Emma Weylin

Whoosh , and the year is almost over. It seems like 2009 just started and now we’re almost to Christmas. Where does the time go? I still need to get my Christmas shopping done.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my mother’s house. She is slowly learning that some family traditions don’t need to be upheld if no one really enjoys doing them anymore, and that creating, new, well-loved traditions are the way to go. We are slowly getting there, but it’s a slow and painful process, though she seems to be happier the more time that passes. I can’t wait to see what new and wonderful things the family will be doing on holidays in years to come.

Anyway, I think I am going to get a jump on the New Year’s resolutions and all that fun jazz.

1. I will have a clean house. I am the worst housekeeper in the world, but now that I know why my family and I have such issues with it, I know I will be able to fix the problem. Who knew people with Dyslexia had a difficult time containing clutter? Anyway, that is on the top of my list, obviously, because it’s number one.

2. I will get a list of knit and crochet projects I want to do this year and plan them out so I can get them done when I want to, like for holidays and birthdays. It will happen, I swear it. (So maybe this one should be considered better time management?)

3. I will get Phoebe reading at grade level by the time she starts 3rd grade.

4. I will get less irritated with Willow when she just wants to babble at me because she loves to talk.

5. I will fully write, edit and submit a novel by the end of 2010. No if, ands, or buts about it.

I think that’s a pretty good list for this coming year.

Of course this all comes when I am on the injured list. Really, it was the dumbest thing in the world. I went to my writer’s group (Hi Time, Hi Bill) on the 20th and I fell in the parking lot, now, before anyone tells me I should sue them, I tripped over my own two feet like a big old clumsy idiot. I landed on hard on my knees and sprained my ankle badly. I’ve been in a splint (they call it an air cast) for the last week, and I expect to be in it for the next five because I can’t seem to make myself behave and not walk on it. I do have crutches, but they get in the way and make my armpits hurt. That’s probably too much information for some, but it’s the truth. But I will get this started and I will make it all work this coming year. It’s time for me to finish growing up and become an adult. I will take the rest of the year to make my cleaning game plan, and then get it started.

I have a one shot novel in mind for the one I need to submit this year, so, hopefully, I will be able to get that all done. No, scratch that, not hopefully, I will get it done. It needs to be done, and I need to do it so that I am bring some money into this house.
I discovered how Phoebe learns, and she’s been reading little books to me for the last few weeks, so that’s well underway.

I think I need to set aside Willow babble time every day so that she had undecided mommy time to just say whatever strange and bizarre things she needs to say. I think it will be good for both of us and I think for both of them, I will start either a computer or a written diary everyday that we write together so that I know we are keeping up good communications.

As for my craft projects, well, I think that’s part of my creative outlet along with writing, so I really need to get the time management thing underway so that I am getting everything done that I want/need to get done, like house cleaning.

I know I can do this, and I will do it. I just have to do it as obsessively as I can write a first draft novel.
Sorry, no pictures today, and I think that’s all I have to say, anyway, I hope everyone had a happy turkey day, and I’ll try to update more with this thing next year.

Where the Wild Things Are

A story published in 1963 as a children’s picture book by American writer Maurice Sendak. On October 16, 2009, the motion picture was released featuring Max, his wolf suit and the Wild Things. At first glance, this is a story of a child who goes on an adventure to Where the Wild Things Are after a rather disturbing fight with his mother, where Max bites her on the shoulder. Hence, the reviews that this movie teaches youngsters that children are rewarded for rebellion.

It brings to mind a conversation I once had with a fellow writer. We were sitting in a local Panara Bread, discussing story archs and he flat out told me that not all characters have to have one. To which I agrees, expect in the instance of the main character. No matter how great or small the main identifying character must have an arch for the readers to attach themselves. He disagreed, but I think this move proves my point expertly as does the children’s book.

If one takes the time to look deeper into the story itself and the film, one discovered a truly amazing journey. Max is an upset child from a broken home. His sister is dealing with in her way and so is his mother. Max is angry and full of broiling emotions and fears. It all erupts when Max makes a huge scene one night before dinner. During the ensuing altercation, Max bites his mother and takes off out of the house. A departure from the book, Max doesn’t get sent to bed before dinner, but I’ll let that go. He runs for a while where he comes to small boat. He sails the boat to the island Where the Wild Things Are. Through each of the monsters, Max must face his feelings and his own actions to those feelings. In an inexplicably small change in Max, he decides to go home to the safety and comfort of his mother, where he gets dinner-still hot-and with a piece of chocolate cake!

What makes this story so incredible isn’t the wondrous Wild Things or the physical adventure, but Max’s emotional journey from angry little boy, to someone who is beginning to see the world doesn’t revolve around him. Max grows up a smidge during the move. At the end of the movie, I know he will still have issues with his mother and his sister-and probably still have a few tantrums- but I am left with the hope that Max is beginning to see the world in a different light. Not that his anger and other emotions are wrong, just that there are better, and dare I say, wiser ways of dealing with the chaos in his life.

It was a wonderful movie and I am glad I had the chance to see a movie adaption the original author had a hand in making. I think it lead to a more authentic rendering of the story in a different medium. I enjoyed myself at the movies for the first time in years! Of course, the move was littered with special effects, but for once, they didn’t become the story.

I saw it with my family. Both of my parents, my husband and myself loved it. My 7-year-old was bored, my five-year-old loved the Wild Things, and I think, my 3-year-old nephew had the most unique perspective on the movie. When asked if he enjoyed the movie, he just gave a knowing little smirk, giggled and ran off to play. My sister, on the other hand, only saw the movie as teaching little boys to misbehave. Methinks she needs to take a deeper look into the workings of a little boy’s mind to prevent her own little ones from becoming Wild Things.

Okay, if you’re a guy and anything about the female menstrual cycle eeks you out, don’t read the post. This is all about my new “Green” Period.

So, at the beginning of the month, I decided I wanted to get a Diva Cup. It’s this silicon cup shaped like a bell that is inserted to catch menstrual flow. Of course, I talked to the husband about it. The look on his face was priceless as I told him everything. You gotta love him, thought, because that night he was looking it up on the internet. I think mostly he was doing research because he takes a personal interest in anything inserted up there, but I’ll let that go because he was doing it for me. He decided it was something worth a try. I have a heavy, seven day, flow and the cost of pads and tampons can get high. We also have two girls and he’s thinking ahead, since, with proper care, a menstrual cup can last for something crazy like ten years (though the Diva Cup site recommends replacing it yearly to cover their asses and for a larger profit.)

The husband and I talked about it for a week and last Sunday, on the way up to my parent’s house for dinner, he pulled into the Whole Foods Store, and handed me fifty dollars and said, “Go get your cup.”
I was so excited, it was funny.

I get in the store and I can’t find them. I’ve seen them there before, but for the life of me, I couldn’t find it. So I asked the girl restocking shelves where it was. Her face totally lit up and she goes, “OH! The Diva Cup! I LOVE my Diva Cup!” And she practically pulls me through the aisles to get to where they are. A woman was standing in front of them for like ten minutes looking at who knows what, anyway, I get my size 2 Diva Cup because I am over 30 and have given birth. I stare down at the Diva Wash and decide I should get that too.

The Cup was only 32.99 and the wash was another 9.99. I know my husband. He’d get pissy if I told him about the wash and hadn’t actually bought it. I grabbed a bottle and handed to the check out. Once again, the woman working the cash register gets the look of total awe and amazement on her face. “Ooo, the Diva Cup. I keep meaning to get one of those.”
And so, I left the store with my new bag of treasures, with a new, slightly disturbing awareness that I was looking forward to getting that horribly retched thing called my period. I go through the rest of my day and when we get home from my mother’s that night, I had to pack everything needed for the next day’s big amusement park outing to Idlewild park and Soak Zone. While getting everything ready (And after everyone had gone to bed) I noticed I was spotting. Yes, my big chance to use my new cup!

I get it out and make sure it’s thoroughly sanitized and washed before rereading the instructions for the eighteenth time. It goes in without a hitch and everything seems to be working as it should. I finish my packing, and then get a chapter I was working on finished up before going to bed. I didn’t even notice I had anything in there. It was fantastic.

The next morning I get up and clean everything out and put it back in because the last thing I wanted was for the huge gush of my flow to happen while at a water park. I was so happy all day. It was in, and I didn’t even notice it through roller coasters and water rides and things that spun around and all the other fun things at an amusement park. I didn’t have to empty it until I got home that night. How great is that? No worries for an entire day at an amusement park? I was seriously in love. But when I got home, some of the awesomeness wore off when I realized, it was no big deal; I was spotting most of the day because there was hardly anything in it. I washed it out, and put it back in. When I spot like that, I know Aunt Flow is almost here, and I was starting to get rather bitchy. She was coming, it was just a matter of when, and I so did not what to have to use pads or tampons. Pads cause a rash and tampons make my cramps worse. I know, that’s probably too much information, but I really hate suffering one week every month just because I happen to be female.

Anyway, flow decided to show up for real on Thursday. I am a convert. I will NEVER go back to disposable pads and tampons. My period isn’t even close to being over yet, and I have to say, my cramping is much less (though I do still need my new best friend, the Midol bottle, close to my side for other issues I have during this time), and I just feel better in general. I slept with it in last night, and I didn’t have any leaks.
I’ve heard insertion and getting a proper seal can be a huge learning curve, but I haven’t had any issues with it so far, but then my female parts and all the naturally occurring processes of the body have never really grossed me out. I just wish I’d have found this sooner. I love the menstrual cup. I have no idea if I will switch brands or anything like that. Right now, my plan is to get another cup so I have a back up one and one to make having to change things in a public restroom easier, and since the Diva Cup is working for me, I don’t think I am going fix what isn’t broken.

My new kick is cloth pads. Homemade, probably. There are just times when something inserted won’t work, and since my girls are still little, I’m not sure how something like a Diva Cup will work for them when they start their menstrual cycle. My plan (and this is an ambitious plan, but I have a few years to get it all done and have enough money for it all) is to make myself and for each girl, a period survival pack. It will include two cups, pouches for the cups, the wash with a travel size, 30 homemade cloth pads, something called a Wet Bag to carry everything needed for a day away from home, a large storage bag to hold everything when not in use, and a soaking bucket for the pads. I have all the patterns I need, and have my supplies lined up for the fabrics I want to make the pads. I just have to have the money and the time to do it. I figured I’ll start with mine that way I can design the most awesome Wet Bag and Storage Bag ever, and have everything in order for when my girls get their periods.

It’s strange, but since I got onto the “Green” period kick, that dreaded time of the month doesn’t seem so dreaded anymore. I can’t wait for my girls to learn how to take care of themselves in an all natural, eco friendly and sensitive bits friendly way. Suddenly, being a girl isn’t such a burden. Yes, I know, I am going to end up making about 90 pads to cover all three of us, but my girls are 7 and 5, I have plenty of time to make them, and with proper care, everything should last until the girls are old enough to make their own.

Anyway, that’s my experience right now with the Diva Cup and making that time of the month a “green” time of the month.

Yesterday we went up to Butler for the county fair and Y108 Freedom Fest. Headlining for the country music fest was Keith Anderson. We, however, were there for Terry Lee Spencer and his band. My father is their keyboard player. It was cool to see my 50+ dad up there on stage playing with a band I would actually listen to on my own.


Now on to my review of the band. (note: my father is in this band, but to be fair, I am only going to look at the lead singer and the band as a whole and if I would listen to them or not.)




Terry had a wonderful, fun and energetic stage presence. The cover songs they played were good. They didn’t always match the original song, but I had a good time while listening to them. (I don’t like listening to cover music, because usually the band gets it all wrong from what I think it should sound like, but Terry and his band did wonderfully!)
Terry had a few songs that were his own original works, and this is where things can get a little sticky. Writing a song is just like writing any other kind of thing, be it a novel, short story or what have you, when someone says they need something, it can rip your guts out. The beats and music to his songs were great, and the story part of the songs were there, but, (and this is where I cringe because I know how hard this kind of criticism can hit,) he needs to work on his phrasing and make the songs run just a little smoother. I enjoyed listening to them, but I did listen with my critical, writing ear. If I were to give him any advice, it would to get himself a good rhyming dictionary and a good thesaurus. Terry and his band have a fantastic sound and I think he will go far in the country music world. His original songs need just a tiny bit of tweaking to make them truly stand out. In short, he needs to work on his writing, because the writing is what makes or breaks anything from Block Buster Movies all the way down to high school poetry. Terry Lee Spencer has talent, and I am interested to see how he progresses in the music industry.




Now on to the day’s activities with my family.




We woke at the God-awful how of 10:00AM, The humanity of it all! Yes, we all know that I am not a morning person unless it’s because I am still awake from the day before. All four of us were showered, dressed and ready to go by 11:30. It’s got to be some kind of record to have a family of four out the door in only an hour and half. The kids started asking “are we there yet” about twenty minutes into the hour long drive. So, needless to say, it was a long forty minutes. We got there and since it was about to start raining, we didn’t have to wait in line for anything. We went to see the livestock first. The kids thought the pigs, sheep and goats were really cool, especially the goats with their rectangle pupils. After that, it started to rain and the ponchos came out. We traveled around the fair before we finally met my Mother and got our tickets to get into the area with the music. Then we got some food, and looked at some more of the exhibits. We got to see ‘That bird guy.” And we got to see cougars, a bear and two timber wolves up close and personal (with a cage as a barrier.) After that we got the kids and the husband their ride all day passes for the carnival rides, because the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. I went with my mother into the music area while the hubby took the girls on a few rides. We watched the Terry Lee Spencer band perform, hung out backstage while they put the equipment away, and then it was time for the kids to whirlwind us around the fair for a barrage of greasy food and sugar loaded food, carnal rides (With me as the coat rack) and loud noise, pulse the petting zoo and stopping in a few of the tents to get a souvenir for everyone. Soon it was dinner time for more grease, and then it was back out into the carnival where they girls got to have a pony ride thanks to Papa. By this time, my seven month pregnant sister was ready to take her two-year-old home, so she and her family left. The hubby and I took the girls on some more rides, and we played some carnival games, winning a plush white tiger, a plush cobra snake and two tee-shirts for the girls. I was ready for nap, so we headed back over to the music area for the feature band, Keith Anderson. It was nice and relaxing to just sit there for about an hour and half while the girls ran in circles to keep themselves awake. When the music was done, we took the kids on two more rides and then hiked back to the car. Bugs was sleeping before we hit the highway, and Pink managed to stay awake until we pulled into the driveway. Once inside, we got the pets fed and Piggy medicated before everyone just passed out. We were all in bed by 1AM and didn’t wake until about 11:00 the next morning. It was a great family day, and the big bonus was the husband decided stay home Sunday, and if we are lucky, we’ll get him home again tomorrow along with a trip the zoo. Hopefully, I will have more adventures to report tomorrow.

Things have been really busy. Pink finished her first year of home-school – and passed! Pink and Bugs have both been enrolled for another year, which meant doctors appointments and all that fun stuff.
I got another year older, and so did the husband, and we’ve been married for one more year as well. Zeke’s hematoma on his ear is a thing of the past. And the Summer “Clean” project had begun. I have to restart my stop smoking effort, and I’ve been crocheting like mad.
This last week has been the real killer, though. Piggy, Pink’s cat, had to be rushed to the kitty ER last Sunday because his bladder had swelled shut. He’s been sick for a week and refuses to eat his cat food, so I’ve been hand feeding him baby food. He gets a little better everyday, but I still worry that he’s not okay. It will be a good day when he’s finally our Piggy again. Anyway, that’s the current update and I will be posting pictures of all my yarn projects soon.