C is for Ceol agus Craic

This month I am participating in the A to Z Challenge. I will be writing about memories from my life and all my different homes.

Ceol(pronounced key-ole) is the Irish word for music.

Agus(pronounced like August without the t) is the Irish word for and.

Craic(pronounced crack) is the Irish word for fun.

This phrase reminds me of my family in Ireland.  Both sides of my family like to sing and play music.  We had sing-songs every time we got together for an event, especially at Christmas.  After Christmas dinner with my mom's family, we would pull out a guitar and sing for hours.  Then we would go visit my dad's side of the family and sing for a few more hours.  A night full of craic.

B is for Banshee

This month I am participating in the A to Z Challenge. I will be writing about memories from my life and all my different homes.

Growing up in Ireland, I was surrounded by myths and stories. One of the stories that scared me the most was the banshee. The word banshee comes from the Irish words bean sídhe, meaning fairy woman. If you hear her scream, the legend says that someone close to you will die. She is often depicted washing clothes at a river. There are similar figures in other cultures, like la llorona.

Of all the weird and creepy myths and legends I heard growing up, this was the one that always stuck with me. I was always nervous about being outside after dark. Somehow I had gotten it into my head that she only screamed at night.

Now I am using her as the inspiration for one of my writing projects. It's exciting to take something I feared as a child and transform it into something new.

Have you ever found inspiration in something you fear?

A is for Arthritis

This month I am participating in the A to Z Challenge. I will be writing about memories from my life and all my different homes.

When I was in fifth grade, I got very sick. I came home from a bike ride one day to find red spots all over my body. The local doctor thought it was Scarlet Fever and told us to go to the hospital immediately. My younger sister was left with the neighbors while my parents drove me to Harcourt Street Children's Hospital in Dublin.

I don't remember much from that night. Apparently I puked. I remember my dad carrying me through the. Emergency Room doors. I remember the first night in the hospital ward. The only other child in my ward was a small boy with a cast on one arm and a drip hanging from the other. He tossed and turned in his sleep, and I kept imagining the drip ripping from his arm during one of his violent turns.

The next day the doctors began the huge task of figuring out what was wrong with me. I had so many blood tests that I lost count. One morning I was rolled away to a surgery room for a blood marrow test. That was a painful one. My joints were swollen and stiff. I woke up every morning in pain and fear. Lyme Disease. Leukemia. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. They were all scary possibilities.

A month of visitor's hours brought homework and awkward moments spent crouched on tiny chairs talking with friends and family. I learned to play Solitaire and Gin Rummy. My mom brought food for me because I hated the hospital food. Painkillers, anti-inflammatories, even Steroids, were prescribed and taken. No test ever came back positive. No one ever solved the mystery. My condition was labeled Arthritis.

I have long since outgrown the painful swollen joints. My crooked fingers and warped knuckles remain as a constant reminder of those years, but nothing else is the same. My life has changed completely, and for the better. Maybe one of these days, I'll write about it.

Top 10 Movie Blogfest

Today I am participating in the Top Ten Movie Blogfest hosted by Alex Cavanaugh.

I love to watch movies! and my favorites are always changing.  So these are some movies that I would sit and watch right now, if I had a lot of free time :)

Princess Bride
This movie has been a favorite for a long time.  So quoteable.  So fun.  And I love Cary Elwes.

Romancing the Stone
I had to put this one on the list, because recently I have been feeling like the main character, Joan Wilder.  I have a brown puffy coat, and every time I wear it I think of her.  Now if I could just become a published author, like her :)

The Craft
I love movies about witches.  The fact that one witch is crazy just makes it all the better.

Practical Magic
Another witch movie. 

Last of the Mohicans
Daniel Day Lewis.  A classic love story.

In the Name of the Father
Based on the true story of the Guilford Four who were falsely accused of being IRA.  Great movie.  Great book.  And Daniel Day Lewis is in it :)

Grandma's Boy
Video game testers and stoned grandmas.  Need I say more?  Another very quoteable movie.  I find myself saying lines from this movie all the time.

Across the Universe
A movie based on The Beatles' music.  I love it!

Original Star Wars Trilogy
Anytime I see these movies on the tv, I have to stop and watch.  Such a classic.  I was so disappointed when the first three episodes were made.  They did not live up to the standard set by episodes 4-6.

Bram Stoker's Dracula
I fell in love with Gary Oldman's young Dracula after watching this movie. 

Are you participating in the blogfest?  What are your favorite movies?

ROW 80: Check in #6

My goals:
1.  Write 250 words a day.
2.  Blog frequently.
3.  Complete 2012's NaNo(ZF), then complete my earlier attempt(DoVH)

My Progress this week:
Tuesday:  624 words in ZF
Thursday:  209 word blog post
Sunday: 173 word blog post
              200 word letter
Monday: 200 word letter

Reflection:
I am back!  I am writing again.  I am behind on the Month of Letters, but I am going to continue writing until I get to my goal.  My sister and I have decided to become penpals  :)  It's really fun.  We can't keep up with regular phone calls or emails, but handwritten letters might just work.  So far the people who have received letters from me have been so touched and surprised; I think I want to do this all year long.

Are you A-to-Zing this April?

I am so looking forward to the A to Z challenge this April.  Last year, my husband and I participated in the challenge with our Project 365 blog, so we posted a picture for each day's letter.  It was a great way to increase traffic to our blog, and we gained a lot of followers.  I met so many great bloggers through the challenge and I hope to meet even more this year.

  This year we will participate on that blog again, but I will also be attempting to write every day in April on this blog.  I have been thinking a lot about a theme for the challenge and have thrown a few ideas around in my head.  So far I am thinking about an A to Z of myth and legend or an A to Z of Ireland.  Both themes would be interesting to me, and I think I could make it through the whole month of writing.

Are you participating in the challenge this year?  Do you have a theme? 

My Late IWSG Post

Yesterday was another Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

I am posting late for IWSG, and that really describes how my writing and blogging have been going recently. A few weeks ago, my back went out, and I spent a week lying on the floor to help my back heal and feel better.  This made it really difficult to use a computer, so I allowed my writing and blogging to fall to the side.    

This wouldn't worry me if it had been a temporary change, but I have been neglecting my writing for at least three weeks now.  This year I had been working so hard to post on my blogs regularly and finish my manuscript, and I just let it all fall apart.  It was easier to continue not writing than to find the motivation to start again. I even ignored social media for a week!

Finally, last night I opened my manuscript and started writing again.  I wrote over 600 words.  Today I updated all my blogs. I feel my motivation coming back.  I even checked out a book about poetry writing.  I used to write a lot of poetry in high school and recently I have been thinking about trying it again.  It feels good to be back, and I hope I don't falter again.