Selena's Blog: Life Archives

December 29, 2008

Insomnia Won't Leave Me Alone

It's been several days now. I get tired and sleepy, I go to bed about ten-ish, but as soon as I turn out the light I'm no longer sleepy. I lay awake—all agitated and stressed and exhausted—until sometime after midnight when I finally fall asleep. (And then I usually wake up again at least twice before morning.) It's making me crazy.

I can't even nap during the day. Saturday I was so exhausted from not sleeping the night before that twice I lay down to take a nap and twice sleep eluded me.

I guess it's a good thing that I don't usually have to wake up at a set time in the morning. 'Cause these days I can barely drag myself out of bed by 8 a.m. I hate that because it always makes me feel like I am starting my day way behind.

Posted by Selena at 08:52 AM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2008

Home Again, Home

I've been too busy to blog. But I'm finally "back in action," so here's what's been going on.

I spent most of December in my beloved hometown Washington, DC, visiting family and friends and the local sites that I miss the most.

I arrived at National to the feel of cold air and the tempting smell of Five Guys. (It's a miracle I managed to get out of the airport without a little cheeseburger and a bag of fries.)

My trip to DC was just one highlight after another. Besides visiting loved ones, I made time for ....

Breakfast at La Madeleine. Yum. An egg, bacon, and cheese on croissant so delicious that I have blogged about it before. This time the croissant was a little soggy and falling apart. In the past, it seems that the cook took the extra step of lightly toasting the croissant so it can hold up to the weight of the eggs and such. But not this time. I guess the cook was a little off his game, maybe due to the holidays looming. Still, it was very, very delish and you can't beat La Mad for awesome ambience. (And free wireless internet!).

The Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center. How's that for a traditional holiday outing?! It was a very well done production. But I had missed dinner, so by the second act all I could think about was how hungry I was. Bummer.

Two lunches with friends:
one at Mike's in Springfield because our traditional spot, Bennigan's, was no more and thus we had to choose a new place.

and one at an Indian place on Capitol Hill, which just reminded me why I like the other Indian place better. Both have great food, but one has snooty, annoyed service and the other has friendly service. It's worth a little longer walk from the Metro to not have the waiter give me a hard time about not ordering an entrée. I like to order samosas (an appetizer), onion kulcha (bread) and raita (a yogurt and cucumber dip). But that's never enough for this place. So annoying. Next time, I'm going to the nice Indian place.

Kicking around the National Harbor with Mom. So cool. The shops and fancy hotels were impressive (although lunch at one of the fancy restaurants was disappointing.). The coolest part was visiting my favorite sculpture in its new location. Here are some of the pictures I took of The Awakening. The sculpture is too big to get into one frame at street level.

And...
Taking the Metro and walking around DC, stopping by my favorite familiar places like the Lansburgh, Penn Quarter, Teaism, and Eastern Market. I even dropped in on the new theatre in the neighborhood: Sidney Harman Hall. It's gorgeous.

All in all it was a wonderful trip. And as usual I was torn about leaving. It's tough to have a hometown in one place and a home in another. It's like I'm always leaving home to go home, and vice versa. But I got home in time for Christmas, and I guess that was the point. So, now I'm sitting in my perfect house, looking out at the amazing view, and waiting for Granddaughter Lily to come over for a visit. Which reminds me, here are a couple of my favorite recent pictures of Lily:

So cute.

Here's hoping all my loved ones near and far have happy holidays and a happy new year.

Posted by Selena at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2008

Watching "The West Wing"

Hubby and I have started watching "The West Wing" again from the beginning. (We own the first few seasons on DVD.) It's one of our favorite shows and certainly stands up to repeated viewings. (I've watched my favorite episode, "Two Cathedrals" many, many times. I even blogged about it.)

I enjoy the show, but I've noticed an odd side effect: watching "The West Wing" makes me feel like I need to do better. Seriously, not only does the extremely high quality of Aaron Sorkin's writing remind me what a total hack I am in comparison. But watching President Bartlett and his staff go about their days makes me feel like a stupid slacker who really ought to get off my lazy butt and do something important with my life.

The show inspires me to step up my game and do something worthwhile.

As President Bartlett says in one episode: "Break's over."

Posted by Selena at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2008

Failing NaNo

Between being sick and my mother's visit and various family dramas, I am failing miserably at NaNo this year.

The month is almost half over and my word count is a paltry 1816.

That puts me about TWENTY THOUSAND words behind where I should be right now!

It's enough to make a girl want to give up.

Posted by Selena at 07:12 PM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2008

Too Sick to NaNo

I’ve been sick for the last few days with a bad cold. Which means it’s day three of NaNo already and I have logged a grand total of 106 words. So sad.

That puts me about 5,000 words behind where I should be right now.

I guess I better quit blogging about it and get to work on closing the gap.

Posted by Selena at 01:35 PM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2008

First Rule of Flying

I happened on this at YouTube. It's one of my favorite Firefly/Serenity scenes. I even blogged about it once.

In this scene, Mal explains that the first rule of flying is love:
"You can learn all the math in the ‘verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don’t have love, she’ll shake you off just as sure as a turn in the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down. Tells you she’s hurtin’ before she keens. Makes her home…"

Posted by Selena at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2008

In a Cooking Mood

I am in a cooking mood. (It rarely happens, so I tend to run with it with it does.)

For dinner I've got Barbecued Cocktail Meatballs cooking in the crockpot. (I'll have them with some egg noodles. Yum.)

And for lunch, I finally got the nerve to try to make that Spanish Omelet recipe I've had for ages. (Which reminds me that I can never spell omelet correctly the first time. Uggh.)

I was going to make this turkey apple panini that I just found a recipe for. It reminded me of the delicious Edgar Allan Poe sandwich I used to get at the Footnotes café at Olsson's back home. (What?! Huh? Olsson's is closed now. I just learned that from their website. Bummer.) I was really looking forward to that sandwich, but I forgot to get green apples at the store. What a let-down! Ah well, another day for the panini then.

Huh. I wonder if my love of food has something to do with why it's so hard for me to lose weight. ;) Guess I better get on the treadmill and work some of it off.

Posted by Selena at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)

October 02, 2008

RRN: "Steering by Starlight"

Reading Right Now: "Steering by Starlight" by Martha Beck

Actually, I'm not so much "reading [it] right now" as I have just finished it and am going back through to re-read my favorite parts.

This book is so good that it made me want to read everything Martha Beck has ever written. Even before I started the book, I was a fan of Beck's from her columns in Oprah magazine. Now, I love her even more.

I knew the book was affecting me when I caught myself assessing the "shackles off or shackles on" feeling of various moments and situations. And again when I started recognizing the ravings of my inner lizard—that fearful, panicked part of my brain that is always alerting me to potential "lack and attack." (Otherwise known as the amygdala, the fear center of the brain.)

One of the most fascinating parts of the book, for me, was reading about "shaman sickness" (pages 154-159). I have to admit though that I was a little weirded out by how closely I fit the profile of a shaman (or potential shaman). Seriously, the only thing I'm missing is a miserable childhood. I read the list of characteristics usually shared by shamans, contrarians, and medicine people, and my inner lizard started screaming, "Oh, no, you don't! Don't be looking at me like that. I know you are NOT looking at me."

I like this book so much I'm going to have to update my Recommended Books page so I can add it.

Posted by Selena at 08:45 AM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2008

Good News, Bad News

Well, the bad news is that I had to cancel my trip to DC at the last minute. And by "last minute," I mean literally at the airport, suitcase in hand. The reason why is the...

Even badder news: My mother-in-law passed away.

All that makes today's good news seem very pale, but here it is anyway: I just got an acceptance from a new print magazine called Sonar 4. My story “The Power of Suggestion” is scheduled for their April 09 issue. Yeah, good news, but pale indeed compared to the bad.

Posted by Selena at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2008

New Fav Lily Pic

Here is my new favorite picture of granddaughter Lily. She's "rocking out" to a meowing birthday card I got. It’s hilarious how much fun she has with that thing.

Posted by Selena at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2008

"Whew!" Plus New Music & TV

Finally, the results from Big Scary Tests are in and they are normal. Whew.

I'm so relieved. The funny thing is mostly I'm just relieved that I don't have to postpone my upcoming trip to DC. You'd think I'd be relieved about not having Really Bad Medical Problem, but...well, I guess it's just one more of the many ways in which I am weird.

To celebrate my clean bill of health I hit the "buy" button on my iTunes shopping cart and finally purchased the 14 or so songs that had been living there for who knows how long. Favorite song from the bunch: Leann Rimes' "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine."

Here is a sample lyric:
"Who died and crowned me everybody's everything
I'm even busting my butt through the weekend
By the time I get home there's not an ounce of sanity
Between the dogs, my momma's calls
Is it against the law
For me to get what I need

A good friend and a glass of wine
Someone to say it's gonna be alright
A good friend and a glass of wine
A little pick me up to get me through the night"

Well, I don't have dogs and I don't mind my momma's occasional calls, but I am RIGHT THERE with everything else and the whole spirit of the song. Truth be told, I could even skip the wine, it's really just the good friend I need. Too bad all my BFFs are at least a thousand miles away. (Although that does make sense of paragraph two, doesn’t it?)

You can give the song a listen over at YouTube.

Also in my shopping cart, the latest episode of my newest guilty pleasure: "Gossip Girl." (I know! I can hardly believe I'm watching it either. But my daytime soap, the once-great GH, has gotten so sucky that I had to look elsewhere for my dose of fabulous soapiness.) My DVR inexplicably cut off about half of the last episode, which I just couldn't handle. Especially after reading about the episode on EW.com. Oh yeah, "The Dark Night" was the episode NOT to miss! Can't wait to watch it.

Posted by Selena at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2008

Quote of the Day

Today's quote is from an old Gary Chapman song called "In His Hand," which sadly is not available on iTunes. (Grrr.)

"There is no cause for fear, here in His hand."

It looks like there used to be a video of the song on YouTube, but sadly it's not there anymore. (Bummer.) I used to have it on video myself, but that was back in the days of VHS and who's got VHS anymore?

So, I guess I'll just have to sing it from memory as best I can to remind myself that in God's hands "there is only safety."

I'm also trying to keep this Bible verse in my head:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Or as I like to say when my life looks hopelessly screwed up: "Relax. God knows what he is doing and he has my best interests at heart."

Posted by Selena at 07:10 AM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2008

Homesick

I am so homesick right now!

Here's a stream-of-consciousness list about some of the "things" I miss about living in the Washington Metro area:

I miss hanging out with my mom. I miss having lunch with Dad at Don Pablos most weeks. I miss being able to walk places like the grocery store, the library, the post office, a wide assortment of restaurants, and the Metro (gateway to most everywhere else I'd want to go). I miss breakfast at La Madeleine. (The yummiest egg, cheese, and bacon on croissant EVER.) I miss churches that consider "Godspell" an appropriate reference for a Sunday morning service. I miss that Indian place on Capitol Hill. (No, not that one. The other one.) I miss having dinner with my girlfriends and trading wacky stories of our wacky lives. I miss fitting in and being understood. I miss being on a train full of people either reading books or listening to iPods, sometimes both at the same time. I miss a theatre community so big and diverse that you could see a show every night (except Mondays, of course) and still not see them all. I miss art, and museums, and art museums. I miss The Awakening sculpture at Hains Point. (Huh? What do you mean it's no longer at Hains Point?! Bummer. Where's the National Harbor? Clearly I've been away too long.) I even miss confused tourists asking for directions.

Suffice it to say that I miss Washington.

Good thing I have a trip to DC planned soon. I can't wait.

Posted by Selena at 05:40 PM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2008

Speaking of "Happy Working..."

I spent the last few days working on a book-editing project (for pay!) and here's the revelation: I am so much happier, productive, and energetic when I am busy working on a project that I am interested in.

I didn't even need a nap once this week!

So, I guess the lesson for me is to fill my days with work that is meaningful to me, not just busy stuff that other people expect of me. I've realized that I tend to get bored (and then unproductive) when I don't have enough interesting stuff on my plate.

Gotta stay engaged. Gotta stay focused. Gotta keep working.

Posted by Selena at 09:01 PM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2008

Stalked by Insomnia

It used to be, back in the day, that I never had trouble sleeping. Well, it turns out that those days—like so many—are long gone.

Even in recent memory, insomnia only plagued me occasionally, once every couple months or so. But this month, it's already harassed me three times and we're only about halfway through July. Aargh! Last week, I hardly slept at all both Thursday and Friday night. Last night, same thing.

It’s really making me cranky and unproductive.

I'm going to try a cup of chamomile tea before bed tonight and see if that helps.

Posted by Selena at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2008

Psalms 139

In getting ready for this week's Sunday School lesson, I came across Psalms 139 and it really spoke to me of how closely God is with us and how we can never get so far away that he isn't right there with us.

Here's my favorite section, verses 1-10:

"O LORD, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts when I'm far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, LORD.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me."

This verse is perhaps especially comforting to me because I sometimes feel alone, unseen, and far from home. But with God, I am never truly alone, unseen, or far from home. Because ultimately home is where God is, and God is everywhere.

Posted by Selena at 09:42 PM | Comments (2)

The Exhaustion Cure

I feel like I don't have as much energy as I used to. So, I got a book called "The Exhaustion Cure," thinking that might help. But I've been too tired to read it.

Posted by Selena at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2008

Tough Week (but Two Good Books)

It's been a tough week. First, Lily was sick. (Who knew so much vomit could come out of such a small child?!) Then Sharon was sick. Then yesterday I was sick, although not as badly. In truth, I think my "illness" wasn't a stomach virus so much as it was my stomach throwing a tantrum over all the junk food I've been feeding it lately. "Okay, Grumpy Tummy, message received."

One of the downsides to all the sickness going around this week is that I hardly got anything on my to-do list done. But there was an upside: I did a lot of non-work reading, i.e. not submissions or critiques but actual books that I have been meaning to read.

Yesterday I finally finished Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. Such a great book. So enlightening, so vital, so helpful. The weird thing is that the book is ten years old. The copy I have is a "tenth anniversary edition." So, what I want to know is: why didn't anyone in all my years of education make me read this sooner?

I have two more books on Emotional Intelligence sitting on my to-read stack. It's such a fascinating topic.

Instead of reading one of those, I chose to go with The Writing Diet by Julia Cameron. I like the idea of turning to writing instead of food when in distress. It's a skill I need to learn. Hopefully it will help with two of my problems: my seriously lacking productivity in regards to my writing, and my tendency to eat too much and all the wrong things. So far, the book has been very interesting and helpful. I think I am going to have to get that other book of hers, The Artist's Way. I've been coveting it for a while now. Maybe someone will give it to me for my birthday. ;)

Posted by Selena at 06:59 AM | Comments (0)

May 21, 2008

Fridge Art?

I finally got one of those cool magnetic poetry kits. I always wanted one.

I’m not a poet; I have no talent whatsoever at it. (That one poem I had published years ago was a fluke. Trust me.) But I do like the idea of playing with words in this way.

Here’s what’s on my fridge right now:

Here's the text if you can't make it out in the graphic:

question weight
sustain health
inspire transformation
nourish spirit
encourage challenge

Not so much fridge art as fridge affirmations. But that’s what I need right now.

Posted by Selena at 08:49 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2008

B-day Lily

Here are a couple pictures from Lily's first birthday. Ain't she cute?

Posted by Selena at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)

May 05, 2008

Quote of the Day: "Be the change..."

Today's quote is actually a few lines from last week's Grey's Anatomy:
---
Addison Montgomery: "You're a fighter, Stevens. What happened?"

Izzie Stevens: "I lost a lot of fights."

Addison: "Well... Time to get back up. Go. Be the change you want to see in the world."

Izzie: "Did you just quote Gandhi to me?"
---
What a great scene! I particularly love Izzie's face when she says, "I lost a lot of fights." I can totally relate.

"Be the change..."

I'm trying.

Posted by Selena at 04:34 PM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2008

Good Day

It's been a good day. I worked on, finalized, and sent two stories. That's always a good feeling. I've got a third story that is almost ready; I'm just waiting to hear back from one crit partner.

Plus I finally bought the mass of songs in my iTunes shopping cart—a full 31 songs, nearly two hours of music. Yeah! I'm having a great time listening to them. It's an eclectic collection, everything from old school favorites like "Rapper's Delight" and "Boogie Shoes" to more recent offerings like Marc Cohn's "Live Out the String" and Sugarland's "Stay." There's even the Jerry Lee Lewis classic "Great Balls of Fire." That's fun music!

To cap things off, I made beer cheese soup and it turned out perfect. Yum.

It didn't turn out so great last time because I tried to simplify the steps. In my defense the recipe is ridiculously complicated (cook these ingredients, then blend them, then add this, then whisk these two, etc., etc.). Don't believe me? Check out the recipe for yourself. I'm much more of a "throw all the ingredients in the pot and simmer" kind of cook. But on this one, the effort is worth it.

I did change the recipe a little: tortilla chips instead of croutons, red pepper instead of garlic, a little less flour. But all those wacky cooking, blending steps—trust me, you gotta stick to the recipe.

Now, if I can just manage to not eat the whole batch in one sitting... ;)

Posted by Selena at 01:42 PM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2008

Easter Lily

I realized I haven't posted new pictures of Granddaughter Lily in ages. (She's nearly a year old now. How time flies!) So, here are a couple pictures from Easter. Isn't she beautiful?

Posted by Selena at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)

Caught Up!

Well, I am finally caught up on reading submissions. Yeah!

I know it won't last. I am sure another sub will come in any moment now. But still, it's an accomplishment and maybe if I can hold onto all my focus and discipline I can keep up with reading submissions and not fall behind again. Maybe. ;)

Posted by Selena at 05:50 PM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2008

So Overwhelmed (+BG)

I am so overwhelmed by my to-do list right now that I am very nearly frozen into inaction.

I have to just pick one thing and do it. Then pick the next thing, and so on. But it's easier said than done.

On the plus side, Battlestar Galactica is back! And it is fantastic! It's almost enough to make me watch TV live again. Almost. But no, I'll wait and watch it the next day when I can fast-forward through the commercials.

Someone please tell me where I can buy a T-shirt emblazoned with Starbuck's current battle cry: "We're going the wrong way!" For some reason that just really resonates with me right now. ;)

Posted by Selena at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)

April 04, 2008

Lost Week

I have been sick all week. And so I have gotten next to nothing done since Monday morning. No submissions read, no writing done, no preparing for the class I'm supposed to teach on Sunday. Aargh! As if being sick wasn't bad enough, I've got to feel guilty for being so unproductive. Clearly I need help. ;)

I keep telling myself that it's got to start getting better soon. It's got to, right?

Hope your week has been germ-free.

Posted by Selena at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2008

Quotes of the Day: from "Leap of Faith"

I didn't go to church today. I bugged out after Sunday School. But even before then, I had my own personal worship service going on courtesy of the movie soundtrack from "Leap of Faith."

Today the song I'm feeling most is "Change in My Life." Here is a sample lyric:

"Standing cold and scared on top of blue hill,
There came one moment when I lost my will.
I prayed for mercy, please Lord take me away.
Oh give me sunshine where I only see grey.
My past had a hold on me, it can't be denied,
And the changes don't come easily.

I've been lonely, I've been cheated,
I've been misunderstood
I've been washed up, I've been put down,
And told I'm no good
But with you I belong,
Cause you help me be strong,
There's a change in my life,
Since you came along."

I feel like I'm stuck in the downtrodden part of my life, knowing that God has changed my life, but waiting for that change to be made manifest. I guess God is trying to teach me patience. ;)

P.S. Actually, the next song on the album is a five-minute revival of its own. Who knew a song called "King of Sin Medley" could be so uplifting?

"The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"

That right there, that feeling—that is what church is supposed to do to you.

Posted by Selena at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)

March 05, 2008

Interesting Articles on "Me"-ness vs. Happiness

Sorry, I meant to blog about this days ago but forgot.

Recently, I came across this good article in The Washington Post about how me-centered thinking and entitlement make people miserable instead of happy.

Me
If It's All About You, You're in Trouble. Why a Sense of Entitlement Can Wreak Havoc on Happiness.

Sounds like a no-brainer, right?

Then why do we as a society tend to teach our kids that they are the center of the universe and are entitled to get whatever they want?

It's fascinating and counter-intuitive that focusing so much on instilling self-esteem has backfired and may actually do more harm than good.

It reminds me of an article I recently read in Oprah Magazine called "The New and Improved Self-Esteem" (by Aimee Lee Ball).

Sadly, the article isn't available online. I checked. It was in the January 2008 issue if you can get your hands on it. (All the website has of the article is the sidebar, which is good but not the meat of the thing.)

Here are the two quotes from the Oprah article that I found most interesting:

"There's no question you get the best results from highly contingent praise and criticism," says [Roy] Baumeister [PhD, professor of psychology at Florida State University]. "That means praising exactly what you did right and criticizing exactly what you did wrong." [emphasis mine]

That makes sense to me. So why have we fallen so far away from doing that? I guess because we are so afraid of hurting someone's feelings. Key phrase: "highly contingent."

"[Carol] Dweck's studies clearly show that when children are told they're brilliant, they often start thinking of effort as a sign of stupidity."[Dweck, PhD, is professor of psychology at Stanford University.]

That explains a lot!

I encourage you to check out both of these fascinating reads.

Posted by Selena at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)

New Fav Song: "Problem Girl"

I have a new favorite song. It's "Problem Girl" by Rob Thomas.

Here is a sample:
"Don't let 'em get where they're going to
You know they're only what they think of you
…
And when the kids on the street say
What's your problem girl
…
When they all make you feel
Like you're a problem girl
Remember
You're no problem at all
You're no problem at all"

It's a sly profession of love. Not obvious like "I adore you." But more real. Because we are never problems to those who love us.

That's good stuff.

Posted by Selena at 09:18 PM | Comments (0)

March 01, 2008

A Good Day

I have already spent over four hours on writing today. (I've been working on fixing the un-fixable novel, the one I've been avoiding for a year or more.) It feels great to be writing and getting things done.

You know what I realized? That when I am really engaged in a task, I don't get tired as easily. Or resort to stress-induced snacking as much.

I breezed through the day with no nap at all, not even feeling like I needed a nap. That's a rare thing for me. Plus I managed to eat healthy all day, which is really rare, and walk 45 minutes on the treadmill.

That's a good day. That's being "in the zone." That's where I hope to spend more time.

Posted by Selena at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2008

Godspell = Revival

While I was in DC last week, I visited a church I had attended for a few months back when I lived in the area. It was a great experience. It reminded me what it feels like to be in my kind of church, one where I fit in and feel at home.

Although I enjoyed the sermon—especially how the pastor used Facebook to make his point—it was the children's lesson that got to me the most. It was about Godspell and ended with a recitation of this prayer/song from the musical:

"Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly 
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly 
Day by day"

Today I happened to find the Godspell CD that I lost track of years ago. I promptly imported it into my iTunes so I wouldn't misplace the music again.

I've spent most of the evening listening to Godspell over and over again. The music does more for me spiritually that most of the church services I have attended. It reminds me and inspires me and prods me ever closer to God. It's like a revival in a CD case.

"Long live God."

----
For more on Godspell visit these sites I found via Google and liked:

I like this one for the full lyrics and the story of a church who performed the musical.

Then this is the official site (I guess). It's got a lot of stuff but I particularly like the history of how Godspell came about. That story was even part of the children's lesson mentioned above.

Posted by Selena at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)

February 11, 2008

The Turtle at the Front Door

Today a turtle came knocking at the front door again. (I think he was on his way to the lake behind the house and just got confused. Or maybe he wanted to take the short cut through the house.) This time I managed to get a picture.

Posted by Selena at 06:48 PM | Comments (0)

January 27, 2008

The Tale of the Turtle and the Crane

A few days ago, the sand cranes were in the backyard and one was seated, which I've never seen them do. I wonder if she was laying eggs or something. Then a poor, unsuspecting turtle came moseying through the lawn on his way to the lake. Momma Crane had a fit.

She got up, walked over to the turtle and started warning him away with a lot of squawking and wing flapping. (It's important to note here that the wingspan of a sand hill crane is something like seven feet. This bird is about a hundred times bigger than the turtle.) Poor turtle was surely saying, "Look, lady, relax. I'm just passing through." The turtle wasn't heading toward her nesting spot (or whatever it was). He never did turn in that direction. But that didn't stop Momma Crane from dogging him all the way down to the water, screaming the whole way some crane version of "Yeah, that's right. You just keep on walking."

It was so cool. I wish I had been able to videotape it.

Posted by Selena at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2008

Miscellaneous

I haven't been blogging much lately. It's not that I don't have anything to say. It's more like I don't have much to say that is suitable for a public forum and/or of interest to others.

Winter has always been a quiet, introspective time for me. So, please bear with me.

Here is a miscellany of what's been going on:

Mom came to visit, which was great. As usual, the sand hill cranes refused to come by the house while she was here. (I honestly can't fathom what that is about, except maybe it's just bad luck.) We did see the birds in the mall parking lot though. (Go figure.) True to form, the birds stopped by the backyard just a couple days after Mom had gone home.

We did get a visitor of another sort while Mom was here. We were in the living room one afternoon when we heard a scratching, banging noise at the front door. I opened it to find a big turtle (about a foot wide) knocking on the door like he was on his way to the lake and wanted to take a short cut through the house. We reoriented him and shortly after saw him making his way along the side of the house, down to the lake.

With the writers strike lingering on, there isn't much to watch on TV. So, I've been watching movies instead. Here are a few I watched recently and liked: The Illusionist, The Lake House (which I'd seen before and loved), Mission Impossible III, and Stranger Than Fiction.

I have been keeping up with my "one submission a week" goal, but otherwise not doing much writing. This is the reward I am motivating myself with: a mad genius T-shirt. (You know you want one.) Now if I could just stick to my diet and exercise goals, I'd be set.

I started watching the new Terminator series, which is okay so far. It's cool to see Summer Glau get more work. (I thought she was great in Firefly and Serenity.) She makes a good Terminator. I just wish her character had more personality, but I guess Terminators don't generally have a lot of personality. Favorite moment so far: Cameron (played by Summer Glau) saying "please remain calm" to the people in the car whose windshield her head is smashed through. LOL. I loved that.

Posted by Selena at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2008

Good Day

It was a good day. I managed to spend several hours writing, in spite of a full day of baby-watching. Plus I took a short walk and did a little DEP work. I even finished and sent off the submission I've been working on.

It wasn't all good though. I didn't stick to my diet. I had more chocolate than good health would dictate. I didn't exercise nearly enough. But no day is perfect.

All in all, it was a very good day.

I hope yours was good too.

Posted by Selena at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)

Podcast Interview and Story

My story "Young Ones" is part of the latest episode of Ray Gun Radio. (The story was originally published in Ray Gun Revival as part of their Issue #3.) The story is book-ended by an interview with yours truly.

You can give it a listen here.

It's such a kick to hear one of my stories read out loud! That hardly ever happens.

Posted by Selena at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2008

Failing Already

I had such high hopes for today, yet I am failing already.

I worked for a couple hours. It was going so well. But then my plans got hijacked, as so often happens.

I guess by now I should have learned how to take that in stride. But I haven't. It sets me back. Even once my time is (mostly) my own again, it's hard to get back into the groove of getting things done.

I need a reset button, a way to get back in the zone after I have been sidetracked.

I am going to try a cup of tea. Maybe the caffeine will help. Maybe then I can get back to the to-do list that has been taunting me: the 30+ submissions I have yet to read, the submission I promised myself I would finish and send off this week, the novel chapters I am supposed to be critiquing, etc., etc.

This is me pressing “Restart Game.” Wish me luck. ;)

Posted by Selena at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)

January 03, 2008

Florida Cold Snap

I live in Florida. Yet, when I woke up this morning it was thirty degrees outside and sixty-four degrees inside. (That’s with the heat on!) The weather is so out of the ordinary that it’s the top news story on most local news outlets, including this one.

I never was a fan of the cold, but now that I’ve gotten used to it hardly ever getting below seventy, it feels even colder.

One of the things I love about living in Florida is the absence of winter. I love that the weather is sunny and warm ninety-nine percent of the time. It’s just those five or so days a year when Mother Nature goes crazy and brings chilly weather to the south—uggh, that's rough. To make the cold feel even worse, houses in Florida are designed to release the heat not keep it.

They say the weather is going to normalize back into milder temps by the weekend. I can't wait.

I had planned to go out for groceries and other shopping today, but I just can't do it. Instead I'm going to wrap up in a quilt and read until the weather warms up.

Posted by Selena at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)

December 31, 2007

2007 Year End Tally

As 2007 draws to a close, here is my year by the numbers.

# of deaths among my friends and family = 2

# of births = 1

# of engagements = 2

# of people added to my household = 2
# of square feet added to my house = 0

# subs sent = 36
# subs accepted = 6
(That a 16% accept rate, which isn’t bad.)

# stories published = 7
(compared with 5 in 2006, 4 in 2005, 3 in 2004, and 1 poem in 2003)

# of novels drafted = 1
# of novels edited, revised, proofed and sent to crit partners for critique = 1
# of novels almost completely neglected = 2

# of days at Disney World = 2

# of new jobs = 1
# of resignation letters = 1

# of blood pressure medications tried before finally getting one that works for me = 3

# of trips to my beloved hometown Washington, DC = 4

Happy New Year!

Posted by Selena at 04:15 PM | Comments (0)

December 29, 2007

Remembrances

I’ve been thinking a lot about the past. I guess that’s natural for this time of year.

What strikes me is how much my life has changed in the last twenty years. At this point, my life is barely recognizable compared to what it was back then. A few things are the same, but a lot of things aren’t. Much of my past, while not gone from my memory, has no discernable evidence in my current life. For instance, you can’t tell from my life right now that I used to wait tables and loved it, or that I studied computer programming in college and have programmed in Pascal, Fortran, and Assembly. There is no evidence of any of that in my here and now. That doesn’t mean it’s gone. It’s still part of who I am, even if it’s not readily apparent.

A couple songs came to mind as I thought about this:

1) “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins, which has this great line: “I remember, I remember, don’t worry.” As long as someone remembers, then the moment is never completely gone. And I remember, I remember a lot of things that aren’t apparent in my current everyday.

2) “Dead Man’s Hill” by the Indigo Girls, which has this wonderful chorus:
“Don't you write it down
Remember this in your head
Don't take a picture
Remember this in your heart
Don't leave a message
Talk to me face to face
Talk to me face to face”
Sometimes it is the really important things that we remember only in our hearts and minds.

If I look hard enough there are some remnants of “the old days.” I have a pink, men’s shirt in my closet that I got from the Salvation Army when I was about twenty years old. Every time I put it on, it reminds me of that time in my life. It makes me smile.

Thinking about the past also makes me wonder about the future. If my life has changed so much over the last twenty years, what will happen in the next twenty? Will my life two decades from now barely resemble my life now? Will I be living in L.A., starring in a sketch comedy show? Or in Arizona, doing whatever it is people do in Arizona? Or in some other outlandish situation that seems completely impossible right now? There is no telling.

Posted by Selena at 11:06 AM | Comments (2)

December 15, 2007

Blog Jewels

Last night I was too tired to work, but still had to be awake for the baby-watching, so I ended up surfing. I found some jewels and wanted to share them:

Grendel, The Misanthropic Dog: this blog is from the point of view of a dog. So sweet and entertaining.

That led me to this blog post from one of Grendel's friends, a dog named BlackStar. What a great story about an "incident!"

I also like to read RevGalBlogPals. Yesterday's "Friday Five" turned up all kinds of good responses at various member blogs. But this response from Eternal Echoes particularly got me:
Under the heading of "what makes you rejoice about Jesus' coming," this blogger wrote:
"That God should come amongst us in the form of a baby,
born to a poor family...
That God should choose vulnerability..."

Wow. Thinking of Jesus, the Son of God, as a vulnerable baby… And that he chose that as his way into the world… What does that tell us?

Wow. Just wow.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Posted by Selena at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

December 07, 2007

Totally Likable Dell

Speaking of unlikable men, here is one for the likable men list: Dell from Private Practice.

Normally, young and blonde is not my type. But Dell is quickly becoming my favorite character on Private Practice. Dell distinguished himself in the episode where he brought Naomi cake day after day, and he told the other men the secret to dealing successfully with women: "Figure out what they want, then give it to them." (I'm not sure that is an exact quote since it's from memory.) Turns out, young Dell knows women.

Then in the most recent episode Dell confessed his feelings for Naomi to her ex-husband and then to her. Whoa! Dell's the underdog in the fight for Naomi's affections, but I'm pulling for him. Great moment when he told Naomi's ex-husband: "I guarantee you, I wouldn't make her cry." Add that to Dell's lessons on dealing with women. It sounds so simple, but in truth that and cake goes a long way. ;)

Also, the funniest part of this week's "Private Practice" was the lead in from the previous show, a Christmas special: "Santa's left behind a new Private Practice. (Heehee.) Of course, the EW.com recap had to remind us that "at the conclusion of the episode, Santa Rhimes went on strike." Bummer. I had forgotten about that.

Posted by Selena at 09:59 PM | Comments (0)

Back in Business

I finally got my Entourage back the way I like it, with all my email restored. Whew.

One of the first things I did was set up a recurring task to remind me to backup Entourage everyday. 'Cause I don't need to go through that ever again.

Posted by Selena at 04:33 PM | Comments (0)

December 05, 2007

Entourage Crashed AGAIN

My Entourage has lost its mind again. (Aargh! That always derails my day.)

Periodically I will start my computer, open Entourage and discover that it has developed amnesia and reverted to a brand-new, just-installed state. Yes, that means no email, notes, events, tasks, etc. Just nothing.

I always stare in disbelief for a few moments. Then try restarting my laptop like maybe it was all just a bad dream.

For a while I was in the habit of backing up Entourage everyday, just in case. But last time it was so easily restored – by switching identities – that I fell out of the habit. Unfortunately, it's not showing any additional identities this time, so switching won't fix it this time.

I do have a backup that is only about three weeks old, so that's not too bad. I just have to figure out if I can download only the last three weeks of email from gmail. There's got to be a way.

Sadly, I also haven't synched my pda in several days at least.

Grrr. Man, I hate it when technology fails. Even more when I know it is partly my fault for not backing up stuff like I know I should. I gotta learn to back up everyday.

So, let this be YOUR reminder: back up your files.

I hope you are having a better morning than I am.

Posted by Selena at 07:58 AM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2007

The Writers' Strike Blues

While I am completely on the side of the writers, I just have this to say to both sides:

"Y'all better get this settled soon because I am on the verge of giving up on TV for good."

Seriously. And I can't be the only one.

There is so little good stuff on TV that I was on the edge of quitting even before the writers' strike. Now, episodes of my favorite shows are being rationed out. I turned on the TV to watch last night's "Grey's Anatomy" and it was a REPEAT! (A repeat during November sweeps! And when just last week they were promo-ing a "3-part Grey's event!" And last week's cliffhanger! Aargh!! Such frustration can't be good for my blood pressure.)

I recently started watching "Pushing Daisies" based on Mir's glowing recommendation, and it is every bit as wonderful as Mir says. But a lot of the joy is taken out when I know I've only got one episode left before the show disappears for who knows how long.

I enjoyed the recent "Battlestar Galatica: Razor" but—AGAIN, knowing that it will be MONTHS before I see a new BG episode (if then), I almost don't want to bother getting back into the show.

Plus, honestly, I still haven't forgiven NBC for canceling "Studio 60."

I keep thinking of all the time that will reappear in my schedule if I just stop watching TV. Hmmm. More time for reading, writing, and editing. Maybe it's for the best.

I just hope TV writers can easily turn their talents to other media.

Posted by Selena at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2007

Charlie's Gone

Last night my favorite cat, who had been dying slow for weeks, suddenly switched to dying fast. It was a terrible, heart-wrenching night.

It had been coming for a while, so at least I was a little prepared. By all rational measures Charlie should have died weeks ago. But God granted us a miraculous reprieve. Charlie inexplicably got better for a couple weeks. I remember thinking that I would be so grateful if he just lived through this really rough time I had scheduled November 17-19. And he did. God granted me the comfort of my favorite feline companion through that particularly difficult time. I am so appreciative of that blessing.

Still, I miss having Charlie around. The habit of him is so ingrained that I keep expecting to see him snoozing in one of his favorite spots or coming around the corner to see what's going on. Then a split second later my brain catches up and I remember.

Here's Charlie with the baby cat in the family. He's the solid black one. Madeline is the multi-colored baby.

God is so good. Even in the dark times. Especially in the dark times.

Posted by Selena at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2007

Server Outage Makes International News

This is the server outage that has kept Double-Edged Publishing sites* offline since Saturday. Our magazines and sites are only a small part of what is a huge outage.

Here's a link to Monday's article in The Register, a news site in Great Britain.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/05/navisite_outage/

Here’s a snippet:
"Navisite, the US webhosting firm, is scrambling to fix an extended outage that is believed to have rendered tens of thousands of websites inoperable for more than three days. The company hopes to completely resolve the problem by Tuesday morning at the latest."

Yeah, well, it's now Wednesday night and I still can't access any DEP sites.*

*DEP sites include:
Dragons, Knights, & Angels
The Sword Review
MindFlights
Haruah
TeenAge
Ray Gun Revival
Fear and Trembling

Posted by Selena at 06:11 PM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2007

Beautiful Photo at Haruah

I came across this in my morning surfing and just had to share…

"Boasting Peacock"
by W. Joy Robelen

It's the latest cover at Haruah and it's gorgeous.

The picture reminds me that God is an artist.

Stop by Haruah and check it out.

Posted by Selena at 07:59 AM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2007

An Update on Charlie

Amazingly, my cat Charlie is still hanging on. Miraculously, he has started drinking again—a little water and milk, both yesterday and today—after a couple days of refusing to drink anything. That's a miracle.

He still won't eat anything. But at least he's not as dehydrated as he was, and that seems to make a big difference in how he feels.

I know it won't last, but it's still nice to have him around a little longer. And hearing him purr again just fills my heart with such joy!

I thank God for this reprieve, however long it may last.

Posted by Selena at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

October 27, 2007

Bad Day

My beloved cat Charlie has taken a turn for the worse. That's all I can bear to say right now.

(For more on my sick kitty see these two posts:
Sep 29, 2007
Sep 25,2007)

Posted by Selena at 07:39 PM | Comments (2)

October 23, 2007

Guardian Angels On Duty

Well, I got my break. Just yesterday I was wondering "Maybe tomorrow I can catch a break." And then today, I got it—a stroke of good luck so big that it could only be divine intervention.

Every now and then something happens—or, more often, doesn't happen—and it's obvious that guardian angels are protecting me and mine. Today is one of those days.

So, here I am to say:
Praise God for those moments of grace when He takes our mistakes and spares us from them.

Thank you, Lord. You are so good to me.

Posted by Selena at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)

October 22, 2007

Today's Song: "itsalwaysomething"

The song that I keep listening to today is Rick Springfield's "itsalwaysomething."

(Of course, the editor and proofer in me want it to be "It's Always Something.")

Here are some sample lyrics:
"I've been good at snatching defeat from the
jaws of victory
Anytime I stopped to smell the roses they
drew blood from me
Do you know what I mean?
You never ever get away clean
Oh but it's alright,
Yeah, touchdown, turn around, flag on the play
It's always something, you know it is, it's always something
It's always something, everyday, It's always something"

Maybe tomorrow I can catch a break. ;)

Posted by Selena at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)

October 19, 2007

Super Shrew

I've been meaning to blog about how great The Taming of the Shrew was in DC, but the week just got away from me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It's a gorgeous production. Plus it's funny, as most productions of Shrew are. This production is even a bit romantic, which you don't always get with this difficult play. If you have a chance to see the show, I encourage you to do so. You aren't likely to get another opportunity to see a Shrew this good.

There are so many great moments in this production; I couldn't begin to list them all. There is one in fact that I won't detail because it would spoil the surprise. All I will say is that the text just indicates Petruchio is inappropriately dressed when he arrives for his wedding. It doesn't say what he is wearing, and it didn't prepare me for what Taichman and company did with the opportunity.

My favorite moment, however, is when Petruchio and Kate first meet. Kate walks by Petruchio and she literally slows down and turns back to have another look. It's a beautiful, romantic moment. I only wish I could have been watching Petruchio at the same time so I could have seen if he was equally smitten. It's a real "love at first sight" moment. I always thought the play needed that to make all that comes later believable.

The chemistry between Petruchio and Kate is palpable, which is another element I consider critical to the success of a production of Shrew. Plus, Christopher Innvar somehow makes Petruchio likeable, despite the way Petruchio bullies and manhandles Kate. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Innvar is so handsome.

Still, Petruchio manhandles Kate a little too much for tastes. But that's part of the play, and it's tough to get around. In this production, I found it a little odd to watch Petruchio best Kate physically because Charlayne Woodard, who plays Kate, has arm muscles like a bodybuilder. It kept reminding me of that scene in "What's Love Got to Do with It" where Ike is roughing up Tina, and Angela Bassett's muscular arms are shown off by her sleeveless top, and all I could think is "She could totally beat the daylights out of him! Why doesn't she?" Likewise, in this Shrew it was a little hard for me to believe that Petruchio could so easily out-brawl Kate. I kept waiting for her to punch him really hard right in the face. It might not knock him out, 'cause Petruchio's a big guy, but it would certainly stun him long enough for Kate to run away. But she doesn't, of course. I guess I could refer to my "favorite moment" above for a hint about why.

Kate's speech at the end is probably the toughest in the play. It's a real problem—especially for a female, maybe even feminist, director. But Taichman pulls it off.

I especially enjoyed how Petruchio handed Kate the money after winning the bet. It's a choice I recommended back in college when I wrote a paper on how to produce a feminist Shrew. I remember my professor called the choice "problematic." Whatever. I still believe the gesture is crucial to re-establishing balance between Kate and Petruchio, and showing that despite public appearances to the contrary they are equal partners in the game. Certainly, I'm not laying claim to the idea. I'm probably not even the first one who suggested it. But it was still lovely that this successful director, who I have come to admire so much, made one of the same choices I would have made. It was a little moment of personal validation for me.

This "Taming of the Shrew" is worth flying a thousand miles for. I'm certainly glad I made the trip. If I was still in DC, I'd go see it again.

Posted by Selena at 11:52 PM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2007

NaNo or Not

I had been going back and forth about whether to sign up for this year's NaNo, and in a moment of hopefulness I signed up. I regretted it almost immediately.

Don't get me wrong, I loved participating in National Novel Writing Month both times I've done it (2005 and 2006) and I think it is great writing practice. All things being equal, I would do it again. But all things aren't equal. The irony is that my schedule is more crowded with responsibilities now than when I was working a full-time, paid job.

I just don't think I have the time and energy to complete NaNo this year, which is why I had been thinking of not participating. But then I went and signed up anyway. I'm such a dope.

So, now I have to decide whether to attempt it or just accept my failure now.

If only I could learn to function without sleep…

Posted by Selena at 09:23 AM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2007

October 01, 2007

Sunset Sky

Yesterday I went for a walk and my reward was this magnificent blue and pink sky, complete with feathery, white clouds.

Posted by Selena at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2007

Bad Week & Quote of the Day: Hold Fast

It's been a bad week: I found out that my favorite cat probably has cancer and definitely has a urinary track infection. ('Cause, you know, it's not bad enough that he has an abdominal mass the size of my fist.)

Plus a brother-in-law died after a long struggle with cancer. I know he's in a better place, but it sucks for those of us still here and missing him.

And that's just the big stuff I'm wrestling with this week.

So when this came up on my iTunes, it was like a gift from God:

"Please do no let go
I promise there is hope
Hold fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is His grasp
So hold fast."
- from "Hold Fast" by Mercy Me

(Emphasis mine.)

I'm trying. I'm really trying to feel that assurance. Knowing and believing that God is in control and has my best interests at heart—that is one thing. Feeling it is harder.

Posted by Selena at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2007

Sick Kitty

One of my cats has been sick. (It's Charlie, the diabetic one. In the photo below he's the black one on the left.) Today the vet said he has a hard mass in his lower abdomen.

They're running some tests but it is most likely cancer.

People keep reminding me that he's more than fifteen years old, that he's lived a good life. I know it's true, but I'm not ready to let him go.

Posted by Selena at 01:35 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2007

Cool Article on Shrew

Today I came across this interesting article on the production of "The Taming of the Shrew" that I am looking forward to:

"A Thoroughly Modern Willie"

It's not often you hear this particular Shakespeare play referred to as "modern."

Posted by Selena at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007

Can't Wait for Shrew

I am so excited about the upcoming production of "The Taming of the Shrew" in my beloved Washington, DC. Shrew is my favorite Shakespeare play, and it's one that is hardly ever produced. Just having the chance to see it is a rare opportunity.

Ever since I studied the play in college, I have believed it is possible to produce a Shrew that is both romantic and feminist. I don't imagine it would be easy. There are formidable challenges, like a text that seems misogynist and archaic to a modern audience. I have never seen a production that manages to overcome that, but I am still hopeful that it can be done.

After listening to director Rebecca Bayla Taichman talk about the upcoming production, I am even more hopeful. If a romantic, feminist production of Shrew can be had, Ms. Taichman seems exactly the woman to pull it off. At the theatre's website, you can see video of her talking about the show, or listen to the podcast version.

Listen to the part where she talks about what being a shrew means. I love how she points out that Kate is silent through much of the play in direct opposition to her shrewish label. I was nodding my head when she said that.

As I studied Shrew, one of the things that appealed to me was the tension between this woman who is labeled "shrew" and the fact that she is not the most shrewish person in the play. Petruchio out-shrews Kate more than once. I think he must do it on purpose because it has two very positive results: 1) it puts the townspeople on Kate's side for a change (against Petruchio, her new husband, who behaves appallingly at their wedding), and 2) it gives Kate the opportunity to redefine her role (suddenly she is the one defending the servants from abuse, Petruchio's abuse).

I am also pleased that the notes on the website quote Coppelia Kahn. I think it was her "Man's Estate" I read back in the day, but what Coppelia Kahn has to add to the Shrew equation is the insight that Kate truly holds the power over Petruchio despite her submission to him at the end. Actually it is because of her submission. Kate doesn't need Petruchio. But Petruchio needs Kate. He needs her submission to validate him as an adult male in the strongly patriarchal society of the play. Without a wife who submits to him, Petruchio is a marginalized member of society. Only through his successful "taming" of a wife can he be respected. That is a key piece to understanding the play.

Don't miss the video where Taichman wrestles with the question of whether Shrew is "a great love story or a sexist put-down?" In her wisdom, she declares that it is both -- and much more.

I can't wait to see the show. I've got my tickets. How about you? Really, when do you think you'll have another opportunity to see "The Taming of the Shrew?" It could be awhile.

Posted by Selena at 05:48 PM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2007

Too Sick to Blog

I've been too sick to blog. Or do much of anything, for that matter.

I have deliberately avoided reading submissions because it just doesn’t seem fair to evaluate someone's work when I feel this miserable.

But today I feel a little better than I did yesterday. So, at least now we're heading in the right direction, after several days of just getting worse and worse. A bad cold, the doc said. Problem is: with my high blood pressure, there isn't much I can take for a cold. So, it's been mostly natural remedies like tea, fluids, steam, and laying down under a pile of blankets.

Here's a resource I like for natural cold and flu remedies:
WebMd

Hope you don't get sick, though. Which reminds me, here is how to prevent getting a cold.

I do most of that. Don't know where I went wrong this time. Oh yeah, it was probably all that sleep deprivation. Wears down your immune system every time. ;)

Take care of yourselves, everyone. And get enough rest. You'll be glad you did.

Posted by Selena at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2007

Tea Fussy

I like tea a lot, but I've also become really fussy about it. I realized today that when I order iced tea at a café or restaurant, I send it back about half the time and get something else. I make my own iced tea at home, so I think I don't like the massed-produced kind anymore. I don't even like most bottled teas. I guess I've been spoiled by all the premium tea.

At home, I make iced tea out of decaf black tea and decaf green tea with mint. Plus a pinch of stevia to sweeten it just a little.

My favorite tea is Lipton's Black Pearl. Yum. Followed closely by Bigelow's Constant Comment. Beware the "orange spice" teas of other brands. They don't cut it. Trust me. I have been disappointed more than once.

I also like a bunch of the Celestial Seasonings teas:
Today it's Honey Vanilla Chamomile (with extra honey 'cause I've got a sore throat)
Other favs:
Mandarin Orange Spice (not the same taste as Constant Comment cause it's an herb tea not a black tea, but still it's the only other "orange spice" tea I like)
Sweet Clementine Chamomile
Golden Honey Darjeeling (although I can never find this flavor in the store anymore)
Madagascar Vanilla Red

Out and about, my current favorite is the vanilla chai latte at Joffrey's. Yum. I just wish they had a better location. I'd go there a whole lot more often if they weren't out of my way. Why can't they have a space in the shopping center where I get my groceries, prescriptions, and pet stuff? Grr. It's one of life's little annoyances. ;)

I also like the tea at Teaism. Great place. Delicious tea. Problem is: I haven't been able to find a Teaism down here in Florida. I guess they are only in Washington, DC. Bummer for me.

Posted by Selena at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2007

Quote of the Day: I learned...

"Some dreams weren't meant to come true. I learned that from you."

- from the song "I Learned That From You," by Sara Evans

(Well, I don't know if she wrote it. I just know she sang it.)

That song gets me every time.

Posted by Selena at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)

New Fav Lily Pic

Here my new favorite photo of granddaughter Lily:

Ain't she cute?

Posted by Selena at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2007

Caught Up!

Can it be? Yes, it seems that I really am caught up on reading submissions. Woo-Hoo!

Of course, I know that as soon as I post this, another sub will appear in my inbox. And that's okay. I just like to be able to read them as they come in.

Until then I guess I should deal with some of those writing projects I've been avoiding. ;)

Posted by Selena at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2007

Quote of the Day: Failure

Here they are, from Ten Poems to Change Your Life by Roger Housden:

"Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt - marvelous error! -
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
From my old failures."
- Antonio Machado
Part of his poem “Last Night As I Was Sleeping”
(version by Robert Bly)

"Imagine the possibility that every single turn of events, however dark or disappointing the outcome, can in some circuitous way be the raw material for something that eventually surfaces with the sweetness of honey."
-Roger Housden

So, this is me, waiting for God to make sweet honeycombs out of all my failures.

Posted by Selena at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

Must Do Better

I must do better.

Or give up, which is a strangely tempting option just now. Not a sane option, mind you, just a tempting one.

Despite medication, my blood pressure is still too high. Of course it doesn't help that lately I have not been watching my diet, or exercising like I know I should. Plus, my stress meter has been in the red for so long that I think the needle might be stuck. That can't be good for my blood pressure either.

So, Doc put me on stronger meds. Yippee. Just what I always wanted: Stronger meds. (That's sarcasm if you can't hear it on your monitor. ;) )

Why is it that having my meds increased feels like such a personal failure?

I don't know. I just know that I must do better.

In the meantime, I think today's quote is going to have to be about coping with failure. I've got to find that quote about honeycombs. Stay tuned.

Posted by Selena at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2007

Noted on Today's Walk

Pretty, ain't it? Smelled good too.

Posted by Selena at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2007

Quote of the Day: Rev Bem

"I have always believed the divine loves us best at the broken times."
- Rev Bem, in "Andromeda"

I think this was in one of the early seasons, because I don't think Rev Bem was around in the later seasons. He was one of my favorite characters though. A holy man struggling with his "beast" nature.

Posted by Selena at 07:30 PM | Comments (0)

Taking the Day Off + RS on GH

I am too tired and stressed to work. So I am taking the day off.

Well, not totally off since I did a little work this morning and I am baby watching from morning to night.

Still, I am in no condition to read anyone's submission right now. Trust me.

I did enjoy seeing Rick Springfield perform on "General Hospital" today though. That was cool! It would have been the highlight of my day, but instead that honor goes to receiving belated birthday presents from my best friend.

Not a bad day, but –MAN- I need some sleep! Until that can happen, I'll be listening to "Written in Rock: The Rick Springfield Anthology." :)

Posted by Selena at 05:39 PM | Comments (0)

August 21, 2007

Houseguests, Disney, etc.

I've been too busy to blog. Here's what's been going on.

I had houseguests in town for about a week. It was Mom plus a niece and nephew. We went to Disney World a couple days and that was very cool. My favs at DW: Space Mountain, Test Track, Soarin', Mickey's PhilharMagic. Also, love the Fast Pass option. If I had been smart, I would have begun each day by running around and getting fast passes for all the things I wanted to see/do. Ah well, maybe next time.

I also had two family events going on: my 40th birthday and my granddaughter's "baptism." (As a Baptist, I consider the ritual more of a dedication ceremony, but whatever. I think it's one of those things that good people of faith don't always agree on.) Both events went swimmingly. :)

Now all my houseguests are gone, and the house is much quieter. But at least now maybe I can get some work done. We'll see.

I'll try to post more pictures later, but here are a few of my favorites:

Mickey ears in the power lines as you approach the park:

The crocodile topiary:

How cool is that?

And one not from Disney. This is a lizard the kids found in the backyard. We have tons of lizards around the house. I just don't usually let them inside the patio where the cat can get to them.

Hope everyone is having a good mid-to-late August. :)

Posted by Selena at 05:31 PM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2007

New Column: "Tithing My Time"

My latest column is now available at TeenAge magazine.

You can check it out here.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Posted by Selena at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)

August 09, 2007

Getting Closer

Well, I am not caught up but I am getting closer.

Here is today's tally so far:
6 subs read (only 9 to go, yikes)
7 subs processed & responded to

It reminds me of that Billy Joel song "Getting Closer":
"And if I don't have this all worked out
Still I'm getting closer, getting closer
I still have far to go no doubt
But I'm getting closer, getting closer"

Actually, I like that album so much I think I'll listen to it now. ;)

Posted by Selena at 07:58 PM | Comments (0)

So Far Behind :(

I am so far behind that it seems impossible I will ever catch up with my to-do list. I don’t even know where to start. And the desire to just throw up my hands and give up is very, very strong.

Three days of baby-watching from morning to night (while baby’s momma worked double shifts) has really put a crimp in my productivity. Thankfully momma doesn’t have to work until tonight, so maybe grandma can get a little something done before taking over the baby-watching duties again. Maybe I can at least assess exactly how far behind on my editor duties I am. (I’m not even thinking about my writing to-do’s at this point.) Right now I only know that there are many submissions at both DKA and MindFlights that I haven’t even looked at. A clear picture would help. Then maybe I can figure out what to do first, and do that. Then what to do second, and do that. And so on.

But it won’t be easy because -- I’m so tired. And stressed. And all-around impaired.

I just have to take a deep breath, get a cup of tea, and do what I can do moment to moment. Eventually that will get me somewhere closer to caught up.

Posted by Selena at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

August 04, 2007

Today's Tally = Life is Good

Well, it's my birthday month so things can't be all bad. In fact, things are actually pretty good. I had a long talk with an old friend, which was easily the highlight of my day. Plus, I think I actually have a handle now on how to fix my novel query. That's good, because clearly that query needed work.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Posted by Selena at 03:40 PM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2007

Today's Tally

Well, I didn't get as much accomplished today as I had hoped. I was tired and headachy, and that's not good for my productivity.

But at least I got those four chapters done. That's the main thing. And I walked for one hour. Gotta keep that blood pressure down.

Tomorrow, it's chapters 9-12.

But for now, there is just more baby-watching and then sleep. Gotta sleep.

Posted by Selena at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2007

Lily as Londo

Since my granddaughter Lily was born, she has had tufts of hair on the back of her head. They tend to form two spikes, like horns.

It occurred to me today that she looks like she's been taking hairstyling lessons from Londo Mollari.

Lily:

Londo:

What do you think?

Posted by Selena at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2007

After The Storm

We had a particularly rough thunderstorm this afternoon. Heavy rain. Thunder and lightning, a bit too close for comfort. There was even hail. It looked like God was making popcorn on the lawn.

But after the storm, there was the most amazing light. It was the purest, brightest sunlight I've ever seen.

I'm sure there is a lesson for me in there somewhere.

Posted by Selena at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2007

Missing Posts Added

I added in the posts from when this blog interface was down. It's June 9 - 16, if you want to have a look in the June archives.

Posted by Selena at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2007

Today's Tally

It's been a good day. I got a lot done, which always makes me feel good.

I read a couple submissions, walked one hour, and did a few other things on my to-do list. I'm especially excited that I finished and submitted a new column for Everyday Faith. (Don't know when it will appear though.)

That's progress. I've been getting so little writing done lately that accomplishing any writing at all is worthy of celebration.

It's not been my usual avoiding of the muse. Honest. It's just that my new granddaughter has been keeping me hopping. Seriously, anyone who tells you that taking care of an infant isn't a full-time job is either lying or clueless.

Here's wishing everyone a productive and happy week!

Posted by Selena at 04:54 PM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2007

Forty!

Man, I can't believe I'm going to be forty next month!

That's just wrong.

I feel so old. But mostly I feel like I should have accomplished more with my life by now.

Guess I better get to work.

Well, maybe a little nap first.

After all, I'm getting old and I need my rest. ;)

Posted by Selena at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2007

Traveling Lessons and My Two-Show Day

I recently returned from another round of traveling. Here are a few things I learned on my trip:

1) In-car GPS with spoken, turn-by-turn directions is one of the MOST USEFUL technologies of all time. I didn't need it to get to and from Florida-home and DC-home, 'cause that's pretty much "Second star on the right, and straight on 'til morning," but it was very helpful for these other places I had to go to, none of which I actually knew how to get to:
a) a friend's house in Georgetown. (Although I was a little freaked out when I put in the address and the GPS told me it's a "restricted" road and I better follow the rules. :shock:)
b) Pearson's liquor store, to get a heaping lot of Angelini wine for the in-laws, whose name is Angelini. (Get it?)
c) Maryland Ensemble Theatre, where one of my best-est friends was playing the Evil Queen in Snow White. It was a hoot. No scenery was left unchewed. A good time was had by all. I seriously recommend stopping by the website to check out the picture of Evil Queen tempting Snow White with a poisoned apple.
[edited to add: Sorry, the show has closed so the picture is no longer there. :( ]
d) Toby's Dinner Theatre, where another friend was singing the part of the plant (Audrey II) in Little Shop of Horrors. Also a really fun time.

2) I make a whole lot better time when I am traveling solo. Sixteen hours, all in one day. That's the way to do it.

3) Just because a hotel room costs $200/night doesn't mean it won't smell funny. It also doesn't mean there will be free wireless Internet. (Come on, people! How can you call yourself a good hotel if you don't have free wireless Internet?)

4) Cracker Barrel still makes the best breakfast on the road. Hashbrown casserole. Yum.

Posted by Selena at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2007

New Fav Pic of Lily

Here's my new favorite picture of grandbaby Lily.

I'm traveling now, so I have to get my baby-watching fix via video chat. It's nice but it's just not the same.

Posted by Selena at 08:46 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2007

Love in Separation

Maybe it's because last week I again left home (Washington, DC) to come home (Tampa, Florida), but I've been thinking a lot about love in separation.

Most of my friends and family are still back in Washington, yet I have chosen to move a thousand miles away from them. I don't regret my choice exactly, but I sure do miss my loved ones back in Washington. And much as I like Florida, it gets lonely sometimes here without them.

Thinking about being away from those I love made me realize that love in separation is a recurring theme in my writing. Just off the top of my head I can think of three stories where the "happy couple" end up apart. Still in love, just apart.

We can't always be with the people we love, but that doesn't mean that we love them any less or think about them any less. It's just not a perfect world and you can't have everything you want.

I guess I better start planning my next trip to Washington, DC to visit my nearest and dearest. That always helps.

Posted by Selena at 01:16 PM | Comments (0)

Too Busy to Blog/A Difficult Trip

Sorry, I've been to busy to blog. I went up to the Washington, DC area to pick up my daughter and granddaughter and drive with them down to Florida.

I guess I should known it was going to be a rough trip when it began with a really bumpy flight from Tampa. Maybe I've just been lucky in my air travel because I have never had turbulence like that before. It was like being on a small boat in choppy waters. But at least we didn't crash. We all arrived in DCA safe and sound.

The drive down was even more difficult. You haven't lived until you've spent 22 hours in a crowded car with a fussy infant. What is usually a 16-hour drive turned into two 11-hour days on the road. And I thought 16 hours with three cats in the car was rough! I can't adequately describe the level of euphoria we experienced when we finally arrived at our destination and were able to get that screaming baby out of the car. Whew.

It seemed like Miss Lily was mad for days afterward. She'll only just recently settled back into her usual "happy baby" self.

Now if I could just get back to my usual self. Then we'd all be happy.

Mostly I just gotta get back to work. Writing and editing, that always helps.

Posted by Selena at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)

June 01, 2007

Funny Lily

Just got this latest picture of my granddaughter Lily and it's so funny I had to share it.

What is she doing with her hands? Is that a "pee-ew" sign or an "okay" sign?

Whatever it is, it makes me laugh every time I look at it.

Posted by Selena at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)

May 08, 2007

8 random facts about me

Okay, so I have been tagged. (Thanks Pixy.) Let's see if I can do this right.

First, I'm supposed to list the rules. So here they are:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Now, my list of 8 random facts about me:

1) I just became a grandma and I'm not the only person amazed by how good I am with the baby. I am probably the least maternal woman on the face of the planet. My reputation as "not good with children" is legendary among my friends and family. But somehow Lily and I get along very well.

2) I talk to my cats like they are people.

3) I hate chain letters. I think that's why I haven't found the nerve to tag anyone else. It feels like such an imposition. Even though I enjoyed writing this.

4) I fear the cold. Guess it's a good thing I live in Florida now.

5) I don't eat meat, except for the occasional hamburger or meatloaf or sandwich meats. It's like I don't want any meat that looks like it actually came from an animal.

6) In college I studied both drama and computer science. Both camps couldn't understand how one person could be interested in both subjects. Each side would ask me how I could hang out with "those" people.

7) I used to do musical theatre. I even starred in a few musicals: "Man of the Mancha" (my favorite), "The Sound of Music," and "Cabaret." In community theatre and school productions of course, not professional.

8) I stopped singing in public after I sang at my grandfather's funeral and did a terrible job of it. I still can't hear "Amazing Grace" without tearing up at the memory.

Posted by Selena at 08:16 PM | Comments (0)

May 07, 2007

Baby Lily

I've been a bit AWOL but at least I have a good excuse. (Two excuses, actually. One happy, one sad.)

Here is excuse number #1. My very sweet, very beautiful, brand-new granddaughter Lily:

Excuse #2 is not so happy. It's the stomach flu that's been marring my last couple days. Hopefully the worst of that is over.

Posted by Selena at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2007

Freaking Out a Little

I'm freaking out a little because when I tested my blood pressure yesterday it was 160/114. I think the official, medical term for that is "much, much too high."

When the resting pressure is almost as high as the normal blood pressure….well, I'm no expert but that doesn't sound good to me.

Thankfully I just came across this verse on a ShoutLife Profile:

2Timothy 1:7 "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind."

Thanks. I needed that.

Posted by Selena at 07:14 PM | Comments (0)

April 28, 2007

Craving Don Pablos

For the last couple days I have been craving Don Pablos like mad!

Problem is – tortilla chips, queso dip, and tacos aren't on my new heart-healthy, low-sodium diet.

So, instead it's another round of salad, whole grain toast, and an apple for dessert.

Bleh. It's just not the same.

Posted by Selena at 06:15 PM | Comments (0)

Postal Rate Change

What?!? Postal rates are going up AGAIN!

Effective May 14, a first-class letter will go up 2 cents, to 41 cents total. (I hate having to use all those 1 cent stamps during the transition. Don't you?)

Here's the breakdown of the new rates.

My next question is why did I find out about this from Duotrope's email newsletter on short fiction markets? While I appreciate the headsup from Duotrope, shouldn't I have heard about this from a more official source, i.e. someone other than a writing markets resource?

I really should start watching the news.

Posted by Selena at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2007

Can't Sleep

For the second night in a row, sleep eludes me. So, after a couple hours of trying to fall asleep I have given up and decided to work instead.

I can hardly wait for the weekend so I can take a long afternoon nap. Funny how I never have trouble falling asleep in the middle of the day.

Posted by Selena at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2007

Must Relax

"Three little birds sat on my window and they told me I don't need to worry."

That quote and the song it's from ought to be written on a prescription slip because it's a big part of my current treatment protocol.

You see, in addition to drastic diet changes, I also have to learn to relax and stop being such a perfectionist, worry-prone, type A personality. It's all part of the "Lower My Blood Pressure Before It Kills Me" Plan. I think this aspect of the lifestyle changes I have to make is going to be the hardest.

I've been trying to catch myself before I get worked up about things and say to myself, "Yeah, this is the sort of thing that would upset (or worry) me in the past, but I just can't afford to stress over it anymore. So, I am going to do what I can do then I am going to let go and trust God to work it out." I think I'm getting better at it. It takes practice like everything else. Long-ingrained habits are hard to break.

I also find that I am listening to my "Happy & Upbeat" Playlist over and over again. The quote above is from the top song on the list:

"Put Your Records On" by Corrine Bailey Rae

It is impossible to be in a bad mood while listening to that song! The song is "relaxed and happy" encapsulated into an easily transportable audio clip.

As a public service here is a sampling of my "Happy & Upbeat" playlist.

"Bad Day" by Daniel Powter
(I love that a song named "Bad Day" can be so uplifting.)

"Lover Come Up" by Josh Kelly
(from the soundtrack of "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" which includes several H&U songs. The movie is really good too.)

"Baby Girl" by Sugarland

"O What a Glorious Thing" by Akira The Don (also from the "Super Ex" soundtrack)

"Everything's Right" by Matt Wertz (also "Super Ex")

"Why Don't You & I" by Santana and Alex Band

"Streetcorner Symphony" by Rob Thomas

"Make It Happen" by Mariah Carey

"Love Love Love" by Tristan Prettyman ("Super Ex" strikes again!)

"The Joker" by Fatboy Slim (Also "Super Ex")

"Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina (classic 80's happy)

I used to have this quote on the wallpaper of my computer:

"Good morning. This is God. I will be handling all of your problems today. So, you can just relax and enjoy the day."

Maybe it's time to put that quote back up.

Be happy, all. God really is in control. And that's a very safe place for us all to be.

Posted by Selena at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)

April 14, 2007

Getting Old Sucks

This week I was diagnosed with yet another health problem that requires drastic alteration in my diet. Bleh. Of course, it should be noted that if I had stuck with the "eat right" thing when it was first suggested to me years ago then this particular health thing might never have appeared. (Might have, might not. We'll never know. Diet's only one factor.) Ironically just recently someone suggested I eat healthier and my immediate (and thankfully unvoiced) thought was "Pshaw! Eating right is for sissies who want to live forever!" Problem is I do kind of want to live a really long time. There is so much I still want to do in this life.

I miss the days when I could just eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, however much of it I wanted and never gain weight or suffer any ill effects. But let's face it, those days are long gone. I am simply not that young anymore.

Over the last ten years of so, I have been diagnosed with what seems like one thing after another and ALL of them require drastic alteration in my diet. Okay, I'll admit freely that my diet is pretty bad to start with. I am all about the junk food and sweets. I only like a few fruits and vegetables. I eat tons of carbs and virtually no meat. So, really I shouldn't be surprised that I keep hearing "dietary changes" from my doctors.

I've improved my diet in the past, but I always slack off after the initial "problem" or whatever dies down. Unfortunately I may have to stick with this one.

I have to tell you though, grocery shopping this morning was just not as much fun as it used to be. I waved forlornly at my favorite aisles: the salty snacks, the frozen dinners. "I'll miss you, my darlings." Instead I spent an inordinate amount of time in the fresh produce section trying to make new friends.

Posted by Selena at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2007

Quote of the Day

Today's quote is from a bumper sticker:

"You don't have to believe everything you think."

I'm no sure what to make of that exactly, but it speaks to me on some level.

Posted by Selena at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2007

Angels in the Everyday

Another part of the Gethsemane sermon that stayed with me is how one passage mentions that an angel appeared to Jesus and strengthened him. The preacher spoke of how sometimes when we are going through our own Gethsemanes, angels appear to us in the form of people in our lives.

That happened to me today. I was walking around the neighborhood—getting some exercise, and thinking and praying about the problems of the day—when a couple women called out a friendly greeting as I approached.

I was stunned. I had actually stopped walking in the neighborhood because the people always seemed to look at me like I was a suspicious interloper and they were considering calling the police. My attempts to reach out to my neighbors had so far been met with indifference and suspicion. I've lived here in sunny Florida for just over six months now, and I still haven't made any friends here. Only very recently have I started experiencing the beginnings of possible friendships.

While I don't know if these neighbors and I will become friends, I am sure that their sudden presence in my life today is a sign from God that it'll be okay. I feel certain that they were the faces of angels in my everyday.

Posted by Selena at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)

April 04, 2007

Aargh!

I woke up this morning, synched my pda to my laptop then discovered that everything had disappeared from my Entourage. It is now as pristine as the day installed. No email, no contacts, no tasks, no notes, no nothing.

I am trying not to panic.

Posted by Selena at 07:38 AM | Comments (0)

April 03, 2007

Quotes From My Day So Far

Today it's the moments that keep catching my attention:

Like the rare, maternal moment when I voiced the desire to have my daughter and soon-to-be-born granddaughter close by so I could make sure they are okay. (They are currently 2,000 miles away and planning to stay there.) My husband was almost as shocked as I was to hear that maternal remark come out of my mouth. Of course it was followed by, "It's a good impulse, but maybe not a practical one."

The situation, as they say, is "complicated." My frustration showed in my next observation: "I have lots of dreams, that doesn't mean any of them are going to come true."

Then later, I was dealing with the phone company and voiced this all-purpose declaration:
"We'll just have to see how it plays out."

That's my life in a nutshell. I can plan and dream all I want, but things will still go however they are going to go.

Posted by Selena at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)

March 31, 2007

What People Think-Part 2, Some Answers

Okay, here is what Google had to say on the topic of how not to care about what people think of you.

WikiHow
Some good advice in there.

My agapic life
This blog post is great for its Dairy Queen story.

But my favorite so far is this quote from steelhamster at answerbag:

If people think of me, Im flattered, wether it be for good or ill... although lets face it, how could anyone say a bad word about me, I'm so wonderful ;-) Oscar Wilde said it best, "there is only one thing worse than people talking about you, its people not talking about you.

Steelhamster clearly has a handle on this thing! ;)

Selena's Blog

Writing, Books, Sci Fi, Life

December 29, 2008

Insomnia Won't Leave Me Alone

December 26, 2008

Home Again, Home

November 28, 2008

Watching "The West Wing"

November 13, 2008

Failing NaNo

November 03, 2008

Too Sick to NaNo

October 23, 2008

First Rule of Flying

October 11, 2008

In a Cooking Mood

October 02, 2008

RRN: "Steering by Starlight"

September 25, 2008

Good News, Bad News

September 17, 2008

New Fav Lily Pic

September 16, 2008

"Whew!" Plus New Music & TV

September 10, 2008

Quote of the Day

September 07, 2008

Homesick

September 03, 2008

Speaking of "Happy Working..."

July 17, 2008

Stalked by Insomnia

July 01, 2008

Psalms 139

The Exhaustion Cure

June 22, 2008

Tough Week (but Two Good Books)

May 21, 2008

Fridge Art?

May 19, 2008

B-day Lily

May 05, 2008

Quote of the Day: "Be the change..."

April 24, 2008

Good Day

April 19, 2008

Easter Lily

Caught Up!

April 11, 2008

So Overwhelmed (+BG)

April 04, 2008

Lost Week

March 16, 2008

Quotes of the Day: from "Leap of Faith"

March 05, 2008

Interesting Articles on "Me"-ness vs. Happiness

New Fav Song: "Problem Girl"

March 01, 2008

A Good Day

February 21, 2008

Godspell = Revival

February 11, 2008

The Turtle at the Front Door

January 27, 2008

The Tale of the Turtle and the Crane

January 23, 2008

Miscellaneous

January 14, 2008

Good Day

Podcast Interview and Story

January 13, 2008

Failing Already

January 03, 2008

Florida Cold Snap

December 31, 2007

2007 Year End Tally

December 29, 2007

Remembrances

December 15, 2007

Blog Jewels