8Sunday (10): Hello Again

I decided to change my selection for today’s snippet at the last minute. It has been a devastating week across America, from terror in Boston to explosions in Texas. Here in Chicagoland we’ve had major flooding, some roads are still closed near me…that is nothing, of course, when compared to the rest—and I send up a word of thanks for my family and my home…I hope all my fellow Weekend Writing Warriors are safe, warm, dry, and with the people they love. That said, my original snippet just didn’t seem right for today, so I’ll save it for next week. For today, here’s a moment from the epilogue of To Catch A Fetch, part of a letter Devyn writes after receiving a ghostly visit.

The part of me that remains a skeptic is not sure she actually did visit, Ronan thinks it may have been a dream—I’m okay with it either way.

Speaking of dreams, I’ve been having a slew of them; wild, crazy bizarre dreams full of people I used to know, people I’ve never met, and faces that seem vaguely familiar. Pregnancy dreams, I suppose. A lot of pregnant women say they get them.

I’ve also heard lots of women describe the moment they see their baby for the first time. Many of them say it’s like seeing an old friend. They look into their newborn’s eyes and think, “Hello again, I remember you.”

I understand that feeling now.

Perhaps there is no time a good book is needed more than in moments of tragedy and despair…not just to escape reality, but to find hope, and the small sweet pleasure of a happy ending. Take a break from the world and read some more snippets by visiting the WeWriWa homepage.

Weekend Writing Warriors

And new this week, I am joining in the FaceBook Page: Snippet Sunday. After all, I do call myself a multitasking maven. Be sure to swing by and check out even more snippets!

A Slumber Party in Kirby’s Dreamland

I can’t believe I am typing this, but very soon…I shall be the mother of a 10 year-old.

Miss A on the day she was born. Of all the “first day” pictures, this is my favorite. She has such a look of ennui about being born…as if she knows the great big world and all its challenges awaits her, and she feels a bit of melancholy over losing the peaceful life she had known, floating in the dark quiet.

Double digits.

She’s been showering on her own for a few years now, but I’ve probably given her at least a thousand baths.

A decade.

And ten thousand pushes on the swing.

Whoa.

The realization my baby was no longer a baby was recently driven home when it came time to plan the party. My Miss A wanted the hallmark “I’m growing up, MOM” birthday bash: aka the sleepover.

Which I was totally cool with…after all, I had my first b-day slumber party when I turned 8 (I can clearly remember the three friends who were at my house that night, their faces lit by the glow of the kitchen light off the living room where we lay giggling in our sleeping bags (mine was purple with a Lisa Frank bubblegum machine on it).

Considering this was the girl who spent her time in the womb listening to the Ocarina of Time soundtrack (and the first months of her life with Wind Waker) it was no surprise Miss A had decided on a video-game related theme for her party…her beloved pink puffball: Kirby. And thus the concept for the “Kirby’s Dreamland Slumber Party” was born.

Since it was a slumber party, most of the night would be spent eating too many snacks and talking too loud and staying up way too late. But, I admit, my theme-loving heart couldn’t help but put together a couple of Kirby-related things for the party.

First, of course, if you’re gonna have a Kirby party, you’ve gotta have a Kirby cake.

Though I have to say, Miss A had a little too much fun jabbing the candles into poor Kirby’s frosting eyeballs.

Seriously though, she was tickled PINK by her Kirby cake.

The decorations were simple, pink streamers and pink balloons and a giant pink poster Miss A’s buddies could write birthday greetings on.

And of course, pink cups full of pink lemonade. (Kirby doodle by Miss A)

And again, because my crafty soul couldn’t help herself, the girls started the night with a painting project: Kirby Pop Art. I cut a standard poster board into quarters. The girls drew six panels on their board, painting each panel a different color. Then they used sponges cut in circles to paint Kirby’s body. To finish, some girls made Kirby’s features using black paint, some used markers. The results were pretty cute. and all unique.

Miss A and her Kirby Pop Art masterpiece.

The painting made a fun keepsake to take home, and for the other party favors, I got lucky and found pink “Chinese take-out boxes” on clearance.

Kirby favor boxes4

As you can see I had some fun decorating each box with Kirby’s cute little face.

I loaded the boxes up with stickers, multi-colored pens, and a "Dream Diary" (a mini composition book they could decorate and use to journal about their dreams).

I loaded the boxes up with stickers, multi-colored pens, and a “Dream Diary” (a mini composition book the girls could decorate and use to record their dreams)

It was a fun, silly, and simple party. And I’m so glad my Miss A can enjoy the things she loves with people she loves.

It was her night to make the wishes, but if I could make one wish for her, if would be that she would always be surrounded by such love.

It was her night to make the wishes, but if I could make one wish for her, it would be that wherever life takes my daughter, she will always be surrounded by such love.

8Sunday (9): Chocolate Temptation

Happy Sunday! Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warriors post.

To see the full list of this week’s participant, take a look at the WeWriWa site.

Before I begin, I need to note that I had intended for this to be last week’s post…when many of us would be waking up to hidden eggs and baskets of goodies (often filled with chocolate). All that chocolate had brought to mind a scene from To Catch A Fetch, involving Rhys and Gabby (the main characters of the second book in the series: To Hide a Haunt. I first did a snippet from that book HERE). Somehow or another, I had thought I was signed up for the 31st, but when I checked the list last Sunday morning, I wasn’t on it…oops. No worries, a missed Sunday here and there will happen, and it’s never a bad time to discuss chocolate, right?

Rhys watched as Gabby scooped up some more brownie and held it out to him, “You’re sure you don’t even want to taste this?”

He shook his head and tipped his chair back, balancing on the rear two legs.

“Suit yourself,” she licked her fingers and sighed with pleasure. “Devyn must have really been ticked off about something, she never bakes unless she is pissed—calls it therapy.” Gabby pointed at the pan of brownies sitting on the table,“She saves these for when she’s completely, totally, ultimately, royally peeved…I remember, I had a special name for ‘em.”

Gabby leaned forward, palms flat on the scarred wood of the old farm table, her face close enough he could see the haphazard slivers of violet and gold in her green eyes. Her cocoa scented whisper wafted over him as she tilted her head and spoke low in his ear, “Knock You Naked brownies.”

The front legs of Rhys’s chair hit the floor with a bang.

So that’s this week’s 8! I hope you found it tasty. Enjoy your Sunday, and may your spring be filled with blessings. I hope last week your basket was filled with treats…chocolate or otherwise. My Easter Bunny always leaves me bottles of booze, what treats do you most like to find in your basket?

wine in my basket

8Sunday (7): In Honor of Pi Day

Happy St Patrick’s Day! Yes, it’s 3/17—and as a mom to an Irish Dancer, I’ve been hopping all over the Chicago suburbs, taking her to performances. But I’m taking a moment this morning to slip jig in here with my eight sentences! (Random fact: did you know the slip jig is called the ballet of Irish dance, and is only supposed to be performed by females?)

Today’s snippet (from To Catch A Fetch) is in honor of another day in March: 3/14, the unofficial holiday math teachers across the nation celebrate the formula for pi (3.14 and a lot of other numbers) by having students bring in lots of pie. My heroine, Devyn, loves pie. It’s a guilty pleasure for her. And she indulges in this pleasure at a place called Delilah’s…here are Ronan and Devyn on their way to the house of ~~sin~~ pie:

Devyn hadn’t been to Delilah’s in more than a month, and once the idea popped into her head, she couldn’t get there fast enough. While she waited for Ronan to take a quick shower, she daydreamed about flaky, buttery crusts and forkfuls of sweet succulent fruit. By the time they got on the road, her taste buds were in a frenzy of anticipation.

“If I gain five pounds in the next hour or so, it’s your fault,” she told Ronan as they wound their way through town.

“And I’m guilty how?” he asked.

“All your talk about the number seven,” she reminded him.

“I don’t recall mentioning desserts anywhere in the conversation, although gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins.”

“I don’t care, one bite of Delilah’s pie, and you’ve died and gone to heaven anyway.”

And that’s today’s 8! Hope my fellow Weekend Writing Warriors are spending a very happy St. Patrick’s Day morning reading snippets over eggs n’ kegs (or like me, a dram of Baileys in my coffee). Visit the WeWRiWa site to see a list of this week’s participants...and if you can catch some Irish dancers performing somewhere in your corner of the world today, please do!

All Things Irish: The Kilt Debate

Soooo…in my first year of teaching high school, my classroom was across the hall from another new English teacher, we were friendly to each other as we stood outside our doors during the passing periods, joking with students as they walked in to our rooms, reminding them what homework was due so they could race back to their lockers before the bell rang. Anyways, I kind of always thought of him as a little bit…snooty? I don’t know if that’s the right word…but you get the idea. On St. Patrick’s Day, he came to school dressed in a kilt (alas, not as sexy as it sounds) and I was curious. “A kilt for St. Pat’s?” I asked. “I thought Scots wore the kilts.” He looked across the hall and down his nose at me and said, “Oh no, the Irish wore them first. This pattern has been in my family for ages.” I wasn’t so sure about that…but the bell was about to ring, and as I didn’t care to get into a kilt debate, I shrugged and said, “Cool.”

I had pretty much forgotten that discussion until the subject of kilts came up last night. A commercial for “Celtic Thunder” flashed across our t.v. screen and the following conversation with my husband occurred:

Husband: Oh, Celtic Thunder, you saw that group, right?

Me: (looking up from my Twitter feed) Huh? What group?

Husband: Celtic Thunder, the strippers.

Me: I don’t think Celtic Thunder is a strip act.

Husband: You saw it with your friends, remember?

Me: You mean Thunder Down Under?

Husband: Right.

Me: (Now thinking about this…) I think I like your idea better. Male strippers wearing kilts sounds good.

Husband: Kilts turn you on?

Me: Um…yeah?!?

I did not realize my husband didn’t know this about me…of course, it’s not like I go around ogling kilted men on a regular basis (though if given the opportunity…)

Which is why it was extra funny a friend on FaceBook posted an ad for THIS COMPANY today. They don’t offer service in my area (yes, I checked) but I still think it’s a hilariously awesome idea. If you are lucky enough to live in area they do have a franchise, I hope you hire them…and send me pictures.

Ok, but back to the kilt debate. So, the whole conversation about kilts reminded me about Mr. McSnooty, the kilted teacher across the hall. I thought kilts would make a fun All Things Irish post…but my doubt about the veracity of his claim was still there…so I did a bit of Googling – and whaddya know – I WAS RIGHT. The Irish were not the first to wear the kilt, nor were kilts ever an actual part of historical Irish dress. The patterns of today’s “Irish” kilts were created, for the most part, by tourist companies looking to sell more crap. If you want to see more heated Irish/Scottish kilt debate – check out THIS FORUM THREAD on Amazon, of all places.

So take that and smoke it in your peat fire mister.

And stop wearing your kilt on St. Patty’s Day—you look like an eejet.

Sidenote…if you (like me) find kilted men to be attractive (usually), you might want to check out this Tumblr feed, the title says it all: Men In Kilts.

All Things Irish: Rainbows and Unicorns

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, only 5 days to go!

If you are looking for a fast, sweet, and easy treat to make for this holiday, why don’t you get the help of a leprechaun? You know the one I mean…his treasure consists of a stash of a rainbow’s worth of colorful marshmallows, let me see if I can remember this piece of my childhood: “green clovers, blue diamonds, yellow stars…” I’m stuck (I was that weird kid who didn’t like marshmallows in my cereal…or frosting on my cupcakes for that matter). I do remember at one point they added purple horseshoes to the mix. The treats are a snap to make, just use the same recipe you’d follow if making something involving a cereal promoted by 3 elves named via onomatopoeia.

Lucky charm treats

These treats will give you a killer sugar buzz…you’ll be ready to hop on a unicorn and chase down a rainbow like a little leprechaun yourself in no time.

I’m not sure how well they go with a Guinness, but you’re welcome to try it out and let me know.

Can’t find a unicorn to take you to the end of a rainbow? Do you know the “story” behind why unicorns disappeared from the world? Well, as one famous Irish ditty tells it, the flighty creatures were so busy having fun they forgot to get aboard Noah’s ark. But don’t worry, with the help this item – straight out of WTF-land… unicorns can once again roam the earth. Sorta.

(Sigh) If only we could all be as happy as the dude in the picture. Unfortunately, wearing this item does not seem to have the same jubilant effect on cats—as demonstrated HERE. (But if YOU are in need of a smile, check out some of the customer product reviews).

8Sentence Sunday (5): Serendipity

This week’s snippet pays homage to the beginning of March, and my blog’s annual17 Days of Irish series. The hero from today’s book, To Catch A Fetch isn’t Irish – but he’s Welsh, and that’s pretty darn close (I would like to note book 4 in this series, To Bet A Banshee will be set in Ireland…though at the moment it is only in the proposal stage)

Anyways, the oddest thing happened one day while I was working on a scene for TCAF…let’s call it a bit of writing serendipity, if you will. Earlier in the book the heroine Devyn confronts the hero and demands to know more about him – who he is, where he grew up, etc…and when Ronan tells her he was born in a place called Snowdonia, she thinks he is pulling her leg. But no, as Devyn discovers in the scene below, Snowdonia is a very real place – and Ronan has been telling her the truth all along.

Now, the funny thing about this whole bit is I just made the name Snowdonia up. Maybe…probably…at some point in my past I had read or heard about Snowdonia, Wales and the information got filed away in the recesses of my brain…but I’d like to believe there is also the possibility the muse blessed me with a dash of serendipity. For I have to tell you, when I first discovered Snowdonia , Wales was a real place…that it actually existed in real life…well, my reaction to the news was pretty much on par with Devyn’s.

Devyn tossed everything on the table and started thumbing through the more colorful of the two books she had pulled on Wales. Images of mountains and valleys and picturesque stone castles flipped by, and she found herself slowing down to take time with each page and absorb the breathtaking Welsh countryside. Her eye caught the word Snowdonia, and she stopped, feeling slightly nauseous.

Snowdonia, Wales—the damn place even had a national park.

She felt like a complete idiot.

Scanning the page, she saw a reference to a website and flipped her laptop open. Devyn logged on to the library browser and typed in the address…yep, there it was, “Welcome to Snowdonia.”

Maybe, if I’m super lucky, I’ll take a trip to Wales one day (and write it off as a business expense, of course).

You can follow Devyn’s trail of research and visit the Snowdonia Wales info page for yourself.

And while you are at it, be sure to stop by the WeWriWa page to read more snippets from this week’s 8Sentence participants.

Weekend Writing Warriors

All Things Irish: Gettin’ Jiggy With It

I have 2 daughters—both red heads—and both Irish Dancers in training. I don’t know about all Irish dance schools, but in the one my children attend, the first dance they learn is the Traditional Irish Jig. The dance has 5 “steps” (which each step breaking down into a series of steps, repeated on both right and left leg). It can take a new dancer (especially if she is very young, like my Lil’ G) a year or more to master this first dance. I think though, that like riding a bike, once you learn the jig, you’ll know how to do it forever. For more about the Beginner’s Jig, see THIS post from a 2011 day of All Things Irish.

And speaking of Lil’ G, I think she’s finally catching on…the other day I overheard her teaching her Lalaloopsy doll how to do the first step of the jig. “Jump over, jump lift, jump back, 1-2-3-4.”

And now for some fun, last year talk show host Ellen hosted an “Irish Dance Dare” and some girls from my daughters’ Irish Dance school decided they were up to the challenge: here they are jigging their way through the aisles of the circle store.

And to shake things up a bit, here’s another video of Miss A’s dance school from a feis (that’s a dance competition, pronounced “fesh”). For more information on what a feis is, check out THIS POST from a previous 17 Days of All Things Irish.

Video Credit: Rick DeSalvo of RCD Media

Still hungry for more jigs? Watch the movie: JIG, a documentary that takes a look at the fierce, glittery world of competitive Irish Dance. (Bonus! If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can watch it for free!)

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