The Crazy Dog Lady (who also edits things)

If you have been reading this blog for very long... or if you follow me on Instagram... or interact with me in person... you know that I've been precariously balancing on the precipice of becoming 'that crazy dog lady' for some time now.

I mean, can you blame me? Look at this sweetness:

Anyway. Recently, the smartest and I have been discussing trying to get out and see a little more of Oklahoma. There are state parks and lakes and tall trees and rolling hills, all just out there, waiting for us to enjoy them. But every time we started talking about taking weekend trips or even really long day trips, I would point out that we would have to find someone to watch the dog. And we already ask our friends/family to watch her way more than we should, and we need to save the favors we have for the really big holidays, so that puts us in a bit of a corner.

We decided that we would just bring her. But we can't leave her in the car, because it'll be hot. We can't leave her in the tent because she might blow away. And she can only walk a couple of miles before she lays down all pathetically like she might perish if she takes another step. So...














We bought me a crazy lady dog harness.

Yeah. I'm officially that girl. That girl who carries her dog like a child. However, I am also that girl who gets to go places and do what she wants, so I'm ok with it. In case you were wondering, the puppy loves it. LOVES it. She thinks that hiking makes her a big dog- and she loves hopping in the grass, and jumping over the little tiny sticks that to her feel like huge logs. And she very much enjoys being carried when she gets tired 6 minutes later.

In other news- I'm editing things. And its hard, partially because the puppy likes to lay in my lap, and that requires my lap accommodating ten pounds of fluff, my large binder and my laptop simultaneously. But mostly its hard because I'm trying a new path to editing that makes me question every literary choice I've ever made. Which is good. Mostly.  Maybe. I'll get back to you on that.

Things my computer thinks

When I took up the writing mantel roughly a year ago, I think my computer started having some serious doubts about my mental condition. In the span of a month, I went from Googling wall colors, recipes and skinny jeans to hunting through lists of flower names, searching for 'girl with brown braid in winter' and 'guy with blonde hair'... and still skinny jeans. For me, I mean, not the blonde guy. Like this photo, from my permanent collection:

I started reading writing blogs and searching through writing contests and visiting twitter (gasp! I know. I'm not much of a social media gal unless you count Instagram, but you do what you must). My phone, which stalks me very effectively, is now divided into writing blogs that I frequent, notation of the next upcoming Thunder game, and informing me that I have lost my sweet mind. Oh, and since I have recently started Googling names for a new set of characters, it now thinks that I am expecting, and apparently wants very much to help me in my search for the perfect baby registry. Not pregnant, Google. Just trying to give birth to a new manuscript over here... though I can see why you'd be confused.

My computer also thinks that I am very susceptible to marketing. The worst part of that being, of course, that I AM very susceptible to marketing. Maybe if I take a month and focus on just Googling writing related things without the occasional link follow into the realm of women's fashion, Google will start suggesting books to read instead of really cute brown wedge booties that I probably can't pull of.

And if all of that hadn't convinced my computer that I am descending along a spiral of insanity with writing as the prize, I have roughly 38 documents created since last June in my Google Drive that pertain to books, querying, query tracking, drafts and ideas. And, since I am an artist at heart, some of these are named things like "Copy of Copy of Edited Copy of Book v2" and "From the CO car ride." Don't worry, when I set up the 8 new documents for the super secret new project, I named them things that actually made sense. See? I'm an evolving creature indeed. Speaking of driving places while writing (the smartest does the actual driving, by the way. Don't write and drive, folks, or you might end up in Narnia). Driving produces photos like this, which are their own kind of inspirational.

Since You've Been Gooooooone... 15 Thing Update

1). I broke my first bone. It happen while playing soccer on a boat. I'd like to say its a long story, but that is actually the entire thing.

2). We welcomed 3 new babies into our family in the span of 2 months. Yes, our life is overwhelming with adorable. Send me some ugly puppy pictures, would you?

3). I chopped my hair off. Again. And regretted it. Again.

4). I crossed seeing New York off my bucket list.

5). Painted 4 rooms and redid flooring in 2. Also tried tile paint for the first time and adored it, just as soon as the toxic cloud made its way out of our house following the actual use of said paint.

6). I road tripped through 4 states with the BHO. Who says you can't exist on a diet of jelly beans and salt and vinegar chips?

7). The smartest got his MBA and was, of course, in the top of his class. My eyes may have glistened in proud spousal tears.

8). Celebrated 4 years of blissful (ahem, most days) marriage.

9). Went to 11 states: New York, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas and California.  And also stopped briefly in 3 countries: Honduras, Mexico and Belize.

10). I started writing a trilogy in June.

11). I had around 880 amazing clients. It was a fun year full of most creative and delightful people.

12). We discovered the cinnastack pancake at iHop. And promptly gained 20lbs.

13). We survived another tornado season- and this year, for the first time in the last 3, we didn't have to replace our roof! Here's to THAT trend continuing in 2016.

14). We went skiing together for the first time. Surprisingly, no lasting injuries from that experience, other than psychological ones.

15). We went to Disney World with the artist family and tried to smuggle Mickey home with us in our pocket, but alas, to no avail.

B is for Bon Voyage: Weekend in Wyoming

A couple weeks ago, the BHO and I snuck up to Wyoming to see the artist parents. And by snuck, I do mean boarded a teeny tiny plane, and took deep breaths as we soared through the usual amount of turbulence high above the rolling hills.

I'm thoroughly convinced that there is nothing better for one's faith than spending a touch of time with nothing between you and the picturesque ground but the hand of God.

Summertime Mad-ness

Do you guys remember when I used to be a good blogger?

Hold on. Let me rephrase that.

Do you guys remember when I used to be a CONSISTENT blogger?

Those were the days, huh? This whole new house + busy season thing is really keeping my hands full (not to mention a puppy who seems determined to collect all of the burrs in the whole world). Well, that combined with one bought of illness, one set of friends moving into a new house (closer, YAY), one wedding, a new storm shelter, two family gatherings, one road trip, 7 NBA playoff games (viewed from the living room) and 5 soccer games. We are loving the new house, though, and I promise we will have photos eventually. In the meantime... here are a couple photos from NEAR the house. The smartest has gotten so used to me sprinting out the front door to catch the sunset that I don't even think he notices it anymore.

 

 

 

Oh, and proof for those of you who were wondering whether or not we are still living. We are.

B is for Bon Voyage: The Oregon Coast (part 2)

The artist clan spent Thursday taking Portland by storm. And by storm I actually mean by lightrail. We spent the day poking around bookstores and topped the day off with a visit to one of my top 10 favorite stores... IKEA! In case you were wondering... I AM the annoying person in the family who routinely shrieks "Stop! We have to take a photo" while the rest of the artist clan very sweetly humors me. Fortunately for the smartest... we had very little available suitcase space. Which limited my purchases to some moose shaped cookie cutters, some measuring spoons and a couple of cutting boards.

 

The smartest and I have been blessed with an exceedingly large family. In addition to having many members, all of whom we are inordinately fond of, it spreads across the country in every direction. Said spread-out-ness sometimes means that we don't get to see everyone as often as we would like, but it makes the moments we do have that much more precious. Mama artist was sweet enough to supply me with a couple photos of the artist clan that assembled to dig their toes in the last week:

 

B is for Bon Voyage: The Oregon Coast

Do you know what I love about March? March is the month that the smartest and I get to sneak away to Oregon to see the artist clan! We always have SUCH fun, and come home with clam in our bellies and sand in our suitcases. This year we had every kind of weather- from rain to rainbows, storms and sunshine and gorgeous sunsets. I will have some lovely family photos so share in a couple of days- but for now here is a little peek and the scenery:

 

 

 

As sad as we were to leave the coast, we got a pretty breathtaking welcome home: