Making A Difference

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do / With your one wild and precious life.”
-Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day”

I’ve talked before about my list of things I want to do before I die, and you’ve gotten a brief preview of what is on it and what I’ve  been able to check off in the six-ish years since I made it. So far, as you've learned, I’ve milked a cow, visited one of the homes of Laura Ingalls Wilder (so that one is only partly done, really), and donated my hair to Locks of Love. But today, I want to talk about what I think is the most important goal on the list, which is make a difference.

I like to think that it’s easy to make a difference to someone, somehow in everyday life, and that it’s the small gestures that really matter, so I’ve hopefully accomplished this goal sometime in my adult life. But I find that some goals on my list actually become bigger goals, that I’m not satisfied when I technically accomplish them.

Take, for example, my goal of having something I’ve written published. Technically, I’ve done this—I wrote an article for my college newspaper plus a letter to the editor, had articles published in magazines I’ve interned with as well as the one I currently edit for, and maybe even this blog counts as being “published,” depending on your definition. But this is something I keep on the list, because I find I want to aim for something bigger.

My “make a difference” goal is like this—even if I feel like I’ve done it already, I want it to be bigger. And I want it to be something I do and feel in my everyday life. Before I started my full-time grown up job, I worked in the nonprofit industry as a communications intern. And I loved it. I loved learning about people and writing about their reasons for creating scholarships and donating money to specific causes. I felt like I became a part of their journey of making a difference, even if I was only writing a press release.

 

And that is why I’m excited to announce that 2011 will bring big changes for me, as I’ve accepted a new job in development, and I will be working on workplace campaigns to raise money for health-related charities. While I am sad to leave my friends at my current job, I am really thankful that I found an opportunity to get back into nonprofit.

A Nook!

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and enjoyed your time with friends and family. We had a very relaxing and ate way too much good food. I even successfully tackled Ropa Vieja, the hardest recipe I've tried to date. (Though it was much easier than it looked once I got started.) It's only 364 more days until the next Christmas, but I'm excited to go back to pre-holiday life and start off a new year.

At our wedding, my brother and sister, best man and maid of honor, respectively, gave a toast, which encompassed the top 10 reasons I would be a good wife. It was very nice and funny and sweet. One of the reasons they gave was that if you ever wondered what to give me for a present, you could just pick out a book. And it's true. I imagine that for every Christmas, birthday, etc., I've gotten some kind of book or B&N gift certificate. And this year was no exception. I got several good cookbooks, a sewing book, and The Power Of Now, all of which perfectly complement my interests now. But, I also got an eReader, the Barnes and Noble Nook Color, to be specific.

I have had mixed feelings about eReaders and the impact they have on reading ever since they first came out and wasn't sure I would enjoy reading on one. Of course, I am often envious of people who have them on planes, because I would be able to have all of the books I'd ever want on one device, rather than packing them all in my suitcase and carry on bag. And it would be better than buying them in the airport bookstore.

In my current job, we have done some articles on eReaders, so I am familiar with the features and what to look for when shopping for one. Personally, I find them to be rather similar; the main features to look for are e-ink, screen size, color vs. black and white, format compatibility, etc. I personally like the Nook because it's from B&N, and uses that bookstore, in addition to having a good-sized screen and providing a clear picture. You might also consider connectivity options. Personally, I don't need 3G, because I have a smartphone for the Internet, and I wouldn't want to be able to buy books wherever I want. With the Wi-Fi, I'll be able to access the Internet when I need to buy books and then turn it off to save the battery life. However, if you want to b able to access bookstores and the Internet in more places, you'll want  And if you need something more full-featured, it does have a nice browser, the capability to play music, and a Pandora app.

I'm going to give it a week of reading before I write anything on the actual reading experience, but if you want a technological perspective, check out this one on CNET, the site I trust most.

Merry, Merry

It’s Christmas Eve Eve, and I’m home from work taking care of Shelby after she got spayed yesterday. She was very tired yesterday, but seems to be back to her normal self today.

Before I take a holiday break, I wanted to share some of my favorite Christmas traditions. Growing up, I had many good Christmases with friends and family. On the Christmases we’ve spent at home, we wake up early to find presents in Santa wrapping paper, and as we got older codes to figure out. We’d have breakfast and open more presents and spend the day doing whatever. Sometimes we’d go to movies, or spend time with family or neighbors.

We’ve also spent Christmases away from home, in Key West and Nebraska.  We’d have Cuban food and enjoy the nice weather and spend time with family. A couple years ago I spent Christmas with my grandma in Ogallala. It was the two of us and it was so good to spend time with her when I was older. We talked and went to a movie and spent valuable time together.

This year, Nathan and I are celebrating Christmas Eve by having breakfast with a friend and going to church. We’ll have Cuban food and open presents. On Christmas we’ll be going over to Nathan’s grandma with Shelby and maybe catch a movie.
I wanted to make sure our first Christmas was special, and that we’d take the time to start traditions that we’d have together. But then I realized, after thinking back on my favorite memories, that it’s not about having the same traditions every year, but being together. So our first Christmas will be memorable no matter what.

I wish you and your family the same—that you have a holiday full of love and making memories.

Lauran's Holidays

"Every Christmas is better than the Christmas before . . .

I guess it must be because I am growing up."
-Laura Ingalls Wilder, "By The Shores Of Silver Lake"

As usual, Laura speaks the truth, and in my opinion, she is one of the best Christmas writers there is. Each of her books features a Christmas story that I can relate to, even though we are generations apart. For example, in "Little House In The Big Woods," she gets her doll, Charlotte, for Christmas, and she is most treasured. I'm sure everyone remembers the excitement of Christmas morning and getting something that they most wanted, or means the most to them. As she grows up, she spends Christmases with families and friends, and welcomes Almanzo to the family in "These Happy Golden Years" when they celebrate their first Christmas together, as Nathan and I did last year. And in "The First Four Years," we see the two of them creating holiday traditions and celebrating together, just as Nathan and I will do this year and in the years to come. Be sure to check back this week as I reflect on my favorite Christmas memories, our Christmas this year, and more.

Holiday Gift Givning 2010: Share The Love Of Reading

Today, I bring you book-themed T-shirts, which I've coveted since my friend Leah sent them to me who knows how long ago. Aside from creating just plain awesome-looking shirts, the company, Out Of Print Clothing, donates one book to Books For Africa for every T-Shirt they sell. So, you get a shirt that lets you show off your love of literature, while people across the world get access to books, which also lets you SHARE your love of reading with someone who may not have access to books otherwise. It's a win-win, really.

Here's a link to the shop, which breaks the shirts down into men, women, and children, giving you plenty of options in all three. I think my favorite is the Nancy Drew one, because Nancy just always looks so sassy. (Side note: If you are interested in Nancy Drew at all, there is a truly fascinating book out there on the history behind the series, the truth about the author(s), and the historical context Nancy fits in. It's called Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew & The Women Who Created Her, by Melanie Rehak.) But of course, I also love the look of Pride and Prejudice, and the book, of course.

What's Today's World Like For Writers?

We interrupt our Christmas 2010 series of posts to talk about what today's world is like for writers, at least in terms of publishing and sharing writing, and this article from the Boston Review: Books After Amazon. The fact of the matter is, it's changing. Think about the two historically dominant ways of publishing your writing: Journalism (magazines, newspapers, etc.) and books. These two industries are in a time of crazy transition.

When I majored in journalism, I had a romanticized vision what I would be doing: Something more similar to scenes from All The President's Men, or at least my high school yearbook than what I actually found journalism to be. The invention of the Internet put the journalism world (as it's always been) in danger, because it's nearly impossible for newspapers to get the scoop in a traditional format when competing against major news sites, such as CNN, or even their own Internet sites.

And the writing has changed, as well. You want to make sure you get the story up as quickly as possible, and that leaves less time with the writing in terms of capturing a story and making sure facts are accurate. You're writing for an audience that doesn't actually want to read it; instead, they want the main points as quickly as possible so they can move to the next thing. Everything is available on the Internet, so fewer people want subscriptions, and thus, magazines and newspapers rely more on advertising, which in turn affects content. Rather than having a "watchdog" purpose, it's a "sponsored" approach. It's all about the money, which is like a double-edged sword: You need the money to continue producing content, but then you end up in a relationship where your content is affected by money.

The same goes for book publishing, according to the article:
One editor at a major publishing house, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of employer sanctions, told me that agents of Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Target are frequent participants in meetings about potential books. Without their buy-in, the publisher is unlikely to go forward with a book. Ideas that excite independents might be scrapped if they don’t get a chain’s stamp of approval.
So, as the article continues, it means publishers are less likely to take a chance on a book from someone who might be talented, but unkown, because while independent bookstores might have, the chains won't, because the book may or may not sell as well as one from someone who's already well-known. And that's a scary thought, for all of us who have not yet published anything. It turns out writing the next great American novel might be easier than actually getting the next great American novel published.

Add to all of this the invention of the ebook/ereader, plus big Internet sites, such as Amazon (the main point of the article), subtract independent booksellsers, and you're left with a publishing world that seems to be up in the air a little bit, in terms of what it means for new writers, and I'm not sure how long that will last.

Of course, I think it's important to point out that this change can be positive. It's so easy to self-publish nowadays, because we have more mediums than just books and newspapers and magazines to get our writing out there. For example, this blog. Blogs let people "publish" their writing, if you go by the very basic definition in that you're getting your writing out there for others to read. There's self-publishing software available, if you want to create your own ebook for certain ereaders. So, despite the changes, there are options. They're different options, that's for sure, and it's just still unclear whether the impact of the Internet is good, bad, or just a change. Personally, I'm skeptical of letting ebooks take over books, amazon crushing publishing and book buying as we know it, and advertising dictating journalism, BUT on the other hand, I think there can be benefits of these changes if they're happening anyway. What do you think?

Holiday Gift Giving 2010: Explore Your Passions

Last night, Nathan and I went out to buy Christmas gifts. It seemed really random to do on a Wednesday night, but wow, it was so much better than battling the crowds on the weekends. We ended the night at Barnes & Noble, so I could pick up a few gifts and Nathan could explore. And in the journal section, I found these really cool new Moleskine journals. Or maybe they are just new to me, but regardless, they are very neat. They are part of the Passions Collection, which includes special journals for different hobbies, such as wine, wellnes, and, of course, books. But really, you can't go wrong with any Moleskine journal, or any kind of notebook for that matter, when it comes to giving gifts to readers and writers. I got one for Christmas last year and it's perfect for a purse notebook.

Holiday Gift Giving 2010: A New Look

The Clothbound Penguin Classics have been floating around blogland for a while, and I think the redesigns are beautiful and fun. Check out the titles available from Anthropologie here. Which one will you be asking Santa for? I think "Alice in Wonderland" has the best design, but would probably go with "A Christmas Carol" so I have something beautiful to cherish for Christmases to come.

EDIT: Further poking around on Anthropologie's site led me to THESE! Children's book classics with a redesign. I am not so much a huge fan of the look of "Anne Of Green Gables" as much as the others (maybe because I think Anne is more of an old soul with a great imagination and the pink tea party thing seems to contradict that in my head), but it will always be my favorite story, if choosing among those. Love.

Holiday Gift Giving 2010: A Twist On The Classics

Classics are classic for a reason, but for an updated approach (or to keep up with the vampire trend), give a parody. It will provide the basis of a good story, but with a twist.

Photo credit and book information: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Celebrate Christmas With word fancies

I still get really excited about Christmas when December rolls around each year, and so this month, we're going to celebrate the holiday on word fancies. Of course, the reason we celebrate Christmas is because of the story of the birth of Christ, but I think the holiday and the overall season can also create moving stories that cross genres and generations. So, I plan to reflect on some of my favorite Christmas writing as well my favorite Christmas memories, crafts, recipes, and traditions. And because, "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," according to Louisa May Alcott's Jo March, I'll also be exploring some gift ideas for the readers and writers in your life. Or, suggestions for you to add your list, as the case may be.

Book Review: Plane Reading

My favorite part of traveling is getting new books to read on the plane or books on CD to listen to in the car. When I was younger, my mom would get me new books especially for the trip, and I would have to wait until we were on our way before I got them. That seemed to be the longest wait ever. And I love to browse airport bookstores for magazines and new reading material should I run out or underestimate the excitement I would have for reading the book(s) that I brought. I even bought my beloved fourth Harry Potter book at an airport bookstore in Denver.

I find that anything I buy at the airport can break my normal book-buying rules, which are as follows:
1. Try to buy as few books as possible because you are running out of room on your bookshelf, and the library lets you borrow books for free.
2. If you do buy a book, it cannot be a mass market paperback version. Splurge for the regular paperback.
3. Do not buy books that have movie covers: It will take away from the experience because you won't be able to imagine what the characters look like for yourself.

This weekend, I broke all three rules. I had brought two library books with me for the plane ride, but I just wasn't feeling them. They were too serious to be plane material (which I also experienced on our flight home from Europe with Dune). And combined with time to browse the airport bookstore because of a delay, I ended up with Charlie St. Cloud. The mass market paperback edition. With Zac Efron on the cover (which, actually, was kind of a deciding factor for me when I was trying to decide between Morning Glory.) And it was the perfect plane book. It was a light read writing-style wise but had a good message about living life even after experiencing tragedy and death. It also explored relationships and how the people in our lives affect us and how we live. I'm interested to see the movie to see how it compares.

I finished the book on the plane from Las Vegas to Denver, and found that I still didn't want to read the books I'd packed with me. So I ended up splurging on Morning Glory, and while it was just a regular paperback, it still had the movie poster cover, which made sure I pictured Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams as the main characters. This one I didn't love as much, but was definitely right for light travel reading. I think the movie will be really good, even though the book seemed to move too fast and didn't really spend much time on character development or developing motives. Even though it pains me to think that a movie might be better than the book, I think it might be the case with this one, and I think the difference is that the book is based on the movie screenplay. I'm interested to see what I think of the movie now, and actually, part of the reason I ended up with the book was because I couldn't wait to see the movie any longer.

So there you have my Thanksgiving travel reads, and I think both would be good options if you will find yourself needing light reading material over the holidays.

Viva Las Vegas

In the past I've been very particular about my Thanksgivings. I like to celebrate with turkey and mashed potatoes and pie. We've celebrated in Key West and Colorado and Nebraska. Being a child, a particular child, I was very keen on this tradition and wanted every holiday to be similar to the last. My parents threw that off one year by taking us to Sanibel Island, where we had chicken and icky pumpkin pie on a boat and I complained because the pie was really bad (and it was). But it was still a really fun trip, and as I've gotten older and spent Thanksgivings and holidays away from my family, I've realized that it's not the food or even the place that makes Thanksgiving what it is, but the people you spend with it. This year was special because we added Nathan to the family; he was lucky enough to have both his first Thanksgiving and his first Turco family vacation to Las Vegas at the same time. And what a trip it was.

We drove up to Elmwood on Wednesday night to drop Shelby off with the Lakes. Our flight left at 6:30 Thursday morning, and I'm really glad we did it that way. It seemed to be much more relaxing. As I prepared for our trip, I read a lot about the body scanner and sure enough, I ended up being chosen to go through. It really wasn't too big of a deal though. We made all of our flights (and were early) and when we landed in Vegas, my parents were there to pick us up. We went to Joe's apartment to drop off groceries, checked into the hotel, and then went to pick up Steph at the airport. We had a good dinner, cooked by the family, and Joe's turkey was delicious. We went out onto the strip, which was surprisingly busy considering the holiday. We saw New York, New York, the fountains, Planet Hollywood shops, and the lions at the MGM. We gambled at the Paris for a little bit before going to bed.

Friday morning we headed out to the Hoover dam and drove over and walked over the new bridge. Then we went out to Kohl's for black friday shopping and then watched the CU-Nebraska game. I grew up with this rivalry (another family tradition) and it was almost sad to see it end. We then went out to dinner at Joe's restaurant and then gambled. I was ahead on both the slot machines and blackjack but then lost. Apparently my luck in Vegas is better but I still don't know when to stop.

Our luckiest day was Saturday, when Nathan won us a new water heater playing Pai Gow. He hit the bonus and won the hand with a straight flush. We have this theory that whenever something bad happens, it's paid back somehow. Our carport blew off and landed on the roof, we won a free cruise. Our furnace breaks and we need to replace it and the water heater, Nathan wins money for one. So we did leave Las Vegas, not Lost Wages.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, as well!

24 Reasons To Be Thankful

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wanted to reflect on the year and count my blessings. This is something I try to do every day, and as someone on Facebook pointed out today, Thanksgiving is a verb. But because we have a day dedicated to giving thanks for our blessings, I will share mine with you. I thought it would be fun to think of 24, the number of years I have to be thankful for. So that is No. 1. Here are the next 23, in no particular order.

23. The opportunity to travel. I was so lucky to be able to finally experience Europe this year, something I'd wanted to do forever.
22. People who dedicate their lives to helping others. We need more of them in the world.
21. People who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe and protecting our freedoms. These are the people we should be grateful to every day.
20. Our jobs, and the fact that we can BOTH go to work every day in our field of interest.
19. The opportunity for a college education, and my parents for helping me finance that education.
18. Faith.
17. Having this place to write, and having the resources to start personal endeavors.
16. Books, and the different adventures I experience and lessons I learn through them.
15. Everyone who helped make our wedding happen. We were so lucky to have such wonderful vendors and people in our lives to help us make our day special.
14. Everyone who came to our wedding to celebrate with us as well as those who wished us well from afar.
13. The generousity that we were shown as we started our lives together. We are truly blessed to have amazing people in our lives.
12. Netflix. I am addicted to streaming.
11. Our home, and that we have a place to live and a roof over our heads when so many don't.
10. Having food and the other resources we need every day.
9. Shelby and the love we have for her.
8. Traditions, both those of the past and those we're creating together.
7. Our co-workers, past and present, and the community and friendships we've created.
6. Dear friends, near and far.
5. Email and the post office for letting us communicate with friends and family near and far.
4. A wonderfully large close-knit extended family, whom we've been able to see so much this year.
3. Our grandparents and the memories we have of them
2. Our parents and siblings, and their support in everything they do for us.
1. Nathan: for being an awesome husband.

We're off to Las Vegas for the next few days, celebrating Thanksgiving with my side of the family. Friday we'll be cheering the Huskers on, but we won't be watching the game because we might be bad luck. The only two games we've watched in full we've lost, so we're not taking any chances!

Money Matters

Nathan and I recently started a joint checking account. We had done the "responsible" thing and talked about money before we got married; went over our earnings, savings, and debts; and created a budget we thought would work for us. And more importantly, we understood each others' spending habits and views on money—for those of you who are wondering, we're both rather conservative with our spending, but him definitely more so. Though we have kind of balanced each other out in the time we've been together. We created a money system for our mutual money that still kept things separate. We planned on having a money agreement that outlined how we would divide our finances in the event it was necessary (though we haven't actually done that yet). It seemed like we had done everything to prepare for our finanical life together.

But when we actually went to the bank and I signed my new last name on our account info, it was actually real, and we had to actually put what we talked about into play in our real married life.  

We (OK, mostly me) wanted each of us to have some separate money, because I think it's important. And Nathan agreed, so we came up with a 70-30 system, where 70% of our earnings was our "joint" money—his 70% goes into our joint checking account, and my 70% goes into a joint savings account. The other 30% is our own money, and we can do whatever we want with it. I will be saving 10% and letting the other 20% serve as my spending money.   So far everything has been trial and error. It's a learning process, definitely, to determine what qualifies as ours and what qualifies as individual. What we've outlined for joint expenses include household expenses, groceries, Shelby's stuff, gas, insurance, prescriptions, gifts, entertainment, etc. Individual money is harder to define, but so far we've decided on gifts for each other and really, anything that only benefits the individual.   Being married, even for just a short time, has definitely changed my views on money, something I realized when I read this Small Notebook post, which made me think about my perceptions of money.  

I was lucky to have parents that helped me understand how to manage money. My allowance for a while was split into thirds--
one-third for saving, one-third for spending, and one-third for investing. Even though I didn't necessarily love it when I was little, it taught me the importance of all three. I was also lucky to have parents that were able to support me financially until I was ready to do so myself, and in the beginning, it was hard. But I eventually loved being independent and able to do whatever I wanted with it, which was generally buy groceries, gas, and going out on the weekends (while saving 10% and paying down my student loans, of course).  

Being married has changed that, and after we opened our joint account, I was hit by a lot of feelings, not bad feelings, but feelings all the same. That same week we opened our account, A Practical Wedding had this post that I think really hit home with me, even though I'm not giving up my job to live on a boat or even solely relying on Nathan for income. And then it made me wonder why money was tied to independence. Of course, it makes sense (or cents, haha). Having money to spend, no matter the amount, creates opportunities for you to do what you want. When you lose that control over that, and the ways you're used to managing it, it's going to feel a little like you're losing something, or at least have that perception.  

But, when I think about it, I'm really gaining more than I'm giving up; I'm (and WE'RE) trading independence for opportunities. By joining our finances and living off of Nathan's salary while saving mine, we have so many possibilities in the future, even if our purse strings are a little tighter now. We can both pursue our interests when the time comes, have money to stay home with our kids, or be prepared in case of a major emergency. So I think it's worth giving up one feeling of independence for another.

Friday Fancies

*Have you been to any of the world's greatest bookstores? I haven't, but I still have to say that my favorite bookstore is Barnes & Noble, which is why I generally link to them. Lincoln has a couple of independent or used bookstores, as well. Nathan's favorite is A Novel Idea. And I've also been to Powell's City of Books in Portland, which I think belongs on the list!  

*So Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged. I would probaby read this book about them. One of the more interesting things I did as an intern at Washington Life was transcribe a conversation between Carol Joynt and Tina Brown about "The Diana Chronicles." I learned a lot about Diana and intended to read the book. Here's the article that eventually ran.

*Interesting reads of the week: This article on the expectations of what Kate Middleton will go through as William's wife  and this post from A Practical Wedding about Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed. While obviously a discussion of the book, the post, as well as the hundreds of comments, also present an interesting viewpoint on what marriage is and what family is and what these mean to women (and men) in today's culture and yesterday's. I think some interesting parallels can be made between the two readings, and some interesting contradictions, as well.  

*Not book-related, but I found this recipe online and am questioning whether I want to try them. I do need to incorporate more vegetables in my life, I suppose. And chocolate, too, of course. http://www.oprah.com/food/Brownies-with-Carrot-and-Spinach  

Friday Fancies

Happy Friday! Our weather has finally turned winter-like, so I'm definitely welcoming the weekend, and hope we can stay warm in our house with the new furnace this weekend!

*Came across the Word & Film site from Random House, which where books, TV, and movies come together. Three of my favorite things, though, of course, books are No. 1. I've always been that way, too: I remember arguing with someone when I was very young (8?) about how books were better than movies because most of the time movies came from books, and even if they didn't, they were written first, just like books. I still agree with that logic. Anyway, the site features a picture from the movie "One Day," a book recommended by my friend Lisa and one I passed on recently. Very good. A site I'll definitely be coming back to.

*Somewhat related, the New Yorker has this article about movies coming out this holiday season based on books, such as HARRY POTTER. Also new in theaters (as of Wednesday), Morning Glory, starring my mom's favorite, Harrison Ford, is a book by Diana Peterfreund. This one is really on my list of movies to see.
 
*And speaking of One Day, it's No. 23 on Amazon's recently released Best Books of 2010: Editor's Picks list. I have only read one other book on that list (Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver) but highly recommend both.

*Books from the list I want to read now. Glad I have a blog to keep track of this for me now:
Where the God of Love Hangs Out, Amy Bloom
Great House, Nicole Krauss (I also just read a very interesting piece by her in Real Simple about her relationship with food: December issue, if you come across it.)
Let's Take The Long Way Home: A Memoir Of Friendship, Gail Caldwell
The Hand That First Held Mine, Maggie O'Farrell
Unbroken, Lauren Hillenbrand
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
Super Sad True Love Story, Gary Shteyngart 
Room, Emma Donoghue
The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall

*Going to a baby shower tomorrow for my friend Candace, who writes (beautifully) about her pregnancy journey in her column at the York News Times. She is having a little girl, due in January, and it will be good to see her and her pregnant cuteness. I made her a baby calendar for a gift. It was try two for finding a something to sell in the store, and I definitely like the concept I came up with.

*Came across two interesting posts about money this week, one on A Practical Wedding and the other one Small Notebook. They seemed to really reflect what was going on with us this week as we went through our married finances, and I hope to talk a little about that next week. See you then!

*More Harry Potter? Kind of. I hope so! My vote is for Lily and James.

*And I'm adding Eighteen Acres to the list of books I want to read. Love anything set in Washington, D.C. and how interesting to imagine the world with a woman president. I hope I'm not disappointed. Click here for a review that also includes information on the author. Oh, and for my favorite book set in D.C., check out Sammy's Hill and Sammy's House.

Book Review: Rilla Of Ingleside

In honor of Veteran's Day, I want to say thank you to the veterans in my life: my Grandpa Chris and my Uncle Steve and my cousins and friends who have served their country, our country, to keep us all safe and preserve our way of life. It's because of them and all of the other veterans that we have the opportunities we have in our country, and I'm grateful for everything they have done. I hope you also take the time today (and every day) to recognize the veterans in your life and what they have given us and sacrificed for us. Also, I think it's important to also recognize and thank the husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children, and families of our military men and women, for all they have to give up, as well. So thank you—we are truly blessed to have people like you!

Because I like to share reading and writing experiences on this blog, I want to add a book recommendation to this post,  hopefully without taking away from the gratitude I feel. However, I think it is fitting, in a way, because it takes place during WWI, and Veteran's Day was originally set aside as a day to honor WWI veterans and falls on the official end of the war (though did you know that WWI just actually officially ended in September?). It's the final book in the Anne of Green Gables series, Rilla Of Ingleside, by L.M. Montgomery, published in 1921. Anne is in the book, but much older and really the story is told with her youngest daughter Rilla being the focus.  

I think anything Anne can be somewhat romanticized, which, really, is part of the magic of the books and what makes them classic, but I think Rilla of Ingleside really stands out as a more serious piece of literature that looks at the effects of war both on those who fought and those who were left behind. It looks at the sacrifices that people had to make during this war, what it's like to experience loss, and what everyday life was like for Canadians during this time period. It also looks at how quickly war changes people, seen mostly through Rilla, and looks at what the war was like for this particular town and family. Through letters, it also gives you a brief perspecitve of what it was like to be a solider.  

This book moves me every time I read it (and I probably read it at least once every year, normally more than that) and when I read it as an adult, it only gets better because I can recognize all of the unique writing techniques that Montgomery adds to her books to make them special. For exaomple, she often has the narrator step back from the story and make some kind of commentary on the situation, or even the war, that just works without forcing it. Or, she occassionally changes character perspecitve, such as through converstaions about Rilla, to show what her charcter has become and who she is, thus illustrating how the war has affected her as a young woman. This all plays into the message she give throughout the book in terms of what I was talking about above: The effects that war, especially wars of this magnitude, can have on everyone.

The book also adds in situations that are less serious, such as a baby in a soup tureen, and a somewhat happy ending (that is so emotionally complicated and wonderful at the same time), but I think that this is also be a realistic portrayal of war that is not often thought about. Life doesn't always stop for war, even though it doesn't go away, as illustrated by Rilla Blythe and her family.

Book Review: Truth & Beauty

Today’s book review is on a book that I consider to be one of my favorites: ”Truth and Beauty,” by Ann Patchett.

As you may have read, I posted an article written by her during my first couple of weeks of writing. I really like her as a writer, and I was reminded of her by a friend who had asked me if I read “The Magician’s Assistant.” I have read most of her books, not all, but my favorite is still the first one I read, “Truth and Beauty.” It was this book that made me go out and search for her fiction.

The book is a memoir written by Patchett about her friendship with Lucy Grealy. It’s a complicated story of friendship and writing, and more importantly, it’s a story that’s real. Because it’s a memoir, you expect it to be about real life and experiences, but Patchett doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Their friendship is complex and not always perfect and so moving. She talks about the real effects of what life circumstances can have on relationships and how friends can be such a huge part of your life, as Lucy was hers, both as a person and writer.

My sophomore year I took one of the best classes of my college years, Women in Literature. The professor made the class what it was, as she was not only passionate about her subject but also nurtured every student’s talent and made everyone interested in what she was teaching. We read books such as "The Color Purple," "O Pioneers," and "Their Eyes Were Watching God." We discussed the books in terms of how we felt about them, what we learned, and what the books said about women. It was one of the few classes I actually felt comfortable talking in and really learned a lot about English and who I was.

We had to give a presentation on a book by a woman author as a speaking requirement, and I talked about Truth and Beauty. For the assignment, you had to provide background information about the author and read a passage. It was really interesting to research both women and learn about who they are outside of the book, and I also hope to read Lucy's memoir. I'll have to add it to my list.

Bucket List: Donate To Locks Of Love

I’ve always been a list keeper, and I have a list of things I want to do before I die. The No. 1 thing on that list was milk a cow, which I did at the Colorado State Fair my junior year of high school.

I’ve also always wanted to visit the homes of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and last year, Nathan took me to De Smet, South Dakota, where Laura was married and was the final stop for the Ingalls family.

I’ve also always wanted to donate my hair to Locks of Love, but never wanted to have it long enough to make it happen. I really do not do well with long hair, and my hair hasn’t been long really since freshman year of college when I didn’t have a hair stylist. After I did, it was gone quickly.

But after I got engaged, I started growing my hair out for the wedding. After the wedding, I waited to cut it until it was long enough. This meant that I wore a lot of ponytails, because if it was down, I played with it all of the time, much to the annoyance of my family and friends.

And this weekend, I got it cut. It was 10 inches, and I really didn’t feel sad about it. Even when the braid was sitting on the counter, I just felt glad to have it gone. And here is the end result.

My hair dresser is amazing, and she is also growing her hair out for Locks of Love. She really does work magic on my hair, which is generally uncooperative when it comes to anything other than just being straight. I was worried that Shelby wouldn't recognize me, but she did. And Nathan really likes it a lot, too.

For more information on Locks of Love, visit their Web site here.

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On Being Discouraged

So, NaNoWriMo is not going well for me, and I'm feeling a little discouraged. I'm not saying that because I need the encouragement you all would offer me if I did (because you're awesome), but more because I want to address an important question: What discourages us as we pursue our goals? (writing or otherwise)  

Monday, day 1, I wrote 1,200 words, as I mentioned, and I'm resisting the urge to say ONLY 1,200 words because I can recognize that 1,200 is more than I've ever written before and I should be proud of myself for doing something I didn't think I could do. But then I got stuck. I mean really stuck, and I found that I wasn't a fan of where I was taking my characters. Or really, the characters themselves. They were nothing like they were in my head, and that was discouraging. Yesterday, I had a horrible headache and all I wanted to do was lie on the couch with Nathan and Shelby with my warmie on my head, which I did, but I felt like I was betraying writer Whitney and the goal that I had set for myself that night (two hours of writing). Betrayal=discouraged.

 

Tonight, I don't think I'll have time to write because we're having a clean up the house night, which Nathan pointed out we needed and he's right. I don't think the house has recovered from the constant reorganization I've done since I've moved it. I've never actually completed the projects I've started, and our stuff from the wedding is still not where it logically makes sense. And that bothers me about as much as it bothers him. And we need to get Shelby a baby gate so she's not right next to the room with the broken furnace that could be leaking carbon monoxide. Dealing with real life=discouraged. I know that these sound like excuses (maybe because they are?), and that really, if I stayed up all night and wrote, I would have met my goal. But I don't think that would make me happy. In fact, I imagine I would be significantly unpleasant to deal with.  

I look at all of the people who have written a published book, or even a not published book, or even a few chapters, and wonder how they did it. I mean, even people who aren't real can write books. So what makes these people different? Do they have personal assistants or clones to go to work for them, cook dinner and clean their houses, take care of their kids and pets, spend time with their significant others? Some might for all I know. But when I think about it, I think the real difference is that they are inspired by their ideas, inspired by what they want to write.  

When I attended the literary seminar in Key West, I remember an author, I think it was Valerie Martin, who talked about how your characters should overtake your brain and almost become a second person living inside your head (I'm paraphrasing--that's definitely a combination of my memory of the talk from almost two years ago and my interpretation of what she actually said). And right now, I feel like my character is more like a baby who hasn't been born yet living inside my head--she's there, but doesn't have much to say. I'm not truly inspired to write her story yet, because she hasn't grown into someone whose story I want to tell. I can't even think of a name for her. And I could just start over with a completely different story, but I don't want to lose her. I still have the story in my head, I'm just not ready to write, because I'm not engrossed yet. And if I'm not engrossed, why should anyone else be? 

I think circumstances also play a lot into feeling discouraged. I know that there is no time like the present to pursue your goals, but sometimes, the present IS a really inconvenient time to take on huge tasks. For example, when I think about the time I spent writing on Monday, it felt more like homework. I got distracted, I left a few times to go spend time with Nathan and Shelby because I missed them (I know, I know, they were only in the next room, but still). And my new sewing machine, still sitting in the box in the same spot it was when it was delivered, is taunting me. And so are the canisters I need to list on Etsy. So is the wedding closet that I desperately need to go through so I can find new homes for everything. My baby calendars are designed, but not printed and assembled. And even though these things seem like they should not distract me from my overall goal, write a novel, they do. Because it's almost as though those are things I'd rather be doing.   

 

So, if I'm not feeling inspired, and the circumstances aren't right and I'm not working on my goal, of course I'm going to feel discouraged. But then when I think about it, why am I making myself feel guilty for not doing something I want to do by doing other things I want to do? I wear many hats in my life. (note: a lot of our IT articles talk about IT staff wearing many different hats and it cracks me up every time. And then today, I read this post that talked about wearing different hats in a very creative way.) What makes the writer hat more important than all of the other hats, just because it's the overall goal I want most? Maybe that's my answer, but I think that taking the time to be emotionally invested in what I'm writing is going to be more beneficial for me and lead to less discouragement. I'm sure there will be different kinds of discouragement when I am ready to write, also known as writer's block, but at least if I do some research and spend the time learning about what I want to write about, I'll feel better about it.  

 

So that's my new goal for NaNoWriMo. I do still want to spend this month writing, even if it's not a novel. However, I will start taking the time for my novel, by researching and developing my characters and getting into the habit of writing, without forcing myself into something that I don't feel inspired by and just feeling discouraged. And to take the time that I need to be able to be happy doing that by finishing my other projects. Which I am sure I will be blogging about.   I feel kind of discouraged by this decision, mostly because I do feel like I'm giving up on something I didn't even start. But I know that I'll be happier in the long run and more motivated and inspired when I decide I'm actually ready to write. Because I know that I will be able to when I'm ready. And you'll be the first to know.

Wedding Shower Recipes

Here are the recipes for the treats I made for Kelley's shower this weekend.

Petit Cheesecakes from the “Colorado Cache” cookbook
18-22 servings

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2  t vanilla

Cream until fluffy the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes in paper line muffin tins (2/3 full). Remove from oven and allow to “sink in.” Frost with sour cream mixed with 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2  t vanilla. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool and freeze, muffin tin and all. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Top with fruit.

Devil’s Food Mini Cupcakes from “Cupcakes” cookbook
18 cupcakes

3 1/2  T soft margarine
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper (need 18 regular-sized cupcakes, can be mini). Put the margarine, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, and cocoa in a large bowl and using an electric hand whisk, beat together until just smooth. Using a metal spoon, fold in sour cream. Spoon batter into cups. Bake for 20 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool. Frost with cream cheese or chocolate frosting

Lemon Cupcakes (recipe turned into mini cupcakes, not a loaf cake. Frost with favorite cream cheese frosting.)
White Sangria

A Book-Themed Bridal Shower

So, our little Shelby kept us rather busy last night, so I didn't get to post about the shower I had for my friend Kelley this weekend. I imagine my blog "schedule" will be off for a while as we work into our routine with her. And focus on potty training. She is a pretty smart dog though—last night she mastered going down the stairs and today she was playing fetch. She really likes her fabric turtle and chewing on her bed, so I think we need to get her some other fabricy toys, like a rope. She also had her first treat, and she is really picky about them. She only likes the soft treats, it seems. We might make a visit to PetSmart today, depending on how tired she is later.

So, anyway: the book-themed bridal shower. Kelley and I were both journalism English majors (from Colorado at UNL), so it seemed fitting that we asked guests to bring her books for her bridal shower gift. I made up the invitations in yellow and wrote a poem for the occassion: "Cathy had Heathcliff, Elizabeth had Darcy, Kelley has Shawn, So let's have a party." Then I instructed people to bring a book: a cookbook, a favorite book, or just whatever they thought she'd like. I had planned on doing custom bookplates for Kelley to put in the books later, but I wasn't sure if she'd want to return them if she got an accidental repeat, so I didn't. But she didn't get repeats, which was exciting. Kelley also wanted to have recipes from people, so I included two library cards with each invite for people to write on.

We didn't really have a shower game, but had people explain why they brought her the books. It was very laidback and we just drank sangria and ate desserts. I made food that corresponded with her wedding colors, which were black, white, and yellow. I made devil's food cupcakes and lemon cupcakes, both with cream cheese frosting, and mini cheesecakes. I intended to make a jello mousse, but it did not turn out, so Nathan and I just ate it. It was stilly pretty good. Decorations were super simple—I just pulled a book vase out from our wedding and bought daisies to put in it. Then I had black and white plates and napkins. I'll try and post the recipes I used later tonight while watching Glee!

It was a really fun shower, and it was fun to get book recommendations, as well. I might try and make an adapted "book shower kit" to sell in my etsy store.

So We Got A Puppy . . .

We had a big weekend. Friday I threw a book themed shower for my friend Kelley, then we had her wedding on Saturday. And on Sunday we got a puppy! We had been thinking about getting one for a while, but we wanted to wait until after the wedding and our honeymoon. We had thought about waiting until after New Year's or next spring, but then started looking and got attached to the idea. I found some shelties at an animal shelter that I thought were cute, and showed them to my friend Leah. She told us that her boyfriend's brother's dog had just had sheltie puppies, so we made a date to go look at the girl puppy, Dakota.

When we got out to the farm, Dakota was very cute and really took to Nathan. She loved sitting in his lap and playing with him. So we took her home with us. She had never been on a leash before, and she did not like it. Jess also warned us that she might get car sick but should be OK. Not so much. She threw up all over Nathan's pant leg as we pulled into PetCo's parking lot. It was probably the funniest thing I've ever seen. We picked out lots of toys for her and got her a bed, a crate, some treats (that she doesn't like), a collar, and a leash. When we took her home, she was very confused and kept turning her head and looking at us. We put her bed out and she went over to sniff it, but wouldn't get in it. Eventually, she got in it and slept for the rest of the day. We're trying to get her into a routine and get her housebroken, but she seemed very overwhelmed yesterday, so we're trying to find a balance in "establishing dominance" and also giving her a break because she's still scared and homesick. She is also really good at sitting, but it's only when you want her to do something she doesn't want to (go potty, come outside, go for a walk on the leash). We don't want to tell her no so she'll never sit again, but we also need to get her to do what we are commanding.

She is very cute--I invite everyone over to meet her whenever because we need to socialize her while she's still little.

I'll be back later today with the details on the book-themed bridal shower!

Book Review: Sarah Strohmeyer

So, today is the first day of book reviews for my blog, and I had a really hard time deciding what book to choose for the inagurual post. Which is part of the reason why this post is up so late in the day, compared to my earlier attempts this week. I thought about writing about the first book that made me love reading (Little House In The Big Woods, Laura Ingalls Wilder) or my go-to book when asked for recommendations (God-Shaped Hole, Tiffanie deBartolo, thanks to Lisa Petak) or my favorite book that makes me look like an English nerd (The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway). But instead, I want to (maybe) introduce you to the author that I've been talking about lately and whose books I've been devouring—Sarah Strohmeyer—and also talk about why I like reading chick lit. Because honestly, at this point in my life, it's what I read a LOT.

I'm not actually sure how I came across Sarah Strohmeyer's books initally, but I know they were recommended on Facebook by one of my favorite authors—Emily Giffin—so I requested them from the library. I started with The Sleeping Beauty Proposal and found that in addition to being funny and intelligent, it had some interesting thoughts on the role of marriage in a woman's life, especially fitting for me as a newlywed. Then I read The Cinderella Pact, which dealt with weight, body image issues, dieting, and friendship in addition to appearances. The Secret Lives Of Fortunate Wives was a little less serious in terms of "issues" but it was interesting to read about the roles that women (and men) played in this more upperclass society and how everyday things such as marriage and working fit in. And the one I just finished, Sweet Love, addressed divorce single parenthood, old loves, and breast cancer. Also, in some way, most of them had a character that was some kind of writer, mostly journalists, which I'm guessing comes from Sarah Strohmeyer's personal experience.

I think there is this a stigma that goes with reading, or even writing, chick lit that it's silly and stupid and full of fluff. And some of the really good stuff is silly and full of fluff. But what I liked about all of these books is that they tackled serious issues in a way that was relateable in some way, if not directly. And yes, they generally have happy endings, and yes, a lot of these women do spend a lot of their time chasing men, and sometimes, the situations they end up in can be kind of silly. But aren't these aspects of real life? In these books, no on is saying you need a man to be happy, or you need to be model skinny to be happy; instead, they tackle these, in my opinion, everyday issues, in a way that makes them relateable and enjoyable to read, no matter how big they are, without presenting negative stereotypes of women.

And that's why I like chick lit, aside from having some fluff to read after a day at work. Because if you look hard enough, you can find the big issues and think about them and how they relate to you, or how they don't relate to you, and take away more than just a fluff story.

My To-Read Pile

Nathan got me started on having  a "To-Read" pile, which consists of books that you have that you haven't read yet. He puts his in a particular order and used to start reading the one next in line when he finished. I think I've messed that up a bit by giving him new books to read that he kind of sneaks ahead. And that's how my "To-Read" pile goes.

Except I'm working on it. Last night, I ended up reading/finishing the book I got at the library yesterday rather than cleaning my house for the bridal shower I'm having Friday (oops), and so I had to pull something from my "To-Read" pile. It's the book that Nathan got me for Valentine's Day (a tradition we've started) called "The Believers" by Zoe Heller.

Other books in my "To-Read" pile include:
The Cutters, Bess Streeter Aldrich
Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Alboom
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time, Mark Haddon
Anthropology Of An American Girl, Hilary Thayer Hamann
Free Land, Rose Wilder Lane

Library Visit

Today during lunch I made my weekly trip to the library to pick up a book I had requested. It’s the closest we have had to “fall” weather, and it made for a nice outing. My favorite part about the Lincoln Library System is that you can pick stuff online and pick it up at whatever library you want. That, and you can return books to wherever you want. I have three near my everyday life that I can pick from, and so this is very convenient.

I spent some time looking at the sewing books before grabbing my book, but I didn’t find anything that really fit with what I was looking for. I’ll probably have to go request one as soon as I find the right one at Barnes & Noble. Or maybe that’s something I should consider buying.

Returned:
The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, Sarah Strohmeyer
The Cinderella Pact, Sarah Strohmeyer
The Secret Lives Of Fortunate Wives, Sarah Strohmeyer
My Name Is Memory, Ann Brashares

Checked Out:The Handmade Marketplace, Kari Chapin
Sweet Love, Sarah Strohmeyer

What Do We Read?

Last week, Nathan sent me this survey that shows what people like to read and also determined that Stephen King is the most popular author. Most people read fiction, mostly mysteries. I have actually never read any Stephen King, so I will have to add that to the “to-read” pile.

My reading life probably most consists of fiction. To pull from their categories, I would say I mostly read literature and chick lit and also add historical fiction. I am currently loving Sarah Strohmeyer, if anyone is looking for a light read with still substantial messages.

What about you? What do you mostly read? 

word fancies Why

Last night I went over to a sorority sister’s house for an alumnae get-together and got home a little later than I expected, but it was a fun night out.  This relates to today’s word fancies “Why” because of my sorority’s open motto: “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

I think this week’s posts have really illustrated the reasons why I started this blog, so if you are still curious, go back and reread them. I want today’s why post to instead focus on why I want to write, which is something I’m still trying to understand. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I’m a reader. I’m not saying that the two go hand in hand all of the time in every situation, but for me, I think that my reading life has made me want to have a writing life, too. I also think that writers, and readers, for that matter, will only be as good as the support they have from a community.

I want to credit my parents for turning me into a reader. I can’t remember a time that I haven’t loved reading, and I think they are the reason for that. My mom, who is also a reader, would take me to the library and let me check out eight Baby-Sitter’s Club books at a time, and one of my favorite memories growing up is her reading me “A Wrinkle In Time” that I got for Christmas. My dad does not read books, or at least I don’t think I’ve ever seen him read a book, but he reads. And I know that he believes in the value of reading to children based on a conversation I had with him a few years ago in which he told me that he thinks it’s the best thing you can do with your child. So, both of them probably played a huge part in my love for reading. They also supported my early attempts at writing, listening to my stories and reading what I had written.

I don’t think you can ever question the role of a good teacher in someone’s life, particularly as children are learning what they are good at and what they want to do eventually. I was incredibly lucky to have English teachers who recognized my passion for literature and writing, and they truly helped shape the reader, writer, and person I am today. I had several these, but one in particular who is now one of my dearest friends. I think she is the one who really pushed me into believing in my reading and writing abilities and hugely responsible for where I am today. And more importantly, she is still constantly encouraging me as I figure out my life and what I want to do with it.

Nathan is also a writer, though he does it for a living. He writes for computer publications, one of which I’m an editor for. Yes. He is a writer and I am an editor. But now I’m also a writer, and he has joined my support system in kind of an editor role. He’ll tell me what he likes or doesn’t like (not in a mean way), and we can talk about writing together to make it better.

I have friends that support me, as well, who read my currently baby blog and comment on it and encouraged me to start it in the first place when I was scared to. I have an aunt who took me to a literary conference on writing historical fiction (which is my next goal!) that truly inspired me and will really be the foundation of whatever I do. Of course, my siblings and my extended family also play a huge role in my writing support system.  I think all of these people truly believing in my abilities are what made me want to write, and they are also the people that will support me as I do.

A word fancies Where Side Note

Today's NYT (edit: yesterday's. I only found it today. It was meant to be.) has this article from Ann Patchett writing about her house. She is probably one of my favorite "modern" authors, and I love houses, so thus, I must love this article. Also, how moving is her last paragraph?

This is where I do exactly the thing I’ve always wanted to do, be a writer. This is the window from which I see entire days go by from dark to dark, never going farther than the end of my driveway. This is the place my husband comes back to every night, to this house where we were married and we are married. What I mean to say is that it is a good life wrapped in a good house.

 I feel I can definitely relate to this with our house, as it's the house we lived in when we got married and where we're starting our married life together, working together to make it ours and sarting to really persue what we want out of life. And we do have a good life, and a good house, even if it's not quite "finished" yet. But is anything ever finished? 

word fancies Where

I lied—I really thought I would be up this morning to write before I went to work, but the fact of the matter is, I’m a bad sleeper, and on the nights where I’m a really bad sleeper, I have a hard time getting up. Last night was one of those nights. I was up later than I should have been finishing a book and then kept having a crazy dream extension. When I was little, my cousin’s wife told me that if you try to go back to sleep in the EXACT same position, you would dream a continuation of the dream you were having before you woke up. Apparently that was the case last night, and while my dreams weren’t actually frightening, they were realistic and confusing and led to disorientation. Which leads to late wakeups.

But enough excuses, onto the where for the week. I’m going to focus not so much on where I literally write, but where we live: Nebraska. Don’t worry though—I’ll get to the house and my writing room eventually. And that will be a pictures post! I hope . . .

While I currently call Nebraska home, I was born in Colorado, and I have always been a mountain girl. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t camp, ski, hike, snowboard, or really do anything outdoorsy that you generally associate with mountains, though I have before. Rather, I like the way they look. I like seeing them at sunset, knowing which way is west, and just having them there. I appreciate the fact that my parents bought houses based on views rather than actual house conditions, because being able to see them right out a window there is almost comforting.

So how did I end up in Nebraska? This was a question that everyone asked me once I came here. It seems to be that people who live in Nebraska can’t fathom why anyone would come here willingly, and people who live anywhere else can’t fathom why anyone would want to come here.

Here’s how I would respond in college:

"I wanted to go somewhere out of state." This was true. While my schools were much larger than some of them here, particularly Nathan’s schools, I had gone to school with some of the same people since Kindergarten. Which isn’t a bad thing—it’s a great thing, in fact—but I was ready to branch out and not only get a new perspective, but be able to be who I was without people instantly putting me in a box that they had put me in back when we first met. Not like I had a bad reputation, quite the opposite in fact, but I wanted to learn who I was someplace new, rather than somewhere where people could still defer back to the Whitney they already knew.

"My parents are from here." Also true. My parents are originally from Western Nebraska and both graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where they met. (Note: However, because they are from Nebraska, it seems that they had something like two degrees of separation their entire lives. So it goes in this state—everyone knows everyone through one to three mutual acquaintances.) I am a sucker for tradition (aka routine), and I loved the idea of idea of attending a school that much of my family had. However, everyone assumed that my parents “made me” attend their alma mater. False. They were very supportive in my college hunt, and would have been proud no matter where I went.

"Valentino's Pizza." Partly true. I do love Val’s pizza. For those not familiar with it, Valentino’s is a restaurant that serves delicious pizza (and recently, I’ve discovered delicious spaghetti, too), and it’s really only a Nebraska thing, though they have branched out. It was always a special treat to have when we’d visit here, and during college on my way home, I’d stop in Ogallala to see my grandma and pick up half-baked pizzas to take home. Delicious.

But none of these were really my real reasons, and I don’t think I can ever really explain why I came here and why I love it, but I’ll try.

There’s a feeling of being here that’s hard to recreate. I’m not just talking about Husker game days, where you can feel pride and enthusiasm and unity in the air while you’re walking around or sitting in Memorial Stadium. That feeling lasts throughout the year and extends past our football team. I like that everyone seems to know everyone else and you can become friends with people you meet in everyday places. And yes, Nebraska can be conservative, but it’s also conservative in that it hasn’t lost values where you are generally nice to people, considerate and friendly, and people are willing to help you out if you need it.

I think that there is also a welcoming feeling. When I went on college visits, none of them felt as right as Nebraska did. I felt like anyone I talked to was glad I was here and wanted me here. While you can chalk that up to awesome recruiting efforts on UNL’s part, I don’t think I’ve lost that feeling as the years go by. And ultimately, this is why I chose to live in Nebraska, and I’m glad I did, even if I miss my Colorado people and the mountains.

word fancies What

What is word fancies? What is my purpose for this blog? As I outline in the “About word fancies” section of the site and the blurb to the left (edit: right; directions are not so much my strong suit), I want to use this blog as an outlet for my writing and as a place for me to share my thoughts, ideas, and what I’m learning about being a grown-up, a wife, a friend, a reader, an editor, a homeowner, and whatever other adjectives I can come up with to describe myself.

When I was first introduced to blogs, they seemed to be a little too much like journals that everyone could read. This is coming from the not-even-teenage girl who asked her sister to burn her journals if she died, a kind of morbid thought for someone so young. (Note: I still have some of these journals, and I don’t know what my young self was thinking: They are mostly just chronicles of my elementary school life and which friend I was mad at. Nothing too scandalous, but I suppose it's all about perspective.) This type of blog works for some people, but I found I never kept up on the ones I created at the urging of friends.

Then I started working 8-5 and just needed a break from work sometimes, and reading other people’s blogs provided that. I learned that there were blogs that were targeted to specific interests—my interests—and blogs that provided tutorials and inspiration and ideas that I could relate to. And then I got engaged and discovered wedding blogs and the amazing ideas and inspiration you can find on them.

One blog led me to another blog and then another blog. Friends recommended their favorites, and those blog authors recommended other blogs. Pretty soon, I was reading the same blogs every day and making these people’s sites part of my daily life. And I learned that blogs can become communities, businesses, or really, whatever you want them to be. So now, it’s just a matter of defining what I want mine to be, and I want that definition to change and evolve as I keep writing it.

I never took any creative writing classes in college, because I was too scared to branch out of the organized loveliness my journalism classes and literature-based English classes provided me with. But now I find myself wishing I had, as my writing feels so structured and I can’t seem to break out of that shell.

For example, I kept a journal of our recent trip to Europe, where I detailed what we did every day on our excursions, our experiences at the ship’s bar, and even what we ate for dinner. It wasn’t until I had my husband (still weird to write that!) write about our day in Rome that I realized I was doing that. Rather than talk about our itinerary and what we had seen, he described his impressions of the city and what it meant to him being there. I don’t think that either of us has a correct writing style; instead, as my friend Leah points out, he’s in “writer” mode and I’m in “reporter” mode. I hope that this blog can force me to write creatively while still reporting, because after years of journalism, it’s unlikely it will ever leave me.   

Because I want this post to tell you what you can expect to read here, I want to point out that I will try to incorporate pictures as I get going, but as this is a writing blog, it’s likely that my posts will instead feature lots of words. Or a moderate amount of words, depending on how I’m doing that day. As an avid blog reader, I know that pictures can add interest to your posts and provide illustrations to complement what you’re talking about. But for my blog, I’d rather focus on my writing and intersperse pictures if I find it to be necessary. I have nothing against pictures (really—you should see how many we have hanging up in our house) but I want to do what works for me here. And because it’s my blog, I can do that. So I will, and I hope you will enjoy the words I come up with.

word fancies Who

I think the who will be the hardest part of my 5 Ws project this week, but as it's the most important, I will start with it anyway.

My name is Whitney, I'm a 20-something editor living in Nebraska. I got married in September 2010. There are the basics.

I have a large, loving family and many friends who are so valued in my life. A very lucky girl, indeed.

I like to read and write and have been doing both for as long as I can remember. I got into journalism thanks to my time on my high school yearbook, though I also consider going into teaching one of these days. I am a fast reader and have my own special way of reading that no one, especially my husband, understands. Maybe I'll figure out a way of explaining it someday.

After planning our book-themed wedding for a year, I find that I need to create projects for myself to have something to do. So, I like to craft, especially scrapbooking, and am planning to learn how to sew. I am also (slowly) learning how to cook And of course, now I have this blog.

I find nearly all people, places, and things interesting. I like to laugh, and get choked up easily during books and movies, even if I've read them or seen them more times than I can count.

So, there's me in a nutshell. As I keep writing, I hope more of who I am comes out.

Once Upon A Time . . .

When I was little, all of the good stories started with "once upon a time . . ." and thus, my blog will, too. When I first started learning how to write stories, I was taught that you must focus on the five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. This week, as an introduction to my story, I'll be focusing on those five Ws and how they relate to who I am and this blog. Stay tuned!