I was recently interviewed for an article on WE Magazine about what it is like working with my daughter. It was published today. Click here to read it.
While you’re at it, check out the current issue of WE by clicking on the photo below. There’s a lot of great content here with business, travel, tech, lifestyle articles and more. It is a pleasure to read! And no, you don’t have to be a woman to benefit from reading the publication.
Thank you to Heidi Richards Mooney, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief at WE, for sharing our story with the world and for providing excellent content for women in business.
As a children’s book author, I love to make up words. But the English language has a nice selection of wacky words already. Here are some of my favorites and their meanings. See if you can use at least one of these words tomorrow.
Cockamamie – ridiculous, nonsense
Discombobulate – confuse, frustrate, mess up
Flabbergast – astound
Gobbledygook – jargon, hard to understand language
Gobsmacked – shocked, flabbergasted
Hornswoggle – cheat, swindle
Jabberwocky – meaningless words (kind of like gobbledygook, I guess)
Lederhosen – leather shorts with suspenders
Persnickety – particular, fussy in a snobby way (I have a friend like this, but he gets flabbergasted when I tell him so!)
Scallywag – mischievous person
I was at a clothing store today buying a dress for a wedding I will attend in a few weeks. Shopping is not my favorite thing to do. But I observed some very interesting people there, who could easily lay the groundwork for developing characters for a story.
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- Full of Excuses - In the dressing room I heard an elderly lady in the next room groaning while trying to get a dress on her plump body. She was talking to her friend in the room next to her. “Nothing fits. My sister exercises regularly and she can wear anything. But I find exercising to be BORING and do not see the point. I will just have to find a girdle that goes from neck to my ankles and wear a dress without a set in waistband. That is so much easier than BORING exercise!”
- Ms. Know-It-All-Can’t-Mind-her-Own-Business – While waiting in line to pay for the dress, a woman with crossed arms and a look of authority on her face tapped the woman in front of her and asked, “Excuse me for asking, but are you really going to ever wear that outfit you are buying? I used to buy outfits like that but they just collected dust in my closet. You really need to think before buying and and not just BUY to BUY. Know what I mean?” Then she rambled on about her philosophy about clothing and using what she has in her closet. (Note: She was buying new clothes.) Every time a woman spoke to another woman in the line, Ms. Know-It-All chimed in with her opinion. People around her were rolling their eyes and sighing.
- Incessantly Complaining Cashier – The lady at the checkout called out several times. “If you have your membership card, take it out now. I am tired of having to key in phone numbers. This delays the line. Do you want delays? I do not want delays! This is extra work for me!” Then she gave each customer the same exact speech when they got to her counter. When it was my turn, I not only got the same script but also heard how the scanner was not working properly, customers were not putting clothing back on the racks properly, and how exhausted she was. I just smiled. A woman behind me commented loudly about the complaining sales woman. “That lady should quit her job and find a line of work that involves NO people, since she obviously hates everyone and everything.” The sales lady heard it, ignored it and went on complaining.
As usual, for a writer looking for inspiration, waiting in line is like winning a jackpot. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.
Whether or not you are a risk taker or afraid of heights, you’ve got to see Man on Wire. It is a documentary about fearless Pilippe Petit, the famous French tightrope walker who pulled of a stunt walk from the top of the World Trade Center in 1974. With the help of his brilliant, loyal friends and a great deal of time planning out the physics and logistics, he achieved fame and now fortune.
The story is magically told by each of the real life characters who played a role in the actual WTC stunt. Some 35 years after the event, they are still emotional when they talked about how they pulled it off. My family really enjoyed this, and so will you.
Remember the trays I made for my adorable niece and nephew in NY? Well, now I made them art boxes filled with crafts for the summer. There are hours of activities inside these boxes. I bought the colorful open boxes at Michael’s Arts and Crafts, and just painted the letters and glued them onto the box. Then I filled them with goodies. The best part of all, is that it will be easy to put all that stuff away when the kids are done. And they will know where to find their art stuff when they are in the creative mood. Here are ideas for you. Keep in mind the ages of the children before filling the boxes. You don’t want them choking or making messes with supplies they are too young to handle!:
- Crayons
- Paper
- Construction Paper
- Coloring Books
- Markers
- Scissors
- Glue/Glue Stick
- Pencils
- Colored Pencils
- Foam Stickers
- Regular Stickers
- Craft Kits (i.e. make your own picture frame)
- Pipe Cleaners
- Popsicle Sticks
- Yarn
- Clay
- Beads
- Finger Paint
- Watercolors
- Paint Brushes
- Paint By Number
- Rug Hook Kit
- Stencils
Don’t limit yourself to crafts. How about an outdoor fun theme? You can fill the box with bubbles, jump rope, chalk, Frisbee, balls, etc. Or find a plastic bin and fill it up with beach supplies, like buckets, shovels and sand castle forms. Maybe even a special beach towel, hat and sunglasses. Another idea would be a brainy box, filled with puzzle books, pencils, fiction and science books, bookmarks and small handheld puzzle games. Use your imagination!
