Pay It Forward

Erm... but let me whine a bit first. *shifty* You may or may not have noticed, but I've been in a bit of a funk and nobody needs a Funk-Tart. It is multi-tiered and every level throws in its own noise.

First, I just returned from traveling, which throws my routine off. I dived RIGHT into edits that had to be turned around quickly for the cozy audition, so there was no real mental REGROUP. Then we get to the big stuff.

Last Thursday I was in a fair amount of pain (throat), was achy, possibly even fevered, and I had the kind of sinus thing going on that gives you a headache and slow drip (as opposed to plugging me up). I stayed home from work Friday, proceeding to sleep 12 hours, which knocked out the sore throat and aches, but the head stuff stayed (and the work pile mounted).

Then Saturday my husband's midlife crisis flared (he's been having this since he was around 27, mind you-but it comes and goes). When it's bad though, it's bad. He is smoking again, and I think experiencing a self-loathing that comes with FAILURE (never mind that they TELL YOU quitting takes practice, and in 22 years this is only the second time I've seen him try)--He was successful for 3 months and was feeling a lot of improvements. All shot. *sigh * I've asked exactly twice when he plans to try again, but acts like every time I see him I have nagged.

Oh, nobody does self-loathing quite like my husband can. It's a lovely 'give it back' kind of thing... not good after my illness, too busy, been gone thing.

THEN, I just realized part of the problem is I'm in EDITING mode, rather than WRITING. If I am writing, then every day I have an escape for a good 90 minutes into whatever story I am writing. When I am editing, I am stuck in the present. Have I expressed how I hate reality? Even my BLOGGING is in reality... partly because of being behind, so I missed a bunch (especially the prep time needed for several blogfests)... it's been sort of a dry week, with yesterday veering dangerously near the precipice of nasty...



But a few really great things have passed me this week, and I thought I'd share them with you.

First: Y'all know there is NOTHING better than Monty Python, right? And nothing CAMPIER than Star Trek, and this little number uses Monty Python to make Star Trek even sillier, and it makes me HAPPY!

Star Trek Meets Monty Python


Second: This fit my mood pretty darned perfectly because it is one of those CUTE, then so terrible that it's hysterical things (compliments of B. Miller that I found it)

How a fish almost destroyed my childhood


And finally, and this is probably my favorite: PAY IT FORWARD (also compliments of my buddy B.)

This Pay it Forward was a beautiful post by B. Miller about doing the right thing, and a CHALLENGE to all of us to Pay it Forward... do something nice NOT because you expect something back, but because if we all do, the world ends up nicer and ALL of us have more nice things happen... or so I look at this cosmic karma thing. I tweeted, I shared... but I also took it to my favorite people on the planet (yes, even before my children some days)--the Burrow.

We have a project in the works now, our July feature for our website: www.the-burrow.org. You see, about every other month we do a 'feature' where we all work together and create a project. Most reveal themselves slowly, inviting people to come back as the month progresses. In June, we are doing Alphabet Drabbles, largely in thanks to arleebird April Blogging A to Z idea.

Drabbles, for the uninitiated, are 'stories' in exactly 100 words. Mine are typically more slice of life or philosophy than story, because you know how hard it is for me to get to the point—STILL, it is a challenge of word economy and grammatical creativity sometimes. So in July, we are going to Pay it Forward. B. has even agreed to guest Drabble with us! (we're so excited!)

Adding to this, Kierah Reilly—a new twin of sorts (she and I are sharing geography if not timing) tagged me with her Pay it Forward Post in which she asked her followers to follow three people (me included!)--Her blog is GREAT, and I would LOVE it if you would return the favor, but I ALSO wanted to Pay it Forward.

I am doing two sets of three, because I have a couple long time friends who are relatively newer (or getting back to) blogging who I REALLY think you should follow. All of them are people I know because of Harry Potter... there are SO MANY of those...


Artistically Amy: Amy just finished her Master's Degree (MEd, I think), and is a TALENTED photographer. She is no slouch as a writer, so her blog is a fun mix of pictures and prose (typically prose about the pictures she's taken.
Awkward Book Girl: Bridge is a TALENTED young writer—she writes an emotional punch like nobody's business, and is brand new to blogging—her reflections thus far have been very sweet and entertaining.
And Bronx Tales and Inner Musings: Chary is one of my Burrow sisters, and her essays about her life and family often move me to tears. It's funny, of my fellow Burrowers, Chary is geographically closest, but she grew up in the Bronx, and so her life experiences are as opposite as this Idaho girl can find, yet they speak to me on every level. She's also got a special skill at writing really spicy stuff, if you'd help me talk her into it.


And THEN, I also wanted to recommend three blogs from people I've known far less long—blogs I love, people who've been incredibly supportive with comments.

Alex Cavanaugh 
Ella's Edge:
Alliterative Allomorph:



So, fine friends... go check these guys out... follow them if you will... and Pay if Forward!