by Sarah | Mar 3, 2016 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Me, Disney, Make-A-Wish, Redefining Perfect
There was one little detail Denver didn’t bother to tell us.
Of course, this was during the time he didn’t speak to us much at all, so that shouldn’t be surprising.
But, still, he didn’t mention that he didn’t choose Disney as his initial wish for one reason, and one reason alone.
He was certain he would hate it.
It would be stupid.
He was sixteen, what did he care about a land that all began with a mouse?
And then…
And then he went. He remained stoic through a good portion of it, but yet there were smiles.
Here and there.
Somewhere in that time, in that brief week of time – it happened.
He fell in love.
With the land that started with a mouse.
With the land he now calls home.
With the dream.
And I say we are a Disney loving family, but he is the king of it all.
Disney has transformed him in ways I had only hoped would happen.
He is focused, and driven (though not on school – that’s another story). He is ready to move on and out, and head back home.
And if I could, I would be right there with him.
It’s funny how Disney works that way. How it takes a teenager who’s too big for his britches, and too cool for such things…and makes him a believer.
Disney was special to me before – now it’s even more so because it brought my kid back to me.
by Sarah | Mar 2, 2016 | All About Denver, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday
Way back in the spring of last year, Denver asked me to take him to Half Price books.
I thought maybe he wanted to pick up some more comic books, as that had become something he was into. Still, I was deep in the depths of a book-buying obsession so I was always too happy to go, plus he had a gift card so I wouldn’t have to cover the cost.
Then he told me what he really wanted to get.
1984 by George Orwell.
I asked him if he had to read it for school.
He said nope.
He just wanted to read it.
Mind you, this is the boy that had always despised reading. Now and then he’d latch onto something he enjoyed, but there was never something voluntary.
Certainly not a classic.
Surprised by his initiative, I told him I’d pay for it, and he could use his gift card for his comic books.
That $3 payout has paid off in spades.
I believe this is the only book that my son has read – and re-read – and re-read again, and then yet again. I’m pretty sure in the past year he’s read it five times. Voluntarily.
I’ve always wanted him to find a love of reading.
I never expected it to happen with, of all books, 1984.
What about you? What inspired your kids to read? Was it Harry Potter? Little House? Something totally off the wall?
by Sarah | Mar 1, 2016 | All About Me, All of Us, Crap, Random, Redefining Perfect, WTF?
I work in a bank. I have for years, off and on.
My first teller job was in 1999 in Virginia. Back when banks had actual banker hours, and checks were still a thing.
Now it’s over 15 years later and the world of banking, like everything else, is so different.
I’ve seen what a plastic culture we’ve become.
Every day I see people that don’t have a register to keep track of their spending.
Don’t even know how to balance a checkbook.
Then wonder why they are in the hole, how could a charge have hit?
There have been so many times I’ve asked, “Do you keep a register?” only to get the identical response every time, “No…but I know what is in my account. I check it online every day.”
I’ve had teenager upon teenager, and quite a few adults come up to my window in a panic because they forgot their card, and “How on earth can I get money out?”
I am stunned on a regular basis on the ineptitude of people and how to handle their checking account. (and for the record, it is checking account…one of my biggest pet peeves is calling it checkingS. ~shudder~)
How did we come to this?
Plastic. It’s made everything so easy. I’m guilty of it myself.
So I implore every single one of you.
If you don’t know how to handle a checkbook, LEARN. Do NOT count on what you see on your online banking every day. Pending charges can drop off only to return. Some online payments don’t show up right away. And god forbid you actually write a check…you are bound to forget about it.
If your kids are coming of age to get their own accounts, teach them how to balance a checkbook. Teach them what a withdrawal is, and how it can be done without an ATM.
Remember that just because the card works doesn’t mean the money is there. It’s very possible your bank allows a certain amount of overdraft.
Also, remember you are dealing with real money, even if it doesn’t cross your fingertips. Plastic doesn’t make it fakes, just easy to abuse.
Oh, and please don’t blame the tellers for fees or errors. While we do make mistakes, often your issue is not our mistake. I promise, we really are there to help.
And lastly, teach them, and yourself, some basic bank protocol. I have some examples, but this’ll turn into a lecture. Let’s just say, use common sense and be kind to your tellers.
*~*
One final note: Try going plastic-free for one month. Use checks and cash. It’ll change the way you view money inw ays you never imagined.
by Sarah | Feb 22, 2016 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Me, Redefining Perfect, The Teenager
More often than not anymore, our conversations turn toward what’s coming.
Toward his inevitable departure.
How he will move.
What he will do when he is gone.
How we will handle the adult things.
Like a car.
A job.
Where he’ll live.
What he’ll leave with.
And come back for.
There is no talk of college anymore, and I’m okay with that.
Because he has plans and dreams.
A lifetime career in the land of the mouse.
He is taking a leap.
A leap I never dared to take.
To chase a dream.
And we are ready to rally behind him, and encourage such reckless dream chasing.
Or not so reckless – after all he’s a planner, a saver, a stingy penny-pincher, willing to go the distance to achieve his end-game.
And yet…
He is leaving.
If all goes well, in seven or eight months we will get in a car and I will take him south, get him settled, and leave him to his future hundreds of miles away.
The first to leave the nest.
To strike out on his own and take chances, make friends, create a life.
And I can only hope that we have given him the tools he needs to succeed. To live a life to its fullest. To care for his CF. To care for himself. To create a home.
And while I have my worries, as all mothers do.
I am proud that he is taking a risk to chase a dream.
I have a strong feeling he’ll succeed.
by Sarah | Feb 19, 2016 | Books, General, Goals, Writing
We are already almost two full months into 2016. How is that possible? I mean, it just can’t be, can it?
Of course, I was sick for over 2 weeks recently and so much of my actual writing progress was stunted.
In good news, I wasn’t completely useless. I got the paper-editing of 2 out of the 3 existing The Tribe series completely done. Unfortunately, that’s not on my list of goals, but it is a massive step toward publication for this series. My projected release is April, so I’m very excited. But, it’s time for check-in! Let’s see where I’m at!
First, my overall goals for the year…
- I’ve challenged myself to write 600,000 words in 2016. (at 57,216, running behind, but running as of 2/18/16)
- I will build my audience and work harder at promotion.
- I will regain my focus.
- I will face my demon/salvation – the one story I’m afraid of.
- I will decide by July if I will return to Lake Point in 2017.
- I will prep all the things for print. ALL. The. Things. (Working on The Tribe now)
And next is my list of projects. The list seems small without all the Lake Point books of the past on it, but I’m sure it will change and grow over the year. The books in ORANGE are current works-in-progress.
- Into a Mirror Darkly (Morgana Chronicles 1) – 100k (~10k done)
- Switchback (Dominion Falls 6) – 100k
- Dead Man’s Switch (Dominion Falls 7) – 100k
- Red Zone (Dominion Falls 5.5) – 40k (~12k done)
- The Raven (The Tribe #4) – 85k (~50k done)
- The Child (The Tribe #5) – 85k
- Auld Lang Syne (Lake Point 12.5 ~ Revisiting Old Stories)
- Secret Project 1 (Series Name Withheld) ~ 40k
- Escaping Humanity (Co-authoring w/ Mary Terrani) – 100k (60k done)
- Masked Hearts – Create new cover and re-release this one last SCP book
I haven’t really progressed on much since last month, but I’m getting back into my groove now, so hopefully soon these numbers and projects will all start creeping up! That is end game for sure 🙂
There was one little detail Denver didn’t bother to tell us.
And then he went. He remained stoic through a good portion of it, but yet there were smiles.
