Ways to avoid Writers block

     As a writer, I have come against my share of barricades in the process of thought to paper. You get your story in a flow and you start writing so fast your fingers barely can keep up and then, BOOM! Writers block. You have painted yourself into a corner and you have no way to get yourself out.I read article after article about avoiding writers block. I tried some of the methods, and then I came up with my own method.
      I love my family, and thank God they love me back because my method of getting out a corner was a bit of a shock to the system of a couple of them. My system involves just that! Shock and awe. My favorite person to do this to is my sister. I pick up the phone and dial her number and the conversation goes something like this.

 Sis- " Hey you! how is it going?"

  Me- " Spear or mace?"

Sis- " Pardon me?"

 Me- " Don't think, just say- Spear or Mace?"

Sis- " Well, in what context?"

Me- " Are you serious? Spear or Mace! Gah!"

Sis- " I'll have to say mace, since it's just not as..."

Me- "Ok thank you, I will talk to you in a few. Love you ! Bye"

    You think I'm kidding at this point, but truly I am not. I give like a minute and a half phone calls to make snap decisions to get out of my soppy painted corner. Spear or mace is not even the most horrific thing I've asked. One time I began with the sentence, " OK you've been scorned, you kill the guy by A) slaughtering him with your bare hands and or medieval weapon of your choice. Or B) you allow your dragon to hunt him down and shred him to pieces before roasting him in a ball of fire. "

    Nothing is better than involving loved ones who won't judge you ( too much you hope). 
Another way I have found really works, and I've read it before, is become your character. I seriously write a young lady character who is the complete opposite of myself, and I become her when I write. I don't stop and think OK, now what will I do, I think like her, what would she do? A lot of the time its the polar opposite of what I would do, and I always know I've chosen well when I feel myself smiling like an idiot as I write. 

   How do you avoid writer's block?  

Ramblings and Ruminations

     Its been forever since I have sat down and written here. I let life sweep me up in it's arms and spin me around its dance floor at a dizzying pace. I have had so much happen since my last entry. I became a wife, and I became a mother. I became more mature than I have ever been in my life.
     Now, here I sit at the end of the year, well almost, I guess we have 3 days left. I sit here and I reflect on my last year. It has been the hardest year of my life. I have never felt so emotional , so driven, and so defeated in my life. I made myself goals and promises, some I kept and some I am hoping to see come to fruition.
    I became crafty in things I didn't think I would have time for anymore. I used this to reconnect with people I thought I had lost, and I walked away from people I never thought I could. I became stronger, I became more determined, and I became afraid of myself. I had no idea who I was becoming and that scared me. I was used to being the care free, goofball. Now I was responsible for so many lives, so many depended on me. A husband, and a son, and while that seems like a small amount it is intimidating to know that they rely on you.
    I became afraid of who I was becoming, because who isn't afraid of the unknown. I didn't want to lose that girl I once was, I knew part of her had to go. I couldn't go flitting off here and there on a whim any longer, but it felt like I was oppressing her because I felt like I had to put it all aside to be the one responsible. Bad things piled up and it fell to me to be the one who had to structure and be the one who was consistent. It was hard and it wore on me. I lost joy in so many things.
   When my son was born, something flipped in me. I would not be oppressed by all the drama in my life. I would not let him be raised by a mom who was sad, and down. I would give him that spark that special freedom of imagination that I had still locked away inside me. I sang silly songs, and told him goofy stories. I smiled even when I hurt, I smiled.
   Slowly I noticed, that he too smiled when he felt lousy, he laughed and giggled through stuffy noses, and coughs , and sore throats. Through sleepless nights we kept each other smiling. He was my key to unlock the silly girl of yesteryear. Soon, my phrase became , "Not my problem." and with a shrug of my shoulders I was off to sing my angel to sleep. Things still grated on my nerves and things still drove me over the edge, but with him I was able to be free for a moment.
    This coming year, I promise myself to do more laughing, more smiling, more writing and ore creating. I promise to share it more with you, and with all those around me. Here's to a new page in the book we are writing daily.

Here he is...

I am so excited to show you! I finished the fishy hat. It took some time and effort and a few times of frogging, but I love the end product. 

Now I used a figure eight stitch to make the body of this little guy. I start with 2 strands of 4 ply red heart yarn. I made sure the color was going to compliment his body, but definitely look like a mouth. After I got the mouth finished I switched over and created the body from one strand that the mouth color was in and one strand of orange. The picture doesn't do him justice in the vibrancy of his color. Like I said, I worked the rounds in a figure eight stitch until it hit the length I wanted. On him, I went for about 15 inches. I wanted it shortened up a little since I knew my version was going on a little body, but you can definitely add more length. The top fin and the tail was done in e-wrap. 

For the tail, I used a drawstring cast on and then e-wrapped the white part and then switched over to the multi-colored look that we used for his body. 

I used a small flower loom for the eyes, also using a draw-string cast on , and then a KK blue loom for his fin. Those were worked in short rows. I jotted the pattern down and if you would like a copy please let me know! Hope you enjoy him as much as I do!. Until next time!!

A new adventure

 I have been a slacker. I admit it, I have. I have been neglecting to share my adventures as a rambling writer with you all and I apologize. SO here's a brief sum up of what's been going on. 

   Lately I have been working over time in the create department. I have been visiting blogs of other creative gals and tweaking things I like. My newest adventure is in pattern writing. I love Loom knitting, and I love creating wonderful new creations from my head or tweaking creative ideas from others craniums. 

    I am working on tweaking a fish hat that my cousin sent me. She loved it, but all she had was a picture and it looked crocheted. "never fear!" I can do it, I tell her boldly. And I am working on just that. I am snapping pictures along the way and writing down the steps so that you too can make one if you like. Its looking to be super cute! 
  
  Also I have had a stream of ideas for some baby items that I also will be writing out the patterns for and hope you enjoy. Also will include patterns for those as well. 

  Lastly, I am getting married soon, so I have been wedding planning. And I have been going creativity mad with what I want to do decoration wise. Can I just say that decorating for weddings and babies are like the best things to decorate for. 

 SO with all that said in the next couple days I will have the fish hat up and pics to accompany it. I hope you all love it as much as I do! Have a happy day. 

Mornings in a zoo

As the alarm cries for awakening the house, I soothe its pain and shut it down.
The soft gurgle of the water from tanks creeps slowly into reality.
Chirping and clicking comes from my furry little darling as he asks for his exercise wheel.
Rising I give him what he asks for, then begin the slow task of flipping on the lights.
Its reward, a slow smile from a sleepy gecko. What a happy way to begin the day.

Chaos in quiet moments

The soft lullaby of pan flutes lilting through the air.
Calming and tranquil, the chill of the morning air enough to feel
like you are genuinely greeting the sunrise all alone on this earth.
Doors fling open and yelling and shoving spill through a gateway to the other world.
laughing and teasing chasing away the flutes, the crisp kiss of morning receding from reach.
with a heavy sigh I turn and smile, the children have arrived for class.

Whispers in the snow

The edge of night still grasping the sky
the sun trying to sneak by
the soft whisper of snow falling, caressing all it touches
the early morning can be so intimate and yet so completely lonely.