Happy New Year, Guys!

I'm off to talent show practice number one for my Urchins. It should prove to be interesting, if not headache inducing.

The Breeches fall tonight at midnight. Five foot tall yellow pants. From a flag pole. A good time will be had by all I'm sure.

I hope you guys have a safe and happy new years eve!

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See you in 2016!!

What? Another Update?

The Man had a stress test done a couple weeks ago. Family doctor looked over the results last week and found some abnormalities in his EKG. So he'll be seeing a cardiologist on Christmas Eve day. Hoping for the best case scenario that can be had.

All good mojo accepted here in all its forms if you feel like sending it.

Have a wonderful holiday. Hug your honeys tight!

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Updating the Updated Update

So, on black Friday I drove The Man to the E.R., and we spent most of the day at the hospital. He was complaining of chest tightness, and considering just Tuesday his dad was discharged from a week long stay in the hospital for heart issues, we took it very seriously.

All tests were run--E.K.G. blood work, chest x-rays--and everything came out normal. Thank God. So it was chalked up to either heart burn or stress. Which at Chez Quinn, with all that The Man does, it's definitely stress.

So now we're looking at ways to reduce the load for The Man and make some changes. We'll see if he agrees. Love that man dearly and desperately, but he's got a majorly over developed sense of responsibility. Getting him to let some stuff go may take a pry bar of epic proportions.

While he was in the hospital bed hooked up to all kinds of crazy contraptions I told him he needed a shokabuku. (See below for definition.)



I'm gonna do my damnedest to get it done.

Which again means a hiatus from here. **sigh**

So I'll see you in a while. How long depends probably on the size of the pry bar I'll be wielding and if I'll need a chiropractor following its usage.

Wishing you and yours all the best life has to offer.

Until next time, Citizens.

I'm Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

I'm thankful for The Man who puts up with my shenanigans and conspiracy theories and even plays along on occasion.

I'm thankful for my Urchins and how fun, kind and crazy they are. And how they still play along with my craziness, even though Oldest Urchin is starting to get that eye roll down pat.

I'm thankful that my father-in-law was released from the hospital a day and a half ago and is improving.

And I'm thankful for all of you and for finding such an amazing blogging community. You guys are awesome--especially since you don't publicly judge me in my comments for all my crazy. lol!

Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving full of fun, family and food.

~Ava

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Update To The Update

Okay guys. My father-in-law is back in the hospital and some other crazy things have cropped up around Chez Quinn to completely tear me away from practically all social media at the moment. So please know that I'm really missing you guys and will be doing my utmost to visit over at your sites as soon as I can.

Hope you all are doing well... 'cause, this is me right about now.

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Thank You, Veterans

I know I've stated this before on the blog: my father and both of my grandfathers were war veterans. And I'm very proud of their service. Thank you to all the service men and women who have worked for our country. 

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When Did I Say The Crazy Would Die Down?

Ok, this post is all excuses reasons I've been away.

1. My father-in-law was back in the hospital for his heart last week. They released him, but didn't solve the issue, so he's been weak and I've been trying to help out as much as possible.

2. One of my blue-haired-old ladies went into the hospital this week. She's the one who runs the Britches meetings. You remember. The meetings that go on forever about the party we throw on New Year's and drop a gigantic pair of yellow breeches from a huge flagpole? Yeah, those britches meetings.

Well apparently, I'm now in charge. God save us all!!!! This is more proof that little old ladies are truly my kryptonite.

3. Pitch Wars. It's finally wrapping up, but I've been working like a fiend to improve, and I've definitely seen some strides in my writing. My manuscript is so much better, and I'm ready to send it out. After one last nit-picky-completely-obsessive read through. Which I'm still working on.

Then it's getting sent out. To several places that requested it.

Some of said requests came from pitching at the NJ Romance Writer's conference I attended last month.

Then my mom was in visiting from Montana.

And the Urchins are still alive. Which, as you know means I had to take them places. All. The. Time. Still do as a matter of fact.

And the whole time in the back of my head I'm whimpering, But, but, my blogging friends. I wanna go see what they're up to and tweet about them and possibly friend them on Facebook since that massive regime finally broke me and I joined their evil ranks. 

So this is what I feel like at the moment. Me against all that stuff.

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I'm probably not making much of an impression, but I'm not getting taken down by the tentacled monster that is life at the moment.

I'm calling that a win.

So how have you  guys been? Catch me up in the comments!

I'm Not Dead...Yet

Hey guys! My mom is in from Montana, visiting. Since I only get to see her once a year, I''ve been mostly ignoring the internet.

I'm also down to the wire for Pitch Wars. The agent round is November 2. All my stuff has to be in on Halloween. And I'm still working. Every spare second.

So in case you never hear from me again, it's because revisions actually do kill. I will forevermore be a cautionary tale to all writers.

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Until next time, Citizens!

Tooth Fairy Motels and Other Happenings

So there's too much to tell. #PitchWars has been a phenomenal experience. But edits and revising is taking up every spare minute I have. The agent round is November 2nd. And I still have so much to do. (Excuse me a moment while I hyperventilate........Ok, I'm back.)

One of the things that happened a little while back is that Youngest Urchin finally lost a tooth--albeit somewhat unwillingly--that had been hanging on for months. Mostly because she refused to wiggle it, eat on it , breathe on it or otherwise touch it in any way, shape or form.

So the dentist pulled it out at her cleaning. She kept it together. No sobbing. Or biting.

Translation: Win!

So then the real craziness begins. Because the girls don't just put their teeth under their pillow for the tooth fairy. No. They have an entire Tooth Fairy Motel. It's set up 24/7 under Youngest's bottom bunk.

It's even labeled, just in case the Tooth Fairy doesn't know it's for her.

To get to the bed, just slip past the elephant and giraffe on the right.

There is also a tooth pedestal. Again, properly labeled, just in case the Tooth Fairy might have questions.

And of course, there's a note.

It's the note that leads to more work, because the Tooth Fairy writes back. In 5 pt. font. And it's always from a different Tooth Fairy, since there are loads of them. Personalized with a picture of themselves.

You see, I do it to myself. I can't say no to little old ladies or toothless children. It's part of why I'm always over extended.

Like now.

Hope you all are doing well. I'll be trying to hop around to your blogs soon. Once I train myself to write and revise faster. (I'm such a slow writer, it's ridiculous!!)

Until next time, Citizens!!

I Love The Blues

A few years ago I wrote a small post on my admiration for the blues and their creative turns of phrases. But the storytelling that goes on in those songs always astounds me. The vivid descriptions with few words is something I hope to come close to some day in my own writing.

Here's Shemekia Copeland, an outstanding blues singer whom I've admired for years, performing Never Going Back to Memphis.



The full version of this song on her album is a little over seven minutes and well worth it.

My favorite lines-
There wasn't a thing that man couldn't sell ya.

Cops walked in
Dog pullin' on a chain
Lookin' for a woman ran in from the rain
They sat out front eating fried chicken
While I sat shivering in a shed out behind the kitchen.

And that final verse gives me goosebumps
 
The river is risin'
Sky's gettin' darker
My mind keeps playin'
some old Junior Parker
Three days waitin'
All alone by the tracks
Lyin' to myself that man's coming back
He said he'd come around unless he was dead
guess he took another woman or a bullet in the head
I'm never goin' back to Memphis.

I love to listen to the lyrics of a song. The Man usually disregards most of the lyrics and focuses in on the melody. What do you primarily tune in to when listening to music? Are there any songs right now that you're really into? I'd love to expand my repertoire. So lay them on me in the comments.