Shmitle (rhymes with 'title")... OR.... the Beast at the Beginning

I would like to be a good writer. My sister and friend, bkwurm, whom I have mentioned before, is an aspiring writer and one of the best I know. Some of her prose rattles around my head at the most interesting times. The one about the trees and the seeds, in particular. She will know of what I speak and I don't have permission to publish the rest of that, but trust me, it's awesome! She writes all the time!

I have another friend who I mainly "see" online and she is a great inspiration on writing, too. She's a kick in the pants, a published writer, a great homeschooling mom and I really enjoy our discussions.

I used to think that being a writer meant that you had to write *good* all the time. Now I am beginning to realize that being a writer means only that you have to write *something* all the time, maybe even EVERY DAY, no matter what it looks or sounds like.

So, I carry my current books around (in case I get inspired by something I might by chance read, when I have a chance waiting in line or something) and my journal so that I have ONE PLACE to keep my thoughts. Because sometimes I feel as though my brain is too full of kid "assignments" and schedules and what all the little groups around me are doing....I can hardly remember the things I would LIKE to do, never mind all the things I HAVE to do. But if that is one bane of motherhood, pshaw! There are so many other wonderful things to dilute that.

Like this photo:

(Quick subject change and I get to talk about the kids). This is the kids idea of "shopping for boring new rugs for the kitchen with Mom". But, they learned about spatial relations (like my son can't actually fit onto the shelf in the store, at least not the way he wants to which is with his legs straight up in the air) and we talked about fractions and percentages and sale prices v. everyday prices. There was way more learning going on for all than I had originally planned. I just wanted to get new rugs! And we did, and they were a good price. Good for them, good for me, good for the house "finance department".

So, back to my "title". When I open a new post for posting, I immediately balk at the idea of giving something a "title". So, I try to find something random that might be eye-catching. Does today's "title" have anything to do with what I'm writing about? *SHRUG* You decide, dear reader. But I am getting new photos of the kids on the blog on a regular basis like I promised and I'm babbling a bit for purely entertainment value.

I do realize today that I'm beginning to get the hang of this writing thing (oh yeah, and that I can edit my posts!). And I'm enjoying it....

Now I'm off to write about completely different topics in my journal. And I don't give those pages a shmitle, just the date on the top of the page. Oh, I number my pages now, too. Thanks, Sistah!

Maybe I'll start giving those entries titles-shmitles, too. To practice-shmactice.

Hey! That's a good Shmitle.


~~Mama