New Website

Whew!  I've been away from my blog for awhile.  During that time, I was working with Michele Bergh on a new website, which is now up and running!

Please go check it out!

http://daradokas.com/

My new website has info about:
• the Children's Books I've written,
• the Speaking and Teaching I do, and
• my newest adventure - the cards that I've designed!


Thanks for your patience during my blogging/website transition!

Have a great beginning of April!  I hope it's spring wherever you are!

Not-So-Solo Vacation

For the last two days of my Solo Vacation I haven't been very "solo."  I drove down to Fort Myers Beach to spend some time with my aunt and uncle.

It's always great to visit them!

We walked on the beach, went shopping, and ate great food.

Their place is right on the bay that leads out to the Gulf of Mexico.

Fort Myers Beach, FL

It's February and this beautiful hibiscus is blooming!  Back home in Minnesota it's a very monochromatic white and grey.

Here's my Aunt Patty and Uncle Dave!

Me on my Not-So-Solo Vacation.

Now I'm back in Sarasota and ready to dig into my writing again!

Is That An Alligator?

For Day 2 of my Solo Vacation, I visited the Myakka River State Park outside of Sarasota, Florida.  It's the biggest state park in Florida and has over 4,000 alligators living in it.  It also has deer, wild pigs, some small cats (bobcats), turtles, water snakes, and a LOT of different kinds of birds!


This was the first time I've seen an alligator in the wild.  And I wasn't disappointed.  This 9 foot female alligator was soaking up the sun just feet from the visitor center!  All they had was a little, orange cone warning that she was there.

She's got one eye open, looking at me.

I took a tour on a big fan boat.  We saw a lot more gators and tons of birds including Little Blue Heron, Cormorant, Ibis, and many more.

My parting shot is a picture of another gator swimming away.

Take away lesson:  Do NOT go swimming in fresh water lakes in Florida!!!

Solo Vacation - Day 1

This week I'm chronically my solo vacation/writing retreat in Florida.  This is the first time I've taken a real solo vacation.  So far, it's both exciting and lonely.  I'm enjoying the warm weather immensely.  I'm having fun doing whatever I want, when I want.  But, I also miss my family and wish they were here to share in the experience.

And yet.

This solo trip is a true getaway.  A chance to write, to soak up some Vitamin D, and enjoy some little adventures.  All on my own.

Day 1:

1. I walked on the beach where I saw shells, a little sandpiper, and a fisherman.

Siesta Key Beach, Florida

2. Wrote by the pool and turned a little bit pink.  (Note to self:  Wear sunscreen tomorrow!)

The Pool

3. Damaged my rental car (slightly).  Oops.

(No Picture = No Proof!)

4. Visited the Marie Selby Gardens.

Bromeliad

Orchid

Bamboo - which is actually a type of grass!

Who knows?

5. Made a new friend named Hildegard who is also a solo-vacationer.  Hildegard has already invited me over to see her condo and admire the master shower that has two water heads.  She thinks it's the honeymoon suite.  Hildegard is from Canada.  She's in her 70's.


On tap for tomorrow:  Seeing alligators at Myakka River State Park, writing, and wearing sunscreen!

Can You Sleep Like That?

One of my writing buddies is Cheech the Cat.

He's a red tabby (although he looks orange and white.)

My daughter says his real name is Chee Chee "El Estomago" Von Schnitzel.  That's quite a cultural mix.

El Estomago means "the stomach" in Spanish.  He sure is The Stomach.  He will eat practically anything including trying to steal pizza right out of the delivery box!  Naughty cat.

He also likes to contort his body into small, cozy spaces.

The other day he was laying on my bed while I was writing.  I had to take some pictures.

Is this position actually comfortable?

Can he sleep like that?

Apparently the answer to these questions is simply, yes!

Today I'm linking up with Parenting by Dummies' Wordful Wednesday.  Go check it out!

What Am I Writing?

This morning I'm linking up with Mama Kat's Writers Workshop.

The prompt I chose was -  1) What are your reading?  But because I don't always follow directions, I turned it into:

What am I Writing?

That's not actually me.  And I don't write with an ink pen.

I'm writing a humorous parenting book.

In it, I share all kinds of BMMs (aka. Bad Mommy Moments) so that all the other parents reading it will feel better about themselves, their parenting skills, and life in general.

I'll share a few here:


1.  When my daughter was 5 years old, I won a board game.  I immediately (without thinking) sang, "I am the Champion and You are the Loser!"  My daughter burst into tears and has been scarred every since.

Bad.  Very bad.


2. When my daughter was 12, I took her to an expensive, trendy store in the mall.  She wanted a pair of jeans (of which she had to pay part).  I saw a young, good-looking, male sales guy and promptly asked him, "Do you have any jeans that don't show plumber-butt when you bend over."  He looked embarrassed and said, "I'll get one of the girls to help you."

My poor daughter seethed, "You did NOT just say that!"

Bad. Very bad.


3. In front of my daughter, I told the principal of her school that I was willing to go into her naughty math class and "kick some 8th grade butt" by threatening to call their moms (most of whom I know.)

My daughter immediately ran to the bathroom and burst into tears.  Again.

Bad.  Very bad.


Now don't you feel better?!

Paying for Good Grades

My daughter just finished her first semester of high school and her grades were very good!

I want to celebrate!

Some people give their children cash for good grades.

This is the Good Grades = Money system.

I want to celebrate (reward?) her in some way, but money doesn't sit right with me.

She wants Sims 3 for the WII.

But, I think buying that for her would be the same as Good Grades = Money (in the form of a new "toy")


I want her to get good grades because she has the ability to do so and intrinsically wants to do well.  Not because there is money or a new game waiting for her.


I've decided to:

1. Take her out to dinner to celebrate the successful completion of her first high school semester.

2. Pay 1/2 of the game just like I would any time.


What do you think about the Good Grades = Money debate?

Teen at Work

Even through it's only Tuesday, this has been a busy week.

My freshman daughter will have her first finals this week.  Lots of studying and paper writing is taking place around here.

Plus, last night was her first Orchestra concert at school.  They were great!

* * * * * * *

The photographic safari adventure continues. Last week I captured a photo of the allusive Teenager at Rest.  This week I stalk and photograph the even more rare, Teenager at Work.

Here she is, studying . . .

Teenager at Work #1

She is surrounded by books, papers, a laptop, and the ever-present phone.

Here she is again.

Teenager at Work #2

We can't forget the giant backpack by her side.

Next week, I will capture the Teenager Eating.  At least, I will try.

10 Ways to Waste a Perfectly Good Saturday

How did you spend your Saturday?

Were you productive, determined, and on-the-go?  Did you have your Saturday all planned out by Wednesday?  Did you make lists and check them off?

Sometimes I do.

But not today.  I wasted away a perfectly good Saturday.  And I don't mind at all!


10 Ways to Waste a Perfectly Good Saturday

1. Watch multiple episodes of Downton Abbey!

Downton Abbey - Season 3

2. Sort the laundry, but don't actually do any.

3. Spend time wandering around Target with a latte in hand.

4. Read a magazine while your daughter is in her cello lesson.

5. Walk the dog only as far as the neighbor's yard.

6. Read through Writer's Market guide and jot down all the wonderful things you'll write . . . some other day.

7. Lounge in bed while your teen daughter spends hours typing up a paper on your computer.

8. Borrow your husband's warmest penguin pajama pants.  Just because.

9.  Decide it's OK not to take a shower EVERY day.

10. Skip a dinner event because they're serving jambalaya.  Instead, finish out the day by watching more Downton Abbey!


What did you do today?

Photos - Then and Now

As a Writer's Workshop challenge, I'm posting two photos:  One from this past year and one from 9 years ago!  (I was supposed to find one from 10 years ago, but I wasn't using iPhoto then!)

Here's the writing prompt I chose:

Find a photo of yourself taken 10 years ago and display it on your blog along with a current photo.  How have you changed since the day of that photo?


Here's me in 2003:

June 2003

Here's me in 2012:

May, 2012

WOW!

Here are some changes:

In 2003:
1. I was wearing MOM JEANS!  Yikes!

2. I looked younger.  It's true people.  I look 9 years younger.  Go figure.

3. I'm standing in my ancient kitchen that is now thankfully GONE!

4. We still use that paper towel stand.

5. We don't have a toaster oven.  Where did that go?

6.  My now teenage daughter is little!  She's only 5 here and wearing monster fingers.  Where are those monster fingers?

In 2012:
1. I have shorter, more styled hair.

2. Some of that hair is grey.

3. Even though you can't see them, I'm no longer wearing Mom Jeans!

4. I look (slightly) older.  Maybe not 9 years.  Maybe only 5 years older.  Right?

5. I'm sitting in my nice, clean living room rather than the toy-scattered living room of 2003.

6. My eyes look more hazel than brown.  I know it's weird, but my eye color has changed slowly over time.


What differences do you think you might have (good and bad) from now and 2003?

Teen at Rest

Like a photographer on the savannah of Africa, I wait for the allusive animal.

I don't wait to capture the photo of a lion or gazelle.

I wait for the animal known simply as . . . A TEENAGER!

My patience is rewarded.

I capture two photos of a teen in her natural habitat, doing two of her favorite activities.


Teen at Rest #1:  Texting

Teen at Rest - Texting

Teen at Rest #2:  Reading

Teen at Rest - Reading

Capturing the allusive teenager on film was certainly a photographic success!



I'm linking up with Wordful Wednesday at Parenting By Dummies where photos are good and words with photos are even better!

SHINE - My Word for 2013!

Instead of a long list of resolutions, many people select one word to guide them and inspire them through the new year.

My word is SHINE!

I chose "shine" for several reasons:

- I wanted a verb.  Verbs are action words.  They aren't passive.  I can change and grow.  I can shine!

- The definition is wonderful!

1. To emit light.
2. To reflect light; glint or glisten.
3. To distinguish oneself in an activity or a field; excel.
4. To be immediately apparent.  (ex. Delight shone in her eyes.)

- I want to shine this year!  I want to shine in my relationships, my writing, my life.  I want to reflect other people's shininess.  I want to strive to be the best me that I can be - to shine!

To share the choice of my 2013 word - SHINE - I'm linking up with Mama Kat and Liv Lane.  Go check out other people's words of the year!

What's your word?