I've Been Tagged (it's deer season, you know)

Well, I've kind of been tagged. Angie, Blogger's resident Gumbo Writer, answered some interesting questions over on her blog today, and offered the format up for anyone who's game. This is perfect timing for me, because I've always found such exercises great for mental flow.

*brain lurches ... grinds to halt as false start becomes apparent*

So maybe without further ado, here are some (mostly) unknown facts about me. Of course, that's not to say they aren't trivial facts you'll have nothing with which to do. But maybe it'll be fun anyway...

*squirts a little WD-40 on gears*

Five Things I Was Doing 5 Years Ago:
*living in a duplex we loved, but were quickly outgrowing
*raising an almost-one-year-old
*giving thought to when a second baby would be nice
*kicking off my writing career, by completing a children's picture book manuscript (6 rejections, haven't sent out in a long while, have since "moved on") and getting first check ever for publication (in Western New York Family Magazine - Social Motherfly, one of my best pieces, which I can find nowhere, on disk or paper copy...)
*cultivating a new friendship with two women from church, who have become like sisters in the years since

Five Things on My To Do List:
*finish touch-ups around newly painted areas in our home
*urethane trim
*write
*rid self of headache
*Christmas shop

Five Things I Like to Snack on:
*pretzels with mozzarella cheese
*fudgy brownies
*granola bars
*crackers (think Chicken-in-a-Biscuit)
*warm tortillas

Five Things I Would Do If I was a Millionaire:
*give to our church (to then help others)
*put into accounts that will accumulate over the years
*buy my husband a pinball machine
*shop without making a beeline to clearance, perhaps without even looking at the price tags *gasp!*
*fly a group of girlfriends to a house in Maine for a long weekend getaway, sans hubbies and kids

Five Places I Have Lived:
Missouri x 5

Five Jobs I Have Had:
*Geoffrey Giraffe, mascot for Toys R Us, for charity events and store promotions
*server at Paradise Grill
*front desk at the Hilton (I was not meant for hospitality)
*Mental Health Technician (junior counselor) on adolescent psych unit
*Account Executive for a publishing company (I know what you're thinking... but it was a commercial print and yearbook publisher)

Five People I Am Tagging:
My bloggy buddies exceed the number 5 so, like Angie, I'll leave it open to whomever's interested. Have fun!

And have a great weekend!

Page 123

YES! I LOVE this fun tag from Janet at The Walrus Said. The assignment is thus:

1) Pick up the book nearest you
2) Open to page 123
3) Find the 5th sentence
4) Post the following 3 sentences
5) Tag five others

The book nearest me is one I found at an antiques store. It sits on my shelf with a small basket of flowers, just looking distinguished as aged books do. Julian Mortimer; A Brave Boy's Struggle for Home and Fortune by Harry Castlemon, copyright 1887. There's a handwritten note inside the front cover that reads: Edward C Wright, Jr., From Aunt Jack (yes, aunt), July 1902.

"I am ready to hear what you have to tell me about my parents. You say they are both alive?"

"Both of 'em," replied Sanders.

Ooh, intriguing, no?

I choose to tag:

Rebecca Laffar-Smith from Writer's Round-About
Melanie Avila at What Am I Doing In Mexico?
Michele Tune at Writing the Cyber Highway
Kimmi of Kimmirich's Weblog
Amy from Mind Over Mullis
Susan, The Urban Muse

Have fun!

So This meme Thing...

Yipes, I am so far behind. I've been *sneeze* sickly for the last *cough-wheeze* week and a half. I've not been in front of the computer in something like seven days and criminy! I've got a lot of catching up to do.

I've been tagged. Twice! Both Melanie and Susan got me (I feel so flippin' special!) on this meme - me? me! - thing, Roar for Powerful Words. Watch out... I'm a writer, hear me roar! I'm to share three tips for my fellow writers and tag five others. So without further ado...

1) Have confidence in yourself. Know you're worthy of the job you set out to do. You have the know-how, you have the discipline - so be sure of yourself (and your written voice) and you'll accomplish the goal you set out to attain.

***I interrupt this blog post for a potty break. Er, not mine, though... Natalie, who's 2 and is supposed to be napping, just called me upstairs to see she'd actually pottied in her little Safety 1st toilet... All on her very own. Whoo!***

2) Seek out other writers for support. We can gather encouragement all day long from friends and family members, but it takes help and reinforcement from other writers - who go through exactly what you do - to really spread your wings. A fabulous resource is the forums board over at Absolute Write (AW). Questions will be answered, fun will be had, and all the encouragement you can handle will spill forth. Check it out here.

3) Set monthly goals. You may exceed them - or you may not reach them all - but once you plan out some things you'd like to see happen, you'll feel capable and accomplished. I did it for the first time this month. Seeing a list of writing goals helped start the ball rolling and I dove in head first. I've not touched two or three things on my list, but I attacked the other two or three items with a ferocity I didn't know was in me. And I feel so great about those things that I won't sweat the others. I've got February ahead of me!

I hope these tips will prove worthy (she said humbly). Best of luck!

I tag:

Teige at A Writer Writes

Stacey over at FlibbetyGibbet

Michelle: Writing the Cyber Highway

Kimmi from kimmirich's weblog

Janet, who runs The Walrus Said

Oh! Something was mentioned of an award? Gee, I never win anything. But here she is: