Why is it that the grass in my front yard is a lovely shade of dead but the grass in my flowerbed is green and prospering?

It’s not because I’ve been watering my flowerbed. No. I’ve been a negligent little gardener this year. I’m getting better though. I spent three hours weeding and doing the pine straw thing last night.

Tonight, I’m going to finish the pine straw, plant some lantana, dead-head my roses (no, this does not mean I’m going to serenade them with Grateful Dead tunes…though, that could be a fun science experiment) and then water and feed my plants.

And then, I’m going to have to water my yard. Of course, y’all know what’s going to happen, don’t you? The grass in my yard will continue its downward spiral toward full death, while the grass in the flowerbed that I supposedly killed with poison and pulled will defy all odds and continue to flourish. Probably, it will turn mutant and take over the world.

Maybe X-Men IV could be about my mutant grass.

Or a whole new cartoon would spring forth: Teenage Mutant Ninja Grass

Or it could turn into the latest anime craze! Grassimon: The Mutant Evolution

I have to say the thought of seeing an anime blade of grass is a little frightening. I might just be onto something…

Why is it that the grass in my front yard is a lovely shade of dead but the grass in my flowerbed is green and prospering?

It’s not because I’ve been watering my flowerbed. No. I’ve been a negligent little gardener this year. I’m getting better though. I spent three hours weeding and doing the pine straw thing last night.

Tonight, I’m going to finish the pine straw, plant some lantana, dead-head my roses (no, this does not mean I’m going to serenade them with Grateful Dead tunes…though, that could be a fun science experiment) and then water and feed my plants.

And then, I’m going to have to water my yard. Of course, y’all know what’s going to happen, don’t you? The grass in my yard will continue its downward spiral toward full death, while the grass in the flowerbed that I supposedly killed with poison and pulled will defy all odds and continue to flourish. Probably, it will turn mutant and take over the world.

Maybe X-Men IV could be about my mutant grass.

Or a whole new cartoon would spring forth: Teenage Mutant Ninja Grass

Or it could turn into the latest anime craze! Grassimon: The Mutant Evolution

I have to say the thought of seeing an anime blade of grass is a little frightening. I might just be onto something…

I have been working my little fingers to the bone, lately.

Now, I’ve not been working them to nubs like my CP, Louisa (aka The Blogless One and Title Slut) TBO&TS managed 50 pages this week! That’s just awesome and I’m so happy for her.

As Maria told you when she blognapped me, I’ve been finishing up revisions on my proposal, Thieves in the Night. I’m excited about its possibilities, but at the same time, I’m nervous that it won’t find a home.

TBO&TS and I had a discussion about why we wanna be in this business. Why do we put ourselves out there? I mean, publishing is a tough business and writing is a passion. Why do we want to mix the two? Because when the rejections roll in, it’s a tough thing to swallow.

It’s hard not to take it personally. It’s hard not to get defensive and say, “But dammit! That’s my heart you’re rejecting!” It’s like finally professing your true love to the high school quarterback only to have him say, “I really like you, but only as a friend.” or “You have a great personality, but I like Tiffani better.” (no offense to any Tiffani’s out there–but be honest, Tiff, you’ve never been told you have a great personality…)

I’m glad I’ve been in the corporate world for as long as I have. That has honestly trained me to take the rejection better. Sure, it still stings. I wouldn’t be human if it didn’t. It hurts like hell. But, after the initial pain wears off, I go back and try to learn from the R. Is it something I can change? Is it my voice? My story? My writing? Am I getting the same feedback from more than one house? After I analyze the rejections, I apply what I learn to the next project or I work on or my rewrites.

So, why do we want to be in this business? I love to write, but writing for myself isn’t enough. I can’t imagine not pursuing the goal of publishing. If I don’t succeed, at least I can’t say it’s because I didn’t try.

I used to joke that if I didn’t have any goals, then I couldn’t fail. But the fact is, I have one goal: To be a successful published author. I am taking steps toward that goal. And I will succeed because I’m not giving up until I do and because I have the support of some great friends and a wonderful agent who are there to pick me up when I think I’m failing.

Failure isn’t an option. That’s why I’m in overdrive now.

I have been working my little fingers to the bone, lately.

Now, I’ve not been working them to nubs like my CP, Louisa (aka The Blogless One and Title Slut) TBO&TS managed 50 pages this week! That’s just awesome and I’m so happy for her.

As Maria told you when she blognapped me, I’ve been finishing up revisions on my proposal, Thieves in the Night. I’m excited about its possibilities, but at the same time, I’m nervous that it won’t find a home.

TBO&TS and I had a discussion about why we wanna be in this business. Why do we put ourselves out there? I mean, publishing is a tough business and writing is a passion. Why do we want to mix the two? Because when the rejections roll in, it’s a tough thing to swallow.

It’s hard not to take it personally. It’s hard not to get defensive and say, “But dammit! That’s my heart you’re rejecting!” It’s like finally professing your true love to the high school quarterback only to have him say, “I really like you, but only as a friend.” or “You have a great personality, but I like Tiffani better.” (no offense to any Tiffani’s out there–but be honest, Tiff, you’ve never been told you have a great personality…)

I’m glad I’ve been in the corporate world for as long as I have. That has honestly trained me to take the rejection better. Sure, it still stings. I wouldn’t be human if it didn’t. It hurts like hell. But, after the initial pain wears off, I go back and try to learn from the R. Is it something I can change? Is it my voice? My story? My writing? Am I getting the same feedback from more than one house? After I analyze the rejections, I apply what I learn to the next project or I work on or my rewrites.

So, why do we want to be in this business? I love to write, but writing for myself isn’t enough. I can’t imagine not pursuing the goal of publishing. If I don’t succeed, at least I can’t say it’s because I didn’t try.

I used to joke that if I didn’t have any goals, then I couldn’t fail. But the fact is, I have one goal: To be a successful published author. I am taking steps toward that goal. And I will succeed because I’m not giving up until I do and because I have the support of some great friends and a wonderful agent who are there to pick me up when I think I’m failing.

Failure isn’t an option. That’s why I’m in overdrive now.

I promise.

I started working on it yesterday, but I was so busy at work, that I didn’t have time to finish it.

Can you believe they make me work at work? I mean, the nerve. It’s like they expect me to actually EARN my paycheck.

Humph.

Meanwhile, if you like the Muppets and you’re looking for a fun time waster, go here: Gonzo Game

TTFN

I promise.

I started working on it yesterday, but I was so busy at work, that I didn’t have time to finish it.

Can you believe they make me work at work? I mean, the nerve. It’s like they expect me to actually EARN my paycheck.

Humph.

Meanwhile, if you like the Muppets and you’re looking for a fun time waster, go here: Gonzo Game

TTFN

You know things are desperate when I take over Mel’s blog.

Okay, Mel. Enough is enough. You need to come back to blogworld and entertain me.

Mel has been busy finishing up a proposal for Deidre. It’s a fantastically funny, SEXY, romantic suspense thing called Thieves in the Night. It’s awesome. This is the one, I tell you. New York is going to eat it up!

But you’re finished now, Mel. So come back….

You know things are desperate when I take over Mel’s blog.

Okay, Mel. Enough is enough. You need to come back to blogworld and entertain me.

Mel has been busy finishing up a proposal for Deidre. It’s a fantastically funny, SEXY, romantic suspense thing called Thieves in the Night. It’s awesome. This is the one, I tell you. New York is going to eat it up!

But you’re finished now, Mel. So come back….

Of course you did.

I’m back. I don’t wanna be…but I am.

The lake was fantastic. Pictures will follow soon–after I delete the forbidden pics. (No! not naughty pics) The naughty pics stay–it’s the pictures of me in a bathing suit that magically appeared in the digital camera. How did that happen? The family knows those pics are strictly foridden!

I returned today to a HOT house. HOT HOT HOT. Now, I had turned my air up so that it wouldn’t run all day, but the house shouldn’t have been so hot. I turned the air down to see what would happen. At 4:45 my son called me and said that it was 89 degrees in the house.

89 degrees and not a lake or a pontoon boat in sight. sigh.

So, I call my pal Bobby and Oxford Heating and Air. Bobby has rushed to my rescue before and I was hoping he could do the same for me tonight. I know, it’s expecting a lot to ask a man to rush to your rescue moments before quittin’ time…but I asked anyway.

At 5:05 pm, it was 91 degrees in my house. Bobby rang my doorbell and I wanted to hug him.

He found the problem, fixed it, and was out the door by 5:45.

It is now a lovely 72.

All hail Bobby.

I thought questions were going to be answered last night!!!!

Well, maybe one or two were, but in reality, more questions developed after last night’s show than were answered. And now we have to wait.

My heart raced most of the time last night. I loved the finale, even though I do feel like I was misled with the promo of aswering all the questions. Maybe I’m dense (some have thought that of me, shocking, I know) but I missed the epiphany.

So, have the Others recruited Jack, Kate, and Sawyer to join their army? When Walt and Michael are “rescued” does that mean they die?

Are Mr. Eko, John, and Desmond (sigh–another sexy islander) still alive?

I have to say though, last night’s finale left me wondering if my first theory about the island was right…that the Bermuda Triangle is a science experiment gone bad.

What are your thoughts?

I’ll be quiet while I’m at the lake, so you guys talk amongst yourself…I’ll be back by Tuesday!