It's all about the books!
Being an avid reader I find myself watching people and wondering if they are readers too. I watch their movements and expressions and try to figure out who their favorite author would be or their favorite genre. Sometimes I wish I could sneak a peek at some of my favorite writers libraries and see what lands they like to get transported to or who they secretly become when they read. I can't help but feel that there is something magical about a shelf full of books.
I have tons of books. So many that my husband just rolls his eyes when he sees more come through the door. It isn't that he begrudges me my hobby, merely that we are running out of room for bookshelves to house them all. I have friends who love to read and I'm thrilled that they're interested in what I have on my shelves, but I can never bring myself to share with them. It's like my books were created for only me. They are some of my most prized possessions. They are my doorways, my escapes, my little piece of heaven in a busy world.
Here is a sneak peek at my bookshelf. Enjoy!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Cat Duet.
Posted by
Crystal
at
9:29 PM
A portion of "What About Classical Music?" presented by Concerto Delle Donne for Pizitz Middle School. In this excerpt: Leah Doss (green shirt), Amberlyn Richardson (blue shirt), & Crystal Wu (on piano) perform " The Cat Duet".
Amby is my oldest daughter. She recently graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Music department. I ran across this and thought I would share it with you. Enjoy.
Amby is my oldest daughter. She recently graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Music department. I ran across this and thought I would share it with you. Enjoy.
Let the wild rumpus start!
Posted by
Crystal
at
8:14 PM
“When you hide another story in a story, that’s the story I am telling the children.”
- Maurice Sendak
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Home remedies
Posted by
Crystal
at
12:16 AM
Have you ever had a toothache or an earache only to have an elder in your family suggest a wild sounding home remedy? Most of us just go to the medicine cabinet and take something, be it Tylenol, Ibuprofen or Anbesol. This usually gets us through the evening until we can be seen by the doctor the following day. So what do we do when we go to the cabinet and find it bare and the E.R. too much of a hassle? We can relatives (mothers, grandmothers, etc.) and resort to using their home remedies.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Picture this ... Write that
Posted by
Crystal
at
9:15 PM
Being a great lover of art, whether it be pictures or words, I am always on the look-out for a site that offers great graphics for little to no money or superb tips on writing. I have recently fallen madly, deeply in love with a site called Smashing Magazine. They provide graphics, fonts, how-to's, CSS, tools & tutorials for just about everything web. The best part is that these are premium graphics, fonts & templates for free. Yes, you heard me correctly ... no credit card needed. I subscribe to their RSS feed and get absolutely giddy when alerted about a new post.
Friday, September 25, 2009
In Memory of Jonah W. Sanders
Posted by
Crystal
at
4:55 PM
When a parent dies, you lose your past; when a child dies, you lose your future. - Anonymous
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Brain Teaser Time
Posted by
Crystal
at
8:57 AM
What nine letter word in the English language is still a word when each of the nine letters is removed one by one?
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A Puzzle by Lewis Carroll
Posted by
Crystal
at
11:04 PM
John gave his brother James a box:
About it there were many locks.
James woke and said it gave him pain;
So gave it back to John again.
The box was not with lid supplied
Yet caused two lids to open wide:
And all these locks had never a key
What kind of box, then, could it be?
Read more to find the answer.
About it there were many locks.
James woke and said it gave him pain;
So gave it back to John again.
The box was not with lid supplied
Yet caused two lids to open wide:
And all these locks had never a key
What kind of box, then, could it be?
Read more to find the answer.
Reading test
Posted by
Crystal
at
9:00 PM
I stumbled upon a very interesting reading test that I thought I would share. See how well you do.
1 down, 99 more to go.
Posted by
Crystal
at
12:46 AM
I can now cross #70. Research my family tree, off of my Life List.
Monday, September 14, 2009
You’ll love this conference!
Posted by
Crystal
at
3:28 PM
Whether you’re an experienced writer or just starting out, the DFW Writers’ Conference is a great opportunity to learn, network and socialize with other authors. It’s also a great way to meet with literary agents from across the county!
WHEN: April 10 – 11, 2010
WHERE: Grapevine Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas.
Nearby hotels and restaurants.
REGISTRATION FEE: $185 until January 31, 2010; $235 after that
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Best-selling Romance Author Jodi Thomas
AGENTS: We’ve added more agents for 2010, covering almost every fiction and nonfiction genre. Register early for the best chance for a one-to-one appointment with the agent of your choice.
Anne Hawkins | John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.
Gina Panettieri | Talcott Notch Literary Services
Joshua Bilmes | JABberwocky Literary Agency
Laurie McLean | Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents
Lucienne Diver | The Knight Agency
Melissa Shultz | Jim Donovan Literary
Paul S. Levine | Paul S. Levine Literary Agency
Victoria Horn | Liza Dawson Associates
Colleen Lindsay | Fine Print Literary Management
CONTEST: New for 2010! Hook ‘Em Writing Contest. Win an Appointment with an Agent. Details coming soon. Enter the first five pages of your novel with a two-page synopsis, or the first five pages of your nonfiction book with a proposal. First place in each category will win a 10-minute appointment with an agent. Open to all writers, ages 16 or over, regardless of conference attendance. Details coming soon.
WHEN: April 10 – 11, 2010
WHERE: Grapevine Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas.
Nearby hotels and restaurants.
REGISTRATION FEE: $185 until January 31, 2010; $235 after that
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Best-selling Romance Author Jodi Thomas
AGENTS: We’ve added more agents for 2010, covering almost every fiction and nonfiction genre. Register early for the best chance for a one-to-one appointment with the agent of your choice.
Anne Hawkins | John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.
Gina Panettieri | Talcott Notch Literary Services
Joshua Bilmes | JABberwocky Literary Agency
Laurie McLean | Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents
Lucienne Diver | The Knight Agency
Melissa Shultz | Jim Donovan Literary
Paul S. Levine | Paul S. Levine Literary Agency
Victoria Horn | Liza Dawson Associates
Colleen Lindsay | Fine Print Literary Management
CONTEST: New for 2010! Hook ‘Em Writing Contest. Win an Appointment with an Agent. Details coming soon. Enter the first five pages of your novel with a two-page synopsis, or the first five pages of your nonfiction book with a proposal. First place in each category will win a 10-minute appointment with an agent. Open to all writers, ages 16 or over, regardless of conference attendance. Details coming soon.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Not kicking the bucket anytime soon ... my life list
Posted by
Crystal
at
9:10 PM
Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. -- Gandhiji
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Calling All Poets & Writers - Let's Compete
Posted by
Crystal
at
11:05 AM
Here's a list of writing and/or poetry contests that I've compiled. I cannot guarantee the validity of each and everyone of the contests, so do your research before entering. Good luck and happy writing.
Judging a Writing or Poetry Contest
Posted by
Crystal
at
10:59 AM
When I was younger writing contests were so exciting. My high school English teacher did all of the leg work so all I had to concern myself with was creating a written work of art. Now that I am much older and definitely wiser, I have to wonder if writing contests are worth my time and energy.
Being away from writing for several years I thought I should try my hand at a writing contest. Not intent on winning the contest per say, but to use it as a means to see where I stand in today’s writing society. The critique alone would be well worth it. The decision made to enter a contest was easy, finding the right contest would not be.
There are hundreds of literary contests, online and off. Most are legitimate contests for writers; some are even prestigious. Unfortunately there also seems to be various questionable competitions developed to "scam" aspiring writers.
Being away from writing for several years I thought I should try my hand at a writing contest. Not intent on winning the contest per say, but to use it as a means to see where I stand in today’s writing society. The critique alone would be well worth it. The decision made to enter a contest was easy, finding the right contest would not be.
There are hundreds of literary contests, online and off. Most are legitimate contests for writers; some are even prestigious. Unfortunately there also seems to be various questionable competitions developed to "scam" aspiring writers.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Personality Profile Basic - The Color Code
Posted by
Crystal
at
8:32 PM
Newlyidentified , one of the many blogs that I follow, posted a blog about a basic personality profile offered by The Color Code . Of course I only took the basic test, as it was the free one, but I after I received my results I am considering getting a full report. It seems that I am a BLUE. Oddly enough, the results are close to being spot on. Interesting ...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Fear is the path to the dark side.
Posted by
Crystal
at
5:48 AM
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." ~ Yoda
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Who do you write for?
Posted by
Crystal
at
3:38 PM
Who do we as writers write for? Do we write for agents, or publishers, critics or our readers? Who should we be writing for? More over, whose words are we putting on the paper? Are they from the list of socially acceptable words or are they our own?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Life's Travels
Posted by
Crystal
at
9:38 PM
I was cleaning out a box of old computer things when I happened across a link I had saved. Just for fun I typed it in and low and behold it was a poem I had submitted to Poetry.com. I am sure that it is at least 7 years old or older since it was listed under my previously married name (Crystal P.). It is titled "Life's Travels" and I thought I would share it. Enjoy.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Writing using prompts
Posted by
Crystal
at
5:35 PM
I just can't talk enough about the Procrastinating Writers blog. Jennifer Blanchard, author of this famous blog, shares her words of wisdom in an effort to get procrastinating writer's like me off of our duffs and writing. Her idea for a writing productivity tool is just one of the many ways she assists in getting those creative brain cells jumping.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Music. Food for the soul & inspiration for writers.
Posted by
Crystal
at
8:24 PM
Music is not just good for the soul. It's great for writers too. Just ask Procrastinating Writers author Jennifer Blanchard.
If you don't use it, you'll lose it.
Posted by
Crystal
at
3:22 PM
I am a firm believer that if you don't use your talents, you'll lose your talents. I was blessed with many talents (not tooting my own horn, I swear). Aside from the usual ... wife, mother, yada, yada, yada ... I am a photographer, a writer, and I have artistic abilities (drawing, painting and crafting).
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Past Blogs
Posted by
Crystal
at
5:16 PM
I was rereading a few blogs that I had posted on my MySpace last year. I got so amused by them I thought I would share some of them.
Labels:
Amby,
Ash,
Blogger,
Children,
Family,
Motherhood,
MySpace,
Networks,
Original BP,
Parenting,
Venting,
Zac
0
comments
Clearly Lost
Posted by
Crystal
at
3:26 PM
I have found myself walking a dimly lit path in the forest of life. It is quite obvious that I am clearly lost. Maybe I should change my online name from Blissfully Me to Clearly Lost. Well, that's definitely a thought.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Amby is headed to college ...
Posted by
Crystal
at
8:32 PM
Wow, in just a matter of days my oldest daughter Amby's forwarding address will be ... Amby, 123 College Road, Real World USA.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Memorial speech for Naden Thompson
Posted by
Crystal
at
1:25 AM
My grandfather passed away last Wednesday, May 20, 2009, however due to the Memorial day holiday we were not able to bury him until Tuesday, May 26, 2009. He requested that no minister give a sermon at his services, instead we all were to honor him through spoken words. Here is my speech about my grandfather.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Project Fill-in-the-Gaps
Posted by
Crystal
at
8:21 PM
Being fairly new to the whole Blogger thing it has taken me a while to actually read back posts of my favorite blogs. One of my most favs is a blog titled Editorial Ass written by Moonrat. Moonrat snagged a really awesome project from her friend Andromeda Romano-Lax. It is called Project Fill-in-the-Gaps.
It seems that Andromeda collected a list of 100 books that she wanted to have read in her life to fill in some of her reading gaps of classics and great contemporary fiction. She gave herself 5 years to try to get through the list, and gave herself 25% accident forgiveness, meaning if she finishes 75 titles in 5 years, she'll consider herself to have been victorious.
It seems that Andromeda collected a list of 100 books that she wanted to have read in her life to fill in some of her reading gaps of classics and great contemporary fiction. She gave herself 5 years to try to get through the list, and gave herself 25% accident forgiveness, meaning if she finishes 75 titles in 5 years, she'll consider herself to have been victorious.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Betcha the Maytag guy can't fix this ...
Posted by
Crystal
at
12:58 AM
Okay ... that is it. I have tried my utmost to be civil, loyal, kind and loving. I have changed my attitude, I have learned to be patient and forgiving, I have become a better wife, mother and all around good person. However, I still keep getting kicked in the butt every time I turn around. Yep, I know, karma is a b.i.t.c.h. But come on ... I was NEVER so bad that I deserve all of this.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
OneWord
Posted by
Crystal
at
11:44 PM
OneWord is a site for writers. A simple writing exercise in which one word is given each day and the user is given sixty seconds to write whatever that word brings to mind. It's a don't think, just write approach.
I will post each writing that I have done. Note: I am only allowed 60 seconds to complete an exercise. This means that some exercises may or may not be completed entirely.
I will post each writing that I have done. Note: I am only allowed 60 seconds to complete an exercise. This means that some exercises may or may not be completed entirely.
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