My oldest nephew (he is 10) is horrible at math. He has to practice ‘math facts’ in order to pass some timed tests and pass the third grade. Unfortunately, he has already been held back because he missed too much school when he was with his parents. He also has Aspergers (mild) and ADHD. Poor kid!

I got my oldest nephew some new multiplication flashcards– needless to say he wasn’t overjoyed and did not appreciate them…at least not right away.

I told him he had to go through all cards before he could play on Minecraft/Roblox…complain, complain, complain….but he started the task set before him. He kept trying to tell me how much he would do. I wanted him to go through all the cards– not really an arduous task, pretty passive. It didn’t take him long to go through the first stack he pulled out so I insisted he go through all 156 cards.

I noticed he tried to hide a stack of flash cards, acting like he went through them already. I didn’t say anything thinking, “There is always tomorrow”. By the time he quit complaining about the flashcards and realized going through them wasn’t too bad, he suddenly “remembered” the stack he didn’t do. Oh yeah….

He did them too! Yay!

Victory! Today, anyway.

“Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.”

Ray Bradbury

I can’t seem to find the time or enough desire to post in my blog any more. I want to write but, as always, I don’t have the energy or the aforementioned time. Not with taking three literature classes (Irish/Scottish Lit, The American Novel, and Adolescent Lit– fun stuff), trying to work part-time, and being a full-time parent to my three nephews. Not to mention trying to be an awesome wife. It is all a juggling act to be sure.

I need to write though– so much to write about: all that I have been though these last three years (wow, the number 3 is huge in my life right now– perhaps I should see a numerologist), plus all the stuff I wanted to write about before then. I feel like my energy is on an upswing (of course it is never good or enough) but it always hard to find squeeze some time and attention out of the day for writing. I need to, I need to. If I make a schedule and a promise will I stick to it? Probably not. I am so lazy. I would rather spend my ‘free’ (such as it is) time lying around and reading (so much reading to do), or sleeping– never get enough of that. But I miss writing, I want to get down to business, especially after the praise my professor gave me about my short stories last semester. Maybe I can squeeze some time out sometime, somewhere…maybe if I start small…without many expectations and rules…maybe.

Ha ha ha ha ha HA! I laugh at your pain. Unpleasant, isn’t it?

It is really more than you deserve. After all how many times have laughed at or belittled mine or someone else’s? Or was just plain indifferent?

Now you want people to feel sorry for you. Ha! “Poor me. My heart is broken.”

Ha ha.

Who could believe it! 2014 already! I’ve had 42 years on this planet….another ‘new year’ here. I didn’t have much time (or desire) to recap 2013. I suppose it was better than 2012 in certain ways but rougher in others. I would have to say 2012 and 2013 have been my roughest, most difficult years thus far. I HOPE they are the roughest of my life because they are now behind me. I don’t expect they are though. But I have resolved to make 2014 a better year…I resolved that about 2013 too. We’ll see.

There was a lot of good the back half of 2013, at least academically for me. I had a successful semester, learned lots. I took a creative writing class and my professor (a published author, MFA in Creative Writing) loved my short stories and said they were publishable. One in particular she said I should send out– can’t tell you what it’s about though. She took the time to edit it for me so I guess I’ll be sending it out. She said I seem to have a knack for writing short stories. Not flash fiction she wanted us to write but short stories. Really, I prefer to write long (ha) so it was a challenge to write short, short stories…maybe I should try my hand at a novel. I have a few ideas…so maybe I will. Maybe that should be my project for 2014.

Instructor’s comments on my stories:

On my story, Ghost of a Chance, about a ghost hunter and her boyfriend:

“I love this story. It’s wry and very funny and your characters and dialogue are great. Good work!” (A friend commented, “Very imaginative and humorous!”)

On my story, Waiting, about a woman who is waiting internet love to pick her up one night:

“This story is one of my favorites of the semester, as you know. It really builds to that terrific last line. It still could use some sculpting, and it needs better proofreading. After you give it one more loving a scrupulous once-over, submit this somewhere!” (This was her comment on my final draft…not the first time she said that to me and she took the time to edit it for me in a separate document– she never does that!)

— A classmate told me I have enough there for a novel. I agree (or even a memoir because it isn’t quite fiction) but I will try it out as a short story first.

On my story, Pressure, about a disappointed woman at the beach:

“Excellent, Jackie. You sustain the woman’s growing desperation and despair and I believed that she would do exactly as she did. Very sad but very well crafted piece. Terrific writing.”

Yay! I need to hold these comments close as I try to embark on my career as a writer. That is my quest for 2014– become a published (not self-published) writer. Lord knows I have plenty of material to write about…especially from 2012 and 2013 but even before then. Life is ever the struggle.