Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

All of these people or groups of people help me grow as an individual and help nourish my sense of self:
- My family - my father, mother, brother and I were always very close. They help keep me grounded and stick with me through thick and thin.
- My husband - loves me despite the fact that I continually change and grow and show different sides to who I am , which isn't always necessarily who he first fell in love with.
-My children - They are my reflection. They are my best teachers. They also give me the gift of always remembering to see things through a child's eyes.
- My friends. Some lifelong, others relatively recent. They hold pieces of my past and pieces of my future. Either way, silver or gold, they are continually providing me with new adventures, new insights, and new experiences.
- My education community. Going back to school at this stage in the game was daunting, but I have a group of excellent advisers, professors, and peers who keep me bringing my "A" game to things.

Day Five: Six Things You Wish You Had Never Done

Today's entry puts a line from Frank Sinatra's song in my head, "Regret's I've had a few" from "My Way".  I'm weird like that... I love Sinatra. But I digress, regrets - yes, I've had a few:

6. Follow other people’s dreams for my life instead of my own.
5. Dropped out of college the first time.
4. Held myself in such low-esteem. I often let people and situations get the best of me because I never felt worthy enough.
3. Move to Arizona. Accepted that first date. Stayed put when I knew it wasn’t enough for me.
2. Pretended to be someone I wasn’t. Life is much easier if you just admit who you are and accept and like yourself the way you are.
1. Stayed put while Mom was in her last moments. I should have been there. Someone should have sat with her while she passed.

Day Four: Seven Things That Cross Your Mind A Lot

7. Its 2014. Why haven’t they invented a clothing dryer that can fold clothes yet?
6. If I spend time looking up better ways to manage my time, aren’t I procrastinating and therefore wasting time I was trying to manage?
5. Why are people so quick to judge others all the time? Why do they profess to be one way, yet act out in the exact manner they proclaim to abhor?
4. The effect my hasty words have on the people I love. Whether it is directly or indirectly about the person I am talking to, sometimes I fear I am too harsh, that I hurt without intent. And I hope people know I am sorry.
3. My Family are ever present in my thoughts. I love them and I spend time planning how I best can show them, care for them, and making sure I am helping to meet their needs.
2. My characters. When I am in the midst of writing, my character’s behaviors, actions, attitudes, and feelings flood my mind.
1. My coursework. I’m competitive when it comes to my studies. I obsess over getting everything just right so I can get the best grade possible. I am consumed with it.

Day Three: Eight Ways to Win My Heart

8. Be thoughtful and present enough to know when I need some tangible sign you’re still into me. - Send me flowers once in a while. Bring me home a small present with large personal meaning. Write me a love note. Hug me tight when I need it.
7. Spend time seducing my mind.
6. Kiss me like you’re starving for me.
5. Listen to what I have to say. I don’t want you to pretend you’re interested, or not even be interested at all…actually BE interested.
4. Look at me like I’m the only girl in the room.
3. When I do nice things, tell me that it makes you happy, and that I please you. That’s all I want.
2. Let me be comfortable enough to be myself with you, and not a version of myself that mirrors you.
1. Give me permission to stick my cold feet in between your legs to warm them up on particularly chilly nights.

Day Two: Nine Things About Yourself

9. I am left-handed. The nuns tried to force me to be right handed, but my mother would have none of it.
8. I’m studying to earn my Master’s in English Literature and Creative Writing.
7. My mind goes a million miles an hour, I am constantly reading or writing (See #8).
6. I have an irrational fear of escalators.
5. I lust after custom Kitchen-Aid Mixers. See why here.
4. I’m a sapiosexual being. The body part I find most attractive in another person is their mind. Looks matter not if you can’t seduce me with your mind.
3. Learning to tie rope knots is something that intrigues me right now.
2. I love the pain that comes with getting tattooed or pierced.
1. I am obsessed with men's shoulders. I don't quite know why.

Writing Challenge: Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now

10. Be genuine. Your fake friendliness is incredibly transparent. Being fake shows how little you value people including yourself.
9. Please for the love of god, stop sending me game requests on Facebook.
8. Life is difficult, but it’s also incredible. Don’t let the difficult bits make you bitter.
7. Just because I am a female doesn’t make me less intelligent. I have a brain, and I am going to use it.
6. I love you. No matter what is going on, you can always talk to me.
5. I miss you every moment of everyday. I never imagined not being able to hear your voice would be this incredibly painful. The thought you are in heaven and not here provides me little comfort. I wish I got the chance to see you before you left us.
4. As Elsa from “Frozen” sings… “LET IT GO”
3. I’m going to miss my deadline.
2. You can try to pretend you’re something you’re not, but you and I both know EXACTLY what you are.
1. I still love you with all the madness of my soul.

Monday Mouthful: Ten Day Writing Challenge

I stumbled across this ten day challenge out on the interwebs and thought it would be a good introspective exercise for the next few days. Sometimes, even though I can write thousands of words about my characters, its not so easy to talk about myself. I thought this challenge would push me to be more comfortable talking about myself.

If you are unfamiliar with it, it involves the following blog posts:

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you had never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).
Day Seven: Four turn-offs.
Day Eight: Three turn-ons.
Day Nine: Two images that describe your life right now, and why.
Day Ten: One confession.