A Family Christmas

  Have you ever seen family Christmas photos that make you green with envy?      (We all like green during this season, but being green with envy isn't exactly what we are hoping for.) You know the kind of photo: the perfect family, all dressed matchy-matchy; everyone is beautiful AND photogenic; and the lighting and scenery are equally as riveting?

Well, this is NOT one of those Christmas photos:

We learned long ago not to waste money on professional photographs, especially when this is the best picture out of a batch of 30. I particularity like that when the photographer (aka Grandma) says, "OK, now do a goofy one," that the hubs gives us his very best face.
I also like how my fleece pockets (I love pockets!) make me look like I've got a kangaroo in my pouch. Don't want to start any rumors here: it just the pockets. They make me look all ... poofy. I might have to learn to think about style instead of comfort. (Nah!)

Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas, or as we say in Montana, 

Fleece Navidad.

The blog is on vacation until 2012: see you next year!

The Christmas Present (Winner)

Your Christmas stories made me feel warm and fuzzy. Thank you for giving me Christmas spirit--the best gift of all. (Especially because it's free!)

The prize this week is something warm and fuzzy. Something that will go with those Christmas pj's. Something that you could even wear to church. :)

Slippers! I have a nearly identical pair. Love them! We can be twinners!

This week's winner as selected by Random.org is: It's me! #7! I've always wanted to win! No? You don't think that's fair? OK. I'll re-click. #2 Edgertons! Yay for you! It's been a while since you won too. Congrats! I'll be in touch.

Good luck to everyone as you finish your Christmas preparations. May your tinsel not get tied in a knot. May your cookies not get dropped on the lawn. And may it actually SNOW! (Please snow, you could show up about now.)

I had planned on posting a family Christmas picture to wish y'all a very merry, but we haven't had the chance to take one yet. Pop back over to the blog next week, hopefully it will be done by then. Until then, have yourself a merry little Christmas! Love you guys!

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Well, the holidays are in full swing and I'm full on my way to looney. If you've been around me lately, you may have seen that my eyes are glazed over and I'm babbling incoherently. No, I haven't been downing eggnog, but rather, I'm suffering from self-induced holiday overload. I don't know why this happens year after year (well, OK, I do know why ... it's because I'm a procrastinator) but despite my best intentions, I'm always frazzled, stressed, and exhausted December 1st through 25th.

I've definitely cut out all unnecessary holiday fluff. Gone are the days when the presents under the tree are all done in coordinating paper. Nowadays, presents typically end up in a gift bag or a printed holiday box. Gone are the days of sending out Christmas cards. Sorry, but it's not like children change that much from year to year anyhow. :) And gone are the days of handmade gifts. Oh wait, those days never came around that much.

So this year, as I've tried to focus on what matters most, I've thought a lot about my childhood. The memories I have from my childhood Christmases are helping me to prioritize how I use my time so I can make sure my children don't grow-up into the Grinch who hates Christmas because Christmas turned their mom into Mrs. Grumpypants. Here are my favorite memories:

1. Singing Christmas carols (a capella) underneath the Christmas tree, using only the tree lights to see the words, with my sis PaulaShawn. (BTW, it's kinda weird that you took on your husband's first name. Most people hyphenate LAST names. Are you being the ultimate example of cohesiveness? Is that they key to connubial felicity?) We were probably 8 and 9 ish, and we didn't always get along back then (which is surprising because you can see that we never tease each other) so it was extra special to spend hours together signing off-key.

2. My mom would always bake cookies all day long on Christmas Eve. I don't think we ever ate anything other than cookies that entire day. Oh yum. (She's the best baker on Earth!) And then we would deliver them to all our friends and neighbors and drive around looking at all the lights. I LOVED doing that.

3. Staying up into the wee-hours waiting for Santa, also with PaulaShawn, when were trying to prove that Santa was not real. I think we must have been about 20 and 21 ish. We never did see him, but he did indeed come. How do I know? Because he left me a Cabbage Patch Kid and they were completely sold out in stores and this was back in the days before the internet, so there is no way my mom could have procured my beloved Clair Tansy.

4.  A few holiday mishaps: I remember when the large bulb lights burned a hole in our carpet. And I remember when the hamster I got died the day after Christmas. But! My brave mother waited in the return-line at K-Mart (this was back in the days before Wal-mart. Sheesh I'm old) with the remains of the dearly departed hamster in a brown bag. I remember how stiff the cashier was as she accepted the bag from my mom. Ha! That should teach them not to sell diseased pets to sweet little children. I think it was just a short time later that K-Mart stopped selling animals. Coincidence? I think not.

So to sum it up, Christmas for me was all about family, family, family. The best memories weren't planned; they were spontaneous. It didn't matter if did a daily advent activity, it didn't matter if we brought the fanciest treats to our school parties. What mattered is that we got to spend time together. Do you see how our Christmas pasts can help the mom's of Christmas present? ( Also the mom's buying Christmas presents?) Writing this down has helped me shift focus immensely.

Please give me the gift of sharing your memories. What are your favorite moments from your childhood Christmases? I know you guys are going to give me the tingles!

One Hot Winner

Thanks for the reminder bigskyboys. Yeah, I had the hots for them too. We played Dukes of Hazard all the time, but my BFF always got to be Daisy so I would get a brattitude and go off and pout like a fudder.

And speaking of Matt Damon bakerfam and Janice, have you seen previews for We Bought A Zoo? It made me get all goosebumply. Has he ever made a movie that was a bomb? I think he must be making a couple of bucks per movie.

Livingstonslifeinmt: You parted your hair on the same as his?! I'm sorry, I can't stop laughing. What happens if your hubby goes bald?

Caitlin: That is heartbreaking! I'm getting you some hummingbird earrings for Christmas. How about these ones?

Janice: I think you're the only one who might still be on speaking terms with your first crush. You da woman! Do you remember the song they played as you skated together?

Since this week was such a "hot" topic, I thought we might need something too cool off. Like Cold Stone! You can get something tall, dark and ... tasty.

The gal who gets to spend $10 at Cold Stone is # 4: Rosie! It's about time you won again! I'll get your card to you. Maybe you can use it next week on your big Sherlock Holmes night out.

See ya next week friends!

A Crushing Memory

So it's December! (I'm using an exclamation this time to indicate that I am now excited about this month rather than dreading it. Or at least I'm trying to pretend like I'm excited. Maybe I'll add a few more !!! to help force the enthusiasm.) It's December!!!!!! What does that mean on the blog? Well, that means it's going to be a short month. My kids are out of school on the 16th. Stop and think about that for a second. If you think, how lovely that Lori gets to spend an entire week with all five children twenty-four hours a day for eight days before the holiday, reconsider using the word lovely. The word mayhem might be more appropriate. So due to this early Christmas break, I will only be doing two posts this month: this week's and next week's. Then I will be staying away from the computer so we can have some "quality family time." Next week, the theme will obviously be something Christmassy.

That leaves this week to review the blog year of 2011:

We had lots of fun, didn't we? I met new friends, found old ones and I was supported in the launch of my two books by many amazing, clever, fun, and beautiful women. Thanks everyone!

I try not to look at statistics, but I couldn't help but noticing that one post this year far surpassed all other posts (over double the amount of page-views.) Do you know what post that was? It was the Wilder Times dream cast post. I think maybe, possibly, it has something to do with the handsomeness of some of the men I selected to be in the movie.

Since I am here to entertain you lovely ladies, I kinda feel like I should do what pleases the masses and display more pictures of handsome men. But no, my conscience will not let me do so. I will not post pictures of good-looking guys without due cause.

So I will not be posting any pictures of this guy:

Nor will I be posting pictures of this guy:

And I DEFINITELY will not be posting (more) pictures of this guy:

No, I will not drag this blog down into the gutter of man-lust! But we will talk about guys, or more specifically, about our first crushes. Do you remember back in your tween days? Back when you first realized that boys weren't stinky, gross, mean and stupid? Most likely, your first crush was the unobtainable celebrity crush. It was so much safer to set your sights on a guy you would never have to actually talk to, or even be in the same room with. My first celebrity crushes were:

Tom in Top Gun. I saw that movie SO many times. (Because of the fighter jets of course.)

Ricky Nelson, from watching "Ozzie and Harriet" reruns. I was devastated when I learned that he died just as I was entering my tween years.

And Kirk Cameron. I think I had that exact poster on my bedroom wall.

Like I said, the teen heartthrob guys were a much safer place for my awkward teenage affections. In real life, I was much too clumsy and airheadish to associate with any guy except those who were in the chess club.

Want to hear a painful real-life first crush story? Of course you do!

When I was twelve, I liked this one fellow so so so so so much (that would be a direct quote from my diary). Every other girl I knew liked this same fellow as well, including my sister. My odds weren't good. I was much too shy to talk to him, but I probably stared at him plenty from across the room in a stalker-esque sort of way. (Which by the way, is a great way to get noticed. Negative attention is better than no attention at all.) Well one time, we were playing volleyball at a youth activity and I got hit square in the face with the ball (I have snail reflexes; hiya!). It was painful, and I knew it was going to make my nose bleed, but I tried to laugh it off. Like it's so funny to have a volleyball SCRAB on your face. He came up to me, being ever so kind and compassionate, and said, "Oh my gosh, are you all right?" It was the first time he'd ever talked to me. And do you know what my response was? I whinnied. Just like a horse getting dragged to the glue factory. Seriously, I made this awful "neigh-ya-hahaha-waawaawaa" sound and then I ran away. I spent the rest of the night hiding in the bathroom, too ashamed to show my many shades of red (from the volleyball, from blushing, and then from crying) face. I think that was the only interaction I ever had with him. Thankfully we moved away a short time later. (My parents probably heard of this embarrassing fiasco and knew they must move quickly in order to salvage my reputation and enable me to become date-able material.)

So since I've shared TMI, will you please share as well? What posters of cute guys did you have on your walls? (Or do you still have on your walls if you are of that age or if you have a husband who doesn't mind you decorating your room with the faces of other men?) Also, tell me about your first REAL crush. Did it turn into anything? Did you embarrass yourself like I did? Do tell! And not to worry, your most private details are safe with us.

A Wordy Winner

It's December. I'm more scared about this month than I was October. (Sad, I know. I'm one of those procrastinators who ends up lost in the hecticness of the season.) Are you ready for it to be December?

And here's the bigger question: are you ready for me to use your words in this blog post? Brace yourself; this is gonna be good.

Devree, what the heck? Someone threw milk at you? What a motard. I want his name so I can come make his face all cursmudgled. Seriously. I'm driving down there yesterday to take care of this fudder, because Devree, even though I've never met you, you're duma.

And he could have used more uniquity, because I've heard of someone doing something similar. But it was even more lameasouras rex: someone threw ROTTEN milk. There was a gal who was not serendipitous and she chucked curdly, smelly milk at some man who had  dashed her hopes of connubial felicity. And the dude said "That girl's got a serious brattitude and I'm getting the www.heckawayfromher.com." At least I think he would have said something like that. But since I wasn't there to witness the event, it's possible that I'm being a gubula and passing along a tall tale. However, I do believe that it's real because every time I think about the coagulated milk, it makes me go idgida. I know it's lamesauce for me to be so squeamish, but I am just a kiddiepoop at heart. And can you imagine what that milk did to his skin? I bet it made him itchida like crazy. That milk tossing gal was one Bad Manzana. And Devree, I bet you wish that guy at your school was a touron, but I'm afraid you'll be stuck with him until the end of the year. Meow.

Bakerfam: Had you been watching Pride and Prejudice when your boys started saying "Darcy?" You must be related to Paulashawn because I think that she finds Ms. Austen most interestable. (And a flibbertigibbet Ms. Paula? You are not.)

There. I did it. Was that just splendiferous? Am I your favoritest author of all? Anne, was the letter "f" thing referring to my last name? The best of all "F's"?  I think that's what you meant.

Speaking of Anne: she is this week's prize sponsor. She's the talent behind Wall Graffiti. And since this was all about words this week, vinyl lettering makes the perfect prize. (Just in time for holiday crafting!) Make sure you check out her blog. And she'll have all her December lettering posted on the blog tomorrow. So all of ya head on over there and order a plaque that says, "F is for Folkman."

 

This week's winner is: (but wait, you're all winners for sharing your words with me) comment #3. Tara! Wahoo! You deserve a prize after all the words you wrote this month! Email me at folksinmt(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll hook you up with Anne. (Thank you Anne!)

And one more thing, Livingsonslifeinmt had technical difficulites and couldn't get her comment to post. But I'm sure she would have used the word "Schmooty Hooty." So I must say it as well. Without my clever friends, this would just be a blog. But with your help, you've turned this place into a real Schmooty Hooty. (That's a compliment!)

Oh, and another one more thing: some of those words are gonna be in Purgatory. You'll have to wait and see which ones. :)

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Words

I knew this would happen eventually. I knew the day would come that I would sit down in front of Blogger and think and think and think. And out of my spry fingers would come sheer brilliance absolutely nothing.

It's possible that this writer's block is happening because I ate way too much over the holiday weekend (oh my gosh did I eat and eat and eat. I don't think that the grizzlies up in my mountains ate that much in preparation for hibernation.) or it's possible that I'm feeling uninspired because of the NBA lockout--but whatever the cause, my mind is full of nothingness. And sadly, it's not just the blog that's suffering. NaNoWriMo isn't going so hot for me as well. Don't look at my wordcount. I am ashamed. Really, don't look at it, please. Stop! I said don't look! 

Since the month is over in just one day and I have a lot of words left to write, I really really need your help. How can you help? Give me words! I love made-up words. Words like   Ginormous    Ridonkulous   Fantabulous  

I also love made-up words that might be closely related to bad words, but since they're made up, they're not technically a swearword. (That's my story and I'm sticking with it.) Words like Craptacular (thank you Simpsons) or the most brilliant word of all: Dumbiot, as created by my 8 year old. Since we don't want to call someone dumb or an idiot, (because that's not nice!) it is therefore okay to call someone a dumbiot since it's not a real word. 

So I'm on the look-out for some fun new words. Can you help? Share your favorite words with me. If you don't have one on the tip of your tongue, make some up! (Word verification words are great for this!) And leave me the definition if it's not obvious so we can all make sure we are using the word correctly. 

But guess what? Even more than just winning the weekly prize, you could win something even cooler. Like you might just see your word in print, via Purgatory. And I will even acknowledge the origin of the word on my acknowledgement page. Total Awesomesauce!

A Grateful Winner

You guys are awesome! Your comments were thoughtful and inspiring (and not a bit selfish, unlike someone we all know). Each and every comment made me warm and tingly (even more so than a cup of Starbucks hot chocolate). I am so thankful for YOU my friends! Thanks for hanging out with me here on the internet and for being so supportive and encouraging. I have the best blog-friends in all of blog-land!

This week's prize is a cozy little pillow that will remind you to count your blessings every fall. AND! You also get a super-good smelling candle because you give me light and make me feel warm. (Do you like how I can relate any gift to any post? It's a rare talent, I know.)

The winner as picked by Random.org is #6 ... Bakerfam! You haven't won since way back when this blog was brand new! Congrats! It will be in the mail after the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

In Gratitude

I've been enjoying so many blogs and FB posts about gratitude this month and I'm seriously in awe of all of you who can list something you are thankful for EVERY day. That's a LOT of things to be thankful for. I've known all month that I need to do a gratitude post, but honestly, I've kinda been dreading it. Then I finally realized I have a problem: it's called ingratitude. (I know you find this shocking, especially when I admitted last week that I am selfish.)

I can see things I'm thankful for and acknowledge them, but then at the same time, I'm always wanting more. For example, when I did a gratitude journal a few years ago, I would list five things I was grateful for that day, and then at the bottom, I would write, "Next year, I would like to be grateful for ...." You see how sneaky I am? (You sneaky mom!) I use gratitude as a way to encourage myself to do more. I hope that I'm just ambitious and not a heathen.

As I was trying to think of what I'm most thankful for, without any goals attached, something I said in last week's post came back to me. I said that my hubby is the shopper of the family. What I should have said is that he's the everything of the family. Like when it's Thanksgiving and we ask what we can bring to the big dinner, it's his delightful pies that are requested. He's the cook of the family (and a seriously awesome cook, I might add.)

He's also the bread-winner of the family. (This might shock you since I'm an author. You'd expect I'd be as rich as Stephanie Meyer, wouldn't you? Weird (and sad) that most authors make less than McDonald's employees.) Hey I just did a parenthesis within a parenthesis. And I'm wondering why I'm not making millions as an author. Hmm. Peculiar.  So anyway, he not only brings home the bacon, but he also fries it up in a pan. (In a pan that he probably shopped for. And paid for.)

He's the deep-cleaner of our family. That scunge that tends to gather in corners and the dust that gathers on your light fixtures? He's the guy that notices that stuff and gives our house a spit-shine. He also never leaves dirty socks on the floor. Pretty darn amazing.

He's also the fix-it guy. I can count on one finger the number of times we've called in a repair man. If he says he can't fix something, I know that we just need to go out and get a new one. He's also the builder-guy; it's so awesome to live in a house that he built from the ground-up.

He's also THE dad. I now know why we have 4 boys: because all boys need a great dad, and our boys have THE best. (As does our little girl.) He's the dad who is so involved in the kid's schooling that he's a member of the school board. He's that dad who goes on all the scout camp-outs (he LIVES for the summer 50 mile hike) and helps with all their scout activities. He's the dad who takes kids on field trips (even a week-long field trip) even though he has work piled up the wazoo.

He's also my biggest cheerleader. He's always encouraging me in my writing endeavors, even thought there's probably times when he thinks I'm crazy; and there's probably other times that he'd rather have a clean house than 4000 words on the laptop.

So there it is. The thing I am most thankful for is this guy:

(I also happen to think he's totally foxy)

So how about you? What are you the most thankful for???

(Comment will close at 7pm Weds. Winner will be announced by 8pm Weds.)

A Steaming, Hot Cup of Winner

I will have you know that I went to town today and I bought nothing for myself. Are you so proud? However, there is a coat at Costco that is really, really cute ... I might just have to go back.

BTW, speaking of Costco: I went there because I was out of almonds (and a few other things, but mostly I needed almonds). But guess what I forgot to get??? ALMONDS! Hello!     I cannot write without almonds. My wordcount will not change until I can get back into Costco.

This week's prize is something that will keep you warm inside if you decide to brave the crowds and shop next Friday. And it's something that we talked about last week that smells oh-so-good. It's 10 bucks to spend at Starbucks! Remember that they make delicious hot chocolate too if coffee isn't your cup of tea.

Thanks for all the comments this week: I was very entertained! And the winner is #7 PaulaShawn. It's been a while since you've won ... and I do know that you've got a thing for hot chocolate, even if you won't eat potato chips. Congrats! It'll be in the mail.

Now next week will be just a smidge different because of Thanksgiving. I'll post sometime Monday afternoon, and then the comments will close Weds. at 7ish. I'll post the winner shortly thereafter, then you won't have to be checking your computer on Thursday. Sound good? Kay. See you then!

It's All About Me!

You've probably realized that I'm not ashamed to show my weaknesses to you guys. I've talked about my geeky side, my hidden desires, and I've shown you what I do with my spare time. (Go ahead and ogle over that last link. I know you want to.) So now I'm going to reveal to you yet another of my flaws. I'm selfish. Really, truly: I am a selfish person. Who do I think about more than anyone else? ME! Who do I talk to more than anyone else? ME! And who do I spend more money on than anyone else? ME AGAIN! (OK, I'm stretching the truth a little on that last one, but just run with it for this blog post.)

With Black Friday just around the corner, I'm sure most of you are thinking about all the great deals you can get for your loved ones for that Great Day of Giving. Not I. I seem to get a bad case of "I-Wantitis when I look through all those sale brochures. (Do you think retailers do that on purpose? Do they advertise things that make women lose their self control, and then throw in a few good prices on toys for the kids so the women don't feel so guilty about their shopping spree? I think it's a conspiracy.)

So next Friday, my hubby will be dragging my butt out of bed and taking me to all the sales. (He's the shopper in our family.) And I'm sure I'll get a few things for gifts, but mostly, I'll be keeping Numero Uno in mind. What's on the top of my want list this year?

1. A nice camera

2. A tablet

3. Botox (kidding. I just wanted to see if you're paying attention.)

4. A heated seat to use on my office chair

5. A Jeep

I think I'll only get one of those things, and I think it might be the one at the bottom of the list. (Kidding again. More like #4.)

How about you guys? Do you get suckered into the Black Friday deals to spoil yourself, or are you the CEO of your family's charitable organization?

Tell me what tops your Want List this year (especially those things that are unaffordable. We can all repent of being covetous later!)

And the prize for the winning comment is super amazing this week: whatever is at the top of your want list, I will buy for you! No price ceiling! Wow! Do you think I'm being serious??? No! Of course not. But it's something that will make you all warm and tingly.

It Smells Like A Winner

OK, JazznJenna started something with her skunk story. Judi and LivingstonslifeinMt: I think you gals need to get your sniffers checked out. Or maybe you just need to give your nose a good, hearty blow.

Bigskyboys: I'm so with you on the coffee one. Want to meet at the Cafe tomorrow and just sit and smell?

My house smelled like ham yesterday and it always smells like pine trees outside: is that enough to entice you to visit PaulaShawn?

I know what you mean about workplace smells, Jessops. I worked at Little Caesar's and I still can't stand the smell.

So the prize this week is something smell related. It's a copy of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. Yay! Are you excited?

No? OK, that's not really the prize. It's one of these:

(Please don't drink it. It's not good for you.)

And you get to put it in one of these:

Yes, I'm a Bath and Body Works junkie. And these are by far my favorite product. (Chances are I've given you one of these as a gift already.)  I do a serious stock up every time they go on sale.

So lets spin that Random.org widget and see who wins:

It's #3. MISSY! You da winner! Yippy Skippy. Email me your address please. folksinmt(at)gmail(dot)com

 And BTW everyone: did you see my wordcount over there in the sidebar? Holy smokes my keyboard is on fire. (It's actually not. But my dishwasher was. Seriously. It went up in smoke. Guess what I'm getting for Christmas?)

See you on Tuesday!

I smell a smelly smell

Since I made you stop and ponder last week and since we all need to use our time wisely so we can accomplish DoSoYoLoDoMo, this is going to be the easiest post ever.

What smells do you love?

I love:

1. Anything pumpkin related (pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, you get the idea)

2. Anything lemony (except for Snicket)

3. Cinnamon, especially when baked with apples (sounds kind of like apple pie, doesn't it?)

Also of note, I love the smell of burning weeds. That one might be slightly strange? Do you guys like any strange smells? My hubby loves the smell of lumber mills (yes, he's very popular with the tree huggers.)

So ready set go ... tell me what smell you like to smell!

A Challenging Winner

It's been two days since our challenge--are you still motivated? I am, but a little begrudgingly. I'm having a hard time putting words together into those sentence thingies. It's such a good thing I put that progress bar up, or I might just decide to wait another week or two to get to work. I did finally make a connection this morning though: Halloween candy = ADHD. I have sworn the stuff off, at least for a few hours. I want to make it to 5000 words today! Yay!

This week's prize is something that will help you get your projects done. It's a $10 Papa John's gift card. How does that help? That means you don't have to cook dinner one night: you better use your extra hour or so wisely!

And the winner as selected by Random.org is #3 ... JazznJenna. Another new BlogAwayster! Wowza. I don't know what's up with that, but all the rest of you guys might want to change your screen name next week so you can win. Kidding. JazznJenna, email me  at folksinmt(at)gmail(dot)com.

Have a great week everyone!

National Something or Other

It's November.

Stop and think about that for a second. Do you have any feelings about that statement?

No? Nothing? Me either.

I've decided that November is a nothing month. No offense November, but you don't have much to offer. The once-beautiful fall leaves now litter the brown, dying earth. It's cold, but there's no snow to play in. And we're already thinking way past November anyhow, thanks to the over-commercialization of Christmas. I know November's not completely wasted ... there is that lovely day we currently call Thanksgiving, but I'm sure the name will eventually get changed to The Day to Gorge and Store Up Energy for Black Friday. Besides, it's hard to get excited for a day that makes your pants too tight.

So someone out there in the writing world decided that since November is the great month of nothingness, all writers should make good use of that extra time and write a novel. Hence, November was declared National Novel Writing Month. And then it was hence decided that name was too long, so therefore it became NaNoWriMo.

The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. For those of you who don't count the words on every page of a book you are reading, that's a short novel: less than 200 pages in a pocket-book format. I tend to write loooonger books. Catalyst is roughly 150,000 words. So, while I am participating in NaNoWriMo (for the first time!) I'm not doing it to complete a novel. I'm doing it to get a great start on Purgatory. There's a little progress bar over in the sidebar for you to see if I make my 50,000 word goal. Also directly related, (but not available in the sidebar) do you think I'll eat 50,000 pounds of nuts to match the word count? It's a definite possibility.

I'm a little stressed about the time factor, as my calendar seems to be filling up quickly (especially since I just found I have jury duty! Oi!) but I'm ready for the challenge. I'm stocked up on macaroni and cheese and ramen for dinners for the next month, so the children won't starve. And I'll buy extra underwear so I can avoid doing laundry until Dec. 1st. I'm all set!

Since you guys probably won't want to participate in NaNoWriMo with me, let's just declare November the Do Something You Love to Do Month (or DoSoYoLoDoMo for short). But here's the requirements:

1. It should be something challenging, yet rewarding
2. It should be something you've been wanting to do for awhile, but haven't had time.
3. It shouldn't be expensive.
4. It shouldn't be illegal.

Do you accept the challenge? What are you going to do this month? Make a quilt? Cook a gourmet meal? Learn how to scuba-dive? Run a marathon? Clean out the fridge? Set a goal and then tell us about it. Please! Let's accomplish something together!

Confessions of a Winner

Is it Friday yet? This has been a long week, and I even took Monday off!

Thanks for participating. It makes me want to snuggle under a blanket and watch movies all weekend. Which exactly what the prize is ... a movie.

This is one of my all time favorite romantic comedies. If you already have it in your video library, now you have a gift to give away at a forthcoming white elephant gift exchange. (I'm helping you prepare for the holidays! How thoughtful of me!)

And the winner is ... #6. LivingstonslifeinMT! Yay! Rub it in to Team C. She could have been the winner ... if only ...

See y'all next week. It will be November then. EEEK!

What a Character

Do you remember when we talked about careers we would love even if we might not have talent in that particular area? And remember when I talked about how I want to become a casting director? Well, that's so I can cast myself in movies and become an actress--which is yet another job I would love but lack the skills to be successful. OK, so I don't really want to be an actress. But sometimes I watch a movie and I think, "I would love to play that role!" Does that ever happen to you?

It can happen to me for a  number of reasons. Like when I saw 101 Dalmatians. I would have loved to have been cast as Cruella De Vil. How fun would that be to act so incredibly insane! So ruthless. So intimidating. Oh, and to be so fashion forward.

It happened when I saw The Young Victoria. I would have loved that role because of the costumes. Could you imagine getting to wear some of those dresses?

Remember The Princess Bride? (Of course, how could we forget?) I would have loved to play Buttercup. She was so calm and graceful ... and she had men fighting over her. Men defying death for her. That's gotta feel pretty good, even if it is just on-screen.

Then finally, Dwight Schrute. I would love to play Dwight. Just because. (OK, if you need a reason, it's because he's such a geek, yet he could care less what others think.)

Don't you see how fun it could be to get totally immersed in a role? Especially if that character brought out personality traits that we typically subdue. :) Not to mention that if you could have access to some of the wardrobes from movies, you'd have the coolest Halloween costumes ever.

So tell me: what character from movies, books or TV would you love to get cast as?

Dying to Win

Do you want to hear something motivational on this fine Thursday morning? "God would not give you the dreams of your heart if he did not give you the TALENT & ABILITIES to make them come true." That gives you courage to believe in your dreams, doesn't it? And it comes via Olivia Holt, the cute girl I picked to play Kat in the make-believe Wilder Times movie. 

So lets all get our passports and make our travel plans! PaulaShawn, it would be nice if you could do that England trip right away to help do research for that English Romance I want to write. And Rosie, I'm sorry, but you can't move any of those places while your kids are still young because that would mean you wouldn't live by me, and that can't happen!

The prize this week is something that will help the winner plan their bucket list.

 

A deluxe journal! Remember how I have thing for office supplies? That includes cute stationary stuff, so I'm having a hard time parting with this one! But don't worry, I haven't written on any of the pages.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I punched the numbers into Random.org. I thought there was no way that we could have another newbie win. But my eyes didn't deceive me: it's #3 LStevens. Yippee! Email me your address to folksinmt(at)gmail

Scared to Death

Since it's Halloween and morbid things like death are on our minds, I thought this would be the perfect time to ask you if you are prepared for death. Do you have a will? Have you met with an estate attorney? I'm kidding. I actually want to ask you if you are prepared to live.

Years ago, I attended a class and was challenged to write a list of 50 things I want to do before I die. Why write them down? Because if you don't write it down it's just  a dream; but once it's written down, it becomes a plan. And if you're like me, if I don't write it down, it's forgotten! Since I'm the perfect student, I got right to work my list. I only came up with 23 things to do before I die, but that's okay: I'm sure I'll add to it as the years go by.

I got my journal out from underneath my pillow, where I keep it until I write in it each night       I dug my journal out of a drawer and found my list. Let me share a few:

1. Go on a castle tour of Europe. I especially want to see this place:

2. Attend a play ON Broadway

3. Re-learn how to play the piano, (I might even get as good as this guy. Or not.)

4. Publish a book (Score! I can check that off my list!)

5. Write a screenplay and have it produced.

If you've never written your list of things you want to do before you die (also known as a bucket list) then I challenge you to do it TODAY. Then will you share some of your dreams goals with us? And this is even better than just keeping them locked in your journal because we can raz each other to get them done.

I can't think of anything worse than being locked away in a nursing home at the age of 112 and saying "I really wish I'd gone to Europe. Maybe I can do that next year." That's just scary.

P.S. The poll is now closed; Wilder Times 3 won with 64% of the vote. The people have spoken. Now it shall be written. Tomorrow. I'll have it ready for you by this weekend. :)

Dinner Winner

I missed our chit chat this week. How about you? Were you bored? I was so bored I cleaned my bathroom. (We can't ever let this happen again!)

This week's winner gets at $10 Applebee's giftcard. I took the quiz entries and entered the total number into Random.org and came up with #5: which is so totally cool because this person has never won on my blog before. And also totally cool because this person has just recently entered the blogoshpere. The winner is: Mary! I'm throwing confetti for you! See, wasting time on the internet really pays! Email me at folksinmt(at)gmail(dot)com.

Come back next week everyone: we'll have something to talk about.

P.S. The poll will still be there for a few more days, click on it if you haven't already done so. I was really rooting for the English Thingy. Darn. Do I need to remind you that the hero would have an English accent? :)

A Kiss on the Lips and To Spit on a Fish

Did you know it's Backwards Week? If you don't believe me, go ahead and Google it.

I'm waiting while you are Googling.  ... And you're coming up with ... nothing. Backwards week doesn't exist. I know, I Googled it.

OK, so never mind. But we're doing things backwards here at the blog. You know how usually you make a comment blindly, not knowing if the prize is something worth winning? Well this time, here's what you are going to win:

An Applebee's giftcard! However, you don't know the amount. I don't know the amount (YET). It's based on the number of people who enter to win. What is the contest? It's the one that we started way back at the beginning of fall. But if for some reason you haven't yet read Generations (hello, you're like totally out of the loop. Everyone who's anyone has read Generations. Get on it, would ya?) you can still take the Pop quiz and enter to win. I'm not grading the quiz (good thing!) so it doesn't matter if you have to fudge your way through. Just do it. It might pay for your dinner. You have until Weds. at 9 pm to enter.

I knew when I started this blog that it would be you guys who would make this blog fun (since I'm as boring as a cat on a fluffy pillow). Can I tell you how much you guys make me laugh? A lot. A lot a lot. I would like to share with you a couple of the answers from the quiz. Names have been omitted to protect the innocent.

Q: Where are Ben and Kat caught kissing? A: On the lips. Someone out there is a smarty pants. All she needs to do for her Halloween costume is tape some Smarties to her jeans.

Q: What is the name of Ben's new song? A: Spitting on a Fish. Ha ha ha! That is the best title for a song, ever! One of these days, I'm going to write lyrics for it. And that's a promise.

Obviously we're not taking the quiz seriously, so head on over there and enter.

So what does that leave us to do here on this blog? Hmm. How about a poll? I need your help making a decision.

I'm ready to start writing again. (Yipee!) I'd thought I'd work on Wilder Times #3 next. But I'm kinda changing my mind. I have a new idea I want to work on. It would be a romance (of course!) and the best way to describe it would be that it's Pride and Prejudice meets Confessions of a Shopaholic. I think it would be loads of fun. And it would be set in England. (which I'm an expert on BTW. I travel there practically every year.) It would be for grown ups, although teens would like it too.

Or I could do WT #3. Want to know what the plot is for WT#3? Well, remember how I told you that Ben is going to name his son Wylder Wilder? That got me thinking. Ben is going to be abducted by aliens and he will get impregnated with alien spawn and come back to Earth and become the not only the first male to experience 9 months of pregnancy, but he'll also become the first ever rockstar to go on tour while preggos. That could be a fun one to write too, couldn't it? (You do know I'm totally kidding, right? But no way am I telling you what happens in book three, especially when you need to brush up on your reading comprehension skills. See above.) I will tell you the name for #3 though. Purgatory. And yes, that's a song title too. Kinda makes you wonder what's happening in Ben's life to make him write a song with a title like that, doesn't it?

So there's a little poll over there in the sidebar. What book do you want me to write next? (Note the word NEXT. Both will get written eventually. Which one should I do first?) Isn't that cool that you can have a say with what book a world renowned* author is going to write next? Let your voice be heard. Take my poll. It's right here --------------------->

As for comments this week: it's open mic week. You're welcome to say anything you want to say. Ask anything you want to ask. You just won't win anything for it. Or you can give your fingers a break and do nothing. Totally up to you.

* I might be exaggerating just a tiny bit here.

I'm Afraid We Have A Winner

You guys made me laugh this week. You're a witty bunch.

Missy: my favorite illustrator is also afraid of sharks. Go check out his blog. This picture might keep you from taking baths. And this one is just down-right hilarious (you have to go to the blog and read the accompanying post too).

Janice: you're supposed to clean blinds? I never knew that.

Rosie: I will get your new baby a stuffed clown for her birthday. BTW, want to come jump on my trampoline?

PaulaShawn, PaulaShawn, PaulaShawn: what can I say? That was vengeance and flattery rolled up in one. Very impressive you are. And the chain link fence thing?  I think you'd have to wear stilettos to have an accident like that happen; I've never seen you wear any.

All the rest of you: I couldn't resist and I replied in the comments. If my comment wins, I'm afraid you'll be out of luck. (Kidding, I'll do a redo.) And I hate deleting extra comments ... it's so nice to be able to talk to each other! So if a duplicate comment wins, I'll do a redo as well. Fair?

This week's prize is something so scary ... so awful ... so ... cute! Look:

Halloween  stickers for all your scrapbooking/papercrafting needs. You can't tell from the picture, but they're dimensional. Maybe if you put on your 3D glasses it would help.

And just look at the spiders. They're juggling! With candycorn! A. Dor.Able!

This week's winner as picked by Random.org was comment #5. Devree! Again!!! Devree just won a copy of Catalyst last week. I still have your address, so I'll pop those in the mail to you. Congrats. You're on a winning streak.

Come back next week gals!

Be afraid ... be very afraid

It's October. That means that Catalyst is available! Yay! Want to click on over to Amazon and like it? Yes, you do, you do! The link is over there in the sidebar. As for the paperback ... it's there, it really is. But it's not there. For some reason it's still not up on Amazon. But you can get from Createspace, which is a division of Amazon. So it's the exact same thing for the exact same price. UPDATE: The paperback is now available on Amazon. The link is in the sidebar. If you see the price and gulp, it's because its a long book: 438 pages! But it's worth every cent. Am I right or am I right?

Were still in the midst of our Fall Fun Fest, but it won't last much longer. The final contest is the Generations Pop Quiz and the winner gets dinner at Applebee's. You don't need to worry about getting the answers right, you'll still be entered to win even if you bomb the quiz. And the more people who enter, the more $ the winner gets for dinner: so tell your friends to come play along. I'm giving you until Oct. 12th to get over there and enter. The winner will be announced on Thursday the 13th.

And then the Fall Fun Fest will be over. But it will still be fall. And we'll still have fun. It just won't be a fest.

So since it's the month of spookiness, let's face our fears. And let's name our fears. Did you know that there is a name for pretty much every phobia out there? I'm a bit of word nerd and I came across a 4 page list of phobias in my thesaurus. I thought it was hilarious. Look at these examples:

Pogonophobia : the fear of beards. I'd never really thought about that one before, but I guess when you see this picture, it's understandable.

Aulophobia: the fear of flutes. I'd say that any fifth grader who chooses to learn this instrument gives their parents aulophobia. I'm glad to say I never gave my mom aulophobia, unlike some people whose screenname might just be PaulaShawn.

(Not an actual picture of PaulaShawn. But if I had a picture like that of her, it'd be PRICELESS. I might have to look through some old photo albums next time I go visit mom and dad.)

Gymnophobia: the fear of nudity. This one cracks me up because of the name. It's obvious that too many people go au natural in the locker rooms of gyms. And it's not the buff people who do this. It's the droopy people. Don't worry, I won't post a picture. I'm sure your imaginations work just fine.


Didaskaleinophobia: the fear of school. I have at least on child who has this. Again, it's the name that's funny. I think it got the name from someone who "Did ask" a question and got made fun of and humiliated so bad that they developed a permanent fear/hatred of school. 

Pentheraphobia: the fear of your mother-in-law. I can't stop laughing about this one. There's a name for that?

Ideophobia: the fear of ideas. What the? Ideas? Really?

Kakorraphiaphobia: the fear of failure.This one is understandable. I think we all have this at some time or another, like when publishing a book. :)

And finally, my phobias: Entomophobia: the fear of bugs. Glossophobia: the fear of public speaking. And I couldn't find the name for this one: fear of crying in public. (Especially while speaking in public.) I'm going to give it a name myself: Bawlbabyophobia.

So what are your fears? If you know the scientific name, tell us that too. If you don't know the name, make one up! Together, we can overcome our fears! And to all you blog lurkers/never commenters out there, now is the time to overcome that fear. Leave me a comment. Come on: what are you afraid of?

The Winner, Take Six

Time for the final winner of Catalyst. I added up all comments and went to Random.org. We had 25 comments this week and it selected #8. So the 8th comment (starting from Monday) was Devree! Yay Devree. You've never won a prize on my blog before, so this is super exciting. Email me so I can send you the book. folksinmt(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thanks for playing everyone! It was great fun. Now I'm all give-awayed out. At least until next week.

BTW, the paperback is available, but the link isn't up yet. Maybe by Monday??? Check back then. Have a great weekend!

The Winner, Take Five

We are almost done with our week-long give-athon. After today's comments, I will add up all the comment threads and select one more winner. And then I won't have to bug you again until Tuesday! Phew.

Today's topic is something different than the rest of the week. We've talked about food and reading and ... headaches. (Of course we're going to have a problem with headaches after too much sugar and too much time in front of a book.) Anyway, since my family is a car family, the one question my boys ask the most is, "Mom, if you could have any kind of a car in the world, what would you get?"

This has been my answer for the last several months:

It'd be pretty pathetic if I got stuck in the snow in that! And BTW, that is one of Ben Wilder's cars, so I just helped you with your answer for the Generations Pop Quiz. You're welcome.

However, our whole family wouldn't fit, so we'd have to do this to it:

We'd turn heads everywhere we'd go in that thing, especially if we brought the giraffes along. (It almost looks like the giraffes are in the car, doesn't it. Man the inside of that Jeep is roooomy!)

So what's your dream car?

And winner #5 is another Nicole! Nicole J! You've got some serious good luck girl! I'll email you.

AND ... the countdown gadget has disappeared from my sidebar, which means that Catalyst is now available for purchase! Wowza! Head on over to Amazon and click like for me please! BTW, the paperback version won't be available for purchase for a few more days. Check back, I'll let you know when it's there.

The Winner, Take Four

Are you guys getting sick of me yet? I'll bet you're wishing I'd just go ahead and post the rest of the winners so you don't have to keep coming back. Not gonna happen. But I am teaching you patience. You'll thank me for it someday.

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about food that is so good that it's heavenly. Today, let's go the opposite direction. If all of our favorite, delicious foods are in Heaven, then it only make sense to have the gross foods we despise in Hell. Hell is supposed to be punishment for the wicked, and what could be a greater punishment than having to eat anchovies? And now that I think about it, this theory is a great way to help influence children. "You better be good or your going be forced to eat mushrooms in Hell for all eternity!" It might just work!

So tell me: what food do you loathe so much that you think it's served in Hell? My list is simple: seafood and eggs. Yuck yuck yuck. I will be a good girl just so I don't have to eat those ... ever!

And today's winner is:  Lisa. Yippee Skippy! I'll be in touch!

The Winner, Take Three

For those of you just joining us today, I'm posting a daily topic and having you leave me a comment. If you leave a comment any day this week, you are entered to win yet another copy of Catalyst. That's a total of six copies I'm giving out this week. PLUS! Today I'm giving out a copy of Generations over on Facebook. Exact same topic, exact same rules. You may enter both contests. And you may comment every day this week to increase your chances. Aren't I nice? :)

Today's topic is really simple: What's your favorite candy and/or candy bar?

I'm not a huge candy fiend, but I do like and occasional Swedish Fish or Cream Soda Jelly Bellies. If I'm going to have chocolate, I'll go for Peanut or Pretzel M&M's. I love the crunch!

Want to tell us what you like?

Today's winner is:   Nicole S. Yay Nicole S.! I'll email you with the details.

The Winner, Take Two

In case you missed yesterday's post, there's a lot more going on around here than just announcing a daily winner. You're going to want to scroll down to make sure you don't miss any of the fun. Or you could click here if your scrolling finger is broken.

Thanks for the tips on the headache yesterday. I found that hitting myself in the head with a sledgehammer works really well too. My head's not quite the same shape anymore though. Do you want to see a picture of what my head looks like? Click here. But warning, the picture might be disturbing to some viewers. My toes are still curling just from thinking about that picture.

Today let's talk about something more exciting that headaches: Books! Tell me about your reading habits. How many books do you go through a month? What's your favorite genre? Have you switched to an ereader or will you never be able to let go of it's heavy paper predecessor? And then finally ... what are you reading right now? I'm desperately looking for something to sink my teeth into: any recommendations?

Today's winner is: Brittany!
Last time Brittany won, it was the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. I don't think Catalyst will be as funny, but there are a few hand-drawn pictures in there. Or not. But you'll still like it! I'll send you an email Brittany.

Come back tomorrow for more good fortune and don't forget to keep the conversation goin'!

A Week of Giveaways!

Well hi! Watcha doin here on a Monday?

Oh ya, I just remembered you want to find out who has won copies of book two. How could I forget something so important? (I didn't really forget. I was just blessed with a Monday Morning Migraine. What fun!)

So here's what's going on this week: I will announce one winner each day. (Yes, I'm going to make you come back five times this week. What else are you going to do with your time?) I will contact that person via email. Each day, I will ask the rest of you a question or two. If you leave me a comment in the comment thread, I will combine all comments at the end of the week and do one more drawing. So if you didn't enter to win or you are worried that you aren't a winner (just on the blog, because you really are a winner, no matter what) leave me a comment and you have one more chance to win Catalyst. And yes, you can comment every day and quintuple your chance to win. That means I'm giving away six books this week. Yay! The final winner will be announce on Saturday.

But wait, there's more: on Weds., I'll be doing a drawing over on Facebook. All you have to do is leave a comment and you are entered to win a copy of book one, Generations. I'll put that link up on Weds.

And there's still more! The form for the Generations Pop Quiz (love the pun?) is now available here. It's super easy, and it's possible that if you haven't read the book you can fudge your way through. Wrong answers don't count against you: you'll still be entered to win. What do you win? Dinner at Applebee's. The more people that enter, the more $ you get to spend on your dinner, so tell your friends to take the quiz too.

Then finally, the reason for all this fun: Catalyst should  might   hopefully will be released on Friday. Oh my! Are you excited? I know I am. (At least I would be if I didn't have this headache.) So that leads to today's comment thread: Any great tips for getting rid of headaches? Please share!

I won't close the comment threads, so feel free to leave a comment on any of the posts, even if that day has already passed by the time you read the post.

Want to know the first winner of book two, Catalyst???
Brian! 
Yippee Skippy! And Brian, you are also the first male to win on the blog! What an honor! Brian, you da man!

Now lets talk headaches:

An Eye-Catching Winner

What fun we had together this week! Thanks for the comments. I'm surprised that no one mentioned "The Ten Commandments." Don't you think that was a really great book to movie adaptation? (Read that with sarcasm.) Scripture stories just don't translate real well onto the big screen, do they? (Although based on the awards and money it made, I might be alone in my opinion. But four hours? Come on! Do you know how many potty breaks that is for me?)

This week's prize is something everyone needs to survive in Hollywood: sunglasses. And sunglasses aren't just for Hollywood though: did you know that sunglasses are a tired girl's best friend? Nothing works better to hide those dark circles under your eyes than a set of big ol' sunglasses. However, here in Montana, sunglasses are only technically needed about two weeks out of the year, so disguising tired eyes with sunglasses doesn't always work. People might think you're trying to be the Unabomber.

 

That Ted knew the secret to looking good. See how much better he looks with a simple pair of sunglasses? I think the reason he got busted is because he lived here in the State of Perpetual Winter and he couldn't keep his sunglasses on all the time. The guy would still be free if he'd picked Nevada as his hideout.

 But not to worry, those aren't the type of sunglasses I'm giving away. Here they are, modeled by the lovely Princess Bean. And from the side shot, you can see that Bean's got some bling.

And this week's lucky winner is (AS PICKED BY RANDOM.ORG) #3 Anne Miller! Holy cow, took you long enough to win! Anne contributed a prize back in June, remember? Anne does beautiful vinyl lettering, pop on over to her blog and take a peek.

Anne, you will look so super cool in those sunglasses that I might just cast you in my next movie. Have your people contact my people: I'll need your address to send the movie contract sunglasses to.

Everyone else, have you remembered to sign up to win a copy of Catalyst? It ends tomorrow! Come back on Monday: I will be giving away one book away all week. And I'm sure we'll find something to talk about!