[CRAFTS] A Very Fishy Halloween

A while back I told some friends with a fishy last name that they should have a baby so I could make a tiny salmon costume. When they announced a little bundle of joy arriving at the end of September, the gears started whirring faster than the speed of sound. I let my overactive imagination roll for quite a few months. During that time, I picked up a onesie and some pants (to ensure a better chance of the costume fitting appropriately) and recalled some super shimmery fabric in my private stash that would prove perfect for creating a fin and a hat with huge fish eyes.

I wanted to present the costume in a unique way, so I lured an innocent koala to my home. I offered her some cough drops, the only eucalyptus in my house, to bribe her to suit up. I also reassured her that she would go to a good home where she would be loved and adored by a sweet baby fish. She may have been high on the eucalyptus because she agreed to hop into the bag for a photo shoot. Of course, one of the other guests at the baby shower didn't understand that Kayla the Koala was just being a model for the costume. She thought maybe my friends and I loved some obscure show with a koala-fish in it. I think I may just have to write that one. Should I? Would you watch it? Would you read a story about such a creature on this very blog? (So many questions.)

If you are impressed by the photos and suddenly want me to help you become something other than yourself for Halloween, that can be arranged for the cost of materials and a small fee for my genius and potentially bleeding fingers. I'd talk to me quick because such an order would have to be in the works before the end of September. I like to have some time in case something needs tweaked or embellished.

Also, this cute stuffed animal was a special promotion to support a charity called Chapters of Hope. They seem to have sold out of adorable stuffed friends, but they have offered different animals around the holidays for the past couple of years, so don't give up hope.

Kayla's earring displays enthusiasm for marking your possessions with your name.

Kayla reinvents the concept of "four eyes".

[REVIEW] Ship of Theseus

Initially, I pulled this book from the shelf because it was shelved with books written by authors with last names starting with A, but the name on the spine read V. M. Straka.  I flipped through the pages and a pile of bonus features that had been tucked into a plastic pocket in the back of the book. Then, I put it down and started reading another book that I checked out at the same time...and another book...and another book....and another book. You get the idea.

I did a little research and found out that J.J. Abrams (sounds familiar) and Doug Dorst authored this novel. Those notes in the margins which horrified my book-loving heart are actually part of the book, giving the ADHD reader multiple plot lines to follow.

After reading all the way to the end, I feel like the book should have a guide for possible ways to read it. This may lead to SPOILERs, so you can stop reading now if you want (and pick up when the numbers stop but I fear spoilers live there as well):

1. I read each page as it came, including all the notes in the margin. If you want to try to read it chronologically, I suggest starting with the novel including the footnotes, then reading the black all capitals with blue cursive (first meetings on the page), then the orange and green (growing trust of the margin critiques), then the red and black (this seems to be after they meet in person), and black and black (they are sharing the same pen).
2. Since the book was borrowed from the library, I have no idea where the extra reading material which included some letters, many postcards, and a newspaper originally resided. I can't help but wonder if they were inserted in particular parts of the book. As I mentioned before, I read through them a while before I read the book. They made more sense after reading the book.
3. If I didn't have a huge backlog of books to be read, I would probably read through it again because I am sure I missed some nuances, but not the monkey. You can never miss the monkey. (See, I warned you about spoilers.)

My favorite plot clearly involves the monkey. A rough drawing of him even made its way into the margins. He adds a bit of whimsy at times and even creates some havoc along the way.

Of course, the main character of the novel is a mysterious man, who goes by "S" because he doesn't know anything about himself. As he pursues more knowledge about who he is, a mysterious woman appears time and again to haunt him. He continues to be torn by his desire to be reunited with her and a seemingly unrelated need to obey some unknown force or organization that sends him out on missions at each port. Even when it seems that he has escaped, some force always draws him back to the Ship of Theseus, which features a crew that offers him little comfort. In fact, due to a shared physical features, they probably just gave him nightmares.

Another struggle unfolds in the margins where two readers/scholars bond over the trials and tribulations faced by the mysterious "S", as well as other characters created by the equally mysterious Straka. Their own story takes a few thrilling twists and turns that they hint at in their margin conversations.

If my somewhat cryptic review has you asking questions, remember to look for this book under the name J. J. Abrams not V. M. Straka.

[CRAFT] 9 Square Quilts

When my mother passed away, she left a box full of colorful swatches of fabric. Consistently cut into rectangles, they represented most of the hues of the color family. I decided to cut them down into four inch squares and sew them into a couple of quilts for my niece and nephew to snuggle under when they visit me. At first, I thought I'd whip them out swiftly with the help of my sewing machine, but my  inability to practice patience while sewing stretchy fabrics led me to sew them all by hand. Almost two years later, my hard work finally yielded three quilts for all the snuggling needs of myself and my sweet little niece and nephew.

The first quilt is a lovely mix of blues and greens. I accented with some blue fabric featuring silver moons and stars that my mother had in her stash. I tied it with green string to hold all the layers together. This is the final product:

I didn't have quite enough pink and purple, so I added some blue to the mix. Of course, I used pink thread to mesh the layers together. Take a look:

The final quilt blends the leftover squares to the best of my ability. To ensure the right size, I added some accents from one of the many jelly rolls I keep lying around in case I have a desperate need for more fabric and some long strips of white to bring it all together. I believe it turned out well.

Now all I need is a familial visit to assure my labor of love can be appreciated by the intended receivers.

[RANTINGS] Private Pain

I've been struggling with this post for a number of months now. I'm never quite sure I have used the right words, but I decided to put it out there for the world to see and critique. Feel free to let me know if I need to clarify. My thoughts jump around too much for me to trust that I have said everything I meant to say.

Some mornings, I scroll through the posts my friends have left on social networking sites and cringe. They spill out their most private and personal pain for everyone to see. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with sadness for them and sometimes I am weary from reading posts like this from the same people every day. I know many people just seek friends to lend the courage to keep going when life kicks them in the teeth. Friends can then offer anything from physical assistance to words of comfort or reassurance. Not everyone is brave or open enough to reveal their private lives to so many eyes, but that doesn't negate their pain or their trials.

Sadly, some of my friends break down at every small trial that they face. They require so much attention that they tell everyone about hangnails, breakups, and other personal disasters with so much regularity that I've become immune to their woes. Maybe I don't understand because I  ride the opposite end of the spectrum. I tend not to share much of what happens in my world. From new cars to rejection letters, I question how interested people are in my daily activities. And for those pains that may hit more deeply, deep enough to break my heart, I hold those even closer. I don't need a dozen people trying to make my pain about them in some way or telling me to just get over it because it happens to everyone. I'd rather share my joys than my sadness, but that doesn't mean I don't understand private pain.

People receive rejection letters, get waylaid by heartbreak, catch the flu, lose loved ones, and suffer more critical medical emergencies every day. I don't want a play by play of someone else's stomach flu, complete with details of what came out when they coughed. I do appreciate updates if their condition improves or worsens, but sometimes I feel like the extremely detailed accounts are meant to inspire me to throw money or service at their problems. If you need help, please ask. We should be brave enough to ask people outright if we want someone to  check on us, remind us that we are loved, bring us a meal, or help in some other way. Too often, people inundate us with details that leave their friends confused and then get mad when no one rushes to offer help.

I actually like to be left alone when I am sick. Whether I am trying to wrap my heart and head around a loss or revealing my stomach contents to the porcelain throne, I firmly believe the world doesn't need to be subjected to the unpleasantness that comes with my illnesses. I appreciate friends that love me and worry about me, but making the trek from the bed to the door doesn't make me feel better. I have also found that even when I give more information than a simple "I'm sick," people fail to pay attention to my outright statements of need. When I had a stomach flu that made eating solid foods, let alone keeping them down, impossible, three people brought me enough meals to feed a healthy person for a week. That food sat in my fridge for a week without me being able to force down a single bite. I appreciated the thought but felt bad about the wasted food.

In order to avoid awkward conversations when my mother passed, I made a blanket announcement on facebook. Despite informing people that I wouldn't be responding to phone calls, emails, and posts on social media, well-wishers inundated me with well-meaning lectures on my wall, phone calls that led to people being offended when I politely answered in case it was an emergency and then didn't bawl for them, and unnecessarily long comments on how they felt about my pain. I really didn't care for any of that. I may have been more receptive a week later, but at the time, I decided to ignore the uninvited guests to my private pity party. And, of course, some people haven't talked to me since I didn't validate their existence by thanking them for canned platitudes. (Am I terrible for not missing them?)

Lately, my mind turned toward the private pain of others. I keep my thoughts to myself because I know I can't say anything to make it better. I've also resisted the urge to just grab them and hug them until the pain goes away because that would be a super long, not to mention awkward.

So maybe some of the things I wish I could say to those friends will help someone else who stumbles upon this page:

1) You are not alone. Someone is here for you. If you are my friend, I am here for you. I may not always understand, and I will probably try to fix it with baked goods and bad jokes, but I am here for you and I love you. And even if I don't know you, you have your own Bella who loves you very much (and a Heavenly Father who loves you more than our human hearts can understand).

2) I know that people offer you lots of advice or tell you their story. They know you don't want advice. They know your story probably won't turn out exactly like theirs did. What you should hear when their story starts out something like, "In my experience..." or "When I was in a similar situation..." is "I love you. I don't completely understand everything you are going through, but I still wish I could help, even if it is just by wiping away those tears, so I am telling you how things turned out better than I thought  they would for me to offer you hope. Not to tell you that you are living your life wrong or making the wrong choices, but to let you know I love you and am here for you."

3) Please try to stop us before we make you angry or make you cry. I would sincerely hope that is never someone's intent when they bring up whatever subject brings such pain to your heart. Sometimes people just keep talking to fill that empty awkward silence or ask questions because they want to understand.

4) Let people help you. I touched on this before. If people aren't quick to offer help, don't assume they don't care. All people aren't graced with the ability to just know what is needed. Don't be ashamed or afraid to ask if you truly need help. Your friends will be happy to help as best they can. (I should point out that wanting someone to be at your beck and call every day of the week may be taking things too far. Sadly, this has happened to me in the past, and most people will stop answering when you cry wolf too often. To be clear, I know people who have recurring health problems and could use daily help. I refer to those who just want daily reassurance that they are the most important person in their friend's life.)

5) I must offer my unsolicited feelings somewhere, so consider yourself warned about this one. When life doesn't go the way we planned, it leads us to where we need to be. Look back a little, those of you have some years behind you. Think about all the things you ever wanted. Now focus on the ones you didn't get. How many of them were such a big loss that you didn't live without them? (I lived without having to clean up after that pony, without dating or marrying those boys I once found so charming who still haven't grown into men, without getting that super sexy car that I would have just parked in a garage and buffed with a diaper for fear of it getting scratched or dented, and without joining the circus--though this last one is still a possibility).

As for the rest of us:

1) Be more aware of how your friends are responding to your advice and sympathies. If they are getting noticeably annoyed, stop talking or change the subject. Offer to take them out for ice cream. Let them lead the conversation. If they want to talk about it they will. Sometimes we just want the companionship of someone who loves us.

2) When you hear that someone you don't really know has lost a loved one, got rejected by the college of their choice, or still hasn't attained their next life goal (graduation, marriage, baby, a promotion, retirement), don't assume they need you to guide them through it. Please leave that up to people that are closer to them unless they come to you for help. Unsolicited advice from casual acquaintances rarely helps a situation or makes the intended recipient feel better.

3) Make sure friends who struggle know you are there for them. Use your best judgment as to how to tell them and how often to remind them. Sometimes just knowing that someone is there to talk, want to help distract with activities you both enjoy, or just bake cookies and let you eat them in peace, can offer the greatest comfort.

4) Sometimes, a small act of service can say more than our words. One of my friends spends more than her fair share of time in the hospital. I find myself wishing I lived closer than two thousand miles away, so I convince her husband to let me clean and a tidy their house a little in her absence.

5) Remember that not everyone is just like you. Tailor your behavior to the person you want to comfort. (I find that prayer helps with that, but my thoughts on that might push this post into the preachy category.)

[REVIEW] [RECIPE] Esrever Doom

For those who love puns and humor, Piers Anthony delivers the giggles and wit that you seek. When I discovered one of his books at a yard sale over a decade ago, it entertained me completely, so when I saw Esrever Doom on display at the library, I grabbed it and raced to borrow it. (This insistence despite the two books I already had waiting for me at home.)

This novel features a mundane, much like you or me, who enters Xanth through a coma. Due to his dream qualities, he proves the perfect candidate for a quest. He must save Xanth from a strange curse that makes all the denizens of that unique realm see each other as the opposite of what they are. (In other words, I would be a tall, skinny elf who looks like she has never eaten to a cookie in her entire life.) An interesting assortment of characters get drawn into his quest, adding both color and intrigue. A zombie with renewed humanity, a couple interesting monster crossbreeds, and even a ghost join him for his adventures.

These interesting creatures also provide sexual innuendos that I don't remember from my previous delving into his writing. While he avoids graphic descriptions, I admit it takes me out of the story a little. Luckily, bad puns bring me back into a childlike state of mirth. I have to wonder how much time Mr. Anthony spends writing down puns and then figuring out how to insert them into the narrative. Every little pun adds to the story by providing supplies or tools for the questers while giving me a good laugh.

I aspire to develop such devotion to telling a good story. I need to make time in my schedule to read more novels that show me how to be a better writer...not to mention time to write. I know some of you are anxious for more [FICTION] and less [RANTING].

Cheery Pie

I shall make my own pun with a pie so delicious that it can cheer you up. Unfortunately, it doesn't grow on trees like the pies in the novel, so you have to put forth a little effort to get the benefit of its delightful flavor. You may want to add a little more sugar since I like tart pie to complement the scoop of eye scream I plop on top.

-2 pie crusts (enough crust to make one 2 crust pie)
-8 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and halved (or smaller if you prefer)
-1/3 cup cornstarch
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place one pie crust in pie pan and gently press into place.
3. Stir together cherries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon over low heat in a thick-bottomed pan.
4. Allow cherry mixture to heat until it bubbles and juices begin to thicken. (You can skip steps 3 and 4, but I think the flavors mingle better this way.)
5. Pour into pie shell.
6. Cut butter into a few smaller pieces and place on filling.
7. Cover with second pie shell and gently press the two shells together. (You could also make a lattice work top crust if you have the time and patience.) Remember to make a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape and wrap the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie shield to keep them from burning.
8. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
9. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 40 minutes.
10. Allow to cool or you'll end up burning your tongue, which wouldn't cheer up any of the normal people.
11. Enjoy!

[RANTINGS] Why You Should Edit

I've been reading a book that contains terrible things: typos. Every time I come across one, it pulls me out of the story and makes my face squish up in a most unpleasant way. In light of this, I thought I'd post a few suggestions for prospective published authors before they choose to self-publish their latest masterpiece. (If you wish to refer me back to it when I finally finish a manuscript of my own, I will probably need the reminder.)

As a writer, you commit to reading and rereading your manuscript over and over so many times that you may think that it is ready for publication regardless of all the rejection letters piling up on your desk. You may be right. You may have just offered up your hard work at the wrong time or to the wrong publisher. You may be wrong. Glaring errors may be keeping others from taking the risk. Either way put in a few more bits of work before you upload that file to your online publisher.

1) Run that spell checker one more time. Carefully look at each word that it highlights, even if you are certain you typed the unique name of your character correctly every time. (Of course, if you add that name to your dictionary, only the misspelled ones will show up.) A couple of the typos that jumped out at me would have been caught by even the most rudimentary spellcheck program, so don't disregard the beautiful tool that comes free with every text editor I have ever used.

2)  Pick a trusted friend to be your first reader. Fresh eyes pick up on little things that your mind overlooks like small grammatical errors or areas where one scene does not follow the next as well as you thought. Another benefit? A trusted friend will be gentle, but, hopefully, truthful.

3)  Find a good writer's group or critique partner. Another writer can give you input your friend might be afraid to offer. Also, a good critique partner won't be afraid to tell you the harsh truth. They may needle you forever about that worthless, boring chapter you never should have slipped into your early draft, but that will remind you be more selective with what techniques you use to move your novel forward from now on. (2 and 3 can be interchangeable but letting someone else peruse your manuscript can be very helpful.)

4) Look to a professional for help. Shelling out a few dollars for a professional editor could mean the difference between a book only read by your closest friends and a book that gets recommended to people who have never heard your name before. Professional editors tend to have a knack for suggesting better words, finding those sections that need tightened up, and offering other advice you don't know you need until you get it (like "start over" or "the last 6 chapters aren't as good as the first 20, maybe you should rewrite them, or you lost me in the middle, fix it.)

[REVIEW] Murder Suicide

Murder Suicide by Keith Ablow offers more mystery than the title implies. These words also made a little shudder of horror run through the little heart every time I read them. Usually, this combination of words implies the horrible act of killing innocents before one takes ones own life. In a way, this title could hint at that, but the underlying story reveals so much more.

Dr. Frank Clevenger, a forensic psychiatrist, tries to unravel the twisted threads of what happened to renowned inventor named John Snow. He wished to commit a strange form of suicide (I suggest reading the book to discover what I mean), but his plans get superseded by someone else's desire to take his life. Dr. Clevenger sets out to discover who killed Snow and finds that every important person in the dead man's life could make a case for taking the troubled inventor's life.

As he follows the pointing fingers of each person he interviews, he discovers a connection to his newest patient, Grace Baxter. When she turns up dead by an apparent suicide, guilt over not keeping her from taking her own life sends Dr. Clevenger chasing after clues about how the the two deaths may be connected. The deeper he delves into the secrets kept by Snow's family and friends as well as Baxter's husband, the closer he gets to being the victim of a third death.

Obviously, I found the story intriguing. However, his writing style sometimes left me wanting a little more finesse or description but overall I found this to be a good read. I was a little disappointed that the next book on the shelf will introduce me to another new author.

Hopefully all this reading brings my inner muse back out to play, so you can read some more entertaining prose...