Plugging along, and quotes for readers and writers

I should have been twins.

If I were twins I could divide between myself all the things I want less to do so that it takes half the time to do them. Then all I want to do and have the most interest and desire for can be enjoyed … giving me a better chance to feel accomplished in completing things – or getting better at them.

Or maybe not.

If I were twins I would most likely take on twice as much, get hopelessly overwhelmed with no recovery possible, and continue to not have enough of me to go around.

So, I am plugging along. Not getting nearly as much accomplished as I want to. Being way too tired too much of the time. And behind as usual. Almost hopelessly behind with little chance of catching up. That’s me, plugging along.

The good news is, I found some quotes to share with you today.

For the writers:

I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later i can build castles. – shannon hale

I like that quote. 🙂

Now this one for readers:

ordinary people have big tvs. extraordinary people have big libraries. – Robin Sharma

I think I would have a fairly decent-sized library if I could shelve all of my books in one room. I’m aiming for a big library. One day I hope to be that organized. 🙂

And a final one for today:

Dinosaurs didn’t read. Now they’re extinct.

Keep reading, folks! 🙂

Anything you want to say about anything today? What book(s) are you reading – or writing – now? 🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥

Is it only the second week of 2018?

Is this only the second weekend of the new year? Somehow it seems it should be later in the month already, as in … nearly February, probably because I haven’t had a week like this one in a long time. Every day there was something happening to cause stresses, frustrations, mix-ups, dealings with people and misunderstandings, anger-inducing situations – yes, I still get angry over things. And more than once this week. It’s exhausting! I was already tired anyway. Today I’m looking for it to be a great day that continues into next week … and beyond. Please.

2018 has already shown itself as one in which I will find it difficult to keep up my regular blogging routine. Actually, looking back I see my routine started hiccuping once Fall 2017 arrived, and it continued to flounder as the year wound down. Life got busier in our family for awhile.

*sigh* Okay. I admit it. I’ve never been great at sticking to a routine. I try, I really do try.

This year I have to plan time for more writing. Already I’m not managing my goals for the year very well at all. I think I need to take the major part of one day this week and do some purging of my space while I’m home for my week off so I feel less pressed in upon. Then I have to work on some writing projects I want to get done right away. I’ll continue to post here as often as I can, mainly because I don’t want to lose contact with you, and because I enjoy blogging – which is really the same thing. I have some book reviews to write and some books to read. Did I say some? Many. Many books to read. (I have to refer to my own list of goals. Maybe a daily checklist would work.)

Speaking of books …

IT TAKES A STRONG WOMAN TO ADMIT SHE HAS TOO MANY BOOKS …

WHICH I TOTALLY DON’T!

BOOKWORMS WILL RULE THE WORLD

AS SOON AS WE FINISH ONE MORE CHAPTER …

So, that’s what I have to say about that. 😉

How are you doing two weeks into the new year? Keeping up your goals or resolutions or routines? Do tell! Oh, and do you find a daily checklist or chart to be helpful? If you’ve found something that works for you, would you please let me in on your secret?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥

Out with 2017, In with 2018 – Happy New Year! & thank YOU

As I write this it’s not long before a new year begins. Personally, I’m a little excited about 2018. If you read my last post, dated December 29, you’ll know I have moved forward in my writing life. Yes, I have a huge distance to go yet, but I lived up to my word of 2017 and made PROGRESS – however small it may seem. That was my goal.

you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – c. s. lewis

I’m now thinking about what I want my goals to be in 2018. They won’t be unreasonable and unreachable, but they will challenge me and spur me on.

I’m also waiting to know what my word for 2018 will be. I started focusing on a motivational/inspirational word for the year back in 2013. That year my word was GRATEFUL. Apparently I didn’t have a word for 2014; however, it was POSITIVITY for 2015, CHANGE for 2016, and PROGRESS for 2017.

It’s been a tough year on a personal level, affecting my ability to write as much as I want to. As usual, I’m behind in my reading and yet I still managed to read over 600 books this year! That’s amazing to me – even if they are mostly picture books and therefore quicker to read. (My librarians are fantastic and I do my part to keep them busy. 🙂 )

Before I sign off I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for your faithful following of my blog, for your comments and encouragement, for sharing about Polilla Writes, and for your friendship. That means so very much to me.

Even though I fell behind a few times I kept at the blogging when I could do it because I enjoy the connection with you, even if I hear from only a few. I am grateful you are there, reading my words and sometimes adding your thoughts. Please keep coming back in 2018 if what I have to share is worth your time. I appreciate you. Do you have any favourites among my 2017 posts?

What has 2017 meant to you? Do you have goals (or resolutions) for the new year?

Thank you for helping to make 2017 a year of progress in my life. See you in 2018!

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Notice to my blog friends

For most of today I am away from any Internet connection. (I’ll be alright, it’s only a few hours. 😉 ) Anyone who enters tonight’s draw to win one of Janet Sketchley’s books, and their comment has yet to be approved, don’t worry. I’ll be back online this evening to check all comments and approve any newcomers before putting everyone’s names into the random name picker thingie.

Have a great day, folks! I’ll leave you with a funny quote:

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. – Mark Twain

Do you have any funny quotes to share?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥

Update and Infographic: 28 boring words and what to use instead

It seems I’ve been absent too much lately from blogging. I’m still around, although not keeping up with everything. On Saturday last week – with hundreds of other writers from all over the world – I participated in an online Picture Book Summit which was amazing. Over 9 hours of amazing, in fact. It’s part of my education in learning about writing for children and I know I’m gradually learning some very good and helpful information.

Thanks to my local library I’ve been doing a lot more reading of picture books again – and other books, too, but mostly picture books. That’s part of the learning process, the really fun part. As a member of 12×12 the goal is to try to write a new story (rough draft) each month, and so far this year I have managed to do that. I’ve even drafted more than one a couple of months! Sometimes the story starts in my brain when I’m relaxed at bedtime and just lingers there long enough for me to scribble it down. One morning I wasn’t awake very long when I started hearing a story beginning, so I had to stay focused on it to capture the story before it went the way of my forgotten dreams. It’s fascinating to me how that happens.

Today I have some information to share with you that could be of help with your writing. It’s an infographic of 28 Boring Words and What to Use Instead, and was created by writer and blogger Jack Milgram. (Thanks, Jack!)

To go to the infographic CLICK HERE , but please come back to leave a comment.

Are there any words that bug you or you think are overused or boring?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥

Quote by children’s author Anna Dewdney

It is going to be a very busy week as final things fit into place for the big wedding on Saturday, September 2. It hardly seems possible that our youngest daughter is being married! If I slacken off here the next couple of weeks, please excuse me.

Today is Sunday and I want to leave you with some things to ponder.

Anna Dewdney was a children’s book author whose Llama Llama books delighted children and adults. Here is a quote by Anna.

She said, “A good children’s book can be read by an adult to a child, and experienced genuinely by both. A good children’s book is like a performance. Reading with children makes an intimate, human connection that teaches that child what it means to be alive as one of many beings on the planet. When we read a book with children, then children — no matter how stressed, no matter how challenged — are drawn out of themselves to bond with other human beings, and to see and feel the experiences of others. It is this moment that makes us human. In this sense, reading makes us human.”

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. – Isaiah 26:3 NKJV

Book Review: There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight – by Penny Parker Klostermann

Book: There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight
Author: Penny Parker Klostermann
Illustrator: Ben Mantle
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Date: August 4, 2015
Genre: children's picture book; pre-school-2; age 3-7
Pages: 40
Price: $16.99
My rating: A very fun twist on an old nursery rhyme

I’m sure you know the nursery rhyme that starts with “there was an old woman who swallowed a fly, I don’t know why she swallowed a fly … ” And I’m sure you’ve heard several variations of that rhyme. Well, if you haven’t read this one you really must treat yourself to this book.

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann is a very entertaining story. She substituted the woman with a dragon and the fly with a knight. That in itself is funny, but when you see the illustrations it’s quite hilarious combined with the story-telling.

Penny‘s rhyming is fun to read and even to sing-along to, which – yes, I did, just to see how it sounded, you understand. (The rhythm is great, by the way.) She has the dragon swallowing the knight, then the knight’s royal steed – clippity, clippity, clippity, clopping around which became quite annoying to the dragon, the squire with his pants on fire, the cook with his recipe book, and more characters until he even swallowed the castle. Oh my! That was too much. The dragon had the realization he was being impolite and … well, you have to read it. 🙂 The ending has a surprise twist to it, too.

The illustrations by Ben Mantle are beautiful. The characters’ expressions and actions are so funny and in vivid rich colour. Each time I read There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight it makes me snicker, so I expect for children it’s so much fun to read and examine the pictures.

You can find There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann on my BUY THE BOOK page.

I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and sometimes Chapters.Indigo.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂