Where are you from?

So, I’m stealing this from author, Jenny Hansen at her blog  Cowbell-You Need More of It, who got the idea and template from author, Sharla Lovelace’s Blog, although it was shared by debut author, Laura Drake on The Morning Juice, an OCC RWA writing loop…and whether you love to write, or just love to read you should come to a meeting, it’s an amazing group….and don’t forget to go “like” Laura Drake’s new facebook author page!!! (You all do know I’m the Queen of Run On Sentences right?) And by the way, there is a much longer chain of sharing. If you google ‘Where I am From’, you will find lots of links to this popular writing exercise, which came from a poem by George Ella Lyon. You’ll find a copy of the template at Sharla’s blog. It’s so easy to use…it’s like a poetry Mad Libs.

I love this exercise, and I challenge all of my readers, friends and family…..writer’s and non writer’s to do it…and please share it with me if you do. If you’re willing, I’ll post those that people share right here. In fact, let’s make it a contest! Everyone who does the exercise and posts it or sends it to me so I can post it will be entered in a random drawing for an autographed book from one of my favorite authors! And everyone who leaves a comment on this post….or any of the posts where I share your “Where are you from?” entries  between August 23, 2012 and September 15, 2012  will be entered in a random drawing for another autographed book. I’ll announce the winners on Monday, September 17^th, 2012 and the winner must respond and send me their mailing address by September 30th,  2012 or a new winner will be selected. Winner must live in the United States.

Go to Jenny and Sharla’s pages for some inspiration.

So here’s my poem:

Where I’m From

I am from stacks of books from Kool Aid and grilled cheese sandwiches, French fries and ice cold Cokes at the Newberry’s lunch counter.

I am from the harvest gold, 1970’s tri-level house, with a gas lamp by the sidewalk outside my bedroom window that I used to sneak and read books from, no fences, no sidewalks and a gravel road.

I am from the damp sand and cool ocean breezes along the pacific, that make you forget the traffic and chaos, the golden Ohio cornfields, that symbolize what is real and wholesome .

I am from  sweet sugar cookie baking with old tin cookie cutters and Rose, from Bud (yes that’s Rosebud) and two younger brothers that I played with, fought with read to and learned from and from a family that can trace it’s roots in America to the Revolutionary War.

 

I am from the deep stubbornness of never giving up and the gentleness of holding a tiny baby in your arms and seeing hope for the future.

From ‘”Wait ‘til your father gets home” and “Don’t make me spank you”….and he only did once, and it really did “hurt him more than it hurt me” although I cried buckets of tears.

I am from small town Sunday school, Summer Bible Camp at various protestant churches in a small Amish/Mennonite town, Baptist Church with my high school boyfriend, my best Sunday dress and traditional hymns….”Jesus loves me”.

I’m from Los Angeles, tacos and sushi, yes I am a native, and from Uniontown, Ohio, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Christmas tamale’s that we make with our aunts, uncles and cousins because it wouldn’t be Christmas without them, and really it’s just another excuse to get together, because we don’t do it often enough.

From the feisty, sign painter for Food Giant,  writer for the Akron Beacon Journal, mother of 13, Milly, who made all my dresses for kindergarten on her treadle sewing machine, stood just  5’2” with blonde hair, blue eyes, and you didn’t want to mess with her, but you did want to stand on a chair and wait for donut holes while she fried fresh donuts (do you see any resemblance there?) and Maclovia, who changed her name to Maxine, sang in nightclubs until she met a magician and had 6 children, taught me to embroider by hand, and finally went to Israel as she always dreamed. And from my Tia Tonia, who was like a third grandmother to me and refused to teach me to make her delicious homemade tortillas because if I knew how “someday, some man would make me make them every day” and she loved me too much for that. But, every time I eat a fresh tortilla I wish she’d taught me to make them.

I am from albums, walls and mantel tops (even computer files) of photographs, some fading, faster than I can scan them into my computer, from shoe boxes with one grandmother’s old eyeglasses and a copper bracelet, and the antique butter dishes from another, the tea set my mother pieced together as a young bride, the tea set my mother gave me as a child…the tea set she gave me just five years ago, that I always say I’m going to use, but never do because I’m afraid to break them…even though there are some chips here and there from life. But, now I’m going to plan a tea party with my favorite women because what good are tea sets you don’t use?

Now, I hope you’ll tell me……where are you from?

And the Winner is!! (And a New Contest!!)

I’m so excited. This is the first contest that I’ve held at Tari’s Thread….. well, at least for my readers. The 2011 Easter Egg Decorating Contest was for my friends and family, and so many of you were wonderful about participating in the voting!! I’d really like to do that again.

But the Good Food, Good Health Contest was for my readers. Many of whom also happen to be family and friends in my actual life, and those of you who are becoming friends here on the internet! Thank you to all who left comments here. I appreciate all of the e-mail comments, facebook comments and twitter comments as well, but to win, you had to leave a comment here at Tari’s Thread.

So, I wrote all of the names on a piece of paper and put them into a paper lunch bag (I know, but it was an OFFICIAL paper lunch bag). I grabbed one of my guys…the one who happened to be home when I was ready to do the drawing. I won’t give his name….one of you will want to hug him, but the others may not feel so generous….and I had him draw a name.

THE WINNER IS: Gloria Stefani

Please contact me at  ohwrite@yahoo.com with your mailing address by May 31^st, write Tari’s Thread Movie Ticket Winner in the subject line (this way I don’t think it’s spam!) and I’ll send you two gold AMC movie tickets. If I don’t hear from you by May 31^st, I’ll be drawing another winner from my very official paper bag!!

In the meantime, this was a great way to get people involved in conversation, so I’m going to have another contest. I am a voracious reader….well, before kids and homeschooling and writing my own novel, I was a voracious reader, now I keep a book on me to sneak in a few pages whenever I can, but the point is that I love books and reading, and I’m hoping that all of you feel the same way.

So for the next contest I’ll be giving away two autographed books by a couple of my favorite authors. To win, you must leave a comment here at Tari’s Thread on any post written from today May 21^st through Saturday June 30^th. Two winners will be drawn and the names will be announced on June 2^nd. The winner must submit their mailing address to me by email by July 16^th  (instructions will be posted with the winners name), or a new winner will be drawn for their prize. Winners must live in the United States. All decisions are final.

Jill Sorenson, Tessa Dare, DeAnna Cameron, Dee J Adams…some of my favorite authors at 2012 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

Thank you all for reading and participating. If the autographed book contest is popular, I will be doing it again. I am attending the Romance Writers of America 2012 Conference at the end of July, and will have the opportunity to collect autographed books from a huge number of authors from various genres, so I hope this is a prize that you will all enjoy!! So keep those comments coming and feel free to suggest new topics of conversation in your comments!!

Good health, Good Food….and a Contest!!

Okay, so most of you know that I love to cook. I don’t know why, I mean, well…cooking is a great creative outlet and a way that I show love to my family and friends, and honestly, I love food. What kind of cooking do I most love to do? Well baking of course!! Oh I enjoy making homemade meatballs, or twice baked potatoes, I’m happy making pizza, and homemade chicken soup, but my favorite thing to do in the kitchen, well any of you who know me will know the answer….bake cookies. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, soft sour cream cookies, or buttery sugar cookies, it doesn’t matter, I love to bake cookies.

But this post isn’t about baking cookies, it’s about being healthy.

So at my check-up last year, my cholesterol had been 295. Yes, I know, you don’t have to tell me, that’s very bad. My old doctor just retired and two months ago I saw my new doctor for the first time. She told me just how bad. Not that I didn’t know, obviously I knew this wasn’t a good number. But Dr. Bruton got deadly serious. She told me I had to give up diet cola and give up carbs….I know, really, how am I supposed to live without diet soda and carbs? Well, more importantly, if I want to live and live a healthy life, I have to do this.

So the day I saw my doctor I gave up diet soda….I’ve had only one since, and I am not going to have another, as hard as it is. One week later I gave up carbs…all but veggies. Three weeks later I had my blood work done, and I was amazed. My cholesterol had dropped to 235. That’s right, 62 points in less than 3 weeks.

But one thing led to another…you know, brunch with friends a Dodger game and before I knew it, I was back to eating naughty things. Although, I’ve managed to steer clear of diet soda.

So today I’m back on track. No cookie baking, lasagna making or twice baked potatoes for me. No In & Out Burgers with fries, no stir fry with white rice. The doctor did say that I can have healthy whole grains, just no refined flours or sugars, white potatoes, white rice.

I can do this, I’ve done it before…it’s sticking to it that’s the hard part.

The doctor has given me three months to get my cholesterol down below 200 or I have to go on medication.

I CAN DO THIS. I WILL DO THIS.

And, she promised me that I will lose weight and be fifty and fabulous if I follow her instructions.

So I’m asking all of my friends, family and readers for help. I’d love to hear your best tips for staying on track. Share your favorite healthy low carb recipes…I know you have them. Tell me what your healthy challenges are. Meet me at the beach for a bike ride or a long walk. Let’s be healthy together.

And, if I don’t bring cookies or cheesy potatoes to the next party or gathering, you’ll know why. I may make eggplant parmesan, or a thick rich chili, maybe a low carb cheesecake and who knows what new healthy recipes I’ll conjure up in the kitchen, but they will be healthy.

You know what, let’s make this a contest. Share your good health suggestions or recipes in the comment section below between May 1, 2012 and May 15, 2012 and I will put your name in a random drawing for two AMC Gold movie tickets. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, May 20^th, 2012 and the winner must respond and send me their mailing address by May 31^st 2012 or a new winner will be selected. Winner must live in the United States.

So share your best tips, and recipes….I’ll just be sitting here waiting………no really