Nooooo, silly, not my post. I mean folks who don't read—in general. I have always (for as long as I can remember) been a reader. My mother was a reader, had a book close at hand whenever I saw her (until her vision went to pot and she got too crazy cheap to correct it--now she reads online so she can tweak the font size). My dad was a reader—though typically almanacs and the likes—ask him something, anything, trivial he knows the answers. I had a library card from the age six on, but I know folks who don't read. It boggles the mind.

Luckily, my kids read. Every last one of them. Now their tastes are as varied as their looks--you'll have to trust me on this, they all look nothing alike, but 3 look like the dh and one like me... Anyhoo, I digress... I have run across people who just don't read. Their excuses range from "nothing interests me" to "I don't have time". The time issue, I can almost buy--but I make time. The nothing interests, c'mon, with the bajillion books out there, there's bound to be something you fancy! Worse, I have heard I live my life, I don't need to read about others--could you get more pompous? (those folks, I shrug and/or click my tongue, what can you say to that?!?)

I am usually at a loss when I come across a non-reader. I will try loaning ('cause as a book-hoarder I gotta have it back) any of my non-keepershelf books. I will suggest any number of authors or places they can look to find what interests them.

But still they balk.

It seems so... I don't know dull not t0 read. I like the escape. I like loosing myself in another time/place/world. It really makes me a better me. When I am not reading (like the last few months) it takes a toll on me. I feel sluggish and something is just off--don't know how else to describe it.

Have you run across this non-reading bread? Do you try to convert them (and did it work?) or do you just let it go? And slightly on, but slightly off topic, have you found a new author recently you adore and/or are surprised by? I am always looking for something to read :-)

This is Thanksgiving week—honestly, I can't believe the school year has flown by so quickly (And yes, I do count things by kids: before after the birth of this kid or that and now the school year). It seems like maybe a week since I was reluctantly giving them school supplies to take with them on the first day—it is so hard to part with that many pens and pencils at once. I have a problem. But, I work through it.

I am a little late with my post today after having a tryptophan overload. But wait, turkey day's not for 3 more days, you say. In our house, for just the six of us, I do a spread the weekend before. This year it fell on Monday since #1 child was working on the play at school and that went all weekend long. So Monday it was. And lest you think it's no small affair let me run down the menu:

• 
  13 pound turkey
  
  green bean casserole
  
  mashed potatoes (5 pounds--what was I thinking?!?!)
  
  mashed sweet potatoes (with Marshmallows)
  
  stuffing (Stove Top—only kind the kids will eat *shrugs*)
  
  home-made cranberry sauce with oranges
  
  straight out of the can jellied cranberry sauce
  
  Jello with oranges and marshmallows—kids still love that
  
  Ham for the non-turkey eaters
  
  gravy—so I cheat on it & get canned, can't make it to save my life
  
  rolls
  
  for dessert: pumpkin pie cheesecake (made with Bisquick, turned out great) and store bought Apple pie.
  

My oven went from ten in the morning (well really from 8, I made scones for breakfast—again Bisquick—it's a wonder) until 8 that night. It might sound like a huge undertaking but truth be told it's only once a year I do this so it's not that much. Last night, I told the dh I like to do it just to see if I can pull it off. Knockwood five (maybe six, can't even remember anymore) years running and it's still a-go. It started when his mom made manicotti one year for Thanksgiving. He complained FORever and a tradition in our house was born! (The in-laws are Thursday for some more family tradition)


I am thankful that day is over though. And for so many things—the health and well-being of my kids and dh, as well as the rest of the fam. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for the ability to write even when it doesn't come easy and I curse it. I am thankful that I will never, ever, ever run out of books to read (Hey, I read two last week--it's been 8 months since I read anything). I am thankful to be ... me.

My October challenge came and went. I did complete the challenge—ended up with 15,700 words, not too shabby for someone who hadn't written much the months prior—but I did not win, as I suspected would be the case (S.O. ... I'm watching you, you know who you are ... LOL). However, I did finish up a first draft of a book and to me that's a huge accomplishment. Now it's time for the dreaded edits... I so don't like the dreaded edits. It makes me feel whiny and gripy when I have to do edits--sure, I can be that way anyway, but it's worse.

I am walking around the house grumbling about this and that. Kids are avoiding me. The dh won't make eye contact... yeah PMS aint got nothing on edit-hell.
The thing about edit-griping, anything can fall into it. For instance, buttons on the back pocket of jeans. Do you know how many I have knocked off--I have this inner ear/balance/clumsy thing going for me. And it's always the one off the right cheek... dunno. My arse doens't need bling.

Never get me started on driving my kids to school. People lose all their senses dropping off a kid in front of a school—stopping in the middle of a lane to let your umpteen kids unpile from the car while you essentially block two whole lanes... if middle fingers were lasers the driver would be bald and missing an ear or two. S'all I'm saying.

If my dog scares you when she barks at you at the front door, stop ringing my doorbell.

Never wear a watch (for like 17 years) 'cause you're always zapping/breaking them? Don't go buy one 'cause you keep looking at your wrist *...shakes head...*. In that case, I keep looking at my finger, I need a new ring. For that matter, my neck is a little under adorned and my ears are screaming for bigger diamonds.
See... just gripy!

Now, back to the edit cave to wrap up the book and make all the cursing and evil-eyeing worth something. Please feel free to share any gripe as of late, vent a little. Or if you feel the need to gloat about something, by all means do, I am always ready to hear good news!

So it finally got cold here in Fort Worth. Last week—and it lasted about a week. Despite the green-'til-gone leaves and more sleet than snow in Texas, something about this time of year makes me want to hunker down. Home and hearth and all that. I want to bake and I do put decorations up (eventually--seems like it takes longer and longer every year to actually get to it). Something about the need to give the kiddos hot chocolate when they brave the cold in their ever so long (three blocks *maybe*) walk home from school. Something that makes me pull out the throws for all the sofas and shift the closet to get the heavier clothes up front. (Okay I don't really shift the clothes—however I do have a rack *just* for my cardigans).

It also makes me want to write homier stories--or rather, the homier portions of the books.

Maybe it's all the holidays circling and the threat notion of seeing so many family members... I like stories (writing and reading) with lots of characters. Sometimes the ones on the periphery are more fun to write. You can let them do anything, say anything and they have less to lose as they are the main H/H. I like writing about the interactions between all the folks—it reminds me of the Christmas' at my Grandparents when the entire family would stay in their little 4 room home in west Texas. (before my dh & kiddoes and the likes it was 16 peeps/after is was in upwards of 30...) So many stories shared, so much laughter.

And maybe that's it too. With the familiar stories to go around, it sparks a different level of creativity as you remember fondly your own happenings and you want to recreate that feeling.

I like watching the CSI reruns on Spike TV, that’s actually where I first started watching the show—during one of the marathon weekends. So every day, I flip it over to Spike and do what I need to do—dishes, laundry etc with it on in the background. Well, yesterday I sat glued to the TV. And cried. It was the episode where Warrick Brown died and they had to solve his homicide. It’s two years old and I’ve seen it 4 or 5 times. *Every* time, it makes me cry. There’s something so… just… it breaks my heart a little each time (the pain on Grissom’s face, then Catherine…).

Could be too the investment into a show, you feel for the characters.

Same goes for the Rascal Flatts song “SKIN” (Sarabeth). I get all weepy each time I hear it; those are emotional tears, but in a diff direction, the touching tears. Maybe it’s the momma in me that thinks what it would be like, or the romantic at a first love so strong that he’d shave his head…

As a kid, Benji was my downfall—when his little cohort gets kicked across the room… I was so traumatized for years.

There are book scenes too, something about it/them, a scene stands out so much I can see it as vividly now as I did six years ago when I first read it (I know the author and title, but can’t find my book—woe is me for rearranging my office—but w/o it, I don’t want to post the info ‘cause I can’t verify it). The imagery evokes a powerful reaction.

What is it about scenes or songs that trigger an emotion so strongly? Do you think it hits everyone to some degree or is it something that has to touch “you” personally? (I have a dh who {like his own momma} tears up as much as I do so I may have a warped sense of peoples levels of it).

What gets to you? And will you avoid seeing something if you’re not in the mood for it? (For example—will never read/watch “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” or “Sophie’s Choice”. I have nothing against either, but I know they’re tearjerkers so won’t do it.)

and... P.S. ... So for the October writing challenge I told y'all about—I didn't win (didn't think I would) but I *did* finish. You were supposed to get 15,500—I ended up with 15,737. And in doing so, finished a book... WOOT. Now major edits!