the night seemed to embrace me and leave me feeling like I'd created something beautiful instead of adolescent directed porn. </span></p><p><span><span> </span>And as a side note. I read some books from other authors on how to write sex scenes. I read blogs and listened to podcasts. And I had my husband write some of the books from the male's perspective because he knows better than I how things feel physically and emotionally. That's one of the reasons we created Heather Geoffires because having both sides seems to make it more realistic.(For any of you that have read how men write women and how some women write men honestly, you know what I'm talking about.)</span></p><p><span><span> </span>Anyway. Writing sex scenes can be difficult and weird. These are some random thoughts I had this early morning.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>How do you feel about writing sex. What about when you read it? Any advice? </span><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-61630885230606913202020-11-06T06:23:00.003-05:002020-11-06T06:23:34.682-05:00Has Heather disappeared off the face of the earth? No, it's just NaNoWriMo time again<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXr-Qh9a9S5ED7sMLDL1CYfhtGOX2mNKTjEOA_z-_vaFJdFm3GtzqkDhOz5LJDiqtN7ullHBIu79ph3Q5qUjS2gO4rmC4uPGW5WIOBQh_yPfLjtrkbbS1_byFEjkwps6LusgUhWw-X3Su/s480/121629588_1877700419050877_8830151052819054085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="353" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXr-Qh9a9S5ED7sMLDL1CYfhtGOX2mNKTjEOA_z-_vaFJdFm3GtzqkDhOz5LJDiqtN7ullHBIu79ph3Q5qUjS2gO4rmC4uPGW5WIOBQh_yPfLjtrkbbS1_byFEjkwps6LusgUhWw-X3Su/s320/121629588_1877700419050877_8830151052819054085_n.jpg" /></a></div><span> </span>For a week or so there I was blogging every day again. Really just getting back into the swing of things like a champ. Most of my posts were random, which is the way I like it. Although I did try to make them fairly "author-y".<p></p><p><span> </span>Then poof. No more blogs. What happened? First Halloween happened, but then November 1st hit and now it's time for NaNoWriMo. </p><p><span> </span>What is NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). And the idea is that starting on November 1st through November 30th, writers of all types (amateurs to NY Times bestsellers), sit down every day and write. The goal is to write 50,000 words in that month. It seems daunting to those who don't write daily or are slow writers, but it's not a competition. It's motivation to help you get your writing done. There are many people that are in the same boat as you who need that extra nudge to get shit done. Some people write more, some write less. Sometimes you hit your goal and sometimes you don't. </p><p><span> </span>I have an author friend that regularly publishes multiple books a year. She writes fast and she writes all the time. She still does NaNo because it help re motivate her. I also know others who use it for it's community. At Nano you can buddy up with friends, join local groups and do "write ins" and "Sprints" and you can read pep talks from some of your favorite authors. It helps you feel more connected. It shows you that these authors are just regular people, like you , that had an idea and wrote it down. They all started at the beginning, just like you.</p><p><span> </span>And here's a bonus. It's not about how great your first draft is. Generally the first draft is filled with grammatical errors. Or as I read one time; You're first draft is a pile of shit, that's why we edit and do revisions. But you can't clean it up if you don't get it on paper. NanoWrimo doesn't care about how pretty it is. It just wants you to vomit words on paper. That's it. Get the words in. Get your butt in a chair. Noone sees your work but you. All Nano cares about it word count.</p><p><span> </span>So, yeah, you probably won't see me much. I will try to blog from time to time if I remember something other than my novel over this next month. I will try. But my main focus right now is getting that word count. Reaching 50k by the end of November and finishing this novel. And if I can finish this one. If I can sit and write every day and it becomes a habit, then I can finish all my other poor stories that have been in a coma for years. And maybe even barf out some of the stories that have been trapped in my head as well.</p><p><span> </span>Have you tried NaNo? If you're an aspiring writer, I recommend you check it out.</p><p>See you on the other side. And good luck if you're doing it. :D <br /></p><p><a href="https://nanowrimo.org">https://nanowrimo.org</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2aTHd97S9d_tlgwqy8uZO7AQho15aTBhCwzrCJ63AJHxz8JlRzCD9CJyE-ccZu7IIKHRpxb5ydvgS8PYN1zvDvFNV0z4qudDtp5n5UbSSCwP5B5gA98DAvFRjqyJhBSjliPp1QjxG2Ps/s640/20191018National-novel-writing-month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2aTHd97S9d_tlgwqy8uZO7AQho15aTBhCwzrCJ63AJHxz8JlRzCD9CJyE-ccZu7IIKHRpxb5ydvgS8PYN1zvDvFNV0z4qudDtp5n5UbSSCwP5B5gA98DAvFRjqyJhBSjliPp1QjxG2Ps/s320/20191018National-novel-writing-month.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDZDG2JUJN-HR_R2HF9tPp3gfBuRV59lwmlQlLtcDza6HLdrtoGhsQu57xMJhNhnTQkmelFQngf2VJ1k3dNvZsKEtDRUEMqEqIkyYXpw21hKwu-Dv73bpdF0Uzc2HKjOMxH4IEaZEd1Ql/s555/NaNo-2020-Writer-Badge-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="555" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDZDG2JUJN-HR_R2HF9tPp3gfBuRV59lwmlQlLtcDza6HLdrtoGhsQu57xMJhNhnTQkmelFQngf2VJ1k3dNvZsKEtDRUEMqEqIkyYXpw21hKwu-Dv73bpdF0Uzc2HKjOMxH4IEaZEd1Ql/s320/NaNo-2020-Writer-Badge-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-16854379725638926092020-10-26T23:58:00.006-04:002020-10-26T23:58:39.630-04:00Day 6 Life is a mess right now. That's why I'm focusing on positivity<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDbzROR7dLxhB5OpH7EAHJNlR9EiJodvuTUug4FseCxikFGotLWr6zuswH90D3nUQJvrCFVZuwv8qZemE98yFtlZFuxnJjj2jvpL4It2X0flEMbTqrYpyyT2j1JKicHcgndOpChs5kd2e/s500/EZ2cnzKXQAIAy1t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDbzROR7dLxhB5OpH7EAHJNlR9EiJodvuTUug4FseCxikFGotLWr6zuswH90D3nUQJvrCFVZuwv8qZemE98yFtlZFuxnJjj2jvpL4It2X0flEMbTqrYpyyT2j1JKicHcgndOpChs5kd2e/s320/EZ2cnzKXQAIAy1t.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Everyone will tell you that 2020 is a shit show on so many fronts. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Just a recap on some of the things:</p><p style="text-align: left;">*All the fires. From Australia to the west coast of the U.S.A</p><p style="text-align: left;">*The corona virus that is getting worse as we head into flu season</p><p style="text-align: left;">*The people fighting about masks versus no masks</p><p style="text-align: left;">*The mess of George Flloyd and his horrible death followed by large gatherings (from peaceful to mobs and riots) during the lock down put into place to try to slow the spread of the virus. </p><p style="text-align: left;">*The fighting about politics between people who used to be friends or family, and now there are horrible breaks for various reasons.</p><p style="text-align: left;">*The many celebrity deaths</p><p style="text-align: left;">*The stock market crashing </p><p style="text-align: left;">*People struggling financially and the people who can help too worried about one upping each other over the bills to actually get people the help they need.</p><p style="text-align: left;">*The depression, loneliness and suicides that spiked during lock down. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">*Schools being a mess. </p><p style="text-align: left;">*Jobs are also a mess.</p><p style="text-align: left;">*And the constant anxiety and fear of all of these thing.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I know I've probably missed a few things but I was listing these off the top of my head. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Just listing these brings on a sense of overwhelming hugeness of the bad shit, ya know?</p><p style="text-align: left;">I've decided that I want to focus on the bright side, as best I can. It's easy to brood on the bad and gnash my teeth and cry into my pillow, but I don't want to feel like that all the time. I want to be (somewhat) at peace or as close as I can get. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I have been posting to my social media, but it has usually been funny memes, a photo I took, or sharing these blog posts that I'm working on everyday in preparation. Some days I don't stay on social media because there are so many angry butt-hurt people snapping and snarling at each other. Over any of the above things. Politics being one of the biggest as the election is only a couple weeks away.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>It's not that I want to bury my head in the sand and be ignorant, but I have friends and family that keep abreast of the situation. I see things in the short time I pop onto my social media. I read things and hubby watches different news. So, I do know what's happening, but I need a break for my mental health. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>So, I have been writing. I have been rereading a favorite series. I play scrabble go and can tell when I'm off. I've done some Yoga and plan to walk more once again. And I have had some great conversations with my kids, hubby, parents and some friends on the phone about nearly anything but gloom and doom.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Most days, it works and I am able to enjoy the positives in my life. Some days the stress, depression and anxiety swamp me and suffocate me. Thankfully it usually ebbs before too long. I go to bed and sleep hard and generally it's a good reset.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>No. I won't put my political views on my pages. No, I won't fight over masks vs no masks. No I won't argue over unemployment vs those working. No I won't talk about money or stocks or federal help. etc.. you get it. Partly it's for my own peace of mind. Partly it's from years of conditioning as a hairstylist (we were taught no talking about topics of conflict; politics, religion, sports, and sex).</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Hopefully, I can keep up the optimism and keep myself sane and content-ish.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>What are some of the things you have done to deal with this crazy world? Are you a fighter or a peacemaker? Are you doing anything for self care? What are some good things you focus on?<br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-42033375355662199842020-10-26T00:58:00.000-04:002020-10-26T00:58:32.706-04:00Day 5. Why do teens and young adults feel the need to find " True Love" Asap?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDRtjuRdW-Od0AC7q_qmm6lAlY_5W5DTjlZCRrSaJ882te2h3wNtTth2ALWTQypysF2vLEGusz7c2FyhAs-CtJ05CuoFJsSqbXU6Kf_rWoPJsAgwsPjAxktji1C5WElyHt9GC08FUMXeo/s640/21ee014e7f3f0106315a8addea3e8128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDRtjuRdW-Od0AC7q_qmm6lAlY_5W5DTjlZCRrSaJ882te2h3wNtTth2ALWTQypysF2vLEGusz7c2FyhAs-CtJ05CuoFJsSqbXU6Kf_rWoPJsAgwsPjAxktji1C5WElyHt9GC08FUMXeo/s320/21ee014e7f3f0106315a8addea3e8128.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I am not writing this blog to answer that question. I honestly don't know the answers. What this is is more of a reflection brought on by some conversations with my daughters. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>One of my daughters is going to be 14yrs old soon. She occasionally thinks a boy looks cute but that's about it. I have talked to both my daughters about how I didn't really care what their preference was in a mate, but that I wanted them to not get too serious about any relationships until they are at least out of high-school. I know that some highschool sweethearts stay together but overall the chances are slim. Most young passionate relationships burn hot and then burn out. And that is including a lot of young adult relationships. Attraction, passion and desire are the main forces driving the relationship until the "Honeymoon period" (6mo-1 yr) is over and the relationship has no foundation and crumbles.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>So both my girls plan to be cautious and focus on their lives mostly for a bit. That doesn't mean that they may not date, but I hope that it means that they took my words to heart and will proceed slowly. Both say that they want to find a best friend and partner to enjoy hobbies with. And that sounds good. I hope they stick to that.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Now my 14 yr old has a close friend who is looking for love. She has already "dated" some boys (thankfully innocently with chaperoning parents or at school get-togethers) And had a toxic boyfriend for a year, where they broke up and got back together again and again. The reason she gave my daughter was that "He was her last chance at love" Mind you, this was last year when they were in 7th grade. </p><p style="text-align: left;">...</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I mean, What the hell! Dude. You have your whole life ahead of you. You have more options out there in the world than in that one middle-school pond. Why is she so desperately seeking a big romance at her age?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I also had a young coworker who was around 20yrs old and she was afraid of becoming an old maid. She hadn't had "Love" in over a year. Her friends were dating left and right but she was alone and probably would be forever, so she said. And I looked at this pretty (Young) girl and thought; there is no expiration date. There are people in the 80s getting married. You are so young and you have so many years. Enjoy being with <i>you</i> and worry about the rest later.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Then I remembered being between my daughters' ages and my coworkers age. And even a little beyond that and remembered what I felt like back then. At 14 I was boy crazy. By sixteen I dated guys that were no good, but I was overweight and had self-esteem issues so I was happy <i>any</i> guy liked me. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>When I was an "adult" 18+. I felt lonely. It seemed everyone had someone that loved them. I was surrounded by friends and family in committed relationships. And I often felt like a third wheel. I also felt unwanted. I remember thinking that I was going to give up on love and just become an crazy cat lady. And I vaguely wished I were attracted to women because being with guys seemed impossible. I felt like an Old maid at 22 and still single.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I was lucky that when I found my mate later that year, he and I became best friends and partners. We enjoyed all the youthful exuberance but we also enjoyed each others company outside of the bedroom. And we have grown together and have supported each other. I realize now, as many of the friends' relationships fell apart, that I really did get lucky. But until then I was actively "looking for Love".</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I've thought about the why of it all. Why is there this desperation in the young? Why is there this pressure to be "In Love" so young?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Back in other eras the life expectancy was lower so people got married (or handfasted) early so they could raise a family. And have many children to help with the family business (merchant, farmer, nobility, etc.)<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Biologically, a young female is sought after because they are healthier and have many child bearing years, while the female usually seeks a mate that is stable and economically secure so they feel safe to start a life.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Socially We are inundated with romance. It's in our movies and television. In our novels, comics, poetry, and music. Even stories that aren't centered <i>on</i> Romance usually have romance because it makes the story richer and more meaningful.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Psychologically many younger people feel confused and a bit lost. There are so many hormones rushing through the body. So many changes physically. And then there is this pressure to figure out what you want to be and which college to go to, when not that long ago they were simply kids. And on top of that general confusion of figuring out who you are as an individual, many young people come from broken homes (to one degree or another) and are searching for connection, intimacy, and belonging. They want to be wanted. They want a person who is home to them.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Maybe some of these factor into it. Maybe all of them or none of them. I really don't know. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>It just seems like there are a lot of really young people searching for some type of intimacy. Even the boys who are driven to physical wanting. Usually that is part of the need for intimacy that is acceptably manly.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>And I guess there is not much we can really do about it. Romance has been in our art and minds for centuries. The beetles said: All you need is love. We strive to be part of the magic that is true love through our entire lives until we die. The only thing we can do is try to talk to our children. And to try to be a good example if we are lucky enough to be in a healthy committed relationship. And then hope that they don't get serious when they are too young. And know that they will probably get hurt, but hope they don't get their heart broken too badly. And hope that they have learned the difference between a healthy relationships and toxic relationships.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>And continue this trend of telling girls to look forward to more than a big perfect wedding day. Yes, they should enjoy their wedding day. They should want to join there lives with their best friend and lover someday. But they should know that there is more after that. That it doesn't end right after the wedding day like in a Disney movie (And they lived happily ever after...). That they should follow their goals or explore different options as they will have different interest as they grow and change. Maybe not turn people off to marriage as less and less people are getting married today. But maybe teach them to wait until the "Honeymoon Period" is over to start getting to know each other with their masks off.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Again. This post is more my thought about this more than an answer to the questions. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Do you remember when you were young? How did you feel about romance/love? Do you have ideas on what pushes the young to search for love? Have you noticed?<br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-31281827342024311862020-10-24T16:21:00.000-04:002020-10-24T16:21:32.733-04:00Day Four a day late. Life and other inconveniences<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NLbmj9yl5FhcZo89Xh3rJUUlwZuKqsKmY9scmwBhM5HPjDdJlMsoz6_WtBb1rlKl-YQQQDP1RbEOqJaxa_fsD_QUqWHkEUEzkAJdG_Pw76H4-5bfGLJ6ggjkOuACeNpyy9i-lDy2Q-Zr/s412/mu-juggling.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NLbmj9yl5FhcZo89Xh3rJUUlwZuKqsKmY9scmwBhM5HPjDdJlMsoz6_WtBb1rlKl-YQQQDP1RbEOqJaxa_fsD_QUqWHkEUEzkAJdG_Pw76H4-5bfGLJ6ggjkOuACeNpyy9i-lDy2Q-Zr/s320/mu-juggling.png" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Life is crazy!</h3><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Life has a way of veering way off course or just getting so crazy busy that you find yourself forgetting to do stuff or simply remembering a week later after the dust settles.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>It hasn't been a week, but I made a goal to blog everyday to help get me in the rhythm of writing every day for NaNoWriMo. I missed a day and I could beat myself up over it which would make me feel bad and a bit guilty and if I get bummed enough I might just throw my hands up and say "This is pointless. I'll never stick to a schedule. Life's too crazy. I give up!" Then go skulk off and feel sorry for myself.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>But the thing about building habits and continuing toward a goal that you really want to reach is that you have to keep going. There will be obstacles. Life will throw shit at you. There will be days that you just can't sit down and write. And that's ok. That's life. The next day you pull yourself up. Sit down and put words on paper (whether real or MS word doc). And just keep going.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>This works for other goals that you want to make a habit. Want to eat better. Little baby steps and stubbornly moving forward. Will you occasionally eat something that's crap. Yeah. probably. But the next day you won't. Trying to exercise more. Will you take time off. Most likely, especially at the beginning when you're sore and achy more often. And probably if you get sick or hurt. But guess what. When you feel better go back out there and do some low impact exercise and get back into routine. </p><p style="text-align: left;">etc. With any goal, you can't get discouraged and beat yourself up. You have to keep Moving forward.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzPyrwr_siYjB2IdV5V1u7NSoQBzAkrfikQlli3NnLPzve31Oh6VyK4-wVDF_v9WQA8wjNulTSmkiMMDMLTVQxuUke-iAUQm_iJ5x_qSLjKCSxFe0kx3kv-MR39Xd0-tYOlkZ5y037484/s2048/321ad1590a6d471e3bae3675a5fea11f.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzPyrwr_siYjB2IdV5V1u7NSoQBzAkrfikQlli3NnLPzve31Oh6VyK4-wVDF_v9WQA8wjNulTSmkiMMDMLTVQxuUke-iAUQm_iJ5x_qSLjKCSxFe0kx3kv-MR39Xd0-tYOlkZ5y037484/s320/321ad1590a6d471e3bae3675a5fea11f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Or in the words of Dory:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2unJ0Q2UDID-4L242WX8vnbArRvxnHNrfbhtI43_WgQ73ZcKbQShFJIkn7ghg6hyphenhyphennaNK12xwKLxJ711xu_UDfoStxzQIZ_8az5XRta_hBrX0csgBzqBb9X4XvGPKFL50vTYi6I9v8NCn4/s500/nemogif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2unJ0Q2UDID-4L242WX8vnbArRvxnHNrfbhtI43_WgQ73ZcKbQShFJIkn7ghg6hyphenhyphennaNK12xwKLxJ711xu_UDfoStxzQIZ_8az5XRta_hBrX0csgBzqBb9X4XvGPKFL50vTYi6I9v8NCn4/s320/nemogif.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span> </span>So, here is my Blog from yesterday that I missed. I have it here today. I may try to do like I do with NaNo Wrimo and do some extra writing today to make up for being late. But I may not. Life is still a bit chaotic and it's hard to concentrate so I may not do extra, But I did get something out there. Better late than never. <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-79307327516425926702020-10-22T11:59:00.000-04:002020-10-22T11:59:15.083-04:00Not all tv/movie adaptions suck<h3 style="text-align: center;"> Adaptions suck, right?</h3><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>On many occasions I've found this to be true. I bet you can count at least a half a dozen sucktastic adaptions if you think about it.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Like many book lovers, it irritates the hell out of me when they really go way off the plot. I could probably rant at length about all of them, but with so much negativity in the world, I've decided to only mention 2 that irked me the most before mentioning those that did a good job following the original plot.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Secret Circle by LJ Smith</h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span> As a teenager, I absolutely loved LJ Smith and the Secret Circle was one of the top series of hers that I loved. it was through LJ Smith that I acquired one of my best friends that I am still friends with after all these year. The secret circle was a great supernatural, coming of age underdog story. By the time it came to the CW, I was skeptical because the Vampire Diaries had already shown me that the CW liked to change the story for more teen drama. And sure enough, I saw the trailer for the Secret circle and read about it--and they changed <i>everything</i>. It seemed that the only thing that was true to the story was the character Faith. Otherwise, everything was a mess. It got cancelled after only 1 season, so, I don't think I'm the only one that was pissed off.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span>The Queen of the Damned</span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> When I was 14yrs old I watch Interview with a Vampire. And shortly there after, I read the rest of the series. My favorite of the novels being The Queen of the Damned. I've figure out over the years of reading that I enjoy multiple POVs in my story if the Author writes them well enough that they all feel unique and different, which Anne Rice did with all the characters of QOTD. It is such a rich world with so many interesting facetes. It tells of the beginning of vampires in this world and the end. And none of these things transferred to the movie well at all. They changed characters, got rid of key characters and changed the plot. The entire time I watched the movie I couldn't help bursting out with curses and angry tirades of how this or that didn't happen, until my friend (who doesn't read) yelled at me to let her enjoy this good movie with the hot guy. Is that why they had Stuart Townsend half naked and brooding (far too often to be Lestat btw) is to try to make people blind to the terrible plot? We may never know.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span>There are many others. Quite a few Stephen King stories change by the time they get to screen, but that could be because of their size. And there are many others that can't make it.</span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span><span>Now onto the good</span></span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> </span>I'll start with a mention of a few off the top of my head that were close enough to be enjoyable tv or films. Then I will mention my favorite adaption.</span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span><span>The Help</span></span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> If you haven't read this novel or seen the movie, I highly recommend both. I won't spoil the plot for you, but I will say that the film did great at following the book and their choice of actors was spot on. This is a movie that I rewatch, and that's saying a lot.</span></span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span>Interview with a Vampire</span></span></span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> Although it's sequel movie sucked and still fills me with rage, this story was pretty close to the novel. Yes, they changed the family he grieved for from a crazy brother to a wife and son. And yes, Antonio Banderas was not a 19yr beautiful Parisian (probably to keep things from feeling squicky) and No, Lestat didn't turn Daniel (the interviewer) into a vampire (that was Armond). But the rest of it flowed along the original plot line. And the actors did a fantastic job.</span></span></span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span>Harry Potter series</span></span></span></span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> </span>Overall, they did pretty good with the adaption. Movie 4 took out a lot of the personal story and focused on the action. But overall, the series followed the books well and I can enjoy an occasional HP binge watch. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span>And to my favorite adaption...</span></span></span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span>Outlander</span></span></span></span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> At first I thought I enjoyed the show primarily because the novels are my favorite read by far. Maybe it does lend to my bias. Or maybe I love the actors they chose, but I don't think that is the whole of my enjoyment.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span>One reason I think this show works, is that it is a cable tv series that is about 1 hour long per episode. So they have a lot of time to cover the chunky stories in each large novel. Trying to cram these into a trilogy wouldn't work. Neither would having it on prime time tv in 30 min. slot. Of course the adult content also wouldn't work for that either. The Novels are simply too big for those and I think putting it into a long series on cable was the best choice.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span>Each season is one novel. We just finished season 5 and currently Diana Gabalden is nearly finished with book 9. So, as long as people keep loving the show, we should get quite a few more seasons, for which I am ecstatic. </span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span>Now before you ask, No, it isn't exactly perfectly the same as the novels, but some of the changes I liked. If it weren't for the small changes, Murtaugh would have died at Culloden, instead of refound in America. Murtaugh was a favorite character of mine in the books and I was sad when he died in the books. There are a few other small changes, but nothing that changes the story overtly. So, I can deal.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span>The last thing I will mention about outlander that is superb is the music by Bear Mccreary. Beautiful. Lovely music. Very nice scores for the intro and throughout the episodes.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>There are more but I will leave off here.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>What are some adaptions you loved? What are some you hated? What are some that changed but it was for the better? Let me know. :D<br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-23910553140233099862020-10-20T23:58:00.000-04:002020-10-20T23:58:46.875-04:00Love Triangle using Zoey's Extrordinary Playlist as example<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35RlVq4z_em67QXLw6lV1tiMdIrTe9nbUBfNekgtcEXMOxSinShSS5__zUT439w7kJZgY8qIT9ItN4eVrAdUU6DgySqdcOYv35_ELX6Kvq2VRCHYh6gXUq9shOXrQ9bge56N5jmYWYjp-/s2048/916JVbxZsmL._RI_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35RlVq4z_em67QXLw6lV1tiMdIrTe9nbUBfNekgtcEXMOxSinShSS5__zUT439w7kJZgY8qIT9ItN4eVrAdUU6DgySqdcOYv35_ELX6Kvq2VRCHYh6gXUq9shOXrQ9bge56N5jmYWYjp-/s320/916JVbxZsmL._RI_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Love Triangle</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span> As in many romantic stories, be they in cinema, novels or television, the love triangle is used to give some friction to the story or obstacles for the main protagonist to over come. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>Often times the person is in a relationship with a person who is either terrible, merely blase' or just not a fit and the protagonist meets the perfect match for them. They then have to decide whether to stay with the person they are with or take a chance on love. Some examples are "Sleepless in Seattle" where the main protagonist cares about her fiance, but she falls instantly in love with Tom Hank's character and thinks they may be destined to be together. Another is "Sweet Home Alabama." Her guy is seemingly great but after going home and being reminded of her roots and her deep love for her ex, she realizes that her current beau is not a good fit and that she had to be a different person. There are many others that I'm sure you can recall. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>So why bring up Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist? </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>Mainly because, in movies especially, the writers work hard to make us either hate the first love interest, pity them, or just feeling kinda Meh about them being cast off. The main reason is so that as a viewer you don't dislike the main protagonist. I mean, if the heroine has a fantastic guy that she throws over and breaks his heart into itty bitty pieces, we as the viewer disassociate with that character and frankly don't give a shit if she found true love. The heartless bitch. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>And it gets a bit repetitive. I find myself watching these movies or reading these stories and I'll be looking hard for the scooby clues that the person the protagonist is with is actually an asshole. (See Hans from Frozen). And although I feel like a super sleuth when the person shows their true nature, I also kinda feel like I've been let down by a trope.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span>Why Zoey's is different </span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>This story is different because both men (Max and Simon) are genuinely likeable and attractive. They both care about Zoey and have her best interest at heart. They also are both very attracted to her and want to be with her even though she can be quirky and at times self involved.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mpTX9TqXbBDBbp2ZP9qLLckuT7FqH0-fMGuHss_7rePINccxkk5rMXRWfqyZEopoiEyyUzWcE4Kr5msZBwORqHPX8HgREjcL_rwB7HsAvvwGW-P_UkFVZkWG7bqFL3AF89-8v93-rMHI/s800/d8eeaa30-7263-11ea-bb96-9f5b2beff106_800_420.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="800" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mpTX9TqXbBDBbp2ZP9qLLckuT7FqH0-fMGuHss_7rePINccxkk5rMXRWfqyZEopoiEyyUzWcE4Kr5msZBwORqHPX8HgREjcL_rwB7HsAvvwGW-P_UkFVZkWG7bqFL3AF89-8v93-rMHI/w286-h150/d8eeaa30-7263-11ea-bb96-9f5b2beff106_800_420.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfK81r04P4cJLCAUWk-JorGmiIZZsj94vVF7o1rOjxKy45HKAeXgQJS8MGYX0cHIqMauhkUexEhVxuwkjW39nY0gAThScR91VawDdo6yIAq02H1At2xa0uuV4LTYk3HmRJWzPAnmT8WJMC/s900/zoeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfK81r04P4cJLCAUWk-JorGmiIZZsj94vVF7o1rOjxKy45HKAeXgQJS8MGYX0cHIqMauhkUexEhVxuwkjW39nY0gAThScR91VawDdo6yIAq02H1At2xa0uuV4LTYk3HmRJWzPAnmT8WJMC/s320/zoeys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>Now there is a good reason she is distracted. First off her father is slowly dying and the whole family is trying to band together to be there for him and each other. The second reason is that after a freak MRI accident Zoey is constantly hearing people sing (and dance) to her about their issues. Her friend Mo calls them "Heart Songs" So, yeah, valid reason for distraction.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>This music is also how she found out that her closest friend Max loves her romantically and it also showed her Simon's pain and allowed her to be able to talk to him about deep issues and get close to him. So now here are two men that want her and feel an emotional connection to and she knows it because of their heart songs. Both men are a little jealous of each other, but neither of them have thrown hands or acted like fools because they know that Zoey has too much going on in her life right now to deal with a pissing contest. The music also brought her a new close friend and confidant in the form of her next door neighbor, the fabulous Mo (Formerly Unique on <i>Glee</i>). Mo gives good advice and tries to help Zoey figure out her musical issue while singing and sashaying into our hearts. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUTsuWWe9eC-izVJxOwZI8edvVtNkpCufo_gCghn0IdmB9jCKFPwt_vC5MoBBPQPM5QV3BmxEYEVRyjvIzHdlu-jmo8ydzC2oEcNA6kts0fuF03zNIZPCh-Jbaffo7V3eADbn0YVgZsJz/s1778/5e5859ed2300003c0d39c659.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="1778" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUTsuWWe9eC-izVJxOwZI8edvVtNkpCufo_gCghn0IdmB9jCKFPwt_vC5MoBBPQPM5QV3BmxEYEVRyjvIzHdlu-jmo8ydzC2oEcNA6kts0fuF03zNIZPCh-Jbaffo7V3eADbn0YVgZsJz/w200-h113/5e5859ed2300003c0d39c659.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>By the time season 1 ended, nobody had a clue who she would or should pick. And it will probably be put off another season, not only for the rating but because of some awful stuff happening outside of Zoey's love life. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>Some people are hardcore Max fans as he knows her so well. He's always been there for her and will probably always be there for her. He comforts her, he helps her when she's floundering at work, he cares about her family, and he called Simon when he thought Zoey might need him more.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>Some people are hardcore Simon. He's smart, sweet, kind and in touch with his emotions. He knows what Zoey's going through as he is still grieving the loss of his father. He's a gentle soul that is there for Zoey when she needs advice or a shoulder to cry on. And the chemistry between them is sizzling.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>I look forward to watching the next season to see how this story plays out. Because whoever she chooses will bring mixed emotions. I will cheer her romance, while at the same time wanting to hug the other man to make him feel better. Which is a nice change from the writers shoving asshole qualities into a potential good guy and forcing us to hate them or feel blah about their loss.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span>Plus, it has some great music and fun flash mob dancing scenes that suck you in to the fun aspect of the show.<br /> <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMU0Khvvl52JOW7rqo8YS5maIWW-2fxMd3KhtSs1-cOs5QbK5tsfiue6Yy3O95rBAZ75sZWukTLeDceYkpJ4Gdj1jPTW0pITjjgJonFFKk2imeHVhdip6QVIsm4bHNQuecvd7z-_9PkZh/s2028/zoeys-extraordinary-playlist-cast-sings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="2028" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMU0Khvvl52JOW7rqo8YS5maIWW-2fxMd3KhtSs1-cOs5QbK5tsfiue6Yy3O95rBAZ75sZWukTLeDceYkpJ4Gdj1jPTW0pITjjgJonFFKk2imeHVhdip6QVIsm4bHNQuecvd7z-_9PkZh/s320/zoeys-extraordinary-playlist-cast-sings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span>What do you think of love triangles? Have you noticed this theme of making one of the choices unlikable? Have you seem Zoey's extraordinary playlist? What do you think of Max and Simon?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span>Let me know. I love hearing from you.<br /></span> </p></div>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-5461303475770391472020-10-19T22:37:00.001-04:002020-10-19T22:39:19.365-04:00Two weeks of blogging everyday (hopefully) in preparation of NaNoWriMo<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfOwhFgnFVkNHTHRZMfq1hNsNIzaWrGroylY6Zo2Q0JF9xR-aE-3HB6HIcOhWA7EwEdFH0jY35jKqCdzX2tatArERQCuu31R8Q0aHdQ7jJlqNwq6AvnBVIsRZ4OYBi6qtuFrshz75d6Uh/s480/nano.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="353" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfOwhFgnFVkNHTHRZMfq1hNsNIzaWrGroylY6Zo2Q0JF9xR-aE-3HB6HIcOhWA7EwEdFH0jY35jKqCdzX2tatArERQCuu31R8Q0aHdQ7jJlqNwq6AvnBVIsRZ4OYBi6qtuFrshz75d6Uh/s320/nano.PNG" /></a></div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"> I'm doing NaNoWrimo this year.</h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>For a while now I have felt uninspired. Even before the pandemic and isolation, I have had difficulty getting up the oomph to sit and write. Some of it has been my husband's health problems, a lot of it over the last couple years was a hectic work schedule managing an understaffed salon. I guess since Covid closed it down for good, I don't have to worry about that anymore. You would think I would have oodles of time to write and I do--technically. But it just has been a struggle...</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>This year I decided that come hell or high water (which both are a possibility this year. heh) I am participating in Nano. 30 glorious days of frenzied writing as I race toward 50 thousand words by the end of November. I stress, but I also work really well under pressure. The one time I specifically remember winning NaNo was during a time that I was going to college full time, had two toddlers, a house to clean, 2 companies I reviewed books for and a writing group that I was in. And somehow, I won. I wrote everyday for that as well as for the writing group and papers out the wazoo for undergrad work.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>If I could do it back in the day, then I should be able to motivate my unemployed, college graduate, teen mom ass into writing successfully this year. I just need some extra motivation--hence NaNoWriMo.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I don't want to work on the book yet. Somehow it feels like cheating. I know I'll add more words afterwards as 50 K isn't enough for a full length novel. But, I want to wait until November 1st and burst through he door. So how do I get into the rythm of writing every day to get ready? I don't want to work on other work and overextend or distract myself. And that's when it hit me...</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I'm going to blog each day. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>I've always enjoyed putting some of the passing ideas I've had out into the world. And I am up in the wee morning hours with hubby when he gets up before the butt crack of dawn and usually stay up a couple hours after he leaves in order to wake my children for online school. What better time is there than when the house is quiet? Hubby is gone, kids are snoozing and even the cats are asleep after an early morning feeding. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>There you have it. I will be blogging everyday until November first. And who knows. Maybe if me and my muse have a reconciliation, I may continue blogging at least weekly. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>Let me know if you NaNo.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span> </p>Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-18030784911105318422018-10-22T00:29:00.000-04:002018-10-22T00:29:30.220-04:00The void that murdered my MUSE and the my passionIsn't it amazing how there are things in life that can suck away at your creative juices without you even paying attention?<br />
And the sad part is that you have control of these Muse killing vampires.<br />
<br />
But the problem is that you focus on everything else and turn a blind eye to this draining <i>thing/things</i>.<br />
<br />
Did you know that my life revolved around creativity, music and art when I was younger? I was in every choir I could get my hands on. I sang five days a week--multiple times a day and some weekends and I loved it. At one point I planned to work my way through college until I made it off Broadway. I couldn't imagine a time that I didn't sing. Hell! When I wasn't singing for a group I was singing in the shower, on the walk to and from school and while cleaning.<br />
<br />
I also danced 5 days a week for show choir and during the performances. And sometime for the spring musical. I also played piano most days, as my grandmother (a retired piano teacher and full time organist) came out of retirement to teach me.<br />
<br />
I was also in art class and had a notebook for sketching and doodling.<br />
<br />
And when I wasn't doing these thing (and school work) I was reading everyday throughout the day and most days I wrote short stories for fun.<br />
<br />
Fast forward and I not only stopped singing in choirs etc. But I stopped singing Karaoke (which is something I did at least once a month for about a decade give or take.) And I did a vaudville style show for a while that had dancing, but it became too much of a hassle. I was also in a writing group with friends for a few years, and MAN the stories and story ideas I had were great then. And they all tapered off.<br />
<br />
In fact, I was quite surprised to realize, about a years and a half ago, that I'd stopped reading for fun.<br />
I was able to get back to reading every day, which is like meditation for me, but the other stuff is still gone.<br />
<br />
For someone who used to sing and dance all the time, I don't sing anymore. Not even in the shower.Not while cleaning. Not at karaoke. No listening to music, except at work. <i>Nothing.</i> I don't dance anymore, except last year a couple times I danced at a kids dance to get my daughter out on the floor. Never for the pure joy of it. I never draw. The last time was a couple years ago with the kids while we were making silly doodles. and before that over four years ago in my notes at college. And I haven't written much. Each time I try to write a story or pick up where I left off, there is no drive. No passion. I can't see or<i> feel</i> my characters. I did a couple 30 min. word sprints and pushed through them just to prove I could but it left me feel flat. And tired.<br />
<br />
Now, there have been many thing that have happened over the years: Kids, kids injuries and sickness, taking care of my MIL with Dementia for 2 years as her primary care giver, college, more college, still college (APA sucks the creativity out of all my writing), financial stress, loss of pets, loss of family, loss of karaoke, loss of writing group,my mom having a stroke, having to move, having to move my family in 5 days, my husband traveling all the time and being gone for over a month while I moved us and settled us into a new home, my husband dying and coming back, but then struggling with recovery both physically and mentally (and me, too) A crazy amount of doctor appointments in the last4 months(I think my hubby has like 8 or 9 dr. with regular appointments) A change at my old job-then getting a new job, and 2 kids at 2 schools that need dropped off and picked up all while having 1 van. (and other things I'm sure I didn't think to add.<br />
Now these are all valid distractions, but the main problem here is <i>me.</i><br />
<br />
<i> </i>I got so focused on everything else and everybody else, that I ignored me. And now, I feel this <i>void.</i><br />
I got back in the habit of always reading a little bit and that helps, but I reach for my MUSE and there is no answer. There's a hole there. It's dark and depressing and pretty deep after all these years.<br />
I don't think it's writer's block.<br />
I think my MUSE is dead. It's like everytime I try to do something joyful and creative I'm just moving my dead zombie MUSE around like a puppet master putting on a good show.<br />
<br />
I tried singing in the shower but didn't feel like it. I got a few lines to a sad song out and then just trailed off and started mentally organizing a list of all the things I had to do that day. I tried to draw the other day and just made round scribbles and pushed it to the side to work on my grown-up lesson plan paper that was due tonight. I went on my phone to play piano tiles because it makes my heart glad to hear songs that I used to play and I can remember the feel of the piano keys under my fingers as I made beautiful music flow, but then I got distracted by my google calendar, upcoming appointments, and messages I needed to respond to.<br />
<br />
I thought I might get my writing juices going by blogging a little every other day or so. And I spent a good ten minutes staring at this blank page trying desperately to remember any of the blog ideas I used to store away for when "I had time" and came up blank.<br />
I thought: What's wrong with me? Why can't I think of anything interesting, relevant or funny? Where's the passion? Where's the joy? Where's my MUSE?<br />
Do I keep moving my MUSE's cadaver around-imitating life. Do I bury him and just give in to the void? Do I go to the MUSE humane society and see if there is a little muse there, that's lost like me and needs a good home? I really don't know.<br />
<br />
But...<br />
I think I will listen to some music. I think, I'll write some blogs about stupid crap--whatever crosses my mind. I think I'll take advantage of not having any classes until January and actually do NANOWRIMO this November, even if I just spread the stench of my corpse-muse guts all over the paper. I may do some dance fitness videos--just because I love to dance. And I may ask Santa Clause to get me a keyboard (it may not be a full sized piano, but it can sound like one)<br />
<br />
I think I might just keep practicing the things that used to light up my soul until they become habits. Then we'll see how my MUSE is doing. It may be a little brand new weak little baby MUSE, but it'll have room to grow.<br />
<br />Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-17251127712373787432018-05-28T08:44:00.000-04:002018-05-28T08:44:16.252-04:00Night Owl author with an Earlybird life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know, no matter what time of day I try to write, I feel the most creative at night.<br />
<br />
Over the years, I've tried to adapt to a more fluent writing schedule. i.e. Writing during the morning and daytime--even going as far as setting an alarm to wake up earlier to write before the day speeds ahead.<br />
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And no matter what I do, it never works. About the only time my head feels clear and open and my fingers feel like tapping along my keyboard for any project, be it novel writing or blogging, is at night, when the kiddos slumber and my house is dark and quiet. <i>That </i>is when my Muse wakes up.<br />
<br />
This would be awesome if I was independently wealthy or my writing career was such that I could live off of it, but at this particular juncture, I have to work at my day job. Technically, it isn't as early as when I was a substitute teacher and had to wake up at 5:30am but usually after getting my kiddos to school in the morning, I have to leave for work by 9:30 and don't get home until at least 6pm or later on the weekends. Then usually I have dinner and family time and I catch up on TV shows with my hubby. We finally get the girls to bed sometime after 10 ish and then hubby and I chat and spend time together until about 11pm. I've thought about it and the family time with the girls and the "us" time with hubby have to stay.<br />
<br />
Now it's between 11 and midnight and my Muse is poking my and insisting that I write. Sometimes I give in to him and sometimes the day has worn me down and I just need some sleep. Sadly, I know that if I give in to slumber, I will wash, rinse, repeat the next day and will probably not feel like writing until the next night. If I have a day off the next day, I give in to my Muse and run on a long manic, fevered adventure that leaves me glowing at the wonder of the written word. Unfortunately, they are few and far between.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0R8CHxQNbQvBxXla6dpFUNumkULOa8mo_2xu4t2t12MS-SIo085dGKNzxTKsNmOBx934XpQWpQcMhmNoUvdz0jusakh-m4mZDCNncWxc7BsQfbKWRM-tbyQlpMtJEAOu2QuHwREvm0ac/s1600/writing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="350" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0R8CHxQNbQvBxXla6dpFUNumkULOa8mo_2xu4t2t12MS-SIo085dGKNzxTKsNmOBx934XpQWpQcMhmNoUvdz0jusakh-m4mZDCNncWxc7BsQfbKWRM-tbyQlpMtJEAOu2QuHwREvm0ac/s320/writing.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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I feel bad when a week whizzes by and I haven't given my Muse the time of day. I'm neglecting him and I can tell when it is too long and he is moody. He fights me when I try to start up again. I struggle with the words and imagery. It feels dry and almost painful. He sulks and broods and gives me the cold shoulder and I spend much of my time soothing him and cajoling him to come play with me again. I promise that I won't forget him for as long and gradually we have our grand adventures again.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UBpn-dSg1SdOz29KrMbV3ln13kJ9gmbU9ntXZVunLsaZ3A-ZfQ6vfN2RFmE1Kc5w-SKoZP9VV7uhgl4-lyNh-g4DEaX1a3ban6vrKkfhH4LCLOSR11VlYiF4pAJqX6lZMRbezDu1jsH2/s1600/source.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="711" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UBpn-dSg1SdOz29KrMbV3ln13kJ9gmbU9ntXZVunLsaZ3A-ZfQ6vfN2RFmE1Kc5w-SKoZP9VV7uhgl4-lyNh-g4DEaX1a3ban6vrKkfhH4LCLOSR11VlYiF4pAJqX6lZMRbezDu1jsH2/s320/source.gif" width="320" /></a>Until I get busy working 40+ hours standing on my feet and then go ride bikes with the kiddos or take them to the water park or spend time with hubby. Then another week or 2 flies by before I poke my Muse and he is once again angry and hurt that I have not been there on the adventures.<br />
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He is not gone during those long periods. He does try to get a hold of me. When I'm in the shower, he'll show me a critical scene to one of my WIPs that I do not have time to write down and usually forget. In my car I can see the next scene in a story unfold before I pull into the parking lot at work and then push it to the side as I jump into my life. And most especially while I sleep next to my husband in the still hours of the early morning, he whispers to me, teasing me and taunting me about the epic climax or the cute meet that I won't remember in the light of the morning. I'll remember these moments (mostly) the next time I finally reach out to my Muse and I'm pretty sure he remembers them, too. And that is why he is so upset with me because he was trying to bridge the gap. He put more effort into our relationship.<br />
I, on the other hand always put him last and he knows it. One day, maybe he'll leave for good. I certainly hope not as that day would make my life bleaker.<br />
<br />
But for now, my early day time schedule does not allow for my nighttime inspiration. But maybe I can compromise. Maybe instead of shooting into a three hour crazed marathon of creative writing, I can give just a little bit of my time to my Muse. Maybe a half hour will suffice to keep our connection strong and keep my Muse happy.<br />
I can't quit my day job and I won't quit my family, but maybe it's time to let my Muse come visit more and maybe it would be good for me to go on a few more grand adventures.<br />
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<br />Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-17711343241309285022018-05-15T00:20:00.000-04:002018-05-15T00:45:15.478-04:00How I seem to make the wrong choices with my careerThis is a post about some thoughts I've had lately on some of my previous decisions and some upcoming decisions.<br />
I feel a bit lost on what I should do.<br />
<br />
So far, I have successfully made critically wrong decisions when it came to my career choices and getting ahead.<br />
<br />
Here are some examples of past errors before I share my newest conundrum.<br />
<br />
When I first got out of high school, I was one of those kids that was a bit aimless. I mean, I had a plan to pursue a singing career and I planned on being smart about it by going to music colleges and making my way up the ladder until I became a background character in an off Broadway production. I knew I was decent at singing, dancing and acting, but I also knew I wasn't awesome. I have a good ear and I was adequate. That would probably be enough to get me there.<br />
But, I hadn't applied for college before graduation and I hadn't taken my SAT s or tried to get a scholarship for the dozens of choirs and music things I was in. smh.<br />
<br />
My mom, at that time, was opposed to the idea of me going off to college and told me that I would need a good job to pay for my dorm etc. And suggested Cosmetology school. Now, <i>that</i> was a laugh. I was the opposite of fashionable in high school. But I decided...Why not. May as well do it and have that as a backup.<br />
<br />
Fast forward. I got my license and after a couple hitches, found myself at a busy, thriving salon in a busy mall and for quite a few years I did well monetarily and I realized that I was <i>good </i>at doing hair. But, I left after 7 years to raise my 2 babies. I worked at another salon and realized that each year I worked as a stylist, the less money I made and the harder it got on my legs and back.<br />
<br />
Sooo, I went back to college like my hubby did. I was going to get a degree in English. Either in creative writing or as a teacher, but then I took intro into Psychology and I was hooked. I loved digging into how the brain works. And 4 years later I got a Bachelor's in Psychology--which in essence is useless on it's own. It's a stepping stone toward counseling, Psychology or even business. All it got me on it's own is the ability to become a substitute teacher.<br />
<br />
So then I became a substitute teacher. I do like it for the most part. I don't like early mornings and some weeks no schools call for a substitute, which makes money tight. Plus, summer vacation time doesn't need substitutes, so we were broke then.<br />
<br />
Then came working part time in the summer and into part of the school year at the original salon that is much slower than it used to be and is in a half dead mall with nearly no foot traffic. The owners of the mall are trying to resuscitate it, but it is slow going. And many people don't even know our salon is in this dark nearly empty wing.<br />
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One other thing to mention before the problem. I am getting my Master's degree in Instructional design (in ITEC in Educational Psychology) I won't go into how I chose this path, but I will say, that even though IDs can make good money, they don't in impoverished Ashtabula county and they usually have to intern somewhere for a while to get experience, if they want to be an independent contractor. Meaning, I still can't use my degree yet and if I do go intern somewhere, I would have to go to a bigger county or city to get hired. I plan to get my PHD in it, which will afford me more education, more time for a decision and maybe it will assist in getting hired when I'm done.<br />
<br />
Now to the present day. With my educational hiatus in mind, I stayed at the salon in the dying mall after summer break. I planned to step back to part, part time just to stay in the system until the next summer break came around where I could up my hours.<br />
<br />
Then things went crazy.<br />
-First: We were bought by a new company that started making big changes, some seem good. Others--we'll have to see. And we are stuck somewhere between the old system and the new with a lot of things not working and our previous place pulling out support. Leaving us dangling in limbo for a functional system.<br />
- Then my manager and friend who had been a manager for 6yrs. Decided that the stress was too much and she was finally done with the place. She left and is much happier. I am happy for her peace of mind.<br />
-Next another good stylist, who had been there for a while, took over management, but from the start he planned to leave at the end of April. Sad, but not really a problem.<br />
-Until, the rest of the girls begged me to take over as manager. I held off for a bit. Weighing the pros and cons and finally decided that I could do it. If nothing else, it would be better money (slightly).<br />
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I took over the 40+ hours (which my body does not like at all now that I'm in my late 30s) and began trying to be manager. I was shown some things, but I'm pretty sure there were missed items. And no matter what we did, I cannot access the main work email or group meet place that I need to use to get information and do my job efficiently<br />
Then my supervisor came in for about 4 hours and continuously treated my like a harebrained idiot that couldn't remember the simplest thing. (which really ticked me off. Treating me like I'm stupid is one of my biggest pet peeves.) She talked down to me. She talked past me to one of the younger girls and she talked about me behind my back to one of my girls (so unprofessional) She told the girl that she couldn't get anything done because I couldn't stop talking. Um NO. I was pissed off, which means I don't talk that much. The reason she didn't get anything done is because she kept forgetting shit, kept sending up to rearrange crap all over the store to her liking and she kept talking. My stylist was POd and agreed that it wasn't me.<br />
She then finally sent me a consent to do a background check form and told me that I wasn't a manager or getting paid as a manager until it went through and she got me in the system. I had already been acting as a manager for nearly a week at this point. Three days later it went through, but my supervisor was on vacation for another week, so I know she didn't put me in. It's been three weeks and I am not getting paid as a manager, I can't access the system and I can't hire anybody, which I need to do because we are short staffed. I spoke with her today and she was condescending. AGAIN.<br />
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So my dilemma (sort of) is that a closer, busier salon where a friend works, desperately wants me. I won't be manager (which I am more than fine with), but I can get as many hours and get the same pay as I have been getting. I am probably going to quit the one place and go to this one. It seems less stressful, it isn't slowly decaying like the other and I don't have to EVER talk to that supervisor again.<br />
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I just worry, that with my track record, that I am making another bad choice. What if I should stay and try to bring the current salon back to life. What if I should give it my everything and just ignore that woman that treats me like shit? But, what if I should go to this nicer place and find some peace of mind while I navigate my education?<br />
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If you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.Either on here or on FB or Twitter.<br />
Thanks in advance.<br />
<br />
(P.s. I usually post a lot of photos and Gifs, but this post seemed like it should have less flash and more text. I hope you don;t mind. :) )<br />
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<br />Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-67980732225664841662018-04-06T10:00:00.000-04:002018-04-06T10:00:01.806-04:00I got hurt. I've been called a hero. I mostly just feel stupid.<br />
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On Tuesday night I got hurt at work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDv8Tmolp5hjFAQ8RvxR42jtU4Bd844OAq9VxjwY57hWDqQ2puPbrJUb7CynguJkJ3-d4G-GjR0neGDUKZl8uM-buWyVrHvlG410toHYGKiP2uVS3MFTNedd99HawHHFfMzHpwLYQAOEKx/s1600/348s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDv8Tmolp5hjFAQ8RvxR42jtU4Bd844OAq9VxjwY57hWDqQ2puPbrJUb7CynguJkJ3-d4G-GjR0neGDUKZl8uM-buWyVrHvlG410toHYGKiP2uVS3MFTNedd99HawHHFfMzHpwLYQAOEKx/s200/348s.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from another salon, but same mirrors and stations to give you an idea of what they look like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A very large oversized mirror (Maybe 4 ft by 3ft) trimmed in wood and weighing a shit ton (Not really. It is just super crazy heavy) fell off the wall, barely missing a kid's head and was coming toward me, the kid's mom and his brother sideways so the impact would have probably projected glass right at us.<br />
<br />
Now I didn't really have time to think all of this. At least not consciously. I just knew that breaking glass with kiddos around would be very bad JuJu. And without thinking I lunged for the mirror and caught the top and side, which then yanked me forward with the weight and velocity of the fall. As I struggled to not drop it, it swung around and slammed into the side of my neck, jaw and collarbone.<br />
<br />
I was stunned temporarily and somehow didn't drop the damn thing. The mom rushed over, helped me lower it and asked if I was OK. After my ears stopped ringing I felt the stinging/burning pain in my neck. And when I looked it was bright red and puffy. She was amazed at my reflexes. I was--still in shock. In fact I was cold and shaky for a bit. All I could keep thinking was: <i>It hit my neck! My freakin' <b>neck! </b>That is not good at all. On the side of my neck is the Carotid Artery and the Jugular and what about my esophagus?! My head is still ringing and I have a headache. Do I have a concussion?</i><br />
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I grabbed something cool out of the fridge (A bottle of dressing because we don't have ice cubes in our tiny fridge) and called my manager. He seemed shocked and concerned and told me I could leave if I wanted. The mother's boyfriend, at that time, showed up with a gallon baggie of ice, which I gratefully pressed to my very painful, throbbing neck.<br />
I told the mom I thought I was alright but I would see. I finished her 2nd and 3rd kid's haircuts, while monitoring myself. I was still shakey and cold. but I was coherent and speaking fine. My pupils were equal and responsive and I had no bruising behind my ear...So--probably no concussion. But, man, that neck wound looked and felt awful.<br />
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My manager came rushing in with a cold pack and began shutting down the store for me. I rang out the customers, told them I was so glad that it hadn't hit on of the kids, and walked down to the urgent care. They checked me, said I seemed fine, follow up with my doctor but keep an eye on it, because I could have damage the artery wall and it could aneurysm for up to 2 weeks....Wait. What?!<br />
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So, I drive home and spent a good portion of the night trying not to flip the hell out. I was scared. What if I went to sleep and it popped like a balloon and I died? How would I keep an eye on it? I'm not qualified. They said that it would swell but watch for too much swelling. <i>How much is too much?</i><br />
It was rough trying to pretend to be okay when inside I was rocking and babbling and panicking.<br />
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<i> </i><br />
And you know the main thing I felt? Stupid.<br />
Why did I try to catch a huge mirror? I'm not a superhero with super strength.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYL9JgTsSaY7Clwr3dU7UwXUF0nZVVGfM4RbXWkZXqZhNmJRWkWF-tEu1qzsfVYViuEoNYY2Q5QJgqZdmUyZ5zZPjZNZXVIdsd45x8qmvQfriFlq7uWdWVlZ3OHhTJ30P3XFx5q-jUyLiB/s1600/PfzM4E.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYL9JgTsSaY7Clwr3dU7UwXUF0nZVVGfM4RbXWkZXqZhNmJRWkWF-tEu1qzsfVYViuEoNYY2Q5QJgqZdmUyZ5zZPjZNZXVIdsd45x8qmvQfriFlq7uWdWVlZ3OHhTJ30P3XFx5q-jUyLiB/s200/PfzM4E.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
Why was my automatic response to run toward a mirror that could have done much worse things to me? Why? Why? Why? If I hadn't done this asinine thing I wouldn't be hurting with whiplash, headache, muscle ache, and throbbing (potentially fatal) neck wound. Why did I have to be so stupid?<br />
<br />
And you know the simple answer.<br />
<br />
I couldn't have stood by and let it crash and hurt those kids. If I hadn't done it they could have been sliced up. I am so glad they were okay. And I know it could have been worse.<br />
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<br />
But as I got ultrasounds on my neck and Xrays on my clavicle. As I move gingerly because my muscles are stiff and painful and as I gingerly (and fearfully) took a shower and avoided getting hot water on my neck (because, dude, what if the artery wall gets loose or extra blood flows up through there and POP) And as I pop Motrin and muscle relaxers like candy, but still have a headache. And as my body temperature is still whacky for reasons unknown, I still walk/shuffle/stagger away feeling very foolish and kicking myself for putting myself into this predicament.<br />
<br />
People have said I was a hero, but I don't feel that way at all. So, if you have called me a hero and I answered somewhat awkwardly, it's because I'm not feeling courageous or heroic. I feel old, bruised, battered and stupid. But thanks for saying it anyway.Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-27875990235924417522018-04-01T21:10:00.001-04:002018-04-01T21:10:59.461-04:00A relaxing Easter<br />
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<br />
We survived another Easter and another April Fools day.<br />
<br />
As usual, we did not celebrate April fools day. I don't have a thing against pranks, really but sometimes they can go askew or take a lot of effort only to fizzle. My oldest kiddo, *Crabbypatty, wanted to devise some truly devious plots, but when she heard us groan. She decided to wait until another time.<br />
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We did celebrate Easter, but not in the usual busy/crazy way. Because sickness has been settling over our household for the past few weeks we have been tired and in-between that there has been work also draining our life-energy.<br />
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We got up early to watch the children paw through their Easter baskets with glee and then we sent them out into the bitter frosty morn to hunt for special eggs that hubby had woke earlier to hide. We trudged through mud and muck in the still hazy sunlight for a bit before finally giving in to the chill. <br />
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The eggs held an assortment of goodies--from candy, to small prizes to some small petty cash. They were thrilled.<br />
Instead of a ham (for multiple convoluted reasons) hubby roasted a turkey and a roast. When hubby commented on the abnormally huge neck, our youngest *Turkeybutt blithely commented, "Oh, so it's a male turkey." <br />
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We were caught completely by surprise and speechless for a few seconds until hubby started giggling. I yelled after her as she strolled away (unaware of how her comment affected us) "No. It's not a male. That's the neck!" Which made hubby laugh harder.<br />
That was a major highlight of the day.<br />
<br />
For our Easter treat. Me and hubby took a nap while the food cooked in the oven. Then we had a yummy sit-down, casual meal and then spent the rest of the time mostly relaxing. (I did do some dishes and finish folding the laundry) We caught up on most of our shows<br />
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and I finished the rest of the writing advise book I had been reading.<br />
<br />
Now we're getting ready to blast back into the real world. My oldest goes back to school tomorrow. My youngest has 2 mandatory chats before continuing her schooling. My hubby will most likely get called in to sub. And I have an appointment with a family member(that I haven't seen in months) and a +1 to do a couple haircolors.<br />
<br />
Then life will keep scootching along and before I know it the weekend that me and hubby will be away, just the two of us, will be here. We only have 2 weeks and then we will be LARPing(Live Action Role Playing. Kinda like D&D but in real life--no table top), running through the woods and having a great time.<br />
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I am excited for it because it has been 9 years since we have gone out of town for more than a few hours without the kids. I'm also nervous, as I always am whenever I am away from my kids that long. Yes, I am a paranoid parent that sometimes helicopters if I don't check myself. But you would not <i>believe </i>how skilled my kids can be at hurting themselves in the most unorthodox ways.<br />
I mean, my oldest *Crabbypatty siced open her chin on a bed post. She had stitches. And a few years ago, my youngest, *Turkeybutt had an entire mozzarella stick stuck in her throat. I had to literally reach in and slowly pull it out because the Heimlich and whacking her back over my arm did not work.<br />
So--you know. Paranoid. They are spending 2 nights at their best friend's houses.<br />
Buuut, worrying won't stop things from happening. All it does is bring more stress and ruin the present, so, I will think positive, happy thoughts. Go have fun with hubby and come back exhausted most likely.<br />
<br />
Have you ever LARPed?Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-70702782269503913042018-03-29T00:23:00.000-04:002018-03-29T00:23:31.911-04:00Becoming motivated to write again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been trying different methods to kick start my lazy self into writing again: Networking, building my social media platform, blogging, and reading multiple books on writing. Thankfully, they seem to be helping. I always enjoy seeing that these authors are just regular folks like you and me. That makes it easier somehow.<br />
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Now, I know that the best way to get writing is to start writing and just--you know. Write.<br />
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Buuut, it's been a while since I did some hard core writing. I was doing pretty good last fall, and then nothing. Fizzle. Poof.<br />
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Kinda depressing, actually.<br />
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The last time I was writing with some frequency was a couple summers ago. I was pretty regular but again, I let life distract me,<br />
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You know what I miss? Back when I was in a writing group, I felt so inspired. I would get a writing prompt and have a couple weeks to make into something new and amazing. I would start late, after my kids were asleep, and take advantage of the quiet. And BAM! I would get swept up in the writing. My fingers could not go fast enough.<br />
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I felt alive.<br />
It was thrilling and almost manic.<br />
And when it was done, it was a little sloppy, but it was beautiful and unique and came so easy.<br />
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Then, things shifted.<br />
One member moved on and didn't glance back. He couldn't get away fast enough and I haven't heard from him for years.<br />
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<br />
Another became insanely successful in her writing career and also insanely busy--so, writing group--Ain't nobody got time for that.<br />
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The other is my husband and he and I are about the same, actually I think he's written a bit more tan me lately, but again it's sporadic.<br />
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The last few times I've sat down to write, it's after a looong day at my day job--or the other one--or working on my grad work. I just feel blah!<br />
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Why not write in the morning, Heather?<br />
Good question...<br />
I am not a morning person. At. All.<br />
I have woke up early in order write. Or get on the treadmill. Or do yoga.<br />
You know what happens then? I sit, drinking coffee staring blearily at the tv or my computer and get 0 things done. I am a zombie capable of the most minute actions and thoughts. I can barely function and therefore cannot get the oomph to write thoughtful interesting scenes.<br />
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But, I am getting the pre-training done. As stated above, I am searching for inspiration. I am cultivating my social presence, I am updating my sites and making them more reader friendly and I am blogging again.<br />
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No Blogging is not writing my novel, but it is a baby step to get the juices flowing. The latest book on writing I am reading gave the advice to start small if you've been off the writing horse for a while and begin blogging or journaling or even writing a grocery list...you know. Something. And after you've written these things for a bit, eventually it'll grease the motor and you can get your novel writing groove back.<br />
So, here I am. Baby stepping the hell outta this blog. And I plan to blog about something everyday for the next couple weeks. Then...<br />
Who knows?<br />
I think I'll finish some of my books that have cooked way to long on the back burner.<br />
<br />
Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647312530819801812.post-11508692271856335692018-03-14T01:30:00.002-04:002018-03-14T01:30:22.187-04:00Review of "The Firstborn Prince" by Virginia Nelson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</div>
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Loved it so hard! </div>
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Yet another great addition to the Prince series.<br /><br />
First of all I love name Foster Boyd. It rolls off the tongue nicely. I also like the dog's name, Buffy. I had a dog when I was younger named Buffy. I will admit that Foster and his dog Buffy might have had a stronger relationship than I did with our family dog. It is super endearing. Even when he's pretending to be unemotional and avoids attachment, you know that's BS because of the way he loves his dog and is kind to her. Foster Boyd is one of my favorite hero types. He seems to be cool and businesslike. Someone that takes care of everyone while seeming to need nothing in return, but when you take the time to dig deeper, there's a sweet and loving man who needs a soft touch and some love. And in return he knocks your socks off. <br /><br />
Natalie Stolen is a powerful, kickbutt lady who knows her job well but get screwed over by forces outside of her control (I can so identify with that), but even though she is in control and doesn't easily give into love and all the other squishy stuff, she sometimes can make a mess of things, like when she tries the home-made charcoal mask. Thankfully,her bestie, Harper, is always there to offer her advice or at least a shoulder to cry on.<br /><br />
When Natalie begins working for Foster, to help with his brother's image, they end up hitting it off. They try to keep things light and easy by simply having sex to scratch that annoying itch that's distracting them, but sometimes fate has other ideas.<br /><br />
When Natalie had an issue with a bedroom related problem, I thought that might be the misunderstanding/ the conflict and I was pleasantly surprised to see them work through that together as a couple which really cemented their relationship and moved it forward. They eventually had a hitch as all good romances do, but it wasn't from miscommunication in the bedroom. Go team.<br />This is a great story about two very un-perfect people, who fit together perfectly.Heather Geoffrieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03147481670728490933noreply@blogger.com0