this could be a problem

Pitch Contest with Victoria Marini

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:14:00 +0000

Chanelle Gray is hosting an agent judged contest on her blog Beyond Words.

Victoria is with Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency. The winner gets a chance to submit their entire manuscript, and in Victoria's words "at the very least, a critique." And since she seems totally awesome and I'm querying her anyway, I will be entering.

So, you wanna see my entry?
I thought you'd never ask.

Two sentence pitch:

To sixteen-year-old Melinda, getting a boyfriend is at the top of her To Do List, although she never imagined that he’d come from a hidden magical society. Of course, she also didn’t imagine she’d find herself in the middle of a civil war with a target on her back.

Design a Book Cover Blogfest

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:04:00 +0000

Brenda Drake is hosting Redesign a Book Cover Blogfest with CA Marshall. Or we can design a cover for our own yet to be published book. Fun! My cover is original artwork for my YA urban fantasy.
Head over to Brenda Drake's blog and check out the other participants.

When You Look at Me Like That

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:22:00 +0000

Do you have an
"interesting"
relationship
with your cat?

Most people do,
myself included.

I wrote this poem
with her in mind.

Her name is Mouse.

Our relationship’s not perfect, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
While I offer you my love, you offer me a wing.
I appreciate the thoughtful gifts you always give to me.
But I really liked that bird alive, singing in the tree.

At night you drive me crazy. You scratch and run around.
You want me when I’m sleeping, but by day, you can’t be found.
You rub and purr so sweetly that I offer you my hand.
Then you turn around and bite me. I just don’t understand.

You always keep me guessing. Is it love or hate today?
The only thing I’m sure of: you’ll never run away.
You may wonder how I know this, why you’ll never leave my side.
It’s because you are too lazy to give up on your free ride.

The cheerful dog, she tries so hard to be your friend and yet
You hiss, and swat, and torture her with every chance you get.
You think the dog is stupid to pursue the bouncy ball,
But you don’t look much brighter when you’re staring at the wall.

You run like you’re a cheetah; a leopard climbs like that.
But when it’s time to come back down you’re such a scaredy cat.
What goes up must then come down, I’ll say it once again.
“It’s only in the movies that they call the firemen!”

I love the way you proudly lead the kids to school each day,
And wait outside the window ‘til it’s time for them to play.
I know you love the children, your devotion’s plain to see.
Sometimes I think your plan is just to do away with me.

I try to tell the family; they seem so unaware.
I think it was no accident you tripped me on the stair.
I see it in your eyes when you look at me like that.
I think you want to kill me! And who’d suspect the cat?

And while we’re on the subject, I thought that you should know.
I’ve left a note for family on the chance that I should “go.”
I really do quite love you and all the laughs you bring.
Our relationship’s not perfect, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
~Michaele Stoughton

A Little of This, A Little of That

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:05:00 +0000

The better part of the last three years have been devoted to REACH: writing and rewriting, learning and networking, querying and submitting, contemplating and, of course, rewriting.
I needed to unplug from social media for a while (for the most part), regroup, and work on my overwhelming To Do List.

1. Clean my house. (I think that dust bunny had teeth.)

2. Clean OUT my house. (Before a producer from the TV show Hoarders shows up at my door.)

3. Paint just about every surface. (I hate cleaning the brushes.)

4. Install new flooring. (Then obsess. NO ANIMAL WILL RUIN IT THIS TIME!)

5. Renovate 2 1/2 bathrooms. (Just. Yuck.)

6. Sell the house. (Which hasn't happened yet.)

7. Find jobs for my husband and I in Florida. (Can't take another NY winter.)

Then there were things not on the list, some crazy, some for pleasure, and the "Oh man, why now?" projects.

1. Install new garage doors. (That was unexpected. While sitting in the family room watching TV one evening we heard a loud bang. The huge spring on our 30 year old garage door split in half, which in turned snapped the heavy wire that makes the door go up and down.)

2. Convince husband to let me spend over $200.00 on surgery for our turtle. He had a double ear infection.

3. Adopt more rats.

4. Come across a good deal on like 27,000 feet of nylon webbing, and think, "I could make dog collars." (WHAT?! Sometimes I really wonder about my sanity. And BTW... this is what 27,000 feet looks like.)

5. Sew lots of dog collars. Which can be found on my new site Greyt Serendipity

6. Read. Read. Read.

7. Experience Reike.

8. Discover the therapeutic powers of writing ...yet again. (I wrote about a traumatic event that happened when I was eleven. I will eventually share it with you.)

So, there it is: the many distractions of life. Thanks for hanging in there.

Another Awesome Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:39:00 +0000

Want a chance to win the newly released A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford?

She is having an awesome giveaway and up for grabs, are five ... yes I said FIVE ... prize packs!

Hop on over to A Touch of Leah to enter.
The contest is open to Canada and U.S. only and ends March 31st.

Good Books and Goodreads

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:27:00 +0000

I finally took the time to figure out how to put the books I'm reading
over there -----------------------------------------------------> on the side.

In my search I found Goodreads. I'd seen the name before, but wasn't sure what it was. It looks pretty cool. If you aren't familiar with Goodreads, you should check it out.
Anyway...this is not a very exciting post, just proves that I am still alive, and that I do read. Sorry, no ratings yet. I will say that I just finished HUSH HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick, and I love, love, loved it!

I can't wait! This weekend I am finally getting around to reading THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins.

Cool Agent, Hot Book

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:15:00 +0000

Literary agent Diana Fox of
Fox Literary
has a new blog, leaving behind her
Livejournal/Dreamwidth.

She hopes to have more content
at her new site,
and to celebrate
she is offering up an
ARC of Claudia Gray's AFTERLIFE.

So, hop on over and check it out.

Letting Your Family Read Your Work

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Over at the The Graceful Doe's Blog she did a post on Why You Shouldn't Ask Your Spouse's Opinion. I've seen this kind of advice before: don't let your family read your manuscript. I understand the reasoning; family members will have a biased opinion for their loved ones, they are excited to see what you've worked so hard on, and they don't want to hurt your feelings.

Well, that's most families.

My oldest (teen) daughter has always been an avid reader. She is excellent with grammar and punctuation, and can offer an in-depth review of the books she's read. Even though I was working with a critique partner, I really wanted a teen to read my young adult novel, and I thought she could be quite handy to have in my corner. I say could, with a grain of salt and a dash of hope, because she can also be quite critical.

In fact, for over a year she downright refused to read it.

At first when I asked, she said s didn't want to because she didn't think I would even finish writing it.

Fair enough.

When I asked her to read my completed and revised manuscript, she quite honestly replied, "I don't think I'm going to like it."

Okay, I know that was harsh. Please don't judge her. Trust me, I'm judging her enough for all of us. Just kidding. We really do have a wonderful relationship.

Then one day she said if I wanted to download it onto her Nook, she would read it. I casually said, "Okay, whatev."

I had to force myself to leave her alone, and not stare over her shoulder. I thought I would literally crawl out of my skin, waiting for her to finish.

Luckily, she is a fast reader.

Thankfully, she couldn't put it down.

But then ~~the brat~~ my lovely daughter didn't say anything. I tried not to push her, coolly asking, "So ... uh, what'd ya think?"

She flashed me a funny smile and sighed. I immediately realized what was going on -- she doesn't like to admit when she's wrong. I kept a straight face and waited. Finally, she said, "It's awesome."

That honestly is a moment I will never forget. It meant so much to me. As did her excitement as she discussed a certain character and that characters conclusion.

So, that's my story. Do you have a story about sharing your work with family?

Therapy & Psychics

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 02:33:00 +0000

As a teen, writing helped me deal with my emotions. When my kids were little, I had fun writing and illustrating a couple of children’s books. I thought about trying to get them published, but I mostly wrote for myself. Several years passed, I didn’t have a lot of time for writing. Until three years ago...

I was working as a Dental Assistant. I enjoyed my job, and the people I worked with. One day I woke up and my pinky hurt. Yeah, I said pinky. Hold on. There’s more to the story. I couldn’t bend my finger; it felt like I had jammed it, although I couldn’t recall anything happening.

Then the next morning I woke up and my whole hand hurt, and I couldn’t hold or grip anything – not good when I’m handling a sharp object over the patient’s face. Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt anyone. In the days to follow, the pain spread to different parts of my body and I began to worry. I saw my doctor, and the worry changed to frustrated concern as we began the testing process.

For a while it was believed to be Lupus, but upon further testing the doctors determined it to be Fibromyalgia; which I mention, because apparently that’s common. Fibromyalgia is not the end of the world, but it does take some getting used to: the pain, depression, and exhaustion. The fact that I couldn’t preform my job added to my problems. I needed time, so I took a leave of absence.

Suddenly I felt OLD (I should mention I had just turned forty). I felt like I hadn’t done anything with my life, and now it was over. So I used my time off to write and reflect. Who knew that one would turn out to be the answer to the other? But it was. I wanted to write, like a whole novel. And I wanted it to be young adult, which I’d never done. Sadly, my family thought I was just going through a phase. So at first I didn’t feel whole lot of support or understanding.

I struggled a little at first. Then I fell in love with the process it, and my story. I found writing to be therapeutic. Getting lost in words. Creating worlds. I wasn’t in pain when I was writing. I also found that I was good at it. Like I said, that was three years ago; I guess I’m not going back to work. But on the upside, I completed my first novel and got the family support that I needed.

Now, as many of you know, I am working towards publication. And because of what a psychic said, I am confident … well, guardedly confident, that I will be published one day. Don’t laugh. Those guys are amazing. Well, I imagine that they are amazing. I didn’t personally see the psychic, my sister did. Never mind, you can laugh.

Standing out in the crowd

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 01:41:00 +0000

When I was a kid I was immensely shy and reserved. I did what I could to not bring attention to myself -- short of dressing head to toe in gray, to blend into the cinder block walls at school.
Now, it seems like I am constantly doing something ridiculous to draw attention to myself.

One of the more memorable moments that comes to mind happened a couple of years ago. I promised my youngest that I would go to her Halloween parade/party at school. But before I left the house that afternoon, I decided to surprise her and dress up, and I came up with an insane idea of what to wear. I struggled to get the elaborate outfit on, and then drove to the school. I shuffled through the maze of halls to get to her classroom -- of course her room was just about the farthest from the main entrance that you could possibly get.
Ready for the big reveal, I stepped into the doorway.
The room got quiet as they all stared.
The look on my daughter's face was priceless. "Oh god."
Another child asked, "Is that your mom?"
My daughter answered in a tiny deflated voice, "Yes."
There I stood, in full scuba attire: wetsuit, flippers, mask and snorkel. It was my husband's suit from at least twenty years earlier. It was the last thing she would've expected. And even with my fogged up face mask and sounding like Darth Vader as I breathed through the snorkel, she knew it was me.

But the funniest part of the whole thing was that none of the other parents were dressed up. All the uppity moms were lined up with their knitted Halloween/fall sweater vests.
And then there was ME.

Over the years my children have grown immune to my eccentricities, and now it is nearly impossible to embarrass them. Not that I haven't tried.

Zombies...

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 02:02:00 +0000

I entered The Zombified Writing Contest over at Bree Ogden's blog This Literary Life. The contest was to write three sentences with the zombie theme.
I didn't win, but I did get a special mention.

"Whose entry was absolutely hilarious and clever!"

Here's my entry:

Soft music and candle light set the mood as they gazed into each others eyes. “You’ve stolen my heart,” he whispered.
“Sorry, do you want it back?” she replied, lowering her eyes bashfully and holding it out for him to take.

Thanks Bree and D.M.!

Salem and the Stoughton Name

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:40:00 +0000

I've always had a fascination with the Salem Witch Trials. I actually enjoyed learning about that part of history. Ancient Greece, not so much. As a kid we even went to Salem, Massachusetts, and visited all the historical sites. So cool!
Imagine my surprise when years later I realized I had married into a name associated with the witch trials. Okay. So, he wasn't really a good guy. But still.
Of course then when I started writing REACH, I had to add that historical element. Write what you're passionate about, right?
And it was really fun doing those chapters.

William Stoughton (July 7, 1631 – September 30, 1701) was in charge of what have come to be known as the Salem Witch Trials, first as the Chief Justice of the Special Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692, and then as the Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature in 1693. He ruled over the trials with the determination to eradicate all witches from Massachusetts Bay Colony - heavily influenced by his conservative religious convictions.
-excerpts taken from Wikipedia [link above] and Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project.

Looking Back

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:38:00 +0000

My oldest just started her first year at Community College.
How is that possible?
It's seems like it was just yesterday that we walked into the school, for the very first time. We were there for kindergarten registration and evaluation. Our little girl (who wouldn't be five for a couple more weeks) followed the counselor into the room and closed the door -- not even the slightest hesitation. She couldn't wait to go to school.
After about fifteen minutes the door opened, and the counselor invited us in. As our daughter played in the opposite corner, my husband and I got to sit in the tiny little chairs at the tiny little table.
The counselor smiled and went on to explain the process. "What I do, is ask the child to draw me a picture. I usually get a picture of a pet, their house, their stick figure family, the sun and flowers." She placed a paper in front of us, and said, "This is what your daughter drew."
The picture in front of us was a Diplodocus (dinosaur) jumping on a trampoline. The Diplodocus, floating in mid-air, was in perfect perspective. The counselor was surprised, but we were used to her drawings.
The counselor continued. "Then I ask the child what he/she wants to be when they grow up. I usually get stuff like: doctor, fireman, singer, dancer. I've even had bumble bee. Your daughter said she wants to be a Paleontologist." She smiled. "I didn't know what that was. I had to ask her." She snickered. "Your daughter is ready for school."

At the end of her first week I asked, "How do you like school so far?"
She answered, rather agitated, "It's STUPID! I don't know how to read yet.

No More MSG

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:33:00 +0000

There's something about chinese restaurants that brings out the "wild" in my family. When I say family, I guess I really mean me. There's the time I flicked the fortune cookie -- like a paper football -- and it hit my daughter right between the eyes. That was the funniest thing I've ever seen. Her head went flying back and the fortune cookie smashed into a million pieces. Don't worry, she was okay.
Then there was the time the bench seat had REALLY springy springs, and my oldest would not stop bouncing. I mean REALLY bouncing. She was gettin' some air! After repeated requests to stop, I shifted in my seat, to bump hip to hip. Well, I happened to catch her on the up-swing ... and she landed on the floor next to the table. Again, we all laughed so hard that we nearly got ourselves kicked out.
Last night we went out for chinese. I came back to the table with a plate of jello, and both my girls giggled. One handed me a straw, and said, "Do it!" while my husband shook his head.
Why is it that kids love the sound of flatulence? Jello-farts are the best.

I'm not a loser anymore!

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:18:00 +0000

Remember that contest I mentioned? Sure you do. It's right over there ---->

Well. I won third place!
This is sooo great, because I was going to query the awesome Suzie Townsend just as soon as I tweaked my synopsis [tweaked = finish], and now I get to work with awesome intern GEMMA COOPER!
I am super-duper excited!
Can you tell?
I've never won anything like this before!
I can't stop using the exclamation point!

Twenty Years and I'm Still Blowing Cake Out of My Nose

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:07:00 +0000

Today's my 20th wedding anniversary.
Can you believe I'm still married to this guy after this?

Yep, twenty years, and he was a blind date. I even joke that he was an arranged marriage. So how did we meet? It's an interesting story.

I was a 21 year old corporate travel agent. Broke and single – so broke I had to get a second job. I started working a couple of nights a week at a department store. One night a co-worker came up to me and introduced herself. I thought she was really nice – reaching out to the new girl. She asked if I would be interested in going out for a couple of drinks after work.
We went out that night. It started like any new friendship. What school did you go to? When did you graduate? Turns out we were the same age.
Then she asked, “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No. How about you?”
“No,” she answered, “but since we're on the subject … I have a brother. He's 26. Nice. Good looking. Do you wanna meet him?” she said with a big grin.

To make a long story short. He was home, on two week leave from the Navy. He only had three months to go, and he was done with the Navy for good. Her plan was to find him a girlfriend in his home town, so that when he got out he would move back home. She went on to tell me that she hand picked me because I seemed nice and she thought we would make cute little nieces and nephews for her.
A couple of days later we went on our first date. Two months later we were engaged. And less than a year from when we met, we were married.

In this day and age, 20 years is a long time. So what's our secret? Don't take life too serious.
We've always had a lot of fun together, and that's how we've raised our kids.

Very Vampire May Giveaway - Update

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:04:00 +0000

So, a couple of weeks ago, I told you about Sara McClung's "Very Vampire May Giveaway" contest. Well, the contest has been extended until midnight tonight, and she is offering extra points if you blog about it.
I could really use more points, because I really want the signed copy of Twilight.
I am a huge fan of Stephenie Meyer! Who isn't? If I lived closer, I would probably stalk her.
If by some crazy chance she sees this...

Just kidding Stephenie. You're so pritty.

Writing and Webbed Toes

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:16:00 +0000

Months ago I typed what I thought would be the final chapter of my first novel. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and if it weren’t for the on-line writing community, I might have sent my manuscript off before I was ready.

I have Therese Walsh of Writer Unboxed to thank for pointing me in the right direction. I met Therese on release day of The Last Will of Moira Leahy at our local Barnes & Noble. She was my first connection to the writing community; up until that point, I was on my own. Now, I’m connected with writers and agents through Twitter – which then leads you to their blogs, where these brilliant people share their advice and wisdom.

Well, I’m not on my own anymore. I also have my best friend and fellow writer, Paula. We met about ten years ago, when I worked with her husband. Right away I thought she was way-cool, but busy lives and different schedules didn’t allow for us to build a relationship at the time, and a short time later I left that job. Then last fall, because of my new online presence, we found each other. We’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since.

Paula has been a huge inspiration and sounding board for my writing. Being an aspiring writer can be a lonely journey, especially when friends and family don’t understand your dedication and drive: to not only complete a novel, but to actually want to be published.

It’s a little freaky how much Paula and I have in common -- that's us in the picture. We're like kindred spirits. We both write YA. We’re both a little nuts. And we both have webbed toes. (Maybe that was a little too much information?)

Anyway, I’m happy to announce that at approximately 8:00 pm on May 19, 2010

I finished writing my first novel!

The feeling of accomplishment is tremendous, and I know that with Paula’s help and the advice of the all the awesome people I follow (check them out) I will be prepared for the still long journey ahead.

Here are some links I found helpful and relevant to the stage I’m at, in the last week alone:
The Graceful Doe's Blog post titled More Helpful Writing Sites and Blog Posts, and she mentions ...
Jody Hedlund's blog post on the editing process, in addition to other helpful sites.
QueryTracker.net Blog, because ... well, I don't need a reason, they're just that good.
Random Daily Thoughts, because this post sounded so much like me.
Guide to Literary Agents, because they've got it all.

Did someone say "Vampires"?

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:17:00 +0000

Sara Mcclung has a contest going. It's called "A Very Vampire May Giveaway". She's got some great prizes. Including a signed copy of Twilight!

The contest goes from May 10-June 2. Winners to be announced June 3rd. Check it out. And check out Sara. She's cute as a button.

Now back to the copy of Twilight ... Winning that would be beyond frickin awesome. My copy is a little worn, so I could use a shiny new SIGNED copy on my bookshelf.

Put Down the Camera and Help Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:35:00 +0000

Why is it that when you do something stupid, some people’s first reaction is to grab the camera?

I will tell you why: Because they are EVIL!

I was having one of those wonderfully productive days, checking one thing after another off my dreaded to-do-list.

Next on my list: fix loose piece on dishwasher. This should’ve been an easy task – just a dab of glue.

Well, the good news is: I fixed it!

But since that day, almost ten years ago, I am not allowed to use super glue without adult supervision.

[Please ignore my disheveled appearance]

By now you have probably guessed what happened. If not, here it is ... the whole idiotic truth.
I superglued both hands together, AND to the dishwasher. Like a lot.
When I yelled for help, what I got was my kid with a camera.
I may be smiling in this picture. I agree, it was funny at first.

When I said get your father, what I got was, "Hold on!"
"What do you mean hold on? Come back!"
She returned a minute later with the phone to her ear. "Yeah, both hands," she giggled.
"Who are you talking to?"
"Grandma."
"Hang up the phone and help me."
"Grandma, I gotta go."
"Thank you. Now go get your father -- I'm not kidding around."
"Hi, it's Lexi--"
"What?!"
She lowers the phone, "I'm calling your friends."
My daughter is pure evil.
Her father was only slightly less helpful.
I was stuck to that dishwasher for an hour and forty-five minutes. [No lie!]

Root Canal, Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:45:00 +0000

I would say that posting to my blog is like pulling teeth, but I used to be a dental assistant, and I know that pulling teeth isn’t really that hard. Now a root canal, that’s a little more difficult. It takes time and precision to get to the apex. That much more describes my problem. I’ll explain.
Time: if I’m at the computer I’m working on my ms.
Precision: I don’t want to ramble.
Apex or “the point”: I have a hard time coming up with a topic to blog about, and that’s the real problem.

I don’t feel I’m someone to offer advice on the craft of writing, especially since there are so many great blogs with great advice out there. Since I’m still working on editing and polishing my ms, there’s not a whole lot to tell. But, I’m hoping to start querying soon, and with that, I can blog about my experience with the process.

That being said, I do have a little something I can share with you, although there’s not much to tell. A week ago I submitted a (humorous) poem for a book to be published 2011. It is my first submission ... ever. Wow, it was hard clicking on that submit button. But the moment I did, I was filled with excitement and relief.

Then, this weekend I found a new writers group – about 25 people – writers of all kinds. That’s way more than I’ve read to before. I was so nervous getting up in front of them. I read the poem that I had just submitted (which by the way I hadn’t read anywhere before) and to my absolute delight … it was a hit! I found myself having to wait for the laughter to die down before starting the next stanza.
Yeah, they got it! Cue Sally Fields acceptance speech. Yes, that was going through my head as I went back to my seat.

Hey look at that, in telling you that I have nothing to talk about, I talked about something. Uh-oh, I might be breaking my “no rambling” rule.

Was My Face Red?

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:51:00 +0000

A handful of customers wandered the drug store aisles that night. No music played over the air and conversation was at a minimum – prime condition for a loud mouth blond to make a fool of herself.

I was 23 years old, newly married, and dirt poor. So, browsing the drug store was our big night out. My husband went one way and I went another. I picked up some decongestant and continued on; scanning the shelves for some sort of ear-flushing kit (not knowing if that sort of thing even existed) but I wanted clean ears.

Then right at eye level, I found it: Ear Wax Removal System. Yes, it does exist! (It took little to excite me.) It was a very small package, with a very small (0.5 oz.) bottle of drops, and it was like ten bucks. So I continued, looking for a better deal. On the bottom shelf I found a system that advertised “Extra Cleaning” and it was only about two bucks. Good deal, and look at that – 7.8 oz. – more for the money.
I grabbed the box off the shelf and went to find my husband.

“You know how you’re always saying I can’t hear you,” I said from the other end of the aisle. Then I held up the box to show him as I approached. “I’m gonna get all that gunk out!”
He looked confused. “With an Enema?”
“Yes silly, it’s for your ears,” I announced. Then looked down at the box, back at him, and naively asked, “What’s an Enema?”

Animal Rescues

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:23:00 +0000

These are three rescues that I'm involved in. They mean a lot to me. Check out the good work these people do, and please do your part to help an animal in need -- adopt from a rescue.

Monica's Heart - Greyhound Adoption

Mainely Rat Rescue
Feathered Kisses

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:39:00 +0000

Immediately after my last post, Neil, AKA That Neil Guy, contacted me for more details regarding number 10 from the "Ten Trivial Truths" list. He wanted to put the story on his blog holydonuts.blogspot.com
I got right back to him with the story, which he posted that night.
Please forgive me, I'm a little slow. That was 7 days ago, and it only now just occured to me to put the story on my own blog. Duh!

The infamous Dunkin’ Donut incident…..
I pulled up to the squawk box and gave my order. Then, this is what I heard:
“That was one large iced coffee with ahhh! Thump. Laugh. Snort.”
I said, “Hello.”
But she was laughing to hard – she couldn’t speak.
So, I drove around the corner wondering what was going on.
That’s when I found the adorable little blond girl lying on the pavement in front of the drive-thru window. As soon as she saw my car, she got up and ran inside.
Moments later, the red-faced blond poked her face through the window, and tried to take my money.
I said, “Not until you tell me what just happened.”
The adorable little blond simply replied, “I saw a shiny quarter on the ground, and thought I could reach it.”

Ten Trivial Truths

noreply@blogger.com (Michaele Stoughton) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:10:00 +0000

I’ve been busy with my ms, and couldn’t think of a topic, so I decided to do a fun list of facts about me. While making up this list I found that I have a lot of embarrassing moments, so that will be a list for another day.

1. I’m an impatient procrastinator
2. I love saying Abu Dhabi
3. I always have sunglasses on my head
4. I’ve never been able to resist a chocolate chip cookie
5. I love being wacky for my kids, but as much as I try, they don’t embarrass easily
6. I thought plethora was a made up word
7. I was a baton twirler in the marching band
8. I’m not good at telling jokes
9. If I can’t think of a word (when I’m talking) I’ll say whatever word pops in my head
10. I once saw a Dunkin Donuts employee fall out of the drive-thru window