If you have a writer in your life–and who doesn’t–check out Noodler Laron’s business, inspired gifts for writers:
So many pretty things. I like the women writers coasters, but … should I be setting my coffee cup on Jane Austen or Virginia Woolf? Oh, the moral dilemma.
Thank you for all the twoo wuv song suggestions. All of them considered, most of them serious contenders for Landon’s playlist. I’m sure iTunes has some sort of love song essential list as well, so I’ll waste time do research there. And M, you’re right: you’re a touch more country than Landon, but man, Hopelessly Devoted? So perfect.
And I’ll be requesting even more musical help (bet you can’t wait), but not right away.
In other news, last night, Kyra wanted help spelling something on a picture she’d drawn. I was cooking dinner at the time, assuming one can define cooking as: browning ground beef and adding Manwich sauce. Hey, the ConAgra site (the fine people who bring you this product) says it’s is a quick and easy one-pan meal the whole family loves. It’s not just a sandwich, it’s a meal.
Anyway, back to the drawing. I took a quick glance at it (due to stove, hot grease, and so on). A triangle, lots of red. What was it Miss B wanted me to spell?
No going by volcanoes.
Clearly a cautionary drawing. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
And hey, she’d already written no. But by far her favorite thing to write is this:
I love u
Mom
Daddy
Andrew
We have paper after paper covered with those words. I find them all over the house. Love notes from Miss B.
I hope not. I’m in the market for your best, your gooiest love songs. Not sad ones, not somebody-done-somebody-wrong ones, not unrequited-love ones. I’m looking for songs such as Accidentally in Love by the Counting Crows and not Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.
This is just one of many lists I’m making during “downtime” before I tackle the third draft. Lists are a big part of MacKenna’s story. Believe it or not, I have a list of all the lists I need to fill in. (Because, no, they are not all filled in. There are some things you don’t do during the draft stage. Pondering every last song that could go on a list is one of them.)
The list I’m pondering now is Landon’s prom mix. I need a little help. I have and know a ton of songs. When I sit down to make a list? Mind, screen–both are blank.
So, I need your help. Landon needs your help. Now, he’s not a music genre snob. If a song fits the mood of his playlist, he’ll add it. However, he does have standards. There are certain principles one does not compromise.
So, gooey, happy, love songs. Keep in mind, this is also playlist MacKenna calls “songs to barf by.” She’s a romantic, that girl.
Ready? Bring on the love in the comments if you have a suggestion.
Yep, we’re digging out today.
And yes, we did go to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. Amazingly (or perhaps not so), the only people there were people with birthday parties, so it was quiet, or not so loud, at least. I’m glad we went, since Kyra was the first school friend to show up (a few more trickled in), but all the parties had low attendance. I chatted with the parents and read. The kids had a blast, won lots of tickets, got prizes.
A good time was had by all.
Kyra is very excited about the first day of December. While we shopped for Thanksgiving dinner, she picked out an Advent calendar, and I explained that we couldn’t start opening the little windows until the first day of December. Apparently, she’s been waiting ever since.
Plus! It’s snowing! Real snow, real, let’s stay inside, or bundle up the kids and send them outside, but we’ll watch them through the window kind of snow. We’ve already trekked through it once to ballet. Now, I’m wondering about the whole Chuck E. Cheese party. Is it bad enough we stay home? Do we brave the weather and venture out? We’re supposed to get six to ten inches.
I woke up this morning and it was so strange not to sit at the computer and start in on some sort of manuscript. I got nothing–at least at the moment. The plan is to take a month break from MacKenna, then I’ll work up a third draft. Then, maybe I can convince a few victims beta readers to review it.
Until then, I’m going to read: a lot. I have The Virginia Woolf Writers’ Workshop, Seven Lessons to Inspire Great Writing (we can only hope, no?), and of course, the holidays. I’m taking Kyra to the Nutcracker this year (well, Andrew and my mom too). I promised Kyra a “theater” dress, because you have to dress up when you go to the ballet. She wants something colorful, with hearts, flowers, diamonds, and who knows what else. If such a dress exists, leave it to the Marvelous Miss B to find it.
Writing Wrongs 