concerning Love and Relationships

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Watching Numb3rs (season 3, off of Netflix) with my husband TJ last Friday night, and Larry compares Megan to the complexities of the Nebula 57. I look over at TJ…


ME: Why don't you compare me to the Nebula 57?

TJ: Because I don't know what the Nebula 57 is. Should I compare thee to a summer day?

ME: Muggy? Overheated? Sneezy from all the allergies?

TJ: How about pie?

ME: Oh great, now I’m cheesy on the outside? [reference to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog] I'm just saying you've never compare me to anything.

TJ: I've compared you to an Ent Wife.

ME: Oh, that's flattering. You said my fastest pace is a mosey, and I grow roots.

TJ: *just grins*

We've been together 13+ years, plus 6 years of friendship before that. We haven't changed much in all that time. Still best friends.

He still threatens me with ice cubes when I get too snarky, and I threaten him with sleeping on the couch.

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Rant: Homosexual vs Heterosexual Marriage

David, an old friend of mine, once presented this solution to the marriage issue to me, and I have to agree with him whole heartedly. So I want you to think about this question very carefully: 

Why does the government have ANY say over marriage of ANY kind?

To get married, to pledge your life to another, to vow to be in unity with someone for the rest of your life, is an intensely spiritual moment. It's between me and the one I love and God, and the only person who I should get permission from is the priest who


But we have to get PERMISSION from our government before we can perform this spiritual, religious rite. We have to apply for a LICENSE, requesting the government's permission, proving that we meet the government's standards before we are allowed to bind our souls to another person.


What happened to separation of church and state?


I can't think of any culture where a wedding isn't a religious or spiritual rite. Whatever culture and religion we come from, it is to our spiritual leaders and houses of worship we go to say our vows and rituals performed.


Government should have no say in this.


If two people want to unite their lives, the only permission they should get is from God and the priest that they request to reside over the marriage.


When it comes to marriage, government should instead be in the business of creating Financial Civil Unions between people. This Civil Union should be available for anybody, regardless of sexual orientation.


Imagine this scenario:

Two young HETEROSEXUAL men decide to live together during college. They buy an old house that they're are going to fix up. They each even have their own girlfriends, who live with them or don't. Doesn't matter. Maybe they rent some of the rooms out to other college students.

They decide to pull their resources into one bank account to cover their housing expenses. Banking, taxes, and insurance, it just makes more sense to work together since they both own the house.

After college they sell the house for a profit and both go their separate ways, dissolving their union.

OR maybe they buy another fixer upper, marry their girlfriends, and live as one big happy family, sharing expenses and raising their children together. A whole new way of looking at our communities.

In the end, what business does our government have in meddling with our bedroom affairs?

Whimsy 6.26.2013

Welcome to Whimsical Writer's Wonderful WIP Wednesday!

STATUS:


project: BREAKING ANGELINA
series: Paranormal Investigation, #1.5
word count: 19K
percentage: 95% complete
goal this week: 2K

Only TWO scenes left.

EXCERPT:

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Rita's Secret Weightloss Tips: 4 Simple Rules to Keep You Healthy

I gained a lot of weight when I started pursuing my goal of becoming a published writer. I'd work my day job and then stay up late at night to write into the wee hours of the morning, and then I used CAFFEINE and SUGAR to get my foggy, tired brain to function through the day.


Stress, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, food allergies, and too much sugar. Enough to make anybody gain weight.


The last 2 years, I learned to balance life and work and family and struggled to find myself again. Dance classes, zumba and weight lifting at the YMCA, making jewelry, spending more time with the kids.


In the process of losing weight, I've learned some all important rules:


1. Muscle boosts your metabolism by burning calories even while you are sitting still.

Muscle definition is SEXY. Take 2 skinny people who are the same height and wear the same size clothes, but one has muscle and the other doesn't. The one with muscle will weigh more but look better.

Muscle also helps you maintain your weight so that you don't get yourself into trouble again.

So I lift weights, go dancing, read books on the elliptical, and ZUMBA about 4 times a week. LIFTING WEIGHTS is an important part of it.

2. Eat 6 small meals a day.

For me, this works out to 2 meals and 4 snacks (a handful of nuts or some fruit). This keeps my blood sugar levels from dropping, keeps me from going into starvation mode, keeps my muscles healthy, keeps me from reaching for all the unhealthy foods I shouldn't eat.

3. Make wise eating choices.

Eat to support your exercise routines!

I have a BREAKFAST full of proteins. Since I can't have eggs, I have FISH every morning with some fruit and chocolate almond milk.

More fruit, less sugar.

More healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, fish, avocados), less fried foods and animal fats. I never skimp on healthy fats, which can be as much as 50% of my diet. It helps keep the hunger at bay.

More whole grains, less refined foods.

Drink tea and water instead of soda.

Notice how all my wise food choices replace bad foods with good foods? Focusing on what you CAN have helps to keep you from reaching for what you CAN'T.

If I say, "I won't eat brownies, even though I love all their chocolatey goodness," my focus is on the brownies, and all I can think about is how deprived I am.

But if I say, "I'm going to have strawberries, juicy and sweet and yummy." I am enjoying the foods I eat and reveling in my new found health. It's an important mind trick for any behavior change you want to make in your life.

4. Sleep and rest and destressify!

God really was thinking about us when he created the Sabbath Day. It's a time for spiritual, physical, and psychological renewal, and we suffer if we don't get it.

And without it, we have bad luck because we're worn thin and brittle and everything around is grows spiritually depleted as well. Which means all that self destruction that I caused by focusing on my writing goals to the exclusion of all else was a POINTLESS WASTE OF TIME. I couldn't have achieved my goals when I was spiritually, mentally, physcially depleted.

An empty soul has nothing within it to produce art.

Because I'm replacing fat with muscle, my results are slow. In total, I've lost about 10 pounds, with about 25 more to go, but I've also lost at least an inch off my waist.


Most importantly, I'm happy with myself.

Whimsy 6.19.13

Welcome to Whimsical Writer's Wonderful WIP Wednesday!



STATUS:

project: BREAKING ANGELINA

series:  Paranormal Investigation, #1.5
word count: 18K
percentage: 90% complete
goal this week: 2K

Good news! I ordered the book cover from my favorite artist: Regina Wamba. She's done all my book covers, and I've never been disappointed.  Anyway, cover will be ready in August.  


EXCERPT:

SITTING UP ON the top shelf, the black cat licks her paws. “You want to give someone pimples or a bad hair day? Nobody is creative any more. Nobody wants to turn someone into a frog or a tasty mouse.”


“I wouldn’t do anything like that to anybody.” And Hearing voices wasn’t enough; now I’m arguing with cats. All the symptoms of a paranoid schizo. Next, I’ll have delusions of super powers and believe helicopters are spying in my windows.

Closing my eyes, I will the illusion to go away, but when I open them again, she’s still there.

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My Hobbies

I don't have a lot of time after all my responsibilities: Day Job, Writing, Marketing, Homeschooling, Life...

And somehow I still find time for hobbies (it's called LACK OF SLEEP):

#1. Reading!!!

Just finished Death's Rival this weekend. Great book, and now I can't wait to read the next one. *kicks TJ in the shin*

He looks up from his book. "Huh? What?"

I just glare.

He gives me an evil grin and goes back to his book.

#2. Dancing

I keep a busy schedule full of dance classes ... as well as Zumba and weight lifting and running on the elliptical. Just trying to stay in shape and have fun doing it.

Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Ballet (which I'm terrible at), Lyrical, and Contemporary (my favorite).

And I've performed several dances in front of a live audience of 500+ people!

Photography by Alexander Yakovlev

#3. RPG games with TJ and friends

The kind with dice rather than on a computer.



pic found on RedBubble

 # 4. Jewelry Making

Useful because I've been making some of my own swag, like this bookmark.

concerning Cloud Power

From HD Wallpapers

We never watch TV or cable. Our kids don't even know what TV is. They think all shows come from DVD's or Netflix. I like it that way:  no commercials and we're in control of what we watch, when we want to watch it.


Before Netflix (technical term is B.N.), we used to watch shows on Hulu, which exposed us to a minimum amount of commercials. One of these commercials was for a business cloud.


"I have Cloud Power," the business owner in the commercial said.


"I want that," my daughter Spider Girl #2 said when the commercial was over.


"Do you even know what that is?" I asked.


"Yes, it's Cloud Power," she said, her voice in total awe.


Couldn't argue with that. Having power over the clouds would be pretty cool. I could shape the clouds anyway I want to OR make it rain and add a thunderstorm OR make the day beautiful day when we have a picnic.

What super power do you want?

Whimsy 6.12.13

Welcome to Whimsical Writer's Wonderful WIP Wednesday!
WHIMSY for short.

STATUS:

project: BREAKING ANGELINA
word count: 16K
percentage: 77% complete
goal this week: 5K

I didn't get as much done this week as I wanted. Last Wednesday I was all fired up to finish the story, and instead, I only got through one scene. Only FOUR MORE SCENES to go!



EXCERPT:

In this scene, Angelina meets a talking black cat in a bookstore who changes into a witch...



Black Cats and Full Moons by JessKat-art




I rummage through the books on one of the tables. A little leather-bound one and on the bottom says On Matters of Love across the front.

Yesssss, a love potion. The voices in my head purr.

He deserves to see me for who I really am.

You desssserve a chance.

Maybe if he just had the chance to see me without my sister in the way. He could get to know me and love me for real.

You dessserve this.

I deserve this. I’ve been thoughtful and helpful. I’m beautiful and kind. I brought him homemade cookies at Christmas— baked them myself. I talked to him about the cars he’s been fixing up even though I hate cars.

“How much is this one?”

The old lady glances at the book in my hand and, shaking her head disapprovingly, scowls at me. “Bah, love potions—disgusting little abominations. They take away the targets free will and replace it with such a pitiful emotion.” Huk huuuk pluth. She spits a disgusting green glob at my feet and splatters my new Candies. “I won’t make them. Besides, you have to get the blood of a siren or a succubus or certain types of fairies. Drain every last drop of blood. You are too prissy to put a simple little curse on your sister. You can’t handle this potion.”

“Drain the blood? Won’t that kill it?”

“I suppose so.”

“Wait a minute, sirens aren’t real. They don’t exist.”

“Then neither do love potions, and I’m not a witch. Now out of my shop.”

She studies me as if she could see the bones under my skin, the voices squirming inside my head, and I look away to hide from her piercing gaze.

Sirens are monsterssss.

I can’t do it.

They lure they’re prey with song.

I’m a good girl.

Then drown their victimsss.

Maybe.

You’d be doing the world a favor.

“Then what do I do?” I ask.

She throws her hands up in the air. “What do I care what you do next? Mix it into his beer or put it in his coffee. I’ve known some who put it in the frosting of a cake. Up to you.”

   

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Beautiful Blogger Award

Thank you to N. A. Roy for nominating me. I feel so honored!!!

How the award works...


RULES:
1. Copy and paste the Beautiful Blogger Award in your post.

2. Thank the person that nominated you and link back to their blog.

3. Tell 7 things about yourself.

4. Nominate 7 fellow Bloggers, tell them by posting a comment on their Blog*.




So, here are seven things about me:


1. I'm afraid of heights

If my husband tries to pick me up, I scream and fight and kick and hit. Especially if he wants to take me up the stairs.

I can't climb above two steps on a ladder. And I get real nervous when I'm TEN FEET away from a cliff's edge.

HOWEVER, I can climb up on the kitchen counter without even a tremor of fear. Go figure.

2. I am still a kid at heart and am an eternal optimist

I love to play, and I make up silly songs and dances and games. Makes me the a great mommy. However, some of my silly side has gotten lost in the effort of becoming a successful writer. Let me just say, I'm exhausted. I'm looking forward to the day when I can quit my day job.

3. I play RPG games (like Pathfinder or White Wolf, not the video or computer kind)

Here's our role playing gang:  Carrie (hiding), Dan, Jacob (getting beat up by my kids & Carrie's kid), and my husband TJ (who was busy getting ready for the game and didn't notice me snapping his picture)



 

4. I prefer werewolves to vampires

Animals are actually ALIVE and brimming with earth energy! No competition!



From the Spirit Woods

5. I'm a Batman fan

But mostly, I like his supporting characters like Cat Woman and Huntress, but especially Oracle and Nightwing

From X-Man's Comic Blog

6. I love dancing

The kid at heart in me takes a bunch of dance classes with both the little kids and the adults at our local dance studio. I just love learning and dancing and moving. I'm kinda crazy that way.

7. I've got the cutest panda wallet ever





Isn't it just soooo cute?


Who I nominate:

1. Cameo Renae
2. Renee Miller
3. Wendy Swore
4. Lady Amber
5. L.P. Dover
6. Rochelle Callen Guzman
7. Heather Heimes McCubbin

Say "Books!"

The kids have discovered the best way to get my attention. Just say, "Books!" and I'll look up from whatever I'm doing.


It's a family joke that I have a world of my own (thus the name of my blog is Rita's World). My world is completely disconnected from reality, full of twinkling stars and magic. I disappear into this world when I'm writing or reading or making jewelry ... and also at odd moments throughout the day when I fall into a daydream.


And the magical word to transport me back is BOOKS.

Whimsy 6.5.13

Welcome to Whimsical Writer's Wonderful WIP Wednesday! WHIMSY for short.

I give a status on my WIP and share beautiful details about my story & characters...


project:  BREAKING ANGELINA
word count:  14K
percentage:  70% complete
goal this week:  6K (to finish the story!)





ANGELINA


I love this story, dark and gritty.

People wondered what would make a sweet, good little girl like Angelina (from Playing Hooky) decide to murder a siren. How did she even learn about the magical world? This is the story that explains it all...

...though as a good writer should, I raise more questions to be answered in another story.


Excerpt:

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I STARE AT the grade on my paper, a red smear, like blood welling up, the words bleeding.


A big fat, ugly C.

C is for mediocre.

Ordinary.

Imperfect.

Dashing a tear from my eye, I force a smile on my face. I studied hard, but next time, I’ll do better. I’ll keep my scholarship. Everything will be fine.

The world is full of glitters and stars; rainbows hide in every corner. You just have to be willing to find the treasure in the midst of the junk.

No matter what terrible things happen to me, that’s what I tell myself when I climb out of bed each morning.

“So what did you get on the quiz?” Barbara holds up her B paper.


Snapping my folder shut before she can see, I zip it closed. “An A,” I lie.

I should have had an A. I studied and knew all the answers, but during the quiz, this strange humming noise buzzed in my ear, distracting me.

Voices whispered underneath the humming, and I knew they were talking about me. But the more I strained to listen, I couldn’t make out what they said. I almost yelled to tell them how rude they were, but that would have interrupted everyone else taking the test.

I’m pretty sure the voices did it on purpose. They wanted me to fail.

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Want to join in my weekly meme? If you have a WIP, just  perform the following steps:

1. Write your own blog post
2. Get the linky code here
3. Paste it at the end of your blog post
4. Add a linky to your blog post