We celebrated Easter yesterday, thinking the weather would be better than it was today. We were up at my in-laws lakehouse–a cabin sort of house where you pretty much plan to spend most of your time outdoors because it gets cramped with too many people inside. Well, my husband’s parents and my parents were there, and then us (hubby, two boys, and me). We didn’t go outside. After 80 degree plus weather earlier in the week, it was drizzly, cloudy, murky, and in the low forties. So…we all stayed inside. We ate, watched movies, boys played computer games (my husband and father-in-law are included in that grouping), and just lounged and vegged. It felt very odd to me. And then, in the evening, it started to snow–just a little–great big chunky flakes falling down and melting instantly as it was 42 degrees.

I did finish Tantalize (which I mentioned last week)–actually I read the vast majority of the book yesterday. What can I say except Wow! I am so impressed. It’s a YA book, but it’s about a seventeen year old and really very freaky and creepy. So many twists and turns and surprises, such a fun heroine, so many zany and quirky characters. I really, really loved it. The author, Cynthia Leitich Smith mentions at the end how there’s a ‘nod’ to certain authors, one of them being Maurice Sendak. I totally missed that, darn it. I highly, highly recommend it and will probably be buying it for my niece for her birthday (after I check with her mom that she can handle it in all its glory).

Also…I watched The Holiday (with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black), which I’d been going to see right before Christmas but didn’t. I saw Stranger Than Fiction instead (and it was great). Anyway, I loved it too! It had all the stuff I liked: great setting–the house swap looked like so much fun, really interesting characters, romance, comedy, that special touch of quirkiness–PERFECT! I think I’m actually going to buy it as I think I could watch it again and again. Jude Law was adorable, but I just LOVE Jack Black. Much like I LOVE Ben Stiller. I find quirky very appealing.

Oooh…also, I tried a couple of Harry Potter Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans when my sons were too chicken. They each got a pack from the Easter Bunny, including a mix of tasty and not so tasty flavors. I’ve now tried Black Pepper (strong) and Soap (really kind of gross). My gramma used to threaten to wash my mouth out with soap, and I now know it would have just been nasty. After I braved it out, both boys tried Grass and said it wasn’t too bad. None of us have yet tried Booger, Vomit, Sardine, Earthworm, Earwax, Rotten Egg, or Dirt. And I’m not sure we ever will…

I sent it in! I finally, finally sent in the submission that was ‘requested’ at my agent appointment at the beginning of February. True, no one but me proofed it, and neither of my critique partners saw the final version, but I just had to let it go. Otherwise, I think I would have been trapped in an endless loop of editing. What a huge relief. I’m not even second-guessing anything (hardly). Now I just have to write my RWA PRO article, get my 100 words done today, and get started reading the pages my critique partner sent me, and I’m a free agent. Well, I still have to make dinner, and oversee the coloring of Easter eggs (no small project), but after all that, I’m just going to relax and read. I’m in the middle of both Tantalize and Friends in High Places by Marne Davis Kellogg.

Life is good.

I had a really good productive day today. (Don’t want to jinx myself and find out tomorrow that I hate all the writing that I did today, but now there’s no going back). I didn’t get called to sub today–and actually I was going to say no if the director did call as I really needed today–and I came home and wrote, wrote, wrote. I didn’t read email or surf around the internet, or get distracted, or any of that. I barely looked at the clock (which is great for me). I’m crossing my fingers that absolutely everything will be ready to go, to be sent out Thursday morning. My son only has a half day of school, so I don’t have much to work with. Scary possibility: what if I get called to sub. It’s Easter egg hunt day…I don’t know if I’d be able to resist.

Okay…the weekend. I did not accomplish my goals. Well, I suppose one of them: I finished Little Lady, Big Apple. Really liked it, but the first in the series is still my favorite. I didn’t get much writing accomplished at all given that one son was invited to a birthday party, and the other stayed home (with me), my husband took one son to a Rockets game and the other one stayed home (with me), and my husband decided to do some work on the taxes (on the computer I use to write). So…writing didn’t get done. So…I’m frantically trying to make up time this week. I WILL get this out if it kills me.

On a happy note, I’m on Day 12 of writing 100 (or more) words in a day. I’m proud of myself.