Monday, December 19, 2011

Writing Dawn til Dusk


Yesterday morning I woke up with an idea for an Oma book. I sat down immediately and started writing the story. Six hours later I realized I was still in my nightgown and probably hadn't even eaten. I love it when I'm inspired. This came together like it had been hovering around my mind waiting for me to invite it in.

It's an autobiographical kids book about saying bad things to people you love. I got it written in about six hours (it's twenty pages long, kid's style) so then I started illustrating it with photos—finding them, tweaking the exposure, scanning, changing them to black and white,cropping them just right, laying them out on the pages. That took from 3:pm this afternoon to right now (2:am) and I have to say I'm pleased. I used photos of our grandkids to illustrate it, plus photos of me and my siblings and parents back in the day when I was at my bratty peak.

This will be an expose' of my own bad behavior and encouragement to improve our own—their own—it will apply to anyone who has trouble thinking over everything they say before they say everything they think.

I'm excited about it! I hope my little grands will learn from my experience and never say a naughty, mean, rude thing all their lives. I'm sending the PDF to the printer in the morning and hopefully I'll have a cute little Oma book to give for Christmas. I'll show it off to you sometime this week!

Tomorrow it's Christmas card design, print, address and mail, plus design and send my scrapbook page for my kids, for our round-robin exchange. I'm psyched to be getting it done, but I'm freaked because I only have a few more days! It's all fun stuff though, so it feels like a party all day long every day. And now, although I've never been drunk in my life, I feel totally drunk on words and I feel spacey and I need to go to bed! Or you'll really see my writing skills go wild—when my ambien kicks in I'm out of control.

Merry Christmas week and I hope you finish all your projects and still have time to sit down by the tree and just look at it and remember important, touching Christmases past.

Do you have time to comment on what your big plans are?
I'm anxious to hear!!!






5 comments:

  1. I have a long list of to do things that have come from you. Not before Christmas of course. I want to do a Nativity kit for my kids, some Oma activity kits, I love your books you do like the one you write about here.

    But this week I'm spending a couple days with my sister who is here. I have about 3 things to buy, then I'm done. We'll do a big musical night with my husbands family tonight - a favorite Christmas activity. After that, relax and enjoy, and hopefully get some good reading in.

    Now that's probably more information than you needed! Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  2. Now that we are back in a house - cozy as it is, we will be in full entertaining mode this weekend.

    Christmas Eve, we have a formal dinner with family, grandkids and a couple of extras. Our two unmarried kids will sleep over that night.

    Christmas morning brunch will be followed by 11 AM church. Everyone will gather back at our place for Christmas night which means more food. This meal is casual - buffet style with paper plates.

    I have everything purchased and wrapped except stocking stuff and the food for the weekend.

    I didn't forget to include to "me" time this week. I have a pampering day scheduled on Wednesday - nails, pedicure and haircut.

    Just think - this time next week, it will all be over.

    MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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  3. This has been the second busiest Christmas I can remember. I've been deeply involved in a project with the local school over the last 12 weeks or so. It will continue at the same pace until the middle of January.

    This year I bought myself a 4 foot pre-lit tree. It had been naked for the last two weeks, and I had come to the conclusion that was how it would remain. Until last night. While I was busy in another room, the grandkids decorated it. In the eyes of this beholder, it is beautiful. Maybe a bit skiwonky, but beautiful.

    Tonight we will be doing the Oma version of the Nativity.

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  4. Ooh, this book sounds fun!

    Right now, I'm studying to get my Bachelor of Education. I'm completing my internship at an elementary school and this is my last week. It is going to be SO hard to say goodbye to my kindergarteners.

    I'm getting excited, too, because my mom and brother are coming to spend Christmas at my house this weekend!

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  5. Can't wait to see and hear more about Oma's latest! I mailed my cards early this year. The next few days will be finishing the wrapping, cleaning the house, paying the bills and then cooking on Christmas Eve for the crowd that will descend on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!

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