Sunday, January 04, 2009

Honest Scrap

Two of my blog friends, actually, two of the bloggers that followed my first ever blog, gosh it’s been a long time now – bestowed upon me the ‘honor’ of an award. Thank you, Silken and Malcolm!!! For thinking of me, and for keeping in touch, even after the site that shall remain nameless went under.

This one is called The Honest Scrap Award. Basically, I’m supposed to list ten things about myself that you don’t already know. Then I have to name seven other bloggers to play. This becomes a little harder when you’ve been blogging for so long, because I forget what things I’ve mentioned... here goes... yell at me if you knew all this already.

1. I have ridiculously good hearing. Seriously, if you’re going to gossip about me, make sure I’m not even in the same building – I can hear whispered conversation from three rooms away. I don’t know why this is; it just is... it also comes in handy for eavesdropping – not that I would ever do that.

2. I wrote poetry, almost exclusively, from late grade school until my senior year of high school. I have a box full of old journals and it is the most terrible, angsty, twaddle I think I’ve ever read. Well, most of it, anyway.

3. I think I’ve written one poem in the last decade. It’s still not that good. (unless you count parodies, and I don’t)

4. I love black comedy. In fact, my sense of humor in general is a little warped.

5. This probably goes with number four but I tend to use a good deal of humor in my novels and I always worry that it’s not hitting right, because I know my humor’s a little dark and I try to really lighten it up in case someone else just reads it and thinks I’m mean...

6. My best friend from high school and I used to write letters back and forth that were upwards of twenty pages, full of cartoon stories and silliness. Hers were so funny that my entire family would actually wait for me to get home, eying the still sealed envelope like hungry animals, waiting for me to read it and hoping I’d let them, too. They were so funny, we all had tears running down our faces from laughing so hard.... I still think my friend should be doing something creative for a living... she’s got the best sense of humor I’ve ever seen – but then again, as evidenced in numbers four and five, I might not be a good judge.

7. My kids have adjusted well to public school... but I still wish they were in Catholic.

8. I’m sick of the way my house looks... I really would love to just paint everything bright and new... and I might.

9. I wish my house was better organized and I’m working on improving that this year. (I work on this every year, but hopefully it’ll stick this time)

10. This one’s going to sound crazy, but that’s never really stopped me before. I have an odd feeling that this year will be a transitional one for me, one of those pivotal time periods where your life or outlook or circumstance is forever altered afterwards... I’m not sure if this is a good change or a bad change, it’s just a feeling I have... we shall see.

Okay, those are my scraps. I’m supposed to name seven people, but I think I’ll just leave this open for you guys. If you want to participate, let me know in the comments... or just tell me your scraps there.

12 comments:

Josephine Damian said...

9. I wish my house was better organized and I’m working on improving that this year. (I work on this every year, but hopefully it’ll stick this time)

Me too, but I'm getting it to stick cause I'm no longer in school and have no more excuses but more so cause I bought THE HOUSE THAT CLEANS ITSELF book.

You mighht also try the FLYlady website - it's excellent!

... said...

1.) I'll play! :)

2.) I'd love to read some of your "angsty twaddle" as you so cleverly put it.

3.) I don't think you should "lighten" up your humor for the sake of others, go with it, embrace it, if you have a passion for it, free the m-effer.

4.) I know that feeling you speak of. It's rather intimadating at times, but so exciting too. I wish you well on your journeys. :)

Merry Monteleone said...

Hey Josie,

I saw that book up on your blog - is it helping?

I actually did follow the Flylady for a long time, and some of the habits stuck. I even opened an email account just for her site, but I haven't checked it in so long it's probably been disabled from all of her reminders...

The thing I really need to work on this year is teaching my kids to be organized. That's where I run into a problem, because they'll drop their papers on my dining room table or shoes in whatever room, and I wind up spending two hours picking up all of their stuff just to get back where I started.

So this year, I'm trying to get them to stop, right when they're laying something where it doesn't belong, and to put it where it goes... it'll make me more sane and help them in the long run.

Okay, that and the laundry... I never seem to keep up on the laundry.

Hi Realmcovet!

You really don't want to read my angsty twaddle, it is ridiculously bad - scouts honor... okay, I was never a scout, but still.

I'm tending to agree with you on the humor thing. My current wip is completely over the edge with it because I'm just not pulling back. If it needs to be reigned in when I get to edits, I'll do it, but only if it helps the overall flow of the book and story. We'll see how that plays.

Thanks for the well-wishes! I don't know exactly where this feeling came from - it's just been kind of gnawing at the corners of my mind. Something's coming.

Then I noticed we're going into the Year of the Ox (be prepared, this is going to sound completely insane). I was born in the Year of the Ox and if you follow Chinese astrology you know your animal year only comes back around every twelve years... Every time it's come around has been a pivitol year for me... so much so that I can trace them back as two of the most life changing years I've had...

Not that I'm advocating running your life by astrology or anything. I just found it interesting that I noticed it would be an ox year after having this feeling for a few weeks - it was like a confirmation.

We'll see... Check back with me at the close of 2009 and I'll let you know if I was completely off base :-)

PJD said...

teaching my kids to be organized

Yikes. Just change your name to Sisyphus why don't you.

verification word: stingsme

Anonymous said...

I love reading those but I found doing mine SO hard. I'm really intrigued by your feeling about this year - I can't wait to read what happens.

Merry Monteleone said...

Hi Pete,

You know that ancient proverb about the drop of water that over time and repitition will hollow out a stone? Yeah, well, I figure it'll take twice as long with my kids as the stone did, but still :-)


Hey Jersey,

They are really hard to start, and I can't seem to keep myself to one short sentence per item... maybe that's just cuz I'm long-winded.

I'm really wondering what that feelings about too, and now that I've announced it in blogdom, you all will know if I'm a crazy loon or (cue spooky music) psychic.

... said...

Glad your going with your gut Merry. It's the best way!

And YES. I demand twaddle. Effective immediately. :)

And I'll make sure I get back with you in a year about the astrology thingy. :D

Astrology actually kinda intrigues me. I don't get into it or anything, but I find anything that us humans have come up with as a means for self discovery as fascinating. Nothing is too taboo for me.

Except hairy toes. And bologna breath. But other than that, I'm all ears Merry Miss. :D

Unknown said...

Hi Merry!!!

I thought this was fun if you want to do it...it's called a meme. Look at my blog Six Random things and if you want to do it cool, if not no biggie!! Miss you!! I was bummed about the tarot cards! We must get together soon!!

Love ya!

Spy Scribbler said...

Ohmigosh, I wish my house were better organized and I am DYING to get some more color in my house! I need some bright, happy colors! The landlords, here, requested "neutral" colors. I'm going mad though. I need reds, oranges, yellows, greens... I am not a "neutral" color sort of gal.

Merry Monteleone said...

Okay Realmcovet,

http://rhymingtimes.blogspot.com/2009/01/common-people.html

There's your twaddle.

Dina Beans!!!

I'm so bummed I had to miss last saturday - we soooo have to get together and really really soon! I'll stop by and check out the meme.

Spy,

I'd sooooo love to do my room red, but the husband type person would flip out... but I do think I'll be adding some splashes of color this year... I need something, you know?

Anonymous said...

Fun stuff, Merry! I haven't been by in a while — busy with real-life demands mostly — and just wanted to say hi. I've had fun reading up on what you've been doing, and especially getting the dirt on you here. ;-)

Jess said...

Awesome scrap.