The Quickening: From Baby to High School Graduate in Sixty Seconds

Posted by Coleen Patrick on Jun 10, 2013 in Life | 43 comments

The quickening.

It’s what the pregnancy books call the moment when a soon-to-be mom is physically aware of the movements of her baby.

I remember a bubbly effervescence, a tiny tapping, a feeling akin to little butterflies launching.

From that first motion on, parenthood became a quickening too. A series of moments accelerating. Too. Fast.

My daughter is moving at warp speed. One minute she’s appearing on an ultrasound screen, a bouncy, blurry greyness that I hardly could believe was real.

The next minute she’s graduating from high school. This week. Now. (Pass me the tissues.)

We tried to slow her down, if only for a minute, capturing memories on our front porch that first day of Kindergarten–and every first day of school since.

Taking her own photo on the porch.

It all seems just a little too soon.

What’s flying by too fast for you? And does anyone have access to a time machine?

Have a SWEET week,

Looking for great picture books or fun contests? Check out children’s author, Susanna Leonard Hill.

Plus, big news, her Can’t Sleep Without Sheep book is now available as an e-book on all platforms!

 
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Busting a Wallow and Spinning the Wheel of Kindness

Posted by Coleen Patrick on Jun 3, 2013 in Life | 63 comments

To wallow or not to wallow.

That was the question for me this weekend.

I was so tired, layering insomnia on top of life’s usual frustrations.

Let me just say that I do not wear exhaustion well.

I was crabby, and crabby is not a good color for me.

And I kind of wanted to do nothing. Not even fun stuff like going to a food festival. In fact, simmering in my setbacks sounded like the best plan.

I mean I’ve spent my fair share of moments curled up in a wallow. Wallowing has its place, right? I’m pretty sure it’s responsible for the invention of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

But then I thought of dog poo (sorry if this ruins Chunky Monkey ice cream for you).

If you step in dog poo, are you going to stop and stare at the mess on your shoes all day?

Well, no. At least that was what I thought. I think. I was SO tired. But I figured I could at least try some fun…then maybe get some work done.

Of course, fun was kind of awesome. Moving forward got me out of the fog. At least enough to see the stuff that reminds me to keep on keeping on.

Quote on the side of the Farm Bus at Broad Appetit Festival

 There isn’t just one way to comfort.

Wake up taste buds with cucumber & heirloom tomato gazpacho with roasted fennel and basil salsa!

and spicy Thai iced tea

 And hello, the Wheel of Kindness!!

Turns out, there’s always an opportunity to spin the wheel of kindness.

I got to give (and get) a hug.

And seeing the dog adoptions always reminds me that there are others in need of rescue.

One of these days I hope it will be me adopting a dog!

Here’s a sign. Summer reading, totally something to look forward to.

Okay, okay. I get the message.

It’s nice to discover what you can see, if you let yourself.

What are your thoughts on wallowing? How do you bust a funk? 

Hope you have a HAPPY week,

Check out Catherine Johnson’s FUN poetry. She’s got a way with words!!

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Where Do You Like to Get Lost?

Posted by Coleen Patrick on May 28, 2013 in Life | 45 comments

Sometimes it’s good just to go somewhere and get lost. 

Even though I’ve lived in my town for 18 years, I found a new place.

The locks

It can be fun to find a new hangout.

Especially if you have snacks.

 Gluten free pistachio donut from WPA bakery.

 Sometimes it’s nice to feel shipwrecked for a little while.

Or try a new path.

Maybe find yourself a little less tangled.

And gain a new perspective.

Have you discovered a new place in your town? Where do you like to go to get lost?

Have a happy week,

 A special shout out (plus virtual hugs and good thoughts) to blogging friend, Susie Lindau.

 
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Habit is What Keeps You Going

Posted by Coleen Patrick on May 20, 2013 in Life | 47 comments

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
~Jim Rohn

A couple of days ago I stood next to the kitchen counter peeling a banana. I dropped the peel–and the stringy banana “hairs”– into our compost container.

Then, without thinking, I broke off the end–a.k.a. the butt of the banana– and added it to the pile.

I have no problem with the banana butt. But my son always has. When he was younger he wouldn’t eat a banana unless I broke off the ends. The ends grossed him out.

 My son with his once upon a time favorite produce (pre-butt removal).

My kids are teenagers now, still under my care, but it’s different. For the most part, there’s less micro-managing (I say for the most part, because somehow I can still hear my echo of have you emptied the dishwasher yet?)

But it’s not uncommon to see me filling their glasses half full at the dinner table, a nod to the days when my kids were too old for sippee cups, but not so old that they weren’t prone to spilling.

Leftover habits, lingering. Happily. Because every time I catch myself in one of these random mommy flashbacks, I smile.

It’s definitely the kind of habit that can keep me going.

Kind of like a dangling banana butt.

What are your happy habits? 

Have an awesome week,

 Up for fun posts and cool pictures? Check out author, Patricia, aka Jansen Schmidt. You may learn what a Xebec is, if you don’t already know.

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Playing Hooky: The Beach is not a Place to Work

Posted by Coleen Patrick on May 13, 2013 in Life | 46 comments

I was NOT on vacation this week.

But I did go to the beach.  I drove two hours to spend a few days with family to celebrate my sister’s graduation from nursing school.

She lives only ten minutes from the actual beach, so…I mean, I couldn’t NOT go.

So in terms of meeting my typical work quota  last week. Didn’t happen.

I skimmed emails and stuff via my phone, but mostly I felt like I was out of the country.

And I’m so okay with that.

There was too much good stuff happening anyway. Experiences I am happy to fall a little behind at work for…

The Pinning Ceremony.

I couldn’t miss the only time my sister would wear white tights with white shoes.

Um, creme brulee. 

Blue Angels flew overhead plenty of times. The noisy fly overs in Virginia Beach are known as The sounds of freedom.

Cheese fries. 

You know, when in Rome and all that.

My heart at the beach.

So I got a little behind at work. Totally worth it. Now, it’s like I’m sailing back on a salty sea air breeze.

Okay, so my mind may be a teensy bit too clear, but I’m going to take a cue from my four-year-old nephew, who one night, spent a really long time deconstructing and constructing a plain old brown box.

 Creativity, you really can start anywhere.

Task number one—today I’m over at KourtneyHeintz’s blog, author of The Six Train to Wisconsin, talking a bit about my journey as an Indie author. I hope you can stop by! Bring cheese fries if you have ‘em.

What people, places, or things are worth getting a little behind at work for to you?

 
Have a GREAT week!

Check out 4amwriter for some fab and inspirational posts about fitting in writing in between the crazy awesomeness of life. 

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Give Yourself the Stamp of Approval, There Will Never be Another You

Posted by Coleen Patrick on May 6, 2013 in Life | 36 comments

“Maybe the trick is for me to always be in some sort of disguise,

to always be dressed to play someone else.

Only then can I really appreciate myself.”

~Franny Banks in SOMEDAY,SOMEDAY,MAYBE by Lauren Graham

Approval can be a tricky thing.

There are moments in my life when I feel unquestionably comfortable in my own skin, when it’s easy to appreciate myself.

Like hanging out with my husband and kids. Writing. Chatting with my sister.

Open road, open hearts.

There are times when I don’t feel all that secure, like walking into a room full of strangers alone. Then I can easily get all turtle-like, ready to disappear into my protective shell.

I mean how can you not think about getting external approval when you post on Facebook, step out in a brand new outfit, lose weight, throw a party, publish a book, or throw down what you think has to be the world’s best power point presentation at work?

Wanting acceptance is normal, but it’s cringing to think your happiness is dependent on someone else’s decision.

Reminds me of a moment in college, when I ran into a guy who I’d crushed on in high school. I was dressed up to go out. I was with my friends, I was feeling cute, wearing jeans so tight, I’m surprised my eyeballs didn’t pop out. I didn’t care. Because that  night, I possessed my 19-year-old version of my personal stamp of approval.

Of course, this guy–who never looked twice at me when we were sixteen–was suddenly lifting me in the air for a spinning hug.

And telling me how great I looked.

This moment replays VERY clear for me. Believe me, I wasn’t immune to his compliment, but it was jarring in that I knew immediately his opinion didn’t matter to me.

Not because I had some self-esteem super power (I definitely didn’t), or because I suspected a shallowness in his comment based on his once upon a time reaction to me as an awkward sixteen year old (again, I didn’t).

But his approval didn’t matter, because that night I wasn’t looking for approval. I already felt a happy acceptance of myself when I stepped out, one that kind of turned into a perfect storm of esteem for me

Normally, I didn’t feel that secure.

I was used to looking for and needing approval, especially with my grades, SATs, college recommendations, applications, job interviews, boys.

It was kind of never-ending.

But that moment with that once upon a time crush, I had the added benefit of being the first one to validate me. Maybe it wasn’t exactly purposeful, but I carried with me my own stamp of approval.

And self-validation is the most important one.

Sometimes when you’re unsure, it helps to find those moments when you feel most like yourself.

Maybe it’s with your friends or family, maybe it’s when you’re painting, or going for a run.

You are unique, you have your own journey, and your own heart to follow.

And that’s something you can approve.

When do you feel most like yourself? What are  your thoughts on approval? Do you have any advice for those struggling with self-esteem?

Have a great week!

Check out children’s author, Lynn Kelly! She’s got funny (and crazy) parenting stories–Parenting Plights & Delights– over at her blog.

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Each Turn in the Road of Life Reveals a Surprise

Posted by Coleen Patrick on Apr 29, 2013 in Life | 40 comments

I love to go for walks outside, and lately the weather in my part of the world has been all kinds of amazing.

So, I’ve taken my winter exercise routine of marching in front of the TV (why is this not an Olympic sport?) to the road.

And the scenery has been awesome, because spring is breathing new life–and color–into everything…

Tulip tree in Historic Fredericksburg

Rooster at children’s farm in Maymont

Robin’s egg

Koi in the Japanese garden

A trail of Goldfish (in the wild)

See? Surprises at every turn.

Because spring is bursting with new life…it’s dangling from the branches by silvery threads…

Inchworms!

Flying on the breeze, inchworms made their way to my head, shoulders, and knees.

Eventually, I perfected the walk and dodge, a.k.a. the Inchworm Limbo.

Surprise! This inchworm hitched a ride home with one of my kids. 

I quickly took him back outside (note: no inchworms were harmed in the making of this post).

What spring surprises have you encountered? Do you have inchworms dangling from your trees? What is your favorite thing to do outdoors?

Here’s to happy adventures this week!

P.S.-There are five signed copies of my YA debut, Come Back to Me, up for grabs at Goodreads. Contest runs through May, 14th–check out the link in my sidebar or click   HERE.

Be sure to check out the thoughtful and heartfelt posts by Pat O’Dea Rosen at her blog Reading, Writing, & Rambling.

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The Heart of the Matter: What Grounds You?

Posted by Coleen Patrick on Apr 22, 2013 in Family | 67 comments

So all last week I found myself thinking about a button.

My son decided he wanted to go to prom (a week before prom, mind you), which meant a last minute run for prom tickets, a boutonniere, a corsage, and a tux.

My husband suggested he try on his tux. His twenty year old wedding tuxedo.

The tux fit. It was a tad roomy, but all it really needed was a new button.

I put mending on my to-do list, but the button stayed on my mind. Somehow that button represented happy nostalgia: twenty years of marriage, family, and kids being almost all grown up.

Of course, all this symbolic button thinking took place amidst the back drop of crazy, tragic things happening in Boston and all over the world.

But I had the luxury of thinking about that button.

And then this weekend we had our own bit of crazy to deal with, when some neighborhood kids thought it would be funny to rig up what looked like a homemade bomb on the steering wheel of my daughter’s car.

My daughter drives a retired Crown Victoria police interceptor and while we wondered if this thing in her car was a stupid prank, we also couldn’t help but worry whether this contraption rigged not only to her steering wheel, but attached to the door and the outside mirror, was some threatening message aimed at the police.

So we called the non-emergency police line and an officer came to the house. He was perplexed, cautious, and called his supervisor…

Who then called the bomb squad.

And then began the process of securing the roads around our neighborhood.

And then an officer asked us if we wanted to leave our house because this could be a very dangerous situation.

At this point, one of the kids responsible, came over and confessed. My daughter instantly burst into tears. She was relieved, but very hurt someone wanted to purposefully scare her like that.

I was mad. Because while it may have been a joke–and everyone was safe–our fear had been REAL.

You may think what I did next is a strange reaction, because while the bomb squad took the stupid contraption out of my daughter’s car (they still had to consider it a threat until they knew otherwise), I went inside the house and sewed the button on that tux jacket. I didn’t know what else to do with my confusion, my anger. Maybe because I’d been thinking about that button all week, that button somehow become some sort of fastener for my thoughts. It helped to ground me.

I mean what do you do when you get tangled and tripped up by the web of someone else’s stupidity?

You can’t control it. You can’t change their thinking. All you really can do is control your own actions (and somehow resist a response that might make you a contributing member to the spectrum of stupidity).

So I shifted my focus to the things that ground me.

Turns out, one hand me down tuxedo, plus one button, equals lots of love and support.

My son wearing his dad’s wedding tux.

The “perfect troll face” goes to prom.  My family grounds me, but also lifts my spirit. 

And because I couldn’t find a great quote for this post, I’m sharing this absurdly funny one.

What grounds you when your world gets shaky? 

Have a great week,

 Hop on over to Making the Days Count and say hi to Clay!

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Book Marketing or Winking at a Boy in the Dark

Posted by Coleen Patrick on Apr 15, 2013 in Books | 54 comments

The one thing I know for sure about book promotion is that there’s no shortage of information.

I’ve been reading and bookmarking how-to articles for the last couple of years, but when it comes to promoting my writing (and probably flirting), I think I probably resort to that winking in the dark stuff.

But then my very first print copy of my YA book, Come Back to Me, arrived in the mail.

Having a copy of my book made being published feel more real.

Made me feel like I wanted to do a little book flirting.

Which is a good thing, because if you want your book read, then you need to get your book OUT THERE.

Right?

I can’t just sit in my office and wink out of the window while holding my shiny, new book.

Gotta do some book marketing.

An endorsement from Adam Levine? You never know, he could like my “voice.”

Speaking of promotion, my book is now officially available in paperback at Amazon (all other formats can be found here). Plus, my book will be experience it’s very first blitzing in May (a promo blitz is kind of like the opposite of winking in the dark).

Do you have marketing advice to share? Are you any good at flirting? If so, do you know any celebrities?

Have a spectacular kind of week!

Check out author, Beth Vogt! She has a new novel coming out next month, Catch a Falling Star–and she always finds great quotes for her blog posts.

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What’s Your Starbucks Name?

Posted by Coleen Patrick on Apr 8, 2013 in Food | 65 comments

On a recent trip to Starbucks with my daughter, I learned she has a Starbucks pseudonym.

She tells them her name is Mary.

It makes sense. She has an uncommon name. One that is typically difficult to pronounce, especially when you factor in the coffee shop chatter and the hiss of steam from the machines.

So, she says Mary to avoid playing several rounds of WHAT?? with the barista.

I totally get her predicament. You probably do too. Saturday Night Live recently did a Starbucks skit that had a Marsha getting a latte that read, Shar Shar.

Seeing what ends up on my own Starbucks cup has turned out to be kind of entertaining.

I kind of get a tiny zing of anticipation as the barista poises the Sharpie marker over the cup. What will they write?

This barista started with COLEOO. Then, second guessing himself, he showed me the cup.

I corrected him. This is what he came up with.

Close.

Do you use a different name when you order? Does your name ever get misspelled?

I love soy lattes–what’s your favorite coffee shop drink?

Have a great week!

Check out Debra Kristi’s Immortal Monday posts for everything from Apollo to Zeus!!

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