after indulging is ALL THE YUMMY THINGS yesterday, we’re all probably in need of some ways to burn off calories. laughing’s my favorite way and thus i present to you:
part 1
part 2
Author: abby mumford
like sands through the hourglass…
we’ve all been there WAITING for the phone to ring, for the job offer, for the sun to shine, for the letter of acceptance, for the light to change, for the plane to take off, for the time to speak up, for dinner to be ready, for the doorbell to ring, for the words to develop, for the text to buzz through, for the medicine to kick in, for him to make his move, for sleep to come, for the email to show up, for the company to arrive, for the time to be right, for the shadows to dissipate, for the traffic to clear, for the whistle to blow, for the other shoe to drop.
the question is, what do you do while waiting? how do you keep yourself busy when all you want to do is watch the pot boil? how do you deal with the lack of control over events that could shape for your life? how do you keep your mind on track when all it wants to do is daydream? how do you keep up the momentum when you must wait for other words to marinate?
how do YOU wait patiently?
writing in the kitchen
i’ve always heard that in order to be a complete athlete, you need to cross-train: ballet will help the football players’ footwork, yoga will improve the lacrosse players’ flexibility, swimming will increase the runners’ lung capacity, and so on and so forth and yet armed with that knowledge, i was surprised to find spending time in the kitchen benefited my writing skills.
let me clarify i was NOT the one cooking. adriana was and then my friend L’s hubby was which is why (a) the food tasted so good and (b) i was able to spectate and speculate.
watching adriana chop and saute and measure and stir and season a vast variety of raw ingredients which then turned into one of the most delicious stews i’ve ever eaten was a lesson in word play. as a writer, it’s my job to mix and whip and shape and pound and sift the words to combine them into the best image you’ve never thought of.
watching my friend L’s hubby present us with a chicken cacciatore dish served over polenta was a lesson in trial and error. that entree is usually served with pasta, but the thin sauce doesn’t work so well with the pasta he’d found out. he decided to try to pouring it over polenta, and what a good decision that was! the flavors and textures melded together and formed a plate of awesome. as a writer, i may think description is best right there when in fact, it’s a bit thin and if i was to use dialogue instead, the characters would mingle and clash and play off each other turning the scene into a page of awesome. it’s important to keep trying new scenes and perspectives and words because just like my taste buds, my brain will know when it’s a page of awesome.
now if only i could flip this lesson on its head and use my time in front of word document to turn myself into a master chef.
BOOK HUNGRY: heat wave
who says you have to be crowded into the living room, kitchen, and/or dining room to hold a book club? we are ladies of the 21st century. we don’t need no stinkin’ couches. so pull up a blog and join in the conversation.
the members of the BOOK HUNGRY are (alphabetically): patty blount, kelly breakey, karla nellenbach, vanessa noble, alyson peterson, cynthia reese, elizabeth ryann, and myself. here’s the deal. we pick a book to read. we discuss via email. we post a review on our individual blogs on the same day (3rd thursday of the month). we link to each other. done. i know, genius. click on each one of their names (above) and it’ll take you to their review. browse. enjoy.
this month’s BOOK HUNGRY selection is:
HEAT WAVE by Richard Castle
what it’s about from amazon: A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.
Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City’s top homicide squads. She’s hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York’s Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren’t her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them.
my opinion: first things first. there’s this ABC tv series called CASTLE. in it, there’s the detective kate beckett and the writer richard castle. castle has friends in high places and has been granted access to tag along with beckett so he can get firsthand research experience for his next book series which is based on a female police detective. you follow?
which means the author of this book, richard castle, is a fictional character from a television show.
essentially, this whole book is an elaborate inside joke.
fortunately, i was in on the joke, as i’ve watched more episodes of CASTLE than not, but again, as patty said (in our monthly conversation about the book), this is basically one big marketing ploy. i’m okay with that, but it’s important to keep in mind when reading this book.
it’s fun, fast read, but in this case, i’d rather just watch nathan fillion on screen on monday nights.
p.s. i love that kelly picked a book she’d never read as her choice. i don’t have the cojones to do that because for me, i need to know what i’m recommending, which means i have to have read it first, which means: join us next month as we tackle my pick LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by susan beth pfeffner.
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conversations with strangers #14
talk to strangers? yes, indeed.
i was checking my mailbox when a neighbor walked into the apartment lobby. (this is a rare occasion because even though i have a very normal working schedule, it appears none of my neighbors do. i’ve probably run into two people the entire six months i’ve been here.) my initial reaction was to keep to myself and not bug her with any questions, but then my blog popped into my mind. i’ve been conversing with strangers (okay, fine, so what if they’re usually service people and they have to talk to me) for months now, this is it! time to take the training wheels off!
me: hi, have you lived here long? (*thinks to self* “hmm, slightly creepy opening. remedy it quick.”)
me again: i’m abby. i’ve been here since may.
her: *smiles* i’m [name redacted to protect the innocent]. i moved here in september.
me: i’m apartment [redacted].
her: i’m number [redacted].
me: oh, we must share a wall or something.
her: i bet we do. you’re very quiet. i never hear anything.
me: let me know if you do!
her: likewise.
the rest of the conversation revolved around our landlord, his response time when dealing with issues, and the things we did/didn’t like about our new places. i highly doubt my landlord or neighbor would ever read this, but just in case, it’s probably in my best interest to keep things vague.
and the real point here is that i did it!!! i initiated a conversation with a true stranger and the world didn’t end. nothing bad happened. in fact, good things came out of it. i met my neighbor. she was very nice.
and now the apartment building feels a teensy tiny wee bit more like home.
Abigail Mumford 