Dread Pirate Owen and Doc McEmily (yes…I am that mom that knows her daughter would prefer a princess costume but instead I buy a doctor suit. Dang.)

This week in one giant tidal wave of busy. Both the children have birthdays, Halloween smack dab in the middle, we had a party, phase one of the research project we’ve been working on completed. I had two batches of cupcakes explode over the interior of my oven. Joel preached what felt like 12 days in a row. Our little family is ready for a long slow weekend, curled up with hot drinks and books and sitting next to fires that burn big and bright. Joel put benches into a trailer for us in order to host some hayrides this winter. We will give that a try too.

So that is how October spun to a close and today I find myself looking forward to all that is to come in November and I am wondering: can anyone just make up a National Month of “Something or Other” these days? I mean mustache growing month? I know the world has evolved from my thinking about mustaches…but I am keeping it real since 1999. The man can participate by growing a beard (love me a beard) and he can have a mustache for the one night of celebration but…it better be gone again before he gets in my bed.

BUT I am participating in another National Month this November. I want to write. And people like me, those that don’t have all sorts of advice to give you. Those of us that don’t know how to make a home. Those of us that got no tips for you about beauty or clothes or cooking? We don’t make it as bloggers. And I don’t know if I could make it as any kind of writer, but I think I want to give it a try. My whole life I wanted to leave it out there as the thing I never tried. That way I could say I never failed. But now? I’ve failed PLENTY and you know what? It wasn’t the end of the world.

And so now, I think I would rather fail than never try. I would rather my story be that of letters of reject than letters never sent. I tell the boy all the time, all it takes to do anything is practice.

So National Novel Writing Month…HERE I COME! I am going to crank something out this month. You can see my word count on the top right of the screen. Hold me accountable will you? And I would love for some prompt ideas…give me a word? An idea? You few…who read here regulary….is there anything you have noticed in my writing that hints towards a theme??? What should this fist BIG story be about?

ALL IDEAS WILL BE PUT INTO A DRAW FOR A NOVEL OF YOUR CHOICE FROM AMAZON! Fun right? So…GO…ideas please!