Sticky notes and markers and folders, oh my!

It's almost August! Where is the year going?

One good notes - it's time to be buying school supplies. I can't wait!! :)

Little Miss will be attending an all day, advanced preschool this Fall and I'm waiting to get her list of supplies. I used to love going to Wal-Mart or somewhere with my mom during my elementary school days and pick out new Trapper Keepers, pencils, pencil sharpeners, highlighters, pens, pencil boxes, gluesticks...it was all awesome.

Oh and don't forget those tye-dyed, animal folders by Lisa Frank (wasn't that her name? I was so raised in the late 80's/early 90's!) lol  LOVE that stuff! Never gets old!

Do you have supplies to buy this year? Or as writers/authors, do you keep yourself loaded up with the good stuff year round? :)

I will say, its super hard to be thinking of "back to school" when it's still 100 degrees outside. Thankfully Little Miss has a few more weeks before her school starts but most public schools in this area are starting soon. What happened to summer?

Oh my GOSH it's almost time to be thinking of Christmas lists.....yikes.....

National Geographic

I feel like I've stumbled into my own personal, living magazine edition of National Geographic. I know living in the country means bugs, but OH MY GOSH. Wasps and dirt dobbers and other flying things at my door and on my porch. Horse flies in the covered carport area. Ants out the wazoo. Moths and dragon flies (usually mating, ew) buzzing every which way. Flies. Bees. Hornets. Yellow jackets. I'm not kidding. ALL of those, all the time.

We have Permatox come spray every two months, inside and outside the house, and thank goodness because lately the bugs I've been finding have at least been dead.

And side note - why can I not ever find a bug when my husband is actually HOME? Murphy's law at its finest! I'm the girl who usually will kill it and leave the shoe on top of it for him to clean up when he gets home. Yeah, I'm so THAT girl. But he knew before he married me, soooo - his fault. ;)

Today, for example, I pulled out the bottom drawer under the oven where I keep my cookie sheets and pizza pans, etc. to put away a pan. When I shut it, I saw Spider-zilla. Lurking. Dusty, half under that drawer space. Just far enough out where I could see him, but too far underneath still for me to wield a trusty boot.

I actually finished putting away the dishes first, keeping one eye on him and the other attempting not to stroke out from my pounding heart. Yes, I'm a sissy girlie girl but that was a BIG spider. And it was furry. FURRY!!!!

I decided I needed to scoot it out with something then smash it. So I grabbed....a Swiffer. Used the stick end. And scooted him, ready to slam him with my husband's shoe (totally not using my own shoes!)

But I scooted a little too hard in my panic and shot him across the length of the kitchen floor. Thankfully, this was when I realized he was dead, as he didn't start running.

I smashed him a few times with the boot anyway...then took a pic.

I put it on FB and it was identified as a Wolf Spider. Not poisonious, but ummmm, anything with hair and named a wolf should not be allowed to be a bug!! Am I right??

I'm seriously convinced some creatures were invented AFTER the fall of man. Like, as further punishment. Shudder.

How's your summer? Are you wielding flyswatters and wasp spray? Or are you just laughing at me and my swiffer and boot? :)

Chick Fila Controversy

I LOVE Chick Fila, but I'm almost tired of hearing all this drama on Facebook and beyond about it, Mike Huckabee, the gay community, and Chicago.

Let me get this straight. I LOVE Chick Fila. They have the most rockin' chicken sandwiches in the world. I LOVE how they are a Christian company, are closed on Sundays, and play praise and worship music in their restaurants. It's awesome, and I'm all about it. So is my Little Miss - she's a sucker for everything on their menu. (and their soup!! mmmmm)

But sometimes we have to be cautious as Christians how we come across. And when people start boycotting, and people start picketing, and people start expressing opinions on controversial topics such as homosexuality - OY. It gets exhausting, because it inevitably turns into a huge debate where everyone is trying to change everyone else's mind, and its just not going to happen.

Here's my stand. I believe the Bible. I believe homosexuality is wrong. Just like I believe adultery is wrong, cheating, lying and stealing is wrong, getting drunk is wrong, cursing is wrong, murder is wrong, sleeping with someone before marriage is wrong, and etc. It's a sin. All of it. The Bible makes that clear. I'm not saying homosexuality is a worse sin than others, only God can make that call. The Bible hints that it might be, as He calls it an abomination, but I honestly don't know, and it really doesn't matter. I don't hate homosexuals, I'm not afraid of them, I don't shun them - I feel about them as I do anyone else who sins or is lost and needs Jesus. I have compassion for them. I sin. I need Jesus. There's no judging here. I won't, however, stand by and pretend like the Bible says that lifestyle is okay when it clearly says otherwise. (even in the New Testament)

I accidentally stumbled into a debate on all this on Facebook recently, and good grief, it got out of hand! So before you jump on the bandwagon, just be careful. Because on hot topics like this, it's SO EASY for your words to be misunderstood or taken the wrong way. And that's a strike against Christianity, not a plus for it.

What are your thoughts?  No judging here! If you respond, keep it nice, regardless of your stand.

Visit me at Scribblechicks!

http://www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com/

We're talking writing craft today! :)

Where's your power?

Come read my twice-monthly post over at Girls, God and the Good Life! We're talking about the Holy Spirit and I'd love your thoughts :)

http://www.girlsgodgoodlife.blogspot.com/

Favorite summer treat?

So it's official.

I have a Snow-Cone problem.

I might have even passed the "addiction stage" but I'm not sure what's past that.

Please tell me I'm not alone ;)  It started as a reward for Little Miss, and of course Mama had to get one too. I spend .75 on her Peewee sized grape snowcone, and under $2 on my small, strawberry cheesecake with two shots of cream snowcone.

It's summer in a cup!

What has been your favorite summer treat? (and don't worry I'm headed to the gym now so I can get my snowcone later...)

A fresh page...

Who else loves a blank page?

The fresh start of "Chapter One"? I love the beginning. It's so intimidating and challenging and enocuraging because - anything goes. I can write anything I want. The opportunities are endless. It's also a little overwhelming, because, well, the opportunities are endless! lol

Regardless - I started a new book proposal today and got most of it done, including the 4 page synopsis. I'm really excited about this story and hope my editor agrees ;)

For all you writers out there, do you love or dread that blinking cursor against a sea of white? For readers out there, do you ever give a lot of thought into opening lines or first pages? What is a favorite first line of yours? :)

Scribblin' away Summer

Visit me today at http://www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com/ ! We're talking craft!

Ode to summer

My summer so far has been a blur of birthdays (both hubby's and Little Miss's), church events, swim classes (8 total over a two week period) and summer school (two days a week) for Little Miss, book deadlines and Forum newspaper deadlines for me, and endless errands. How many times can a person actually go to the bank, post office, dry cleaners, and Wal-Mart in one month? I'm thinking I'm going to find out the world's max quota...

Not to mention yesterday we spent over 600 on tires for my car and hubby's motorcycle. WHEW.

Things are finally wrapping up. Deadlines are met. Birthdays are over. Swim classes are halfway through as is summer school. The errands have been made for now. And the snowcones have been consumed ;)

What have you been doing this summer? Are you running the roads or are you relaxing in the AC? Are you meeting deadlines/goals or are you struggling to keep up? I'm just grateful this is mid July and its only 90's here so far. We had several weeks in a row of good rain, and it's helped hold off the typical north Louisiana 100+ degrees a bit. Thanks God!

What are you thankful for today?

Who beat their deadline?!!?

THIS GIRL! :)

I turned in my completed manuscript of my Spring 2013 release to my editor 4 days before my deadline.
WOOHOOOO!!!!!

This hurt a little still because I'm usually weeks ahead of deadline, not down to the wire like that. But considering what all I've had going on the past two months, I'm just grateful I ended up with those glorious 4 days of cushion :)

Now, for the important part....

Ah-ahem.

LET THERE BE CUPCAKES.

Beach test

So I recently got back from my cruise, which included two private beach excursions on Progreso, Yucatan and Cozumel, and I'm already missing the ocean! :)

I thought maybe taking this little quiz could curb it for a few minutes. http://www.blogthings.com/thedesertedbeachtest/

Here's my results:

You are bold, adventurous, and even brazen. You feel like the world is your oyster.

You value your time, and you treat it like it's precious. No one is allowed to waste it.
You function well with heavy work loads. You like being and staying productive.
You are direct and to the point. You rather not waste time with small talk

Hmmm. Well, some of that is true. I'm not bold on some things, only on specific things, and I'm certainly not brazen or adventurous. The time and heavy load stuff is accurate and the productive thing is 115% acurate. lol Small talk...hmmm. So so.

What'd you get? :)

Scribble Chick time

Visit me today at http://www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com/

Of deadlines and cu-cu clocks

I can't spell cu cu clock. Cuckoo? Cucoo? Cu-Cu? Help. lol

My Little Miss saw a cuckoo clock (?) on a cartoon awhile back and called her Pappaw (who collects clocks at his house) to get her one for her birthday. It was really sweet. I figured they might find her a toy one or a cheap one somewhere or that she'd forget about it or whatever.

Oh no. After her party Saturday, she got a phone call to come to their house. I took her over and there on the wall was a cuckoo clock. A real, wooden, pretty, carved cuckoo clock with a little white bird that pops out and the works. Hangs on the wall with the pendelum and dangly things (can you tell I know a lot about clocks? LOL) and the whole shebang. She was ecstatic.

My husband was not. LOL. Despite that it doesn't go off at night, his face was PRICELESS. She insist it go in her room, and we're all too happy to oblige. He's planning his revenge now, muttering something about the game "hungry hungry hippos" for their house. hahaha.

Me? I just see another countdown to my rapidly apporaching deadline ;)  One that cuc-koos at me.

(okay seriously how do you spell cuckoo??)

And the winner is...

And the winner of my website contest for a free autographed copy of ADDISON BLAKELY, CONFESSIONS OF A PK is..... (Little Miss drew the name)

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 CARISSA!!!!

Thanks for entering! Carissa, please email me your mailing address and I'll send you your novel! :)
betsystamant@yahoo.com

Check back for another summer contest soon! :)

Spiritual muscles

I'd like to share a little encourarging nugget of truth here today. One I needed myself recently and hope to pass on! :)

In Sunday School yesterday, we were talking about the work of the Holy Spirit and how it convicts us. And how the more often we squelch that still small voice of guidance and direction and conviction, the harder it is to hear it.

It's like with working out. The more we say "I'm too tired" to go to the gym or "I don't feel like exercising today" the harder it will be to start it up again. I'm living proof of this - when I was out of my regular gym for almost two weeks (several days because Little Miss was sick, then for another 6 days while we were on vacation and then several days after vacation from recovering sunburns and catching up on life again) it was SO hard to go back and start the routine. I felt yucky and "fat" and not in the mood at all. Even though Hubby and I went to the gym two of the days we were on the cruise, it wasn't the same and it wasn't MY gym and MY routine. It was just different. And my motivation lacked from having given myself a free pass for so long.

The same with our spiritual lives. When we miss our quiet times with the Lord and miss reading our Bible for days and weeks at a time, we feel yucky. Different. Irritable. Not in the mood. It's like when you're bored, the less you do, the less you feel like doing. I'm a firm believer that accomplishment breeds more accomplishment.

So next time you feel too tired to read your Bible that day or not in the mood to pray or the next time you feel inclined to blow off church - reconsider. Because the daily choices we make eventually make up our lives. If we skip this Sunday, we might skip the next. And then the next and then we're out of church for 6 months.

I don't know about you, but I love the feeling of getting back into the gym and using my muscles and getting my blood flowing and feeling good about myself again physically. And I love the feeling of getting back into a spiritual routine that is uplighting and will carry me.

What about you? Have you been on the bench too long?

Ribbit - It's a froggy world out there

Advice from me and Carrie Underwood ;)

http://nicoleodell.com/2012/07/on-good-girls-bad-boys-frogsinprogress/

MIA?

So if my blog attendance is a little sketchy the next week, it's because I'm under deadline for a book due to my editor in less than two weeks, my Little Miss's fourth birthday party is tomorrow, her real birthday the next Saturday, my husband has a sponsored trip to go box in a fundraiser (firemen vs cops) at some point in between, I've got several Forum newspaper deadlines to meet and Little Miss will be starting swim classes and summer school.

Yeah.

So uh Happy Friday! lol And see ya soon! :)

What's on your summer plate?

Scribble Chicks

Visit me today at http://www.scribblechicks.blogspot.com/

Being Brave

We took Little Miss to see the Disney movie Brave the other day, and she LOVED it. It was really cute though I have to admit -  not as good as Tangled. The animation was fabulous though especially with Merida's long red curly hair. I totally want to visit Scotland and Ireland now, and Little Miss has been running around with her $10 wooden bow I got her a craft fair last year, muttering about magic spells and practicing to be as good as Merida. haha. Hopefully she doesn't turn me into a bear....

Have you seen Brave? What did you think?

PS - don't forget my website contest is coming to a close soon! To win a free copy of ADDISON BLAKELY, CONFESSIONS OF A PK just go to my website (http://www.betsystamant.com/) and leave a message in the guestbook to enter. Easy peasy ;)

Cruisin' through summer....

Cruise pics!! Just visit my FB link (I'm on deadline and no time to re-load all these puppies! lol)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150897838096701.399052.513656700&type=1&l=fc671cc212

 

 

(there's a few pics at the beginning of the album of my Little Miss at a rock star birthday party she went to that are pretty cute if I say so myself. hehe)

 

PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY to my sweet Husband!!! (and ummmm no growing old jokes because he's a year younger than me. hehehe)