by Joey | Sep 26, 2012 | Throwback
Mr. Husband and I have officially decided to spend the holidays here in our own home.
I realize that’s a bit of a ways away,
but if we don’t make our plans early and stick to our guns, we end up in the battle of the “whose holiday is it?”
It’s our holiday.
Last year was the first time I’d ever spent a holiday completely away from my family.
We went to the in-laws for Thanksgiving while the rest of my family went to Disney World. If you’ve read
this post, you can probably guess how I felt about that. [you can peek
here,
here,
here &
here to see how things went last year.]
I said as we were driving away that it just wasn’t fair for all of the fun to get completely sucked out of what’s supposed to be a magical time.
So now, we’re adults. Right?
We get to decide what we do with our time.
So we’ll have our holidays here.
They will be quiet, I’m sure.
But I’m so excited for the opportunity to start some of our own little traditions.
I’m also STINKING excited to cook my first [real] Thanksgiving dinner!
What are some of your favorite things that make your holidays special?
Sweet, Mr. Husband,
All those Thanksgiving and Christmas I wished you could be there.
And now?
Well, now.
by Joey | Sep 21, 2012 | Throwback
Hey guys. Did you know I wrote a book? No? Are you new here?
Well, if you are new, I did write a book…while planning my wedding no less.
Ok, ok. I kid. I totally didn’t plan my wedding. My mom did. She has far more patience for that crap stuff than I do.
But I did write a book. Two plus years ago.
It’s a young adult fiction novel.
It was surprisingly easy to write.
I didn’t have much of a plan except: write a novel.
And I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.
And then I got scared shitless.
What next?
So what happened? The printed copy has been sitting, collecting dust.
I haven’t opened the digital copy recently. Well, unless you count opening it to send to
Mia. She’s my bff, and even just doing
that scared me.
Why are you so scared you might ask.
Fear may not be the right emotion to tag to this.
It’s more like intimidation. I’m not scared of the rejection. In fact, I’m more prepared for the rejection than I am for the acceptance. I would probably keel over dead if an agent actually picked up my work. Never mind a publisher.
The “next part” isn’t fun. I have to write a query letter.
And then I have to send it off to a bunch of agents who might maybe some day be sorta kinda interested in working with my genre. And me.
And then I wait.
And wait.
And wait.
For the rejection.
For the approval.
Just wait.
When I write it out, it doesn’t seem all that intimidating at all, actually.
And lately, it keeps popping up: So what’s up with the book friends asks.
I want to get together and talk novel, let’s meet! Another suggests.
And then… this happened:
I took notice. Seems like such a scary thing until you realize that every author goes through this.
Every author experiences this part of it all. Unless, of course, they choose to self publish. That’s not for me.
So, I tweeted Ms. Jennifer Weiner to thank her.
And you GUYS? THIS HAPPENED:
She’s right. Totally, totally right.
So I’m doing it.
Shit. Just. Got. Real.
by Joey | Sep 20, 2012 | Throwback
Lately, I’ve been struggling a little bit. I’ve been just kind of floating around without commitment and without purpose. I kept finding myself thinking back to a previous version of myself and asking myself “what was different back then?”
When you ask my husband what drew him to me, he’ll tell you it was my kindness. When I first heard that, I was a little surprised because I didn’t realize I came off that way (you know, ten years ago). I saw myself as a person who always had crap (read: drama) following her. I always had so much going on. When I told him that, he said my kindness still always shined through.
So I got to thinking. Back to the old little high school version of the girl behind this blog. What was different? I felt like I was at a cross roads: I was changing: life around me was spiraling around and I had hardly any hopes of slowing it down. How come I didn’t come across as some crazy psycho with a short fuse and too many emotions to maintain? {And of course I mean…exactly how I must come across these days}
OH!
I used to be an avid journal-er.
No, I mean it.
I used to journal almost every day.
Sometimes twice a day.
I used to fill notebooks with every little thought, dream, worry.
I used to write the nasty things I thought about people in there so I never actually felt that way in real life.
I used to complain in there.
I used to plan everything. Big things little things anything.
I really got to know myself. Every single version of myself.
I always kind of felt like I had a grip on things.
I would stop, think and process.
So I started that little habit again.
Blogging is just not the same thing. While I love to keep things real and personal here
there are just some things that I should keep to myself.
No one wants to hear my whine and worry and complain.
And well, if you do? Just back log my twitter account.
So if you’ve noticed I’ve been a bit quieter in almost every aspect of my life:
journaling is the answer.
The days go-go-go! And without taking a second to stop! Think! Get inside your own head for a moment-you can really lose yourself.
by Joey | Sep 19, 2012 | Throwback
Story of my life, lately.
I wish it was always this easy to get him home.
I’m so grateful he’s able to contribute and participate in something he loves.
But the puppy dog and the wife miss him.
Football? We have a love/hate relationship.
by Joey | Sep 16, 2012 | Throwback
coffee.
pumpkin pie tart warming.
rain.
a good book.
cool weather.
Happy Sunday.
