Sign Gate Update and More!

6:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 49 Comments


Before I brag about the score of last week's match-up with our neighbor across the river, I must give so much credit and thanks to a River High School substitute teacher, Casey Tisher. This wonderful man encouraged students to return whatever Magnolia signs they still had, and they listened. (If you missed my sign rant, you can read it HERE).

He was able to gather nine of them.

A fraction of what's gone, but still, it means a lot. 

(And it makes me so very darned glad we Magnolia Moms hadn't followed through with our own plan of vengeance!)

That Friday night, ruffled feathers quickly turned to full-fledged, Eagle-flogging mad when their team came out and did their pregame chant in the smack-dab-center of the M painted in the middle of our field...

we felt like these guys looked. 

Oh, no. They didn't.
(My baby is #54, his buddy and fellow captain, Hunter #50)

As our coach said, that was a message of disrespect he hoped our players didn't leave unanswered. 

And they didn't. 

Time, after time. They took it to their goal for touchdown after touchdown.


 If you got in their way, they moved you.


The final score: 40-12.
LexaL.G, and Tonja Drecker
host this weekly good things
check in. We won. Signs are home.
Tara's here to visit!

We were a happy crowd. After the game, the moms gathered.

Were we still going to drive across the river and plant a huge sign on enemy soil that said, "Hey River, here's a sign: Magnolia 40 River 12"?

We relished in the idea, but had no motivation.

Their players are just kids. It was just a game. And it sucks to lose.

We put away our sheets and spray paint and went home.

So, when I got the message from Mr. Tisher on Saturday, I was so glad we took the higher road!



Special welcome to Tara Tyler! Tara knows all about football- she's raising a house full of boys herself. So, it was no wonder why I love Tara and I'm so happy to bring you her latest book, Simulation. I read the first book, Pop Travel, and it was pretty sweet. I loved Tara's view of the world of the future. I think she's spot on. Now, I need to grab this new book and see what other trouble Detective Cooper can get himself into!!

Now here's Tara, discussing another topic close to our hearts- Food!


Cooking shows are hot right now (hot - cooking, get it?)
At least they were - I think there's been a shift back to talent shows... I wonder if the decline might have something to do with so many celebrities entering the kitchen and spoiling the soup??

Anyway! I still love the cooking shows. Whether they're competing against each other or the clock or ingredients, they inspire me to try new things in the kitchen (like cook more) and give me ideas for substitutions, which I always seem to need in my recipes. Don't tell my hub - he hates when I do that!

So here are some of the shows I cook with and learn from and just have fun watching!
Chopped - first and most favorite cooking competition I ever watched
Cutthroat Kitchen - I sent in an idea to have baby-themed challenge - high chairs, baby food, baby spoons, etc.
Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives
Man vs. Food
Cupcake Wars
Guy's Grocery Games

Other fun, food-related or inspirational reality shows:
Bar Rescue
Restaurant Impossible - which came to my hometown and we still haven't been in to see it!
Shark Tank - many times the inventions are food-related, and definitely inspirational!
Undercover Boss - always a tear-jerker, but great for my kids to see how hard some folks have it and how hard they work for their families and that it pays off!

Do you watch any food contest or inspiring reality shows? I know there's a lot of junk out there, but some of it is entertaining! Food for the soul =)

Thanks so much, Elizabeth!
I'm so happy to know Liz IRL, she's a wonderful person! And I love working with this woman on our Really Real Housewife blog. I'm glad she talked me into it. Stop by for a few tips and tickles!


SIMULATION
by Tara Tyler
Release Date: Sept 14, 2015

In 2082, androids are an essential part of daily life. Some are helpful, some would make better toasters, and some are so human-like they're creepy. Back in Atlanta, Detective Cooper's latest client has him searching for her boyfriend who she thinks was replaced by a simulation, an illegal clone android. The guy also happens to be a popular new congressman.

As if the case wasn't frustrating enough, Cooper keeps crossing paths with his ex, FBI Agent Geri Harper who's looking for the same guy. As Cooper closes in, Geri is kidnapped. But when she resurfaces in Washington and goes on a killing spree, he knows it isn't her. Now under suspicion himself, Cooper must find the real Geri to prove her innocence, not to mention hunt down the powerful villain behind it all. Never a dull moment.

SIMULATION delivers more technology, more intense action, more humor, and more, distinct new characters. Come along for the ride.


Available Now!
Amazon ~~ Barnes & Noble ~~ Kindle


Tara Tyler writes sci fi and fantasy action-adventures from her little corner of the world in Ohio as she tries to keep up with her three boys and coach husband. Always making time to write, she sometimes puts off chores and lets laundry pile up... hence, she's also the Lazy Housewife, offering advice and tips to other gals out there trying to do it all without going crazy. She and her housewife friends blog at The Really Real Housewives of America.


And don't forget the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

49 comments:

To Patrol or Ride Along

6:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 44 Comments

According to the internet, which is infallible, this is the
Grammar Nazis flag. 
As a writer, I feel like people think I spend all my time correcting their grammar in my head. That I'm the ultimate Grammar Nazis just itching for the opportunity to correct and educate the unwashed, unlearned masses. I've even had people apologize to me in notes for their poor spelling and horrible syntax. I assure them, it don't make no difference to me. As long as I can decipher the message, I'm good.

As a matter of fact, I love a natural voice. I find colloquial differences and nuances in speech intriguing. I often fear our obsession with being proper will rid us of our color. We'll all become boring as a news anchor. No accents. No idioms. No fun. All because we're all worried about being judged an idiot. 

And maybe you do judge people on their grammar. Perhaps butchering the rules is like nails on the chalkboard for you. 

Not me. Personally, I can assure you- I'm not judging your language skills. I'm too busy trying to log all the subtleties of your speech into my memory banks. I want to remember the inflections, the creative off-label use of accepted speech, and the non-verbals that go along with the words. 

All of that combined is the cheat I use to give voice to characters and construct their dialogue.

So, here's my opinion in a nut shell: Writers shouldn't be on grammar patrol; we should be on a ride-along. We shouldn't be judging the vernacular, we should be listening and absorbing, packing it away in our brain cells for a rainy day when the muse decides he'll pour a bit of story into our heads. 

If grammar was always king, we'd not have this adorable green guy. 


But I will admit. There are some grammar snafus that will make me giggle. I can't help it. I never claimed to be perfect.



Thanks to our hosts in this weekly check in: LexaL.G, and Tonja Drecker

1. I rewrote my first chapter, yet again. I think after 25 tries, I've got it.

2. It rained!! Everything was so dry and crispy, a bit of moisture was a God send.

3. I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. After attempting to do it myself, some professional help is eagerly anticipated.




Tara Tyler has a new book coming out in four days!!

Amazon ~~~ B&N ~~~ Goodreads

Book Two, SIMULATION
Release date: September 14, 2015

In 2082, androids are an essential part of daily life. Some are helpful, some would make better toasters, and some are so human-like they're creepy. Back in Atlanta, Detective Cooper's latest client has him searching for her boyfriend who she thinks was replaced by a simulation, an illegal clone android. The guy also happens to be a popular new congressman.

To make matters more complicated, Cooper keeps crossing paths with his ex, FBI Agent Geri Harper who is looking for the same guy. As Cooper closes in, Geri is kidnapped. But when she resurfaces in Washington and goes on a killing spree, he knows it isn't her. Now under suspicion himself, Cooper must find the real Geri to prove her innocence, not to mention hunt down the powerful villain behind it all. Never a dull moment.


44 comments:

Insecurity IS a Marvelous Thing

6:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 77 Comments

Captain Scratchy.Com

I suggest you work on your insecurities. Try to develop them- feed them daily with a few reminders that some days- you can't even keep your shoes tied. 

Trust me. It will do you good. People with zero insecurities are most likely robots or bitches*. 

Huh, what? 

Wait Elizabeth- this is the day where you tell us to be confident and take over the world. 

Sorry. Not today. Maybe next month. 

This month, we're promoting the humble screw-up who is brave enough to admit to herself, and the world, that she has flaws. 

Okay, seriously, have you ever met someone who thinks she's perfect? 

You know- you say you walked a mile, she tells you she jogged two? 

You took a shower and brushed your teeth, and she suggests you add a facial and a make-over? 

You finished a book, she informs you she just made the best-seller list? 

I mean no matter what you do, she will always be better than you- and she will make sure you damn well know it. 

People, please!!

You DO NOT want to me that gal. No one likes her. Not really. 

She's like time spent in a stiletto. Sure, it looks good in pictures, but no one wants to walk a mile in them. You're going to peel them off as quickly as you can and slip your barking feet into some nice, comfy slippers. 

My advice? Be insecure. It's a good reminder that you're NOT all that- at least not all the time. 

It's also a reminder that you ARE going to fail. It IS going to suck, but you'll get back up, maybe grab yourself a bowl of ice cream- which you will not share with any bitches...they'll probably just tell you they never eat ice cream anyhow- that's how they remain a size 2...and dust yourself off. 

And there to help you clean yourself up will be your real friends, those wonderful, equally insecure people who are confident enough to admit they're screw-ups too. 

*Guys, this can apply to you too, but I'm a gal, so I'm sticking with the world of bitches because it's what I know.


The awesome co-hosts for the September 2 posting of the IWSG will be Julie Flanders,Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, and Heather Gardner!

Join the IWSG



77 comments:

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