“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.”
~Abraham Sutzkever

 At least, that’s the hope, right? When I watch Peter Pan, that sentiment is how I connect. He never grows old; never loses his sense of wonder for the world. I feel that connection to him, because everywhere I go, even if the place isn’t as wondrous as Neverland, I find something “sparkly” about it. I make something “sparkly” of my environment.

I never liked Wendy because I thought she acted like a little old lady. Sure, you’d want to come back to your mom and dad (uh, maybe, I’d really be tempted to stay in Neverland!), but did she have to be such a fussbudget? A little old woman in a little girl’s body? But you know people like that, don’t you? No matter the age, they’re old. Responsibility over spark. Vegetables before desert.

Are we a mixture of both? I think my daughter is. She’d probably say I’m too much Peter, not enough Wendy. How about you?

Are you more Peter than Wendy? Would you stay in Neverland?

Are there ways we can hold on to our inner youth? Oil of Olay is fine, but how do you keep your inner child from drying up like a prune?

UPDATE: The winner of the gift card is Mary Preston!

* * * * *

I was looking for an inspirational quote from one of those inspirational quote books to begin my day. The book fell open to this one:

To live is to suffer,
to survive is to find meaning in suffering.
Viktor Frankl

That’s meant to inspire? Reading that might inspire suicide!

Here’s another:

The more the marble wastes, the more the statue grows.
Michelangelo

Okay, I get it. Kind of like a writer staring at a blank page has to find words to fill it, a sculptor has to find the shape living inside the stone. That’s better, but I need more quotes to pull out today when my attention begins to wane. Feels like that kind of day—it’s freezing outside, the sky is overcast, my bed looks way too inviting. I need a reason to stay at my keyboard.

So, that’s your mission today. Should you choose to accept it. Find me a quote, something that will keep my fingers on the keyboard, my mind pressing forward in the story! Best quoter (hmmm, my online dictionary says that’s not a word—well, it should be!) wins a small Amazon gift card! Okay, so that “best” thing can be intimidating, and I don’t care if your quote is corny or terrible, just fill the comments!

While you’re pondering, ponder these covers for stories coming very soon…

  

I like collecting books of quotes—little inspirational sentences. They’re pick-me-ups—reminders that we’re all on this journey together. I opened one of the quote books sitting on my desk for something I might impart to give you a little inspiration for your day, and this is what I found:

“It’s never too late, in fiction or in life, to revise.” — Nancy Thayer

Now, how profound is that? Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

I’m blogging two places today. Post a comment here and at Wild and Wicked Cowboys. They both count in Hustler Magnets Contest! Have a great day!

“The biggest sin is sitting on your ass.” ~ Florynce Kennedy

I’m hoping she meant that figuratively or I’m screwed.

It’s the day after Snowmageddon. We got a paltry five inches. Not that five inches isn’t enough to halt all traffic (including school buses!). Yesterday, I had the hellion and her kids here because they were “bored”. Like I’m the entertainment? Little high-pitched voices screaming, “She hit me!”, “No-ny! No-ny!” (she can’t say Nina), and the sounds of things crashing to the floor, sent the muse into hiding. I should have unpacked the Pack ‘n’ Play and given them both boxing gloves.

Still, no excuses. Today, I will pay the price with double the pagecount to make up.

I’m sure what Florynce meant was that the greatest sin is doing nothing. Doing nothing when it’s time to speak. Doing nothing when it’s time to act.

Well, I’m acting now. Just on my ass. 😛

“I survived because I was tougher than everyone else.” Bette Davis

I can claim “tough”.

I served 14.5 years in the U.S. Army (including a stint in the Middle East during the Gulf War), plus another 7 in the Guard.

I gave birth to a 10.5 pound kid without so much as an aspirin.

I worked full time, wrote full time, and put up with a 3-hour commute each day.

So why do I want to whine like a 5-year-old because I’m up at the butt-crack of dawn now and can’t go back to sleep?

It’s my own damn fault. I looked at my calendar, carved up what I still had to accomplish for the rest of the month, then did a little backward planning to come up with my To Do list for the next few days. Today’s has a hellish 30 items I need to get through to keep on track. I’ve been making great headway on the Viking story, but shoved everything else aside this week to make sure I kept focused on goal #1, but I can’t afford to let all the other little things slide either. They add up. And they keep my edgy.

So, here I am at O-dark-thirty, getting the the first thing scratched off my battle list. And if I’m reverting to Army-speak, it’s because I feel like I need to roll out today like I’m getting ready to cross the LD (the line designated to coordinate the departure of attack elements). Hooah!

“I am tough, ambitious, and I know what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay. I can throw a fit, I am a master at it.” Madonna

I promised pictures from Romanticon today, but I think I will have to wait until Saturday. I’ve been struggling to master all the changes going on in my life and make my daily page count. Monday through Friday, I’m babysitting little ones for my daughter. So, my work schedule has to be crammed into nap times. (Did I mention that my daughter and her two children moved in with me?)

Good news is, I did make progress yesterday—on both the Viking story and the next Cat Tails installment. I should have chapter four of Bad Moon Rising ready to go by the weekend. I know some of you have been eager to see what happens next to DiDi and Mason.

I chose Madonna’s quote today, because it resonates with me right now. It’s Thursday. I’ve been feeling my way through a workable writing schedule all week. I’ve had to really focus on what’s most important right now. Kids first, of course. But for those spare moments, pages! And based on what I wrote yesterday, very sexy pages. My Valkyrie girl is learning what it is to love someone and learning how to receive pleasure from a man. Yummy stuff!

Anyway, I bet you want to know who won yesterdays’ contests. I’ll have to wait to hear from Taige to see who her winner is, and I’ll make sure she posts the name in the commments on her post. My winner from the Access Romance contest is…Patricia K [horseunicornkey@aol.com]!

Back to being a bitch. Hoo-ah!

“The requirements of romantic love are difficult to satisfy
in the back seat of a Dodge Dart.”
Lisa Alther

I pulled this from my The Goddess Within mini-book. Seemed like a good jumpstart to a conversation. Agree or disagree? What constitutes romantic love?

The cliche would be chocolate and flowers. A slow, gentle wooing. I have to admit, I’ve never—not once—experienced that sort of love in my life. I think that’s due to my personality. I always preferred to be “handled”, if ya know what I mean. I tend to challenge guys. Even if they’ve been that romantic man with someone else, they’re the rough and ready guy for me, or they don’t last long.

What’s been your experience? What’s the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you? By your definition!