Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Nothin’ in M’ Noggin

Not a writing blog, exactly... unless you look at it as the things that stop writers up... Actually… at the mo’ it feels more like there are great thunderous misbehaving hoards in my noggin and they are NOT obeying my commands to organize into teams and play nicely. I had a couple ideas… a couple blogs handwritten… but I can’t summon discipline or attention at the moment, so I think I just need to call the bogeys out as I see them. Mixed Nuts Today would have been my grandpa’s 90th birthday, and until I was 24, I was the only granddaughter. He and I shared the illusion that I could do no wrong, and it was a pretty groovy thing. I remember walking on the beach with my grandpa and cousins, and grandpa reminded us, as we threw rocks in the lake, to be careful, but I hit my cousin Gerry in the head with one anyway. It was an accident—poor throwing skills, not malice. But I couldn’t fess up. You know what grandpa’s version was? The fish were throwing rocks back at Gerry. I went with it. I think I was 35 when I learned that Gerry KNEW it had been me. I adore my extended family—aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins’ spouses—the lot of them. Why then, can I not seem to get along with my mother? Just asking. School Approaches And then my whole family will be students shortly… My husband, at almost 47, is increasing his course load from one to two… he is taking prerequisites to go to nursing school and I am incredibly proud of him. You see… it’s taken a long time for that dream of being a punk rock star to die (23 years) and in all this time, nothing has sounded to him like it was worth working to become. He’s had JOBS, but no career ever seemed worthy. And then there was that whole math-phobia thing… but he got an A- in his first class and a B in his second… so he will do fine. It is just a shift in family role identity beginning, and it is a little strange. To top it off, my daughter started work outs with the high school swim team this week, so is officially in high school, even if her classes don’t start until after Labor Day, and my son starts middle school… transitions all round… Sure be nice to add “mom gets writing contract” to that, wouldn’t it? Just throwing that out there so the publishing gods can consider the beauty of stories that have all their loose ends tied… But whatever the case… not feeling so much like my themes I’d worked out WORKED today, so I was compelled to ramble… Forgive me…

8 comments:

joe doaks-Author said...

Your ramblings are interesting. My wife’s a nurse manager. So, your husband’s chosen vocation caught my eye. Nursing is a fine vocation. Usually indicates a kind, caring person who likes to try to help others. It’s hard work, though. Long hours, difficult patient ratios, and little enough pay. Seems like there’s always work for them, though. Wishing him the best of luck in nursing.

Best Regards, Galen
Imagineering Fiction Blog

Hart Johnson said...

Thank you, Galen! My husband is a bit of a curmugeon to us real folk, but vulnerable populations seem to bring out the best in him (he's done a lot of coaching, and helped a lot of older neighbors). I think nursing is a good fit. He is thinking very old or very young--that old group is going to be growing faster and faster, so the work will DEFINITELY be there!

Stef Howerton said...

No reason to apologize, silly!

And I'm sending good thoughts towards you and your family! So much change! But change is a good thing, or so I've heard.

My mother is a nurse practitioner at the Nashville VA Medical Center, so when he gets all of his credits and whatnot he should definitely look at that kind of environment if he wants to work with the elderly. :)

TreeX said...

Ah, the inability to write that stems from having the luxury of too many options :)
Isn't that the problem with little kids? So many toys that they don't know what to pick and end up bored? -- But then, you'd know better than me, your little Things being in the middle of transiting to big Things, and leaving behind a phase of their lives that isn't getting back :)

Hart Johnson said...

Stef-we have a VA here (Ann Arbor) and I know they pay better than the hospitals here by about 30%, so I have that suggestion in my head--I know he would work well with with that pop.

Joris- I probably could have WAY TMI on the mom-front, but it seems rather raw at the moment, so I rambled instead. But yes... it does seem i always have a lot to say, dunnit?

Tina-Sue said...

That was some very nice rambling.

I know too well how interesting? A change and shift like going back to school can be, so sending lots of good thoughts on that one.

"Mom gets writing contract" has a very nice ring to it. Keep throwing it out there.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I think it all sounds exciting. We're math-phobic here too, but my husband makes his computer career work. And good for your husband for starting a challenging new career.

Boys in middle school. Well, mine started last year and it was a breeze. I think GIRLS have a hard time in middle school. The only big adjustment was the HUGE amount of homework.

I hope your contract comes through. Try submitting to open-minded medium publishers? Agents are so hard to come by.

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

Natasha said...

Hey, I quite empathise on the Mom thing. Sometimes, it is like treading on egg-shells, isn't it?
I think I would have loved your Grandpa if I'd known him - somehow, he reminds me a bit of you. Fish throwing rocks indeed. *snort*

Fab news on the Hubby - I only knew about the time he was preparing for that Maths exam - fabulous that he got an A-. And good luck to Things One and Two.


Joris - that bit about kids having too many toys, unfortunately, hits too close home. I literally have a cupboard full of toys, puzzles, books and assorted junk, but both kids only want to watch TV. Until one picks something up, when of course the other wants it right then.