Tangled Yarn Books

A little more creation a little less destruction in today's post.

A couple years ago I wrote a story for my son, Owen. It is an adaptation of the traditional Christian Christmas story told in four parts, so we could read it during the four weeks prior to Christmas: Advent.

Last November (2012) a was seized by a fit of inspiration and created illustrations to accompany the story.

I was invited to share the story and illustrations at a Christmas Eve service. I created a presentation of the images and they were projected on the big screen at our church while I read the story and the children acted out the story.

It was wonderful.

Having the opportunity to share the story on Christmas eve confirmed for me that I needed to do everything I could to get this book published so I could continue sharing it.

At the beginning of January this year (2013) I met with a publishing coach to discuss options for publication. The result of that discussion was the decision to self-publish.

The main reason for that is that, thought a commercial publisher may accept my manuscript; they may not accept the illustrations.

 I’ve grown very fond my illustrations and they are an integral part of the way I want the story presented (more anon). Self-publishing, while a lot more work means I retain copyrights and complete creative control. YAH! For controllingness!

My publishing coach encouraged me to create and name my own publishing company; which, in the words of Ferris Bueller, is SO choice!

The name, Tangled Yarn, came very quickly to mind. The first book is a retelling of a traditional story, my next book is an adaptation of a Norse Myth (sneak peek forthcoming) and my son has requested a version of the Easter story – cuz illustrations for that won’t be at all awkward.  There may even be some twisted up fairy tales in the future...

So Tangled Yarn fits.

The Runner Up name was Penny Cat Books, after my cat, Penny; because she’s awesome. There were various others that included naming the company after my favorite hat; a raspberry beret(taken by prince, *sigh*), my favorite quote: ‘given a cape and nice tiara I might just save the world’; “Tiara & Cape Books”, and my favorite song; “Fish with a Bike Books”. (you can figure that one out).

She would make a pretty cute logo. 

Since Penny lost out on having the company named after her, I’ve hired her as my CEO – she lazes around and watches me do all the hard work – that’s what CEO’s do right?

She is pretty darn cute though.

Currently I’m working with a Graphic Designer to create a logo and continuing to hum and haw over choosing a .com or a .ca for my website... then I get to build a website. I may find someone I can pay to do that for me... 

Until then, LIKE US on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/TangledYarnBooks

and SHARE! 

Cuz if you don't Clowns will eat you!  

Another Perfectly Good Reason to Hate Squirrels

In Norse Mythology there is a squirrel whose sole purpose is to run up and down Yggdrasil, the World Tree, carrying insults from a dragon at its roots to an eagle perched in its branches above.

I freakin’ love norse myth. Not just for an accurate representation of squirrels, horrid creatures that they are, but because they are full of odd ball goofy stories like this one.

I am not a fan of squirrels, and I’m being nice here. They are creepy little rodents and I don’t care how cute people think them to be, they are, as my friend has called them, “Rat’s with good PR.”

They only thing I can give them credit for is being pretty damn ballsy. The squirrels that pillage in my neighbourhood don’t let things like doors, windows, dogs or cats stop them. They are bloody arrogant and know straight up that they are too fast for a dog to catch them and smarter than an animal proof cat door.

I’ve walked in to my kitchen to find squirrels nonchalantly sitting on the kitchen counter eating brownies – yes brownies.  Then there was the time I came upon a squirrel in my dining room who had managed to open a jar of nuts and was clearing out the contents.

Given the chance they’d eat every scrap of food in a house, just like a rat. It’s only their bushy tails that keep us all from setting traps, poison and otherwise try to take them out any chance we get.

Imagine them scurrying up and down trees without those fluffy little backsides and suddenly a seemingly innocent looking squee of an animal become fucking terrifying. They will eat you and everyone you love.

The squirrel in the Norse myth is named Ratatosk, it means ‘drill tooth’. All it does all day long is bound up and down a tree insulting an eagle on behalf of Nidhogg, a dragon burrowed deep in the roots of Yggdrasil.

Nidhogg, btw, spends its days gnawing on the corpses of the unworthy dead. When it gets bored, it chews on the roots of the world tree – just cuz, you know, it can.

I feel for this eagle, who though it’s never stated implicitly I’m pretty sure has taken a bit of a “seriously, what’s your problem dude?” attitude towards the whole situation.

Sadly the eagle is never named.

With all this literary gold, is it any wonder that my next book is a retelling of a norse myth?

No, it’s not, because that’s what I’m working on right now. 

Though these characters aren’t the main ones in my story they are all in it and the squirrel is a jerk.

Because squirrels are jerks.

Yggdrasil, as pictured in my wreckage journal 

A whole New Year or Something

I changed over the calendars the other day. But otherwise moving from 2012 to 2013 hasn't felt all that remarkable. 

It doesn't feel like a new year to me. I like seeing all the “Be more of yourself in 2013!” “Make this your year!” motivational posts on my facebook wall; and by like I mean I’ll put up with them until I have to suffer through all the valentines and anti-valentines posts that should start up in about 2 weeks.

My son is in elementary school so his ‘new year’ started back in September in that same month I started a new job. This job goes until June so I’m really in the middle of my year right now.

That being said, it does feel like this is MY YEAR! And that is has been for awhile.  I have been more myself in the last 6 months than I may ever have been in my entire adult life.

Last spring, in April to be exact, I posted a note on the wall of my office that said, “A year from now you’ll wish you started today,” Seeing that every day changed things for me.

Things also changed for me when I read a lifehacker article about procrastination. The article suggested that every time you find yourself saying, “I don’t have time to do this”, or “I can’t make time to do that,” to change the wording of the statement to, “I haven’t made it a priority to do this (or that),” and see how your thoughts change.

For a long time I’ve been saying, “I just don’t have time to write,” something I love doing. Changing that to, I haven’t made it a priority to write hurt. It actually physically hurt deep, deep in my body.

So I changed that. Also made sure that I adjusted my thinking every time I starting to say, I just don’t have time, I re-examined the thought and asked myself about its priority. 

Sometimes I did chose to say, I don’t have time because I really did (do) have better things to do with my time.

This change has helped me over the past while create a list of priorities that are meaningful, spiritual and productive.

Today I’m meeting with a ‘publishing coach’, who will help me navigate the publishing world. I wrote and illustrated a children’s book last year and this year I’m making the time to work on getting it published.

I don’t know how I will make this happen, hence the coach, but it will happen. I have also made a priority to start on another children’s story, but that’s for another post.

Not a whole lot of wreckage in this post, but I am seeing the beginnings of creation from the wreckage.

I didn't write this, but I like it. 

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RIP Beautiful Frames

Damnit. I needed those to drive today. 

I haven't destroyed much in my journal recently. I've been much too busy destroying a few of my favorite things, like these glasses. I've had these frames for probably 5 or 6 years and I love them! LOVE THEM!

When I had laser eye surgery 3 years ago I didn't give them up and with it turned out that my eyes were sooooo bad even after the surgery I still needed driving glasses, I had new lenses put in this frames.  

They've been sturdy strong frames and I love them. LOVE THEM. So I grieved heavily this morning when I searched for them and found them in the bottom of my bag snapped in too. 

They may have been snapped by the wreckage journal landing on them when I carelessly tossed the book into my bag last evening. 

So now, not only is the wreckage journal being wrecked, it's wrecking stuff. Which makes it kinda awesome. 

My new frames look very similar and these old ones will be passed on to a charity that will repair them with a metal bar, or duct tape, and pass them on to someone in need who isn't as vain about their frames,(first world jerks)like me. So at least they won't go in the garbage. 

Still I loved those frames and would have kept them a whole lot longer if the stupid f-ing wreckage journal hadn't wrecked them.