A to Z April Challenge – Z and U

Today is Day  Z of the April A to Z Challenge – the last day of the challenge!  Well over a thousand people  have taken part. Be sure to check out the website.

My theme has been art quote cards by famous people. The cards are 4″ by 4 1/2″,usually  with a gelli print background, a used stamp of the person and a quote by them. It is an ongoing project.

(For today’s people, I did not have stamps – so it is just the quote.)

Z is for Zig Ziglar –

“Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar (1926 – 2012)was an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.” Wikipedia

He was a wonderful source of quotes. But this is my favourite:

And to finish off the series here is U:

U is for Brenda Ueland

“Brenda Ueland(1891 – 1985)  was a journalist, editor, freelance writer, and teacher of writing. She is best known for her book” If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit”. Wikipedia

A to Z April Challenge

Today is Day  Y of the April A to Z Challenge. There are well over a thousand people  taking part. Be sure to check out the website.

My theme is art quote cards by famous people. The cards are 4″ by 4 1/2″,usually  with a gelli print background, a used stamp of the person and a quote by them. It is an ongoing project.

Y is for Whitney Moore Young Jr.

“Whitney Moore Young, Jr. (1921 – 1971)was an American civil rights leader. He spent most of his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States . Wikipedia

Mid Week Check-In – Row 80

Time for our Mid-week check-in at Row 80 – the writing challenge that recognizes we all have lives but still want and need to write.

My goals are listed here for this round and in bold is the progress from the past week.

Writing:

1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. Yes
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo. No – did not finish, but did make some progress over the month
3. Write first draft of MG novel “Jack’s Summer” –worked on more research and plotting

4.. Write first draft of  chapter book “Hazel” –No

5. Write at least one picture book a month Yes
6. Take 2 online writing courses and enter at least one writing contest. – will start a new course in May
7. Outline two other novels –Not yet

Editing/Revising

1. Revise/edit “ Catching Love” –No
2. Revise/edit “Love Has No Age” –No

Blogging

1. Support my ROW team 2x a week – getting back on track this week, so yes
2. Take part in A to Z challenge – Yes, and almost caught up
3. Write at least 2 other posts weekly besides ROW80 posts.- Yes

 Reading (I am adding this section this week as reading has been my saviour over the past few weeks!)

1. Read several picture books for study purpose each week – Yes

2. Read 3 books on writing as well as articles – read several articles

3. Read something for pleasure – read 2 novels

Personal

1. Create daily – yes
2. Complete 2 online art courses. – hope to do more in May
3. Follow healthy habits:

~walk 3x a week – No

~eat gluten/dairy free – I have been naughty – muffin and ice cream! ugh! (but so good)

~drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day – up to 4-5 glasses

A to Z April Challenge – X Plus S and T

Today is Day  X of the April A to Z Challenge. There are well over a thousand people  taking part. Be sure to check out the website.

My theme is art quote cards by famous people. The cards are 4″ by 4 1/2″,usually  with a gelli print background, a used stamp of the person and a quote by them. It is an ongoing project.

For today’s letter, I chose “X-Men” and a quote from storm which really has relevance to many parts of the world today. I shortened the quote so it would fit. Here is the full quote:

We live in an age of darkness: a world full of fear, hate and intolerance.

But in every age, there are those who fight against it.

I am working to finish this set of cards. Here are the  S and T cards.

S is for Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (1811 – 1896) was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a depiction of life for African Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play.” Wikipedia

T is for Sojourner Truth – truer words were never spoken – and ones that need to be heard by all!

“Sojourner Truth was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, Ulster County, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826.” Wikipedia

and

T is for Shania Twain

“Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Twain is one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 75 million albums worldwide” . Wikipedia

Slice of Life Tuesday

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday – the weekly writing challenge hosted at “Two Writing Teachers”. It’s a wonderful community of writers and teachers – join in the weekly fun!

Loading the all-season tires into our car this morning, I knew I was in for at least an hour wait to have the winter tires taken off – a sure sign of spring!. Little did I know then that it would be almost three hours and a potential bill of $1800 before I was done.

With my husband recovering and not driving, I went to get the tires done and then do a few errands that were in the same mall. I visited the St. Vincent De Paul Thrift store and browsed for a while before being a few books. I feel that I am donating to a worthwhile cause and getting books in exchange – a win-win.

Then I stopped at the local dollar store and got a few things. I then received a call from the auto place. They found a number of things wrong – from the timing belt to the struts and hoses. An oil change, tire change and check-up went from $100 to $1800!

Is it because I am a woman? Do I look gullible? I was not too pleased with how they used scare tactics. I okayed the timing belt – I had this go on me several years ago while driving on the 401 and I truthfully don’t know how I avoided getting hit.

An hour later, after a tea and lunch at McDonald’s (Yes, I actually went there and ate – haven’t been in years!), I arrived to get my car. The bill – $300. We will be looking for another auto repair – this one is a big chain store but this was a bit extreme. We had a wonderful repairman who had his own shop but he moved back to Newfoundland a couple of years ago. We trusted him and felt safe in our cars.

A to Z April Challenge – W plus Q and R

Today is Day  W  of the April A to Z Challenge. There are well over a thousand people  taking part. Be sure to check out the website.

My theme is art quote cards by famous people. The cards are 4″ by 4 1/2″,usually  with a gelli print background, a used stamp of the person and a quote by them. It is an ongoing project.

W is for 3 people – I couldn’t choose just one quote!

W is for William Wordsworth

“William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication Lyrical Ballads”. Wikipedia

W is also for Edith Wharton

“Edith Wharton was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1927, 1928 and 1930.” Wikipedia

And

W is for Frank Lloyd Wright

“Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed.” Wikipedia

I also finished the cards for Q and R

Q is for Queen Elizabeth II

“Elizabeth II is the Queen of 16 of the 53 member states in the Commonwealth of Nations. She is Head of the Commonwealth and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.” Wikipedia

R is for Eleanor Roosevelt

“Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American politician, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, holding the post from March 1933 to April 1945 during her husband’a presidency.”…Wikipedia

Sunday Check-In Row 80

Today is the Sunday check-in at Row 80. I have been absent a couple of weeks. But, my husband is now home and although he will need a couple of months of recovering, he is slowly improving.

I need to buckle down and just write. No excuses now – I just have to get to it.

My goals have suffered these past weeks, but I aim to do better. They are listed here for this round and in bold is the progress from the past week.

Writing:

1. Write daily – at least 500 words daily. – not much writing done overall
2. Take part in CampNaNoWriMo. – haven’t been participating regularly
3. Write first draft of MG novel “Jack’s Summer” – had a critique done on the first chapter and have begun revising and fleshing out my outline

4.. Write first draft of  chapter book “Hazel” -No

5. Write at least one picture book a month – did write one this month
6. Take 2 online writing courses and enter at least one writing contest. – just finished one course and will work on one in May through RWA
7. Outline two other novels – No

Editing/Revising

1. Revise/edit “ Catching Love” – No
2. Revise/edit “Love Has No Age” –No

Blogging

1. Support my ROW team 2x a week – sorry team – have been absent for a couple of weeks. Back on track today
2. Take part in A to Z challenge. – yes – but playing catch-up
3. Write at least 2 other posts weekly besides ROW80 posts. – just getting back to this

Personal

1. Create daily – creating but not every day
2. Complete 2 online art courses. – still working on print making course
3. Follow healthy habits:

~walk 3x a week – No

~eat gluten/dairy free – dairy free for sure

~drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day – more like 4 or 5 (including tea!)

Here’s a little inspiration from Eisenhower – something I am realizing I need to do more and more of – a detailed outline will only strengthen my writing.

A to Z April Challenge – V (and playing catch-up!)

A to Z starter

Today is Day  V of the April A to Z Challenge. There are well over a thousand people  taking part. Be sure to check out the website.

My theme is art quote cards by famous people. The cards are 4″ by 4 1/2″,usually  with a gelli print background, a used stamp of the person and a quote by them. It is an ongoing project.

(For today’s people, I did not have stamps so had to use photos.)

V is for Voltaire

“François-Marie Arouet, (1694 – 1778)  known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church”. Wikipedia

V is for Jules Verne

“Jules Gabriel Verne (1828 – 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright best known for his adventure novels and his profound influence on the literary genre of science fiction.” Wikipedia

With my husband in hospital for almost two weeks, I did not do much artwork or blogging (or even writing). Now that he is home, I decided to take some extra time today to play catch-up with this challenge.Here are the cards I created for N, O, P

N is for Numbers (I had lots of stamps with numbers but no famous person – so chose this quote by Plato)

O is for Severo Ochoa 

“Severo Ochoa de Albornoz (1905 – 1993) was a Spanish physician and biochemist, and joint winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Arthur Kornberg.” Wikipedia

P is for a number of people – I couldn’t choose just one!

P is for Picasso (one of my favourite artists)

P is for Rosa Parks

“Rosa Louise McCauley Parks(1913 – 2005) was an African-American Civil Rights activist, whom the United States Congress called “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement”. Wikipedia

and

P is for Dorothy Parker

“Dorothy Parker (1893 – 1967) was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles.” Wikipedia

Slice of Life Tuesday

Today is time to share a slice of life – the weekly writing challenge hosted at “Two Writing Teachers”.

This is the first writing on my blog for over a week. With my husband in the hospital and long days spent there, I had little energy for blogging or writing.

I found this lovely journal entry “Hello There” (sorry I can not provide a link – if you recognize the pattern format please let me know) and thought it a fun way to share some of my thoughts and feelings today.

Hello There

I am so thankful that my husband will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow! Yeah – after 12 days in!

I keep all the cards and tags my husband has given me since we met 15 years ago. (and I still have many of the cards, artwork and letters from when my own children were young)

I wish I could stop the gremlins in my head that cause me to doubt my writing and art.

I love my husband and children.

I dance to Lady Gaga’s songs.

I sing along with Sam Smith and Taylor Swift

I think often of my mother, who passed away seven years ago.

I really want to be published.

I need to lose weight and exercise more often.

I should spend more time writing and less time online. (This past week has shown me that I can easily be less online. Now I must return to my writing routines. )

I like to watch the Voice, read, make art, listen to music, smell flowers, bake, play card and board games, swim, visit art shows and thrift shops.

I make great waffles, pies and Christmas baked goods.

I always seek ways to help others when I have to buy something. It may cost a bit more, but if it helps a good cause I’m all for it.

A to Z April Challenge – L and M

It is almost midnight of April 14th and so it is technically still Day L for the A to Z Challenge. My days have been hectic lately with my husband in the hospital so I thought since I was so late with L, I would post M as well.

L is for Martin Luther

“Martin Luther was a German friar, priest and professor of theology who was a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. Initially an Augustinian friar, Luther came to reject several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church”. Wikipedia

His words still ring true.

M is for Nelson Mandela

“Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.”  Wikipedia