Genesis Moments - A Writer's Journey

Deep, Thoughtful Friday Post before Labor Day

The dog woke me up this morning at 5 am whimpering to go out. I laid there for 20 minutes telling her to go lie down and it didn't work. Finally, I got up. Since then, I made coffee and I've actually been VISITING BLOGS around the Internet. I have never given the time I should to getting to know people well on the Internet.

Life is just too dang busy sometimes and I am too easily distracted from the things I need to do HERE and NOW. Getting caught up in all the drama out there is just more distracting but there are so many wonderful people sharing their thoughts, hopes, dreams and harrowing struggles.

I need to make more time to visit you my internet buddies. But, I need more time to visit with my kids, my family, my husband, my church friends too. Why do we get so caught up in life doing laundry and housework and work-work that we forget why we were created? To live in community, uplifting each other, praying for each other, knowing what each other is going through without being a gossip, and taking time to be a friend - a real friend.

{Now would be the time to insert the appropriate poignant verse but that would take TIME and right now my kids need me to wake them up, get them breakfast, drive them to school -- and I promised myself I wouldn't make them late this year because I was putting the finishing touches on a blog post. Then, I am going to breakfast with a dear friend I haven't seen in awhile but it all takes TIME which flies by SOOOOO fast.}

I hope you have time this weekend to spend with someone special - giving a word of encouragement and love. Put down the laundry, the laptop, the lalalalalala (which means WHATEVER you want it too) and find  way to LOVE, LIVE, LAUGH. If you have time, come back and share what you did to make LABOR day so special.

 

Ring around the collar . . . . Wisk to the rescue!

Wisk has been fighting stains for a loooooonnngggg time. Remember the old "Ring Around the Collar" commercial? In case you forgot, check it out below. Those old 70s jingles are a hoot!

 

Wisk is starting a new campaign to tell you about their Stain Spectrum™ Technology and I am excited to be one of their stain testors in the coming weeks {because we get plenty of stains around here - chocolate, coffee, ketchup, blood, the usual}.

I love the new commercial too:

Whoa now  . . . gone is the mom preparing her husband's suitcase to travel. Life has changed in the last 40 years. Instead, the teaser commercial is filled with technology-related graphics that appear to be aimed at the modern digital consumer - yup - that's me! (Oh, and I do still iron my husband's shirt, believe it or not. Call me a dinosaur but we do save money that way. He packs his own bag, though. A girl's gotta know her limits.)

As far as stains around our house, my "tom-boy" daughter gives me the most challenges. She loves being active and getting dirty. Somehow both my daughters missed my point about using a napkin. We're working on it but I still have plenty of food stains I have to deal with. Of course, there's my handyman husband who might rub anything from paint to dirt to car grease on his pants and jeans. I never know what I'll face when I do laundry. I have a lot more to worry about then just ring around the collar! (And with men dressing more casual for work - I really don't deal with collar stains as much since my husband doesn't cinch his shirt tight with a tie any more.)

So, check back in. We'll be talking through the challenges of stain removal and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wisk.  I received monetary compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.)

 

American Pickers

Hey, head over to DIYFrugal today to check out my write-up on a new show I found the other day. I love it- American Pickers on the History Channel.

 

What do you have in your barn, garage, attic, outbuilding, warehouse or other than you might like the American Pickers to come check out?

Snapshot reviews: Marmaduke, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, & Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

We've been getting a number of awesome kid's movies out on DVD & BluRay this summer and I barely have time to write them up but out of total gratitude to 20th Fox Entertainment {THANK YOU!} & BenderHelper Impact, I need to mention them at least briefly. Fortunately, between my two daughters watching them, I have ratings and impressions from true members of the audience.

Marmaduke:

IMDB Summary: Marmaduke, the world's most lovable Great Dane, leaps from comic strip fame (appearing in 600 newspapers in over 20 countries) to big screen stardom in this family comedy event. A suburban family moves to a new neighborhood in Orange County, California with their large yet lovable Great Dane, who has a tendency to wreak havoc in his own oblivious way. But its not all living large for the Duke, who finds that fitting in with his new four-legged friends - and a potential romantic interest - isn't always easy for a super-sized teenage dog. Owen Wilson gives the beloved Great Dane his voice in the film, which also features the voices of Fergie, George Lopez, Emma Stone and Kiefer Sutherland.

Fact about Great Danes: They won't eat you out of house and home. A full-grown Great Dane will only eat about 2-3 cups of dry dog food in a meal. Try to avoid feeding them too much protein which can cause damage to bones and joints.

Our Ratings & Impressions: 9 out of 10.

12-yr-old daughter says: "It's a really good family movie. It's really cute and it teaches you a lesson. Marmaduke is a dog that stands out in a crowd and learns that it is not such a bad thing."

13-yr-old daughter says: "Didn't see it. Will update after I watch it 'cause I definitely want to see it."

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief:

IMDB Summary: It's the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters have walked out of the pages of high school student Percy Jackson's Greek mythology texts and into his life. And they're not happy: Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Even more troubling is the sudden disappearance of Percy's mother. As Percy finds himself caught between angry and battling gods, he and his friends embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief, save Percy's mom, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves. Written by 20th Century Fox

Our Rating & Impressions: 10 out of 10

12-yr-old daughter says: "Wonderful, action packed adventure. It would be cool if it were real."

13-yr-old daughters says: "I would rate it an 8 because I read the books and it is not really close to the book which always annoys me. The graphics were good, if my memory serves me correctly. Actors did a good job."

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

IMDB Summary: To Greg Heffley, middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. It's a place rigged with hundreds of social landmines, not the least of which are morons, wedgies, swirlies, bullies, lunchtime banishment to the cafeteria floor - and a festering piece of cheese with nuclear cooties. To survive the never-ending ordeal and attain the recognition and status he feels he so richly deserves, Greg devises an endless series of can't-miss schemes, all of which, of course, go awry. And he's getting it all down on paper, via a diary - "it's NOT a diary, it's a journal!" Greg insists, preferring the less-sissyfied designation - filled with his opinions, thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would-be) schoolyard triumphs. "One day when I'm famous," writes Greg, "I'll have better things to do than answer peoples' stupid questions all day." So was born the Wimpy Kid's diary. Written by Twentieth Century Fox

Our Ratings & Impressions: 8 out of 10

12-yr-old daughter says: "It's cute and hilarious. It's about two friends at the  bottom of the "list" who realize that having one good friend is better than being popular."

13-yr-old daughters says: "I'm not watching that."

 

Now, off to see the last movie we were sent on DVD lately: Date Night.(Comedy, PG-13 -- but the kids are still going to bed before we turn it on - just in case. . . .) Impressions and Ratings to come (but I love Tina Fey and Steve Carrell). It's gotta be good.

Back to serious school days

We had such a fun summer but today marked the beginning of a new school year. We couldn't avoid it no matter how hard we tried. The girls were suited up in their uniform navy polos tucked into tan pants with sun-kissed noses from our last minute trip to the beach over the weekend.

Donning their new Converse shoes, they were ready to face middle school {until they heard the new rule about no purses in class or sunglasses as "headgear")! The girls are not happy and honestly, neither am I (about the purse rule) since girls just need some STUFF sometimes. Oh well, I guess it is not a mountain to die on.

BUT. . . I can't forget summer JUST yet! There's so much I didn't have time to blog or talk about. It was a pretty awesome summer. After travels south and travels to our campground, we all pitched in to help Laura paint her room SHREK LIME GREEN for her birthday!

It was definitely a party we won't forget!

At which, Laura got her new bean bag chair (lime green, of course.)

And here are our helpers -- covered in LIME GREEN paint (-- are we sensing a theme here?).

But, we aren't done yet which is why I can't post the final picture yet. Brian is still working on trim and the ceiling which is polka dotted lime green from errant rollers and amateurs at work. Half of Laura's room is out in the hallway and I am going nuts from the chaos but it will come together soon enough. Patience . . . patience. You have to wait if you don't want to do it yourself!

What I did do myself was to organize our incredibly cluttered walk-in closet:

FROM:

TO:

(I didn't make the pictures full-size lest anyone see that I still have much I need to toss but couldn't part with yet!)

Ahh, it feels good to clean out and toss! Now, for my office. Eeeeekkk!

 

Frozen cheesesteaks? In Philly, seriously?

Believe it or not, Tony Luke's has come out with an easy, breezy frozen line of pork, chicken and steak sandwiches that give you that quick boost of protein with the classic Philly taste. {They come "wid-out" peppers-- but you can certainly add your own.}

I am giving my official endorsement and saying, I think they are good! And, I am not being paid to say this! I did get three free boxes of each kind to try them out and I did have the incredible opportunity to be in Tony Luke's movie, The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone, as a nurse which was so very cool, but that is NOT why I like these sandwiches or why I am doing this review.

I like them because they are easy to heat and eat AND you can eat them without the bun if you are saving the calories AND they give you that quick burst of protein that every diet raves about nowadays saying that it is necessary to help you feel satisfied longer and be less hungry later in the evening. I like the portion size too. I am reading "Toxic Fat" by Dr. Sears right now. And, I honestly think that these sandwiches make a great balance between protein and carbs. I might like to see a whole wheat bun down the road (if you even eat the bun) but that's my preference.

I found that, as every microwave is different, I did have to reheat the bun an extra 10 seconds to get it as soft as I would like. On one sandwich, I had to reheat the meat too but I probably didn't let it sit the extra minute or two once it stopped heating to let the heat permeate in the bag.

I have started cooking more of my meals from scratch but for a quick and easy sandwich with the authentic Philly taste (and I've ordered a cheesesteak in the south - uggg! blech!), I think it works! Click here to read more and to see where they are sold.

Back-To-School #withpurpose drop off today!

Last week we shopped for school supplies and this week we dropped of a bag of donated supplies to Mom's House in Phoenixville. They provide free daycare for single, low-income parents attending school full time. My friend has volunteered there for awhile but today I enjoyed seeing the facilities and learning more about their program and their needs!

I added slides to my whrrl post which is embedded in THIS past post but here is a picture I took today:

Again, a special thanks to DaySpring and Collective Bias who made this donation possible with a gift certificate for me to spend at Wal-Mart, buying one school bag full of supplies to keep and one to give away! Thank you for the opportunity!!

 

AND, here's the link to article I just posted over at DIYFrugal which will be in the Phoenix this weekend about the whole thing!

Movie Review: Letters from God

Over our campground holiday, we managed to fit in a lovely movie that was sent to me called Letters to God.

The synopsis reads:

Tyler Doherty is an extraordinary eight-year-old boy armed with strong faith and courage as he faces his daily battle against cancer.  Surrounded by a loving family and community, Tyler’s prayers take the form of letters he sends to his ultimate pen pal, God, on a daily basis.  These letters find their way into the hands of Tyler’s postman, Brady, who is at a crossroads in his life searching for meaning. Brady at first is confused over what to do, but his decision ultimately is a testament to the power of Tyler’s shining spirit, bravery and grace. Inspired by a true story, Letters to God delivers a message of hope, faith and courage that others can apply to their own personal struggles regardless of what they may face in their everyday lives.

See the trailer below before reading our impressions:

Impressions: Movie was filmed well with excellent actors. I was a little unsure of the audience - children or grown-ups or both? Of course, I loved the message and the positive ending resulting from a tragic circumstance. I believe that God works amazing miracles through tragedy so I was blessed to watch this story in film. I do think there is definitely a place for evangelical films showing the hand of God in our lives and I think this reaches people of many different backgrounds, but I was also unsure if it was something I would be more likely to watch in a church and invite friends to it there than in the movie theater.

It definitely got some rave reviews on Yahoo Movies!

Zee Brain iz on Overload.

Two days out of four and I am full to overflowing. Imagine if I had gone all four days. You'd be picking me up off the sidewalk outside the conference center.

Blown away. Absolutely blown away. The Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference was such an incredible experience, I am speechless. (Temporary condition, I assure you.)

I talked to authors. I talked to editors. I talked to traditional publishers and self-publishers. A few of them tried to figure out the convoluted seeds of fiction whirling around in my head. I KNOW. Can you believe it? Such patient souls. And, some of them actually seemed to like where I was headed with my epic plans for several multi-series fiction pieces and a couple of non-fiction articles. As I described my thoughts, they helped me make sense of it all and finetune and hone in. It was a beautiful process. At least it was for me. Now, I have to focus - do the hard stuff - butt to chair writing. The real deal.

Of course, then, there's life. Like hurrying out of a great conversation with editor Jesse Florea of Clubhouse magazine, my last of the day, to get home and help my kids set up tents for a sleepover. Life. And there's the trashcans on the curb my husband had to have driven by and never picked up that I saw as I pulled into the drive and the dog poo in my front dining room b/c the kids didn't walk the dog during the day while I was gone. Life.

And then, there's that nagging self-conscious thought: How in the world can I honestly believe I'll write any of these ideas into full books or publishable articles? ME? God, are you sure you are calling ME? And yet, after a week like this after meeting down-to-earth people doing what they love - doing what you want to do, a stronger more powerful voice says - YES I CAN. I can and I will. This is going to happen.

Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Amen.

(And of course, running into Pat Moyer, the speaker at my last prayer retreat and mom of a wonderful woman, Karin, in our church and seeing Kelly of Awesome God Ordinary Girl were extra bonuses for the week! Not to mention getting to know the precious Marti Pieper, Kathi Macias and more!)

God. It's Me, Sarah.

It's one of those days - you know - like WHY AM I AWAKE already? It's going to be a long day and I need sleep but for some reason I am awake. It started at 5:15 AM when my dog started whimpering to go out and then my throat got dry and I started to cough. Okay, out of bed.

It's now close to 6 am and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet. My eyes are closing and yet I can't sleep. And, I have to sit in a day of conference seminars today. Not a good one to start off tired.

But, today is EXCITING. Maybe that's why I'm awake. Maybe God wants me to pray for the conference organizers, the attendees, the book editors and publishers and speakers coming to the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference today. We could all certainly use it.

Yes, I am thrilled to go to my second ever OFFICIAL writer's conference but I am even MORE excited to be sharing it with my teen daughter who I found out yesterday qualified for the teen workshop. We went and helped set up the book tables - TONS of books on writing. {I want one of each.} I decided not to attend the beginning session last night since Brian was out but we are going today for the opening session and staying through the final speaker tonight before heading home. Tomorrow I am just going from breakfast to dinner and skipping Saturday altogether. There is only so much you can do as a mom, wife, etc. etc.

The continuing session track had so many interesting options. I hope I picked the right one. I picked "turning your book into film." A bit premature since I haven't even written the book yet but I thought it sounded cool. Maybe someone else will need their book turned into a film.

{Ahhhhh - just felt the whoosh of the coffee kicking in. Might start typing in run-on sentences now .  . .

The sun is coming up and light illuminates the green field behind our house that is getting overgrown again. Time for Brian to pull out the new lawn tractor.}

I should be typing up potential storylines to share with editors today but I hear it is okay to just come and start conversations that continue in years to come. I don't need to have a manuscript in hand (though I wish I did.) I want to know what they need and want and go from there. Lots of note-taking today and tomorrow.

I am grateful more than ever on this early morning that God knows every step of my path today. He knows who I need to meet. He knows who needs to meet me. He is in control and I rest assure that this is right, this is good. I have writing I need to be here doing {even today as my husband reminds me that I can't keep up with the projects I have already} but today is about making contacts, networking and getting my face (and my daughter's) out there in the writing world. I found out yesterday that my 13-yr-old could come for the lunch and afternoon writing session for teens. She is excited and I am sooooo pleased to have her joining me. Today should be a good mom-daughter day and an enriching day for us both.

{Did I mention I was up until mid-night researching and writing on booster seats for Cheapism.com and writing on cheap college text books for my frugal column in the Phoenix? And, why am I awake again? Oh, that right - to pray and share with you the awesome journey of two budding writers -- one 13 and one 42 -- going to a real live writer's conference today!!!}