My New Tornado Shelter--Valley Storm Shelters to the Rescue!

The shelters are delivered.

My family has lived in Northern Alabama for 3 years. We've had several tornado warnings, but this year was the worst. Up until April 27, I was perfectly fine sitting in the interior bathroom with two cats, the teen, and the hubby during a tornado warning.



April 27 changed my mind. Try riding out 21 tornado warnings over a 16 hour period, the last 4 hours in the dark with no communication, in a small bathroom. Try doing this after seeing 2 tornadoes begin to form over your house and one heading your way. Try doing this after realizing that an EF5 tornado with winds of over 200 miles has blown through 100 miles and just missed your house by a few miles.

Bob and Mean Bill move it!

 Not fun. Very scary. Very very very scary. So I finally decided to cough up a big chunk of change and I called Valley Storm Shelters to discuss getting an above ground tornado shelter installed in our garage. You can learn more about this company here.

 I ordered a 4x6x6 steel shelter with carpet, a light, a fan, the ability to run power and the strength to withstand an EF5 force tornado in May. It was built off-site, then finally delivered on July 6th. Bob and Mean Bill (yes that was his name) installed the 2000 plus pound shelter in our garage during a rainy, thundery, tornado like day. To be honest, any dark cloud with a whorl in it scares me these days!

Pulling her through the door!

Will it fit?

Mean Bill gets it in!

I'm really pleased with my new shelter. It fits perfectly in our garage. There's only one problem. It's white. Super white. It's a big box of white in my garage. I want to decorate it. Darling Teen agrees. Maybe some applique stickers? I don't know, but I can't stand the idea of sitting in the all white room. It's too coffin like to me. Darling Hubby is worried it will impact a future buyer's opinion. But I think it is no big deal. All a buyer will care about is if it is a shelter. 

Bob and I pose for a picture. 

So who do you think should win? Me and Darling Teen or Darling Hubby? Look at the pictures and give me your vote.

Stay white or decorate? You decide!

Hiatus is Coming to An End: Fun Things In Store

Hi folks! Miss me? I have been out of the blogger world for a few weeks now due to travel, the RWA National Conference, uber expensive Internet charges at the Marriott Marquis (boo), and more travel!!

Next week I plan to post my 3 blogs a week again. I can't wait to share the travel news with you as well as my experiences at the National Conference. If you want to get a sneak peek, you can take a gander over to the PETIT FOURS AND HOT TAMALES and see my post about all my conference confessions. I'm also super excited to be hosting the wonderful and gifted Margie Lawson next week. She is coming to Alabama to teach an all day workshop about EMPOWERING CHARACTERS EMOTIONS at the Southern Magic Romance Writing Chapter.

This year is turning out to be one fantastic year with wonderful debut authors and friends sharing their experiences. Stay tuned for more fabulous authors coming to visit the Veranda with their tales and stories.

I've had a great summer. I actually took time away from writing. I know. Unusual as I usually write every day. But I really needed a break. As many of you know, it has been a long and difficult spring. In addition to my daughter's mono (yay, she's cured!) and the horrific tornadoes, I've also been battling an ongoing sinus infection. I'm finally back to my normal self. "Normal" being as sane as one can expect me to be considering I write for quarters and I pay myself for "trying to get published" letters.

Now I'm starting to get pumped up about writing. Not selling. But writing. Nationals was a great way to juice up the writing genie. And being around my super friends in this business, new and long term, jazzed me even more. Plus I got to be part of other people's successes in the Golden Heart, the Rita, the Daphne and The Readers Choice Awards. Sometimes being at the game is enough. I showed up, I smiled, and I felt my old happy writing self come out of hiding.

So stay tuned! I can't wait to get back to action on Monday.

Crossroads, Forks and Detours: Goals Reevaluated

I'm approaching another end of a quarter and am reevaluating my priorities. I do so every 3 months. I've decided to work up a mini-fix for the month of June because this quarter has been a wild one. I'm only 2 months into the quarter and it feels like it has lasted 6 months! I must step back and regroup so I can strengthen my focus. Basically, I'm de-cluttering my mind of useless stuff so I can tackle the important events coming up this month.

This quarter I started strong with an R&R out the door and the rest of the story to revise. It's been about 2 months since I sent the R&R out and I am in "wait mode." So much of this business is about waiting and being patient, but while writers wait we must do only one thing: write some more. So I finished the rest of the revision, sent it off to my CP, and tackled her critique 3 chapters at a time. I have three more chapters to go and I'm finished this round. That's on the table for the first part of this week.

While I revised this book, I entered another contest (which still requires an entry LOL), learned I finaled in the Fab Five, and attended a great workshop. I returned home in mid-April ready to work my tail off. Then the first detour in my road occurred. Sick kid. Mono. She's been home for about a month and a half now. I've got to admit, it's put a cramp in my writing style. You see, I am a bit spoiled. She's a teenager who drives so I was used to the days being mine to do my work. I had to work around her doctor appointments, caring for her, organizing school work, and canceling a lot of her "life" till she got well.

But as Nora Roberts says, glass balls are more important than rubber ones. My daughter's health, my daughter period, is glass. Fragile, precious glass I cherish. Writing will always come second to my child. Always. She needed me. I was there for her. I still am. I managed to revise a bit more, but a week after my child's diagnosis, the skies opened up and all he!! broke loose in Alabama. 28 tornadoes in 1 day. The most terrifying day ever. I don't think I'll ever forget the sirens, the dark skies, the sudden pop above my head after an eerie silence, or the complete sense of helplessness.

We were lucky. We didn't suffer any damage or injuries and I'm so grateful. But my writing did suffer a setback. Not just because of the time lost, but because my heart was aching. I was sore. Sad. I just wanted to reconnect with my friends. Talk. Sleep. Be still. Pray. And so I did. I gave myself permission to take a bit of a break.

I took a look at the crossroad in front of me and went left instead of right. I enjoyed the journey. I played with a new story idea, came up with plot points, index cards, and just had fun. I ignored the revision for a bit. And that was great. I reevaluated my future writing projects. I relaxed. Well, I relaxed for me. Anyone who knows me knows I am not a "relaxed" kind of gal. In the midst of all of this there was still the sick kid, still the doctor visits, still the desire to create, still the household to keep up, still the new diet to cook dozens of meals for......... and so the relaxation was more of a pit stop here and there punctuated with bursts of work.

Of course, my part of my idea of relaxing was to take a break from revisions and plan a new story. In the midst of story boarding my next novel, I managed to snag a couple of great editor and agent appointments at the RWA National Conference. Usually Nationals are in July, but this year the conference is June 28-July 2. I have very little time to prepare for it because of, oh, the above paragraphs. But that's okay. I can pull it off. I plan on pulling this off after I finish the first draft of my next book, and after I tour two more colleges with my darling teen (who is slowly mending despite another minor health setback).

See, this post is just a rambling thing about LIFE. Life is happening. All The Time. And somehow, we writers, we must continue to write despite the many distractions. And the only way I know how to do that is to have a plan. A map. Of course, the map can't prepare us for every detour and crossroad that comes our way, but it can give us a place to refer to when we get a little lost. And sometimes a new map needs to take the place of the old map.

That is what I am doing this week. I'm gearing up to make a new road map. I'm reevaluating my goals, my priorities, my ongoing "to-do" list.

How often do you reevaluate your goals? Do you tweak them regularly or only change them once a year?

4 Hour Body: Tornado Survivor's Guide

On Wednesday, April 27, my area was hit with 21 tornado warnings over a 16 hour period. We lost power at 4:30PM. No lights, no cooking, no sound other than a small transistor radio which kept us informed about the NEXT tornado band's approach. I had been on a pretty good roll with 4 Hour Body diet and exercise in place. However, the 4 Hour Body was the least of my concerns on that day. We had cake for dinner. The next day we grilled all the meat and had meat for lunch and dinner. We also had cookies, cheese, tortillas, bread, you name it. Frankly, who cares? The thing about the 4 Hour Body is that it doesn't really offer much in the way of comfort food when one, well, needs comfort. We were spared. You can read about my experiences here and here.

After we cleaned out the fridge and threw out about $600 plus of food, we drove to Nashville to ride the rest of the week. We had no Internet or cell phone service and a sick kid so we felt it best to go to a place with power. We arrived at our friends' house and were immediately surrounded by good cheer (read LOTS of wine) and fabulous southern comfort food. My friend loves to make full, hot breakfasts. We had bacon, quiche, pancakes and hash browns two days in a row. We ate ribs, grilled bbq chicken, steak, corn casserole, chocolate bomb cakes, amazing banana bread. The 4 Hour Body went out the window. We didn't care. We were alive.

See diets don't matter when one is in survivor mode. One eats what one has and that's that. I was also unable to exercise which impacted me as well. However, I did a lot of running around because of the tornadoes and I believe my adrenaline was pumping a lot. I didn't  notice any weight going around the middle, but honestly? I didn't care. On Monday we left our friends and went to a hotel in Franklin, Tennessee. I began to make small changes again. My lunch was healthy and followed the plan as did dinner (but I admit I did eat the roll that came with the Cobb Salad). The next day we had McDonalds for breakfast. I ate an Egg McMuffin and I enjoyed the hash browns, too. When we got home, we had to clean the fridges with hot water, etc., then I went to the store. I immediately implemented the 4 Hour Body plan, but I am not going to lie: wine consumption was still higher than allowed by the plan.

I haven't been able to exercise yet because the YMCA is offering hot showers to those who still have no power. I did go for a walk with darling hubby on Wednesday. I wore workout clothes yesterday, but didn't work out. Today? I hope to go for a walk again.

I did notice that my jeans, the smaller ones, fit just fine yesterday and my stomach is not bloated at all. I'm happy about that for sure! My hope when I measured this morning was to see no UP on the numbers. I was pleasantly surprised! I lost another inch and a half. None off my hips or navel area, but that's okay. At least I didn't increase due to all that yummy comfort food.

So without further ado, here are my stats:

Total inches lost this Week: 1.5
Total inches lost to Date: 8.5

I hope to be more on plan and get the belly flab down -- that is the hardest place for me to lose weight and usually the last. I'm just very grateful that I didn't gain despite all the yummy food I indulged in eating.

I hope you are all doing great on your plans! Check in and let me know if you're still on track for getting Skinny for NYC this summer!

RELIEF After the Storm

We're home. Finally. We arrived home to power and the ability resume our lives. We cleaned out our fridge and freezer, cuddled the kitties, went to the grocery story, cooked our own food, and slept in our own beds.

We were spared major upheaval. We were incredibly fortunate. I don't know why, but I am grateful. Others were not so fortunate. Many have lost everything. And my heart goes out to the families. There are a lot of people helping in the relief efforts. People cleaning up debris and taking care of the families who are in the most devastated areas of our state.

Even if people can't help in person, they can help by donating money to the relief efforts. If you feel compelled to help, please click here for more information. The Alabama Red Cross is a reputable organization.

I'm in awe of the power of these storms--tornadoes are vicious and non-discriminating creatures. I am still processing a lot. I know other survivors are processing a lot. I'm sleepy. I'm craving sugar. I'm shocked. I'm grateful. I'm sorrowful. I'm weepy. I'm glad. I'm stressed. I'm relieved.

These emotions are just part of healing. Another part of healing is resuming life. I'm beginning to write. I'm enjoying my home. I'm starting to read other people's writing.

Life is a gift. I always try to live it to the fullest. Now I have more reason to be positive and to strive to be a light in the world.

Life-Be Grateful-Be Very Grateful

Many of you might already know about the devastating tornadoes that ripped through the state of Alabama. I can't tell you how frightening that day, April 27th, was for me and my family. 16 hours of unending sirens, warnings, and horrific news flashes. 16 hours of texting my friends every time I went into the bathroom to let them know we were safe: for now. 16 hours of PURE TERROR. When the lights went out in Northern Alabama, we stepped outside. Not sure what to do. We saw two funnel clouds forming overhead, and one coming straight for our home. Back inside we ran. We three. An eerie silence. A POP. A moment where I believe we all thought "this is it."

It wasn't. It was not our turn. But that didn't make us any more special or god-loved. Nope. It didn't. Why were we spared a devastating tornado hit when just half a mile up the road a church steeple had been ripped off the church and flung to the ditches? Why were we spared when just a few miles north of us an entire neighborhood incurred so many losses of homes an even a fatality that the devastation is incomprehensible?

Why were we spared and others were not? I don't think I'm less of a sinner or more of a saint. I don't think my religion saved me, though I did have my bible in the bathroom and I did pray. I believe many others who weren't spared worse prayed, too, regardless of their faith background. I don't believe I had a extra divine intervention. I just believe that in praying I was given a measure of comfort during a terrible, frightening day. The words I read from my bible gave me a sense of calm I otherwise would not have had in those moments.

I am grateful for my life. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful that my house stands unscathed. I am grateful for my friends. I am grateful for my blog and cyber community. I am grateful that I am here typing these words.

I cry for the ones who sought comfort and didn't survive. I pray for their families. I cry for the families who have lost their homes in the matter of a moment in time--lives were shattered. And I pray for them to find a way to draw comfort from their faith, their friends, their loved ones.

On Wednesday, April 27th--in the dark gloom of the 16 hour day blaring warnings and striking fear into our hearts--my community lost so much. My state lost so much. But during that day, we held onto one thing that nothing could take away from us: our hearts. I am so grateful to all my friends who searched for me, who worried for me and my family, and who showed me that by focusing on what matters that I am indeed a blessed and rich woman.

Tears come whenever I think about all of the people who were praying FOR me and my family that day.

Thank you.

Dreaded Chapter 10

First of all, this probably used to be chapter 16 or 17 cause I had 22 chapters with only 2 scenes per chapter. *laugh later please*

But I redid it all (okay for contest purposes and editor submission purposes) and now I have 17 chapters. Which means I hit chapter ten today... at scene 24 or something like that (or was it scene 26?). Arrrghhh... not happy ... I've been hitting a chapter a day in about 3 hours or less.

Not today.

I hit it in 6 HOURS! 

And guess what? The first scene took 4 hours to revise.... argh again.

But now I am done. 

My DH is getting tired of me whining about my chapter goal. He pointed out weather cloud formations today to take my mind off of it. Then when that didn't succeed, he drove me around town and showed me tornado damage. Major damage to trees and houses. I felt bad for the victims and the trees, really I did. But I wasn't totally focused.

You see I was obsessed with figuring out how many writing days I had to reach the end of this journey... praying I would not deal with a direct tornado hit in the meantime.