Writing for a Living, the Lost City of Atlantis and Church

Last week was a rough week. Spring Break in the house of Crumpet is like being caged with wild monkeys. That should be, "sick, wild monkeys." The flu made it's way through after the coughing and I was not having a great time. The kids who I homeschool were asking how soon the others would be going back. No one was having much fun, but I took out some remnant newspaper and rolled it across the floor and brought out some paint. First the kids were painting pictures, then Mudd painted his hand, and soon they were painting their feet and walking over the paper. I used tape to keep it on the floor and they had a great time.

I got out some of my gardening books and the kids each chose what they want to grow in their 4' X 4' boxes, which seems to change because they all have different tastes.

On Thursday night was the end of a long day for me. Basil is too darned smart, and he and Cloud were going at it. My husband came home late and I was ready to throw myself from the rope that I was hanging from and he gave me $20 to go to the book store to have some coffee and write.

I chatted up a few people who all told me that I need to write romance novels. What gives? Do I look like a romance writer? Do I act like one? Isn’t that like telling someone, “You really need to model for Poor Richard’s Almanac!”? Or asking me, “Have you considered being a factory worker instead of going to college?” Romance novels are not literature.

A lady who I was chatting up said that when the economy sours that country music fans increase which leads us to one universal truth: country music listeners bring down the economy. (They also read more escapism.) What do people want to read? Happiness. They want peace and joy and happiness. I have decided to dedicate my life or at least the time being to writing complete fabrication fiction, or in other words, marital bliss. (I am bracing for my husband to throw a pillow at me! LOL) I am thinking of writing about people whose husbands are in current conflicts (military) and staying together through thick and thin, sticking together like glue, resisting temptation-- sometimes willingly, other times having good friends pulling them from the brink while they are kicking and screaming . . . that sort of thing. My ex husband was military and I have quite a few friends who married it.

On Saturday I took the kids to a local bookstore for a reading hour with Kellie Davis-- the lady gets into reading and had a lot of fun. My kids were trying to attack her, having no problem asking her why she covers her hair, asking her where she was from, etc. She has nerves of steel and kept a rapport going with all of the kids and she had about 20 kids and moms there, not including mine.

My kids enjoyed this reader, but also went to some stations where there were crafts being done.

There was also a demonstration for a fiber arts guild going on. My kids were not into this, but the parents were. Ms. Davis seems like the ADHD sort and when she was done reading, caught a drop spindle that was tossed to her and started trying to spin. She is a better reader than spinner, but was game for just about anything and promised the guild members that she would be back for their meeting to spin. All of us tried, but my husband caught her on camera.

Today Dmitri embarrassed me in a cute way. He is 10 and loves to read about Atlantis. He asked our priest about it and if he believed in it. Our priest asked him a few questions about why he thought it was real and the priest said, "There are so many stories about it that it must be rooted in some truth, so yes, I think that it may be real!"

Dmitri said, "Will you please ask God and get back to me? I want to know where it is."

He is cute, to say the least.

There is a young man the same age as Cloud at our church, whose parents are high up in the clergy and very nice people. For a long time, Cloud has been asked by members of the church (adults) if she likes their son. She does-- he is handsome and seems very nice, but he hasn't noticed her and she has already thought about the problems associated with dating someone there, especially someone who is high profile and she told me that if he did notice her that she would not want to go out with him until they were in college where the church that we attend wouldn't be likely to know about it. I told her that she is very wise because, while the poeple in church are VERY nice, everyone would talk about them. She asked me why she has been asked by adults because she can't believe they might care about the romantic interests of two teenagers. I told her that churches are in the business of hatches, matches and dispatches and that is their job to hook you up and ready for you to be knocked up! She seems ready to handle it with humor which I appreciate.