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Kage_sCupotea
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Name: Julia
Country: United States
State: Texas
Metro: Houston
Birthday: 8/20/1978
Gender: Female
Interests: Writing nonfiction, fiction, poetry, stories, letters, lyrics. Spending time with my husband, and my family and friends. Writing, reading, singing, cooking, reading, learning, films, musical theatre, plays, Broadway, Les Miserables, Wicked...
Expertise: I'm wife to Michael, my best friend and dear husband. I've got a B.A. in English, and I'm a freelance writer/proofreader/editor. I'm quite the grammatical awareness advocate, as well! I'm using this blog for my personal updates for family and friends, as well as for occasional creative writing and ranting and raving about life situations. I also love to write about marriage and anecdotes about the marriage relationship.
Occupation: Writer-Editor-Proofreader
Industry: Publishing
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
3/11/2003
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| It's 3:30 AM and I can't sleep. My hubby got paged and had to leave at 1:30 AM, and I just can't seem to get back to sleep. Part of the reason is this: 
Natalie Rose "Nattie" York
A precious gift from God,
delivered on
December 15, 1973;
returned to heaven
June 7, 2007.
"Life is too fleeting
to be wishing away today
in search of tomorrow."
NRY
2-26-07 Hope...sometimes it is blinding like the spring
sunshine. Sometimes it is a gentle warmth that comes with kind words.
Sometimes it washes over you like waves in the ocean and sometimes it
just envelopes you slowly. Sometimes it is like water in a dry land,
but it is there if you look for it. -Natalie Rose York , April 24, 2007
I was shocked to learn of Nattie's sudden death yesterday (Thursday) morning, via my friend Pattie. I've known Nattie for almost 5 years, first through several Yahoo Groups, and from there over to W@H. She was only recently (3 weeks--less than a month ago!) diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer (at age 33!).
Somehow I still believed that she would pull through,
and I woke up to this shock Thursday morning. Just out of the blue-- I
never would have imagined. I really didn't think she would be gone so
soon. She barely got to fight, but perhaps it was better this way, less
suffering for her. We miss her here as our hearts are breaking, but know that she is rejoicing in
Heaven, and is in no more pain. She leaves behind two (2) young
children. Please keep her family in your prayers.
This is so devastating that I just haven't the words.
I'm still in shock, and the tears come every so often. It's amazing how
someone miles away can touch so many lives! Read her journal,
if you get a moment, and prepare to be blessed! She was a wise and incredible woman, full of truth and love. May her legacy live on.
We love and miss you, Nattie!
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)
P.S. Heather also has a great list of quotes and inspiration from Nattie. | | |
| So, I haven't posted here in a year and a half. Wow!
I've been considering using this blog again, especially since Xanga now allows people who don't have Xanga accounts to leave comments and their respective links (anonymous). It's about time!
Besides, two of my best friends are here on Xanga, and I just found out that another close friend is on here, too.
Why did I stop blogging here? I just didn't have much to share that wasn't writing or business oriented. Now I'm finally learning to separate those from my personal life, and would like someplace to share the other side of me.
I considered starting a new blog, probably hosted at Wordpress.com, because of the customizability, and the fact that no one has to be a member to comment. However, I've noticed that my close friends who blog here and elsewhere have a habit of staying on their own blogging networks, and won't comment at my other blogs that are not on Xanga or LiveJournal. So, I fear that if I start a blog at Wordpress.com, my friends won't wander over there to comment and visit. Or maybe they would, since I'd be writing about "personal" stuff versus writing & editing, like on my other blog.
Anyway, I may try both and see what happens. Either way, it looks like I'm back! Miss me? (I know this begs for a lengthy update-- I'll see what I can do. It may take a few entries.)
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| Wow, I'm actually blogging again, for the second day in a row! I must be getting back into it! Now to figure out how to distinguish this blog and my other blog from one another! ;o)
Let me tell you--God is GOOD!
I recently joined the choir at our "new" church. (We changed churches back in the spring, when we felt God calling us elsewhere.) We had choir practice last night; we're practicing not only our regular stuff, but our church has been chosen to premiere a brand-new Easter musical for a major seminar--in JANUARY! So, we're learning it now, and then will have it down for our actual Easter time.
So, we were rehearsing, and everyone was asking if I'm going on the retreat this weekend. They really like me! I think that's part of the issue. At our old church I never really felt like I fit in. I mean, I guess they liked me and all, but I just didn't fit. Here at our new church, I finally fit! For a church as "large" (200 members) as it is (I've grown up in a church of 50-75), there are no major cliques or anything. They really, genuinely like me. And for the first time in my almost-3 years of living in Houston, I finally am making some real potential friends! It happened that this one lady had to drop out of the retreat, and left a completed paid-off opening. They were going over who wanted to go, but couldn't afford it (it was more than our budget could afford), and my name came up first! Our pastor's wife confirmed it and said that I was exactly who she was thinking of, and for once I really feel like I belong!
So, last night I even tried out for a solo for the Easter performance (In January and April), and I was bold about it! Me--Bold! Not normal! I never liked auditioning in front of other people, and here I was, singing my heart out, and asking to sing several other parts that would better show my range! I mean...I was asking and being bold! Yay!
And did I mention that I'm actually looking forward to this weekend retreat? I love these ladies already, and I know it will be a Godly learning experience. I'm still a bit nervous, and will miss my hubby, but I actually want to go, instead of not wanting to go.
Sorry for this jumbled writing--I'm just completely amazed at how my attitude changed in one day! And how I finally feel like I belong! Thanks, everyone!
(Oh, and this group of ladies is not especially "girly" in a too-much way, so it'll be good!) :o)
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| I think that I'm ready to get back into blogging about things other than promoting my writing career. It's been a while since I've felt I had anything to share on my blog...I just haven't felt inclined to share, you know? Well, now I'm starting to feel it again.
Have you ever known that God wanted you to do something, but you didn't want to do it? That's how I'm feeling right now.
I'm going on a ladies' retreat this weekend with our church. And I'm nervous about it. I've never been very eager when it comes to staying over overnight in a new place (even avoided sleepovers when I was growing up!), with people I don't know very well, not knowing what the facilities will be like, will I have to schedule showers according to how many roommates I have, etc.? Still, God has made it quite clear, after much questioning, that I am supposed to go.
It's not like I've never had to share bathing facilities before--I've dealt with (private) community showers, as well as having 7 roommates and a bathroom with 2 showers, 2 commodes, and 2 sinks, and we never had to fight over the facilities. So why am I so nervous about spending 2 nights in a Victorian-style house with 75 women from my church? I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm having to step outside of my comfort zone. And I'll be sleeping without my husband for 2 nights. This will be the first time that I've been away from home, away from my husband. Sure, he's gone away for work trips for several nights in a row, but now it's me who's going.
Edited to add: I'm also not too excited about spending an entire weekend with a large group of women. I avoided the ladies retreats at our former church because I just can't stand to be around THAT much estrogen for a long period of time. However, this group of ladies seems a little less "girly," so I think I can handle it. I'm just more of a tomboy; my best friends are the same. I'm just more comfortable when it's not about "men" and "women," but about "people." I'd much rather get together with a group of couples than have the guys and girls split up and the guys play video games while the girls knit. I've always gotten along well with guys, moreso than girls. My husband is my very best friend. So, I hope I can handle this semi-"girly"-weekend.
I know that I'm supposed to go, because God has made it THAT obvious, but the truth is, I don't WANT to go. But I am going to be obedient and go, despite how I FEEL, because I just KNOW that there's a reason I need to be there, something that I might learn or some way my life might be touched.
In other news, the Writers Remember site now has a forum and message board. Hope to see you there!
Please sign up the Writers Remember newsletter and updates, as well! Send a blank e-mail to this address (writersremember-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) or join here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/writersremember/
Thanks!
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| I know that quite a few of you asked about Writers Remember, and I wanted to let you know that the website is now live at http://www.writersremember.com! We bought the domain name, have been tweaking the site, and my husband just added a forum last night, which we will be tweaking this weekend before it, too, goes live. My hubby also worked on adding a wonderful drop-down menu for each section heading, and he deserves major kudos for that! :o) For those of you wondering how this site will be any different from the dozens of other writing sites out there, here's what I shared with someone recently: I really mulled over the thought of creating Writers Remember, because there are so many sites for writers out there, and I didn't want to be just another clone. I wanted this one to serve a different purpose, and not be in competition, as I'm a member of several writing sites that are pretty well-known, and I see no reason to try and copy them. However, the idea for Writers Remember just struck me as something that could be very helpful and inspiring to other writers, including myself, who may find themselves burnt out in the competitive world of writing. I'm planning on adding at least one article per week, if possible, though this week has been busy. I've also been adding quotes, inspiring works from authors & poets, writing markets, and links. As for resources, we have encouraging books of nonfiction and fiction, writing utensils and journals, tea & coffee (coming soon), and films about writers.The newsletter mailing list has been changed, too. It is now being hosted at Yahoo, so please sign up for updates and the informative newsletter! Send a blank e-mail to this address (writersremember-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) or join here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/writersremember/ Several people have shown interested in being on staff and writing columns for the site. If you're interested in adding your expertise, please contact me at editor@writersremember.com, and let me know how you would be interested in helping! I hope that Writers Remember will be of great encouragement to many of you! | | |
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