Amie Borst

Kidnapping and Mischief?

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

No, that's not really here. That was just a catch to lure you into reading my post. Which isn't really here either. It's at the Mixed-Up Files....where I really have kidnapped someone. Someone by the name of EJ Patten. And there's a bit of mischief there....as well as a really epic giveaway. Yes, I'm lame. I still say epic. And yes, you'd be a fool if you missed out on this contest! What are you waiting for? Get moving! And be sure to spread the word!

Spiral Staircase Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:05:00 +0000

So I was super busy this past week creating a spiral staircase cake for a church youth activity.

Here's my creation:

Carving a spiral cake is pretty easy, I did it once before with a piano cake I made. Here's a photo of it:

Anyway, a spiral staircase was a bit trickier...Not only did I have to carve the spiral, but I had to do it in steps, instead of one smooth cut.

First I start by layering my cake, in this case two 10 inch rounds. Then I mark off, with toothpicks, where I want to make my cuts, like this:

Next, I carefully carve each layer. Like this:

Once that's complete, I give the cake a crumb coat. Then I carve the next layer (in this case two 12 inch rounds) and finally, the layers are stacked. Like this:

Then I covered the cake in one large piece of fondant. Im this photo, I had started the cobblestone path using an embossing tool courtesy of DUFF.

Then I assembled the rest of the cake, including my princesses made from rice krispies treats, covered in fondant/gum paste mix.

What do you think?

Rabid Foxes Are Sly and Sneaky

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

So, if you're like me you probably have....oh I dunno...a GAZILLION books you've started writing. Then, later (and by later I mean a few thousand words, or a couple measley chapters)you've abandoned that story and started an affair with your BAZILLIONTH book idea that just popped into your head like some crazed, rabid fox. All sly and sneaky. And unexpected. Drooling and foaming at the mouth.

And between the books you've started, the ideas in your head, and all the craziness between your ears you're kind of ~~insane~~ happy that you have so much creativity flowing! Right. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

It kind of feels like this:

(Ren and Stimpy: "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" song Courtesy of Youtube.com)

But if you're smart, ~~like me,~~ you'll come up with a very calculated and wonderful plan!
It's called a chart.
And this is what it looks like:

Click me to enlarge :)

So now that you're completely ~~overwhelmed~~ inspired, try making your own chart and see for yourself just how easy it will be to complete all your WIP's!!

You're welcome.

My Own Love Song

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

O.M.G! I can't believe it!

Ob Tampons wrote a song just for me! You have to check it out!

http://www.obtampons.ca/apology

200 Follower Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:05:00 +0000

Slow and steady wins the race, folks.

Right.

And urping in your mouth is tasty.

I've been lingering at 199 followers for, oh, I don't know, FOREVER.

It's all good. Cause I'm super patient. We writers have to be.

* Checks email for the hundredth time today *

* Paces *

* Checks email again *

I excell at patience. It's part of the book business.

* Wonders when I'll be published *

* Stalks agents and editors *

* Remembers not to announce that *

Anyway, in the spirit of ~~patience~~ my blog, I'm going to have a 200 follower contest. ~~I don't know what it is yet.~~ It's so epic, it's a sekret.

So yeah...if you want to be part of that epicness, you should spread the word. Yup. That's what you're gonna wanna do. Cause you're kewl like that. And you like me. You really, really like me.

* Ignores awkward silence *

Forsaken Harbor - Summer Chronicles

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:04:00 +0000

So I'm a total boob. This post was supposed to go up on Tuesday, March 6th but...it didn't. Instead I was sitting in the hospital at my mother's bedside as she recovered from major surgery. It was quite the hurried eight hour drive there last week. I took my eldest daughter with me who happened to be a great companion and we spent many hours at the hospital helping my mom in her recovery. But, that's a story for another day.

Today, I have Forsaken Harbor - Summer Chronicles, Book Two by Laura Kreitzer to share with you. It's a very rare thing for me to do a book review, so this is a real treat!

Blurb:
The Secret Clock Society has infiltrated every aspect of the government. You can’t hide from them, you can’t out run them—the only choice is to surrender or die fighting. Well, Summer’s found her voice and her confidence. She’ll fight if necessary, but for now she’s on the run. And the only place that can offer her refuge is the one city that’s been devastated with disease and death. Full of savages, Forsaken Harbor holds her life on the edge of a knife. Is there still hope to be found here after all? Or will survival mean savagery?

I hadn't read the first book before reading book two (I know, DUH!)but one of the things I admired most about Laura's storytelling is that she was able to guide the reader into Summer's life in this story with elaborate detail. Even though these details helped catch me up with everything that's happened in Summer's life, they didn't draw me out of the story, either. It was just enough to make me feel as though I'd been there with Summer all along!

Even though Summer starts the story as a mute from the abuse she'd suffered, she finds her voice. With that voice, I found her to be a strong heroine, one to root for! Supporting characters and love interests (need I say, Gage?! or Jullian?!)had me melting... :) Suspense and action made this a fast-paced story that held my attention the whole time!

I don't like to give too much away....but I'll leave you with a few choice words:
murder
romance
secret societies

Need I say more??!!

So what are you waiting for? Go read Forsaken Harbor. Now!

Laura is the owner of Revolution Publishing, a small house dedicated to books for young adults. Her company is definately one of the up-and-coming publishers and I encourage everyone to check out all their titles!

Wrong Genre

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

A few days ago I was prompted to read over some WIP's, most of which I'd shelved for a bit. And after reading a few pages of each of them, I realized a few things:

I LOVE reading YA.
I suck at writing a good YA voice.
I enjoy reading MG...but not quite as much as I enjoy reading YA.
I EXCELL at a really believable MG voice.

So what the heck does that say about me? Do I need more practice writing YA? Should I read more MG?

Honestly? I dunno.

Then there's the fact that YA is an easier sell than MG (even though there are so many reports of agents and editors searching for MG, I hear of MG deals a lot less than YA).

So there's the age-old question - do you write for the market?

Well, you could. I could. We all could. But why?

Because the market demands it? Sure. But you also know the answer to that - by the time you've written to the trend, it's usually long over.

Should you write what you know? Write what you love?

I'd wager those are the better options.

So I'm going to keep writing MG because I'm good at it. I enjoy it and look forward to opening those documents. The best part is hearing other people laugh when they read my MG stories. I really like making people laugh. I think that's the best part of MG. It's acceptable to laugh, still. Maybe that's why I'm good at it...I need to laugh after all the stress I've had this last year.

Have you ever discovered that you were writing the wrong genre? What did you do to remedy it?

Aging Gracefully

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:25:00 +0000

I thought I was aging gracefully....little to no wrinkles, no need to color my hair (yeah, that blonde you see on the sidebar, yup that's au natural), and I think I'm pretty hip. Uh, cool. I mean kewl. Or epic. Yeah, that's me. I'm epic.

So, as any epic twenty-something (yes, I'm twenty something for the tenth time or so, what's it to you?) would do, I watched the Grammys. And it was all good. Loving Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry and everything inbetween.

Until.....enter Nicki Minaj. And I was all WTFreak?! And WTHEck? And Say wha?? I honestly thought my ears might bleed at one point. I mean, what was that?

If you understood it, please do elaborate. Cause I'm stumped.

I'm The Alpha and Omega

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

At least according to my dog. She's a bichon. You know, one of those fluffy, little white poofballs.

They're so cute and adorable you just want to "...hug 'em and pet 'em and squeeze 'em....and name them George."

Except ours isn't so little. She's what most would call fat.

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Mostly because she eats too much. But also because she's lazy.

We prefer fluffy. It's nicer and doesn't hurt her feelings.

And we do have to be careful with her feelings since she's what we affectionately call an emotional black hole.

But, at least she's smart enough to recognize the Alpha around here.

Good dog.

I Made a Chocolate Torte. Like a Boss.

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:17:00 +0000

I like pie.

I like cake.

I like chocolate.

This is why dieting never works for me.

And this is why you should never try making Ghirardelli's Mocha Torte when you're PMSing.

Theirs:

(photo courtesy of http://ghirardelli.com/bake/recipe.aspx?id=1075)

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Mine:

Yeah, dude! It's a mother-spitting-image of the real deal, dawg!

I rawked it!

Then I ate it. Like a boss.

My Post is MIA

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:08:00 +0000

Well, not really. It's just not here. I'm at the Mixed-Up Files today ( www.fromthemixedupfiles.com ) blogging about service. If you have service ideas for middle-grade children we'd love to hear them! If you've provided service for your community, stop by and tell us about it! C'mon folks! It's Christmas - and in the spirit of giving, let's share our experiences with service!

Need some extra coaxing? I've brought Washington Irving back from the dead.

I've had a. Stressful. Day.

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Have you ever seen the Kid History videos on youtube? Kids tell a story and adults act them out. It may not sound very interesting, but srsly, they're a riot! But don't take my word for it, take a look for yourself!

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVlaZfLlWQc&feature=relmfu )

Enjoy! FaaaaacccT.

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0000

I'll be off this holiday...for you know....the holiday. And my youngest daughter's baptism. A very exciting time with so much to be thankful for. I'm counting my blessings, every single one of them.

I hope you all enjoy your day and find many ways to be grateful!

Welcome Author CK Bryant!

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Many of you probably know of the awesomeness that was the Dark C.A.R.M.A. tour and release this past Friday. Three fabulous YA indie authors joined together to celebrate and promote the release of their first books! Today I have the priviledge of interviewing Christine (CK Bryant) and sharing that with all of you. Christine is way kewl so you're in for a real treat!

Welcome Christine! * waves * So glad you could join us! Whaddya say we get straight to business? K? k!

Me: So, what's your MC's quirk? (C'mon, I know she's got one! Even if it's just a love for stinky cheese.)

Christine: Hmmm, good question. She likes cats, does that count? Her mom would never let her have one, but she's got kitten posters in her bedroom and she certainly has a way with Toran. And we can't forget how she falls for the biggest cat of all, Octavion. Maybe it's all the purring and cuddling.

Me: And what about yours? (It's okay, we're all friends here!)

Christine: Ha! I don't think I have any quirks. Okay, maybe one or two. I'm a hair twirler. Isn't that cliche? I'm also a little OCD when it comes to people messing with stuff in my office. I can tell the minute I walk through the doorway if something's been moved. It's my space, dang it. I want it kept the way I left it, mess and all. ;-)

Me: I have quirks. Lots of 'em. Too many to name here! So, yeah * changes subject *...how about your MC's love interest? Any stinky cheese in the near future?

Christine: Again with the stinky cheese? LOL Well, I think I'd be in big trouble if I didn't say Octavion. I wouldn't want him transforming and eating me because I brought up a past boyfriend or some other character, like his cousin, Luka. The battle of the cats would be on for sure. Besides, Octavion is yummy. Why would Kira need anyone else?

Me: Sounds yummy! What about you? What's your love interest? (And I hope it's something good....like say....oh I don't know....chocolate!)

Christine: This one's easy. CHOCOLATE!! Need I say more?

Me: Yes! A girl after my own heart! As much as I pine for chocolate, it is my downfall, too. Does your MC have an obstacle she has to face?

Christine: Wow, tough questions. Of course there's Shandira and her evil scouts, but honestly, I think Kira's biggest obstacle is her lack of confidence. She's been put down her whole life by her mother's flavor-of-the-month boy friends and her mother calls her Mouse because she's always under foot. Kira could become a strong woman if she'd just climb out of her shell.

Me: So, what about you? What kind of obstacles do you face?

Christine: This one is easy. My biggest obstacle is my weight. All kidding aside, I struggle constantly with just getting around. I'd give just about anything to be skinny and healthy.

Me: Oh man, I think we all wish to be skinny and healthy, no matter what our size. And, in case you didn't know, you're beautiful, Christine! * cyber hugs * So you up for a quick game?....
Name the following for MC/You:

favorite food - Ice cream / Fettuccine Alfredo
favorite color - green / pink
favorite piece of clothing - worn out jeans / fuzzy socks
apples or bananas - apples / bananas
broccoli or asparagus - Ick, neither / Broccoli
chocolate or vanilla - Too plain. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough / Vanilla with Chocolate pudding on top. Don't laugh, it's good.
shoes or purse - Can never have too many sneakers / purse and totes

Me: Sa-weet! So in closing, two last questions. What's the worst part about self pubbing/being an indie author?

Christine: It's dang hard and time consuming. There are so many things that have to be done and all in the right order. Formatting was a nightmare, but I made it though that part. Also, the stigma that goes along with self-pubbing sucks. A lot of people think because you are self-published, you're not good enough for the traditional house. And in some cases that might be true--there are a lot of badly written and edited books out there that are self-published. But I've done my homework--had it professionally edited and rewritten it until it's exactly where I want it to be. It's SO ready to be out there and I can't wait to hear how it is received.

Me: * Wipes brow * That sounds like hard work! So....on the flipside, tell us the best part.

Christine: Control! I love being the one who decides what my cover looks like and what scenes can stay or go. I also love having the freedom to publish other books close together. In most traditional publishing houses, they only allow one book a year to go out.

Wow. Sounds like so many things to consider! And your character and book sound so exciting. I can't wait to read it!

As a thank you, Christine has graciously offered up a free ecopy of her book, BOUND! Just leave a comment (and be sure you're a follower of my blog) then go follow Christine's blog! Contest ends Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011. Winner will be announced Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Why I Think the Argument Against Indie is a Load of Crap

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:38:00 +0000

How many times have you heard this statement?
Self published books are all poorly edited slush.

It seems to be a blanket generalization making its way around cyber space faster than a trojan horse.
And you know what? Just like all generalizations and stereotypes, it's a load of CRAP.
There! I said it.

Now let's look briefly, at what that statement implies: If all indie books are poorly edited slush, then all traditionally published books must be wonderful because they've been edited professionally.

Sure, traditional published books have been professionally edited. I will give you that much. But are all traditionally published books wonderful?

* Snicker *

I can't tell you how many traditionally published books I've wasted good money on only to be disappointed and wonder how the failed plot lines, badly developed characterizations and dropped story elements and let's face it, the poor writing, even made it to an agent in the first place. Then to be published?

ACK! It's enough to make me pull my hair out!

But does that mean all traditional books are bad? Of course not, silly! It just means a few bad ones "slip through the cracks" so to speak.

Tradionally published books can play both sides of the fence - poorly written and badly edited...as well as fantastic, unforgettable stories with great plot lines and characterizations - the same can also be said for indie.

So while it's true that there are some really badly written, poorly edited indie books out there, the converse is true as well. There are some really terrific indie books. It's just people have a hard time finding them or are so turned off by the stereo type they won't take a chance. I think it's time to put an end to that stereotype.

And I'm not saying all indie authors will - or should - end up like Amanda Hocking....because let's face it, she's a one in a million just like Stephenie Meyer and JK Rowling. I'm just saying we need to give them a chance.

In closing, just for a moment, apply the argument against indie to say....food at the grocery store.

Jane: I only buy national brand food. I'll never buy store brand. It's poorly manufactured crap.
Mary: Really? I love the store brand. Not only do I get a bargain, but most of the time I'm happy with it and my family doesn't know the difference.

I don't know about you, but I'm happy to buy store brand. And I'm happy to support indie authors!

NaNo NoNo

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0000

As luck would have it (not) I got sick. The day after Halloween. The same day I was supposed to start NaNo.

With a fever, aches and a mucus factory for sinuses, I was pretty much confined to the couch. And even though I have a laptop, I was just too sick to write. Though, I did try. I managed to squeek out about a thousand words. But now, I'm about 9,000 words behind schedule. YIKES!

Okay, so I admit, I went into this knowing that I was going to be a NaNo weakling. I just wanted to get a "good start" on a book. I figured if I made it to 25,000 or 30,000 words I'd be happy. But how on earth am I supposed to even come close to that now?

So my NaNo advice: Don't get sick! Yup. It's a big NaNo NoNo.

Although, I'll admit, that's pretty difficult with cold and flu season upon us. There's got to be a better way to combat NaNo sickness.
If you're like me, writing while you're sick just doesn't work (especially when the fever is so icky that I've got on four layers of clothes and sweaters, not to mention the three blankets I was swaddled up in).

So what to do now? I'm so far behind I can't play catch up because I'd only exhaust myself (and probably end up very frustrated). Besides NaNo isn't a race to the finish line with the quickest time the winner. No, NaNo is simply a journey to accomplish a common goal. My only option now is to be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow and steady. I'll eventually finish the marathon.

Happy Halloween Ya'll!

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays of the year! I'll admit, I'm still a kid at heart, so I love dressing up in costumes. Last year my hubby and I went as Thing 1 and Thing 2. But I've been so busy this year that I haven't created a costume for myself. Thankfully there's plenty of stuff packed away in my "costume box" that I can come up with something quick. Maybe I'll just throw on my red cape and go as Little Red :)

Another reason Halloween is one of my favorite holidays is because I have the liberty to be as creative as I want. Last year I made a graveyard cake, for example. And each year I make cute little crafts with my children's classes at school. It also gives me a creative outlet for writing. I love "dark" or "spooky" stories and Halloween really ignites the flames for things of the unknown....ghosts, goblins, demons, vampires, witches and werewolves!

Plus, Halloween means NaNo is right around the corner. Okay, so last year I did NaNo and I hated it. I couldn't turn off my internal editor so I had a hard time really staying on track and squeezing out my word count. This year I'm going to tackle it the best way I know how: write and edit as I go. If I don't meet the 50,000 words by the end of November, I'm okay with that. What I will be happy with is that I've got a great start to another book!

So as I trick-or-treat with my kids tonight, I will be plotting and planning my next story, WILLOWBROOK a YA Gothic.

What do you love about Halloween? Happy Halloween and don't eat too much candy!

October brings....Snow?

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:29:00 +0000

October is nearly over and I've only now realized that somehow the month escaped without a single blog post from yours truly.

Time seems to pass at such a rapid rate....I swear only yesterday I was sending my girls off on the first day of school! Yet, somehow the quarter has already come to an end and we're facing first quarter report cards.

It's been a busy month with two birthdays, out of town guests, class parties and of course, Halloween preparations. Then there's the writing....which I've been doing a lot of lately! Revisions on my MG story CINDERSKELLA and I'm nearly finished with a humorous MG/Chapter Book, MADDIE & MIKEY. She's like a slightly grown-up Junie B Jones, with a southern twang. Her misadventures with her little brother get her into more trouble than a 'coon in a garbage can!

Then there's today....where October has brought...snow?! I mean, what the heck? I'm not particularily fond of the white stuff in the best of circumstances, but bring in when I'm supposed to be ejoying the peak of fall? The beautiful colors of the leaves before they drop from the trees? The hayrides, apple eating and pumpkin picking? The Trick-or-treating? Foil that and I'm less than happy.

But I suppose I'm making the most of it. Curled up in a blanket, sitting by a fire, enjoying some hot cocoa. And writing. :)

What are you doing to enjoy the last days of October?

Violin Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

My daughter asked me to make a cake for her orchestra teacher's birthday. So I caved in to her request, dedicated a few days (and lots of thinking) and created this cake for both the teacher and my daughter.

In order to create the violin shape, I had my daughter trace her violin onto art paper. Then I cut it out and placed it onto a sheetcake I had already baked.

After carefully carving the cake, I was able to apply the fondant. To get the shiny patina, I hand painted Wilton gel food coloring (in various browns and reds) right onto the fondant.

Thankfully I had premade all the tuning pegs, the scrolls, the fine tuners, the bridge and the chin rest out of fondant (though next time I might mix some gum paste into that fondant to help it dry harder). The strings were floral wire and although they worked well, it was difficult to get them perfectly straight. I might try string next time.

I thought adding some flowers and sheet music would really give the cake that extra finishing touch. So I printed off a few copies of HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ripped the edges and dusted them with chalks to give it an aged effect. I think those additions really made the cake! (no pun intended)

The faculty and staff at the school were really impressed with the cake. The orchestra class had no problem devouring the entire cake - along with two dozen cupcakes! I'd call that a success!

What do you think?

Interview and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:32:00 +0000

I'm over at the Mixed Up Files today interviewing the fabulous Rose Cooper. You really won't want to miss this! It includes a TWO book giveaway, including an ARC! You srsly want this.

So hop on over to www.fromthemixedupfiles.com like now, tell the two of us hello and enter your butt in that contest!

Good luck folks!

Blogging Etiquette

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:30:00 +0000

While there are many, many rules to writing, there are just a few simple rules about blogging. They are probably more my opinion than fact, but I believe it's a good start.

1- Don't quote someone without their permission or linking to their site and giving them credit. This is kind of a no brainer and it's really pretty much protocol for life.
2 - Don't turn a private conversation/debate/what-have-you into a public blog post. And certainly don't write that post hastily when you're all offended/upset/heated because you're only going to make yourself look bad. 'Nuff said about that.
3- If the topic you are writing about is your opinion, it should be clear to your readers. If it's a factual, informative post, try to link to some evidence/facts/data to substantiate it.
4- Be kind. Remember other writers are your friends. They will buy your books, they will host you during blog tours, they will spread the word - good or bad. And I think we'd all like to have people speaking kindly about us.
5- Reciprocate. I once heard it said that the amount of return you receive in blogging is directly related to the amount of your effort (or something alon those lines). So if you want people to read your blog, you must read theirs. (I'm probably the last person to preach this!)

So what blogging etiquette do you live by?

Schweddy Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I'm a huge SNL (Saturday Night Live) fanatic. Anytime someone puts on a bathing suit or mentions mexican food, I can be heard reciting the Ultimate Cheerleaders chant: Taco, Burrito, What's coming out of your Speedo?!

So yeah, SNL. :)

Anyway, one of my other favorite skits is Alec Baldwin's epic NPR routine, playing a character by the last name of Schweddy. Mr. Schweddy is famous for his balls - cheese balls, meatballs, etc. Well, you can guess where the skit goes from there.

When I saw that Ben and Jerry's had come out with a new ice cream flavor, my husband and I immediately made a date! Here's a pic of that new ice cream, courtesy of laughing squid.

And just in case you haven't seen the famous SNL skit, here's a clip!

Enjoy those Scweddy Balls, folks!

Contest!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:49:00 +0000

I'm an absolute sucker for contests. I love them. Everything about them. Well, except for the not winning part....which is usually the case with me since I seem to have the luck of a rabbit missing all four of its feet.

Anywho...My BFF, Rose Cooper, is having an ultimate contest on her blog today. You. Must. Check. It. Out. NOW!

Why are you still hanging out here? Go! Skidaddle. Get on with your bad self and win that contest! Be sure to tell her I sent you!

What is REALLY Important?

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:30:00 +0000

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About what's really important.

As many of you know, my hometown was destroyed in Hurricane Irene in late August 2011. What many of you do not know, is that I went to New York to assist with clean up efforts. I don't suppose I'll ever really understand what caused me to be so impulsive, but all I can say is that I felt a compulsive need to help them.

The opportunity to serve the people of upstate New York was an incredible one, something I will never forget. And I will be forever grateful for the experience. I doubt I did any good or made any real difference, but somewhere deep in my gut - or maybe it's buried in my heart - I believe it mattered to someone.

And so, my recent experiences with clean up efforts of Hurricane Irene, I suppose, were the catalyst for those thoughts of what's really important.

As I shoveled knee-high mud, used 1200 gallons of water to hose out houses and storage sheds, as I sifted through debris gathering remnants of people's lives, I couldn't help but think about what's really important. It's eye-opening when you see someone (lots of someones...mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, poor people, wealthy people, white people, black people, religious people, atheist people) lose everything - their whole lives - it puts things in perspective a bit.

I've thought about my own house and what I'd do if I lost it to a flood or tornado or any other natural disaster. And you know what? Honestly, I wouldn't care about the house.

What I would care about are the people in that house. My beautiful daughters, my loving husband, our cute little dog. I'd care about photographs and family heirlooms. But the granite counters? The furniture? The television and movie theater? They really don't matter.

I've thought about writing and music and cake decorating - the artistic venues I've chosen to share my talents with others. If I was ever forced to give them up, I would be sad. Lost. Miserable.

What all this thinking has boiled down to is this: things are just things. They are replaceable. But the talents, skills and education that make us who we are, the people who make us who we are, are not. Our loved ones should always take top priority in our lives. Because they are irreplaceable.

Someday, many eons from now, we will pass on to another life. While we are in those last hours, I highly doubt we will reflect on our earthly possessions....our cars, our houses and furniture, our granite counters or swimming pool. Instead, we will be thinking of all those who've touched our lives, who brought us joy and shared our lives with us. I doubt we will think, "I wish I'd redone the kitchen or spent more time watching TV." I can guarantee that we, instead, will cherish memories and think "I'm glad I played ball with my son or taught my daughter to play piano. I'm glad that when my friend needed me I was there for her."

So take a moment today, tomorrow, everyday this week, this month, this year to reflect on what's really important. I assure you, you won't be sorry.

From the Mixed-Up Files Fall Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Amie Borst) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 04:04:00 +0000

Yup! It's that time of year again! My group blog, From The Mixed-Up Files is doing another big giveaway....this time with skype visits! I hope you'll stop by and enter for a chance to win!