Treasure Chest of Thoughts

I signed up for another challenge.  Completed the RIP Challenge…so why not?

Okay, I just have to say this, I do not see any way that I can complete this one, but to just start this one is a success for me.

I had seen the word NaNo WriMo…(honestly, my initial thoughts were Mork and Mindy.  You remember, right?  NaNo, NaNo.)  Dana Huff, English teacher and author of A Question of Honor, blogged about this challenge and her plans to participate and I thought, “Why not?” 

I made this decision yesterday…with a blank slate.  Dana Huff encouraged me further when I read her comments on Twitter:  “I have a vague idea of the plot, but not sure. I do have the setting and a couple of characters.”

From that comment, I explored the NaNoWriMo site, hoping for an escape clause on the word novel…you know a work of fiction, for within me lies the story of the miracle of my daughter. I already know the title:  Spring Through a Window, a metaphor for the faith I always had for my daughter’s journey through three surgeries on her heart and the effects of this journey on so many people.

But no escape clause could be found, just the wording ”The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30,” so I waited until today to begin.  I have no title, no plot, no minor characters, but I do have a main character, and I like her.  She may be an extension of two characters I have created for my English classes, maybe a combo of Hollywood and my duck Olivia Noel.

Please meet Cybil…all 192 words of her…

Once upon a time…oh, to begin this tale in such a manner, but I cannot.  You see, this is the real-life story of Cybil.  I know, who names her child Cybil?  Well, obviously my mother did, for she was once a huge fan of Moonlighting.  See?  I said once.  Networks do not even re-run this weekly favorite of many, or, at least, a favorite of my mother’s.  I have seen this Cybil-lady, though, in some movies.  All-in-all, not too bad of a name.

Let’s see.  I digress.  Back to my tale.

Where does one begin to tell the journey that I began somewhere in elementary school, one where I went from a cute little red-headed baby to the Plain-Jane of Plain-Jane’s.  You know who I am talking about, that girl you look at and feel sorry for her because, even though she is “one of the nicest girls you will ever get to know,” she is just average.

This day-to-day journey continued throughout elementary and into junior high.  At this point, though,  I discovered the power of plainness.  Invisibility.  I could disappear and not be missed.  For I was just plain Cybil…who moonlighted.

Where does Cybil go from here?  Not sure…but maybe, just maybe there will be a Bruce Willis (of sorts) in her future?

According to Better World Books, November is National Family Literacy Month.

And I have an idea.

We require six reads per student per nine weeks.  Due to such busy schedules, timing of this nine weeks around three holidays (if you count pre-Christmas activities), and because I want to encourage this month’s theme, well, I have idea.

In place of one their reads, their parent/guardian may read a novel during the month of November.  Or should I say the parent/guardian may read a novel FOR the student? 

To receive credit for this read, the student and parent/guardian must discuss this selection, and then the student  must blog about this experience.

Surely, this is a win-win situation.  Yes?

Throughout the months of September-October, I participated in Stainless Steel’s RIP Challange and posted here the four novels I had planned to read.  Those listed below are the ones I actually read, though:  

1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
2. Hunted by P.C. and Kristen Cast
3. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

You may check out my reviews of these novels posted at Mrs. G’s Book Reviews…please read!

Upon checking my Twitter account after a few days’ absence, I discovered that I was “spamming” other Twitter follows.  Yuck!  My dislike for Spam was instantly reiterated!

What is Spam?  According to the first source when I conducted a search (Yes!  Wikipedia!):  Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately.

As I skimmed this article, though, I developed three conclusions:

1. Instead of spammed, I might have actually spimmed (each media has its own term…email = spam; instant messaging = spim, and so on).
2. These spammers just want to make a living…they are simply advertising.  For the most part.  At my expense.
3. Spam has a tinge of evilness to it! I felt a sense of violation.  No one asked my permission!

The best advice I received, though, came from my Twitter PLN, one of several that I spammed/spimmed:

 2020Nexus  @tgillmoreFYI Spam DM’s coming from your account. You may want to change your password.
8:09 AM Oct 29th from web  

 You may want to change your password.  Oh, this is why our school technology department requires that we change our email passwords every few months!  This is also why I will be more conscientious about changing other passwords.