One Lovely Blog Award

Celebrate with me, people! Today I found out that I was nominated for my second blog award! It is the One Lovely Blog Award, and I'm very appreciative that I was one chosen to receive it.

Thank you Allyn Stotz for the nomination. You can check out her blog here: she posts some handy-dandy tidbits of fun and information over at her little cyber home.

Here's how the award works:

1. Accept the award, and post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and their blog link.
2. Pass the award on to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they've been chosen for this award.

Here are my lucky winners:

Taurean Watkins at http://talkinganimaladdicts.blogspot.com/

Antimony at http://thoughtsmusingsandbrokenpromises.blogspot.com/

Kim Wheedleton at http://bugsandbunnies.blogspot.com/

Sara Brumfield at http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com/

Krista V. at http://motherwrite.blogspot.com/

Tracey Neithercott at http://thewordsonpaper.blogspot.com/

Jessie Harrell at http://jessie-harrell.blogspot.com/

Anna Staniszewski at http://www.annastan.com/blog/

Marie Elena Good and Walt Wojtanik at http://aleerily.blogspot.com/

Denise Stanley at http://denise-roomtowrite.blogspot.com/

Amanda DeLallo at http://amandadelallo.blogspot.com/

Mikki Sadil at http://mikki-wordpainter.blogspot.com/

Susan Dennard at http://susandennard.com/blog-2/

Courtney Rene at http://www.ctnyrene.blogspot.com/

Vijaya  Bodach at http://vijayabodach.blogspot.com/

Congratulations, bloggers!

I had a craaaazy busy week this week!

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com

First off, my sisters and I had to go online and book tickets to Scotland. I decided, then and there during the whole purchasing process, that I love the thought of traveling, and being in the place where I want to travel to, but I hate booking tickets and I hate the airport.

After that, since my fav'rite singer is going on tour and will be in my area in the summer time, I bought tickets to his concert. Hoot hoot! That was the most thrilling moment of the evening! **sigh**

Then, I am in the process of moving into a wee small house with my sister, and so there's a lot of packing up being done. That being said, I'm surprised I have time to post anything!! :-)

However, there is still time to have fun. For one thing, as a consolation prize, I purchased the most adorable monkey that also substitutes as a neck warmer. See, this little animal has some sort of warmth-retaining beads in it, so when you microwave it (or bake at 150 degrees for about twenty minutes, if you don't have a microwave), it radiates heat for quite a long time. Makes you feel fuzzy all over while you're writing and listening to music. Next, I bought a Writer's Tool Box by Jamie Cat Callan, which contains "first sentences", "non sequitors", and "sixth sense" cards that are all made expressly for the purpose of stimulating the right and left side of one's brain.  Last, I bought a book I've been hankering after for quite a while. It's called "The Art of War For Writers" by James Scott Bell, and it is fanTAStic! I love love love books on "How to Write". I always learn so much from those "How to" books! :-)

There was one section from "The Art of War for Writers" that I loved. It depicts a hero and a fool, emphasizing their differences. Here's the section:

"If you want to be a writer, know this:

   A hero knows it takes hard work and a long time to get published; a fool thinks it 
should happen immediately, because he thinks he's a hero already.

   A hero learns the craft; a fool doesn't think there's much to learn.

   A hero keeps growing all his writing life; a fool thinks he's fully grown already.

   A hero fights to make his writing worthy, even when no one's noticing; a fool demands 
to be noticed all the time, even if his writing stinks.

   A hero is persistent and professional; a fool is insistent and annoying.

   A hero gets knocked down and quietly regroups to write again; a fool gets knocked down 
and whines about it ever after.

   A hero makes his luck; a fool cries about how unlucky he is.

   A hero recognizes the worth in others; a fool can't believe others are worth more than 
he.

   A hero keeps writing, no matter what, knowing effort is its own reward; a fool 
eventually quite and complains that the world is unfair.

       Be a hero."

James Scott Bell

Hopefully, that thought will leave you with a little sparkle of inspiration.

Tonight, I'm writing this blog, watching an Avonlea, and leafing through "The Art of War for Writers." Aaah, I live for weekends!

Don't forget the fuzzy monkey. **winky**

Wednesday: On Reading

So, today is all about what I'm reading.

Well, I have to tell you. I just finished "The Hunger Games", and I know all youse all, or at least most of you out there, have read this book. What was your initial response to it?

This was mine. It was disturbing. Really, really disturbing. You know what disturbed me most? I couldn't put the book down!

I mean, it took me a little while to get my head wrapped around the idea of a gladiator-type future where the children are forced to compete in this "Game" against each other, in a fight to the death. Suzanne Collins does such a good job of portraying her world, however, that you can almost reconcile yourself to the idea. As the book goes on, and you're drawn deeper into Katniss's mind and mentality, you almost get detached from the deaths that occur. In fact, you almost root for some of them. Then, all of a sudden, the author jerks you back into the present, and to the shocking mentality of her world. As I said, disturbing.

However, her style was amazingly gripping. I could not put the book down. I started her book on Sunday morning, and by the afternoon I'd finished it. Afterward, I immediately put her other two books on hold. She had a way of putting her words together that held my attention. That's the kind of writing I want to learn, that taut and relentless string of words that makes me want to turn the next page... and the next page... and the next page.

I give "The Hunger Games" probably a four-and-a-half star rating. I'd prolly give it a five-star rating, 'cept it disturbed me so much! :)

On a lighter note, and totally not in keeping with the topic, this is a note to all you Josh Groban fans out there: HE'S GOING ON TOUR! I just finished purchasing eight tickets, for me and my family members and friends who are going to see him LIVE! I'm thrilled, excited, jazzed... he's my fav'rite singer. Here's the reason why. I'll share with you one of my most favourite songs on his new Illuminations CD. It's called "Hidden Away", and it's absolutely beautiful. Enjoy! God bless.