Tales of a Shoebox Princess

I'm in the middle of a Creative Writing independent study class. One of my assignments is to write a short story. My short story is called The Preserve. I like stories, and I think I write well enough to tell a good story. My problem is having people read what I write (except for what I write in my blog. I LOVE for people to read my blog. I don't know why I feel differently about the two kinds of writing). After months of fear, procrastination, fear, anxiety, and more fear, I finally allowed my short story to be critiqued by people who know how to nitpick the written form of communication. I let some English teachers read it. I let a recent English major college grad (who plans to go for her master in reading people's writings and telling them how to improve) read it. I let another person who has been instructed in creative writing more than I have read it. And I survived their comments with my dignity and hopes for a decent grade intact. I am now able to handle...

1. Give great and glorious thanks for being asked to get on a non-midnight-arrival flight instead of the one we had tickets for that got in very very late. 2. Remind myself that the grouchy flight attendant may have had previous issues and I probably caught her at her near-boiling point. 3. Unpack 4. Admire the ceiling fan that Jim put in while I was away and the flower on the table that he got for me to say "Welcome home, I missed you." 5. Curse the van for costing $$$$ for repairs and for the new irritation of a bad gas tank sensor that beeps every 10 seconds signaling an empty tank when IT ISN'T EMPTY. More $$$$. ARGH! WE CAN'T AFFORD THIS! 6. Unpack some more. 7. Watch Matt show Jim the alligator head that Grandma bought him. 8. Carve down the talons . They are fun to have if I could live my life as a full time princess with servants to scratch my itches for me and type my blog entries for me and play the organ for me and open doors for me and pick up things ...

Jenni successfully turned 40 and I think she may have even had a good time. Her birthdy bash was last night and here she is, just about to blow out the fire hazard. Before the party, however, we needed our nails done. This is the first time I've been to a professional nail stylist. I had my nails enhanced and augmented. Is it obvious? Needless to say, but I'm going to say it anyway, it's hard to type with these talons. But I'll willingly suffer for my beauty. Remember the apron I made for my mom at her request for her birthday ? It's because I asked her for fabric to make Jenni an apron. And here is Jenni with her apron. Happy purple birthday to Jen! OK, so we thought it was cool that we had seen three four-foot alligators on the local ponds five times in the last few days. Until Roger called yesterday afternoon. Roger and Lani are good friends of Jenni and Travis and live on the edge of a pond. Roger called us to tell us about this behemoth within sight of...

I haven't been computering much lately. I've either been running around or knitting. Jenni has been knitting, Mom has been knitting, and Matt has been knitting. Yes. Matt knits. Right now he's knitting a tiny orange scarf. Whatever. It's his exercise in purling. He and cousin Maddie had quite a knitting conversation last night. I don't remember all of it, but the two of them found much to discuss in the realm of knitting (although Maddie doesn't knit, she only purls). Today we went to a knitting store. Matt liked all the colors of yarn. I got some yarn to make a little shrug for Hayley (shhhhh don't tell her!). Jenni got some purple sock yarn. Mom got a magazine. Matt got to help the owner of the store wrap yarn into yarn balls and she also showed him how to twist blobs of wool into yarn using a spinner. He was fascinated with the machinations of the spinner. He also saw a replica of Captain Jayne's knitted hat . The knitting store owner...

I have just a few pictures to share. Here is Jen being all surprised that we showed up at her house unannounced. This morning Jenni had to go to work but I know she totally didn't want to because WE were visiting. But alas, she had to work. So Mom, Matt and I "had" to take a walk to keep ourselves busy. Matt has a list of things that he wants to see while he's out here in Florida and we were able to check off most of the things on the list. Matt LOVED the lizards. He saw several. Matt saw a sign that intrigued him. This is the sign and that is Matt in the distance, ignoring the advice. He REALLY wanted to see a 'gator. We didn't see one 'gater, we saw TWO! Here is one of them. Keep in mind, this gator is not behind any fence. There is nothing but water and a bit of fire ant infested ground between it and us. Fortunately, we must not have looked too much like gator-chow at the moment. Tonight we go out to dinner with the Smiths. It's in the l...

In case you didn't know (and Jenni didn't), I've been planning a spring break trip to Florida to visit Jenni and Travis and their girls. It was a surprise for Jenni's birthday. I got my mom to come along too and because Matt has not had a "big trip" and all the other kids have, I brought him along as well. Matt was fascinated by the airplane. Before we left this morning, Katie called and talked to him to try to scare him. She tried to convince him that planes crashlanded etc, but he would have none of it. He wouldn't let anything put him off this trip. Matt watched the takeoff with great enthusiasm and was very excited to see what the tops of the clouds looked like. He also liked checking out the "kitchen" on the plane as we were waiting in line to use the bathroom. Everything about flying made Matt smile. When we got to the Smiths, I suggested we send Matt in first, and he walked in with Travis and yelled "Pizza's here!" I g...

I'm taking a break from all the hubbub of spring break (where it's neither spring, nor do I get a break) to post a picture. Just an interesting picture of Hayley and a disapproving cat. Hayley had these lights up in the family room for her party. And now, time for vague recollections from my childhood: Drawing floor plans for boarding schools. I liked to envision and draw places to live. Sadly, I never became an architect. Making mud pies in the back yard with Jenni. We ate mud. I don't think I liked it. Playing elevator in the first house I lived in. There was one place in the house that was surrounded on each side by a door. One led to mom and dad's bedroom, one led to the bathroom, one led to my room which I shared with Jenni, and one led to the living room. I would place a stuffed animal or doll behind each door and then pick each toy up as the "elevator" went up and down. Playing "watergate" with Eric from down the street when we lived o...