Joy Of Dawn

Outside the Box

2010-04-28T11:55:00.004-04:00

I created a post with some of my goals for the Creative Workshop. It is titled Outside the Box. (On my other blog.) Hope you join me there to see what I've been upto or am about to get into. :)

Oh, No...

2009-11-10T17:36:00.000-05:00

My NaNo project is ending much sooner then I expected it too. A new twist may show up in the following scenes or I may have to back track and see what I missed. I have been thrashing ahead so much that I may have missed something that will liven up my tale. November holds my knowing.
November's dullness is getting to me. It doesn't hold as much joy as the summer, fall, or even winter. It is like a dead in between. My dog is devoid of company, I have been typing and typing to catch up with lost time. I have somewhat accomplished what I intended. I brought my friends upto date but my word count is not at it's goal even though it is good, at 14,553 words.
Facebook fast is as true as it's word. I feel like I am missing something in my diet. It isn't bad just like I'm missing something. I can handle it though. LOL I've chatted on Yahoo a couple time which made me feel much better.
Maybe I'll go work on some sewing...

Yes!

2009-11-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

I have passed the 10,000 word point on mt NaNo project. I was devistated to discover that my noval was going to be cut way too short so I skipped a part to add in later. Which helps bring things to a clearer light anyway! Before I was able to complete updat seven I found myself outside walking the goats around, carting wheel barrels full of hay, leaves, and goat droppings to the garden, and hanging out laundry. Coming Back into the house I completed day seven's update. Before I started day eight, I helped cook supper. Then came the begining of what I thought was day eight and it turned out to be another day ahead of myself. I turned to the dishes with a grummble and hung laundry in house with a slight smile ending with a happier heart. Starting day eight's update, I have nearly completed it!

On the other hand, before I was half way through day seven I found myself on the verge of a new idea. So I spaced my way down the page and typed away. Without hardly a pause I whipped up the idea into a short draft. I had hopes of leaving it to sit for later and furment into something better. So I went back up the document and continued my way to the end of day seven, with my little distractions along the way. Then I selected all, copied, and pasted it to an e-mail and sent it out to my writing friends, completely for getting my new idea was still sitting at the bottom of the document. So along with day seven's update they received my new Christmas story idea. Now I sigh and shake my head but before I was blushing and sending an e-mail to explain myself. Well, the story was dedicated to all of them anyway! I just wasn't quite ready to share it. :) Now I guess I'll get to hear from them, see what they think, and get some imput on how they think I might go about helping the story. All that goes well ends well, as they say.

So now I am going back to put the end on day eight and see what I can do about day nine!

Back to Writing ~>

2009-11-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

I've spent the weekend sewing and hanging out with friends not it is time to get back to my NaNo project before I am so far behind I can't catch up. Last night I tried to write but it just wasn't coming. It was like forcing myself to eat to much when I was already full. So I went to bed and then I got back up because I couldn't sleep. I finished of my last couple of chapters in Joshua and now I am on Judges in my Old Testament reading.
This morning I come down stairs started on my Christmas projects that I dreamt up when I was tossing and turning in bed last night. Ate a banana, a stack of cookies, and a cup of hot chocolate with Cool Whip atop. Put up my first Eay auction on my Ebay account. Cheked my e-mail and blogs. Took the dog out and pulled the three day old laundry. Now I am finally about to start back on my NaNo project and catch back up to where I am supposed to be. With a long day ahead I think I had better stop procrastinating and get to work!
Oh, I am doing a *Facebook fast so I won't be on Facebook all week. That should help save me sometime for writting. If one cares to chat I will still be on yahoo as I don't think I could give up my e-mail! :)

So on to writing!

*If it looks like I am on Facebook it will probably be my Dad or brother doing something to help with a game. However I won't be on, if I fail I promise to blog it! lol

Hello Again!

2009-11-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

Yes I am still alive! I have just not been doing much blogging. Well, actually, I started a couple of post but they never made it out of draft. For something different I decided to post on this blog instead of my one on Wordpress.
I guess the most exciting thing is I started NaNoWriMo. The link about it is attached below.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano
The idea is to write 50,000 words equaling 175 pages of a novel that you start and finish in November. You can write more then that of course! :) It really isn't about quality but quanity. Nonetheless who doesn't want to write something worth reading. I didn't sign up with the site but I am tring the challenge. I started last night with the words,"It was a cold November evening. The sun had long ago hid behind the wooded hills in my backyard." It turns out that it is going to be about a spy named Sarah Beacon, a story idea I formed a while ago but didn't like they way it was turning out. I didn't have the right start on it. With this new start I kept writing front to back until I nearly wrote three full pages. Now I will just have to start typing so I can find out what my word count is! :)
Oh and I found out about NaNo from Owl and Sparrow's blog. http://owlandsparrow.wordpress.com/
This is going to be a very interesting project. If I get nothing else out of it at least I got a great lead on an old idea!

Writing.Com: Merry Men of Minuteville

2009-08-25T16:09:00.001-04:00

Writing.Com: Merry Men of Minuteville

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I Could Spend Hours

2009-08-21T18:10:00.003-04:00

There are these little orange trumpet like flowers at grow wild. I always called them forget me knots. What is there true name? I'm not sure.
Anyway these orange flowers always attract my attention. In the back of my mind it registers as fun. For a while I couldn't figure out why but now I know.
There was a time when I was playing hide-and-go-seek or some variation. I was hiding behind a shed and there were these bushes of little orange flowers. It was taking a long time for whoever it was to find me so I started popping these tiny tubular green pods. When they were fat, they would burst open with a shower of seeds. I think that someone else had previously showed me this unique way of spreading these seed. I had a blast standing there popping seeds.
To this day there are times when I could stand and pop them for hours.
Is there something you could just do for hours?

Feed My Fish

2009-08-05T12:06:00.003-04:00

Just for fun I was playing around with the gadgets on Blogger. I found these fish and I added them to my blog. They remind me of my brother. He always wanted his own pet but we knew that it would have to be low maintenance. So for a birthday or Christmas someone bought him a fish. Then another and another. He now has quite a collection of fish.
I find them very relaxing, when I just sit and watch them. However I like listening to the sound of the water running even better! I have always loved that sound! It doesn't matter if it is a little trickle, a wide river, a tall waterfall, or a splash in a mud puddle. I think I get my love of water from my mother who loved to swim. I think.
So I added the fish for Conner, who has already seen them and loves them!
P.S. By click on there little box you can feed them. Have fun!

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

2009-08-02T22:51:00.003-04:00

This weekend is what I would call a simple challenge. I got to learn how to play two previously unknown songs, raise a known song up a key, and play from memory a known song, all over night. Then play them on my violin with three others and two guitars. I never have played my violin with a guitar before!
How to learn the unknown in one night? Practice until your fingers are sore, your neck cramp, and don't expect it to be perfect. It does say make a joyful noise... right?
I never knew I was so talented! :) It was lots of fun! It wasn't perfect but it was one of the greatest blessings in the world. Praise The Lord! Besides, how could I worry about my playing with song titles like, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow and If That Isn't Love?
I had a great teacher and a very cooperative group. What more could one ask for when serving the Lord? Through this all if I could come out with nothing else, at least I'd come out with knowing two new songs!
"I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand!" Just will not leave my mind. I keep hearing it over and over like a message I need to sink into my brain and I'm not sure why.
Like I ask Conner when he gets one doing something, If you had it to do all over again would you? My answer to this would be yes! Definitely! That is what counts in the end.

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:2

Brother Sheffy

2009-07-28T20:35:00.004-04:00

One of the best movies ever produced is Sheffy. It is the story of a young man who's name is Robert Sheffy. He lived with his rich Aunt until he was saved. Eventually he became a circuit rider, preaching without fear of what some might think. Praying to the Lord as though He was standing right there with faith like one wouldn't believe. Magnificent things would happen when he prayed. It is one of the films that reminds me of how important prayer and faith are in our Christian walk.
I like to be encouraged to do what is right. The sources come in many shapes and forms, people, movies, books, prayer, and the Bible. There are many others and that was only to name a few. They always receive my thanks and respect, even if it isn't verbal. The most amazing thing is when I'm shown one part and then it leads to another, it is kind of like a revival within myself. I begin to feel all glorious within.
Reading about the true Robert Sheffy, one would probably find that he is... well, not your ordinary evangelist. A little odd some would say. One only catches a glimpse of that on the film. However if you have never seen the film it is well worth it!

So I'm Stuck!!!

2009-07-24T21:39:00.006-04:00

First the idea comes then a picture of what that idea would look like. From that picture comes the description of the very beginning of a new story.

I love writing the beginning of stories! It is when I get to the middle or end that I usually have problems. I get stuck! I want to finish the story, but I don't know where to go. I don't have a vision.

Then in the back of my mind I hear, If you had started out with an outline... I know, I know! I really don't like outlining, never have. Some of my story ideas are written in an outline form because it all came to me at the same time. However I don't have the urge to work on them like I do the others. I know exactly how it is all going to turn out! It is like reading the same story over and over again.

When I do get to the middle/end of a story I have a hard time ending. Where is the end? How do I close the book?

Gail Carson Levine wrote a terrific book on writing called Writing Magic. In her chapter on being stuck she suggests not getting worked up about this but simply taking your mind off it. Write what you are stuck about it the form of a question on a post it and stick it on your bedroom door or wherever you will see it often. The main part of your brain might not be thinking about your story but in the back your brain knows that you want an answer. So it will continue to think, looking for the solution to your problem. For me this works. Sometimes it takes months and in one case a year but then sometimes I get my answer the very next day. Usually it is something I've heard or seen, once it was something I smelled! :)

This is what makes writing fun, frustrating, and rewarding.

Also just sitting peeling potatoes or washing dishes, something that is simple and repeats itself gets the mind thinking on the important things, like writing! :) It maybe good to have a notebook and pen on hand to jot things down. I find myself running upstairs and jotting something down after I've finished something repetitive.

I was really just wondering if my readers ever get stuck in writing their stories and what they do to help themselves get unstuck?

The Rock

2009-07-17T22:57:00.004-04:00

There was one time that I was part of a Christmas play at a nursing home. I think the part that I remember the most was the part where someone said "On this Rock will I build my church." For some reason that always stuck out to me. The other thing I remember is that I felt VERY very silly. :) (It was definitely worth the effort that was put into the play.)

I have just begun to remember to take the camera with me where ever I go and now I think that I should remember to take a notebook too. There are so many things that come to mind when I am taking a picture. If I could just remember them when it comes time to look over the pictures I took and answer all the, "Why did you take that picture," questions.

Above is some pictures of a rock that I took while my family and I where out at the State Game Lands. I remember the reason I took these ! :)

I was playing around with the camera trying to figure out which setting worked the best. The first one was on the auto setting with a flash. If I played around with it I could come up with a great framed background page for a letter.

The second picture is very blurry. This I kind of expected since I had the camera set on close up. It isn't very good at all.

The third, I think, is the best of the three, for an ordinary picture. The camera was set on landscape. Which seems odd because the landscape mode is really for far away pics.

A simple exercise has really turned out quite fun. It is helping me get acquainted better with the camera. At least this camera, as for the next camera, well... With technology the way it is I'll probably have to start from scratch but for now I'll have fun! :)

Jesus is the Rock of my salvation. His banner over me is love...

Lemon Balm Cookies

2009-07-15T11:45:00.004-04:00

This is the first time I ever cooked with lemons or with fresh herbs from my growing collection of outside herbs. I had these cookies at a plant exchange at the antique shop where Mom and I work. I couldn't stop eating them! I was very glad to get the recipe!

So when some friends came over I made these because I know that a member of their family enjoys things made with lemon. Everyone enjoyed them and I didn't have any left over! :) Besides, of course, the ones I set a side for them to take home.

Not Just Me

2009-07-11T11:32:00.006-04:00

The picture at the top, the tree, is mine. I enjoy taking pictures just to see what the click of the button will turn out. I don't like to be under pressure when photographing. I really don't know anything about photography. I just like having fun! :)

I have been secretly enjoying myself watching Rebecca and Conner take the camera in hand . They turned up the other two pictures. The yellow flower is Re's. She was sitting a turned the camera not really meaning to have her jean dress in the background.

The orange flower is Conner's. A nice closeup on the lily!

I'm a blogger!

2009-07-06T16:01:00.001-04:00

No pun intended toward the site.
I think that I have become a fan of blogging. I enjoy it soooo much that I have trouble stopping! Does anyone else have this trouble?

I have always enjoyed reading other peoples writing. This is a way I thought that I could contribute to the writing world. "For it is better to give then to receive."

I am not sure I have done justice to the two blogging sites that I have joined. At least enough to tell which I consider better then the other. With the knowledge I know this is what I think.

Blogger is more personal in my opinion. They let the user move things around more with click and drag options. However sometimes it seems that the page can get a little cluttered. I know there are ways of changing the themes on Blogger but I haven't figured out how to go about doing that. It easier to follow other blogs. I haven' t found a way to follow other blogs that are not from blogger. Perhaps there is no way to do that.

Wordpress page is simple and not easy to clutter. However I haven't figured out how to do the fancy buttons. It is easy to add blogs to the Wordpress links on the page front yet there is no way to follow them from the dashboard. I found a lot of themes for Wordpress and had no trouble using the one that I desired.

I enjoy using both sites. I believe that I will continue using both blogs. This one for the "simple challenges" that I complete, such as in writing, drawing, photography, extra. The other one for the things that happen in my everyday life, the things I enjoy, and just whatever else I find that I want to share with you. The hard part will be to keep them separated in my mind. :)

Rebecca is trying a christian blog site but it is very simple as though they may just be starting their blog site. Nonetheless if one desired to share with a christian site that might be the way to go.

Whatever is decided I would encourage all writers and non-writers to start a blog! Share with us what is on your mind.

Rasberry, Blueberry, Strawberry

2009-07-05T22:11:00.001-04:00

These are the two pictures I took of the berries we picked today. There is mostly red and white but a little blue from the blueberries comes through. Just wondering what picture you like best?

Old Red, White, and Blue

2009-07-04T21:53:00.000-04:00

To all have a very happy Fourth of July!

Simple Challenges

2009-07-01T06:32:00.000-04:00

I have always enjoyed the simple challenges that life brings to me. Then sometimes I like to impose some of my own challenges. If ever I think of my challenges as big I seem to get somewhat timid especially about completing them.

Blogging is one of those new "simple" challenges I have placed upon myself to complete. In doing so I am trying out two different sites. I'll let you know what I like best! Have a great day and I hope you stay with me as I continue blogging!

Joyfully Yours,
Amber Dawn Weaver