Nanowrimo winner tonight!

Yes, it's true. I produced 50,000 actual words that make up a story/novel beginning - with flashbacks, two alternate story lines and two fascinating women characters in the lead "roles."
My gosh, I'm proud of myself, aren't I?
I did it with the help of a wonderful man, who cooks, cleans and shops. Now we know one of the secrets behind successful Nanowrimo winners.
Next year? Sure, why not?

Here's a video that several family members had fun producing.
It took a lot of work, giggling, sweat and plain goofiness to refine
the finished product, but I think you'll agree it was worth it.
The perfect finish to a 9 year old's birthday.

Nanowrimo - almost there!

Hello there. Just wanted to let you know that two of the most wonderful things have happened.

No. 1: As you can tell by this photo I'm including I have been spending an inordinate amount of time on my laptop working on Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) and I am almost up to my 50,000 words -- even though I started late!!! You can still search for "femminismo" under authors at the nanowrimo.org Web site and read my crazy excerpt.
No. 2: I am going to take a workshop with my heroine, Judy Wise, this weekend! I know!! I can't believe it either!! I can't stop using exclamation marks and I feel like crying and laughing at the same time. A whole day workshop making art journals - I can't wait. (!!!!!)
I am one happy person tonight. Happy, happy, happy! I hope you are too. Not just for me, but I hope you find something in your life soon that enriches you, revitalizes you and makes you revel in the fact that life can change for the better in a split second - or even in 30 days ... and you can wait that long. Look at me with the 50,000 new words toward a novel that I now possess. Makes you feel like you could do anything! Cheers! Femminismo.

Family and the Tea Bag Lady

Last night we spent the evening with family celebrating the 9th birthday of a very special little girl, Cassandra, our granddaughter.
On Nov. 5, it was also the birthday of my own special girl, Ruth. I did a really quick watercolor of her in my art journal with watercolor pencil on very thick watercolor paper. It probably deserved a better artist, but even though the picture isn't an exact reproduction of Ruth, I was pretty happy with it.

The other photo is my rendition of a "tea bag" lady suggested by Judy Wise on her blog. (You take a used tea bag, dry it, carefully unfold it, empty the contents and draw something on it. Judy used shellac on hers, but I don't have any. I'll have to wait for the right medium to appear. Or maybe leave it like this.
Gotta' go! femminismo

FirstGiving

Donate to FirstGiving, and Nanowrimo's Office of Light and Words will help promote writing in the classroom. For everyone who donates, I'll be eternally grateful. From the halo over my head on my Nanowrimo page, you can tell I've already donated.
Donate and keep me writing. Make me feel compelled to keep going because you've stepped up and put money down. That should keep me busy working.
Make a donation and I will write your name into my story and post an excerpt on my page. You might be surprised what "your" character ends up doing! (Nothing too naughty, I promise.) I'll let you know when your name appears.
Thanks for listening. Halfway through November and I'm only at 13,000 words. Keep those donations coming!
femminismo

Nanowrimo

Here it is: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/107496
Copy and paste it into your browser and find me at Nanowrimo.org. I am working like mad on my story "Asking Eleanor."
There is an excerpt posted now, and it doesn't make me gag too badly. I think I am remembering slowly but surely how to write without stopping and still make a bit of sense.
I am thinking of reasons why my character might be having a difficult time right now in her life (first person novel) and what might have happened in the past.
Cheer me on. Tell me to sit down and type/write/scribble.
I will try my hardest not to let myself down. You can also search under "Authors" (gosh, that sounds good) at the Web site and find me by typing in femminismo and then click on "search."

Is it time for a new post or what?

Cannot believe how quickly November began and started rolling.
The art event I helped with is now over and (almost) done. Just a committee report and totaling up expenses and, hopefully, profits.
Now it's off to the writing races. I am down in my word count for Nanowrimo - unbelievably down. Tonight I have 3,666 words and I've got to add more than 2,500 each night or I'm sunk. I won't achieve the 50,000 total words needed. Put on the coffee pot, mama, I'm staying up tonight!
So now you'll know why I've been so slow to post. But just in case you think I've been laying around gathering moss, I have some new photos to post also. I hope you enjoy them. Kelli Perkins, the lovely "scrap crow doll" maker - f November/December, personally gave me the go-ahead to make the crows, seatured in Cloth Paper Scissors forell them, promote them, etc. She sounds wonderful and has a great blog. Just check her out.
Ciao! (And the new photo to the left, top, asks the question: What do you desire?

Make the Paper Day

Thursday we make Friday's paper. Here is my lunch, my proofreader's pen and the copy. Busy, busy day. After work, I rushed home to sew another "scrap crow" together. I am getting more organized at turning them out. After that I was off to Valley Art to clean and decorate the front windows for our Annual Artist Event coming soon on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Cannot wait until that evening is over!
Enjoy the new pictures. And here's my Nanowrimo link. See if it works for you.