tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44343435862703713492024-03-05T05:37:40.429-08:00Crazy California ClaireThe random thoughts of a mad woman!Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-16053989664094496932017-07-05T00:30:00.000-07:002017-07-05T00:30:21.818-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo3JFnQeIG4Y7eJIpn1lysvDbN0rfRnRggzkvvj4snj3ERPHmRFwj9Nzt9shef1AAg29-A5prQbLTdOV2wg-ZT9fwVHNlmi941YfGgcfPr_oZFhqZb2Aje53XN5P0osXkeAH82phBkwpn/s1600/Shocked+little+girl.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo3JFnQeIG4Y7eJIpn1lysvDbN0rfRnRggzkvvj4snj3ERPHmRFwj9Nzt9shef1AAg29-A5prQbLTdOV2wg-ZT9fwVHNlmi941YfGgcfPr_oZFhqZb2Aje53XN5P0osXkeAH82phBkwpn/s1600/Shocked+little+girl.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When my kids were still quite young, probably around kindergarten
age, I got tickets to see Brian Ferry. The concert was in the grounds of
Petworth House, a 17th-century country house described as “A stately
mansion nestled in the South Downs housing the finest art collection in
the care of the National Trust.” The beautiful landscaped grounds were
designed in the 18th century by one of England’s most famous gardeners,
Capability Brown.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It really is a fabulous location for a concert. Everyone takes
elaborate picnics, setting up chairs and tables with tablecloths, proper
plates and cutlery, champagne glasses and ice buckets. I was given a ride by some friends and was crammed into their
child-friendly but completely uncool, 7-seater minibus. Our picnic
baskets overflowed with delicious food and ice buckets with champagne.
Everyone was in excellent spirits and even the appalling traffic didn’t
dampen our enthusiasm. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">About 3 miles out of Petworth, the car almost
came to a complete stop as we inched along like a snail on valium. We
decided to start the party early by opening a bottle of bubbly – well,
it wasn’t often we got to let our hair down and forget about squabbling
children, wiping dirty bottoms or the overflowing laundry hamper of vomit-stained clothes. As the bubbles flowed, but the cars
didn’t, we opened a second bottle, along with the smoked salmon
appetisers. Our voices got louder and the jokes got ruder.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The conversation turned to another couple we knew who were from
extremely posh, well-to-do families. Someone mentioned that they were
surprised at this couple’s swearing and in particular how much the word
“fuck” was liberally sprinkled throughout their conversation, like
confetti at a funeral. Someone else admitted they privately called them
‘Lord and Lady Fuck’, prompting a rash of copycat behaviour.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“<i>Would you mind awfully passing me the fucking smoked salmon?”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Darling, please pour me another fucking glass of champagne.”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Another 30 minutes passed and still we crawled along, bumper to bumper. The swearing became a little less refined.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Come on fuckwit, get a fucking move on, we don’t want to mish the fucking concthert.”</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“The futhing parking will be full.”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Just then, as if manifested by the power of our cursing, who should
we see but Lord and Lady Fuck themselves, walking along carrying picnic
baskets with another couple I didn’t recognize. They lived a short
distance away in the middle of Petworth, in a beautiful house dating
back to the Doomsday era, and so had no need to sit in a stuffy, hot
snake of traffic, like some sort of toxic metal centipede.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I jumped up, spilling my glass of champagne that had been
precariously balanced in one of the 17 handy cup holders more suited to a
sippy cup than long-stemmed crystal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Oooh, maybe they would let uth park in their drive?” </i>I slurred, stumbling over to the other side of the car.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Oh, thuper fucking idea,”</i> someone agreed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“HowdoIopenthewindow?”</i> I shook the latch, not able to make head nor tail of how it worked.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The person next to me picked up a cushion and whacked it against the
window, hitting the lock more by luck than judgement. With a whoosh it
slid open. Startled, I nearly fell out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Helllooooo,”</i> I called, hanging perilously too far outside. <i>“Are you going to the conthert?”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Oh, hello Claire,”</i> Lord Fuck replied, when he realized who the crazy person was screeching at him. <i>“Yes, we are.”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Enunciating carefully, trying not to slur, I asked: <i>“Can. We. Park. In. Your. Drive?”</i> I smiled winningly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The four of them stopped walking and turned to me, their eyes wide
with shock, as if I had suddenly pointed a sawn-off shotgun at them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">At that point, the long line of cars started moving, as if someone
had unblocked a drain. We moved off, our car kangarooing violently so I
hit my head on the window frame.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Rubbing my head, I turned to face my friends and was greeted with utter silence and the same look of shocked surprise.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Whath? Why are you looking at me like that?”</i> I asked, puzzled by the response.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The silence was broken by loud, hysterical laughter, all of them
holding their sides as they cackled and howled with mirth, tears rolling
down their red faces.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“W-what’s the joke? What’s tho funny?”</i> I said, completely flummoxed, but giggling along with them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Claire, do you know what you just said?”</i> My friend finally gasped, when he could stop laughing for a moment to speak.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Yeth, of courth. I asked if we could park on their drive.”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“No! You didn’t!”</i> He paused and grinned, his eyes gleaming. <i>“What you actually said was: Can we <b>fuck</b> in your drive?!”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hands over my mouth, cheeks flaming, I looked out the rear window and
saw Lord and Lady Fuck standing where we had left them, staring at our
disappearing car like it was an alien spaceship.</span>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-54366764335518350542016-04-11T00:11:00.000-07:002016-04-11T07:29:18.499-07:00Driving Dick Dastardly<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujPPnCyw1uDyqkPCAG92E2qHzcysoziZ73zryAfL_35jOaGRBUc3TQPELDrLVFm_9RB_eIome1Ir25h2mzjHp4LxqE8aNqPtXUU7td_j_xQjYwY_j-RBhpbu8xOqV2Gtx9zGsCVYbKSMe/s1600/Dad%252C+Marg%252C+Lucy%252C+Mark+%2528crop%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujPPnCyw1uDyqkPCAG92E2qHzcysoziZ73zryAfL_35jOaGRBUc3TQPELDrLVFm_9RB_eIome1Ir25h2mzjHp4LxqE8aNqPtXUU7td_j_xQjYwY_j-RBhpbu8xOqV2Gtx9zGsCVYbKSMe/s320/Dad%252C+Marg%252C+Lucy%252C+Mark+%2528crop%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">My dad and
his wife, Margaret, and her granddaughter, Lucy, came to San Francisco on
holiday recently. Margaret’s daughter, Jo, had started a few months’ work
placement in the East Bay so it was a happy coincidence that I happened to live
nearby and</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span></span>not to take it personally or anything, was available for chauff<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">euring </span>and sherping duties.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">While Jo was,
unfortunately, having to work (damn these companies with their stupid rules!), I
rashly offered to take Dad, Margaret and Lucy sightseeing. The only slight drawback
was that I own a tiny convertible mini and my hubby has a 2 seater Mercedes, neither
of which could be considered ideal for driving 5 people around! Luckily, my
daughter owns a more sensible 5 seater, 4 door car and, with the organizational
and peace-keeping negotiations of a highly-skilled NATO ambassador, I was able
to persuade her to lend it to me. She struck a hard bargain though and I was down
a complete inside/out cleaning valet and a full tank of gas each time!</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jF9Ry1f74PWhUkv_79b7Gb74ZrOmmssFFL3QJ7HTql7Tl1Us9LiVoRWb0xjYdaASlgm3uRv2j297BtopDouEOHsgrKgukp99r6YqDTEvISOM9Q6q0Xj8G1jrX0wKTZmPBg8UCb5_sMoA/s1600/Dad+Scooter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jF9Ry1f74PWhUkv_79b7Gb74ZrOmmssFFL3QJ7HTql7Tl1Us9LiVoRWb0xjYdaASlgm3uRv2j297BtopDouEOHsgrKgukp99r6YqDTEvISOM9Q6q0Xj8G1jrX0wKTZmPBg8UCb5_sMoA/s320/Dad+Scooter.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">My 80-year-old
father has a very bad knee so I organized a mobile scooter for him
at the last minute which, although it did break down into four parts, needed
Iron Man to manhandle them up the 2 flights of stairs each night into his 2<sup>nd</sup>
floor Airbnb apartment! Every time we went out, we would have to heave <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">them</span> down
the stairs and into the boot (trunk) of the car and then reassemble the damn
thing wherever we went. It obviously helped if Dad remembered to bring the
sodding key though.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSX6FUPaop-mjk3sHXnevhqTQJDQIo_N4cGcgOEaoaC-4Qw59ZMi1HGDZ-1AkeCyq0TsKmytEzuib2NFjKUaMszLkrq8cJugDxyEPvsd0TJ4homyhbdlbOTcThp8UqHIKMpzjXQ4VKJEkj/s1600/Dick+Dastardly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSX6FUPaop-mjk3sHXnevhqTQJDQIo_N4cGcgOEaoaC-4Qw59ZMi1HGDZ-1AkeCyq0TsKmytEzuib2NFjKUaMszLkrq8cJugDxyEPvsd0TJ4homyhbdlbOTcThp8UqHIKMpzjXQ4VKJEkj/s320/Dick+Dastardly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Like Dick Dastardly from Whacky Races, he careered around at top speed,
whizzing along like he needed to get everywhere yesterday and complaining
loudly at other people on the sidewalk (“Get out of the way, you blithering
idiot!”). One person he bumped into very kindly suggested, as the back of his
legs were being mown down, that it might be good if my father could remove his
finger from the accelerator lever! And if
it hadn’t been for Lucy risking life and limb throwing herself in front of him
and grabbing the brakes, he would have driven straight into one of the
ornamental ponds at the Japanese Tea Gardens. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Despite the devilish
scooter, we had a lot of very lovely days out, and I somehow managed to keep my
patience and sense of humour despite the many, <i>many</i> miles (note to self: check with google maps next time of the
exact distance of your planned scenic drive instead of simply guessing) of the
beautiful Californian coastline, majestic redwoods, rolling Marin hills and Dad
complaining about my driving and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">demanding to<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> know</span></span> what the population was of every bloody
town we passed through. </span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">(As a side
note, I am not entirely sure how population figures are calculated, but Stinson
Beach, for example, apparently has a population of 356, according to the sign
we passed as we entered the tiny picturesque seaside town. What happens when
someone dies or a baby is born or a gaggle of students move in? Does the local
sign-maker have to rush along and modify the number? Does someone go around
knocking on doors to find out how many people live there? Perhaps someone just
makes it up, based on how many surfboards or dog turds they see around the town
on any given day?)</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVsYWxWb2uogb0rr5HvWxQb-52RXb8wV2f9JtEF4A4WfdYSQRxuWRVDwuj73wQuSSnyb7g3iI1b2o7aRDrsbwCy8uYEY7ZPXCYKNUHBomPx8QH9NHKR4rAlRN_r3XhASNHOQDPTcmrBQR/s1600/Easter+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVsYWxWb2uogb0rr5HvWxQb-52RXb8wV2f9JtEF4A4WfdYSQRxuWRVDwuj73wQuSSnyb7g3iI1b2o7aRDrsbwCy8uYEY7ZPXCYKNUHBomPx8QH9NHKR4rAlRN_r3XhASNHOQDPTcmrBQR/s320/Easter+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">My kids were
also happy to see some family and we had a number of very enjoyable meals
together, something that we all miss now that we live so far away from our relatives
in the UK. I just wish my 19-year-old son could have chosen a different occasion
to show off his burgeoning love life, as he proudly displayed his first shocking
red love bite for all to see!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">And I won’t
go into the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fawlty_Towers" target="_blank">Fawlty Towers</a>’ farce of Dad’s Airbnb apartment (let by an
over-sharing, non-stop-talking madwoman with hoarding issues, who hadn’t
cleaned or tidied, went under a false name and kept popping back to pick up something
she’d forgotten, nearly causing my Dad to have an aneurysm) as we would be here
all day, but we all agreed it was, at least, in a fabulous setting in the
Marina district of San Francisco. And you know what they say … location,
location, location!</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnU1yJVilEMNYU2onuZLnzpvKvOAQvP5py2dhPD7Iyb0H7dVmtqLxTfOnXSHImdSqm95mJZF0IneQecazGfzpLLa0RXULPOiMX3BdlB3vbAbP0C1EOOeg46l5CJxeXHdqoc2ETPRS9l-h/s1600/Dad+Me+Headlands+%2528crop%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnU1yJVilEMNYU2onuZLnzpvKvOAQvP5py2dhPD7Iyb0H7dVmtqLxTfOnXSHImdSqm95mJZF0IneQecazGfzpLLa0RXULPOiMX3BdlB3vbAbP0C1EOOeg46l5CJxeXHdqoc2ETPRS9l-h/s320/Dad+Me+Headlands+%2528crop%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">I absolutely
LOVED having this time with my dad as I hardly get to spend any time with him now
that I moved 5,000 miles from my homeland. I have some wonderful memories and
my fabulous and extremely patient hubby and I really enjoyed being able to
entertain family in our home, but I must admit to the teeniest, tiniest bit of
relief that I am not having to drive down to San Francisco every 5 minutes and
can claim back my Fridays for writing.</span></span></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-78925462214496108752016-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:002016-03-07T07:46:09.743-08:00My Critique Partner – Calling a Spade a Spade<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WnOfcjjv3VCU7FWLLd0fIPzZoWQ2-_F3xpwGEQND0LBaCa2-LJuKed-wUjKC3Y5rJoj606e-KPXeL7rTBiFYw872tu1sX89Ca0HQNyXZF0JHWxaTsrVMm4-lEBpzCbcK_ZNiGpUrdMWI/s1600/Cliche+cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WnOfcjjv3VCU7FWLLd0fIPzZoWQ2-_F3xpwGEQND0LBaCa2-LJuKed-wUjKC3Y5rJoj606e-KPXeL7rTBiFYw872tu1sX89Ca0HQNyXZF0JHWxaTsrVMm4-lEBpzCbcK_ZNiGpUrdMWI/s320/Cliche+cartoon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">I recently acquired a
critique partner. Is that the right term: acquired? Sounds a bit like a highly
sought-after object, like “I recently acquired that gorgeous red Ferrari” or “I
recently acquired an excellent pair of flab-flattening big girl panties”.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">The <i>highly sought-after</i> is right, but I think she might object to
the <i>object</i>. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">It has been a revelation.
We started off our new relationship with us both stating that we had the skin
of a</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><span style="line-height: 200%;">rhinoceros
and we wanted brutal, your-butt-looks-big-in-that, honesty. I perhaps should
have thought a little more before making such a grand, sweeping gesture. “I
really want to improve my writing” I said bravely. (Some might say, stupidly.)
“Just say it like it is, give me what you’ve got.” </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRyeY_LQUeNQ6lyB5l2fzkXq8dcoO6RsL0BBRWT8V84FznGkw6vK74mDi7MPD0X3UQyMr5iWs7NM8dveYGURpfbxbYkCrZ5X7FCjx11xt095R0TVN8Jo4FKWtEnkajisdGznRSmWogb8C/s1600/cliches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRyeY_LQUeNQ6lyB5l2fzkXq8dcoO6RsL0BBRWT8V84FznGkw6vK74mDi7MPD0X3UQyMr5iWs7NM8dveYGURpfbxbYkCrZ5X7FCjx11xt095R0TVN8Jo4FKWtEnkajisdGznRSmWogb8C/s320/cliches.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Well, what I’ve got, is a
giant dose of the clichés. Apparently, I write in overused, hackneyed phrases. Not
just occasionally, but all the sodding time. I am the proverbial cliché-queen.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">I had no idea. When I got back
the first chapter of my memoir, it was like being back at school in my
dreaded German class. Instead of red pen slashing my poorly written essay, now
there were little ‘Comment’ bubbles exploding on the page, blasting my sins. Same
with the second and third chapters. By the fourth, the penny had finally
dropped and I thought, there’s no time like the present, and even though you
can’t please everyone, I really wanted to please my new critique partner. It was time to
buckle down and get back to the drawing board. I had been barking up the wrong literary
tree thinking that a cliché would work when, as it was gently explained to me
and obvious now in hindsight, <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">hyperbole </a></i>is the answer.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">A few chapters on and I
was at my wits end, pulling out my hair trying to think up new and funny ways
to say the same old thing. I was between a rock and a hard place, bending over
backwards not to beat a dead horse with an old chestnut. But it looked like the
cat had got my tongue as writer’s block set in. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">It was clear as a bell to
me that I had opened a can of worms by asking for such a no-holds-barred
critique. Not to be one to lie down like a dead dog with word fatigue, I
decided it was time to get this dog and pony show on the road. I was being
shown that the devil was in the details and, even though each fresh Comment bubble
drove me up the wall, I finally took the bull by the horns and it was full
steam ahead.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">And wouldn’t you know it,
my critique partner was right on the money. She had hit the nail firmly on my
stubborn head. I decided it was no use crying over spilled clichés, so I weeded
them out like the proverbial bird pecking that pesky worm.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">When the going gets
tough, the tough get going, so they say, and now that I used some of the tricks
up my sleeve, I was like a force of nature. And, wonders will never cease, I
actually preferred not using all the clichés. I had just been lazy. So much
easier to use one tired old phrase than to think up something witty and original.
I am pleased as punch because</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">,
not to be f</span><span style="line-height: 200%;">ishing for compliments or anything, I feel my
writing is so much better. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Now that we finally see eye
to eye, I would like to say that she is one in a million and has jump-started
my enthusiasm for finishing my book. Thanks Partner </span><span style="line-height: 200%;">:)</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-38977884918791976512016-02-22T00:11:00.000-08:002016-02-29T17:47:00.349-08:00Back in the Blogging World Again*<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpMWjlzkMzzrPjA8HQo3yIwUABx4YFCeUKFvfZGLRxv2YtB2679zxh4JVYyyw7mNCRaf8eGvSzMDLU1QEl1kFwni75RT_ZiW0lekZE0QNF7HD7cFSop8uZJSr5fYyQ3Lfou9MmuT-evDM/s1600/blogging-1171731_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpMWjlzkMzzrPjA8HQo3yIwUABx4YFCeUKFvfZGLRxv2YtB2679zxh4JVYyyw7mNCRaf8eGvSzMDLU1QEl1kFwni75RT_ZiW0lekZE0QNF7HD7cFSop8uZJSr5fYyQ3Lfou9MmuT-evDM/s200/blogging-1171731_1280.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">In an effort
to crank-start my blog, I have joined a few of my fellow writers from my writing
group, <a href="https://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On Mamas</a>, have agreed to commit to writing one or two blog posts
over the next month, and then visit each other's blogs and comment. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Quite by chance, I had a
fabulous, clever and witty new post spring effortlessly into my head during my morning
meditation two days ago. I often do this, have amazing and creative ideas
when I meditate, along with devising massive To Do lists and obsessing over
family members and wondering if they would appreciate my wise counsel and
'helpful' suggestions. My Buddhist nun sister says this is called 'Monkey
Mind'. Charming! But also pretty accurate. My mind, when I ask it to sit
quietly and think of nothing, jumps from one thought branch to another like a
chimpanzee on crack. No wonder I have not yet morphed into a creature of zen
calm and wisdom.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Anyway, I
obviously could not remember the incredibly funny and brilliant post from my
meditation, as I am now a 'woman-of-a-certain-age' and have the memory span of
a pissed goldfish, so I am going to have to think of something else to write
about. Damn.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">The reason I
have not written a post for over a year is because it was taking up too much of
my time and attention, and meant that I was not writing my memoir, which was
the whole sodding point of starting a blog in the first place. To 'build my
platform' as all the marketing gurus will tell you, is essential if you
want to get a publishing contract, which, of course I do, so that I will be
become rich and famous and have people swooning over my magical prose and
hysterical hyperbole (I just learned this word from my new critique partner). The problem is that I am
too easily distracted. It's bad enough with emails and Facebook and constant
interruptions from my family, but add a blog to the mix and I am well and
truly done for! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">The good
news is that I used the time not-blogging to actually finish my book! Yay! The
bad news is that it is just the 'shitty first draft' as Anne Lamott is fond of
saying, and I am now deep in the throes of re-writing and editing it. Still, I
am feeling encouraged as I can almost see the light at the end of a very long, demanding,
and extremely dirty tunnel. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">I am hoping
that I am now disciplined enough to be able to manage a blog, as well as editing my
book. We shall see. In the meantime, I should probably decide what exactly I am
blogging about! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Here are my fellow <a href="https://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On Mamas</a> blogs if you want to pop over and say Hello:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://meaganschultz.com/" target="_blank">Meagan Schultz</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.janinekovac.com/" target="_blank">Janine Kovac</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://jilannehoffmann.com/" target="_blank">Jilanne Hoffmann</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.onemothersedge.com/" target="_blank">Vicki De'Armon - One Mother's Edge</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://emilyomyers.wix.com/mysite" target="_blank">Emily Myers - Happy Day You</a> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">(* Just in
case you are not a David Gray fan, this is a play on one of his songs: <i>Back in
the World Again</i>. Clever, right? But only if you are a Gray fan, otherwise it
would have gone completely over your head, hence I am explaining it now, which
is never good, right? Perhaps I should change the title …)</span></span></div>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-69250479402612583462014-08-04T00:30:00.000-07:002014-08-04T00:30:00.314-07:00Speeding: California vs England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiU2m4qclUzCHTMX3H0MJHqORW_v9ovf-DM7TrZR20KEqnJxu-Zuv0K7t5A5RoRzQT6oXTDnjGdR_qfXycDuAVD2g6lMjcNnEES4aStCpAPpPkokSJxkjQ85ZSrKSz9iQb1EYm6zpBk1i/s1600/English+country+lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiU2m4qclUzCHTMX3H0MJHqORW_v9ovf-DM7TrZR20KEqnJxu-Zuv0K7t5A5RoRzQT6oXTDnjGdR_qfXycDuAVD2g6lMjcNnEES4aStCpAPpPkokSJxkjQ85ZSrKSz9iQb1EYm6zpBk1i/s1600/English+country+lane.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I passed my driving test first time
at 17 and, in a slightly cocky manner, have always considered myself a damn good
driver. I am probably delusional, but back up this assumption with the fact
that I have never had an accident that has been directly my fault and, until I
arrived in California, had a clean license. I adore driving and drive pretty
fast, particularly navigating the narrow, windy country roads in the beautiful
south of England where I grew up. Thinking back, I suspect I often used to
leave home late so I would need to drive extra fast to make it to where I was
going on time (I like to be punctual). It would get my adrenalin pumping and I
would arrive feeling more alive, having successfully mastered hairpin bends at
70mph and overtaken every pork-pie-hat-wearing old dear driving at a snail’s
pace on the way! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That was all well and good in
England where the local police have better things to do than lie in wait,
hiding on street corners ready to jump out and attack like angry Cobras at any
moment. In California, it didn’t work so well. In the first three years of
living in the sleepy northern Californian town of Novato I managed to rack up
four tickets! Yes, FOUR! Even my husband was shocked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3tRXarhbNxfJEaotlPgUACVXmMIlyERYeO6kJDx7N5o5MXklZc388i3lDT3_HnlXUxI1in3DcI5L1aF2gATIjNKG3rdYuq5xcQVkBcRzjMJQhMqv_tzsOC91XQzrZhyYQhoiJ0VQlaw5/s1600/Speeding+ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3tRXarhbNxfJEaotlPgUACVXmMIlyERYeO6kJDx7N5o5MXklZc388i3lDT3_HnlXUxI1in3DcI5L1aF2gATIjNKG3rdYuq5xcQVkBcRzjMJQhMqv_tzsOC91XQzrZhyYQhoiJ0VQlaw5/s1600/Speeding+ticket.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My first ticket I hold my hands up
and say I deserved it. I was driving our two daughters to school and,
surprisingly, we were running a bit late. All their fault, of course. Speeding
down a residential road near to their school I was shocked to see the blue and
red flashing lights in my rear view mirror and mortified to be on full view of
all the other parents as they passed by at exactly the speed limit looking
jolly smug. A big burly police officer wearing a gun forbade me from leaving my
vehicle while he officially wrote me up for a ticket, leaving me thinking I had
committed a crime more akin to child abuse. I had to pay $250 for the pleasure. My husband suggesting I take traffic school to avoid high insurance penalties, so I chose Comedy Driving School, thinking it might be fun. Thus
followed eight excruciatingly boring hours, where the instructor
told one pathetic joke at the beginning and that was it. I should have sued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fol7i_NLzCVN-y7_TfkNFAsPOByDr1fqXis6udfXFiUWYfsPgd8xrcdI7fo7qBSvwkjrfV8V2ybr2qcBSHam4OlxDkCMheTqPrMUA3zI4BycmT4NMmqJ913Xv54wpHFAgwNlQC81n6ML/s1600/Traffic+ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fol7i_NLzCVN-y7_TfkNFAsPOByDr1fqXis6udfXFiUWYfsPgd8xrcdI7fo7qBSvwkjrfV8V2ybr2qcBSHam4OlxDkCMheTqPrMUA3zI4BycmT4NMmqJ913Xv54wpHFAgwNlQC81n6ML/s1600/Traffic+ticket.jpg" height="194" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My second ticket was for not coming
to a complete stop when turning right on a red light. Jeez, no-one does. I
didn’t even know that was a rule. It was St Patrick’s Day and I had been out to
lunch with a friend. We tried everything to stop the cute motorcycle cop writing
that damn ticket. We flirted outrageously, offered him our bodies and even discussed
the colour of his underwear - green, apparently! The cop told us that we were the funniest people he had stopped in a long time,
mentioned I was not driving dangerously, but STILL handed me the bloody ticket.
Because it was immediately following my previous ticket, that one cost me a
wopping $450! I did community service at $10/hour this time and the humane
society were sad to see me go. I wasn’t. There is only so much folding laundry
and cleaning floors you can take and 45 hours was long enough, thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCSuAdTbSbx6znKXd4Hs-HsoLkrcBZj-QYbrCFr2ucD3EHMqC26RHC-VJ5IMgHMOSWrlUsHim9WXuOr1yI-CKGFSiLsA5QSv0Ly1XlauHr1V8vyed3MtbsggaXDbsb8xuoy22hhxMDbv5/s1600/terrified+passenger.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCSuAdTbSbx6znKXd4Hs-HsoLkrcBZj-QYbrCFr2ucD3EHMqC26RHC-VJ5IMgHMOSWrlUsHim9WXuOr1yI-CKGFSiLsA5QSv0Ly1XlauHr1V8vyed3MtbsggaXDbsb8xuoy22hhxMDbv5/s1600/terrified+passenger.png" height="200" width="196" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My next ticket was for speeding again, not a lot and nothing dangerous, but I still hadn’t learned my lesson. It was not until the fourth ticket, awarded for going down a hill too fast into San Francisco, that I finally gave in. When in Rome and all that. No more speeding. I now drive like a law-abiding grandmother. I practice invisible driving, making sure I tuck myself between two other cars on the freeway and not accelerating obviously. Much as I hate to admit it, driving more slowly has probably made me a better and more considerate driver. I no longer drive like a bat of hell. I am calmer and actually allow more time for my journeys.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 27pt;">I am sure my stress levels have dropped as a result and I notice that my passengers no longer grip their seat like their life depended upon it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 27pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G1ykkEkXjdnhheIWytuxCwd0evvq86GNbuo3nfs_K_ISENhanm2FvfAPcBU-xypyqzXiqXXbPKrHsVF_CQuSBlPfxLKBBQMCS6YI9IUXiy1MhxVktC8HIlu0A-xrs_e3F_NMisKMCSsK/s1600/pork+pie+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G1ykkEkXjdnhheIWytuxCwd0evvq86GNbuo3nfs_K_ISENhanm2FvfAPcBU-xypyqzXiqXXbPKrHsVF_CQuSBlPfxLKBBQMCS6YI9IUXiy1MhxVktC8HIlu0A-xrs_e3F_NMisKMCSsK/s1600/pork+pie+hat.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 27pt;">The other day I even caught myself looking longingly at a pork pie hat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">
</div>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-87824041391861462302014-06-27T00:30:00.000-07:002014-06-27T00:30:01.062-07:00Author to Author: Paying It Forward<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-5WOhKiQtH-foVVUvVASOovL0cGFYyGojEnVwZ-l0YGYFWfGSDoilewcb2tqh8JWEhp2ZGUTyQZlxe2ixCn9tCoT6RbehyTjLBoNwF-8WVvLjpNBOVMCazwujLmWp6XNQ5aLQbJvogBN/s1600/PayItForward250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-5WOhKiQtH-foVVUvVASOovL0cGFYyGojEnVwZ-l0YGYFWfGSDoilewcb2tqh8JWEhp2ZGUTyQZlxe2ixCn9tCoT6RbehyTjLBoNwF-8WVvLjpNBOVMCazwujLmWp6XNQ5aLQbJvogBN/s1600/PayItForward250.jpg" height="258" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My friend and fellow author <a href="http://bridgetstraub.com/2014/06/22/author-to-author-paying-it-forward/" target="_blank">Bridget Straub</a> tagged me in a post with the understanding that I would pay it forward as is indicated in the above title. The idea is that as authors, we all introduce our readers to other authors they might not have discovered up until now. We also get to answer four questions that go with being tagged in this blog hop.<br /><br /><i>1) What are you working on?</i><br /><br />I am about to completely rewrite my humourous memoir that I thought I had nearly finished! My lovely hubby just paid for the fabulous <a href="http://www.katehopper.com/" target="_blank">Kate Hopper</a> to edit my manuscript and she came back with lots of really great compliments but also a TON of suggestions on how to improve it, which basically mean that I need to restructure the whole thing. It is daunting in the extreme, let me tell you, but I know she is right. It will be a way better book if I do what she says. Sigh. Back to the drawing board.<br /><br /><i>2) How does your work differ from others in the genre?</i><br /><br />It is about me and my very strange family so it will be completely mad!<br /><br /><i>3) Why do you write what you write?</i><br /><br />Because that is what the spirits told me to write! If you want to know what that means, then you will have to buy the <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On Mamas</a> anthology <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615964842/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_z03qtb0X9PWXH" target="_blank"><i>Mamas Write</i></a> and read my essay "<i>The Reluctant Author</i>".<br /><br /><i>4) How does your writing process work?</i><br /><br />I sit down at my computer and open up Scrivener, which is the software where I write my memoir. Then I pop over to Facebook and waste an hour of my precious writing time liking various meaningless posts. I give myself a smack and go back to Scrivener and bring up the last chapter I was working on. Because it has probably been about a week since I last wrote anything, I have to go back and re-read the last chapter to 'get myself back in the zone'. As I do this, I realise how crap my last chapter was and decide it needs serious editing, which I have to do immediately. Just as I am starting to get into the flow, my daughter pops her head round the door and says Hi and then starts chatting about what she's been up to. I try not to look at her but it's impossible. I am so easily distracted. I engage. We have a lovely mother-daughter bonding time until I look at my watch and notice ANOTHER hour has slipped past. I pull a fake surprised face and hustle her out, telling her she is a terrible influence and how dare she disturb my very important writing time. I sit back down and pull up my emails. I spend another 20 minutes or so answering non-urgent nonsense. Another smack and I get back to my editing. I force myself to write for another 30 minutes or so and then my husband creeps in and pretends not to disturb me. I try as hard as I can not to look at him, but it's impossible. I am so easily distracted. I ask when we are going to walk the dog. We spend half an hour talking about where to walk Stubby, what to include on the shopping list, plans for the weekend, etc etc etc. I look at the time and do a double-take with a fake shocked look on my face. My entire writing time has been used up and I still haven't finished editing the chapter I wrote last week! I blame my husband, my daughter, my son (who is still in school) and the dog! Why can't they just all leave me alone??!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">OK - Now to the good bit. Here are some authors you may not have previously known about and where to buy their books:</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. <a href="http://www.barbaraalfaro.net/" target="_blank">Barbara Alfaro</a> - Mirror Talk</span></span></b><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A Catholic girlhood, New York theatre, marriage, and the healing
power of humor are interwoven in Mirror Talk's lyrical and often witty
reflections.</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">W</span></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>inner of best memoir in the nonfiction category of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards.</i>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I loved this book - it is funny, witty, clever, moving and really interesting. I wanted to be Barbara's friend afterwards and I am so glad I am! I highly recommend it - you can buy it on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Z9K4AY" target="_blank">here </a>and it is only $1.99 on Kindle currently. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. <a href="http://jessicaodwyer.com/" target="_blank">Jessica O'Dwyer</a> - Mamalita</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir is the true story of an ordinary American woman’s quest to adopt a baby girl against almost insurmountable odds in Guatemala.</i><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Jessica is one of the Write On Mamas and I bought and read this book because of that, not expecting it to be the thrilling, seat-of-yer-pants page-turner it is! I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I was excited and ultimately, I was inspired. Fabulous book and a fabulous person. Buy it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580053343/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>3. <a href="http://ingridricks.com/my-books/" target="_blank">Ingrid Ricks</a> - Hippie Boy</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Discover the unforgettable New York Times bestselling memoir about growing up in a dysfunctional Mormon family--and finding escape, adventure, and hard-earned wisdom on the road...<br /><br />What would you do if your stepfather pinned you down and tried to cast Satan out of you? For thirteen-year-old Ingrid, the answer is simple: RUN.</i><b></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Such a compelling book. I couldn't put it down. As a result of the huge success of Hippie boy, Ingrid now helps high school students publish their own story collections about the struggles they've endured. All this and she is battling with a blinding eye disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa. She is an amazing person and this is an incredible book. Buy it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425274004/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0425274004&linkCode=am2&tag=3pgus-20" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /></span></span><br />
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-47170876817679559352014-06-09T06:21:00.000-07:002014-06-10T19:36:45.498-07:00Birthday Photo Surprise<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my previous post, I said I was more upset to leave behind my extensive record collection than I was to leave my family. Obviously, I was exaggerating. I adore my family. Mostly because they make me laugh. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For my Mum’s birthday, my 2 sisters and I usually take her out for a girlies day, often to the seaside town of Brighton because we love it there. Sadly, it is a bit too far for me for a day trip these days so I have to live vicariously through their stories now. This year, my younger sister, Lisette, bought a professional family photography session as we don’t have many great photos of us all together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately she didn’t research the photographer beforehand. His studio was miles away from where they live, in a seedy, rundown part of a small town. When he finally showed up late, he shuffled in looking like he needed a good bath and new clothes. They were not encouraged when he opened up and let them in to his creative lair. The place was not particularly clean, he didn't offer them anything to drink (although they were thankful for this omission), the photos on the walls were not particularly inspiring and the only ‘prop’ he produced was an ugly plastic stool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But worst of all, he didn’t appear to have a sense of humour - sacrilege in our family - which didn’t help when my older sister, Sue, produced her surprise. Not wanting to be left out of the ‘family’ photo, I had sent Sue a head shot pic of me and she had printed it out life-size and stuck it to a piece of card on a stick. Just as he was about to take his first shot, up I popped at the back in a kind of long distance photo bomb! Sue said I looked a bit like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Just a weird bodyless head floating at the back. He looked at my family in silence as they all fell about laughing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">They continued with the photo shoot, any confidence they might have had in his artistic ability slowly draining away as he got them doing ridiculous poses then looking at his shots and saying "Oh" in a disappointed voice. One of the shots he got them doing was to put their hands on their hips in a kind of sexy, fashion model pose. Sue couldn't keep a straight face as she said our Mum looked like the Queen and Lisette, a Buddhist nun you might remember, could not have looked more uncomfortable. He then got my sisters lying down on the floor with Mum standing over them, to all intends like the Queen with her corgies!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They went back this weekend to view the masterpieces. This time the place was much cleaner and he produced tea and macaroons, so perhaps he had been having an off day the previous weekend. Or maybe he realised he was in the presence of royalty! From the 40 minute shoot, however, he could only produce 23 pics that he felt were worth projecting onto the enormous screen, accompanied by cheesy love-story music blaring from speakers. They could only find one photo in which they all looked nice and it obviously was not the one with me included.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To make me feel better, they went to an old fashioned photo booth and took a pic with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">God, I miss them.</span></div>
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Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-53385364264783733412014-06-05T00:30:00.000-07:002014-06-05T00:30:01.196-07:00I've got the music in me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As some of you may know, I love music. But what you may not know is that I was more upset to leave behind my extensive record collection than I was to leave my family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, not really, but almost!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Moving from England to California, I was only able to bring 2 suitcases with me, and then I shipped 7 boxes later. Two of those boxes contained my 400+ CDs. My precious collection of vinyl records I had to leave behind. I couldn’t bear to part with them so I snuck them into my brother-in-law’s storage container in England, along with rather too much of my other belongings that I also found too hard to give up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For 2 years they collected dust and then, when we went over to visit, he gently requested I clear him some space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mum, a friend, Bug and I emptied the entire container (because, of course, all my stuff was neatly stacked at the very back) and then, while the rain gently splattered us, Mum and I delved through all my stuff, ruthlessly put 90% if it in the back of her car and drove, many times, to the local charity shop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why did I think I would want those chipped, Spanish pottery bowls brought back from many holidays? How on earth would I ever be able to ship my favourite oak dining table and chairs, around which we had had so many wonderful, funny meals? When would I ever have time to go through all 20 boxes of photographs (and I mean, <i>big </i>packing boxes, each containing hundreds of photos)?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, I came across the box containing all my old vinyl records. The iconic albums of my schoolgirl era, such as Pink Floyd’s <i>Dark Side of the Moon</i>, Fleetwood Mac’s <i>Rumours</i> and Rod Stewart’s <i>Atlantic Crossing</i> (I am embarrassed to admit there was a Bay City Rollers LP lurking in there too). The 12” single collection of funk and soul that I was really into during my late teens at college, such as Lonnie Liston Smith, Grover Washington Jr and The Commodores. The disco years of my early twenties: Chic, Earth Wind & Fire and Rose Royce. I could go on. There were so many, and they all meant so much to me, each reminding me of a different time in my life. I really, <i>really </i>did not want to give them up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I knew I had to. It was time. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my vanity I thought, because I have such fabulous taste in music, they would be worth a bit of money so at least if I had to get rid of them, there would be some payback. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was sorely mistaken. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The very nice man in second hand record shop flipped through them and then handed them back, saying he wouldn’t be able to get anything for most of them as they weren’t currently in demand. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Weren’t in demand?</i> How could he say that? Did he realise what he was looking at? These were iconic artists! They were my childhood, my puberty and my party years, all in one box. He must be mad! </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sadly, he turned me away and I walked next door to the charity shop and lovingly laid the box at their back door. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am not sure my Mum understood the tear trickling down my cheek. “They’re only old records, Claire,” she said soothingly. “You don’t even have anything to play them on and you can’t very well take them back on the plane with you.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She was right but that didn’t make it any easier. Just like how distressing it was to give up my beloved two cats, even though I knew they were going to a wonderful new life with one of my best friends. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of those records were like my best friends. In fact, I’d probably known some of them <i>longer </i>than most of my friends!</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They’d seen me through good times, bad times, sad times and happy times. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was going to miss them.</span></div>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-7555838936436756082014-04-18T07:26:00.001-07:002014-04-18T07:26:58.247-07:00What I've learned about writing and publishing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Eog19Jf6U2xjXfalyBQr-asrSJ0lo37ZKeiOWbAj9tZOQG0Bb0Wo85hrhLC3v2qL5SLO5zfJTRB-t5qBVWE_8rlgnL0hKCT60PqZnuZsmso1RvoPjYNsp_7KuFoNoazF_IuIZD8ad52/s1600/WOM+at+Lit+Crawl+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Eog19Jf6U2xjXfalyBQr-asrSJ0lo37ZKeiOWbAj9tZOQG0Bb0Wo85hrhLC3v2qL5SLO5zfJTRB-t5qBVWE_8rlgnL0hKCT60PqZnuZsmso1RvoPjYNsp_7KuFoNoazF_IuIZD8ad52/s1600/WOM+at+Lit+Crawl+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WOMs at Lit Crawl 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has been so exciting to work with my fellow Write On
Mamas to publish our first book. What a fantastic bunch of intelligent,
talented and funny women. I had no idea when we started our group two years ago
that it would be so much fun, so supportive and that we would actually publish
a book. And a good book at that, even if we do say so ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have learned so much over the last two years. How to start
something from nothing, apart from a common passion and purpose. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How the same
people tend to do all the work. How rewarding it is to give, but it can be
tiring too. How to say No sometimes or to ask for help. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How one person’s vision
can drive an entire group forward (not mentioning any names, Janine). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That
working with a professional editor is a very good thing. How even though I
wrote a shitty first draft, as Anne Lamott would say, it is amazing how it can
be improved with constructive criticism, support and encouragement. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3_fzg1y_aqL3NfE3_IQespBJNdohnE-_CCrfFXDntriE-aWOMDgiOAVuVpRHBgIwx2MBnFhmjYgw4vq2T2D2OGtBUKwXqyGKnZ7lEEIPM0nvrI0OtbqbAcWuFZP99h1F469YKmVKkAeO/s1600/WOM+at+Lit+Crawl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3_fzg1y_aqL3NfE3_IQespBJNdohnE-_CCrfFXDntriE-aWOMDgiOAVuVpRHBgIwx2MBnFhmjYgw4vq2T2D2OGtBUKwXqyGKnZ7lEEIPM0nvrI0OtbqbAcWuFZP99h1F469YKmVKkAeO/s1600/WOM+at+Lit+Crawl.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WOMs at Lit Crawl 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How much
useful information can be gleaned when you self-publish. That self-publishing
is not a dirty word anymore. You don’t necessarily need agents and
publishers, but that it helps to have a pool of 25 authors to call on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That I can
actually be quite techie when I have to be, providing I have my exceptionally
clever husband at my elbow at all times. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That signing books is quite fun, even
though no-one can read my writing apparently. Hurrumph. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How working with a team
of powerful women is inspiring, motivating and rewarding. That it is possible
to work with women without being bitchy.
Laughing always make everything better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am totally, over-the-top excited that we have 5 (maybe 6)
amazing bookstores lined up to host us on a mini book tour of the Bay area,
with more coming on board every week. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14nI4a-qkr8Wlj7f1SP5AGVgyTX9GunwaLhUnfCbN7hDovqfPEYu57El62L5OKvm4E1mDmR9T1mC-qq_2cIoa1WzaEqlNZd2KcFVjGc3eV7b0LM6WattcLja38YsynT8IrQ79IAP9vItA/s1600/MamasCoverFINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14nI4a-qkr8Wlj7f1SP5AGVgyTX9GunwaLhUnfCbN7hDovqfPEYu57El62L5OKvm4E1mDmR9T1mC-qq_2cIoa1WzaEqlNZd2KcFVjGc3eV7b0LM6WattcLja38YsynT8IrQ79IAP9vItA/s1600/MamasCoverFINAL.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For more information about the book,
<i>Mamas Write</i>, our writing group, <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On Mamas</a>, or the dates and locations of
the book tour, please visit our website (ahem … run by yours truly) at
<a href="http://writeonmamas.com/">Writeonmamas.com</a> or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WriteOnMamas" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you wish to buy a copy, please find us on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615964842/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_z03qtb0X9PWXH" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I thank you.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-14093702059716894882014-04-07T00:30:00.000-07:002014-04-07T00:30:04.065-07:00F is for Flippin' 'eck, I'm a published author!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbLGBicaGC8Z34s8pGbRbdIEraKFqHCtawnBhul_E8bSWm1tY_ZtxM9EMZvNqVvCQLhqVlvh284JjR0LuWri9mQaeJhREolI9j11IbJtfA-NP2fEysBfV5SfzvguIVwZHo77v-Qoo8yOX/s1600/MamasCoverFINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbLGBicaGC8Z34s8pGbRbdIEraKFqHCtawnBhul_E8bSWm1tY_ZtxM9EMZvNqVvCQLhqVlvh284JjR0LuWri9mQaeJhREolI9j11IbJtfA-NP2fEysBfV5SfzvguIVwZHo77v-Qoo8yOX/s1600/MamasCoverFINAL.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Can you believe it? I am finally a published author! Yay! My writing group, the <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On Mamas</a>, has published our first anthology: <i>Mamas Write</i>. Here is the official description:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<i>Twenty-nine poignant, gritty, and funny essays by 24 moms (and one dad) on how parenting shaped them as writers, how they make time to write, memorable parenting moments and more. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i>
<i>Founded out of a desire to connect, the Write On Mamas is a rapidly growing group of more than 50 writing moms (and one dad) who meet online and in person to read, write, revise, and share. Members are published authors, journalists, bloggers, and poets, as well as those beginning their writing journey. Based primarily in Northern California, Write On Mamas also hail from Oregon, Minnesota, Maryland, and Calgary. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have written two essays for this book. <i>The Reluctant Author</i> about why I started writing in the first place (freaky and a bit weird) and <i>Writer's Block Retreat</i>, about how I went on this wonderful 3 day writing retreat and got completely blocked creatively.</span></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you would like to buy a copy, and I know you do, (it's fabulous even if I do say so myself) it will be available on Amazon in the next few days or you can buy copies at our Create Space store here:</span></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<a href="https://www.createspace.com/4651885" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">https://www.createspace.com/<wbr></wbr>4651885</span></a></div>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-22150714696060964752013-10-21T00:30:00.000-07:002013-10-21T00:30:06.401-07:00Litquake video - Oral Sex!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well it's been ages since I have been able to put up a blog. Sorry. Life is just life sometimes. I have been busy, busy, busy enjoying myself. I have also been writing for two anthologies that are being published in December.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last week, I was honoured to be invited to read at <a href="http://www.litquake.org/" target="_blank">Litquake</a> (an amazing San Francisco literary festival) as part of fantastic social network <a href="http://abandofwives.ning.com/" target="_blank">A Band of Women</a>'s anthology series, <a href="http://nothingbutthetruth.com/" target="_blank">Nothing But the Truth</a> ..." about Transitions. For some unaccountable reason, I decided to write about sex, not knowing at the time I would then have to read an extract from it in front of 150 + complete strangers in a posh art gallery in the heart of San Francisco! That'll teach me. My wonderful husband videoed me and, due to popular demand, I am publishing it below. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">After my reading, which was wedged in between heart-rending readings from a variety of very accomplished writers about women refugees in Afghanistan, children with autism, gender transition and infertility, and made me feel like I was a bit of light, fluffy relief in the interval, I was hugely relieved when some people came up to me afterwards and asked if I had a book for sale because they had enjoyed my reading so much. I am now feeling very motivated to finish my memoir. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-wJVSLcqjwQ" width="480"></iframe>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-44726175767235021802013-07-15T00:30:00.000-07:002013-07-15T06:20:32.318-07:00Wishing I was young again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMurfVLqllM7RZRr1buVCD3HL7SSjA8jDwb0ibmPxPzWLNWlZChWfle6UbcL34uJUOEi6gDJXVC4wbVUWGn-mhiRnPRSZNwHZ7rupc8bAyF8GtI7CF8h98baqUk1hHBTnAceK9qrMlykxN/s1600/AARP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMurfVLqllM7RZRr1buVCD3HL7SSjA8jDwb0ibmPxPzWLNWlZChWfle6UbcL34uJUOEi6gDJXVC4wbVUWGn-mhiRnPRSZNwHZ7rupc8bAyF8GtI7CF8h98baqUk1hHBTnAceK9qrMlykxN/s320/AARP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I turned 50, some very kind American friends (now ex-friends!) reminded me that I would now belong to AARP. Being British I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about and thought they were just making seal noises. After enlightening me to what this was, American Association of Retired Persons, I was horrified. How awful. Was 50 that old? I didn't feel old. Surely I didn't look that old and anyway, I wasn't retired! In the UK we have a similar thing, called OAP - Old Age Pensioner - but it doesn't come into effect until you are 60 years old (65 for men) which seems much more reasonable. It is commonly referred to by people asking if you have a Bus Pass (as in "Oi Mate, got yer Bus Pass?"), which is given to you so you can get cheaper fares on public transport and to get into the movies and such. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My friends kept teasing me , shouting "AAARRRRPPP!" loudly </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">every time they saw me </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">and sure enough, a couple of weeks after my 50th birthday, an envelope arrived with AARP's distinctive red logo on the front. I immediately threw it in the recycling. How dare they!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the year since I have successfully deluded myself into feeling much younger, helped by all the young people around me at work. I always feel that I am the same age as everyone and then get shocked to the core when I realise I am old enough to be their mother.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A couple of months ago, my husband and I bought a new car - a Mini Cooper convertible - which is such fun and makes me feel like I am young again as my 2nd car was a Mini, but one of the originals with no acceleration and useless heating. I can't tell you how fantastic it is to whizz around with the roof down in the gorgeous Californian sunshine, driving through the beautiful vineyards, the wind ruffling my hair and feeling like I'm 20 again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My enjoyment came to an abrupt end the other day, however, when we received the licence plate in the mail. Sigh.</span><br />
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<br />Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-5182106655504629422013-05-09T00:30:00.000-07:002013-05-09T00:30:05.600-07:00Writing Exercise: From Tomboy to Prom Queen<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Well, after the exhausting hard work of not-writing the A-Z Blog Challenge but hassling everyone else to get posts, pics and links to me on time (why on earth did I ever think that would be easy?), I felt the need to post something written by me again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">I am currently on a 10 week online writing course with 9 other members of my writing group, the <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On, Mamas</a>, with </span><a href="http://www.katehopper.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kate Hopper</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> of <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Use-Your-Words-Writing-Mothers/dp/1936740125/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325958754&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Use Your Words</a></em>. I wrote the following as an exercise in Humor (that's Humour for you Brits). It was inspired from reading Catherine Newman's "<em>Pretty Baby</em>" piece". Here it is:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Why on earth haven’t you bought Emma a doll?” My friend asked indignantly. “Honestly, Claire, she ought to have at least <em>one</em> doll.” </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGbS-LeLK-GFIRj3X_oA69JvNWOndZfe0TC86j7p6YxHUnZqq_6_IYh7-TIlSyOsdy32XdqsGbL2aDbqDRMYL8f3vxWmd4ZXySiCpAFgLMu2bWmElJ7xqkSHc3Pf-5-r_JzAu9i1E80vt/s1600/Emma+Aeroplane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGbS-LeLK-GFIRj3X_oA69JvNWOndZfe0TC86j7p6YxHUnZqq_6_IYh7-TIlSyOsdy32XdqsGbL2aDbqDRMYL8f3vxWmd4ZXySiCpAFgLMu2bWmElJ7xqkSHc3Pf-5-r_JzAu9i1E80vt/s320/Emma+Aeroplane.jpg" width="320" /></a>She then proceeded to give my 5 year old daughter, dressed in a bright red t-shirt, blue trousers and a baseball hat, the most hideous-looking doll I had ever seen. Was she serious? It was the stuff of nightmares. Horror film’s Chucky in a pastel dress. It was bald and chubby, with horrible staring eyes and a mouth that was molded open, like a fish frozen in its last agonizing death cry. </div>
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In disgust, I watched my daughter latch onto the doll with glee and cuddle it up to her. Did I imagine the glassy eyes glint at me in triumph? If I lifted its frilly undergarment would I see 666 scratched on its butt cheek? Emma innocently placed it into her mini stroller, after unceremoniously dumping the previous occupant (her beloved fluorescent pink elephant) on the ground, and walked off importantly round and round the garden, bending over and muttering Mumsy-type nothings to the devil toy every so often.<br />
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“There, you see, Claire!” my friend announced triumphantly, with a smug look on her face. “She loves it. You mustn’t stop her being a girl just because you aren’t girlie.” <br /><br />Despite wanting to poke my friend’s eyes out with a sharp stick after this slur on my parenting ability, I could see her point - Emma did seem to be enjoying herself.<br /><br />I felt betrayed somehow. I have always hated dolls and never played with them myself when I was a child. My favorite outfit was a cowboy and Indian set that my sister and I would share, complete with toy gun and holster, and a bow and arrow. I loved nothing better than running around the garden whooping and hollering and shooting my sister dead. (Perhaps anger management would have been a good after-school activity choice if it had been around back then.)<br /><br />Now, I wanted to jump up, rip the Antichrist out of the stroller, stomp on it like an Indian doing a war dance, set it on fire and send it back to the hell and damnation from which it undoubtedly came, along with all the other glass-eyed scary demon-dolls. Particularly the frighteningly tasteless ones in ugly Victorian clothing that my Grandmother used to insist I play with as a 'special treat' when we went to visit, when all I wanted to do was ride the old-fashioned rocking horse and pretend I was Jesse James. <br />
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I restrained myself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UZ_73NBPm0t-74nMW8wRdbtFOtDKV3JK87itlRodHeEZ2VZ0jw_MG77TFCBk0mqOEDCM8-IiTD7_GNV0XX7UZPp02n_1-b7MWIFUOTMS96AkOHE4F8Shi1cVu2iC5tgZhxrdwGisodax/s1600/Emma+Austin+Prom+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UZ_73NBPm0t-74nMW8wRdbtFOtDKV3JK87itlRodHeEZ2VZ0jw_MG77TFCBk0mqOEDCM8-IiTD7_GNV0XX7UZPp02n_1-b7MWIFUOTMS96AkOHE4F8Shi1cVu2iC5tgZhxrdwGisodax/s320/Emma+Austin+Prom+2012.jpg" width="199" /></a>Despite my penchant for dressing my daughter as a tom-boy and giving her cars and action toys to play with, she has grown up to be the most girlie of all girls. She adores dresses and skirts in pretty feminine colours, could apply make-up better than me at the age of 11, spends hours teasing her hair into gorgeous little ringlets or works it cleverly into a French plait or straightens it better than any hairdresser. Thankfully, otherwise I would probably have had to disown her, she is also very adventurous, likes massive four-wheel drive trucks and off-road dirt biking.</div>
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When I had got over what I considered to be an implied insult and, instead, recognized it for what it was, a dear friend giving a sweet little girl something that was missing from her life, I was able to thank her and allow Emma to have other more feminine and girlie possessions. I really don't want to pass on any more of my hang-ups - after all, she already has my exagerated hand movements when speaking and horrible feet.<br />
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Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-38336068047101741332013-04-30T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-30T06:16:49.778-07:00Z is for Zinnia (by Laurel Hilton)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><em>And here we are at Z. I have been delighted to host the <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On, Mamas!</a> for this year's A-Z Blog Challenge: 25 of our wonderful Mamas and one fabulous honorary Mama - Steven Friedman, our lone, brave and talented Papa. </em></span><span style="font-size: large;"><em><span style="color: purple;">I hope you have enjoyed the diversity and talent of our group and thought I would leave you with this:</span></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Alphabetical blogs can delight everyone, frequently giving helpful inspirational kindness. Literary memoirs, novels, occasional poems, quite randomly shared teach us vivid writing; x-rated yield zilch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Thanks for joining us.</span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by Mary Allison Tierney</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I never paid much attention to Z before I named my second child Zinnia. I have a funny thing about letters, kind of an obsession. I’ve spent most of my life pretty comfortably occupying the two middle letters of the alphabet – L and M as the first letters of my name and surname (maiden name). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">L is for love, lemons, lions, licorice. M is for monkeys, magic, marshmallows and mystery. In classrooms, when they lined you up alphabetically for a game, to take class photos, or to go out to recess, I was sure to be right in the middle of things. I was a shy child and wanted the least amount of attention paid to me as possible. Being neither first, nor last, suited me perfectly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But then I allowed Z into our little family of letters. At the farthest reaches of the alphabet it seemed so exotic, alien and maybe a little lonely. Poor little Z, only one playmate, Y, on one side of you and even then, how charismatic is Y anyway? I practically smothered my daughter with my anxious feelings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What had I done? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">She would always be last picked in alpha order. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Would other kids alienate her because Z was so unusual? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What cool things start with a Z anyway?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It turns out that Z is so much cooler than I could have imagined. Z is for words that just zing off your tongue like zipper, zap, zippadeedooda, and zany. It is the height of intellectual style like zeitgeist, and a Jazz Age icon, Zelda Fitzgerald. It is for a wonderful Zen state of mind, and for zydeco music, a fusion of Creole and Cajun influences using washboards, fiddles and accordions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It brings me back full circle to my little Zinnia. She is the essence of what it means to be Z― imaginative, colorful, full of wonder, spontaneity and utterly original. </span><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.maternaljournal.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Laurel Hilton</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">is an essayist and journalist whose work has appeared on KQED’s Perspectives, Mama Monologues, Examiner.com, and Uptake.com, to name a few. She’d like to spend more time stringing words together than consumed with the hierarchy of letters.</span></i></div>
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Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-65428442301187756082013-04-29T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-29T00:30:05.796-07:00Y is for Y Are You Here?<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, </span><a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Write On, Mamas!</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzxJFs0o6BjtHzsoHAttahRlAENv3gW0hfwe3w9_u26KS1tveDRUBWcw51rWdoM9_BjSJOPLwri7yBm0IhnLL5Sw4JgP6NHozBa8dt9A4LUSuNRqkY15CaohIVZ4Mb7bnVOmsqisbAl35/s1600/Y.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzxJFs0o6BjtHzsoHAttahRlAENv3gW0hfwe3w9_u26KS1tveDRUBWcw51rWdoM9_BjSJOPLwri7yBm0IhnLL5Sw4JgP6NHozBa8dt9A4LUSuNRqkY15CaohIVZ4Mb7bnVOmsqisbAl35/s320/Y.jpeg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by<a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's a fascinating question that humanity has asked throughout time. It seems too simple to think we are here just because the cells and molecules came together that way; just a giant accident. It's a never-ending debate that I'm sure I won't be able to answer in a blog but I do have some Ancient Wisdom about that question that I'd love to share with U.</span></div>
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<br />You see, there is wisdom about your soul that is held in an etheric library which we call the Akashic Record. Every person has a Record. Everything you've been and done, place you've lived in this lifetime or another, every reason your soul has for coming to Earth is all recorded in this Akashic Field. Each person <em>does</em> have a reason for being here. We actually have many reasons and they are written in your soul's library. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkSfpDqiMyUL_Kq94zqQ5kTdLeJ3yLn3RHv6oNTcPdTItpAlESuSFIxrfZOuGIro_GPcrqfdiKAmV1q8EzCegha_lhAec2717aaGdV3LxvPj74WWN0FkiYx2CU-gZCjJ2icPhyphenhyphenJVNprJV/s1600/Copy+of+LIS_0053_46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkSfpDqiMyUL_Kq94zqQ5kTdLeJ3yLn3RHv6oNTcPdTItpAlESuSFIxrfZOuGIro_GPcrqfdiKAmV1q8EzCegha_lhAec2717aaGdV3LxvPj74WWN0FkiYx2CU-gZCjJ2icPhyphenhyphenJVNprJV/s200/Copy+of+LIS_0053_46.jpg" width="182" /></a>When your soul decides it wants to come to Earth again it actually makes a plan. The way the Masters of the Akashic Record show it to me looks like this; 500 Souls come together in a giant auditorium and start looking for other souls to share their Earthly experience. One soul says to another "Hey, I'd like to have some kids when I come to Earth. Last time I wasn't a very good parent and I'd really like to finish that old Karma and be a loving parent this time". The other soul says "I know, I was one of your kids. All those beatings made for a lousy life so let's finish that old Karma and I'll be a happy kid and you'll be a great parent so we don't need to experience that pain again". They make a soul contract and 20 or 30 years later it comes to fruition. </div>
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Now it's anyone's guess if these two souls had a happy family. The odd part about us humans is that once we come down into these bodies, we forget all the contracts and reasons we had for coming. The energy is dense and Karma isn't always easy to complete. But we keep trying, sometimes it takes us 700 lifetimes to get it all right. But we're strong, bright Souls and our main reason for Being is to remember that. To be the Light and the Love so we can heal ourselves and those around us. So if you ever wondered "Y am I here?", the simple Truth is: To Be the Love. If you can remember that in the hard times, it may make life a bit easier.</div>
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<em>Lisa Barnett is an internationally known Teacher, Consultant and Founder of <a href="http://akashicknowing.com/" target="_blank">Akashic Knowing School of Wisdom</a>. She is a clear channel of profound divine wisdom through the Akashic Record, as well as an Energy Master and Spiritual Teacher. Lisa brings more than 20 years of teaching, spiritual counseling and energetic healing to her clients and students who span several continents.</em></div>
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Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-20354964140122221042013-04-27T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-27T00:30:01.814-07:00X is for eXtemporaneous (by Robyn T. Murphy)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, </span><a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Write On, Mamas!</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJPOYK9ER2vcls74NKKCpSqaSG9Kg_nOtNIA0xcxi3FtGU4lXtGv7v0X3eRKo-wfYK-wy3ggC_nlK3R7Ax2s8o5mVnl8w51kAHlkVDa8XZ-d6_PNzvcw5JIyzHMuMsaEytPHf34UsUUds/s1600/X.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" lwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJPOYK9ER2vcls74NKKCpSqaSG9Kg_nOtNIA0xcxi3FtGU4lXtGv7v0X3eRKo-wfYK-wy3ggC_nlK3R7Ax2s8o5mVnl8w51kAHlkVDa8XZ-d6_PNzvcw5JIyzHMuMsaEytPHf34UsUUds/s320/X.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by<a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">I climb in bed knowing I’ve volunteered to write 2-300 words for the Write on Mamas A-Z Blog Challenge. In the almost-asleep realm that is half-thinking and half-dreaming, I hear the familiar Seinfeld riff. And I am Jerry Seinfeld, on set, reading a directorial note from Larry David. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">In one minute I have to ad-lib a stand-up segment on a letter - but I can choose only from J, K or X, as all the other letters are taken. And then, I am on-stage in jeans and a blazer, in front of a live studio audience with cameras rolling. I put on my best not-even-trying-not-to-smile face. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">" . . . and I said, well, you know, J and K - I understand why they didn't get chosen. But X? What's wrong with X? </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">X is nothing like Q. Q is all needy and pathetic, with U next to him all the time. X - he stands on his own, brings his own lunch, shows up on time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Why shun the X?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">And look at R. R is all high and mighty - you know, “restricted” movies, “Rated R”. Fuh! X is all over that. X doesn’t even need to stand for anything, and he still trumps R. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">X is a kiss. In fact, X is hot - a Roman ten - and you know those Romans! In Australia, you put four X's together and you've got a can of beer. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">And he’s a team player. When X gets together with E, things get interesting. Ex-girlfriend, ex-wife, ex-pelled. That's a lot of material. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">If I was a letter, I'd be an X. Think about it: Give it a couple of numbers and it multiplies! </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><br />It's a really cool chromosome that you don't want to argue with. Once, it had it’s own files; It's got its own factor; it's own ray . . . its own Generation for Pete's sake. Not to mention the whole marking-the-spot thing. </span> <span style="color: black; font-size: large;">There’s just no good reason . . . to shun the X."</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">“It’s a take!” someone yells. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">In the almost-awake realm that is half-dreaming and half-thinking, I hear Larry David tell me, “That was pret-ty pret-ty good.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Robyn T. Murphy is an Xpat from Australia, a Gen X-er, who finds writing an Xcellent medium for her tendency to Xaggerate. She writes and ruminates from her home in Xquisite Marin county. You can find her at </em></span><a href="http://www.robyntmurphy.com/"><span style="color: black;"><em>www.robynTmurphy.com</em></span></a></span>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-13114508868090977942013-04-26T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-26T00:30:00.611-07:00W is for Weather (by MJ Brodie)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, </span><a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Write On, Mamas!</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQhVU8NkwTDYZ67SImbsBaWW4LtT9PKmKKWr93WoEDRaXe2gywzyVcFc4PazveUIE3N-EjSIghzrAim130LJcTvrkEfq6NNo-skO2cjfE1SqYus3JRc104RuFwKXGlTucReM6JcclJELn/s1600/W.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQhVU8NkwTDYZ67SImbsBaWW4LtT9PKmKKWr93WoEDRaXe2gywzyVcFc4PazveUIE3N-EjSIghzrAim130LJcTvrkEfq6NNo-skO2cjfE1SqYus3JRc104RuFwKXGlTucReM6JcclJELn/s320/W.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by Mary Allison Tierney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you do when the weather never changes? When every day is sun-baked, blue skies stretch to infinity and a quilt of heat envelops you whenever you step outside your door? If you’re me, you start to go slightly mad, that’s what. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Or at least I did in my first summer in California. Having grown up in Ireland, where the weather is an endless source of speculation, it unsettled me to suddenly find that weather reports were irrelevant. Weeks would go by without anyone mentioning ‘the weather’. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Would the weather be nice for our picnic on Saturday? Of course it would. It would be the same as it always was: sunny, hot and dry with no chance of rain, temperature somewhere in the 80s, maybe even the 90s. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Every morning I would look out the window, wondering whether today could possibly be as hot and dry again as yesterday and if so, how on earth my neighbors managed to have flowers bobbing about their front yards. The answer came to me late at night when I would hear the whoosh of their sprinklers starting up like clockwork around 1am, as regular as the weather itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As regular as the weather. That’s a phrase you would never hear in Ireland. Weather there is as impossible to predict as your own fate. It can snow in April, it can rain thunderously in August, it can be mild and sunny in January, there can be storm force winds in June. Your best bet, however, is to assume that it will rain because Ireland, of course, is famously rainy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On those perpetually sunny days, at the height of California’s summer, the lack of weather left me feeling cast adrift. There was something cruel about the endless sun beating down on my light-haired head, like an inquisitor shining a bright light in my face to break my spirit. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My only relief was to take trips on the weekend to coastal towns, where it’s cooler, where there is weather, to try to hide from the sun. On the hottest weekends, we would make our escape and hide away in the banks of Pacific fog, refugees from weather-free heaven. ‘Oh, look’ I would say to my husband excitedly ‘it’s only 75 in Half-Moon Bay, ’75 and foggy’. Maybe I’ll need to wear shoes!’</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>MJ Brodie is a recent arrival to California from Ireland (via Germany, Belgium and Scotland) and has slowly adjusted to endless sunshine and positive thinking. She has always written and blogged, having worked professionally in marketing and communications, and is taking postgraduate courses in writing with Berkeley Extension and Stanford. She is also a member of Write On, Mamas. A mother of one, she blogs on literature, politics and sometimes parenting at </em><a href="http://www.suilnua.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><em>A Fresh Eye</em></a></span><em><span style="font-size: large;">. You can follow her on Twitter @suilnua.</span> </em>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-82425405003957119742013-04-25T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-25T00:30:05.087-07:00V is for Verna (by Steven Friedman)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, Write On, Mamas! who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikofz4qZ-9XFPB32xuDbIVN2MQe_Ug8Q96IrSoP0fKwJkrqSe_svTxnnH1PajlrxMeQh6tNxPq0hqRN0plgwtA8cGukGUBm9FHjXkEVPh627xZe5LMebrtDZBjKQ1USeqIIqe32Xqs4MgR/s1600/V.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikofz4qZ-9XFPB32xuDbIVN2MQe_Ug8Q96IrSoP0fKwJkrqSe_svTxnnH1PajlrxMeQh6tNxPq0hqRN0plgwtA8cGukGUBm9FHjXkEVPh627xZe5LMebrtDZBjKQ1USeqIIqe32Xqs4MgR/s320/V.jpeg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by<a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Verna
died more than two years ago and there have been waves of sadness and grief
rushing up against a shore fortified by the blessings of life—friends and
family pitching in with play dates for Maya, picking up Miguel from baseball
practice, watching Maya in the afternoons, inviting us to holiday meals and
barbecues.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Amidst
our recovery, I wonder about how the kids are processing their mother’s death.
Maya, seven years old, had one year of play therapy at hospice and another
several months of private counseling with a young woman who brought her
polished stones and helped her articulate her loss and grief with Barbie dolls
and role playing so she could continue to heal. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Miguel,
15, a freshman in high school, is quieter about his grief, rarely mentioning
Verna and the enormity of his loss. He just doesn’t do death well. He refused
to continue having me read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Old </i>Yeller
to him when he found out the dog dies at the end. He asked to stay with a
friend when Verna’s death was imminent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over
the past few weeks he’s had to take pictures for his photography elective,
something he’s done in the neighborhood, around town, even on vacation, choose
two per topic and then upload the polished versions to his personal blog, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.mfriedmanphoto7.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Miguel’s Photography</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-xAdEzFkVHZCRoQBpM3ga8Ok9eW5PpikqQcMSQg2FErCI0aO3C_w-q092Zo_xhBSFIeGZEnJG0D33shDSfCEUvPXYiqmEjfa9Ed8E92wRPzmFojKa8MRmbs5IRZSrt_bSfBZND8MNMu5/s1600/V+pic+-+rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-xAdEzFkVHZCRoQBpM3ga8Ok9eW5PpikqQcMSQg2FErCI0aO3C_w-q092Zo_xhBSFIeGZEnJG0D33shDSfCEUvPXYiqmEjfa9Ed8E92wRPzmFojKa8MRmbs5IRZSrt_bSfBZND8MNMu5/s320/V+pic+-+rose.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Miguel Friedman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">He
asked me recently to look at his posts. There was one picture of pinkish roses,
similar to the double delights that were Verna’s favorites, besides which he
wrote: “While we were at a butterfly farm [outside Delray Beach], we came upon
some roses. My mom, who passed away in 2010, loved roses. So when I saw the
roses I just had to take a picture. I took it in honor of my mom.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Miguel’s
words and photograph brought tears to my eyes and made me ache for Verna and
love Miguel even more. Miguel used his picture (in place of too many words) to
say that Verna’s death still hurts and honor her memory</span>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><em><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="il">Steven</span> Friedman was widowed in 2010 and has two children. His book, <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Francisco-Golden-Memories-Voices-America/dp/0738508756" target="_blank">Golden Memories of the San Francisco Bay Area</a></b>, was published in 2000 and went to a second printing within six months. He has written for Rethinking Schools, the Marin IJ, KQED, the Northern California Jewish Bulletin, and had essays published in two anthologies. One of his essays placed second last year in a national writing contest. He is working on a memoir about his family's cancer journey, <b>It's Not About the Breasts</b>. And he's in love again.</span></em></o:p></span></div>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-41647064664359828282013-04-24T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-24T00:30:00.518-07:00U is for Underwear (by Jennifer Van Santvoord)<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, </span><a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Write On, Mamas!</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLCQZ4m3AHMs0zbmHCY70qd-Q8E8r1W8c3ts1hv_-XG1Gd3o3sIrnCrrx43M-5jRf8VukyrXg7yrIfQEvRHGIafq-stw-rUk29DtdQAkvd4b-AMDPhkoxLjRrOXQNybPxSgNtS-lDZWNv/s1600/U.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLCQZ4m3AHMs0zbmHCY70qd-Q8E8r1W8c3ts1hv_-XG1Gd3o3sIrnCrrx43M-5jRf8VukyrXg7yrIfQEvRHGIafq-stw-rUk29DtdQAkvd4b-AMDPhkoxLjRrOXQNybPxSgNtS-lDZWNv/s320/U.jpeg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by<a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My son thinks that wearing underwear is optional. He is four, so for him most articles of clothing are optional. But in my house underwear is non-negotiable: Unless you are taking a bath or a dump, your Fruit of the Looms must stay glued to your bottom. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But let’s face it, as hard as we try to institute rules with our children, they are trying equally hard to break them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">On a typical morning, I will hand my son everything he needs to get ready for the day: shirt, pants, underwear, socks, shoes. I then calmly ask, “Sweetheart, can you please get dressed while I get your sister ready?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And the usual response to my request sounds something like an animal dying in the wild: “Noooooo! I don’t want to get dressed! I want to plaaaayyyy!” After much dramatic display, he finally starts removing his pajamas. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I return to dressing my daughter, and just moments later, I find my son totally naked with his day-old underwear stretched over his head, covering one eye. He is running around yelling, “Mommy, look at me, I’m a pirate! Arrr!!”</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCuGlHkDw-R1ocjsOuf8ElSDKwLOs2JTTitvuDrXvbIz4rDP9dx5fQlmikEciYvEvWAVuR3GNhjWLeaE7FWUOlgg6a-y4AXKQ2lf1FlDemhjx2OX4eYRxTDBtOX4v03pkdTaBhMDH3eUM/s1600/Underwear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCuGlHkDw-R1ocjsOuf8ElSDKwLOs2JTTitvuDrXvbIz4rDP9dx5fQlmikEciYvEvWAVuR3GNhjWLeaE7FWUOlgg6a-y4AXKQ2lf1FlDemhjx2OX4eYRxTDBtOX4v03pkdTaBhMDH3eUM/s400/Underwear.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am already nauseated by this spectacle - his hair marinating in yesterday’s butt grossness- when he plops his bare butt onto the rocking chair, wiggling it wildly into the fabric: “Mommy, Mommy, this feels cool!”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The day ends with a similar scene: My two-year-old daughter declares it a clothing-optional dinner, stripping down to her diaper. “Dahpuh off, dahpuh off!” she demands. My son follows suit, and as he starts to pull down his underwear, I yell, “Underwear is non-negotiable!! You can take off the rest of your clothes, but underwear stays on!!”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I wonder who’s in charge in my house. I’m pretty sure it’s not me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Originally from the Northeast, Jennifer now lives in Marin County, California with her husband and two children. She writes a blog, <a href="http://milesfromperfect.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Miles From Perfect</a>, about her search for the perfect town to raise her children, and realizing how imperfect she is as a parent along the way. She has also written articles as a guest blogger for various parenting blogs.</em></span>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-75658649335678761812013-04-23T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-23T00:30:00.937-07:00T is for Thanks (by Leslie Lagerstrom)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, </span><a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Write On, Mamas!</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_bzALrocj_QEuEC0aHZWS2uflh_tj5vzTlA97cgwAHcYifgbCH-CvcZH425UqA1KlJxxnenzIGYg9XPLfMF_PDRW6P2AT9OSPNS5klEl71jwnvGK74-pMfNm8Vfiq5q0-RhiWiB7XECb/s1600/T.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_bzALrocj_QEuEC0aHZWS2uflh_tj5vzTlA97cgwAHcYifgbCH-CvcZH425UqA1KlJxxnenzIGYg9XPLfMF_PDRW6P2AT9OSPNS5klEl71jwnvGK74-pMfNm8Vfiq5q0-RhiWiB7XECb/s320/T.jpeg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by <a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For those who know me, I am sure you are surprised that I didn’t go with the ‘T’ word that has been at the center of my world for the last ten years. As a mother of a transgender child and a staunch advocate for that community, I’ll admit that was the obvious choice. But I wanted to devote my post to ‘Thanks,’ because it is a word that is never said enough, and a sentiment I find difficult to adequately convey.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">This would be especially true in our family’s case, as we have found ourselves on a path less traveled. A path that some days feels riddled with hurdles and landmines, but yet has allowed us to experience the absolute best of humankind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">People like my son’s science and English teachers, who made their classrooms sanctuaries of safety at lunchtime when Sam was afraid to eat in the cafeteria.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Parents with children like ours, who lend support when the stigma is more than we can bear…who offer advice as we traverse the public school system with a child whose mind and biology do not match…who share amusing stories that only those in our ranks can understand, proving time and again that laughter truly is the best medicine. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Family members that circle the wagons to safeguard Sam’s physical and mental well-being.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Friends who use the correct pronouns without being asked. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">And the neighbors that always greet us with empathy instead of sympathy in their eyes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">How do I possibly express the gratitude that runs so deeply through my veins for these and so many other gestures of kindness great and small? By extending heartfelt thanks over and over again, and hoping with every fiber of my being that they understand.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Leslie Lagerstrom is a proud mom of two children, who is a writer and advocate. In 2011 she created the blog </span><a href="http://www.transparenthood.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #337566; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;">Transparenthood</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">™ </span><span style="font-size: large;">which chronicles her family’s experience raising a transgender child. Believing the time is now to change hearts and minds, she volunteers to speak on a national basis, most frequently appearing in front of medical and teaching professionals.</span></span><u></u><u></u></i></div>
Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-25765041934868006392013-04-22T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-22T00:30:03.287-07:00S is for Siblings (by Mary Hill)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, </span><a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Write On, Mamas!</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-A2XvQO8LaKQQsu6TUAhppV72br0j6hB1CHCtn8zdpp8PQJ7DfNu2vvBIMnTAse2RM0uDZ5rLpAQJ_FB-UhAWpiZU0kUxt0b1TtXgHoVdbip76KEd7ASDQ5DGVWjoaqqKI6Gw6wI9XIU/s1600/S.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-A2XvQO8LaKQQsu6TUAhppV72br0j6hB1CHCtn8zdpp8PQJ7DfNu2vvBIMnTAse2RM0uDZ5rLpAQJ_FB-UhAWpiZU0kUxt0b1TtXgHoVdbip76KEd7ASDQ5DGVWjoaqqKI6Gw6wI9XIU/s320/S.jpeg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by <a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One warm spring evening, when my younger son Oscar should have been practicing his lines for the class play or working in his vocabulary book, I allowed him and his older brother to shoot hoops after dinner. I figured these rare moments -- when Oscar is willing to join in typical play, when Abe is willing to adjust the game to Oscar’s level – are way more important than the class play and vocabulary words. I didn’t know if Oscar’s teacher would agree, but something told me she would.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They headed down the kitchen steps through our box-filled garage and out to the street, bubbling with excitement. I heard Abe tell Oscar that they were going to work on the “catch and shoot” to help Oscar in his lunchtime basketball games. Oscar’s low tone and slow processing speed make him neither fast enough nor coordinated enough to play on a real basketball team, but with help he can play in the informal school league.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a few minutes I snuck downstairs and peaked out at them from behind a tall stack of boxes in the shadows of our garage. It was one of those warm evenings where the light settles on the neighbor’s house and casts a pink glow. The sky was painted with pink, orange and purple bands and I felt the tension of the day melt away as I watched my boys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oscar stood patiently while Abe positioned his arms. “Here Oscar, point your right elbow toward the hoop and keep your forearm straight. Put your left hand under the ball and just barely touch it. That hand acts like a guide as you shoot.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Ok, Abe!” Oscar giggled, hopping from foot to foot. He didn’t argue. He didn’t scream or stomp his foot or tell Abe he was wrong, like he did two summers ago when Abe tried to teach him how to putt at one of those tacky seaside mini-golf joints. Oscar had insisted on scrunching his body awkwardly over the club, elbows sticking out, as if holding a microphone. When Abe tried to correct his grip he yelled and flopped to the ground. He didn’t want help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But something had shifted and Oscar was willing to listen that night on the street. He smiled and nodded while Abe demonstrated how to flick his wrist to maximize backspin. Abe’s voice was light and animated and Oscar glowed from the positive attention. I just wanted to stay hidden among the boxes, memorizing that moment.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.findingjoyinsimplethings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Mary Hill</em></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><em> is the mother of three, a writer and a medical and educational advocate for her middle son who was diagnosed at birth with Prader-Willi syndrome. She writes about raising a child with special needs and his two so-called typical siblings in between soccer and baseball games and all those darn medical appointments.</em></span>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-42576088615698387582013-04-20T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-20T00:30:04.223-07:00R is for Ripples (by Maria Dudley)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On, Mamas!</a> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjIkrvMhV1kJ5opSyTxPKRYQIKFIGdwr02M3fjPvEUciF49EhlFJbXoTMtzS-iQPT3Y0l1RDVQ6M4B2DU6X7lrsnJNcFNnfU8Jpv74w7WSAY9hcne7Ovo7QZ7ZLHH-BgNOR0tOnwSsj4N/s1600/R.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjIkrvMhV1kJ5opSyTxPKRYQIKFIGdwr02M3fjPvEUciF49EhlFJbXoTMtzS-iQPT3Y0l1RDVQ6M4B2DU6X7lrsnJNcFNnfU8Jpv74w7WSAY9hcne7Ovo7QZ7ZLHH-BgNOR0tOnwSsj4N/s320/R.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by <a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was a rather ripply spring, that spring when I was fourteen. It wasn’t just because of all the sailing I had been doing that season. The breeze on the San Francisco Bay certainly did cause the water to ripple as my dinghy cut through the small waves. Every Sunday my junior sailing program met for the day for instruction and racing. I had been doing this ever since I was ten. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmch7THnYDU3IPxrIAdx4CEXUX69XunjixyVCFwhx__aeSgGvdjMPasu_u6bfZ81S_qpAK3rNt_Mw100vzy2oYEEtdp7d4VEOTEUkSTN2XjItIyupRPgwzboY0MesyAEGUct9KEEKVQda/s1600/R+pic+yacht.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmch7THnYDU3IPxrIAdx4CEXUX69XunjixyVCFwhx__aeSgGvdjMPasu_u6bfZ81S_qpAK3rNt_Mw100vzy2oYEEtdp7d4VEOTEUkSTN2XjItIyupRPgwzboY0MesyAEGUct9KEEKVQda/s320/R+pic+yacht.JPG" width="214" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">But that spring was different. I know it sounds silly, but do you remember that feeling when you had your first crush? Ripples going through you, like little electric currents? His name was Seadon, Swedish Seadon, another fourteen-year-old in my sailing program. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a long day of sailing, the two of us wandered into the small boatyard after it had gotten dark. (Our parents were still lingering at the bar of our yacht club.) The halyards clanged in the breeze against the metal masts of the boats parked on their trailers. The stars twinkled above us. He led me behind one of those boats, and pulling me closer, kissed me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ripples.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>For 20 years, Maria Dudley has been an elementary and middle school teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. She recently opened up her own business, offering writing classes to home schooled students. She finds that most of her own writing gets erased from the whiteboard she uses in her classroom, but hopes someday to submit her stories somewhere.</em></span>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-44870400859540551672013-04-19T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-19T00:30:05.481-07:00Q is for knowing when to Quit (by Dorothy O'Donnell)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On, Mamas!</a> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8WpM6NbPuU6fr95vStt3H39Hdn77Vp8d54-678OJOXJExXOXyHU-BHFsA2ShEdrcbDeAcg64RoRmvA0xoph3uFw8ihXgJM7nfegDRXpgRE4yB4T_wRDE0xcFAOigEhRn9CLmQSvmwIsl/s1600/Q.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8WpM6NbPuU6fr95vStt3H39Hdn77Vp8d54-678OJOXJExXOXyHU-BHFsA2ShEdrcbDeAcg64RoRmvA0xoph3uFw8ihXgJM7nfegDRXpgRE4yB4T_wRDE0xcFAOigEhRn9CLmQSvmwIsl/s320/Q.jpeg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by <a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I watched my 10-year-old skip down the Victorian-lined street in San Francisco, I blinked back tears. She’d just spent the day visiting a small school for kids with learning differences. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her come out of school happy.
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you asked me a year ago if I’d ever send my child to a private school, I would have laughed. We weren’t private school kind of people. I equated them with snooty over-achievers, blah uniforms and hefty price tags.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Besides, we lived in a community known for its great public schools. The one my daughter had attended since kindergarten was among the best. I’ll always be grateful to the staff there for helping me recognize that her behavior and attention problems weren’t normal.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to believe that with their support and a tutor, she could make it in public school. And until this year, she was—barely. Within weeks, the increased workload, large class size and organizational demands of fifth grade left her floundering and depressed.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQTaSWEYUqLYUE1E5PO5kfVPxVfTGYvi5cB1sSeQLyjU9cojJhymAEXLAfZh5po4AK-MOPL-YH8eGkFtgL1fTxdMwIDzhTnhJEWkiiLuS0jvvnxQfQzbpraSKf7VDKUx6pBR2fxqBMDoA/s1600/Q+-+spinning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQTaSWEYUqLYUE1E5PO5kfVPxVfTGYvi5cB1sSeQLyjU9cojJhymAEXLAfZh5po4AK-MOPL-YH8eGkFtgL1fTxdMwIDzhTnhJEWkiiLuS0jvvnxQfQzbpraSKf7VDKUx6pBR2fxqBMDoA/s320/Q+-+spinning.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">At first, the idea of calling it quits with her old school in the middle of fifth grade seemed insane.
But as we headed across the Golden Gate back to Marin that afternoon, my doubts started to evaporate like the wisps of fog floating over the bay. My daughter bubbled with tales of the new friend she’d made, the small classes where teachers had time to help her, the kids who didn’t bat an eye when someone laughed too loud and long at a silly joke.
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">By the time we pulled into our driveway, I knew in my gut that my daughter belonged in that little school in the city. And that it would be crazy to let her struggle a second longer.</span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Dorothy O’Donnell is a freelance writer from Marin, California. She used to think training for marathons and triathlons was hard. Then she became a mom in her forties. Although she’s written about travel, health and business, these days her main focus is writing essays and a memoir inspired by her toughest, and most rewarding, endurance event--motherhood. Her work has been featured in the Marin Independent Journal, Mothering and on KQED radio.</em></span>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-24702716757562583992013-04-18T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-18T00:30:06.546-07:00P is for Proximity & Prevail (by Michelle van Kriedt)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On, Mamas!</a> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PtfHnfS61b3457kCNSaLYkTJVxejbfQqOwgytGbyztKKua-UHyfH9JX1iNq_AHLA9jE7UPutKktRA0sFnjQZKPU3fXFB87yhMAlMiP3PVYIyAD6o_cjgIVpdwqX7v1q5Pfmf8AOajFCk/s1600/P.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PtfHnfS61b3457kCNSaLYkTJVxejbfQqOwgytGbyztKKua-UHyfH9JX1iNq_AHLA9jE7UPutKktRA0sFnjQZKPU3fXFB87yhMAlMiP3PVYIyAD6o_cjgIVpdwqX7v1q5Pfmf8AOajFCk/s320/P.jpeg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by<a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">He calls it “when your numbers are up.” Most of us simply call it “dead.” But “he” happens to be four and half with an emerging appreciation for the linear and rational. One day I’ll explain – try to explain – that sometimes being dead isn’t limited to how I frame it now. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A question about the Pixar movie, Up prompts a conversation along these lines.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">With a concerned tone and woeful eyes, my son asks, “Mommy, why did the man’s wife die?” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sweetheart, she was really old and so her numbers were up.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Curiosity about why a classmate’s older brother (a child) died prompts this dialogue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Mommy, why did Pilar’s* brother die?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sweetheart, he was really, really sick and so his numbers were up.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Driving in the car listening to music provokes this exchange. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Mommy, who is that man singing on the radio?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Bradley Nowell, the lead singer of the band Sublime**, he made really, really, really bad choices, so he’s not alive anymore.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“He made bad choices and so his numbers are up.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Yes, sweetheart.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I won’t make bad choices.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A deeper than usual breath, followed by “I know, sweet-man.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just like I know my son will make bad choices, I know that one day, in the wake of a tragedy, like the horrific bombing in Boston this week, I will be among wobbly parents faced with the responsibility to explain something – not only nonlinear and irrational, but evil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sweetheart, we co-exist with bad guys, some people are the pestilence of Planet Earth – it’s terrible, but true. But, you know, the good guys outnumber the bad ones and so that makes us good guys even more powerful and strong.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For as long as bad guys have used poisonous words, perilous threats and even, tragic proximity, it has not stopped the good guys. The good guys will prevail.</span><br />
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*Name changed<br />
**Sublime song on radio was not R-rated<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Michelle van Kriedt is a native Michigander who lives, loves, works and writes in Mill Valley, CA, with her husband & son. Her dual mantra is <a href="http://the3six5.posterous.com/september-22-2010-michelle-van-kriedt" target="_blank">Family-Meaning</a>. Tweets in between can be seen at <a href="https://twitter.com/carmelmichelle" target="_blank">@carmelmichelle</a>.</em> </span>Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4434343586270371349.post-89281721467053063102013-04-17T00:30:00.000-07:002013-04-17T06:14:51.556-07:00O is for Outside (by Annie Yearout)<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">For this year's A-Z Challenge, I am organising my writing group's participation for the first time. So I am posting each entry here as well as on the website, <a href="http://writeonmamas.com/" target="_blank">Write On, Mamas!</a> who are a writing group based in the San Francisco North Bay area. We will have 25 Mamas and one Papa writing on a different letter of the alphabet during the A-Z Blog Challenge. Comments are always so appreciated here or it would also be lovely if you would comment on the Write On, Mamas! blog. Thanks and look forward to reading your blog.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd_z1rJasx5R1DDV-3YypsaTHnw2CxxfJIhShHzf4zeZDNpISqTsupT3CvqKLvCADl-fcMmkwTNk4DDHed72T8w3oNpEXEdO7O7ust5vMd3ulIbrCSLd53jZ6lFkRuRMM3lzOSdPiZeBT/s1600/O.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd_z1rJasx5R1DDV-3YypsaTHnw2CxxfJIhShHzf4zeZDNpISqTsupT3CvqKLvCADl-fcMmkwTNk4DDHed72T8w3oNpEXEdO7O7ust5vMd3ulIbrCSLd53jZ6lFkRuRMM3lzOSdPiZeBT/s320/O.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by <a href="http://moremillvallison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mary Allison Tierney</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Getting the Kids Outside – Sometimes There Isn’t a Green Hilltop in the Alps for You, Julie Andrews and Your Brood to Play On</strong>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My son’s schoolyard playground doesn’t have a blade of grass. Not a single, foot-stomping, bee-hiding, soft-landing cushion of Ma Nature’s finest carpeting….
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">No grass.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s all blacktop.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Hot, hard, odorous, steaming blacktop.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But that doesn’t stop my son and friends from hooting with yahoos!!! and wild and free abandon when that recess bell rings. Because, it’s still: Getting Outside.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I think to myself: Outside doesn’t just have to mean running around with backpacks on a gloriously, green hilltop in the Alps of Nature spinning and spinning and singing fa-la-la and doe-a-deer like Julie Andrews in a long skirt….
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Creative play and imagination combined with small moments of nature’s gifts happen Outside on the hardtop, too. Fresh air wafts into the kids’ noggins as they bend their bodies into contortions on the swinging bars and smack that ball out and over our heads and into the street.
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</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hoppety-scotchety, jumppety-jump, four-square, tag-you’re-it!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw-_G3Y6Y11SF99XrfUufR4rovLA6TIypv6ok9DfLPYrpd4Nz9r7N60YnEnpPzGYSD5QpAz_IyKG2Jdl95XdCxdrSBPHAHhiqP4Rco7E705zikBK5o1zGuf3VYxb4WRw25PDMvgmjJ2RC/s1600/O+for+Outside+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw-_G3Y6Y11SF99XrfUufR4rovLA6TIypv6ok9DfLPYrpd4Nz9r7N60YnEnpPzGYSD5QpAz_IyKG2Jdl95XdCxdrSBPHAHhiqP4Rco7E705zikBK5o1zGuf3VYxb4WRw25PDMvgmjJ2RC/s320/O+for+Outside+pic.JPG" width="238" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">All while the tree branches from the house next-door bend over the schoolyard fence, hovering over the blacktop, creating shade, and sprinkling their greeny leaves on the kids below. A black feather wafts from a nearby, sneaky crow who’s ready to pounce on the spilled bag of cheesy puffs . The school garden, small and mighty, struggles in it’s over-lovedness from tiny Kindergarteners pulling at its roots. Ouch!
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<span style="font-size: large;">Gifts large and small from the Outdoors can be found everywhere – on a green, grass mountain-top AND city street. Not just in Julie Andrew’s skirts.
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<span style="font-size: large;">So…. Get Outside!
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">Annie was recently voted Top #3 Outdoorsy Mom Blogger in the Universe for her blog <a href="http://outdoorsymama.com/" target="_blank">OutdoorsyMama</a>: Honest, Adventurous, Positive Parenthood with an Outdoorsy & Humorous Twist. She currently writes with the Write On, Mamas! and gets daily affirmations from her 3 kids, husband, and hiking shoes.</span>
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Claire Hennessyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16576410137759875223noreply@blogger.com6