End of Summer Post

**Heads up** The following post will be random and might not make much sense.

Organization and time management skills are essential for a homeschool mama who is also a writer. But, what does an author and a homeschool mama do if these skills do not com naturally? Pray and work hard. Yep, that’s it, and I should know, because here I had all summer to straighten and clean and get ready for the coming school year, and I’m just now…a week before school starts…straightening and cleaning and preparing. Can anyone say procrastination?

Yesterday, my own mama stopped by and tried to help me organize a cabinet. Trouble was, she wanted it organized to her standards. Her standards are fine for her, but as a blind person, when it comes to important stuff like cleaners that I want to use whether a sighted person is here or not, I need for them to be where I put them, not where someone else puts them.

And, speaking of my disability, I really get annoyed when people use a lot of emojis instead of actual words. My speech on my phone is great at announcing what those emojis are, but it gets real tiresome hearing the speech say over and over, “Clapping hands with light skin tone. Clapping hands with light skin tone. Clapping hands with light skin tone.” Deed.

Back to cleaning and straightening. The funniest part of today’s cleaning spree was seeing my 11-year old, my 9-year-old and my mama sitting in the living room floor playing barbies under the guise of sorting them. Ha! I love it.

I’m really afraid I’m going to have to take a reading day before school starts. Last night and today, I really wanted to turn on an audio book. Listening to a story with humor and awesome characters while keeping my hands busy with yarn and needles, now, that sounds like a plan. When to fit in the time, though?

So, next Tuesday, right here on the blog, I am interviewing a Christian author straight from WV. A few weeks ago, I downloaded the audio version of Heather Day Gilbert’s “Miranda Warning”, and fell in love with the characters. They reminded me of friends and family right here at home. I asked Heather if I could feature her, and she graciously agreed. We are also doing a giveaway. There are 2 softcover copies of “Miranda warning” waiting on 2 lucky people who leave a comment after reading the interview. Y’all won’t want to miss it, so mark your calendars. There is also a Facebook event, so come on over and check it out.

Here’s apologizing for not being more organized with this blog. I’m running around like a crazy mama who knows that come next Monday, I’ll be busy encouraging my girls and myself to get up earlier and hit the books. We need your prayers. I’ll be back next week with that interview, so catch ya’ll then.

Be blessed.

Advice From Master Yoda

Disclaimer: The quotes in this post may not be completely accurate.

I had a rough day. Stressed because I’m always stressed when the teacher reviews my girls’ homeschool portfolios, I did not sleep well last night. Nervous, I couldn’t eat much except a peanut butter and jelly sandwich this morning. We were getting the books put into the waiting bag, when my oldest spills water on her science notebook, pretty much ruining it. Then, I cut my finger on the end of my mandolin string while hurrying to put it back in its case. Wrapping a bandaid around it, I hurried to grab my bags, when my aunt says, “Aren’t you going to change your shirt?” It is certain I would have walked right out that door with a stained up shirt, if she had not stopped me. The first book the teacher opens shows correct answers but no proof that those answers were not obtained by cheating. My youngest was put on the spot, something that freezes her up. All was cleared up, yet, I knew, somehow, I had failed. Afterward, I thought to buy milkshakes to celebrate finishing the school year. But, since I didn’t buy what my oldest wanted from the place she wanted it from, she wouldn’t take anything from anyone or from anywhere. Once again, I failed. We came home and began clearing out the cabinet where I keep school supplies, only to realize we can’t find the book I purchased a month ago. Failed, again. I despaired that this day would ever be redeemed.

During supper and subsequent dish washing, Star Wars played on the TV. I prayed, kept reminding myself it would all be OK, and sat down with a second glass of sweet tea. Then, I turned my attention to the current movie and found some encouragement.

I am not an avid fan, and I don’t have the script memorized, but what I heard was this…if I remember correctly.

Luke Skywalker says, “Well, I’ll try.”

Yoda replies, “No. Do. There is no try.”

A conversation takes place where Luke says it’s too big of a job, and Yoda says something about size having nothing to do with it. Then, Yoda raises the spaceship out of the water. I know this, because I asked my husband what happened. LOL Anyway, at the end, Luke says, “I can’t believe it.” Whereupon Yoda replies, “That is why you fail.”

Suddenly, it hit me. Exactly who is living in me, seeing as how I call myself a Christian? If the force within me is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, BTW has no dark side, then why am I calling myself a failure? I had just been telling myself during dish washing that I would try to do better next year. But, according to Master Yoda, “There is no try.” And, the reason I fail is because of unbelief.

I will not try to do better next time. I will do better, because I know how to fix this year’s mistakes. I will not fail, because I am not trying to make my kids perfect students. I will succeed, because I am teaching them how to be lifelong learners. Besides, the Lord didn’t tell me to make my children happy or make them smart or even make them good at a particular subject. Nope. He told me to teach them. He told me to present the gospel to them. He told me to love them. As long as I do that, I am a success.

On this day twenty years ago, I donned a cap and gown and walked across a stage to receive my high school diploma. I was salutatorian, which is a fancy way of saying my grade point average was the second highest in my class. I had to give a speech, I remember, and it’s topic was success. Yeah, like I knew anything at eighteen, but still… LOL I can’t help but look back over the years and wonder at how far I’ve come. Part of me wants to smack that girl up side the head for being so arrogant. Then, I turn around, look at my own two girls and think, “Wow, how can I be the best mom to them?” Once again, Master Yoda’s words come back to me. “There is no try.” So, here’s to Yoda, my merciful heavenly Father and a good batch of homemade pizza cooked by my amazing husband. I’m going to be all right.

Tomorrow, I’m going to pick up that mandolin and work on those tremolos. I’m going to work on the fiction story I started a few months ago and the nonfiction story I started a few weeks ago. I’m going to love my family, come up with an inexpensive way to have a good supper when my man comes home, and I’m going to work on the blog post for my other blog. BTW, if you want to read it, you can find it at adkinsandwells.blogspot.com.

So, until next time, keep on keeping on, and when life gets tough, eat some pizza and watch a Star Wars movie. :)

Pondering A Story: Creativity

What feeds your creativity? Or, rather, what do you do to get into a creative frame of mind? Welcome to the blog and today’s post, where, once again I slip into avoiding talking about my manuscript. LOL

I have been talking these last few weeks about how to begin a story. If you have been with me this whole time, you’ll remember I said this planning it out is new to me. Thus, using Randy Ingermanson’s Ten steps of design found on his website www.advancedfictionwriting.com is taking me longer than I thought it would. Six weeks into it, and I’m still revising steps 4 and 5. Good news is I’m actually writing real scenes, now. But, I can no longer share on here, because I have deviated so much from Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method that I can no longer call it his. Let me explain.

Step 5 is when I’m supposed to write a character synopsis for each major character. This basically means, write the story from each main character’s point of view. He suggests one page for each main character and about a half a page for each minor one. Yeah, well, Mercy’s was 6 pages and Gabriel’s was 5. You can see they are quite gabby. I set down and over a couple of weeks, wrote these out. Then, I looked at them and realized they didn’t match up. Also, when I started to expand them into scenes, the characters had different things to say.

Step 6 says to take that one page synopsis and expand to a 4 page one. I’m thinking, “Yeah, I think I need help.”

Step 7 says to expand your info about your characters into full-fledged charts on them. Um, yeah, cause I’m not there yet.

Step 8 is make a list of scenes. Ingermanson suggests using a spread sheet. Step 9 is expanding the spread sheet. Step 10 is actually beginning to write the first draft. Again, I’m way behind. Or, am I?

I’m a mom who homeschools. As such, when my girls or I get sick, just about everything stops. If we are well, we’re schooling during the day. Last week, we all got sick. Needless to say, my energy lagged. I’m not so sure I’ve found it, even now. So what can I do to get my creativity up and moving again?

Prayer. Bible reading. Finding another way to express myself creatively. I listen and play music. Then, I read more Bible and pray some more. For the first time in a week, I was able to truly write this morning. And, that’s what it’s all about. When the Lord gives it to me, I’ll write. When He doesn’t, I won’t. So, while I’ll be going back to Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method, I won’t be religious about it, because some rules are meant to be put aside for the time being.

A friend once told me that she wanted her daughter to learn to play a musical instrument by ear before taking lessons. Once her daughter could play the instrument by ear, she learned to read the music. I think writing can be that way, as well. Have fun with it. Write to see what works and what doesn’t. Then, pull out the rules and work with them. Once it loses it’s fun, put it away for a while. And remember, above all, true inspiration can only come from the one who created you.

So, this post is my last in the “Pondering A Story” series. Feel free to try Randy Ingermanson’s method, and let me know how it works for you. I’ll continue working on steps 4 and 5 until I’m ready for the rest. In the meantime, I need to push my girls and myself to “get on the ball” as my mama used to say. Summer’s coming, and there’s a lot to be doing before school is out in June. :)

Thanks for being with me today. I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy the pretty weather while you can, and remember the one who made you.

Be blessed.

Readin', Writin' and Surviving the Dentist's Drill

Last week I looked at the manuscript I am working on and felt overwhelmed. Two stories in one, over 106,000 words, it’s a bear to wrestle with, and I just wanted to set it aside and take a nap. So, that’s what I did…sort of. I shut my mac book down last Thursday evening, grabbed an old book I had downloaded on my phone and did very little on Friday except read. On Saturday, I went out with my husband, but while at home, I read. No computer. Sunday morning I turned it on for a few minutes to glance at blog stats on my other blog. Then, on a whim, I opened the story and looked over it. You know what? It’s not quite as scary-looking as it was Thursday evening. In fact, a few thousand words got deleted on purpose. Yesterday while eating ice cream for breakfast and prayerfully gearing myself up to go to the dentist to have some teeth worked on, I felt the Lord telling me, “All the story is there. You just need to sew it together so it makes sense to everyone else.” :)

I often tell friends my stories are like puzzles; once all the scenes are written, I just have to figure out where they go to make a picture. I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but it might be the same way with this monster of a story. Some would have us to believe that fiction has strict rules that must be followed. Since I’ve never been one to follow directions, I’m going to stop worrying about those rules and put down the story as it slides from my fingertips. Editing can be done later. In the meantime, old, familiar books can be enjoyed with no feelings of guilt. I’m studying my craft after all.

So, here we are today. It’s raining in my part of rural WV, and we’re attempting to get some school work done. I’m chilled and thinking about another cup of coffee. The laundry is going, and the dentist visit from yesterday is behind me. Oh, that “tzeeeeert-tzeeeeert” of the drill is fading from my memory, and the adrenalin rush is long gone. I did learn something while in the dentist’s chair, though. Singing a song to yourself while he is drilling away the decay in your teeth helps to make the time go faster. Also learned something else, yesterday while eating out with my girls and my aunt. Keeping napkins handy when your mouth is numb is a good idea. If you don’t, you could end up wearing your lunch. LOL

Happy Tuesday, y’all.

Barbies, Cartoons and Mad Libs, oh my! Oh, yeah, and a book.

I was a child of the 80’s. Thus, Saturday mornings found me and my sister crowding in front of our TV, sneaking our hands into the bag of powder sugar donuts and watching cartoons. One we always watched together was Jem and the Holograms. On one particular episode…I can’t remember which one…Jem’s boyfriend, Rio shouts to another man, “Que pasa, Louis!”

My sister and I thought this sounded so funny, as we were not used to hearing people speak Spanish, and for days afterward we would shout right out of the blue, “Que pasa, Louis!”

What could this have to do with homeschool, writing, books or any of the other things on this blog? Well…ahem, probably nothing. Except, when I remembered I hadn’t talked about my writing, lately, I remembered hearing that while watching Jem.

Speaking of watching TV with my sister, I also remember taking turns. If I would watch He Man with her, she would watch one of my favorite’s with me. There was no such thing as more than one TV in the house. We shared it. The best part was if one of us didn’t like the cartoon on at the time, we could still enjoy the confections from the donut bag.

Again, what does this have to do with anything? Answer: I don’t know yet.

When TV got boring, my sister and I would either go outside to play in the yard or pull out all our barbies. And, lemme tell y’all, we had barbies. Lots of them. Nurse Barbie, astronaut Barbie, Barbie of Barbie and the Rockers, lots of Ken dolls who always lost their shorts, and let’s not forget the Jem and the Hologram dolls. We had a barbie waterbed, barbie mansion, barbie cars barbie clothes galore and imaginations that kept us busy for hours. As we grew older, our friends would come over and play barbies with us. I remember staying up all night during a sleep over, because we were still playing barbies.

Today, when my youngest asks me to play pretend with her Shopkins or My Little Pony, she always wants me to start the game. She doesn’t like to play with her sister, because she says I have a better imagination. I can’t help but think that it all stems from those days of playing pretend with my own sister. Comes in handy when I need ideas for my stories, too.

Finally, I got to the topic of this blog. Or, have I?

One of the things my children and I love to do is Mad Libs. It teaches those essential language arts skills, builds vocabulary, stretches imaginations and provides afternoons filled with laughter. The other day, we put the books away and did Mad Libs almost all afternoon. One of them stuck with me, as it was just that funny.

“Part of the body, Mom,” my daughter said.

“Lip,” I replied.

“Okay, Sis, now a noun.”

“Cat,” my other daughter said.

When it was all said and done, the sentence read like this: “The prince took her by the lip and said, ‘May I have this cat?’”

Another Mad Lib, which was a shortened version of The Night Before Christmas, had St. Faith instead of St. Nick, ‘up the chimney he fell’, and…my favorite…1,229 tiny unicorns, instead of 8 tiny reindeer.

I suppose my point to all this, is a love of words and an active imagination are necessary when writing fiction. They also help get me through some tough days as a stay-at-home mom who homeschools her children.

So, as February comes to a close, get your barbies out. Then, grab a bag of Donuts and a video of Jem and the Holograms, and let your imagination run wild. After that, find someone to do Mad Libs with, because it’s no fun doing them alone. Smile often, but laugh even more, and be sure to check out my friend’s new book, “A Brother’s Love” now available on Amazon.

When Cody finds out his brother, Joey is going to be sent away to a camp for blind kids, he does everything in his power to stop it. Then, he realizes his brother is going to be okay without him, and that it’s okay to learn new things.

This book is funny and teaches a lesson at the same time. There is nothing quite like a brother's love, and Anita's book is one you won't want to miss.

And God Said...

Remember the account of creation in Genesis? “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” verse 1 says. Verses 2 and 3 go on to say, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

If you keep on reading that chapter, you will find that God said a lot of things. He spoke light into existence, He spoke and dry land appeared. He spoke and the water brought forth living creatures after its kind, and so on.

Why do I bring this up? Do I not know that many disagree? I bring it up, because it reminds me, I do have something to blog about. I do have something to say.

Ever had one of those days? Y’all know I homeschool. Well, today was one of those days. Struggled to get the girls out of bed, struggled to get them to get finished with breakfast and brush their teeth. Swam upstream just to get them to pay attention during Bible reading. Threatened to keep their electronics unless they worked to complete the math assignment. No, I wouldn’t let them do language arts in their dad’s recliner. Yes, handwriting matters. Yes, you have to take a shower, whether you go to youth tonight or not. Talk about an uphill battle. With all that going on, plus writing on my book and obsessing over how my document looks, I kept thinking, “What on earth do I have to blog about? I might be passionate about writing, reading and homeschooling, but I felt empty. How can I entertain or inspire you, when I need inspired?

Then, the Lord reminded me how He spoke and light was created. Reading His word speaks life into me. All I need to do is be a vessel He can work through.

My children managed to get themselves ready for youth this evening. The laundry is all done and put away. The 11-year-old washed the dishes without complaining. The school day is over, and we manage to keep from yelling at one another. The man of the house came home early from work and said he would cook the dinner. To all this I have only one thing to say: “The Lord is good. His mercy endureth for ever and ever through all generations. So, I will stand up and sing praise hallelujah, for I know the Lord is good.”

Okay, so it was more than one thing, but this day was successful, because He spoke life into it. Miracles still happen, and I am living proof.

Next time you start thinking you have nothing you could possibly give, remember how the first day of creation began. God said, “Let there be light.” And, there was light. Amen?

Did you know I am on Facebook? Yep. Come on over to facebook.com/sjwellsauthor and like my page.

God bless, and be sure to come back, as I try and post once a week. See you next time. Same bat time, same bat channel. LOL 

Random Thoughts on a Valentine's Day

Okay, so I tried to think of something profound to say about love. After all, it is Valentine's Day and social media is buzzing with pics of lovy-dovey sayings and gifts. Nothing came to me, though. I started to feel discouraged, but then I remembered all that has been accomplished so far today in my home. I worked on my book I am writing, both girls have had their showers, we read Bible together, both girls finished their math assignments and got all correct, the laundry is clean and dry, Valentine cards are ready for the party at youth tonight, and the Lord reminded me through His word this morning, He will never leave me nor forsake me. So, instead of profound thoughts on love, here is a list of random thoughts running around in my head today.

1. I really need to come up with a title for this WIP I’m working on. Calling it by the hero and heroine’s names doesn’t quite fit, especially when their are 2 heroes and 2 heroines.
2. The only reason I wish I could go out to eat or have dinner delivered to me is so I won’t have to clean up afterward.
3. I’m thankful for naps, and I’m hoping I get time for one this afternoon before my man comes home from work.
4. Proud homeschool mom moment: When my girls found out they needed 40 Valentine’s Day cards for their party this evening and only had 32 in their boxes, they got creative and made extras using their imaginations. Who needs money for extra cards, when you have creativity?
5. The clean laundry on my bed won’t put itself away.
6. No greater joy than laughing with your children and giving and receiving hugs and kisses.
7. Haagen Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream would be an excellent Valentine’s present.
8. The Lord is gracious and merciful and better to me than I deserve.
9. Wondering if 103,421 words and counting is too much for one book.
10. Love is sharing your power cord, so the 9-year-old can play on her laptop.
11. Too much Facebook makes me stupid.
12. I really need to post this article so I won’t miss my nap.
13. So blessed to have such good friends.
14. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone is hard but so worth it.

Happy Valentine's Day. See you next Tuesday. <3

A Day in the Life

I would like to say that my morning begins at 6 a.m. when the battery powered rooster crows. But, since I think I have that non24-hour sleep disorder, my gettin' up times change from day to day. In any case, I start with a hot cup of caffeine and my open Bible. I read some and pray some and try to listen to what God has to say to me.

Depending on how early I got up, I might play on the internet for a while. Sometimes I gather online materials for school work. Sometimes I hop on Youtube for a song or two. But, more often than I like to admit, I scroll a while on Face Book. :) If I'm not online, then I'm throwing some laundry into the washer.

When my girls are up, we do breakfast. When that is finished, I make sure they brush teeth, make the bed and get the table cleaned off. I wish I had another table or desks for school work. For now, though, the kitchen is our school room.

School starts with Bible and prayer. Then it's usually on to math. Sometimes groans accompany them as they retrieve their math books. They say it is their least favorite subject. It's hard for me to keep my groans from being heard, as math was always one of my least favorite, too. Sometimes, we manage to get language arts in before lunch. Other times, we take a quick munching break, then settle down to parts of speech, reading, writing, or spelling tests. Depending on the day, there's time enough for science, history or both before the afternoon blahs set in. lol

I have been known to nap at the end of a full day, but it doesn't happen often. I have also been known to forget about that load of laundry started that morning until almost bedtime, but we're not going to talk about that.

On some days I cook, and on others the girls prepare a  lot of their own meals using the microwave. On occasion, the man of the house has come home to a hot and ready meal, but this is usually more of a surprise than a regular occurrence. After supper, it's usually relax time then bed.

Every day is different, though. Every subject is different. What one child excels at, the other may struggle with. They are always taking turns setting the pencil aside with claims they just have to go to the bathroom. Then, of course, they need a drink. I'm often heard saying, "Just sit down!" lol

Inevitably, I'll get a text or FB message or a phone call. Depending on who it is and what they want, interruptions can last for a couple of minutes to over an hour. I say that, but there are times when I look forward to talking to someone older than eleven. :) Sometimes, this mama needs to talk to someone about something else besides school and kid related things.

And, then there are the times when I need to go to the grocery store or to a doctor's appointment. On those days, we usually do not get any school work done. Our doctor's office is here in town; close enough to walk and be back shortly. But, a ride to the store involves getting a driver. Drivers are subject to their own wants and needs. Therefore, a trip down the road just might take all day. I long for a day when I can pick up and go without relying on someone else.

What I haven't talked about yet is my writing. Where do I fit it in? Well, here and there. Sometimes, I write during math class, but mostly I need to be aware of what each girl is doing. Sometimes, I write while they are reading. Other times, I either stay up late or get up earlier to have time to put words into my stories.

So, there you have it; a typical day in the life of me. This is how it is Monday through Friday. During the weekends, I try not to think of school. If I do, then I'm usually discouraged by the time Monday morning rolls around. :) On the days we don't get much book work done, I try to work on other things like home chores. There are homeschoolers out there with stricter schedules who would probably have a heart attack when reading about my loose schedule. But, since 2010 when I first began to homeschool, I have learned that everyone is different. Sometimes, I get the best of the day, and other times the day gets the best of me. One day feels almost perfect, while the following day feels like a complete flop. Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever get some me time, while other days I know for a fact that without these girls, I'd go crazy.

It's difficult being a woman who is blind teaching sighted children, but I'm right where God wants me to be. This life is full of challenges, but it is also full of joy. So, with that said, time to go spread some of that joy on the students who aren't doing what I told them to do a few minutes ago. lol

Keep On

Pressing my palms deep into the ball of dough on my kitchen table, I thought for sure that I had messed up somewhere along the way. My dough felt floury in some spots and too sticky in others. How long would I have to knead until it was smooth and elastic? My friend and instructor who taught me to make bread had said I couldn't knead too much, so only choice I had was to keep going.

Push down, spread it out, fold it over. Press down, spread out, and fold it over. Again and again I worked that lump on my table. All the while, my 9-month-old daughter wandered around the kitchen in her walker, exploring the contents of my towel drawer and cabinets. Just when I thought I would never have a workable lump of dough, it smoothed out. I was amazed. I placed it in a well-oiled bowl and covered it. I set it aside to rise, and an hour or so later, it had doubled. I baked it, and my husband and I ate homemade bread that evening. "I thought for sure I was doing something wrong," I told him, "but all I needed to do was keep kneading."

Jump forward ten years. There I was walking and slugging down bottle after bottle of water. Sure didn't seem like I was losing weight. Then, one day, the scales gave me a reading I hadn't expected. All I had to do was keep walking. Some days during our homeschool, I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Will spending this much time on math pay off? Will they ever get this particular concept? Will I ever see results? That is when a still, small voice whispers, "Remember the bread. remember the walking. Keep kneading. Keep walking. At a time when you least expect it, you will see results."

This advice isn't something I remember all the time. Often I get bogged down and forget it. I need reminding, just like everyone else. Whenever the dough feels to floury, the walking seems to hard, the math so difficult, the mountain too steep, just keep pushing.

Maybe, you didn't need this message today, but I sure do. Life can be rough, situations can get so out of hand that I think I can't deal with it unless I have a bowl of ice cream to hand. That, my friend is when I need reminding just who I'm living for. The Bible says "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13 KJV. It doesn't mean I can do most things, or things folks expect. It doesn't mean only things a blind person can do. Nope, it says all things and means all things. And, God's Word is what I base my life on.

So, with all that said, here I go. Time to figure out what's for supper. Time to leave today and it's trials in the hands of my Lord and trust that He will work all things out for my good. Y'all be blessed, and remember God's love for you is deeper than the oceans, higher than the skies, brighter than the sun, sweeter than honey, as wide as the East is from the West and better than anything you can imagine.