Kage_sCupotea's Xanga

Life is too fleeting...

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:38:11 GMT

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.

I'm back! Miss me?

Wed, 30 May 2007 17:57:08 GMT

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.)

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:17:10 GMT

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)

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:45:15 GMT

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!

Friday, November 11, 2005

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 20:25:06 GMT

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!

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 18:09:56 GMT

I've got another spot where I do most of my blogging, because most of my blogging tends to be about my writing career. Not sure how many of you are interested in that stuff. I often forget to copy the posts over here. I'll try to remember better--I don't mean to disclude anyone. My dear ones Cortney and Ceci know about it, though--no leaving my bestest friends out of the loop. :o)

There's a lot to catch up on: Michael's granddad passed away at the beginning of the month. We spent two weekends driving back and forth between Houston and Oklahoma, 7 hours each way. One weekend we said our goodbyes while he was living, and the next we went for the funeral. It was a lot of driving, and a difficult time. If you'd like to catch up on the entire story, you can do so at my other blog: http://juliawrites.blogspot.com

This is my post for today:

Wow--sure has been a while! Let's see if we can't speed things up-to-date.

First, I want to thank everyone for their love, prayers, and condolences, especially Cortney, Ceci, Joanne, Megan, Mridu, and AGK. *hugs*

We attended Michael's granddad's funeral, which, though sad, was quite a lovely time with family. I adore the family I married into. Wonderful people, so incredibly loving, and so much like the family I was born into, as well.

When we returned we spent a somewhat quiet weekend trying to recuperate from the two weeks that were spent driving back and forth between Texas and Oklahoma, 7 hours each way. No sooner was that weekend over when we started to hear warnings of a certain Hurricane Rita. As the week drew closer to a close, we decided it would be best to evacuate, as it was highly recommended. We drove to Dallas throughout a period of 12 hours (should have been 4.5, but the traffic was horrendous! It took us literally 4 HOURS(!!!) to drive 20 miles during the first part of our trip!), and stayed with Michael's sister and her husband for a few days. We returned during the latter part of the weekend, and I am *still* unpacking and trying to catch up on relaxing and work. Thank God--our area experienced very little damage. Still, we're grieving with those who have lost so much, which brings me to what I want to share next.

I have happydancenews!

Stories of Strength: An Anthology Benefiting The Red Cross

My personal essay about strength, entitled "A Walk in the Clouds," has been selected to appear in the upcoming (October/November, 2005) anthology, Stories of Strength. The idea for S.O.S. came from Jenna Glatzer, proclaimed author and Editor-in-Chief of AbsoluteWrite.com. She approached the AbsoluteWrite community, and it became a community effort.Some well-known names of those who have contributed stories include: science-fiction guru Orson Scott Card, famed actor/author Wil Wheaton, Christian romance novelist Robin Lee Hatcher, and, of course, our beloved Jenna Glatzer, along with many, many others. (Hee hee, Cortney--I think I hear you all the way over here--YES, THE Wil Wheaton! Love you, my Cort-ster.)

All proceeds from the sale of this anthology will go directly to the Red Cross for the hurricane relief effort. We authors and editors are donating our work for this worthy cause; none of us will receive a penny. Please be sure to buy a copy when it is released! You will not only receive a book fill of wonderful stories of strength, but you will be giving to those in need. This is a gift that truly keeps on giving. For more information, please visit: http://www.storiesofstrength.com. I'll be adding links to places where you can buy it when it is officially released!

Also, I am starting a website for writers, entitled Writers Remember, to help bring inspiration to those who often feel discouraged, burnt-out, and rundown in their writing goals and careers. It's not completely set up yet, but it will be, soon. Enjoy!

The only other news I can think of at the moment is that my website has been revamped. I decided to make it my everything-site, so it will include both things about myself as a writer, as well as Temlyn Writing (& Editing) Services.

Edited to add:

Almost forgot--I'm moving my BlogSpot blog to WordPress, but will update when I do. It may not be for a few days.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

Sat, 02 Jul 2005 01:06:41 GMT

I posted this a few days ago on another blog, and I forgot to post it here:

Sorry I've been so quiet lately; I'm working on several different projects. In the meantime I've been fighting a cold, added allergies, and adjusting to reactions to some new medication which caused quite bout of insomnia for two weeks, which brought my writing progress to a halt.

Right now I'm working on my All Info About Marriage site, trying to get it ready to go live as soon as possible, but it's been on the back-burner because of everything I've been dealing with. This is now my high priority.

In addition to that, I'm creating a personal website to compliment my writing services site, as I want TemlynWriting.com to lean more towards the business I'm running, and my personal writings should be maintained on a personal site.

I'm also working on a site to serve as a network for the marriage groups that my husband and I run, to bring them together more, and define the purpose a little better.

I'm considering adopting Angela Giles Klocke's method of keeping track of her queries and such the way she does on her blog. It's a good way of keeping track, as well as keeping accountable because others are viewing them.

I'm working on some queries, and trying to find some good paying markets and writing jobs. When it rains, it pours, and my hubby and I are seeing it once again. We've finally gotten our pipe/plumbing problem fixed and paid off, as well as our windows, and now we're facing more medical bills, currently and in the near future. I feel as though I'm under a bit of pressure to get some well-paid writing done. Just when we thought we had a bit of a break from the money issues...well, if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears!

And today's post:

We're going out of town for a few days to visit with our friends. Should be back sometime Monday. Since I can't read much while riding in the car, I'll be working on my WIPs (works-in-progress) with the help of my hubby's trusty Palm Pilot. (Writing while in the car looks more like scribbling.)

I came up with an idea for a children's/young adult book last evening; I'm very excited about the concept, so we'll see if this story writes itself. It has some potential. I also recently remembered a story I wrote back in high school, intended to be a short children's book. I'm considering rewriting it a bit, and see what happens. These fictional pieces are in addition to my non-fiction book I've been working on lately, adding bits and pieces here and there.

I'm just so glad to finally feel inspired; I hope this weekend turns up some creative ideas to keep the ball rolling. :o)

Happy 4th of July, a wee bit early! And Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends!

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 18:42:06 GMT

Wow, what a weekend we had (last weekend). Have you ever wished you could capture a moment and live in that moment? Maybe keep it in a snowglobe? Right now, I just want to bask in the moments Mike and I shared this past weekend, to breathe it in, and take it all in. Even now, with a new weekend approaching, I am beyond thankful for the one past.

We still need and are thankful for all the prayers we can get, as times are still tough, but wow...

I am simply amazed at the effect that watching "The Phantom of the Opera" (the film) had on us Friday night. Somehow it caused emotions to overflow, overwhelm, and we realized so many things. We cried, the both of us, sobbing tears, holding each other close, not wanting to let go, unsure of how to deal with the changes taking place within and around us, yet knowing that everything will be all right, somehow.

What is it about watching a love story that causes us to take a deeper look into our own relationships? I'm reminded of a past entry posted in another blog entry, concerning this very subject. I wrote this in February:

It's just a movie

"The Magic of Ordinary Days,"

"The Magic of Ordinary Days."

All I can say now is that in the past few months we have been through the fire, and last Wednesday (a week ago) it was determined that there was a major need for change. On Wednesday our hearts were breaking; on Friday we were learning the power of a healing love. I think that somehow films and stories can influence us to re-evaluate our own thoughts and ways. So it was with "The Phantom of the Opera." Who says that we can't have a little of that passionate romance rekindled? Who says that marriage can't have fairytale qualities?

On our wedding day one of the very first things I remember thinking was "How do those who are widowed deal with such a loss?" I remember thinking what a true responsibility marriage is -- definitely not an act to be taken lightly. While we declared our love for one another, repeating those vows, who would have thought that within only a few weeks' and months' time we'd already be learning about love "in sickness and in health." I was in and out of the hospital with several various unexpected health issues, and the "oooh shiny" effect of the newness of our marriage was overwhelmed with health concerns and dealing with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Mike and I are incredibly in love, and we have been ever since we met. That has never changed. However, with the awkward difficulties that are thrown in the paths of those who are married, the awe of newlywed love can get lost somewhere in the midst of it all. It is SO incredibly important to keep a bit of that awe alive, always! Don't forget that first kiss you shared. Read some love letters you wrote to each other. Glance through photographs taken when you first met. Don't let go of the love that you knew when you first fell in love. This is the thought behind the newlyweds groups that we run. We don't ask that members literally be newlyweds, but that they seek to always cherish and remember that newlywed love, no matter what curve balls life throws your way. Yes, your marriage will grow beyond that initial romance, you will mature in other ways, but don't let yourself think that love within marriage is a fable. Please don't let yourselves ever believe that!

Julie Anne Fidler's blog entry about "love is..." is SO right on the mark! This entry is excellent, as well. Love has a great deal to do with going through unpleasant experiences, because these times result in growth. Love is not all about kissing and physical intimacy, but it is about a deeper intimacy, where two people are endlessly connected, facing each test and trial together. It's not always easy -- in fact, it rarely is. Love is something you have to choose, as well as choose to work at, and to help it to grow. And believe me, it's worth it!

My sweetheart and I are growing -- in the midst of painful trials, our love grows stronger.

Monday, June 06, 2005

Mon, 06 Jun 2005 23:23:59 GMT

Well, I'm finally gearing up to announce that I'm creating the Marriage site at All Info About, in addition to the Musicals site, which is already live and going strong! It's been in the works, and I've just been waiting for the new version of the template in order to start creating the pages. The site is not yet live, and I have no "real" pages up yet. I'm working on some articles and features, and will be implementing them as I go.

That said, I'm looking for all sorts of input from YOU about what features you'd like to see on the new All Info About Marriage site! What miscellaneous features would be included in the ideal marriage-related website?

I'm already planning a newsletter and message board. As for articles, what would you like to see?

Please e-mail me with your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions!

Thanks!

Friday, June 03, 2005

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 14:29:54 GMT

Just a quick post. I've been sick all week. Sore throat, sneezing, aches and pains, all sorts of just not-feeling-good, combined with PMS.

There are some things going on right now that need lots of prayer. I (we) need lots of prayer. Things are pretty tough right now, especially emotionally and mentally. I wish I could think of how to word things. Suffice to say that Michael and I are in need of prayers and positive thoughts.

Cortney and Ceci -- thank you both SO much for being such amazing close friends and sisters to me. I love you more than you'll ever know. Sometimes I feel so misunderstood. Most people can't even begin fathom to "get" or understand me. As much as I'd sometimes like to have a friend nearby who understands me, no one could compare to the friendships I have in you, and I wouldn't trade them. I can be myself, without fear of judgement. I don't have to change my personality to fit the situation and be "the girly girl." I can just be me. Thank you for letting me be me.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Oh, and Cortney and Rachael, I'll do that book meme soon, probably next week! I'll double it, since you both tagged me. I feel so spe-shul! ;o)