In Case You Had Any Doubt

In case you had any doubt about what huge Aggie fans we are in my family, check out Loupot's Children's Clothing. My beautiful niece Alivia is their baby model for a couple of pages of outfits. This one and this one are my favorites. We definitely start them young - remember her hat when she was born?
I got to see Alivia and the rest of the family when I went home for Father's Day this weekend. It was a nice time!

Chai Thoughts

Someone remind me the next time I try to have a Chai Latte at 9:30 p.m. that the result will be I'll never fall asleep! Seriously!! Anyway, since I'm awake ... still ... at 4 o'clock in the morning ... with about a thousand thoughts running through my head, I guess I ought to be able to put something down ...
I will say that I've been trying really hard this past week to get back in to my writing groove. And, when I say my writing groove, I don't so much mean my regular writing feature stories type groove - deadlines get me plenty in that groove - I mean more my personal, in touch with my inner self, creative writing groove. There's a certain place I have to be mentally to make much progress there, and when I get out of that place, it can take me a little while to get back. I'm not saying I have the stereotypical crazy, artistic temperament because I don't, but ...
I do seem to have an interesting connection to about 3:30 a.m. It's weird, but I often wake up at that time for a few moments, no matter what time I went to bed. Sometimes something random will happen, like the smoke detector will beep or the phone will ring or the cat will jump or I'll wake up from a dream. Then sometimes, it will seem random, but I'll just - boom - be wide awake. I haven't found any connection yet so surmise what you will ...
Speaking of dreams, though, I had one ripe with symbolism the other night. Well, I have a lot of them, but this one I don't mind sharing: I am standing with thousands and thousands of jewels all around me in the form of necklaces, bracelets, etc. There are so many that they are up to my ankles. While I am sorting through them looking for the “real" diamonds, Rhett Butler walks up, sweeps me off my feet, and carries me to his train, where for the duration of the train ride, he tries to win me over. I remember enjoying it but being a little scared and not quite giving in. There was no real ending because, you guessed it - it was 3:30 a.m. and I woke up.

My URL

Just a reminder to my readers - the new ones and the old faithfuls - that there is an easy way to reach my blog. Instead of typing in the blogspot address or searching for me and finding everything from years-old articles to my brother's wedding announcement, you simply can type www.CarolineShearer.com or www.CandidlyCaroline.com, whichever is easiest for you to remember.
Now, wouldn't it be nice if everything were that simple? : )

Game Night 2.5

You sunk my battleship!

I hosted Game Night 2.5 recently, and it was a total blast! I had a much larger group over this time so we had multiple games going on at once - Battleship, a marathon Trivial Pursuit 20th Anniversary Edition game, Scattergories, Fact or Crap, chess, a Texas A&M versus t.u. checkers game, and lots of Twister!

Caroline Times Two

My 11-year-old cousin Caroline has been in town, and we have been having the best time! We visited the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, where we learned all about Texas, and where we saw an IMAX movie about an African Safari. We also saw "Muppets Take Manhattan" at the Alamo Drafthouse. We made turtle brownies and cookies that we dipped in caramel and chocolate.
And - we volunteered at the Sunshine Camps, which is part of the group I help tutor during the school year. We helped by running the face painting booth at "Carnival Night" and by taking kids out on canoes on Town Lake on "Canoe Night." We got quite good at painting faces, even though it was our first time, and between water guns, paddles, and seaweed fights, we got really, really wet canoeing. What a busy, fun week!

The Heart of a Writer - Killing the Phantom

From "Professions for Women," a paper read to the Women’s Service League. By Virginia Woolf. (Emphasis and editing for length mine.)
"But to tell you my story – it is a simple one. You have only got to figure to yourselves a girl in a bedroom with a pen in her hand. She had only to move that pen from left to right – from ten o’clock to one. Then it occurred to her to do what is simple and cheap enough after all – to slip a few of those pages into an envelope, fix a penny stamp on the corner, and drop the envelope in to the red box at the corner. It was thus that I became a journalist; and my effort was rewarded on the first day of the following month - a very glorious day it was for me - by a letter from an editor containing a cheque for one pound ten shillings and sixpence. But to show you how little I deserve to be called a professional woman, how little I know of the struggles and difficulties of such lives, I have to admit that instead of spending that sum upon bread and butter, rent, shoes and stockings, or butcher’s bills, I went out and bought a cat – a beautiful cat, a Persian cat.
What could be easier than to write articles and to buy Persian cats with the profits? But wait a moment. Articles have to be about something. Mine, I seem to remember, was about a novel by a famous man. And while I was writing this review, I discovered that if I were going to review books I should need to do battle with a certain phantom. And the phantom was a woman, and when I came to know her better I called her after the heroine of a famous poem, The Angel in the House. It was she who used to come between me and my paper when I was writing reviews. It was she who bothered me and wasted my time and so tormented me that at last I killed her.
I will describe her as shortly as I can. She was intensely sympathetic. She was immensely charming. She was utterly unselfish. She excelled in the difficult arts of family life. She sacrificed herself daily. In short she was so constituted that she never had a mind or a wish of her own, but preferred to sympathize always with the minds and wishes of others. Above all, she was pure. Her purity was supposed to be her chief beauty – her blushes, her great grace. And when I came to write I encountered her with the very first words. The shadow of her wings fell on my page; I heard the rustling of her skirts in the room. Directly, that is to say, I took my pen in hand to review that novel by a famous man, she slipped behind me and whispered, ‘My dear, you are a young woman. You are writing about a book that has been written by a man. Be sympathetic; be tender; flatter; deceive; use all the arts and wiles of your own sex. Never let anybody guess that you have a mind of your own. Above all, be pure.’ And she made as if to guide my pen.
I now record the one act for which I take some credit to myself, though the credit rightly belongs to some excellent ancestors of mine who left me a certain sum of money so that it was not necessary for me to depend solely on charm for my living. I turned upon her and caught her by the throat. I did my best to kill her. My excuse, if I were to be had up in a court of law, would be that I acted in self-defence. Had I not killed her she would have killed me. She would have plucked the heart out of my writing. For, as I have found, you cannot review even a novel without having a mind of your own, without expressing what you think to be the truth about human relations, morality, sex. And all those questions, according to the Angel of the House, cannot be dealt with freely and openly by women; they must charm, they must conciliate, they must – to put it bluntly – tell lies if they want to succeed. Thus, whenever I feel the shadow of her wing or the radiance of her halo upon my page, I took up the inkpot and flung it at her.
She died hard. Her fictitious nature was of great assistance to her. It is far harder to kill a phantom than a reality. She was always creeping back when I thought I had dispatched her. Though I flatter myself that I killed her in the end, the struggle was severe; it took much time that had better have been spent upon learning Greek grammar; or in roaming the world in search of adventures. But it was a real experience; it was an experience that was bound to befall all women writers at that time. Killing the Angel in the House was part of the occupation of a woman writer."

Come, Little Creatures

I seem to be attracting small creatures lately.

It started with me finding a baby opossum in the garage. I'd had some odd things happening, but it never occured to me that it might be an animal. Then, one night, late, I saw a tail and a little body. My first reaction was to jump and scream, thinking it was a rat or something. Then, I moved closer and saw it - looking as cute as a kitten - itty bitty with big, brown ears. But, what to do? I was at a loss. I knew I needed to get it out of my garage, but I wasn't going to hurt it. It took me a couple of days, a lot of cleaning, and a little trickery, but finally I peeked out and saw a little tail just on the other side of the garage door ... and before he could turn back, down went the door!

Then, I went home for my cousin/godchild's high school graduation. While there, my sister's friend dropped off their latest rescue - a little kitten they had found on the road in some random Texas city. When they were trying to pick up the poor thing, a car ran over it. Thankfully, I mean literally over it. It escaped unharmed. Anyway, it's probably not more than a month old, and while not traditionally "cute," it has the best and friendliest personality. She even climbed up on my shoulder when I was trying to take her picture. She wants lots and lots of human attention and loves to purr and play. You can't tell from this picture, but her eyes are bright blue. I suggested her name be Mocha.

Black and White Weekend

Nonstop busy as usual here!

First up was a party boat banquet that took us across Lake Austin from near Hula Hut to the 360 bridge. It was beautiful weather and so relaxing to spend time on the water, especially for a Crab like me!

The banquet was followed by the Third Annual Wear White Croquet Party, where the great weather held, to the delight of all of us bedecked in white.

Good times. Now I'm ready to sleep! : )

Mother's Day with the Family

I got to see a lot of my relatives this weekend when I went home for Mother's Day. Here is my new niece Alivia, who now is almost six months old. Isn't she the most adorable baby ever? She has my brother's beautiful, big blue eyes, and she's in the stage where she keeps trying to talk to everybody. Today she was in a cute little pink outfit I bought for her before she even was born!

It was so good to see everybody - aunts, uncles, grandma, grandpa, cousins, mom, dad, brother, sister, sister-in-law, niece, cats, dogs, horse. There's always lots of activity in the big C.S.!!

Party with the Best in Texas

Oftentimes I write for a music magazine called Best in Texas. The company that publishes the magazine is celebrating 30 years, and I just returned from their little celebratory shindig down in Houston.

It was so nice to meet the people I have been working with for a while now. And, isn't the Texas music scene so much fun? It's like a whole 'nother world - seriously. I really enjoyed meeting Jason Allen of the Jason Allen Band. Super nice guy.

For the latest issue of the magazine, my story is on Trent Summar and The New Row Mob. Through May, it can be read here. And, perhaps more permanently, it can be read here.

Texas Family - Firstborn Like Me?

Lots to mention in the latest issue of Texas Family Magazine.

The main feature story I wrote tackles birth order dynamics and how that affects children. It was interesting to research how this placement within the family can affect so many different personality traits. For example, firstborns often are achievers because they want the attention it brings, and they are often a little less relaxed than later kids. Being a firstborn myself, I'll have you know I vigorously pursue being laidback until I achieve it -- do I get a gold star? ;) It's a pretty interesting story - check out a copy.

I also wrote a story on helping kids create healthy friendships - emphasis healthy - and I wrote a small piece on cyber bullying, which takes bullying beyond the playground and school hallways to virtually everywhere.

Becker Vineyards

A good friend of mine was married this past weekend near Fredericksburg and held her wedding reception at Becker Vineyards. Every detail of both the wedding and the reception was absolutely lovely.

Here I am standing in front of the lavender fields that grace the Becker property.

I wish my friend and her new husband all the happiness and blessings a lifetime can hold.

Yet Another Reason

Yet another reason I love Texas. Where else could you get a picture like this?

Ain't Texas grand -- y'all? : )

Movies in the Park

The first Movies in the Park of the season was last night. I love Movies in the Park - it is one of my all time favorite things about Austin. I like just chilling out and relaxing (instead of go-go-go,) especially amidst the backdrop of a bustling, energetic downtown.

We watched "Talladega Nights" (I love the baby Jesus!) on a 40-foot inflatable screen in great weather. It's a very funny movie. Being so fond of cats, I particularly liked Karen, the Cougar. And, the Crystal Gayle t-shirt is priceless. ;)

Campus Horror

What a terrible tragedy we face today after the mass murders at Virginia Tech. It's hard to comprehend how so many young, fresh lives can be ended so quickly and so senselessly. Imagine how those parents must feel - they send their kids off to college, they think they are safe, and then they are faced with an unbelievable horror. Imagine hoping your child is one of the safe ones, and then finding out the worst. Imagine that agony.
My city endured a similar tragedy in 1966, when an individual, from the observation deck of the University of Texas Bell Tower, began sniping individuals walking on campus. Ultimately, he killed 15. The scars from UT's tragedy remain even today.
My heart goes out to those whose own hearts ache.

Lots of Action

Finally, I'm getting to add another post, right?
This past week and next week I had and have a lot of deadlines for different publications, including a new section that I am in charge of for Texas Family Magazine. In addition to my regular stories, I'll also be in charge of the Talking Points section, where we talk about three or four issues or questions parents may have.
In addition to work, I also volunteered myself to teach a four-session writing workshop over a period of four weeks to a group of kids I normally tutor. I had to create my curriculum from scratch for the first session, which was this week. I think it will be fun to work with the kids over a period of time so that I can see the changes in their writing skills. I'm looking forward to it.
Also, for two months I have agreed to take over someone's dance classes. This means I am directing a middle school dance team (and yes, we have several performances) and am teaching to four classes a salsa routine and a hip hop routine, both of which I will choreograph. That's a lot of work, but of the fun variety. All this is in addition to "regular" work, of course, so that is why my posts have been so sporadic. Plus, all this has kept me from philosophizing too much. ;)

Happy Easter!

Have a hop, hop, hoppy Easter!

Contemplating the Curvy Path

The other day, I went walking with someone along a trail I like. There are different paths and directions on this trail, and I like and always take the curvy paths. The person I went with thanked me later for showing the curved path. That offhanded comment really got me thinking.

Do I like to take the curvy paths in life? Do I prefer the wiggle jiggle of life more than the straight and narrow? I have always thought of myself as a straight and narrow kind of person, but maybe all along I have been more of a curvy person. Or, maybe I’m straight and narrow on the outside but curvy on the inside. Or, even vice versa. Perhaps the way I picture myself is not at all how the world sees me. But, then, which one would be right and real?

It was a simple comment: “Thanks for showing me the curvy path!” But, it sure has gotten me thinking. It reminds me of what I for years had as my computer screen saver: “Sometimes you have to go in a circle to get back where you belong.”

I guess it's not so much about taking the path less traveled as it is about creating the path that is uniquely ours and following it until we are where we are meant to be.

My Box of Dark Chocolates

Tonight Forrest Gump was on TV. I resisted watching it, but I'm glad I did. Sometimes it's good to be reminded of and feel reconnected with certain things - that at times blind idealism is best, that there may be really good things in front of us we're not recognizing and appreciating, and what I think is the most poignant message - that we all simply should do the best with what we are given.

Show Me Your Feathers

This weekend I went to the Salt Lick, an awesome barbecue restaurant outside of Austin. It's one of those casual, down home barbecue joints that shows how barbecue should be done. People come from all over to have their barbecue and to listen to live music at this huge compound out in the country.

We've started an interesting tradition when we visit. On the way back, we always stop at Barsana Dham, an Indian temple, to walk off some of our meal. During the summer, I always visit for the pick your own peaches, but this time of year, it's nice to just walk the grounds and see the ponds and peacocks. The male peacocks were out in full force this weekend, but the females kept running away from them! This particular peacock was quite vocal, but he never spread his feathers for us. Someone commented how it was interesting that in peacock-world, it's the males who do the primping for the ladies.